NFL Player News

Though Hurts does not carry a Week 18 injury designation, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network expects backup QB Gardner Minshew to see an increased role Saturday night against the Cowboys.

With multiple key players sidelined due to injury or their placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list and the Eagles not having a lot to gain in terms of playing seeding, Hurts is among the players the team could choose to rest or limit versus Dallas. With that in mind, Hurts is a risky fantasy lineup option Saturday, while Minshew seems likely to see added snaps in Philadelphia's regular-season finale.

The Bengals elevated Browning to the active roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns.

Browning was also elevated ahead of Week 17 but was inactive against Kansas City. However, he should serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Brandon Allen on Sunday since Joe Burrow (knee/rest) will be held out.

Burrow (knee/rest) will not travel to Cleveland and has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's contest, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

The plan all along has been to rest Burrow, so this hardly is a surprise. Ben Baby of ESPN.com did relay the second-year quarterback was a full participant in Friday's practice, essentially confirming Burrow's designation is simply a procedural one. Expect the star quarterback to face no such limitations when the Bengals square off against their playoff opponent next week.

Coach Kyle Shanahan wouldn't commit to Jimmy Garoppolo (thumb) or Lance as the 49ers' starting quarterback for Sunday's road game against the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

It appears as if Shanahan won't tip his hand until closer to Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, but he added that he "feels good" where Garoppolo stands after sitting out Week 17 due to a Grade 3 UCL sprain in his right thumb and then splitting reps with Lance this week, per Wagoner. Considering the 49ers can be eliminated from the playoff race with a loss and a Saints win in Atlanta, Shanahan may opt for the steadier hand in Garoppolo if he deems him healthy enough to play. Even if Garoppolo does suit up, though, Lance still could be a part of the offense, similar to what he was early on this season. In any case, Lance's value is contingent on Garoppolo's availability, making him a huge hit-or-miss proposition for Week 18.

Garoppolo (thumb) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams, after making it through three limited practices without any setbacks this week, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Reports from San Francisco beat writers have been positive across the board, with Garoppolo seemingly trending toward a return after missing the Week 17 win over Houston. The 49ers have a ton on the line this weekend, as a loss combined with a Saints win over the Falcons would leave San Francisco out of the playoffs. Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, Kyle Shanahan acknowledged Friday afternoon that Garoppolo had a good week of practice, but the 49ers coach stopped short of saying the veteran QB would play, declining to name his starter for Week 18. Should they ultimately determine Garoppolo isn't healthy enough to start, the 49ers will turn to rookie QB Trey Lance ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Watson (not injury-related) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Titans.

As has been the case all season for Watson. Davis Mills again will direct the Texans offense Week 18, while Tyrod Taylor is around to serve as his backup.

Coach Dan Campbell considers Jared Goff (knee) "probable" to return for Week 18 and replace Boyle as the starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Packers, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Boyle started the past two games, with Goff first on the reserve/COVID-19 list and then out with a knee injury. With Goff now listed as questionable but expected to play, Boyle figures to return to his backup role for the season finale.

Burrow (knee/rest) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Browns, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Ben Baby of ESPN.com relays that the QB was listed as a full practice participant Friday, but the plan this weekend is to rest Burrow with the postseason in mind, which sets the stage for Brandon Allen to start Sunday. It remains to be seen, however, if Burrow is in uniform versus Cleveland, as Jake Browning could be promoted from the practice squad to back up Allen in Week 18.

Rodgers (toe) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Lions, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Rodgers has played some of the best football of his career while dealing with the toe injury, and he wants to continue in Week 18 even with the Packers locked in for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Friday that Rodgers will start Sunday, though LaFleur wasn't much help in terms of expectations for playing time, merely saying it would be based on how the game goes. Anything from a couple drives to a full game is thus in play, making Rodgers a high-risk, high-reward fantasy play for Week 18.

Goff (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Packers, after Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday he considers the quarterback "probable" to play.

Campbell expects Goff to play, which isn't necessarily the same as saying he'd have the 'probable' designation if it still existed. Regardless it's best to treat the QB as questionable entering the weekend, considering he didn't play last week and remained limited at practice Wednesday through Friday this week. If he does start, Goff will face a Packers defense that may or may not pull key players at some point. If Goff is out, Tim Boyle will make his fourth and final start of the year, with the Lions and Packers kicking off at 1:00 p.m. ET this Sunday.