NFL Player News

Hewitt (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Hewitt's ability to practice in a limited capacity Wednesday is a step in the right direction, given that he didn't suit up for a single practice last week. The depth tight end has missed three straight games due to a lingering ankle issue, and his status for Sunday's tilt against the Jaguars remains up in the air. With Eric Ebron (back), Erik Swoope (knee) and Mo Alie-Cox (calf) all nursing injuries, Hewitt could be in line for a notable workload if he's able to play Week 13.

Arnold (chest) doesn't carry an injury designation into Thursday's game against the Cowboys.

Arnold was a full participant in Wednesday's practice after having been limited to begin the week. The second-year tight end picked up a chest injury during his breakout game Thanksgiving Day against the Falcons, during which he brought in four receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. That performance may have earned him a heightened role in the Saints' passing attack going forward.

Engram (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com reports.

Aside from riding a stationary bike off to the side, Engram was a non-participant in the first session of Week 13. The lack of activity followed no offensive snaps in Sunday's 25-22 loss to Philadelphia, which came after Engram injured his hamstring in pregame warmups. Engram will have two more opportunities to prove his health during practices in advance of this weekend's tilt with the Bears.

Njoku (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The knee issue has resulted in Njoku being listed as questionable ahead of the Browns' past two games, but he's suited up on both occasions while playing normal snap counts. In the Browns' Week 12 triumph over the Bengals, Njoku bounced back from a three-game scoring drought with five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown on five targets. The fact that he's beginning the Browns' Week 13 preparations on the field in any capacity suggests the injury won't put his status in much jeopardy for Sunday's game in Houston.

Allen (knee) was not among the participants at Wednesday's practice, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

After missing last week's game against the Jets because of the knee issue, Allen has started off Week 13 on the wrong end of the playing spectrum. Unless he can progress to at least limited participation by Friday, there's a good chance he will miss out on a second consecutive game.

Manhertz (foot) will not take part in practice Wednesday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Manhertz was spotted in a walking boot Monday, so his absence from practice Wednesday shouldn't be a major shock. The third-string tight end's status shouldn't have many fantasy implications considering he has hauled in just one pass during the 2018 season. However, the Panthers could be down some depth at the position Sunday if Manhertz doesn't progress to play against the Bucs.

Engram (hamstring) rode a stationary bike during Wednesday's practice, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

There was some optimism about the tight end's practice availability when he was spotted at the morning walk-through, but it now sounds like he'll be listed as a non-participant on the first injury report of the week. Withheld from Sunday's 25-22 loss to the Eagles after hurting his hamstring during pregame warmups, Engram was optimistic Monday about his chances of avoiding another absence Week 13 against the Bears. He'll have two more chances to practice before the weekend arrives.

Alie-Cox (calf) won't participate in practice Wednesday, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Alie-Cox is still donning a boot on his left calf and seems to be trending toward sitting out Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Once healthy, Alie-Cox could slot in second or third on the depth chart behind starter Eric Ebron after the Colts ruled Jack Doyle (kidney) out for the season earlier this week. Alie-Cox has hauled in only six of 11 targets across six games but has turned those receptions into 112 yards and two scores.

Hurst caught three of four targets for 25 yards against the Raiders.

The rookie was third on the team in targets, but Baltimore went to the air just 25 times in the contest. Still, it was encouraging to see Hurst's increased involvement after he played 35 snaps and saw zero targets in Week 11 against Cincinnati. Baltimore does seem to be moving to a more run-heavy attack while Joe Flacco is sidelined, so target volume may be hard to come by for Hurst.

Andrews caught his lone target for a 74-yard gain against the Raiders.

The rookie broke free down the right sideline and caught a beautifully placed ball from Lamar Jackson for a huge gain. Unfortunately, it was the only time Andrews was targeted in the win over the Raiders, and his 18 offensive snaps marked a career low. Baltimore's passing volume has fallen off since Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback with a combined 44 attempts over two games. The Ravens' run-first approach has also led to Nick Boyle, who is known for his value as a run blocker, seeing the most tight end snaps by far. If Baltimore continues to have a run-heavy offense under Jackson, Andrews' target volume will remain low.