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NFL notebook: Browns, Eagles offer updates on banged-up QBs

[August 25, 2018]

Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor dislocated his pinky finger when he hit the ground with his left hand in the team's 5-0 preseason victory Thursday over the Philadelphia Eagles, but head coach Hue Jackson said he will not miss time.

Taylor sustained the injury when he fell awkwardly on his left wrist in the first quarter, after throwing an incomplete pass on a failed fourth-down conversion.

"He's going to be fine," Jackson said Friday, adding that Taylor has a bruised hand.

Across the sideline, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said the decision on whether quarterback Carson Wentz will play in the regular-season opener on Sept. 6 will be made by doctors, not the coach.

"This decision is above me," Peterson said in an interview with ESPN on Friday morning. "This decision is a medical issue. This decision is going to be with our doctors, team trainer, (GM) Howie Roseman, even dialog with Carson Wentz. When he's cleared, he's cleared. We'll see what happens in a couple of weeks."

Wentz is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee last December, and the typical recovery window is at least nine months.

--Also in Cleveland, Jackson said No. 4 overall pick Denzel Ward appeared to avoid serious injury on a first-quarter tackle, indicating Ward is dealing with back spasms and shouldn't miss much time, if any.

Also, rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway is expected to resume practicing this week after sitting out the game with a groin injury. Likewise, free safety Damarious Randall should return soon -- he was held out for precautionary reasons after his knee "locked up" during pregame warmups.

Fifth-round rookie Genard Avery was not so lucky, as Jackson said the linebacker will miss some time with a hip injury and will likely be questionable for the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

--The New York Jets announced they have signed running back Charcandrick West, less than 48 hours after the Kansas City Chiefs released the veteran.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2014, West, 27, became the Chiefs' starting back during the 2015 season, rushing for 634 yards and scoring five total touchdowns. His playing time and touches decreased in each of the two following seasons, and the club let him go Wednesday after he cleared the concussion protocol.

He joins a Jets backfield that includes Isaiah Crowell, Bilal Powell, Thomas Rawls and Trenton Cannon, each of whom has struggled to consistently produce and/or stay healthy throughout their careers.

--Baltimore Ravens first-round pick Hayden Hurst is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. Hurst was scheduled to have a screw inserted into the fracture Friday to promote rapid healing, NFL Network reported.

The tight end was the 25th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of South Carolina.

Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams slide ahead of Hurst on the depth chart.

--Tom Brady's personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, flew on the New England Patriots' team plane to Charlotte on Thursday before Friday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, according to multiple reports.

Guerrero's presence on the plane marks a departure from the end of last season, when various reports said Guerrero was not permitted to fly with the team.

As part of an extensive story about friction within the organization, ESPN reported in January that Guerrero -- who also works with Patriots players and close friends of Brady like tight end Rob Gronkowski and wideout Julian Edelman -- had become a source of tension between Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. The report called Guerrero a "divisive force in the building," and said Belichick restricted Guerrero's access to the team's sideline on gamedays.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) holds his hand after being injured during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

--The Carolina Panthers hired Manchester City COO Tom Glick as the team's president, as new owner David Tepper continues to put his stamp on the team.

Glick has been with powerhouse Manchester City in the Premier League since 2012. Last season, the club set a league record with 100 points.

Before joining Manchester City, Glick worked extensively in other sports -- including multiple minor league baseball teams and a stint in minor league hockey. He also worked for the New Jersey Nets, the NBA and with Derby County Football Club.

--The Arizona Cardinals have signed veteran center A.Q. Shipley to a one-year contract extension through the 2019 season, despite the fact he is out for this season.

Shipley, 32, sustained a season-ending knee injury on Aug. 4 and underwent surgery five days later. He was set to become a free agent after the season.

Rookie Mason Cole, a third-round draft selection from Michigan, has taken over as the Cardinals' starting center. Before his injury, Shipley had started 32 straight games, missing just three snaps.

--Free agent tight end Julius Thomas is retiring to pursue a doctorate in psychology and assist in brain trauma research.

"I'm O.K. with not being recognized as an NFL athlete -- because I'm more than that," Thomas wrote in The Players' Tribune. "I have stepped out of my identity before, and I will continue to do it again and again throughout life. I believe helping others is what I'm supposed to be doing at this point in my life. Hopefully I can help by encouraging more of my peers to connect with who they are outside of the game. If ultimately that's what I'm remembered for, I'd be very thankful."

Thomas, 30, said a psychology class he audited during the offseason inspired his decision. He was a fourth-round selection by Denver in the 2011 NFL Draft and went on to become a favorite target of quarterback Peyton Manning during the 2013 and '14 seasons.

--The Indianapolis Colts have brought back cornerback Juante Baldwin and placed quarterback Brad Kaaya on the waived-injured list.

Baldwin originally joined the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh State in June but was waived six weeks later. Kaaya has missed practice time with a back injury and didn't play against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. He'll be available on waivers, but if he goes unclaimed, he will land on the Colts' injured reserve list.

Starter Andrew Luck, backup Jacoby Brissett and Phillip Walker are the only quarterbacks left on the roster with two preseason games remaining. Kaaya joined the Colts in December 2017 after being signed off the Detroit Lions' practice squad.

--The Cincinnati Bengals have terminated the contract of defensive tackle Chris Baker, who joined the team on a one-year, $2.45 million deal signed in the offseason.

Baker, who turns 31 in October, played briefly for the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins in 2009 and 2010, before breaking in with the Washington Redskins in 2012 and eventually becoming a starter.

He spent last season in Tampa Bay after signing as a free agent, but finished with just a half-sack and 33 tackles.

--Field Level Media

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