NFL Player News

Kittle (calf), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Official confirmation of Kittle's status will arrive once the 49ers release their inactive list prior to the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday. Kittle has told teammates throughout the week that he intends to play through the injury, and while he appears set to do so, fantasy managers will want to see that prediction come to pass before locking him into Week 4 lineups.

The Seahawks activated Parkinson (foot) from injured reserve Saturday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Parkinson was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday and will be active against the 49ers on Sunday. The 22-year-old tight end battled his foot injury throughout his rookie season, so it's unclear what type of role he can play for Seattle's offense. With Gerald Everett (illness) likely unavailable Sunday, Parkinson will be needed for depth behind Will Dissly and Tyler Mabry.

Parkinson (foot) is expected to return from the Seahawks' injured reserve and suit up for Sunday's matchup with the 49ers, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

While the expectation is that he will return, Parkinson hasn't officially been activated yet. With Gerald Everett (illness) likely unavailable, Parkinson would provide depth at tight end behind Will Dissly and Tyler Mabry if ultimately given the green light.

Everett (illness) isn't likely to be available for Sunday's game against the 49ers, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

The tight end is on the reserve/COVID-19 list and reportedly hadn't registered a negative test as of Friday afternoon. He'll now need back-to-back negatives starting Saturday, which Carroll apparently considers unlikely. The Seahawks are expected to bring Colby Parkinson (foot) back from IR this week, but Will Dissly is the safer bet for snaps (and a few targets) if Everett doesn't end up playing. The team will really be thin on pass catchers if Tyler Lockett (questionable, hip) and Dee Eskridge (doubtful, concussion) are also unavailable Sunday.

Kittle (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, with coach Kyle Shanahan noting that the Niners should have a better idea by Saturday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Shanahan said he was encouraged by Kittle's work on the practice field Friday, though the tight end was a limited participant, with reports from beat writers showing him running on the sideline rather than stretching with with teammates at the beginning of the session. For his part, Kittle acknowledged Friday afternoon that he's dealing with some swelling and pain, but he also said he'll "do everything" he can to suit up for Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. If Kittle can't make it, the Niners will turn to Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner at tight end, while wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Mohamed Sanu could take on some extra targets.

Kroft (rib) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Kroft upgraded to full practice participation Friday after limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday, suggesting the starting tight end is trending in the right direction. He already had a limited role in the low-octane Jets offense, and now Kroft likely will have to compete for targets over the middle of the field with slot receiver Jamison Crowder, who is listed as questionable with a groin injury of his own but expected to make his season debut against Tennessee.

Kittle (calf) is running at Friday's practice, but he doesn't have a helmet and doesn't appear to be doing the usual routine, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kittle started warming up with his teammates but then did some running on his own off to the side while healthy players went through stretches. After missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, he'll almost certainly have a game designation when the Niners release their final injury report Friday afternoon. They have a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff for Sunday's home game against Seattle.

Smith (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game in New Orleans, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Smith has battled this knee issue all season but has yet to miss a game, so he'll likely gut it out again come Sunday. With Evan Engram having returned from a calf injury last week, Smith has been relegated to third-string tight end duties behind Engram and Kyle Rudolph.

Conlkin (glute/elbow) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's matchup with Seattle.

Conklin missed practice Wednesday but made it back on the field Thursday and Friday. He caught seven of eight targets for 70 yards and a touchdown last week in the 30-17 win over Seattle after hauling in six of eight targets for 56 yards over the first two weeks combined. While he isn't much of a big-play threat, Conklin's workload (16 targets, 74.0 percent snap share) puts him on the map as at least a streaming option in fantasy.

Manhertz caught his only target for seven yards during Thursday's 24-21 loss to the Bengals.

Manhertz started and led Jacksonville's tight ends with 24 offensive snaps, but Dan Arnold, Luke Farrell and Jacob Hollister all saw double-digit snaps. Most notable is Arnold, as he was only acquired from the Panthers on Monday and caught both his targets for 29 yards in his debut with the Jags. Manhertz should continue to play regular snaps as a blocking specialist, but Arnold should see more and more playing time as he gets more accustomed to his new offense.