NFL Player News

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott (calf) is expected to practice fully Thursday and is on track to play Sunday against the Broncos, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Following a Week 7 bye, Prescott sat out last week's win over the Vikings while he continued to tend to a strained right calf. Because Prescott missed most of last season with a severe injury to the ankle of the same leg, the Cowboys may have just been taking some extra precautions by holding him out Week 8. Prescott took a positive step forward to begin Week 9 prep by practicing on a limited basis Wednesday, and if he does in fact upgrade to full activity Thursday, there's a good chance he'll enter the weekend without an injury designation. The Cowboys will release their official injury report shortly after Thursday's practice concludes, at which point it will be revealed whether Prescott did in fact take part in full or if he remained limited for the second day in a row.

Walker handled all the reps with the first-team offense at Wednesday's practice, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Walker took over for Sam Darnold midway through the fourth quarter of the Panthers' Week 8 win in Atlanta when the latter took a hit to his upper right arm. Darnold was later diagnosed with a concussion, then was listed as limited with both the head injury and a right shoulder issue on Wednesday's practice report. If he doesn't complete all five phases of the concussion protocol in time for Sunday's contest against the Patriots, Darnold will hand over the keys to the offense to Walker. In seven career appearances, Walker has completed 35 of 71 passes for 401 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions.

Herbert (right hand) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Daniel Popper of The Athletic indicates that the QB first injured his throwing hand when he made contact with a helmet during the Chargers' Week 3 win over the Chiefs. When asked Wednesday if Herbert was dealing with any lingering effects from that issue, coach Brandon Staley replied, "No." At this stage there's nothing to suggest that the QB is in any danger of missing Sunday's game against the Eagles, but Herbert will need to practice fully by Friday in order to avoid a Week 9 injury designation.

Murray (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported over the weekend that Murray was tending to a medial sprain of his left ankle in the aftermath of the Cardinals' loss to the Packers last Thursday. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has since used terms like "day-to-day" and "game-time decision" to describe Murray's status for Sunday's contest in San Francisco, according to Weinfuss. Murray doesn't necessarily need to practice this week to be able to suit up against the 49ers, but a return to the field Thursday or Friday would put the third-year signal-caller in a better position to play Week 9.

Tagovailoa was listed as a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to rib and left finger injuries, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The finger issue is a new concern for Tagovailoa, who previously was sidelined from Weeks 3 through 5 with fractured ribs before suiting up and starting in each of the Dolphins' subsequent three contests. The fact that Tagovailoa wasn't withheld from Wednesday's practice entirely suggests that he faces minimal risk of not being ready to go by Sunday, when the Dolphins host the Texans. The two teams had been in touch in recent weeks about a potential deal that would send star quarterback Deshaun Watson to Miami, but the Dolphins ultimately elected to stand pat with Tagovailoa as their signal-caller in the aftermath of Tuesday's trade deadline. Per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, Dolphins GM Chris Grier reiterated Wednesday that the franchise is committed to Tagovailoa, but that won't necessarily stop Miami and Houston from revisiting trade talks this offseason, especially if Watson's murky legal situation gains more clarity by that time and/or if Tagovailoa finishes the 2021 campaign on a down note.

Watson (not injury-related) didn't practice Wednesday.

After Houston failed to find a team willing to meet its asking price for Watson ahead of the Nov. 2 trade deadline, the quarterback looks poised to sit out the remainder of the 2021 season. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues who had been stashing Watson with the hope that he was dealt elsewhere can feel free to move on, as the Texans appear committed to keep him inactive for their remaining nine games. Watson hasn't practiced with the team since the conclusion of the preseason.

Stafford will be held out of Wednesday's practice due to a sore back, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Sean McVay relayed the news, stating the Rams will hold a "modified jog-through" due to the banged-up state of the squad. While Stafford won't work Wednesday, it doesn't affect his availability for game action, so his status likely will be cleared up by week's end. The same can be said for wide receiver Robert Woods, who is also resting Wednesday with a foot issue.

Prescott (calf) was listed as limited on Wednesday's injury report, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The Cowboys held what they called a "scaled-back practice" to kick off Week 9 preparations. According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Prescott began the session by taking part in all pre-practice work with Dallas' quarterbacks, which was a step up from focusing on rehab before jumping into drills last week. Still, Prescott's reps remained limited, like they were a week ago as he continues to move past a right calf strain. He's aiming to miss just one game as a result of the injury, but Cooper Rush is available to start in the event Prescott's absence extends to a second contest Sunday against the Broncos.

Darnold, who is in the concussion protocol and tending to a right shoulder injury, practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday.

Darnold was knocked out of the Panthers' 19-13 win in Atlanta this past Sunday after taking a hit to his upper right arm in the fourth quarter. He subsequently was diagnosed with a concussion, and head coach Matt Rhule termed Darnold "extremely limited" Wednesday, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press. Darnold must clear league protocols in order to suit up Sunday against the Patriots, but if he's unable to go, P.J. Walker -- who took all the first-team reps in Wednesday's session -- will be under center for the Panthers.

Green Bay will place Rodgers on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.

After playing without Davante Adams due to a positive test for the virus last Thursday in Arizona, Green Bay will be without the reigning league MVP in Week 9 for the same reason. Head coach Matt LaFleur mentioned Wednesday that Rodgers "won't be available this week" and doesn't know how long the quarterback will be sidelined. In Rodgers' place, second-year signal-caller Jordan Love will receive his first career start Sunday at Kansas City. With Kurt Benkert (undisclosed) on the practice squad COVID-19 lis, the Packers are expected to sign Blake Bortles to temporarily fill the opening on the practice squad before he's elevated to the active roster to serve as Love's backup Sunday.