NFL Player News

Mayfield completed 14 of 29 passes for 144 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and added three rushing yards and another score on three carries in the Buccaneers' 29-25 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

The veteran signal-caller salvaged an otherwise particularly quiet day with his trio of touchdowns, with the final one, an 11-yard connection with Cade Otton with 31 seconds remaining, proving to be the difference in the contest. Mayfield had a rare day of missed connections with top target Mike Evans, with the star receiver converting only one of his six targets into catches. Nevertheless, Mayfield worked around the struggles with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Rachaad White and a one-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter. Mayfield now has multiple touchdown passes in five of the last seven games heading into a Week 15 road battle versus the Packers.

Stroud, who left Sunday's game against the Jets, is being evaluated for a possible concussion.

Prior to his fourth-quarter exit from the contest, Stroud had completed 10 of 23 passes for 91 yards. With the Jets up 27-6, Stroud is presumably done for the day. In his absence, Davis Mills is in at QB for the Texans.

Hall (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Vikings, but he'll serve as the Vikings' emergency option at quarterback.

Hall will suit up, but he'll only be allowed to enter the game if Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens are injured and unable to play.

Lock will start at quarterback for the Seahawks on Sunday at San Francisco with Geno Smith (groin) inactive, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Smith showed up on Seattle's Week 14 injury report Thursday with a groin concern, which limited him that day and kept him out of drills entirely one day later. Coach Pete Carroll termed Smith a game-time decision Friday, but the quarterback ultimately wasn't able to make it through a pregame warmup and make himself available for Sunday's game. Lock thus will earn his first start since Jan. 8, 2022 as a member of the Broncos. In 26 appearances (21 starts) in his five-year career, he's completed 58.9 percent of his passes, averaged 184.8 yards per game and posted a 25:21 TD:INT.

Smith (groin) is inactive for Sunday's game in San Francisco.

The Seahawks added Smith to the Week 14 injury report Thursday as limited due to a groin issue, which kept him out of practice entirely Friday. Coach Pete Carroll subsequently termed Smith a game-time decision for Sunday, and after a pregame warmup, the quarterback has been deemed unable to play. With Smith sidelined for the first time this season, Seattle will turn to Drew Lock under center. Smith's next chance for active status is Monday, Dec. 18 against the Eagles.

Beathard will serve as the backup quarterback in Sunday's game against the Browns with Trevor Lawrence (ankle) listed active for the contest and having been cleared to start, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Just six days after suffering what was reported as a right high-ankle sprain in Monday's 34-31 overtime loss to the Bengals, Lawrence will be able to return to the lineup without having to miss a game, even though his injury typically entails a multi-week recovery. The Jaguars were still concerned enough about Lawrence's health to sign another quarterback (Nathan Rourke) to the active roster Saturday, but Rourke will be a healthy inactive Sunday while Beathard sticks in the No. 2 role. While coming on in relief of Lawrence against the Bengals, Beathard completed nine of 10 pass attempts for 63 yards to go with seven yards on his lone carry.

Thompson-Robinson is active for Sunday's game against the Jaguars but is expected to serve as a backup to Joe Flacco, who is in line for a second straight start, sources confirmed to ESPN.com.

While Thompson-Robinson was in concussion protocol throughout Week 13, Flacco was elevated from the practice squad and started in the Browns' 36-19 loss to the Rams last Sunday, throwing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 44 attempts. Flacco took most of the first-team reps in practice this week, but Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski declined to name a Week 14 starting quarterback after Thompson-Robinson cleared the protocol Friday while practicing fully that same day. Though Thompson-Robinson will be available Sunday and could even be deployed in select packages that take advantage of his mobility, Flacco is still expected to see the majority -- if not all -- of the snaps behind center for the second week in a row.

Flacco remains slated to start Sunday's game against the Jaguars, despite the Browns having not made an official announcement on a Week 14 starting quarterback, sources confirmed to ESPN.com.

Flacco was elevated from the practice squad Saturday in anticipation of his second straight start, which comes after he completed 23 of 44 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Browns' 36-19 loss to the Rams in Week 13. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson had started the preceding two games before sitting out Week 13 while recovering from a concussion, but he cleared the five-step protocol Friday and is active for Sunday's contest. While Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal suggests that Thompson-Robinson could be deployed in special packages that take advantage of his mobility, Flacco handled most of the first-team reps in practice this week and should see the bulk of the snaps behind center, if not all of them. The presence of the strong-armed Flacco at quarterback should boost the fantasy outlooks for the Browns' top three pass catchers, wideouts Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore and tight end David Njoku.

Haener (coach's decision) is inactive and will serve as the Saints' emergency quarterback Sunday against Carolina.

Haener has yet to see game action since being taken in the fourth round of this year's draft. Earlier in the week there appeared to be a chance that he would suit up this Sunday to work behind Jameis Winston with Derek Carr in concussion protocol and dealing with multiple injuries, but Carr ultimately was cleared to suit up against the Panthers. As such, Haener will be eligible to play in the contest only if the two QBs ahead of him are injured.

Rourke has been designated the Jaguars' emergency third quarterback Sunday against the Browns.

Rourke was added to the team's roster to provide insurance in case Trevor Lawrence (ankle) was unavailable. However, Lawrence is active and starting, while C.J. Beathard will serve as the team's No. 2 QB on Sunday.