Early this week it was Jimmy Garoppolo's health status and reports surrounding his availability that swirled through Patriots Nation.

Now, a few days later, a similar situation is unfolding with third-string rookie passer Jacoby Brissett just hours after third-round pick beat the Texans in his first NFL start.

Various reports indicate that Brissett is dealing with a thumb injury on his right, throwing hand. But the severity of the injury remains in question.

WEEI.com broke word of the injury Friday afternoon, saying that Brissett had a torn ligament in his thumb that "likely" would require surgery for stabilization.

NFL Network followed that report with one seemingly putting a bit less serious tone on the situation.

Then, later in the afternoon, ESPN got into the mix, first reporting that the Patriots were still evaluating the issue and would know more on Monday, after the weekend off following playing on Thursday night. "We'll see where we are on Monday with everything," a source told ESPN.

ESPN followed that up with a source saying of the Brissett thumb injury, "No tear, it's fine."

This latest issue, with Tom Brady still one game away from concluding his four-game Deflategate suspension, comes as Garoppolo's status also remains uncertain. Reports indicated that a grade 2 AC sprain in his throwing shoulder kept the third-year fill-in out of action and inactive against the Texans on Thursday night. Reported timeframes for his return vary, although ESPN has said the team believes there is a chance Garoppolo could be ready to return for the Week 4 game against the Bills at Gillette Stadium.

Wide receiver Julian Edelman served as the Patriots backup quarterback in the win over Houston as the team did not bring a veteran aboard after working out free agents T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree earlier in the week. The current situation to Brissett could be a reason for New England to revisit with those players, although Garoppolo's status also remains a factor in the quarterback depth chart discussion.