NFL Player News

Walker signed a reserve/future contract with the Colts on Monday.

Walker was a member of the Colts' practice squad for the entire 2017 season after being waived during final roster cuts in September. The former Temple standout likely will get the opportunity to compete for No. 2 or 3 quarterback duties if he remains on the roster through training camp this summer.

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien confirmed Tuesday that Watson (knee) is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site reports.

Watson relayed about two weeks ago that he was "on the right track" with his recovery from Nov. 8 surgery to address the ligament damage to his right knee, so O'Brien's comments seemingly support the quarterback's optimism. O'Brien didn't rule out of the possibility of Watson being able to take part in Organized Team Activities, which begin in mid-April, but the 22-year-old would likely face significant restrictions if available. Regardless, it's looking promising that Watson will be at or near full strength when training camp opens in the summer, putting him on track to take back starting duties for the Texans in Week 1 of the 2018 campaign. Watson, who was enjoying a whirlwind rookie year before suffering the non-contact knee injury during a practice, should still be viewed as an upper-tier fantasy option at the position due to the dual-threat abilities he exhibited during his first season.

Bradford (knee) was on the field Tuesday for the Vikings in their first practice of the postseason, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "I just want to see where [Bradford is] at," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Monday. "How he's moving, things like that. I hear he's moving good. I hear he's throwing the ball good. But that's all I do is hear. We'll just go about it and see how it goes."

Bradford's return to practice for the first time in over two months initiates a three-week window through which the Vikings will be able to evaluate the quarterback for a return from injured reserve. The 30-year-old hadn't played since Oct. 9 before he was moved to IR after requiring surgery Nov. 7 on his left knee, allowing Case Keenum to direct the offense for the remainder of the regular season. With Teddy Bridgewater having also returned from IR, it looks like Bradford will be little more than an insurance option at quarterback during the postseason if he's in fact activated at some point in the next three weeks.

Taylor completed 19 of 27 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Dolphins. He also rushed six times for 35 yards.

As customary, Taylor was cautious with the football and did just enough to keep the Bills moving in the right direction throughout the contest. He got matters off on a positive note by directing a seven-play, 72-yard scoring drive on the opening possession that he capped off with a nifty 26-yard touchdown pass to Nick O'Leary. Taylor subsequently led scoring marches of 11, nine, five and 10 plays, all which culminated in Stephen Hauschka field goals. The 28-year-old wrapped up the regular season with three consecutive interception-free outings, an efficient level of play he'll hope to carry into next Sunday's AFC wild-card road tilt against the stingy Jaguars secondary.

Winston completed 28 of 51 passes for 363 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in Sundays' 31-24 win over the Saints. He also posted 32 yards and scored a touchdown on five rushes and completed a two-point conversion pass.

Winston's final effort of a tumultuous 2017 fittingly had a bit of everything thrown in. The third-year quarterback managed to display some of the best and worst aspects of his game in the wild season-ending contest, as he short-circuited a trio of drives in Saints territory with interceptions. Conversely, he also managed to set a season high in rushing yards while scoring his first touchdown on the ground since Week 4 of the 2016 campaign. Moreover, Winston finished the season with consecutive 300-yard tallies and six such efforts overall. He saved his best for last Sunday as well, hitting Chris Godwin with a perfectly thrown, go-ahead 39-yard touchdown with nine seconds remaining that capped off an 11-play, 95-yard drive, and that as per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, also enabled him to break Hall of Famer Dan Marino's record for most touchdown passes before the age of 24. While he struggled with turnovers at times during the tail end of the campaign, Winston provided reason for optimism heading into a pivotal Year 4 with the way he led the Buccaneers to victory against a team that needed to win to ensure itself the NFC South crown.

Mahomes completed 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards and one interception during Sunday's 27-24 victory at Denver. He also rushed seven times for 10 yards.

With the Chiefs locked into the No. 4 spot in the AFC playoffs as the AFC West champion, head coach Andy Reid opted to sit regular starting quarterback Alex Smith, among other front-line skill-position players, Sunday. In Smith's place, Mahomes was able to earn his first NFL start, and he didn't disappoint in the win-loss columns. Granted, Mahomes didn't have his name next to any of the team's three touchdowns, but he directed a 67-yard drive to set of a game-winning 30-yard field goal for kicker Harrison Butker as time expired. As the postseason kicks off this weekend, Mahomes will revert to a reserve role in Saturday's wild-card outing against the Titans.

Prescott completed 17 of 30 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown while running the ball twice for 16 yards in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Eagles.

His 20-yard TD strike to Brice Butler early in the fourth quarter accounted for the only points in a game that meant little to either team. Prescott finished his second NFL campaign with fewer passing yards, fewer touchdowns, a lower completion percentage, a lower YPA and more INTs than he did as a rookie, but his rushing contributions helped keep his fantasy value afloat. The Cowboys will likely make it a priority to generate more of a vertical threat in 2018, but as yet Prescott hasn't demonstrated that he's capable of carrying the team's offense for any meaningful stretch.

Brissett was 15-of-25 passing for 114 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's win over Houston.

Brissett struggled at times with his accuracy, but otherwise put in a solid performance, albeit against one of the league's worst secondaries. Brissett showed promise in his first season as a starter but struggled at times, especially holding the ball too long (taking 52 sacks). He finishes with 3,098 yards for 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions and a 6.6 YPA. His role for 2018 is unclear as he'll likely be the backup, or traded, if Andrew Luck returns from a shoulder injury. Or he could return as Indy's starter if Luck remains injured. Either way, he likely showed enough promise to get another shot at a starting job in the NFL.

Mariota completed 12 of 21 passes for 134 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Jaguars. He also rushed 10 times for 60 yards and lost a fumble.

Mariota's final line was nothing to write home about, but he did just enough to help the Titans clinch a wild-card spot. The third-year signal caller could only help Tennessee produce three second-half points, and those came at the end of a modest eight-play, 23-yard drive. Moreover, nearly half of his passing yardage haul came on one play, a 66-yard catch-and run on a screen pass that Derrick Henry took to the house in the first half. However, what he failed to accomplish through the air he largely made up for with his legs, as Mariota's rushing attempts and yardage totals were both season highs. The 24-year-old also contributed a pivotal 13-yard scamper on third down with 2:13 remaining that essentially sealed the win. Having helped the franchise snap an eight-season playoff drought, Mariota will turn his attention to toppling the Chiefs in an AFC wild-card road tilt next Saturday afternoon.

Keenum was 21-of-29 passing for 189 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's win over Chicago.

Keenum didn't need to do too much in the passing game after the Vikings got an early lead, but he was efficient as usual with a 101.1 passer rating. He'll try to keep his unexpected breakout season going at home in the playoffs after a bye.