NFL Player News

Kroft went without a target across 15 snaps on offense in Sunday's 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.

After he was a healthy scratch for the 49ers' Week 12 game against the Saints, Kroft has suited up in the team's last two contests and has returned to the No. 2 role at tight end behind starter George Kittle. Kroft has played a quarter of the snaps on offense in both games, with his snap shares exceeding Charlie Woerner's (five percent in Week 13, 10 percent in Week 14). Meanwhile, Ross Dwelley has dropped to fourth on the depth chart at tight end and has been inactive for both of the past two games.

Kieft hauled in his lone target for an 11-yard gain in Sunday's 35-7 loss to the 49ers.

For the third week in a row, Kieft drew a target in the passing game, but he remained a distant third in the pecking order at tight end behind fellow rookie Cade Otton and veteran Cameron Brate. Otton led the group with 44 snaps, while Brate and Kieft took the field for 28 and five snaps on offense, respectively.

Fortson went without a target while playing 10 snaps on offense in Sunday's 34-28 win over the Broncos.

After drawing a season-high three targets in the Chiefs' Week 12 win over the Rams, Fortson has largely fallen out of the game plan over the subsequent two weeks. He's been targeted just once while playing 20 snaps on offense the past two games, with Fortson picking up more reps on special teams during that stretch. Fortson looks to be the clear No. 3 option at tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.

Oliver played 42 of the Ravens' 61 snaps on offense and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 16-14 win over the Steelers.

Oliver turned some heads when he recorded four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' Week 12 loss to the Jaguars, but the absence of No. 2 tight end Isaiah Likely for that contest played a major role in Oliver's breakthrough performance. With both Mark Andrews and Likely available for the Ravens' subsequent two contests, Oliver has faded almost exclusively into a blocking role when he's taken the field. He's played 66 combined snaps on offense over the past two weeks and hasn't been targeted once.

Goedert (shoulder) wouldn't confirm Wednesday that he'll play Sunday against the Bears, but he took part in practice and appears on track to return from injured reserve this weekend, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Goedert won't be included on the official injury report because he's technically still on injured reserve. The Eagles designated him for return from IR on Wednesday, opening a 21-day window in which he can practice with the team while not counting against the active roster. He'll likely be back on the roster soon enough, however, and quite possibly in time for the matchup with the Bears. The tight end has already resided on IR for the minimum amount of four games.

Bellinger (ribs) will be a limited participant at practice Wednesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Bellinger was "pretty sore" following the Giants' loss to the Eagles in Week 14. While the tight end's status is worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game against the Commanders, Bellinger's ability to practice in any fashion Wednesday appears to be a good sign with regard to his chances of playing.

Manhertz played 27 of the Jaguars' 67 snaps on offense and turned his lone target into a 21-yard reception in Sunday's 36-22 win over the Titans.

Manhertz came through with his first 20-plus-yard reception of the season, as he entered Sunday's contest with five receptions for 21 yards over his first 13 appearances. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Manhertz continues to share the field regularly with top tight end Evan Engram, but Manhertz is deployed almost exclusively as a blocker whenever he's out there.

Arnold played 14 of the Jaguars' 67 snaps on offense and finished with a five-yard catch across three targets in Sunday's 36-22 win over the Titans.

In one of the best performances of his young career, quarterback Trevor Lawrence peppered the Jaguars' tight ends with targets. Though starter Evan Engram (11 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets) did the heavy lifting, Arnold and Chris Manhertz (one catch for 21 yards) also saw some involvement in the passing offense. So long as Engram is healthy, Arnold and Manhertz are unlikely to see their respective roles expand.

The Eagles designated Goedert (shoulder) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

The transaction opens up a 21-day window wherein the Eagles can evaluate Goedert in practice, but the 27-year-old will likely be added back to the 53-man roster well before that three-week window expires. In fact, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer relays that the Eagles anticipate Goedert will be ready to play this Sunday against the Bears, provided he doesn't experience any setbacks in practice over the next three days. Whenever he's activated, Goedert should slot back atop the depth chart at tight end, resulting in Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra losing out on work. Goedert's impending return will provide yet another boost to an Eagles offense that has been averaging 35 points per game during his four-week absence.

Smythe (quad/knee) was listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Smythe appears to have picked up a combination of both quad and knee issues during Sunday's loss to the Chargers, putting his Week 15 availability in question. The 27-year-old will have two more chances to ramp back up to full speed in practice in order to avoid carrying an injury designation into Saturday's contest against Buffalo.