NFL Player News

Hooker (mouth) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers but will serve as the emergency third quarterback, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Hooker was added to the Lions' injury report Friday after not participating in practice due to a tooth issue. Like he's done since he was cleared for his first action as a pro Week 16, Hooker is available Sunday if both Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater leave the game and cannot return.

Allen clarified during his season-ending press conference this week that his right shoulder got better as the campaign moved along and that at the moment, he's not planning to have any type of surgery, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.

Said Allen: "It just felt like it kept getting better as the season went on. And especially these last probably four weeks, felt like it didn't bother me at all. So yeah, I don't think there's anything." The team's brass affirmed later in the week that there are no plans for surgery for their star quarterback. This is nice news for anyone holding Allen in a keeper league, as he'll be able to hit the 2024 season healthy after putting up an extremely fantasy-friendly 40-plus touchdowns (passing plus rushing) for an NFL-record fourth straight season.

Hooker (mouth) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The rookie out of Tennessee was a late addition to Detroit's injury report, as he popped up as a non-participant in Friday's practice due to a tooth issue. This injury puts Hooker's status for Sunday's NFC Championship Game in jeopardy, but even if he's able to suit up, he'd be in line to serve as the Lions' third-string quarterback behind Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater.

Cousins (Achilles) is ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery and should resume throwing within the next month or so, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Cousins had surgery on his torn Achilles' tendon Nov. 1 and isn't likely to participate in spring practices even if he resumes throwing soon. He does seem better equipped than most football players to rebound from the injury, considering he's a pocket-based QB who has averaged just 6.6 rushing yards per game in six seasons with the Vikings. Cousins' rehab from surgery will actually be a secondary storyline this offseason, as he's scheduled for unrestricted free agency and not considered a lock to re-sign in Minnesota.

The Bills signed Buechele to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.

Buechele will stay in Buffalo after spending the entirety of the season on its practice squad. The 26-year-old will likely spend the summer competing for a backup role behind Josh Allen, though Kyle Allen is still in the mix at the present time.

Richardson (shoulder) is ahead of schedule in his rehab and hopes to resume throwing soon, ESPN.com's Stephen Holder reports.

It's not clear if his return to throwing is a matter of weeks or months away, but the 2023 fourth overall pick should be healthy long before training camp. Richardson suffered a concussion in Week 2 and a Grade 3 AC Joint sprain in Week 5, with the latter leading to season-ending surgery Oct. 21. Richardson said he struggled to deal with the reality of a lost season for a few weeks, before he eventually "came around and understood [his] purpose" within the Colts organization. He then took part in the game-planning process, meetings and film study, settling for a slow introduction to the NFL after originally being tabbed as a 21-year-old Week 1 starter. Richardson's unmatched combination of size and speed -- along with the mostly impressive 2023 cameo -- should ensure he's a hot commodity in 2024 fantasy drafts and a top-100 pick in most leagues.

Levis (foot) will work with new Titans head coach Brian Callahan in 2024, ESPN.com reports.

Levis seemingly did enough as a rookie to enter Year 2 as a starter, though it's still up in the air if he's a franchise QB or more of a low-end starter/high-end backup. The Titans likely want to build their offense around the 2023 second-round pick, following a half-decade of run-first attacks centered on impending free agent Derrick Henry. That's not to say Henry is automatically done in Tennessee, though the fit would be questionable under a coach whose five seasons as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati (2019-23) saw the Bengals rank no higher than 17th in rush attempts and 23rd in rushing yards. Levis is no Joe Burrow, of course, but the addition of a passing-game-focused head coach at least suggests the Titans want to figure out what they have in the young QB rather than trying to hide him and rely on other parts of the roster. It remains to be seen if the team's ensuing offseason moves continue in that direction, with rumors already swirling that Callahan could try to bring WR Tee Higgins over from Cincinnati (Higgins might have other ideas). The foot/ankle injuries Levis dealt with late in 2023 should clear up by this spring.

Clifford completed one pass for 37 yards and had three carries for minus-2 yards over two appearances in the 2023 regular season.

Clifford spent his entire rookie season backing up Jordan Love, and he made brief appearances in both Weeks 1 and 17 and another in Green Bay's playoff opener. With Love perhaps receiving a lucrative extension over the offseason, Clifford is well-positioned to remain a cost-effective backup.

Keenum has one year remaining on his contract heading into the offseason. He completed 34 of 53 passes for 291 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions in two regular-season games during the 2023 season.

Keenum was locked in as the third-string quarterback when C.J. Stroud was healthy, but when Houston's No. 1 quarterback sat out in Weeks 15 and 16 due to a concussion, head coach DeMeco Ryans opted for Keenum over Davis Mills as the starter. Both backups are under contract for the upcoming season, but Keenum would carry a dead cap hit of just $1.5 million if he were to be released, meaning his roster spot is far from guaranteed.

Mills has one year remaining on his rookie contract entering the 2024 offseason. He completed 18 of 39 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns over six regular-season games in 2023.

Mills operated as the primary backup when C.J. Stroud was healthy and starting, but when the No. 1 quarterback couldn't go in Weeks 15 and 16 due to a concussion, the Texans used Case Keenum as their starter. Both backup QBs are under contract for 2024, although Keenum's cap hit would be minimal if he were to be released.