NFL Player News

The Jets announced that Fields will start at quarterback sunday against the Bengals after Tyrod Taylor was ruled out due to a knee injury, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Fields' grip on the starting job looked to be loosening after he was benched at halftime during the Jets' Week 7 loss against the Panthers, when he completed six of 12 passes for 46 yards while turning four carries into 22 yards. Fields and Taylor opened Week 8 prep splitting reps with the first-team offense, and while head coach Aaron Glenn had initially declined to name a starter for Week 8, Taylor's knee injury is severe enough for him to not travel with the team to Cincinnati. Fields and the Jets offense will be without top wideouts Garrett Wilson (knee) and Josh Reynolds (hip), while Breece Hall (knee) and rookie tight end Mason Taylor (quadriceps) are listed as questionable for the contest. Undrafted rookie Brady Cook is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster to serve as the Jets' backup quarterback in Taylor's absence.

Taylor (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Head coach Aaron Glenn opted not to name a starter throughout Week 8 prep, but Taylor's absence due to a knee contusion means Justin Fields will be under center for Sunday's road game, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, while Brady Cook is expected to be elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. Taylor started the week splitting first-team reps with Fields, but the former's knee injury is severe enough for him to not travel with the team to Cincinnati. The Jets are on a bye for Week 9, so Taylor will have more time to recover and return for Week 10 against the Browns on Sunday, Nov. 9, though whether he starts against Cleveland will largely depend on Fields' performance in Week 8.

McLaurin (quadriceps) doesn't have a designation in advance of Monday's game against the Chiefs.

McLaurin's return in Week 8 will end a four-game absence due to a quadriceps injury that he sustained against the Raiders in Week 3. He and fellow wideout Deebo Samuel (heel) were full participants in practice all week, and their returns will boost a Commanders offense that will have Marcus Mariota serve as the starting quarterback in the absence of Jayden Daniels (hamstring). With McLaurin and Samuel back in the fold, there will be less targets to go around for the likes of Chris Moore, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey and Zach Ertz.

Samuel (heel) doesn't have a designation ahead of Monday night's game against the Chiefs.

Samuel was able to play through a heel injury during the Commanders' Week 6 win over the Chargers, but it prevented him from playing against the Cowboys in Week 7. The seventh-year pro was able to string together a full week of practices, and he and fellow wideout Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) will both suit up against Kansas City on Monday. The returns of Samuel and McLaurin will give the Commanders a much-needed boost on offense with Marcus Mariota under center after Jayden Daniels (hamstring) was ruled out for Week 8.

Huntley will serve as the Ravens' starting quarterback against the Bears on Sunday after Lamar Jackson (hamstring) was ruled out, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network relayed Saturday morning that Jackson's work with the scout team during Friday's practice indicated that he wouldn't be ready to return from a hamstring injury for Week 8. Jackson's practice participation Friday was downgraded from full to limited, and now that he's been officially ruled out, Huntley will get the start while Cooper Rush serves as the QB2. With Huntley under center, the Ravens may lean more heavily on Derrick Henry and Justice Hill to establish the running game.

Jackson (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears.

Jackson's practice participation Friday was downgraded from full to limited, and he will miss a third straight game due to a hamstring injury he picked up in Week 4 against Kansas City. Cooper Rush got the start in Weeks 5 and 6 in Jackson's absence, but it will be Tyler Huntley -- whom the Ravens signed from the practice squad to the active roster Friday -- getting the start against Chicago. Schefter relays that Jackson is expected to make his return in Week 9 against the Dolphins on Thursday.

Overshown said this week that his athletic testing numbers are actually better than they were prior to last year's knee surgery, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. "Stronger, faster, can jump higher, more explosive," the linebacker said. "You name it, I'm all of it. My game is not going to slow down."

The 2023 third-round pick has had trouble staying healthy in his NFL career, as surgeries on each knee have limited him to just 13 regular-season contests, all of them coming in 2024. Overshown was incredibly productive when on the field though, racking up 90 tackles (56 solo) including 5.0 sacks and recording four passes defended, one of which he turned into a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown in a Thanksgiving win over the Giants. He's not expected to make his 2025 debut until Week 11 against the Raiders, another prime time game on Monday Night Football, but Overshown figures to make an immediate IDP impact when he does in Matt Eberflus' very LB-friendly defensive scheme.

Sanders is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots due to back tightness.

Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer relays that Sanders' back tightened up following the Browns' Week 8 prep, which will prompt the elevation of Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to the active roster. Whether Sanders suits up for Sunday's game in New England will depend on how he feels following pregame warmups, so his official status for Week 8 may not be officially known until the Browns announce their list of inactive players approximately 90 minutes before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. If Sanders is inactive, Zappe would serve as the Browns' backup quarterback behind Dillon Gabriel.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Lamar Jackson (hamstring) may not be ready to return from a two-game absence against the Bears on Sunday, which would put Huntley in position to make his first start of the season.

Although Jackson managed to log a full practice Friday, Rapoport relays that the star quarterback worked exclusively with the scout team, which indicates that he may not be ready to return from a hamstring injury that he sustained in Week 4 against the Chiefs. Huntley was signed off the practice squad to the Ravens' active roster Friday, and head coach John Harbaugh noted that Huntley would be in line to start Sunday against Chicago if Jackson was not cleared to play, with Cooper Rush -- who started in Weeks 5 and 6 -- serving as the backup. Huntley had a 2-3 record across five starts with the Dolphins during the 2024 regular season and completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 829 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while turning 26 carries in 135 yards and two scores.

Penix (knee) was limited in practice all week and is trending toward being inactive for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

With Penix's practice snaps limited, it was Kirk Cousins who worked with the first-team offense during the Falcons' Week 8 prep. Penix is recovering from a bone bruise in his knee that he sustained in Week 7 against the 49ers, and while head coach Raheem Morris expressed optimism Friday about the second-year quarterback's chances of playing Sunday, it appears that it will be the veteran Cousins under center against Miami. Official word on Penix's status for Week 8 may not be known until the Falcons announce their list of inactive players approximately 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.