NFL Player News

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy (toe) will be a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Purdy has been battling a turf toe injury for most of the season, sitting out Weeks 2 and 3 and 5 and 6 as a result. He was able to log conditioning work on the side last Thursday, and Shanahan told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com on Monday that Purdy would be evaluated Wednesday to see if taking part in practice was possible. Now that Purdy has resumed on-field work, Shanahan said Purdy is more limited than backup quarterback Mac Jones (knee/oblique), per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. It's unclear if that means Jones is a better bet than Purdy to start Sunday's game against the Falcons, but the latter at least is putting himself in a position to return to action.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said both McCarthy (ankle) and Carson Wentz (shoulder) will participate in practice Wednesday but declined to name a starter for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

McCarthy returned to practice Monday, coming off Minnesota's bye, for the first time since suffering a right high-ankle sprain Sept. 14. O'Connell had previously indicated that McCarthy would require a full week of practice before being cleared for a return to the lineup, but it remains to be seen whether Wentz might have a chance to retain the No. 1 gig in the event that both quarterbacks are healthy enough to play. Wentz, for his part, is managing an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder, and O'Connell said he "took a normal amount of throws" at practice Monday.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that he had "no real update" on Watson's (Achilles) status beyond noting that the quarterback is "doing a great job with his rehab," Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

While Watson -- who suffered a right Achilles tendon rupture in Week 7 last season and then underwent an additional surgery in January -- is eligible to resume practicing at any time since he's already missed the minimum four games to begin the season, the expectation is that the quarterback is still weeks away from getting back on the field. With the Browns having traded away Kenny Pickett in August and Joe Flacco last week, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are the only signal-callers currently on the team's active roster.

Leonard appears in line to serve as the top backup to starting quarterback Daniel Jones for a second straight game Sunday against the Chargers after the Colts placed Anthony Richardson (orbital) on injured reserve Monday, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

After being inactive for the first five games of the season, Leonard suited up as the Colts' No. 2 quarterback during this past Sunday's 31-27 win over the Cardinals due to Richardson sustaining an orbital fracture in a freak pregame accident. With Richardson's injury now set to keep him out for at least four more games, Leonard is the lone healthy option at quarterback on the 53-man roster beyond Jones, though Indianapolis signed veteran Brett Rypien to its practice squad Wednesday. Rypien brings more experience to the table and could eventually make a push for the No. 2 role if he's able to quickly familiarize himself with head coach Shane Steichen's playbook, but Leonard, a rookie sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame, would offer far more fantasy upside if he's forced into action in the event of an injury to Jones. Leonard put his dual-threat abilities on full display during the preseason, carrying seven times for 58 yards while completing 34 of 56 pass attempts (60.7 percent) for 345 yards, one touchdown and one interception over three games.

The Colts signed Rypien to their practice squad Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Rypien was with Minnesota during training camp, but he was cut in late August and subsequently joined Cincinnati's practice squad. The veteran QB was signed to the Bengals' active roster after Joe Burrow (toe) went on IR in mid-September, but Rypien got into just one game with the Bengals, playing three offensive snaps without attempting a pass in Week 3. Rypien then was released by Cincinnati after the team acquired Joe Flacco in a trade. The Colts have a need for QB depth after placing Anthony Richardson (eye) on injured reserve Monday, though it will likely be Riley Leonard who steps in as Daniel Jones' backup this Sunday against the Chargers.

Williams completed 17 of 29 pass attempts for 252 yards and a touchdown while rushing four times for a loss of two yards and another touchdown in Monday's 25-24 win over Washington.

Williams didn't post gaudy numbers on Monday Night Football, but he played a clean game while lifting the Bears to a third straight victory. The 2024 first-overall pick won the individual battle between the top two quarterback selections from that draft, but Jayden Daniels arguably had the superior fantasy score after hitting pay dirt thrice in a losing effort. Williams has been looking more comfortable running head coach Ben Johnson's offense with each passing week, a trend the duo will look to maintain against the Saints on Sunday.

Daniels completed 19 of 26 passes for 211 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the Commanders' 25-24 loss to the Bears on Monday night. He also rushed 10 times for 52 yards and committed two fumbles, losing one and recovering the other.

As his collection of numbers indicates, it was a mixed bag of a night for Daniels in his second game back from a knee sprain that cost him a pair of contests. The second-year signal-caller threw a season-high three touchdown passes, connecting with Chris Moore (22 yards), Luke McCaffrey (33 yards) and Zach Ertz (six yards) to erase 13-0 and 16-10 deficits. However, Daniels' first-quarter interception, his first of the season, led to a Bears field goal, and his fumble at Chicago's 45-yard line on an attempted handoff to Jacory Croskey-Merritt with 3:10 remaining and Washington clinging to a two-point lead would eventually result in a game-winning field goal by opposing kicker Jake Moody. Daniels also took three sacks, and this was his first multi-turnover tally of the season. The star quarterback and his teammates don't have time to dwell on the last-second defeat, however, as a road date with the arch-rival Cowboys awaits Sunday afternoon.

Penix completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 250 yards and a touchdown while gaining six yards on two carries in Monday's 24-14 win over Buffalo.

Penix outdueled Bills star QB Josh Allen (57.7 completion percentage for 180 yards) on the national stage en route to the Falcons' third win of the campaign. Bijan Robinson stole the show on offense with 238 yards from scrimmage, but Atlanta's signal-caller also deserves praise for the upset victory. Penix led an impressive 14-play drive midway through the fourth quarter that ate up most of the remaining clock while deflating Buffalo's hopes of a comeback. The surging sophomore will look to build on a modest two-game win streak when the Falcons take on the 49ers in Week 7.

Allen completed 15 of 26 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed six times for 42 yards in the Bills' 24-14 loss to the Falcons on Monday night. He also committed two fumbles, neither of which were lost.

Allen's final line tells the tale of a difficult night against a well-rested and aggressive Falcons defense fueled by its home crowd. Despite his signature mobility, Allen was sacked four times, and he also tossed multiple interceptions for the first time this season, including a game-sealing pick at Atlanta's 7-yard line with 51 seconds remaining. The reigning NFL MVP's yardage total also was his second lowest of the season, and the fact he went into the contest without Dalton Kincaid (oblique) and Curtis Samuel (neck/ribs) before also losing Joshua Palmer to an ankle injury in the first half certainly didn't help Allen's cause. Buffalo now gets a much-needed bye following back-to-back losses before returning to action against the Panthers in Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Wentz (shoulder) was able to practice Monday, Andrew Krammer of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Wentz contended with soreness in his non-throwing shoulder during the Vikings' Oct. 6 win over the Browns in London, but he was able to finish out the contest. He appears to have made some progress in his recovery over the Vikings' Week 7 bye, though it won't be clear until Wednesday whether he's participating in practice as a full participant. J.J. McCarthy (ankle) also returned to practice Monday for the first time since Sept. 14, so even if his shoulder proves to be a non-issue, Wentz may move to the bench for Sunday's game against the Eagles after starting in each of the previous three games. The Vikings will likely gauge the health of McCarthy and Wentz throughout the week of practice before announcing a starter for Sunday.