Trevor Lawrence has a sprained right AC joint, leaving his status for Sunday's game for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Carolina Panthers unclear.

Doug Pederson said Lawrence is improving but he's not sure if Lawrence will be able to practice Wednesday, which would mean backup quarterback C.J. Beathard would take the first-team reps again.

"Obviously he's a little bit sore but doing better today than he did yesterday," Pederson said Tuesday afternoon. "We'll see where he is at again tomorrow.

"May do a little something tomorrow but I would doubt that just because it's a little bit too soon, but we'll see as the week goes on."

T.J. Hockenson tore both the ACL and MCL ligaments in his right knee during the Minnesota Vikings loss to the Detroit Lions.

Hockenson will be placed on injured reserve and surgery will be scheduled soon.

Recovery from double ligament tears can take a bit more time, but Kevin O'Connell said: "Knowing T.J., the type of player he is, I'm absolutely looking forward to when we can get him back rolling and ready to have a great 2024 season."

Hockenson was having a career year in his first full season with the Vikings. He ranks second in the NFL in catches by tight ends (95), third in receiving yards (960) and has been the Vikings' most consistent offensive threat.

The Kansas City Chiefs ruled wide receiver Kadarius Toney and running back Jerick McKinnon out of their Christmas Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders because of injuries. Neither player practiced during the week.

The Chiefs listed Toney as having a strained hip on their injury report. He is their second-leading wide receiver with 27 catches but his season has been more notable for costly mistakes.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and will start Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per a league source.

Quarterback Geno Smith is off the Seattle Seahawks' injury report and will be back in the starting lineup Sunday against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

Smith was listed as a full participant in all three practices this week, leading coach Pete Carroll to say Friday that the quarterback is "totally back and primed." He has no game designation, meaning there is no longer any question about his availability.

"Geno had a terrific week," Carroll said. "He looked great. As good a Friday as I can remember for a quarterback. It was really sharp. You can tell that because he laid off a little bit, he's spunky and strong an

CJ Stroud has been ruled out by the Houston Texans for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.

Stroud suffered a concussion against the New York Jets on December 12th.

Davis Mills will start in place of Stroud for the Texans.

Injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not play again this season, the New York Jets confirmed Wednesday, but he will continue to practice.

With Rodgers' 21-day practice window due to close, the Jets decided to activate Rodgers to the 53-man roster for the final three games. It's a victory of sorts for Rodgers, who had attempted to return from Achilles surgery faster than any player in NFL history. Symbolically, this will allow him to be part of the team, but it's also unusual because he is taking up a roster spot.

Coach Robert Saleh made it clear there is no chance of Rodgers getting into a game.

C.J. Stroud remains in the concussion protocol and is likely to miss a second straight game for the Houston Texans when they take on the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, according to sources.

"He should miss another game," one source said, adding that the Texans will continue to monitor Stroud's progress before making a final decision.

Stroud, who suffered a concussion in the Texans' 30-6 loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 10, isn't expected to practice Wednesday.

Case Keenum is the expected starter if Stroud can't play.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who captivated the sports world for three months with his bid to return from Achilles surgery faster than any player in NFL history, indicated Tuesday that he won't play again this season.

But Rodgers intends to play in 2024 and beyond.

An upbeat Rodgers, appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show," said a return to action would have been "an absolute no-brainer" for a playoff game. But the Jets (5-9) were eliminated from postseason contention Sunday, and that cemented Rodgers' decision.

"If I was 100 percent today, I'd be definitely pushing to play," he said. "But the fact is, I'm not."

With the clock ticking on a decision, Robert Saleh says Aaron Rodgers wants to play again for the New York Jets this season.

The coach refused to comment on whether or not the quarterback would actually take the field again.

"Aaron wants to play; let's not confuse that one," Saleh said. "That's why he's been working so hard to get back. His willingness to play, even if he's not 100%, is at the forefront of his mind. He wants to go, but ... until he's actually cleared, I'm not going to talk about it with anybody."

It seems unlikely that Rodgers, only 3 1/2 months removed from Achilles surgery, will see action over the final three games. 

Rodgers' 21-day practice window closes Wednesday, which means the Jets must activate him or leave him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.