NFL Player News

Head coach Mike Zimmer said he expects Cousins (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) to return to the Vikings' facilities Thursday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Cousins was merely a close contact of Kellen Mond -- who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday -- and didn't catch the virus himself. Once the Vikings activate Cousins from the reserve/COVID-19 list, the quarterback room will inch closer to full health, with only Mond out of commission for another five days, at least.

Ehlinger has been taking the majority of the Colts' second-team quarterback reps at practice, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Meanwhile, Jacob Eason has settled in with the first-team offense after Carson Wentz underwent a foot procedure earlier this week. Ehlinger joined the Colts as a sixth-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but with Wentz out, the Texas product will have an opportunity to gain valuable training camp and preseason experience working behind Eason, a second-year player who has yet to take an NFL snap.

Stafford (thumb) handled a full workload at Tuesday's practice, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.

A thumb contusion couldn't stop Stafford from suiting up for the first day of padded practice with his new team. He should be fine to make an appearance this preseason, though Rams head coach Sean McVay has typically been cautious with his starters in August.

Burrow and the Cincinnati offense have struggled to move the ball in training-camp practices, with the Bengals' defensive line often putting intense pressure on the team's quarterbacks, Jay Morrison and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

There are two big concerns about Burrow heading into 2021; how mobile he is after recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, and how well his offensive line will be able to protect him. Thus far, the second concern hasn't been put to rest. It's not unusual for defenses to be ahead of offenses at this time of year, but the way Dehner describes the imbalance -- ("... most lopsided practice in a long time ...") -- is certainly disturbing.

Johnson agreed to a contract with the Jets and will practice with the team Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

The Jets are one of the many teams with whom the journeyman has prior experience, though Johnson spent less than two weeks on the roster back in 2015. The 35-year-old quarterback has seen action in only three regular-season games since 2013 and none since 2018, but he could make a legitimate bid for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart in New York. Behind No. 2 overall pick and clear-cut starter Zach Wilson, the Jets' remaining backup options are James Morgan and Mike White, who have zero NFL regular-season snaps between them.

Stafford (thumb) took part in a number of drills at Tuesday's practice, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Stafford kicked off the session with some light throws, proceeded to take snaps in the shotgun, moved on to handoffs with running backs and then connected with both Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp deep down the field. If Stafford hadn't emerged from Monday's practice with a swollen right thumb due to hitting his hand on a teammate's helmet, it appeared he was going through his usual routine. According to Rodrigue, Stafford had X-rays come back negative and was scheduled to have the day off Tuesday, but he felt well enough to go through a full workload and still felt good after practice. He appears to have avoided any serious concerns, though it's worth keeping an eye on his practice work until fully recovered.

Stafford has been diagnosed with a swollen right thumb after hitting his hand on a teammate's helmet at Monday's practice, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

After the play, Stafford had his thumb taped up, and eventual X-rays on the region returned negative. As a precaution, the Rams are expected to hold the quarterback out for a few days due to what's considered a minor injury. In Stafford's stead, John Wolford likely will get most of the run with the first-team offense, with Bryce Perkins and Devlin Hodges picking up any scraps.

Prescott (shoulder) won't throw in practice Tuesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

The report notes the QB hasn't suffered any setbacks with his strained right shoulder, with coach Mike McCarthy noting that the team is "just being more conservative" at this time and keeping the big picture in mind. Prescott won't play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Steelers, but could resume throwing next week, per Archer.

Watson has a minor foot injury and won't practice Tuesday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

With the Texans putting on pads for Tuesday's practice, Watson might've been absent or limited even if he didn't have the foot issue. Between his standing trade request and the 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct, it isn't clear the 25-year-old quarterback has a professional future in Houston. However, Watson presumably will continue attending training camp, if only to avoid the possibility of $50,000 fines for each day missed.

Hurts was sharp at Monday's practice, enjoying his best day of training camp so far, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia agrees it was Hurts' best practice this summer, with highlights including perfect throws on a go route to Quez Watkins and a deep out to Travis Fulgham. The second-year QB completed nine of his first 10 passes in the team portion of practice, but on a less positive note, he did lose top receiver DeVonta Smith to a knee sprain later in the session. Shorr-Parks notes that Hurts has steadily improved throughout camp, building up to Tuesday when the Eagles put on pads for the first time under new coach Nick Sirianni.