NFL Player News

Rodgers (calf) was held out of practice Thursday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Rodgers sustained a lack of reps for the second consecutive day, which was more or less expected as he rehabilitates his right calf on a day in which the Packers were exposed to the elements at practice. Speaking of the weather, the thermometer may struggle to remain above zero degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago on Sunday, so conditioning and hydration will be of utmost importance for Rodgers to be as close to optimal capacity as possible. Even if he receives a questionable designation heading into the weekend, everyone of note in the organization expects him to be available against a Bears defense that has allowed just five touchdown passes to quarterbacks in six homes games this season.

Head coach Mike McCarthy relayed that Rodgers (calf) may miss Thursday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. "It'll be about pain management on Sunday, but the good thing is I'll be out there," Rodgers said. "I'll be out there and ready."

Neither McCarthy nor Rodgers is worried about Rodgers being under center Sunday at Chicago, with the former noting his experience in frigid conditions during nearly nine years at the helm for the Packers. Notably, his right calf will likely impact his mobility to an extent, but he at least avoided a serious concern, like the one that made him a stationary object in the pocket late in the 2014 season. If he focuses on rehab rather than practice Thursday, his next opportunity to fit in some work on the field arrives during a brief session Saturday, as the Packers don't hold a formal practice Friday.

Savage returned to practice after missing two games due to an elbow infection, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Savage will return as the top backup to quarterback Brock Osweiler, who remains the starter despite Houston ranking 30th in passing offense (190 yards per game).

Coach Adam Gase has indicated that Tannehill (knee) will miss Saturday's game against the Jets, as well as next weekend's game against the Bills, the Palm Beach Post reports.

On the plus side, per the Sun-Sentinel, it's possible that Tannehill, who sprained the ACL and MCL in his left knee this past Sunday, could play again before the end of the season. This week, however, Matt Moore is slated to start Saturday's road tilt versus the Jets, with T.J. Yates in line to serve as the Dolphins' No. 2 QB in Week 15.

Bradford was limited in Wednesday's practice due to a sore right shoulder, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

No injury was reported for Bradford after Sunday's game, so this is likely a minor ailment. Still, watch to see how he fares later this week in practice.

Stafford (finger) practiced in full Wednesday.

Donning a one-fingered glove in Wednesday's practice, Stafford was unhindered, handling every drill thrown his way. Considering he's only a few days removed from dislocating and sustaining torn ligaments in the middle finger of his right throwing hand, the preceding is quite the accomplishment. With two sessions remaining this week, the Lions may opt to give him a veteran's day off at some point. However, he appears to be on pace to start Sunday's road test against the Giants.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Rodgers won't take part in practice Wednesday in order to focus on rehabbing his right calf, Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Rodgers may also sit out Thursday for a similar reason, but McCarthy mentioned that the quarterback won't be "held back" with the implementation of the game plan, per Jason Wilde of ESPN.com. A cautious approach with Rodgers' workload is prudent due to recent bouts with lower-body injuries, which could very well extend beyond Week 15. In any case, there's little question that he'll be directing the Packers' offense for Sunday's key divisional matchup with the Bears, barring a setback.

Stafford practiced with a one-fingered glove Wednesday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Although his participation level is unknown, Stafford was wearing the least amount of protection possible for the afflicted middle finger on his right hand, which was dislocated and endured ligament damage Sunday against the Bears. After starting that contest 6-for-7, he proceeded to complete just a shade over 50 percent of his passes (15 of 28) following the injury, including only 12 passes in the second half, two of which were picked off. Stafford will certainly carry the ailment with him over the final three contests of the regular season, with his first test a difficult one Sunday on the road versus a Giants defense that just held the Cowboys' Dak Prescott to 165 yards and one touchdown, while forcing two interceptions on Sunday night.

Taylor will remain the team's starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Browns. Said coach Rex Ryan on Monday, "Tyrod Taylor. In my opinion, he gives us the best opportunity to win."

This seems to make the most sense, as the Bills have a huge decision to make regarding Taylor's contract, one that could determine the future of the franchise. That would seem to outweigh whether EJ Manuel is worth keeping around on a much smaller deal or if Cardale Jones holds more promise than just a project QB. As far as fantasy goes, Taylor goes from possibly being benched to having the chance to put up good numbers against the hapless Browns.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he's unsure whether Rodgers will be more limited in practice this week after injuring his calf Sunday, ESPN's Rob Demovsky reports.

Rodgers' right calf injury comes after he was already limited in practice the past two weeks due to a left hamstring issue. Although the calf problem isn't thought to be as bad as the left calf strain that didn't cause him to miss any games to end the 2014 season, Rodgers is still very likely to remain restricted in his practice involvement this week. That expectation comes after the blowout nature of Sunday's win allowed Rodgers to sit out most of the fourth quarter to avoid further damage. Whether he'll continue to be held out of practice to ensure he's not overextended ahead of this Sunday's game against the Bears remains to be seen, so Green Bay's practice reports should be worth monitoring as the week unfolds.