NFL Player News

Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter said Winston (shoulder) will start Sunday's game in Buffalo, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Bucs let Winston rest until Friday, at which point he took all the first-team reps in practice. Koetter apparently liked what he saw, naming Winston as the team's Week 7 starter immediately after practice finished. The third-year quarterback is thus set to play through an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder in Sunday's matchup with a Buffalo defense that has held opponents to a 66.5 passer rating, 2:8 TD:INT and 6.6 yards per attempt. Accounting for both the matchup and the injury, Winston makes for a shaky starting option outside of two-quarterback leagues. He's technically listed as questionable, but the Bucs have a slew of players with the same designation who are fully expected to play in Sunday's game.

Winston (shoulder) threw passes at Friday's practice, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Buccaneers have taken it easy with Winston this week while he deals with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, as the franchise signal caller didn't make any throws Wednesday or Thursday. However, he was able to air it out a bit Friday, and based on a video provided by Auman, it didn't look like he was especially limited while doing so. The Buccaneers will reveal Winston's status for the Week 7 matchup with the Bills when they release their final injury report of the week at the conclusion of Friday's practice.

Carr completed 29 of 52 passes for 417 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Thursday's 31-30 win over the Chiefs. He also gained 15 yards on his sole rush.

On a night of multiple noteworthy offensive efforts, Carr was at the center of it all, posting his second game with at least 400 passing yards in his four-year career. A late hit on Carr midway through the second quarter also prompted the eventual ejection of Marshawn Lynch, who made contact with a referee in the post-play fracas. However, the fourth-year quarterback's most prominent role came in the contest's wild finish, one that saw three untimed downs due to a pair of defensive penalties on the Chiefs. Carr finally tied the game with a clutch two-yard dart to Michael Crabtree in the left corner of the end zone, his third and final score of the night after previously having connected with Amari Cooper for touchdowns of 38 and 45 yards in the first quarter. Carr's performance was a welcome sight after he'd struggled against the Chargers last Sunday in what was an earlier-than-expected return from a serious back injury, and the fact that he hooked up with Cooper on a whopping 11 occasions for 210 yards certainly helped allay concerns about both players. He'll look to use Thursday's breakout effort as a springboard when the Raiders tangle with the Bills in a tough Week 8 road matchup.

Rodgers underwent surgery on his broken right clavicle Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

As expected, Rodgers has taken the step necessary before rehab can begin in earnest. The Packers may now be aware if a return this season is possible, but no one within the organization has commented in the wake of the procedure. With his placement on IR all but guaranteed, Week 15 is the best-case scenario for his next appearance. While his fate remains up in the air, the team will move forward with third-year pro Brett Hundley under center.

Mariota (hamstring) practiced fully Thursday.

Back-to-back full practice sessions and no setbacks in his recovery from a hamstring issue ensure that Mariota is in line to play Sunday against the Browns. Moreover, as he distances himself from the injury, the Titans are hoping that the QB's mobility will be improved in his second game back. "He had a real good day," coach Mike Mularkey said of Mariota on Thursday. "He did a lot of good things, and is moving around better than he has."

Bradford (knee) was absent Thursday from the Vikings' practice.

The Vikings haven't formally ruled Bradford out, but with the signal caller having failed to practice since aggravating his knee injury in the Oct. 9 game against the Bears, it appears to be a foregone conclusion that he'll miss Sunday's tilt with the Ravens. Case Keenum is on track to make his fifth start of the season Sunday while Kyle Sloter is slated to serve as his backup.

Winston (shoulder) didn't throw at Thursday's practice but will receive all the first-team reps Friday, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The Buccaneers made the conscious decision to delay Winston's first tosses of the week as he tends to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. Very likely, he'll be listed as a limited practice participant for the second straight day, with the hope he'll progress to full by week's end. Winston has already referred to his upcoming availability as a "team decision," implying Friday's session will go a long way toward achieving active status Sunday in Buffalo. If Winston is unable to convince Tampa Bay's brass of the soundness of his throwing shoulder, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will be trusted to run the offense.

Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken said that he anticipates Winston (shoulder) will do some throwing during Thursday's practice, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Alhough Winston was listed as a limited participant in the Bucs' first practice of the week Wednesday, he wasn't able to do any throwing while tending to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. Winston indicated that his shoulder has been showing improvement every day since he suffered the injury in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals, and while light throwing Thursday would represent a step in the right direction, it will ultimately be a "team decision" whether the franchise quarterback suits up in Week 7 against the Bills, per Smith. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who nearly threw for 300 yards in relief last week, would direct the offense in the event Winston is unable to suit up come Sunday.

Siemian (shoulder) practiced without any restrictions Wednesday, Andrew Mason of the Broncos' official site reports.

While his (left) non-throwing shoulder is still a bit sore, Siemian doesn't seem to be in any danger of missing Sunday's game against the Chargers. The real concern is his supporting cast, as the Broncos likely will be missing Emmanuel Sanders (ankle) and starting right tackle Menelik Watson (calf). With depth receivers Isaiah McKenzie (ankle) and Cody Latimer (knee) also missing Wednesday's practice due to injury and trending toward sitting out Sunday, the Broncos likely will try to lean on their rushing attack in the divisional matchup.

Mariota (hamstring) was limited at Wednesday's practice.

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey hinted that Mariota likely will be limited in practice this week, despite throwing for 306 yards on 32 attempts in Sunday's 36-22 win over the Colts. Mariota's mobility did seem to be impacted by the hamstring injury, as he mostly stayed in the pocket and finished with just two carries for no gain. He should be ready to Sunday in Cleveland to take on a defense that ranks last in the league in opponent passer rating (111.0).