NFL Player News

Prescott (shoulder) didn't throw at Thursday's practice, but the Cowboys expect him to suit up Sunday in Philadelphia, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With an AC joint sprain in his right throwing shoulder, Prescott seems to be following a similar practice regimen to Wednesday, when he was deemed a limited participant. He likely will earn a similar tag Thursday, but the team appears untroubled about his ability to play this weekend. As evidence, owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan Dallas on Thursday that he's "not worried" about Prescott and is "totally convinced that he'll be in top form." Prescott's status may not receive clarity, though, until closer to Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Interim coach Perry Fewell named Will Grier the starting quarterback for Sunday's game at Indianapolis, pushing Allen to No. 2 on the depth chart, Alaina Getzenberg of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Allen has had some highs and lows in his time as the starter this season with Cam Newton (foot) in recovery mode since Week 2. While leading the Panthers to a 5-1 record in his first six starts, Allen posted a 9:4 TD:INT and averaged 215.2 passing yards per game. The latter stat increased to 289.3 over the last six contests, but the team has lost all of them. Perhaps the final straw was Allen's propensity for turnovers, as he tossed 15 interceptions and fumbled 13 times, losing seven of them. Carolina has a decision to make with Newton in the offseason, but if the organization decides to move on, Allen, an exclusive rights free agent, can be retained at a cheap price, which could keep him in the conversation for the top QB job in 2020.

Interim coach Perry Fewell said Grier will start Sunday at Indianapolis, Alaina Getzenberg of The Charlotte Observer reports.

What was hinted at early in the week has come to pass: Grier will replace Kyle Allen under center Week 16. The Panthers already have fired long-time coach Ron Rivera and take a six-game losing streak into Sunday's game, so Grier won't be expected to be a savior. Instead, the team likely wants to see what months of development have yielded with the 2019 third-round pick. With Christian McCaffrey behind him, Grier may not be expected to do too much, even against the Colts' 21st-ranked pass defense (249.8 yards per game).

Goff, who is tending to a bruised right thumb, practiced in full Wednesday, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Considering the bruise is on Goff's throwing hand, it's notable for the impact it may have on the Rams' passing attack. Having said that, Thiry noted Goff didn't seem to be affected by the thumb issue during the portion of Wednesday's session that was open to the media. In the end, Goff didn't have any limitations and will have his entire array of weapons Saturday at San Francisco after tight end Gerald Everett (knee) was able to log a full practice Wednesday.

Blough will start Sunday's game against Denver and could get the nod in the Dec. 29 season finale against Green Bay after the Lions placed Matthew Stafford (back/hip) on injured reserve Tuesday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Stafford had already missed the Lions' past six games, but the move to IR means he's officially been shuttered for 2019. With Jeff Driskel (hamstring) moving to IR prior to Stafford, the Lions are now down to Blough and Kyle Sloter as their available quarterbacks for the final two games. Since his surprisingly solid debut as a starter in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Bears, Blough has struggled in back-to-back matchups, completing just 57.8 percent of his throws for 5.6 yards per attempt and a 1:3 TD:INT. If the 24-year-old turns in another poor outing in Denver, it wouldn't be surprising if coach Matt Patricia elects to take a look at Sloter in Week 17.

Winston (thumb/knee) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

With a slight thumb fracture in tow, Winston seems to be operating under a similar practice regimen to last week, when he didn't throw until Friday's session. Winston certainly didn't appear to be limited when game day arrived, though, as he proceeded to put together a season-best 458 yards on 28-for-42 passing in a win over Detroit, compiling four touchdowns and an interception along the way. Even if he heads into the weekend as questionable, Winston seems poised to be available Saturday against a Texans defense that has allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns (30) to quarterbacks this season.

Prescott (shoulder) officially was limited at Wednesday's practice, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Prescott came out of Week 14 with a sprained left hand and injured right index finger. While playing through both issues during this past Sunday's win against the Rams, he completed 15 of 23 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns and added 12 yards on seven carries. On Wednesday, it emerged Prescott picked up yet another injury, which teammate Ezekiel Elliott termed as an AC joint sprain in the quarterback's right throwing shoulder, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. "He just banged it up and it's hard for him to function right now, so [I] don't want him throwing much in practice [Wednesday]," coach Jason Garrett added. With confirmation of his limitations in practice, Prescott's status will be monitored closely as the Cowboys prepare for this weekend's key divisional matchup at Philadelphia.

Minshew was limited at practice Wednesday due to a right shoulder injury.

So far there's nothing to suggest that Minshew -- who helped the Jaguars snap a five-game losing streak in the Week 15 win over the Raiders -- is in any danger of missing Sunday's game against the Falcons. With that in mind, unless it's revealed that Minshew tweaked his shoulder during Wednesday's practice, his limitations to begin Week 16 are more than likely maintenance-related.

Interim coach Perry Fewell said Grier received all the quarterback reps during Wednesday's practice, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Grier is expected to get his first NFL start Sunday at Indianapolis, which also will mark his initial in-game reps as a professional. Having said that, Fewell won't make a final decision on the swap of Grier for Kyle Allen until the Panthers complete practice Thursday, according to Steve Reed of the Associated Press.

Jones (ankle) is a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Jones has missed the last two weeks while recovering from a high-ankle sprain, but his full practice Wednesday marks his first of the sort since he sustained the injury. Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com, coach Pat Shurmur said the rookie quarterback handled "most" of the first-team reps, an indication the Giants are expecting Jones to return to the starting lineup Sunday against Washington. A final decision on Jones' availability will likely come down to whether he's able to continue handling a full workload during the final two practices this week without any setbacks.