NFL Player News

Carr will be inactive for Sunday's game against the 49ers, with Jarrett Stidham getting the start at quarterback and Chase Garbers in line to be elevated from the practice squad to serve as the backup, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Needing about a dozen games to go their way over the final two weeks to qualify for the playoffs, the Raiders have decided to prioritize evaluation of young players over pursuing their minuscule chances of reaching the postseason. Making Carr inactive down the stretch rather than the No. 2 quarterback ensures he won't have to play and eliminates injury risk -- crucial given the possibility he's traded or released this upcoming offseason. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that the Raiders can release him with a dead-cap charge of $5.63 million if they do it within three days of the Super Bowl in February. The Raiders are likely to make the move unless they have a verbal agreement in place to trade him to another team, since a deal can't be made official until the start of the 2023 league year in March.

Hurts (shoulder) was a non-participant at Wednesday's walk-through practice, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Even though the Eagles still have some work to do to lock down the NFC's No. 1 seed after this past Saturday's loss at Dallas, they may be without the services of Hurts for a second straight game, given that he has yet to log any practice reps due to the sprained right shoulder that he suffered Week 15 in Chicago. He still has a pair of sessions available to him this week to put himself in a position to play Sunday against the Saints, while Gardner Minshew is the next man up to direct Philadelphia's offense if Hurts requires more time to rehab his injury.

Broncos CEO Greg Penner said Tuesday that Wilson is still central to the team's long-term plan and is expected to rebuond in 2023, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

The in-season firing of first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett earlier this week led to speculation that Wilson could be the next be the next big name headed out of Denver, even though he signed a five-year, $245 million extension in early September. The more likely scenario is one where Wilson finishes out the final two weeks of the season under interim coach Jerry Rosburg before getting a fresh start in the offseason with a new coaching staff. Rosburg confirmed Wednesday that Wilson will start Sunday's game against the Chiefs, according to Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site.

Rodgers was held out of practice Wednesday with a sore knee but is expected to play Sunday against the Vikings, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Rodgers took a hard hit to the knee during Sunday's 26-20 win over Miami, but he was able to finish the game and now has the Packers in decent shape to reach the playoffs as a wild card if Green Bay can win its final two games and get some minor help. With that in mind, he'll likely suit up Sunday if the knee issue is just a matter of pain tolerance.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that McCoy has cleared the concussion protocol and is in line to start Sunday's game in Atlanta, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Following Kyler Murray's torn ACL that he sustained Week 14, McCoy got the nod under center Week 15, only to suffer a concussion that forced him out Week 16. McCoy has logged only one official practice since then -- he was limited last Friday -- but now that he's out of the protocol he'll be a full participant moving forward. As a result, he again will be the top quarterback on the Cardinals' depth chart, pushing back Trace McSorley to the No. 2 spot.

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday that Jarrett Stidham will replace Derek Carr as the starting quarterback Sunday against the 49ers, leaving Garbers to operate as the primary backup, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Garbers landed on Las Vegas' practice squad after he failed to make the team's initial 53-man roster coming out of the preseason, and he's been there since. The undrafted rookie out of California passed for 6,580 yards and also rushed for 1,174 yards over his four-year college career.

Stidham will replace Derek Carr as the Raiders' starting quarterback this Sunday against the 49ers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Stidham's first career start will come against one of the best defenses in the league, and under the guidance of a coaching staff that oversaw Carr's decline despite the offseason addition of wide receiver Davante Adams. Carr played much of the season without tight end Darren Waller and wideout Hunter Renfrow, both of whom should be available to Stidham over the final two weeks of the season. The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick of New England in 2019 and has completed only 32 of 61 passes (52.5 percent) for 342 yards (5.6 YPA), two touchdowns and four interceptions in his NFL career.

The Raiders will bench Carr in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the final two games of the season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Carr has taken a step backward under Josh McDaniels' coaching staff, and while Stidham is unlikely to fare any better, the team will take a look at the 26-year-old now that the team's playoff hopes are waning. The 31-year-old Carr is signed with the Raiders through 2025, but on a contract that isn't especially difficult for the team to get out of this offseason. Trade rumors are sure to swirl.

Jackson (knee) isn't practicing Wednesday, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Tyler Huntley is taking the first-team reps Wednesday and appears to be headed for a fourth consecutive start. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Saturday that Jackson would return to some kind of on-field activity this week, but that might just mean running and individual work rather than actually practicing. The Ravens host the Steelers on Sunday, and Jackson has two more chances to be cleared for practice before then.

The Dolphins are preparing Teddy Bridgewater to start Sunday's game against the Patriots after Tagovailoa (concussion) was placed in the protocol for the second time this season, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Mike McDaniel noted Wednesday that Tagovailoa is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis, while adding that there's no timetable for the quarterback's return to game action. With that in mind, expect Tagovailoa -- who missed two games due to a concussion earlier this season -- to be officially ruled out Friday for the Week 17 contest, with his status beyond this weekend unclear. Rookie Skylar Thompson is likely in line to serve as Bridgewater's backup this weekend.