Interim coach Darren Rizzi reportedly named Haener the Saints' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Commanders, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

With Derek Carr destined for at least one absence due to a fracture in his left, non-throwing hand and also a concussion, Haener and Spencer Rattler are the candidates to fill in for the veteran signal-caller. A 2023 fourth-round pick, Haener is in line to get the nod over Rattler this weekend for what will be his first career start. In seven overall appearances as a pro, Haener has completed 14 of 29 passes for 177 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions and notched 10 carries for 15 yards.

Dobbs (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday night's game against the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Dobbs is serving as the emergency third quarterback behind starter Brock Purdy and backup Brandon Allen, meaning he can't enter the game unless Purdy and Allen exit the game due to either injury or disqualification. The former Viking has yet to appear in a game this season, and he has been playing the emergency role for much of the campaign.

Herbert (ankle/thigh) was limited at practice Thursday.

After being deemed a non-participant Wednesday, the QB's return to a capped session one day later has him trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Herbert is given a Week 15 designation, but at this stage it would be surprising if he's not available this weekend.

O'Connell (knee) didn't practice Thursday.

Per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, O'Connell suffered a bone bruise to his left knee late in the third quarter of the Raiders' loss to the Buccaneers this past Sunday. O'Connell now has two more opportunities to practice ahead of Monday night's game against the Falcons. If O'Connell is unavailable for the contest, Desmond Ridder would be in line to draw the Week 15 start at QB for Las Vegas.

Burrow (right wrist/knee) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Burrow also was limited Wednesday as he tends to a right wrist issue as well as some knee soreness, per Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. At this stage, Burrow's status for Sunday's game against the Titans doesn't appear to be in any danger, though the QB probably will have to log a full practice listing Friday in order to head into the weekend without an injury designation.

Herbert (ankle/thigh) returned to practice Thursday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

Herbert -- who is dealing with a left ankle injury as well as a thigh contusion, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com -- missed practice Wednesday, but the QB's presence at Thursday's session is a good sign with regard to his status for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. The Chargers' upcoming injury report will clarify Herbert's official participation level, in any case.

Carr (hand/concussion) was a non-participant at practice Thursday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Carr emerged from Week 14 action with a fracture in his left, non-throwing hand and a concussion, which so far have kept him out of drills this week. The Saints haven't officially ruled out Carr for Sunday's game versus the Commanders, but interim coach Darren Rizzi revealed Wednesday that Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler are the candidates to get the start, and a decision will be made by Friday, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. As for Carr himself, the Saints may make a ruling on his status as soon as they post their final injury report of the week.

Head coach Brian Daboll said that Lock (heel/left elbow) won't participate in Thursday's practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Lock remains confined to a walking boot and has yet to log any practice reps so far this week, making it unlikely that he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Ravens. Daboll has already said that Tommy DeVito is on track to serve as the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 15, but the team could wait and see how Lock recovers from his heel injury over the next few days before determining if he's capable of handling backup duties. If the Giants end up ruling Lock out for Sunday's game, however, Tim Boyle would likely be elevated from the practice squad to serve as DeVito's backup.

Burrow was listed as a limited participant during Wednesday's walk-through with a sore knee and right wrist injury, though head coach Zac Taylor said prior to the session that neither injury will force the quarterback to miss any practices this week, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

In other words, Burrow is in no danger of missing Sunday's game at Tennessee, but he may have his practice reps scaled back a bit this week. While the Bengals need something close to a miracle to reach the playoffs, Burrow is on track for career highs in a slew of passing categories, as he leads the NFL in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns.

Carr (hand/concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Carr fractured his left hand in this past Sunday's win over the Giants and also entered the concussion protocol afterward. As of Wednesday, he's still dealing with swelling in his non-throwing hand, and interim head coach Darren Rizzi considers Carr's situation to be "day-to-day, week-to-week," per Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune. Both Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler took first-team reps at Wednesday's practice, and an announcement on which of the two will be the Saints' starting quarterback in place of Carr on Sunday versus the Commanders is expected to be made by Friday, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football.