NFL Player News

Coach Mike McCarthy expects Prescott (calf) to play this coming Sunday against the Broncos, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, McCarthy indicated Prescott likely will be limited at practice Wednesday, but added that the quarterback is in line to practice fully Thursday. Assuming no setbacks, Dallas' franchise signal-caller would then be in line to return to action Week 9 after being made inactive for the team's 20-16 win over the Vikings this past Sunday.

Murray is progressing in his recovery from a left ankle injury, but head coach Kliff Kingsbury wouldn't speculate on the quarterback's availability for Sunday's game against the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Murray is dealing with a medial ankle sprain, an injury he sustained in the Cardinals' Week 8 loss to the Packers last Thursday. The longer turnaround in advance of the Cardinals' game in San Francisco should help Murray, but Kingsbury suggested that the 24-year-old still is viewed as day-to-day as the team begins preparations for Week 9. Kingsbury added that Colt McCoy will stay ready in the event Murray doesn't progress as hoped as the week rolls along.

Ehlinger is now the Colts' No. 2 quarterback after Brett Hundley was released Monday, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Ehlinger was activated off injured reserve Oct. 19 after missing the first six weeks of the season with a knee injury, and he's now the primary backup to starter Carson Wentz with Hundley and Jacob Eason cut by the Colts. The coaching staff apparently has liked what they've seen from Ehlinger so far, but the rookie sixth rounder is still unlikely to see any worthwhile playing time if Wentz remains healthy.

Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed Monday that the Jets aren't considering placing Wilson (knee) on injured reserve because the quarterback is expected to ready to resume practicing at some point ahead of Week 10, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Wilson will miss his second straight game Thursday against the Colts while he continues to recover from the PCL sprain of his right knee suffered Oct. 24, and he may face an uphill battle to gain clearance for a Week 10 matchup with the Bills on Nov. 14. That being said, because the Jets believe Wilson will be able to practice less than three weeks after suffering the injury, the team is resisting putting him on IR. In the meantime, the Jets once again will turn to Mike White to direct their offense Thursday after he orchestrated a 34-31 upset win over the Bengals in his first NFL start over the weekend. Saleh wasn't willing to firmly commit to White retaining the job once Wilson is healthy again, even after White dazzled with 37 completions on 45 attempts for 405 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of tipped interceptions in the victory. How White performs against the Colts in addition to Wilson's progress in his recovery from the knee injury likely will dictate which of the two starts for the Jets in Week 10 and beyond.

Johnson briefly entered in the third quarter of Sunday's 34-31 win over the Bengals and completed two of four passes for 17 yards.

Johnson entered after Mike White went in the blue tent following a big hit in the third quarter. He almost led a touchdown drive on the possession, but New York had to settle for a 24-yard field goal after Denzel Mims had a well-thrown ball go off his chest in the end zone. White was able to come back in for the next drive and ended up leading the Jets to a comeback win, but Johnson showed he's capable of holding his own if called upon. With New York next taking the field Thursday against the Colts, Johnson could find himself backing up White again if the newly acquired Joe Flacco still hasn't mastered the playbook.

Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed Monday that Winston (knee) suffered a torn ACL in addition to MCL damage in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers.

The injury occurred in the second quarter of the 36-27 victory after Winston went down awkwardly while he was on the receiving end of a horse-collar tackle by Buccaneers linebacker Devin White. Winston likely will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee in the near future, leaving the Saints' quarterback situation in flux heading into a Week 9 matchup with the Falcons. Payton declined to name a replacement starter for Winston on Monday, but Taysom Hill presumably is in line for starting duties if he can clear the five-step concussion protocol ahead of the upcoming weekend. Trevor Siemian served as the No. 2 option against Tampa Bay and completed 16 of 29 attempts for 155 yards and a touchdown in relief of Winston. Meanwhile, Winston will become a free agent this offseason and could have to settle for a backup role heading into 2022, given that the timing of his injury could keep him sidelined for the start of NFL training camps next summer. Over his seven outings with New Orleans, the 27-year-old completed 59 percent of his throws for 7.3 yards per attempt and a 14:3 TD:INT. He also added 166 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Winston suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The report adds that Winston also suffered damage to his MCL and will be out for the season. As a result, Taysom Hill presumably is next in line for the team's QB snaps once he returns from a concussion, but for now Trevor Siemian profiles as New Orleans' top healthy signal-caller.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that he did not plan on using Lance (knee) outside of an emergency situation Sunday with the quarterback fresh off an injury, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

The post-game announcement helped explain why Lance didn't receive the handful of designed plays usually drawn up for him, especially after how badly starter Jimmy Garoppolo struggled last week against the Colts. Perhaps we see the rookie out there a bit against Arizona with another week of rest, but Garoppolo should be a lock to start in Week 9 after a strong showing in Sunday's victory.

Rush completed 24 of 40 pass attempts for 325 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble lost in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Vikings.

Rush was called into action for his first career start after Dak Prescott (calf) was ruled out during warmups. Dallas' five-year backup responded without hesitation, posting big passing numbers while leading his team to what turned out to be an upset win on the road. The 27-year-old was not rattled by his moment in the national spotlight, commanding the offense with confidence while utilizing all of the Cowboys' top receiving weapons. Prescott has a good shot to return to action against the Broncos next week given his game-time decision tag in Week 8, so Rush is likely to return to backup duties. If for any reason he does end up starting again this season, the backup may have inspired enough confidence to trust in a spot start, or at least give the managers of Dallas' position players confidence that a huge drop in production isn't guaranteed.

Cousins completed 23 of 35 pass attempts for 184 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Cowboys.

Cousins only took one sack Sunday, but he seemed to be under constant pressure from the Cowboys' pass rush throughout the contest. This resulted in shorter throws from the veteran arm (5.3 yards per attempt), and some miscommunications with his receivers, as evidenced by his visible frustration at the end of multiple stalled drives. Cousins had been performing at a high level prior to Sunday's rough showing, and he will get a golden opportunity to get things back on track in a tasty matchup against the Ravens' league-worst pass defense in Week 9.