NFL Player News

Njoku (knee/thigh) practiced fully Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Njoku is thus in line to play Sunday against the Bengals. The 2017 first-rounder has caught three passes in each of his last three outings, but his last notable fantasy outing came against Cincinnati in the game before that, when Njoku hauled in all five of his targets for 63 yards and a TD.

Thomas (hamstring) was a full participant in Thursday's practice session.

Thomas has some recent action due to his hamstring injury, but it appears he may have turned a corner after his full practice Thursday. He'll look to resume his role as a backup tight end for the Bills against the Patriots in Week 16.

Swaim (wrist) did not practice Thursday, Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Swaim has missed the last four games after undergoing surgery for a fractured wrist in mid-November, and has yet to return to practice. The 25-year-old is trending towards remaining sidelined for Sunday's tilt against the Buccaneers, in which case Blake Jarwin would once again serve as the Cowboys' top tight end.

Graham (thumb/knee) was spotted on the field during the portion of Thursday's practice that was open to the media, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Graham's absence at practice Wednesday looks to have been mostly for maintenance purposes, given that he was able to return to work a day later. It's still possible that he'll be listed as a limited participant once the Packers release their practice report later Thursday, but the tight end doesn't seem to be at much risk of sitting out Sunday against the Jets.

Swaim (wrist) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic reports.

Swaim underwent surgery for a fractured wrist in mid-November and has missed the last four games. The 25-year-old was originally projected to have a 3-to-4-week absence, so he's already reached the end of that initial timetable without any meaningful sign of progress. The 2015 seventh-round pick will likely need to practice in some capacity Thursday and Friday in order to have a real chance of playing Sunday against the Buccaneers.

Paulsen (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Paulsen was able to play through his lingering knee issue against the Cardinals in Week 15 and continues to progress in his recovery. If the depth tight end is able to suit up against the Panthers on Sunday, he'll likely be used primarily as a blocker.

Hooper (knee/ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

After he was contained to one limited practice last week, Hooper played a season-low 51 percent of the Falcons' offensive snaps last weekend versus the Cardinals. The reduced snap count was apparent in the box score -- no catches on one target -- the first time he was blanked since Week 13 of his rookie season in 2016. As the week goes on, a return to full participation would put Hooper in line for his usual workload in the 70-to-80 percent range Sunday against a Panthers defense that has given up more touchdowns (nine) to tight ends than any team.

Thomas (hamstring) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Thomas has missed two of the Bills' last three games due to a lingering hamstring injury, leaving his status for Sunday's divisional tilt against the Patriots uncertain. If the depth tight end is unable to suit up Week 16, more snaps would be available for backup tight end Jason Croom behind starter Charles Clay.

Seals-Jones was held out of Wednesday's practice due to a bout of food poisoning, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

While his practice availability may be impacted, Seals-Jones should have enough time to recover before facing the Rams on Sunday. He drew eight targets while handling an 81 percent offensive snap share in last week's 40-14 loss to the Falcons, yet still fell shy of 35 yards for a fifth consecutive game. The second-year pro is tied for 10th among tight ends with 68 targets, but he's much lower down the scale for both catches (17th with 33) and receiving yards (22nd with 340), with only one touchdown all season. Any hope for a 2019 breakout requires major improvement from Josh Rosen, not to mention the Arizona coaching staff and offensive line.

Ertz was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to an ankle injury, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ertz apparently came out of Sunday's over the Rams with the injury, but his ability to practice in any capacity suggests he should be fine for this weekend's home date with the Texans. While he's never had any trouble getting volume with Nick Foles at quarterback, Ertz's per-target production has been better when he's had Carson Wentz throwing to him. There is cause for optimism in this week's matchup, as Houston has given up seven touchdowns, 63.5 yards per game and 8.8 yards per target to tight ends.