NFL Player News

Lock (shoulder) practiced fully Thursday and doesn't have an injury designation for Saturday's game against the Chiefs, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Lock is set to make his third consecutive start this weekend while the Broncos close their season without Teddy Bridgewater, who wasn't able to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol before being moved to injured reserve Wednesday. Brett Rypien will serve as the backup to Lock, who has completed 33 of 47 attempts (70.2 percent) for 398 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions over the past two weeks. Though Lock has done a good job playing mistake-free football of late, expect Denver to once again lean heavily on a low-tempo ground-heavy game plan that will likely limit his overall passing volume.

Jackson (ankle) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

As Hensley points out, Jackson only has practiced once in the past 25 days, so at this stage the QB's status for Sunday's game against the Steelers is cloudy. If Jackson remains sidelined this weekend, Tyler Huntley would be in line to start the Ravens' regular-season finale.

Hurts (ankle) doesn't have a designation for Saturday's game versus the Cowboys.

After opening Week 18 prep with back-to-back limited sessions, Hurts bumped up to all activity at Thursday's practice, setting the stage for him to be available this weekend. Coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged Thursday that Hurts still is dealing with the sprained ankle he picked up Week 12 at the Giants and forced him to sit out Week 13 at the Jets, per Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal. Since the Eagles' Week 14 bye, Hurts has suited up in three straight games, averaging 236 yards on 66.7 percent passing, tossing three touchdowns versus one interception and taking 17 carries for 89 yards and two more scores.

Rodgers (toe) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Since coming down with a broken toe in mid-November, Rodgers often hasn't made his presence felt on the practice field before the final session of a given week, if he's been able to take part at all. As a result, he seems to be healthier than he's been in some time and poised to get rid of his designation when the Packers post Friday's injury report, as he normally does. Coach Matt LaFleur hasn't revealed how much Rodgers may play Sunday at Detroit, suggesting Wednesday that he'll feel out the situation and make the decision to remove starters during the game, according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Goff (knee) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.

On the heels of two consecutive games missed, Goff now has managed to log back-to-back capped sessions as he attempts to put a bruised knee behind him. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn told Justin Rogers of The Detroit News that Goff appeared to move around well during Thursday's practice. The display of internal optimism from the Lions is a decent sign that Goff has a chance to play Sunday against the Packers, but Friday's injury report may provide a better indication of those odds. Behind Goff, Tim Boyle is poised to earn another spot start if the former is forced to miss another contest.

Burrow (knee/rest) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Though Burrow was back on the field after sitting out Wednesday's session entirely, his practice activity shouldn't be taken as evidence that he'll play in Sunday's regular-season finale in Cleveland. Head coach Zac Taylor and Burrow himself have both already said that the signal-caller won't start Sunday, with the Bengals instead planning to hold him out to preserve his health for the playoffs. Brandon Allen is in line to pick up the Week 18 start, though Burrow could still be active as his backup if the Bengals don't add another quarterback to the roster before Saturday's transaction deadline.

Rodgers (toe) took part in Thursday's practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

It's rare for Rodgers to get practice reps on Fridays since he was diagnosed with a broken toe in mid-November. Now with an appearance on the field on a Thursday, he appears to be the healthiest he's been in some time and will log at least a limited session. The bigger question surrounding Rodgers for a Week 18 visit to Detroit is how much he'll play Sunday, which coach Matt LaFleur indicated Wednesday would be based off "feel," per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Burrow (knee) was present for Thursday's practice, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Burrow was rested during Wednesday's session, but his return to the field Thursday supports the notion that the knee issue he's managing isn't a major one. That said, the plan is for Burrow to not start Sunday's regular-season finale against the Browns, with backup QB Brandon Allen in line to draw the Week 18 assignment.

Dalton is expected to make a second straight start in Sunday's season finale at Minnesota after the Bears placed Justin Fields (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Fields is vaccinated and therefore has a chance to test out of the NFL's COVID-19 return-to-play protocol in fewer than five days, but given the timing of his placement on the list, he'll more than likely miss a third consecutive game to end his rookie campaign. Along with Fields, Dalton was sidelined Week 16 in Seattle due to a small fracture non-throwing hand, but the latter stepped back into the lineup for the Bears' Week 17 win over the Giants. Over his seven appearances (five starts) this season, Dalton has completed 61.7 percent of his throws for 6.3 yards per attempt and a 7:7 TD:INT while carrying 15 times for 69 yards.

The Bears placed Fields on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

According to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune, Fields is vaccinated, which confirms he tested positive for the virus. While he theoretically has a chance to test out of the NFL's COVID-19 return-to-play protocol ahead of Sunday's game in Minnesota, the timing of his placement on the list means that he'll more than likely be out for the regular-season finale. Andy Dalton will presumably prepare to make his second straight start, while Fields likely ends his rookie season with a 58.9 percent completion rate for 1,870 yards and a 7:10 TD:INT over 12 appearances. He also added 420 yards and two scores on the ground.