NFL Player News

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.

Rodgers completed 20 of 36 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while turning three carries into 29 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 17-14 defeat at Minnesota.

Passing lines like Sunday's have become the norm for Rodgers since the start of the 2015 campaign. Without Jordy Nelson for its entirety, Rodgers posted career lows in quarterback rating (92.7) and 300-yard games (three) among his eight seasons as the Packers' starter. With Nelson back in the saddle this year, miscommunication has reigned, as the duo has connected on just 11 of 20 passes through two games. Meanwhile, Rodgers has managed just 57-percent passing and 412 yards, looking flummoxed with regularity. His hesitance resulted in five sacks and three fumbles Sunday, including one lost on a promising Packers drive with seven minutes remaining in the contest. The team's final possession ended in similar fashion, with a misplaced ball falling perfectly into the waiting arms of Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes just after the two-minute warning. Rodgers didn't see the ball again, but his next chance to bounce back arrives next Sunday versus the Lions.

Bradford completed 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards and two TDs in Sunday's 17-14 win over the Packers.

Bradford shook off an injury to his non-throwing hand to lead the Vikings to a win in his first start for the team since being acquired in a trade with the Eagles earlier this month. It's clear that he'll keep the job, as long as he remains healthy, and the chemistry he displayed with wideout Stefon Diggs (nine catches for 182 yards and a TD) was encouraging, especially since it looks like Bradford may be handing off to running backs not named Adrian Peterson next week, after the Vikings' star back left Sunday's game with a knee injury.

Winston completed 27 of 52 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions in Sunday's 40-7 loss to the Cardinals. He also gained nine yards on three rushes and lost a fumble.

The second-year signal-caller's fortunes went from rags to riches in the span of a week, with Winston offsetting his terrific four-touchdown performance in the opener with a four-interception nightmare Sunday. He put up a career-high 52 attempts in the process, as the Bucs fell behind in the second quarter and never came close to catching up. The 2015 first overall pick was victimized by Patrick Peterson for one end-zone interception, and Marcus Cooper was responsible for two others. Winston also lost a fumble on what was the Bucs' best drive of the first half when RB Charles Sims accidentally brushed against him, dislodging the ball. Given Winston's past body of work, this performance shapes up very much like a game that simply got away from him. He'll look to rebound when Tampa faces the Rams in a home date in Week 3.

Carr completed 34 of 45 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 35-28 loss to the Falcons. He also scrambled twice for 10 yards.

Carr has clearly made strides in his third NFL season, throwing for 618 yards and four touchdowns without an interception through two weeks. With how porous Oakland's defense has looked thus far, expect him to continue throwing early and often after attempting 83 passes already this year. He spread the ball around to 11 different receivers in this one, showing that there are viable options in this Raiders passing game beyond just Amari Cooper and Micheal Crabtree.

Siemian completed 22 of 33 passes for 266 yards, a two-point conversion and a pick in Sunday's win over the Colts. He added seven yards on a single rush.

Siemian drew praise from the color commentators for his quick release and accuracy, but the fact remains that he led the Broncos' offense to just one touchdown despite playing against a heavily depleted Colts secondary. Stalling on the opponent's side of the field remains a problem for Siemian and Denver's offense as a whole and the second-year passer also threw a pick on a screen attempt for the second week in a row. These issues won't be highlighted unless they persist, and Siemian has made some clutch plays early on, but his 74.4 quarterback rating needs to pick up with a tough match-up against the Bengals on deck.

Bradford will be under center during the Vikings' first offensive snap Sunday against the Packers, Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

All signs pointed to Bradford getting the nod in Week 2, from taking all the first-team reps in practice to doing the same in pregame warmups, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Just over two weeks removed from the trade with the Eagles, the Vikings will entrust Bradford with the controls, but having Adrian Peterson at his disposal will certainly ease the burden at the outset of this venture.