NFL Player News

Vaughan (thumb) was placed on the Steelers' injured reserve list Tuesday.

Vaughan suffered a broken thumb in the Steelers' second preseason tilt and was subsequently waived Sunday. As it stands, only Landry Jones and Bryn Renner remain standing as candidates to back up QB Ben Roethlisberger entering 2016.

Bridgewater has officially been diagnosed with a torn ACL, a dislocated knee, and other structural damage, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reports.

Bridgewater went down at practice earlier Tuesday with a non-contact injury. Just as the Vikings' brass feared, a torn ACL means he's expected to miss the entire season. The good news for Bridgewater is there's no nerve or arterial damage and he's expected to make a full recovery, so the injury isn't career threatening. Shaun Hill is the current favorite to move into the starting lineup in his place, although it wouldn't be surprising if the Vikings added another veteran quarterback prior to the regular season.

Shaw (leg) was placed on the Bears' injured reserve list Tuesday.

Shaw suffered a broken leg during Saturday's preseason tilt against the Chiefs, but no timetable has been provided for his return. It's still possible he could return this year, though, since NFL teams are each allowed to activate any one player per season off IR following Week 6. However, it's likely that Shaw's 2016 campaign has ended before it even began.

Addressing the media Tuesday, coach Mike Zimmer relayed that Bridgewater has suffered a significant knee injury.

The full extent of the injury Bridgewater suffered at Tuesday's practice has yet to be determined, but it looks like he will miss extended time. The QB is currently undergoing an MRI, after which there should be added clarity to the situation. Next up on the Vikings' QB depth chart are veteran signal-caller Shaun Hill and rookie Joel Stave.

Head coach Jeff Fisher said Goff (back) is 50/50 to start Thursday's preseason finale against the Vikings, Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site reports.

Goff's tailbone injury doesn't seem to be a concern, leaving his playing time in the hands of head coach Jeff Fisher, who will likely divide Thursday's game between the rookie and Sean Mannion. While not ruled out, Case Keenum is not expected to get much playing time, if any, in Thursday's contest. Keenum is, however, expected to start Week 1 against the 49ers.

Carr will not play in Thursday's preseason finale against Seattle, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Carr also skipped the preseason finale last season, and with another year of experience under his belt, there's no reason for him to play. He finished his exhibition schedule in ideal fashion, completing 12 of 18 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns Saturday against the Titans. Entering his third NFL season, Carr should benefit from an improved offensive line, not to mention Amari Cooper's progression.

Smith will not play in the Jets' preseason finale Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports.

It originally sounded as if Smith might see a small sample of snaps during the Jets' final preseason game, but that is no longer the case. In all likelihood Bryce Petty will get the start and rookie Christian Hackenberg will follow suit. Smith's projected absence assures his role as the team's clear-cut backup behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Bridgewater suffered what appeared to be a major injury at Tuesday's practice, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune reports.

According to Vensel, the VIkings ended Tuesday's practice after just 20 minutes when Bridgewater went down with a non-contact injury. Although nothing is official, it's evident many of Bridgewater's teammates believe the injury is serious, as some were spotted cursing and throwing their helmets, according to Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Bridgewater grabbed his left knee and was unable to move it.

Gabbert will not suit up for Thursday's preseason finale against the Chargers, CSN Bay Area reports.

Head coach Chip Kelly has stated that the quarterback competition is still active, but he also said that Gabbert will not play in Thursday's preseason finale. Despite what Kelly says, not having one of the two quarterbacks in the job battle suit up indicates that the organization has seen enough to make a decision. Kaepernick's absence from the majority of the team's offseason program gave Gabbert the early leg up, and he has done nothing to jeopardize that opportunity. We will have to wait until Kelly makes an official announcement, but it would be surprising if Gabbert is not starting the opener.

Winston and the Buccaneers have had their final preseason game moved to Wednesday due to expected weather conditions in the Tampa Bay area.

Previously scheduled for Thursday, Tampa Bay's preseason finale against Washington will now be played at 8 PM ET on Wednesday, hopefully avoiding the extreme weather conditions associated with Tropical Depression Nine. Regardless, Winston will likely be held out, or at the very most play a drive or two. He'll get a favorable Week 1 matchup against the Falcons.