NFL Player News

Darnold completed 14 of 29 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown while adding 22 yards on five carries in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Bears.

Darnold struggled in this one, though it's hard to blame the rookie considering top wide receivers Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa both sat out due to ankle injuries. For the second consecutive week, the recipient of Darnold's lone touchdown pass was tight end Chris Herndon. The USC product will welcome the return of warm weather -- and hopefully some of his receiving weapons -- when the Jets travel to Miami for a clash with the rival Dolphins in Week 9.

Mahomes completed 24 of 34 passes for 303 yards, four touchdowns and an interception during Sunday's 30-23 win over Denver.

Mahomes started and ended cold, but he tore up the field in the second and third quarters, where he was particularly adept at finding Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce on opponent mismatches. Late in the second quarter, for instance, he smartly found Watkins matched up on a linebacker and uncorked a 13-yard strike on an out-and-in for a touchdown. That chemistry might be important depending on the health of Tyreek Hill, who left the game with a groin injury. Mahomes did throw an ill-advised interception in the second half, his sixth in the past four games, and protecting the football will be important against a pesky Cleveland defense next Sunday. That said, Mahomes is producing at a level that is more than enough to make up for the occasional blip of mortality.

Trubisky completed 16 of 29 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns while adding 51 yards on six rushing attempts in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Jets.

Trubisky benefited from a perfect play call on his first touchdown, hitting Tarik Cohen on a screen out of the backfield against an all-out blitz. Cohen did the rest, turning the play into a 70-yard touchdown to open the scoring. The quarterback didn't make many other significant plays with his arm, though he did find Anthony Miller for a four-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Trubisky also continues to be a factor with his legs, having rushed for at least 47 yards in four consecutive games heading into a Week 9 trip to Buffalo.

Wilson completed 14 of 17 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Lions. He also ran twice for 15 yards.

The Seahawks focused on the run yet again, rushing the ball 40 times and allowing Wilson to attempt just 17 passes. Wilson was still quite productive with a season-high 14.6 yards per attempt. The commitment to the run hasn't hurt Wilson yet, as he has attempted less than 23 passes in each of the last three games but still has still thrown for three scores each of those contests.

Winston was pulled from Sunday's game in Cincinnati in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick, but not before completing 18 of 35 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.

Coach Dirk Koetter made the decision after Winston's fourth pick was returned to the house by Bengals safety Jessie Bates late in the third quarter. In four games since taking over for Fitzpatrick in Week 4, Winston racked up 1,181 yards and four touchdown passes, but his performances were turnover-laden. Overall, Winston has 10 interceptions and four fumbles (one lost). While this move may only be temporary, Koetter will have a tough call to make between Winston and Fitzpatrick in the coming days, especially with the trade deadline imminent (Tuesday at 4 PM ET).

Carr was recently informed by the Raiders that the organization views him as their quarterback now and for the foreseeable future and has no intention of trading him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports, citing sources.

Schefter's report affirms what coach Jon Gruden relayed to the media earlier in the week, but Carr should be further encouraged by Oakland officials apparently vouching similar support behind closed doors. The Raiders have already shipped out two cornerstone players in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper this season and could remain active as Tuesday's trade deadline approaches, but any deals the club makes won't feature Carr. In a season of juiced-up quarterback production, however, Carr still looks like a below-average option in most fantasy leagues, especially now that one of his top wideouts in Cooper is out of the mix.

Coach Adam Gase said Friday that Tannehill (shoulder) is close to resuming a throwing program, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports. "I don't want to put him in a position to where he relapses and we could do this [rehab program] all over again," Gase said.

While it sounds like Tannehill is still progressing in his recovery from the AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, Gase noted that it will be up to the quarterback to provide an honest assessment of his health before the Dolphins return him to game action. With that in mind, Wolfe notes that it may be "overly optimistic" to expect Tannehill to suit up Week 9 against the Jets, though his status for that contest will ultimately be dictated by what he's able to do in practices during the upcoming week. If Tannehill ends up being sidelined for a fourth consecutive contest, Brock Osweiler would garner another start under center.

Watson has been sacked once and hit six times over the past two games, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Texans' offensive line has improved since the start of the season. Over the first six weeks, Watson was sacked 25 times and hit a league-high 65 times, but during a stretch in which he's been dealing with chest and rib injuries, the offensive line has put the quarterback in bubble wrap. That unit was a perceived weakness heading into the season, but eight weeks later, it looks like the new pieces have come together. Not only has the O-line prevented some of the ugly hits we saw Watson absorb earlier in the year, but it's paved the way for Lamar Miller to rush for two straight 100-yard games -- the first time he's done that in three years with the Texans. Those two developments are related: the emergence of the ground game means Watson has taken fewer hits. However, it has also meant fewer passing attempts, just 44 over the last two games. But as we learned Thursday, when Watson threw for five touchdowns in 20 attempts, he can still be a valuable fantasy performer.

Garoppolo remains on crutches but is closing in on the pool stage of his rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Recoveries from ACL tears have a vast range of timetables, but the only thing that Garoppolo is certain of is when he'll be able to get off crutches. He's approximately two weeks from reaching that point as he aims to follow in the footsteps of DeShaun Watson this year and be available for the 2019 regular-season opener. While Garoppolo enters the early stages of rehab, the 49ers will continue to put the ball in C.J. Beathard's hands.

Coach Sean McDermott said Allen (elbow) is week-to-week but "moving in the right direction," Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com reports.

Allen is working throw his recovery from a right elbow sprain, which has sidelined him for one game and will keep him on the inactive list Monday against the Patriots. In his stead, Derek Anderson (back/calf) will start for a second consecutive game, assuming he gets past his own injuries. The Bills don't have a reprieve until a Week 11 bye, so the preceding could be the team's reality for a few more contests.