NFL Player News

Coach Sean McVay said Higbee (shoulder) will be questionable for Sunday's wild-card game at Detroit, Greg Beacham of the Associated Press reports.

Higbee sat out Week 18 in San Francisco due to a dislocated left shoulder that he suffered one week prior, but since returning to drills Wednesday, he managed a pair of limited sessions before McVay's comments Friday. McVay added that Higbee should be OK to play this weekend, which won't be confirmed until about 90 minutes before Sunday's 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

Andrews (ankle) has been designated to return from injured reserve by the Ravens, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Per Mink, Andrews -- who suffered a major ankle injury on Nov. 16 against the Bengals -- returned to practice Friday, which opens up a 21-day window in which the star tight end can be moved to the Ravens' 53-man roster. While it remains to be seen if Andrews will be ready to play in his team's divisional-round playoff game next weekend, he'll be able to log several practices before a determination is made on his status. Per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Andrews looked good moving around in warmups.

Head coach Dan Campbell relayed that LaPorta (knee) is slated to get some work in during Friday's practice, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

After being listed as a DNP both Wednesday and Thursday, LaPorta's looming participation, in any capacity, in Friday's session is a step in the right direction for the tight end ahead of Sunday night's playoff opener against the Rams. Per Woodyard, Campbell added the Lions will "know much, much more" about LaPorta's status after the team's final practice of the week.

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.