NFL Player News

Hewitt (ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Jaguars, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.

Hewitt practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday and Thursday but was able to end the week with a full practice Friday. The Stanford product is one of four tight ends listed on the injury report, and that doesn't even include Jack Doyle, who was placed on injured reserve Monday after requiring emergency surgery on his kidney. Mo Alie-Cox (calf) is the only tight end on the active roster that has already been declared out for Sunday.

Derby (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Derby has been managing the foot issue nearly all season, suiting up just once (Week 10 against the Packers) over the Dolphins' past nine games. Though he practiced fully Friday, it hardly guarantees he'll be active Sunday, as he's logged numerous full practices over the past several weeks only to sit out once gameday arrives. Should Derby be ruled out again this weekend, Nick O'Leary and Mike Gesicki would likely split most of the snaps at tight end.

Alie-Cox (calf) was ruled out for Sunday's Week 13 game against the Jaguars, Mike Wells of ESPN.com reports.

Alie-Cox sat out Week 12 and was still wearing a protective boot over his left calf as recently as Wednesday, so him being ruled out isn't surprising. The Colts' tight ends are in rough shape -- Jack Doyle (kidney) out for the season, while Erik Swoope is also nursing a knee injury.

Manhertz (foot) won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's Week 13 game against the Buccaneers.

Manhertz was sporting a walking boot to start the week and didn't practice Wednesday, but he was able to progress to full practice participation Friday. The 26-year-old should take up his usual spot as the Panthers' No. 3 tight end behind Greg Olsen and Ian Thomas in Week 13.

Engram (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Despite his optimism about his health earlier in the week, Engram failed to log any level of practice participation Wednesday through Friday, suggesting he could miss additional games beyond Sunday's. His absence for at least Week 13 frees up a three-down role for Rhett Ellison, who caught four of six targets for 77 yards while handling an 89 percent snap share on offense in last week's 25-22 loss to the Eagles. The 30-year-old essentially has filled in for Engram four times this season (Weeks 3 through 5 and Week 12), averaging 54.3 snaps, 4.3 targets and 40.5 yards in those games.

Engram (hamstring) was spotted working out on the side at the start of Friday's practice, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Though Engram was in attendance for the Giants' final practice session of the week, he rode a stationary bike while the rest of his teammates warmed up on the field, suggesting he's on track to go down as a non-participant for the third straight day. That doesn't bode well for his odds of playing Sunday against the Bears, but the Giants should provide official word on the matter later Friday. Rhett Ellison would work as the Giants' top tight end in the event Engram is sidelined for his fourth game of the season.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that Graham (thumb) was unable to do as much at Thursday's practice as anticipated, Kelly Price of NBC 26 Green Bay reports.

Graham was able to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday's session, but he apparently hoped he would be further along in the recovery path by this point in the week. The tight end played through the injury in last Sunday's loss to the Vikings, but his snaps were restricted as a result. Even if he's cleared to suit up in Week 13 against the Cardinals, Graham may have his workload capped again, which would limit his fantasy upside.

Njoku (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The knee issue has resulted in Njoku carrying questionable designations into the Browns' past two games, but he's ultimately suited up on both occasions, reeling in all six of his targets over that span for 81 yards and a touchdown. The back-to-back limited practices to begin Week 13 suggest Njoku's knee is still an issue on some level, but he would likely be held out entirely if there was truly any concern about his availability for Sunday's matchup with the Texans. That said, Njoku may need to practice fully Friday to avoid another questionable tag this weekend.

Graham (thumb/knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

While the activity represents a step forward from what Graham was able to do Wednesday, it still appears likely that he'll require a heavy tape job over his fractured left thumb heading into Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Without the full range of motion in the thumb, Graham is unable to catch passes or block in optimal fashion, which could result in his snaps being restricted again if he plays this week.

Allen (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Allen missed New England's win over the Jets in Week 12 and sat out practice to begin this week, but he returned to the field on a limited basis Thursday. Even if Allen is able to suit up against the Vikings on Sunday, he's unlikely to see notable targets with Rob Gronkowski (ankle/back) trending towards playing.