NFL Player News

Hockenson (ribs) was estimated as a limited practice participant on Wednesday's practice report.

Hockenson's practice reps were capped last week after offensive coordinator Wes Phillips told Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the tight end suffered two broken ribs during a Week 9 win in Atlanta. The injury didn't stop Hockenson from suiting up this past Sunday against the Saints, and though he visibly looked to be in pain at various points of the game, he still finished with 11 catches (on 15 targets) for 134 yards and one touchdown. Now that he's back on the injury report, Hockenson's status will need to be monitored, but the expectation remains that he'll continue to play through the pain this Sunday in Denver.

Freiermuth (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

The Steelers designated Freiermuth to return from injured reserve earlier Wednesday after he missed five games due to a hamstring injury. Though Pittsburgh will still have to activate Freiermuth from IR before he's eligible to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that the tight end is "tracking" to suit up in the Steelers' matchup with the Browns this weekend. The Steelers will likely wait and see how Freiermuth fares in practices Thursday and Friday before deciding on his status for Sunday's contest.

Thomas (calf) was a limited participant during practice Wednesday.

Thomas was designated to return from injured reserve Monday, so a slow start with practice makes sense for the Indiana product. Whether he'll be ready to return Sunday against the Cowboys remains up in the air, but the Panthers still have plenty of time in their 21-day window to move him back onto the active roster.

Sullivan (shoulder) was a full participant in practice Wednesday.

Sullivan logged consecutive DNPs ahead of the team's game against the Bears last Thursday. However, after the layoff, the LSU product was back on the field with no limitations Wednesday and should be ready to suit up in Week 11 against the Cowboys.

Hurst is in the NFL's concussion protocol and didn't practice Wednesday.

Joe Person of The Athletic previously reported Tuesday that Hurst had entered the protocol at some point following the Panthers' Week 10 loss to the Bears, but it wasn't until the release of Wednesday's injury report that the team confirmed as much. Given that Hurst wasn't able to practice in any fashion to begin Week 11 prep, he may struggle to clear all five steps of the protocol in advance of Sunday's game against the Cowboys. If Hurst is sidelined this weekend, Tommy Tremble would likely serve as Carolina's top tight end, and the Panthers could get Ian Thomas (calf) back from injured reserve to bolster depth at the position.

Trautman secured both of his targets for 15 yards in Monday's 24-22 win over the Bills.

Trautman continued his streak of underwhelming performances Monday, despite leading the way in snaps among Denver tight ends. Through nine games, Trautman has totaled just 13 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Waller (hamstring) said Tuesday he's "still kinda in the early phases" of his recovery process, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic reports.

Waller has already missed two of the requisite four games since being placed on injured reserve, but based on his comments, he may not be ready to complete his recovery process by the time he's first eligible to be reinstated to the 53-man roster in early December. The veteran tight end said he's already resumed jogging, but he noted that running at full speed and cutting are obstacles he'll need to overcome in the coming weeks before he's deemed ready to practice. With Daniel Jones (knee) already done for the season and the Giants sitting on a 2-8 record, the team has little incentive to rush Waller back on the field until he's truly 100 percent healthy.

The Steelers announced Wednesday that Freiermuth (hamstring) has been designated for return from injured reserve.

With the Steelers opening his 21-day evaluation window, Freiermuth is eligible to resume practicing Wednesday, and Adam Schefter of ESPN relays that the tight end is expected to be officially added to the active roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns. Before missing the Steelers' last five games with the hamstring injury, Freiermuth had gotten off to a slow start to the season through his first four appearances. He failed to reach double-digit receiving yards three times and posted a 3-41-1 receiving line on four targets in the other contest.

Sample caught two of his three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Texans.

Sample played 23 of the Bengals' 64 offensive snaps Sunday, just ahead of Irv Smith (21) and Tanner Hudson (20). The near-even split in snaps amongst Cincinnati's tight ends will likely continue to limit Sample's potential for consistent production going forward. Sample is extremely difficult to trust for fantasy purposes heading into a Week 11 matchup with the Ravens on Thursday.

Smith secured his only target for six yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Texans.

Smith's underwhelming performance came on a day in which fellow tight end Tanner Hudson saw a season-high seven targets in the contest. The 25-year-old Smith has been a disappointment for much of the 2023 campaign, totaling just 14 receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown over seven games. In addition, the veteran is splitting tight end snaps relatively evenly with Hudson and Drew Sample. Smith should remain difficult to trust for fantasy purposes when the Bengals visit the Ravens on Thursday.