Week 4 QB injury roundup: Deshaun Watson out for Browns, Derek Carr active despite shoulder injury

Week 4 in the NFL got underway on Thursday night when the Lions beat the rival Packers 34-20, and now it’s full steam ahead toward the main slate of games on Sunday. There, we find a handful of teams that have their quarterback situation a bit up in the air due to injury. That includes signal-callers who are gearing up for key divisional matchups in Week 4 along with a couple of the top-tier rookie quarterbacks who each missed last week for their respective clubs. 

As teams get set for Week 4, we have collected the latest information about those key injuries to the quarterback positions and have laid them out below. 

The Browns officially listed Deshaun Watson as questionable for Sunday’s AFC North matchup against the Ravens, but things have trended in the wrong direction since. Now, as CBS Sports HQ Senior NFL Insider Josina Anderson reports, Watson will not play Sunday. The quarterback is dealing with a right shoulder injury and was reportedly very limited during Friday’s session. Head coach Kevin Stefanski later characterized Watson’s participation as him doing some “light throwing.” Stefanski added that he was “hopeful” Watson could play, but that hope has seemingly run dry.

Watson suffered the injury during the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Titans in Week 3 on a read-option run where he lowered that shoulder into Tennessee defensive back Amani Hooker. 

With Watson out, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in line to start. 

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo remains in concussion protocol and has been ruled out for Week 4. This comes after Garoppolo was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday but was unable to cross the final hurdles of the protocol. The veteran did play every offensive snap for the Raiders in their Week 3 loss to the Steelers and started to show concussion symptoms following the game, which thrust him into the protocol. 

With Garoppolo out, the Raiders will reportedly turn to rookie Aidan O’Connell as their starter with veteran Brian Hoyer maintaining his role as the primary backup. O’Connell was a fourth round pick out of Purdue and impressed during the preseason. 

After missing last week’s loss to the Seahawks, Panther rookie Bryce Young will be back under center when they host the Vikings on Sunday. The No. 1 overall pick was sidelined due to an ankle injury but is in line to start after being a full participant in practice throughout the week. 

“I thought it was good,” Reich said of what he saw from Young this week, via ESPN. “Probably even better than I expected it to be. … Bryce will be our quarterback.”

Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Friday that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson has cleared concussion protocol and will start for Indianapolis when the Colts play host to the Rams on Sunday. Richardson missed last week’s upset win over the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion he suffered in the midst of their Week 2 victory over Houston. This week, Richardson was a full participant in practice and took his usual reps as QB1. 

Derek Carr was knocked out of last week’s loss to the Packers due to a shoulder injury that was later revealed to be a sprained AC joint that has left him week to week. He was unable to practice on Wednesday or Thursday, but did participate on a limited basis on Friday, which led New Orleans to officially list him as questionable. Now, as NewOrleans.football reports, Carr will start in Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay after having no pain after Friday’s session and still feeling good coming into the building on Sunday. 

If Carr is unable to finish this game for whatever reason, veteran Jameis Winston would be the next quarterback up.