NFL Player News

Waller (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Waller practiced in a limited capacity all of last week before sitting out the Raiders' eventual 24-0 loss to the Saints, so he may need to upgrade to full activity Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Sunday's game in Jacksonville. If Waller ends up sitting out Week 9 or is available only in a limited capacity, Foster Moreau could continue to take on an expanded role at tight end.

Wright (concussion protocol) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Wright entered the protocol for head injuries in the wake of a Week 8 loss to the Dolphins, but after sitting out Wednesday he made his first notable progress with some on-field activity one day later. Still, he must complete all five phases of the protocol to gain clearance to play, so continuing to work Friday (or even getting back to a full practice) would put him in a fair spot ahead of Sunday's game against the Packers. With T.J. Hockenson getting traded to the Vikings earlier this week, Wright, when active, likely will serve as the Lions' No. 1 tight end for the rest of the season.

Thomas (calf) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Though Thomas didn't take a step forward from Wednesday in terms of practice activity, the fact that he was on the field for consecutive days bodes well for his chances of being able to play Sunday against the Vikings. In his return from a three-game absence in the Commanders' Week 8 win over the Colts, Thomas started and played 56 percent of Washington's offense snaps but went without a target.

Andrews (shoulder/ankle) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Even with the Ravens getting a longer turnaround for Week 9 with a Monday night game in New Orleans on tap, Andrews will be withheld from the team's first practice session while he tends to the pair of injuries he sustained in last Thursday's win over the Buccaneers. Though head coach John Harbaugh previously described both injuries as minor, Andrews will likely need to get back on the practice field in some capacity Friday or Saturday for fantasy managers to feel good about the tight end's availability Monday.

Sullivan (illness) was a non-participant in practice Thursday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Sullivan also missed practice Wednesday due to the illness, which leaves him currently questionable for Sunday's game with the Bengals. If Sullivan is unable to recover in time to play, the Panthers may need to bump up Colin Thompson from the practice squad. If not, Carolina will roll with just Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas at tight end.

Quitoriano (knee) will be added to the 53-man roster Thursday, Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com reports.

Quitoriano is expected to make his NFL debut Thursday against the Eagles. The rookie, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has been recovering from a knee injury suffered during training camp. How big of a role he may see out of the gate is hard to say -- currently Brevin Jordan, O.J. Howard and Jordan Akins seem to be in a three-way timeshare at the position.

Parham (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice

Parham has been making strides in his recovery over the last few days by clearing concussion protocols, but his status for Sunday's game against the Falcons remains in question, per Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times. Parham's ability to practice over the next few days will likely determine his availability for Week 9.

Fant was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Aside from dealing with an illness during Week 7 prep, Fant otherwise has avoided Seattle injury reports this season. The good health hasn't translated to much production in his first campaign with the Seahawks, as he's compiled a 22-176-1 receiving line on 28 targets in eight contests. Fant will use sessions Thursday and Friday to potentially put himself on a path to play Sunday in Arizona.

Uzomah was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice due to a shoulder injury, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Uzomah played 50 total snaps (36 offensive) and caught his lone target for a season-high 27 yards during the Jets' Week 8 loss to the Patriots, but he appears to have picked up a shoulder injury as well. The veteran tight end will have two more opportunities to upgrade to a full participant before the team needs to make a decision on his status for Sunday's matchup against the Bills.

Smythe (hamstring) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Smythe has appeared in back-to-back games since sitting out Week 6 due to a hamstring injury, but the issue continues to impact the tight end's ability to practice. Regardless, as long as he doesn't suffer a setback, he should be able to play through the injury for a third straight contest.