NFL Player News

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.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday that the Dolphins are planning to have Bridgewater start Sunday's game against Patriots after Tua Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Tagovailoa is following the NFL's five-step concussion protocol for the second time this season, after he previously suffered a brain injury in the Dolphins' Week 4 contest against the Bengals before going on to miss the team's next two games. Given Tagovailoa's recent history, the team will presumably proceed cautiously with him and prepare Bridgewater to make his second start of the season. Bridgewater last saw game action in relief of Skylar Thompson in the Dolphins' loss to the Vikings in Week 6, when he completed 23 of 34 pass attempts for 329 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed Wednesday that Tagovailoa sustained a concussion during Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Packers, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Tagovailoa was placed in the NFL's concussion protocol Monday after he reported symptoms of the brain injury following Sunday's loss. Per Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post, McDaniel said the Dolphins will approach this Sunday's road game against the Patriots with the expectation of Teddy Bridgewater starting. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that McDaniel declined to note whether the team will approach Tagovailoa's recovery with extra caution, given that he's now been evaluated for a concussion on three occasions this season due to an in-game hit. The last time Tagovailoa was placed in the five-step concussion protocol, he missed two games.

Heinicke will drop to second on the depth chart at quarterback with Washington naming Carson Wentz as its starter for Sunday's game against the Browns, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

With the 7-7-1 Commanders having suffered a pair of losses and a tie over their past three games, the team will turn the offense over to Wentz, who replaced the struggling Heinicke in Saturday's 37-20 loss to the 49ers. Wentz previously started Washington's first six games of the season before breaking his right ring finger on Oct. 13. Though Wentz has been healthy for several weeks, Heinicke retained the starting job after guiding Washington to a 5-3-1 overall record during his nine-game run atop the depth chart. However, the Commanders' recent slide will result in Heinicke moving back into a backup role.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that Fields won't be shut down for the Bears' final two games of the season, even though the quarterback has been playing through a left shoulder injury since Week 13 and had his foot stepped on during a Week 16 loss to the Bills, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

The 3-12 Bears don't have much at stake for the final two weeks of the season other than draft position, but that apparently won't prompt the team to exercise caution with the second-year signal-caller. Fields wasn't able to put full weight on his foot following the Week 16 contest but is expected to be good to go for Sunday's game in Detroit. Meanwhile, the injury to the quarterback's non-throwing shoulder is more of a nagging issue than one that dramatically hinders his performance, so at this stage, Eberflus is viewing the 23-year-old as healthy and available to play. Though the Bears have downplayed any concern about Fields, it's possible offensive coordinator Luke Getsy calls fewer designed runs for the quarterback over the next two weeks to limit the strain on his injured foot. After recording no fewer than 47 rushing yards in any of his previous 11 outings, Fields carried seven times for a season-low 11 yards in the 35-13 loss to Buffalo.

Brown reverted back to the Ravens' practice squad Monday.

Brown was active as the backup to Tyler Huntley for the entirety of Saturday's contest, but he ultimately didn't see the field. Normal starter Lamar Jackson (knee), is expected to resume "football-related movements" this week and could be in line to play in Week 17.

Herbert completed 24 of 31 passes for 235 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Monday's 20-3 win over the Colts.

Though the Chargers had a relatively easy win and clinched a trip to the postseason, Herbert had one of his last productive games of the season. That was in part caused by game script, though he was sacked four times and was regularly under pressure, which limited his ability to push the ball deep. Herbert has now failed to throw for a touchdown in consecutive games, though he should have the opportunity to bounce back against a Rams defense that has been depleted by injuries in recent weeks. How the Chargers, who are now locked into a playoff spot yet can only improve their seeding, play things the final two weeks also merits watching.