Football

Fantasy football players received positive news in the last 24 hours regarding two of the NFL's most notable stars.

Aaron Rodgers has been practicing for the Green Bay Packers despite not finishing Week 12's Sunday night clash with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rodgers may not be at 100 percent, but he is on track to play against his favorite opponent, the Chicago Bears, in Week 13.

Christian McCaffrey is in good shape to appear Sunday in the San Francisco 49ers' battle with the Miami Dolphins. The running back told reporters he felt fine Thursday after he missed practice Wednesday.

Other notable setbacks across the NFL are not as positive. Below is a look at the full list of injuries that could affect your fantasy football matchups in Week 13.

• Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB: practiced Friday (rib/thumb)
• Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF: "feels fine", full participant in practice (knee)
• Justin Fields, QB, CHI: full participant in practice/no injury designation, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
• Treylon Burks, WR, TEN: back at practice Friday, per ESPN's Turron Davenport.
• David Njoku, TE, CLE: out (knee), per NFL.com.
• Najee Harris, RB, PIT: expects to play Sunday (oblique), per NFL.com.
• Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN: practiced Friday (ankle), per NFL.com.
• Michael Carter, RB, NYJ: doubtful (ankle), per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
• Travis Etienne, RB, JAX: questionable (foot), per NFL.com.
• Matthew Stafford, QB, LAR: out (cleared concussion protocol), per Schefter.
• Mike Williams, WR, LAC: not practicing Friday (ankle), per The Athletic's Daniel Popper.
• Josh Jacobs, RB, LV: practicing Friday (calf), per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.
• Joe Mixon, RB, CIN: still in concussion protocol, per ESPN's Ben Baby.
• Leonard Fournette, RB, TB: full participant in practice (hip), per NFL.com.
• Jameson Williams, WR, DET: no decision made on status (knee), per ESPN's Eric Woodyard.
• Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN: questionable (hip), per NFL.com.
• Antonio Gibson, RB, WSH: questionable (foot), per ESPN's John Keim.

Aaron Rodgers Practices Again Friday

Rodgers was present at Green Bay Packers practice Friday, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur liked what he saw out of Rodgers in Thursday's practice, which is a promising sign for the quarterback's effort to play against the Bears.

Fantasy football players with Rodgers on their roster hope he will be in action Sunday.

Rodgers typically feasts on the Bears defense. He had 234 passing yards and two touchdown passes against them in Week 2. He averages 242.3 yards per game versus his NFC North rival and is 23-5 against the Bears with 63 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Green Bay's offense is in a better place than it was in Week 2 for the first divisional clash with Chicago. Christian Watson has emerged as a go-to guy and a red-zone threat and AJ Dillon has worked into a rhythm in the backfield alongside Aaron Jones.

Rodgers may have an extra offensive weapon to work with Sunday, as Romeo Doubs has been practicing with the team this week. Doubs has not played since Week 9 because of an ankle injury.

McCaffrey Will Play Despite Injury Scare

McCaffrey is expected to be on the field Sunday for the 49ers' clash with the Dolphins.

He missed practice Wednesday, but he returned Thursday and told reporters he "feels great," per NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.

McCaffrey's absence Wednesday gave a scare to fantasy football players because he was not expected to be on the injury report.

The running back's comments Thursday reassured fantasy players he will be available for one of the few massive showdowns Sunday.

McCaffrey could be relied on more against the Dolphins because Elijah Mitchell (knee) is once again out injured. McCaffrey has not had more than 40 rushing yards in each of his last three games. He had 123 receiving yards in that stretch.

San Francisco's featured back could be in for a larger workload Sunday because of the circumstances facing the 49ers offense.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson addressed his response to a fan on Twitter that included anti-gay language and came after Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While speaking to reporters Friday, Jackson said, "My bad," in reference to the tweet, which he sent when he was "bitter" and "mad" after a tough loss:

Jackson responded to a fan who tweeted that the Ravens should not reward him with a huge contract after the loss to Jacksonville.

While Jackson later deleted the tweet, Joe Rivera of Sporting News noted he wrote the following: "Boy STFU y'all be cappin too much on this app mf never smelt a football field never did s--t but eat d--k."

After ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley characterized Jackson's tweet as "anti-gay" on Monday, Jackson took exception with that:

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh also commented on Jackson's tweet this week, stressing the importance of staying off social media after a loss and not responding to criticism:

"We talk a lot about football, but we also talk a little bit about that stuff too—what goes on in terms of the media and everything, and really, it's just, beg guys not to get into the Twitter world right after the game, especially after a loss. It's never going to be positive. It's not going to be a nice place, and I think that's kind of reflected in Lamar's response.

"He wants to win. I'm sure he's frustrated, just like we all are, and that's just a place you just don't want to live right after a game. I know he understands that."

In 11 games this season, he is completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,231 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also been an electric runner with 755 yards and three scores on the ground.

Many quarterbacks have received huge contract extensions over the past couple of years, including Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray.

There is little doubt that Jackson deserves to be the next, but the reported hang-up has been his desire for a fully guaranteed contract, which the Ravens have seemingly been reluctant to offer.

Since there is no obvious upgrade available to the Ravens and there likely won't be for quite some time, it is difficult to envision them letting Jackson walk in free agency.

Despite his experiencing some bumps in the road this season, the Ravens figure to at least place the franchise tag on him even if they can't reach a long-term agreement during the offseason.

During a radio appearance on Friday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was given the opportunity to respond to the recent comments from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James regarding his appearance in a 1957 photo outside of North Little Rock High School as Black students attempted to integrate the school.

Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, when asked directly if he heard James' comments and hoped to meet with him, Jones gave an answer that only praised James and did not address the issues raised by the NBA superstar.

"I don't know of anybody I respect more," the 80-year-old said of James, adding that he "would have made a great tight end" before closing with, "And I did hear what he had to say." When asked if he had any further thoughts, Jones did not elaborate beyond continuing to praise the 37-year-old forward.

Last month, David Maraniss and Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post wrote an in-depth profile of Jones as part of the Black Out series on the lack of diversity in NFL head coaches. The profile detailed how the North Little Rock, Arkansas native stood outside his high school among white students who were blocking six Black students as they attempted to enter and enroll.

On Wednesday after a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, James questioned reporters in his post-game press conference over what he believes is a double standard regarding the media's coverage of the published photo of Jones compared to the situation surrounding Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving.

"I got one question for you guys before you guys leave," James said. "I was thinking when I was on my way over here, I was wondering why I haven't gotten a question from you guys about the Jerry Jones photo. But when the Kyrie [Irving] thing was going on, you guys were quick to ask us questions about that."

Irving had been suspended earlier in the year for his promotion of an antisemitic film and his refusal to denounce the beliefs contained in it. James was asked to give his thoughts on the matter, as were other NBA superstars at the time.

Jones addressed his appearance in the photo last week, saying he was not an active participant in the 1957 protest against the Black students.

"I didn't know at the time the monumental event really that was going on," Jones said. "I'm sure glad that we're a long way from that. I am. That would remind me [to] just continue to do everything we can to not have those kinds of things happen."

However, James raised an issue with the lack of attention the photo garnered, saying, "I know it was years and years ago and we all make mistakes, I get it—but it seems like it's just been buried under, like, 'Oh, it happened. OK, we just move on.' And I was just kind of disappointed that I haven't received that question from you guys."

While Jones acknowledged that he heard James' comments, his inability to respond to the main concerns he expressed likely will not sit well with many people.

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. still hasn't decided which team he will sign with, but ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Troy Aikman believes he knows where the 30-year-old will end up.

During a radio appearance on Friday, Aikman said he's already convinced that Beckham is destined to land with the Dallas Cowboys:

Beckham has been flirting with the idea of signing with Dallas for weeks now. Early in November, he named the Cowboys as one of four teams he would be interested in joining after he completed his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in Super Bowl LVI while he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams.

The interest has been mutual, as Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb both endorsed the possibility of the team signing Beckham. Dallas star defensive players Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and DeMarcus Lawrence all recruited Beckham on social media after he reacted to the team's 40-3 blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Cowboys are not alone in pursuing Beckham, as they face competition from an NFC East rival. New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters that he had dinner with Beckham on Thursday night and described it as a "good visit."

Beckham was drafted 12th overall by the Giants in 2014 and spent five seasons with the team. He quickly established himself as one of the top receivers in the league, recording over 1,000 yards in four of his five years in New York. The LSU was eventually traded to the Cleveland Browns and spend two-and-a-half seasons with the franchise before signing with Los Angeles midway through the 2021 campaign.

If Aikman's prediction comes true, Beckham could provide an extra spark for a Cowboys team that is hoping for a deep postseason run this year. At 8-3, Dallas is firmly entrenched in the playoff race and will go for its third straight win when it hosts the Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1) on Sunday Night Football.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll gave a positive update on the team's meeting with free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this week.

Daboll told reporters the organization had a "good visit" with Beckham on Thursday night and that the wideout would meet with other people at the team facilities Friday.

Per ESPN, Beckham is also scheduled to meet with the Buffalo Bills on Friday and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.

OBJ has remained unsigned since the offseason during his recovery from a torn ACL suffered during the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported this week that someone close to Beckham said he had been fully cleared from his injury, meaning he could be in line to play shortly after signing with a team.

Signing with the Giants would represent the biggest possible feel-good story for OBJ since he began his NFL career with the G-Men.

New York selected Beckham with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft out of LSU, and he instantly established himself as one of the league's top pass-catchers.

Beckham finished with at least 90 receptions, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he made the Pro Bowl each of those years.

Injuries slowed Beckham down in the years that followed, though, and the Giants traded him to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 2019 season.

When Beckham's tenure in Cleveland went south after less than two full seasons, he was waived and signed with the Rams, with whom he made a major impact.

Along with now-Bills pass-rusher Von Miller, Beckham was a huge acquisition ahead of their Super Bowl run last season, as he recorded 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games for L.A.

He was even better in the playoffs, racking up 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in four games, including the opening touchdown of the Super Bowl.

Little was expected of the Giants in 2022, but with Daboll taking over as head coach, they have turned the corner more quickly than anyone could have guessed.

On the heels of five consecutive losing seasons, the Giants are 7-4 and would be a playoff team if the season ended today.

Much of that can be owed to a solid defense and one of the NFL's top running games behind running back Saquon Barkley. Quarterback Daniel Jones and the passing game have left something to be desired, but a lack of weapons has undoubtedly played a role.

Wideouts Sterling Shepard and Wan'Dale Robinson are both injured, Kadarius Toney was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and Kenny Golladay has continued to be a nonfactor.

The Giants have had to lean on the likes of Darius Slayton, Richie James, David Sills and Isaiah Hodgins, leaving Jones without a go-to guy.

Beckham would be precisely that. If he chooses the Giants, getting to be the No. 1 receiver may be part of the reason why, as he would play second fiddle to CeeDee Lamb in Dallas and Stefon Diggs in Buffalo.

As second-year quarterback Zach Wilson continues to go through a much-needed reset of his mechanics, he will not see the field for the New York Jets once again.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Friday that Wilson will be inactive for the second straight week, and veteran Joe Flacco will be the backup to Mike White when the team faces the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The Jets benched Wilson last week after his abysmal performance in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Saleh said the team felt "the young man needs a reset." The 23-year-old also raised eyebrows with his post-game comment that he didn't feel like the offense let the defense down in that game, for which he eventually had to apologize to his teammates.

In Wilson's absence, White took full advantage of his starting opportunity with a 315-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday. White appears to have won over the team and the fan base, which would make it difficult for Wilson to get back on the field in 2022.

However, Saleh said on Monday that the team's plans hadn't changed and there is still hope to get Wilson back out there this season. As the Jets are fighting for a playoff spot, they would need Wilson to be at his absolute best if he were to be reinserted into the lineup.

After his demotion, Wilson has been running the scout team offense in practice. On Thursday, New York offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur told reporters, "You can see the improvement every single day" in the BYU product.

For now, White will continue running the show. He will have another prime opportunity to showcase his skills, as the Vikings pass defense is ranked last in the NFL.

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was not struck by lightning during a commercial shoot for PointsBet USA.

A video was posted on social media that appeared to show the future Hall of Famer being struck by a bolt of lightning while filming the ad in Venezuela.

Brees told ESPN's Katherine Terrell via text he's "good" and was not struck by lightning.

PointsBet issued a statement on Twitter after footage of the apparent lightning strike was released:

In a follow-up video release, Brees and PointsBet made it pretty clear without blatantly saying it that the lightning video was part of a viral marketing push:

Brees tweeted Tuesday he was flying to a "top-secret location" to shoot a new promotional video for the sportsbook.

PointsBet signed Brees as a brand ambassador for the company in July 2021. The deal also gave the 13-time Pro Bowler an equity stake and cash component in the company.

PointsBet launched a new lightning bet feature for NFL games in October.

Brees' deal with PointsBet came on the heels of NBC Universal announcing a five-year media partnership in August 2020. The partnership gave a 4.9 percent equity stake in the company.

NBC Sports signed Brees after his retirement from the NFL to serve as the color commentator for Notre Dame games and an analyst for Football Night in America for the 2021 season. He left the network in May.

Brees played 20 seasons in the NFL from 2001-20. He began his career with the San Diego Chargers and spent five years with the organization.

The Saints signed Brees as a free agent after the 2005 campaign. He became the most important player in franchise history, leading them to nine playoff appearances in 15 seasons and a victory in Super Bowl 44.

Brees retired as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards (80,358), though that record has since been surpassed by Tom Brady. He also ranks second to Brady in career touchdown passes (571).