Sample (neck) was limited in Wednesday's practice, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

It's a new injury for Sample, who has appeared in all 14 games this season, including 11 starts. Sample doesn't do much other than block, as he's recorded just a 9-50-1 receiving line on 14 targets across 50 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps.

Fant (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Fant was forced off the field during the second quarter of Cincinnati's loss to the Ravens in Week 15 due to a right ankle issue, and he appears to be trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's road matchup against the Dolphins. If Fant isn't able to gain clearance for Week 16, Tanner Hudson will operate as the No. 2 tight end behind Mike Gesicki.

Taylor (neck) is listed as a non-participant for Wednesday's walk-through practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Taylor didn't participate last week and apparently wouldn't have practiced Wednesday if the Jets had held a normal session. It's not looking great for Sunday's game at New Orleans, potentially giving Jeremy Ruckert another chance to fill in as the starting tight end.

Otton (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Otton was unable to suit up for last Thursday's loss to the Falcons, but he could have a more realistic shot at taking the field for Sunday's key divisional matchup against the Panthers. However, with Mike Evans (collarbone) and Jalen McMillan both having returned to the lineup Week 15, joining wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin, there may not be enough targets left up for grabs for Otton to make much of an impact in the receiving game, even if healthy.

Helm (toe) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Helm impressed in Week 15, securing all four of his targets for 49 yards and a touchdown, though he briefly had to leave the field due to a toe injury in the process. The rookie fifth-round pick has drawn at least four targets in four of his last five appearances and established himself as a reliable part of Tennessee's passing game alongside fellow tight end Chig Okonkwo.

The Chiefs announced Wednesday that Briningstool (hamstring) had his practice window opened to return from IR.

Briningstool will have a 21-day window to practice without counting against the 53-man roster, and if healthy, he could be activated from IR and return to action as early as Sunday versus the Titans. The depth tight end has missed the entire regular season so far due to a hamstring injury that dates back to the start of training camp.

Kmet (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

The Bears also listed Kmet as limited after Tuesday's walk-through. He handled his normal role during Sunday's blowout win over Cleveland, playing 72 percent of snaps on offense while catching two of four targets for 28 yards.

Heyward carried four times for four yards and a touchdown in Monday's 28-15 win over the Dolphins.

A hybrid fullback/tight end who had logged just eight touches through the Steelers' first 13 games of the season, Heyward was surprisingly called upon for direct snaps on all four occasions he was on the field for the Pittsburgh offense in Monday's win. After extending drives in the first and second quarters on a pair of 4th-and-1 conversions, Heyward then found paydirt on a 3rd-and-goal carry with 17 seconds left in the first half to give Pittsburgh its first points of the night. The touchdown was the second of the season for Heyward, who previously recorded a 12-yard receiving score in a Week 6 win over the Browns.

Hudson recorded three catches for 16 yards on five targets in Sunday's 24-0 loss to the Ravens.

The three receptions were one shy of matching a season-high total for Hudson, who took the field for 19 of the team's 43 offensive snaps. Though Hudson has demonstrated some solid pass-catching chops when he's on the field, he's still no better than the second or third receiving option at the position behind Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant, the latter of whom exited Sunday with an ankle injury. The Bengals also continue to keep Drew Sample involved on offense as a blocking specialist, which typically leaves few snaps left over for Hudson.

Kincaid (knee) is listed as a non-participant after Wednesday's walk-through practice.

Kincaid wasn't on the injury report last week, and there was no report of an issue during/after Sunday's 35-31 win over New England. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the situation, but it is possible Wednesday's absence is indicative of maintenance more so than real concern about missing time.