NFL Player News

The Chiefs signed Pierce off their practice squad Saturday.

The fourth-year pro from Florida signed with Kansas City's practice squad in late November and has now joined the active roster. Pierce appeared in four games with the Texans this season, rushing 10 times for 26 yards while also accumulating 92 kick-return yards. Now with the active roster, the 25-year-old will likely play a depth role in the Chiefs' backfield during Sunday's matchup against the Titans.

Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Saturday that Buckner (neck) is expected to be activated off the injured reserve list in time to play in Monday's matchup against the 49ers, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.

Although Buckner has not been activated from IR yet, he's expected to return for the Colts' Week 16 contest. The 31-year-old is a crucial part of Indianapolis' defensive front, recording 42 total tackles, including 4.0 sacks, in just nine appearances this season. If active as expected for Monday night's matchup, Buckner will likely start alongside Grover Stewart on the Colts' defensive line.

Gould (foot) has been ruled out ahead of Monday night's matchup against the 49ers, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.

The Oregon State product suffered a foot injury in the Week 14 loss to the Jaguars and is now in line to miss his second consecutive game. Gould is an important part of the Colts' special-teams unit, having recorded 647 kick-return and 131 punt-return yards across 11 contests this season. While he remains out in Week 16, Ameer Abdullah and Josh Downs will likely serve as Indianapolis' top kick and punt returners, respectively.

Gardner (calf) has been ruled out ahead of Monday night's matchup against the 49ers, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.

The Cincinnati product is now in line to miss his third consecutive game due to a calf injury sustained in the Week 13 loss to the Texans. While Gardner remains sidelined for Monday night's contest, expect Jaylon Jones and Mekhi Blackmon to operate as Indianapolis' top boundary cornerbacks.

Herbig (hamstring) has been downgraded and ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Lions, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

The third-year pro from Wisconsin upgraded from DNPs on Wednesday and Thursday to a limited session Friday, suggesting he was trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's matchup. However, it now appears he won't be able to suit up for the Week 16 contest. While Herbig is sidelined Sunday, expect Alex Highsmith and rookie Jack Sawyer to operate as the Steelers' top outside linebackers.

Head coach Shane Steichen said Saturday that Richardson (orbital) will not be available for Monday's game against the 49ers, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.

The Colts designated Richardson to return from injured reserve Thursday, but he won't be activated from IR ahead of Monday's game after being a limited practice participant during Week 16 prep. His next opportunity to return is Week 17 against the Jaguars on Sunday, Dec. 28, but even if he does return, he'll likely serve as the Colts' backup quarterback to Philip Rivers.

Swift (groin) is expected to play against the Packers on Saturday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Swift drew the questionable tag for Saturday's NFC North tilt due to a groin injury that limited his practice participation during Week 16 prep. It appears the veteran running back is on track to be available, but his status may not be officially known until the Bears announce their list of inactive players approximately 90 minutes before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. It's not clear what Swift's workload will look like, but rookie Kyle Monangai would be in line for more offensive snaps if the former's workload is limited to reduce the risk of injury aggravation. Swift sits at 935 rushing yards through 13 regular-season games, and he has three more games to reach the 1,000-yard threshold for the second time in his six-year NFL career.

The Cowboys are planning on activating Diggs (knee) from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Diggs landed on injured reserve in late October due to a concussion, but he has since been working through a knee injury. He drew the questionable tag for Sunday's game after being a limited practice participant during Week 16 prep, but with DaRon Bland (foot) ruled out, Rapoport relays that Diggs could return to the lineup but work in a rotational role in the secondary. Diggs would need to be activated from injured reserve Saturday in order to be available for Sunday's game.

Fannin is expected to lead the Browns' tight end unit Week 16 against the Bills, as David Njoku (knee) has been ruled out, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Njoku will miss a second consecutive game, paving the way for Fannin to garner a high snap volume and potential red-zone looks. He's amassed 25 combined targets the last two games and appears to be rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders' preferred receiver. In the four games with Sanders under center, Fannin has 22 receptions on 36 targets (three in the red zone) for 245 yards and two touchdowns.

Williams is in line to back up Quinshon Judkins in Week 16, as Dylan Sampson (hand) has been ruled out, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The Browns were in a similar situation last week when Williams made his Cleveland debut, as both Sampson and Jerome Ford (shoulder) were unavailable. It was somewhat surprising that Williams got the nod as the top backup ahead of Raheim Sanders, who's been with the organization all season. However it shakes out Sunday against the Bills, neither of the backups are expected to play a significant role as long as Judkins is healthy.