Week 9 is shaping up with a few tight end situations worth watching, and the names at the center of it are Dalton Kincaid, Hunter Henry and Jake Ferguson.
Kincaid has been on Buffalo’s injury report for a second straight week because of a chest issue, but his practice trend points in the right direction. He opened the week with a limited session on Thursday, then moved to full participation on Friday. The Bills still have their final injury report to submit on Saturday, but that full practice is a strong sign he’s on track to suit up.
Ferguson, meanwhile, looks like the toughest call of the group - and not in a good way. He left the Week 8 loss to the Arizona Cardinals early after hurting his ankle, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that he’s dealing with a low-ankle sprain.
Ferguson was listed questionable after getting in a limited practice on Friday, but that was his only work of the week after sitting out the previous two days. With that kind of workload, he appears to be trending toward the wrong side of questionable, and the expectation is that he sits.
Henry’s situation in New England also carries real doubt. The Patriots tight end picked up a foot injury in the Week 8 win over the Miami Dolphins and missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday before returning for a limited session Friday. That was enough to land him the questionable tag, but his light practice load makes him look more likely to miss than play.
Before those three, the most notable tight end ruled out for Week 9 is Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson. On the other side of the ledger, Browns tight end Harold Fannin was removed from the injury report on Friday and cleared to go.
In Other News...
Patriots Offense Faces One Huge Test Against Green Bay
The Patriots are heading into a tricky midseason measuring stick against Green Bay, with both teams sitting at 5-3 and both defenses built to make life difficult on offense. New England is trying to sort through its own injury issues while preparing for a game that figures to be tight, physical and short on easy yards, especially with the Packers also missing several notable pieces on their side.
One of the biggest questions for New England is the status of Hunter Henry, who did not practice recently as the Patriots continue to manage a growing list of health concerns. With Green Bay also expected to be shorthanded, this matchup may come down to which offense can piece together enough clean drives against a defense that is likely to win its share of snaps. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A Trade Deadline Mistake They Really Can't Afford
The Patriots are heading toward the trade deadline with the same familiar problem that has followed them all season: too many places where the roster has not held up the way it needed to. Injuries and underperformance have thinned the wide receiver room, and the front office is still weighing whether the answer is to stand pat or make a move that can stabilize the offense and the line of scrimmage.
There is also some internal tension around how aggressive New England should be. Talks involving vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf are ongoing, and the team has looked at help at offensive guard and edge rusher, but the broader question is whether the Patriots should be adding or subtracting from a defense that still has pieces worth keeping intact. For a team trying to avoid a deadline misstep, the next few days could say a lot about how it views its own timeline. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A Trade Deadline Choice That Could Hurt A Playoff Push
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Patriots are being forced to weigh short-term help against the longer view of their roster. Sports Illustrateds Albert Breer pointed to Christian Barmore and Carlton Davis as possible trade candidates, a reminder that even a team trying to build momentum can find itself pulled into deadline conversations when the market starts moving.
Mike Vrabel has tried to keep the focus elsewhere, saying he has not shared any trade plans and stressing the team is locked in on the Packers and the usual week-to-week business. Still, the possibility of moving either player would come with real consequences for a Patriots group trying to stay competitive, which is why this deadline feels less like a formality and more like a decision that could shape the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]