NFL Player News

Stephens (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, Joe Hoyt of AllDLLS.com reports.

Stephens was unable to practice last week leading up to missing the team's Week 1 win over the Browns. His absence from practice Wednesday will have him on a trajectory to miss Sunday's game against the Saints as well, especially if he is unable to practice in any form Thursday.

Schultz did not practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

Schultz played 79 percent of the offensive snaps in Houston's Week 1 win over Indianapolis while securing three targets for 16 yards, but he appears to have sustained an ankle injury in the process. The starting tight end will have two more opportunities to increase his practice participation before Houston potentially tags him with an injury designation for Sunday's matchup against the Bears. If Schultz ends up limited or has to sit out Week 2, Brevin Jordan would likely step in as the Texans' primary tight end.

Holker practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

Holker missed Week 1 due to an ankle injury that's plagued him since mid-August. The undrafted rookie tight end will project to handle a depth role for New Orleans if he manages to suit up for Sunday's road matchup against the Cowboys.

Moreau practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday due to a concussion.

Moreau departed in the fourth quarter of this past Sunday's win against the Panthers to be evaluated for a head injury and was quickly ruled out. The Saints unsurprisingly are listing the tight end with a concussion this week, but his ability to handle some on-field work Wednesday indicates he's making progress through the five-step protocol for head injuries. In any case, Moreau will need to be cleared by an independent neurologist in order to play in Sunday's game at Dallas.

Ferguson (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Joe Hoyt of AllDLLS.com reports.

While he never stood much chance to practice three days after suffering a bone bruise and MCL sprain, Ferguson said Wednesday that his pain is already down to a "zero" on a 1-to-10 scale, per Patrick Walker of the Cowboys' official site. The injury clearly isn't as bad as it initially looked when he made an early exit from the Week 1 win at Cleveland, with Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reporting Wednesday that head coach Mike McCarthy is optimistic about Ferguson's chances of playing against the Saints this Sunday. Even if he doesn't end up playing this week, Ferguson should avoid a stint on injured reserve and push to return within the next few games.

Tremble (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Tremble has been sidelined since August and missed Week 1, but he now has a shot at playing this Sunday against the Chargers. Rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders handled a 71 percent snap share and 66 percent route share in the season opener at New Orleans, catching his lone target for four yards, with Jordan Matthews taking on 36 percent snap share as the No. 2 tight end for an offense that was missing Tremble and Ian Thomas (hamstring). Both Sanders and Matthews could lose playing time once Tremble returns.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Ferguson (knee) will work with the rehab group at practice Wednesday, and the Cowboys remain optimistic about his chances of playing Sunday against the Saints, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Ferguson suffered an MCL sprain and bone bruise in his knee during Dallas' win over the Browns in Week 1, but he's surprisingly not yet been ruled out for Week 2. The tight end will have two more opportunities to upgrade his practice participation before receiving an injury designation for the weekend. If Ferguson is able to make enough progress, the Cowboys may not hesitate to clear him to play versus New Orleans. Backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker and fullback Hunter Luepke will both be candidates to handle increased offensive reps in the event that Ferguson misses any time.

Firkser reverted to the Jets' practice squad Wednesday.

Firsker was promoted by the team to the active roster ahead of their Monday night loss to the 49ers, which saw him play one snap on offense and nine on special teams.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Njoku (ankle) will be out Sunday against the Jaguars, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Njoku's looming absence isn't surprising, as Stefanski said Monday that the tight end is week-to-week with an ankle injury that he sustained Week 1. For any length of time Njoku misses, Jordan Akins should benefit from extra snaps and targets as the Browns' top healthy tight end.

Hurst reeled in two of his three targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 22-10 win over the Raiders.

It appeared Hurst was the preferred pass-catching option at tight end in Week 1, as the veteran led all Chargers tight ends with three targets and a 61 percent offensive snap share. Though it was an underwhelming performance for Hurst, his usage should provide some optimism about his role in Los Angeles. The 31-year-old will look to take a step forward in the Chargers' offense in a Week 2 matchup against Carolina.