NFL Player News

DiNucci won't start Sunday's game against the Steelers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Andy Dalton (concussion) tested positive for COVID-19 earlier Tuesday, paving the way for DiNucci to get another start. Instead, first practice squad member Cooper Rush and then reserve Garrett Gilbert have been tossed out as the competitors to lead the Cowboys offense this weekend. Assuming one of those two gets the nod, DiNucci's one-game sample as a starter will read 21-for-40 passing for 180 yards, two lost fumbles and five carries for 22 yards.

The 49ers will place Garoppolo (ankle) on injured reserve, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Under the rules put in place this season, Garoppolo will be sidelined at least three weeks as a result of this move. That said, coach Kyle Shanahan told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area that Garoppolo suffered an entirely new high ankle sprain from the one that sidelined him back in September, meaning he's expected to be out for 4-to-6 weeks. Because surgery is being considered, there's also potential for the quarterback to miss the rest of the campaign. As long as Garoppolo is unavailable, Nick Mullens will direct the 49ers offense, with C.J. Beathard in reserve.

The Cowboys are considering going with Rush as their starting quarterback Sunday against the Steelers after Andy Dalton (concussion) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

There was optimism Dalton would get through the concussion protocol in time for Sunday's game, only for the veteran to contract COVID-19. Ben DiNucci got the first opportunity to replace Dalton this past Sunday at Philadelphia, leading the Cowboys to a 23-9 loss while completing 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards, getting sacked four times, losing two fumbles and gaining 22 yards on five carries. The ugly performance seems to be swaying coach Mike McCarthy to consider other options, namely Rush, who currently is on the team's practice squad. If McCarthy really is looking at all his options, Garrett Gilbert is the other healthy QB in addition to DiNucci on the active roster.

DiNucci is expected to start Sunday's game versus the Steelers following news that Andy Dalton (concussion) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Dalton won't be able to return by Sunday, so DiNucci is in line for a second straight start. His performance against the Eagles this past Sunday was ugly, as he completed 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) and no touchdowns. He didn't throw an interception, but he was sacked four times and lost two fumbles. The rookie's matchup this week will be even tougher, as the Steelers lead the league with 30 sacks and rank second with 13 turnovers through seven games.

The Cowboys placed Dalton (concussion) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, meaning he'll miss Sunday's game versus the Steelers, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Regardless of Dalton's progress through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, he won't be able to clear the league's COVID-19 protocols by Sunday. This means Ben DiNucci will likely start a second straight game under center while Garrett Gilbert serves as the backup quarterback. The Cowboys have a Week 10 bye, so Dalton will aim to return Week 11 against the Vikings.

Jones completed 25 of 41 passes for 256 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Monday night's 25-23 loss to the Buccaneers. He also rushed three times for 20 yards.

Jones endured another turbulent outing ending in narrow defeat. The quarterback started with a seven-yard touchdown to Dion Lewis, but his play afterward was mostly marred by barely missing or not spotting teammates open on deep balls, as well as continued bad decision-making under pressure. With two more interceptions, Jones now trails only Carson Wentz in turnovers, but to his credit, Jones rallied the Giants with fourth-down heroics and a beautiful, 19-yard touchdown toss on their final drive. That put New York a two-point conversion away from forcing overtime, but Jones' ensuing attempt to Lewis was broken up with under 30 seconds remaining. Overall, it was an unfortunately familiar performance for Jones, who'll now turn his attention to a winnable Week 9 matchup against Washington.

Darnold (shoulder) said on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York that Monday's MRI "turned out really good" and that he feels "a lot better than I thought I would."

The 23-year-old played every snap during Sunday's loss to the Chiefs but aggravated his shoulder injury. It appears he avoided any serious complications, but Darnold's status for Week 9 remains in question, with things potentially coming into focus once the Jets return to practice later this week. The Jets have their bye week following Monday's matchup with the Patriots, so the team could opt to play it safe if there's a decent risk of re-injury.

Dalton hasn't cleared all the steps of the concussion protocol, but there's hope the quarterback will return Sunday against the Steelers, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

After last Sunday's loss at Philadelphia, coach Mike McCarthy told Jon Machota of The Athletic that Dalton was improving, indicating some measure of progress through the protocol. There's an expectation that the veteran QB will complete them in advance of Sunday's game, but recoveries from head injuries are notoriously difficult to predict. He also didn't practice last week prior to being inactive, so getting back on the field Wednesday and beyond will give a sense of whether Dalton may retake the reins of the Cowboys offense in Week 9.

Beathard will be the backup to Nick Mullens for at least the next six weeks, as Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) will miss at least that long due to a high-ankle sprain, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Mullens will get first crack at filling in for Garoppolo, starting with Thursday's game against Green Bay. Beathard will wait in the wings should Mullens struggle, but considering Beathard has usurped Mullens as Garoppolo's backup as recently as earlier this season, the window is wide open for the Iowa product to get another shot under center if things start to go south for San Francisco's offense.

Garoppolo (ankle) will miss at least the next six weeks and could miss more time if surgery is required, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

If Garoppolo returns on the most optimistic side of his timeline, the Week 14 matchup with Washington comes exactly six weeks after his removal from Sunday's loss to Seattle. Nick Mullens will start under center while Garoppolo recovers for a 49ers offense that could be without star tight end George Kittle (foot) for the rest of the season.