NFL Player News

Gray (illness) did not practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Gray was also absent from practice Wednesday as he continues to work to get himself back to full health. The Duke product still has a couple of days to recover before the Chiefs' game against the Jets on Sunday, but he'll remain questionable for the contest for now.

Kieft logged 10 snaps on offense but did not draw a target in the Buccaneers' 25-11 loss to the Eagles on Monday night.

The blocking tight end saw Baker Mayfield throw in his direction on three occasions without success in Week 1 against the Vikings, and he's subsequently failed to draw a target over the next two games. Kieft didn't even officially run any routes Monday night, as his blocking presence was needed versus an aggressive Eagles defense. Kieft's fantasy value figures to remain nonexistent as long as complementary pass-catching options at tight end like David Wells and Payne Durham are healthy behind Cade Otton.

Tonges was signed to the 49ers' practice squad Wednesday.

Tonges will head to San Francisco after he was waived from the Bears' injured reserve in August with an undisclosed injury. He has clearly left the injury in the past and he'll look to earn an elevation to the 49ers' active roster down the road.

Higbee was a non-participant in Wednesday's walk-through session due to an Achilles injury.

The Rams' passing attack has been dominated by rookie fifth-round pick Puka Nacua (oblique) with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) on injured reserve to start the season, but Higbee has been a nice complementary piece with two games of 40-plus yards, including 71 during Monday's loss in Cincinnati. Unfortunately for Higbee, he's tending to an Achilles injury, which could put him at risk of missing Sunday's game at Indianapolis. The Rams will see if Higbee can get back on the practice field in some capacity Thursday and Friday before potentially giving him a designation heading into the weekend.

Everett didn't practice Wednesday due to an illness.

Everett has two more chances to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Raiders, but the tight end's status is now worth monitoring after the missed session. In the Chargers' 28-24 win over the Vikings this past weekend, Everett caught all six of his targets for 30 yards.

Moreau (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Moreau closed out last week with a limited practice before being ruled out ahead of Sunday's loss to the Packers, so his lack of activity Wednesday seems to be a step in the wrong direction. In any case, Moreau will have two more chances to practice this week before the Saints potentially give him an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

Smith (hamstring) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Smith was inactive for the Bengals' Week 3 win over the Rams, and his listed non-participation to begin Week 4 prep clouds his status for Sunday's game against the Titans. If Smith remains out this weekend, Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox would once again absorb most of the snaps at tight end.

Smythe was listed as limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Likely as a result of the hamstring issue along with the fact that the Dolphins rolled to a 70-20 win over the Broncos, Smythe was limited to playing 37 percent of the offensive snaps. He had played 100 and 97 percent of the snaps in the Dolphins' first two games, taking on one of the largest snap shares of any tight end in the league during that span. Smythe will have two more opportunities to achieve full participation in practice before Sunday's showdown against Buffalo. Should Smythe sit out Sunday, more snaps could go to Tyler Kroft (back) or Julian Hill at tight end.

Thomas (concussion) was a limited practice participant Wednesday and said afterward that he expects to play in Sunday's game against Philadelphia, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Thomas missed last Sunday's 37-3 loss to Buffalo, leaving Cole Turner and John Bates in a timeshare at tight end. Bates should still have a role as a blocker if Thomas is back for Week 4, while Turner's usefulness would be minimized with the return of a more experienced receiving-minded tight end. Thomas drew 11 targets through the first six quarters of play this season before suffering a concussion Week 2.

Gray (illness) will not practice Wednesday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Gray still has a few days to recover before the team's Week 4 contest with the Jets, but he is currently questionable for the game. If he's unable to play, Blake Bell would likely need to step into a larger workload, while the Chiefs may need to elevate Matt Bushman from the practice squad.