NFL Player News

Mullens will be San Francisco's starting quarterback moving forward, beginning with Thursday's game against the Packers, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) will be sidelined indefinitely to allow his high-ankle sprain to heal. Garoppolo is expected to miss at least six weeks, per Schefter.

Mullens was outstanding in relief of Garoppolo in last week's loss to Seattle, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns in just a quarter of action. The 25-year-old quarterback has four touchdowns versus three interceptions in four appearances this season, and Mullens won't have the benefit of throwing to George Kittle, as Ian Rapaport of NFL Network reports that the standout tight end will miss extended time due to a fracture in his foot.

Garoppolo has a high-ankle sprain and is out indefinitely, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Garoppolo exited in the third quarter of this past Sunday's loss to the Seahawks and didn't return. This injury has been nagging Garoppolo since Week 2, and the team has decided to shut him down until he can fully recover. There's a good chance that he's placed on IR, which would keep him out until at least Week 12. Nick Mullens is expected to be San Francisco's starting quarterback this Thursday against the Packers, while C.J. Beathard serves as the backup.

Luton will take starter reps in practice this week, paving the way for him to get the nod over Mike Glennon with Gardner Minshew (thumb) ruled out for Sunday's game against Houston, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

Starting Luton makes sense for the 1-6 Jaguars, who can see what they have in the rookie sixth-rounder rather than trot out Glennon, who has established himself as a subpar option under center over 22 NFL starts. Minshew has been playing through a fractured thumb, so there's a chance his recovery extends beyond this week and allows Luton to make multiple starts if the rookie proves himself capable. Luton threw for 2,714 yards with a tidy 28:3 TD:INT in 11 games as a senior at Oregon State.

Coach Doug Marrone relayed that Minshew (thumb) won't play Sunday versus the Texans, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

It was revealed following the Week 7 loss to the Chargers that Minshew has been dealing with multiple fractures and a sprained ligament in his right thumb since early October. He'll be shut down as a result, and rookie Jake Luton is expected to start against the divisional rival, in which case Mike Glennon would serve as the backup. There's no clear timeline for when Minshew will return. The second-year quarterback produced 1,855 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions while running for 122 yards and a score through the first seven games.

Darnold (shoulder) will be getting an MRI and a second opinion on his shoulder injury Monday, Al Iannazzone of Newsday Sports reports.

Darnold missed two games earlier this season with a shoulder injury, and he may have aggravated it late in Sunday's blowout loss to Kansas City. While coach Adam Gase downplayed the severity of Darnold's injury in the postgame press conference, it's worth noting that Gase also put him back into the game in which he originally hurt his shoulder, even though that injury was significant enough to force the quarterback out of the team's two ensuing contests. A clearer diagnosis regarding the severity of Darnold's injury should surface once his MRI results come in.

DiNucci completed 21 of 40 pass attempts for 180 yards, no touchdowns and two lost fumbles in Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Eagles.

DiNucci received the first start of his career, but was given a rude awakening by the Eagles' defensive unit. The 2020 seventh-round pick did not get any help from his battered and bruised offensive line, as he was often under duress mere moments after receiving the snap. The handful of times DiNucci received a clean pocket, he proved to be indecisive and held on to the ball too long, taking four sacks in total on the night. The rookie was blunt during the post-game presser, stating that "this NFL thing; it's hard." Nothing appeared to come easy for anybody on Dallas' offense with DiNucci at the helm, but a potential Week 9 return for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton (concussion) offers some hope for a rebound. Fantasy managers probably saw enough from DiNucci to steer clear if he is forced to make another start Sunday, especially considering one of the league's top defensive units waits on deck in the form of a home matchup against the Steelers.

Coach Mike McCarthy said after Sunday's loss to the Cowboys that Dalton (concussion) is doing significantly better and is expected to start next Sunday against the Steelers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Dalton will need to clear the concussion protocol, but a return to practice this week would go a long way toward verifying his status for Week 9. Rookie Ben DiNucci looked overmatched as the fill-in starter under center Sunday, so Dalton's return would be a major boon to all of Dallas' skill position players, even with a tough matchup against the undefeated Steelers on tap.

Lock completed 26 of 41 pass attempts for 248 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Week 8 against the Chargers.

Lock led the Broncos to an impressive comeback victory, tossing all three of his touchdowns in the second half. The effort was capped by a one-yard toss to KJ Hamler as time ran out in the fourth quarter. Lock also showed rapport with his other primary pass-catchers, connecting with DaeSean Hamilton for a 40-yard touchdown as well as Jerry Jeudy on a 43-yard pass over the middle of the field. This effort was the first time Lock managed to throw multiple touchdown passes in a game this season and was also the first time in three games that he didn't throw multiple interceptions. He'll look to build on this effort in Week 9 at Atlanta.

Mullens completed 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 238 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 8 against the Seahawks.

Mullens entered the game for the team's first drive of the fourth quarter after Jimmy Garoppolo was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury. Mullens led the team to three consecutive scoring drives, two of which were capped off through the air. The 49ers were losing 30-7 at the time Mullens entered the game, so he likely didn't see the Seahawks' most sophisticated defensive looks. Still, he put together a strong effort to get his team back in the game. Mullens may have the chance to start in Week 9 as San Francisco will have a short week heading into a matchup against the Packers on Thursday.

Wilson completed 27 of 37 pass attempts for 261 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 8 against the 49ers.

Wilson terrorized the 49ers defense, orchestrating a touchdown in four of five drives spanning from late in the first quarter to the end of the third quarter. All told, he recorded his fourth game this season with at least four passing scores -- but his first since Week 3. Wilson threw two touchdowns to DK Metcalf, highlighted by a slant across the middle that Metcalf took to the end zone for a 46-yard score. Through seven games, Wilson has made a strong case to be in the running for MVP, racking up 2,151 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns. He'll look to maintain his excellent form in Week 9 against the Bills.