NFL Player News

Willis (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Steelers.

Willis made the team after getting selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft, but he still remains behind Ross Dwelley, Charlie Woerner, and of course, George Kittle on the team's tight-end depth chart.

FitzPatrick (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Panthers, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The Falcons called up Parker Hesse from the practice squad Saturday. FitzPatrick will have to wait until Week 2 against the Packers for his first action of the 2023 season.

Durham (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against the Vikings, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Durham won't make his NFL debut Week 1, as the team will opt to roll with Cade Otton, Ko Kieft and David Wells at tight end Sunday. The fifth-round rookie will now work to earn the chance to play in Week 2 against the Bears.

With fellow tight end Mark Andrews (quadriceps) inactive for Sunday's season opener against the Texans, Likely is in line to serve as the Ravens' top tight end in Week 1.

Andrews will thus target a potential return next weekend, but in Baltimore's season opener, Likely has a chance to see enough snaps and targets to yield fantasy utility. In that context, the 2022 fourth-rounder profiles as a streaming option, as well as a lineup fill-in for those impacted by Andrews' absence.

Kittle (groin) is active for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

A groin injury limited Kittle's practice participation from Wednesday through Friday and resulted in him carrying a questionable tag into the season opener, but as anticipated, the standout tight end has been cleared to play Sunday. No reports have indicated that Kittle's snaps will be limited against the Steelers, so expect him to maintain an integral role in the 49ers' passing game while also serving as a key blocker for the team's ground attack.

Andrews (quadriceps) is listed as inactive for Sunday's game against Texans.

Andrews was limited in practice this past week, but the Ravens will play it safe with their star tight end with the rest of the season in mind. In Andrews' absence, Isaiah Likely is in line to step into an expanded role in Week 1, with Charlie Kolar also on hand to see complementary TE snaps. Andrews will now target a potential return to action Sept. 17, when the Ravens face the Bengals.

Ertz (knee) is active for Sunday's game at Washington, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Ertz has made a speedy recovery from the ACL and MCL injuries that he suffered Week 10 last season. Making an appearance Week 1 of the current campaign was the goal all along, which was made possible by him coming off the active/PUP list Aug. 15 and logging limited practices Wednesday through Friday this week. The potential exists for Ertz to be eased into action, especially due to the presence of second-year tight end Trey McBride. Since joining the Cardinals in October 2021, Ertz has gathered in 103 of 150 targets for 980 yards and seven touchdowns in 21 contests.

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.