Thomas left Friday's preseason game against the Steelers with a left hand injury and is questionable to return.

The severity of the injury remains unclear, but the Jaguars will likely opt to hold their star tight end out of the rest of Friday's contest regardless of his condition. The team should shed more light on the nature of Thomas's injury soon.

Thomas (back) returned to practice Saturday, Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports.

Minor back soreness kept Thomas on the sideline Friday, and his return one day later intimates the severity, or lack thereof, of the ailment. Even if he remains limited Saturday, he's expected to serve as Blake Bortles' top safety valve in the passing attack this season.

Thomas (back) was held out of Friday's practice.

Thomas is dealing with some minor back soreness, and the Jaguars hope to have him back on the field Saturday. The former Broncos standout will likely be Blake Bortles' No. 1 target this season, and the Jags are expected to use him as somewhat of a receiver/tight end combo in certain packages.

Thomas has signed with the Jaguars, according to the NFL Network.

According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the contract is worth $46 million over five seasons, with $24 million guaranteed. It doesn't quite match Rob Gronkowski's deal for total available money or Jimmy Graham's deal for average annual value, but Thomas' contract easily contains the largest guarantee ever received by a tight end. While the Jaguars' big-ticket acquisition will surely be featured prominently in the offense, an expected increase in targets probably won't make up for the massive talent drop-off around him, especially in non-PPR formats. The Jaguars had just 15 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns in 2014.

Thomas is poised to sign with the Jaguars on Tuesday, NFL.com reports.

Thomas spent his first four years in the league with the Broncos but didn't emerge until 2013. In each of the past two season, he hauled in 12 touchdowns, while racking up 108 combined catches for 1,277 yards, good for 11.8 YPC. He'll immediately act as Blake Bortles' top option in the passing game in a corps composed of talented but inxperienced wideouts.

The Jaguars hope to sign Thomas, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan.

Any deal involving the tight end can't arrive until Tuesday at the earliest, but if the Broncos aren't able to retain Thomas, he'd be a nice addition to the Jaguars, who would like to give QB Blake Bortles as much help as they can provide him in terms of viable pass-catching options.

Thomas is unlikely to re-sign with the Broncos before the free agency period begins March 10, The Denver Post reports.

According to The Denver Post, Broncos general manager John Elway is not scheduled to meet with Thomas' agent before March 10. The tight end thus seems likely to hit the open market, and while that wouldn't necessarily rule out a return to Denver, Thomas can probably find a better contract elsewhere. It's pretty clear that Demaryius Thomas is the Broncos' far greater priority, as would be expected.

The Broncos continue to try to agree on a long-term contract with Thomas, as they are expected to use the franchise tag on wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, NFL.com reports.

Both players are free agents and the team has no desire to see either of them walk. However, Demaryius Thomas is further away from agreeing to a deal, so it's expected the team will really push to sign Julius first. Thomas has been limited by injuries for much of the past two seasons, though he's still managed to score 24 touchdowns over that span.

Thomas caught 6-of-7 targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 24-13 loss to the Colts.

Thomas shined on the opening drive, hauling in a 32-yard reception to get Denver to the two-yard line, and then drawing a holding penalty on the next play. Demaryius Thomas got the short touchdown, and Julius didn't catch another pass until late in the third quarter, when he had receptions of four, six and four yards within a span of four plays. He then added catches of four and three yards in the fourth quarter, as the Broncos threw a slew of short passes. Once again, Thomas often gave way to Virgil Green on early downs, with Denver valuing Green's blocking over Thomas' receiving skills. Thomas is set to become a free agent, and while the Broncos have a pretty favorable cap situation for a team with so much veteran talent, there's little question that re-signing Demaryius Thomas will be the team's top priority. The late-season usage indicates that Denver probably won't want to give Julius a huge contract, though it's only fair to mention that the tight end seemed hampered by the ankle injury that sidelined him in Weeks 14 and 15. Thomas was a valuable red-zone weapon earlier in the season, with 12 touchdowns in 11 games, despite catching just 41 passes for 456 yards over that span. A move to another team might lead to more targets, but there are obviously fewer touchdowns to go around in offenses that aren't led by a top quarterback.

Thomas (ankle) failed to record a target in Sunday's game against the Raiders.

Thomas' regular season ends with 43 catches on 62 targets for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns, the latter of which all came in the first 10 weeks of the season. He's been dealing with an ankle injury for a number of weeks, and he hasn't had more than 35 yards in his last four appearances, though the Broncos earned a first-round bye in the playoffs with Sunday's win, giving Thomas more time to get healthy for the postseason.

Thomas (ankle) caught 2-of-6 targets for 33 yards in Monday's 37-28 loss to the Bengals.

Virgil Green got the start, and Thomas still didn't play many snaps compared to earlier this season. It was a rather unimpressive showing, with Thomas most notably having an interception wrestled away from him on a poorly thrown ball by Peyton Manning. While it may be hard to bench a tight end with 12 touchdowns for the season, Thomas has just three catches for 66 yards in two games since returning from an ankle injury. Of course, he may be in better shape for Week 17, and the Broncos will still have plenty to play for after failing to lock down a bye week.

Thomas (ankle) is listed as active for Monday's game against the Bengals.

Though Thomas had just a 30-yard catch last weekend against San Diego, the tight end - who had been dealing with an ankle injury - could be poised for a bounce-back effort after practicing fully all week.

Thomas (ankle) is probable for Monday's game against Cincinnati.

Thomas practiced fully all week, so his health isn't a question going into Monday. His exact role in the Denver offense remains a bit elusive -- he had just a 30-yard catch against San Diego in his return after a three-game absence -- but he could see a more prominent role if Emmanuel Sanders (questionable, illness) surprisingly sits out Monday.

Thomas (left ankle) practiced fully Thursday, ESPN.com reports.

Thomas figures to be listed as probable for Monday's game against the Bengals, with his full practice participation Thursday presumably signaling that the tight end is getting closer to full strength after having been slowed of late by his ankle issue.

Thomas (ankle) had one catch on two targets for 30 yards Sunday against the Chargers.

The Broncos threw the ball only 22 times Sunday versus 39 rushing attempts, which limited Thomas' ability to do much in the passing game after missing two games with an ankle injury and never getting off the sideline last weekend against the Bills. Thomas remains stuck on 12 receiving touchdowns, which is tied for the league-lead with Packers wideout Jordy Nelson, but Thomas hasn't found the end zone since Week 10 against the Raiders. He'll look to break his scoreless streak in Week 16 against the Bengals.

Thomas (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Thomas is in uniform, as expected, and more importantly the tight end figures to be ready to factor in on the Denver offense this Sunday after being a spectator on that front in Week 14.

Thomas (ankle) practiced fully Friday and is probable for Sunday's game against the Chargers, ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold reports.

Thomas suited up last Sunday against the Bills, but did not play a snap in the contest, but this time around, the report suggests that barring any setbacks, the tight end is expected to return to the mix this weekend and see close to his usual workload in Denver's Week 15 offense.

Thomas (left ankle) practiced Wednesday, the Denver Post reports.

Officially, Thomas was limited, but assuming no setbacks as the week progresses, the tight end is expected to suit up, and more importantly, factor in on the Denver offense Sunday against the Chargers.

Thomas (ankle) said he expects to play Sunday against the Chargers, the Denver Post reports.

Thomas was active for last Sunday's game against the Bills after being considered a game-time decision, but he never made it onto the field, as his ankle just wasn't healthy enough yet. However, with another week of recovery and practice, he's got a pretty good chance to return Sunday to help the struggling Broncos' passing game.

Thomas (ankle) was active for Sunday's game against the Bills but he did not play a single snap, ESPN.com reports. "If we needed him, we could have (played him)," head coach John Fox said. "He's taken a step in the right direction and we're going to need him moving forward."

Thomas was a game-time decision and was made active after participating in pre-game warmups, but he simply wasn't healthy enough to get on the field. The Broncos' passing offense has really struggled over the last few games with Thomas out, but another week of rehab and recovery should help in his quest to get back on the field in Week 15 against the Chargers.