NFL Player News

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.

The Raiders are "leaning toward" having O'Connell start Sunday's game against the Giants, a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Bonsignore's report was published just over an hour after the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler earlier Wednesday. Interim head coach Antonio Pierce will likely meet with the media later Wednesday to clarify the Raiders' plans at quarterback moving forward, but with Las Vegas sitting on a 3-5 record and not shaping up as a playoff contender, the team may be inclined to evaluate the rookie O'Connell rather than sticking with struggling veteran Jimmy Garoppolo as the team's starter. O'Connell previously drew a start Week 4 while Garoppolo was out with a concussion and also relieved Brian Hoyer for the second half of a Week 7 loss to the Bears. Between those two contests, O'Connell completed 34 of 52 pass attempts (65.4 percent) for 313 yards (6.0 yards per attempt), one touchdown and two interceptions. He also added a score on the ground.

Cousins announced Wednesday via social media that he underwent successful surgery to repair his torn right Achilles' tendon.

Cousins is already on the road to recovery after having suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during Sunday's win over the Packers. According to The Athletic, full healing of an Achilles' tendon typically takes about 4-to-6 months, and given his age, the 35-year-old quarterback could need more time beyond that period before he's cleared for high-impact football activities. In any case, Cousins should have a chance at being ready to go when NFL training camps open next July, but as a pending unrestricted free agent, it remains to be seen whether he'll stick around in Minnesota or land elsewhere. For the immediate future, the Vikings will turn to rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall to replace Cousins as their starting quarterback Week 9 at Atlanta. The Vikings also acquired a more experienced quarterback in Joshua Dobbs from the Cardinals on Tuesday, giving the team an alternative under center if Hall doesn't prove to be NFL ready.

Watson (shoulder) isn't expected to be ready to start Sunday's game against Arizona, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The Browns haven't officially ruled Watson out for Week 9, but the quarterback's status has been murky every week since he emerged from the team's Week 3 win over the Titans with a rotator cuff injury. After struggling to throw the football at optimal velocity in his brief return to the lineup in a Week 7 win over the Colts, Watson sat out this past Sunday's loss to Seattle and could be poised for another absence this weekend. Watson didn't practice in any capacity last week while he focused on rehabbing his right shoulder, but he could be able to take a step forward in terms of practice activity this week. If Watson isn't available Sunday, the Browns will turn to either PJ Walker or Dorian Thompson-Robinson as their starter.

The Giants signed Barkley to their practice squad Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Barkley was let go from the Bills' practice squad Sept. 1 after sustaining an elbow injury during the preseason. With Tyrod Taylor (ribs) knocked out of Sunday's 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets and Daniel Jones just (neck) cleared for contact, the Giants signed Tommy DeVito to their active roster Tuesday and added Barkley to their practice squad as insurance in case Jones or Taylor are unable to suit up this week.

Pickett (ribs) was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice.

According to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, the Steelers held more of a walk-through session than a traditional practice Tuesday, and Pickett was spotted doing some light throwing in the portion of the workout that was open to the media. After injuring his ribs and exiting this past Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, Pickett and the Steelers face a quick turnaround Week 9 with a Thursday night game against the Titans. Despite having limited time to heal from the injury, Pickett said Tuesday that he expects to start Thursday's game. Unless he upgrades to full practice participation Wednesday, however, Pickett will likely be listed as questionable heading into the contest.

The Giants signed DeVito of their practice squad Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Giants elevated DeVito for each of their last three games, meaning they had to sign him to get him back on the active roster. There's a non-zero chance he'll be the team's starting quarterback Sunday at Las Vegas now that Tyrod Taylor is week-to-week with a rib cage injury. However, Daniel Jones (neck) was cleared for contact this past Sunday, so how he handles on-field reps this week likely will be the determining factor behind who among Jones and DeVito will be New York's No. 1 QB in Week 9.

The Vikings placed Cousins (Achilles) on injured reserve Tuesday.

The transaction is merely a formality, as an MRI confirmed Monday that Cousins suffered a torn right Achilles' tendon in Sunday's win over Green Bay, ending the quarterback's season. According to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell added that Cousins is slated to undergo surgery later this week, but assuming the 35-year-old has no complications with his procedure, he could be ready for full football activities when NFL training camps open next July. Since Cousins is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, it's unclear whether he'll return to Minnesota for a seventh season or explore his options elsewhere. Rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall appears set to make his first NFL start in Cousins' stead Week 9 at Atlanta, but Minnesota acquired a more experienced signal-caller in Joshua Dobbs from Arizona on Tuesday and could turn the offense over to him at some point in the second half of the season if Hall struggles.

Rodgers (Achilles) said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he's not yet jogging, but he is able to walk without any discomfort, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Rodgers added that he's able to do calf-raising exercises and put "legitimate" weight on his surgically repaired left Achilles' tendon, leaving him optimistic that he'll be able to play again this season. However, Rodgers emphasized that he still has many checkpoints to hit in his recovery and noted that the Jets need to be "alive" in order for him to take the field. Given that the 39-year-old Rodgers underwent surgery Sept. 13 and is working his way back from an injury that typically entails a 6-to-9-month recovery period, the Jets will likely need to make a deep playoff run just for the veteran quarterback to have an outside shot at being available to play.