Raiders will not have Garoppolo for Bears game
Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will not play Sunday because of a back injury when Las Vegas visits the Chicago Bears, a person with knowledge of the situation said Thursday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Raiders have not announced Garoppolo' playing status.
Either 15-year veteran Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O'Connell will start for Las Vegas. Hoyer played the second half of Sunday's 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots when Garoppolo was injured. O'Connell, however, started and played the entire game when the Raiders lost at the Los Angeles Chargers 24-17 on Oct. 1.
Coach Josh McDaniels told reporters on Wednesday that the week of practice would determine the starter should Garoppolo not play.
“There are a few balls in the air right now that we're going to have to sort through,” McDaniels said.
Garoppolo didn't practice Wednesday, a strong sign he wouldn't be ready to face the Bears. However, tests showed there was no internal damage, and McDaniels expressed optimism Monday that Garoppolo wouldn't be out long term.
Garoppolo has completed 68% of his passes for 1,079 yards with seven touchdowns and a league-high eight interceptions. BROWNS QB WATSON COULD FACE COLTS ❯❯ Deshaun Watson was limited in practice Thursday. In this case, that was a positive development for the Cleveland Browns.
Watson tested his injured right shoulder by throwing passes in his first practice in nearly three weeks, moving him closer to possibly starting this week against Indianapolis after missing two games.
Watson has been sidelined with a strained rotator cuff, an injury that has prevented him from throwing with much velocity.
The three-time Pro Bowler couldn't put any timetable on his return Wednesday, but Watson was back on the field with his teammates for the first time since Sept. 29 as the Browns (3-2) continued to get ready for the Colts (3-3). CHIEFS WR HARDMAN LOST FEELING IN LEGS LAST SEASON ❯❯ Wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who was traded from the New York Jets back to the Kansas City Chiefs this week, said Thursday that he spent part of last season in the hospital after an abdominal injury caused him to lose feeling in his legs.
The injury occurred during a game against Tennessee in early November, Hardman said. He finished the game, and it was the following day that he began feeling cramps in his abdomen. The pain was getting worse by the hour, and after Hardman phoned Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder, he was taken to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital.
He lost feeling in his legs for “four or five days,” Hardman said, and was hospitalized two more days after getting it back, before he was finally discharged. Hardman missed the final nine games of the regular season and the Chiefs' postseason win over Jacksonville, then hurt his groin in the AFC title game against Cincinnati, forcing him to miss their Super Bowl win over Philadelphia.
“It was scary as hell, not being able to move my legs,” Hardman said in his first comments since returning to Kansas City. “It makes you think, `Is this it?' The feeling came back — the doctor said it would come back, and that gave me hope. But the 10 days I was there, I slept maybe 8 hours or so, 10 hours max, because I was in so much pain.”
Doctors went back and forth on a diagnosis before settling on osteitis pubis, an inflammation of the joint between the left and right pubic bones that causes swelling and pain that extends from the groin to the lower abdomen.
The injury caused Hardman to miss the majority of his contract year, when his rookie deal was ending and he was hoping to land a big pay day. He had some interest in free agency from the Browns and several other teams, but he ultimately decided to sign a $4 million prove-it deal with the Jets in part because of the potential to play with Aaron Rodgers.
When the quarterback tore his Achilles tendon in the Jets' opener, Hardman said that threw their offense into disarray. He barely played the first five games, catching a single pass, and it soon became clear that New York was ready to move on from him.
“I got with my agents and they said there's some talk they could possibly trade you,” Hardman said. “After that, that's when we just started waiting for the inevitable, seeing what would happen. They kept it lowkey the teams that were interested — in the mix. When I heard it was Kansas City, I was excited to get back here.”
The Chiefs waived wide receiver Montrell Washington and defensive tackle Keondre Coburn to clear the way for Hardman and defensive end Charles Omenihu, who is expected to be added to the roster after finishing his six-game NFL suspension.