NFL Player News

The Commanders placed Hodges (back) on their injured reserve list Friday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

The move means that Hodges probably won't be able to make his NFL debut until next season. His being absent should make it easier for John Bates to earn significant playing time during the home stretch of the year.

Waller (hamstring) is listed a questionable for Sunday's game at New Orleans, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

After missing the Giants' last five contests due to a right hamstring injury, Waller was designated for return from injured reserve Thursday and immediately logged a limited practice. At Friday's session, he appeared to be preparing as if he'll be able to play Week 15, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, and Waller even told Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com that he handled the entire route tree this week. While Waller expects to play this weekend, the Giants will need to activate him from IR by Saturday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline in order to do so.

The Bengals added Sample (illness) to the injury report Friday, listing him as questionable for Saturday's game against the Vikings, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

If Sample were to miss Saturday's game, the Bengals' four-man weave at tight end would be reduced to three, featuring Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Wilcox and Irv Smith. Sample paced the group in playing time last week against the Colts, seeing action on 19 snaps.

Thomas (ankle) is listed as out for Sunday's game versus the Falcons.

Thomas will sit out for the fifth time this season in Week 15, this time due to an ankle injury. In his absence, Tommy Tremble will probably see more reps on early downs and around the goal line.

Waller (hamstring) expects to play in Sunday's game against the Saints but doesn't anticipate handling his normal workload, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported Friday that Waller was practicing as if he was preparing to play, and the tight end confirmed as much when he met with the media Friday afternoon. Having avoided any setbacks throughout the week, Waller likely will be activated from injured reserve prior to the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline Saturday. That being said, it won't come as any surprise if the Giants list him as questionable on their final injury report and put the tight end through a pregame workout before making a final decision on his active status ahead of the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

The Panthers placed Hurst (concussion) on injured reserve Friday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

With the Panthers sitting at 1-12 and eliminated from playoff contention, Hurst's season is officially over. Signed to a three-year deal in the offseason, Hurst played in nine games this season before suffering a concussion Week 10. He's since been dealing with post-traumatic amnesia. Hurst finishes 2023 with 18 catches for 184 yards and one touchdown on 32 targets.

Tremble (hip) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Tremble missed Week 13 but then returned for Week 14 and took 65 percent of snaps on offense in a 28-6 loss to New Orleans. That was actually his smallest snap share since Hayden Hurst entered concussion protocol in early November, and with Hurst now expected to miss the rest of the season, Tremble is locked in as Carolina's top tight end. Ian Thomas (ankle) also will be out this week, but it's worth noting that Tremble has yet to see more than three targets in a game this season even though Carolina's tight end group often has been thinned out by injuries.

The Panthers are expected to place Hurst (concussion) on injured reserve, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Hurst continues to recover from a concussion sustained Nov. 9 versus the Bears that has held him out of the lineup for Carolina's last four games. A social media post by Hurst's father later revealed that the starting tight end has been diagnosed with post-traumatic amnesia. If Hurst does indeed land on IR, he will be forced to miss the remainder of the 2023 campaign, leaving Tommy Tremble (hip) and Ian Thomas (ankle) atop the depth chart.

Mayer brought in four of five targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 63-21 win over the Chargers on Thursday night.

The rookie tight end finished second in receptions and targets on the night, although well behind Davante Adams in both categories. Mayer rounded out his night with the second touchdown catch of his career, an 11-yard grab in the second quarter. Mayer heads into a Week 16 road showdown against the Chiefs on Christmas Day with a pair of four-reception tallies in the last four games.

Everett brought in five of eight targets for 41 yards in the Chargers' 63-21 loss to the Raiders on Thursday night.

Everett finished with a team-high reception total for the Chargers in the lopsided loss, with his enhanced participation partly the byproduct of Keenan Allen's (heel) absence. The veteran tight end actually has back-to-back five-catch tallies, and he hasn't recorded less than four receptions since being blanked against the Lions in Week 10. Everett figures to continue enjoying a solid role in a Week 16 home battle against the Bills on Saturday, Dec. 23, particularly if Allen remains sidelined for that contest.