NFL Player News

Watson (knee) said Tuesday that his rehab is "on the right track" following his Nov. 8 surgery to repair a torn ACL, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

The Texans projected Watson would need eight to nine months to rehab his right knee, which he injured on a non-contact play during practice a little under a week before he had the procedure. Though he's only six weeks removed from surgery, Watson has already said that he plans on returning to the field shortly after the Texans' Organized Team Activities that run from mid-April through mid-June, likely meaning that he's planning on being ready for the start of training camp in July. While players are notoriously optimistic about their ability to recover from injuries, perhaps Watson has more insight into his situation than most, given that he previously suffered an ACL tear in his left knee during his freshman year of college. Watson was able to complete his rehab for that injury in just five months. Even if the Texans' initial projection proves to be a more accurate timetable for the signal caller, Watson is expected to be cleared to play for the start of the 2018 season.

The Packers released Evans from their practice squad Tuesday.

The timing of Evans' dismissal from the practice squad is curious after the Packers promoted fellow quarterback Joe Callahan to the 53-man roster, but it appears Green Bay is content to explore other developmental quarterback options to fill out the practice squad. Evans, a dual-threat signal caller out of Virginia Tech, first signed with the Packers in October following a brief stint with the Eagles during the offseason.

The Packers placed Rodgers (collarbone) on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season.

Per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy noted that Rodgers was "sore" following his return from a seven-game absence in Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Panthers, but it's not believed that he experienced a setback with his surgically repaired collarbone. Instead, Rodgers' move back to IR for the second time this season likely has more to do with the Packers officially being eliminated from postseason contention following the Falcons' win over the Buccaneers on Monday. With Green Bay not eager to risk the two-time MVP aggravating the injury to his throwing shoulder during what amounts to two meaningless games to end the season, Rodgers will be shut down for further rest, likely meaning that Brett Hundley will take over as the team's signal caller Sunday against the Vikings.

Winston completed 27 of 35 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in Monday night's 24-21 loss to the Falcons. He also rushed three times for 18 yards.

Winston turned in a stellar performance despite losing wideout DeSean Jackson and tight end O.J. Howard to ankle injuries early in Monday's contest. Without those prominent targets, Winston shared the wealth among Tampa Bay's pass catchers, completing a season-high 77.1 percent of his throws to a whopping 11 different players. Along with utilizing unfamiliar faces in the short game, two of Winston's three touchdowns came from over 25 yards, including a 42-yard bomb to Mike Evans during the third quarter. Although his heroics weren't enough to get Tampa Bay back in the win column, Winston can't be faulted for his Week 15 display.

Head coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't say definitely Monday whether Rodgers will start Saturday's matchup with the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Instead, McCarthy referred to Rodgers as "sore" in the aftermath of his return to action Sunday in Carolina and that the Packers are "working through" figuring out his Week 16 availability. A determining factor could be elimination from playoff contention, which would happen with a Falcons win Monday at Tampa Bay. As a contingency plan, the team re-signed Joe Callahan to the 53-man roster, setting up a scenario in which Brett Hundley regains his stature as the starting quarterback with the former in reserve. No matter what happens Monday night, the Packers will have a decision to make in the near future about the quarterback spot.

Sudfeld could replace Nick Foles as soon as Week 16, if the Vikings lose to the Packers on Saturday, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice reports.

The Eagles can clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with either a win or a Minnesota loss. With the Vikings playing Saturday and the Eagles facing the Raiders on Monday, there's some chance Philadelphia won't have anything to play for. Head coach Doug Pederson said he'd like to see Sudfeld in a game before the playoffs, perhaps hinting that the second-year quarterback could enter as a mid-game replacement even if Foles closes out the regular season as the starter.

Drew Stanton will replace Gabbert as the starter for Week 16 against the Giants.

Gabbert showed some promise with five touchdown passes in his first two starts, but he's thrown just one touchdown while taking 20 sacks over the past three games. While the supporting cast has obviously been a huge issue, it's still difficult to put a silver lining on his 55.6 completion percentage, 6:6 TD:INT ratio and league-worst 11.9 percent sack rate (min. 50 attempts). Stanton probably won't be much better, but he also can't possibly be much worse. The Cardinals entered the season with shaky pass-catching depth behind Larry Fitzgerald, and they've now seen both their offensive line and backfield get decimated by injuries.

Peterman was cleared from the league's concussion protocol Monday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

Peterman did not suit up for Sunday's matchup with the Dolphins due to his concussion, but it appears that will be the extent of his absence, barring any setbacks this week. Expect Peterman to reclaim his role as the Bills' backup quarterback behind Tyrod Taylor.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said he'd like to get Sudfeld some snaps in a game before the playoffs, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Philadelphia can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with either one more win or one more Vikings loss. The Eagles may have nothing left to play for as soon as Week 16, as a Packers win over the Vikings on Saturday would render Monday's game against the Raiders meaningless for playoff purposes. Such a scenario might allow Sudfeld to get his first start, or at least his first glimpse of game action.

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph (ankle) said Monday that he would like to see Lynch (ankle) play again this season, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

The Broncos seemingly would prefer to start Lynch over Brock Osweiler for the final two weeks of the season, but the team will first need to figure out if its 2016 first-round pick is even healthy enough to play. While Joseph did say Friday that he expects Lynch to be ready for Week 16 in Washington, the Broncos held off on making any official announcements as of Monday morning. They presumably intend to see how Lynch looks in practice Wednesday, as he may not be fully recovered from the sprained right ankle he suffered in a Week 12 loss to the Raiders. Trevor Siemian (shoulder) is headed for injured reserve, while Brock Osweiler presumably doesn't factor into the team's plans beyond this season.