NFL Player News

Hurts (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

The ankle injury Hurts suffered in late November continues to limit his participation in practice, even after he started and finished two straight games without incident. He's thrown for three touchdowns and has run for two more since returning form the injury, and he'll now face a Washington defense that's been beat up on for most of the season. Hurts himself just torched Washington for 337 total yards and three touchdowns Week 15 in the Eagles' 27-17 victory.

Bridgewater (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday and isn't expected to be ready for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With Bridgewater absent from practice, as expected, Drew Lock continues to guide the first-string offense. The Broncos also made Lock available to the media Wednesday, a sign he's viewed as the likely starting QB for Week 17. The 25-year-old completed 15 of 22 passes for 153 yards in Sunday's 17-13 loss to Las Vegas, with no touchdowns or turnovers in a game where the Broncos took only 42 snaps on offense.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expects Huntley (illness) to return to practice Thursday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Assuming that happens and Huntley is formally reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, he could be primed to make another start, with Lamar Jackson (ankle) back at practice Wednesday but still sporting a limp. While neither Huntley nor Jackson was available fo last week's 41-21 loss to the Bengals, Josh Johnson got the starting nod and mostly kept the offense moving in a game where the defense was bowled over.

Goff didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Goff relayed that he suffered the injury near the end of the first half of his last appearance, a Week 15 win against the Cardinals, per Rogers. The Lions then placed Goff on the reserve/COVID-19 list last Monday after he tested positive for the virus, and because he remained there for exactly one week, the team wasn't required to list him on its injury reports before he sat out the team's loss to the Falcons. Goff has since been restored from the list, but his status is still in question in advance of Sunday's trip to Seattle. He'll have a pair of practices to prove his health in advance of that contest, but if Goff can't go, Tim Boyle would be in store for a second straight start under center and his third of the season overall.

The Browns placed Mullens on the practice squad COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Mullens reverted to Cleveland's practice squad Monday but will now need to spend time away from the team. It's not yet clear whether the 26-year-old has tested positive for COVID-19.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Darnold will start Sunday's game against the Saints, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Rhule wouldn't comment on his plans for Week 18 in Tampa Bay, merely saying that Darnold will gather the Week 17 start. Cam Newton may still get snaps, especially near the goal line, and the New Orleans defense hardly makes for a favorable matchup. Darnold struggled after replacing Newton in last week's loss to Tampa, completing 15 of 32 passes for 190 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Jackson (ankle) had a "pronounced limp" while practicing in a limited capacity Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Hensley was one of at least three Baltimore beat reporters to mention the limp, with Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun adding that Jackson relied on his upper body rather than legs/trunk for arm strength. Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes that the quarterback didn't move much and limped when he did. None of that means Jackson won't make it back for Sunday's game against the Rams, but it at least suggests his mobility could be compromised to some degree if he plays. Meanwhile, No. 2 signal-caller Tyler Huntley is still on the reserve/COVID-19 list, leaving Week 16 starter Josh Johnson as the only healthy quarterback at Wednesday's practice.

Rodgers (toe) isn't practicing Wednesday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Rodgers' absence comes as no surprise after his broken toe was stepped on and kicked during this past Saturday's win against the Browns. He received treatment at halftime of that contest and played all 58 offensive snaps on his way to 202 passing yards and three touchdowns on a 71 percent completion rate. As he's done in advance of each of the past five games, Rodgers is focusing on rest and rehab to keep him as fresh as possible during the stretch run of the campaign. He's not a lock to mix into practice this week, but having few or none on-field reps leading up to games hasn't affected his play much. He's completed 70.6 percent of his throws, averaged a shade over 300 yards per game and tossed 16 touchdowns versus no interceptions during the aforementioned five-game stretch.

The Panthers placed Walker (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Walker was a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, and he'll now be forced to isolate from the team. It's not yet clear whether he's tested positive for COVID-19, but he isn't guaranteed to suit up in Week 17 even if he's activated prior to Sunday.

Lock will likely remain Denver's starting quarterback Sunday's game against the Chargers with Teddy Bridgewater not expected to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Bridgewater required a trip to the hospital after being carted off the field in the Broncos' Dec. 19 loss to the Bengals. Though he was discharged a day later and was diagnosed with no injuries beyond the concussion, Bridgewater wasn't able to practice in any capacity last week before being ruled out ahead of last Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Raiders. Bridgewater remains in the protocol as of Wednesday and is considered unlikely to take any dramatic steps forward in the next few days, setting up Lock for a second consecutive start. Lock completed 15 of 22 passes for 153 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions last week, as Denver took just 40 snaps on offense while Las Vegas (36:37) dominated the time of possession.