NFL Player News

Alie-Cox (thumb) was estimated as a non-participant on Monday's injury report.

Alie-Cox sustained the thumb injury during Sunday's win over the Jaguars and was unable to retake the field, so it's no major surprise to see he wasn't expected to practice one day later. Eric Ebron is also tending to an ankle injury, leaving Jack Doyle as the team's only healthy tight end.

Smith had three receptions for 20 yards on three targets, including a 10-yard touchdown, in Sunday's win over Denver.

Smith's role in the offense continues to grow as he recorded his first NFL touchdown. He played on a season-high 81 percent of the offense's snaps and ran routes on 37 of 51 plays. He has 20 receptions and 24 targets over his last five games. His targets may decline slightly when Adam Thielen returns from a hamstring injury, but Smith clearly is becoming a regular part of the game plan.

Conklin had two receptions for 28 yards on three targets in Sunday's win over Denver.

Conklin didn't have a reception and had just one target on the season before Sunday. With Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith playing well ahead of him on the depth chart, it's hard to see him getting more than a few targets per game. Still, his four targets over the last two games make him worth monitoring in deep formats.

Coach Dan Quinn said that Hooper (knee) won't participate in the Falcons' first practice of the week Wednesday, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Quinn indicated Hooper hasn't been ruled out from practicing Thursday or Friday, as the team will continue to evaluate the tight end throughout the week before determining his status for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. While Hooper sat out the Week 11 win over the Panthers with the sprained knee, Luke Stocker started at tight end and played 43 of the 65 offensive snaps (66 percent) but didn't draw a target. Meanwhile, backup Jaeden Graham acted as the pass-catching specialist at the position, playing only 34 snaps but hauling in both of his targets for 23 yards.

Fumagalli hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Vikings.

The University of Wisconsin product lost his rookie season due to a sports hernia and has been a healthy scratch often this year, but he was afforded increased duties in this contest with Jeff Heuerman (knee) inactive. Fumagalli capitalized, as he logged a career-high 29 offensive snaps while being targeted three times. All three looks were in Minnesota territory, including a third-down pass that Fumagalli caught for his first career score. The 24-year-old's usage will likely be flaky again once Heuerman returns.

The Jaguars placed Oliver (back) on injured reserve Monday, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

Oliver suffered fractures in his back during Sunday's 33-13 loss to the Colts, the severity of which will now cause him to spend the rest of the season on IR. The 22-year-old caught three of six targets for 15 yards across four games in his rookie campaign. With Seth DeValve (oblique) nursing an injury, the Jaguars could be forced to work with Nick O'Leary (who the team signed in free agency Monday) and Ben Koyack at tight end Week 12.

Engram (foot) said Monday that there's a possibility he'll be available to play next weekend against the Bears, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Coming off the Giants' Week 11 bye, Engram wasn't taking part in the team's practice session Monday, but he was at the team facility to receive treatment and do some running on an anti-gravity treadmill. Now that he no longer requires a walking boot for his injured left foot, Engram expressed hope that he'll be back on the field when the Giants return to action Sunday. Engram noted that the initial estimated recovery timeline he received for his injury was 2-to-4 weeks; he'll be at the midway point of that timetable when Sunday arrives.

Coach Freddie Kitchens said he expects Njoku (wrist) to resume practicing with the team Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Njoku wasn't on the field Monday for the Browns' workout, but the team is optimistic he'll be able to ramp up his activity as the week rolls along. Assuming Njoku does return to practice Wednesday, Cleveland would then have up to 21 days to evaluate the tight end for a return from injured reserve. Njoku is eligible to be reinstated to the 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins, but his potential availability for that contest likely will hinge on how he looks in practice this week.

Oliver was diagnosed with small fractures in his back after he exited Sunday's 33-13 loss to the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Jaguars didn't provide an update on Oliver's condition after the game, but Rapoport notes that the tight end is expected to miss multiple weeks as a result of the injury and could be a candidate for injured reserve. Jacksonville was already down another of its pass-catching tight ends (Seth DeValve, oblique) heading into the contest, spurring the team's decision to sign free agent Nick O'Leary. Unless DeValve is back for the Week 12 game against the Titans, Jacksonville will likely have O'Leary and blocking specialist Ben Koyack as its lone available tight ends in that contest. Oliver caught one of two targets for a five-yard gain in the loss to Indianapolis.

Engram (foot) wasn't present for practice Monday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Engram has been dealing with a low-grade mid-foot sprain, and his inability to practice Monday -- following the Giants' bye week -- suggests that his status for Sunday's game against the Bears is iffy. On a more positive note, Engram was present at the Giants' facility for practice and was spotted without a walking boot on his left foot, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The tight end's outlook for Week 12 could brighten if he's able to return to practice at some point Wednesday through Friday, but it's not guaranteed he'll be able to participate in any fashion during those sessions. Next up on the team's depth chart is Rhett Ellison, but he's currently bouncing back from a concussion. Rookie Kaden Smith, a sixth-round pick of the 49ers who's considered primarily a blocker, led the Giants in snaps at the position Week 10.