NFL Player News

Engram (hamstring) was spotted working out on the side at the start of Friday's practice, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Though Engram was in attendance for the Giants' final practice session of the week, he rode a stationary bike while the rest of his teammates warmed up on the field, suggesting he's on track to go down as a non-participant for the third straight day. That doesn't bode well for his odds of playing Sunday against the Bears, but the Giants should provide official word on the matter later Friday. Rhett Ellison would work as the Giants' top tight end in the event Engram is sidelined for his fourth game of the season.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that Graham (thumb) was unable to do as much at Thursday's practice as anticipated, Kelly Price of NBC 26 Green Bay reports.

Graham was able to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday's session, but he apparently hoped he would be further along in the recovery path by this point in the week. The tight end played through the injury in last Sunday's loss to the Vikings, but his snaps were restricted as a result. Even if he's cleared to suit up in Week 13 against the Cardinals, Graham may have his workload capped again, which would limit his fantasy upside.

Njoku (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The knee issue has resulted in Njoku carrying questionable designations into the Browns' past two games, but he's ultimately suited up on both occasions, reeling in all six of his targets over that span for 81 yards and a touchdown. The back-to-back limited practices to begin Week 13 suggest Njoku's knee is still an issue on some level, but he would likely be held out entirely if there was truly any concern about his availability for Sunday's matchup with the Texans. That said, Njoku may need to practice fully Friday to avoid another questionable tag this weekend.

Graham (thumb/knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

While the activity represents a step forward from what Graham was able to do Wednesday, it still appears likely that he'll require a heavy tape job over his fractured left thumb heading into Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Without the full range of motion in the thumb, Graham is unable to catch passes or block in optimal fashion, which could result in his snaps being restricted again if he plays this week.

Allen (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Allen missed New England's win over the Jets in Week 12 and sat out practice to begin this week, but he returned to the field on a limited basis Thursday. Even if Allen is able to suit up against the Vikings on Sunday, he's unlikely to see notable targets with Rob Gronkowski (ankle/back) trending towards playing.

Thomas missed practice Thursday due to personal reasons, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com reports.

The coaching staff hasn't said yet if Thomas will be back for Friday's practice, though with starting tight end Charles Clay (hamstring) looking to return soon, Thomas' time on offense is about to become even more sporadic.

Goolsby (undisclosed) was cut from the injured reserve list by the Jaguars on Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

The Florida product was placed on IR on Sept. 3 and has stayed there ever since. The extent of Goolsby's injury is unknown, but he is now free to sign with any team.

Allen (knee) returned to the practice field Thursday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Allen was unable to suit up in the Patriots' win over the Jets on Sunday, but he finally made his return to the practice field Thursday. The fact that Allen was able to return to practice is a positive sign for his Week 13 availability.

Coach Pat Shurmur said Engram (hamstring) will not participate in Thursday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

This is not a good sign for Engram's status heading into the weekend, as there has also been nothing to suggest that the tight end will even be able to put in a limited effort Friday. When Engram was sidelined in Sunday's loss to the Eagles, Rhett Ellison operated as the team's No. 1 tight end, hauling in four passes for 77 yards.

Graham (thumb/knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Graham played through a fractured left thumb in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Vikings, catching two of four targets for 34 yards across just 22 offensive snaps. He's probably looking at a repeat of the limited role Week 13 against Arizona, as coach Mike McCarthy said the tight end will still need his thumb heavily taped in order to play, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Graham also missed Wednesday's practice last week before returning as a limited participant Thursday and Friday, so he'll look to follow a similar path again.