NFL Player News

Hooper has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, which will be accompanied by a recovery timetable of two to four weeks, Adam Caplan of ESPN reports.

Hooper sustained a left knee injury in Week 15, and a subsequent MRI didn't reveal the the extent of the injury. Perhaps the swelling needed to diminish before the Falcons could hone in on the severity of the ailment, but Hooper will miss at least the first two weeks of the postseason. Expect the trio of Levine Toilolo, Joshua Perkins and D.J. Tialavea to handle the position for the foreseeable future.

Duarte (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Week 17 tilt versus the Patriots, the team's official site reports.

Duarte will join fellow backup tight end Dominique Jones on the sideline, while Dion Sims and MarQueis Gray soak up the reps at the position against New England.

Thomas is inactive for Sunday's game at the Jets.

There was some thought the project tight end would see a handful of snaps in a meaningless game, but that won't happen and the Bills will now have the offseason to see if the former quarterback has what it takes to be an NFL tight end.

Kroft (knee/ankle) is inactive for Sunday's matchup against the Ravens.

Kroft did not make it onto the practice field this week, leaving him with a "doubtful" designation for the regular season finale. With Tyler Eifert (back) on IR, look for C.J. Uzomah and Ryan Hewitt to handle the tight end snaps.

Mayle was claimed by the Ravens on Friday, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Waived by the Cowboys on Thursday, Mayle is a former fourth-rounder and second-year player out of Washington State. He's yet to catch a ball in his professional career and will likely be buried under the Ravens' wide receiver depth chart for Sunday's season finale against the Bengals.

Kroft (knee/ankle) is doubtful for Sunday's matchup with Baltimore, Goeff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Kroft worked on the Bengals' rehab field during the week but didn't take part in any team practices. With the team having nothing to play for Sunday, it seems unlikely they'd ask Kroft to play unless he made great strides in recovery over the weekend. C.J. Uzomah and Ryan Hewitt will handle the tight end duties if Kroft is sidelined in Week 17.

Derby (concussion) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against Oakland.

Derby will be missing his second consecutive game due to a concussion. With Virgil Green (concussion) also in danger of sitting Sunday, Jeff Heuerman could be Denver's top option at tight end.

Hooper (knee) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Saints, ESPN's Vaughn McClure reports.

Hooper's sprained left knee prevented him from practicing again this week, which should result in Levine Loilolo, Joshua Perkins and D.J. Tialavea splitting snaps at tight end for the second straight game Sunday. In Hooper's absence last weekend, both Perkins and Tialavea managed to score their first career touchdowns.

Amaro (quad) was a full participant at Thursday's practice.

Amaro briefly appeared on the injury report this week with a quad issue, but that lasted just one day after he was only limited during Tuesday's practice. Even though he now has a clean bill of health, Amaro hasn't seen any offensive snaps since Week 12 against the Bears.

Gray signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins on Thursday, Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel reports.

Gray has been in the NFL for almost five full seasons, but the upcoming 2017 campaign will be the first time he's had the same employer for two consecutive years after previous stops with San Francisco, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Minnesota. He'll finish out the 2016 season as added depth at tight end and will likely have the same role in the duration of his tenure with the Dolphins.