NFL Player News

Oliver had two receptions for 30 yards on two targets in Thursday's loss to the Rams.

Oliver is mostly a blocking tight end as he has just six receptions in seven games. T.J. Hockenson's return as early as Week 9 from a knee injury will limit Oliver's limited upside in the passing offense.

Tremble (back) practiced in full Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Tremble cleared the concussion protocol Week 7, but his back injury nonetheless forced him to miss a second consecutive contest. Now, after having logged an LP-LP-FP practice pattern leading up to Week 8 action, Tremble appears to have a solid chance to retake the field on the road versus Denver. Rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders has impressed with Tremble sidelined and is clear of the injury report himself, so if both TEs manage to take the field Sunday, it will be significant to note how offensive reps are divvied up.

Sanders (groin/wrist) was a full participant in Friday's practice and does not carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Broncos,

Sanders is ready to rock for Week 8, a contest in which he seems positioned to operate as one of quarterback Bryce Young's unquestioned top targets in the passing game. Wideouts Diontae Johnson (ribs) and Adam Thielen (hamstring), the latter of whom remains on IR, are both ruled out versus Denver, while fellow tight end Tommy Tremble (back) is listed as questionable despite logging a full practice Friday. Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, David Moore and Jonathan Mingo also will be available to flesh out the wide receiver corps, but Sanders is averaging 6.0 targets and 41 yards per game in his last three appearances and could be Carolina's safest receiving option. However, Sanders' production in those contests came with Andy Dalton (thumb) at the helm.

Durham (calf) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Durham was unable to play Monday against the Ravens due to a calf injury, which kept him off the practice field Wednesday. He was initially spotted on the sidelines during Thursday's session, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, but Durham managed to upgrade his practice participation, albeit in a limited capacity. Durham will have one more chance Friday to avoid an injury designation ahead of Sunday's NFC South clash against the Falcons.

Kittle (foot) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan announced a litany of updates on injured 49ers, including Kittle, who was deemed day-to-day due to a foot sprain. Kittle wasn't able to practice Wednesday, but he returned to drills one day later with a cap on his reps, potentially putting him on a path to suit up Sunday versus the Cowboys. Considering Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is out for the season, Deebo Samuel (wrist) is recovering from pneumonia and Jauan Jennings (hip) hasn't practiced this week, Kittle could serve as San Francisco's top pass catcher this weekend, assuming he's active.

The Vikings elevated Tonyan from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Thursday's game against the Rams.

T.J. Hockenson (knee) will remain on injured reserve, opening the door for Tonyan to be elevated to the active roster Thursday. Tonyan will serve as the Vikings' No. 3 tight end behind Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver. Tonyan has not seen a target across his four regular-season outings this year.

Johnson (shoulder) was limited in practice Thursday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Johnson is operating with a cap on his practice reps this week, while Taysom Hill (rib) followed up a limited session Wednesday with full participation one day later. As such, Johnson has one more chance this week to get back to all activity or thus risk entering the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game at the Chargers.

Hill (rib) practiced fully Thursday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

This marks Hill's first uncapped session since he emerged from Week 4 action with rib fractures, thereby paving the way for him to return to action Sunday at the Chargers. Fellow TE Juwan Johnson (shoulder) has been limited in practice so far this week, so there's a chance Hill could act as the Saints' top option at the position if the former doesn't gain clearance to suit up Week 8.

Hurst (groin) was listed as a limited practice participant on Thursday's injury report.

Hurst was unable to play in Week 7 against the Cardinals due to a groin injury he suffered in Week 6 against the Broncos. He opened the week as a DNP on Wednesday, so his return to practice Thursday -- albeit in a limited capacity -- is a step in the right direction, and Friday's injury report should provide a clearer picture on Hurst's availability against the Saints. Hurst's return could be timely, as fellow tight end Will Dissly is in jeopardy of being sidelined for Sunday's game after missing the first two practices of the week due to a shoulder injury.

The Bears placed Sweeney (undisclosed) on the practice squad injured list Thursday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Sweeney joined the Bears' practice squad Oct. 9 after failing to make the 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp. It's unclear what is hindering the 2019 seventh-round pick, but he is ineligible to be called up from the practice squad to the active roster for at least four regular-season games. The earliest Sweeney would be able to be elevated would be against the Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 24. With Sweeney on practice squad IR, Chicago signed tight end Joel Wilson to the practice squad in a corresponding move.