George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo To Miss Week 3
The 49ers will be starting backups at nearly every non-offensive line position on offense against the Giants on Sunday. Despite George Kittle getting in three limited practices this week, the 49ers will hold their All-Pro tight end out.
Same goes for Jimmy Garoppolo, though San Francisco’s staring quarterback did not practice this week. The 49ers will play a game without their starting quarterback, their top two running backs from Super Bowl LIV, their No. 1 wide receiver and their recently extended tight end.
Kittle is on his way back from a knee sprain, and the three limited practices point to the 49ers having him ready to go against the Eagles in Week 4. But the 27-year-old star pass catcher will miss two games for a second straight season.
Nick Mullens will start for Garoppolo, who ended up receiving better-than-expected news about his high ankle sprain, and a currently healthy Jordan Reed will line up as the 49ers’ first-string tight end at the same MetLife Stadium venue that further depleted the team’s depth chart.
The list of would-be 49ers starters/key contributors who will not be in uniform against the Giants: Garoppolo, Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Deebo Samuel, Weston Richburg, Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Solomon Thomas, Dre Greenlaw and Richard Sherman.
WR Notes: Thomas, Adams, Chiefs, Ruggs
Several teams’ receiving situations remain in flux going into the Sunday leg of Week 3. Here is the latest from the marquee pass-catcher position:
- The Saints will continue to be patient with Michael Thomas. The high ankle sprain the All-Pro suffered will keep him out of Sunday night’s game against the Packers. This will mark just Thomas’ second missed game since his 2016 rookie year and will leave Emmanuel Sanders and Tre’Quan Smith as Drew Brees‘ top receivers.
- In that game, Aaron Rodgers appears set to work with his younger wideouts. Davante Adams is doubtful for the Packers‘ game in New Orleans, leaving Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the top targets for the Sunday night game’s other first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback.
- With the Raiders attempting to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2002, they will be without Henry Ruggs. The speed merchant played Monday night but suffered a hamstring injury during Las Vegas’ Thursday practice, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com notes. Ruggs is also dealing with a knee issue, which he aggravated in the first half of Monday’s win.
- Ahead of the game of the 2020 season to date, the Chiefs have their No. 2 wide receiver in concussion protocol. Sammy Watkins‘ status is uncertain for Kansas City’s game in Baltimore, and Andy Reid said the seventh-year wideout has encountered a neck problem as well, per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. The Chiefs are better insured here than most, with 2019 second-round speedster Mecole Hardman on track to play a bigger role were Watkins to miss time. Watkins left the Chiefs’ Week 2 win early after suffering the head injury.
- As the Cardinals look for their first 3-0 start in five years, Kyler Murray will be without one of his top three receivers. Christian Kirk did not practice this week and is out with a groin injury. The third-year wideout has three receptions for 57 yards this season.
- The Jets will be without their top receiver Sunday. Jamison Crowder‘s hamstring injury will sideline him for another week. Gang Green already has Denzel Mims on IR and Breshad Perriman out potentially beyond this week, while Crowder replacement Braxton Berrios is questionable to face the Colts.
Seahawks Promote Scott Fitterer, Trent Kirchner
Two longtime Seahawks execs have received new titles and, presumably, pay bumps. Scott Fitterer is now the team’s Vice President of Football Operations while Trent Kirchner has been elevated to Vice President of Player Personnel (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
Seahawks GM John Schneider brought Kirchner to Seattle as the team’s assistant director of pro personnel in 2010. In 2013, Kirchner was promoted to director of player personnel before moving to co-Director of Player Personnel in 2015. Fitterer started with Seattle in 2001 and followed a similar trajectory up the ladder, teaming with Kirchner as the co-DPP in ’15.
They’ve been an integral part of the Seahawks’ success over the years, and the rest of the league has taken notice. Kirchner was one of the hottest names in the 2017 GM cycle, drawing consideration from the Panthers, Colts, and 49ers. Fitterer has also gotten lots of calls, including the Chiefs (2017) and the Jets (2019). For the time being, the Seahawks will hold on to both execs.
Texans Won’t Pursue Antonio Brown
The Texans could use the help at wide receiver, but they won’t be calling on Antonio Brown. Despite comments from head coach Bill O’Brien that seemed to leave the door open, the Texans do not have interest in AB, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). 
The post-DeAndre Hopkins era is off to a rough start. The Texans are winless and the passing game seems rudderless, even under the guidance of Deshaun Watson. Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb fared better against the Ravens than they did in the season opener against the Chiefs, but the Texans will need sustained production in order to turn things around. Next up, a road matchup against the 2-0 Steelers that could put them in an 0-3 hole.
Over the course of his ten-year career, Brown tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Not long ago, Brown was regarded as a surefire Hall of Famer and one of the game’s most dangerous offensive talents. At this point, it’s unclear if the 32-year-old will play again. He’s got six games to go on his eight-game ban from the league office and a reputation for disrupting locker rooms. The Texans, apparently, want no part of it.
Stars Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson lobbied for Brown throughout the offseason, but the Ravens and Seahawks both came to the same conclusion. If they didn’t have enough sway to spark a deal, then it’s possible that no GM or owner will be convinced to sign him.
Panthers Cut Trumaine Johnson
Trumaine Johnson‘s time with the Panthers is already over. On Friday, the Panthers dropped Trumaine Johnson from the practice squad, just days after signing him. His spot will be filled by Kai Forbath, who returns to the team as their backup leg.
Johnson, 30, has made 77 NFL starts. At one point in time, he was regarded as one of the league’s better starting cornerbacks. But, things changed when he went from the Rams to the Jets. His five-year, $72.5MM deal was a monumental flop, and, ultimately, it proved to be one of the misguided moves that ended Mike Maccagan‘s tenure as the team’s GM.
In his first year with Gang Green, Johnson missed significant time with a quad injury that some Jets staffers believe he could have played through. He did come away with four interceptions in 2018, but that stat doesn’t tell the whole story – Johnson struggled in coverage and looked like a shell of his former self. Things deteriorated even further in 2019 – Johnson appeared in only seven games before landing on IR. He was also benched for performance reasons and, unsurprisingly, they were unable to find any takers for him at the trade deadline.
Now, Johnson has gone from NFL notable, to practice squader, to off the Panthers’ expanded 16-man practice squad. Forbath, meanwhile, will wait for his next opportunity while he backstops Joey Slye.
This Date In Transactions History: Vikings Place Adrian Peterson On IR
Four years ago, Adrian Peterson was counted out for the season, and possibly for his career. The Vikings placed Adrian Peterson on the injured reserve list with a torn meniscus. Even though he was 31 at the time (old, by running back standards), Peterson vowed to return to the field and continue his career long past the 2016 season.
Peterson made his way back to the field after some unsettling off-the-field events, but many felt that this was different. Peterson’s odometer was already way up there – in 2015, he led the league in rushing yards (1,485) and touchdowns (11) with an NFL-high 327 carries. With nearly 2,400 totes in total, it was fair to wonder if Peterson had exhausted his tank.
In Week 15, Peterson made good on his promise to come back from IR, though it was a forgettable game for both the veteran and the Vikings. That game against the Colts would turn out to be his final contest in purple. In February of 2017, the Vikings announced that they would not exercise his option for the coming year, making him a free agent. That led Peterson to the Saints, where he signed a two-year, $7MM deal that lasted just four games. Unhappy with his minimal role, Sean Payton & Co. shipped him off the the Cardinals for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Done? Nope. In his first game with the Cardinals, Peterson rumbled his way to 134 yards and two touchdowns, leading his new squad to victory over the Bucs. Later that year, he turned in another stellar performance against the 49ers, going off of 159 yards and staying strong through 37 (!) carries. His final tally for 2017 (3.4 yards per carry) didn’t lead to a ton of offers, but he found a home with the Washington [Football Team] on a minimum-salaried deal. Peterson would spend two years as the club’s primary tailback, topping 1,000 yards in his first season and averaging a solid 4.2 yards per carry on the whole.
Now, at the age of 35, Peterson is still doing his thing in Detroit. With a lighter workload, Peterson has 6.4 yards per carry through the first two games of the season. Whether he can meet his stated goal of playing until the age of 40 remains to be seen, but we know better than to bet against him.
Texans Won’t Rule Out Antonio Brown
After an 0-2 start, the Texans are open to all avenues for improvement. That apparently includes controversial free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown. On Friday morning, head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing AB.
[RELATED: Latest On Antonio Brown’s Civil Suit]
“I would never discuss anything in that regard,” O’Brien told reporters (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). “Right now, we’re very satisfied with what we have. You never say never to anything. I don’t anticipate anything whether that player or any other player.”
From a football perspective, the Texans could surely use Brown. Between their losses to the Chiefs and the Ravens, the Texans have fallen short by a combined 31 points. Life without DeAndre Hopkins is hard, as many expected. Receivers Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb were brought in to help fill the void, but, so far, they’re not quite clicking with plays from offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
Even if the Texans wanted to bring in Brown today, they’d have to wait another six games before getting him on the field. Still in the midst of his suspension, Brown is also busy with more legal matters. Just recently, a Florida judge ordered Brown to turn over text messages and other evidence pertaining to a civil suit from a woman who accused him of rape and sexual assault.
Pac-12 To Begin Play Nov. 6
The Pac-12 has reached an agreement to play an abbreviated schedule in 2020. The conference will begin play Nov. 6, according to ESPN.com’s Kyle Bonagura and Heather Dinich.
The last of the Power 5 conferences to finalize a 2020 start date, the conference will play seven games before a Dec. 18 conference championship game. This date comes two days before the College Football Playoff committee is scheduled to determine its four playoff-bound teams.
While none of the college conferences are operating normally in this historically unusual season, the Pac-12’s seven-game season will be the shortest among the leagues. The western-based conference nixed its fall season shortly after the Big Ten did in August, but an agreement to conduct daily testing helped push the league toward an earlier-than-expected return. The Big Ten moved to begin play Oct. 24 earlier this month.
Multiple first-round-caliber talents from the Pac-12 have opted out of the season, with the conference previously tabling all sport start dates until at least New Year’s Day. Oregon tackle Penei Sewell — a top-five 2021 prospect — was the most notable player to do so, with Stanford tackle Walker Little also declaring he will prepare for the draft early. A few prominent Big Ten opt-outs backtracked on their decisions after the conference’s announcement of an October start date. It would not be surprising to see Pac-12 players follow suit.
Northwestern T Rashawn Slater To Opt Out
One of the top tackle prospects set to be eligible for the 2021 draft will begin his pre-draft training early. Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater is opting out of the 2020 season, Pete Thamel of Yahoo.com reports.
Slater’s decision comes when a few notable Big Ten names — from Purdue wideout Rondale Moore to Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade to fellow tackle prospect Jalen Mayfield (Michigan) — reversed course on their opt-outs after the Big Ten’s call to begin its season in October. But Slater has played 38 college games and may not have too much to gain from a strong senior season amid uncertain circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I didn’t think a winter or spring season allows for optimal recovery or training to have a great rookie year,” Slater said, via Thamel. “I talked about it with everyone. Everyone at Northwestern has been extremely supportive. They’ve had open and honest conversations with me. I can tell they wanted the best for me.”
The son of former eight-year NBA veteran Reggie Slater, Rashawn has started 37 games at either left or right tackle. However, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. slots the 6-foot-4, 308-pound blocker as the No. 3 draft-eligible guard. Slater fared well against Chase Young in their final matchup last season, not allowing the ex-Buckeyes phenom to record a quarterback hit when they were matched up. Shifted from right to left tackle as a junior, Slater did not allow a sack in 11 games last season.
Changing course from its previous decision to consider a late-winter or spring start to the season, the Big Ten is now set to begin play Oct. 24.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/24/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on practice squad-IR: TE Justin Johnson
Chicago Bears
- Signed (off Steelers’ practice squad): DT Daniel McCullers
- Placed on IR: DL John Jenkins
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: S P.J. Locke
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: OL KC McDermott
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: LB Natrez Patrick
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: LB Troy Dye
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Greg Mabin