NFL Player News

The Texans signed Heinicke to their practice squad Wednesday.

Heinecke will officially settle in as the No. 3 quarterback in the organization behind Tom Savage and T.J. Yates, both of whom occupy spots on the 53-man roster. Unless one of those two players succumbs to an injury, it's unlikely that Heinecke will receive a promotion during the Texans' final five regular-season contests.

Beathard (knee/hip) didn't practice Wednesday, but he's expected to take part in sessions Thursday and Friday as he prepares to serve as Jimmy Garoppolo's backup for Sunday's game in Chicago, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Beathard is recovering from a knee contusion and a hip strain, both of which are considered minor injuries. It's unclear to what extent those injuries played a role in the 49ers' decision to name Garoppolo the starter, but there's at least some chance the team will evaluate its quarterback situation on a week-to-week basis the rest of the year. It thus won't come as any surprise if Beathard gets another opportunity, though he'll only be available in a backup capacity this weekend.

Winston (shoulder) practiced fully Wednesday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Winston fulfilled the expectation he would handle all the first-team work Wednesday, which comes on the heels of head coach Dirk Koetter naming the third-year signal caller the team's starter for Sunday's visit to Green Bay, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. As he prepares to bring a three-game absence to an end, Winston will turn his focus to a Packers defense that has given up 244.1 yards passing per game and 17 touchdown tosses to quarterbacks across 11 contests in 2017.

Stafford (ankle) practiced fully Wednesday.

Stafford came up gimpy in the aftermath of a 43-yard touchdown heave to Marvin Jones during the fourth quarter of the Lions' loss to the Vikings on Thanksgiving. Commenting on his right ankle Monday, he said that he had an X-ray after the game and was "feeling better," which foretold Wednesday's full session. Stafford can now prepare for Sunday's contest in Baltimore, whose defense has allowed just two touchdown passes to quarterbacks over its last five outings.

Head coach Dirk Koetter said Winston (shoulder) would serve as the Buccaneers' starting quarterback for Sunday's contest at Green Bay, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

The Buccaneers haven't released their first Week 13 injury report, but Winston was expected to handle every rep with the first-team offense Wednesday, implying a full practice was likely, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Koetter's decision to name Winston the starter lends credence to this assumption as the signal caller prepares for a favorable matchup against the Packers' 25th-ranked pass defense.

Winston (shoulder) will practice Wednesday and is expected to handle all of the reps with the first-team offense, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Buccaneers will issue an update on Winston's level of involvement Wednesday once the practice concludes, but if he's listed as a full participant, it would clear the way for him to start Sunday against the Packers. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who led the Buccaneers to a 2-1 record while Winston was sidelined, would settle back into the No. 2 quarterback role as a result. Though Winston draws a favorable matchup against a Packers pass defense that ranks 25th in the NFL with 244.1 passing yards allowed per game, it may be difficult to rely on him in shallower formats given that he's returning from an injury to his throwing shoulder and has been quite inconsistent when healthy this season.

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said that Savage will remain the team's starting quarterback Sunday against the Titans, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

In four games since taking over for the injured Deshaun Watson (knee) as the No. 1 quarterback, Savage has thrown five interceptions and lost five fumbles. The third-year signal caller has moved the team better the last two games -- directing nine scoring drives -- but obviously, the turnovers are a problem. Though Savage will get a chance to redeem himself in Week 13, O'Brien indicated that he'll "have to go in a different direction," if Savage doesn't correct his ball-security issues.

Beathard (knee, hip) will be relegated to a reserve role Sunday in Chicago after head coach Kyle Shanahan named Jimmy Garoppolo the starting quarterback for the contest.

Beathard suffered a knee contusion and hip strain in the late stages of Sunday's defeat to the Seahawks, allowing Garoppolo to make his first appearance as a 49er. Garoppolo proceeded to lead the offense to its only touchdown of the day with 1:07 left on the clock and 23 yards from the end zone. Prior to Beathard's departure, Shanahan had been steadfast in his support of the rookie, despite little perceived progress statistically or otherwise. As a result, Garoppolo may just be a placeholder for Beathard until his health is restored, barring the former thoroughly impressing as the starter.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan named Garoppolo the starting quarterback for Sunday's game at Chicago.

Shanahan's decision was likely influenced by the health of C.J. Beathard, who sustained a knee contusion and hip strain in the waning minutes of the Week 12 loss to the Seahawks. With 1:07 remaining in that contest, Garoppolo took over the offense at the Seattle 23-yard line and drove the 49ers to their sole touchdown of the day on the back of a four-yard scramble and two completions for 18 yards. His first starting opportunity comes against a Bears defense that has allowed 233.1 yards passing per game and a 14:4 TD:INT in 11 outings. The cameo could be a short-term deal, though, as Shanahan seemed committed to Beathard prior to the injuries the rookie suffered against Seattle.

Smith will start at quarterback Sunday against the Raiders.

With the 2-9 Giants looking toward the future, Eli Manning will be benched in favor of Smith in Week 13, ending a streak of 210 consecutive regular-season starts for the two-time Super Bowl winner. Smith hasn't started a regular-season contest since 2015 with the Jets, but he, along with rookie quarterback Davis Webb, should both receive opportunities to direct the offense over the Giants' final five contests. Given the Giants' shaky offensive line and injury-riddled receiving corps, year, it's probably safe to stay away from Smith in anything but deeper leagues (especially those that don't start two quarterbacks), but the Sunday start nonetheless presents a good opportunity of him to showcase his abilities to prospective suitors when he becomes a free agent this offseason.