NFL Player News

Wilson (knee) will not be placed on injured reserve and could even have a chance at playing Week 10 against the Bills, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

This is a somewhat surprising development considering Wilson was expected to miss at minimum 2-to-4 weeks after injuring his knee, putting him on the early side of that timeline if Saturday's news is accurate. The acquisition of Joe Flacco complicates things somewhat given the Jets seemingly have no reason to rush back the coveted 2021 No. 2 overall pick with the established veteran at the helm. That being said, a lost season such as this one could be a perfect situation for Wilson to get reps and gain valuable experience so long as he's healthy. The rookie is not expected to play Week 9 against the Colts and likely will be considered a longshot to face the division-rival Bills in Week 10.

Watson (not injury-related) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Rams.

As expected, Watson will remain inactive in Week 8, and with Tyrod Taylor (hamstring) not yet ready to play, Davis Mills will once again will serve as the Texans' starting QB versus Los Angeles on Sunday. Meanwhile, there figures to be plenty of trade speculation surrounding Watson as the NFL's Nov. 2 deadline to make deals approaches, but at this stage no move is imminent.

Lance (knee) has no injury designation for Sunday's game in Chicago, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The rookie will return to his role as the backup quarterback, potentially getting some snaps in the red zone and/or in special packages designed to take advantage of his running ability. Given Jimmy Garoppolo's poor performance this season, Lance seems increasingly likely to make additional starts as a rookie, after filling in for the injured veteran in a Week 5 loss to Arizona. It was in that game where Lance sprained his knee, forcing a one-game absence even after the 49ers' Week 6 bye. In any case, he's back for Week 8 at Chicago.

Prescott (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Minnesota, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Prescott was a limited practice participant Wednesday through Friday and appears truly questionable for the Sunday night game in Minnesota. Reporters and teammates have suggested the quarterback looked good in practice this week, but head coach Mike McCarthy has preached caution on multiple occasions and even mentioned Friday that Prescott felt a little sore after Thursday's practice. McCarthy said the soreness wasn't anything unusual, but it does reinforce the notion that Prescott continues to be bothered by his calf to some degree. While he hopes to play, Prescott acknowledged Thursday that the coaching staff and medical staff will have final say. Cooper Rush will start at quarterback against the Vikings if Prescott ultimately is held out.

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.