NFL Player News

Dulcich (hamstring) isn't believed to be close to returning from injured reserve and isn't expected to be activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.

Dulcich is in the midst of his second IR stint of the season, as he was previously sidelined from Weeks 2 through 5 with the right hamstring strain before aggravating the injury in his return to the lineup Week 6 in Kansas City. He's missed the Broncos' subsequent four games and is eligible to return from IR in Week 12, but because Dulcich hasn't been working out off to the side at practices as of this past week, he doesn't look as though he's ready to mix into drills. Head coach Sean Payton has previously said that Dulcich likely will be back this season, though the Broncos could take a more cautious approach with the tight end this time around compared to the first time he suffered the hamstring injury.

Hooper was unable to catch his only target in Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Dolphins.

Hooper played 29 of a possible 61 offensive snaps Sunday, but rookie Michael Mayer earned five targets on the way to a 4-46-0 line. Mayer remains the only Raiders tight end worth rostering, as Hooper likely continues to serve primarily as a blocker against the Chiefs in Week 12.

Hesse (undisclosed) was restored to the Falcons' practice squad from the practice squad injured list Monday, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports.

Hesse will be able to practice with the team after being out of action since Oct. 3. The Iowa product suited up for the team's Week 1 game against the Panthers, and now that he's healthy again, he'll work to find his way back to the active roster after appearing in all 17 games for Atlanta last season.

Hendershot (ankle) said he hopes to return from injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game against the Commanders, but the Cowboys may wait one more week before activating him, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Hendershot was designated to return from IR on Wednesday, with the move opening up a 21-day window for him to practice with the team before he would need to be activated. He was able to log full practices last week before being held out ahead of Sunday's win over the Panthers. With Dallas facing a quick turnaround for Week 12, the team may opt to be patient and wait for Week 13 to bring Hendershot back into the fold as a depth option at tight end.

Oliver had four receptions for 47 yards on four targets, including a three-yard touchdown, in Sunday's loss at Denver.

It was a rare offensive outburst from Oliver, who is mostly used as a blocker. It was his second touchdown of the season, and his reception and yard marks were season highs. While this could be a sign he'll have a greater receiving role in an offense with Joshua Dobbs fully integrated at quarterback, Oliver had just two targets in his first two games with Dobbs behind center.

Schoonmaker caught both his targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Panthers.

The rookie tight end opened the scoring late in the first quarter on an 18-yard TD toss from Dak Prescott, setting the tone in a 33-10 victory. Schoonmaker has hauled in only five passes on 11 targets through his first 10 NFL games, but two of them have turned into touchdowns. He remains behind Jake Ferguson on the depth chart, but Schhonmaker is teasing the upside that made him a second-round pick in a 2023 draft class that is already living up to its billing as one of the most talented TE groups in history.

Sample had two catches for 19 yards while playing only 17 offensive snaps in Thursday's loss to the Ravens.

Tanner Hudson's emergence has taken snaps away from both Sample and Irv Smith, and the 17 snaps on Thursday were Sample's lowest since Week 4.

Smith had just one target and zero catches in Thursday's loss to the Ravens.

With Tanner Hudson taking on a bigger role, Smith's snap share was under 40 percent for the third consecutive week. The Bengals' tight end position is now a three-headed monster between Smith, Hudson and Drew Sample.

Hudson had four catches for 49 yards on four targets in Thursday's loss to the Ravens.

Hudson played 21 snaps as his workload continues to increase, despite both Irv Smith and Drew Sample being healthy.

Washington secured his lone target for eight yards during the Steelers' 13-10 loss to Cleveland on Sunday.

Although Pat Freiermuth returned to action Sunday, Washington continued to see his fair share of playing time, as he was on the field for 47 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps compared to Freiermuth's mark of 53 percent. However, neither tight end was able to generate much production in the low-scoring matchup. It wouldn't be surprising to see Freiermuth's snap count continue to rise as he regains his conditioning, so Washington's fantasy potential could diminish over the next few weeks.