Redskins’ Josh Norman To Miss Time
Redskins cornerback Josh Norman will miss four weeks with a rib fracture and related lung issues, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Norman first hinted at the news himself on Twitter.
[RELATED: Trent Williams Week-To-Week With Knee Injury]
Norman was forced out of Monday night’s game against the Chiefs, but there was initially hope that he would be able to play in Washington’s post-bye game against San Francisco on Oct. 15. That won’t be the case as Norman needs some additional time to heal.
The placement of the Redskins’ Week 5 bye will help them here, but they’re still facing three games without one their top cornerback. After facing the Niners in Week 6, the 2-2 Redskins will take on the rival Eagles in Philadelphia and then return home for a showdown with the Cowboys. Norman, it seems, is on track to return for the team’s Nov. 5 game in Seattle.
Norman has a 79.7 overall score from Pro Football Focus so far this season, down a tick from his best work in 2015 (87.7) and 2016 (81).
Titans Did Not Consider Colin Kaepernick
With Marcus Mariota dealing with a hamstring injury, the Titans signed veteran quarterback Brandon Weeden. The move raised some eyebrows around the football world since Weeden is the latest middle-of-the-road signal caller to get an opportunity ahead of Colin Kaepernick. Apparently, Kaepernick wasn’t even considered. 
[RELATED: Raiders Have Not Considering Kaepernick Either]
Coach Mike Mularkey told reporters on Wednesday that he wasn’t aware of any conversations about signing Kaepernick (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe). The justification is in line with what we’ve heard before from other teams, both on and off the record. Kaepernick, he said, is not familiar with the Titans’ type of offense while Weeden offers familiarity with a similar system thanks to his time in Houston and Dallas.
Weeden auditioned alongside Matt Barkley, Matt McGloin, and T.J. Yates on Tuesday and turned in the best performance of the quartet. He has not appeared in a real NFL game since 2015.
The Raiders, who will be without Derek Carr for some time, also did not consider Kaepernick.
Mariota practiced for the Titans on Wednesday, but he was limited. He is considered day-to-day as the Titans prepare for their Week 5 contest against the Dolphins.
Browns’ Myles Garrett To Debut On Sunday
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett sent Twitter into a frenzy on Wednesday morning with one word: “Regresé.” That’s Spanish for “I am back” and the No. 1 overall pick is indeed expected to take the field on Sunday against the Jets, executive Sashi Brown told reporters via conference call.
Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, has yet to play a down of regular season action thanks to a high ankle sprain. It’s possible that he could have returned a little sooner, but the Browns have opted to take the cautious approach with the Texas A&M product given his history of ankle issues.
“He’s a huge piece of our organization, our future, so we want to be cautious but smart as we go through it,” coach Hue Jackson said in late September.
Garrett was limited to just ten games as a junior at Texas A&M thanks to this same injury. He registered 8.5 sacks, which were a career low, and 4.5 of those came against Texas-San Antonio.
Expectations are high for what Garrett can do now that he is healthy. Cleveland used the top pick on him after placing an “astronomical grade” on him during the 2016 season. At the combine, he weighed in at 272 pounds but managed to run the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds.
Without Garrett, the 0-4 Browns have ranked 30th in defensive DVOA and just 21st in adjusted sack rate.
Danny Trevathan’s Suspension Reduced
The NFL has reduced Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan‘s two-game suspension to one game following appeal, the league announced today.
Trevathan leveled Packers wide receiver Davante Adams with a brutal hit during last week’s Thursday Night Football, and while he wasn’t ejected from the game, Trevathan was handed a 15-yard personal foul. Adams, thankfully, escaped with only a concussion after being taken to the hospital.
The league originally suspended Trevathan two games after determining that the Bear’s backer exuded “excessive” force while tackling Adams, as Trevathan hit Adams in the helmet when the wideout’s progress had already been stopped. Appeals officer — and former NFL linebacker Derrick Brooks — heard Trevathan’s case, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
As a result of today’s ruling, Trevathan will now be absent for Chicago’s Week 5 contest against the division-rival Vikings.
Saints Place Zach Strief On IR
The Saints have placed offensive tackle Zach Strief on injured reserve, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Strief suffered an MCL sprain earlier this year but the team was hoping to avoid IR. 
By placing Strief on IR, the Saints will have to keep him out of action for a minimum of eight weeks. The good news is that offensive line coach Dan Roushar says Strief may be a candidate to return later in the season (Twitter link via Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate).
Strief suffered his injury during the team’s season opener and that was a bad blow considering that fellow starting tackle Terron Armstead was also injured to start the year. The Saints have managed to go 2-2 even with their banged up offensive line, but it remains to be seen if they can keep things afloat going forward.
In 2016, the 34-year-old played more than 97% of the Saints’ offensive snaps and posted perhaps the best campaign of his career. He graded as the No. 12 overall tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, which gave him excellent marks in the run and pass game.
The Saints are on bye in Week 5 before facing the Lions in Week 6.
Titans To Sign QB Brandon Weeden
The Titans are planning to sign free agent quarterback Brandon Weeden, according to a league source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link). Weeden was one of four QBs to audition for Tennessee on Tuesday. 
Weeden was cut by Houston in early September just as he was set to enter the second season of a two-year, $4MM deal. The 6’4″ signal caller has not seen the field since 2015 when he appeared in four games for the Cowboys and two for the Texans. The 33-year-old (34 on Oct. 14) has a career 6-19 record.
There has been no official word from the team, but the signing presumably means that Marcus Mariota will not be able to play this weekend. Matt Cassel will likely get the start, unless the team’s confidence is so shaken in him that they would rather start Weeden with only a few days of preparation.
Latest On Browns WR Josh Gordon
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was released from rehab almost two weeks ago, but we won’t be seeing him on the field right away. Gordon has yet to apply for reinstatement, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link). 
Gordon was denied reinstatement this offseason, but the NFL told him that he could reapply in the fall. He ostensibly could get the ball rolling right now, but he may need some more time before opening himself up to scrutiny. The reinstatement process requires some steps to be taken on the player’s part – as Chargers center Max Tuerk has learned – and there may be extra hoops to jump through in Gordon’s case since he has been suspended multiple times by the league.
The talented wide receiver has not been on the field since the final five games of the 2014 season. He had 24 catches for 303 yards in the home stretch of that campaign. In 2013, he earned First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors when he had 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine scores.
It’s not clear if Browns coach Hue Jackson wants Gordon back on the team.
Colts’ Andrew Luck To Practice This Week
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will return to practice this week, general manager Chris Ballard tells WFNI-1070 AM. It’s a big step forward for Luck, who has yet to play this season. 
[RELATED: Colts C Deyshawn Bond Suffers Torn Quad]
“We’ll slowly start working him back into practice this week,” Ballard said (transcript via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells). “We’ll see how much he gets. But we’ve got a plan in place to where we want him to start getting him reps, and then in time, as we can get him incorporated back into team work and all that, we’ll get him back on the field.”
There is hope that Luck can suit up in time for Week 6 against the Titans, but that could be wishful thinking with less than two weeks to go between now and Monday Oct. 16. A more realistic return date might be Oct. 22 against the Jaguars, but Ballard did not offer speculation on when Luck may suit up again.
Luck’s shoulder injury dates back to Week 3 of the 2015 season and he is hoping to put those woes behind him for good. The Colts could certainly use him back in the lineup after Sunday night’s loss to Seattle left them with a 1-3 record.
Panthers Sign S Jairus Byrd
The Panthers announced that they signed Jarius Byrd. The veteran safety will fill in for Kurt Coleman while he recovers from a sprained MCL. 
[RELATED: Kurt Coleman Sprains MCL]
Byrd was a three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Bills. He parlayed that success into a lucrative six-year deal with the Saints in 2014, but he was released midway after a frustrating three-year stretch. Byrd intercepted an eye-popping 22 passes in 73 games for Buffalo, but totaled just three picks in three years in New Orleans, where he appeared in 33 games and made 32 starts.
However, the 30-year-old Byrd (31 on Saturday) is coming off his first 16-start season since 2012. He totaled 82 tackles and two INTs in the process, and his performance put him roughly in the middle of Pro Football Focus‘ 89 qualified safeties.
Byrd visited the 49ers in May, but we weren’t hearing much about him before the Carolina deal.
Raiders Not Considering Colin Kaepernick
The Raiders will be without Derek Carr for a while, but they’re not about to go out-of-house to replace him. The Raiders have no plans to add a quarterback to their 53-man roster, a team source tells ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Meanwhile, another source tells his colleague Josina Anderson (Twitter link) that the team is “not yet” ready to consider Colin Kaepernick. 
[RELATED: Raiders’ Carr Suffers Injury]
The Raiders will turn to former Bills starter E.J. Manuel as their No. 1 QB this Sunday and it only makes sense for them to give him a chance before looking at other options. NFL sophomore Connor Cook will serve as Manuel’s understudy, so even if he falters, the Raiders could theoretically still stand pat.
We’re now at the quarter mark of the season, but Kaepernick hasn’t had so much as an NFL nibble in weeks. Last week, we learned that Kaepernick (unsurprisingly) is not interested in the CFL.