NFL Player News

Kittle (knee) is officially listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Packers, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Kittle was a limited participant again at practice Saturday as he deals with the knee injury suffered in last Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. The fact the 25-year-old participated in practice throughout the week makes him seemingly on track for Monday's game. Assuming Kittle does suit up, he could be in line for a heavy workload with a plethora of San Francisco position players on the injury report.

Kittle (knee) remained limited at practice Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Kittle hurt his knee during last week's 28-18 loss to the Cardinals, but it didn't stop him from catching five of seven targets for 83 yards. He seems to be on track for Monday's game in Green Bay, potentially headed for a big workload with the 49ers running thin on healthy skill-position players. Matt Breida (shoulder/ankle), Pierre Garcon (shoulder/knee), Trent Taylor (back) and Dante Pettis (knee) all missed practice Thursday and Friday.

Coach Pete Carroll said Vannett (back) will play in Sunday's game against the Raiders in London, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Vannett was held out of Friday's practice and listed as questionable on the final injury report, but Carroll seems to be suggesting that the team is merely being cautious. Darell Daniels is the only other tight end on the 53-man roster, so Seattle will need to sign another player Saturday if there's any real doubt about Vannett's availability. The third-year pro handled an 83 percent snap share last week in the first game since fellow tight end Will Dissly (knee) suffered a season-ending injury.

Graham (knee) was a full participant in Friday's practice.

Graham returned without any limitations after getting a maintenance day to start the practice week. He's locked in as one of the more reliable options at tight end, heading into a Week 6 matchup with the 49ers on Monday Night Football. The Niners have surrendered four touchdowns to Graham's position in five weeks, despite facing three teams (DET, LAC, ARI) that have barely used their tight ends in the passing game. San Francisco did limit Kyle Rudolph to one reception (a touchdown) in the season opener, but Travis Kelce went off for 114 yards a couple weeks later. It remains to be seen if Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison will return from hamstring injuries to provide Graham with more competition for Aaron Rodgers' attention.

Smythe (ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation going into Sunday's matchup against the Bears, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Smythe popped up on the injury report Thursday with a limited participation in practice, but was able to practice fully Friday. While the Notre Dame product is third on the depth chart, he could see an increased workload if fellow tight end A.J. Derby (foot) misses time Sunday.

Derby (foot) carries the questionable tag for Sunday's matchup against the Bears, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Derby practiced this past week for the first time since injuring his foot against the Raiders in Week 3. The 27-year-old was able to practice in a limited capacity all three days this week. In his absence, fellow tight end Mike Gesicki has seen an increased role and would continue to fulfill that role if Derby misses time Sunday as well.

Goedert caught his lone target for seven yards in Thursday's 34-13 win over the Giants.

The rookie has seen between 31 and 35 snaps in three straight weeks with no more than two targets. He was still on the field more than any Eagles pass catcher after Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor, although Jordan Matthews saw 26, just six fewer than the South Dakota State product. The rookie just isn't likely to be a major part of the offense unless something happens to Ertz and remains more of a dynasty-league target for now.

Vannett (back) didn't practice Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders in London, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Vannett's only participation all week was a limited practice Thursday, but coach Pete Carroll said the tight end will play in Sunday's game. While Carroll usually can't be trusted when it comes to injury information, it's telling that the Seahawks only have one other tight end (Darell Daniels) on their 53-man roster. We can start to worry about Vannett's availability if the team signs another tight end Friday or Saturday. Vannett caught three of four targets for 43 yards in last week's 33-31 loss to the Rams, handling an 83 percent snap share in the first game after Will Dissly suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Kroft (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

The news comes as no surprise, as Kroft was seen sporting a walking boot Wednesday and getting around the Bengals' locker room on a scooter. With Kroft out and Tyler Eifert (ankle) on IR, C.J. Uzomah will head the team's tight end corps Week 6 and possibly beyond if Kroft's injury lingers.

Vannett (back) won't practice Friday but is expected to play in Sunday's game at Oakland, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Vannett has a history of back issues that cropped up again this week, limiting his participation in practice. Coach Pete Carroll indicated it was a rest day for the 25-year-old, but the injury is worth keeping an eye on, at least until the official injury report is released later Friday.