NFL Player News

Grier was removed from Sunday's game against the Saints due to a foot injury, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Grier limped off the field after a sack in the second quarter, and after an examination, he was carted to the locker room. Considered doubtful to return, he likely will end his day 1-for-8 passing for four yards, an interception and a lost fumble to go with three carries for five yards. Kyle Allen took over under center for the Panthers.

Murray (hamstring), who remains listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams, is expected to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Cardinals are still essentially viewing Murray as a game-time decision leading up to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, but the rookie's strained right hamstring apparently didn't prove too problematic for him while he worked out earlier in the day. Unless Murray experiences a setback during pregame warmups, he should garner the starting nod and put a cap on what has been a mostly positive rookie season. Through his first 15 outings, Murray has completed 64.6 percent of his attempts for 3,397 yards and an 18:10 TD:INT while adding 544 yards and four scores on the ground.

Cousins is active for Sunday's game against the Bears but is expected to serve as the backup to Sean Mannion, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

The Vikings haven't officially confirmed that Cousins won't start like he usually does, but with Minnesota already locked in as the NFC's No. 6 seed entering Sunday, there's little incentive for the team to exposing its top quarterback to a potential injury in a meaningless season finale. As Cronin notes, the fact the Vikings have made both of their starting offensive tackles (Riley Reiff and Brian O'Neill) healthy inactives is a sign Cousins will only play in an emergency.

Winston (thumb/knee) is active for Sunday's Week 17 tilt against the Falcons, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Winston was fully expected to take the field after putting in two unrestricted practices to finish the week, and this makes it official. The fifth-year quarterback will have one final opportunity to make a strong impression ahead of a pivotal offseason, but he'll once again work without his top receiver duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin due to their respective hamstring injuries.

Murray (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams, is viewed as a true game-time decision, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport's report essentially aligns with what coach Kliff Kingsbury said Friday about Murray, who ceded most of the reps to No. 2 quarterback Brett Hundley during practice this week. Even with little at stake for the non-contending Cardinals in the finale, Kingsbury previously said that he wanted Murray to suit up if the hamstring cooperates, as the coach believes having the rookie play in the matchup with a divisional opponent is a good developmental opportunity. Those considering Murray in season-long lineups or DFS contests would be taking a risk, as the Cardinals and Rams don't kick off until 4:25 p.m. ET, when eight games will have already started.

Watson (back), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans, is expected to serve as the backup to AJ McCarron in the contest, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.

Watson's back injury limited him in practice throughout the week, but he likely would be on track to start if the Texans had something to play for in Week 17. While Houston could move up from the AFC's No. 4 seed to the No. 3 position with a Kansas City loss, the Texans may already be locked into the fourth spot by the time the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff arrives, as the heavily favored Chiefs take on the Chargers at 1 p.m. ET. With that in mind, the Texans apparently aren't inclined to take any chances with Watson or DeAndre Hopkins (illness) in advance of the playoffs, making both the quarterback and wide receiver worth avoiding in season-long and DFS lineups.

Murray (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury suggested the rookie is truly questionable and will be a game-day decision, though other signs point toward Murray sitting in Week 17 absence. Brett Hundley took most of the reps at quarterback during practices this week, and the Cardinals called up another signal-caller from the practice squad Friday in Drew Anderson. There's no guarantee of a final answer before the Cardinals release their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Hundley will get the start if Murray's name is included on that list.

The Buccaneers list Winston (thumb/knee) as questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Winston was able to conclude Week 17 prep with back-to-back full practices, so he may have carried a probable tag into the regular-season finale if the NFL still allowed that designation. While playing through a slight fracture in his right thumb, Winston tossed four interceptions in last week's loss to the Texans to bring his total to an NFL-high 28, but he'll look to close the season on a high note against a similarly suspect Atlanta pass defense. Though turnovers have been a concern for Winston throughout the season -- and his career, frankly -- he's at least notched personal bests in touchdowns (31) and passing yards (4,908) along the way.

Prescott (shoulder) was a limited participant in Friday's practice, but he won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Redskins, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Prescott didn't throw Friday, but he apparently fit in enough work to upgrade to limited participation after going down as a "DNP" on the Cowboys' first two practice reports of Week 17. Based on the fact that Prescott isn't even listed as questionable for the team's regular-season finale, the Cowboys are apparently content to let the quarterback play through the sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder with a potential playoff berth on the line. The Cowboys need a win and an Eagles loss to the Giants to take home the NFC title, so expect Prescott to remain on the field Sunday until the outcome of either game is decided. In addition to being impacted by the shoulder injury, Prescott could have to make do without star left tackle Tyron Smith (back), who is questionable after failing to practice Wednesday through Friday.

Watson (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans after practicing in a limited fashion this week, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

If Sunday's contest carried major playoff implications, there wouldn't be much doubt about Watson suiting up this weekend. However, Watson's status for Week 17 is muddled with more uncertainty due to the fact that the Texans would be unable to change their playoff seeding in the event the Chiefs defeat the Chargers on Sunday. Since the Chiefs kick off at 1 p.m. ET and the Texans don't play until 4:25 p.m., Houston's seeding may already be decided before it kicks off, which could prompt coach Bill O'Brien to hold out Watson or limit the quarterback's snaps versus Tennessee, even if he's not inactive.