NFL Player News

Jackson (knee) didn't practice Friday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

With Jackson not participating in practice for a third straight day, Tyler Huntley appears to be trending toward getting his first start of the season Sunday against the Steelers. The Ravens will issue their final Week 14 injury report later Friday, which will reveal whether Jackson is listed as questionable, doubtful or out for the contest.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Friday that Garoppolo (foot) isn't a candidate to be placed on injured reserve, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The 49ers have already utilized six of their eight maximum in-season activations from IR, and with Elijah Mitchell (knee) hopeful to be back for the playoffs, the team has little maneuvering room left. Lynch also said it's "highly unlikely" Garoppolo plays again this season, echoing what head coach Kyle Shanahan had to say about the matter Wednesday. Garoppolo is working his way back from a broken left foot, and since he won't require surgery to address the injury, he appears to have at least a small chance of returning during the playoffs as long as he avoids any setbacks and if the 49ers make a deep run. In the meantime, the 49ers will proceed with rookie Brock Purdy as their starting quarterback.

Lawrence (toe) is expected to practice in a limited capacity Friday, Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com reports.

Lawrence has missed two straight practices due to the left toe sprain he picked up during the Jaguars' Week 13 loss to the Lions. The quarterback said Wednesday that he plans to play Sunday versus Tennessee, and while returning to practice in even a limited capacity is a good sign, he may still carry an injury designation into the weekend. Backup C.J. Beathard is available to fill in for Lawrence should the Jaguars need his services Week 14.

Watson acknowledged that he dealt with rhythm and timing issues in his season debut last week against the Texans after he missed the first 11 games of the campaign while serving a suspension, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "All of that stuff's gotta come back and, like I said last week, I don't know when it's gonna come back," Watson said. "I don't know if it was gonna be last week, this week. My job is to just keep getting better and when it clicks it, it clicks and everyone will feel that."

Watson underwhelmed last week in his first regular-season game in 700 days, as he sat out the entire 2021 season before Houston traded him to Cleveland over the offseason. In his second start with Cleveland this Sunday against the Bengals, Watson may not return to the Pro Bowl-caliber form he displayed prior to his nearly two years away from the game, but the quarterback seems confident that he'll gradually get more comfortable. Watson said he was able to get a feel for the "speed of the game and how defenses adjust" in his season debut, but there were noticeable timing issues with receivers, as he often throw short of or behind targets. Watson will get the opportunity to further acclimate Sunday, and head coach Kevin Stefanski reiterated earlier this week that he has no plans to turn the offense back over to Jacoby Brissett in what will be a matchup critical to Cleveland's fading playoff hopes.

Wolford (neck) started but played only on the Rams' first offensive possession in Thursday's 17-16 win over the Raiders before giving way to Baker Mayfield.

Wolford handed off to Cam Akers on the first two plays and Tutu Atwell on the third, with the possession netting all of three yards. Baker Mayfield replaced Wolford on the second drive of the game and ultimately led the Rams to a comeback win while taking every snap the rest of the way, and his performance seemingly ensures Wolford will be relegated to a No. 2 role at best for a Week 15 road matchup against the Packers on Dec. 19.

Carr completed 11 of 20 passes for 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the Raiders' 17-16 loss to the Rams on Thursday night. He also rushed four times for 11 yards.

Carr's lackluster stat line underscores how difficult a night it was for the Raiders' air attack, with the veteran signal-caller posting his lowest yardage total since Week 8 against the Saints. Carr also failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since that outing after subsequently tossing for 11 scores in Weeks 9-13, while his pair of picks pushed his total in that category to five over the last three contests. Carr will have some extra time to get back in sync with his pass catchers and could potentially see both Hunter Renfrow (oblique) and Darren Waller (hamstring) return from injured reserve for a key Week 15 home game against the Patriots.

Mayfield completed 22 of 35 passes for 230 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Rams' 17-16 win over the Raiders on Thursday night. He also rushed four times for 10 yards.

Mayfield didn't start but replaced John Wolford (neck) on the game's second possession, putting together an unforgettable Rams debut that featured an especially noteworthy beginning and end. The 2018 first overall pick's first three completions went for over 20 yards to Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell, and after a choppy performance over the middle quarters, Mayfield got going when it mattered most. Backed up at his own two-yard line with 1:45 remaining, Mayfield went on to helm an eight-play, 98-yard drive that culminated in a game-tying 23-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson with 10 seconds remaining. Mayfield had an interception overturned by a defensive pass interference call early in the possession, but he came through with a critical 32-yard completion to Skowronek in addition to the scoring toss. Even though it's a one-game sample and Mayfield has certainly proven capable of providing short-term sparks before fizzling out in subsequent weeks, the rousing win gives the 4-9 Rams much-needed encouragement ahead of a Week 15 road matchup against the Packers on Monday night, Dec. 19.

Wolford started for the Rams in Thursday's game against the Raiders, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Wolford was the favorite to start, though both Baker Mayfield and Bryce Perkins are also active. It's possible that any combination of those players takes snaps in Thursday's game, but Wolford will have the first chance to lead the offense. Entering Thursday's game, he had completed 38 of his 62 passes for 390 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Mayfield worked behind John Wolford (neck) during pregame work ahead of Thursday's contest against the Raiders, so the former likely won't start over the latter at quarterback for the Rams in Week 14, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

This comes as no surprise considering Mayfield joined L.A. just two days ago via waivers, but Wolford's sore neck still gives the former a chance to see some action. Steve Wyche of NFL Network reported as much earlier Thursday, relaying that a few sources told him Mayfield likely will enter the game at some point. Still, with a full allotment of snaps unlikely, Mayfield can't be trusted to produce right away with his new team.

Wolford (neck) seems to be trending toward starting Thursday against the Raiders after working with the Rams' first-team offense during pregame, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

Wolford didn't take the field during warmups, but he did emerge for pregame work, taking snaps from starting center Brian Allen. Assuming his sore neck checks out well, Wolford will be under center following Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff ahead of Baker Mayfield, whom L.A. claimed off waivers Tuesday. There's a chance Wolford cedes snaps to Mayfield at some point, and the Rams' receiving corps is depleted, so the former doesn't exactly have a great situation in which to succeed Week 14.