NFL Player News

Tagovailoa (thumb/quadricep) was listed as a limited participant in practice Thursday, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Tagovailoa has had his reps capped in both of the Dolphins' first two Week 17 practices while he manages a pair of injuries, but the coaching staff hasn't indicated that either health concern is anything that will threaten his status for Sunday's game in Baltimore. The quarterback hasn't shown any sign of being affected by the injury to the thumb on his throwing hand either, as Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network notes that Tagovailoa looked good while tossing passes in the open portion of Thursday's session. If Tagovailoa is able to put in a full practice Friday, he'll likely avoid an injury designation heading into the weekend.

Heinicke (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday, Amna Subhan of the Falcons' official site reports.

Heinicke is operating with practice restrictions during Week 17 prep due to an ankle issue, and he'll have one more opportunity Friday to get back to full participation, at which point Atlanta may tag him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game at Chicago. If he's able to suit up, he'll be looking to build upon the 229 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions on 23-for-33 passing that he put together during this past Sunday's win against the Colts.

Stroud was a full practice participant Thursday and confirmed that he'll start Sunday's game against the Titans after clearing concussion protocol, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Stroud was unable to practice in any fashion in Weeks 15 and 16 after sustaining the concussion in a Dec. 10 loss to the Jets, but he's made rapid progress in his recovery over the past few days. After missing a second straight game in Sunday's 36-22 loss to the Browns, Stroud was back on the field Wednesday as a limited practice participant, with head coach DeMeco Ryans noting that the quarterback had reached "Phase 4" of the five-step protocol. Stroud then took another step forward Thursday by returning to a full-contact practice, and he was also cleared by an independent neurologist at some point during the day to pave the way for his return to the lineup this weekend. Stroud is back in action at a pivotal time for the 8-7 Texans, who sit firmly in the mix for the AFC South division title with the 8-7 Jaguars and the 8-7 Colts -- as well as an AFC wild-card spot -- heading into the final two games of the regular season.

Murray (illness) officially didn't practice Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Murray wasn't seen at all during Wednesday's session, but he made an appearance in sweats on the side one day later, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. A "holiday bug" is the culprit, as coach Jonathan Gannon told Weinfuss on Wednesday, but there's an expectation that the quarterback will be able to suit up Sunday at Philadelphia. Ultimately, Murray's listing on Friday's injury report will clarify whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation for that contest.

Lawrence (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant in practice Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, head coach Doug Pederson indicated that Lawrence was in line to see some work in individual drills, but the quarterback ultimately went down as a non-participant for the second straight day. Lawrence now has one more opportunity to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers, but if he's unavailable this weekend, C.J. Beathard would be in line to start in his place.

Stroud has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and is expected to start Sunday's game against the Titans, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stroud has missed two straight games, but he returned to practice as a limited participant Wednesday and has since cleared the remaining phase of the five-step protocol one day later. Barring any setbacks in his recovery from the concussion in the next few days, he'll be available to direct the Houston offense this weekend in a game that's pivotal to the 8-7 Texans' playoff chances.

Murray (illness) was seen on the side at Thursday's practice but didn't appear to be participating, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday that Murray has what he termed a "holiday bug," which didn't allow him to take part in drills to begin the week. If Murray indeed goes down as a non-participant Thursday, he'll have just one more chance to get on the field in advance of Sunday's game at Philadelphia. For what it's worth, Gannon isn't concerned about Murray's availability for Week 17, per Weinfuss.

Lawrence (shoulder) wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Thursday's practice, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Doug Pederson noted earlier Thursday that Lawrence was in line to be limited to individual drills, but it remains to be seen how the team will list his official participation level. Per DiRocco, while Lawrence wasn't spotted during the initial portion of the session, it's possible that the QB could have been working indoors during that span and may still appear at practice.

Coach Kevin O'Connell named Jaren Hall the Vikings' starting quarterback for Sunday's contest against the Packers, with Mullens serving as the No. 2 option at the position, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Following Kirk Cousins' season-ending Achilles tear back in Week 8, Minnesota has cycled through three different quarterbacks, with Mullens getting the call the last two games. While Mullens filled the stat sheet (48-for-69 passing for 714 yards and four touchdowns), he also tossed six interceptions in losses at Cincinnati and to the Lions. With Hall back in the top job, Mullens could have been demoted to No. 3 on the QB depth chart, but O'Connell will stick with him as the primary backup over Joshua Dobbs.

Coach Kevin O'Connell named Hall the Vikings' starting quarterback for Sunday's game versus the Packers.

Hall will take over for Nick Mullens with the Vikings in desperate need of a win to keep their playoff hopes alive following back-to-back losses. In two brief appearances earlier this season, Hall completed eight of 10 passes for 101 yards, had four carries for 10 yards and lost a fumble in Weeks 8 and 9 at Green Bay and Atlanta. He won't have TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) available to him in Week 17, but WR Justin Jefferson represents a reliable option for Minnesota's passing game.