The Sports Xchange

Drew Brees’ status remained uncertain Thursday as the New Orleans Saints prepare for their game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Saints coach Sean Payton told reporters that the quarterback’s shoulder injury appears to be day to day. He also indicated that Brees wouldn’t play without throwing in practice sometime this week in preparation for the game.

“He felt pretty good,” Payton said of Brees. “It’s not going to reveal itself right away because we’re keeping it from happening. It’s really more of us paying attention to, ‘Hey, where’s it at today now?’ … It may be a little in the week before we know for sure.”

If Brees is unable to go, Luke McCown is waiting in the wings to start in his place.

“Just from a pride standpoint, I don’t want to miss a game,” Brees said. “I want to be there for my team … I want to play, but this is one of those injuries where you have to be smart.”

–Running back DeMarco Murray’s status for the Philadelphia Eagles’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday remains uncertain.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said doctors are evaluating Murray’s hamstring injury. He sat out Thursday’s practice.

Kelly also indicated that linebacker Kiko Alonso is unlikely to play Sunday against the Jets. Alonso has a sprained knee — the same knee that kept him out of the 2014 season after surgery to repair a torn ACL.

Murray injured the hamstring during Wednesday’s practice and left early. Kelly called it a “tweak.”

–Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler sat out practice for a second straight day and it appears that he won’t play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Cutler suffered a strained hamstring last Sunday as the Bears fell to 0-2.

Jimmy Clausen will start if Cutler is unable to go against the Seahawks. Clauson met with the media after Thursday’s practice and said he was excited about playing this week.

–Carolina Panthers standout middle linebacker Luke Kuechly missed practice again and still hasn’t cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Kuechly is scheduled to meet with an independent neurologist sometime over the next 24 hours and it is uncertain whether he will be cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Kuechly was injured in the second quarter of the season-opening game against Jacksonville. He sat out last Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.

–Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis has passed the NFL’s concussion protocol and is cleared to play in Sunday’s contest against the Tennessee Titans.

Davis, who made the Pro Bowl last season, was injured in the second quarter of Monday’s loss to the New York Jets when he was attempting to make a tackle.

Davis’ return is timely as two of secondary mates are still ailing. Starting cornerback Greg Toler missed the first two games with a neck injury and backup cornerback Darius Butler (hip) could sit out for the second straight game.

–First-round draft pick Breshad Perriman practiced with the Baltimore Ravens for the first time after missing eight weeks with a knee injury.

The rookie wide receiver suffered a sprained PCL in late July and recently began working on individual drills. He didn’t appear to be running at full speed during the portion of Thursday’s practice open to the media.

It’s considered doubtful that Perriman plays Sunday for the Ravens against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) or next Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A more probable return date for Perriman would be Oct. 11 against the Cleveland Browns.

–The Dallas Cowboys are embarking on a two-month stint without starting quarterback Tony Romo and owner Jerry Jones isn’t anticipating a drop-off.

In fact, Jones is expecting the Cowboys (2-0) to continue their early-season surge, beginning with Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. He’s confident the club will only get better despite standout receiver Dez Bryant (foot) also on the sidelines with Romo (clavicle).

“If we improve from within because they’re not here, and then we have them come back, which will make us better when they do return, then I think we have a chance to be a better team,” Jones told the Dallas Morning News on Thursday. “That’s certainly the way I look at it. But from the standpoint of them not being here and falling off the map, I don’t see that at all.

“The game is not designed that way. There are too many people who have to get on the field and play the game. Now, do we depend inordinately on Tony Romo? Yes. There’s no question. But we’re going to have him. We just don’t have him right now.”

Dallas has struggled to run the ball after losing DeMarco Murray to free agency and Jones said improvement in that area is a must with backup quarterback Brandon Weeden now running the show for at least the next seven games.

–Two weeks into the NFL season and after all of the preseason hubbub surrounding “Deflategate,” New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leads the league in jersey sales.

Brady’s No. 12 remains popular among fans, ranking No. 1 in sales on the NFL website. He also is first in all licensed merchandise sold from March 1 to May 31, the NFL Players Association reported.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is second, followed by New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and San Francisco 49ers running back and kick returner Jarryd Hayne.

Hayne is popular in his native Australia, where he played rugby. Seventy percent of his jersey sales are from Down Under.

–The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed defensive end Kourtnei Brown to the practice squad and released linebacker Josh Keyes.

The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Brown played in Tampa Bay’s Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints but was waived earlier this week.