NFL Player News

Coach Mike Vrabel said Mariota isn't in danger of losing his starting job right now, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The Titans are off to a 1-2 start, with Mariota taking 17 sacks and completing just 60.9 percent of his passes. Tennessee's offensive line may be part of the problem, but Mariota has shown a disturbing tendency to hold the ball for too long. His average time from snap to throw (2.97) is fourth-longest in the league, putting him on track for a second straight season leading the NFL in sack rate (15.6 percent this year, 11.3 percent in 2018). The Titans may consider a switch to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback if Mariota doesn't turn things around Week 4 in Atlanta.

Minshew completed 20 of 30 passes for 204 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Jaguars' 20-7 win over the Titans on Thursday. He also rushed four times for 18 yards.

Someone clearly forgot to tell Minshew sixth-round quarterbacks don't just step right into a starting job Week 1 of their rookie campaign and hit the ground running. The Washington State product turned in another interception-free performance against a savvy veteran defensive unit, following an admirable effort in a road loss against the Texans just four days prior. Minshew set the tone early by capitalizing on a Titans' muffed punt with a seven-yard touchdown pass to James O'Shaughnessy, following it up later in the quarter by capping off a six-play, 62 yard march with a 22-yard scoring toss to DJ Chark. The first-year signal caller also helmed a pair of other possessions that ended in field goals and encouragingly avoided any fumbles after losing the handle on three occasions versus Houston. Jacksonville is just 1-2 with Thursday's win, but Minshew's play continues to give the team optimism he can hold down the fort during Nick Foles' (collarbone) absence. Minshew will look to continue his strong play when he faces a tough Broncos defense in Week 4 a week from Sunday.

Mariota completed 23 of 40 passes for 304 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Titans' 20-7 loss to the Jaguars on Thursday. He also rushed six times for 34 yards and fumbled once but recovered.

The final yardage numbers were certainly encouraging from a fantasy perspective, but Mariota couldn't parlay them into any trips to the end zone. The Titans' one touchdown came on a Derrick Henry one-yard run in the fourth quarter, while the majority of Tennessee's other drives were halted and unproductive for the most part, thanks in large part to the nine sacks the Jaguars managed versus the fifth-year quarterback. Mariota did author a 12-play, 81-yard march late in the game, but that possession ended with a 22-yard completion to Adam Humphries as time expired. Mariota displayed encouraging chemistry with the possession receiver by connecting with him on six occasions for 93 yards. Nevertheless, the Titans are now 1-2 after an encouraging start versus the Browns in the opener and will have 10 days to contemplate their fate before a Week 4 interconference clash with the Falcons a week from Sunday.

McCoy (lower leg) didn't take part in practice Thursday, Craig Hoffman of 106-7 The Fan Washington reports.

Coach Jay Gruden told Hoffman on Monday that McCoy may be cleared for individual work this week, but it didn't happen in his first chance to do so. McCoy has two more sessions to make an appearance, but for now he's not close to participating in team drills.

Gabbert (shoulder) is not practicing Thursday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Gabbert is trending towards missing a third consecutive regular-season game, given that he hasn't participated in practice since suffering a dislocated shoulder Aug. 23. As long as Gabbert is unable to go, Ryan Griffin will serve as the backup to No. 1 quarterback Jameis Winston.

Sudfeld (wrist) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Sudfeld has been inactive since undergoing surgery on his left wrist in early August but was finally able to return to the practice field in a full capacity Wednesday. However, it's still not totally clear if the Eagles will move Sudfield back into his role as Carson Wentz's backup or stick with veteran Josh McCown, who came out of retirement to sign with the team once Sudfield went down.

Darnold (mono) has "full confidence" he will be ready to play in Week 5 against the Eagles, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Darnold won't travel to New England for Sunday's game against the Patriots, but the QB aims to be cleared to do some light running during the Jets' Week 4 bye. The report adds that Darnold confirmed Wednesday that his spleen remains enlarged at this stage. However, he apparently may only have to miss one more game if all goes as hoped. In his absence, Luke Falk will be the team's starting QB in Week 3.

Winston practiced in full Wednesday but is listed on the injury report with a foot issue, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Winston is fully expected to start Sunday versus the Giants, though his participation in practice Thursday and Friday will be worth monitoring. The nature and severity of his foot injury remain undisclosed. The 25-year-old quarterback managed to avoid any turnovers Week 2 versus the Panthers, and he will look to log another mistake-free game against New York.

The Seahawks released Jones from the practice squad Wednesday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

The Seahawks chose to add defensive players to the practice squad to replace Jones, who was unlikely to be elevated to the active roster unless Russell Wilson or Geno Smith were injured. If either of those quarterbacks are hurt in the future, Jones may rejoin the team since he has an understanding of its system.

Bridgewater may split the QB workload with Taysom Hill in the absence of Drew Brees (thumb), John DeShazier of the Saints' official site reports.

After Brees departed Sunday's game against the Rams, Bridgewater directed the Saints offense the rest of the way. Bridgewater's performance wasn't exactly pristine, as the Saints managed just nine points across nine possessions while he completed 17 of 30 passes for 165 yards. On Wednesday, coach Sean Payton wouldn't commit to Bridgewater as the starter moving forward, which leaves the door open for Hill to get snaps under center at some point. It may just be a strategic move to force upcoming opponents to game plan for both Bridgewater and Hill, but Bridgewater's experience would seem to give him the upper hand for most, if not all, of the quarterback reps Sunday in Seattle.