NFL Player News

Allen completed 25 of 41 pass attempts for 295 yards and threw one interception during Sunday's 42-10 loss to New Orleans.

With rookie signal-caller Will Grier sustaining a foot injury during the second quarter of Sunday's blowout defeat, Allen made his 13th appearance of 2019. The 23-year-old Allen enjoyed a promising start to his sophomore season by establishing a 7:0 TD:INT between Weeks 3 and 6, while leading his team to a 4-0 record during that span. From that point forward, however, Allen struggled mightily with ball security, tossing 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions as Carolina limped to a final record of 5-11. Cam Newton's (foot) future with the Panthers remains tentative for the time being, but Allen provides Carolina with an affordable backup QB option as the franchise searches for a long-term answer at the position.

Barkley completed 18 of 35 passes for 232 yards and two interceptions while rushing twice for minus-4 yards and losing one of two fumbles in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Jets.

Barkley came in under center after Josh Allen presided over two scoreless drives to open the contest. The Bills aren't known for their offense to begin with and rested key starters on that side of the ball, so Barkley didn't have much to work with and it showed. This was the backup quarterback's second appearance of the season, as Allen has managed to stay mostly healthy. Don't expect to see an appearance from Barkley this postseason, but he'll remain under contract as Allen's backup in 2020.

Allen completed three of five passes for five yards before being replaced by Matt Barkley in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Jets.

Allen didn't get the entire season finale off like some other prominent Bills starters, but he only played two drives before leaving the contest to keep him healthy for the postseason. The second-year quarterback wisely didn't attempt to make any plays with his legs, finishing the regular season with 3,089 yards and a 20:9 TD:INT through the air, as well as 510 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Allen will need to bring his A-game in his first career playoff appearance next week, as the Bills will be underdogs in Houston.

Grier (foot) won't return to Sunday's contest versus the Saints, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Grier didn't fare well in his brief time on the field, completing one of eight passes for four yards and one interception, losing a fumble and logging three rushes for five yards. The extent of his foot injury isn't known, but considering he initially was termed doubtful to return, it may be serious. Kyle Allen will lead the Panthers offense for the remainder of this contest.

Though Watson (back) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Titans, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle indicates that backup QB AJ McCarron is "expected to start and/or play extensively."

Though the Texans still have a chance to move from the No. 4 AFC playoff seed to No. 3 with a win plus a Kansas City loss, it looks like the team is inclined to proceed cautiously with both Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (illness), with its postseason health in mind. Considering that, Watson is too risky to roll with in Week 17 fantasy lineups.

Minshew (shoulder) is officially active for Sunday's season finale against the Colts.

Minshew was considered questionable due to the bothersome right shoulder, but he'll once again play through the injury. The 23-year-old will look to finish his rookie campaign on a strong note after completing only 13 of 31 passes in Week 16.

Murray (hamstring) is listed as active Sunday against the Rams at L.A., Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Limited all week due to a right hamstring injury, Murray was termed a game-time decision by coach Kliff Kingsbury. His availability was contingent on a pregame workout, in which he must have performed well enough for the training staff to sign off on his status. In his first faceoff with the Rams this season, Murray completed 19 of 34 passes for 163 yards and one interception while running four times for 28 yards and a TD.

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.