NFL Player News

Jones did not attempt a pass and lost two yards on two end-of-game kneel-down plays during Sunday's 35-13 victory over the Dolphins.

The 49ers had no trouble building a comfortable lead throughout the contest, leading to Jones coming in to mop up over the final two series. The 28-year-old is coming off a sound 2025 campaign, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing a career-best 69.6 percent of his attempts. While Jones is considered one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL, his fantasy ceiling is virtually non-existent as long as Brock Purdy is healthy.

The Jets cut Zappe from the practice squad Tuesday, Eric Allen of the team's official site reports.

Zappe lost out to Cade Klubnik for a spot on the 53-man roster at the end of training camp, and the former's short tenure with the Jets is over after the team signed Will Levis to the practice squad. Zappe has appeared in 15 regular-season games (nine starts) since 2022 and should catch on with a team in need of quarterback depth on the practice squad.

Darnold (glute) will practice Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Seahawks quarterback has been trending toward a quicker return than initially expected after coach Mike Macdonald said Sunday that Darnold was ahead of schedule in his recovery. With the QB set to get back on the practice field, he hasn't yet been ruled out for Week 3 against Washington. Darnold's level of practice participation during the week should provide more clarity on whether he's on track to return Sunday, or whether Drew Lock will be in line for another start.

Tagovailoa (oblique) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.

Tagovailoa took part in his first full practice since Sept. 9, after he sustained an oblique injury a day later that kept him from playing in either of the Falcons' first two games of the season. The 28-year-old had been poised to direct the offense in Week 1, but he'll now have to settle for the No. 2 role with Michael Penix (knee) getting cleared to make his 2026 debut as the team's starting quarterback Thursday versus the Packers.

Keenum could start Monday's game against the Eagles with both Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Tyson Bagent (concussion) potentially unavailable, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

A healthy inactive as the emergency No. 3 quarterback in the Bears' 9-3 loss to the Vikings this past Sunday, Keenum may suddenly be called upon to make his first NFL start since 2023. Head coach Ben Johnson noted Monday that he didn't expect Williams to practice this week but wasn't willing to officially rule him out yet from playing against the Eagles. That would line Bagent up to receive all the first-team reps in practice, but his surprise placement in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol Tuesday puts him at risk of joining Williams in street clothes in Week 3. While he represents an experienced fallback plan, the 38-year-old Keenum would likely be limited to a game-manager role as a starter, which could hinder the fantasy prospects of the Bears' pass catchers but lead to increased volume for running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

Winston could be in line for an extended run as the Giants' starting quarterback after Jaxson Dart sustained a more serious knee injury than anticipated in Monday's 28-6 loss to the Rams, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report.

After exiting in the first quarter Monday, Dart received a preliminary diagnosis of a sprained MCL, an injury that typically entails a multi-week absence. Unfortunately for Dart, follow-up tests Tuesday seemingly revealed additional damage to his knee that could potentially lead to season-ending surgery. Dart will likely receive additional medical opinions before a treatment plan and recovery timeline is established, but with an extended absence on tap, the door is open for Winston to direct the New York offense beginning with Sunday's game versus Tennessee. Winston averaged a healthy 8.6 yards per attempt between two starts and one brief appearance off the bench with the Giants a season ago, but he was highly inefficient in relief of Dart in his 2026 debut Monday, completing just 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

Dart is facing the possibility of season-ending surgery after further testing Tuesday revealed that the left knee injury he sustained in Monday's 28-6 loss to the Rams is worse than originally anticipated, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Giants had previously been optimistic that Dart would avoid an extended absence after initial scans following Monday's game suggested that he sustained an MCL sprain in his knee, but follow-up tests appear to have revealed more significant damage. Dart is likely to seek out additional medical opinions before deciding on a treatment plan for his injury, but if surgery is deemed necessary, he would likely be lost for the remainder of the 2026 campaign. Jameis Winston is poised to direct the Giants offense in Week 3 versus the Titans and could be in line for an extended run as the team's starting quarterback.

Bagent was diagnosed with a concussion and placed in the five-step protocol Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With Caleb Williams viewed as week-to-week after suffering a hamstring injury in the Bears' Week 2 loss to the Vikings, Bagent was the leading candidate to start Monday against the Eagles. However, his availability for Week 3 is suddenly up in the air. Third-stringer Case Keenum is left as the only healthy quarterback on the roster and would start against the Eagles if neither Williams nor Bagent is cleared to play.

Levis agreed Tuesday to sign with the Jets' practice squad, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

The Jets will cut Bailey Zappe from their practice squad and have Levis replace him in their quarterback room. A 2023 second-round pick, the 27-year-old Levis was waived by the Titans at the end of the preseason after he completed 61.0 percent of his passes for 7.0 yards per attempt and a 21:16 TD:INT, to go with 240 rushing yards and a TD on 70 carries, across 21 starts over his first three seasons in the NFL.

Winston replaced Jaxson Dart (knee) with 9:51 remaining in the first quarter of Monday night's 28-6 loss to the Rams and completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while rushing twice for one yard.

Winston has enjoyed success in the past taking over for injured or demoted teammates, but Monday night was far from such an example. The veteran signal-caller consistently struggled against an invigorated Rams defense, taking two sacks and frequently working under duress. Winston's accuracy was also at a low point, and his one interception came in the end zone on a pass intended for Malik Nabers. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports Dart has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL, so despite Monday night's struggles, Winston could be in line for at least one start in a Week 3 home matchup against the Titans on Sunday.