NFL Player News

Sanders was added to the active roster but did not play in Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Bears in Week 15.

Sanders was poised to pick up some opportunities for the first time since the season opener, as both Dylan Sampson (calf) and Jerome Ford (shoulder) were unavailable, but it was the newly signed Trayveon Williams who served as the top backup to Quinshon Judkins. It speaks volumes that Sanders, who has been with the team all season and is familiar with the playbook, did not get on the field.

Williams had one carry for three yards and caught both of his targets for four yards in Sunday's 31-3 loss to Chicago in Week 15. He also returned two kickoffs for 41 yards.

Williams, who was signed off the Chargers' practice squad early in the week, was making his Cleveland debut. The Browns were down two backs, as both Dylan Sampson (calf) and Jerome Ford (shoulder) were unavailable. It's noteworthy that Williams was allotted 19 snaps, while Raheim Sanders, who has been with the Browns all season, was active but did not play. Once Sampson is healthy enough to play, Williams will slip back a spot on the depth chart, if not off the roster entirely.

Bryant was not targeted over four snaps in Sunday's 40-20 win over the Cardinals in Week 15.

Bryant returned from a four-game absence due to neck and shoulder injuries but served as the No. 3 tight end behind Dalton Schultz (53 snaps) and Cade Stover (41). With the position group at close to full strength, Bryant should settle into a depth role.

Stover caught all three of his targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 40-20 win over Arizona in Week 15.

The Texans often rolled with multiple tight ends, and Stover had a season-high 41 snaps alongside starter Dalton Shultz (53 snaps). The position group combined for 12 targets, a team high for the day and a season high. Stover also had one rushing attempt -- another short-yardage situation in the red zone -- but the play was negated by a penalty.

Hutchinson caught one of two targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 40-20 win over the Cardinals in Week 15.

The Texans often deployed multiple tight ends, which limited opportunities for Hutchinson and other depth wideouts. Houston's wide receivers were targeted just seven times in the win with Nico Collins (3-85-2) getting four of them. Hutchinson has seen his volume take a hit during the team's six-game win streak, recording six catches on 14 targets for 97 yards. Sunday was the fourth time during the win streak in which Hutchinson had two or fewer targets.

Noel returned one punt for 13 yards and two kickoffs for 108 yards in Sunday's 40-20 win over Arizona in Week 15. He was not targeted on offense.

Noel's 39-yard return on the opening kickoff put Houston in good field position on its first possession and set up a 57-yard touchdown pass. He later returned a kick 69 yards to set up a field goal. Noel's mostly been a non-factor on offense unless there are injuries ahead of him the depth chart. Since a three-game spree (11-16-153, one TD) earlier in the season, the 2025 third-round pick has eight receptions on 10 targets for 63 yards over the last seven games.

Kirk was not targeted and played 16 snaps in Sunday's 40-20 win over the Cardinals in Week 15.

The snap count was a season low for Kirk, who went untargeted for the second time in three games. He now has one or zero catches in five of his last six contests. Rookie Jayden Higgins has emerged as the No. 2 wideout behind Nico Collins, leaving Kirk to compete with Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel for snaps and targets.

Dike recorded four receptions on five targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the 49ers. He added four kick returns for 90 yards and one rush for minus-7 yards.

Dike was limited primarily to work on special teams early in the game, with three of his five targets coming on Tennessee's final two possessions of the contest. He now has at least four targets in each of his last four games, but Dike has topped 25 yards only once in that span. He's likely to continue to get opportunities down the stretch as Tennessee builds for the future, but his production will be unreliable.

Okonkwo recorded four receptions on six targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the 49ers.

Okonkwo served as a reliable target for Cam Ward in the short areas of the field, and he paced the team with his six targets. He managed a few solid gains with his ability to pick up yards after the catch, the longest of which went for 17 yards. While Gunnar Helm is emerging as a key contributor in the Tennessee offense, Okonkwo still has at least four targets in three of his last four games.

Ward completed 18 of 29 passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the 49ers. He added one rush for two yards.

Ward was able to move the Titans' offense for much of the game, as he led two scoring drives in the first half and got the team into field-goal range on a third possession. He was helped by a relatively effective run game, though Ward also completed four passes of at least 15 yards in the first two quarters -- including a 34-yard touchdown strike to Gunnar Helm. Most importantly, Ward did not take a sack and also did not turn the ball over, keeping the unit on schedule. It still wasn't an overly impressive stat line, but Ward now has multiple touchdowns in consecutive games after failing to achieve that in his first 12 games as a pro.