NFL Player News

Darnold (shoulder) is likely still a week or two away from being ready for games, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Darnold returned to practice Wednesday after being designated to return from injured reserve, but head coach Matt Rhule said the quarterback "can't really practice yet" since he hasn't been cleared to take contact, according to Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site. That likely means Darnold isn't able to do much throwing either, which leaves the Panthers with Cam Newton and P.J. Walker as the options at quarterback for at least another week or two. Of course, there's no guarantee of Darnold returning to the starting role even if he regains his health before the end of the season.

Heinicke (knee/elbow) was a full practice participant Wednesday and is on track to start Sunday's game in Philadelphia, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

That's especially good news for Washington with backup quarterback Kyle Allen having landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after testing positive for the virus. Allen replaced an injured Heinicke in the second half of Sunday's 27-20 loss to Dallas, but an MRI confirmed Heinicke's initial belief that he avoided serious damage. His elbow injury also appears minor, with head coach Ron Rivera saying the signal-caller "didn't seem to have any issues" at Wednesday's practice. Despite Heinicke's rocky showing against Dallas before departing with the injury, Rivera said earlier this week that the Old Dominion product will remain the Football Team's starter if healthy, according to Matthew Paras of The Washington Times.

Minshew and Jalen Hurts (ankle) are expected to split practice reps this week, with Hurts considered truly questionable for Sunday's game against Washington, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that Hurts is trending up, but Garafolo suggests that's relative to Week 13, when the Eagles knew all along that the 23-year-old in was unlikely to play in the team's eventual win over the Jets. While Hurts has a better chance to suit up after the team's Week 14 bye, him playing is apparently no sure thing, so Minshew could get the chance to make a second straight start. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the 33-18 win over the Jets, and the upcoming matchup could be similarly favorable with Washington's defense hit hard by COVID-19 absences.

Burrow (finger) won't practice Wednesday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he doesn't have any concern about Burrow's ability to perform in games, but the quarterback will be held out of Wednesday's session in order to get maintenance for the dislocated pinkie finger on his throwing hand. Per Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site, Burrow is expected to follow a similar pattern to last week, when he followed an absence from practice Wednesday with a limited session Thursday and full participation Friday.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday that White is dealing with a non-COVID-19-related illness, Ethan B. Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.

White tested positive for COVID-19 in late November and still resides on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he's apparently cleared all necessary protocols and has been held up from returning to practice due to an unrelated ailment. Because he hasn't practiced in three weeks, White will likely need to get back on the field by Friday to have a shot at being available Sunday against the Dolphins. Even if he's activated before the weekend, White could be inactive for the contest, as he looks to have fallen behind both Zach Wilson and Joe Flacco on the depth chart.

Washington placed Allen on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Though he's filled a backup role all season, Allen's status takes on added importance this week after starter Taylor Heinicke injured his knee during Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Cowboys. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that Heinicke and the team were optimistic about the quarterback's availability for a Week 15 game against the Eagles, but it's possible Washington has to turn to practice-squad signal-caller Kyle Shurmur if both Allen and Heinicke are unavailable this Sunday. As of Wednesday, Allen was one of 12 Washington players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, though the Football Team hasn't disclosed whether the 25-year-old tested positive for the virus or if he was deemed a close contact.

The Ravens signed Johnson off the Jets' practice squad Wednesday.

Johnson reverted to the Jets' practice squad in early December and will provide additional depth at quarterback for the Ravens while Lamar Jackson (ankle) is day-to-day. Even if Jackson is unavailable for Sunday's game against Green Bay, Johnson should serve as a backup behind Tyler Huntley.

The Panthers designated Darnold (shoulder) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Darnold is working his way back from a partial non-displaced fracture of his right scapula that resulted in him being placed on IR on Nov. 12. Though initial reports suggested that Darnold wouldn't play again in 2021 even though his injury wasn't considered season-ending, Carolina may be more inclined to add the 2018 first-round pick back on the roster at some point, given that neither Cam Newton nor P.J. Walker has performed at high level over the team's past four games. Carolina will have a 21-day window to evaluate Darnold in practice, and he'll be eligible for activation at any point during that stretch. As Darin Gantt of the team's official site notes, head coach Matt Rhule has already named Newton the starter for Sunday's game against Buffalo, but Walker is also expected to be involved in the game plan.

Jackson (ankle) won't practice Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

According to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, Jackson is considered day-to-day and has a chance to play Sunday against the Packers. In Jackson's absence from practice as the Ravens begin preparing for the Week 15 matchup, Tyler Huntley is slated to handle the first-team quarterback reps.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that Hurts (ankle) is "trending upwards" heading into the team's Week 15 game against Washington, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

Hurts and Gardner Minshew will split reps at Wednesday's practice, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, but the second-year signal-caller out of Oklahoma looks to be trending toward playing this weekend after having missed his first game of the season in the Eagles' Week 13 win over the Jets. Of course, the Eagles won't need to confirm Hurts' status until after he's been fully evaluated at practice over the next few days.