NFL Player News

Pierre (calf) did not participate at practice Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Pierre was unavailable for the team's Week 15 win over the Dolphins due to a calf injury, and he has now missed four straight practices. The cornerback will have two more opportunities to practice in some capacity before Sunday's contest in Detroit.

Harmon (knee) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Harmon hasn't played since Week 12 but appears to be ready to return to the lineup for Sunday's Week 16 date with the Lions. The first-round rookie defensive lineman has produced 22 tackles (nine solo), including 2.0 sacks, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery across 331 defensive snaps this season.

Herbig (hamstring) did not participate at practice Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Herbig sustained a hamstring injury during the team's 28-15 win over the Dolphins on Monday Night Football, and he has now opened the week on the sidelines at practice. The linebacker will have two more chances to return to practice before Sunday's matchup with the Lions.

Van Noy (quadriceps) did not practice Wednesday.

Van Noy missed a pair of games earlier in the season with a hamstring injury, but has suited up for every game since Week 5. It's unclear if the quad injury jeopardizes his availability for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Smith (knee) did not practice Wednesday.

Smith racked up 14 tackles and played 100 percent of snaps in Baltimore's Week 15 win over the Bengals, though he apparently came away with a knee injury as well. The severity of the issue should become clearer as the week of practice progresses.

Skowronek (illness/hand) was limited in Wednesday's practice.

Skowronek dealt with the hand issue last week in practice, but the illness is new for the special-teams standout and wide receiver. Skowronek has posted a career-high 19 tackles (nine solo) in kick coverage for Pittsburgh.

Watt (lung) did not practice Wednesday.

Watt is still recovering from surgery to address a collapsed lung last week. With Watt missing this past Monday night's win over the Dolphins, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig (hamstring) and Jack Sawyer paced the edge rushers in playing time for the Steelers.

Hooker (illness) did not practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Hooker has started all 14 games this season, logging 76 tackles (55 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and eight pass breakups on 91 percent of the Titans' defensive snaps.

Gray (concussion) did not practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Gray was concussed in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's loss to the 49ers and is in danger of missing his first game of the season. The 23-year-old linebacker has started all 14 games, posting a whopping 144 tackles (85 solo), including 1.0 sacks, four pass breakups and a pair of fumble recoveries on 90 percent of the defensive snaps. James Williams would likely be in line for increased reps if Gray is unable to face the Chiefs on Sunday.

The Packers activated Lloyd (calf/hamstring) from injured reserve Wednesday, per the NFL's transaction log.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, this move is merely procedural so Green Bay can place him back on IR with the aim to get him back in the playoffs at some point. If said transaction occurs before Saturday's contest at Chicago, Lloyd would be eligible to return as soon as the divisional round. For the time being, though, the Packers will roll with the combination of Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks (chest) behind No. 1 RB Josh Jacobs (knee/ankle).