NFL Player News

As expected, Titans quarterback Jake Locker was ruled inactive for Week 6 against Jacksonville because of a right thumb injury he sustained in Week 5. Backup Charlie Whitehurst will get the starting nod for the third time this season.

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will get the start Week 6 against the Lions.

Bridgewater is dealing with an ankle injury, but was listed as probable heading into the matchup. Bridgewater missed Week 5 due to the issue, but improved enough over to return Sunday.

Contract negotiations between the Browns and surprising quarterback Brian Hoyer have been idle since early summer, but they could be renewed if he continues to perform well through October, a source has told ESPN.

Hoyer boasts a 97.6 passer rating, which ranks ninth among NFL quarterbacks with more than two starts. The Browns are averaging 25.7 points a game - not bad considering featured back Ben Tate lost two games to injury, premier wideout Josh Gordon is suspended and Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron has been unproductuve while nursing a shoulder ailment.

The source told ESPN that talks in June did not get "past first base" after agent Joe Linta countered an initial offer with one significantly higher. The Browns drafted highly touted Johnny Manziel with their second first-round pick. Hoyer can become a free agent after this season, but the Browns would likely step up their efforts to sign the hometown product if he continued to shine. He is 82 for 132 for 1,007 yards, six touchdowns and one interception in four games.

"I think it's a mystery to everybody because he hasn't played a lot of games," said offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in regard to Hoyer's potential. "He's played four this year, and I think he's gotten better in each game."

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady popped up on the injury report as a limited participant in practice because of an ankle injury he suffered on Friday, the Boston Herald reports.

Brady was officially labeled questionable for Week 6 at Buffalo. He is coming off a bounce-back 292-yard, two-touchdown performance Week 5 against the Bengals. Brady has not missed a game since tearing his ACL in 2008. If he can't start, head coach Bill Belichick will turn to rookie Jimmy Garoppolo for the start.

Only three injured Vikings are possibilities to be inactive for the Sunday game against Detroit. Included is tight end Kyle Rudolph, who has already been ruled out with an abdomen issue.

The others are linebacker Chad Greenway, who is doubtful with a hand injury, and safety Harrison Smith (ankle), who is questionable.

There are several big games among the probables, which include running backs Jerick McKinnon (ankle) and Matt Asiata (groin), quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (ankle), linebacker Michael Mauti (foot), defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (elbow) and wideout Cordarrelle Patterson (hip).

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who suffered an MCL sprain and high ankle sprain Week 4 against the Dolphins, has worked hard to overcome his pre-bye injuries and is expected to return to his starting spot against the Chargers in Week 6, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora on Friday.

Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano has named him the starter and told him he can no longer play like a rookie moving forward. Carr has passed for only 734 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions through four games.

Titans backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is expected to start Week 6 against the Jaguars over Jake Locker, according to the Tennessean. Locker, who left Week 5 against the Browns with a hand injury, did not do much during the open portion of practice on Friday, making light throws without any velocity. Locker was officially listed as questionable.

Whitehurst has passed for 371 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception in two games.

Just a few days after saying he would take a wait-and-see approach with Derek Carr, Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano gave his rookie quarterback the keys to the starting job, per Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

"I visited with him and we got a chance to talk about that," Sparano said. "I said to him, 'This is your football team; you're the quarterback. We don’t have time for you to be a rookie right now, this team needs you to step up and be that leader. Don't sit around and wait to do that.'"

The Texans have made QB Tom Savage, WR DeVier Posey, CB Jumal Rolle, CB Darryl Morris, S Josh Aubrey, G Brandon Brooks and LB Jadeveon Clowney inactive Week 6 against the Colts.

Clowney and Morris had already been ruled out prior to Thursday. The other five players are healthy scratches. 

The good news for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is that his Week 6 opponent, Carolina, has given up the seventh-most Fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, having just allowed three touchdowns, one rushing and two throwing, to the Bears' Jay Cutler last week.

The bad news is he'll likely be without his star wide receiver, A.J. Green.

In some cases, the quarterback makes the receiver. In some cases, the receiver makes the quarterback. Dalton isn't a total bum without Green, but Green's freakish size and range makes Dalton look better than he is. He did OK without Green for most of Week 2 against Atlanta, but the Panthers are better defensively than the Falcons.

I wouldn't count on big numbers for Dalton this week. I don't know that I'd rank him outside the top 20, as Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard have, but certainly in one-quarterback leagues, I wouldn't be looking to start him.