Shoulder sidelines Bucs QB Winston
The Buccaneers are shutting down quarterback Jameis Winston for at least two weeks in hopes the condition of his injured throwing shoulder improves.
The third-year quarterback sat out the second half of Sunday’s 30-10 loss to the Saints after being sacked late in the second quarter and landing on the shoulder he initially hurt against the Cardinals on Oct. 15.
The first overall pick in the 2015 draft has made 40 consecutive starts to begin his NFL career. That streak will end Sunday, when the Bucs (2-6) will try to end a five-game skid with Ryan Fitzpatrick replacing Winston against the Jets.
“He’s going to be out for the next couple of weeks,” coach Dirk Koetter said Monday, when a MRI was performed on Winston, who’s passed for 1,920 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions this year.
Winston has played through the injury, originally diagnosed as an AC joint sprain, the last three games. Koetter said the latest MRI showed “a lot of medical terms that I’m not an expert on, but that he needs to be off for a couple of weeks.”
Texans coach Bill O’Brien said he and general manager Rick Smith have discussed signing Colin Kaepernick in the wake of the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson.
When asked about Kaepernick on Monday, a day after Tom Savage struggled in a 20-14 loss to the Colts, O’Brien said: “We talk about the roster and what’s out there every day Rick and I.”
O’Brien was then pressed on whether they have specifically discussed about adding Kaepernick.
“Oh yeah, everybody gets discussed,” he said. “Isn’t that the way most teams do it? People seem shocked by that.”
Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, began a protest movement by kneeling during the national anthem last season. He remains unsigned and has filed a complaint that team owners colluded against him because of the protests, which are aimed at police brutality against African-Americans and other social justice issues.
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon told GQ magazine he used drugs or alcohol before “probably every game of my career.”
Gordon was reinstated conditionally last week by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Gordon is scheduled to report to the Brownsfacility Tuesday. He can attend meetings and work out for now and then practice with the club Nov. 20 as long as he stays clean.
A federal appeals court set a Thursday hearing as attorneys for Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott seek a longer-lasting injunction to stop his sixgame suspension . ... Bengals WR A.J. Green faces a fine but no suspension from his on-field fight with Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey in the first half Sunday. ... Falcons K Matt Bryant’s status for this week’s game against the Cowboys is uncertain after he hurt his right calf during warmups Sunday . ... Jets WR/PR Jeremy Kerley received a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.