NFL Player News

Smith (groin) missed another practice Friday, but offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is optimistic the tight end will be ready for Monday's game against the Bears, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Kubiak may be optimistic, but the back-to-back absences suggest Smith is likely to enter the game with an injury designation. The Vikings will have until Saturday afternoon/evening to make that determination, with Kyle Rudolph potentially in line for extra targets if Smith ends up absent or limited Monday.

Tonyan (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Jacksonville.

Tonyan appears truly questionable after he was added to the injury report Thursday as a limited participant and then held out of Friday's practice. A 1 p.m. ET kickoff makes things a little easier for fantasy managers if it comes down to a game-time decision, allowing for a wide range of alternatives. Teammates Jace Sternberger and Marcedes Lewis could both see extra snaps/targets if Tonyan is out, but neither would be a trustworthy option for fantasy lineups.

Hockenson (toe) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Washington, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Hockenson was a mid-week addition to the injury report, albeit with the same toe issue that limited his practice participation last week. He was held out of Thursday's practice entirely, before returning Friday as a limited participant. There hasn't been any suggestion the injury is serious, but fantasy managers would be wise to check back when the Lions release their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

Smith (concussion) isn't listed on the injury report heading into Sunday's game against Philadelphia, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Smith has been cleared for action following back-to-back full practices Thursday and Friday. The Eagles have struggled to defend tight ends this season, but Smith's unlikely to get many opportunities to capitalize on this favorable matchup as the backup to Evan Engram.

Tonyan (knee) isn't practicing Friday, Olivia Reiner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Added to the Thursday injury report as a limited participant, Tonyan now appears in serious danger of missing Sunday's game against the Jaguars. An absence would free up snaps for Jace Sternberger in passing situations, while Marcedes Lewis could also get more playing time but likely would continue to focus on blocking.

Tomlinson was waived by the Giants on Friday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

The 28-year-old has been on the active roster most of the season but hasn't seen game action since the season opener. Tomlinson could stay with the organization on the practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Smith brought in two of six targets for 14 yards and scored a one-yard touchdown on his only rush attempt in the Titans' 34-17 loss to the Colts on Thursday night.

The athletic tight end couldn't do much through the air on a night when Ryan Tannehill threw for just 147 yards, but his first career rushing score in the second quarter helped salvage his fantasy night to an extent. Smith's pass-catching production continues to be hard to trust on a week-to-week basis, however, as he's now recorded no more than two receptions or 32 receiving yards in five consecutive games after posting an 18-221-5 line over his four contests of the campaign. He'll look to bounce back to that caliber of numbers in a Week 11 battle against the Ravens on Sunday, Nov. 22.

Alie-Cox (knee) is listed as active Thursday at Tennessee.

A knee issue has plagued Alie-Cox for exactly one month, resulting in one absence Week 6. Otherwise, he's suited up in both of the Colts' last two games en route to six catches (on seven targets) for 80 yards. Alie-Cox may benefit from the team listing Jack Doyle (concussion) as inactive, but he'll still have to contend with Trey Burton for looks from Philip Rivers.

Lewis (knee) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Lewis has continuously popped up on the injury report despite playing in the past four games, but this news is cause for concern for his chances to play Sunday. The veteran hauled in a touchdown pass in last week's win over the 49ers, but he's been relegated to more of a blocking role throughout the season. The tight end depth chart is a bit banged up at the moment, with Lewis, Robert Tonyan (ankle) and John Lovett (knee) all dealing with injuries.

Higbee said Thursday that his hand "finally feels good," Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Higbee missed Week 7 due to a hand contusion but managed to return against Miami in Week 9, when he caught two passes for 14 yards. Now coming off Los Angeles' bye, it looks like the 27-year-old is back to 100 percent. Per Rodrigue, Higbee may even be able to shed his hand brace during Sunday's game against the Seahawks.