NFL Player News

Ehlinger (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Texans.

The second-year signal-caller enjoyed an excellent preseason overall, but the Colts will unsurprisingly roll with veteran Nick Foles as fellow newcomer Matt Ryan's backup to open the season. Nevertheless, the progress Ehlinger displayed this summer could leave him poised to mount a challenge for the No. 2 job as the campaign unfolds.

The Texans elevated Driskel to the active roster Saturday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

This move may be a contingency in the event one of the Texans' top two quarterbacks -- Davis Mills or Kyle Allen -- suffers an injury during pregame warmups for Week 1 against the Colts. A decision on Driskel's availability, or lack thereof, will come about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

Rush has been called up to the Cowboys' 53-man roster ahead of their Week 1 game against the Buccaneers, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Although he was named the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Dak Prescott, Dallas has kept Rush on its practice squad until now. The 28-year-old will now be available under center should anything ultimately happen to Prescott.

Prescott (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, Jori Epstein of USA Today reports.

Prescott returned to full participation Friday after a limited practice Thursday. The Cowboys did some tests on his surgically repaired ankle and are confident there aren't any structural issues, per Epstein, but it's nonetheless possible this limits Prescott's mobility Sunday night. He'll face a veteran Tampa defense, and Prescott also will be without WR Michael Gallup (knee) or LT Tyron Smith (knee).

Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday that he expects Prescott (ankle) to practice in full ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener against the Buccaneers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

McCarthy said Prescott is on track to practice in full Friday and Saturday, and that he has no concerns about the quarterback's Week 1 availability. Prescott was limited in Thursday's session and listed with an ankle injury, but it doesn't appear that he's actually hampered to any notable extent. It will be stellar news for the Dallas offense if Prescott indeed boasts his full mobility against Tampa Bay's stout defensive front, especially with LT Tyron Smith (knee) out for most or all of the season.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta announced Friday that Jackson and the team have not come to terms on a long-term contract extension, setting up the quarterback to play out the 2022 season on the final year of his rookie deal.

Without an extension by Friday's self-imposed deadline, Jackson is primed to play out the 2022 campaign on his fifth-year option. The star quarterback's rookie deal will have fully run its course next March, perhaps positioning him for a franchise tag in 2023. In any case, this season will see Jackson working to lead an aerial attack headlined by TE Mark Andrews and WR Rashod Bateman, with a rushing game that may not have J.K. Dobbins (knee) at 100 percent health right away. Jackson will benefit from a favorable Week 1 matchup on the road against a Jets team led by Joe Flacco.

Stafford completed 29 of 41 passes for 240 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in the Rams' 31-10 loss to the Bills on Thursday night. He also rushed once for two yards and fumbled once but recovered.

Stafford's final numbers were serviceable except for the interceptions, but the actual on-field results were much more lackluster. Two of the veteran signal-caller's three interceptions came in Bills territory, and Stafford also was under constant duress, as evidenced by the whopping seven sacks he took. His connection with Cooper Kupp -- who he hit on 13 occasions for 128 yards and a touchdown -- was about the only aspect of his play that bore resemblance to his performance during last year's title-winning campaign, and he'll therefore have plenty to work on going into a Week 2 home matchup against the Falcons a week from Sunday.

Allen completed 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the Bills' 31-10 win over the Rams on Thursday night. He also rushed 10 times for 56 yards and another score.

Allen came out of the gates very hot, completing 10 straight passes to open the contest. The star signal-caller didn't slow down much the rest of the way, either, despite throwing a pair of interceptions (one was a mishandled ball) and taking two sacks. Allen averaged 9.6 yards per attempt and showed excellent downfield awareness by hitting Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs for scoring tosses of 26 and 53 yards in the first and fourth quarters, respectively. The fifth-year pro's rushing touchdown was also very noteworthy, as he capped off a marathon 13-play, 89-yard march with a diving four-yard scamper on which he got the ball over the plane while fighting through a tackle in mid-air. Allen's start was nearly perfect, and given the lofty expectations surrounding him and his team this season, it's hard not to contemplate that it might ultimately prove to portend an MVP season. Allen will take on the tough task of trying to forge an even better encore effort with plenty of rest, as the Bills don't return to action until a Monday night, Sept. 19 home Week 2 clash against the Titans.

Prescott was a limited participant in Thursday's practice due to a right ankle injury, but he emphasized that he's fine and in no danger of missing Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports. "I feel great. I still feel the best that I've felt in a very, very long time," Prescott said. "I'm good to go. I promise you."

Prescott indicated that he isn't dealing with any sort of ankle sprain and was merely experiencing some discomfort after he recently switched his shoes. As Gehlken notes, the right ankle is the same one in which Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation in 2020, so the team is seemingly just taking some extra caution with the franchise quarterback. Prescott's return to full participation in Friday's practice would clear up any lingering concern about his availability for Week 1.

Darnold (ankle) ditched the walking boot on his left foot as of Thursday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Darnold suffered a high ankle sprain during the Panthers' preseason finale on Aug. 26 and received a recovery timetable of 4-to-6 weeks at the time of the injury. The team subsequently placed him on IR last Thursday, ruling him out for at least the first four games of the campaign. While Darnold continues his rehab, Baker Mayfield will direct Carolina's offense with P.J. Walker serving as the backup quarterback.