NFL news and notes: Dwayne Haskins gets first start; Cam Newton's season could be in jeopardy

Chelsea Howard

•
NFL news and notes: Dwayne Haskins gets first start; Cam Newton's season could be in jeopardy image

With another slate of games set for Sunday, we take a look at all that's happening around the league. 

From a few injury updates to a rookie getting his first NFL start, we cover it all in this edition of NFL news and notes.

Three things that matter

Dwayne Haskins to make first NFL start

It's official: Dwayne Haskins, selected by the Redskins with the No. 15 pick out of the 2019 draft, will make his first NFL start Sunday against the Bills. Washington interim coach Bill Callahan announced Friday that Haskins would get the start with Colt McCoy serving as the backup while Case Keenum remains in the concussion protocol.

"We're really excited about Dwayne's opportunity," Callahan said. "Young quarterback going up against one of the top three defenses in the league. It'll be a great challenge for him. Good learning experience. Great challenge for all of us to pull together and rally around Dwayne and go out there and compete against a top team in the AFC East."

However, Callahan wouldn't reveal whether the 15th-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft will remain the starter going forward, but the team has been "very encouraged" by his progress.

Cam Newton's season could be in jeopardy

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is going to need a bit more time before he's ready to return, putting his season in jeopardy. Newton traveled to Green Bay Friday to visit foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, the team announced Friday. Carolina ruled Newton out of its Week 9 home game against the Titans earlier this week.

“I spent a long time speaking with Cam this week and he’s done everything he possibly can in his rehab process to get his foot to 100 percent,” general manager Marty Hurney said in a release. “Unfortunately, we haven’t reached that point. The next step is for him to go see Dr. Anderson and gather more information.”

While the team's update did not offer any sort of timetable for Newton's return, NFL Media reported "playing football is a long way off" for the QB.

Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton could miss 3-4 weeks

T.Y. Hilton has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Steelers with a calf injury — and he's expected to miss even more time. Colts coach Frank Reich announced Friday that Hilton is likely to miss three to four weeks as he recovers from an injury suffered during Wednesday's practice. 

“With the information that we have, generally speaking, it’s a 3-4 week injury,” Reich said.

Hilton was in a walking boot Thursday and did not practice with the team, though the injury isn't considered to be significant. 

Hilton, who's in his eighth NFL season, all with the Colts, has recorded just 360 yards from 32 catches through six games this year.

Two things that don't matter

49ers tight end George Kittle played through injury 

49ers tight end George Kittle finished Thursday's victory over the Cardinals with six catches for 79 receiving yards and one touchdown ⁠— but it wasn't without some pain. Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed after the game that Kittle was not only dealing with knee pain, but also an ankle injury and a nagging groin issue.

Kittle was injured on the first play of the game when he appeared to bang his knee on Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones in the backfield. He stayed down on the field in clear pain before walking to the team's medical tent for further evaluation and went to the bench instead of the locker room.

“I know once something happens, you try to push through it as much as you can, but there comes a point if I feel like I’m a liability to the team, and I’m not the best man for the job, I definitely have to [leave the game]," Kittle told reporters. "I talked to my coach about it and we made a decision about it."

Despite the pain, Kittle still managed to score an impressive tying touchdown on a 30-yard reception just before the end of the first quarter. 

Cardinals cut Alfred Morris

The Cardinals are cutting running back Alfred Morris after just a week-plus stint, coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed. The move comes after Kenyan Drake had a strong performance against the 49ers on Thursday and as David Johnson (ankle) and Chase Edmonds (hamstring) are nearing a return at running back.

“(Johnson's) progressing nicely,” Kingsbury said. “He wasn’t 100%, so we decided to sit him (against the 49ers), but we’re hopeful for the next game.”

Morris was inactive against the Saints last week, but played Thursday while Johnson and Edmonds were out. The veteran will hit waivers and become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

One video you have to see

Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins spoke about his excitement for playing at Wembley Stadium in London. 

Friday's tweet of the day

Antonio Brown hasn't stop tweeting yet. He took to Twitter on Friday to share the key card he received from the Patriots, which has his first name misspelled. He added the hashtags "Boomin" and "Disrespect."

Chelsea Howard