HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Injury Notes: Clark, Dulcich, Eagles

September 14th, 2023 at 7:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Frank Clark will be sidelined for a few weeks. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos defensive end will miss “a couple weeks” after suffering a hip injury during yesterday’s practice.

Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like this is a long-term issue, and there’s been no indication that Clark will land on injured reserve. Per Rapoport, the veteran is considered week-to-week.

The former Pro Bowler was cut by the Broncos back in March before eventually landing in Denver. As Troy Renck of Denver7 notes, Clark has struggled to establish a role in Denver, with the 30-year-old serving as a situational pass rusher during the season opener. Clark finished that contest with a pair of tackles while appearing in 25 defensive snaps.

This comes with Baron Browning sitting on PUP, so Clark’s role could be made even more uncertain when his teammate returns. A few weeks off the field probably won’t help his case for a significant role in Denver.

2022 ended Clark’s three-year stretch of earning Pro Bowl nods, but he was still productive with the Chiefs. In 15 games, the pass rusher compiled 39 tackles and five sacks. He showed up during Kansas City’s run to a Super Bowl championship, collecting another seven tackles and 2.5 sacks in three games.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Greg Dulcich is once again dealing with a hamstring injury. After missing seven games for the Broncos during the 2022 season, the tight end will once again miss multiple weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury in the same leg, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The organization intends to take it slow with Dulcich, meaning it could be a bit before he returns to the field. The 2022 third-round pick finished his rookie campaign with 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns.
  • A trio of Eagles players were ruled out early for Thursday Night Football. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported yesterday that running back Kenneth Gainwell (ribs), cornerback James Bradberry (concussion), and safety Reed Blankenship (ribs) would all be sidelined for Philly’s Week 2 matchup against the Vikings. The Eagles did get some good news, however, with defensive tackle Fletcher Cox being declared active for tonight’s game after being listed as questionable with a rib injury.
  • Rams wideout Puka Nacua didn’t practice today thanks to an oblique injury, according to Schefter. The rookie fifth-round pick was a standout during his NFL debut, garnering 15 targets from Matthew Stafford. Nacua ultimately finished the contest with 10 catches for 119 yards. With Cooper Kupp sidelined, the Rams may need to dig into their wide receiver depth against the 49ers.
  • Patriots cornerback Jack Jones landed on injured reserve before the season opener, keeping him off the field for at least the first month of the season. Per Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the 2022 fourth-round pick has an injury split in his contract, meaning the organization can lower Jones’ base salary from $870K to $475K as long as he sits on IR. That ends up being a loss of $22K per week for Jones.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/14/23

September 14th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: S Macon Clark

Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/23

September 14th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed off Raiders practice squad: CB Sam Webb

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed off Raiders practice squad: G McClendon Curtis
  • Signed off Buccaneers practice squad: OT Raiqwon O’Neal

With Jaycee Horn being placed on IR, the Panthers added some cornerback depth by snagging Sam Webb of the Raiders practice squad. The former UDFA got into all 17 games for Las Vegas in 2022, finishing with 36 tackles. He was cut by the Raiders at the end of the preseason before landing back on their practice squad.

OL Notes: Vikings, Bengals, Pats, Nijman

September 14th, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Garrett Bradbury suffered a back injury last season, and the Vikings center saw his absence extended after he aggravated the malady in a car accident. Bradbury missed the Vikings’ final five regular-season games but returned for the team’s wild-card loss. The Vikings circled back to the former first-round pick in March, re-signing him to a three-year, $15.75MM deal. That contract becomes a pay-as-you go accord after 2023, and Bradbury has run into familiar trouble. The Vikings ruled out the fifth-year center for their Thursday-night game in Philadelphia due to a back injury.

“We felt positive about him, and he’s done everything and had no issues whatsoever through a pretty physical training camp for us to feel really good about it,” Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) of Bradbury’s back issue. “It’s just how this game goes sometimes, and he’s a tough guy, big part of the interior of our offensive line and we’ll hope to get him back as soon as we can.”

Austin Schlottmann, who returned last week after a broken leg ended his 2022 season, is set to start at center against the Eagles. Here is the latest from the O-line landscape:

  • The Bengals completed an unexpected transaction this week, releasing La’el Collins from the reserve/PUP list. The team had given Collins a three-year, $21MM deal to step in at right tackle, which he did for 15 games. But ACL and MCL tears ended his 2022 season in Week 16 and prevented him from starting this season on time. The Bengals have Jonah Williams at right tackle opposite big-ticket UFA addition Orlando Brown Jr., but Jackson Carman — who replaced Williams at LT in the playoffs last season — is not the top backup any longer. D’Ante Smith, a 2021 fourth-round pick, is positioned as Cincinnati’s swing tackle now, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Carman has started two playoff games but lost three position battles in his three training camps. Viewed as a project coming out of East Carolina, Smith has played 56 career offensive snaps.
  • Reliability questions surrounded the Patriots‘ offensive line, and the team responded accordingly when setting its 53-man roster. Before Riley Reiff ended up on IR, the Patriots submitted an initial 53 with 11 O-linemen. No other team’s first 53 included that many, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com observes. Only seven teams kept 10 blockers, though that is where New England’s contingent stands after the Reiff move. The Pats needed to use this depth early. Calvin Anderson, who came off the Pats’ reserve/non-football illness list late in the preseason, started at right tackle in Week 1. Guards Cole Strange and Michael Onwenu were out, moving fourth- and fifth-round rookies — Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi — into the lineup. Onwenu and Strange have each logged two limited practices this week, though both Sow and left tackle Trent Brown suffered concussions in the opener, leaving their Week 2 statuses in doubt.
  • The Commanders, Packers and Vikings each restructured an O-line deal recently. Washington created $6MM in cap space by moving $7.5MM of Charles Leno‘s base salary into a signing bonus and adding three void years, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Green Bay topped that by adding four void years to Yosh Nijman‘s deal, creating $2.54MM in cap space, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. This proves interesting due to Nijman being on a second-round RFA tender; he is due to be a 2024 free agent. Minnesota added $9.99MM in space by restructuring Brian O’Neill‘s contract, per Yates.

Derek Carr Addresses Raiders Exit, Saints Signing

September 14th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Released shortly before his contract would provide more than $40MM in additional guarantees, Derek Carr fielded interest from a few teams. This included meetings with the Jets, Panthers and Saints and a visit to New York.

The Jets, however, made no secret of Aaron Rodgers being their top choice. But when they hosted Carr in February, the Jets were not certain Rodgers was interested in playing this season. While Rodgers was moving toward signing off on joining the Jets and delaying retirement, the Saints placed the longtime Raiders starter atop their list. This helped lead to Carr feeling “far more comfortable” in New Orleans. The four-year, $150MM contract added to this comfort level.

“It was always ‘us.’ It was always ‘team.’ It was never, ‘You have to do this, or you have to do that,'” Carr said (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) of the Saints’ pitch. “It was like, the whole team mindset, top to bottom, ‘We’re all in this together. One fails, we all fail.’ A lot of people say that, but [don’t] really mean that.”

When the Raiders released Carr before the Feb. 15 date in which $40.4MM would have become guaranteed, the 10th-year veteran described it as “a relief,” via Terrell. Josh McDaniels called Carr to inform him of the decision, one that had become essentially a lock after Carr wielded his no-trade clause to steer himself to free agency.

The Saints were the only team to host Carr on a visit while he was still a Raider and the only team to agree to trade parameters with the AFC West club, but the longest-tenured QB1 in Raiders history fared better on the open market, receiving $60MM guaranteed at signing — with another $10MM becoming locked in by March 2024 — from the Saints. The $60MM number nearly topped Jimmy Garoppolo and Geno Smith‘s guarantee-at-signing figures put together and approached the amount the Giants guaranteed Daniel Jones ($82MM).

Trade rumors followed Carr dating back to the Raiders’ Oakland days. Although Carr finished third in the 2016 MVP voting, he struggled over the next two years as the Raiders stripped away some weaponry. The Jon Gruden offseasons brought trade buzz and rumblings about the team taking a quarterback. The Raiders did pursue Tom Brady in 2020, but Gruden backed off, leading to a memorable Brady retort years later. Aaron Rodgers was then believed to have included the Raiders on his destination list in 2021, but the Broncos led the way on the trade-rumor front for the then-disgruntled Packers QB.

Carr, however, remained the Silver and Black’s starter through McDaniels’ first season. Though, the three-year, $121.5MM deal included the aforementioned escape hatch that allowed the Raiders to bail if the McDaniels-Carr fit proved poor.

“There were many offseasons where I’d have a great year, and they were like ‘Alright, who are we going to draft?‘” Carr said. “‘Who are we going to draft? What are you talking about?’ … It’s driving me nuts. Like, ‘Are you kidding me? Are you watching the same film I’m watching?’ As a competitor, some of that stuff was annoying, and when those questions wouldn’t get answered … it’s just like, as a competitor, I’m going to keep proving myself.”

To be fair, Carr has never been viewed as a top-flight quarterback. But other teams considered him a clear upgrade, leading to some of the past trade rumors. While Carr famously said he would rather retire than play elsewhere, the Raiders’ decision to bench him for Jarrett Stidham in Week 17 changed his mind. Michael Thomas, who was not certain to be back with the Saints this year, also made an aggressive sales pitch for Carr, per Terrell. Shortly after the Saints signed Carr, they kept the injury-prone wide receiver in the fold. Thomas caught five passes for 61 yards in the Saints’ Week 1 win over the Titans.

The Saints have not drafted a first-round quarterback since taking Archie Manning second overall in 1971. The team has since depended on free agency (from Bobby Hebert to Jim Everett to Drew Brees and now to Carr) — and trades (Aaron Brooks, 2000) to staff the position. With Carr tied to New Orleans through at least 2024, with the team having a 2025 escape route involving modest dead money, that streak will likely continue for at least a bit longer.

Rams Promote Brett Rypien; Jets Showed Interest In QB

September 14th, 2023 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Aaron Rodgers situation deals a crushing blow to Nathaniel Hackett‘s hopes of an immediate rebound, and the future Hall of Famer’s Achilles tear ended up affecting one of Hackett’s ex-Broncos charges as well.

Multiple players with pasts working for Hackett have come up in the Jets’ search for a veteran reserve option. In addition to Chad Henne, the Jets expressed interest in Brett Rypien, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Rypien began Thursday on the Rams’ practice squad, but the team promoted him to its 53-man roster, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes.

[RELATED: Rodgers Responds After Season-Ending Injury]

Rypien, who spent four seasons as a Broncos backup, was already part of the Rams’ gameday contingent in Seattle. But the fifth-year passer was a gameday elevation and was thus returned to the Rams’ taxi squad after Week 1. But the Rams did not want to lose Rypien, with Stetson Bennett now on their reserve/non-football illness list. As such, the Rams signed Rypien to their active roster to prevent the Jets poaching him.

Rypien played for Hackett in 2022 and served as the Broncos’ starter on two occasions, replacing an injured Russell Wilson. Backing up the likes of Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater and Wilson in Denver, Rypien played an unexpected role in Hackett’s final game as Broncos HC. The former UDFA expressed frustration for Broncos O-linemen not helping Wilson up after knockdowns, which led to then-starting guard Dalton Risner shoving Rypien on the sideline. After the 51-14 loss, Hackett received his walking papers and joined an exclusive club of first-year HCs fired before season’s end.

Matthew Stafford and Rypien are the only QBs on the Rams’ active roster or practice squad. While Henne, Colt McCoy and now Rypien have come up since the Jets began searching for options in the wake of Rodgers’ season-ending injury, they have not signed anyone. Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle are their only QBs as of Thursday afternoon. For the time being, the Jets are not planning to replace Wilson. Despite devoting considerable resources to adding a veteran starter this offseason, the Jets have attempted to express confidence in the underwhelming former No. 2 overall pick.

The Rams added Rypien in May, replacing four-year backup John Wolford. Bennett is viewed as the team’s longer-term backup, but the placement on the reserve/NFI list leaves Rypien as the last man standing behind Stafford. The Broncos replaced Rypien, 27, with Jarrett Stidham in March. Rypien has four career TD passes, eight INTs and has averaged six yards per attempt as a pro. He is 2-1 as a starter.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Thornton

September 14th, 2023 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2019 draft produced several long-running partnerships between defensive tackles and the teams that chose them in the first round. Four of the six DTs selected in Round 1 that year signed extensions this offseason. Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffery Simmons have new deals in hand. Jerry Tillery did not work out for the Chargers, but he was the only first-round DT from the ’19 class not to negotiate an extension this offseason. Christian Wilkins spent months discussing a deal with the Dolphins, but the sides have tabled matters to 2024, when the former No. 13 overall pick will be on the cusp of free agency.

Guarantees represented a sticking point for Wilkins, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers that the Dolphins appeared to be skittish about authorizing a Williams-level deal for a player without much in the way of sack production. Wilkins’ camp undoubtedly pushed for terms in the Williams-Lawrence-Simmons-Daron Payne neighborhood ($22.5-$24MM per year), as the Clemson alum led all DTs with 98 tackles last season. Wilkins, who produced 89 tackles in 2021, has never topped 4.5 sacks in a season. He has also eclipsed seven QB hits in just one of his four NFL slates (13 in 2021). Wilkins has not requested a trade, per Jackson, and the Dolphins — despite trade interest emerging — are not interested in moving him.

The Dolphins will have the option of franchise-tagging Wilkins next year. The Commanders used the tag as a bridge to a Payne deal, but the D-tackle tag number will likely come in north of $20MM in 2024. The Dolphins are currently projected to be $27MM over the cap next year (29th in the league), though much will obviously change between now and then. Here is the latest from the AFC East:

Bears Place CB Kyler Gordon On IR

September 14th, 2023 at 11:22am CST by Sam Robinson

The hand injury Kyler Gordon suffered in Week 1 will sideline him for an extended period. The Bears feared Gordon suffered a broken hand in the Bears’ opener, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, and have since placed him on IR.

Gordon must miss at least four games. He underwent surgery this week, with The Athletic’s Adam Jahns confirming that the second-year corner sustained a broken hand. That said, Jahns adds Gordon is expected back when first eligible (Week 6).

Chicago drafted Gordon in the 2022 second round and have used him as a starter since doing so. Gordon shifted into a full-time slot role this offseason, accommodating the team’s latest second-round corner investment (Tyrique Stevenson). Gordon suffered the injury on a blitz in Chicago’s loss to Green Bay on Sunday.

Rolling out a Gordon-Stevenson-Jaylon Johnson trio comprised of Round 2 picks, the Bears have devoted notable draft capital to this spot. They will not have a chance to see the trio in action together again until mid-October. Players placed on IR in-season must miss at least four contests. Clubs can activate up to eight players from the injured list during a season.

The Bears will be set to turn to Josh Blackwell as their primary nickel, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Potash. A 2022 Eagles UDFA-turned-Bears waiver claim, Blackwell played in 16 Bears games last season but logged only 133 defensive snaps. The Bears also promoted Greg Stroman from their practice squad. Stroman is a sixth-year vet who has been with the Bears since April 2022. The former Washington seventh-round pick played in two games for Chicago last year.

Chosen 39th overall out of Washington, Gordon joins both Stevenson and Blackwell in being acquired during the Ryan Poles regime’s run. A Ryan Pace-era draftee, Johnson is going into a contract year. The Bears are looking to rebound from a last-place defensive showing last season. Their 2023 effort did not start well, with the Packers putting up 38 points in a Week 1 rout.

Jets Not Planning To Contact Tom Brady About Comeback

September 13th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets attempt to reinstall Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback, they are believed to have contacted available quarterbacks to round out their depth chart in the wake of Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. The biggest name available does not appear to be on their radar.

The team is not planning to make a pitch to Tom Brady to unretire for a second time, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who notes the future Hall of Famer continues to inform those close to him he does not intend to play again. While Brady unretired last year, he was out of the game for barely a month. This retirement has spanned more than seven months.

Brady, 46, retired for a second time on Feb. 1 and has made multiple plans to stay connected to the game after completing one of the greatest careers in sports history. He is planning to begin his tenure as FOX’s top analyst next year and has agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders. While the latter endeavor generated rumors about Brady being an emergency Jimmy Garoppolo injury replacement with Las Vegas, the 23-year veteran shot those down by indicating he was indeed done.

Rumblings of a Brady return to the AFC East caused quite the uproar last year, when the Brady-Sean Payton tampering scandal cost the Dolphins first- and third-round picks. During his first retirement, Brady buzz about becoming a player/owner with the Dolphins circulated. That Miami penalty surfaced just before the Buccaneers reconvened for their 2022 training camp, which preceded a surprising Brady hiatus after he had initially showed up at Bucs camp.

Both Brady and the Bucs proceeded to take significant steps back last season, as injuries mounted along Tampa Bay’s offensive line. While Brady joined a Bucs team with a number of intriguing defensive pieces in 2020, stepping in to help a talented young Jets defense does not look realistic.

The Jets have been connected to the likes of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, who were each in Philadelphia during Joe Douglas‘ tenure as a Howie Roseman lieutenant. The team has also been linked to be aimed at convincing one player — Chad Henne — to unretire. The ex-Nathaniel Hackett Jaguars pupil came up Tuesday as an option for the Jets, but no indications have emerged regarding the four-year Chiefs backup’s interest in unretiring to play behind Wilson.

Although the Jets made no secret of their effort to replace Wilson this offseason, their primary targets were Rodgers and Derek Carr. Brady was briefly linked to the Raiders as a free agent, but he retired soon after. The NFL still needs to approve of his Raiders ownership path. It would certainly be easier for the Jets to land Brady compared to the Dolphins, who pursued a quarterback still under contract with another team. As of now, however, Wilson is back at the helm for a Jets team that has seen its stock take a substantial hit despite a come-from-behind Week 1 win.

In addition to Brady, the Jets are not pursuing Colin Kaepernick, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Kaepernick, who was brought up as an injury-replacement option often during the late 2010s, contacted the Jets about their sudden QB issue. But the former Super Bowl starter was never a realistic option, seeing as his unique NFL exit occurred more than six years ago.

Colt McCoy may be an option, Anderson adds. The Cardinals released McCoy just before the deadline to cut their roster to 53 players, going instead with recent trade pickup Joshua Dobbs in Week 1. McCoy, who turned 37 earlier this month, spent the past two seasons in Arizona. He came up as an option for New England, but the Patriots have used younger options as Mac Jones‘ backup. This would be McCoy’s 14th NFL season.

Aaron Rodgers: ‘I Shall Rise Yet Again’

September 13th, 2023 at 10:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 NFL season took an unexpected turn when Aaron Rodgers‘ debut season with the Jets was cut short by an Achilles tear. Questions have since been raised about his playing future, but he hinted at an answer in that regard on Wednesday.

[RELATED: Jets Committed To Wilson As Starter, Eyeing Free Agent QB Addition]

Rodgers took to Instagram to make his first public remarks about his injury suffered early in Monday night’s win over the Bills. In his post, he expressed appreciation for the support he has received since the diagnosis of a torn Achilles was confirmed Tuesday and pointed to a return to the field next year – something head coach Robert Saleh named as an expected course of action earlier today.

“I’m completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love,” Rodgers wrote. “Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today. The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again.”

The latter sentence suggests the four-time MVP is planning to rehab in time for the 2024 season and in doing so continue his Jets tenure. One more year (in essence) remains on his reworked contract, and he previously stated a desire to play at least a pair of seasons in the Big Apple. Signficant changes in circumstances – such as the team winning the Super Bowl or, as has turned out to be the case, a massive injury – had the potential to change his career outlook, however.

Rodgers is due just over $38MM in 2024, giving him plenty of motivation to return to the field. He will be 40 by the time next season begins, the earliest point at which he will have recovered in full, though. As he rehab progresses, questions will no doubt linger about his ability to regain his previous Hall of Fame form following the arduous process Achilles tears require. If his initial remarks are any indication, however, Rodgers can be expected to at least attempt a return to the field.

On a specific note regarding the season-altering injury, Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report that Rodgers was unhappy with play calls that involved cut blocks by the team’s offensive linemen. Two such plays were run during his four-snap participation on Monday, including the play in which a missed block by left tackle Duane Brown led to the fateful Leonard Floyd sack. Attention will be paid to the Jets’ offensive scheme next year if Rodgers is able to return, something he appears to planning on doing.

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