Team news: Tennessee Titans | Page 18

Taysom Hill said Tuesday he's been dealing with a partial tear of the plantar fascia, which resulted in him being active but a nonparticipant in the last two games. The Saints quarterback said he "felt pretty good" this week and that the last couple days have been "really encouraging."

Related players: Trevor Siemian

The Saints have reportedly been giving Hill the first-team quarterback reps in practice this week, so HC Sean Payton seems as if he is preparing him to start Thursday if he's good to go. "I think so," Hill said when asked if he'll be ready to play Thursday. "That's kind of the question mark. It's hard to simulate a game in practice. The last couple weeks I would have been limited if I had to go in and play," the story said.

Saints HC Sean Payton said “we’ll see” on the starting QB

Related players: Trevor Siemian, Taysom Hill

At this point, the cat seems out of the bag as reports have said Hill was taking all the first-team reps in practice with Siemian getting second team reps. Siemian was not good the past two weeks as Hill was trying to get better from a foot injury and a concussion. While the Saints may take this as late as they can, signs point to Hill getting the start on Thursday against the Cowboys. We'll at least know 90 minutes before kickoff.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team expects Ezekiel Elliott to have a serious load against New Orleans.
No rest for Zeke.

Related players: Tony Pollard

Last week there was talk of the team shutting down Zeke because of a knee injury. However, Elliott practiced fully on Monday which was a sign the team wasn't easing up on him heading into Week 13. However, with an obvious knee issue and a great option in Pollard, it's hard to imagine Pollard won't be involved, at least as much as he has been. Over the last three weeks, Pollard has touched the ball 17, 9 and then 14 times this past week on Thanksgiving.

For the Cowboys, RB Zeke Elliott (knee) was a full participant, a sign he’s preparing to play through the ailment Thursday.

Related players: Tony Pollard

It was reported the Cowboys were going to consider shutting Zeke down to get him ready for the playoffs, but a full-go status on Monday indicates that won't be the case - at least for now. Looks like Elliott will play on Thursday night at the Saints but expect Pollard to maybe get some extra work.

Sources: The Saints appear poised to make a QB change. Taysom Hill is taking first-team reps this week in practice.

Related players: Trevor Siemian

Hill is fresh off a strange, new contract that will see him earn money depending on what position he plays going forward, and now it appears he'll start at QB in Week 13 on Thursday night against the Cowboys. The tweet added Siemian is taking reps with the number-twos. Hill is best known for his running and with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram battling injuries and missing Week 12, Hill probably gives the team their best shot at a win and a late push to the playoffs.

Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy spoke with reporters Friday, stating that as the season progresses, the more concerned he is about RB Ezekiel Elliott's health.

“It’s that time of year. Zeke’s running style is ferocious. He gives a pounding and he takes some hits,” McCarthy said. “We need to evaluate that and this week we’ll see what the preparation looks like for him.”

Related Player: Tony Pollard

A slower Elliott has been a topic of conversation regardless of the time of season. Tony Pollard shined in Dallas' Week 12 loss and continues to produce similarly/out-produce Zeke. This could mean a shift of carries to Pollard and is worth monitoring.

The Titans have placed DB Chris Jackson and WR Marcus Johnson on Injured Reserve.

Related players: Golden Tate, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chester Rogers, Dez Fitzpatrick

It’s Johnson’s second stint on IR, so he’s out for the season, the tweet said. The team signed Tate to the practice squad and continue to get pounded with injuries to their skill players.

Saints’ TE Adam Trautman suffered a sprained MCL during Sunday’s loss to the Eagles that is expected to sideline him 4-6 weeks, per source.

Related players: Juwan Johnson, Nick Vannett

Trautman was having a nice game before the injury, catching five balls for 58 yards and a TD. Vannett caught one ball for 20 yards and likely sees an increased role. Johnson is a name to watch as well, having a 2-36-0 line back on Nov. 14, with his best game a 3-21-2 line Sept. 12. He has three TDs total on the season but has never had more than three targets in a game this year.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott left Sunday’s game for a brief time after aggravating his knee injury, but he was able to get back on the field and played 69 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

Related players: Tony Pollard

Things didn't look good for Elliott after the injury but as the story said he was able to return to the game. The Cowboys play the Raiders in the middle game on Thanksgiving.

New Orleans’ QB Taysom Hill signed a unique four-year, hybrid-type of contract extension that could be worth anywhere between $40 million and $95 million, depending on the position he plays, and includes $22.5 million guaranteed, sources tell ESPN.

Related players: Trevor Siemian

Schefter went on to tweet Hill’s deal is unique and unlike other contracts because it pays him a $40 million base salary for the role that he’s currently playing, and up to an additional $55 million if he does become the Saints’ starting QB for the next four seasons. There are beat writers who earlier today indicated the Saints should consider moving away from Siemian after his performance in Week 11 vs. the Eagles, but nothing official has come from the team. It's interesting because the Saints have at times been linked to some of the bigger named QBs who could hit the market next year, however none of them would seem happy to give up snaps to Hill over the next four years, which could indicate Hill may be their guy.