NFL Player News

Kittle (groin) didn't take part in Thursday's practice, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kittle's status for a Week 1 road matchup with the Bears is up in the air due to a groin injury that he sustained during an unofficial practice Monday. The issue has sidelined him for both official sessions this week and also is considered serious enough to threaten his availability for Sunday, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Kittle has one more opportunity to mix into drills Friday, at which point the 49ers may provide some clarity into his odds to suit up this weekend. If Kittle is unable to play, Tyler Kroft, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley will be on hand to man tight end for San Francisco.

Kittle, who sat out the 49ers' first official practice of the week Wednesday, is dealing with a groin injury that's considered serious enough to potentially sideline him for Sunday's season opener in Chicago, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

According to Wilson, Kittle suffered the injury in question during an unofficial practice session Monday and was unable to take the field when the 49ers began Week 1 prep in earnest two days later. Head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested Wednesday that Kittle's status would be evaluated on a day-by-day basis leading up to the season opener, but the veteran tight end may need to practice in some capacity Thursday or Friday to have a realistic shot at playing Sunday. Tyler Kroft would be the next man up at tight end if the three-time Pro Bowler isn't able to play in Chicago.

Asiasi (quadriceps) missed practice again Thursday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Asiasi was working on the rehab field Thursday as he continues to try and come back from his lingering quadriceps injury. Even if he's well enough to play Sunday, the third-year-pro may be made a healthy inactive against the Steelers, as he's currently No. 4 on the Bengals' tight end depth chart. He's also only been with the team since Aug. 31, when he was claimed off waivers from the Patriots.

Turner (hamstring) was once again limited in practice Thursday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Turner sat out all of Washington's preseason contests due to the injury. However, his ability to remain a limited participant in practice leaves open the possibility of him making his NFL debut Sunday against the Jaguars. If he can do so, the rookie could have a sizable role, as Logan Thomas (knee) is also questionable for Week 1.

Thomas (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Thomas has been limited in both of the Commanders' first two official Week 1 practices, making his status for Sunday's season opener versus the Jaguars iffy for the time being. The 31-year-old is working his way back from the a serious left knee injury he sustained last December, when he needed surgery to address a torn ACL in addition to MCL and meniscus damage. The fact that Thomas returned from the PUP list Aug. 22 suggests he won't be in store for an extended absence to begin the season, though Washington could err on the side of caution and hold him out for Week 1 while he works his way back to full speed. If Thomas ends up sitting out the opener, John Bates would likely have a clear path to seeing the bulk of the snaps at tight end.

Ertz (calf) wasn't spotted on the field during the open portion of Thursday's practice, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Unless Ertz fits in some work in behind the scenes, he'll be listed as a non-participant on the Cardinals' injury report, which marks a step back from his limited activity a day earlier. It's possible Ertz's potential absence is a pre-planned maintenance day, but it nonetheless creates further questions about his availability for Sunday's season opener against the Chiefs. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury previously listed Ertz as "day-to-day" earlier in the week, though that description doesn't shed much light on the tight end's status for the opener.

The Chiefs waived Bushman (collarbone) with an injury designation from the team's injured reserve Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Bushman landed on Kansas City's IR after he was waived as part of the team's final roster cuts Aug. 30. The 26-year-old tight end will now look to record the first reception of his NFL career with a new team this regular season, once he gets healthy again.

Fumagalli signed a practice-squad contract with the 49ers on Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Fumagalli failed to secure a spot on San Francisco's final 53-man roster after joining the team on a one-year deal in May. The 27-year-old missed the entirety of the 2021 season while on New England's IR with an undisclosed injury, and he recorded 14 career receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns over 19 regular-season games with Denver from 2019 to 2020. Fumagalli should now have a chance to earn a reserve role with a tight-end-needy team while working on the 49ers' practice squad.

McKitty (undisclosed) was not listed on the Chargers' injury report Wednesday.

McKitty missed practice time in early August while dealing with a "soft tissue" injury, but he looks to have overcome this issue heading into Los Angeles' Week 1 contest against Las Vegas. The 2021 third-round pick, who recorded six receptions for 45 yards during his rookie campaign, should play a reserve role behind tight ends Gerald Everett and Donald Parham this season.

Parham (hamstring) did not participate during the Chargers' practice Wednesday, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Parham has been dealing with a left hamstring injury since the beginning of August that kept him sidelined throughout much of the Chargers' training camp. The 25-year-old did return to practice last Wednesday, but it appears this injury has popped back up heading into Week 1 against Las Vegas. Parham caught 20 of his 27 targets for 190 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games last season, and he should slot in alongside Gerald Everett for the Chargers' primary tight end duties in 2022.