NFL Week 8 active/inactive list: Clowney starting, A.J. Green sitting
Who's in and who's out for Week 8 of the NFL season? We are tracking all the key actives and inactives for this Sunday's action:
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Active
Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Texans (knee): While the Texans may play it a little safe with Clowney on Sunday, the top pick in the 2014 draft will see the field for the first time since suffering a Week 1 injury. Expect to see him on passing downs.
Vincent Jackson, WR, Buccaneers (ribs): With trade rumors swirling around him, Jackson will suit up against the Vikings. The Buccaneers had listed their leading receiver as questionable prior to Sunday.
Shane Vereen, RB, Patriots (illness): Vereen took a sick day for the Patriots' last practice of the week, but he is feeling well enough to play in Week 8. That's good news for New England considering Vereen is coming off 104 total yards and two touchdowns against the Jets in the Patriots' first game following a season-ending injury to Stevan Ridley.
Shonn Greene, RB, Titans (hamstring): As if that lingering hamstring injury was not problematic enough, Greene was arrested Friday night for parking in a handicap spot and then trying to bail on the scene. The Titans confirmed that his roster spot was not in any jeopardy because of the off-field incident. Apparently, neither was his status for this week's game.
Eugene Monroe, OT (knee) and Kelechi Osemele, G (knee), Ravens: A big boost for the Baltimore offensive line as two starters return. Monroe has missed four straight games, while Osemele exited the Ravens' Week 5 loss with his injury.
Dion Jordan, DE, Dolphins (suspension): The No. 3 overall pick of the 2013 draft will make his 2014 debut on Sunday. Jordan opened the year facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's PED policy, had it revoked after sitting out two weeks, then was hit immediately with a separate four-game ban under the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
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Inactive
A.J. Green, WR, Bengals (toe): The struggling Bengals will have to find a way to get back on track minus their star receiver. Green himself has speculated that his injured toe will not get back to 100 percent before the offseason, and it's still troubling him enough to keep him sidelined for Sunday's critical matchup with Baltimore.
Charlie Whitehurst, QB, Titans: Rookie Zach Mettenberger received the starting nod in Tennessee and Jake Locker is healthy enough to serve as his backup. So the veteran Whitehurst is the odd man out.
Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings (hernia): Slow and steady for the Vikings' tight end, who underwent a sports-hernia operation late last month. That procedure came with an eight-week recovery timetable, though Rudolph began participating in some light workouts this past week.
