NFL Player News

Stafford (hip/back) said Wednesday that his current back injury isn't related to the issue he played through in 2018, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Stafford was noticeably hobbled during the latter stages of the 2018 season as he played through broken bones in his back. His proficiency as a passer dipped notably during that stretch, as he finished a full season with under 4,000 passing yards for the first time in his career. Conversely, the 31-year-old is on fire through eight contests this season, averaging 312 passing yards per game with a 19:5 TD:INT. The Lions and fantasy managers alike will hope that Stafford's current back injury won't impact his play to the extent his previous one did.

Mahomes (kneecap) was listed as a full practice participant Wednesday.

That's a major step forward for the quarterback, but Adam Teicher of ESPN.com noted earlier in the day that Mahomes was "still second in the QB line behind Matt Moore" during individual drills at practice Wednesday. At this stage, the Chiefs plan to increase Mahomes' workload this week and see how his knee responds, per Teicher. With regard to the signal-caller's status for Sunday's game against the Titans, coach Andy Reid noted that the team would "not put [Mahomes] out there unless it's safe." Mahomes' full practice participation therefore doesn't necessarily ensure that he'll start this weekend, but it does signal that he continues to trend in the right direction.

Keenum (concussion) isn't expected to receive the start Week 11 against the Jets, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Keenum will spend Week 10 working to progress through the five-step concussion protocol while Washington is on bye. Though the Redskins haven't yet announced a starter for Week 11, Garafolo relays that rookie Dwayne Haskins is the current favorite to face the Jets. Keenum could influence that decision if he manages to gain clearance from the protocol in quick fashion, but things currently appear to be trending towards the veteran receding into a backup role while the non-contending Redskins take a longer look at their first-round pick.

Stafford was limited in Wednesday's practice due to back and hip injuries, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Stafford appears to have gotten nicked up during Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Raiders. There's not yet any reason to believe that the 31-year-old is in danger of missing time, as he wasn't held out of Wednesday's practice entirely. He'll have two more opportunities to upgrade his level of participation in practice this week. Considering the signal-caller's irreplaceable role in the Lions' offense, the team may simply be taking a cautious approach with his health ahead of a tough matchup against the Bears defense this weekend.

Brissett (knee) will be a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.

According to Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, coach Frank Reich called Brissett "day-to-day," leaving the Colts hopeful their starting quarterback will be ready to play this weekend versus the Dolphins. The 26-year-old was forced out of Sunday's 26-24 win over the Steelers due to a sprained MCL, but his ability to practice in any fashion three days later bodes well for his chances of avoiding any missed time. Of course, the Colts will continue to wait and see how Brissett responds to a week's worth of practices before making an official decision on his availability. Veteran signal-caller Brian Hoyer would be called upon to start in the event Brissett sits out Sunday.

Brissett (knee) indicated Tuesday that he's feeling better since exiting Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Steelers with a sprained MCL and remains optimistic about his chances of playing in Week 10 versus the Dolphins, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Brissett was unwilling to make any definitive claims regarding his status for the Colts' first practice of the week Wednesday, much less Sunday's game, but his positive outlook regarding the injury at least provides some early hope that he'll avoid missing time. If he's ultimately unable to go, veteran Brian Hoyer would receive the starting nod at quarterback.

Allen is expected to serve as the Panthers' starting quarterback for at least the remainder of the regular season after the team placed Cam Newton (foot) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Allen has acquitted himself well in his first six starts this season, completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 6.8 yards per attempt to go with a 9:4 TD:INT. With Newton not progressing from his Lisfranc injury as quickly as hoped, the 5-3 Panthers will cast their lot with Allen as the team looks to stay in the thick of the playoff race. Newton is technically eligible for reinstatement from IR during the postseason, but if Allen continues to play well and guides the team to the playoffs, coach Ron Rivera would likely have a tough time justifying a quarterback change.

Minshew will return to the backup quarterback role following the Jaguars' Week 10 bye after coach Doug Marrone announced Tuesday that Nick Foles (collarbone) would return from injured reserve and reclaim the starting role Nov. 17 against the Colts, John Oehser of the Jaguars' official site reports.

Minshew performed admirably over the first nine games of the 2019 campaign, completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,285 yards and a 13:4 TD:INT. The rookie picked a poor time to have the worst outing of his young career in Sunday's loss to the Texans, as his four-turnover performance was likely enough to convince Marrone to hand the job back over to Foles, who inked a four-year, $88 million deal this offseason. While Minshew presumably won't play in the immediate future, he at least proved himself to be a capable insurance option if Foles should struggle upon his return to action or succumb to another injury.

Jones completed 26 of 41 passes for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Monday night's 37-18 loss to the Cowboys. He also rushed six times for 54 yards and lost two fumbles.

Jones threw a one-yard touchdown to Cody Latimer to start the second quarter, but otherwise struggled to get the Giants in the end zone, as they kicked two field goals from within the 10-yard line in the first half. He also had a deep ball intercepted just prior to intermission, and coughed it up on New York's second series in the second half. Jones also ended the game with a fumble that was returned 63 yards for a touchdown, giving him a league-high eight lost fumbles. On the bright side, Jones actually led his team in rushing, posting a career-best total on the ground. He should find the going easier in Week 10 versus the Jets.

Prescott completed 22 of 35 passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in Monday night's 37-18 win over the Giants. He also rushed three times for 12 yards.

Prescott got off to a poor start, throwing a pick on his very first pass, but would rally to put together an otherwise strong showing. His 42-yard touchdown to Blake Jarwin got the Cowboys going before halftime, and then his top two wideouts made similarly special plays in the second half. Michael Gallup acrobatically leapt into the end zone on a 15-yard reception to start the fourth quarter, before Amari Cooper raced 45 yards untouched to effectively close the game out on the next drive. Those scores gave Prescott his third outing with at least three touchdown tosses this season, putting him in a good place ahead of Week 10's visit from the Vikings.