NFL Player News
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Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Full practice Tuesday
Jackson (toe) was a full participant at practice Tuesday.
Jackson was deemed a non-participant in the team's walkthrough Monday due to a toe issue, which he revealed that he sustained in the first quarter of Sunday's 23-10 win over the Jets, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. He clarified Tuesday that his toe is feeling good heading into Thursday's game against the Bengals, with head coach John Harbaugh echoing the quarterback's assessment. Though Jackson isn't expected to face any limitations while taking aim at a vulnerable Cincinnati defense, the two-time league MVP hasn't resembled his dominant self of late. Despite leading the Ravens to wins in his last three starts, Jackson has accounted for just 57 rushing yards while completing 44 of 77 pass attempts (57.1 percent) for 522 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during that stretch.
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Sean Clifford QB | CIN
Sean Clifford: Back with Bengals on practice squad
The Bengals signed Clifford to the practice squad Tuesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Clifford was waived by the Bengals on Monday in anticipation that Joe Burrow (toe) would be activated from injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game against the Ravens. Clifford has opted to stick around in Cincinnati on the practice squad, and he would be a candidate to be elevated to the active roster if Burrow, Joe Flacco (shoulder/finger) or Jake Browning were to miss time.
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Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Present at practice Tuesday
Jackson (toe) returned to practice Tuesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.
Jackson was estimated as a DNP on Monday's practice report, but he doesn't appear to be in serious danger of missing Thursday night's game against the Bengals. The QB is looking to bust a three-game slump -- he's averaged 174 passing yards per game with a 1:2 TD:INT mark over the last three weeks -- in a juicy matchup against Cincinnati's league-worst defense.
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Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers: Limited to start Week 13 prep
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Rodgers (wrist) will be a limited practice participant in the early portion of the week, but the Steelers have "great optimism" that the quarterback will be available Sunday versus the Bills, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "I'm comfortable with his general trajectory," Tomlin added.
Per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com, Tomlin said that Rodgers "fought his tail off" to play in the Steelers' eventual 31-28 loss to Chicago in Week 12, but the team decided it was a "prudent" decision to hold him out and have Mason Rudolph make the start. While Rodgers looks like he'll remain a limited practice participant when the Steelers return to the field Wednesday, the expectation is that he's on a path to playing against Buffalo. If Rodgers ends up suiting up Sunday, he'll likely need to wear a protective brace on his non-throwing wrist.
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C.J. Stroud QB | HOU
Texans' C.J. Stroud: Return could boost offense
The eventual return of Stroud (concussion) could aid a Houston offense that struggled in the second half of last Thursday's 23-19 win over Buffalo, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports. "We still gotta do a better job of moving the ball in the second half," Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. "I don't think our second-half offense was good enough."
The Texans had a strong first half against the Bills with 20 points, but the offense was limited to just 60 net yards after the break. Four of the team's five second-half possessions ended in a punt, including three three-and-outs. The one scoring drive was a squandered opportunity that began at Buffalo's 22-yard line and ended with a field goal. A healthy Stroud could be the elixir to solve the execution woes. His accuracy and arm talent are considered better than those of fill-in starting quarterback Davis Mills, which means defenses would be forced to respect the passing game. Ryans said Monday that Stroud remains in concussion protocol, but the Texans have optimism about his chances of playing Sunday in Indianapolis after he returned to practice last week.
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Brock Purdy QB | SF
49ers' Brock Purdy: Off his mark on MNF
Purdy completed 23 of 32 pass attempts for 193 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions while rushing six times for 16 yards in Monday's 20-9 win over the Panthers.
Purdy had a first half he would like to forget after getting picked off by Carolina's secondary on three consecutive possessions. The trio of turnovers followed an impressive 15-play, 72-yard opening drive that culminated in a touchdown strike to WR Jauan Jennings. Head coach Kyle Shanahan gave his signal-caller a vote of confidence heading into halftime, telling ESPN's Lisa Salters that he felt Purdy played well outside of missing his mark on two of the three interceptions. The Iowa State product took better care of the ball in the second half, leading a couple of scoring drives to finish off the Panthers in the primetime victory. Monday's shoddy results coupled with a brutal upcoming matchup against Cleveland's defense Sunday should suppress Purdy's fantasy value Week 13.
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Bryce Young QB | CAR
Panthers' Bryce Young: Rough night in Week 12 loss
Young completed 18 of 29 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and added four rushes for 15 yards in the Panthers' 20-9 loss to the 49ers on Monday night.
Young was coming off a career-best day in an overtime win over the Falcons in Week 11, but he experienced some significant regression Monday night. The 2023 first overall pick couldn't make many inroads against what had been a vulnerable 49ers defense, save for a 29-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter, and he finished with multiple interceptions for the first time since Week 1. While neither pick directly led to San Francisco points, the second came with 2:54 remaining at the 49ers' 22-yard line and essentially snuffed out any hopes of a Carolina comeback. Young will aim to bounce back in a Week 13 home matchup against the Rams on Sunday, but that shapes up on paper as a more daunting matchup than the one he came up short in Monday night.
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Bailey Zappe QB | CLE
Bailey Zappe: Returns to practice squad
Zappe reverted to the Browns' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.
Zappe was elevated to serve as the backup quarterback behind Shedeur Sanders in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Raiders, failing to play in the game. With Dillon Gabriel clearing concussion protocol Monday, Zappe will likely have to wait for another chance to be active for a contest down the road this year.
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Dillon Gabriel QB | CLE
Browns' Dillon Gabriel: Will serve as No. 2 in Week 13
Gabriel will serve as the top backup to Shedeur Sanders in next Sunday's game against San Francisco, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Sanders replaced an injured Gabriel on Sunday and guided the Browns to a 24-10 win over Las Vegas. Gabriel, who cleared the concussion protocol Monday, will operate as the backup. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said that he's "not looking past this week," suggesting the two rookie QBs could flip spots on the depth chart at any point.
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Kyler Murray QB | ARI
Cardinals' Kyler Murray: 'Working hard to get healthy,' per Gannon
Coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday that Murray (foot) is "working hard to get healthy," Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports. "That's what he's doing right now," Gannon added. "He's in every meeting. He's engaged. He's rehabbing a boat load of time in there."
Murray has been sidelined since he last suited up Week 5 due to a mid-foot sprain, but because the Cardinals didn't place him on injured reserve until before a Week 10 matchup with the Seahawks, he isn't eligible to return until Sunday, Dec. 7 against the Rams, at the earliest. Having said that, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Nov. 9 that Murray isn't expected to start again this season unless an injury befalls fellow QB Jacoby Brissett, who has racked up 1,887 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in six starts since Murray got injured. Murray thus may be facing a backup role whenever he's cleared for game action down the stretch, but he remains embedded in his recovery at the moment.