NFL Player News

Coach Mike Vrabel said Mariota (elbow) will start Sunday's game against the Eagles, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Mariota ended up playing the majority of Sunday's 9-6 win over Jacksonville after Blaine Gabbert suffered a concussion in the first half. Vrabel acknowledged that Mariota still had some limitations in terms of the throws he could make during the narrow victory, but the team is optimistic that won't be the case in Week 4. Vrabel said said Austin Davis will serve as the No. 2 quarterback, dropping a strong hint that Gabbert isn't expected to clear the concussion protocol before Sunday.

Gabbert remained in the NFL's concussion protocol when the Titans resumed practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

If Gabbert is unable to gain clearance from the protocol and suit up Sunday against the Eagles, Austin Davis would likely dress as the understudy to Marcus Mariota. Gabbert had started the previous two games while Mariota managed an elbow injury, but the Titans are confident that Mariota will be able to run the direct the offense effectively in Week 4, according to Wyatt.

Taylor (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

Per head coach Hue Jackson, there's still hope that Taylor will clear the NFL's concussion protocol in advance of Sunday's game against the Raiders. If that doesn't occur, Drew Stanton would be in line to back up rookie Baker Mayfield, whom the Browns officially named as their starting quarterback for Week 4 on Monday.

The 49ers placed Garoppolo (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday.

After Garoppolo's left knee injury was diagnosed as a torn ACL on Monday, this roster move was inevitable as the 49ers embark on Week 4 preparations. Garoppolo is slated for surgery once swelling around the knee diminishes, which should take place in the next 1-2 weeks. He'll then commence his rehabilitation with an eye toward returning to full health ahead of the 2019 season. With Garoppolo out of commission, the 49ers will turn to C.J. Beathard to direct the offense while Nick Mullens serves as the backup quarterback.

The Buccaneers haven't named a starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Bears, but "all signs point to" Ryan Fitzpatrick retaining the gig over Winston, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Winston is eligible to rejoin Tampa Bay this week after completing his three-game suspension, but the Buccaneers may not officially add him to their 53-man roster until Friday after they were granted a three-day exemption from the commissioner's office. It appears that activating Winston is merely a formality at this point, but once that happens, head coach Dirk Koetter may not immediately announce a starter for Week 4. Regardless of when a decision is made on that front, it's difficult to see Koetter making a switch, given that Fitzpatrick has completed 70.2 percent of his throws and leads all qualified passers with 11.1 yards per attempt while guiding Tampa Bay to a 2-1 record against a trio of 2017 playoff teams. Further hurting Winston's case is the fact that he hasn't practiced with the team in 28 days, which looms larger with the Buccaneers on a short week following their Monday night loss to Pittsburgh. Even if he's bypassed for the starting nod Sunday, Winston could warrant consideration for the No. 1 gig in the Buccaneers' subsequent game Oct. 14 against the Falcons, as he would have the benefit of added practice time with the team on bye in Week 5.

Rodgers (knee) won't practice Wednesday and is still being viewed by head coach Mike McCarthy as day-to-day, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

As has been the case ahead of the Packers' previous two games, Rodgers will be confined to working out on the side with the Packers' other injured players for the first practice of the week. McCarthy indicated he wasn't certain that Rodgers would be able to resume practicing with the rest of the team any earlier than he had previously, so expect the quarterback to be withheld from Thursday's session before taking part in a walk-through practice Saturday. There was no indication that Rodgers experienced a setback with his left knee during the Week 3 loss to the Redskins, so if he's able to get back on the field by Saturday, he should be cleared to start at home the following day against Buffalo.

Winston's suspension was lifted by the commissioner Tuesday, according to the NFL's official transaction report.

As anticipated, Winston was able to return to the team's facility Tuesday, but he doesn't enter the building as the unanimous favorite to take over as starting quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick performed at a high level in Winston's absence, passing for at least three touchdowns and 400-plus yards in each start, leading the Buccaneers to a 2-1 record. More should be made clear about the competition once both quarterbacks take the field for practice Wednesday.

Allen worked out for the 49ers on Tuesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 49ers brought in multiple quarterbacks Tuesday, as the team needs to fill the void left by Jimmy Garropolo, who's out for the season with a torn ACL. Allen signed with the Panthers after going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft before being released during roster cut downs. The 49ers will likely want someone with significant experience to back up second-year quarterback C.J. Beathard, leaving Allen's chances of signing with San Francisco relatively low.

The Dolphins waived Petty (oblique) from injured reserve Tuesday, Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press reports.

Petty was claimed off waivers by Miami in May, but failed to beat out Brock Osweiler and David Fales and was subsequently put on IR with an oblique issue. Petty is now free to sign elsewhere, though the list of potential suitors may be in short supply. The former fourth-round pick in 2015 has completed just 53.1 percent of his passes and has thrown 10 interceptions in 10 career games.

Winston (suspension) is eligible to return to the Buccaneers' 53-man roster Tuesday, but it remains uncertain if he'll start over Ryan Fitzpatrick in Sunday's game at Chicago, Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com reports. "Let's see what the injury report [says when it] comes back," head coach Dirk Koetter said after Monday's 30-27 loss to the Steelers, regarding his thoughts on the quarterback situation. "Any time we have these games, it's not always obvious how the guys are going to come in the next day and come in on Wednesday. Let's see what happens. I'd love to get a chance to talk to Jameis face-to-face before I tell the rest of the world."

After Winston was handed a three-game suspension in June for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, it was widely assumed at the time that he would immediately recapture the starting role once eligible to return. However, that no longer looks to be a certainty, with Fitzpatrick's impressive play in Winston's stead proving vital to the Bucs' 2-1 start to the season against a tough slate of opponents. Though Fitzpatrick took a step back Monday by throwing three first-half interceptions, he mounted an impressive comeback bid in the second half that fell just short. Fitzpatrick still finished with at least three touchdowns and 400-plus passing yards for the third time in as many games, boosting him to an NFL-best 11.1 yards per attempt on the season. Koetter will likely provide more insight into his plans at quarterback when the Buccaneers reconvene for practice Wednesday, but Fitzpatrick's hot play along with an upcoming bye in Week 5 may give the team enough reason to use Winston -- who hasn't practiced with the team in 28 days -- as an understudy in his first game back from suspension.