NFL Player News

Knox (illness) returned to practice Friday, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

An illness kept Knox from practicing Thursday, but the tight end's return to the field a day later has him trending toward being available for Sunday's playoff opener against the Steelers. The Bills' final injury report of the week will reveal whether Knox heads into the weekend with a designation or fully cleared for action.

Muse appeared in two games during the 2023 season, catching his only target for a 22-yard gain.

The 2022 seventh-round pick secured the first catch of his NFL career Week 18 against the Lions. In total, Muse played just two offensive snaps in 2023 and another 29 on special teams. He didn't see action until after T.J. Hockenson suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 16. Muse will compete for a reserve role next summer. He's scheduled to be an exclusive rights free agent.

Oliver appeared in all 17 games during the 2023 season, catching 22 of 28 targets for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

A third-round pick by the Jaguars in 2019, Oliver's targets, catches, yards and touchdowns all set or matched career highs. He saw action on 42 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps after signing a three-year, $21 million deal with Minnesota last offseason. Oliver should once again play more of a blocking role behind T.J. Hockenson (knee) next season.

Mundt appeared in all 17 games during the 2023 season, catching 17 of 23 targets for 172 yards and one touchdown.

The targets and yards were new career bests for the 29-year-old veteran tight end. Mundt was mostly tasked with blocking duties on his 223 offensive snaps, but he did see extended pass-catching opportunities and playing time over the final two-and-a-half games of the season following T.J. Hockenson's season-ending torn ACL. Mundt posted 4-39-1 and 5-58-0 receiving lines on a combined 13 targets Weeks 17 and 18. He's scheduled to become a free agent in March after spending the last two seasons with the Vikings following five with the Rams.

Mitchell (hand) was a limited participant at practice Thursday.

It's not clear when Mitchell picked up the hand issue, but his availability for the wild-card round is now in question regardless. Sam LaPorta did not participate at practice Thursday, so Detroit will certainly hope that Mitchell is able to practice in full Friday and avoid carrying an injury designation into the weekend.

Higbee (shoulder) was limited in Thursday's practice, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Higbee now has cobbled together back-to-back capped sessions after failing to practice in any capacity last Wednesday through Friday due to the dislocated left shoulder that he suffered Week 17 at the Giants. It's unclear if he'll miss just one game as a result of the injury, but Friday's practice report may provide some clarity for his status ahead of Sunday's wild-card contest in Detroit.

LaPorta (knee) officially didn't practice Thursday.

Initially, it appeared as if LaPorta would go down as a non-participant for a second day in a row when he wasn't spotted at the portion of Thursday's session open to the media. He then told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press afterward that he took some reps and expressed optimism about suiting up for Sunday's wild-card game against the Rams after sustaining a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee Week 18 versus the Vikings. In the end, those reps may have happened on the side versus during drills, but LaPorta now has only more chance for on-field work Friday before the Lions reveal his status entering the weekend. Brock Wright and James Mitchell (hand, LP on Thursday) would stand to benefit at tight end if LaPorta is inhibited or sidelined Sunday.

Musgrave said Thursday that he checked out fine in his return to action in the Packers' Week 18 win over the Bears and expects to take on a larger workload Sunday in the wild-card game in Dallas, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

After missing six straight games with a lacerated kidney, Musgrave was activated from injured reserve ahead of the regular-season finale, but he ended up seeing the lightest snap count of his rookie campaign as the Packers intentionally eased him back into the mix. Musgrave recorded one catch for 11 yards across his nine snaps in the win over Chicago and said he felt good after absorbing some contact, so he'll presumably increase the intensity of his practice activity this week to prepare himself for more work in the postseason opener. Musgrave probably won't be asked to take on the 70-plus-percent snap shares he typically handled prior to suffering the injury to his kidney, but he could end up operating in more of an even timeshare at tight end Sunday with fellow rookie Tucker Kraft.

LaPorta (knee) said that he was able to take reps during the portion of Thursday's practice that was closed to the media, and he's "optimistic" about his chances of playing in Sunday's wild-card game against the Rams, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

After he wasn't spotted on the field with his healthy teammates in the media-access portion of Thursday's practice, LaPorta looked destined to be listed as a non-participant on the Lions' second consecutive injury report, but the rookie was apparently able to take part in some drills and route running behind the scenes. Though head coach Dan Campbell suggested earlier in the week that the tight end had only an outside shot to play in the postseason opener after suffering a bone bruise and hyperextended left knee in last Sunday's win over the Vikings, LaPorta seems to have made quicker progress in his recovery than anticipated. LaPorta is still likely to carry an injury designation into Sunday, and even if he does gain clearance to play, he acknowledged that he'll probably have to play with a brace on the injured knee to avoid further aggravation, per Bridget Condon of NFL Network.

LaPorta (knee) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

LaPorta made an early exit from this past Sunday's win against the Vikings in the second quarter after his foot got stuck in the turf, resulting in his left knee bending awkwardly. Afterward, he was diagnosed with a hyperextension and bone bruise in the knee in question, and coach Dan Campbell told Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site on Monday that the rookie second-round pick had an "outside shot" to play in Sunday's wild-card game against the Rams. Campbell added at the time that the team would have a better idea of LaPorta's upcoming availability in 48 hours, but the tight end has since logged back-to-back absences. In the end, Friday's injury report may include a final ruling on LaPorta's status heading into the weekend, and if he's inhibited or sidelined, TE reps will trickle down to Brock Wright and James Mitchell.