Saturday changed several Week 10 plans. The Chiefs downgraded Kenneth Walker III to out for Sunday’s game at Atlanta, and the Texans ruled out David Montgomery, who will not travel to Cleveland. The Saints are set to activate Travis Etienne Jr. from injured reserve, the Colts got Arden Key back but lost tight end Will Mallory, and the Steelers added Pat Freiermuth to their report with an illness two days before the Sunday night game in Cincinnati.
- Chiefs: Walker (groin) is out, Chris Jones will travel separately for a personal reason and has no designation, and two practice squad players were elevated
- Texans: Montgomery (groin) and cornerback Jaylin Smith (hamstring) are out and will not travel; tackle Braden Smith is questionable with an illness; Will Anderson Jr. plans to play
- Saints: Etienne (hamstring) is in line to play against the Panthers after missing five games
- Colts: Key is off injured reserve with no designation, Mallory is out, and Mo Alie-Cox and Akeem Davis-Gaither go to injured reserve
- Steelers: Freiermuth (illness) is questionable for Sunday night
- Browns, Dolphins and Lions: fullback Michael Burton to injured reserve, kicker Zane Gonzalez signed, and Owen Pappoe elevated for Munich
Chiefs hold Kenneth Walker III out at Atlanta
Walker was listed as questionable on Friday after he did not practice. On Saturday the Chiefs downgraded him to out. He leads the league in rushing yards per game and has 872 rushing yards through eight games. The team also said defensive tackle Chris Jones will not travel with the team for a personal reason. Jones will fly to Atlanta on his own and has no game designation.
Tom Pelissero reported that the groin injury happened at practice on Thursday, is considered “minor” and is not expected to be a long-term problem. The Chiefs are choosing to be careful.
Adam Schefter heard the same thing. A source told him the Chiefs “want to give him a week.”
Rookie Emmett Johnson should get most of the carries. Jaydn Ott, the other running back on the report, is questionable with a hamstring injury. That is why Kansas City elevated running back Nate Carter and receiver Jacob De Jesus from the practice squad. Matt Derrick said De Jesus could also return punts.
Texans: Montgomery and Jaylin Smith stay home, Anderson plans to play
Montgomery and Smith were both questionable on Friday, but the Texans ruled them out on Saturday and left them in Houston. Right tackle Braden Smith was added to the report as questionable with an illness.
Woody Marks stays the lead back, and Emari Demercado will back him up. Aaron Wilson reported that Will Anderson Jr., who is questionable with an ankle injury, plans to play and will test the ankle before the game. The injury is not considered serious.
To fill out the roster, Houston activated linebacker Jake Hummel, waived defensive end Sebastian Harsh, signed running back Dare Ogunbowale to the practice squad and elevated both Ogunbowale and linebacker Chad Muma for Sunday.
Travis Etienne Jr. is back for the Saints
Etienne was questionable on the final report after practicing fully on Friday. Pelissero reported that the Saints plan to activate him from injured reserve on Saturday, so he can play against Carolina. He has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury.
Matthew Paras pointed out that Friday’s full practice was the clue. Neither of the two players the Saints activated last week had a full practice before coming back.
Colts: Arden Key back, Will Mallory out
Key (hamstring) was activated from injured reserve, and his questionable tag was removed for Sunday’s game against Miami. Tight end Will Mallory (hamstring) was downgraded to out.
Indianapolis also placed tight end Mo Alie-Cox (groin) and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (knee) on injured reserve. The team signed rookie linebacker West Weeks to the 53-man roster and elevated long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer and receiver Quez Watkins.
Steelers add Pat Freiermuth with an illness
Freiermuth was not on Pittsburgh’s Friday report. He is now questionable for the Sunday night game against the Bengals, with both teams at 6-2 and the AFC North lead at stake.
Other Saturday moves
The Browns placed fullback Michael Burton (calf) on injured reserve, signed tight end Carsen Ryan from the practice squad and elevated tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden for the game against Houston.
The Dolphins signed kicker Zane Gonzalez to the active roster and elevated quarterback Brady Cook and receiver Jalen Reagor for their game against the Colts.
In Munich, the Lions elevated linebacker Owen Pappoe for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
Saturday changes at a glance
| Player | Team | Saturday change | Game status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Walker III, RB | Chiefs | Downgraded | Out |
| Chris Jones, DT | Chiefs | Travels separately (personal) | No designation |
| David Montgomery, RB | Texans | Ruled out, not traveling | Out |
| Jaylin Smith, CB | Texans | Ruled out, not traveling | Out |
| Braden Smith, T | Texans | Added (illness) | Questionable |
| Will Anderson Jr., DE | Texans | Plans to play | Questionable |
| Jake Hummel, LB | Texans | Activated | Available |
| Travis Etienne Jr., RB | Saints | Set to come off injured reserve | In line to play |
| Arden Key, DE | Colts | Activated, tag removed | No designation |
| Will Mallory, TE | Colts | Downgraded | Out |
| Mo Alie-Cox, TE | Colts | Injured reserve (groin) | Out |
| Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB | Colts | Injured reserve (knee) | Out |
| Pat Freiermuth, TE | Steelers | Added (illness) | Questionable |
| Michael Burton, FB | Browns | Injured reserve (calf) | Out |
What comes next
The Chargers and Ravens had not posted game statuses for Monday night by Saturday evening. Inactives for the Munich game come out about 90 minutes before the 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff (16:30 Cairo), and inactives for the 1 p.m. ET games come out around 11:30 a.m. ET (18:30 Cairo). For the full out list, including Kyler Murray, Sam Darnold, Mike Evans and Josh Jacobs, see Friday’s final injury reports.
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