Thomas caught two of his three targets for 20 yards in his season debut Sunday against the Buccaneers.

The 27-year-old was largely limited to passing situations after shaking off a hand injury, but he made significant progress this week and should gradually transition into a more prominent role. Thomas should serve as a big factor in the Jaguars' red zone offense and is expected to serve as a security blanket for an improving Blake Bortles. Expect Thomas to see more playing time in Week 6, when the Texas visit Jacksonville.

Thomas (hand) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Thomas is not expected to be limited Sunday, so barring any in-game setbacks, the tight end could see his share of targets in his regular season debut in a Jacksonville uniform.

Thomas (hand) is expected to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Thomas has yet to play this season due to the injury, but he'll debut against a Tampa defense that has played very well against the pass this season yardage-wise. Thomas scored 12 touchdowns in both of the last two seasons with the Broncos, and while catching passes from quarterback Blake Bortles is much different than Peyton Manning, Thomas is still a very good pass catcher who has solid speed to rack up yards after the catch. The hand could be an issue early on, but it's encouraging that he's been able to do enough to be cleared to play.

Thomas (hand) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

Thomas was able to get on the practice field Friday for the third day in a row, but he was limited all week, leaving his availability for Week 5 uncertain. Thomas' status figures to be ultimately determined when the Jaguars release their inactives Sunday morning, but given that he is still not 100 percent, it should not come as a surprise if he is held out of another game.

Thomas is slated to catch passes at practice Wednesday with his surgically-repaired right hand, Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports.

When asked if playing against the Buccaneers on Sunday is within the realm of possibility, Thomas said, "I don't know. I'm still limited. I'm definitely going to be able to do all of the things I want to do. I don't know if [playing] is going to be an option yet." With that in mind, Thomas not yet ruled out for Week 5's action, but O'Halloran suggests that it's more likely that the tight end -- who has been officially practicing on a limited basis of late -- makes his regular season debut in Week 6 against the Texans.

Thomas (finger/hand) does not yet have a timetable for his return to action, Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports.

With reference to Tuesday's doctor's visit, Thomas notes "the good news is no bad news. But no dates, no nothing. Just waiting to get cleared." Meanwhile, O'Halloran notes that the tight end is sporting a "brace/splint type deal," rather than a cast, while guessing that Thomas' return might arrive in Week 6 against the Texans. Of course, such an estimate remains speculative, but the underlying theme here is that Thomas' return to game action does not appear imminent.

Thomas (finger) has been ruled out for Week 3's matchup with New England, John Oehser of Jaguars.com reports.

As expected, Thomas will remain inactive for the third straight week as he continues to work back from a preseason finger injury. He's set to be evaluated next week, so a return for Week 4 against Indianapolis is not out of the question. However, coach Gus Bradley seemed to intimate last week that Thomas could require additional recovery time. A more definitive timeline should emerge following his evaluation.

Thomas (finger) will be reevaluated by the Jaguars next week.

Thomas, who has yet to play this season, continues to be listed as a limited practice participant by the team, but the soonest we might see him play is Week 4's contest against the Colts.

Thomas (finger) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game against Miami, Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union reports.

Of course, this news comes as no surprise, as the Jags are not expecting to have Thomas back until Week 4 at the earliest. Marcedes Lewis, who did not record a catch in Week 1, will again be the No. 1 tight end Sunday.

Coach Gus Bradley intimated Thursday that Thomas (finger) could miss more than four weeks, ESPN reports.

Bradley confirmed Thursday that Thomas will have his hand re-evaluated in two weeks, but he also offered a rather strange quote, saying that Thomas is "on schedule to be back, hopefully under the eight weeks, the six weeks." What exactly Bradley meant by the comment is unclear, but it would seem to imply that a Week 4 return is far from set in stone. Thomas began practicing on a limited basis Wednesday, and he'll likely continue to do so for the next two weeks. A more concrete may not be available until after Week 3, so in the meantime continue to consider Marcedes Lewis the Jaguars' top option at tight end.

Thomas (finger) practiced in limited fashion Wednesday, John Oehser of Jaguars.com reports.

While his presence on the field Wednesday is certainly encouraging, Thomas remains on track to return for Week 4, at the earliest. The Jaguars' current plan calls for a re-evaluation in two weeks, so until then Thomas will likely continue to practice on a limited basis. Marcedes Lewis, who did not record a catch in Week 1, will serve as the Jags' No. 1 tight end in Thomas' absence.

Coach Gus Bradley acknowledged Monday that he's not sure if Thomas is still on pace to return to action in Week 4, ESPN.com reports. "They haven't given me a timeline where he's at," Bradley said Monday. "I know initially they said it could range from whatever weeks to whatever, but I haven't had a chance to visit with our trainers to see his progress specifically."

While Bradley's assessment on the tight end's status is rather vague, it does still seem clear that at a minimum, Thomas can be safely ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Thomas (finger) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Panthers, John Oehser of Jaguars.com.

This does not come as a surprise with Thomas expected to be out until Week 4, but it does provide confirmation that he will miss the Jaguars' season opener. Marcedes Lewis will start at tight end for the Jaguars until Thomas is able to get back on the field.

Thomas will undergo surgery on his injured finger Wednesday and could be out a month, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

It was thought just a few days ago that Thomas could be ready for Week 1, but the second opinion he received on his injured finger was the same as the first, and he has decided to go under the knife. While it's almost certain Thomas will not play in the Jaguars' season opener, it seems likely he could return in either Week 3 or Week 4 if his recovery goes as planned.

Updating a previous news item, the Florida Times-Union relays that GM Dave Caldwell confirmed a report that Thomas might need surgery on his broken right hand and in such a scenario, a realistic target for Thomas' return to action would be for the team's Week 4 contest against the Colts.

With that in mind, the report notes that Caldwell indicated that Thomas is seeking a second opinion on Tuesday to determine if a surgical procedure is indeed the best course of action. "My understanding is that if he does need it, it only pushes him back a couple of weeks in terms of his return time," Caldwell said Monday. "He was going to be 50-50 for the opener. We would hope if everything went well it should be four weeks from the surgery where he'd be back to full strength."

John Oehser of jaguars.com relays that Thomas requires finger surgery.

Per Oehser's report, GM David Caldwell indicates that Thomas' surgery should only set the tight end back a few weeks, with ESPN.com's Adam Schefter suggesting that Thomas could miss 4-5 weeks of action. In any case, Thomas is now on track to miss time out of the gate, which sets the stage for Marcedes Lewis to see an expanded role in the Jaguars' offense to start the 2015 regular season.

Thomas (finger) is making good progress towards being ready for the season opener, Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports.

This is good to hear for Thomas, considering an injuy that wipes out a preseason can be dangerous for Week 1 availability. Better news could come if Thomas returns to practice soon, as not only would it mean he's approaching 100 percent, but it would also mean he's getting valuable playing time with his new, younger quarterback.

With Thomas (hand) out for the rest of the preseason, fellow tight ends Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor are in line to see added reps in the meantime.

While it's good to know the team's backup TE pecking order in the wake of Thomas' injury, the Florida Times-Union relays that the Jaguars remain confident that Thomas -- who is currently sporting "a balky cast" over his right hand -- will be available for the team's regular season opener against Carolina on Sept. 13. In the event of a Thomas setback, however, we suspect that Lewis would be the player most worth targeting early on as a streaming replacement option.

Thomas (hand) is expected to miss the rest of preseason.

Assuming this time out doesn't spill into the regular season, it's still a bad piece of news for Thomas as he tries to get in sync with the young Blake Bortles in his first year at Jacksonville. His practice time in the weeks leading up to the season should be closely monitored, as Week 1 availability is by no means a guarantee.

Thomas suffered a fractured finger in Friday's preseason game, but the team "hopes it will affect him minimally," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Thomas fractured the middle finger on his left hand after being tackled on a short yardage reception Friday and immediately went to the locker room. It remains to be seen how the injury will affect Thomas for the remainder of the preseason, but the team appears optimistic that the injury won't keep their star tight end on the sidelines for an extended period of time.