NFL Player News

McSorley is expected to serve as the Ravens' No. 2 quarterback Tuesday against the Cowboys with Lamar Jackson (illness) in line to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

After testing positive for the coronavirus Thanksgiving Day and sitting out the Ravens' Week 12 loss to the Steelers while completing a 10-day quarantine, Jackson looks poised to return to Baltimore's team facility Sunday. Though Jackson will have to shake off some rust due to the missed time, he'll at least have the benefit of a practice session Sunday and a walk-through Monday, which should keep him sufficiently prepared to reclaim starting duties. McSorley came on late in the Week 12 loss to replace Robert Griffin (hamstring), and with the latter having since landed on injured reserve, the second-year quarterback from Penn State should serve as Jackson's top backup for at least the next three contests.

The Ravens are expected to activate Jackson (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list and have him start Tuesday against the Cowboys, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jackson is first eligible to return from the list Sunday, so assuming he's negative for COVID-19 in his latest round of testing, the Ravens should add him back to the 53-man roster later in the day. Though Jackson may be rusty after having been away from the team for the past week and a half, he'll at least have the opportunity to practice Sunday and take part in a walk-through Monday practice time ahead of Tuesday's contest. Jackson's matchup versus a vulnerable Dallas defense is a favorable one, but he may have to make do without two of his top targets in tight end Mark Andrews and wideout Willie Snead, both of whom remain on the reserve/COVID-19 list as of Sunday.

Tagovailoa (thumb), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, is expected to start, barring any issues during pregame warmups, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The rookie quarterback injured the thumb on his throwing hand in practice back on Nov. 25 and sat out last weekend's win over the Jets, allowing Ryan Fitzpatrick to pick up a start. Per Rapoport, in anticipation of returning to the lineup, Tagovailoa took most of the Dolphins' first-team signal-caller reps at practice this week. While Tagovailoa's Week 13 active status will be confirmed prior to the first wave of games Sunday, the Dolphins may not formally announce a starting quarterback.

Tagovailoa (left thumb) is expected to be active Sunday against the Bengals, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

The Dolphins opted not to call up practice squad quarterback Reid Sinnett on Saturday which seems to suggest Tagovailoa will be available to play in some capacity against the Bengals. Reinforcing that notion is a cryptic social media post by an agent of Tagovailoa's, who in a since deleted tweet, mentioned he'd be traveling to the game to watch his client play. Fantasy managers should still confirm Tagovailoa's status ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, but it appears the rookie could be set for one of the easiest matchups in his young career against a depleted Bengals unit.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Jackson (illness) is eligible to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Sunday.

The timing is key for Jackson, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 26. Sunday will mark 11 days since then, and he'll have two more days to ready himself for Tuesday's game against the Cowboys. On Thursday, coach John Harbaugh told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com that any decision to activate Jackson is dependent on the medical staff and not his office, so the quarterback still needs to pass the necessary protocols in order to return Week 13. The Ravens placed backup QB Robert Griffin (thigh) on injured reserve Friday, leaving Trace McSorley as the only signal-caller on the active roster. If Jackson doesn't pass the necessary hurdles, McSorley would be in line for his first career start.

McSorley will be the Ravens' presumptive starter at quarterback Tuesday against the Cowboys if Lamar Jackson (illness) isn't activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to the contest, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

McSorley currently is the only quarterback on the Ravens' 53-man roster, as Robert Griffin, the team's Week 12 starter, was placed on injured reserve Friday after injuring his hamstring in Wednesday's 19-14 loss to the Steelers. The 2019 sixth-round pick came on in relief of the injured Griffin in the contest, completing two of six attempts for 77 yards and a touchdown while carrying three times for 16 yards. If Jackson continues to test negative for the coronavirus, he'll be eligible to rejoin the roster as soon as Sunday, but McSorley will stay prepared to start in the event Baltimore's top signal-caller can't clear the protocol. The Ravens would presumably promote Tyler Huntley from the practice squad to back up McSorley if Jackson remains out for Week 13.

Stafford (right thumb) is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest in Chicago, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The Lions capped Stafford's practice reps all week, the result of a slight ligament tear in his right thumb that he picked up during a Week 11 defeat in Carolina. Assuming he's able to gain clearance to play Sunday, he'll be facing the Bears' 11th-ranked pass defense (223.7 yards per game).

Tagovailoa (left thumb) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Coach Brian Flores already has hinted that Tagovialoa's status could come down to a game-time call, per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN, noting that a final decision on the signal-caller's availability won't come until the coaching staff has had time to review practice film. The rookie has put together a trio of limited practices since missing last weekend's win over the Jets, but it remains to be seen whether the thumb injury on his throwing hand is still hindering his accuracy and/or velocity. If the Dolphins ultimately deem that Tagovailoa isn't yet healthy enough to provide the best chance to win, Ryan Fitzpatrick will draw another start.

McCoy is on track to start at quarterback Sunday against the Seahawks with Daniel Jones (hamstring) listed as doubtful for the contest, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Though Jones was able to make it back on the practice field Friday as a limited participant, McCoy still handled the first-team offense reps for the third straight day, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. The Giants thus appear poised to proceed with McCoy as No. 1 signal-caller Week 13, marking the 34-year-old's first NFL start since Week 5 of the 2019 season, when he was with Washington. As Vacchiano points out, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said that a Giants offense without Jones would likely be ran more conservatively, so expect a number of short-yardage throws from McCoy and runs from Wayne Gallman to be dialed up as long as the game flow allows for it.

The Giants list Jones (hamstring) as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

As anticipated, New York doesn't plan on having Jones available Sunday while he works back from the right hamstring strain he sustained in last week's win over the Bengals, but he at least avoided being ruled out for the contest after practicing Friday in a limited capacity, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. While that bodes well for Jones' chances of playing next week versus the Cardinals, he'll likely cede Week 13 starting duties to Colt McCoy, who replaced Jones in the win over Cincinnati and handled first-team reps at Friday's practice, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. The Giants are expected to add either Clayton Thorson or Alex Tanney to the 53-man roster Saturday to serve as McCoy's backup this weekend.