NFL Player News

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday that Howell won't start Sunday's game against the 49ers, with Jacoby Brissett set to lead Washington's offense moving forward, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Howell has started each of Washington's first 15 games, but he's unraveled over the last three outings. In losses to the Dolphins, Rams and Jets, Howell has been pulled early in favor of Brissett on two occasions and completed just 29 of 71 attempts (40.8 percent) for 285 yards (4.0 YPA) while throwing for one touchdown against four interceptions and taking five sacks. Brissett, meanwhile, nearly led the Commanders to a come-from-behind win after entering in the third quarter of this past Sunday's 30-28 loss to the Jets, and the coaching staff now looks ready to give him a look in the starting role for the final two games of the season. Unless Howell is used off the bench, he'll finish the 2023 campaign with a 63.2 percent completion rate for 6.5 YPA and a 19:17 TD:INT to go with 265 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday that Brissett will start Sunday's game against the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

After coming on to replace the struggling Sam Howell in the third quarter of this past Sunday, Brissett came close to leading Washington to a comeback win before the Commanders ultimately fell to the Jets, 30-28. He made enough of an impression in relief to replace Howell as the team's starting quarterback, with Brissett completing 10 of 13 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. With only two games left in the regular season, Brissett will presumably start Week 18 against the Cowboys, provided he acquits himself well enough versus San Francisco.

Stroud (concussion) is expected to practice Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Stroud looks set to take the field Wednesday in some fashion for the first time since entering the concussion protocol during the Texans' Week 14 loss to the Jets. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said over the weekend that Stroud has been taking part in team meetings and is progressing in his recovery from the brain injury, but the quarterback's upcoming return to practice would represent the first tangible step forward as he navigates the protocol. In addition to attaining full clearance for contact, Stroud will also need to get the green light to play from an independent neurologist before he's removed from the five-step protocol. The Texans would turn to either Case Keenum or Davis Mills at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Titans if Stroud isn't ready to play this weekend.

Jacksonville signed Barkley to its active roster from the Giants' practice squad Tuesday.

In a corresponding move, the Jaguars placed safety Daniel Thomas on their injured reserve list Tuesday. With Trevor Lawrence dealing with an AC joint sprain, Barkley could be in line to play a backup role as early as Sunday.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said that he thinks Levis (ankle) will try to practice Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Vrabel added that Levis is feeling better after sitting out Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Seahawks with a right ankle sprain. If the rookie quarterback can upgrade to full practice participation by Friday, he should be in good position to reclaim starting duties from Ryan Tannehill for Sunday's game in Houston.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed Tuesday that Lawrence's right shoulder injury is an AC joint sprain, noting that while the quarterback is "progressing," his availability for Sunday's game against the Panthers is uncertain, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to not making any promises about Lawrence playing Sunday, Pederson was also unsure about the signal-caller being able to practice Wednesday in any capacity. According to Mark Long of the Associated Press, the coach added that Lawrence is still dealing with soreness after exiting this past Sunday's 30-12 loss to the Buccaneers with the injury, so the Jaguars may be inclined to hold off on having him practice until more of the pain subsides. C.J. Beathard would be in line for the Week 17 start if Lawrence can't go, while the Jaguars signed Matt Barkley off the Giants' practice squad Tuesday to provide added depth to the position group.

Siemian will remain the Jets' starting quarterback for Thursday's game against the Browns, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed Tuesday that Zach Wilson has yet to clear concussion protocol and will miss a second straight contest, paving the way for Siemian to make another start. The veteran QB was at the helm for the Jets' 30-28 win over the Commanders this past Sunday, but New York's 27-7 halftime lead was mainly produced by a defense that forced two turnovers in opposing territory and a huge performance by Breece Hall. Siemian was able to help guide the team to a game-winning 54-yard field goal on their last possession after the Jets had blown that lead. If Wilson clears the protocol before the season finale Jan. 7 against the Patriots. it's not clear which quarterback might get the start.

Wilson hasn't cleared the concussion protocol and has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Browns.

Wilson doesn't seem to have made much progress since suffering a concussion Dec. 17 against Miami, and he remained listed as a non-participant Monday on the Jets' initial Week 17 practice report. The team has determined that the quarterback won't pass all five phases of the protocol before Thursday, so he'll miss a second game in a row while Trevor Siemian gets another turn as the starting quarterback. Wilson could still be in the mix for the start in the season finale versus the Patriots in Week 18.

Cleveland signed Walker on Tuesday.

In a corresponding move, the Browns placed Dorian Thompson-Robinson (hip) on their injured reserve list Tuesday. Per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, Walker is now set to back up Joe Flacco on Thursday versus the Jets. Over six games with Cleveland earlier this season, Walker posted a mediocre 6.1 yards per pass attempt and threw just one touchdown to five interceptions.

The Browns placed Thompson-Robinson (hip) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Since clearing the concussion protocol, the fifth-round pick out of UCLA has appeared in each of the team's last three games, taking a handful of snaps behind Joe Flacco in specific packages. Thompson-Robinson apparently injured his hip during his brief cameo in Sunday's 36-22 win over the Texans, and the team decided it could put his roster spot to better use for the rest of the regular season. He's technically eligible to be activated as soon as the AFC Championship Game, should the Browns advance that far, but for now PJ Walker will step in as Flacco's backup. Thompson-Robinson wraps up his regular season with a 53.6 percent completion rate on 112 passes for 3.9 yards per attempt, one touchdown and four interceptions to go with 14 carries for 65 yards over his eight outings.