NFL Player News

Mullens could be designated to return from IR this week according to head coach Kevin O'Connell, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Mullens will have a 21-day window to practice with the team before needing to be added to the active roster if he is designated to return. However, O'Connell is not certain they'll open that window this week. Either way, Joshua Dobbs will likely get the start in Week 10 against the Saints, even if Mullens is activated ahead of the contest.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed that Hall was placed in the concussion protocol following Sunday's 31-28 win over the Falcons and won't be an option to start Week 10 versus the Saints, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Making his first NFL start Sunday a week after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles tear, Hall completed five of six pass attempts for 78 yards and ran twice for 11 yards before leaving the game in the first quarter with a concussion. Trade-deadline pickup Joshua Dobbs stepped in at quarterback despite having few practice reps with the Vikings since his acquisition, and though he got off to a slow start, he ultimately accounted for 224 yards and three touchdowns through the air and on the ground and orchestrated the Vikings' game-winning, 11-play drive scoring drive in the fourth quarter. O'Connell said Monday that Dobbs will get all the first-team reps in practice this week in preparation to start against New Orleans, and if Dobbs performs well, he'll presumably remain atop the depth chart moving forward. Per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Hall looks like he'll face an uphill battle to clear the five-step protocol in time to serve as a backup to Dobbs on Sunday, and O'Connell expressed uncertainty that Nick Mullens (back) would be ready to return from injured reserve this week. As a result, practice-squad member Sean Mannion could be elevated for Week 10 to back up Dobbs.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said that Fields (thumb) was limited during Monday's walk-through practice and is considered day-to-day, Adam Jahns of The Athletic reports.

Fields has missed the last three games due to a dislocated right thumb, but he appears to be closing in on a return to game action. While he hasn't been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Panthers, he won't benefit from a typical week of prep work as he aims to avoid a fourth consecutive missed game. The Bears will continue to evaluate him in the coming days, and if he's unavailable Thursday, it certainly seems possible that he could return Week 11 against the Lions on Sunday, Nov. 19.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Dobbs will receive all the first-team reps in practice this week with the expectation that he starts Sunday against the Saints, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

O'Connell's announcement isn't particularly surprising, as Week 9 starter Jaren Hall is in the concussion protocol, while Dobbs came off the bench and helped lead the Vikings to a rousing 31-28 win over the Falcons in his debut. After getting few live reps in practice with his new team following his acquisition from the Cardinals on Tuesday, Dobbs had some expected struggles -- he lost two fumbles and took a sack in the end zone -- but he came on strong late in the game and finished with 20 completions on 30 attempts for 158 yards and two touchdowns to go with 66 rushing yards. Though Dobbs should benefit from a more typical practice schedule this week as he prepares to start Sunday, he may need a solid showing versus New Orleans to ensure he remains the Vikings' No. 1 quarterback. Nick Mullens (back) is on injured reserve but is eligible to resume practicing this week, and he and Hall could serve as challengers to Dobbs for starting duties following Kirk Cousins' season-ending torn Achilles.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Heinicke will remain the team's starting quarterback for Sunday's game against Arizona, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Heinicke was serviceable in his first start of the season in Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Vikings, completing 21 of 38 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception, despite not having top wideout Drake London (groin) at his disposal. The veteran signal-caller will have another chance to make his case for a more permanent spot atop the depth chart Week 10, but Smith said that the Falcons will evaluate the position over the Week 11 bye. Heinicke's Week 9 performance didn't represent a significant improvement over what Desmond Ridder had offered through the Falcons' first eight games, so Heinicke will likely need to display better results against the Cardinals if he hopes to solidify his role for the second half of the season.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll was non-committal Monday when asked if Taylor (rib cage) will return from injured reserve this season, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.

After being placed on IR prior to Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Raiders, Taylor will have to miss at least the Giants' next three games, with his first opportunity to play again arriving after the team's Week 13 bye. Daboll's unwillingness to speak on Taylor's availability for the rest of the season would seemingly suggest that, at the very least, the Giants aren't counting on the veteran signal-caller being ready to play when first eligible Week 14 against the Packers on Monday, Dec. 11. Taylor had served as the Giants' starting quarterback from Weeks 6 through 8 while Daniel Jones was sidelined with a neck injury, completing 46 of 72 pass attempts for 487 yards and two touchdowns while adding 82 yards on 18 carries before suffering an injury to his rib cage in the second quarter of an overtime loss to the Jets on Oct. 29. With Jones suffering a season-ending ACL tear in his return to the lineup against Las Vegas, a healthy Taylor would have been positioned for another extended run as the Giants' starting quarterback, but the team will be forced to turn to undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito and veteran journeyman Matt Barkley as its signal-callers heading into a Week 10 game in Dallas.

Head coach Brian Daboll suggested that DeVito is in line to start the Giants' Week 10 game against the Cowboys after Daniel Jones (knee) suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Sunday's loss to the Raiders, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Though he didn't explicitly confirm that DeVito will start against Dallas, Daboll said his focus right now is on "getting DeVito ready to go," as well as getting practice-squad quarterback Matt Barkley up to speed with the team's playbook. Assuming Barkley is elevated from the practice squad, he'll most likely serve as a backup to DeVito, who completed 15 of 20 pass attempts for 175 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while gaining 17 rushing yards on four carries following Jones' departure in the first half Sunday. Though he was solid enough from an efficiency standpoint with a 75 percent completion rate and 8.8 yards per pass attempt, DeVito bore some responsibility for the six sacks he took on the day by not getting the ball out fast enough. The undrafted rookie out of Illinois has shown some rushing ability in his two appearances to date, but he still appears unrefined as a passer, and his shortcomings could prompt the Giants to lean even more heavily on Saquon Barkley. If DeVito does get the Week 10 start, he shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a low-end option in leagues that start two quarterbacks or have a QB flex spot.

Jones will miss the rest of the season after an MRI on Monday confirmed that the quarterback suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Raiders.

Jones, who had just returned to action after missing the Giants' previous three games with a neck injury, will undergo surgery on his knee. He finishes the 2023 season with a 67.5 percent completion rate, 5.7 YPA and 2:6 TD:INT to go with 40 carries for 206 rushing yards and a touchdown over six starts. The 26-year-old signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension in March and has a $35.5 million fully guaranteed salary for 2024 as he heads into what will be a roughly nine-month recovery from his ACL reconstruction surgery, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Despite the team's investment in Jones, the Giants could select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, especially if the 2-7 club picks near the top of the draft. As for what's left of the 2023 season, all signs point to the Giants rolling with undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito as their starting quarterback beginning with this weekend's game in Dallas. Tyrod Taylor had started each of the previous three games that Jones had missed with his neck injury, but the veteran backup suffered a rib injury Week 8 and may not be ready to return from injured reserve when first eligible Week 14, according to Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports. The team also has Matt Barkley on its practice squad, but New York could look outside the organization for additional quarterback depth.

Hurts played all 62 of the Eagles' snaps on offense in Sunday's 28-23 win over the Cowboys, but he appeared to be playing in pain for most of the second half of the contest after taking a direct hit to his left knee late in the second quarter, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

Hurts had already been dealing with pain in the same knee for multiple weeks leading up to the contest and wore a brace on the leg for the third game in a row Sunday. Though he's played 100 percent of the snaps on offense in each of the Eagles' first nine games, Hurts did need to leave the sideline early in the waning seconds of the first half to get extra treatment in the locker room. He was back on the field to begin the second half and turned in another productive outing for fantasy managers, committing no turnovers while finishing with 36 yards and a touchdown on the ground and completing 17 of 23 pass attempts for 207 yards and two more scores. The Eagles' Week 10 bye couldn't come at a better time for Hurts, who will get some extended rest before the team returns to action Monday, Nov. 20 at Kansas City.

Burrow completed 31 of 44 pass attempts for 348 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers in Sunday's 24-18 win over the Bills.

Burrow turned in another masterful passing performance in his second game coming out of Cincinnati's bye in Week 7. The young superstar has completed 78 percent of his passes for 631 yards and five touchdowns in those two contests after a lingering calf injury limited his play out of the gates. Now that he is seemingly back at full strength, Burrow should resume his upper echelon status in fantasy while boosting his top receivers' projections for a home matchup against Houston's 24th-ranked pass defense next Sunday.