Tuesday NFL Buzz: 49ers' Blaine Gabbert says of demotion, 'it sucks'
Check back throughout the day for all the latest quick hits from around the NFL:
Gabbert has concise reaction to demotion
Blaine Gabbert summed up his demotion in two words: “It sucks.”
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback lost his starting job to Colin Kaepernick on Tuesday as head coach Chip Kelly looks to jump-start his stagnant offense.
“I gave it my best shot,” Gabbert, who'd started the team's last 13 games, told reporters. “It wasn’t good enough. We didn’t win enough football games. We didn’t score enough points on the offensive side of the ball. That’s the way it goes.”
Palmer cleared
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and inside linebacker Kevin Minter have cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and will practice this week, a team official announced
Palmer suffered a concussion against the Rams on Oct. 2 and didn't play last Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
Arizona hosts the New York Jets on Monday night.
— Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic, part of the Paste BN NETWORK
Forsett finds new team
The Detroit Lions added depth to their backfield, signing veteran Justin Forsett after a workout Tuesday.
Forsett ran for 1,266 yards in his first season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 but missed part of last year with a broken arm and fell out of the running back rotation before he was released last week.
The Lions have been playing shorthanded at running back since Ameer Abdullah was lost, likely for the season, to a foot injury in Week 2.
Theo Riddick is coming off of a season-high 49-yard rushing performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but he's averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. The Lions have failed to generate much on the ground between the tackles.
Rookie Dwayne Washington, who missed the Eagles game with a sprained ankle and foot, is expected back this week, while Zach Zenner has just 21 yards rushing on 10 carries this year.
Forsett, who turns 31 later this week, was cut by the Ravens at the end of training camp then re-signed with the team in early September. He and the team agreed to part ways after he was inactive for a Week 4 game against the Oakland Raiders.
He had just 98 yards rushing on 31 carries this year.
— Dave Birkett, the Detroit Free Press, part of the Paste BN NETWORK
Browns shuffle QBs again
The Cleveland Browns have released veteran quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who became the fifth QB to play for them this season before he got hurt Sunday.
Whitehurst injured his left knee in the final minutes of a 33-13 loss to New England. The team reached an injury settlement with him before letting him go.
The longtime backup came in after rookie Cody Kessler suffered an injury to his ribs and chest in the first quarter. The Browns have already had three starting QBs in five games, and including wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, they’ve had five take snaps this season.
Kessler’s status for Sunday’s game at Tennessee is unclear. Josh McCown, who broke his collarbone in Week 2, is expected to practice for the first time in a month on Wednesday and could face the Titans.
The team also signed rookie QB Kevin Hogan from the practice squad to the active roster.
— The Associated Press
Eagles lose OL for 10 games
Philadelphia Eagles starting right tackle Lane Johnson has lost his appeal and will serve a 10-game suspension, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Johnson had appealed the suspension for a second violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Johnson had maintained he took a supplement that is allowed by the league, but a manufacturers’ error caused it to include peptides, which are banned by the league.
This is the second time Johnson had violated the policy.
Said Eagles Executive Vice President of Football Operations Howie Roseman in a statement: “We’re very disappointed that Lane Johnson has been suspended 10 games. His actions have affected the entire organization. We are all working under a clearly-defined set of rules and regulations set forth by the NFL in the collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA. Moving forward, he has no choice but to hold himself accountable to Jeffrey Lurie, Coach Pederson and his staff, his teammates, and to the entire organization and our fans. When he returns from suspension, we will continue to support him and welcome him back to the team. We are moving on with our preparations for this week’s game in Washington.”
— Martin Frank, The (Delaware) News Journal, part of the Paste BN NETWORK
Jerry Jones gives updates on Romo, Dez
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a radio interview Tuesday that Tony Romo's back has healed from a compression fracture and that doctors told him the quarterback's back is "as strong or stronger than what it was before the injury."
However coach Jason Garrett has already said Romo is not yet ready to practice.
Jones also said Tuesday the team "won't take any chances" with the injured knee of wideout Dez Bryant, who has missed the past two weeks.
Vikings add former No. 1 pick
The Minnesota Vikings signed tackle Jake Long in hopes of bolstering their battered offensive line.
The top pick of the 2008 draft and a four-time Pro Bowler, Long's own career has been derailed by knee injuries. He hasn't started a game since 2014.
In a corresponding move, Vikes tackle Andre Smith went on injured reserve with a triceps injury that will require surgery.
PHOTOS: NFL suspensions in 2016