Jake Locker misses practice, Colin Kaepernick fined $10K for headphones
The Titans are definitely without their starting left tackle this weekend, and they may be down a quarterback as well.
Andy Lyons
A Tennessee Titans offensive line that's already allowed the fourth-most sacks in the NFL will be going the rest of the season without its best player. Veteran tackle Michael Roos will undergo season-ending knee surgery, coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed on Thursday, according to Pro Football Talk. Roos, who is responsible for just one of those 14 sacks and is one of only two Titans offensive linemen with a positive pass blocking grade at Pro Football Focus, may have played his last snap in Nashville -- the 32-year-old's contract runs out after this season.
Replacing Roos -- likely long-term as well as short-term -- is this year’s No. 11 overall pick, Taylor Lewan. The rookie has had a limited role so far this season, allowing no pressures on 16 passing snaps.
Lewan is excited about the opportunity, to say the least.
“Obviously I’ll be close enough to peeing myself before the game, but that’s how it was in college,” he told The Tennesseean. “Having the opportunity to go out there, it is nerve-racking, it has to be. ... I am real excited for the opportunity and ready to get nervous.”
Locker misses another practice
The man that Lewan will be protecting is still to be determined. The chances of it being Jake Locker took another hit when the quarterback was held out of Thursday's practice, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean. Locker is still fighting back from a thumb injury that sent him off last week.
If Locker can't go, the Titans will turn back to Charlie Whitehurst, who presided over a miserable offensive outing when Locker missed a game against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. Whitehurst threw for 177 yards, one touchdown and one pick in the Colts' 41-17 blowout win.
Kaepernick fined $10K for wearing headphones
Colin Kaepernick said the NFL has fined him $10,000 for wearing Beats by Dre headphones in a postgame press conference, a violation of the league's recent agreement with Bose. Kaepernick, who holds a prominent endorsement deal with Beats, typically wears the headphones before and after games.
Ready to do some more griping about the NFL's priorities? Kaepernick's fine is almost $1,800 less than the fine given to Julius Thomas for an illegal chop block against the Arizona Cardinals last week.
Kaepernick doesn’t seem to be sweating the penalty -- he insinuated Beats by Dre would be covering the fine.
Mallett will only take over in Houston if losses pile up
Ryan Fitzpatrick may rank 26th among starting quarterbacks in ESPN's total QBR, and the Texans' passing offense may be averaging just 211 yards per game, but the veteran's job is safe ... so long as Houston keeps winning. It will take "a prolonged losing streak" to force coach Bill O'Brien to turn to Ryan Mallett, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Houston, short on quarterback depth, acquired Mallett from New England via trade just before the season. The 2011 third-round pick was once viewed as an elite talent, but threw the ball just four times in three years backing up Tom Brady.
The Texans currently sit at 3-2 and host the Colts on Thursday Night Football.
Stewart back at Panthers practice
Good news for the injury-riddled Carolina Panthers backfield: running back Jonathan Stewart returned to practice on Thursday, according to Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Stewart has missed the last two games with a knee sprain, and with running mate DeAngelo Williams still out with an ankle issue, a Panthers rushing attack that's averaging just 74.8 yards per game is in desperate need of a spark. With Stewart and Williams bouncing in and out of the active roster, Carolina hasn't had any one player go over 40 yards rushing since Week 1. It had to lean on the unimpressive combo of Darrin Reaves and Chris Ogbonnaya last week.
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