NFL Player News

Waller (groin) is slated to practice Thursday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Per Tom Rock of Newsday, Waller sat out Wednesday's session as part of a planned rest protocol, so the tight end's return to the field Thursday was expected. The Giants' upcoming injury report will reveal Waller's official participation level.

The Cowboys placed Hendershot (ankle) on injured reserve Thursday.

Per Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News, Hendershot hasn't progressed from his ankle issue as hoped, despite not playing either of the past two weeks, and the tight end now will be forced to miss at least the next four games after landing on IR. As a result, the soonest he can rejoin the lineup is Sunday, Nov. 19 against the Panthers. In Hendershot's absence, Luke Schoonmaker and Sean McKeon will provide depth at tight end behind starter Jake Ferguson.

Kelce (ankle) is trending upward, and the tight end should be able to play Thursday against the Broncos, barring a pregame setback, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Kelce is listed as questionable for the contest after going down as a limited participant on practice reports issued Tuesday and Wednesday. Kansas City's top pass catcher sustained a low-ankle sprain this past Sunday against Minnesota, but he returned to the game and finished with a 10-67-1 line on 11 targets. He appears set to continue playing through the injury Thursday, though official confirmation of his status won't arrive until the Chiefs post their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Vikings signed Fumagalli to their practice squad Wednesday, Craig Peters of the team's official site reports.

Fumagalli was released from San Francisco's practice squad in September but will now get another opportunity with the Vikings. The 2018 fifth-round pick has not appeared in a regular season game since 2020 where he played in eight games for the Broncos.

Smith was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to an ankle injury, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Smith has been the most productive fantasy tight end for the Falcons this season, putting together a 21-246-0 line on 27 targets versus Kyle Pitts' 18-208-0 line on 32 targets through five games. Having said that, Pitts just had his best performance of the season during Sunday's win against the Texans, when he hauled in seven of 11 passes for 87 yards. Now that Smith is dealing with a health concern, the breakdown of reps between the two will be one to monitor, especially if Smith is hindered or even needs to miss this Sunday's game against the Commanders.

Johnson (calf) didn't practice Wednesday.

Johnson hasn't played since Week 3 and appears in danger of missing a third straight game when the Saints face the Texans this Sunday. His absence has led to all of Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham and Taysom Hill getting extra routes, though it's been a timeshare at tight end that doesn't look especially fantasy-friendly.

Dulcich (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Kansas City after fully participating in practice Wednesday.

The Broncos opened the 21-day window to activate Dulcich from injured reserve Tuesday, after which point the tight end logged a limited practice followed by a full practice. In order for Dulcich to be eligible to play Thursday, the Broncos would first have to activate him from IR before 4 p.m. ET on game day. If he gets the green light to play Thursday, Dulcich could end up sharing reps at tight end with Adam Trautman.

Waller (groin) expects to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice, Tom Rock of Newsday Sports reports.

Waller described Wednesday's absence as part of the "rest protocol" for his groin injury, adding that he expects to both practice Thursday and suit up Sunday against the Bills. If the veteran tight end's assessment proves correct, he could still shed his injury designation before Sunday's game, but Waller's fantasy managers will wait with bated breath until that point. The Giants and Bills are playing in the Sunday night game, leaving fantasy managers with few alternatives if Waller ends up being labeled as a game-time decision leading up to 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.

Alie-Cox (concussion) did not practice Wednesday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Alie-Cox is working his way through the league's five-step concussion protocol after being forced out of Sunday's win over the Titans. He will need to gain full clearance before returning to game action, so the depth tight end's status should be considered up in the air for Week 6 versus Jacksonville.

Kmet was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury.

Prior to Week 6 prep, Kmet was untouched by injury this season, allowing him to record a 23-231-3 receiving line on 29 targets in five games. With a health concern in tow, his activity level will be one to monitor as the week goes on to ensure it won't affect his availability for Sunday's contest against the Vikings. Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis are the other tight ends on the Bears' active roster.