It's not yet a big deal as we flip the calendar to June, but the Titans sure seem to have some tough luck at quarterback.
Five months after losing starting quarterback Marcus Mariota to a broken leg, backup Matt Cassel has become the latest signal-caller to go down. The veteran suffered a thumb injury on Tuesday and will need a pin inserted in his thumb, keeping him sidelined for about six weeks, coach Mike Mularkey told reporters Wednesday.
Cassel spent last season as the understudy to Mariota until the former Oregon star suffered the leg injury in Week 16, forcing the veteran into action for the last game and a half of the season. At 35 years old Cassel provides decent insurance for Mariota, but the dropoff from there is rather sharp, with the third spot being a battle between former trick-shot starAlex Tanney (who has attempted 14 passes in his career) and recently signed undrafted free agent Tyler Ferguson.
Other injury news we're tracking on Wednesday:
- Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman's injury sustained last week was more serious than initially thought, according to coach Hue Jackson, who said the team hopes to have Coleman back for training camp, per The Plain Dealer.
"Right now, I'm going to keep him out for a little while, and that was a tough spill for him, a little tougher than I thought, but he's making his way through," Jackson said, via the Akron Beacon Journal. "You know Corey. He wants to be back out there right now, but I just think now is the time if a guy is kind of banged up a little bit to make sure they take care of him so that we get him back for training camp. But we'll see how it all unfolds here at the end."
Defensive end and top pick Myles Garrett (undisclosed injury) practiced Tuesday and will practice Thursday, but did not participate Wednesday, per Jackson. The coach added the injury is not related to the ankle injury Garrett suffered in 2016 while at Texas A&M.
- There isn't an update to speak of on Andrew Luck, according to Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who went on to say Luck is "doing well, rehabbing every single day, a coach out there on the field and he's in the meetings doing everything but taking a snap."
- Seahawks safety Earl Thomas (leg) was taking nearly every rep during OTAs Wednesday -- an incredibly encouraging sign -- per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
- Broncos coach Vance Joseph said linebacker Shaquil Barrett's hip injury will not require surgery, though it will keep him out for at least a few months, per the team.
