Down goes Gronk. The Patriots have lost their top offensive weapon for the remainder of the season, as All Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent back surgery last week to repair a herniated disc. New England officially placed Gronkowski on injured reserve, and because the Pats already used their IR/return slot on quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Gronk has no chance of playing again this year. Gronkowski’s most recent back injury isn’t career-threatening, although he may have to play through pain for the rest of his NFL tenure. Meanwhile, fellow New England tight end Martellus Bennett turned down a $7MM/year extension offer before the season, but talks are expected to continue next year.
End of an era in Chicago? Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last week, and it’s possible — and perhaps likely — that Cutler won’t throw a pass for Chicago again. Reports all season have indicated that the Bears regime is finished with Cutler and are prepared to move on after the season, saving a chunk of cap space in the process. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said last week that Chicago could circle back to Cutler if it isn’t able to find a better option. Matt Barkley will be under center for the reset of the season in the Windy City.
You can’t go home again. After the University of Oregon fired head football coach Mark Helfrich last Tuesday, speculation instantly arose regarding the possibility of 49ers head coach Chip Kelly returning to Eugene. Kelly, as he’s already been forced to do this season, denied the rumors, and restated his commitment to San Francisco. Previous reports had indicated that some NCAA clubs had privately reached out to Kelly’s representation in the hopes of luring him back to the college game, but it appears as though Kelly will return to the 49ers in 2017.
Latest on relocation talks. The Chargers are progressing towards a deal with the Rams to share a stadium in Inglewood, California, and although owner Dean Spanos is likely to exhaust all options before leaving San Diego, it appears as though the Chargers will be LA-bound in the near future. The Raiders, meanwhile, might face a bit more opposition to their proposed move to Las Vegas, as several owners recently voiced concerns about both Vegas’ small market size and the integrity of one particular investor.
AP to return this year? Disparate reports have emerged on the state of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s health — while some sources have indicated that Peterson is targeting a return later this month, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested last week that the All Pro back could miss the remainder of the season. Peterson has been doing some light running recently (both in a pool and on a field), while fellow Minnesota RB Jerick McKinnon contends that Peterson is “way ahead” of schedule in his recovery.