NFL Player News

Petty (shoulder) did not participate at Wednesday's practice.

Petty's bruised shoulder continues to give him trouble and he was inactive for the Jets' first two games of the regular season. Given the health of fellow quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith, it's unlikely Petty will suit up Week 3 against the Chiefs.

Garoppolo (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant at Tuesday's practice.

Though absent for the portion of practice open to the media, Garoppolo apparently did some kind of work. The Patriots haven't officially ruled him out for Thursday against Houston, but it's possible the team is just trying to be deceptive, as Garoppolo's AC joint sprain probably needs more than four days of rest. However, the team still hasn't signed another quarterback, perhaps hinting at optimism Garoppolo will at least be healthy enough to serve as Jacoby Brissett's backup.

Whitehurst signed with the Browns on Tuesday.

As expected, Whitehurst was signed to serve as Cody Kessler's backup, with Josh McCown (shoulder) out for at least one week. Kevin Hogan will likely stay on the practice squad, leaving Whitehurst one injury away from taking the reins.

Garoppolo (shoulder) was not present during the media portion of Tuesday's practice, Courtney Fallon of NFL Network reports.

Garoppolo was expected to take part in what is a walkthrough session for the Patriots on Tuesday, but signs point to him not being able to get on the field. It's possible Garoppolo could get some work in behind the scenes Tuesday, but it looks like he will be listed as "DNP" on the injury report for the second day in a row.

Keenum is expected to start Sunday's game at Tampa Bay, the Los Angeles Times reports. "We need more production out of our offense, and all things point to the quarterback position," coach Jeff Fisher said Monday. "But I'm expecting Case to continue to get better in this offense and we're going to win games and score points."

No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff may be waiting in the wings, yet Keenum seems to have a longer leash than expected, in part due to Goff's hideous preseason performance. It will still be tough for the Rams to justify starting Keenum -- unless he turns things around in the next week or two -- after the offense produced just nine points in two games.

Garoppolo (shoulder) is expected to take part in Tuesday's walkthrough practice, ESPN.com reports.

The Patriots still hope Garoppolo can start Thursday's game against the Texans, or at least get healthy enough to serve as Jacoby Brissett's backup. The team still hadn't signed another quarterback as of Tuesday morning, and any new addition wouldn't have a chance to practice before Thursday's game. Garoppolo was diagnosed with a sprained AC joint, an injury that quarterbacks are sometimes able to play with, though typically not with just three days rest.

Hoyer replaced injured teammate Jay Cutler (hand) in the final minute of the third quarter of Monday night's loss to the Eagles, when he completed 9 of 12 passes for 78 yards.

Hoyer was forced into the game with the Bears trailing by 15 with barely over a quarter left to play. Although that allowed him to attempt 12 passes, Hoyer failed to lead Chicago's offense to any points and looked particularly inept on his final two throws. Even so, if Cutler's hand injury forces him to miss time, Hoyer would figure to start at quarterback Sunday night against the Cowboys.

Whitehurst is expected to sign with the Browns this week, NFL.com reports.

With Josh McCown (shoulder) unlikely to play Sunday against Miami, the Browns will turn to their third starting quarterback in as many games. Third-round selection Cody Kessler is expected to do the honors, but Whitehurst could eventually get a look if the rookie struggles. Kevin Hogan, who is currently on the practice squad, might also be an option at some point this season.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests that "if all goes well," Garoppolo (shoulder) could "actually be the (Patriots') backup" QB on Thursday against the Texans.

Rapoport previously reported that Garoppolo is not in line to start the contest, which remains the very likely, but not yet confirmed, outcome. With that in mind, ESPN's Adam Schefter has put forth the notion that while it's "still a long-shot... (the) Patriots have not given up hope yet" that Garoppolo could play Thursday. Meanwhile, ESPN's Mike Reiss notes that the team is not rushing things with regard to any declarations or moves related to the team's Week 3 QB situation. Per Reiss' report, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels indicated that at this stage, the team is "not sure of circumstances yet." For now, it continues to be widely assumed that Jacoby Brissett is in line to be the Patriots' starting QB on Thursday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates that Garoppolo (shoulder) won't start Thursday against the Texans, but there is hope that the QB could be available by Week 4.

This does not come as a surprise, given the Patriots' short week in advance of Week 3's contest. Rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who was 6-of-9 passing for 92 yards in the second half of Sunday's win over the Dolphins, will likely get the start Thursday, with just three days to prepare. Plus, it's all but certain that the Patriots will look to sign a veteran quarterback to serve as a temporary backup.