NFL Player News

Williams completed 16 of 28 passes for 122 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and rushed five times for 37 yards in the Bears' 6-3 loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night. He also fumbled once but recovered and pounced on a second loose ball.

Four days after throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions, Williams, along with the entire Bears offense, regressed significantly. The rookie first overall pick's yardage total was the second lowest of his young career, and until Chicago's final possession, Williams had only been able to lead the Bears on one drive of longer than 16 yards, although he did have a 17-yard second-quarter touchdown pass to Rome Odunze nullified by penalty. That final march, which spanned 13 plays and 49 yards, also ended with a Williams interception (his first pick since Week 6) on fourth down following three consecutive incompletions. The loss was the Bears' 10th consecutive, leaving a Week 18 road matchup against the Packers as their only remaining chance to taste victory again in the 2024 regular season.

Smith completed 17 of 23 passes for 160 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed three times for 19 yards in the Seahawks' 6-3 win over the Bears on Thursday night. He also committed two fumbles, recovering one.

As the final score indicates, the game wasn't exactly an offensive showcase, and Smith's yardage total, his second lowest of the season, further corroborates the futility. However, the veteran signal-caller was accurate and connected with six different targets overall, albeit with just one completion of over 20 yards. Smith did go without a touchdown for the second time in the last three games, but he helped keep the Seahawks firmly in contention for both an NFC West title and a wild-card spot ahead of a Week 18 road showdown with the division-leading Rams.

Hall (coach's decision) is inactive but designated as the emergency quarterback for Thursday night's matchup with the Bears.

The third QB would need starter Geno Smith and backup Sam Howell to get injured, sick or ejected to be able to enter the contest. Hall signed to the Seahawks' practice squad in early September and got elevated to the active roster for the first time in late November, though he has yet to see action this season.

Pickett (ribs) was a full practice participant Thursday.

Pickett stepped in for Jalen Hurts (concussion) in the first quarter of this past Sunday's game in Washington and finished out the contest, playing 62 of 74 offensive snaps, completing 14 of 24 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown and one interception, taking three carries for 13 yards and fumbling one time (Philly recovered). He also emerged with a rib injury, which necessitated extra padding during Thursday's session, per Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal. Afterward, Pickett relayed to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he'll be good to go Sunday versus the Cowboys if Hurts isn't able to play, and considering the latter hasn't made any notable progress through the protocol for head injuries, Pickett seems likely to be under center for the Eagles this weekend.

Hurts (concussion/left finger) officially didn't practice Thursday.

Hurts has yet to mix into drills since suffering a concussion this past Sunday at Washington. Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett, who emerged from that game with a rib injury, practiced in full Thursday and even told Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he'll be ready to go if Hurts isn't available for Sunday's game against the Cowboys. The Eagles may clarify the status of Hurts for Week 17 on Friday's injury report, which would set the stage for Pickett's first start with the team.

Tagovailoa (hip) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Tagovailoa's listing matches the limited tag he received Wednesday, when the Dolphins didn't hold a practice for the Christmas holiday but submitted an estimated report. The Dolphins haven't provided any indication that Tagovailoa's hip injury is anything that will seriously threaten his availability for Sunday's game in Cleveland, and with Miami still in the playoff picture in Week 17, the quarterback is fully expected to play, even if he's operating at less-than-full health.

Carr (left hand) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.

For a second week in a row, Spencer Rattler continues to take first-team reps with the Saints offense, per Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana, while Carr focuses on rehabbing his left hand, which suffered a fracture Week 14 at the Giants and has sidelined him the last two games. According to interim coach Darren Rizzi, Rattler will start Sunday against the Raiders if Carr is unavailable, something that may be confirmed as soon as New Orleans posts its final injury report of the week Friday.

Thompson-Robinson (calf) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

For the second straight day, Thompson-Robinson went down as a limited participant on the Browns' practice report while he tends to a calf strain that he said he sustained on the second snap of his first start of the season in last Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Bengals, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. While the injury didn't hinder Thompson-Robinson much as a runner (nine carries for 49 yards), he mostly underwhelmed while directing the offense, leading the team to just one scoring drive while completing 20 of 34 pass attempts for 157 yards and two interceptions. Despite the second-year quarterback's poor outing, offensive coordinator reiterated earlier Thursday that Thompson-Robinson is on track to make a second straight start Sunday versus the Dolphins, per Cabot. For his part, Thompson-Robinson told Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal that he doesn't expect the calf issue to slow him down against the Dolphins, but it won't be clear until after Friday's practice whether or not he heads into the weekend with an injury designation.

Winston (shoulder) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Winston has been working through an injury to his throwing shoulder, which forced him to serve as the Browns' emergency third-string quarterback in Week 16 against the Bengals behind starter Dorian Thompson-Robinson (calf) and backup Bailey Zappe. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said Thursday that Winston's injury will determine whether he'll be the top backup or emergency quarterback for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Burrow (wrist/knee) doesn't have a designation for Saturday's home game against the Broncos, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Burrow was a limited participant in practice throughout the week due to a pair of injuries, but as expected, neither health concern will keep him from playing Saturday. If the Bengals' longshot bid for the postseason comes to an end in the aftermath of Week 17 action, Burrow could be a candidate to rest in Week 18, but fantasy managers can feel comfortable including the quarterback in their fantasy lineups, even in a matchup versus a tough Denver defense. Burrow has thrown for at least three touchdowns in seven straight games and is averaging 319.4 passing yards per contest during that stretch.