NFL Player News

Kittle (chest) logged a full practice Friday and was removed from the injury report for Sunday's game against the Redskins.

Coming off a breakout performance against the Colts last week, Kittle was limited at practice Wednesday and Thursday but upgraded to full participation Friday. He should be fine to handle his usual role as the Niners' top tight end, facing a Washington defense that's allowed tight ends to produce a league-high 11.3 yards per target. Matchups are partially to blame, as the Redskins have already faced Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz.

Ertz logged 49 out of a possible 62 snaps on offense in Thursday's 28-23 win over the Panthers.

In the process, Ertz caught two of his season-low five targets for 18 yards, but he made his grabs count, as both went for TDs. Prior to Thursday's game, the tight end was averaging 9.6 targets per game, so he's a candidate to see more volume in Week 7, when Philadelphia faces Washington in the NFL's Monday night game.

After practicing fully Friday, Kelce (concussion) does not carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Steelers, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

With no injury designation attached to his Week 6 status following back-to-back full practices, Kelce is set to play this weekend. Kelce's 70.6 receiving yards per game to date trail only Rob Gronkowski (79.5) among NFL tight ends, a stat reflective of the duo's high-end fantasy status at the position.

Head coach Andy Reid said Friday that Kelce (concussion) will be available Sunday against the Steelers, barring a setback, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports.

After a full practice session Thursday, Kelce was inching toward clearance from the concussion protocol. Moreover, Reid's comments seem to indicate Kelce has completed nearly all five steps, with two days remaining to receive clearance from an independent neurologist. On a sour note, Kelce's fantasy prospects are hindered by the Chiefs' 4:25 PM ET kickoff, meaning Demetrius Harris and Ross Travis could be holding down the fort at tight end Sunday if he doesn't get all the way there.

Ertz hauled in two of five targets for 18 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday's 28-23 win over the Panthers.

The stalwart tight end set season lows across the stat sheet, with the exception of one important column -- touchdowns. Ertz helped the Eagles overcome a 10-3 deficit with a one-yard scoring grab late in the second quarter before bringing in a 17-yard touchdown reception to cap off a two-play, early third-quarter drive following an interception of Cam Newton. The 26-year-old remains one of Carson Wentz's most trusted targets, so the reduced overall production has to be considered an outlier. Ertz will look to bounce back in a Week 7 divisional showdown versus the Redskins, a team he's had explosive outings against in the past.

Kelce (concussion) was listed as a full practice participant Thursday, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

It remains to be seen if Kelce has been granted full clearance under the NFL's concussion protocol, but his listed practice participation Thursday certainly bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Steelers. Added clarity on that front should arrive upon the release of Friday's final Week 6 injury report.

Kroft is expected to serve as the Bengals' starting tight end for the foreseeable future after Tyler Eifert (back) decided to undergo season-ending surgery and was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

Kroft had already impressed in his three-game run in a starting role with 13 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and now he'll receive the opportunity to show the Bengals that he could be a long-term answer at the position. Though Eifert has been incredibly effective when healthy during his four NFL seasons, health issues have limited his reliability and could make the Bengals reluctant to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent this offseason. Kroft's continued success amid Eifert's absence would likely go a long way toward determining how the Bengals address the position in the offseason. With his snap count now seemingly secure for the rest of the season, Kroft may be worth a pickup in leagues where he's still available.

With Kelce having advanced to the next stage of the NFL's concussion protocol, the tight end is slated to work at practice in a limited capacity Thursday, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Kelce is thus heading in the right direction after missing practice Wednesday, but the tight end could still draw a questionable injury designation for Sunday's 4:25 ET contest game against the Steelers. In the event that Kelce is limited or held out this weekend, Demetrius Harris would be next in line for the Chiefs' targets at tight end in Week 6.

Kittle was limited in practice Wednesday due to a chest injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Kittle has regularly been hindered by injuries since he was drafted in April, with a chest concern joining hamstring, calf and hip issues from past months. He's nonetheless played in all five games this season, including this past Sunday in Indianapolis, where he put up season highs (seven catches on nine targets for 83 yards and one touchdown) across the board. Assuming he's given clearance by Sunday's kickoff, Kittle will look to keep up the pace against a Redskins defense that has yielded 90.3 yards per outing and two touchdowns to tight ends this season.

Kelce (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Kelce was dominant to the tune of eight catches for 98 yards through the first two quarters of Sunday's 42-34 win over the Texans, but he then sat out the entire second half after noticing concussion symptoms in the locker room at halftime. He doesn't have any recorded history of concussions since entering the NFL, which bodes well for his chances to make a quick recovery. It's nonetheless wise to view Kelce as questionable for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh, considering players often have a tough time clearing the NFL's concussion protocol in less than a week. Demetrius Harris is the Chiefs' No. 2 tight end.