NFL Player News

Cunningham reverted to the Patriots' practice squad Monday.

Cunningham was active for Sunday's 6-0 loss to the Chargers but didn't log any snaps in the game, per Evan Lazar of the team's official site. Leading up to the contest, it was reported that the Patriots had a package of plays drawn up for Cunningham in their Week 13 game plan, but he ultimately wasn't called upon, either as a quarterback or as a wide receiver. Given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding New England's signal-caller situation, Cunningham is a candidate to be elevated once again ahead of Thursday night's game against the Steelers.

The Bengals signed McCarron to their active roster Monday.

As the only other quarterback on the active roster, McCarron figures to step in as the backup to Jake Browning at Jacksonville. Browning has actually played relatively well for a backup in his two games with extended action this season, so it's reasonable to expect Cincinnati will stick with him unless he regresses or gets hurt.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that Trubisky will start at quarterback Thursday against the Patriots, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Trubisky will step in for his first start of the season as a replacement for Kenny Pickett, who exited Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Cardinals with a high right-ankle sprain and underwent surgery Monday. Though Tomlin clarified that the injury won't end Pickett's season, the second-year signal-caller is expected to miss "a couple weeks," according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Trubisky thus could be in line for an additional start or two beyond Thursday's game, which features a matchup of two teams who both rank in the bottom third in the league in both points and yards per game. Though Trubisky has shown flashes of fantasy relevance in the past thanks to his scrambling ability, he hasn't been particularly impressive over roughly five quarters of work while filing in for a banged-up Pickett this season. Across those three appearances, Trubisky completed 29 of 49 passes (59.2 percent) for 273 yards (5.6 YPA), two touchdowns and two interceptions while carrying six times for 23 yards.

Pittsburgh signed McSorley to its practice squad Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The move comes in the wake of reports Kenny Pickett underwent surgery to address his high ankle sprain Monday. Mitch Trubisky projects to start Thursday versus the Patriots, and Mason Rudolph is also on standby, but McSorley could suit up as an emergency option as soon as this week.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Carr's right shoulder "seems like it came out fine" after he was forced out of Sunday's 33-28 loss to the Lions, but the quarterback remains in the concussion protocol and still is being evaluated for a rib injury, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Though Carr is still far from optimal health, the fact that he's not dealing with any new injury to his shoulder is at least a bit of good news, considering that he had previously suffered an AC joint sprain to the shoulder back in late September. Carr didn't end up missing any game action due to that concern, but he may face an uphill battle not only to clear the five-step protocol but also to fully move past the rib issue ahead of the Saints' Week 14 matchup with the Panthers this coming Sunday. He's in the concussion protocol for the second time this season, after previously suffering a head injury in a Nov. 12 loss to the Vikings in Week 10 before clearing the protocol after the Saints' Week 11 bye. Jameis Winston finished the loss to the Lions as the primary option at quarterback and would likely start Week 14 if Carr isn't able to go, while jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill presumably would be in store for at least a handful of snaps under center, too.

Jones was active but didn't see any snaps in Sunday's 6-0 loss to the Chargers.

Heading into Week 13 action, Jones had started all 11 of the Patriots' games, but on Sunday it was Bailey Zappe who got the nod at QB. Given the results of the contest, it remains to be seen which signal-caller will handle the first snap Thursday night against the Steelers, but it would surprise if coach Bill Belichick offered much clarity on the situation in the coming days.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Thompson-Robinson remains in the concussion protocol, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Thompson-Robinson missed Week 13 while in the concussion protocol, and he will need to gain full clearance before returning to the lineup. As such, his status is still in question for Cleveland's matchup against Jacksonville in Week 14. If Thompson-Robinson can't return to full health before the Browns take on the Jaguars, Joe Flacco will likely draw another start, with PJ Walker also being an option.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that Pickett won't be available for Thursday's game against the Patriots after undergoing successful tightrope surgery to address a right high-ankle sprain, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Pickett is expected to avoid a stint on injured reserve, which would keep him sidelined through Week 17. Nonetheless, the second-year quarterback will have to miss at least one game due to the injury that knocked him out of this past Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Cardinals. The Steelers are hopeful that Pickett's decision to get surgery will accelerate his recovery, but he still will have a tough time gaining clearance for the Steelers' Week 15 game in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 16. Mitch Trubisky will step in as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback Week 14, after he came on in relief of Pickett against Arizona and completed 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

The Giants announced Monday that Taylor (ribs) has been designated to return from IR.

Taylor enters the mix to potentially start versus the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Undrafted rookie Tommy Devito is riding a two-game winning streak however, so a quarterback change may be unlikely for New York. Taylor did perform adequately when healthy earlier this season, so it wouldn't be out of the question for him to get another crack at the starting job this season. The veteran QB hasn't played since Week 8 due to an injury to his rib cage.

The Giants are expected to designate Taylor (ribs) for a return from IR and open his practice window this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Taylor's 21-day practice window will open as soon as he's officially designated to return from IR, meaning he could be an option to start versus the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 14. Undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito has led New York to a two-game win streak, however, so Taylor could end up working in a backup capacity once back in the lineup.