The Sports Xchange

The Green Bay Packers confirmed Monday that No. 1 wide receiver Jordy Nelson will miss the season with an injured right knee.

The Packers said only that it is a “significant” injury. Reports from major NFL news outlets have indicated it is a torn ACL.

Nelson suffered the injury Sunday in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went up to catch a pass in the first quarter and went down to the turf immediately. He was not touched by a defender. Nelson got up and limped off the field.

Nelson had the best season of his career in 2014, when he was named to the Pro Bowl after catching 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns.

–Veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne reportedly has agreed to a one-year contract with his longtime nemesis, the New England Patriots.

The Green Bay Packers reportedly had been interested in possibly signing Wayne to replace recently injured Jordy Nelson, but Wayne decided to sign with the Patriots instead, according to reports from ESPN.

Wayne, 36, spent 14 years with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts parted ways with Wayne in March, when he became an unrestricted free agent and the club said it wouldn’t try to re-sign him.

–The Houston Texans named Brian Hoyer their starting quarterback, head coach Bill O’Brien confirmed.

Hoyer has been battling with Ryan Mallett for the starting job throughout training camp.

Hoyer, 29, signed a two-year, $10.5 million with the Texans during the offseason after spending the last two years with the Cleveland Browns.

–NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino confirmed that Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs’ hit to the knees of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford should not have been called a penalty.

Appearing on NFL Network on Monday morning, Blandino said, “It’s not a foul.”

Bradford was making his debut with the Eagles on Saturday night after being acquired in an offseason trade with the St. Louis Rams and playing in his first game action since tearing the ACL in his left knee for the second time in 11 months on Aug. 23, 2014.

Suggs was penalized for coming in low and hitting Bradford on a play in which Bradford handed off to running back Darren Sproles.

Blandino said the roughing the passer penalty that was given to Suggs was not the right call and quarterbacks are not protected in that situation.

–The Cleveland Browns hope quarterback Johnny Manziel will be able to play in Saturday’s preseason game despite a sore elbow.

Manziel did not throw at practice Monday but did not need an MRI, head coach Mike Pettine said.

–Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff was suspended without pay for the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The suspension announced by the league Monday stems from Ratliff pleading guilty in April to a DWI charge in 2013.

–The Bears signed guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract Monday and waived/injured tackle/guard Jason Weaver.

–Tennessee Titans cornerback Jason McCourty underwent groin surgery, coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

The team is hopeful he can return in time for the season opener Sept. 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

McCourty, 28, hasn’t missed a start in three seasons.

–The Minnesota Vikings released veteran long snapper Cullen Loeffler, who had been with the Vikings for 12 years,.

–The Atlanta Falcons signed wide receiver John Harris and waived linebacker Marquis Spruill.

–The Seattle Seahawks released cornerback Jeremy Crayton and signed wide receiver Deshon Foxx to the 90-man roster.

They also brought in free-agent offensive lineman Samson Satele, just two days after free-agent guard Evan Mathis visited.

–The Miami Dolphins waived wide receiver Michael Preston, who had signed with the Dolphins as a free agent on Jan. 7.

–The Atlanta Falcons officially announced Mercedes-Benz as the naming partner to the $1.4 billion stadium under construction.

The new Atlanta stadium is now officially named Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

–The Buffalo Bills have sold more than 60,000 season tickets for the first time in franchise history.

The Bills announced that 60,102 season tickets have been purchased for the 2015 season.

—Running back Todd Gurley, the St. Louis Rams’ first-round draft pick, has been cleared to practice with the team.

The team had been easing Gurley into action as he recovered from surgery for a torn ACL suffered last November while he played for Georgia.

–The New York Giants waived injured defenders Justin Currie and Tony Johnson and replaced them with Ashlee Palmer and C.J. Conway.

Currie, a rookie safety, has an ankle injury. Johnson, a linebacker, has a knee injury. Both were hurt in the Giants’ 22-12 preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night.