NFL Player News

Dalton is set to return to a backup role with Justin Fields (ankle) named the Bears' starting quarterback for Week 18 against Minnesota, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The season has been disappointing overall for both Dalton and Fields, but the former has shown some promising signs with the campaign nearing its end. In what might have been his last taste of action as a member of the Bears in Week 17, Dalton started in place of an injured Fields and completed 18 of 35 attempts for 173 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The 34-year-old is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the offseason, and there's no guarantee of another shot at a Week 1 starting job no matter where he lands.

Allen is expected to serve as the Bengals' starting quarterback Sunday against the Browns after Joe Burrow (knee/finger) acknowledged that he plans on serving as the backup for the Week 18 contest, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Burrow (knee/finger) said he's healthy enough to play but nonetheless will be rested as the Bengals look to preserve his health ahead of the playoffs. Allen didn't show much in five starts last season in place of an injured Burrow, throwing for only 925 yards and five touchdowns. He would theoretically have a better group of pass catchers to work with this time around, if not for the possibility of the Bengals resting other key skill-position players besides Burrow. Of course, there's also some chance the Browns will be missing a number of key players, with quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) having already been placed on injured reserve and a slew of others missing Wednesday's practice. Allen and Cleveland's Case Keenum are expected to be the starting signal-callers.

The Browns placed Mayfield on injured reserve Wednesday.

Mayfield's move to IR was fully expected, as head coach Kevin Stefanski had already ruled out the signal-caller for Sunday's season finale against the Bengals. In a corresponding move, Nick Mullens was added to Cleveland's active roster from the practice squad to serve as the backup to fill-in starter Case Keenum in Week 18. Mayfield is soon expected to undergo surgery to address the torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury he had been playing through since Week 2.

Hurts (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

The Eagles continue to manage Hurts' practice reps due to the ankle sprain that sidelined him Week 13. He's played in the Eagles' three ensuing games, completing two-thirds of his passes for 709 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while taking 17 carries for 89 yards and two more scores. Hurts' status for Saturday's game against the Cowboys may receive some clarity upon the release of Thursday's injury report.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he'll wait until Sunday to announce either Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo (hand) as the 49ers' starting quarterback for their Week 18 game against the Rams, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Given the importance of Sunday's game, Shanahan won't pass up the potential competitive advantage of forcing the Rams to prepare for two very different signal-callers. Shanahan said Lance will get most of the snaps at Wednesday's practice, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, with Garoppolo returning as a limited participant after sitting out last week.

Garoppolo (thumb) will return to practice Wednesday as a limited participant after his throwing session Tuesday went well, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan shared the news before practice Wednesday, though it doesn't necessarily mean Garoppolo will be back in action Sunday against the Rams. Rookie Trey Lance played much better in his second NFL start than his first, completing 16 of 23 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns and an interception in last week's 23-7 win over the Texans. Even so, Shanahan has been clear about his desire to have Garoppolo under center if and when he's healthy enough to play. Shanahan suggested he'll wait until Sunday to name his starter even if he knows beforehand, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Allen is expected to start Sunday's game against the Browns, while Joe Burrow (knee/finger) will be rested ahead of the postseason, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Bengals haven't officially ruled out Burrow, who isn't in line to start but could still be active in a backup role. Meanwhile, running back Joe Mixon (reserve/COVID-19 list) is also expected to miss the game, and the Bengals could look to hold out or limit other key starters with little on the line Week 18 in terms of playoff positioning. Allen has attempted only five passes this season, after making five starts in 2020. He guided Cincinnati to a 1-4 record in those outings while completing 90 of 142 passes for 925 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.

Lock (shoulder) remains on track to start Saturday against the Chiefs after Teddy Bridgewater (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Lock was listed as a limited practice participant Tuesday, so barring a setback with his right shoulder, he'll pick up his third consecutive start to close out the season. He'll still likely need to practice fully Thursday to avoid taking an injury designation into the contest.

Denver placed Bridgewater (concussion) on injured reserve Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

The move officially ends Bridgewater's 2021 season, with the quarterback finishing with a 66.9 percent completion rate for 3,052 yards and an 18:7 TD:INT to go with 106 rushing yards and two scores on the ground over 14 appearances. Drew Lock is in line to make his third straight start in Saturday's contest against Kansas City, provided he's able to play through a shoulder issue he picked up during Denver's Week 17 loss to the Chargers.

Rodgers (toe) didn't take part in practice Wednesday, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.

Rodgers made a rare appearance at practice last Friday, mixing in as a limited participant. It was his first notable practice activity since Week 14, but the fractured toe hasn't stopped him from producing on game days, as he's accounted for 1,791 yards, 18 touchdowns and no interceptions with a 71.6 percent completion rate over the last six contests. With the NFC's No. 1 seed already locked up, the Packers may opt to hold Rodgers out or limit his snap count Sunday at Detroit. Speaking to the media Wednesday, head coach Matt LaFleur said "if and when" he removes the starters from the game will be based off "feel," according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. As a result, it appears Rodgers will make a Week 18 cameo, at the very least.