NFL Player News

Bridgewater (knee) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Chargers, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Bridgewater has been inactive for six straight games due to a knee injury and remained limited throughout Week 14 prep, which suggests he'll likely miss a seventh consecutive contest. If that's the case, Skylar Thompson would continue serving as the primary backup behind Tua Tagovailoa.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Friday that Stafford won't require any sort of procedure while the quarterback recovers from a spinal cord contusion, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Though some observers around the league speculated that Stafford might need surgery to address the injury if he wanted to keep his career going, McVay was adamant that the 34-year-old will be able to make a full recovery through rest and rehab and is expected to have a healthy offseason. While Stafford is on the mend, the Rams plan to finish out their season with waiver pickup Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback. Stafford could receive full medical clearance ahead of OTAs in the spring as he heads into the first season of the four-year, $160 million contract extension he inked last March.

Wolford is set to move into a backup role beginning with the Rams' Week 15 game at Green Bay, as head coach Sean McVay confirmed Friday that Baker Mayfield is expected to start the team's final four contests of the season, Greg Beacham of The Associated Press reports.

McVay's commitment to Mayfield comes as little surprise after the 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick came on to replace Wolford in Thursday's 17-16 win over the Raiders. Wolford, who was managing a sore neck heading into the contest, ended up picking up his second straight start, but he was pulled from the game after he handed the ball off three times before the Rams punted on their first possession of the night. Mayfield came on to play every snap on offense thereafter, and while he struggled to move the offense for most of the night, he orchestrated a 98-yard fourth-quarter scoring drive that culminated with a go-ahead 23-yard touchdown catch by Van Jefferson with just 10 seconds remaining. The Rams will give Mayfield a chance to build on that strong finish rather than handing the reins of the offense back over to Wolford, who has completed 38 of 62 pass attempts for 390 yards and a touchdown while turning the ball over four times over his three appearances on the season.

Tagovailoa (ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Chargers after turning in a full practice Friday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Tagovailoa was a limited participant at practices Wednesday and Thursday, but after logging every rep Friday, the quarterback cleared up any lingering concern about his ankle injury. He'll have his top two weapons at his disposal Sunday, as Tyreek Hill (illness) and Jaylen Waddle (fibula) also practiced fully Friday and have been cleared to play against Los Angeles.

Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed Friday that he expects Mayfield to start the team's final four games of the season, Greg Beacham of The Associated Press reports.

Even though he didn't arrive in Los Angeles until late Tuesday after the Rams scooped him off waivers from the Panthers earlier that day, Mayfield was thrust into action just two days later in the team's game against the Raiders. While John Wolford drew the start, Mayfield came on to replace him on the Rams' second possession and took every snap on offense the rest of the way. Mayfield mostly struggled to move the offense throughout the night, but he came up clutch when it mattered most, as he guided the Rams on a 98-yard fourth-quarter drive that concluded with a 23-yard Van Jefferson touchdown grab with 10 seconds remaining to send L.A. to a 17-16 victory. In spite of his heroics Thursday, Mayfield will likely represent little more than a low-end fantasy option the rest of the way while he plays behind a patchwork offensive line and an injury-depleted group of pass catchers. Mayfield should at least benefit from a quasi-bye week to get more familiar with his new team's playbook, as the Rams' next game is a Monday night tilt Dec. 19 at Green Bay.

Sudfeld (illness) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Vikings.

Sudfeld didn't practice all week due to an illness, but he still has a chance to suit up Sunday. If Sudfeld is deemed unavailable for Week 14, the Lions would likely elevate practice-squad quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the active roster to operate as the primary backup behind Jared Goff.

Smith (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Panthers, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The right shoulder issue that resulted in Smith's practice reps being capped Thursday won't prevent him from playing this weekend, but the signal-caller could have to get by without some key weapons at his disposal. Most notably, starting wideout DK Metcalf (hip), lead back Kenneth Walker (ankle) and top tight end Will Dissly (calf) are listed as questionable after their respective injuries affected their practice participation this week. Smith will at the very least have trusty slot man Tyler Lockett available in the passing game, but the ability of Metcalf in particular to play through his injury would be a major boon to the quarterback's Week 14 fantasy outlook.

Lawrence (toe), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans, said that he felt "good" after practicing in a limited capacity Friday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

After missing practices Wednesday and Thursday due to the sprained toe on his left foot, Lawrence's return to practice in any fashion Friday has him trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's contest. Fortunately for those inclined to use Lawrence in Week 14 fantasy lineups, the Jaguars kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, so his status will be confirmed ahead of the first wave of games this weekend.

Lawrence (toe) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans after practicing in a limited fashion Friday.

Lawrence logged no practice activity Wednesday and Thursday, but the quarterback's return to practice Friday bodes well for his availability this weekend. Per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, Lawrence previously said that he expects to play against Tennessee, and there should be added context with regard to the signal-caller's Week 14 status in the hours leading up to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

Huntley is in line to start at quarterback in Sunday's game at Pittsburgh with Lamar Jackson (knee) listed as doubtful for the contest after not practicing all week, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports. "It looks like it's going to be Tyler on Sunday," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed after Friday's practice.

In his first extended action of the season in last week's 10-9 win over the Broncos, Huntley came on in relief for the injured Jackson and completed 27 of his 32 pass attempts for 187 yards and an interception while carrying 10 times for 41 yards and the game-winning score. Though Huntley will be making his first start of the season Sunday, he previously made four starts in place of Jackson during the 2021 season, completing 64.7 percent of his throws for 5.5 yards per attempt, two touchdowns and four interceptions while averaging 59.8 rushing yards and scoring twice on the ground. Huntley's rushing ability in particular makes him an interesting streaming option in season-long leagues as well as in DFS, though his production is less bankable than Jackson's. With Jackson dealing with a PCL sprain that is expected to sideline him for anywhere between 1-to-3 weeks, Huntley could be in line for an additional start or two beyond Sunday.