NFL Player News

Siemian cleared waivers Tuesday and signed with the Saints' practice squad, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Siemian will serve as the Saints' emergency backup quarterback as they make a playoff push.

Johnson was placed on the practice squad COVID-19 list Tuesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Johnson either tested positive for the virus or came into close contact with an infected person. His placement in the league's COVID-19 protocol is ill-timed for the 49ers, as they just ruled Nick Mullens (elbow) out for the season, leaving C.J. Beathard as the starting quarterback to close out the campaign. In turn, the 49ers signed Josh Rosen off the Cardinals' practice squad to serve as the backup moving forward.

Brissett didn't complete his lone pass but gained two yards on his lone carry in Sunday's 27-20 win over the Texans.

The Colts seemed to give Brissett the reins for an entire drive, but he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Brissett should continue to spell Philip Rivers in QB sneak situations, as he's logged at least one snap in seven straight games.

Carr (groin) practiced on a limited basis Tuesday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Carr sustained a significant groin strain in the Raiders' Week 15 loss to the Chargers, leaving his availability in question for Saturday's game against the Dolphins. The quarterback's ability to take some reps in the team's first practice of the week can be taken as a positive sign, but head coach Jon Gruden was unwilling to rule on Carr's status for Saturday this early in the week. If Carr can't gain clearance for the Week 16 matchup, Marcus Mariota would be in store for his first start of the season.

Stafford (rib/thumb) was a listed as a limited participant in Tuesday's practice.

Stafford played through a painful rib-cartilage injury in addition to a slight ligament tear to the thumb on his throwing hand in Sunday's loss to the Titans, completing 22 of his 32 throws for 252 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback isn't believed to have suffered any setbacks coming out of the contest, so he should receive the green light to play once this weekend's game against the Buccaneers arrives.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that Mullens may need Tommy John surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Regardless of whether surgery is necessary, the 25-year-old quarterback has already been ruled out for the season, and C.J. Beathard will take over under center. Mullens is still being evaluated, but if he needs Tommy John surgery, there's a chance he may be sidelined to begin the 2021 campaign as well.

Beathard was named the starting quarterback for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Nick Mullens will require season-ending elbow surgery, opening the door for Beathard to make his 11th career start and his first of the season. Beathard entered the game in Mullens' place during last week's loss to the Cowboys, and he completed five of seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, a stat line that's slightly skewed by a 49-yard hail mary in the fourth quarter. Over 17 career games, Beathard sports a 1-9 record with a 57.8 completion percentage and 6.9 yards per target. He'll take the field without running back Raheem Mostert (ankle) or wideout Deebo Samuel (hamstring), but George Kittle (foot) has a chance to return this week, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.

Garoppolo (ankle) was designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Garoppolo will return to practice Tuesday, opening the 21-day evaluation window for his activation from IR. With the 49ers out of the playoff hunt, they weren't expected to bring back Garoppolo this season. However, Nick Mullens (elbow) is done for the season, and practice squad quarterback Josh Johnson is in COVID-19 protocol, leaving C.J. Beathard as the only healthy option for San Francisco. Even with the uncertainty in the quarterback room, coach Kyle Shanahan said he'd be very surprised if Garoppolo plays again this year, according to Wagoner.

Mullens is expected to undergo surgery after sustaining a right elbow surgery in Sunday's 41-33 loss to the Cowboys, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Mullens isn't expected to be available for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, and he would almost certainly be done for the season if he undergoes surgery. Moving forward, C.J. Beathard is in line to be the 49ers' starting quarterback in Week 16, although Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) will return to practice this week and is eligible to play Saturday. If Mullens' season is over, he'll finish with 2,437 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Huntley reverted to the Ravens' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

The Utah product made a junk-time appearance during the Ravens' 40-14 shellacking of the Jaguars, completing two of four pass attempts for seven yards while adding 18 rushing yards over four carries. With Trace McSorley remaining on injured reserve for the rest of the regular season because of a knee injury, Huntley has a strong chance of receiving another backup activation call Week 16 against the Giants.