NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/26/19
One practice squad move to report today:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Damion Willis
- Released:CB Anthony Chesley
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/19
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Steve Longa
- Released: S Marcus Gilchrist
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Cornell Armstrong
- Waived: CB Xavier Crawford
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Krishawn Hogan
- Waived: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
49ers Cut Jordan Matthews
Veteran receiver Jordan Matthews is looking for a new team yet again. Matthews was released by the 49ers earlier today, the team announced. San Francisco needed the roster spot for LS Kyle Nelson, who they activated from his suspension. 
Matthews signed a one-year, $1.8MM deal with a $300K signing bonus earlier this offseason, but was released at final cuts. After Jalen Hurd was placed on injured reserve a few weeks ago, the 49ers re-signed Matthews. The Vanderbilt product is approaching journeyman status, as he’s been with four team in just the past three years. Originally drafted by Philly in the second-round back in 2014, Matthews had some very productive years with the Eagles. He got traded to the Bills, and then injuries started to pile up.
After getting released by San Fran right before the start of the season he had workouts with the Vikings and Saints, so maybe he can latch on with one of those teams. Still only 27, he should be able to resurface at some point soon and he could get brought back by the 49ers.
After rejoining the Eagles last year, he had 20 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Nelson was suspended ten games for PEDs toward the end of last season, but the team clearly never lost confidence in their long-snapper. Back in March, they signed him to a four-year extension.
Adam Thielen To Miss Time?
The Vikings picked up another big win Sunday, toppling the Lions in Detroit and moving to 5-2 on the year. It wasn’t all positive for Minnesota however, as they picked up a key injury.
Star receiver Adam Thielen left the game with a pulled hamstring injury and was unable to return. But, on Monday afternoon, he received good news on that front: He’s unlikely to face the Redskins on Thursday night, but there’s optimism that he won’t miss much time, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. That’s a step up from Sunday night’s word – the team was concerned that he’s would be not “day to day, but week to week,” a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link).
Hamstrings can be tricky, so the Vikes hope they will not be without their top option for multiple games. Florio also adds that Thielen will have an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity. The offense started the year slowly as the Vikings limped to a 2-2 record, with Thielen publicly calling out quarterback Kirk Cousins and Cousins apologizing. Ever since then the unit has been on fire, and a large part of that is due to Thielen’s play.
It sounds like Thielen will rest up instead of suiting up on a short week. After that, he’ll try to build on what he’s been doing lately. Over the last three games, Thielen has four touchdowns to his credit.
Injury Updates: Brees, Ryan, Apple, Slay, Johnson
The latest injury updates from around the league:
- Drew Brees has missed five games now, and it looks like the Saints quarterback is nearing a return. Brees said he will return to practice this week and that he hopes to play in Week 8 against the Cardinals, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That being said Brees told Triplett he’s still taking a “we’ll see” approach, so it’s far from guaranteed he suits up against Arizona. Still, he’s clearly going to be back soon. Teddy Bridgewater has gone 5-0 in his absence, so Brees’ thumb injury might end up turning out to be a blessing in disguise if it leaves him more fresh down the stretch. New Orleans picked up a big win on the road against Chicago Sunday, and their defense is playing lights out.
- Speaking of NFC South quarterbacks, Matt Ryan left the Falcons’ loss to the Rams early with an ankle injury. Ryan was in a lot of pain and in a boot after the game, but a source said “the team does not believe the injury is serious,” per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Atlanta’s season is circling the drain as they sit at 1-6 and Dan Quinn could be fired any week, so it’s quite possible they’re cautious with Ryan. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Matt Schaub is under center next week against Seattle.
- Cornerback Eli Apple left the Saints’ win over the Bears with a non-contact knee injury, which understandably sparked a lot of concern. The “initial belief” is that Apple hyperextended his knee, according to Nick Underhill of The Athletic (Twitter link). It’s unclear how serious the injury is and he could certainly still miss some time, but fortunately it doesn’t sound like an ACL tear. Apple has started every game for New Orleans this season, and is a key part of their defense. This one will be important to monitor.
- Star cornerback Darius Slay and running back Kerryon Johnson both left and were ruled out of the Lions’ loss to the Vikings. There hasn’t been much of an update on either, but Slay’s was a hamstring and Johnson’s was a knee. Slay missed one game with a hamstring injury earlier this year, so it sounds like he aggravated that. Johnson missed six games with a knee injury last season, so this is obviously troubling. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more.
Steelers’ Anthony Chickillo Arrested
The Steelers are in the news on their bye week, which is never a good sign. Pittsburgh linebacker Anthony Chickillo was arrested over the weekend, according to WTAE Pittsburgh.
Chickillo has been charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment. A source told WTAE that the incident involved Chickillo’s girlfriend, so it’s a domestic violence issue. A Steelers spokesperson told the news channel “we are aware of an incident involving Anthony Chickillo last night and are still gathering information. Until we have further details we will not provide any further comments.”
It’s possible Chickillo will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list since it’s a domestic violence incident, and he could be slapped with a minimum six-game ban if the league’s investigation finds him at fault. Chickillo was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the sixth-round back in 2015. After playing out his rookie deal, he signed a two-year, $8MM deal to remain with the team this past March.
Last season Chickillo played around 28 percent of the team’s defensive snaps while also being a core special teamer. He missed three games earlier this year with a foot injury, returning for their Week 6 win over the Chargers and notching a half-sack. We’ll keep you posted when we hear more on the situation.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/20/19
This one actually came on the wire yesterday, but we’re passing it along now.
Houston Texans:
- Signed: QB Alex McGough
- Released: TE Keenen Brown
McGough had been on the active roster, but was released this past week. After clearing waivers, he was quickly re-added to the taxi squad. The FIU product was given a weekly salary that equals his full minimum NFL active roster salary when re-signing to the practice squad, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chroncile (Twitter link). McGough was drafted by the Seahawks in the seventh-round last year, and spent time with the Jags this offseason.
Broncos Likely To Trade Emmanuel Sanders
We heard earlier today that the Broncos were going to listen to trade offers for receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and it sounds like they’re going to do more than just listen.
Denver is now “expected to deal” Sanders before the deadline, sources told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News. The Broncos lost a game to the Chiefs on Thursday, which was widely considered their last stand. Now that they’re 2-5, it looks like they’re going to become sellers. In a tweet, Klis notes that Sanders is “still in play” to suit up for Denver’s Week 8 game in Indianapolis, but that he “has likely played his last home game.” Sanders is 32 now and coming off a major injury, and it doesn’t look like the Broncos are ready to compete anytime soon.
There are a bunch of contenders out there who could use receiver help, including the Patriots, but it’s unclear what kind of compensation Denver will be able to get. Sanders missed the end of last season with an Achilles tear, but was able to make it back for the 2019 opener. He’s had a few big games but has also been completely left out of the offense at times.
Through seven games, Sanders has 30 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Those are some not too shabby numbers, and he clearly has at least something left in the tank. The deadline is a week from this Tuesday, so we’ll know Sanders’ next destination soon. Sanders has been with the team since 2014, and had 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns in his first year with Peyton Manning under center. The Broncos look like they’re going to enter a rebuild, and it’ll be interesting to see what other moves they make. It’s definitely possible cornerback Chris Harris Jr. is shipped out.
Extra Points: Burrow, Meyer, Okung
The 2020 NFL Draft is still a long way away, but it’s never too early to start talking about it. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow wasn’t on too many people’s radars heading into this season, but that’s changed dramatically. The Tigers’ offense has been way better than anybody expected, and Burrow has been the main reason why. Regarded by many as a potential Day 3 pick entering the year, it appears his draft stock has been skyrocketing.
In fact, draft analyst Matt Miller of Bleacher Report said in a tweet that he has Burrow ranked as his number two quarterback, and his number seven player overall. Miller goes so far as to say that at “that grade he’s probably a top five pick.” The Tigers are still undefeated, and the Ohio State transfer has been nearly flawless. If you’re a fan of a team tanking for a quarterback, it sure sounds like you should start watching LSU games closely.
Here’s more from around the league on a quiet Saturday night:
- Russell Okung is definitely on the mend, but he’ll need at least another week to recuperate. The Chargers’ left tackle, who started the year on the NFI list because of blood clots, returned to practice earlier this week. But the Chargers didn’t make a transaction today, which means they’ll wait at least one more game to activate Okung, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Los Angeles’ offensive line has been struggling and the team is just 2-4, so they could definitely use their reliable starter back as soon as possible.
- Urban Meyer made an unusual move for a coach this week, openly declaring he’d like a job. Meyer said on Colin Cowherd’s radio show that he’d “absolutely” want to coach the Cowboys if offered the job, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Jason Garrett’s seat has started to heat up a little bit with Dallas falling to 2-2, but this is still a bit surprising to see Meyer publicly lobbying for the gig. Meyer “retired” from Ohio State after last season, and has been serving as an analyst for FOX’s college football coverage. Nobody ever really believed he was done coaching for good, and this seems to be confirmation of that. Were Garrett to be fired, it’s long been rumored the Jones family would make a run at Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/19
Today’s minor moves will be posted here:
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: DB Jake Gervase