NFL Player News

Ertz (knee), who is listed as questionable, is expected to suit up for Sunday's regular-season opener at Washington, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Ertz wasn't a safe bet to make it back for Week 1 after suffering ACL and MCL damage in his left knee last November, but the veteran tight end looks as though he's shown enough improvement to begin the season on the field. Assuming Ertz is indeed left off the Cardinals' inactive list -- which will be released 90 minutes ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff -- he will be in line to share reps at tight end with second-year pro Trey McBride. Top wideout Marquise Brown (hamstring) is also expected to play Week 1.

Waller (hamstring) remains listed as questionable but is expected to suit up for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Waller popped up on New York's injury report with a hamstring issue Friday, and while he initially looked to be a 50-50 proposition to suit up for the Giants' "Sunday Night Football" matchup with the Cowboys, the expectation now is that the veteran tight end will take the field. If Waller is available, it would be a major boon for Daniel Jones and the passing game, given that Waller could well be slated to operate as the Giants' go-to receiver as he works to bounce back from a couple injury-plagued campaigns. Official word on Waller's status will come when the Giants release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.

Kittle (groin), who is listed as questionable, is expected to suit up for Sunday's road matchup against the Steelers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Official word on Kittle's status will arrive when the 49ers release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, but assuming Kittle gets the green light to play, he's expected to be on the field to give Brock Purdy a full assortment of offensive weapons. If Kittle is limited in any capacity, though, it could result in a small uptick in targets for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.

Likely is expected to serve as the Ravens' No. 1 tight end Sunday against the Texans with Mark Andrews (quadricep) listed as questionable for the contest but considered unlikely to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With the Ravens expected to err on the side of caution with Andrews for Week 1, Likely should be in store for an extended role on offense and becomes an intriguing streaming option for tight-end-needy fantasy squads. He started two games as a rookie last season when Andrews was sidelined and recorded nine catches for 127 yards and one touchdown between those contests.

Andrews (quadriceps) is not expected to play in Sunday's season opening tilt against the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Andrews practiced in limited fashion during the week before ultimately drawing a questionable designation for Week 1. It originally seemed as though he was on the track toward availability, which makes his likely absence somewhat surprising. Should that be the case, Isaiah Likely would be the team's No. 1 tight end against Houston, while Charlie Kolar provides depth.

The Falcons have elevated Hesse to their active roster ahead of Sunday's Week 1 clash against the Panthers.

Hesse re-joined the Falcons on their practice squad Aug. 30 after being cut by the team at the end of the preseason. He'll provide added depth at tight end behind Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt and John FitzPatrick.

Long (thigh) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

Long had already been ruled out ahead of Sunday's contest against the Seahawks, and he'll now miss at least the four weeks due to a thigh injury. The only other player included in the Jalen Ramsey trade this offseason, Long's absence will now cede more playing time to Brycen Hopkins and Davis Allen behind starter Tyler Higbee.

The Bears have elevated Carlson from the practice squad to their active roster ahead of Sunday's Week 1 showdown against the Packers, Chris Emma of 670TheScore.com reports.

Carlson's addition to Chicago's roster may be hinting at Robert Tonyan's (back) eventual status for Sunday's season opener. As of now, Carlson is one of four tight ends on the roster, so he will be providing depth at the position and presumably be a candidate to contribute on special teams.

Tonyan was added to the injury report Saturday with a back injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Packers.

The Bears elevated Stephen Carlson from the practice squad signaling something was amiss with the tight end personnel. Tonyan, an offseason addition for the Bears, was expected to be a key contributor alongside newly re-signed starter Cole Kmet, although the exact playing time split for the two tight ends wasn't clear. Expect Marcedes Lewis to come in as a blocking specialist in the event Tonyan is unable to play.

The Eagles re-signed Russell to their practice squad Friday.

Russell was released from the Eagles' practice squad Thursday, but the 25-year-old will now rejoin the organization just a day later. Russell will look to make an impression with the team after signing as an undrafted free agent in May.