NFL Player News

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.

Love (knee) isn't practicing Friday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

The Packers haven't officially ruled Love out for Sunday's game against Indianapolis, but all the signs so far suggest he'll be inactive and Malik Willis will start. Diagnosed with an MCL sprain, Love hasn't practice at all this week.

Coach Jerod Mayo noted that Maye is getting about 30 percent of the reps with the Patriots' top offense in practice, as part of the young QB's development plan, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald report.

Veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett led the team to a Week 1 win over the Bengals and remains the Patriots' starter at this stage, but Mayo acknowledged that Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is seeing more first-team reps than a typical backup would, with an eye toward preparing him for an eventual ascent to the top of the depth chart down the road. "Normally, it's the starter gets let's say 95 percent of the reps, and the backup doesn't," Mayo relayed Friday. "With this a little bit different. And we had a conversation. How do we, I guess the struggle is, how do you get your starting quarterback prepared for the game and also continue to develop the guy in the background, which is Drake. And so it is like a 70/30 split."

Coach Mike McDaniel said Friday that Thompson is the "next man up" at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa in the concussion protocol, but that Miami will likely bring in a third-stringer from outside the organization, Alain Poupart of SI.com reports.

McDaniel said Miami is "very confident" in Thompson, who appears slated to start Week 3 against the Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 22 if Tagovailoa is unable to clear concussion protocol, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Thompson entered Thursday night's 31-10 divisional loss to the Buffalo with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter, completing eight of 14 passes for 80 yards without a touchdowns or interception. He also rushed once for four yards, operating an offense without top wideouts Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle, who were both pulled from the matchup early. During the preseason, Thompson beat out Mike White for the Dolphins' backup gig by virtue of completing 35 of 61 passes for 379 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions across three exhibition contests.