NFL Player News

Coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott (calf) is feeling a bit sore but is expected to practice Friday, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

The 28-year-old pushed himself a bit during Thursday's workout and practice, and McCarthy said it's not surprising the quarterback is feeling some soreness as a result. The fact Prescott has that soreness two days from game day -- while also coming off a bye week -- isn't a great sign, and the Cowboys could be cautious with their star signal-caller this weekend. Prescott previously said he wants to play but that decision isn't up to him, and it's clear the team is preparing to potentially face Minnesota with Cooper Rush at quarterback. The release of Dallas' official injury report later Friday should provide a better idea of Prescott's outlook, but his status could remain cloudy until later in the weekend as he continues to be evaluated.

Mayfield (shoulder) is participating in Friday's practice, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Mayfield hasn't shown any noticeable issues at Friday's session after working as a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday. The 26-year-old appears to be trending in the right direction for Sunday's matchup with the Steelers, though it won't be surprising if he's still officially listed as questionable.

Murray was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left leg following Thursday's 24-21 loss to the Packers, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

After the final play of the game, which resulted in a Green Bay interception, Murray came up limping. Though the QB indicated afterward that he's "good" and it's possible the walking boot was precautionary, the signal-caller's status nonetheless will be worth monitoring as the Cardinals' Nov. 7 contest against the 49ers approaches.

Murray completed 22 of 33 passes for 274 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the Cardinals' 24-21 loss to the Packers on Thursday night. He also rushed six times for 21 yards and fumbled once (recovered).

While Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback playing with a significantly short-handed receiving corps, it was Murray who often looked out of sorts for one that had his full array of weapons available to start the contest. The MVP candidate did manage to come alive at a pivotal time, as he dug the Cardinals out of a field-position quagmire on their own 1-yard line with back-to-back completions to A.J. Green and Christian Kirk that covered 52 yards with just over two minutes remaining. Murray continued to march Arizona down the field, but a pass intended for Green in the end zone with 12 seconds remaining -- likely the Cardinals' last try at a game-winning touchdown before attempting a tying field goal -- was intercepted when the veteran receiver never looked for the ball. Murray did manage to dress up his final line nicely with his late passing success, but Thursday marked only the second time this season he failed to throw a touchdown pass. He and his teammates will look to regroup following their first loss of the season when they visit the 49ers in a Week 9 matchup a week from Sunday.

Rodgers completed 22 of 37 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Packers' 24-21 win over the Cardinals on Thursday night. He also rushed twice for three yards.

Playing without top wideouts Davante Adams and Allen Lazard due to their placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Rodgers faced an uphill battle against an undefeated Cardinals team and persevered. The veteran QB worked around the makeshift receiving corps by targeting running back Aaron Jones a team-high 11 times, and he also leveraged his extensive rapport with veteran Randall Cobb into a pair of second-half passing touchdowns. Rodgers had a pass knocked down on 4th-and-goal with just over three minutes remaining that could have potentially sealed the game for Green Bay at that point had it avoided linebacker Devon Kennard's hand, but the Packers defense ultimately took care of buttoning up the upset victory by picking off Kyler Murray in the end zone with 12 seconds left. Rodgers will look to bounce back to his usual level of production with a full pass-catching arsenal -- perhaps including Marquez Valdes-Scantling (IR-hamstring) in addition to Adams and Lazard -- when the Packers travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 9 showdown with the Chiefs a week from Sunday.

Mayfield (shoulder) remained limited at practice Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Per ESPN's Jake Trotter, Mayfield indicated that his left (non-throwing) shoulder is feeling better after he sat out last Thursday's game against the Broncos. With back-to-back limited practices now in the books, the QB is trending in the right direction as Sunday's game against the Steelers approaches, though it still seems likely Mayfield will carry a Week 8 injury designation into the contest.

Lance (knee) was limited at Thursday's practice, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Lance has opened Week 8 preparations with back-to-back capped practices, which marks his first consistent on-field work since he sprained the MCL in his left knee back in Week 5. It's unclear yet whether he's trending toward a return to action or inactive status for Sunday's game in Chicago. If it's the former, Lance will back up Jimmy Garoppolo and likely would have situation-specific plays drawn up for him on the 49ers' offensive game plan, as was the case for the first three and a half games of the season when both quarterbacks were available.

Mahomes is not listed on Kansas City's Week 8 injury report.

Mahomes was shook up during his team's Week 7 loss to the Titans, but the QB -- who was replaced by Chad Henne in the fourth quarter of the contest -- subsequently cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and approaches Monday night's game against the Giants free of any injury concerns, per coach Andy Reid, via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Seven weeks into the 2021 season, Mahomes ranks fourth in the NFL with 2,093 passing yards and has thrown 18 TDs versus nine picks in that span while rushing 32 times for 219 yards and a score.

Prescott (calf) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Coach Mike McCarthy laid out the plan for Prescott earlier Thursday, stating he would take part in rehab first before moving on to individual drills, at which point the Cowboys would assess to see if he was fit for some team work, according to Rob Phillips of the Cowboys' official site. Prescott proceeded to do just that, including change of direction and holding a ball after dropping back from center, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Afterward, Prescott acknowledged to Watkins that it isn't his decision whether he'll be able to play through a strained right calf Sunday in Minnesota. Such a call will be a collaboration between the coaching, training and medical staffs, but if Prescott isn't able to suit up Cooper Rush will be prepared to start under center for Dallas.

Watson (not injury-related) didn't practice Wednesday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Watson's status with the Texans remains unchanged for now, though with the NFL trade deadline approaching Nov. 2, the quarterback could be dealt in the coming days. Either way, Houston won't make Watson active for Sunday's game against the Rams.