The Facts: Hall's first NFL start lasted less than one quarter: He's out for the game with a concussion.

Diehards Line: Just five days after being acquired from Arizona, Joshua Dobbs is coming in at QB for Minnesota.

The Facts: Update: Jaylen Waddle has returned to the game.

Diehards Line:Waddle briefly left the game with a knee injury on Sunday, but was able to return before the end of the first quarter.

The Facts: Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle was shaken up on a play early in the first quarter.

Diehards Line:According to an update from Adam Schefter, Waddle has a knee injury and is questionable.

The Facts: When Cousins was lost for the rest of the 2023 season due to a torn Achilles on Oct. 29, it brought not only a crushing reality to the Vikings but also a question: Was this the end of their partnership? Perhaps not. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said this past Wednesday -- three days after Cousins' injury -- that "every option is still available with Kirk." That includes a return to Minnesota to finish what Cousins, head coach Kevin O'Connell and the rest of the organization have started.

Diehards Line: Cousins is a free agent after the season, as the two sides agreed for him to play out his most recent extension after earning $30 million this year. Cousins also has a no-trade clause and cannot be franchise-tagged. All of which led to the assumption -- notably from QB-needy teams -- that Cousins would leave the Vikings after 2023, at which point Minnesota would draft a QB. The Vikings, who will start rookie Jaren Hall today against the Falcons, could still select a quarterback in the 2024 draft. But that move could be coupled with a Cousins return, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's something to watch in coming weeks.

The Facts: NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the Bears “hope” Fields (thumb) is able to return in Week 10 against the Panthers.

Diehards Line: Garafolo noted that Fields still needs to make a lot of progress to return for the Thursday game, but after he was able to throw on Friday, there is at least a chance he is back. Fields suffered the thumb injury in Week 6 and has been sidelined ever since. Tyson Bagent will continue to start until Fields is back in the lineup. The UDFA rookie has mostly appeared out of his depth in the NFL, tossing one score to three interceptions. His presence under center is a notable downgrade for the offense.

The Facts: Jefferson is eligible to come off the injured reserve this week from a hamstring injury that was expected to sideline him four to six weeks. But Jefferson still has to meet with the doctors, the team has to decide how it wants to handle Jefferson, and there currently continues to be uncertainty about his status, sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefter, despite the fact that he could be activated as early as this week.

Diehards Line: In case you missed it, head coach Kevin O'Connell wasn't willing to commit to Jefferson's practice window opening this week when asked by reporters. "I do not have that information as of right now," O'Connell said, acknowledging the uncertainty. We'll obviously be watching for more, so stay tuned.

The Facts: Bryant, a once-promising talent who ended up on the wrong side of the substance-abuse policy and eventually stayed there, has been reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The move officially happened on Saturday.

Diehards Line: A fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2014, Bryant played two seasons in Pittsburgh before being suspended for all of 2016. After returning to the Steelers for the 2017 season, Bryant was traded to the Raiders in 2018. The Raiders cut him in September and then re-signed him 10 days later, even though he was reportedly facing an indefinite suspension under the policy. He played until December, and he was suspended after suffering a season-ending knee injury. It’s unclear whether anyone will be interested in Bryant. He turns 32 next month, and he last played in a game on November 11, 2018. Bryant played for the Vegas Vipers of the XFL in 2013. In eight games, he caught only 14 passes for 154 yards.

The Facts: Following up on this week's Team Notes. ... A new QB in Atlanta: Falcons’ HC Arthur Smith has named Taylor Heinicke as the starting QB for Sunday’s game vs. the Vikings.

Diehards Line: Heinicke steps into the elevated role after playing the final two quarters of last Sunday's Week 8 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He entered the game after halftime, when Desmond Ridder was pulled to be evaluated for a concussion. Though Ridder was cleared, Smith opted to stick with Heinicke. Through eight games, in which the Falcons have gone 4-4, Ridder has completed 157 of his 240 passes (65.4%) for 1,701 yards and six touchdowns. He has, however, thrown six interceptions and fumbled seven times. Before this week, there were times when Ridder's starting status was questioned, but Smith firmly stood behind Ridder. The recent mid-game switch, though, sparked the question again: Will the Falcons make a midseason switch at quarterback? For the time being, the answer is yes.

The Facts: Following up on this week's Team Notes. ... According to reports from NFL Media, Aidan O’Connell will take over as the Raiders starter this week and going forward.

Diehards Line: A rookie fourth-round pick out of Purdue, O’Connell started the team’s Week 4 road loss to the Chargers. He finished the contest 24-of-39 for 238 yards with an interception and three fumbles. He also rushed for a touchdown. After signing a three-year deal with the Raiders in the offseason, Jimmy Garoppolo did not perform well in his six starts. He failed to reach 200 yards in three of the games, including Monday’s 26-14 loss to Detroit. Garoppolo was 10-of-21 for 126 yards with an interception in that contest. He was also sacked six times. With an interim GM (Champ Kelly), HC (Antonio Pierce) and OC (Bo Hardegree), more changes could come.

The Facts: Following up on this week's Team Notes. ... According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, sources tell him the Raiders have fired HC Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler.

Diehards Line:Schefter added that Raiders’ owner Mark Davis began informing select members of his organization later in day Tuesday that he was firing McDaniels and Ziegler. And now he has became the first NFL owner this season for fire the HC and GM. The Raiders are planning to name LB coach Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach. ... Stay tuned. More to come on this story.