NFL Player News

Allen (knee) was a full participant in practice Thursday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said earlier Thursday he expected Allen to be available for Sunday's game in Houston, and the quarterback's ability to take every rep at Thursday's practice seemingly backs up that notion. Taylor hasn't formally announced a Week 16 starting quarterback, but Allen is expected to take back the role from Ryan Finley, who led the Bengals to an upset win over the Steelers on Monday but threw for just 89 yards in the contest.

The Saints reinstated Winston from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, Larry Holder of The Athletic reports.

Winston was added to the list Sunday after being deemed a close contact of a person infected with the virus, but after self-isolating and testing negative over the last several days, he's been cleared to rejoin the Saints. The quarterback has presumably been staying connected with the Saints through virtual meetings during the team's Week 16 prep, so Winston could be available to back up Drew Brees in Friday's game against the Vikings.

Jones (ankle/hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Jones split first-team reps with Colt McCoy for the second straight practice, but the second-year signal-caller appears to be in a better spot health wise than he was last week. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Jones has been the first quarterback under center in practices Wednesday and Thursday, whereas McCoy took the initial reps last week before getting the starting nod ahead of Sunday's loss to Washington. Unless he turns in full workout Friday, Jones is still likely to be listed as questionable for this weekend's game in Baltimore, but he appears to have an edge over McCoy for the start based on his practice usage thus far.

Allen (knee/ankle) was listed as a full participant on Thursday's practice report.

The translation is the running quarterback took some hits in Saturday's win over the Broncos, but he'll be perfectly fine for Week 16 action, especially with an extra day to rest his bumps and bruises with the Bills having yet another prime time game Monday against the rival Patriots.

Stafford (rib/right thumb) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game versus the Buccaneers, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The Lions listed Stafford as limited on all three practice reports this week, which stemmed from the quarterback dealing with a rib-cartilage injury and a slight ligament tear in the thumb of his throwing hand. Despite the aforementioned 'questionable' tag, it'd be a shock if Stafford is unable to go this weekend. In his first contest playing through both health concerns, Stafford completed 22 of 32 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown this past Sunday at Tennessee.

Coach Zac Taylor indicated Thursday that Allen (knee) is on track to be available for the Bengals on Sunday against the Texans "if we need him," Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

While Taylor added that at this time he's not inclined to name a starting QB for Week 16, Baby anticipates that Allen -- who continued to practice Thursday -- will draw the assignment over Ryan Finley.

Stafford (rib/right thumb) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Stafford toughed it out Week 15, playing all but garbage time through a rib-cartilage injury and a slight ligament tear in the thumb of his throwing hand. His numbers were respectable enough (22-for-32 passing for 252 yards and one touchdown), but his practice reps will continue to be managed during the stretch run of the campaign.

Carr (groin) was a full participant in practice Wednesday.

Just under a week after suffering what was believed to be a significant groin injury in Las Vegas' 30-27 overtime loss to the Chargers, Carr's ability to take every rep in practice is a surprising development, but a welcome one for the playoff-hopeful Raiders. Assuming he experiences no setbacks at Thursday's workout, Carr looks like he'll be in the clear to start Saturday against the Dolphins. Marcus Mariota would be the next man up at quarterback if the Raiders have any reservations about using Carr in Week 16.

Allen (knee) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Allen's return to limited activity is a step in the right direction, but Ben Baby of ESPN.com noted earlier Wednesday that head coach Zac Taylor said the team plans to see how the quarterback's knee responds over the next couple of days before determining if he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Texans. Even if Allen gains clearance to play, he could shift into a backup role after Ryan Finley guided the Bengals to an upset win over the Steelers on Monday while Allen was sidelined.

Jones (ankle/hamstring) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News noted that Jones looked notably improved at Wednesday's practice compared to last week, a hint that he could be trending in the right direction for Sunday's road game against the Ravens. The second-year pro has missed two of the last three games, the first due to a right hamstring strain and the second due to a left ankle injury.