NFL Player News

Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed that Siemian will start at quarterback Sunday against the Falcons.

Siemian and Taysom Hill (concussion) were both candidates to start after No. 1 quarterback Jameis Winston (knee) suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the Saints' Week 8 win over the Buccaneers, but Payton ultimately settled on Siemian, who backed up Winston in the victory. Siemian proved to be a capable game manager against a tough Tampa Bay squad, but his numbers (16-for-29 for 155 yards and a touchdown, two carries for two yards) weren't anything special from a fantasy perspective. Payton added that Hill will be active Sunday, so Siemian could be at risk of losing some snaps in the red zone, given that Hill provides a more formidable rushing threat. Moreover, Siemian will need to perform well against Atlanta to ensure he retains the starting gig beyond Sunday, as Payton appeared to suggest that the team's quarterback situation could be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

McCoy took all the reps with the first-team offense during practices Wednesday through Friday to keep himself prepared to start in the event Kyler Murray (ankle) is unable to play Sunday against the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury reiterated Friday that despite not taking reps on the field during practice this week, Murray has continued to stay on top of the Cardinals' game plan and hasn't been ruled out from starting Sunday. For now, Kingsbury is terming Murray as a game-day decision, as the Cardinals want to see how he looks following two more days of rest before making a call on his status Sunday morning ahead of the team's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. If Murray hasn't made enough progress to make the start, the 35-year-old McCoy would pick up his first competitive snaps of 2021, as all three of his prior appearances this season have come when the outcome was already decided. Though McCoy has 30 career starts on his ledger since entering the NFL in 2010, the Cardinals would presumably tailor their game plan to incorporate more runs rather than relying on a pass-heavy attack.

Coach Robert Saleh wouldn't commit to White (forearm) or Zach Wilson (knee) as his starter for the Jets' Week 10 game against the Bills, though both quarterbacks are expected to resume practicing Monday, Eric Allen of Jets 360 Productions reports.

Wilson was the starter while healthy, but White came in for one full game and parts of two others following Wilson's injury and performed at a higher level than the rookie second-overall pick had been able to reach. Ultimately, Saleh's decision could be made easier if one of the quarterbacks ends up needing more time to heal, but at least in White's case, it appears he'll be cleared in time to face the Bills next Sunday after hurting his forearm in the first half of Thursday's loss to the Colts.

Wilson (knee) is expected to resume practicing this week, Al Iannazzone of Newsday Sports reports.

The Jets avoided placing Wilson on IR in hopes that he would resume practicing after a two-week absence, and it appears that will be the case. With fellow quarterback Mike White (forearm) -- who impressed in Wilson's absence before getting hurt himself -- also expected to practice before the Jets' Week 10 matchup with the Bills, coach Robert Saleh will have to figure out how to divvy up first-team reps between the two recovering quarterbacks.

Darnold (concussion/shoulder) was a limited participant in Friday's walk-through practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

After suffering the head and right shoulder injuries in the Panthers' Week 8 win over the Falcons, Darnold appeared on the Week 9 practice report as a limited participant Wednesday through Friday. The concussion seems to be the greater concern of the two injuries at this juncture, as head coach Matt Rhule noted that the quarterback still needs to clear the NFL's five-step protocol in order to suit up Sunday, per Joe Person of The Athletic. If Darnold gets the green light from an independent neurologist to play, he'll likely start for Carolina, but P.J. Walker also took reps with the first-team offense this week and will be ready to go Sunday in the event the Panthers hold Darnold out.

Murray (ankle) wasn't on the field for the open portion of Friday's practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Unless Murray fits in some work on the field in the closed portion of Friday's session, he won't have practiced in any capacity throughout the week. While a lack of practice activity Wednesday through Friday typically results in a player being ruled out for game day, head coach Kliff Kingsbury previously said that Murray doesn't necessarily need to practice in order to play. The Cardinals will provide Murray with an official Week 9 designation following Friday's practice, but even if he gets listed as questionable rather than doubtful, the 24-year-old likely profiles as a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's game in San Francisco, which kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET. Colt McCoy has taken all the reps with the Arizona offense this week and would be in line to pick up the start if Murray is sidelined for the first time in his career.

Coach Brian Flores said Friday that Tagovailoa (ribs) is dealing with some swelling in a finger his left (throwing) hand. but the coach is optimistic the signal-caller will play Sunday versus the Texans, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Tagovailoa apparently suffered the finger injury on his throwing hand during last week's loss to the Bills, but it isn't expected to affect his availability for Week 9. The 23-year-old was able to practice as a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday as he also continues to recover from the fractured ribs that sidelined him from Weeks 3 through 5. Tagovailoa may receive the questionable tag for Sunday, though he appears on track to play barring a setback.

Siemian is expected to start Sunday's game against the Falcons over Taysom Hill (concussion), Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Siemian played well in the aftermath of Winston's ACL tear last week, completing 16 of 19 passes for one touchdown while leading the Saints to a victory over the Buccaneers. Hill is attempting to return from a concussion and hasn't seen game action since Week 5, which may have played a role in the team's decision at quarterback for Week 9.

Johnson entered the Jets' 45-30 loss to the Colts on Thursday night for Mike White (forearm) with 13:24 remaining in the second quarter and completed 27 of 41 passes for 317 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed four times for 18 yards.

Johnson's highly circuitous career took yet another interesting twist Thursday night with a surprisingly productive showing in relief. The veteran was able to lead three scoring drives on consecutive possessions in the second half, finding Elijah Moore, Ty Johnson and Ryan Griffin for his trio of touchdown tosses. Johnson appeared to be on the verge of authoring yet another successful march when a batted pass led to an interception at the Colts' seven-yard line with 45 seconds remaining. Zach Wilson (knee) could have a chance to play in the Week 10 matchup against the Bills a week from Sunday, but if neither the first-round pick nor White are ready for that contest, Johnson would presumably be in line for a spot start.

White (forearm) is expected to return to practice and to be available for the Jets' Week 10 matchup against Buffalo, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

White suffered the injury during the Jets' first offensive possession of Thursday's loss to the Colts. He was evaluated by the medical staff and was seen attempting throws on the sideline, but he was unable to return after struggling to grip the ball well. However, it sounds as if he avoided serious injury, and he may be healthy enough to be active for the team's next game in 10 days. However, his status as the team's starter will depend on whether Zach Wilson (ankle) is able to return.