NFL Player News

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said Friday that Lynch's performance during practice this week would dictate whether or not the quarterback is active for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Lynch has been inactive the entire season while recovering from an injury to his right shoulder that he originally suffered in training camp. That has allowed either current starter Brock Osweiler or Trevor Siemian to act as the top backup through the team's nine contests, but with Lynch having worked with the second unit in practice this week, it appears he could displace Siemian for those duties in Week 11. Osweiler hasn't been overly impressive in his two starts since displacing Siemian, so it's conceivable that Lynch could soon ascend to the top spot on the depth chart, particularly if the Broncos fade further from the playoff picture.

Wilson (jaw) said he couldn't eat solid foods for a few days after last Thursday's 22-16 win over the Cardinals, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Wilson also had to wear a special mouthguard and couldn't really talk, having narrowly avoided an injury that might have required doctors to wire his jaw shut. Of course, the bigger story here is the NFL's investigation of the Seahawks for violating the concussion protocol in the aftermath of the hit that caused the jaw injury. There still haven't been any reports that Wilson was diagnosed with concussion symptoms, which ultimately could work in the team's favor. In any case, Wilson surely appreciates the long layoff between games as he prepares for Monday Night Football matchup with the Falcons. He was a full participant at Thursday's practice and should be fine for Week 11.

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Gabbert will start Sunday's game in Houston, Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Drew Stanton seems to be recovering from a knee sprain quicker than originally expected, but the Cardinals still plan on turning to Gabbert against a struggling Houston defense. It's not entirely clear how much of the decision is based on Stanton's health and how much is due to the team's desire to evaluate Gabbert in a game situation. Per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin suggested Friday that Gabbert could be the team's quarterback of the future. Goodwin is probably getting a bit ahead of himself, but Gabbert does at least have a nice opportunity to earn a second start due to the favorable matchup versus a defense that has allowed quarterbacks to surpass 300 passing yards with multiple touchdowns in each of the last three games.

Paxton Lynch has been getting No. 2 reps in practice this week, potentially forcing Siemian to the No. 3 role, Ryan Koenigsberg of BSN Denver reports.

The Broncos, if they aren't already out of the playoff picture already, are another loss away from being at the point in the season where it'll be time to look at next year. At that point, the team will need to look at what it has in Lynch -- a 2016 first-round pick with just 10 quarters of regular-season action -- before looking at the 2018 free agent and draft classes. Siemian, to his credit, beat out Lynch and others for the starting job in back-to-back offseasons, but has been no better than mediocre in his time as a starter. He crumbled to the tune of a 67.1 passer rating from Week 3 on this year. Denver knows what it has in Siemian and is unlikely to take another look this season.

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph was noncommittal when asked Thursday if Lynch would suit up for Sunday's contest against Cincinnati, Ryan Koenigsberg of BSNDenver.com reports.

Joseph said earlier in the week that Lynch is finally healthy enough to play after having been inactive all season while recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered during the preseason. With the Broncos' playoff hopes seemingly on life support, Joseph could opt to give Lynch a look in a starting role with neither Brock Osweiler nor Trevor Siemian having made much of a positive impression behind center. If that ends up happening at some point, it makes sense to dress Lynch over Siemian in case the Broncos fall behind early in Sunday's contest, perhaps accelerating the clock for Lynch's season debut.

Mariota completed 22 of 33 passes for 306 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in Thursday's 40-17 loss to the Steelers. He also rushed five times for five yards and a touchdown.

Mariota's second 300-yard passing effort of the season served fantasy owners well in one regard, but his play in a real-world football sense left plenty to be desired. His troubles began early, as he was intercepted by Mike Hilton at midfield on the Titans' third offensive play from scrimmage. After capping off the subsequent possession with a seven-yard rushing touchdown, Mariota was picked off by Coty Sensabaugh at the Steelers' 48-yard line, and he proceeded to throw another pair of passes to the wrong-colored jerseys in the second half. Mariota did hit Rishard Matthews for a 75-yard touchdown pass for his one score through the air, while his passing yardage total equaled a season high. However, after posting his best rushing day of the season in Week 10, the 24-year-old disappointingly turned in his second-lowest total in that category this season. The third-year pro will look to put the blowout loss behind him in a much easier matchup versus the Colts in Week 12.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that he was satisfied with how Rodgers (collarbone) looked while doing rehab work off to the side during Wednesday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. "I think [Rodgers is] making really good progress," McCarthy said Thursday. "I know the training staff and the strength and conditioning staff are very pleased with where he is. He's moving right along."

The workout amounted to Rodgers' first on-field appearance since he fractured his right collarbone Oct. 15 against the Vikings, resulting in a complex surgery four days later that necessitated two plates and 13 screws being inserted into the collarbone. While the Packers aren't banking on Rodgers playing again this season, the quarterback at least took a positive step forward in that regard with Wednesday's activity. Rodgers will remain limited to nothing more than rehab sessions off to the side during the next two weeks before he's able to return to practice beginning Nov. 27, which would then set in motion a 21-day window through which the Packers can evaluate him for a potential return from injured reserve. Rodgers would be eligible to play no sooner than the Packers' Week 15 matchup with the Panthers if he's activated.

Rodgers (collarbone) fit in some rehab work during the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Marking the first visual evidence of his rehabilitation, Rodgers did some drills related to conditioning and footwork, took snaps from a member of the Packers training staff and did some simulated throwing via whipping a towel. For someone nearly four weeks removed from having two plates inserted into his broken right collarbone, Rodgers appears to be in a good spot in his recovery. The team can open Rodgers' three-week window for activation as early as Nov. 27 with the aim of a return to action Week 15 at Carolina. That said, the franchise signal caller is merely focusing on the rehab process at the moment, allowing Brett Hundley to direct the offense in his absence.

Lynch received some reps with the first-team offense during Wednesday's practice while starter Brock Osweiler (shoulder) was a limited participant, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to handling second-string reps, Lynch replaced Osweiler with the starters for passing plays. Broncos head coach Vance Joseph still expects Osweiler to be under center Sunday against the Bengals, and the coach added that he hasn't decided yet whether Lynch will replace former No. 1 quarterback Trevor Siemian as Osweiler's backup. Either way, Lynch seems likely to make starts before the end of the season, as neither Siemian nor Osweiler matches his upside. The Broncos haven't been eager to rush Lynch into action after he missed two months of practice with a right shoulder injury of his own, but he's been practicing in some capacity the past three weeks and doesn't appear to have suffered any setbacks.

Gabbert handled most of the reps with the first-team offense at Wednesday's practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Gabbert's standing has been elevated due to injuries to Arizona's top two signal callers. With Carson Palmer (arm) on injured reserve, Drew Stanton has started back-to-back games, but in the Week 10 loss to the Seahawks, he sustained a sprained knee. Stanton is progressing in his recovery and practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, but the Cardinals seem to be preparing for the prospect of Gabbert under center this Sunday at Houston. Expect head coach Bruce Arians to make a decision on his starting quarterback by the end of the week.