Taylor (neck) remained a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Taylor missed a fifth consecutive practice Thursday due to a neck injury, which kept him out of the Jets' Week 15 loss to Jacksonville. Barring a surprisingly abrupt recovery from Taylor, Jeremy Ruckert is set to continue filling in as the Jets' primary tight end Sunday against the Saints, with the latter fresh off signing a two-year extension.

Fant (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Fant was unable to practice Wednesday due to the ankle injury he sustained during Cincinnati's loss to the Ravens in Week 15, but he's now making tangible progress in his recovery. Friday's session will represent Fant's last chance to prove he's capable of handling full practice reps ahead of Sunday's matchup against Miami.

Helm (toe) remained a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Helm has logged consecutive limited sessions due to a toe injury. The rookie fourth-round pick has nudged ahead of Chig Okonkwo among Tennessee's tight ends in recent weeks, and Helm has at least four catches in four of the past five games. Helm would likely need to practice without limitations Friday to avoid taking an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

Pitts was a limited practice participant Thursday due to a knee injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Pitts experienced some practice restrictions last week due to a knee issue, but he still was able to suit up Week 15 at Tampa Bay and produce the signature performance of his career with 11 catches (on 12 targets) for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Friday's injury report not only will unveil if Pitts enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest at Arizona, but if top WR Drake London has a chance to put an end to a four-game absence due to a PCL injury.

Otton (knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Otton missed his first game of the season in last week's loss to the Falcons while he battled the knee injury, but after following up a limited practice Wednesday with a full session Thursday, the fourth-year tight end should be in the clear to play Sunday at Carolina. With the Buccaneers recently getting receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan back from long-term absences due to injury, Otton will likely find himself further down in the passing-game hierarchy now that he's healthy again.

Conner signed with the Giants' practice squad Thursday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Conner lands with the Giants organization one day after being cut from Miami's practice squad. He has nine receptions for 91 yards in nine games with the Dolphins this season and has appeared in 33 regular-season games split across four seasons in Miami.

Kmet (ankle/knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Packers.

Kmet was limited during Tuesday's walk-through practice and during Wednesday's session, but after logging a full practice Thursday, he said afterward that he plans to play Saturday, per Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network. That said, official word on Kmet's status may not arrive until the Bears release their inactive list roughly 90 minutes before Saturday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If he suits up against Green Bay, Kmet will contribute at tight end alongside rookie Colston Loveland.

Kincaid (knee) isn't practicing Thursday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Kincaid was also deemed a non-participant for Wednesday's walk-through practice, so what he's able to do Friday will loom large in determining his status for Sunday's game against the Browns. If Kincaid isn't available this weekend, Dawson Knox would likely be in line for elevated snaps as the Bills' clear top tight end.

Njoku (knee) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Njoku, who was also a spectator for Wednesday's practice, will have one more chance to get in some on-field work before the Browns post their Week 16 injury designations Friday. If Njoku ends up missing his second straight game Sunday versus the Bills, rookie tight end Harold Fannin would once again be locked in for a sizable role after playing 90-plus percent of the offensive snaps in each of the previous four games.

The Dolphins cut Conner from the practice squad Wednesday.

Conner was brought back by Miami on the practice squad in early November after being waived from the team's active roster, but he'll now be on the lookout for a team in need of depth at tight end. He appeared in each of the Dolphins' first nine games of the regular season, splitting his time between special teams and offense and accumulating nine catches (on 15 targets) for 91 yards.