Chargers To Keep Justin Herbert As Starter
Anthony Lynn has acknowledged what became known fairly early in Justin Herbert‘s three-game run subbing for an injured Tyrod Taylor. The fourth-year Chargers HC confirmed the quarterback job is Herbert’s going forward.
Lynn had previously kept the door open for Taylor to reclaim the job when he recovered from the chest injury a pregame shot aggravated just before the Bolts’ Week 2 game. In stepped Herbert, a rookie who was a candidate to sit behind Taylor for many games this season. But the rookie has outperformed expectations and will keep the starting job.
This represents another abrupt end to a Taylor bridge-QB period. The Browns moved to Baker Mayfield in Week 3 of the 2018 season, and Taylor did not start another game in a one-season Cleveland stay. His 2020 starting stint did not end up lasting that long. Taylor, who backed up Philip Rivers in 2019, will return to a QB2 role. Taylor, who started under Lynn in Buffalo during a three-season run as the team’s top quarterback, has not dressed since a lung-puncturing chest injection paused his season.
Although Herbert was linked to the Dolphins at No. 5 overall at points leading up to the draft, Scouts Inc. ranked the Oregon passer far behind Tua Tagovailoa overall. When the Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa, the Bolts quickly nabbed Herbert at No. 6. So far, the 6-foot-6 prospect has impressed. In Week 4, he helped the Bolts gain a three-score lead on the Buccaneers in a game that featured three Herbert touchdown passes — to UDFAs Tyron Johnson, Donald Parham and Jalen Guyton — and an 80% completion rate. Through three games, Herbert ranks 12th in QBR.
Herbert being ahead of the curve, despite some skepticism coming out of the draft and an offseason altered by the pandemic, would be a major win for a Chargers team that has enjoyed QB stability for most of this century. The Bolts signed a few 30-something veteran starters best suited to play for a contending team now. While the Chargers are 1-3, Herbert’s early promise would help the likes of Bryan Bulaga, Linval Joseph and Chris Harris contribute to a contender either in 2020 or ’21 — rather than play for a team dealing with uncertainty at quarterback.
NFL To Investigate Titans Workouts
The NFL and the NFLPA will investigate the Titans’ unauthorized workouts, according to sources who spoke with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Recently released pictures showed skill players holding an informal practice together at a local high school, but Pelissero hears that there were other in-person meetings in the midst of the team’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Hypothetically, the violates could lead to the forced forfeiture games. For now, that’s not under consideration, and the Titans’ upcoming game against the Bills is technically scheduled to go on as planned.
Things seemed to be trending upwards for the Titans and their situation. Tuesday marked their second straight day of zero positive tests, but they’ve since received two new positive tests among players. The identities of those players have not been disclosed, though wide receiver Corey Davis was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list yesterday. Since September 24, the Titans (players and personnel) have received 23 positive test results in total.
The NFL’s latest memo indicates that teams could face six-figure fines, lose draft picks, or forfeit games for violating procedures. It remains to be seen how the NFL will handle the Titans, but their punishment is likely to be steep.
Texans Owner: Jack Easterby To Serve As Interim GM Only
Jack Easterby is the Texans’ interim GM, but he won’t be the team’s Texans’ GM for the 2021 season, owner Cal McNair tells John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. McNair also confirmed that he won’t give his next head coach the GM title.
“We’ll search for a general manager first, find the right guy, and then we’ll hire the coach,” McNair said. “Jack’s agreed to be the interim general manager while we conduct our search. Once we find the right GM, Jack will return to his position as executive vice president of football operations.”
O’Brien was fired on Monday after the Texans got off to an 0-4 start. For now, Romeo Crennel is serving as the team’s interim head coach. McNair says that the team’s internal conversations to fill the HC and GM roles have yet to begin. The speculation, however, started immediately. Speculatively, some have suggested that Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, current defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (Deshaun Watson’s former coach at Clemson) could be in the head coaching mix. For what it’s worth, Swinney says he’s not thinking about the Texans vacancy.
On the GM side, some wondered whether Easterby would wind up with the job, given his influence within the organization. Apparently, that won’t be happening — McNair says that Easterby will remain the club’s executive vice president of football operations, with another exec having final say over the roster.
New COVID-19 Positive Test For Titans
On Thursday morning, the Titans received word of yet another positive test, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Meanwhile, a separate “inconclusive” positive from Wednesday been re-tested and found to be a confirmed positive.
[RELATED: NFL Won’t Pause 2020 Season]
The Titans are currently scheduled to play the Bills on Sunday, but that game is very much in flux. This comes one week after the Titans’ outbreak forced the NFL to postpone their game against the Steelers. Since September 24, the Titans (players and personnel) have received 23 positive test results in total.
In addition to the obvious health concerns, the league is also looking at a logistical quagmire. Some have speculated that the regular season will extend to a newly formed Week 18. Others have wondered if the NFL will put the entire season on pause, though that option is not on the table at this time. And, as of this writing, the league is not considering a “bubble” scenario with players confined to team hotels.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs and Raiders received no positive tests in their latest round, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). There was concern in Kansas City after the Chiefs came in close contact with Stephon Gilmore, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year who was found to have had COVID-19 earlier this week. The Raiders also placed a player on the Reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week, but, at this time, the virus does not appear to have spread throughout the locker room.
NFL Not Considering Pausing Season
Wednesday morning brought more trouble for the NFL on the coronavirus front, with news of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore‘s positive test preceding more Titans positives. Sunday’s Titans-Bills game is firmly in doubt, while the Patriots’ Week 5 contest against the Broncos is no longer a certainty to occur.
The NFL has beefed up its COVID-19 protocols, but the league may stop there for the time being. The league is not considering implementing home-market bubbles by putting players in hotels, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, who adds the NFL pausing its 101st season is also not a serious consideration.
Another Titans postponement would represent a significant schedule glitch, since the league has already moved Tennessee’s bye week — along with Pittsburgh’s — after the outbreak forced a Week 4 schedule change. Wednesday’s news of the additional COVID cases forced the Titans to pause their facility reopening, and the NFL and NFLPA are investigating a protocol-violating offsite workout Tennessee players allegedly conducted.
More Patriots positive tests will further push calls for the NFL to make bigger changes to its coronavirus effort. The Pats did not practice Wednesday, closing their facility. Cam Newton remains asymptomatic, and the Patriots’ round of tests prior to Gilmore’s positive all came back negative. But given the string of positive tests the Titans have encountered since their outbreak began, this is obviously a situation to monitor.
The NFL has considered pushing its playoff slate back to add a Week 18 makeup window, however. But a Titans hiatus beyond this week would create issues with that plan as well. The next few days figure to be a critical point for the league, which Maske notes believes its in-place protocols will work if they are followed.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: S Kentrell Brice
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DB Damontae Kazee
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Taywan Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): T Brett Toth
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: DL Jonathan Bullard
- Placed on IR: DB Neiko Thorpe
Bills Place CB Levi Wallace On IR
The Bills will be without one of their secondary starters for at least three games. They placed cornerback Levi Wallace on IR Wednesday.
Buffalo, which promoted Cam Lewis from its practice squad to replace Wallace on the active roster, has used Wallace as a starter since his 2018 rookie season. The former UDFA has started all 27 games in which he’s played.
Wallace left Sunday’s game in Las Vegas with an ankle injury, exiting the Week 4 contest on a cart after just six plays. The third-year defender played 76% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last season and was used at a higher rate prior to this injury. Wallace has intercepted one pass — the third of his career — and made 21 tackles this season. Through three-plus games, Pro Football Focus graded Wallace as the Bills’ top corner (19th overall).
Josh Norman‘s 2020 debut, which included a forced fumble, will help the Bills at corner opposite All-Pro Tre’Davious White. Norman, 32, has 92 career starts. After beginning his Bills career as a backup, Norman figures to see more time without Wallace.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Curtis Riley
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Tavien Feaster
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Jonas Griffith
New York Jets
- Restored to practice squad roster: WR Donte Moncrief
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Lawrence Cager
San Francisco 49ers
- Restored to practice squad roster: CB Tim Harris
- Signed: DL Josiah Coatney, DL Adam Shuler
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB DeMarkus Acy, LB Michael Divinity
- Released: WR Lance Lenoir
Titans Place Corey Davis On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Earlier Wednesday, reports indicated the Titans had two new COVID-19 positives. One of those appears to have been fourth-year wide receiver Corey Davis.
The Titans placed Davis on their reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday afternoon. Tennessee now has 12 players on that list. The team still cannot re-enter its facility for practice, putting its Sunday game against Buffalo in doubt.
The league, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), has launched an investigation into the Titans. They have seen a coronavirus outbreak spread among their roster and are believed to have conducted an illegal offsite workout. Some around the league believe the league is set to levy a “historic” punishment against the team to set an example, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. In addition to levying six-figure fines against teams for their coaches not complying with mask protocols, the NFL has threatened to strip teams of draft picks. That would seem to be the baseline for a “historic” punishment.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Davis joins fellow wideout Adam Humphries, defensive line starters Jeffery Simmons and DaQuan Jones, second-round cornerback Kristian Fulton, linebacker Kamalei Correa, long snapper Beau Brinkley, first-round tackle Isaiah Wilson, running back Khari Blasingame and practice squad players Cameron Batson, Greg Mabin and Tommy Hudson.
If the Titans-Bills game does happen this week — which is still the league’s plan — Tennessee could be severely shorthanded at wide receiver. No. 1 target A.J. Brown has not played since Week 1, but the team’s virtual injury report listed the second-year player as going through a pseudo-limited practice. This marks a pivotal year for Davis, after the Titans did not pick up his fifth-year option in May. Through three games, the former top-five pick has 15 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown.
Jets To Sit Sam Darnold In Week 5
WEDNESDAY: The Jets have confirmed Flacco will take the reins as their Week 5 starter, giving Darnold more time to return to full strength. Adam Gase tabbed Darnold as “week to week.”
TUESDAY: Although Sam Darnold returned to last week’s Jets-Broncos game after absorbing a violent sack, he may be forced to miss time for a third straight season.
The Jets are expected to hold their starting quarterback out against the Cardinals, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. Some in the organization view it as best to be cautious with Darnold’s AC joint sprain, even though the third-year passer finished last week’s game.
Despite only being cleared to play recently, Joe Flacco would be called upon to start against Arizona in this case. Flacco replaced Darnold after Alexander Johnson slammed the Jets starter to the turf Thursday, but Darnold re-entered the game soon after. Flacco spent the past several months rehabbing from neck surgery.
Darnold has been spotty this season, ranking 27th in Total QBR, though the Jets have been without much of his already shaky skill-position group to start the campaign. Should the USC alum be held out of Sunday’s game, it would be his seventh missed start as a pro. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick missed three games as a rookie because of a foot sprain and was out due to mononucleosis early last season. Darnold played through an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder in high school, per Mehta, but damage to his throwing shoulder is obviously a bit different.
With the Jets’ 0-4 start having placed them as a candidate to land the 2021 No. 1 pick — widely expected to be Clemson prospect Trevor Lawrence — Darnold’s season may take on greater importance. But it might well be paused for a bit.