NFL Player News

Johnson (groin) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Johnson has managed to upgrade to full reps in his third practice since being designated to return from IR, presumably putting him on track to suit up Sunday versus the Steelers. The Bears still have to activate Johnson to the 53-man roster, however. The standout cornerback has missed Chicago's last eight games due to a groin injury.

Pierce was waived by the Texans on Thursday.

Pierce could garner some interest on waivers considering he has posted some promising performances when given the opportunity. Houston's 2022 fourth-round pick out of Florida rushed for 939 yards as a rookie and capped the 2024 regular season with a 176-yard rushing performance when the Texans were resting starters. Pierce failed to carve out a much of a role in 2025 despite Joe Mixon's (foot/ankle) season-long absence, falling behind rookie Woody Marks, veteran Nick Chubb and even pass-catching specialist Dare Ogunbowale on the running back depth chart prior to being waived.

Brisker (shoulder) practiced in full Thursday.

Brisker missed practice Wednesday, but he's now ready to rock as the Bears prepare to host Pittsburgh on Sunday. The starting safety can be considered on track to handle his usual every-down role Week 12, a workload that's translated into 49 tackles (29 solo), including 1.0 sacks, plus three passes defensed (including one interception) across 10 regular-season appearances.

Rodgers (left wrist) was limited in his return to practice Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

After logging a DNP on Wednesday, Rodgers returned to a limited session a day later, while sporting "some sort of stabilizer" on his left non-throwing wrist, per Pryor. As for his chances of playing Sunday against the Bears, Rodgers told Pryor on Wednesday that he'd need to be able to "protect" himself in order to do so. In any case, unless Rodgers practices fully Friday, he'll presumably head into the weekend with an injury designation. If he's unavailable versus Chicago, Mason Rudolph would be in line to start in his place.

Highsmith (pectoral) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Highsmith's making progress after missing Pittsburgh's Week 11 win over the Bengals and subsequently being listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice. Per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Highsmith said after practice Thursday that he's progressing well in his recovery and feels optimistic about his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Bears.

Johnson (thumb) did not practice Thursday.

Johnson wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, an indication that he injured this thumb during Week 12 practices. Travis Homer (hamstring/knee) also missed practice Thursday, potentially leaving the Bears thin on backfield depth behind D'Andre Swift (hip) and Kyle Monangai heading into a home matchup against the Steelers on Sunday.

Williams (concussion) was listed as a full participant at Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Williams' return to full participation puts him on track to suit up Sunday at Chicago, though he will need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. If given the green light to play, Williams will likely continue to contribute primarily on special teams.

Homer (hamstring/knee) did not practice Thursday.

Homer was limited in practice Wednesday, but he's now taken a step in the wrong direction for Week 12. Roschon Johnson (thumb) also missed practice Thursday, though backfield leaders D'Andre Swift (hip) and Kyle Monangai were both full participants ahead of Sunday's home game against the Steelers.

Warren (ankle) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Both Warren and Aaron Rodgers (left wrist) upgraded to limited participation Thursday after sitting out Wednesday, so the Steelers may still wind up having both their top running back and starting quarterback available for Sunday's game at Chicago. Warren's return Thursday is a step in the right direction, but he could still carry an injury designation into Sunday's game unless he upgrades to full participation Friday. Backups Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson are both healthy.

Swift (hip) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Swift has been a regular on Bears injury reports dating back to Week 7, but he appears to be getting gradually healthier. After sitting out a Nov. 2 win over the Bengals and then having his reps managed more carefully prior to returning to the lineup for a Week 10 win over the Giants, Swift has now upgraded to full participation by the Bears' second practice for the second straight week. Swift looks to be good to go for Sunday's game against the Steelers, and he could be in line for a larger workload after he handily outperformed rookie Kyle Monangai out of the backfield in both of the past two games. Between those contests, Swift averaged 5.0 yards on 34 totes, while Monangai was limited to an average of 2.7 yards per carry on 19 rushing attempts.