49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo To Miss Time
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo hopes to miss “just a couple of weeks” with the right calf injury he suffered on Sunday (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). An MRI will tell the full story, but Garoppolo will be sidelined for at least a little while. 
Trey Lance took over for Garoppolo in the latter half of the game, completing 9-of-18 throws for 157 yards and two touchdowns. He also added for 41 rushing yards on seven tries. Ultimately, the 49ers couldn’t close the game, losing 28-21 to the Seahawks.
“We’ve been playing with rookie running backs since the second play of the first game and we’ve got a rookie quarterback right now,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “Hopefully, Jimmy is better, and not as bad as we think, but Trey is here for a reason. You want to give him time, you want him to be fully ready, but you don’t always have that luxury.”
Garoppolo, meanwhile, went 14-of-23 for 165 yards and one TD, scored on the flawless opening drive. Unfortunately, the calf injury slowed him down as the half progressed and ultimately forced him out.
Depending on the severity of his injury, the 49ers may choose to put Garoppolo on short-term IR, which would rule him out for the next three games. In his stead, it’ll be Lance starting under center, beginning with their Week 5 tilt against the Cardinals.
Jets, Jaguars Interested In Josh McCown
The Jets and Jaguars have been keeping tabs on quarterback Josh McCown, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. McCown, who spent time with the Eagles and Texans last season, has been busy coaching his son’s high school team in Texas. 
The 42-year-old has yet to retire from the league, so he could be open to returning at some point. La Canfora hears that the veteran could reemerge by Week 9 or 10, if he finds a suitable situation. Neither the Jets nor the Jaguars profile as contenders at this point, but a winning team could get in the mix if there’s an injury under center.
Long expected to one day move into coaching, McCown served as a de facto assistant for the Eagles last year. Philadelphia added the then-40-year-old passer to its practice squad but, ahead of the league’s initial COVID-19-altered season, used him in a remote capacity. The Texans poached McCown in November of 2020 but released him this past spring.
McCown did not see any action with the Texans last season and has not started a game since filling in for Sam Darnold in 2018. However, he did play the bulk of the 2019 Eagles’ wild-card loss to the Seahawks, after Carson Wentz exited.
A 2002 draftee, McCown has been with a dozen teams — the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Dolphins, Panthers, 49ers, Bears, Buccaneers, Browns, Jets, Eagles and Texans — in his near-two-decade NFL run.
Packers’ Jaire Alexander Suffers Shoulder Injury
Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is believed to have suffered an AC joint injury in his shoulder (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). He’ll know for sure on Monday, but that wouldn’t be a terrible outcome considering he was carted off the field. 
Alexander was forced out in the third quarter after colliding with Steelers running back Najee Harris. The Packers went on to win 27-17, advancing to 3-1 on the year.
Alexander, the 18th-overall pick in the 2018 draft, earned All-Rookie team honors and showcased his skills throughout his first two pro seasons. He started earning some league-wide recognition in 2020, including a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro nod. The 24-year-old ultimately finished the campaign with 51 tackles, 13 passes defended, one interception, one sack, and one forced fumble in 15 starts. He also came up big during the postseason, snagging a pair of interceptions in two games.
Through four games this year, Alexander has 13 tackles and one interception. It may be a while before he can add to those totals, but the early prognosis indicates that it won’t be a season-ender.
Torn Achilles For Lions’ Romeo Okwara?
On Sunday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that Romeo Okwara‘s lower leg injury “doesn’t look good.” More specifically, sources believe that the edge rusher has torn his Achilles (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Tomorrow’s tests will confirm Okwara’s condition, but it doesn’t sound promising. A torn Achilles would instantly end the 26-year-old’s season and leave Detroit without one of its best defenders.
Okwara re-upped with the Lions on three-year, $39MM deal in March with $25MM guaranteed. He registered a career-high ten sacks last year, setting himself up for another impactful season.
Similar to Shaquil Barrett — who scored a $72MM deal from the Bucs — Okwara was hardly known just a few years ago. He missed the Giants’ 53-man cut in ’18, but he developed into something of a sack machine. The Lions didn’t get to see much of that in 2021, unfortunately. In his four games, Okwara has notched just one sack with six stops.
The Lions are now 0-4 after losing 24-14 to the Bears in Chicago. Already on the cusp of playoff irrelevance, they’ll try for their first win next week against the Vikings.
Buccaneers Sign Richard Sherman
Oct. 3: As Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reports (via Twitter), Sherman’s base salary checks in at just $1MM. He can earn up to $350K in per-game roster bonuses ($25K per game over the final 14 games of the season) and another $900K in playing-time incentives.
He will collect the first per-game roster bonus and start chipping away at his playing-time incentives tonight. Though Sherman only signed with Tampa Bay a few days ago, he reportedly picked up the defense more quickly than expected and will be in the starting lineup against the Pats (Twitter link via Rapoport).
Sep. 29: The Buccaneers have signed Richard Sherman, according to the cornerback himself (Twitter link). After a prolonged stint in free agency, Sherman gets a one-year, $2.25MM deal with $500K guaranteed (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
“I went with the best offer I had, the best opportunity to go out there and put some tape on, to lead another group,” said the multiple-time Pro Bowler. “I feel comfortable and confident in my abilities to go out there and execute and help that team win…This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Sherman, a five-time Pro Bowler, will the Bucs and old rival Tom Brady in time for this week’s game against the Patriots. The Bucs had a clear need after losing Sean Murphy-Bunting (elbow), Jamel Dean (knee), Carlton Davis (abdomen; ribs), and other key defensive backs in recent weeks. Dean should return sometime soon, but he probably won’t be ready for New England.
In 2019, Sherman’s last healthy season, he recorded 61 tackles and three interceptions. Then, his 2020 was sidetracked by a calf injury, limiting him to just five games. Fortunately, Sherman is said to be 100% healthy and down 15 pounds from last year.
To make room for Sherman on the roster, the Bucs have placed wide receiver Scotty Miller (turf toe) on injured reserve (Twitter link via Rapoport).
Titans’ Julio Jones, A.J. Brown To Miss Time
FRIDAY: The Titans will not have their top receivers available against the Jets. They ruled out Brown and Jones for Week 4. Neither player practiced this week.
WEDNESDAY: Julio Jones and A.J. Brown might not face the Jets on Sunday. Jones is receiving treatment for a leg injury while Brown may miss a week or two with a hamstring injury (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Jones, one of the greatest receivers of his generation, set Falcons franchise records in receptions (848) and receiving yards (12,896). On top of that, his 60 receiving touchdowns trailed only Roddy White‘s 63. He’s already given the Titans one vintage performance, a six-catch, 128-yard outing against the Seahawks in Week 2. Through three games, Jones has notched 12 catches for 204 yards.
Brown turned in one of the better rookie WR years in recent memory and followed it up with a strong 2020 encore. Last year, Brown finished out with 70 grabs for 1,075 yards and eleven touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl. So far, he’s got seven grabs for 92 yards and one score, though his Week 3 game was effectively wiped out by the hamstring issue.
Washington Football Team Activates Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel is set to make his Washington debut. The WFT has officially activated the wide receiver off of injured reserve and onto the 53-man roster (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus). 
Samuel joined Washington on a three-year deal worth up to $35.25MM with $24.5MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, he was saddled by a groin injury throughout the summer and opened the year on short-term IR. Now, after missing the first three weeks of the season, he should be ready to go this week against the Falcons.
Samuel will pair with top wideout Terry McLaurin to provide Taylor Heinicke with better ammunition. Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick, is coming off of a career year with 1,051 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns for the Panthers. He also notched career-high 41 rushing attempts, so he could also help Ron Rivera & Co. out of the backfield.
As of this writing, WFT has seven WRs on the 53-man roster: Samuel, McLaurin, Adam Humphries, third-round pick Dyami Brown, DeAndre Carter, Cam Sims, and seventh-round rookie Dax Milne. One of those players will likely be cut loose before the end of the business day.
Latest On Vikings’ Dalvin Cook
Barring any setbacks, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook should be ready to play on Sunday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). His ankle injury kept him out of last week’s tilt against the Seahawks, but he should be ready to rock after getting ample reps in practice this week.
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Cook could still be kept to a limited number of carries as he returns to the lineup. That’d shift a good chunk of work to Alexander Mattison who tallied 112 yards off of 26 carries against the Seahawks, plus six grabs for 59 yards.
Still, the Vikings offensive is at its best with a healthy and productive Cook. The 26-year-old is coming off of his second-straight Pro Bowl season, a year with 1,557 rushing yards, 17 total touchdowns, and a 5.0 yards per carry average. It was also his second-straight 14-game slate, an encouraging sign for his long-term outlook.
After two tough losses to open the year, the Vikings sit at 1-2. Cook should provide a boost against the Browns, but they could also use some good news on the rest of their injured players. As of this writing, linebacker Anthony Barr, corner Kris Boyd, and defensive tackle Michael Pierce are all listed as questionable.
Dolphins Place Michael Deiter On IR
The Dolphins have placed center Michael Deiter on injured reserve (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). It’s not clear what Deiter is dealing with, but he’ll be out for at least the next three games.. 
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Deiter, a 2019 third-round pick, went from starting guard, to backup, to starting center this year. Without him, the ‘Fins will pivot to Greg Mancz, a longtime Texans lineman acquired via trade from the Ravens. Mancz may not be a world-beater, but he does offer a resume with 58 career appearances, including 28 starts.
It’s another blow to the Dolphins offense, following Tua Tagovailoa‘s rib fracture. At minimum, the young quarterback will be out for the next two games against the Colts and Buccaneers. Deiter, meanwhile, cannot return any sooner than Oct. 24 against the Falcons. On the plus side, the Dolphins expect wide receiver Will Fuller to suit up against Indy this week.
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Returns To Practice
Lamar Jackson returned to practice on Friday morning (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). It’s a promising sign for the Ravens quarterback, who was absent on Wednesday and Thursday with a back injury. 
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Jackson has been dealing with “a little back flare-up,” according to Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Fortunately, it sounds like he’s on track to face the Broncos this week. He’s never missed a game due to injury before, but he’s also taken a ton of tackles in 2021 — 44 hits, more than any other QB this year.
The Ravens, who allowed Jackson to take four sacks on Sunday, will need to fix that going forward. He’s always the lifeblood of the Baltimore offense, but his health is arguably more important than ever with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards out. Through three games, Jackson leads the team with 251 rushing yards, good for fourth in the entire league.
Tyler Huntley will get the call if Jackson suffers any setbacks. But, as of this moment, it sounds like the 2019 MVP will be ready to face the 3-0 Broncos.