NFL Player News

Washington secured his lone target for seven yards during the Steelers' 20-16 win over the Titans on Thursday.

Although Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) remained on injured reserve in Week 9, Washington failed to generate much production in the Steelers' passing game. Although Connor Heyward was limited to just two receptions for 16 yards, he appears to have established himself as Pittsburgh's clear top tight end with Freiermuth unavailable.

Smythe (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Kansas City, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Smythe had a walking boot on after the 31-17 Week 8 win over New England, but he managed to log limited practices Thursday and Friday after failing to practice Wednesday. That's the same practice schedule that running back Raheem Mostert (ankle) followed heading into Sunday morning's game in Frankfurt, but Mostert avoided an injury designation, suggesting Smythe is lagging behind his teammate in his recovery. The tight end's availability will be determined 90 minutes before Sunday's 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff.

Bellinger is lined up to work as the Giants' starting tight end for an extended period, with Darren Waller (hamstring) a candidate to miss several weeks, per Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record.

Bellinger worked almost exclusively as a starter as a rookie last season, but he's taken a back seat for the most part in 2023 with New York signing Waller in the offseason. However, Waller suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's loss to the Jets and has indicated that he's likely to miss multiple contests. That should push Bellinger into a more prominent role, though he shouldn't be expected to match Waller's success as a pass catcher. Daniel Jones (neck) is expected to return to action Sunday against Las Vegas after missing each of New York's past three games, which should boost the outlook of Bellinger and the team's entire pass-catching corps. Still, Bellinger averaged a modest 2.5 catches for 22.3 yards over 12 contests working with Jones as the team's top TE last year, so expectations for his production in Waller's stead should be tempered.

Heyward brought in two of three targets for 16 yards in the Steelers' 20-16 win over the Titans on Thursday night.

Heyward was minimally involved as the top pass-catching tight end for the Steelers in the ongoing absence of Pat Freiermuth (IR-hamstring). The second-year pro had posted a season-high five receptions in Week 8, but as Thursday demonstrated, his week-to-week production will be difficult to trust in a middling Kenny Pickett-led passing attack.

Okonkwo brought in three of four targets for 28 yards in the Titans' 20-16 loss to the Steelers on Thursday night.

Okonkwo was on the field for 73 percent of the Titans' snaps on offense Thursday, but the athletic tight end's yardage total continued in the same underwhelming range it's typically been this season. Okonkwo has been at 35 yards or less in each game despite serving as the top pass-catching option at tight end, and to this point, he hasn't seen any bump from the switch at quarterback from Ryan Tannehill (ankle) to Will Levis.

Njoku (ankle) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Njoku didn't practice Wednesday, but his return to a limited session one day later bodes well for his chances of being available Sunday against the Cardinals. That said, Njoku -- who caught four passes (on eight targets) for 77 yards and a TD in the Browns' Week 8 loss to the Seahawks -- likely will need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid a Week 9 injury designation.

Everett (hip) practiced fully Thursday.

Everett was held out of this past Sunday night's win over the Bears, but the tight end's full participation in Thursday's practice sets the stage for him to rejoin the Chargers' lineup Monday night against the Jets. Through six games, Everett has put up a 19-149-2 line on 23 targets, a pace that limits his fantasy utility to deeper formats, though it's worth noting that the 2017 second-rounder has found the end zone in each of his last two outings.

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

Morris was able to log a limited session Wednesday, and the fact that he upgraded to a full participant in Thursday's practice bodes well for his chances to suit up against the Bengals in Week 9. He's missed the last two games after sustaining an ankle injury in Week 6 against the Giants, and his return would help bolster the Bills' depth at tight end, with Dawson Knox (wrist) set to miss the next three games while on IR.

Thomas (heel) was a full practice participant Thursday.

One day removed from having a cap on his reps due to a heel injury Wednesday, Thomas was able to handle all on-field work. He's thus on pace to face a Patriots defense Sunday that has conceded the 10th-most yards per targets (7.7) to opposing tight ends this season.

Everett (hip) was present for practice Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Everett was inactive for this past Sunday night's win over the Bears, but the tight end's presence at Thursday's practice suggests that he has a chance to return to action Monday night against the Jets. The Chargers' first injury report of the week will reveal Everett's official participation level.