NFL Player News

Lawrence (toe) was a limited participant in practice Thursday.

Lawrence took a step up in activity after he sat out Wednesday's session entirely, but he may need to upgrade to full participation Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Sunday's game in Houston. Even if Lawrence is listed as questionable for the Week 17 contest, he shouldn't be at much risk of sitting out, as head coach Doug Pederson told Adam Stites of USA Today that he's not considering resting or holding out key players with minor injuries against the Texans. The Jaguars don't have much at stake for Sunday's contest with regard to playoff positioning, as the team's matchup with the Titans in Week 18 will determine the AFC South champion and represents Jacksonville's best chance for a postseason spot rather than a long-shot bid for a wild-card berth.

Hurts (shoulder) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

Hurts was on the field for warmups and proceeded to get reps ahead of both Gardner Minshew and Ian Book, per Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer. It's the first sign that a return to action may be imminent for Hurts, who sat out a Week 16 loss at Dallas due to a sprained right throwing shoulder. Friday's injury report will reveal whether or not he'll avoid a designation heading into the weekend, but he more than likely will be listed as questionable if he has a chance to play Sunday versus the Saints.

Jackson (knee) remained a non-participant in Thursday's practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Though Jackson was expected to resume football-related activities this week after missing the Ravens' previous three games with a PCL sprain in his left knee, it hasn't translated to any recorded or estimated practice reps. The Ravens will wait and see what, if anything, Jackson can do during Friday's practice session, but the 2019 NFL MVP looks to be trending toward a fourth straight absence this Sunday against the Steelers. Tyler Huntley took reps with the first-team offense once again Thursday and is continuing to stay ready for another start.

Hurts (shoulder) took part in warmups ahead of Thursday's practice, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

This marks Hurts' first action since spraining his right throwing shoulder Dec. 18 in Chicago and his first practice since Dec. 16. According to Tolentino, Hurts actually worked ahead of fellow quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Ian Book, a fair sign that he's potentially putting himself in position to play Sunday against the Saints. Thursday's injury report will reveal how much activity Hurts was able to handle.

Rodgers (right thumb/knee) returned to practice Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

It remains to be seen how the Packers list Rodgers' participation level, but his return to the field after missing Wednesday's session supports the QB's expectation that he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Vikings.

The Titans are expected to start Josh Dobbs rather than Willis in Thursday's game against the Cowboys, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

With Ryan Tannehill (ankle) already ruled out for the contest and likely done for the regular season, the Titans will get their first look at Dobbs, who was signed off the Lions' practice squad last week. Though the Titans are set to hold out a number of key players with an eye toward being as healthy as possible for a Week 18 matchup with the Jaguars that will decide the AFC South champion, Willis' expected absence may have more to do with his poor performance in place of Tannehill this season. Through the first eight appearances (three starts) of his rookie campaign, Willis has completed 31 of 61 attempts (50.8 percent) for 276 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He's also lost two fumbles, which has negated some of the value he's provided as a runner (123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries). With that in mind, Dobbs could put himself in consideration to start the regular-season finale if he acquits himself well Thursday.

Dobbs is expected to serve as the Titans' starting quarterback Thursday against the Cowboys, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

With Ryan Tannehill (ankle) ruled out for a second straight game and likely to miss the rest of the season, the Titans will get an evaluation on Dobbs while Malik Willis, takes a seat along with a number of other key players as Tennessee attempts to enter the Week 18 showdown with the Jaguars for the AFC South title in optimal health. According to Joe Rexrode of The Athletic, the 27-year-old Dobbs -- who will be making his first career NFL start -- could put himself in the mix to start Week 18 with a respectable showing against the Cowboys. Willis hasn't looked like an NFL-ready quarterback through his first eight appearances (three starts) of his rookie campaign, completing 31 of 61 attempts (50.8 percent) for 276 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions.

McSorley will serve as Arizona's backup quarterback Sunday at Atlanta after head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that Colt McCoy cleared the concussion protocol and is on track to start this weekend, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

After coming on in relief for a concussed McCoy in the Week 15 loss to the Broncos, McSorley drew his first career start Week 16 against the Buccaneers. He proved to be mistake-prone in the Cardinals' 19-16 overtime loss, committing three turnovers (one interception, two lost fumbles) while completing just 24 of 45 passes for 4.8 yards per attempt. Even though the 27-year-old McSorley has more theoretical upside of the two quarterbacks at this stage of his career and the 4-11 Cardinals have little on the line in the final two games, Kingsbury will turn the offense back over to the more battle-tested McCoy as Arizona looks to end the season on a high note.

Carr will step away from the Raiders for the remainder of the regular season in order to avoid being a distraction to the team, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Carr, who will be replaced as the Raiders' starting quarterback by Jarrett Stidham, isn't slated to participate in practices over the final two weeks and his absence will be listed as "not-injury related" on official injury reports. With Carr slated to be inactive for Weeks 17 and 18, Chase Garbers will be elevated from the practice squad and is set to back up Stidham in games against the 49ers and Chiefs to close out the season.

Wolford (neck) didn't practice Wednesday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Wolford hasn't logged any notable on-field work since playing the first three offensive snaps of the Rams' Week 14 win against the Raiders, which also marked Baker Mayfield's first game action with Los Angeles. A lingering neck issue is to blame for Wolford's continued absence, and as long as he's sidelined, Bryce Perkins will remain the direct backup quarterback to Mayfield.