NFL Player News

Bridgewater (knee) will begin practicing Wednesday but won't be removed from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list immediately, Chris Tomasson of The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "He'll stay on the PUP list until he's ready to play," coach Mike Zimmer said on Monday. "He hasn't practiced in 14 months, so we're not going to (overdo it) Wednesday."

The Vikings can take up to three weeks before they have to either activate Bridgewater to the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve for the rest of the season. The latter would only happen in the event of a major setback, as the Vikings could seriously use Bridgewater's help while there's so much uncertainty surrounding Sam Bradford (knee). Tomasson speculates that Bridgewater could be held out the next two weeks and then activated for games after the Vikings' Week 9 bye. Bridgewater's role upon returning will depend upon his own performance in practice and Case Keenum's performance in games, in addition to Bradford's health. Keenum remains the best best to start Sunday's game against the Ravens.

The Broncos believe Siemian will be able to play through a minor left shoulder sprain in Sunday's game against the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Siemian injured his non-throwing shoulder while trying to make a tackle late in the second quarter of Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Giants. He missed the next series but then returned after halftime, ultimately finishing the game 29-of-50 passing for 376 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. With Emmanuel Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie already ruled out with ankle injuries, Siemian will have to take on the Chargers with a diminished supporting cast, assuming he's able to play. Siemian will likely be listed when the Broncos release their first injury report Wednesday.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Monday that Bradford (knee) is feeling better but won't necessarily be ready to practice Wednesday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Bradford recently traveled to New York for Regenokine blood-spinning treatment, which is expected to take five or six days. Combining that information with a recent report that the quarterback's surgically repaired left knee could eventually lead him to consider an early retirement, it's hard to imagine Bradford returning to practice Wednesday and then starting Sunday's game against the Ravens. He should still be viewed as out indefinitely, but the Vikings do at least have some good news on the quarterback front, with Teddy Bridgewater (knee) set to resume practicing Wednesday. While Case Keenum likely will start at least one more game, the team may soon have other options at quarterback, be it Bridgewater, Bradford or both.

All signs point to Mariota (hamstring) starting Monday's game against the Colts, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

This is essentially just confirmation of what was reported Sunday, which is that Mariota is poised to return after missing only one week. Inactives will be released around 7:00 PM ET, and he's unlikely to be on the list unless he suffers a setback during pregame warmups. Of course, his mobility likely will be limited, and there's always some chance of an in-game setback.

Winston has been diagnosed with a AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, but he may be able to play through the ailment, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Winston sustained the injury on the Bucs' first possession of Sunday's game at Arizona when he was driven into the ground by Cards pass rusher Chandler Jones. Although he proceeded to complete two more drives, Winston was eventually considered doubtful to return and replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick for the remainder of the contest. To date in his two-plus years in the NFL, Winston hasn't missed a game. As such, his ability to practice this week will be telling for his odds to suit up Sunday in Buffalo.

The Vikings expect to add Bridgewater (knee) to the 53-man roster this week or next week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN, Bridgewater was cleared by a doctor Monday, setting him up to begin practicing this week. Case Keenum still seems like the better bet to start Sunday's game against the Ravens, but the Vikings might consider installing Bridgewater as the starter Week 8 at Cleveland, or possibly after a Week 9 bye. With Sam Bradford (knee) facing an unknown timeline, Bridgewater's impending return is excellent news for the first-place Vikings. Keenum threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns against Tampa Bay in Week 3, but he's otherwise been mediocre, and his pre-Minnesota track record is discouraging.

Carr said his back injury didn't affect the Raiders' game plan in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Chargers, Scott Bair of NBCSports Bay Area reports. "It had nothing to do with my back," Carr said. "They play really soft zone coverage. That's what (Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley) does. He tries to create pressure and hide some things. Usually, when they play soft, you have to take those."

Carr completed 21 of 30 passes, but for only 171 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He did have gains of 31 and 19 yards -- both to Amari Cooper -- wiped out by penalties, but Carr's only official completion of more than 15 yards was a 23-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Michael Crabtree. While the Raiders figure to be a bit more aggressive against the Chiefs on Thursday, the team's offensive problems don't seem to be as simple as not attempting enough passes downfield. Cooper's nightmare season is the obvious issue, but the team also hasn't gotten much from Marshawn Lynch, who's averaging 3.7 yards per carry and has yet to break off a run of more than 15 yards. Carr may have to put the team on his (injured) back in order to end the four-game losing streak Thursday.

Bridgewater (knee) could begin practicing as soon as Wednesday, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports.

Bridgewater tweeted "thank you" Monday morning, perhaps hinting that he was cleared by a doctor (or at least expects to be cleared) at his scheduled checkup. Once the quarterback returns to practice, the Vikings will have three weeks to either activate him to the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve. With Sam Bradford (knee) out indefinitely, the team undoubtedly would appreciate having Bridgewater as an option, even though Case Keenum has done a nice job. Keenum's pre-Minnesota track record is pretty ugly, and he's been mediocre outside of a huge outing against Tampa Bay in Week 3. While it would be a surprise if the Vikings turned to Bridgewater for Sunday's game against the Ravens, he could be ready to start versus Cleveland in Week 8, at which point he'd have two full weeks of practice under his belt.

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said after Sunday's loss to the Giants that Siemian would "probably" undergo an MRI on his left shoulder Monday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Siemian departed before halftime Sunday after injuring his left shoulder, which he had surgically repaired over the offseason. He was able to gut it out and take the field for the Broncos' first series of the second half, finishing the contest with a season-high 29 completions and 376 passing yards while throwing one touchdown versus two interceptions. The exact nature of Siemian's shoulder issue won't be known until after the MRI results are read, but there appears to be some concern that the quarterback might be dealing with an AC joint sprain, an injury that kept him out of two games in 2016. Brock Osweiler would serve as the Broncos' starter under center if Siemian is forced to miss any games this time around.

Watson completed 17 of 29 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in a 33-17 win over the Browns in Week 6.

Ho-hum. Watson threw touchdowns to three different receivers and has a league-high 15. It was the third consecutive week with at least three touchdown passes for the rookie, who has transformed Houston's offense overnight. He's become a must play every weekend. There's still some decision-making he needs to iron out -- Sunday's pick was a poorly thrown ball that resulted in a pick-six for Cleveland's Jason McCourty -- but when a quarterback leads a team to four consecutive weeks with at least 33 points, the occasional bad pass can be forgiven. After a bye week, the Texans return Week 8 for road game in Seattle, which should be a good test for the rookie quarterback.