NFL Player News
-
Skylar Thompson QB | BAL
Dolphins' Skylar Thompson: Emergency third QB Sunday
Thompson (ribs) is inactive as the Dolphins' inactive emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game against the Colts.
Though deemed a full practice participant this past week, Thompson approached the contest listed as questionable. Now that he's been listed as the team's emergency quarterback versus Indianapolis, Tim Boyle is slated to back up Tyler Huntley in the continued absence of Tua Tagovailoa (concussion).
-
Dorian Thompson-Robinson QB | PHI
Browns' Dorian Thompson-Robinson: Elevated to No. 2 spot
Thompson-Robinson is active as the No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
Thompson-Robinson has served as the emergency third quarterback for most of the season, with Jameis Winston suiting up on the active roster as the primary backup to Deshaun Watson. The two will swap roles Sunday, giving Thompson-Robinson a better chance to see actual game action than in any previous contest this season. No reason for the switch was immediately provided by head coach Kevin Stefanski, but more information may be provided in coming days. The change could hint that Thompson-Robinson would be the next man up to start in the event the Browns elect to bench the struggling Watson at any point this season.
-
Jameis Winston QB | NYG
Browns' Jameis Winston: Shifts to inactive list
Winston (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
Winston did not show up on the Cleveland injury report this week, so the Browns are seemingly making a conscious decision to promote Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Deshaun Watson in Week 7. Winston, meanwhile, will serve as the emergency third quarterback. No further details pertaining to the depth-chart shakeup were provided by head coach Kevin Stefanski, but more information on that front could be available in coming days.
-
Justin Fields QB | KC
Steelers' Justin Fields: Won't start, should have role Week 7
Fields isn't in line to start Sunday's game against the Jets, but the Steelers are expected to have a "package of plays" available for him as the backup to Russell Wilson, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Head coach Mike Tomlin hasn't officially named a starting quarterback for Week 7, but Rapoport relays that Wilson will get the nod Sunday for what will be his Steelers debut. Wilson was named the starter coming out of the preseason but missed the Steelers' first five games of the season with a calf injury, then served as Fields' backup Week 6. However, Wilson took first-team reps and led the quarterback rotation in individual drills for each practice this week, setting the stage for him to play Sunday while Fields heads to the bench. However, after guiding Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record while completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 6.9 yards per attempt and accounting for 10 touchdowns over his six starts, Fields doesn't look like he'll disappear from the game plan entirely. The extent of his role Sunday isn't fully known, but look for any Fields packages that the Steelers use to take advantage of the signal-caller's rushing ability.
-
Will Levis QB | TEN
Titans' Will Levis: Not slated to start Sunday
Levis (shoulder) is not in line to start Sunday's game against the Bills, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
The Titans officially list Levis as questionable for the contest, but with Adam Schefter of ESPN reporting that the second-year quarterback is dealing with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, it's possible that Levis will miss time beyond Sunday. Official confirmation of his Week 7 status may not arrive until the Titans' inactive list is posted ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, but in Levis' anticipated absence, Mason Rudolph is on track to make his first start with Tennessee.
-
Will Levis QB | TEN
Titans' Will Levis: Not trending toward playing
Levis (shoulder) remains listed as questionable but is not expected to play in Sunday's contest against the Bills, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Official confirmation on Levis' status may not arrive until the Titans release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, but the second-year quarterback looks set to miss his first game of the season due to the shoulder injury, which he initially suffered Week 4. After a Week 5 bye, Levis returned to action and played through the injury in a Week 6 loss to the Colts, but his ineffectiveness (16-of-27 for 95 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception) was a significant drag on Tennessee's offense. Mason Rudolph will step in as the team's starter for at least Week 7, with Trevor Siemian slated to back him up.
-
Mason Rudolph QB | PIT
Titans' Mason Rudolph: Taking over as starter Sunday
Rudolph will start at quarterback in Sunday's game against the Bills, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.
It's unclear if the Titans are officially moving off Will Levis as their starter or if the shoulder injury he sustained against the Dolphins in Week 4 -- and then played through against the Colts two weeks later -- has become more of a nuisance. Rudolph has been uninspiring in his previous stints as a starter with the Steelers over parts of the last five seasons, and he wasn't particularly impressive in relief of an injured Levis in Week 4 (9-of-17 for 85 yards). Theoretically, a more seasoned game manager behind center can help Tennessee be in better position to win football games, but it's hard to imagine the likes of Calvin Ridley or DeAndre Hopkins seeing either of their fantasy profiles rising significantly with Rudolph directing the offense.
-
Trevor Siemian QB | ATL
Titans' Trevor Siemian: Elevated from practice squad
The Titans elevated Siemian from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, John Glennon of NashvillePost.com reports.
Siemian provides insurance for Sunday's game against Buffalo due to Will Levis (shoulder) being listed as questionable. If Levis cannot play, Siemian would serve as the Titans' backup quarterback behind Mason Rudolph. Siemian appeared in five regular-season games for the Jets in 2023, during which he completed 56.2 percent of his passes for 724 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
-
Tim Boyle QB | TEN
Dolphins' Tim Boyle: Signed to active roster
The Dolphins signed Boyle from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
Boyle has served as the Dolphins' backup quarterback to Tyler Huntley while Skylar Thompson has been sidelined due to a rib injury. Thompson was a full participant in all three practices coming out of the bye, but if he cannot suit up for Sunday's game against the Colts, Boyle will presumably be the No. 2 quarterback behind Huntley.
-
Tua Tagovailoa QB | ATL
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa: Will practice, eyeing Week 8 return
Tagovailoa (concussion) will practice next week and is aiming to start in the Dolphins' Oct. 27 game against the Cardinals, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve after suffering his fourth documented concussion in five years Sept. 12 and will miss his fourth consecutive game Sunday in Indianapolis. Despite his history of brain injuries, Tagovailoa looks to have made strong progress in his recovery, and after meeting with multiple doctors and specialists, the quarterback has felt comfortable enough with the feedback he's received to continue his playing career. Before signing off on Tagovailoa starting Week 8, the Dolphins will need the quarterback to show that he can practice without limitations or lingering symptoms of the concussion. Tagovailoa will also need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist before he's removed from the five-step concussion protocol.