NFL Player News

Waller (hamstring) is eligible to return from injured reserve for the Raiders' Week 14 game against the Rams, but head coach Josh McDaniels suggested Wednesday that the tight end may not be cleared to play by then, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

After hosting the Chargers this Sunday, the Raiders face a quick turnaround for the Dec. 8 matchup with the Rams, which falls on a Thursday. While McDaniels said Waller is getting "close" to a return, the coach indicated that the short window between the Weeks 13 and 14 games could make it tough for the 30-year-old to prove the left hamstring strain is behind him. Waller hadn't played since Week 5 before being placed on IR ahead of Week 10, so his streak of absences is set to reach seven games Sunday. Foster Moreau will be in store for at least one more turn as the Raiders' top tight end, and likely an additional one next Thursday if McDaniels' prediction about Waller's availability comes to pass.

Njoku won't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

According to Petrak, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Njoku's current knee issue is different than the one that sidelined him for two games earlier this season and kept him on last week's injury report. In any case, the tight end's status is now worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game against the Texans. If Njoku ends up sitting out this weekend or is available in a limited capacity, Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown would be in line for added snaps.

Thomas (ribs) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Thomas played through the rib injury and an illness this past Sunday against Atlanta, catching one pass for seven yards on three targets. He's now played five straight games since missing three in a row with a calf injury, averaging only 1.6 catches for 16.8 yards on 3.2 targets despite playing more than half of Washington's offensive snaps in every game, including 68 percent or better the past four weeks. Thomas should be able to play against the Giants this Sunday but can't be relied upon for heavy volume in the passing game.

Davis failed to secure his lone target while playing nine of the Packers' 49 snaps on offense in Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Eagles.

The second-quarter target Davis drew Sunday -- which was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship -- was the tight end's first since Week 5 against the Giants. On the few occasions he takes the field with the offense, Davis will likely continue to be deployed primarily as a blocker.

Goedert (shoulder) said Wednesday that he's no longer wearing a sling and expects to return from injured reserve after missing the minimum four games, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Goedert's recovery appears to be continuing on track and free of setbacks, so the Eagles' plan remains for him to be back on the field when first eligible Week 15 in Chicago. The 27-year-old's impact on offense can't be understated, especially as Philadelphia eyes a playoff run, so the tight end's health will be one of the team's top priorities. If Goedert is indeed able to return Week 15, he could also have a shot to contribute late in the fantasy season, though managers will need to account for the possibility that he's eased back into action and handles a limited snap count out of the gate.

Gentry caught his lone target for a minus-4 yards in Monday's 24-17 win over the Colts.

Gentry played 36 of the Steelers' 69 offensive snaps in the win, with his 52 percent snap share representing his best mark since Week 6. He remains ahead of rookie Connor Heyward as Pittsburgh's No. 2 tight end, but he's unlikely to draw more than a couple targets in most games while Pat Freiermuth is healthy and available.

Fortson was on the field for 17 of the Chiefs' 76 snaps on offense and recorded two receptions for 26 yards on three targets in Sunday's 26-10 win over the Rams.

Seven-time Pro Bowler Travis Kelce remains the Chiefs' top tight end and the top fantasy producer at the position in the NFL, but backups Noah Gray and Fortson haven't been complete nonentities in the passing game. Even though Gray and Fortson are utilized mostly as blockers when on the field, they've combined to produce 26 receptions, 277 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns through Kansas City's first 11 games. Neither Gray nor Fortson is likely to see his role expand much from its current level, however, so long as Kelce remains available.

Gray was on the field for 49 of the Chiefs' 76 snaps on offense and caught two passes for 16 yards on two targets in Sunday's 26-10 win over the Rams.

Even though he's the Chiefs' No. 2 tight end behind Travis Kelce, Gray has arguably out-produced multiple low-end starters around the NFL while he continues to share the field frequently with the seven-time Pro Bowler. Gray has played at least 43 percent of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in each of the team's first 11 games and has drawn at least one target on each occasion, producing an 18-174-1 receiving line in the process. He's also added a one-yard rushing touchdown to his ledger. Should Kelce miss time at any point over the Chiefs' remaining six regular-season contests, Gray could represent an intriguing option in fantasy lineups.

Yeboah (calf) is slated to practice in limited fashion Wednesday, Eric Allen of the Jets' official site reports.

Yeboah enters Week 13 prep with a two-game absence streak due to a calf issue, but if he's indeed able to participate in a limited capacity Wednesday, he'll have a decent shot at returning this weekend in Minnesota. The 24-year-old has mainly served as a special-teams contributor across the 2022 campaign, so if he's eventually unable to gain medical clearance by Sunday, then Tyler Conklin, C.J. Uzomah and Jeremy Ruckert would be in line to serve as New York's top tight end options once again.

Head coach Arthur Smith ruled Pitts (knee) out for the season Wednesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Smith said that the right knee surgery Pitts underwent earlier Wednesday to repair MCL damage is "nothing that concerns us going into 2023." The No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain Week 11 versus the Bears and concludes his sophomore season with 28 catches for 356 and two scores on 59 targets through 10 games. After Pitts posted an outstanding 68-1026-1 receiving line as a rookie, his diminished production in Atlanta's run-heavy offense with Marcus Mariota under center was disappointing to say the least, especially for fantasy purposes. Next season, Pitts' fantasy outlook will heavily depend upon the state of the Falcons' passing offense. In the meantime, Parker Hesse and MyCole Pruitt will hold down the fort at tight end.