NFL Player News

Trautman (ankle) is active for Saturday's Week 16 clash against the Browns, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Trautman practiced in limited fashion throughout the week and will now suit up for Saturday's frigid interconference clash. Although weather conditions in Cleveland are expected to be extremely unconducive to the passing game, Trautman could still be the subject of a handful of extra targets while operating as the No. 2 tight end due to top receivers Chris Olave (hamstring) and Jarvis Landry (IR-ankle) being unavailable.

Philadelphia placed Jackson (knee) on its injured reserve list Friday.

Jackson has dealt with lingering knee issues all year, and with regular starting tight end Dallas Goedert having returned Tuesday from an injured-reserve-list stint of his own, the Eagles saw fit to shut Jackson down for the rest of this season. He'll finish his 2022 campaign without having played a snap.

Granson (ankle) didn't participate in Friday's practice.

After opening Week 16 prep with two straight absences from practice, Granson will have one final chance Saturday to get in some on-field work before the Colts decide whether he'll carry a designation into Monday's game against the Chargers. If Granson is sidelined Monday, it would condense what has largely been a three-man timeshare at tight end that also includes Jelani Woods and Mo Alie-Cox.

The Patriots are slated to elevate Washington from their practice squad ahead of Saturday's game against the Bengals, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Washington, who the Patriots list as a wide receiver, gives the team added depth at the position ahead of Week 16 action, with DeVante Parker (concussion) ruled out and both Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) and Tyquan Thornton (knee) listed as questionable to face Cincinnati.

Smythe (quadriceps) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Packers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

The tight end should be good to go without any restrictions after a full practice Friday. Smythe gets plenty of playing time but is used primarily as a blocker in a Dolphins offense that isn't hurting for options in the passing game.

The Chiefs placed Fortson (elbow) on injured reserve Friday.

Fortson was already ruled out for Saturday's matchup against the Seahawks, but the backup tight end will now miss at least four games, including the final three regular-season contests, due to a subluxed elbow. Blake Bell, who was activated off injured reserve Friday, figures to take over as the No. 3 tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.

The Chiefs activated Bell (hip) from injured reserve Friday.

Bell, who's yet to play this year while rehabbing from hip surgery, was designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday and has been added to the active roster Friday. He's on track to make his season debut Saturday against the Seahawks, but fantasy mangers are still encouraged to confirm his status ahead of kickoff. If he's indeed available, he'll likely assume the backup role behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray that was previously held by Jody Fortson, who's been placed on injured reserve with an elbow injury.

With Hayden Hurst (calf) having been downgraded to out, Wilcox is in line to start at tight end for the Bengals in Saturday's game against the Patriots, Michael Niziolek of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

It will be the third straight start for Wilcox, who caught all three of his targets for 34 yards and a TD in this past Sunday's 34-23 win over the Buccaneers while handling a 91 percent snap share. Though the 26-year-old isn't a high-percentage fantasy option in Week 16, Wilcox does offer an option to those needing to replace Hurst or otherwise seeking short-term TE help.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that Smith (ankle) is progressing, but the tight end will remain on injured reserve for Saturday's game against the Giants, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "He looks really good," O'Connell said of Smith, who has resumed working out off to the side with trainers during practice. "Hopefully we can get him back with us soon."

O'Connell remains optimistic that the tight end will play again this season, but until the Vikings designate him for return from injured reserve, Smith won't be eligible to practice with the team and will continue to rehab off to the side. If Smith is able to make it back for Week 17 or 18 games against the Packers and Bears, respectively, he would likely be in store for a limited role behind top tight end T.J. Hockenson, whom the Vikings acquired shortly after Smith suffered his high-ankle sprain Oct. 30.

Hill may be in store for more carries than usual in Saturday's game against the Browns due to a forecast in Cleveland that includes frigid temperatures and sustained winds of almost 30 miles per hour, John DeShazier of the Saints' official site reports.

Though Hill is listed as tight end on the Saints' official roster, he continues to be deployed in a variety of ways on offense. In last week's win over the Falcons, he completed a 68-yard touchdown pass and added another 12-yard completion, but Hill saw his most involvement on the ground, carrying seven times for 30 yards. With New Orleans down two key receivers in Chris Olave (hamstring) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) and with the heavy winds likely to affect the passing game, the Saints may have even more incentive than usual to lean on the Alvin Kamara-led ground game. Kamara logged 21 carries of his own in the Week 15 win, but there were still some touches left over for Hill, who essentially acted as the Saints' top backup running back in the contest. The Saints left Eno Benjamin on the inactive list last week, while David Johnson carried just four times behind Kamara and Hill and lost a fumble.