HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Bears’ Matt Nagy Won’t Coach Sunday

October 30th, 2021 at 5:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Nagy won’t be on the sideline tomorrow vs. the 49ers. The Bears announced that their head coach is still quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 and won’t coach Sunday’s game.

Nagy tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, so it’s not a surprise that he remains in COVID protocol. If everything goes as planned, we can assume that Nagy will be ready to go for next weekend’s matchup against the Steelers.

Nagy has spent three-plus seasons in Chicago, but he hasn’t come close to matching the 12 wins he collected during his first season at the helm. Despite a talented roster, the Bears went 8-8 in both 2019 and 2020, and the team currently sits at 3-4 heading into this weekend’s game.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will assume head-coaching duties for tomorrow’s game. Per the team’s release, Tabor was responsible for running practices this past week. He started his NFL coaching career with the Bears back in 2008, and after serving as the Browns special teams coordinator for seven seasons, he joined Nagy’s staff in the same role in 2018.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/21

October 30th, 2021 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the Week 8 Saturday minor move blitz:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets 

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

49ers Place S Jaquiski Tartt On IR

October 30th, 2021 at 4:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

More bad news for the 49ers’ defense. Shortly after Kyle Shanahan confirmed season-ending surgery was on tap for Javon Kinlaw, they placed the second-year defensive tackle on IR. Jaquiski Tartt will join Kinlaw on San Francisco’s injured list.

Tartt should not be expected to miss the rest of the season, having suffered a knee contusion against the Colts. But the veteran safety is down for at least the next three games. A seventh-year veteran, Tartt has made 56 regular-season starts but has dealt with injuries for most of his career.

This is a familiar transaction for Tartt, who missed time due to injury in each of the 49ers’ past four seasons. A broken arm moved Tartt to IR in 2017, and a shoulder malady shelved Tartt for part of the 2018 season. A rib injury cost Tartt four games in 2019, though he returned for the 49ers’ three playoff contests, and a turf toe bout ended his 2020 campaign. The turf toe issue dragged into this summer’s training camp, with Tartt beginning on the 49ers’ active/PUP list. He returned in time for Week 1, but more injury trouble has intervened.

Overall, Tartt missed 28 games from 2017-20. These setbacks have not shaken the 49ers’ confidence in Tartt. They extended the former seventh-round pick in 2018 and gave him another new deal this year. The most recent Tartt contract only runs through season’s end, however.

Tartt joins Kinlaw and linebacker Dre Greenlaw on IR. The 49ers will also be without Dee Ford and starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for Week 8. Rotational defensive lineman Kevin Givens is back on San Francisco’s active roster, however, after his IR stay. The 49ers also promoted tight end Jordan Matthews and safety Kai Nacua from their practice squad.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/21

October 30th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Chargers Activate DL Justin Jones From IR

October 30th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers will have one of their starting defensive linemen back for their Week 8 matchup against the Patriots. They moved Justin Jones from their IR list to the active roster Saturday. To make roster space, the team waived defensive lineman Forrest Merrill.

A two-year starter at defensive tackle, Jones has played in just one game this season. The interior D-lineman stands to provide a boost for a Bolts team that is aiming to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

A calf injury sidelined Jones in September, though the Chargers appeared to expect him back sooner. They did not place the fourth-year defender on IR until early October. The additional rest, however, proved beneficial. The Chargers will now have their combo of Jones, Linval Joseph and former first-rounder Jerry Tillery healthy as they attempt to shake off a blowout loss to the Ravens.

Pro Football Focus graded Jones as a top-40 interior D-lineman last season. The former third-round pick is in a contract year. Although the Bolts have Kenneth Murray on IR, only four players appear on their Week 8 injury report. That is certainly a good sign at this point in the season.

Cowboys Activate CB Kelvin Joseph From IR

October 30th, 2021 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Cowboys’ top 2021 draft picks is set to be in uniform for the first time Sunday night. Dallas activated second-round rookie Kelvin Joseph on Saturday.

Joseph had spent the first seven weeks on IR, having suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason. Chosen in Round 2 a year after the Cowboys took Trevon Diggs in the second round, Joseph represents a key long-term investment for the Cowboys’ secondary.

Although he became the 44th overall pick this year, Joseph played just 15 college games and is still 20 years old. The high-end prospect transferred from LSU to Kentucky, playing for the Tigers in 2018 and the Wildcats in 2020. He intercepted four passes with Kentucky last year and landed on the Day 2 draft radar.

The Cowboys have used Diggs and Anthony Brown as their starting corners this season. Pro Football Focus grades Brown 10th overall among corners, well above Diggs despite the latter’s NFL-leading seven interceptions. Adding Joseph to the mix stands to help the NFC East-leading squad.

Dallas also elevated defensive tackle Justin Hamilton from its practice squad but did not activate Michael Gallup from IR. Gallup has returned to practice, but the team’s talented No. 3 receiver will be sidelined for at least one more week. Gallup suffered a calf injury in Week 1.

Colts Activate DL Dayo Odeyingbo From NFI List, Waive RB Jordan Wilkins

October 30th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles in January but still managed to become a second-round pick. The Colts rookie appears set to make his NFL debut less than eight months later.

The Colts activated Odeyingbo from their non-football injury list Saturday, introducing the prospect of its top two draft picks playing together on the defensive line early. A Vanderbilt product viewed as a player who can line up at both defensive end and D-tackle, Odeyingbo went down while training for the draft. Like Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons in 2019, Odeyingbo is set to see rookie-year action after suffering a major injury during the winter.

Indianapolis selected defensive end Kwity Paye in the first round and followed that up by selecting Odeyingbo in Round 2. The team let Denico Autry defect to Tennessee in free agency and did not re-sign Justin Houston. The Paye-Odeyingbo pair represents the Colts’ hopeful replacements. Odeyingbo, who goes 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, recorded 12 tackles for loss as a junior with the Commodores and added 5.5 sacks as a senior. Paye has yet to record a sack in four-plus games played this season but has recovered two fumbles.

Among the other roster moves the Colts made before this afternoon’s Week 8 deadline, the team cut running back Jordan Wilkins. A 2018 draftee, Wilkins has backed up Marlon Mack and then Jonathan Taylor for more than three seasons. But fellow 2018 pick Nyheim Hines‘ passing-down and special teams ability won out, moving Hines higher on the depth chart and leading to an extension. Wilkins still saw sporadic time in the backfield from 2018-20 and resides as an interesting waiver option.

Wilkins averaged 5.6 yards per carry as a rookie and 6.0 per tote in 2019, seeing increased time when Mack missed games with injuries. The former fifth-round pick was not as efficient last season (3.7 per carry on a career-high 84 handoffs) and has not received a carry this year. Still, with the Colts previously placing Mack on the trade block, this Wilkins cut is an interesting decision.

The Colts promoted running back Deon Jackson and safety Josh Jones to their active roster and activated linebacker Jordan Glasgow from IR. Indianapolis also waived defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

Broncos To Activate Jerry Jeudy From IR

October 30th, 2021 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite missing practice Friday, Jerry Jeudy remains on track to suit up for the Broncos in Week 8. As expected, Denver is set to activate its second-year wide receiver from IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Jeudy experienced soreness after going through ramp-up workouts this week. The 2020 first-round pick is attempting to return from the high ankle sprain that cost him six games. His re-emergence stands to help a Broncos passing attack that has struggled over the past month.

The Alabama product led the Broncos with 856 receiving yards last season and generated considerable breakout buzz this offseason. After catching six passes for 72 yards in the team’s Week 1 win over the Giants, Jeudy went down midway through that game and saw his momentum stonewalled. Jeudy’s absence, and K.J. Hamler‘s season-ending injuries, stripped the Broncos of considerable weaponry. A four-game losing streak commenced.

The Broncos rank 24th offensively and have scored just 64 points during their four-game skid. During Jeudy’s career, the Broncos have yet to go through a game with he and Courtland Sutton healthy. Sutton missed Week 1 of the 2020 season and suffered an ACL tear during Denver’s Week 2 game last year. Sutton returned in New York to start this season, but Jeudy leaving that game again delayed the team’s hopes of seeing its top two receivers in action.

These setbacks have certainly altered the Broncos’ plan at wide receiver. With Sutton and Tim Patrick due for free agency in 2022, the Broncos will have decisions to make regarding their pass catchers soon.

Teddy Bridgewater will also have tight end Albert Okwuegbunam back in action, with 9News’ Mike Klis noting the second-year tight end is set to come off IR for Sunday’s game against Washington (Twitter link). Okwuegbunam has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury, further stripping Bridgewater of targets. The Missouri product showed some promise in September, after recovering from the ACL tear that ended his rookie season.

Jets QB Zach Wilson To Avoid IR Stint

October 30th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets are optimistic that Zach Wilson can be back on the field for the team’s November 14th game against the Bills. As a result, Wilson won’t be hitting the shelf. Per Connor Hughes of The Athletic (via Twitter), the Jets have decided to not place their rookie quarterback on injured reserve. An IR stint would have caused Wilson to miss the next three games.

[RELATED: Eagles Trade QB Joe Flacco To Jets]

Wilson suffered a knee injury during last weekend’s loss to the Patriots, and he’s expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks. The second-overall pick completed 6-of-10 passes for 51 yards before his second quarter exit against New England, and for the season, Wilson has completed 57.5% of his throws for four touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Mike White, who filled in for Wilson last Sunday, will get the first crack at the starting nod. The Jets will use Sunday’s game against the Bengals to help make a determination on next Thursday’s game against the Colts. White could end up starting both contests, but the team will be ready to pivot to Joe Flacco if necessary. The Jets acquired Flacco from the Eagles earlier this week.

The Jets are hoping that Wilson be able to return after those next two games.

Latest On Seahawks RB Chris Carson

October 30th, 2021 at 11:01am CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks are still hoping that Chris Carson will return this season, but head coach Pete Carroll cautioned that the organization will soon have to make a decision about his starting running back’s availability for the rest of the 2021 campaign.

“He’s got to make a turn here, show us that he is feeling better and good enough to really go for it,” Carroll said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “He hasn’t been able to come out to practice yet and go.

“Pretty soon you will be saying, ‘Is he going to make it back?’ just like you are asking, and I’m not ready to do that yet. I’m really keeping my fingers crossed for him that he gets a chance to come back and play. He’s working out hard, but he’s not ready to practice football yet.”

Carson landed on injured reserve in mid-October with a neck injury. Per Condotta, Carson had been dealing with the injury since the preseason, with Carroll previously describing it as a “lingering” ailment. The 27-year-old managed to play through the discomfort for the first four games of the season, collecting 261 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.

The former seventh-round pick has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career; he missed most of his rookie year with a broken leg, missed the end of the 2019 season with an arm injury, and was down for four games in 2020 with a foot issue. Still, he was able to secure a two-year, $10.4MM deal this offseason.

At the earliest, Carson won’t be able to return from injured reserve until Week 10, which happens to follow Seattle’s bye week. For the time being, the Seahawks will continue rolling with a running back corps that’s led by Alex Collins and Rashaad Penny.

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