NFL Player News

Mayle was forced out of Thursday's game against the Dolphins to undergo concussion protocol, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports.

While the severity of the issue is not known at this time, expect the team to err on the side of caution with Mayle. The injury occurred early in the second quarter.

Hewitt (knee) was limited in practice Thursday, Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com reports.

Hewitt seems to be making progress after he was held out of practice Wednesday. The third-string tight end hasn't played since Week 4 and will most likely see most of his reps on special teams should he be cleared for Sunday.

Derby was limited at the Broncos' practice Thursday due to a shoulder issue, Mike Klis of 9 News Denver reports.

Derby has proven to be a go-to safety valve for quarterback Trevor Siemian the last three games, hauling in 11 of 17 targets for 151 yards and a touchdown. It's not expected that the shoulder issue will inhibit him by the time Monday's matchup with the Chiefs arrives, but those who roster him in two-tight end formats should keep monitoring his status nonetheless.

Thomas (personal) rejoined the Bills for practice Thursday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Thomas wasn't present Wednesday while attending to the personal matter, prompting head coach Sean McDermott to express some uncertainty regarding the tight end's status for the Week 8 matchup with the Raiders. However, with Thomas back at practice a day later, it appears safe to conclude that he'll be in the fold come Sunday. Look for Thomas, who recorded his first NFL touchdown reception in the Week 7 win over the Buccaneers, to serve as Nick O'Leary's top backup.

Hewitt (knee) missed Wednesday's practice, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Hewitt has sat out the last two games, but his absence is barely noticeable, as he has been targeted just once this year, hauling in a reception for 16 yards. Cethan Carter could see an increase in snaps if Hewitt sits out again.

Thomas was excused from the Bills' practice Wednesday due to a personal matter, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. Head coach Sean McDermott said he wasn't certain if Thomas would rejoin the team in time for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

The Bills seem content to give Thomas as much time as he needs to handle the personal matter, but his potential absence Sunday would loom large. Charles Clay (knee) won't be ready to go for the contest, so if Thomas is also unavailable, Nick O'Leary and Khari Lee would be the team's only remaining tight ends. Thomas hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass on his lone target in the Bills' Week 7 win over the Buccaneers.

Hooper caught his lone target, a six-yard gain in Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Patriots.

So who is the real Hooper? The young, pass-catching tight end who totaled 12 catches in Weeks 4 and 6, or the guy that has just six catches in his other four games combined? The second-year man has a stranglehold on the Falcons' top spot at tight end, again seeing the field for more than 90 percent of the team's offensive snaps, but until he shows his true colors, he probably isn't worth starting.

James did not see a pass come his way in Pittsburgh's 29-14 win over the Bengals.

It seemed like Big Ben might have finally found his go-to tight end early in the season as James opened the season with six catches and two touchdowns. He hasn't scored since and hasn't been targeted in the past two weeks. Early-season acquisition Vance McDonald, meanwhile, has five targets in the past two weeks. James saw more time on the field than McDonald on Sunday, 50 offensive snaps to 29, but the two appear to be on divergent paths.

Kittle was targeted twice and came away from Sunday's 40-10 loss to Dallas with a 16-yard catch.

So much for the Hawkeye connection. Kittle was targeted just twice by his former college teammate, C.J. Beathard, on Sunday after 17 total targets in the prior two weeks. Nothing much went right on Sunday for the 49ers, so it's hard to read too much into the results. The big early deficit led the 49ers to play Kittle for just 31 offensive snaps, less than half of the team's total. Four receivers, meanwhile, saw at least 30 offensive snaps. Better results may be to come. He next faces an Eagles team that just lost linebacker Jordan Hicks, its primary cover man against opponents' top tight end.

Everett was not targeted in Sunday's 33-0 win over Arizona.

Everett's athleticism from the tight end position and high draft status led some to wonder whether former Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay might deploy him as his west-coast version of Jordan Reed. Though Everett scored his first career touchdown last week, he has reeled in multiple passes just once this season, way back in Week 2. He appears to be falling out of favor in Los Angeles: He trailed starter Tyler Higbee in snaps on Sunday and fell behind fellow reserve Derek Carrier 22 to 18.