NFL Player News

Samuel (elbow) will practice in full Thursday and will be listed as questionable for Saturday's divisional-round matchup against the Broncos, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

The 29-year-old from Ohio State has missed the Bills' last eight games due to an elbow injury, but following a week of full practice sessions, he's got a chance to return for the divisional round. Across six appearances this season, Samuel has caught seven of nine targets for 81 yards and a touchdown while also accumulating 223 kick return yards. If Samuel is added to Buffalo's active roster in time to play Saturday, he'll likely operate as one of the team's top wideouts, as Joshua Palmer (ankle), Tyrell Shavers (knee) and Gabe Davis (knee) are all on IR.

Whittington (knee) was not listed on the Rams' injury report Wednesday, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.

Whittington sat out the Wild Card Round due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 18 versus the Cardinals, but it now appears he'll be ready to go for the Divisional Round against the Bears. However, as long as first-team All Pro Puka Nacua and veteran Davante Adams are available, there probably won't be room for the Rams' other receivers to draw many targets.

Pearsall (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Pearsall sat out Weeks 16 and 18 and also the 49ers' wild-card victory at Philadelphia this past Sunday due to the lingering PCL injury in his right knee. He followed up Tuesday's limited walkthrough with a capped session one day later, giving him one more chance to get back to full before the weekend. For what it's worth, Pearsall told Vic Tafur of The Athletic on Wednesday that his knee "feels fine" and that he's optimistic that he'll play Saturday in Seattle, but it remains to be seen if the 49ers tag him with a designation for the divisional-round contest.

Watson (concussion) did not participate in practice Wednesday.

Watson suffered a concussion in the Texans' wild-card game against the Steelers on Monday. The 29-year-old has both Thursday and Friday to have a chance at returning to practice. Watson still faces an uphill battle in clearing the NFL's concussion protocol in preparation for the Texans' AFC divisional-round matchup Saturday.

Moore (knee) was listed as limited on Wednesday's estimated injury report.

Moore also was limited at last Tuesday's walkthrough before capping the week with a full practice Thursday and heading into the weekend with no designation. He proceeded to lead Bears wide receivers in snap share (86 percent) in this past Saturday's wild-card win versus the Packers en route to six catches (on seven targets) for 64 yards and one touchdown and one carry for minus-5 yards. Both Moore and fellow WR Rome Odunze (foot) were limited at Wednesday's walkthrough, so their statuses will continue to be monitored ahead of Sunday's divisional-round contest against the Rams.

Odunze (foot) was limited at Wednesday's walkthrough.

In his return from a five-game absence in this past Saturday's wild-card win against the Packers, Odunze started and played the second-most offensive snaps (54 of 78) among Bears wide receivers behind DJ Moore (knee), but the former managed just two catches (on six targets) for 44 yards. Both wide receivers were estimated as limited to begin preparation for Sunday's divisional-round game versus the Rams, with Odunze dealing with his lingering foot injury and Moore his nagging knee issue, so their statuses bear watching as the weekend approaches.

The Steelers signed Plumlee to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Plumlee has been on and off the Steelers' practice squad since late October, providing depth at wide receiver and quarterback for the team throughout the 2025 campaign. The 25-year-old was not elevated to the active roster during his tenure, but the Steelers seem to think he can contribute to the 2026 season. Plumlee will now have a shot to fight for a roster spot on next year's team.

The Steelers signed Burgess to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Burgess spent the entire regular season as a free agent after being waived from the Bengals' practice squad in late August. The wide receiver will now have a chance to suit up for the Steelers and compete for a roster spot ahead of the 2026 season.

The Bills placed Shavers (ACL) on injured reserve Wednesday.

Shavers will miss the remainder of Buffalo's postseason run due to a torn ACL suffered during the team's wild-card round win over the Jaguars on Sunday. His injury leaves Khalil Shakir, Brandin Cooks and Keon Coleman as the only healthy options at wideout on the team's active roster, as Gabe Davis (knee) also suffered an ACL tear versus Jacksonville and was subsequentially placed on IR. Curtis Samuel (elbow) had his 21-day practice window opened Tuesday and was listed as a full participant in the team's walkthrough practice, so he could be an option to come off IR and provide added depth for Saturday's divisional-round matchup against Denver.

Collins (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.

While attempting to corral a C.J. Stroud pass in the third quarter of Monday's wild-card win at Pittsburgh, Collins wasn't able to brace himself as his helmet went directly into the turf. He remained on the field for a spell and then was carted from the sideline to the locker room, after which he was diagnosed with a concussion. With a short week to prepare for Sunday's divisional-round game in New England, Collins may be hard-pressed to gain clearance from the protocol for head injuries to be able to play this weekend, but he at least has chances Thursday and Friday for on-field work before then.