NFL Player News
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T.J. Hockenson TE | MIN
Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Fine for Week 15
Hockenson (shin) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.
Hockenson missed Wednesday's practice but returned to limited participation Thursday. He's apparently fine to play this week, after catching two of three targets for 12 yards and a TD in the 31-0 blowout of Washington last Sunday.
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Hayden Rucci TE | MIA
Hayden Rucci: Joins Dolphins' practice squad
Miami signed Rucci to the practice squad Friday.
Rucci previously appeared in four games with Miami between Week 8 and Week 11, in which span he wasn't targeted a single time and mostly contributed on special teams. Now back with the team on the practice squad, he'll resume providing the Dolphins with emergency depth at tight end.
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Charlie Woerner TE | ATL
Falcons' Charlie Woerner: Two grabs vs. Tampa Bay
Woerner caught both of his targets for 12 yards in Thursday night's 29-28 win over the Buccaneers.
Woerner wasn't targeted in either of the Falcons' last two games, but he finished with the fifth-most receiving yards on the team during Thursday night's win. The 28-year-old has appeared in all 14 of Atlanta's contests this season, catching seven of eight targets for 45 yards across 417 offensive snaps. He's expected to remain a depth option in the team's tight-end corps in the Week 16 matchup against the Cardinals.
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David Njoku TE | CLE
Browns' David Njoku: Won't play Sunday
Njoku (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Njoku didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, and it's been confirmed that he'll sit out Sunday's contest and eye a potential return to action Sunday, Dec. 21 against the Bills. In Njoku's absence this weekend, fellow TE Harold Fannin figures to be busy versus Chicago, with Blake Whiteheart available to mix in.
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Mason Taylor TE | NYJ
Jets' Mason Taylor: Ruled out for Week 15
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn ruled Taylor (neck) out for Sunday's game in Jacksonville.
Taylor was unable to practice in any fashion this week and now will miss his first game of the season as he tends to the neck injury. The timing of the absence is a tough break for Taylor, who had recorded five catches for 51 yards -- his most since Week 5 -- on eight targets in this past Sunday's loss to the Dolphins. With Taylor sidelined this weekend, the Jets will likely turn to Jeremy Ruckert as their starting tight end.
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Kyle Pitts TE | ATL
Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Signature performance in upset win
Pitts brought in 11 of 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons' 29-28 win over the Buccaneers on Thursday.
The oft-maligned tight end delivered exactly the type of performance that many assumed would be his standard following his selection with the fourth overall pick back in the 2021 Draft. Pitts set new single-game career highs with all three components of his receiving line, and he recorded his touchdown grabs from eight, 17 and seven yards out. He spectacularly snapped a nine-game TD drought in the process, and after topping out at 70 receiving yards over his first 11 games, the fifth-year pro has now recorded at least 82 such yards in three consecutive contests. Pitts will try to put together a fitting encore against the Cardinals when the Falcons pay a visit to Arizona for a Week 16 matchup on Sunday, Dec. 21.
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Elijah Arroyo TE | SEA
Seahawks' Elijah Arroyo: No practice again
Arroyo (knee) did not practice for the second day in a row Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
It's not a good sign after the tight end suffered a knee injury in Seattle's win over Atlanta last week. The Seahawks have one more practice ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Colts. Arroyo has 15 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown on the year.
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Ian Thomas TE | LV
Raiders' Ian Thomas: Limited with calf
Thomas (calf) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Thomas' upgrade to limited participation Thursday is a good sign for his chances of suiting up for Sunday's game against the Eagles. After exiting the second half of last week's loss to the Broncos, the tight end has one more opportunity to log a full practice and avoid an injury designation for Sunday's contest. If the 29-year-old is unable to play, Carter Runyon will take over as the No. 3 tight end behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.
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Kyle Pitts TE | ATL
Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Suiting up Thursday
Pitts (knee) is listed as active Thursday at Tampa Bay, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Pitts closed Week 15 prep as questionable to play after being listed as limited on all three practice reports due to a knee injury. It won't stop him from suiting up Thursday, though, and with WR Drake London (knee) missing a fourth game in a row, Pitts is in line to serve as one of the top pass catchers for QB Kirk Cousins. On the first three occasions, Pitts recorded a cumulative 15-197-0 line on 23 targets.
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Cade Otton TE | TB
Buccaneers' Cade Otton: Inactive for Week 15
Otton (knee) is listed as inactive Thursday versus the Falcons.
Otton opened Week 15 prep with back-to-back DNPs before returning as a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a knee injury, but his doubtful listing for Thursday's game indicated he was trending toward an absence, which now has been confirmed. Tampa Bay will entrust TE duties to Payne Durham and Devin Culp this week, while Otton's next chance to play is Sunday, Dec. 21 at Carolina.