NFL Player News

Smartt hauled in his lone target for an eight-yard gain in Sunday's 23-17 win over the Dolphins.

Smartt has suited up in each of the Chargers' last four games, but the undrafted rookie out of Old Dominion logged just four snaps on offense Week 14. He's firmly behind Gerald Everett (56 snaps) and Tre' McKitty (40 snaps) in the pecking order at tight end.

Parkinson hauled in one of his two targets for a 10-yard gain in Sunday's 30-24 loss to the Panthers.

He played 17 snaps in the Week 14 loss, finishing third behind Noah Fant (29) and Will Dissly (21) among the Seahawks' tight ends. So long as Fant and Dissly are available, Parkinson is unlikely to see enough playing time to be a reliable starting option in the majority of fantasy leagues.

Freiermuth (foot) didn't practice Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Per Pryor, Freiermuth said that he hurt his foot on his first reception in this past Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Ravens. While the tight end wasn't able to practice Wednesday, he expects to be available when the Steelers face the Panthers this weekend.

The Raiders designated Waller (hamstring) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The transaction opens a 21-day window in which Waller can practice without counting against the roster limit. Waller won't be included on the official practice report while technically still on IR, but updates from Raiders beat writers throughout the week could provide some clue about whether the tight end is on track to return for Sunday's game against the Patriots. Foster Moreau has been filling in as the Raiders' top tight end during Waller's extended absence.

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.