NFL Player News

Niemann (pectoral) was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Niemann has been sidelined since Week 9, and he turned in a limited session in his return to practice Wednesday. He contributed solely on special teams to begin the season, and that's likely to remain the case if he is ultimately activated from injured reserve.

Bryant (knee) did not practice Wednesday, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.

Bryant took a step back after being estimated as a limited participant Tuesday. He missed Seattle's Week 17 win over the Panthers, and his status for a pivotal Week 18 matchup against the 49ers now also appears to be in doubt.

Shaheed (concussion) practiced fully Wednesday, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.

Shaheed made an early exit from this past Sunday's win at Carolina with a concussion, but his progression from a limited walkthrough Tuesday to all on-field activity one day later may mean he's on the doorstep of clearing the protocol for head injuries. Still, with an NFC West showdown on tap Saturday at San Francisco, he'll need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to have a chance for Week 18 action.

Juszczyk (hip) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

After missing Tuesday's session due to a hip issue, Juszczyk was able to log some on-field work, putting himself on a path to be available Saturday against the Seahawks. GM John Lynch told Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News on Wednesday that Juszczyk was trending toward playing Week 18, so his upgrade generally is a good sign in that regard.

Pearsall (ankle/knee) was limited at practice Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

For a second week in a row, Pearsall is operating with practice restrictions due to an ankle sprain and aggravation of a PCL injury that sidelined him for Week 16 at Indianapolis. He was able to suit up this past Sunday against the Bears and gather five of eight targets for 85 yards on an 81 percent snap share. Pearsall likely is destined for a similar workload Saturday versus the Seahawks if he's able to ditch his designation ahead of the 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

Kittle (ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle missed the 49ers' Week 17 win against the Bears due to a mid-to-low ankle sprain that he suffered one week prior at Indianapolis. He maintained his activity level from Tuesday, and GM John Lynch relayed to Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News on Wednesday that Kittle and other key 49ers were trending toward suiting up Saturday versus the Seahawks. Kittle himself told Vic Tafur of The Athletic that he "absolutely" expects to play this weekend, but Thursday's injury report will reveal whether or not he has a designation for Week 18 action.

McCaffrey (back) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

McCaffrey was held out of Tuesday's session due to back stiffness, which stems from the evident back issue he was dealing with in the waning moments of this past Sunday's win against the Bears. He did most of his damage before then in the Week 17 win, racking up 181 yards from scrimmage and a rushing TD on 27 touches. Earlier Wednesday, GM John Lynch said on Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News that McCaffrey and other key 49ers were trending toward playing Saturday against the Seahawks, and the running back's upgrade in activity level from Tuesday backs up that claim. McCaffrey will have one more chance to get back to full before potentially being tagged with a designation for Week 18 action.

Goodson (ankle) wasn't listed on the Colts' first Week 18 injury report Wednesday.

Goodson sat out a Week 17 loss to the Jaguars due to an ankle injury, but the issue clearly is behind him, and he'll be available Sunday at Houston for his typical roles on special teams and whatever top two RBs Jonathan Taylor and Ameer Abdullah may cede on offense. In 10 games this season, Goodson has eight carries for 21 yards, two catches (on three targets) for eight yards, no touchdowns and two kick returns for 60 yards.

Collins' (concussion) 21-day practice window expired Wednesday, and he'll remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

The Giants designated Collins for return from injured reserve Dec. 10, but after the concussion was added to his existing neck injury on Dec. 12, he didn't practice again before his window to return from IR closed Wednesday. The undrafted rookie will finish the campaign with two catches (on six targets) for 25 yards in nine appearances.

The Saints restored Dekkers (undisclosed) to the practice squad from the practice squad injured list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Prior to landing on the practice squad injury list Sept. 24, Dekkers was signed and subsequently cut by the Saints five different times between the start of training camp and Sept. 18. He'll have one chance to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster this Sunday in Atlanta before his contract expires after the current campaign.