NFL Player News

Rattler (coach's decision) is inactive ahead of Monday night's matchup against the Chiefs.

Rattler will serve as the Saints' emergency third quarterback for the fifth consecutive game Monday night. The 2024 fifth-round pick will be able to take the field only if both Derek Carr and Jake Haener sustain injuries.

Coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Richardson (oblique) "is our starting quarterback" when he returns to full health, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Richardson took a big hit to his midsection during a Week 4 win against the Steelers and has been sidelined since. Veteran backup Joe Flacco has fared well in his place, completing 49 of 70 passes for 527 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions over the course of seven-and-a-half quarters. The good play won't equate to further starts for Flacco once Richardson is healthy, but it does give the Colts the luxury of not rushing the second-year pro back into action. He'll likely need to bump up his activity level this week in order to have a chance of suiting up this coming Sunday at Tennessee.

Coach Sean McVay noted Monday that Stafford is dealing with some back soreness following Sunday's 24-19 loss to the Packers, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register and Greg Beacham of the Associated Press report.

That said, McVay indicated that Stafford's back issue shouldn't impact the QB's availability for the Rams' Oct. 20 game against the Raiders. In any case, added context regarding Stafford's status should surface once the team resumes practice following a Week 6 bye.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that Tagovailoa (concussion) is scheduled for an "expert consultation" during the team's Week 6 bye, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

McDaniel said "everything is so far so good" with regard to the franchise quarterback's recovery progress, though he noted "the final stages of protocol won't be achieved until we bring [Tagovailoa] back off IR." Tagovailoa won't be eligible to come off injured reserve until Week 8, at the earliest, positioning Tyler Huntley to remain Miami's starter in the interim, including at least for the team's game against the Colts in Week 7. Tagovailoa had initial meetings with neurologists in early October and is reportedly symptom free. Assuming his recovery continues to progress without any setbacks, it sounds like the Dolphins will plan for him to be back in the starting lineup this season. A clear timetable for Tagovailoa's return to practice remains undisclosed, though.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday he would "guess to forecast" that Huntley will start Week 7 against the Colts even if Skylar Thompson (ribs) returns to full health, Alain Poupart of SI.com reports.

Miami managed to scrape to a 15-10 win over the Patriots with Huntley under center Week 5, but he completed just 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Huntley's dual-threat capabilities also weren't much of a factor, as he rushed only three times for seven yards. Still, Huntley has looked like the Dolphins' most capable quarterback option with Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) not eligible to come off IR until Week 8. With the benefit of a bye to continue improving his grasp on the offensive system, Huntley will look to command a more productive offense on the road in Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Head coach Antonio Pierce declined to name Minshew or Aidan O'Connell the starting quarterback for the Raiders' Week 6 game against the Steelers during his Monday press conference, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Minshew completed 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before being pulled for O'Connell in the third quarter of Sunday's 34-18 loss to the Broncos. Across four drives, O'Connell wasn't much more impressive, as he completed 10 of 20 passes for 93 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Minshew now has been benched twice in Las Vegas' last three games, so it looks like the team will seriously evaluate options at the quarterback position heading into a difficult home game against Pittsburgh this coming Sunday.

Head coach Brian Callahan said Monday that Levis (shoulder) is "improving" but is not slated to participate in Monday's unofficial practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Levis is tending to a right AC joint sprain sustained during Tennessee's win over the Dolphins in Week 4. He's had the benefit of a bye week to rest up, and Callahan said the starting quarterback is expected to get back on the practice field this week, but Levis' availability for Sunday's upcoming divisional matchup against the Colts remains undetermined at this point. Wednesday's first official injury report of Week 6 will reveal whether Levis is able to practice in at least a limited capacity. The Titans will turn to Mason Rudolph under center in the event that Levis isn't cleared to face Indianapolis.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was non-committal Monday when asked if Brissett would retain the starting quarterback job heading into Sunday's game against the Texans, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston reports. "All positions are always being evaluated. We haven't had our full staff meeting. That's a conversation, not only at [the quarterback] spot but all the spots, of how to get better as a football team," Mayo said, when asked if Brissett gives the team the best chance to win.

The Patriots have limped to a 1-4 start to the season while Brissett has completed just 58.5 percent of his passes for 5.2 yards per attempt and a 2:1 TD:INT through his five starts. While shoddy play from the offensive line and below-average talent at the skill positions hasn't helped him, Brissett enjoyed a relatively clean pocket in this past Sunday's 15-10 loss to the Dolphins and still misfired on several key throws that could have made a difference. Mayo and his staff will take Brissett's body of work through the first five weeks into consideration before deciding whether to stick with the 31-year-old journeyman as the team's starter or turn the offense over to 2024 third overall pick Drake Maye.

Head coach Robert Saleh said Monday that Rodgers' sprained left ankle will be examined further, but the Jets have been encouraged by all the preliminary evaluations of the injury, Ethan B. Greenberg of the team's official site reports.

Rodgers is tending to a low-ankle sprain, which he appeared to sustain when he took a big hit on a third-down incompletion with 6:11 remaining in the third quarter of Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Vikings. However, after a roughing the punter penalty extended the Jets' drive, Rodgers returned to the field for the next offensive play, and he ended up playing all 71 snaps in the loss while completing 29 of 54 attempts for two touchdowns, three interceptions and 244 yards. Though Saleh's comments suggest that Rodgers will be good to go for next Monday's game against the Bills, the veteran quarterback's practice participation still could be managed leading up to the contest.

Winston completed his only pass attempt for 16 yards and played five snaps in Sunday's 34-13 loss to Washington in Week 5.

Winston was given mop-up duty in the Browns' fourth loss in five games, taking the helm for the club's final possession. The offense was held under 20 points for a fifth time, and the struggles start at quarterback with Deshaun Watson. Calls for a change under center will grow louder this week as Cleveland prepares for a Week 6 tilt against Philadelphia, but head coach Kevin Stefanski was adamant about sticking with Watson following the game, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic.