NFL Player News

Stafford (thumb), who is listed as questionable, is expected to play Sunday versus Green Bay, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The veteran quarterback has been playing through the right thumb injury for most of the past month, so it's hardly a surprise he's on track to take the field again this weekend. Stafford remains without No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay (hip) for the sixth straight contest, but the expected return of tailback D'Andre Swift (illness) should bring a boost to the offense.

Jones (hamstring) is expected to start Sunday against the Cardinals, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

This reinforces the report that came Friday suggesting the second-year quarterback would miss just one game thanks to a balky hamstring. It's fair to assume some of Jones' athleticism will likely be hampered, but considering the draft capital invested in the quarterback last season, it's hard to imagine the team would trot out Jones unless he was healthy enough to make a difference on the field. That being said, it might not be a great matchup for Jones considering the Cardinals have allowed less than 250 passing yards in four of the last five games.

Tagovailoa (left thumb) does not carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

Tagovailoa's status for Week 14 never seemed to be in real danger, and by practicing in full Friday the rookie signal-caller has affirmed his readiness. The Chiefs presume to be one of the toughest matchups of Tagovailoa's young career, and even if Miami's standout secondary can limit Patrick Mahomes in some capacity, the Alabama product may find himself tasked to keep pace in a shootout.

Stafford (thumb) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Packers, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Stafford played through the same injury last week, throwing for 402 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Lions alive in the wild-card race. Their schedule over the final month of the season will make it difficult to stay in the hunt, but any thought of shutting down Stafford is still a few weeks away. He should be out there Sunday, throwing passes to a receiving corps that will be missing Kenny Golladay (hip) for a sixth straight week.

Jones (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Raanan suggests the quarterback looked good at Friday's practice, finishing out the week as a full participant after he was limited Wednesday and Thursday. The upgrade puts Jones on track to play this week, with the Giants right in the mix for a playoff spot. We'll be on the lookout for confirmation of his status prior to the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

Coach Bill Belichick confirmed Friday that the Patriots have no plans to install Stidham as their starting QB at this time, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Stidham replaced veteran signal-caller Cam Newton with 10:12 remaining in Thursday night's 24-3 loss to the Rams and proceeded to complete five of seven passes for 27 yards. Despite Newton's struggles Week 14, the Patriots have no plans to make a QB switch in advance of the team's Dec. 20 tilt against the Dolphins. At 6-7, New England's playoff hopes are slim, but it's clear that Belichick believes Newton gives the team a better chance to win at this stage of the season.

Coach Joe Judge expressed optimism about Jones' (hamstring) status for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports. "At the same time, there's a ways to go," Judge added.

Judge also indicated Jones showed clear progress coming out of Thursday's practice, though the quarterback has yet to work as a limited participant. How the 23-year-old looks during Friday's practice should dictate whether he's available for Sunday's contest versus the Cardinals. Colt McCoy is poised for another start at quarterback should Jones be forced to miss his second straight game.

Goff completed 16 of 25 passes for 137 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Rams' 24-3 win over the Patriots on Thursday night. He also rushed four times for 11 yards and another score.

Game script and/or matchup had enabled Goff to put together four 300-yard passing efforts in the previous five games, but coach Sean McVay was able to revert to his preferred run-heavy method of offense Thursday while facing a mostly anemic Patriots attack. Both Goff's pass attempts and yardage were his lowest of the season, but he wasn't called on to do more with Los Angeles firmly in control throughout the duration of the game. The fact the 2016 first-round pick threw his fifth interception in the last three games is cause for some concern, however, as is the meager passing volume, which could resurface in a very winnable Week 15 matchup versus the Jets on Sunday, Dec. 20.

Stidham entered Thursday night's 24-3 loss to the Rams with 10:12 remaining and completed five of seven passes for 27 yards while adding one rush for three yards.

The second-year signal-caller saw fourth-quarter action for the second time in four days, but the context was significantly different Thursday. In Sunday's 45-0 win over the Chargers, Stidham came in for mop-up duty for a resting Cam Newton, while Thursday, it could easily be inferred the substitution took place as a result of Newton's ineffectiveness as much as anything else. With Newton also dealing with what appears to be a nagging abdomen injury that may not necessarily completely heal despite the extended time between Thursday and a Week 15 matchup against the Dolphins on Dec. 20, Stidham could have a chance of taking the reins of the offense for that contest. However, given the Patriots' typically secretive nature about personnel, there may not be any insight until New England officially begins preparations for that contest sometime next week.

Stafford (thumb) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Stafford hasn't been a stranger to limited practice reps since he first injured his right thumb nearly a month ago, but the issue isn't something that's shed any serious doubt on his availability as of late. While there's not yet any real reason to worry about Stafford gaining clearance for Sunday's game against the Packers, it's worth noting that top wideout Kenny Golladay (hip) was once again absent from practice Thursday.