HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Falcons QB Desmond Ridder To Start In Week 12

November 19th, 2023 at 8:23am CST by Rory Parks

When the Falcons return from their Week 11 bye to take on the Saints next Sunday, Desmond Ridder will be under center. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported this morning that Atlanta is turning back to Ridder with the expectation that he will remain the starter for the rest of the season.

Ridder, who started the Falcons’ first eight games of the year, exited the team’s Week 8 loss to the Titans to be evaluated for a concussion. While he quickly cleared the concussion protocol, head coach Arthur Smith said afterwards that he “didn’t think Des was right” and therefore allowed QB2 Taylor Heinicke to finish the game. Smith hoped to convey that Ridder was not kept on the sidelines for performance reasons, though Heinicke was named the Week 9 starter shortly thereafter.

At the time, we heard that the Falcons had not lost faith in Ridder, whom they selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, and were merely looking for a spark. It seems that the plan was always to reassess the situation during the bye week, and that reassessment has led Atlanta back to its second-year passer.

Heinicke suffered a hamstring injury during the club’s loss to the Cardinals last week, which forced Ridder back into the lineup. Rapoport makes it clear, however, that Heinicke’s injury was a low-grade one, so the decision to tap Ridder as the starter moving forward was not made for health reasons.

Although the Falcons are 4-6, they are just one game out of first place in the weak NFC South. And since Smith is in his third year at the helm and has missed the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, his job could be in jeopardy if his club fails to qualify for the postseason in 2023. Even if his seat is not as hot as some recent reports have indicated, he obviously will need to start winning soon to remain in Atlanta for the long haul. The fact that he is handing the keys to Ridder for a Week 12 battle with the division-leading Saints and for the home stretch of the season is something of a testament to his belief in the Cincinnati product.

“Sometimes you need a fresh perspective,” Smith said of Ridder this past week. “That’s what I think helped him. The reset, the refocus and working on things that I thought could help him, he’s done that.”

Ridder has flashed at times in 2023, but he followed up one of his strongest perfomances of the season in a Week 5 win over the Texans with a three-interception showing against the Commanders in Week 6, and he lost three redzone fumbles in the Falcons’ Week 7 win over the Buccaneers. He did play well when pressed into relief duty last week, completing four of six passes for 39 yards and piloting the offense to a touchdown that gave the Falcons a late lead.

For the season, Ridder has completed 65.4% of his passes for six touchdowns against six interceptions (which amounts to a subpar 84.1 quarterback rating, slightly below the mark he posted as a rookie). He has added 32 carries for 150 yards and four rushing scores.

Panthers HC Frank Reich, GM Scott Fitterer On Hot Seat

November 18th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, the Panthers fired Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start. Interim HC Steve Wilks then led the team to a 6-6 finish that left it still in the NFC South race until Week 17. Despite many of the same cornerstone players in place, Carolina’s 2023 edition has the NFL’s worst record.

Trading up significant assets to secure Bryce Young at No. 1 overall, the Panthers were never viewed as a team that would truly contend this season. But their disappointing first half has many around the league wondering if David Tepper will bail on the power structure he signed off on in January. One member of Carolina’s power duo may be on a hotter seat than the other, but both Frank Reich and GM Scott Fitterer do not appear certain to retain their jobs beyond this season.

Many around the NFL are eyeing this situation, with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora noting there is a strong sense Reich will become a one-and-done. Even within the Panthers’ building, La Canfora adds the belief is jobs are on the line going into the season’s second half. This would be a stunning flip-flop from ownership — especially after Rhule went from receiving a seven-year contract to being canned after Week 5 of his third season — but Tepper has not exactly gained a reputation for stability during his early years running the NFC South team. Indeed, Tepper’s reputation is driving the speculation Reich will be canned after just one season, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline adds.

Tepper is believed to be irked by Young’s performance thus far, an NFL personnel exec informed La Canfora while adding the sixth-year owner drove the bus for the Alabama prospect. When the Panthers obtained the No. 1 overall pick, rumors of Reich preferring C.J. Stroud surfaced. Those steadily faded, as Young won the organization over despite his slight frame. The Panthers have seen Stroud hit the ground running with the Texans, and despite Carolina’s only win coming over Houston, the team has taken significant steps back compared to how it finished in 2022.

Among qualified passers, Young ranks only ahead of Ryan Tannehill in QBR this season. The former Heisman winner sits last in yards per attempt — at just 5.4 — and has thrown eight touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions. Young’s struggles should probably have been expected, given Carolina’s skill-position deficiencies. The team gave Miles Sanders the top RB contract in free agency; Chuba Hubbard has since leapfrogged the ex-Eagle for the starting role. Adam Thielen has gone from Vikings cap casualty to the Panthers’ No. 1 target, in his age-33 season. Thielen has been productive in Carolina; no one else in this skill group has. Neither DJ Chark nor Hayden Hurst — the latter receiving the top tight end deal this offseason — has topped 230 receiving yards this year.

After pointing to Thomas Brown being in consideration to call plays this offseason, Reich handed the duties off during the team’s bye week. Three games in, Reich took back the reins from the young OC. The Panthers did not top 15 points in a game during Brown’s short run calling the shots, and while the veteran HC said this about-face is not indicative of Brown’s long-term future, the quick change was certainly notable.

Reich beat out Wilks for the Panthers’ top job, with Tepper preferring an offense-oriented HC. The five-year Colts leader is the Panthers’ first offense-geared sideline boss. Well respected, Reich being fired from two HC jobs in two years would undoubtedly drop him back to the coordinator tier moving forward. Reich, 61, did pull back the curtain a bit on Tepper’s style earlier this season by pointing to the owner being heavily involved in football operations via the two’s weekly meetings. After the experience Reich had with Jim Irsay in Indianapolis, this is familiar territory.

But Reich may also not be the likeliest Panthers power broker to go. Fitterer should not be expected to weather this storm, according to Pauline. Fitterer arrived in 2021 to work with Rhule, following a successful tenure as a Seahawks exec, and was left in power ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. The veteran staffer pulled the trigger on a Christian McCaffrey trade, giving the Panthers four draft choices, but did not accept a Rams offer of two first-rounders for Brian Burns. The young defensive end was not believed to have drawn similar interest at this year’s deadline, which came after the Panthers could not extend him this offseason. A franchise tag is now expected for Burns, but it is far from certain Tepper will have Fitterer making that call.

Some members of the Panthers’ organization do not believe this is a well-assembled roster, and the team’s 1-8 record supports that. Despite being in a seller’s position, the Panthers pursued wide receivers — months after trading longtime No. 1 target D.J. Moore — at the deadline. Fitterer, who took a backseat to Rhule, has final say over Carolina’s 53-man roster. The Panthers lost to a Bears team missing Justin Fields; Carolina being in position to potentially hand over the 2024 No. 1 pick to Chicago would present difficult optics for Fitterer, who received a vote of confidence from Tepper after the Rhule firing.

Tepper firing Reich after one season would not make this a particularly attractive job, though the owner’s past authorizing big contracts for HCs and paying top dollar for assistants will help. This will be a situation to monitor during the season’s second half.

Robert Griffin III Lobbied To Sign With Browns

November 18th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Deshaun Watson injury has left the Browns thin on experience at quarterback. Cleveland hosted Joe Flacco on a workout yesterday in a sign of interest regarding a deal, but another veteran passer was aiming for a contract.

Robert Griffin III spoke about the vacancy created by Watson requiring season-ending shoulder surgery on his RG3 and The Ones podcast (video link). Despite not having played since the 2020 season, the ESPN analyst stated his case for receiving a look one day prior to the Flacco visit.

“The Browns should start me as quarterback,” Griffin said. “One, at 33 years old, I understand the game better than I ever have in my entire career. I know how to slide, and I know when to slide. That was a huge issue in my eight years in the NFL. But I’ve learned. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’m ready to showcase that I can get it done.”

The former Offensive Rookie of the Year last saw time as a backup with the Ravens in a stint which followed his one-year run with the Browns in 2016. Griffin was courted by a number of networks once his playing days appeared to be over, leading to his highly-anticipated arrival at ESPN. The former No. 2 pick has maintained, however, an openness to retuning to the field in the event an opportunity presented itself.

The Browns will rely on rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and XFL alum P.J. Walker for the time being. That pair has made 10 combined starts in the NFL, a far cry from Griffin’s 42. Flacco, by contrast, has 180 starts to his name, including nine in the past three seasons during his time with the Jets. The latter would thus represent a more known commodity, and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirms Flacco was the Browns’ “primary target” with respect to depth under center.

As Cabot notes, Flacco would be seen as an emergency option in the event Thompson-Robinson were to struggle as a starter, potentially even receiving a look ahead of Walker if a deal were to be worked out. No agreement is in place yet, but it would come as little surprise if one were to emerge in the coming days. In any case, Watson’s recovery from his displaced glenoid fracture – a separate shoulder injury from the one affecting his rotator cuff for much of the 2023 season – will be a key Cleveland storyline.

On that point, Cabot adds that Watson should be able to resume throwing within a few months as part of his rehab process. That should be complete well before training camp for the 2024 campaign, the third of Watson’s fully-guaranteed, $230MM pact. That contract carries major cap implications for Cleveland, but for now attention will remain on the team’s current QB situation. That will not include Griffin, though he clearly still has the door open to an NFL return.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/23

November 18th, 2023 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

This week’s callups and minor moves heading into Sunday:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Evans had been called up from the practice squad three times by the Cowboys, meaning he needed to be added to the 53-man roster this week to continue suiting up. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports “several teams” attempted to poach the veteran off the taxi squad, but his decision to remain with Dallas has culminated in today’s move. Evans has logged 74 combined defensive and special teams snaps with the Cowboys so far, recording three tackles.

James was out of the lineup for one game after being designated for return, but he will be eligible to suit up for the upcoming Super Bowl rematch against the Eagles. Mentioned as a trade candidate earlier this year, he will be able to add depth to a WR corps which has underperformed to date, and add to his single catch recorded in his two Kansas City games at the start of the campaign.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/23

November 18th, 2023 at 8:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Miami Dolphins

Chosen was waived earlier this week with the door open to a practice squad agreement being worked out. Now that he has cleared waivers, the veteran’s stay in Miami is indeed set to continue. It will be interesting to see if Chosen will be able to receive a gameday callup in the coming weeks to improve on his performances when on the active roster, which to date has included one catch.

Panthers Designate CB Jaycee Horn For Return, Activate TE Ian Thomas

November 18th, 2023 at 7:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMEBER 18: Horn will remain on injured reserve for now, but Thomas has been activated, per a team announcement. The latter will have a large role to play immediately upon return since Hurst is out with a concussion. Thomas will aim to give Carolina a needed complementary option in the passing game late in the year with the jobs of several members of the organization potentially on the line.

NOVEMBER 13: The Panthers have been hit hard on the injury front this season, but a pair of reinforcements are on the way. The team announced on Monday that cornerback Jaycee Horn and tight end Ian Thomas have returned to practice.

Both players’ 21-day activation windows have been opened as a result. They must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve. Horn has been eligible to return for some time now, but it was clear when he was initially placed on IR that a lengthy absence would be coming. A hamstring injury has kept the 23-year-old sidelined since Week 1.

Horn named remaining healthy as a key goal for his third season in Carolina, but injuries have remained a major factor in his young career. The former first-rounder was limited to just three games as a rookie, and he missed another four contests last year. After recording 53 tackles and three interceptions in 2022, though, his return will be a welcomed development for a Panther defense which, in his absence, has delivered a strong showing against the pass so far.

Thomas’ return will add depth to Carolina’s TE room, one which has been led by free agent addition Hayden Hurst. Thomas – who has missed the past four games due to a calf injury – showed promise as a rookie with 333 receiving yards, but he has yet to eclipse the 200-yard mark since then. The 27-year-old logged a career-low 24% snap share during his five games in 2023 prior to being placed on IR. Once back on the field, he will offer a complementary passing option as well as another contributor with respect to run blocking.

In anticipation of bringing Horn and Thomas back onto the 53-man roster, the Panthers also announced a number of other moves on Monday. Defensive back Matthias Farley and tight end Jordan Matthews have been let go, and they are now subject to waivers. Carolina also signed outside linebacker Eku Leota to the active roster since he had been designated a gameday elevation from the practice squad the maximum three times. The return of Horn and Thomas will leave the Panthers with four IR activations for the rest of the season.

Eagles Activate G Cam Jurgens

November 18th, 2023 at 6:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Philadelphia’s offensive line will receive a signficant boost in advance of the team’s upcoming Super Bowl rematch. The Eagles announced on Saturday that right guard Cam Jurgens has been activated from injured reserve.

Jurgens had his 21-day practice window opened more than two weeks ago, but he could have missed Week 11’s Monday night contest against the Chiefs without yet being at risk of reverting to season-ending IR. Instead, he will be available in time for the highly-anticipated game and in turn end a lengthy absence. Bringing Jurgens back will use up one of the Eagles’ seven remaining IR activations.

The 24-year-old has been out since the beginning of October due to a foot injury, an ailment which interrupted his first season as a starter. Jurgens was in place at the RG spot from the start of the season, and he had a four-game run as a first-teamer before the injury. The 2022 second-rounder was not charged with a sack allowed in pass protection by PFF over that span, helping him earn an overall grade of 65.2. That figure ranks 26th out of 80 qualifying guards, and sits much higher than that of his replacement, Sua Opeta.

It also represents an improvement from the mark he posted as a rookie in limited action. Jurgens logged only 35 snaps as a rookie playing behind Isaac Seumalo. With the latter having departed in free agency, a starting spot opened up for Jurgens. The Nebraska product has taken it while developing as the Eagles’ projected Jason Kelce successor at center.

As expected, Philadelphia’s O-line has remained a strength this season, helping lead the team to an 8-1 record. The Eagles have posted top-1o rankings in a number of offensive categories, including strong performances both on the ground and in the air. Jurgens’ return will help in both regards as the NFC leaders look to maintain their place atop the conference and prepare for another postseason run.

Vikings Will Not Activate WR Justin Jefferson For Week 11; QB Nick Mullens Activated

November 18th, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Ely Allen

For the second straight week, Vikings fans will come away disappointed as star wide receiver Justin Jefferson will once again not be activated from injured reserve in time for Sunday’s game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jefferson returned to practice this week but clearly doesn’t quite feel ready to return to the active roster.

The All-Pro receiver’s 21-day practice window was opened on November 8, meaning Jefferson can miss this week’s contest and potentially even the one after that before returning from IR. He will have to be activated in the week after the team’s Week 12 game against the Bears in order to avoid losing the ability to be activated off IR, but if he still needs time to get healthy, the Vikings have a Week 13 bye that will grant Jefferson another two weeks after the Chicago matchup to get right.

That’s not to say that Jefferson will miss next week, as well, necessarily. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Minnesota has noted good progress for Jefferson this week and are getting very close to activating him. He just wasn’t quite ready to be activated by today’s 4pm deadline.

The Vikings will make an addition to their active roster, though, activating quarterback Nick Mullens from IR today. Following the loss of Kirk Cousins for the year, the addition of Mullens certainly becomes more meaningful, but Mullens won’t be asked to take over the offense in Cousins’ absence as trade acquisition Joshua Dobbs has assumed the starting position under center. Still, Mullens provides Minnesota with a stronger option at backup quarterback. Jaren Hall remains unavailable as he deals with a concussion, and Mullens should be an upgrade over practice squad passer Sean Mannion.

In addition to the activation of Mullens, the Vikings announced that two more players would be added to the active roster for tomorrow’s contest. The team has promoted veteran linebacker Anthony Barr and cornerback Joejuan Williams from the practice squad in time for tomorrow’s Mile High matchup.

Dolphins Activate RB De’Von Achane

November 18th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins have officially activated their electric rookie running back, De’Von Achane from injured reserve in advance of tomorrow’s matchup with the Raiders. The team announced the move along with a number of other Saturday transactions in preparation for Week 11.

The rookie back was placed on IR in Week 6, a move which guaranteed at least a month-long absence. Achane was able to return to practice earlier this week in order to be activated as soon as possible. Head coach Mike McDaniel even hinted that Achane could have continued playing through the injury with a knee brace, but the team chose to exercise caution with the health of their 22-year-old phenom.

Achane has now missed the four games required for an IR stint and will hope to pick up where he left off. Before landing on IR, Achane displayed an outstanding three-game stretch in which he accounted for 518 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns. He returns to a position group that has been anchored by Raheem Mostert in his absence, with Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed serving as change of pace backs.

Miami had waived wide receiver Robbie Chosen in anticipation of Achane’s activation, but the team will bring him back on a practice squad contract and elevate him on Sunday as a standard gameday elevation. In order to make room for the veteran receiver, the Dolphins released running back Jake Funk from their practice squad. Offensive guard Chasen Hines will join Chosen as a practice squad elevation for tomorrow.

Steelers To Activate TE Pat Freiermuth, Place S Keanu Neal On IR

November 18th, 2023 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 18, 2:58pm: The Steelers officially announced Freiermuth’s activation this afternoon, along with a number of other Saturday transactions. Joining Freiermuth on the active roster will be practice squad linebacker Mykal Walker, whom the team was hoping to involve more with Kwon Alexander on injured reserve.

In order to make room on the roster, Pittsburgh has placed starting safety Keanu Neal on injured reserve. Neal joined his fourth team in as many years this offseason and has made the most of it, becoming a starter for the Steelers. He hasn’t had the strongest season, grading out as the league’s 62nd-best safety, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Neal’s absence will likely mean a bigger role for fellow safety Damontae Kazee, who was teammates with Neal from 2017-2021 during stints in Atlanta and Dallas.

Lastly, the Steelers announced their standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s game in Cleveland. The team will promote LB Tariq Carpenter and safety Trenton Thompson for the matchup. Thompson’s callup fills out the depth chart a bit with Neal gone. Carpenter will team up with Walker to provide some reinforcements at linebacker with Alexander hurt.

NOVEMBER 18, 8:45am: The quick ramp-up period will be sufficient for the Steelers, who will activate Freiermuth at the earliest opportunity. Freiermuth will end up spending the minimum four games on IR, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicating he will move back onto Pittsburgh’s active roster before this afternoon’s deadline. While the former second-round pick has not played since Week 4, a hamstring aggravation is responsible for the extended absence. This transaction will leave the Steelers with four IR activations remaining.

NOVEMBER 15: Pat Freiermuth‘s third NFL season has not gone as hoped, but the Steelers are moving closer to having their tight end ready for the stretch run. The team designated the young pass catcher for return Wednesday.

This will start Feiermuth’s 21-day activation clock. The Steelers placed Freiermuth on IR due to a hamstring injury last month. While Freiermuth did not initially land on IR due to the injury, an aggravation led to the Steelers moving him off their 53-man roster.

The Steelers have moved to 6-3 despite persistent struggles on offense, but the team has missed Freiermuth and Diontae Johnson for extended chunks of the season. Johnson returned from his hamstring injury weeks ago, and it appears another activation will soon commence after a hamstring malady. This will be good news for Kenny Pickett, who targeted the 2021 second-round pick frequently in his first season as Pittsburgh’s starter.

Last year, Freiermuth finished with 63 receptions for 732 yards and two touchdowns. While his yards-per-reception and touchdown numbers were down compared to his rookie year, the Penn State product’s yardage total dwarfed his rookie-year number (497). Pickett and Mitch Trubisky targeted the talented tight end regularly, and the Steelers came into this season expecting another steady showing from the 6-foot-5 weapon.

Freiermuth has not played since Week 4, and he struggled to find his footing in the latest Matt Canada-run Pittsburgh offense. Freiermuth finished three games with fewer than 10 receiving yards, and although Week 4 involved an early exit, Weeks 1 and 2 brought sluggish outings. Freiermuth has eight receptions for 53 yards and two TDs this season. In his absence, the Steelers have seen Connor Heyward work as their top receiving tight end. The second-year option has 17 catches for 137 yards. Third-round rookie Darnell Washington has not factored in prominently, exiting Week 10 with three grabs for 23 yards.

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