NFL Player News

Dalton has a visit with his doctor scheduled for Monday to assess the QB's injured right thumb.

Dalton is hoping that he'll be able to take the cast off his throwing thumb, but such an outcome has yet to be confirmed yet and a timetable for his potential return to action can't really be solidified until said cast comes off. Dalton is already ruled out for Sunday's regular season finale against the Ravens, a game that AJ McCarron is slated to start.

Head coach Jay Gruden stated Thursday that Cousins will start Sunday's game at Dallas, though his workload is to be determined.

Cousins is a candidate to receive rest in the season finale with the No. 4 seed in the NFC already secure, but it appears that Gruden will keep his quarterback fresh with a nominal number of reps Sunday. Assuming Cousins departs early, Colt McCoy awaits to direct Washington's offense, and Robert Griffin may even be active, if Gruden opts to give other offensive stalwarts -- see, DeSean Jackson (knee) -- the day off.

Tannehill (thigh/knee) practiced fully Wednesday.

After practicing without limitation Wednesday, Tannehill appears to be in no danger of missing Sunday's season finale against the Patriots. That said, he's been underwhelming over the Dolphins' last four games, three of which resulted in Miami defeats, a span in which Tannehill has recorded just two TDs, while being picked off once.

Coach Bill O'Brien confirmed Wednesday that Hoyer is out of the NFL's concussion protocol and will start at QB for the Texans on Sunday against the Jaguars.

For his part, Hoyer noted Wednesday that he feels "great" and has no reservations about playing this weekend, in a game in which the 8-7 Texans would clinch a playoff spot with a win. As it is, however, the Colts have only a slight chance to overtake the Texans for the AFC South crown, with the odds thus strongly in favor of Hoyer and company seeing postseason action when the Week 17 dust settles.

Mariota (knee) won't play Sunday against the Colts.

Not surprisingly, Mariota wants to play, but interim coach Mike Mularkey relayed Wednesday that the team has "to be smart about it. As an organization, we decided it was best to keep him out." With Mariota unavailable this week, Zach Mettenberger is slated to start at QB for the 3-12 Titans in their season finale.

Taylor was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday with a right shoulder issue.

That said, the QB insists that he has "no doubt at all" about starting Sunday's season finale against the Jets, while indicating that despite being listed as limited by the Bills, he took "every rep" during Wednesday's practice session.

Hoyer (concussion) is set to practice Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans have not released an update on Hoyer's status for a few days, but this report indicates he will be cleared from the concussion protocol and take the practice field Wednesday, which would clear the road for him to start in Week 17. The Texans will release an official update on Hoyer's status sometime Wednesday, but it looks like the team's starting quarterback will be back in action for the regular season finale.

Dalton (thumb) is likely still a few weeks away from returning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Bengals have been evaluating Dalton on a weekly basis, but this report indicates he will not play in Week 17, and would not play in the Wild Card round if the Bengals do not secure a first-round bye. The Bengals will continue to provide updates on Dalton's status, and he has not officially been ruled out beyond this week just yet, but it's looking like A.J. Mccarron will likely see at least another start.

Interim coach Mike Mularkey noted Monday that Mariota (knee) has not yet been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Colts.

That said, with the Titans at 3-12 heading into Week 17, Mularkey acknowledged that he'll defer to the team's trainers and if there is any shred of doubt regarding Mariota's health, the QB won't play on Sunday.

Morris is a candidate to start Sunday's game against the Titans, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com reports.

With Andrew Luck's Week 17 status still very cloudy, Matt Hasselbeck looking doubtful and Charlie Whitehurst now on IR, Morris is currently the team's healthiest option at QB and thus a candidate to start the Colts' regular season finale.