The Cincinnati Bengals will be without Joe Burrow for the rest of the season after the star quarterback tore a ligament in his right wrist during Thursday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Head coach Zac Taylor made the announcement Friday, less than 24 hours after Burrow departed Cincinnati's 34-20 loss in the second quarter, and added that the 2022 Pro Bowl selection will likely undergo surgery.

Burrow grabbed his right wrist while in noticeable pain immediately after throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon with 5:49 remaining in the second quarter. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick attempted to throw while on the sideline shortly after but was unable to grip the ball, then went into the locker room with the Bengals' training staff before being ruled out of the game after half-time.

"On the touchdown pass I just felt a pop in the middle of the throw," Burrow told reporters Friday. "I tried to give it a go, but I just couldn't get it done. Then I obviously got the news today, so not great."

Burrow's injury is potentially a major blow to a Cincinnati team currently outside the AFC playoff picture at 5-5, though the Bengals had recovered from a 1-3 start to win four straight prior to last week's loss to the Houston Texans.  

The 26-year-old led the Bengals to the AFC Championship game in each of the last two years, as well as an appearance in the Super Bowl during the 2021 season.

"You work so hard for seasons and moments like these, so whenever you get hurt and it ends early, it's tough to handle," Burrow said. "But that's part of the game. I've been through it before, so you've just to go grind it out."

Taylor said Jake Browning will make his first NFL start in place of Burrow when the Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 26.

An undrafted free agent who spent 2022 on Cincinnati's practice squad before making the active roster this season, Browning completed 8 of 14 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown after replacing Burrow on Thursday.

"Jake's worked for this opportunity his entire life," Taylor said. "He's prepared the right way. He's in the building as much as anybody on this team waiting for moments like this - obviously not [wanting] the way it happened to Joe.

"Really proud of the way he went in there with a calm attitude and was able to execute the plan, and give us a chance to move the ball and score some points."

This is the second major injury Burrow has encountered during his four-year NFL career, as a torn ACL ended his 2020 rookie season after 10 games. He returned to throw for over 4,400 yards in each of the last two seasons with a combined 69 touchdown passes to help the Bengals emerge as one of the AFC's top teams.

Burrow also played through a strained right calf he sustained in training camp this summer, though he did not miss a game. He finishes the season with 2,309 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes and six interceptions in 10 starts.

The NFL is expected to investigate the circumstances behind this latest injury, according to The Associated Press. Though Burrow was not listed on the Bengals' injury report for Thursday's game, the Bengals had posted a video of the quarterback getting off the team bus with his right hand appearing to be in a cast as he made his way to the stadium.

The Bengals later deleted the video.

The Baltimore Ravens strengthened their grip on the AFC North with a 34-20 win over divisional rivals Cincinnati Bengals.

And there was more bad news for the Bengals, who lost quarterback Joe Burrow to a wrist injury.

Burrow was injured in a tackle by Ravens linebacker Jadeveon Clowney during the second quarter and appeared in pain as he threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon on the next play.

That gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead, but as Burrow headed to the medical tent and struggled to throw on the sideline, the Ravens took control.

Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter, the second a 10-yard connection to Rashod Bateman with only 23 seconds left in the half which opened a lead they never looked like giving up.

The Ravens defence had five sacks, increasing their league-leading total to 44 and Gus Edwards sealed the win with a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a broken bone in his right shoulder, the team announced Wednesday.

The Browns said in a statement that Watson underwent further testing on his ailing shoulder on Monday which revealed a non-displaced fracture to his glenoid.

Watson missed three games earlier this season due to recurring soreness in his throwing shoulder, and also exited the Browns' Week 7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the first quarter with the injury.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection is also dealing with a left high-ankle sprain he sustained late in last week's 33-31 victory over the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens.

"Deshaun Watson underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Monday on two injuries sustained on different plays in the first half of Sunday's 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens," the team said in a statement. "Imaging on his left ankle revealed a high-ankle sprain. In addition, postgame, Deshaun notified our medical staff of a new discomfort in his right shoulder that he felt after a hit in the first half. An MRI of his right shoulder revealed a displaced fracture to the glenoid.

"Despite performing at a high level and finishing the game, after consultation with Browns' Head Physician, James Voos, MD, and industry-leading shoulder specialist, Neal ElAttrache, MD, it has been determined that this injury will require immediate surgical repair to avoid further structural damage. Deshaun will be placed on season-ending injured reserve and a full recovery is expected for the start of the 2024 season."

P.J. Walker will take over at quarterback for Cleveland, which currently sits just a half-game behind the Ravens for first place in the AFC North at 6-3. The Browns are tied for second in the division with Pittsburgh and will host the Steelers on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Walker has started two previous games this season and played most of the Indianapolis game after Watson departed. The Browns went 1-1 in those starts, with the win a surprise 19-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5.

Walker has completed just 49 per cent of his passes, though, with one touchdown pass and five interceptions. 

Watson will now have played in just 12 of the Browns' 34 regular-season games since being acquired from the Houston Texans in a blockbuster trade in March 2022, then immediately signed to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million extension. The 28-year-old was suspended for the first 11 games of 2022 after being accused of sexual assault by nearly two dozen women while receiving massage therapy.

In six games this season, Watson has completed 61.4 per cent of his pass attempts for 1,115 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 142 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries.

Kicker Wil Lutz made the most of a second chance at the game-winning field goal as the Denver Broncos continued their revival with a 24-22 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Lutz, who had earlier hit an upright with an extra point and had another attempt foiled by a poor snap, missed from 41 yards with four seconds on the clock.

But the Bills were penalised for having too many players on the field – the second infringement of the drive – and Lutz made no mistake from five yards closer.

The win was the Broncos third in a row and fourth in the six games since conceding 70 points to Mami.

Lutz’s kick came less than two minutes after the Bills had taken the lead for the first time in the game, Josh Allen’s six-yard touchdown run putting them 22-21 ahead.

Allen had earlier thrown a 22-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid with Latavius Murray going over from three yards, Russell Wilson connecting with Courtland Sutton and Javonte Williams for a Broncos touchdown in each half.

The winning field goal to end the match followed an NFL record five games in one day being decided by the final kick on Sunday.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has claimed he could be back in action as early as December, according to reports.

Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, has been out since he tore his Achilles tendon while making his Jets debut on Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.

The 39-year-old has since undergone a surgical procedure known as a "speed bridge", as he looks to quicken up his recovery.

And according to NBC's Melissa Stark, Rodgers could be back in action in time for the playoffs.

"I know it sounds insane but you do a good surgery, you have a good patient, it makes this possible," Rodgers told Stark.

The Jets are 4-5 for the season following a 16-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

San Francisco got back to winning ways after three successive defeats with a convincing 34-3 win at Jacksonville on Sunday.

Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns as the 49ers made an impressive return to form against a Jaguars side that had won their previous five games.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked five times as the visitors dominated in all departments. Both teams ended the day with 6-3 records.

The Minnesota Vikings held off a New Orleans fightback to improve to 6-4 with a 27-19 win over the Saints.

Josh Dobbs ran in a touchdown and threw for another as the Vikings opened up a 24-3 lead in the first half but the Saints set up a tight finish as back-up quarterback Jameis Winston threw for two touchdowns.

Jonathan Taylor’s first-half touchdown proved crucial as the Indianapolis Colts overcame the New England Patriots 10-6 in Frankfurt.

Mac Jones’ hopes of leading a late Patriots rally ended when he threw an interception in the fourth quarter and was benched by head coach Bill Belichick. The loss left the Patriots on 2-8.

The Dallas Cowboys cruised to a 49-17 win over the New York Giants – the second time this season they have thrashed their NFC East rivals after a 40-0 success in their opening game.

Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Cowboys moved to six wins and three losses.

Jason Myers kicked his fifth field goal of the game as time ran out to give the Seattle Seahawks a 29-26 win over the Washington Commanders, keeping them tied at the top of the NFC West with the 49ers.

The Detroit Lions stretched their lead at the top of the NFC North as Riley Patterson’s last-ditch field goal gave them a 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kyler Murray’s return from injury inspired the Arizona Cardinals to a 25-23 win against the  Atlanta Falcons, Matt Prater’s field goal in the dying seconds ending a run of six-straight losses.

Murray, who has been out for 11 months with a knee injury, threw for 249 yards and ran for a touchdown on his return.

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Green Bay Packers 23-19, despite losing linebacker Kwon Alexander to a leg injury, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won for the first time in five attempts with a 20-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Replacement kicker Matt Ammendola kicked a field goal on the final play as the Houston Texans dramatically beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 while the Cleveland Browns claimed a similarly nailbiting 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Dustin Hopkins, who had earlier missed an extra-point attempt that could have tied the game, kicked the decisive points for the Browns, who had trailed 17-3 after the first quarter.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was arrested Friday night and faces charges for simple battery and criminal mischief.

Thomas, 30, was arrested without incident after a confrontation with a construction worker near his home and was released late Friday night, police said.

Thomas is expected to travel with the team and play in Sunday’s game in Minnesota, multiple media outlets reported Saturday.

The Saints have not issued a statement about Thomas’ availability Sunday, saying only that the team is “aware of the incident and we are gathering information.”

According to police, Thomas was upset that a construction crew working on a nearby property had parked in front of his home. A construction worker told police that Thomas yelled at him and “verbally threatened to harm him.”

Thomas then threw a brick at the worker’s truck, police said, and knocked the man’s phone out of his hand so he would not be recorded on video.

A two-time All-Pro, Thomas has 38 catches for 439 yards this season, playing in each of the Saints’ nine games. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year played in just 10 combined games in 2020-22 due to various injuries.

The Chicago Bears defeated the Carolina Panthers 16-13 thanks to a third quarter touchdown from running back D’Onta Foreman.

Although the highlight of the game came in the first quarter, when Carolina wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette scored an evasive 79-yard touchdown from a punt return.

The touchdown put the Panthers up 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. Two second quarter field goals from Chicago and one to Carolina inched the game to 10-9 at halftime.

Foreman’s four-yard touchdown in the third quarter gave the Bears a six-point advantage, with a Panther’s field goal in the fourth quarter the only points scored after the touchdown.

Both teams sat in the bottom five teams in the NFL before the match, with the Panthers to next play the Arizona Cardinals, who both sitting with one win and eight losses.

Chicago’s Foreman had 80 yards from 21 carries to go with his touchdown, while quarterback Tyson Bagent threw for 162 yards.

The Los Angeles Rams remain optimistic that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford will be able to return from a thumb injury following the team’s bye week, but they are adding veteran Carson Wentz as insurance.

Stafford suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing thumb during the Rams’ 43-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.

Brett Rypien got the start in Week 9 and struggled as Los Angeles dropped to 3-6 with a 20-3 defeat to the Green Bay Packers.

Rypien completed 13 of 28 passes for 130 yards with one interception for a 45.2 passer rating – the 12th-worst in a single game in the NFL this season.

The Rams reportedly will release Rypien once Wentz’s signing becomes official.

Wentz has not played in the NFL since appearing in eight games with the Washington Commanders last season.

The Eagles drafted Wentz with the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he played his first five seasons with Philadelphia before spending one campaign each with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington.

Wentz has passed for 22,129 yards with 151 touchdowns and 66 interceptions in 93 career games while adding 1,362 rushing yards and 10 TDs on the ground.

Los Angeles next plays on November 19 when it hosts the Seattle Seahawks.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced Tuesday that rookie Will Levis will remain the team’s starting quarterback.

Vrabel also said Ryan Tannehill will serve as Levis’ backup Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if the veteran signal-caller has recovered from a sprained right ankle suffered in Week 6.

“We think that’s the best opportunity for our football team right now," Vrabel said.

After Tannehill injured his ankle on October 15 during a 24-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in London, Levis was named Tennessee’s starter for Week 8 following the team’s bye.

The 33rd overall pick in last year's NFL Draft went out and joined Marcus Mariota and Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in their debuts as the Titans beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-23.

Levis passed for 238 yards against Atlanta and then 262 yards at Pittsburgh in his second start in Week 9, but he failed to throw a TD and had his first interception as the Steelers defeated the Titans 20-16.

The Los Angeles Chargers cruised past the New York Jets 27-6 to record their fourth win of the season.

Monday night’s game also saw the Chargers’ Keenan Allen hit a significant career milestone, becoming the 54th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards.

The first touchdown of the night came thanks to an 87-yard punt return from Los Angeles’ Derius Davis in the first quarter.

The Jets responded by fumbling the ball on their next two drives.

It was the second fumble, a strip-sack by Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa against Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, that helped set up a one-yard touchdown run by linebacker Austin Ekeler, giving the Chargers an early taste of victory in the second quarter.

The Jets finally scored through kicker Greg Zuerlein’s 47-yard field goal with just six minutes left until half-time.

Any joy for New York was short-lived with the Chargers regaining their 14-point lead thanks to kicker Cameron Dicker, who managed to convert a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

The teams traded field goals throughout the second half before Ekeler ran it home for the Chargers with another touchdown in the dying minutes of the game.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a torn ACL in his right knee.

Jones was injured late in the first quarter of 30-6 loss to Las Vegas on Sunday and the NFL club confirmed the diagnosis following an MRI scan.

The news came as a further blow to the Giants, whose latest defeat left them languishing on a 2-7 record after making the play-offs last season.

Undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito finished the game against Las Vegas but Giants head coach Brian Daboll would not be drawn on immediate plans for a replacement.

Veteran Matt Barkley is another short-term option in the quarterback position having signed to the Giants practice squad at the end of last month.

The New York Giants will be without Daniel Jones for the remainder of the season after the starting quarterback tore his right ACL in Sunday’s 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jones was making his first appearance Sunday since sustaining a neck injury in Week 5 and missing three games, but the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft left early in the second quarter after his knee buckled as he dropped back to pass.

Jones, who signed a four-year, $160million contract extension in March, struggled this season with a career-low 70.5 passer rating. After throwing five interceptions in 16 games last season, Jones had six INTs in six contests this year while tossing just two touchdown passes.

The Giants (2-7) are currently down to undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito and practice squad quarterback Matt Barkley with backup Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve and out at least the next three games.

New York visits the Dallas Cowboys (5-3) in Week 10.

The Chicago Bears and Montez Sweat agreed to terms on a four-year, $98million contract extension Saturday, four days after the star pass rusher was acquired from the Washington Commanders.

Chicago sent a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to Washington on Tuesday in exchange for Sweat, who is in the final year of his rookie contract.

The 27-year-old defensive end has 6 1/2 sacks, which is tied for eighth most in the NFL. Chicago, meanwhile, is last in the league with 10 sacks through eight games.

Sweat is also tied for second in the NFL with 10 tackles for loss.

Deshaun Watson will be back at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Friday that Watson would return after taking all the first-team reps in practice.

It will be Watson's first start since Week 7, when he was knocked out after taking a big hit in the first quarter of Cleveland's 39-38 victory at the Indianapolis Colts. He was cleared of a concussion but hurt his ailing right shoulder.

Backup quarterback P.J. Walker got the start in last Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, already the third game of the season Watson missed.

Watson initially hurt his throwing shoulder in the Browns' 27-3 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3. He then warmed up prior to the Browns' Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, but was ultimately ruled out.

The three-time Pro Bowler said on Thursday that he tried to come back too soon, and Stefanski said on Friday that Watson is ready to play.

Watson has thrown for 683 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions for the 4-3 Browns, who are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for third place in the AFC North.