NFL Player News

Ferguson secured all seven targets for 49 yards in the Cowboys' 20-15 win over the Giants on Thursday night. He also committed a fumble recovered by Dallas.

Ferguson tied CeeDee Lamb for the team lead in receptions while checking in second to his teammate in both receiving yards and targets. The third-year tight end generated a combined 13-144-0 line on 18 targets over Weeks 3 and 4, further cementing that he's essentially developed into the team's No. 2 pass catcher behind Lamb, at least for the moment. Ferguson should be poised for another busy day when the Cowboys travel to take on the vaunted Steelers defense on Sunday, Oct. 6, a game in which the tight end's prowess in the short and intermediate passing windows might be especially relevant given the limited time Dak Prescott may often have.

Brown (foot) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Brown was held out of the first two games of the season due to a foot injury he sustained during training camp. He made his regular-season debut in Week 3 against the Dolphins, when he caught one pass (on two targets) for nine yards while playing 26 snaps on offense. His limited session Thursday could just be injury management, and Brown will have two more chances to increase his practice participation ahead of Monday's game against the Lions.

Fant (toe) was limited in practice Thursday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Fant has been tending to a toe injury all season, but he's been able to suit up for all three of the Seahawks' games, culminating in a 6-60-0 line on six targets during this past Sunday's win against the Dolphins. Such output easily surpassed the combined three catches (on seven targets) for 25 yards that he had in the first two contests, signaling volatility from week to week for fantasy purposes. In any case, Fant will have two more chances this week to prove his health before Seattle potentially hands him a designation for Monday's visit to the Lions.

McBride (concussion) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.

McBride's lack of involvement Thursday doesn't come as much of a surprise after he wasn't present during the media-access portion of the session, per Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. The third-year pro thus seems to be trending in the wrong direction due to the fact he hasn't made any noticeable progress through the concussion protocol. Ultimately, the Cardinals may make a ruling on McBride's availability on Friday's injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Commanders. If he eventually sits out this weekend, fellow TE Elijah Higgins would be the primary beneficiary for fantasy purposes, though rookie third-rounder Tip Reiman may actually see more snaps than Higgins due to his blocking prowess.

Stephens (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday's game against the Giants, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Stephens missed the first three games of the regular season due to a hamstring issue, but he appears to be healthy scratch for Thursday's contest. His next opportunity to suit up will be Week 5 against the Steelers on Oct. 6. Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford will be the Cowboys' three tight ends for Thursday's game.

Kittle (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle has put together back-to-back capped sessions during Week 4 prep, implying that he's doing everything in his power to keep his absence to just one game after he popped up on last Thursday's injury report due to hamstring tightness. He may have to upgrade to full at Friday's practice in order to go into the weekend without a designation for Sunday's contest versus the Patriots.

Engram (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday.

Engram also missed Wednesday's session, which sets the stage for Friday's practice to be pivotal in terms of the tight end's chances of suiting up Sunday against the Texans. If Engram is forced to miss another contest, Brenton Strange would once again be in line to see added opportunities in Jacksonville's passing offense this weekend.

Kraft (shoulder) officially practiced fully Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Bill Huber of SI.com reported earlier Thursday that Kraft went down as a limited participant for a second consecutive day to begin Week 4 prep, but the second-year tight end actually didn't operate with a cap on his reps. Kraft thus is a bit healthier than fellow position mate Luke Musgrave (quadriceps), who was limited both Wednesday and Thursday. If Musgrave is at all hindered Sunday against the Vikings, Kraft could experience a slight uptick in snap share to the 66 percent or more that he's handled through the first three games of the campaign.

Schultz (ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Schultz opened Week 4 prep Wednesday as a limited practice participant, but his ability to take every rep in Thursday's session clears up any lingering doubt about his availability for this Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Expect the tight end to once again take on ample playing time after he logged 96 percent of Houston's snaps on offense in the Week 3 loss to Minnesota. Schultz drew five targets against the Vikings, and he could see his role in the passing attack expand if either or both of Nico Collins (hamstring) and Tank Dell (chest) aren't cleared to play versus the Jaguars.

Hudson (knee) did not practice Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hudson has been sidelined for over a week and wasn't active for the Bengals' Week 3 loss to the Commanders. Additionally, although he was active for Week 2, he never logged a snap. The Southern Arkansas product will likely need to get on the practice field Friday in some capacity to have any chance of playing Sunday against the Panthers.