NFL Player News

Stafford (ankle/rib/thumb) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Vikings.

Stafford was a limited practice participant Thursday and Friday, hoping to make a 16th start despite the recent addition of an ankle sprain to his list of injuries. Interim head coach Darrell Bevell said Thursday that he has "no doubt" Stafford will play, but for fantasy purposes it's probably best to treat the veteran quarterback as a game-time call ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Chase Daniel and David Blough both received playing time after Stafford was knocked out of last week's 47-7 loss to the Buccaneers.

Mayfield and the Browns should benefit from a Week 17 matchup with a Pittsburgh defense that is expected to be without its top two pass rushers in T.J. Watt or Cameron Heyward, who are both expected to sit out for rest puposes, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Mayfield and a beat-up offensive line will get a break in the expected absences of Watt, a three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, and Heyward, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman. With Pittsburgh locked in as the AFC's No. 2 or 3 seed, head coach Mike Tomlin could choose to rest or limit other starters on defense, making what would have been a tough matchup on paper much softer for the Browns. Additionally, Cleveland activated Mayfield's top four wideouts from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, so the quarterback will have Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge at his disposal after the quartet sat out last week's loss to the Jets.

The Lions listed Stafford (ankle/rib/thumb) as a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Despite interim head coach Darrell Bevell stating prior to the session that Stafford wouldn't practice for the second day in a row, the veteran quarterback was evidently able to do more Thursday than the Lions anticipated. While Stafford is likely managing considerable pain while tending to an assortment of injuries, the 32-year-old looks like he'll attempt to do everything in his power to play Sunday against the Vikings, even with little at stake for the 5-10 Lions. For what it's worth, Bevell isn't counting out Stafford, telling Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press "there's not a doubt in mind" the signal-caller will be ready to go by the weekend.

The 49ers restored Johnson (illness) to the practice squad from the COVID-19 list, Josh Dubow of the Associated Press reports.

Johnson will now be eligible to resume participating in team activities. Should the 49ers choose, he could join the active roster alongside C.J. Beathard and Josh Rosen against Seattle in Week 17.

Tagovailoa will be backed up by Jake Rudock against Buffalo on Sunday, with Ryan Fitzpatrick having tested positive for COVID-19, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports.

Tagovailoa has been replaced by Fitzpatrick with the Dolphins trailing twice this season, most recently during last weekend's narrow win over the Raiders. With Fitzpatrick now destined for the reserve/COVID-19 list, though, the rookie signal-caller won't get the benefit of a relief option should he struggle against Buffalo. The Dolphins would guarantee a playoff berth with a win over the Bills, so pressure may be mounting for Tagovailoa to take convincing command of the offense.

Stafford (ankle) won't participate in Thursday's practice, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

After exiting early in last week's loss to the Buccaneers with a right ankle sprain, Stafford has now missed consecutive practices as the Lions prepare for Sunday's season finale versus the Vikings. Though Stafford has also battled rib and right thumb injuries in recent weeks in addition to the ankle sprain, the Lions aren't yet ruling him out from playing Sunday, despite the team having little at stake in Week 17. Backup quarterbacks Chase Daniel and David Blough will continue to take reps at practice this week to stay prepared to start in the event Stafford can't gain clearance for the finale.

Murray (leg) practiced fully Wednesday, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Arizona Republic reports.

During the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Murray participated in a scrambling drill, a good sign as he works through the lower leg injury he suffered in Saturday's loss to the 49ers. He proceeded to do enough for him to log an uncapped session, setting him up to helm the Cardinals offense, per usual, this weekend against the Rams. In three career matchups versus Los Angeles, Murray has averaged 220.3 passing yards per game while tossing five touchdowns versus four interceptions and turning 11 carries into 43 yards and one score.

Head coach Doug Marrone said Wednesday that Minshew will remain the Jaguars' backup quarterback behind Mike Glennon for the team's Week 17 game in Indianapolis, John Oehser of the team's official site reports.

When he met with the media Monday, Marrone left the door open for Minshew to supplant Glennon as the Jaguars' Week 17 starter, but the coach ultimately elected to maintain the status quo after reviewing the game film following Sunday's loss to the Bears. Minshew has outproduced Glennon from a statistic standpoint this season -- 66.1 percent completion rate, 6.9 yards per attempt, 16:5 TD:INT -- but the second-year signal-caller has put up a good chunk of his production in garbage time and clearly isn't viewed as the Jaguars' long-term answer at quarterback. Glennon is set to become a free agent this offseason and may not be retained, but Minshew won't have a clear path to the starting role in 2021 with Jacksonville likely to select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Watson (arm) isn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.

Watson appeared to be in pain after taking a sack late during last weekend's loss to the Bengals, but his absence from the injury report implies the Texans have no concerns about his availability for Sunday's season finale versus the Titans. Though the Texans have little at stake in Week 17, Watson appears poised to play the entirety of the contest as the team looks to pull an upset and potentially deny its divisional rival out of the postseason.

Jones said Wednesday that he "intends to play from the pocket more" until he's fully healthy, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Jones logged 55 carries for 406 yards through the Giants' first 11 games of the season, but since Week 12, he's had to substantially adjust his playing style due to hamstring and ankle injuries. In his two appearances since the injuries surfaced, Jones has only rushed once for three yards. An inability to make plays with his legs has likewise limited Jones' ability to attack defenses through the air, with just one passing touchdown in his last two games. According to Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site, Jones was listed on Wednesday's practice report as a full participant, but he's still likely be playing at less than 100 percent during Sunday's game against the Cowboys.