NFL Player News

Levis (foot) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

It was announced earlier in the week that Levis would not be available to start, with veteran Ryan Tannehill instead getting the nod. Malik Willis will serve as the backup, meaning barring injuries to both quarterbacks, Levis will end his rookie season with and 8:4 TD:INT while averaging 7.1 yards per attempt across nine contests. His future role with the team remains uncertain, though there's a strong chance he'll be in the mix to be Tennessee's starter in 2024.

Ridder will serve as Atlanta's starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Ridder had been benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke twice this season, but the 2022 third-round pick will get another crack as a starter in Week 18 with the latter signal-caller nursing an ankle injury. Ridder has appeared in 14 games this season, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,545 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He's also fumbled 11 times, losing six of them. Logan Woodside will be Ridder's primary backup, while Heinicke is officially listed as the emergency No. 3 quarterback.

Heinicke (ankle) is inactive for Sunday's matchup against the Saints, but he'll operate as the emergency quarterback, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Heinicke was deemed questionable after logging three limited sessions during Week 18 prep but will ultimately be inactive for the regular-season finale due to an ankle injury he aggravated versus Chicago in Week 17. He started the season as Desmond Ridder's backup, but Heinicke eventually claimed a starting role and appeared in five games this season, completing 54.5 percent of his passes for 890 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Ridder will start versus New Orleans, while Logan Woodside is the primary backup. If both Ridder and Woodside are forced out of Sunday's game due to injuries, Heinicke would be eligible to play, though it's unclear how mobile he'd be given his lower-body injury.

Mayfield (ribs) is active for Sunday's game against the Panthers.

Coach Todd Bowles confirmed Friday that Mayfield would be available to start in the final regular-season matchup, though his active status serves as confirmation. The Buccaneers need to beat Carolina to win the NFC South title and clinch a playoff berth. Mayfield enters the matchup having thrown for multiple touchdowns in each of his last four games.

Lawrence (right shoulder/left finger) is active and will start in Sunday's game against the Titans, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

With the Jaguars needing a win Sunday to claim the AFC South title and earn a trip to the postseason, Lawrence will make his return from a one-game absence to direct the Jacksonville offense. He'll likely be operating at well below 100 percent, after he was listed as a limited participant in practices Wednesday through Friday while recovering from an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder as well as an injury to a finger on his non-throwing hand. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Lawrence won't be at risk of reinjury to the shoulder by suiting up Sunday, though he'll have to manage some pain. In his return to action, Lawrence should will get one of his starting receivers in Zay Jones (knee/hamstring) back from a two-game absence, though Christian Kirk (groin) won't suit up despite being activated from injured reserve Saturday.

Heinicke (ankle) remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints but is hopeful to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Heinicke exited late in last week's loss to the Bears after aggravating a left ankle injury, but he was able to practice in a limited fashion Wednesday through Friday to build optimism about his chances of playing in the regular-season finale. The signal-caller is still seemingly being viewed as a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, as the Falcons want to see how he fares from a mobility standpoint in a pregame warmup before signing off on him making his fifth start of the season. Over his five appearances to date, Heinicke has completed 74 of 136 passes (54.4 percent) for 6.5 yards per attempt, five touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 15 carries for 124 yards and a score.

Lawrence (right shoulder/left finger), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans, is "trending in the right direction" ahead of the contest's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

According to Rapoport, the Jaguars aren't yet certain that Lawrence will be able to play through the AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder as well as the injury to a finger on his non-throwing hand, but the third-year signal-caller is pushing to play and doesn't appear to be at any risk of reinjury. Instead, Lawrence's availability looks as though it'll hinge on his ability to tolerate the pain, and since the Jaguars can secure the AFC South title with a win Sunday, the expectation is that he'll play even though he's probably well below 100 percent healthy. C.J. Beathard directed the Jacksonville offense in last week's 26-0 win over the Panthers and would be in line to start again Sunday if Lawrence is forced to miss a second straight contest.

Minshew completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 141 yards and added one carry for nine yards in Saturday's 23-19 loss to the Texans.

It was the third start this season in which Minshew did not tally a touchdown, resulting in a mediocre fantasy performance to close out the regular season. The Colts' charismatic quarterback did a good job of protecting the football Saturday, which afforded Jonathan Taylor (ankle) the opportunity to post a monstrous rushing line (30/188/1) despite the losing effort. Minshew accrued 3,305 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 turnovers while appearing in 17 games (13 starts) replacing injured rookie starter Anthony Richardson (shoulder). The latter underwent successful shoulder surgery and is lined up to start for the Colts in 2024, leaving Minshew -- an unrestricted free agent -- a likely target for teams in need of a veteran signal-caller this upcoming offseason.

Stroud completed 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 23-19 win over the Colts. He added three rushes for 20 yards.

Stroud finished off his impressive rookie season with an outstanding performance in a must-win game. He delivered a deep strike to Nico Collins on the Texans' first play from scrimmage for a 75-yard touchdown and capped off an eight-play, 57-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. Stroud finished the regular season with a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt and will lead the Texans into the postseason -- potentially as the AFC South division champs.

Rudolph completed 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Saturday's 17-10 win over the Ravens. He also lost a fumble.

Rudolph and the Steelers were playing in rainy conditions in Baltimore, which led to a conservative offensive gameplan. As accurate as he was, his game was fairly unremarkable except for a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson -- a play that put Pittsburgh ahead for good. The Steelers still need additional help to reach the postseason, but Rudolph posted a 3-0 record as a starter to close the regular season, which should also boost his outlook for the 2024 season and beyond.