NFL Player News

Tennessee has elevated Woodside from its practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's matchup against Houston, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Ryan Tannehill (ankle/illness) has been ruled out for Week 8, so Malik Willis is expected to make his first career NFL start. After the elevation, Woodside is in line to serve as the primary backup to Willis. Across 11 regular-season appearances, Woodside has completed one of three passes for seven yards and rushed 13 times for four yards.

Willis is expected to start Sunday against the Texans with Ryan Tannehill (illness/ankle) officially unable to play, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Tannehill started each of the Titans' past 49 games, but with the veteran on the mend due to an ankle sprain and also struggling with an illness, the team will turn to the 2022 third-round pick to make his first career start. It's possible Willis could actually improve a passing attack that currently ranks 25th in the NFL given Houston's defense will have to account for the rookie's explosiveness as a runner, but it's also fair to point out Willis' struggles as a passer in the preseason, which accounts for his only real action at the NFL level. Expect a heavy dose of Derrick Henry to help Willis ease his way into the contest to start, but provided the Titans uncork the athletic weapon, the Liberty product could be in for an intriguing fantasy day.

Tannehill (ankle/illness) will not play Sunday against the Texans, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Tannehill didn't participate in the team's Saturday walkthrough due to an illness, and he already was unable to practice earlier in the week with a sprained ankle, both signs that the veteran could potentially be unavailable Sunday. Rookie third-round pick Malik Willis will start the divisional contest as a result, with Logan Woodside situated as the backup.

Tannehill (ankle/illness) did not participate in the team's walkthrough Saturday and is trending toward not playing Sunday against the Texans, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Titans have yet to address Tannehill's status for Sunday, but given the veteran didn't manage to practice all week due to an ankle injury and now an illness added to the equation, it certainly appears as if fantasy managers should be braced for rookie third-round pick Malik Willis to make his first official start. Expect more information regarding Tannehill's status to emerge prior to Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff.

Carr (back) was a full practice participant Friday for the second straight day and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game in New Orleans, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

Though Carr's back injury won't affect his availability, his fantasy outlook for this week is somewhat muddled while the Raiders currently list three key pass catchers (Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Mack Hollins) as questionable for the contest. Waller (hamstring) and Hollins (heel) were limited practice participants Wednesday through Friday, while Adams managed only one limited session Friday after sitting out the first two practices due to an illness. The status of Adams in particular may bear watching for those considering Carr in lineups, as Adams' potential absence could prompt the Raiders to lean more heavily on the Josh Jacobs-led ground attack.

Jones is dealing with numbness in the toes on his left foot, but he was a full participant in practice all week and will start Sunday's game against the Jets, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The toe numbness is likely related to the left high-ankle sprain that sidelined Jones for Weeks 3 through 6 before he returned to action for the Patriots' 33-14 loss to the Bears in Week 7. Jones started in the loss Monday, but he was replaced by Bailey Zappe after he threw an interception on his 16th and final snap of the night. According to the report, the lingering toe numbness didn't affect Jones in his on-field prep this week, and he's expected to have a longer leash Sunday now that he's further removed from the ankle sprain and after Zappe committed three turnovers in relief of Jones on Monday.

Thompson doesn't have an injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Lions, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Thompson was upgraded to a full participant Friday after logging back-to-back limited sessions to open the week due to a thumb injury. The backup quarterback doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday, but with Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater both healthy, Thompson is unlikely to see the field in Week 8.

Rodgers (thumb) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Buffalo.

The Packers have limited Rodgers' practice reps the past two weeks while he's dealt with an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand, but there was never any doubt he'd play in Sunday's game. Top wideout Allen Lazard, on the other hand, has been ruled out with a shoulder injury, leaving Rodgers with Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkins as his likely top receivers against one of the best defenses in the leagues.

Willis took reps with the first-team offense at Friday's practice and would be in line to start Sunday against the Texans if Ryan Tannehill (ankle) -- who is listed as questionable for the contest -- is unable to play, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Tannehill has started each of the Titans' last 49 games, but his availability for Week 8 is in jeopardy after he missed a pair of practices this week -- including Friday's session -- while managing a right ankle injury. According to McCormick, head coach Mike Vrabel said that the Titans will likely wait as long as possible to see how Tannehill heals up from the injury before determining the quarterback's availability for Sunday's contest, so Tannehill is seemingly trending toward a game-time decision ahead of the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. If Tannehill is inactive this weekend or dresses an emergency backup, Willis, a rookie third-round pick out of Liberty, would at least make for an intriguing option in DFS contests or in two-quarterback or superflex season-long leagues. Willis has taken just 19 regular-season snaps, but the dual-threat signal-caller turned some heads in the preseason with 28 completions for 318 yards and two touchdowns on 51 attempts while amassing 159 yards and a score on 14 carries.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said Tannehill (ankle) won't practice Friday and will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Houston, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

While closing a week with an absence at practice typically isn't a great sign for a player's status, Tannehill at least took part in Thursday's session as a limited participant, so he was able to get in some on-field work this week while managing a right ankle sprain. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, the Titans are seemingly still hopeful that Tannehill will play Sunday, but the team wants to wait as long as possible before making a decision on his availability. With Sunday's contest kicking off at 4:05 p.m. ET, it's possible that clarity on Tannehill's status doesn't arrive until the Titans release their inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff. Even if Tannehill is active, he could be on a short leash if the ankle presents any issues or may be available only in a backup capacity, in which case rookie Malik Willis would be in line for his first career start. Regardless, fantasy managers considering Tannehill in Week 8 lineups will want to keep close tabs on news pertaining to the quarterback leading up to the first wave of games Sunday.