NFL Player News

Allen (right shoulder) was listed as a non-participant in practice Wednesday.

Per Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site, Allen was originally in line to open Week 9 prep as a limited participant, but that ultimately didn't come to his pass. For what it's worth, Allen told Glab that he took it easy Wednesday with an eye toward being in a better position for Sunday's contest against the Bengals, adding that he hopes to practice in some capacity Thursday.

Fields (thumb) was projected as a non-participant for Wednesday's walk-through practice.

The Bears haven't officially ruled out Fields for their Week 9 game in New Orleans, but the signal-caller appears headed for a third straight absence with head coach Matt Eberflus having already confirmed that Tyson Bagent will pick up another start at quarterback Sunday. Fields hasn't been able to practice in any fashion since dislocating his right thumb in the Bears' Week 6 loss to the Vikings, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relays that Eberflus has optimism that Fields will be able to practice in some capacity this week. At this stage, Fields' primary obstacle in returning to game action is regaining grip strength with his thumb. If he shows meaningful progress in practice this week, Fields could have a shot at starting the Bears' Week 10 game against the Panthers next Thursday.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Watson (shoulder) will be a limited practice participant Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

At this stage, the Browns' plans at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Cardinals have yet to be solidified, but Stefanski said Wednesday that PJ Walker will make a second straight start this weekend if Watson isn't available, per Cabot. Watson -- who was inactive for Cleveland's Week 8 loss to Seattle -- has been dealing with a rotator cuff strain in his throwing shoulder and has made just one brief appearance over the Browns' last four games while managing the injury.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said that Jones (neck) will be a full participant at practice Wednesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Jones gained clearance for contact prior to last Sunday's loss against the Jets, though he had already been ruled out for Week 8. It was the third consecutive missed game for Jones, but his return to full practice Wednesday seemingly puts him on track to return to the starting lineup this weekend in Las Vegas. Before confirming Jones as the team's Week 9 starter, Daboll and the Giants' medical staff will likely wait until Friday to make sure the signal-caller makes it through the week of practice without any setbacks. The timing of Jones' return is fortuitous for the Giants, with fill-in starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor (ribs) considered week-to-week after exiting the game against the Jets with the injury. If Jones is cleared to play Week 9, he could still be working with a depleted line and potentially without his top pass catcher; left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) hasn't played since the season opener, right tackle Evan Neal (ankle) has missed the last two games, and tight end Darren Waller's (hamstring) status for Sunday's game is uncertain after he exited early in the loss to the Jets and didn't return.

Taylor (rib cage) won't practice Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Taylor was discharged from the hospital Monday after injuring his rib cage in the second quarter of this past Sunday's 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets. Tommy DeVito replaced Taylor and completed just two passes over the rest of the game. Taylor's absence Wednesday is no surprise, and he's unlikely to heal in time to face the Raiders this coming Sunday. Fortunately for the the Giants, top quarterback Daniel Jones (neck) has been cleared for contact and will be a full participant in Wednesday's practice, likely setting the stage for him to make his first appearance since Week 5 after Taylor had started each of the previous three games.

Allen will be a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a right shoulder injury, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Per Skurski, Allen hasn't suffered any setbacks in his recovery from the shoulder issue, which resulted in him appearing on injury reports both of the past two weeks. Allen was a full participant in every practice in those weeks, however, so his limited activity to begin Week 9 prep makes his status worth tracking as Sunday's game against the Bengals approaches. So long as Allen returns to full practice participation by Friday, he'll likely head into the weekend minus an injury designation. For his part, Allen told Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site that he's hoping to increase his practice activity Thursday.

Head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that Ridder has been medically cleared but will serve as the top backup to Taylor Heinicke in Sunday's game versus the Vikings, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Smith noted that the decision to start Heinicke over Ridder for Week 9 was made with the short-term in mind. Ridder was forced out of last week's loss to the Titans in the first half and evaluated for a concussion, and even after he was medically cleared to return, the Falcons stuck with Heinicke at quarterback to finish out the contest. Smith is seemingly still taking a cautious approach to Ridder's health, though the Falcons will allow him to suit up Sunday in a backup capacity. Even if the starting decision was made solely with Sunday's game against Minnesota in mind, if Heinicke is able to show well, he could end up sticking as the team's No. 1 signal-caller going forward. Through eight games, Ridder has turned the ball over 12 times (six interceptions, six lost fumbles) and compiled just nine touchdowns (six passing, three rushing).

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said that Heinicke will start Sunday's game against the Vikings, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Heinicke will pick up his first start of the season, despite incumbent Desmond Ridder having been cleared to serve as Atlanta's backup after passing all concussion tests following his removal from this past Sunday's loss to the Titans, per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site. While coming on in relief of Ridder in Week 8, Heinicke played the final two quarters and completed 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown. Smith noted that the quarterback change is a short-term decision focused on the Minnesota matchup, but if Heinicke can move this offense efficiently on Sunday, he could keep a grip on the starting gig over Ridder, who had turned the ball over 12 times (six interceptions, six lost fumbles) through Atlanta's first eight games.

The Raiders plan to move forward with O'Connell as their starting quarterback beginning with Sunday's game against the Giants, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Las Vegas appears set to make a change at quarterback after the team announced major staff changes earlier Wednesday, when head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler were fired from their positions. With the 3-5 Raiders sitting on the periphery of the AFC playoff picture, O'Connell, a rookie fourth-round pick out of Purdue, looks as though he'll get an extended evaluation in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, who struggled in Las Vegas' Week 8 loss to the Lions and has thrown a league-high nine interceptions despite playing in only six of Las Vegas' first eight games. O'Connell represents a fantasy option for managers who had rostered Garoppolo or who are otherwise in need of quarterback depth heading into the Week 9 slate.

Garoppolo appears to be headed for a bench role, as the Raiders are "leaning toward" having rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell start Sunday's game against the Giants, a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Bonsignore issued his report just over an hour after the Raiders announced the firings of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler. The coaching and front-office shakeup looks as though it may extend to the team's personnel, as the 3-5 Raiders could be motivated to give O'Connell a longer look in the midst of a losing season, especially with Garoppolo having underwhelmed through his first six starts with Las Vegas. Despite missing one game apiece due to a concussion and back injury, Garoppolo has thrown a league-high nine interceptions on the season. He had completed 68.1 percent of his throws and averaged a respectable 7.5 yards per attempt through his first three starts, but since returning from the concussion that kept him out Week 4, Garoppolo has seen his efficiency dip substantially over his subsequent three starts (62.2 percent completion rate, 6.7 YPA). Garoppolo is in the first season of a three-year, $72.75 million contract, but only $33.75 million of the deal is fully guaranteed. The Raiders would still take a $28.3 million dead-cap hit for 2024 if they release Garoppolo next year, but they could lower his cap hit to $15.5 million for 2024 and $12.8 million for 2025 if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut.