NFL Player News

Horn sustained a torn quadriceps during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Browns and is expected to miss 6-to-12 weeks, Mike Kaye and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com report.

Horn plans to seek a second opinion before establishing a treatment plan for the injury, which could include surgery. Regardless, the two-time Pro Bowler will be headed for injured reserve, with his loss further weakening an already depleted Carolina defensive backfield. Along with Horn, Mike Jackson (groin) exited Sunday's game with an injury, so Carolina could need to break in two new starting cornerbacks Week 4 against the Lions.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that he's "hopeful" to have Collins available for the Texans' Week 4 game against the Cowboys, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Collins is working his way back from a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which has kept him from playing in either of the Texans' last two games. He hasn't practiced during the past two weeks either, so Collins would likely need to get back on the field as at least a limited participant at some point between Wednesday and Friday to have a realistic shot at suiting up against the Cowboys on Sunday. The Texans' playoff hopes have already taken a hit following an 0-3 start to the season, but the potential return of their No. 1 receiver could invigorate an offense that has struggled in his absence over the past two weeks.

Head coach Todd Bowles said that Irving won't be included on the Buccaneers' Week 4 injury report, despite missing the final two possessions of Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Vikings, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Bowles didn't specify why Irving was off the field late in Sunday's contest, but any physical issue the running back might have been dealing with doesn't look like it will prevent him from playing Week 4. Despite logging a season-low 51 percent snap share, Irving still earned 17 touches (15 carries, two receptions) and accounted for 58 yards from scrimmage. He remains locked in as the clear No. 1 option out of the backfield over free-agent pickup Kenny Gainwell, who is averaging just 2.1 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per reception through three games.

Brown was spotted Monday in the Patriots' locker room walking without a limp and wearing a small wrap on his injured right ankle, Taylor Kyles of CLNSMedia.com reports.

Kyles noted that Brown was wearing cleats, which could hint that he was able to do some on-field exercises. After being placed on injured reserve Sept. 12, Brown won't be eligible to start practicing with his teammates until Week 6, but the wideout at least seems to be making good progress in his recovery from the high-ankle sprain he sustained in the season-opening loss to the Seahawks.

Head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Daniels will step in as the Buccaneers' new starting quarterback while Baker Mayfield is out for a "minimum of three weeks" due to a dislocated right thumb, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

The undrafted rookie made his NFL debut in relief of an injured Mayfield late in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Vikings, rushing once for nine yards while failing to complete his first two pass attempts of the day before being intercepted on a Hail Mary as time expired. Since an MRI ruled out any damage to his thumb beyond the dislocation, Mayfield is expected to avoid a stint on injured reserve, but he doesn't appear in line to return to the lineup any sooner than Week 8 at Carolina. As a result, Daniels is now set to get his first extended NFL action beginning this Sunday, when the Buccaneers will host the Packers. During his six-year college career at Kansas, Daniels displayed some decent arm talent and scrambling ability, but concerns about his accuracy and ability to dissect defenses played a large part in him going undrafted.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Mayfield (thumb) is expected to miss three weeks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Earlier Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported than an MRI on Mayfield's dislocated right thumb ruled out a fracture as well as any tendon or ligament damage. While Mayfield appears set to avoid surgery, he'll still need some time off to regain strength in his thumb so that he can properly grip the football and throw accurately and at full velocity. Per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Bowles said that Mayfield won't be placed on injured reserve, so the Buccaneers could be targeting a Week 10 game in Carolina for his return to the lineup. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will step in as the Buccaneers' new starting quarterback beginning with Sunday's game versus Green Bay.

Mayfield underwent an MRI on his dislocated right thumb Monday that revealed no fracture, tendon or ligament damage, but the quarterback is still expected to miss time, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Mayfield is scheduled to get a second opinion on his thumb, so the Buccaneers may not provide a formal timeline for his recovery until he meets with another specialist. That being said, the dislocated thumb on his throwing hand will inhibit Mayfield's ability to grip the football, so the Buccaneers are expected to hold him out for at least their Week 4 game. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels came on in relief of Mayfield late in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Vikings and looks on track to make his first NFL start this weekend at home against the Packers.

The Giants acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Monday in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy had fallen out of favor in Minnesota and had dropped behind both Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz on the depth chart. The 23-year-old will get a fresh opportunity in New York, where he should at least settle in as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jameis Winston while Jaxson Dart (knee) is likely out for the season. Though Winston led the Giants to a 12-7 win over the Titans in his first start this past Sunday, he's completed just 25 of 49 pass attempts for 229 yards (4.7 YPA) while playing nearly two full games. Another underwhelming performance or two from Winston could compel the Giants to give McCarthy a look in the starting role once he has time to get up to speed with the new playbook.

Head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels (elbow) is likely to travel with the Commanders to London on Tuesday, though the quarterback remains uncertain to play Sunday against the Colts, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports.

Daniels dislocated his left elbow in the Commanders' Sept. 20 loss to the Cowboys and didn't practice in any fashion during Week 3 before being ruled out ahead of an eventual 33-31 win over the Seahawks on Sunday. Marcus Mariota stepped in as the Commanders' starting quarterback and performed admirably in place of Daniels, whom Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported is expected to be ready to return to action in "three weeks or sooner." While traveling to London theoretically leaves the door open for Daniels to return to action against the Colts, Mariota would still appear to be the better bet to start Week 4. The Commanders will see what, if anything, Daniels is able to do in practice this week before deciding on his status for the London game.

Coker has been diagnosed with a minor quadriceps strain and could be available to play in next Sunday's game against the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Coker made an early exit from Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Browns due to the quad issue, but follow-up tests Monday appear to have revealed nothing overly significant. That being said, Coker's status for Week 4 is still up in the air, with his practice activity Wednesday through Friday likely to be the determining factor in whether he plays. Despite leaving early in Week 3 in addition to being a regular on injury reports ahead of the Panthers' last two games due to an ankle issue, Coker has gotten off to a stellar start to the season with an 18-222-2 receiving line on 22 targets.