NFL Player News

Walker will back up Teddy Bridgewater in Sunday's game against the Saints, Myles Simmons of the Panthers' official site reports.

Walker has usurped second-year pro Will Grier, who is inactive Sunday, as the No. 2 quarterback for Carolina. The former XFL star has yet to make his NFL debut, but he could be deployed if Bridgewater suffers an injury.

Darnold (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game against the Bills, Randy Lange of the Jets' official site reports.

Darnold experienced no setbacks with his right shoulder after taking part in practices on a limited basis Wednesday through Friday, clearing the way for him to step back in as the Jets' starting quarterback following a two-week absence. The signal-caller will have to make do without top slot weapon Jamison Crowder (groin), though Darnold should benefit from the addition of rookie second-round wideout Denzel Mims (hamstrings), who will make his NFL debut Sunday.

Minshew is in danger of losing Jacksonville's starting quarterback job if he continues to struggle in Sunday's game against the Chargers, multiple sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

While neither of the other two signal-callers on the 53-man roster (Mike Glennon and Jake Luton) represent long-term solutions behind center, coach Doug Marrone could be willing to make a change at the position if Minshew is unable to help Jacksonville end its five-game losing streak Sunday. At the very least, Minshew will likely need to keep the offense running smoothly through the first three quarters, which has largely been a challenge this season. During the five-game slide, Minshew has completed 65 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and 6.9 yards per attempt, but he's put up a fair amount of his production in garbage time and has turned the ball over eight times (five interceptions, three lost fumbles).

Darnold (shoulder) is on track to start Sunday's game against the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The QB, who last played Oct. 1, is bouncing from an AC joint sprain, but he had a setback-free week of practice and is now poised to return to the field Sunday. It appears as though the Jets' top pass catcher, Jamison Crowder (groin), won't be available, but on the plus side, second-rounder Denzel Mims (hamstrings) has been activated off IR and is slated to make his NFL debut Sunday.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged Mayfield is not 100 percent and is "pushing through" the ribs and chest injuries he suffered Week 5 against the Colts, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Mayfield was ineffective during a Week 6 loss to the Steelers, a performance that invited much speculation and second-guessing. He threw interceptions in four consecutive quarters before his removal during the third quarter last week, and Mayfield has a 64.7 rating over the previous two weeks. Despite the quarterback's recent downturn, the Browns' coaching staff remains bullish on Mayfield, who needs to get through this week against the Bengals and Week 8 against the Raiders before a bye week gives him healing time.

Darnold (shoulder) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Buffalo, Andy Vasquez of USA Today Sports reports, and coach Adam Gase said Darnold will start barring any setbacks, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.

While he's questionable on the official injury report, Darnold has been able to practice on a limited basis this week and is more likely than not to suit up against the Bills. Darnold will hope to have top wide receiver Jamison Crowder (questionable, groin) available for this one, as Crowder's 115 yards and a touchdown accounted for the majority of Darnold's production when these teams met in Buffalo in Week 1.

Taylor (ribs/chest) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Jacksonville.

If Taylor's active for the first time since having his lung punctured by a pain-killing injection prior to Week 2, he will back up rookie Justin Herbert, who topped 300 yards in his first two starts and added a 7:1 TD:INT in the two subsequent games. Depending on Taylor's health, the Chargers could opt to keep third-stringer Easton Stick active as well.

The Jets are planning on having Darnold (shoulder) start Sunday's game against the Bills, barring a setback, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The 23-year-old returned to practice this week after missing the last two games with the right shoulder sprain, and the team appears to be satisfied with where he stands on the health front heading into the weekend. According to Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York, coach Adam Gase said he's not worried about Darnold reinjuring the shoulder, though the quarterback will likely have to manage some pain if he suits up. The Jets will release their final Week 7 injury report later Friday, which should provide more information about Darnold's outlook this weekend.

Jones completed 20 of 30 passes for 187 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Giants' 22-21 loss to the Eagles on Thursday night. He also rushed four times for 92 yards and lost a critical fourth-quarter fumble.

Jones' night, and the Giants season thus far as a whole, could largely be defined by a pair of individual moments within the back-and-forth affair. The first occurred in the third quarter, when the QB bolted upfield from the pocket and appeared to have a clear path to a TD before tripping himself up at the Eagles' eight-yard line. While New York would ultimately score on that drive, Jones then saw his defense give up a pair of touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter, and he then lost control of the ball on a sack with 28 seconds left while trying to drive the Giants into field-goal range while down by a point. Jones also has his triumphant moments in the form of scoring strikes to Golden Tate and the returning Sterling Shepard (toe) in the first and fourth quarters, respectively. New York would likely not have been in the unfavorable last-drive position it found itself in had Evan Engram corralled a perfectly thrown downfield pass from Jones with 2:14 remaining. Jones' late miscue ultimately snuffed out any hopes of a victory, and he'll now look to regroup and prepare for a tough Week 8 Monday night showdown against the aggressive Buccaneers defense.

Mayfield (chest) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

The quarterback had been a limited participant Wednesday in the Browns' first Week 7 session, but coach Kevin Stefanski never expressed much concern that Mayfield's injury would sideline him Sunday in Cincinnati. Mayfield's ability to take every practice rep with the first-team offense Thursday confirms he'll be good to go this weekend, but the signal-caller may need a solid showing on the road to restore the faith of his fantasy managers. His efficiency has fallen off precipitously over the past three weeks, with Mayfield completing only 58.8 percent of his passes for 6.2 yards per attempt and a 5:4 TD:INT over that stretch. Mayfield has also taken seven sacks across those three games.