NFL Player News

Cousins will start Sunday's game against the Dolphins due to Michael Penix (knee) being expected to be sidelined for the contest, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Penix logged a trio of limited practices during the week and was deemed questionable on Atlanta's final injury report Friday. However, news emerged early Saturday that the second-year quarterback was trending toward sitting out, and that now appears to be confirmed, per Schefter's sources. As a result, Cousins is in line to make his first start of the season. In his only appearance so far in 2025, Cousins completed five of seven pass attempts for 29 yards in mop-up duty against Carolina in Week 3.

Howard (hand) will remain on injured reserve and has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Packers, per the NFL's transaction log.

Howard was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday. Despite being a full participant in practice all week, the rookie sixth-rounder is not quite ready to return from a hand injury that he sustained in August, so Mason Rudolph and Aaron Rodgers will be the Steelers' two quarterbacks on the active roster for Week 8. Howard will aim to progress enough in his recovery to be activated off IR ahead of the Steelers' Week 9 clash against the Colts on Sunday, Nov. 2.

The Jets elevated Cook from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday.

Cook will serve as the Jets' backup quarterback behind Justin Fields against the Bengals on Sunday in the absence of Tyrod Taylor (knee). Cook was elevated for Week 3 against the Buccaneers, though he did not enter that contest while operating as Taylor's backup.

The Panthers elevated Hooker from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Week 8 is Hooker's first elevation of the season, and he is expected to serve as the Panthers' QB2 behind Andy Dalton against the Bills on Sunday in the absence of Bryce Young (ankle). Hooker signed with the Panthers' practice squad in late August after being waived by the Lions. He appeared in three regular-season games for Detroit in 2024 but has not started in a game since being selected by the Lions in the third round of of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Falcons elevated Stick from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports.

It's the first time this season that Stick will be elevated from the Falcons' practice squad. His elevation comes as the Falcons expect Michael Penix to miss Sunday's game against the Dolphins due to a knee contusion, which puts Kirk Cousins in position to make his first start since Week 15 of the 2024 season while Stick serves as the backup. Stick last saw regular-season action in 2023 as a member of the Chargers, when he completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while turning 27 carries into 144 yards and a score across five games (four starts).

The Buccaneers elevated Bazelak from their practice squad Saturday ahead of Sunday's matchup versus New Orleans, Scott Smith of Tampa Bay's official site reports.

Bazelak signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in May and ended up on the team's practice squad after being waived in late August. While neither of the team's top two quarterbacks -- Baker Mayfield and Teddy Bridgewater -- have an injury designation heading into Sunday, Mayfield dealt with a knee issue during the week and Bridgewater missed practice Wednesday and Thursday due to an issue with his teeth before participating in full Friday. Bazelak could end up being inactive as the emergency third QB for Sunday's clash against the Saints.

Zappe was elevated to the Browns' active roster Saturday.

Zappe's elevation to the Browns' active roster provides depth at quarterback, as Shedeur Sanders (back) will likely be a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup against the Patriots, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Western Kentucky product started one game for Cleveland in 2024, completing 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. If Sanders is unable to play in Week 8, Zappe is expected to backup Dillon Gabriel.

The Jets announced that Fields will start at quarterback sunday against the Bengals after Tyrod Taylor was ruled out due to a knee injury, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Fields' grip on the starting job looked to be loosening after he was benched at halftime during the Jets' Week 7 loss against the Panthers, when he completed six of 12 passes for 46 yards while turning four carries into 22 yards. Fields and Taylor opened Week 8 prep splitting reps with the first-team offense, and while head coach Aaron Glenn had initially declined to name a starter for Week 8, Taylor's knee injury is severe enough for him to not travel with the team to Cincinnati. Fields and the Jets offense will be without top wideouts Garrett Wilson (knee) and Josh Reynolds (hip), while Breece Hall (knee) and rookie tight end Mason Taylor (quadriceps) are listed as questionable for the contest. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster to serve as the Jets' backup quarterback in Taylor's absence.

Taylor (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Head coach Aaron Glenn opted not to name a starter throughout Week 8 prep, but Taylor's absence due to a knee contusion means Justin Fields will be under center for Sunday's road game, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, while Brady Cook is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. Taylor started the week splitting first-team reps with Fields, but the former's knee injury is severe enough for him to not travel with the team to Cincinnati. The Jets are on a bye for Week 9, so Taylor will have more time to recover and return for Week 10 against the Browns on Sunday, Nov. 9, though whether he starts against Cleveland will largely depend on Fields' performance in Week 8.

Huntley will serve as the Ravens' starting quarterback against the Bears on Sunday after Lamar Jackson (hamstring) was ruled out, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relayed Saturday morning that Jackson's work with the scout team during Friday's practice indicated that he wouldn't be ready to return from a hamstring injury for Week 8. Jackson's practice participation Friday was downgraded from full to limited, and now that he's been officially ruled out, Huntley will get the start while Cooper Rush serves as the QB2. With Huntley under center, the Ravens may lean more heavily on Derrick Henry and Justice Hill to establish the running game.