The New England Patriots will be without leading wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for the remainder of the season after he tore his ACL in Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Bourne had three receptions for 36 yards and one touchdown before leaving in the fourth quarter. The seventh-year receiver was having a breakout season with team highs of 37 catches, 406 yards and four TD receptions in eight games.

Undrafted out of Eastern Washington, Bourne began his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 before signing with New England in 2021.

His best season came in his first year with the Patriots, as Bourne set career bests with 55 catches and 800 receiving yards while tying his career high with five TD receptions in 17 games.

New England has struggled this season and is an AFC-worst 2-6 heading into a Week 9 visit from the Washington Commanders (3-5).

Sunday marked a rough day for NFL quarterbacks with Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Kenny Pickett all suffering injuries.

Cousins' injury appears to be the most severe with Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell saying the team fears he sustained an injury to his Achilles tendon. 

The four-time Pro Bowl QB has never missed a game due to injury in his 12-year career but is in danger of being lost for the remainder of the season if the tendon is indeed torn, which has been reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

He is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

Cousins left in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers after being sacked by Kenny Clark - the second consecutive play he was sacked.

"We are fearing an Achilles injury," O'Connell said. "The severity of that, I do not know at this point, but I do know that's what our fear is at the moment."

Cousins threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a third straight win to even their record at 4-4. The 35-year-old is playing some of the best football of his career, throwing for 2,331 yards with 18 touchdowns to five interceptions while posting a 103.8 rating.

His backup, rookie Jaren Hall, made his NFL debut upon replacing Cousins and completed three of four passes for 23 yards.

O'Connell wouldn't commit to starting Hall next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, so the Vikings could look to signing a veteran free agent to take over the offence.

Stafford injured his right thumb in the Los Angeles Rams' 43-20 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The 35-year-old initially hurt the thumb on his throwing hand on a failed 2-point conversion pass in the final seconds of the first half and then exited for good after aggravating the injury after catching a 2-point try on the Rams' first possession of the third quarter.

Brett Rypien entered at quarterback the next time the Rams got the ball and completed five of 10 passes for 42 yards in his first action of the season. Stafford finished 13 of 22 for 162 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Coach Sean McVay said he didn't have an update on Stafford's injury after the loss, which dropped Los Angeles' record to 3-5.

Pickett left the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-10 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a rib injury.

Pickett was injured on a hit by defensive end Adam Gotsis after throwing a pass that fell incomplete in the final minute of the first half.

After the game, coach Mike Tomlin said he didn't know the severity of the injury to Pickett, who was 10 of 16 for 73 yards before exiting.

The Steelers have a quick turnaround, with their next game Thursday against the visiting Tennessee Titans.

If Pickett can't play, Mitch Trubisky would make his 56th career start - and first of the season.

Trubisky, who played in the second half of Pittsburgh's 30-6 loss to Houston in Week 4 after Pickett left with a bone bruise in his knee, went 15 of 27 for 138 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Jaguars.

Minnesota Vikings made it three consecutive wins with a 24-10 victory over Green Bay Packers, but celebrations were subdued after head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed he feared quarterback Kirk Cousins might have suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the contest.

Future free agent Cousins, who has never missed an NFL game due to injury, is set to undergo a scan to confirm the diagnosis and was replaced by rookie Jaren Hall, who looks to be Minnesota’s solution for now.

There was also bad news for New York Giants, who sent Tyrod Taylor to hospital for further evaluation after he sustained a rib injury in their 13-10 overtime loss to cross-town rivals New York Jets.

The Jets were on the wrong side of a 10-7 deficit with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter but were saved by late heroics from Greg Zuerlein, who drew things level with one field goal then booted in the winning points with another in OT.

Miami Dolphins held on to top spot in the AFC East after securing a comfortable 31-17 win over New England Patriots, where cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has recovered from his meniscus injury, made an interception in his season debut.

The AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars extended their winning streak to five with a 20-10 victory over Pittsburgh Steelers, Trevor Lawrence completing 24 of 32 passes for 292 yards.

Carolina Panthers secured their first win of the season as they edged out Houston Texans 15-13 while NFC South rivals New Orleans Saints finished the weekend equal in the win-loss column following their 38-27 victory over Indianapolis Colts.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns despite a niggling knee injury to ensure his side, who now boast a 7-1 record, continue to enjoy their dominance at the top of the NFC East with a 38-31 victory over Washington Commanders.

Dallas Cowboys, second in the NFC East, kept pace with their Pennsylvania division rivals with a decisive 43-20 victory over Los Angeles Rams.

The Buffalo Bills overcame a spirited effort from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win 24-18 on the back of Josh Allen’s three touchdowns.

The Bills quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran in another as Buffalo’s defence did just enough to hold off a late rally.

It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the first half, each side trading scores until Allen connected with Dalton Kincaid on a 22-yard touchdown reception to give the hosts a seven-point lead at the main break.

Allen added to that lead just a few minutes into the third when he found Gabe Davis in the endzone.

That was the end of the scoring until the final three minutes of the game when Mike Evans scored off a 22-yard pass from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

A successful two-point conversion brought the margin to just one touchdown, but Tampa Bay were unable to find the decisive score before time ran out.

Allen finished with 324 yards in the air and 41 on the ground, while Mayfield threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that Brock Purdy has entered the NFL's concussion protocol, putting the team's starting quarterback's status for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals in question.

Shanahan said Purdy began to experience symptoms on the team's flight home from Monday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The second-year pro played every snap of the 49ers' 22-17 loss.

"We found that out when we landed, we were all pretty asleep," Shanahan told reporters. "He got all checked up (Tuesday) and now he's in the protocol."

Veteran Sam Darnold ran the first-team offence in Wednesday's practice and would start Sunday if Purdy doesn't receive medical clearance. Shanahan said Purdy's availability will be determined later in the week.

"He does have enough time [to clear protocol], he just has to go through the process," Shanahan said.

Purdy, the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 draft, won his first 10 NFL regular-season starts dating back to his rookie year, but has lost his last two and struggled in both games. The 23-year-old completed just 12 of 27 passes for 125 yards in San Francisco's 19-17 loss at Cleveland in Week 6, then was intercepted twice against Minnesota.

The Iowa State product posted a 123.1 passer rating with nine touchdowns and no interceptions over the course of the 49ers' 5-0 start to this season.

Darnold started six games for the Carolina Panthers last season and went 4-2 in those games while throwing for 1,143 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. The 2018 No. 3 overall draft pick signed a one-year contract with the 49ers in March and won the No. 2 quarterback job from another former No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, during the preseason.

The 49ers subsequently traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys shortly before the start of the season. 

The Cleveland Browns have ruled out quarterback Deshaun Watson for Sunday's game at the Seattle Seahawks due to a lingering injury to his right shoulder.

Watson missed Cleveland's 28-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, and he remained on the sidelines for a 19-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 after the Browns’ bye.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection returned last week but was removed from the game after taking a big hit in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 39-38 victory at the Indianapolis Colts.

P.J. Walker will start for Cleveland this weekend at Seattle in a matchup of 4-2 teams.

Walker was activated from the practice squad to start against San Francisco and took over last week in Indianapolis after Watson exited.

He has completed 33 of 66 passes for 370 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Two first-half touchdowns from rookie Jordan Addison set the Minnesota Vikings on the way to a 22-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Christian McCaffrey, an injury doubt ahead of the game, matched him with two scores of his own but it was not enough as the 49ers slipped to a second successive defeat.

Kirk Cousins found Addison either side of McCaffrey’s opening score, the second from 60 yards on the brink of half-time.

Field goals from Greg Joseph stretched the Vikings’ lead to 18-7 early in the third quarter.

And Joseph struck again from 54 yards after McCaffrey had claimed his second touchdown on a 35-yard pass from Brock Purdy.

Jake Moody landed a field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the gap, but Purdy was intercepted twice to stall any late revival.

After starting the season with five straight wins, the 49ers fell to 5-2 to leave last year’s Super Bowl rivals the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles as the only teams with a 6-1 record.

The reigning NFC champions may have just gotten even better.

The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a trade Monday, acquiring two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans for safety Terrell Edmunds.

The Eagles are also sending a 2024 fifth- and a sixth-round round draft pick to the Titans in the deal.

Byard, who was selected to the AP All-Pro team after the 2017 and 2021 seasons, joins a top-10 Eagles defense that allows 290.3 yards per game.

Born in Philadelphia, Byard has 27 career interceptions in 120 games since being drafted in the third round by the Titans in 2016.

Reports of the trade surfaced during coach Nick Sirianni’s press conference, but he was unwilling to comment on the deal yet.

“I obviously want to get with everybody and talk before I say anything here,” Sirianni said.

Philadelphia is tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the league at 6-1 after the Eagles’ 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night.

Despite another fast start to the season, the Eagles felt they needed help in their secondary after the offseason departure of C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency.

Edmunds was a late first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and has five career interceptions. He joined Eagles on a one-year deal last offseason after the Steelers opted not to re-sign him.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs – last season’s Super Bowl teams – are leading the way again after chalking up their sixth wins of the season.

Jalen Hurts overcame three interceptions to lead the Eagles to a 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins, who came into the game 5-1.

Hurts has thrown as many interceptions in two games as he did all of last season, following three more in last week’s defeat to the New York Jets, but threw for two touchdowns and Kenneth Gainwell sealed the deal with a late touchdown run.

Tua Tagovailoa, who played with Hurts at university in Alabama, was also intercepted as he pushed for the tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs won a sixth straight game with a 31-17 success over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, one of them to Travis Kelce who was again watched by Taylor Swift.

The Super Bowl champions opened a three-game cushion in the AFC West division they are looking to win for an eighth consecutive year.

The Chargers stayed in the fight, trailing by just seven points deep into the fourth quarter, despite Justin Herbert being sacked five times.

Bill Belichick became the third coach to win 300 regular season games as the New England Patriots surprised the Buffalo Bills 29-25.

The worst start to a season in Belichick’s lengthy tenure had raised questions about his future but the Patriots defied a fourth-quarter comeback to reach the landmark.

Trailing 22-10 at the break, the Bills fought back to take the lead only for Mac Jones – who completed 25 of his 30 passes – to find Mike Gesicki from one yard with 12 seconds remaining.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns, as well as running for a score as the AFC East leaders proved far too strong for the NFC North pacesetters the Detroit Lions, running out 38-6 winners.

The New York Giants ended a run of four defeats as they turned in a much-improved defensive display with six sacks in a 14-7 win over divisional rivals the Washington Commanders.

The Cleveland Browns lost quarterback Deshaun Watson to a head injury early in his first start in three matches.

But back-up PJ Walker saw them to a 39-38 win over the Indianapolis Colts as Kareem Hunt ran for the winning score from yard with 15 seconds on the clock.

Tyson Bagent steered the Chicago Bears to a 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the battle of the back-up quarterbacks, the rookie beating opposite number Brian Moyer for the hosts’ second win in three weeks after 14 straight losses.

Rookies Jake Bobo and Jaxon Smith Njigba caught touchdown passes as Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-10, while the Pittsburgh Steelers edged past the Los Angeles Rams 24-17

The Denver Broncos held on to beat the Green Bay Packers 19-17 for their second win of the season while a last-minute field goal saw the Atlanta Falcons to a 16-13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Deshaun Watson will return for the Cleveland Browns for their Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Watson missed Cleveland's last two games because of a strained rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection was injured in a 27-3 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and had warmed up prior to the Browns' Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, but was ultimately ruled out.

Cleveland then hoped he'd be able to return from its Week 5 bye, but he remained sidelined for last Sunday's surprising 19-17 victory over the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers. P.J. Walker started last week, but didn't have much success, throwing for 192 yards and two interceptions.

Watson had his best game of the season in the game he was injured, throwing for 289 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions after throwing two TD passes and two picks in Cleveland's first two games of the season.

The Browns enter Week 7 with a 3-2 record, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for second place in the AFC North, just behind the 4-2 Ravens.

Cleveland will also have Kareem Hunt available at Indianapolis after the running back was listed as questionable with a thigh injury.

Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk combined for a 44-yard touchdown as Jacksonville Jaguars survived a New Orleans Saints comeback to win 31-24 on the road.

The Jaguars had seen a 24-9 lead vanish in the fourth quarter before Lawrence found Kirk with a short pass over the middle and they secured a fourth straight win.

Lawrence threw for 204 yards as the Jaguars continued their best start since 2007 when they also began 5-2.

Travis Etienne ran for two touchdowns as the Jaguars opened a 17-6 interval lead, Foyesade Oluokun returning an interception off Derek Carr 24 yards for a touchdown to open a 15-point cushion.

But Taysom Hill kicked off the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run and Carr threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas and then found Alvin Kamara with the two point conversion which levelled the scores.

Carr, who completed 33 of 55 passes for 301 yards, could not connect on four straight attempts on the final drive after Kirk’s score as the Saints dropped to 3-4.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed Wednesday that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson will undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.

Irsay told ESPN earlier this week that the team was leaning in that direction with the 2023 No. 4 overall pick, who suffered a Grade 3 sprain of his AC joint in Indianapolis' 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 8.

"After consultation with our medical staff, Anthony, and those close to him, it has been determined that he will undergo surgery to repair his injured shoulder, which will end his season," Irsay wrote on the social media platform X. "Anthony is a competitor, and we know how difficult and disappointing this is for him and our team."

Richardson had been placed on injured reserve last week, and the Colts were mulling whether to have him rehab the shoulder without surgery for a chance to return within four-to-eight weeks.

"We collected several medical opinions and we felt this was the best course of action for his long-term health," Irsay said. "We anticipate a full recovery and there is no doubt Anthony has a promising future.

"In the meantime, I love the fight of this team and I'm excited for the opportunity we have ahead of us."

Veteran Gardner Minshew will start at quarterback for the remainder of the season for Indianapolis, which currently sits one game back of the first-place Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South with a 3-3 record.

Minshew led the Colts to a 22-19 overtime win at Baltimore in Week 3 with Richardson then sidelined with a concussion, but threw three interceptions in last week's 37-20 loss to the Jaguars.

The fifth-year pro has completed 65.2 per cent of his passes for 882 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions this season.

Richardson went 2-2 in his first four NFL starts while flashing the promise the Colts envisioned for the 21-year-old. He threw for 577 yards with three touchdowns and just one interception while adding another dimension to the offence with his scrambling ability. Richardson rushed for four touchdowns in his first three games and compiled 136 yards on 25 total attempts.

The former University of Florida standout has also had a proclivity for injuries during his brief time in the NFL, however.

Richardson bruised his knee near the end of his NFL debut and was forced out of the Colts' Week 2 win over the Houston Texans after being concussed on a scrambling play. After missing one game while in the league protocol, he injured his shoulder in his second game back when tackled on a short run late in the first half against Tennessee. 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is unlikely to play again this season.

At least, that's what Colts owner Jim Irsay believes.

Irsay told ESPN on Monday that Richardson is considering season-ending surgery on his injured throwing shoulder.

"The most likelihood is he's probably going to be gone for the year," Irsay said. "I mean, it's not definite but [he] probably misses this year and we're going to have to contend with that factor."

Richardson suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in the Colts' 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. He was hurt with just over 4 1/2 minutes to go in the second quarter when he was tackled by two Titans on a 4-yard run. He took a hit to the left shoulder but appeared to land awkwardly on the right one.

Since he was injured, Richardson and the team's medical staff have consulted with doctors on various treatment options. While they are still gathering information, Irsay said surgery is a more likely choice than rehabilitation.

"There's a debate going, but it's probably going to lead toward surgery in the next week or so," Irsay said. "We're just trying to figure out exactly how and when and what we want to do and what Anthony wants to do."

Irsay's comments came hours after Colts coach Shane Steichen also said surgery was a possibility.

"Obviously, we want to do what's best for him and this organization moving forward," he said. "Like I said, we'll make that decision when the time is right. We're still evaluating that process."

Richardson has made four starts since the Colts drafted him fourth overall in this year's draft, but the dual-threat QB has only been able to finish one game as injuries have forced him out of the other three.

In the Colts' 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2 on September 17, Richardson suffered a concussion when he took a hard hit to the head at the end of a 15-yard touchdown run.

He was unable to clear the NFL's concussion protocol and Gardner Minshew led Indianapolis to a 22-19 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Richardson returned in Week 4 for an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams - the first game of his young career he was able to complete.

He also suffered a knee bruise on a hard hit near the goal line in the final minutes of a 31-21 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Steichen said he could have returned, however, and he was taken out as a precaution.

On the season, he has completed 59.5 per cent of his throws for 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for an 87.3 passer rating. He has also rushed for 136 yards with four TDs on the ground.

Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew made his second start of the season Sunday, passing for 329 yards and a touchdown but also three interceptions in a 37-20 loss to the Jaguars.

He has completed 65.2 per cent of his passes for 882 yards with three TDs and three interceptions for an 81.3 rating.

The Colts are 3-3 and host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday.

Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus has confirmed Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and is considered doubtful to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.

Fields' playing status all comes down to if he's able to grip the football, and rookie Tyson Bagent is expected to draw the start next Sunday.

The area around Fields' thumb on his throwing hand is still swollen, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reports he'll be sidelined until it diminishes.

Surgery is also a possibility, and the Bears should know by the end of the week if it's needed. There currently is no timetable for his return.

Fields was hurt on a third-down play with about 10 minutes to go in the third quarter when he was sacked by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.

He appeared to land on his throwing hand, and was examined on the sideline before going to the locker room. 

The Bears initially listed him as questionable to return before declaring him out a few minutes later.

Fields has been inconsistent during his three years in the NFL and the Bears were hoping he would take a major step forward in 2023. He struggled in the season's first three games before turning in back-to-back impressive showings in Chicago's next two contests, throwing four touchdowns in each while passing for a combined 617 yards.

He was unable to build on those performances against Minnesota, however, going just 6 for 10 for 58 yards with an interception. He was also sacked four times.

Sunday's loss dropped Fields to 6-25 as a starter in the NFL, and the Bears must decide this offseason whether to exercise his fifth-year option for 2025.

If the thumb injury ends up forcing him to miss several weeks, it's possible Chicago may decide to move in a new direction at quarterback.

The Bears figure to evaluate the 23-year-old Bagent at the position as long as Fields is sidelined.

The undrafted rookie fumbled on the third play of his NFL career on Sunday with Minnesota's Jordan Hicks picking up the ball and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown.

He was later able to lead the Bears on a 77-yard touchdown drive to cut the Vikings' lead to six, but on Chicago's next possession he threw a costly interception with just over 2 minutes remaining.

He finished 10 of 14 for 83 yards with the one pick as the Bears dropped to 1-5. 

A day after Jimmy Garoppolo was taken to a hospital to be examined for internal injuries, coach Josh McDaniels said the Las Vegas Raiders received encouraging news on his injured back.

"It seems like we dodged a bullet in that regard, so that's good news," McDaniels said Monday. "We're still doing a couple of things this morning, and we'll make sure we do all the right things here as we go forward. But the prognosis is a lot better than it might otherwise have been."

Garoppolo exited Sunday's 21-17 win over the New England Patriots with a back injury and was taken by ambulance to be evaluated.

McDaniels said there's still more to "uncover," but it appears he avoided a serious injury.

The Raiders visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and McDaniels said the team is unsure if he'll be able to play.

Journeyman backup Brian Hoyer replaced Garoppolo on Sunday, and was 6 of 10 for 102 yards.

When Garoppolo missed Las Vegas' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a concussion, rookie Aidan O'Connell got the start, completing 24-of-39 passes for 238 yards. However, he also threw an interception, lost two fumbles and was sacked seven times in a 24-17 loss.

Since that defeat, the Raiders have won two in a row to even their record at 3-3.