Vikings To Start Josh Dobbs In Week 10; Jaren Hall In Concussion Protocol
The start of the Kirk Cousins-less schedule did not go as planned for the Vikings, with rookie quarterback Jaren Hall leaving his debut due to a concussion. His replacement fared well, though, and he has earned a start as a result. 
Josh Dobbs – who was thrust into action days after arriving with the Vikings because of Hall’s injury – led his new team to a dramatic comeback victory. Dobbs threw a touchdown in the final minute of play to help Minnesota earn a 31-28 win, and his performance will see him take first-team reps in practice this week. Head coach Kevin O’Connell named Dobbs the team’s projected Week 10 starter on Monday.
As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes, Hall is in concussion protocol, which threatens his availability for the team’s upcoming game against the Saints. With fellow depth option Nick Mullens on IR, it comes as no surprise that Minnesota will turn to Dobbs at the top of the re-arranged QB depth chart. Cousins’ Achilles tear has left the team in need of a bridge starter to close out the season.
That unfortunate turn appeared to give Hall a chance to receive valuable in-game action to help his own development and the Vikings’ evaluation of a potential Cousins successor. The latter is set to have his contract expire this offseason, and it remains to be seen if a new deal will be worked out in the coming months. A fifth-rounder out of BYU, Hall has managed only 22 snaps between the end of Week 8 and the beginning of yesterday’s contest, however.
Cousins’ injury led to Minnesota’s decision to add an experienced insurance policy under center, which took the form of the Dobbs acquisition. The latter started eight games with the Cardinals in the absence of Kyler Murray this season, arriving in the desert after being dealt away by the Browns in a deal which came about rather suddenly. Having developed a knack for playing on extremely short notice dating back to his Titans cameo last season, Dobbs will find himself in familiar territory next week when he starts his first Vikings game. It will be interesting to see how he performs against New Orleans and how Minnesota handles the QB spot once Hall is cleared.
Browns To Place LT Jedrick Wills On IR
The Browns earned a lopsided win in Week 9, but it came at a cost on the injury front. Left tackle Jedrick Wills was carted off the field during Cleveland’s win over Arizona, and he will be sidelined for an extended stretch. 
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that Wills has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain, an ailment which is not expected to be season-ending. However, the Browns’ blindside protector will be placed on injured reserve. That move will guarantee at least a four-week absence. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that a PCL sprain and bone bruise will set his recovery timeline at roughly six weeks, although Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports surgery is not expected in this case.
Wills had an air cast fitted on his right leg before being taken off the field, a sign his injury would be serious. Further testing has confirmed those fears, and Cleveland will now need to make a change along the O-line. The Browns are already without starting right tackle Jack Conklin, who suffered an ACL tear in Week 1. Fourth-round rookie Dawand Jones has taken over the RT spot in his absence, and another new starter will need to be found opposite him for at least the time being.
Wills, 24, entered the league with major expectations in 2020. The former top-10 pick has been a full-time starter since his arrival, but his performances to date have drawn criticism. In spite of that, the Browns have remained confident in growth by picking up his fifth-year option, a decision which will keep him on the books through 2024. Stefanski endorsed the Alabama product before the start of the 2023 campaign, one in which he has posted a career-worst PFF grade (54). Wills has been charged with three sacks and 29 pressures allowed through eight games this year.
Cleveland’s offensive line – a unit which has for years been seen as a strength for the team – has helped pave the way for the Browns’ effective, Nick Chubb-less running game in 2023. They rank third in the league in rushing yards per game, but another loss among the starting unit up front could deal a blow to that success. Bringing Wills back will use up one of Cleveland’s eight remaining IR activations.
Vikings RB Cam Akers Suffers Achilles Tear
NOVEMBER 6: O’Connell confirmed on Monday that Akers has indeed suffered the second Achilles tear of his NFL career (which, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert notes, affects the other tendon than the one severed in 2021). The injury will deal a blow to his free agent prospects, and leave a Vikings offense now resting on Josh Dobbs at quarterback without a key contributor in the ground game.
NOVEMBER : The Vikings appear to have suffered a season-ending injury on offense for the second straight week. Head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network) that running back Cam Akers is feared to have suffered an Achilles tear. 
That would mark the second such injury to befall Minnesota in as many weeks, with Kirk Cousins being lost for the year in Week 8. Of course, confirmation of the initial fear would mark the second time in Akers’ career that he tore his Achilles. As a result, today’s news marks a major blow to both team and player.
Akers tore his Achilles in the summer of 2021, an injury which derailed his second season with the Rams. Expectations were high for him entering that campaign, given the fact he had established himself as the team’s lead back. While the Florida State product later returned to full health and had stretches of strong play, his tenure in Los Angeles did not come to an end on good terms.
Mentioned in trade speculation in 2022, Akers was retained for the rest of that season and stayed in place as part of the Rams’ backfield to begin the current campaign. He found himself a healthy scratch and buried behind Kyren Williams on the depth chart, however, so it came as no surprise that a trade partner was found this time around. Akers was dealt to the Vikings in September.
That trade – which included a swap of Day 3 picks in 2026 – gave Akers an opportunity to see a more consistent workload in advance of reaching free agency for the first time. The 24-year-old saw only 11 carries in his first three games in Minnesota, as the team kept up its commitment to Alexander Mattison atop the depth chart. However, Akers saw 27 carries in the past three games, carving out an RB2 role for himself along the way. He posted 113 rushing yards (at a rate of 3.8 per carry) and one touchdown during his brief time before going down with what is likely another massive injury.
Presuming further tests confirm the worst-case scenario, Akers’ free agent stock will take a hit. The former second-rounder was already in line for a less-than-stellar market for himself given his performances, injury history and the nature of the RB position. A second Achilles tear would hinder his earning power for 2024 and beyond even further, though, and threaten his availability for the start of next season.
Roger Goodell Addresses Future NFL Games In Germany, Other International Markets
Sunday marked the first of two NFL games played in Germany in 2023, in addition to three played in London earlier in the year. Continuation of contests being held in both locations can be expected for years to come. 
Munich hosted the league’s first regular season game played in Germany last season, and Frankfurt was the site of the Week 9 Dolphins-Chiefs matchup. The same will be true next week when the Colts play the Patriots. As commissioner Roger Goodell noted when speaking publicly, though, Berlin is now in consideration to host future games. In any event, trips to Germany are set to continue.
“We have every intention to continue to play here,” Goodell told a group of fans in advance of Sunday’s game, via Ken Maguire of the Associated Press. “You’ve been an incredible part of our growth, you’ve been part of our history of growing our game globally. We’re going to continue to play here in some fashion.”
The NFL is set to play one game in Munich next season, and another (likely in Frankfurt) in 2025. As Goodell noted, Düsseldorf could join Berlin in being chosen as a host city down the road. That would give the league an expanded list of venues to choose from in the International Series, but further growth in that respect is in the works. Goodell confirmed at least one other, new, country will likely play host to a game in 2024. The league has conducted fact-finding missions in Spain and Brazil, so they would represent logical destinations in the short-term future.
Goodell was, unsurprisingly, asked about the possibility of an NFL team being established overseas. He stated no plans are in place on that front, but the addition of a 17th regular season game has produced a tangible desire to make international games a fixture for the league. A future in which all clubs play eight contests at home, eight on the road and one in a foreign market annually is on the NFL’s radar.
Plenty of the league’s decision-making with respect to Germany will of course depend on its evaluation of the pair of Frankfurt games in 2023. As things stand, though, that city is slated to be one of many which will host regular season contests on a routine basis for the foreseeable future.
Seahawks Unlikely To Extend DT Leonard Williams In 2023
Seattle was among the teams to make a notable splash on the trade front, acquiring Leonard Williams from the Giants. The veteran defensive tackle’s contract was restructured to make the deal feasible, but a new pact should not be expected in the near future. 
The Seahawks sent New York a second-round pick in 2024 along with a 2025 fifth-rounder. In return, the Giants agreed to rework Williams’ deal, leaving the Seahawks on the hook for only a prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum. That arrangement helped the Giants secure notable draft compensation for a veteran on an expiring deal, and gave Seattle a cost-effective starter on their defensive front.
In many cases, acquiring teams quickly work out extensions for players upon trading for them. That turned out to be the case for the Bears with Montez Sweat, who inked a monster deal before making his Chicago debut. At the age of 29, though, Williams finds himself in a different situation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports no extension is likely before the end of the 2023 season for the Pro Bowler.
Williams’ sizeable cap hit was a key talking point entering the campaign, but the Giants elected to neither move him during the summer or work out an extension to flatten his 2023 hit. That decision, along with the notable trade offer from the Seahawks, has now resulted in Williams heading to the West coast. His play in Seattle will determine his value on an extended look by his new team or on the open market if he reaches free agency.
The former top-10 pick saw his production dip toward the end of his time in New York, despite his playing time remaining consistent. After posting 11.5 sacks in 2020, Williams took a step back in that department each subsequent campaign, recording just 1.5 in 2023. An uptick in that category during his audition period in the Emerald City would go a long way in boosting his free agent stock, though a repeat of his three-year, $63MM contract handed out by the Giants will surely not take place in 2024.
LB Frankie Luvu Eyeing Panthers Extension
Frankie Luvu has established himself as a key member of the Panthers’ defense, showcasing a notable degree of versatility. 2023 marks the end of his current contract, but a new one does not appear to be in the works. 
The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $9MM deal in 2022 to keep him in Carolina. That has proven to be a highly effective investment for the Panthers, given Luvu’s increased workload since that time. The team made it clear a diverse role would be in store for him, and a signficant uptick in production has come about as a result.
Luvu eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in his career last season, and comfortably set a new career high in sacks with seven. The former Jets UDFA has had another strong campaign this year with 51 stops and 3.5 sacks. Luvu is PFF’s highest-rated middle linebacker in terms of pass rush grade, demonstrating his disruptive ability when lined up as an edge rusher. He is thus in line for a signficant raise on his next deal, but, in an interview with Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required), Luvu indicated no talks on an extension have taken place yet.
The Panthers will need to sort out their situation with sack leader Brian Burns in the coming months. The two-time Pro Bowler is set to see his rookie deal expire this offseason, and Carolina again rebuffed outside interest in a trade this past week. A franchise tag or long-term agreement will eat up much of Carolina’s available funds in 2024; the team is currently projected to sit mid-pack in terms of cap space for next year. A new deal for Luvu will also require a raise, but he is looking to remain in place beyond 2023.
“You know the part about the business,” Luvu told Person. “I might be here, I might be somewhere else. But I would love to be here in Charlotte… I love the environment. I love the culture. I love these coaches. But that’s the hard part about the business. I can’t control where I – if I – become a free agent, then I start having the control. But right now, I’m just gonna be where I’m at today, be where my feet are.”
With pass rushers Yetur Gross-Matos and Justin Houston on IR, Carolina could turn to Luvu on the edge more than as a middle linebacker down the stretch this season. However he is deployed, though, a continuation of his production through the first seven games will set him well in free agency for another Panthers re-up or a deal sending him elsewhere.
Multiple Teams Contacted Panthers About Brian Burns Trade
Two major trades involving edge rushers took place this week, but Brian Burns was not moved. That comes as little surprise given the Panthers’ stance leading up to the deadline, but it was not for a lack of interest shown from numerous suitors. 
At least five teams were known to be in on Burns, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The list includes both the Bears and 49ers, the clubs which landed high-profile acquisitions in deals with the Commanders. Chicago added (and has since extended) Montez Sweat, while San Francisco bolstered its already impressive defensive line by bringing in Chase Young. With Burns joining that pair as one of the top prizes available amongst edge rushers, both the Bears and 49ers represent logical suitors for the Panthers to have held talks with on a potential deal.
Interest was also shown by the Jaguars, Falcons and Ravens, Schefter adds. Jacksonville was named as a team to watch on the edge front, with a recent report indicating they nearly finalized an offseason deal for Vikings sack artist Danielle Hunter. Despite leading the league in sacks, Baltimore engaged in trade talks about Young, so it comes as no surprise the team also kicked the tires on a potential Burns swap. Atlanta, meanwhile, made a number of changes on defense this offseason, but added production on the edge would have been welcomed (although an intra-divisional trade involving a player at such a premium position in his prime would have no doubt been difficult to pull off).
Of course, the Panthers are no strangers to receiving strong interest in a Burns acquisition. The Rams submitted an offer including two first-round picks last year, and the Bears attempted to include the two-time Pro Bowler in the trade involving the draft’s No. 1 pick. In both instances, Carolina held firm in its commitment to keeping Burns, something which remained in place this year as well.
The 25-year-old has been highly productive during his time with the Panthers, including five sacks in seven games this season. That has helped his market value on a new contract, something which is not close to being worked out. Burns acknowledged before the deadline that talks on an extension are not ongoing, and it remains to be seen when they will resume. A gap in annual value exists between Burns’ camp and the team on what will, in any event, be a massive raise for the Florida State product .
With the franchise tag (projected to check in at $17.4MM if he is classified as a linebacker, or $20.4MM as a defensive end) looming in case no long-term deal is reached, Burns will be counted on as the anchor of Carolina’s edge rush group to close out the season. That is especially true with Justin Houston joining Yetur Gross-Matos on injured reserve. With Carolina still planning to keep Burns in place for the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see how his situation unfolds in the coming months.
RB Leonard Fournette Addresses Bills Deal, Free Agent Interest
Leonard Fournette will have to wait at least one week to make his Bills debut, but he has already spoken about the deal sending him to Buffalo to close out the season. The veteran back recently touched on his lengthy free agent process, which included suitors other than his new team. 
“I had a couple teams reach out to me,” Fournette said, via Nick Wojton of BillsWire. “But I really wanted to do what’s best for me, a fresh start out here in Buffalo. I have a lot left in the tank to play, it was all about the right opportunity.”
The 28-year-old joined the Bills’ practice squad this week, but as is the case with many veterans, he is expected to soon see time as a least a gameday elevation to the active roster. Fournette will look to earn a workload behind lead back James Cook in conjunction with fellow veteran Latavius Murray. Damien Harris currently finds himself on IR, so a depth role should be attainable for Fournette in the short term at a minimum.
It came as no surprise that the 28-year-old finalized a deal with Buffalo, given Harris’ absence and their previously-arranged visit. That was ultimately canceled, but Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed when speaking to the media after the agreement that the sides remained in contact. Now that a deal is in place, it will be interesting to see how much Fournette is used down the stretch and thus the degree to which he can help his free agent value ahead of 2024.
The Super Bowl winner averaged exactly 4.0 yards per carry with both the Jaguars and Buccaneers during his three-year stints with each franchise, serving as a focal point of Tampa Bay’s offense in the postseason during the team’s title run. However, Fournette received little interest during the offseason (one in which the RB position as a whole saw its finanal valuation continue to decline) after his Buccaneers release, having to wait deep into the campaign to find a deal. While his remarks indicate that was partially by choice, he will no doubt need to produce at a notable level in the coming weeks to generate a larger market for his services in the spring.
Vikings Remain Interested In Retaining Kirk Cousins Beyond 2023
The Vikings’ season took a major, unwanted turn when Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in Week 8. That injury will shut him down for the rest of the season, the final one on his current contract. 
Cousins’ future has been in the air since the start of the campaign, with it becoming clear talks on a new deal would likely not take place until after the season. Given Sunday’s development, that will surely be the case as the Vikings turn their attention to rookie Jaren Hall and trade acquisition Josh Dobbs under center to close out the campaign. Cousins’ injury is not expected to change the organization’s stance on his Minnesota tenure, however.
“Like I said when we broke off talks the first time, every option was still available to Kirk,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “And coming back was one of the really good options we had… All options are [as] open as they were before the injury.”
Both Cousins and the Vikings have expressed a desire to continue their six-year relationship, so it comes as little surprise that both Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell quickly stated their continued commitment to at least seriously exploring another new contract. The former noted that Cousins’ skillset as a pocket passer could limit the impact of a major injury like an Achilles tear. Plus, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes, Cousins’ surgery was conducted by Vikings team doctor Chris Coetzee, so Minnesota will have something of an inside scoop when deciding whether to pursue a new contract prior to the opening of free agency. Rapoport confirms that a Cousins re-up is indeed on the table, with Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) adding that many in the building want Cousins back.
Adofo-Mensah added that talks with Cousins, 35, on his recovery plan have led to the “hope” he will be healthy in time for OTAs this spring. By that point, Minnesota will have needed to reach agreement on a new contract – a Cousins franchise tag would be worth an untenable $52.2MM – or found a replacement at the QB spot. Cousins’ performance in 2023 drew rave reviews from inside and outside the organization, giving the Vikings confidence in their decision not to sell off multiple players during this week’s trade deadline.
With the commitment to a ‘competitive rebuild’ thus still intact, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming Cousins negotiations shape up. His market for outside teams will no doubt take a hit given his injury, but it is clear the door is still open to another, presumably, short-term, Vikings arrangement.
Steelers LB Cole Holcomb To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Cole Holcomb suffered a frightening knee injury in last night’s Steelers victory. As a result, the linebacker will see his debut season in Pittsburgh come to a premature end. 
Holcomb was carted off the field in the first quarter after suffering the injury, one which head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed after the game was “serious.” He remained in hospital overnight but has since been discharged, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Holcomb will nevertheless require surgery, Pelissero adds, and he will miss the remainder of the campaign as a result.
The 27-year-old was part of Pittsburgh’s renovations at the inside linebacker spot, signing a three-year, $18MM deal in free agency. That pact marked an end to Holcomb’s four-year run in Washington, despite the interest the Commanders had in retaining him. A starting spot and a healthy workload was provided upon arrival with the Steelers, as the former fifth-rounder logged a 77% snap share. He posted 54 tackles (tied for the team lead) and a pair of forced fumbles across eight games.
As a result, Holcomb’s loss will be acutely felt on a Pittsburgh defense which has already put up underwhelming numbers in several categories. The North Carolina product posted a career-best PFF grade of 72.2 in run defense for 2023, so his absence will deal a blow to a unit surrendering an average of 133 yards per game on the ground. The Steelers will rely more heavily on Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander, the other members of the team’s three-man rotation at the LB spot.
While that pair will be counted on to close out the season, Holcomb will turn his attention to the rehab process after his surgery. Fortunately, Pelissero adds that a full recovery is expected, but his ability to return to full health in time for 2024 will be crucial given his importance to the Steelers’ defense. Holcomb is due $6MM in each of the next two years, with scheduled cap hits of $7.64MM for both of those seasons.