NFL Player News

Herbert is slated to undergo surgery Monday to repair a metacarpal fracture on his left (non-throwing) hand, but the Chargers plan to have the quarterback available for their Week 14 game against the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

After suffering the injury in the first quarter and missing nine plays in the first half of Sunday's 31-14 win over the Raiders, Herbert was able to check back into the contest and finished the game with 15 completions on 20 attempts for 151 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding eight yards on three carries. Head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed after the game that Herbert would be sent for surgery, but the Chargers are optimistic that the signal-caller won't miss further time. Herbert will be aided by an extra day of recovery ahead of a Monday nighter versus Philadelphia, and Los Angeles could also deploy him in more shotgun formations depending on how much difficulty he has handing off the ball. Herbert is also likely to continue wearing some type of supportive cast or glove, as he did after returning to Sunday's contest.

Gardner is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his calf Monday and is expected to miss some time, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Though Gardner was feared to have suffered an Achilles tear after going down on a non-contact play early in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Texans, preliminary tests have left him and the Colts confident that he avoided a worst-case scenario and instead sustained a calf strain. The MRI will confirm the extent of Gardner's injury, but at the very least, the star cornerback seems highly likely to miss the Colts' Week 14 game against the Jaguars, a contest that could have major implications for the AFC South title race. Through his first three games with Indianapolis since being acquired from the Jets at the trade deadline, Gardner has compiled 13 tackles (11 solo) and two passes defensed.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Monday that he doesn't expect to have a clear idea on whether St. Brown (ankle) will be available for Thursday's matchup with the Cowboys until game day, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

St. Brown exited Detroit's Thanksgiving Day loss to the Packers with a left low-ankle sprain, an injury that, while not overly serious, could put the wideout at risk of missing a game or two. The Lions will post their first Week 14 injury report Monday, which will provide more insight into St. Brown's health as Thursday's game approaches. While St. Brown doesn't necessarily need to practice this week in order to play Thursday, even limited participation at some point would increase his odds of being able to suit up against Dallas.

Noel did not catch his lone target and amassed 106 return yards on two punts and three kickoffs in Sunday's 20-16 win over Indianapolis in Week 13.

This has been the pattern for three consecutive games, as Noel barely makes a dent on offense but is heavily involved on special teams. The silver lining for his role on offense is that Sunday's target came in the red zone with C.J. Stroud back under center. Noel has caught 20 of 28 targets (including four in the red zone) for 213 yards and one touchdown this season.

Stover caught both of his targets for 16 yards and had four carries for three yards in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Colts in Week 13.

In addition to Stover's day job as the backup tight end to Dalton Schultz, the Texans gave him a side hustle as a short-yardage specialist in the running attack. All four of his carries were on 3rd- or 4th-and-one situations, including three inside the red zone. The first two worked, but Indianapolis stopped Stover on successive tries in the fourth quarter. It was a curious decision by the coaching staff to run Stover on 4th-and-one at the Colts' 17-yard line after it didn't work on third down. At the time, Houston was leading, 20-16, and the turnover on downs left the Texans vulnerable to a loss had Indianapolis been able to drive for a touchdown. That Houston added this package for Stover and used it in the red zone slightly enhances the backup tight end's value heading into a Week 14 trip to Kansas City.

Garrett logged five tackles and 1.0 sacks in Sunday's 26-8 loss to San Francisco in Week 13.

Garrett snuffed out a 49ers possession, sacking Brock Purdy on a third-and-4 at the Cleveland 41-yard line and forced San Francisco to punt. Unfortunately, the ensuing punt was muffed and recovered by the Niners, who scored to make it a two-touchdown deficit. That is a microcosm of the Browns' season: the defense holds strong but gets little help from the offense or special teams. Garrett has registered sacks in six straight games (15.0) and stands at 19.0 for the season with five games remaining.

Schwesinger recorded a team-high 10 tackles in Sunday's 26-8 loss to the 49ers in Week 13.

Schwesinger dealt with an ankle injury during the week of preparation leading up to Week 13, but as was the case whenever he's popped up an injury report, the rookie linebacker was ready to go. He's logged four consecutive games with double-digit stops and leads the team with 106 tackles through 12 games.

Ford caught all three of his targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 26-8 loss to San Francisco in Week 13.

Ford lost roles as the primary backup to Quinshon Judkins and pass-catching back to Dylan Sampson, but the latter was removed from Sunday's game early in the third quarter with a calf injury. Ford's three touches were the most he'd seen since Week 7, but he could see extra work again in Week 14 against the Titans if Sampson's injury proves to be serious.

Larvadain caught two of three targets for 23 yards and returned three punts for three yards in Sunday's 26-8 loss to the 49ers in Week 13.

Sunday's gusty winds in Cleveland challenged both teams, particularly on offense, but it also appeared to impact Larvadain on special teams. He muffed all three of his returns and lost one of them early in the fourth quarter. It led to a San Francisco touchdown that left the Browns needing to make up a two-touchdown deficit, a challenge for an offense that isn't structured to score in volume. Larvadain's two catches Sunday were his first since Week 6, and the rookie now has four catches on nine targets for 45 yards through eight games while adding 142 punt return yards.

Corley was not targeted, had one carry for nine yards and returned four kickoffs for 73 yards in Sunday's 26-8 loss to San Francisco in Week 13.

Under the NFL's new kickoff formation, returners typically average more than the 18 yards Corley managed Sunday. Unfortunately, he fielded one kick inches from the sideline and fell out of bounds. Had he allowed the kick to roll out of bounds, the Browns' struggling offense would have begun its possession at their own 40-yard line instead of in the shadow of its own goal-line. The Browns' kick returners had a bad day all around while fighting windy conditions, as punt returner Gage Larvadain committed three fumbles and lost one of them.