NFL Player News

The Chiefs activated Pringle (ankle) from IR on Saturday.

Pringle's ankle injury caused him to miss three contests, but he'll be back in action for Sunday's game against the Saints. He'll resume working as a depth receiver, a role which Pringle has translated into nine catches for 108 yards on the season.

Smith looks set for expanded opportunities on offense with Michael Thomas (ankle) slated to be placed on IR, Amie Just of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Smith was already primed for a starting role in New Orleans' receiving corps, but it will be significant if the team's top target threat is indeed placed on IR for the rest of the regular season. Smith and Emmanuel Sanders served as the Saints' top two receivers from Weeks 2-5, when Thomas was sidelined with a high-ankle sprain. Smith averaged five targets per game in that span, and he put up a two-touchdown performance against the Lions. He and Sanders are the Saints' top healthy wideouts heading into Sunday's game against the Chiefs, with Deonte Harris (neck) questionable.

Thomas (ankle) is in line to be placed on injured reserve by the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

That ends a dreadful 2020 regular-season campaign for Thomas, who missed nine games in large part due to a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 1 against the Bucs. The Saints haven't officially announced the IR move, but should the inevitable occur, the 27-year-old will be eligible to return for the opening round of the NFL playoffs toward the beginning of January.

Merrit was restored from the practice squad COVID-19 list Friday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Merritt's now eligible to return to team activities. The Arkansas State standout has played one game this season, sticking almost exclusively to special teams.

Woods (thigh) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Jets, Kevin Modesti of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Absent from practice to begin the week, Woods returned to the field Thursday as a limited participant Thursday before taking every rep at Friday's session. Woods shouldn't face any restrictions come Sunday, when he'll be taking on a suspect Jets pass defense that has allowed 12 touchdowns through the air over the past four weeks.

Harris (neck) is questionable for Sunday's game versus the Chiefs.

Harris returned to practice Thursday, working in a limited capacity over the final two sessions of the week. If he returns to the lineup, Harris is expected to take over as the Saints' punt returner. He ranks second in the league with 12.2 yards per punt return. Harris could also handle more reps on offense with Michael Thomas (ankle) ruled out.

Coach Jon Gruden said Friday that Edwards could get a chance to play more over the final two games, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Gruden cited the fact that Edwards was in COVID-19 protocol last week for his lack of playing time. Still, Edwards hasn't played more than 32 percent of the offensive snaps since Week 3, a trend that was well-established before entering COVID-19 protocol. However, he could get more reps down the stretch out of necessity if Hunter Renfrow (concussion) is forced to miss any time.

Hopkins was a full practice participant Friday and doesn't have any designation for Sunday's game against Philadelphia, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Arizona Republic reports.

Hopkins missed Wednesday's practice for non-injury reasons, rather than his typical absence or limited session due to a minor injury. The Cardinals don't list him with any issue on their final Week 15 practice report, so he should be all set for his typical workload Sunday against a banged-up Eagles secondary that could be missing top cornerback Darius Slay (concussion, questionable).

Cooks (neck) practiced fully Friday and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Colts, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Listed as questionable ahead of last week's loss to the Bears, Cooks initially appeared on track to play before his situation took a turn for the worse and the Texans opted to make him inactive. The week off appears to have done Cooks some good, as he practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday and Thursday before taking every rep in the Texans' final Week 15 practice. With his injury no longer a concern, Cooks should rank as the clear top target for quarterback Deshaun Watson in what could be a pass-happy game script for the Texans, who are sizable road underdogs for the divisional matchup.

The Saints ruled Thomas (ankle) out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Drew Brees (ribs) is expected to return from injured reserve, but he'll have to work without his top wide receiver. The Saints held Thomas out of practice all week, seemingly due to a setback with the ankle issue that caused a prolonged absence earlier this season. Emmanuel Sanders and Tre'Quan Smith should get the most wideout reps Sunday, with Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook also leading candidates to take on some of the vacated targets. Thomas has accounted for 29 percent of the Saints' targets in six games since he returned to action Week 9. The wideout's next chance to play will come in a rare Friday game in Week 16, with the Saints getting only four days of rest before they face the Vikings on Christmas Day.