FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady isn’t at full strength.
The Patriots quarterback is currently dealing with a calf injury and was limited in the team’s practice on Wednesday. It’s unknown if Brady suffered the injury in Miami, but he never came out of the Patriots’ 43-0 win over the Dolphins.
It wasn’t even known Brady had an injury until the Patriots released their first injury report on Wednesday evening. The NFL Network reported that the injury was “minor.”
In their first practice of the week, the Patriots were without players on both sides of the ball, as fullback James Develin and outside linebacker Shilique Calhoun were absent. In Miami on Sunday, Develin left the field because of what appeared to be an upper-body injury, but he returned and finished the game. He played 27 offensive snaps.
Along with Brady, Marcus Cannon (shoulder), Matt LaCosse (ankle) and Caleb Benenoch (calf) were also limited. Brandon Bolden (hamstring) was listed as a full participant.
PANTHERS: Coach Ron Rivera is confident backup quarterback Kyle Allen can get the job done if Cam Newton can’t play Sunday against the Cardinals, a scenario that seems increasingly likely each day.
Allen took reps with the first team again Wednesday after Newton missed his second straight day of practice because of a midfoot sprain.
Rivera wasn’t ready to name Allen the starter, even though Newton remains in a boot after aggravating his foot injury last Thursday night in a 20-14 loss to the Buccaneers. He said Newton has still been involved in the quarterback meetings and is “doing all the things he needs to do.”
But all signs are pointing to Allen getting his second NFL start for the Panthers (0-2).
COWBOYS: Disgruntled 2017 first-round pick Taco Charlton was officially released after Dallas was unable to trade the defensive end.
The Cowboys needed to make a roster move by 3 p.m. to activate defensive end Robert Quinn, who missed the first two games under NFL suspension. Charlton’s departure ends weeks of speculation about his future and a contentious last few days in which the former Michigan star lashed out at the Cowboys on social media after being made inactive for the first two games of the season.
CHIEFS: Pro Bowl left tackle Eric Fisher had surgery for a core muscle injury and will be out for the foreseeable future.
The Chiefs said Fisher hurt his groin in practice late last week, and he lasted just three snaps in Sunday’s victory over Oakland before spending the rest of the game on the sideline.
EAGLES: With two games in five days coming up, Philadelphia eased into preparations Wednesday when Coach Doug Pederson canceled practice. The injury-plagued team held a walkthrough instead, as six players didn’t participate and six others were limited.
“I want these guys as fresh as possible obviously for these next two weeks,” Pederson said. “I have to think of the big picture here, obviously. It’s early in our season, keeping guys as fresh as possible now so we can make a push later in the season. So that’s also a factor in this decision.”
Wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery, tight end Dallas Goedert, running back Corey Clement and defensive tackle Tim Jernigan were hurt in a 24-20 loss at Atlanta.
BROWNS: A person with knowledge of the injury says tight end David Njoku broke his right wrist against the Jets and may need surgery.
Njoku, who suffered a concussion on the same play, will visit a specialist before an operation.
In the first quarter of Cleveland’s 23-3 win, Njoku jumped to catch quarterback Baker Mayfield’s high throw and was undercut by cornerback Nate Hairston. Njoku braced his fall with his right arm before his helmet hit the ground.
Njoku didn’t practice Wednesday and his wrist injury was not known until the Browns released their report.
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