NFL Player News

Brown didn't practice Wednesday due to a back injury.

Brown logged 21 of the Patriots' 53 snaps on offense in this past Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, catching both of his targets for 33 yards. Now that the tight end has missed Wednesday's practice, he'll have two more chances to return to the field ahead of Sunday's game against the Commanders. If Brown is able to suit up this weekend, he'll continue to work in a timeshare at tight end with Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki.

Thomas was a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a heel injury.

Thomas sat out Week 3 with a concussion, but he's otherwise been available to the Commanders offense this season, posting at least 40 receiving yards on five occasions and scoring three touchdowns in his seven appearances. His overall receiving line sits at 29-280-3 on 40 targets near the midpoint of the campaign, but it's unclear if he'll be able to add to it Sunday in New England. The team's last two Week 9 practice reports will be telling for Thomas' upcoming availability.

Whyle (concussion) does not carry an injury designation into Thursday's game at the Steelers.

Whyle was able to clear concussion protocol during the shortened week, and he'll be available in Week 9. Through six games in 2023, he's caught all four of his targets for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Granson (concussion) was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Indianapolis held a walk-through session rather than a tradtiional practice Wednesday, but it's still encouraging to see Granson listed as a full participant after sitting out the team's previous two games due to a concussion. If he can officially clear the league's five-step concussion protocol before Sunday's game against the Panthers, Granson would be in line to rejoin a Colts tight end room that also features Drew Ogletree, Mo Alie-Cox and Will Mallory.

Waller said Wednesday that his current hamstring injury may sideline him for "weeks" as opposed to "days," Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Per Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site, Waller officially went down as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice. Considering his comments, Waller's absence likely will extend for the entirety of Week 9 prep and threaten his availability for Sunday's game at Las Vegas and beyond. If Waller misses time, Daniel Bellinger would be the clear-cut beneficiary among Giants tight ends.

Jordan (foot) isn't practicing Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Jordan sat out the Texans' Week 8 loss to Carolina while dealing with plantar fasciitis, and the tight end has yet to shake off the injury as Houston begins preparations for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. If Jordan misses another game, Eric Saubert -- whom Houston signed off Dallas' practice squad Tuesday -- will likely serve as the No. 2 tight end behind starter Dalton Schultz.

Hurst was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to an illness.

Hurst was among a number of key skill-position players sitting out to kick off Week 9 prep, with wide receivers Adam Thielen (rest), DJ Chark (elbow) and Laviska Shenault (ankle) also going down as non-participants on the official practice report. Fortunately for Hurst, he came down with an illness in the middle of the week, giving him plenty of time to recover ahead of Sunday's game against the Colts. He'll have two more chances to get back on the practice field this week.

The Bengals signed Hudson off their practice squad Wednesday.

Hudson was elevated from the practice squad in Weeks 3 and 4 while Irv Smith dealt with a hamstring injury, and the 6-foot-5 tight end held his own with four catches for 48 yards on six targets between those two games. The 30 receiving yards Hudson compiled Week 3 are more than Smith has had in any game this season. Smith also lost a fumble in this past Sunday's win over the 49ers, so perhaps Hudson can carve out a sizable pass-catching role if the Cincinnati coaching staff is unhappy with Smith's production.

Jenkins is signing with Philadelphia's practice squad Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

As if trying to make the NFL as an undrafted free agent wasn't tough enough, Jenkins is doing so while undergoing a position change from wide receiver to tight end. The rookie out of Georgia Tech could be a contributor for Philadelphia down the line, but for now, he'll get a chance to continue learning the tight end position on the Eagles' practice squad.

Hooper caught both of his targets for 19 yards in Monday's 26-14 loss to the Lions.

Hooper played just 10 of the Raiders' 46 offensive snaps Monday, with his 22 percent snap share going down as his lowest rate of the season. With rookie tight end Michael Mayer having emerged as the team's top option at the position, Hooper has become an afterthought in the team's offensive scheme. Hooper will likely continue in a backup role going forward, barring an injury to Mayer.