NFL Player News

Love (knee) is listed as inactive Sunday against the Colts, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.

After a week in which coach Matt LaFleur was coy about Love's status in the wake of the quarterback sustaining an MCL sprain in his left knee in Green Bay's season-opening loss to the Eagles in Brazil, he unsurprisingly won't suit up Week 2. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network even reported Sunday morning that Love is aiming to return Week 5, when the Packers take on the Rams on the road on Sunday, Oct. 6. In the meantime, Malik Willis is expected to lead the offense, while Sean Clifford backs him up.

Tagovailoa has no plans to retire after suffering his fourth documented concussion in five years in Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Friday that he's not putting a timeline on Tagovailoa's return to the field, instead leaving the decision in the hands of the quarterback and his doctors. Though Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier Sunday that Tagovailoa is meeting with neurologists this week to get more information about the severity of his latest brain injury and the cumulative effect of the ones he has suffered in the past to make the most informed decision about his future, the quarterback's preference is to continue playing. Tagovailoa's opinion could change depending on the feedback he receives, however, and even if doctors clear him to continue his career, it's uncertain when he might be ready to resume football activities. Skylar Thompson is likely to step in as the Dolphins' quarterback for at least the team's next game Sept. 22 in Seattle.

Fields is in line to start Sunday's game in Denver, and if he performs well, he could remain the team's top quarterback heading into Week 3 even if Russell Wilson (calf) is fully cleared to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Wilson wasn't available Week 1 and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday, though the expectation is that he'll be inactive as the Steelers' emergency No. 3 quarterback for the second game in a row since he has yet to return to full practice participation. While filling in for Wilson in Week 1, Fields' numbers weren't eye-popping (17-for-23 passing for 156 yards, 14 carries for 57 yards), but he executed the game plan and played turnover-free football as he guided Pittsburgh to an 18-10 win over Atlanta. The Steelers will hope that Fields can follow a similar script this weekend in a matchup with a capable Denver defense, and if he does, head coach Mike Tomlin could have a tough time sending the 25-year-old back to the bench. Wilson won the starting job coming out of the preseason, but his calf injury has reopened the door for Fields to establish himself as the preferred option.

Tagovailoa (concussion) is scheduled to meet with neurologists early this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

After being diagnosed with a concussion following his early exit from Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Bills, Tagovailoa will seek input from neurologists regarding the severity of his latest brain injury and the cumulative effect of the ones he has suffered in the past to make the most informed decision about his playing future, according to Schefter. The quarterback had previously been diagnosed with two concussions in 2022 and took a third hit to the head that same season that prompted the NFL to alter how concussions are reported and evaluated. Tagovailoa also suffered a concussion during his final collegiate season at Alabama, meaning that he's been diagnosed with four concussions over the past five years. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel didn't comment on Tagovailoa's playing status moving forward, noting that he wants the quarterback to focus on his his health before discussing the possibility of a return. Skylar Thompson is the lone healthy quarterback on Miami's roster and replaced Tagovailoa in Thursday's game, though the Dolphins could explore options outside the organization if Tagovailoa requires a stint on injured reserve.

The Packers elevated Clifford from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Jordan Love (knee) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Colts, and Clifford is slated to serve as the backup quarterback behind 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis. Dianna Russini of The Athletic relayed Saturday that the optimism is for Love to return for Week 4 against the Vikings, which means Clifford could also be elevated for Week 3 against the Titans.

The Packers downgraded Love (knee) to doubtful ahead of their Week 2 contest versus Indianapolis on Sunday.

Despite suffering a Grade 1-to-2 MCL sprain in Green Bay's season opener against the Eagles on Sept. 6, Love emerged Friday with a designation of questionable on the team's injury report. However, he didn't practice at all during the week, and it seems highly unlikely that he'll play Sunday given that the Packers downgraded his status Saturday. Malik Willis is expected to start at quarterback in Love's stead, and the team elevated QB Sean Clifford from the practice squad Saturday, presumably to back up Willis.

Fields appears to be trending toward making his second consecutive start Sunday against the Broncos, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Per Varley, Fields, who started last weekend against the Falcons, has been working as though he'll be the starter again this week, while fellow QB Russell Wilson continues to deal with a calf injury and officially is listed as questionable for Sunday's game. For his part, when addressing Wilson's Week 2 status, coach Mike Tomlin said Friday, "Regarding Russell's availability, I'm going to list him as questionable. So, obviously if his availability is questionable, then starting is less so," while adding, "But we've been in that mindset all week. Like I've said, we've been focused on getting Justin ready to play and we'll continue in that mindset as we push forward toward game time." In any case, look for added context regarding the Steelers' QB plans to arrive closer to Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Friday that the Dolphins won't put a timetable on Tagovailoa's recovery from the concussion that he suffered during Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Bills, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Tagovailoa has an extensive concussion history going back to the 2022 season, missing seven combined games (including a playoff contest) due to head injuries. When asked about a possible timeline for the quarterback, McDaniel relayed, "First and foremost, I'm not assessing the injury through the lens of, 'Alright, so what does this mean for him playing?' Really, for me, I know the facts are that it's important that he gets healthy day by day, and in that, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint." For as long as Tagovailoa is sidelined, Skylar Thompson is in line to lead Miami's offense, beginning Sunday, Sept. 22 at Seattle.

Love (knee) didn't practice this week but is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Indianapolis.

The lack of practice participation doesn't bode well for Love's chances of playing, nor does the diagnosis of an MCL sprain. The Packers will at least keep the door open, however, be it due to optimism about his recovery progress or a desire to create some uncertainty for the Colts. If nothing else, it seems Love is doing better than initial reports suggested when estimating his recovery timeline at 3-to-6 weeks. Fantasy managers with interest in either Love or backup Malik Willis will want to check back Sunday morning when the Packers release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

Coach Mike Tomlin noted Friday that Wilson (calf) will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

While the Steelers plan to list Wilson as questionable, the chances of him starting Week 2 don't appear especially strong, with Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com relaying that Tomlin noted Friday with regard to the signal-caller's status, "Obviously, if his availability is questionable, then starting is less so." In any case, look for added context regarding the team's QB situation to surface ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. If Wilson is deemed not ready to play, Justin Fields would draw the starting assignment versus the Broncos.