NFL Player News

Head coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday that Fields will be Chicago's starting quarterback moving forward, even with Andy Dalton (knee) cleared to practice without any restrictions, Larry Mayer of the Bears' official site reports.

Nagy previously said Dalton would be the starter once he was healthy, but the coach apparently changed his mind after Fields led the Bears to a 24-14 win over the Lions in Week 4, completing 11 of 17 passes for 209 yards with an interception. Though the rookie didn't light the world on fire while starting the past two games, Dalton has plenty of his own shortcomings, including issues with durability in the latter part of his career. The rookie out of Ohio State will make another start Week 5 at Las Vegas, likely taking his snaps in a backfield that won't have David Montgomery (knee). With that in mind, more passing and rushing attempts could be in the forecast for Fields.

Bridgewater (concussion) won't practice Wednesday, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

That said, the report notes that head coach Vic Fangio is optimistic that Bridgewater could advance through the NFL's concussion protocol and return to practice before the end of the week. In the meantime, Drew Lock will handle Denver's first-team quarterback reps in practice.

The Browns don't believe Mayfield's dislocated left (non-throwing) shoulder played a factor in his poor showing in Cleveland's 14-7 win over Minnesota on Sunday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The report echoes what Mayfield said following the game, in which he completed 15 of 33 attempts for 155 yards and had a 59.5 quarterback rating, the fourth-lowest mark of his career. Mayfield dislocated his shoulder during the Browns' Week 2 win over the Texans, had it popped back into place, and hasn't appeared on the injury report since. The inaccurate performance came out of nowhere and may be attributed to an off game that any quarterback can have from time to time.

Carr completed 21 of 34 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Monday night's 28-14 loss to the Chargers.

Carr was under pressure early and the Raiders offense as a whole struggled in the first half, failing to score while going down 21 points. The signal-caller responded in the third quarter, hitting Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller on third-down touchdown passes to pull Las Vegas within one score. The rally fell short when Carr was intercepted in the fourth, closing out his least impressive performance this season. He's thrown two touchdowns in each outing thus far, but Carr will strive to move the ball better in Week 5 versus the Bears.

Herbert completed 25 of 38 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns in Monday night's 28-14 win over the Raiders.

Herbert started with a couple of touchdowns to his tight ends before hitting tailback Austin Ekeler on a 14-yard score to end the first half. He then helped the Chargers maintain their lead after halftime, playing turnover-free ball for the second straight game. With seven TDs over that span to go with a couple of key divisional wins, Herbert has been one of the standout performers league-wide thus far. The second-year signal-caller will strive to keep his strong play going in Week 5 versus another playoff-caliber club in the Browns.

Lance has a chance to start Sunday at Arizona due to Jimmy Garoppolo's bruised calf, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

After seeing six combined offensive snaps through the first three games, Lance received the first extensive action of his career this past Sunday against the Seahawks after Garoppolo was shut down at halftime. Lance proceeded to lead the 49ers to 14 second-half points (two TD passes to Deebo Samuel, plus a two-point conversion on a Lance run). Overall, the rookie completed nine of 18 passes for 157 yards and turned seven carries into 41 yards. The team is expected to evaluate Garoppolo again Wednesday, which will give it a better idea of his potential to play Week 5. If Garoppolo doesn't make enough progress, Lance will be set for his first NFL start.

Garoppolo has been diagnosed with a calf contusion, and the 49ers will have him evaluated again Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Garoppolo didn't play a snap after halftime in the 49ers' Week 4 loss to the Seahawks. A subsequent MRI has revealed a calf injury, but coach Kyle Shanahan thinks that if Garoppolo improves enough by mid-week, he may be able to suit up Sunday at Arizona, per Wagoner. If he does get healthy enough to play, Garoppolo will push Trey Lance back to his backup role. On the other hand, Lance would be in line for his first NFL start if Garoppolo needs some time off.

Driskel reverted to the Texans' practice squad Monday, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.

Driskel joined the active roster for each of the last two games to serve as the backup to rookie QB Davis Mills, but he'll return to the practice squad following the Week 4 loss. The 28-year-old will be eligible to be elevated once again for Sunday's contest against the Patriots.

Coach Brian Flores revealed Monday that Tagovailoa (ribs) has resumed throwing, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

The 2020 first-rounder will remain on injured reserve for Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Buccaneers, but Flores said the quarterback is "getting better every day." Jacoby Brissett is slated to start under center against Tampa Bay on Sunday, but the Dolphins remain optimistic that Tagovailoa will be back for the team's Week 6 contest against the Jaguars in London on Oct. 17.

Coach Vic Fangio said Monday that Bridgewater remains in the concussion protocol, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Bridgewater was knocked out of Sunday's game against the Ravens late in the first half, and the team's medical staff confirmed Monday that he's dealing with a concussion. As a result, he'll have several steps to clear if he hopes to return for Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Steelers. If Bridgewater isn't cleared in time for Sunday's game, Drew Lock will be in line to start under center.