NFL Player News

The Cardinals expect Murray (ankle) to play Week 9 against the 49ers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Murray was spotted in a walking boot after twisting his ankle on the final drive of Thursday's 24-21 loss to Green Bay, but he said he should be fine moving forward. His practice status still will need to be monitored next week, with the 25-year-old QB getting three extra days of rest after a Thursday game. If Murray's ankle doesn't heal the way he anticipates, Colt McCoy is next up under center for the Cardinals.

Coach David Flores said Friday that Tagovailoa will remain Miami's starting quarterback for the rest of the 2021 season, David Furones of the Sun Sentinel reports.

Flores' endorsement of Tagovailoa should quell some of the rumors regarding Miami's pursuit of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, though the Dolphins could certainly revisit the Watson talks with the Texans in the offseason if Tua struggles moving forward or gets hurt again. Tagovailoa has quietly thrown for an impressive 620 yards and six touchdowns in the last two games, but he was also intercepted three times in that stretch and the Dolphins lost both contests to fall to 1-6.

Mayfield (shoulder) will start Sunday's game against the Steelers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, Mayfield -- who does not carry a Week 8 injury designation -- received medical clearance to play Thursday night, setting the stage for him to return to action following a one-game absence. The QB will need to manage his left (non-throwing) shoulder as the season rolls along, and there's always the chance that he could suffer a setback, but the time off afforded by Mayfield sitting out Week 7 action has allowed him to return to Cleveland's starting lineup against the 3-3 Steelers, who are allowing an average of 244.7 passing yards per game to date.

Mills was named the Texans' starting quarterback for Sunday's game versus the Rams, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

Tyrod Taylor (hamstring) is back at practice this week and is closing in on his return from injured reserve, but he's not quite ready to be activated. As a result, Mills will make his sixth straight start under center for Houston. The rookie third-round pick has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,047 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions while also losing one fumble.

Coach David Culley said Taylor (hamstring) won't be activated from injured reserve for Sunday's game against the Rams, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

The veteran quarterback was designated to return from injured reserve and is back at practice this week, but Culley said, "We just don't feel Tyrod is ready right now." It doesn't sound as though Taylor has suffered a setback, so there's a chance he's able to return Week 9 at Miami. Davis Mills will make another start under center for the Texans.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott (calf) is feeling a bit sore but is expected to practice Friday, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

The 28-year-old pushed himself a bit during Thursday's workout and practice, and McCarthy said it's not surprising the quarterback is feeling some soreness as a result. The fact Prescott has that soreness two days from game day -- while also coming off a bye week -- isn't a great sign, and the Cowboys could be cautious with their star signal-caller this weekend. Prescott previously said he wants to play but that decision isn't up to him, and it's clear the team is preparing to potentially face Minnesota with Cooper Rush at quarterback. The release of Dallas' official injury report later Friday should provide a better idea of Prescott's outlook, but his status could remain cloudy until later in the weekend as he continues to be evaluated.

Mayfield (shoulder) is participating in Friday's practice, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Mayfield hasn't shown any noticeable issues at Friday's session after working as a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday. The 26-year-old appears to be trending in the right direction for Sunday's matchup with the Steelers, though it won't be surprising if he's still officially listed as questionable.

Murray was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left leg following Thursday's 24-21 loss to the Packers, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

After the final play of the game, which resulted in a Green Bay interception, Murray came up limping. Though the QB indicated afterward that he's "good" and it's possible the walking boot was precautionary, the signal-caller's status nonetheless will be worth monitoring as the Cardinals' Nov. 7 contest against the 49ers approaches.

Murray completed 22 of 33 passes for 274 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the Cardinals' 24-21 loss to the Packers on Thursday night. He also rushed six times for 21 yards and fumbled once (recovered).

While Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback playing with a significantly short-handed receiving corps, it was Murray who often looked out of sorts for one that had his full array of weapons available to start the contest. The MVP candidate did manage to come alive at a pivotal time, as he dug the Cardinals out of a field-position quagmire on their own 1-yard line with back-to-back completions to A.J. Green and Christian Kirk that covered 52 yards with just over two minutes remaining. Murray continued to march Arizona down the field, but a pass intended for Green in the end zone with 12 seconds remaining -- likely the Cardinals' last try at a game-winning touchdown before attempting a tying field goal -- was intercepted when the veteran receiver never looked for the ball. Murray did manage to dress up his final line nicely with his late passing success, but Thursday marked only the second time this season he failed to throw a touchdown pass. He and his teammates will look to regroup following their first loss of the season when they visit the 49ers in a Week 9 matchup a week from Sunday.

Rodgers completed 22 of 37 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Packers' 24-21 win over the Cardinals on Thursday night. He also rushed twice for three yards.

Playing without top wideouts Davante Adams and Allen Lazard due to their placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Rodgers faced an uphill battle against an undefeated Cardinals team and persevered. The veteran QB worked around the makeshift receiving corps by targeting running back Aaron Jones a team-high 11 times, and he also leveraged his extensive rapport with veteran Randall Cobb into a pair of second-half passing touchdowns. Rodgers had a pass knocked down on 4th-and-goal with just over three minutes remaining that could have potentially sealed the game for Green Bay at that point had it avoided linebacker Devon Kennard's hand, but the Packers defense ultimately took care of buttoning up the upset victory by picking off Kyler Murray in the end zone with 12 seconds left. Rodgers will look to bounce back to his usual level of production with a full pass-catching arsenal -- perhaps including Marquez Valdes-Scantling (IR-hamstring) in addition to Adams and Lazard -- when the Packers travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 9 showdown with the Chiefs a week from Sunday.