NFL Player News

Stephens (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday's game against the Giants, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Stephens missed the first three games of the regular season due to a hamstring issue, but he appears to be healthy scratch for Thursday's contest. His next opportunity to suit up will be Week 5 against the Steelers on Oct. 6. Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford will be the Cowboys' three tight ends for Thursday's game.

Kittle (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle has put together back-to-back capped sessions during Week 4 prep, implying that he's doing everything in his power to keep his absence to just one game after he popped up on last Thursday's injury report due to hamstring tightness. He may have to upgrade to full at Friday's practice in order to go into the weekend without a designation for Sunday's contest versus the Patriots.

Engram (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday.

Engram also missed Wednesday's session, which sets the stage for Friday's practice to be pivotal in terms of the tight end's chances of suiting up Sunday against the Texans. If Engram is forced to miss another contest, Brenton Strange would once again be in line to see added opportunities in Jacksonville's passing offense this weekend.

Kraft (shoulder) officially practiced fully Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Bill Huber of SI.com reported earlier Thursday that Kraft went down as a limited participant for a second consecutive day to begin Week 4 prep, but the second-year tight end actually didn't operate with a cap on his reps. Kraft thus is a bit healthier than fellow position mate Luke Musgrave (quadriceps), who was limited both Wednesday and Thursday. If Musgrave is at all hindered Sunday against the Vikings, Kraft could experience a slight uptick in snap share to the 66 percent or more that he's handled through the first three games of the campaign.

Schultz (ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Schultz opened Week 4 prep Wednesday as a limited practice participant, but his ability to take every rep in Thursday's session clears up any lingering doubt about his availability for this Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Expect the tight end to once again take on ample playing time after he logged 96 percent of Houston's snaps on offense in the Week 3 loss to Minnesota. Schultz drew five targets against the Vikings, and he could see his role in the passing attack expand if either or both of Nico Collins (hamstring) and Tank Dell (chest) aren't cleared to play versus the Jaguars.

Hudson (knee) did not practice Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hudson has been sidelined for over a week and wasn't active for the Bengals' Week 3 loss to the Commanders. Additionally, although he was active for Week 2, he never logged a snap. The Southern Arkansas product will likely need to get on the practice field Friday in some capacity to have any chance of playing Sunday against the Panthers.

LaPorta (ankle) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.

LaPorta departed this past Sunday's win at Arizona two times due to an ankle issue but was able to finish out the game. Afterward, it was revealed that the second-year tight end was diagnosed with a low-ankle sprain. Fortunately for LaPorta, the Lions have a Monday night matchup with the Seahawks on tap, so he's been afforded a bit more time than normal to recover this week. His activity level, or lack thereof, Friday and Saturday likely will be key for his odds to suit up Week 4.

Kraft (shoulder) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Bill Huber of SI.com reports.

Kraft briefly exited last week's win over the Titans on account of the shoulder issue that had bothered him heading into the game, but his ability to open Week 4 prep with a pair of limited practices rather than sitting out either or both sessions entirely suggests he's trending toward being available this Sunday versus the Vikings. In order to avoid carrying a designation into the weekend, however, Kraft may need to upgrade to full participation during Friday's practice. Kraft has outpaced fellow tight end Luke Musgrave (quadricep) in playing time in each of Green Bay's first three games, logging at least two-thirds of the snaps on offense while turning in a collective 6-77-0 receiving line on eight targets.

Musgrave (quadricep) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Bill Huber of SI.com reports.

Tucker Kraft (shoulder) joined Musgrave as a limited participant for the second day in a row, but the Packers haven't indicated that either of their top two tight ends are in danger of missing Sunday's game against the Vikings. Assuming both are cleared to play this weekend, Musgrave will likely operate as the No. 2 option, though he's seen his snap share pick up in each successive game this season. Musgrave topped out with a 56 percent share in this past Sunday's win over the Titans, but he drew just one target on the day.

The Chiefs placed Cupp (undisclosed) on the practice-squad injured list Thursday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Cupp will need to miss at least Kansas City's next four games due to his placement on the practice-squad injured list. The undrafted rookie out of Texas Tech is still looking for a chance to make his regular-season debut.