Kirskey (hamstring) signed with the Bills' practice squad Wednesday.
Kirskey was unable to secure a spot on the Texans' 53-man roster following training camp. He was hampered by a hamstring injury for the majority of camp, which may have played a factor in that decision. The veteran tackle collector has a lengthy history of IDP value, so he could become valuable as the season progresses should the Bills get thinned out at linebacker.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Out a couple weeks
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Kirksey (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined for a couple weeks, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It looks like the Texans are going to err on the side of caution with their starting outside linebacker in order to avoid a lingering issue heading into the season. In Kirksey's absence, Henry To'oTo'o has been receiving first-team reps. Barring any setbacks, it looks like he should still be on track for Week 1.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Hits triple digits
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Kirksey had five tackles, an interception and one pass defensed in a 32-31 win over Indianapolis in Week 18.
Kirksey rewarded the organization that signed him to a two-year deal prior to the season with his first triple-digit tackle count in nine NFL seasons. His 124 stops ranked third on the team. Kirksey also recorded two interceptions and a recovered fumble. The starting middle linebacker should return in 2023, although there could be changes to the defensive alignment with a new coaching regime.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Makes six stops Week 16
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Kirksey recorded six tackles (all solo) in Saturday's 19-14 victory against the Titans.
Kirksey finished tied for second on Houston in tackles, though his six stops were his fewest since Week 8. The veteran linebacker has racked up 113 tackles on the campaign, his most since he totaled 138 stops for Cleveland in 2017.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Notches seven tackles
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Kirksey logged seven tackles (five solo), including one sack, in Sunday's 30-15 loss to the Dolphins.
Kirksey notched his first solo sack of the season, bringing down Miami signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa for an eight-yard loss in the third quarter. The linebacker also tied safety Jalen Pitre for a team high in tackles against the Dolphins' prolific passing offense. Kirksey has now played every defensive snap in eight of his 11 games this season, and, barring injury, he should finish with his highest tackle total since the 2017 campaign.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Staying consistent in 2022
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Kirksey had eight tackles (three solo) and a half-sack in Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Giants.
Kirksey has been remarkably consistent, notching between six and nine tackles in all but one game and five in the remaining contest. He also had a half-sack against the Broncos in Week 2, but the veteran linebacker rarely gets to the quarterback.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Leading tackler in finale
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Kirksey had eight tackles, two for a loss, and one pass defensed in the 28-25 loss to Tennessee in Week 18.
Kirksey was one of several defensive players on one-year deals that increased his market value. He tied for second on the team with 93 tackles over 13 games. Kirksey missed time during the middle of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured thumb. Once he returned, the eighth-year linebacker recorded 37 tackles, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery over the final five games. Kamu Grugier-Hill, another linebacker working on a on a one-year contract, was the only Texan to finish with more tackles. Like Grugier-Hill, Kirksey enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and the Texans are expected to make an effort to bring back both.
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Texans' Christian Kirksey: Activated by Texans
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Kirksey (thumb) has been activated from injured reserve by the Texans ahead of Sunday's game versus the Colts, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.
Kirksey returned to practice earlier in the week and had a 21-day window to be activated. It did not take long, and he will now be ready to suit up after recovering from a fractured thumb in Week 7.
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Packers' Christian Kirksey: Plays every snap in return
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Kirksey posted seven tackles (four solo) in Sunday's 24-20 win over the Jaguars.
Kirksey returned to action after six weeks on IR with a pectoral injury, and he played every defensive snap and led the team in tackles. His starting job should be secure even when Krys Barnes returns from the reserve/COVID-19 list, too. Kirksey is an intriguing IDP play, as he's piled up 31 tackles in his three non-injury-shortened games.
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Packers' Christian Kirksey: Cleared for practice
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Kirksey (pectoral) has been cleared for practice, opening up a 21-day window for him to be taken off IR, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
While Kirksey's eligible to return to game action as soon as Sunday against the Vikings, Silverstein cautions that the Packers like to use practice as part of the rehab process and rarely activate players in the same week that they resume practicing. With that information in mind, it's more likely that Kirksey's next game action won't come until Week 9 in San Francisco. The linebacker had racked up 12 tackles in Weeks 1 and 2 before getting injured early in Week 3 against the Saints, so his return should deliver a major boost to a Packers defense that has struggled to stop the run.
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Packers' Christian Kirksey: Leads team in tackles
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Kirksey made a team-leading 12 tackles (six solo) in Sunday's victory over the Vikings.
The Packers are banking on Kirksey staying healthy and playing a big role in the middle of their defense in 2020, and he did just that in Week 1. Kirksey was on the field for all 52 plays run by the Vikings' offense, so he will have plenty opportunities to make stops as long as he is out there. Keep in mind, the player he replaced in Green Bay -- Blake Martinez -- finished second in the league with 155 total tackles a year ago.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Lands on IR
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Kirksey (chest) has been placed on IR.
In a corresponding move, the Browns promoted fellow linebacker Willie Harvey from their practice squad. It remains to be seen if Kirksey might be a candidate to return to action later this season, with that possibility likely tied to whether or not he needs surgery to address what may be a torn pectoral muscle. In the coming weeks, Mack Wilson is in line to fill Kirksey's spot in the team's starting lineup.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Could be headed to IR
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Kirksey (chest) is a candidate to be placed on IR, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Per Cabot, the linebacker may have suffered a torn pec, an injury that would require an extended recovery. If that's the case, this will mark the second season in a row that Kirksey will be derailed by an injury. After playing all 16 games in each of his first four NFL campaigns, the 27-year-old was limited to seven games in 2018. Going forward, Mack Wilson is expected to move into Kirksey's starting spot, while linebacker depth will be added by the promotion of Willie Harvey from the team's practice squad.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Looking healthy
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Kirksey (hamstring) is participating in the Browns' mandatory minicamp, Ben Axelrod of WKYC Channel 3 Cleveland reports.
It's not clear how involved Kirksey was in prior offseason workouts coming off a 2018 campaign that was cut short after seven games due to a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old was back working with the first-team defense alongside linebackers Joe Schobert and Adarius Taylor during practice this week. After two seasons in which he posted at least 138 tackles, Kirksey was only on pace for 98 stops before going down in 2018. A healthy Kirksey could be in store for quite the rebound playing behind a ferocious Browns defensive line that added Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon this offseason.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Shifts to injured reserve
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The Browns placed Kirksey (hamstring) on injured reserve Wednesday, Andrew Gribble of the team's official site reports.
The linebacker had battled through a number of injuries during the campaign, sitting out Weeks 2 and 3 as a result. Kirksey had played each of the past six games and recently shifted over from the weak side to fill in for the injured Joe Schobert (hamstring) in the middle, but he departed in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Chiefs with a hamstring issue of his own. An MRI apparently revealed that Kirksey's injury was at least a week-to-week concern, prompting the Browns to shut the 26-year-old down for the remainder of the season. With Kirksey out of commission and Schobert's return date still uncertain, rookie Genard Avery should be locked into a starting role for the rest of the way.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Likely to suit up Sunday
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Kirksey (illness) is expected to play Sunday versus the Ravens, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Kirksey's final status still won't be reported until 11:30 ET when the inactives report comes out, but it appears he's in the fold after being "quarantined" Friday. If he suffers a setback, expect Tanner Vallejo and Genard Avery to see an uptick in snaps.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Inactive for Thursday
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Kirksey (shoulder) is officially inactive for Thursday's game against the Jets.
This was to be expected, as Kirksey was handed a doubtful designation after sitting out practice this week. Tanner Vallejo should serve as his primary replacement Thursday, as Kirksey has some additional time to rest up for Week 4.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Not practicing Tuesday
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Kirksey (shoulder) was a non-participant in Tuesday's practice, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Kirksey has yet to practice since sitting out Week 2's game. Given that Cleveland faces a short week and Kirksey has not yet returned to practice, it seems unlikely that the starting linebacker will suit up against the Jets on Thursday. Gerard Avery and James Burgess stand to see an increased share of defensive snaps if Kirksey does not suit up.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Leads team in tackles Sunday
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Kirksey made 13 tackles (seven solo) during Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Ravens.
Kirksey is as a reliable as they come when it comes to accumulating tackes. The 25-year-old trails only Joe Schobert for the team lead with 124 tackles, a tally partly comprised of five double-digit efforts. He's a must-start in most IDP leagues.
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Browns' Christian Kirksey: Sets career high in tackles
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Kirksey accumulated a career-high 17 tackles (eight solo) during Sunday's 12-9 overtime loss to the Titans.
Kirksey was all over the field Sunday, as he and the rest of the defense did a nice of job of shutting down Tennessee's running attack. The 25-year-old has racked up 27 tackles over his past two contests and is a reliable play in IDP leagues.
