“As far as the guys that didn’t practice today, Le’Veon Bell’s knee was swollen a little bit,” Reid began. “Tyreek Hill [had] hamstring spasms, Mike Remmers with the back, (Clyde) Edwards-Helaire has the high ankle, (Ben) Niemann has the hamstring strain and then Sammy (Watkins) has the calf strain.”
Both Watkins and Niemann were among the players that exited the Week 16 game against the Atlanta Falcons with an injury. Neither player was expected to practice, but a report came out on Monday that the team is hopeful Watkins will be ready for the playoffs.
Reid mentioned after the Week 16 game that Bell got dinged up during the game, but he didn’t describe the extent of his injuries. We now know that he’s dealing with a knee issue, which isn’t good seeing as Edwards-Helaire is also sidelined with an injury. That could mean that Darrel Williams, who thrived in an expanded role in Week 16, would play a more significant role heading into the playoffs.
Remmers and Hill seem to be getting rest as they recover from injuries that they battled through this past week. I wouldn’t expect either player to play in Week 17. It’s probable that they take the week off of practice as they receover.
The good news is that Reid confirmed that everyone else practiced in some capacity on Wednesday. That means that Damien Wilson, who has missed the past three games, returned to practice on Wednesday. That’s a good sign for his availability heading into the playoffs.
The team also designated a key special teamer to return from injured reserve.
“Everybody else practiced,” Reid said. “Dorian (O’Daniel) is on the return to practice list, so he also practiced.”
O’Daniel’s return comes when injuries have struck and hampered the linebacker unit. The team was without each of their top three choices at the linebacker position this past Sunday. If O’Daniel is activated from injured reserve ahead of Week 17, he could provide some much-needed relief on both defense and special teams.
