Week 4 Injury Report: Jared Allen to miss first game since 2007; Locker out
For the first time in more than seven years, Jared Allen will miss a regular-season game.
Allen, who had missed practice for the Chicago Bears all week with what was deemed as an “illness,” will not suit up against the Green Bay Packers. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer is reporting that Allen’s illness is pneumonia.
This is likely good news for the Packers, who have been tormented by Allen over the years. Although Allen had zero sacks in two games against them last season for the Minnesota Vikings, he totaled six sacks in four games against them in 2011 and 2012.
Allen did not miss a single game with the Vikings in six seasons there. His last game missed was Week 2 of the 2007 season, the final year he played with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Tennessee Titans will start quarterback Charlie Whitehurst in place of injured Jake Locker against the Indianapolis Colts. Locker hurt his wrist last week against the Cincinnati Bengals and was barely able to grip the ball by game’s end.
There had been some thought that the Titans could turn to sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger, the team’s No. 3 QB who is the more likely future starter, but Whitehurst will be elevated from his backup role on Sunday. It will be his first start since 2011, when he started two games. Whitehurst is 1-3 in four career starts, all with the Seahawks in 2010 and 2011.
In other Week 4 injury news:
• Allen’s former teammate in Minnesota, Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, is also an iron man. But Greenway will miss his first game since his rookie season of 2006 with a broken left hand and a rib injury.
• New York Jets cornerback Dee Milliner (ankle) will be out again this week against the Detroit Lions.
• Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, who played with Steve Smith for years, will miss his first chance to play against him. Davis suffered a pulled hamstring in the Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and will not suit up against Smith’s Baltimore Ravens. The Panthers also will be without running back Jonathan Stewart.
• A bit of a surprise: The Ravens will be without cornerback Lardarius Webb Sunday. He had been expected to play.
• Calvin Johnson will play for the Detroit Lions. He had been limited in practice this week.
• Arian Foster is active for the Houston Texans against the Buffalo Bills after missing last week with a hamstring injury.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
