NFL Player News

The Dolphins still aren't sure how severe the shoulder injury Huntley suffered in Sunday's loss to the Colts is, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Huntley was unable to compete after suffering the injury and finished the contest with 87 yards and a touchdown while completing seven of 13 passing attempts and adding 20 yards on the ground. According to head coach Mike McDaniel, it's too early to determine the severity of the injury and have a timeline for the Utah product's recovery. With Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) expected to return to practice Wednesday and play Week 8 against the Cardinals, Huntley's injury isn't expected to impact who starts at quarterback for the Dolphins moving forward. However, it'll certainly play a factor in who is operating as Tagovailoa's backup, with Tim Boyle and Skylar Thompson (ribs) also in the mix.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Rattler (hip) will start Sunday's game against the Chargers if Derek Carr (oblique) remains sidelined, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.

Rattler was forced out of last Thursday's 33-10 loss to the Broncos late in the fourth quarter due to a hip pointer, but it doesn't sound like the injury is a real threat to keep him sidelined Week 8. Despite the rookie fifth-round pick's miserable performance versus Denver in which he logged just 4.9 yards per attempt and lost two fumbles, Rattler seems slated to retain a grip on the No. 1 role until such time as Carr is cleared to retake the field.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that Tagovailoa (concussion) will practice Wednesday in preparation to potentially play Sunday versus the Cardinals, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Tagovailoa will need to both come off injured reserve and fully clear the NFL's concussion protocol in order to be eligible to play Sunday versus Arizona, but, barring any unexpected setbacks at practice, the franchise quarterback is trending toward a Week 8 return. He was placed on IR on Sept. 12 after suffering a fourth documented concussion in five years and missed his fourth and final requisite game while sitting out Sunday's loss to Indianapolis, a contest in which interim starter Tyler Huntley (shoulder) was forced out due to injury. The Dolphins offense has ranked last in the NFL in points per game since Tagovailoa's injury, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle having combined for just two catches and 19 yards on four targets Week 7. His return to the lineup should spark some much-needed life into the production of Miami's skill-position players.

Thompson-Robinson (finger) received negative X-ray results on his right middle finger Monday but is undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Thompson-Robinson was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Bengals shortly after replacing Deshaun Watson (Achilles), who exited with a season-ending injury. Both Jameis Winston and Thompson-Robinson are candidates to handle quarterback duties for Cleveland in the wake of Watson's injury, beginning Week 8 at home against Baltimore. Of course, Thompson-Robinson's health will play a key factor in determining his immediate role on offense. Thompson-Robinson was active as Watson's backup versus Cincinnati, while Winston suited up as the team's emergency third QB and led a touchdown drive on the Browns' final possession.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said after Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Bills that Levis (shoulder) is week-to-week, Nick Suss of the Nashville Tennessean reports.

Levis had been in the starting conversation for Week 7 until one day prior to Tennessee's matchup against Buffalo, when continued testing of his right AC joint sprain brought back discouraging results. The shoulder injury was initially sustained by Levis in Week 4, and he got a bye week to rest before suiting up in Week 6 versus Indianapolis. Callahan said of Levis' worsening sprain that "he ended up feeling it toward the end of the [Colts] game on a couple of those throws," and that for Week 7 "his mechanics were not where they needed to be and his arm strength felt weakened." If Levis' shoulder doesn't improve as the Titans' road matchup against Detroit in Week 8 draws near, Mason Rudolph would be in line to draw another start.

Minshew will return to the starting lineup for Las Vegas in Week 8 against Kansas City with Aidan O'Connell (thumb) expected to be placed on IR, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.

Head coach Antonio Pierce opted to bench Minshew and turn to O'Connell during Las Vegas' Week 5 loss to Denver, but the veteran now looks set to return to the No. 1 QB role with his competition having suffered a thumb fracture during Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Rams. After completing 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions Week 7, Minshew has a shaky 4:8 TD:INT on the season. Davante Adams is also now a member of the Jets, leaving Minshew with a very depleted wide receiver corps. It's difficult to picture Minshew's production rapidly improving in a tough matchup versus the Chiefs.

Watson (Achilles) is done for the season after an MRI on Monday confirmed a torn Achilles, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Watson's season-ending injury during Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Bengals puts Jameis Winston in a position to enter the starting lineup for Cleveland, though it was Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) who suited up as the Browns' backup quarterback Sunday versus Cincinnati. After a contract restructure to create cap space in 2023 and 2024, Watson is on the books for a $46 million base salary in both of the 2025 and 2026 seasons, though it's possible that insurance for season-ending injuries could now provide the Browns with some relief. In any case, Watson faces a lengthy recovery process that could put him at risk of being unavailable early in the 2025 campaign.

The Raiders are expected to place O'Connell on IR due to a fractured thumb sustained during Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

O'Connell could be sidelined up to six weeks, a development which puts Gardner Minshew back under center for Las Vegas. In his lone full start this season, O'Connell completed 27 of 40 pass attempts for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 6 versus the Steelers. Across four appearances on the whole, O'Connell has thrown for 455 yards, two touchdowns and two INTs. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that O'Connell will seek a second opinion Monday to confirm the severity of his injury.

Fields didn't get any snaps during Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets.

Russell Wilson took over as the Steelers' starting quarterback for the Week 7 matchup, but reports earlier in the week suggested that Pittsburgh would have a package of plays available for Fields. However, coach Mike Tomlin decided to ride the hot hand with Wilson as the offense put up 31 unanswered points en route to a comfortable victory. Given the success that the team had in prime time, it seems unlikely that Wilson is in danger of handing back the starting job, but it's still possible that Fields sees some game action in specific situations, likely in the red zone where his greater mobility might give defenses an extra threat to consider.

Rudolph completed 25 of 40 passes for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Bills. He added five rushes for 13 yards with a lost fumble.

Rudolph drew his first start as a Titan with Will Levis (shoulder) sidelined. He got off to a relatively strong start, leading the team to a pair of scoring drives by early in the second quarter. Across those two possessions, he combined to complete nine of 11 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. However, Rudolph failed to lead Tennessee to any points after that while leading a very inefficient passing offense. Rudolph could be under center again for a Week 8 matchup against the Lions, which would present a more favorable matchup.