NFL Player News

Johnson (calf) won't participate in Thursday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Johnson hasn't been able to practice in any capacity since suffering a calf injury in pregame warmups ahead of the Saints' 26-9 loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4. Unless he's able to mix into drills at the Saints' final Week 6 practice Friday, Johnson will most likely miss a third consecutive game this Sunday at Houston. Foster Moreau served as the primary replacement for Johnson in the Saints' Week 5 win over the Patriots, starting at tight end and playing 48 of 72 (67 percent) of the snaps on offense, while finishing with a six-yard touchdown reception on his lone target.

The Cowboys signed McKeon to their 53-man active roster Thursday.

McKeon's promotion to the practice squad comes in response to fellow tight end Peyton Hendershot (ankle) being placed on injured reserve Thursday. The 25-year-old was already elevated for two games this season, playing 23 total snaps on offense and 30 on special teams. For the duration of his stay on the roster, McKeon will likely serve as the Cowboys' No. 3 tight end behind Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker.

Njoku (hand/face) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

After suffering burns to his face and hand in a home accident Sept. 29, Njoku proceeded to play two days later with a protective cover on his face, recording six receptions for 46 yards on seven targets in a 28-3 loss to the Ravens. Though he had the benefit of an extra week of rest while the Browns were on bye Week 5, Njoku may still be experiencing some discomfort. With consecutive absences from practice to begin Week 6 prep, Njoku will likely need to get back on the field in some capacity Friday for both the Browns and fantasy managers to feel good about his chances of playing Sunday versus the 49ers.

The Broncos are expected to activate Dulcich (hamstring) from injured reserve ahead of Thursday night's game against the Chiefs, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Dulcich, who was limited at practice Tuesday and listed as a full participant on Wednesday's injury report, was deemed questionable for Week 6 action by the Broncos, but if he indeed comes off IR on Thursday, he'd be on track to face Kansas City. If he does, the 2022 third-rounder would provide his team's offense with a boost, as Dulcich profiles as Denver's top pass-catching TE when healthy, per James Palmer of NFL Network.

Waller (groin) is slated to practice Thursday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Per Tom Rock of Newsday, Waller sat out Wednesday's session as part of a planned rest protocol, so the tight end's return to the field Thursday was expected. The Giants' upcoming injury report will reveal Waller's official participation level.

The Cowboys placed Hendershot (ankle) on injured reserve Thursday.

Per Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News, Hendershot hasn't progressed from his ankle issue as hoped, despite not playing either of the past two weeks, and the tight end now will be forced to miss at least the next four games after landing on IR. As a result, the soonest he can rejoin the lineup is Sunday, Nov. 19 against the Panthers. In Hendershot's absence, Luke Schoonmaker and Sean McKeon will provide depth at tight end behind starter Jake Ferguson.

Kelce (ankle) is trending upward, and the tight end should be able to play Thursday against the Broncos, barring a pregame setback, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Kelce is listed as questionable for the contest after going down as a limited participant on practice reports issued Tuesday and Wednesday. Kansas City's top pass catcher sustained a low-ankle sprain this past Sunday against Minnesota, but he returned to the game and finished with a 10-67-1 line on 11 targets. He appears set to continue playing through the injury Thursday, though official confirmation of his status won't arrive until the Chiefs post their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Vikings signed Fumagalli to their practice squad Wednesday, Craig Peters of the team's official site reports.

Fumagalli was released from San Francisco's practice squad in September but will now get another opportunity with the Vikings. The 2018 fifth-round pick has not appeared in a regular season game since 2020 where he played in eight games for the Broncos.

Smith was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to an ankle injury, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Smith has been the most productive fantasy tight end for the Falcons this season, putting together a 21-246-0 line on 27 targets versus Kyle Pitts' 18-208-0 line on 32 targets through five games. Having said that, Pitts just had his best performance of the season during Sunday's win against the Texans, when he hauled in seven of 11 passes for 87 yards. Now that Smith is dealing with a health concern, the breakdown of reps between the two will be one to monitor, especially if Smith is hindered or even needs to miss this Sunday's game against the Commanders.

Johnson (calf) didn't practice Wednesday.

Johnson hasn't played since Week 3 and appears in danger of missing a third straight game when the Saints face the Texans this Sunday. His absence has led to all of Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham and Taysom Hill getting extra routes, though it's been a timeshare at tight end that doesn't look especially fantasy-friendly.