NFL Player News

Jones isn't included on the Patriots' initial Week 12 injury report released Wednesday after he suffered an unspecified bruise in New England's 10-6 loss to Indianapolis in Week 10.

Though Jones was sent in for X-rays after he didn't take the field for the Patriots' final possession of the Nov. 12 loss to the Colts in Germany, the injury was never viewed as the primary cause of his absence. Instead, the Patriots' decision to go with Bailey Zappe -- who ended up throwing game-sealing interception -- late in the fourth quarter seemed to be a result of Jones being benched for performance-related reasons. While the Patriots were on bye this past week, head coach Bill Belichick was non-committal on the team's plans at quarterback moving forward, and the team has yet to name a starter for Sunday's game against the Giants as Week 12 prep gets underway. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Jones appeared to be the first quarterback taking reps during Tuesday's unofficial practice session, though Zappe saw a significant share of the snaps behind him. Will Grier also lingers on the roster as a third option at quarterback, and at this stage, it's conceivable that any of the three could draw the Week 12 start as the 2-8 Patriots look to put an end to a three-game losing streak.

Smith (elbow) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game versus the 49ers, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.

Smith took a big hit from Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald on the second-to-last play of the third quarter in Sunday's loss in Los Angeles, but he was able to return for the Seahawks' final possession, leading them into position for a potential game-winning field goal from Jason Myers. The kick was missed, and Smith proceeded to be listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice report. He mixed into drills as a limited participant at Tuesday's walk-through session and now has a chance to play Thursday. Both the quarterback and head coach Pete Carroll have seemed optimistic about Smith's chances to suit up Week 12, but Smith's availability won't be confirmed until Seattle releases its inactive list approximately 90 minutes before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If Smith isn't available, Drew Lock will lead Seattle's offense.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Carr practiced fully Wednesday, but the quarterback still needs to be cleared by an independent neurologist before being removed from concussion protocol, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Carr made an early departure from the Saints' last game in Week 10 at Minnesota due to a right shoulder injury and concussion. While his shoulder checked out OK after the game, he entered the five-step concussion protocol. With the benefit of a Week 11 bye, Carr has made progress through the protocol and appears on the doorstep of clearing the fifth and final phase. He'll have three more days to do so ahead of Sunday's contest in Atlanta.

Jackson said Tuesday that he doesn't anticipate his left ankle causing any complications for him during Sunday's game against the Chargers, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Jackson took every snap on offense in the Ravens' 34-20 win over the Bengals this past Thursday, despite going down in apparent pain and grabbing his left ankle late in the first quarter when he was tackled by linebacker Logan Wilson along the sideline. The signal-caller appeared to be limping at multiple points throughout the rest of the contest, but he ended up finishing with one of his better fantasy lines of the season (16 completions for 264 yards and two touchdowns, nine carries for 54 yards). Though Jackson may not have been 100 percent against the Bengals, the longer turnaround for the Ravens' Week 12 game looks as though it has provided sufficient time for him to shake off the ankle issue.

Jones (knee) is facing an expected recovery timeline of 8-to-10 months after undergoing successful surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ACL, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Jones suffered the season-ending right knee injury in a Nov. 5 loss to the Raiders. The 2024 NFL season is expected to kick off just under 10 months from the date of Jones' surgery, so he has a realistic chance of being fully cleared ahead of Week 1. Despite re-upping with the Giants on a four-year, $160 million contract extension this past spring, Jones may not be viewed as the organization's long-term answer under center after he posted an ugly 2:6 TD:INT in six appearances this season before injuring his knee. The Giants sit at 3-8 on the season heading into Week 11 action and could look to select a new franchise signal-caller with what could be a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Rodgers (Achilles) said Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show that he's aiming to return to practice before his 40th birthday on Dec. 2, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported over the weekend that Rodgers was targeting the Jets' Dec. 24 against Washington in Week 16 for his return to game action, so Dec. 2 would seemingly represent his target date for being designated for return from injured reserve. The Jets' quarterback situation during Rodgers' absence has grown even more dire following the benching of Zach Wilson in the team's Week 11 loss to Buffalo, with the loss dropping the team's record to 4-6. With Wilson having since been dropped to third on the depth chart, the Jets will turn to Tim Boyle as their new starter with the hope that he can keep the team's playoff hopes afloat on the remote chance that Rodgers is possibly healthy enough to return for a late-season playoff push. If Rodgers -- who recently resumed jogging on an anti-gravity treadmill -- is improbably cleared to play Week 16, it would represent a remarkable three-and-a-half-month recovery from Achilles surgery.

Heinicke (hamstring) will be a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Heinicke practicing in any capacity can be viewed as positive news after Joe Patrick of 92-9 The Game Atlanta reported Monday that the quarterback was unlikely to take part in practice leading up to Sunday's game against the Saints. Before the team's Week 11 bye, Heinicke drew starts Week 9 against Minnesota and Week 10 against Arizona, but he left the latter game due to a hamstring injury. Desmond Ridder has been named the starting quarterback for Week 12, so even if Heinicke is ultimately healthy enough to suit up Sunday, he would be available strictly in a backup capacity.

Smith (elbow) was listed as limited on Tuesday's injury report, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

After opening Week 12 prep with a DNP listing Monday, Smith was able to mix into drills one day later as he deals with a bruise to the tendon on the bottom of his right triceps. Officially, the Seahawks are calling it a right elbow injury, and the quarterback told Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times on Tuesday that he feels "a little bit better after a couple of days." Per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, coach Pete Carroll seems optimistic about Smith's chances to play in Week 12, but that may not be confirmed until closer to Thursday's 8:20 p.m. EST kickoff.

Watson underwent surgery on the displaced fracture in his right throwing shoulder Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Watson sat out Weeks 4 and 6 due to a shoulder injury before playing in three of the Browns' next four games. After a Week 10 matchup with the Ravens though, testing revealed a season-ending issue. With the procedure in the rearview mirror, Watson will focus on being ready for the start of the 2024 campaign. For now, Cleveland has put the offense in the hands of rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, with PJ Walker backing him up and Joe Flacco on the practice squad.

Head coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday that Wilson will be inactive Friday against the Dolphins but will serve as the Jets' emergency third quarterback, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports.

Tim Boyle takes over No. 1 duties and Trevor Siemian will be the backup signal-caller in Wilson's place. If the second overall pick in the 2021 Draft doesn't see the field again this season, he'll finish it with 1,944 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions on 59 percent passing, plus 33 carries for 199 rushing yards, while getting sacked 38 times and committing nine fumbles (five lost).