NFL Player News
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Dorian Thompson-Robinson QB | PHI
Browns' Dorian Thompson-Robinson: Feels good, undergoing MRI
Thompson-Robinson (finger) received negative X-ray results on his right middle finger Monday but is undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Thompson-Robinson was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Bengals shortly after replacing Deshaun Watson (Achilles), who exited with a season-ending injury. Both Jameis Winston and Thompson-Robinson are candidates to handle quarterback duties for Cleveland in the wake of Watson's injury, beginning Week 8 at home against Baltimore. Of course, Thompson-Robinson's health will play a key factor in determining his immediate role on offense. Thompson-Robinson was active as Watson's backup versus Cincinnati, while Winston suited up as the team's emergency third QB and led a touchdown drive on the Browns' final possession.
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Will Levis QB | TEN
Titans' Will Levis: Labeled week-to-week
Titans head coach Brian Callahan said after Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Bills that Levis (shoulder) is week-to-week, Nick Suss of the Nashville Tennessean reports.
Levis had been in the starting conversation for Week 7 until one day prior to Tennessee's matchup against Buffalo, when continued testing of his right AC joint sprain brought back discouraging results. The shoulder injury was initially sustained by Levis in Week 4, and he got a bye week to rest before suiting up in Week 6 versus Indianapolis. Callahan said of Levis' worsening sprain that "he ended up feeling it toward the end of the [Colts] game on a couple of those throws," and that for Week 7 "his mechanics were not where they needed to be and his arm strength felt weakened." If Levis' shoulder doesn't improve as the Titans' road matchup against Detroit in Week 8 draws near, Mason Rudolph would be in line to draw another start.
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Gardner Minshew QB | KC
Raiders' Gardner Minshew: Reclaims starting role
Minshew will return to the starting lineup for Las Vegas in Week 8 against Kansas City with Aidan O'Connell (thumb) expected to be placed on IR, Nick Shook of NFL.com reports.
Head coach Antonio Pierce opted to bench Minshew and turn to O'Connell during Las Vegas' Week 5 loss to Denver, but the veteran now looks set to return to the No. 1 QB role with his competition having suffered a thumb fracture during Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Rams. After completing 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions Week 7, Minshew has a shaky 4:8 TD:INT on the season. Davante Adams is also now a member of the Jets, leaving Minshew with a very depleted wide receiver corps. It's difficult to picture Minshew's production rapidly improving in a tough matchup versus the Chiefs.
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Deshaun Watson QB | CLE
Browns' Deshaun Watson: Achilles tear confirmed
Watson (Achilles) is done for the season after an MRI on Monday confirmed a torn Achilles, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Watson's season-ending injury during Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Bengals puts Jameis Winston in a position to enter the starting lineup for Cleveland, though it was Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger) who suited up as the Browns' backup quarterback Sunday versus Cincinnati. After a contract restructure to create cap space in 2023 and 2024, Watson is on the books for a $46 million base salary in both of the 2025 and 2026 seasons, though it's possible that insurance for season-ending injuries could now provide the Browns with some relief. In any case, Watson faces a lengthy recovery process that could put him at risk of being unavailable early in the 2025 campaign.
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Aidan O'Connell QB | LV
Raiders' Aidan O'Connell: Expected to land on IR
The Raiders are expected to place O'Connell on IR due to a fractured thumb sustained during Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
O'Connell could be sidelined up to six weeks, a development which puts Gardner Minshew back under center for Las Vegas. In his lone full start this season, O'Connell completed 27 of 40 pass attempts for 227 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 6 versus the Steelers. Across four appearances on the whole, O'Connell has thrown for 455 yards, two touchdowns and two INTs. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that O'Connell will seek a second opinion Monday to confirm the severity of his injury.
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Justin Fields QB | NYJ
Steelers' Justin Fields: Doesn't take snaps as backup
Fields didn't get any snaps during Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets.
Russell Wilson took over as the Steelers' starting quarterback for the Week 7 matchup, but reports earlier in the week suggested that Pittsburgh would have a package of plays available for Fields. However, coach Mike Tomlin decided to ride the hot hand with Wilson as the offense put up 31 unanswered points en route to a comfortable victory. Given the success that the team had in prime time, it seems unlikely that Wilson is in danger of handing back the starting job, but it's still possible that Fields sees some game action in specific situations, likely in the red zone where his greater mobility might give defenses an extra threat to consider.
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Mason Rudolph QB | PIT
Titans' Mason Rudolph: Fails to move offense
Rudolph completed 25 of 40 passes for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 34-10 loss to the Bills. He added five rushes for 13 yards with a lost fumble.
Rudolph drew his first start as a Titan with Will Levis (shoulder) sidelined. He got off to a relatively strong start, leading the team to a pair of scoring drives by early in the second quarter. Across those two possessions, he combined to complete nine of 11 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. However, Rudolph failed to lead Tennessee to any points after that while leading a very inefficient passing offense. Rudolph could be under center again for a Week 8 matchup against the Lions, which would present a more favorable matchup.
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Russell Wilson QB | NYG
Steelers' Russell Wilson: Performs well in PIT debut
Wilson completed 16 of 29 pass attempts for 264 yards and two touchdowns while adding three carries for three yards and a third touchdown in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets.
Wilson made his much-anticipated debut with Pittsburgh after joining the club this offseason and missing the first six games due to a calf injury. The veteran quarterback looked healthy in Sunday's primetime matchup, producing three touchdowns without turning the ball over in a decisive victory. Head coach Mike Tomlin validated his decision to start Wilson over the 4-2 Steelers' interim starter, Justin Fields, based on Sunday night's results. Wilson figures to continue leading this contending squad into another nationally televised game when Pittsburgh hosts the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 8.
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Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Jets' Aaron Rodgers: Falls in reunion with Adams
Rodgers completed 24 of 39 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 37-15 loss to the Steelers. He also threw a two-point conversion.
Rodgers' best sequence came on a second-quarter drive that gave the Jets a 15-6 lead, as he connected with Breece Hall for a 57-yard gain through the air, then threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Conklin and followed that up with a two-point conversion to Garrett Wilson. His interception on the next possession turned the tide, though, as the Steelers turned that turnover into a touchdown before halftime, which spearheaded a 31-0 Pittsburgh run. Rodgers wasn't quite on the same page with familiar target Davante Adams, who had only 30 yards on nine targets in Adams' Jets debut after being acquired via trade from Vegas on Tuesday. Rodgers has the potential to put up gaudy numbers through the air against weaker defenses with Adams, Wilson and Hall among his targets, but the 2-5 Jets are running out of time to figure things out heading into a Week 8 trip to New England.
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Marcus Mariota QB | WAS
Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Excellent in relief
Mariota completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 40-7 win over the Panthers. He added 11 rushes for 34 yards.
Mariota was forced into the game after just one offensive possession after Jayden Daniels (ribs) departed. He led the Commanders' offense effectively, highlighted by a pair of touchdown drives to close the first half and begin the second half. On those two possessions, Mariota combined to complete 10 of 11 passes for 119 yards and a pair of touchdown throws. While he benefitted from a very favorable matchup, Mariota showed a surprising command of the offense in relief. However, he'll face a much tougher test if called upon for a Week 8 matchup against the Bears.