Taylor Heinicke To Remain Commanders’ Starting QB
NOVEMBER 20: Heinicke will remain the Commanders’ starting quarterback unless he starts to struggle and Washington’s offense begins to regress, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. John Keim of ESPN.com subsequently confirmed the report, and while Wentz is likely to be activated off of IR soon, he will return to the roster as a backup. Wentz has been informed of the decision, per Keim.
This decision stands to impact the compensation that the Colts will receive for the trade that sent Wentz from Indianapolis to the Commanders this offseason. If Wentz does not play at least 70% of the Commanders’ offensive snaps in 2022 — a scenario that is looking increasingly likely — the Colts will receive a 2023 third-round choice from Washington instead of a second-rounder.
NOVEMBER 16: Carson Wentz is just about ready to return to practice, but for the time being, the Commanders will be rolling with Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that Heinicke will start this Sunday against the Texans, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (on Twitter).
Rivera doesn’t seem to be committing to Heinicke as his starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. While Wentz has been cleared to throw, he’s yet to be designated to return to practice. If the Commanders sincerely wanted Wentz under center going forward, they’d surely give him a full week of practice before tossing him back into the fire.
While the Commanders don’t have to make a decision about their QB1 with Wentz technically still on the shelf, some around the NFL believe Washington is preparing to give Heinicke the reigns for the rest of the 2022 season. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that “many around the league” expect the team to stick with Heinicke as their starting QB, “at least for the short term.” One source told Fowler that the young players on the Commanders “gravitate” towards Heinicke because of his “fiery personality and his no-fear attitude,” and Rivera is cognizant of the locker room support that the quarterback possesses. On the flip side, the organization also values Wentz’s “skill and toughness,” and it doesn’t sound like there would be any mutiny if the staff decides to roll with the veteran.
Heinicke has certainly impressed under center. In his four starts, he’s guided the Commanders to a 3-1 record, including a victory over the previously undefeated Eagles. He’s completed 62 percent of his pass attempts for 840 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions, and he’s added another 60 yards and a score on the ground. This performance comes on the heels of a 2021 campaign that saw him go 7-8 as a starter while tossing 20 touchdowns vs. 15 interceptions.
Wentz was acquired by Washington this past offseason and started each of the first six games before suffering a hand injury that landed him on IR. Washington was 2-4 in Wentz’s six appearances, with the 29-year-old completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,489 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Giants Activate OL Shane Lemieux From IR
3:25pm: The Giants have used one of their injury activations on Lemieux, who has not played since September 2021. The third-year veteran is expected to see steady action in his Week 11 debut.
9:42am: Shane Lemieux has been limited to only one game over the past two seasons, but the Giants lineman should be back on the field this weekend. The Giants are expected to activate the offensive guard from injured reserve today, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com (on Twitter). Lemieux is expected to immediately start for New York.
Lemieux suffered a foot injury during the Giants’ preseason opener, and that issue (and the subsequent surgery) ended up keeping the offensive lineman off the field for months. The 25-year-old returned to practice earlier this month, and now he’ll be thrown right into the fire as he’s expected to start against the Lions.
The former fifth-round pick immediately had a role for the Giants as a rookie, starting nine of his 12 games that season. While sites like Pro Football Focus weren’t particularly fond of his performance in 2020, he was still expected to play a significant role on the offensive line in 2021. However, a knee injury ended up limiting Lemieux to only a single appearance last season. Lemieux was once again expected to play an important role in 2022, but his foot injury derailed that plan.
“It’s been a hard couple years,” Lemieux recently told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I’m a ballplayer. I love football. Being on the field is the best feeling in the world. When you get taken away from the game, you realize how important it is to you. I’m ready to get back out there, for sure.”
The Giants offensive line has struggled with injuries all season, but the unit is slowly and surely getting healthier. In addition to Lemieux, Evan Neal and Ben Bredeson are both expected to soon return from their respective knee injuries.
Bengals Activate DT D.J. Reader
D.J. Reader is back. The Bengals have activated the defensive tackle from injured reserve, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic (on Twitter). Cincinnati also promoted wideout Trenton Irwin and punter Drue Chrisman from the practice squad.
Reader inked a four-year, $53MM deal to join the Bengals in 2020. He was limited to only five games during his first season in Cincy thanks to a quad injury, but he returned to start all 15 of his appearances in 2021. The defensive tackle finished the campaign with 43 tackles and a pair of sacks, and he added another 12 tackles and a sack in four playoff starts. Thanks to his regular season performance, Pro Football Focus ranked him ninth among 108 qualifying interior defenders.
The 28-year-old started each of the Bengals’ first three games this year, compiling 10 tackles. He suffered an MCL injury in September that shelved him for a few months, but he returned to practice earlier this week and is now in line to take the field tomorrow in Pittsburgh.
Chrismas is getting a chance to be Cincinnati’s punter despite Kevin Huber‘s presence on the roster. According to Dehner (on Twitter), Chrismas will have a chance to earn the full-time gig, and Huber has “been in the loop”on the team’s plan. Huber’s 2022 salary is guaranteed regardless of how things unfold. Huber has struggled this season, with his 43.2 yards per punt misrepresenting his lowest average since 2010. Chrismas, a 2021 UDFA out of Ohio State, has spent the majority of his career on the Bengals practice squad.
Irwin has earned promotions in each of the Bengals’ last two games following Ja’Marr Chase‘s injury. The 26-year-old wideout has gotten into 11 games in four seasons with the Bengals, collecting six receptions (including three this season).
Browns Activate DE Chase Winovich
The Browns made a handful of roster moves this morning. The team announced that they’ve activated defensive end Chase Winovich from injured reserve and placed guard Michael Dunn on IR. The team also promoted linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. and safety Mike Brown from the practice squad.
Winovich had 11 sacks through his first two seasons in the NFL but was in New England’s dog house in 2021, leading to an offseason trade to Cleveland. The defensive lineman got into two games this season with the Browns before suffering a hamstring injury in September. The injury ultimately landed Winovich on injured reserve for a few months, with the defensive end returning to practice earlier this month.
Dunn has appeared in eight games (two starts) for Cleveland this year. A back issue forced the offensive lineman to miss Week 10, and the injury will now require him to miss at least four more games. Drew Forbes and Hjalte Froholdt can help soak up some of the snaps at offensive guard.
Defensive backs D’Anthony Bell and Greg Newsome are recovering from concussions, so Brown will provide some extra depth in the secondary. The former Miami (Ohio) product joined the Browns practice squad back in October. Carter had 88 tackles in 17 starts for the Panthers last season. The linebacker was promoted for Cleveland’s Week 10 loss to the Dolphins and finished with a pair of special teams tackles.
Commanders RB J.D. McKissic To Miss Rest Of Season
J.D. McKissic‘s season has come to an end. The Commanders are placing the running back on injured reserve with a neck injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The injury is expected to sideline the veteran for the rest of the 2022 season.
McKissic has missed Washington’s past two games with the neck issue. While it didn’t initially sound like the injury would be a season-ender, Rapoport notes that the injury will require a few months of rehab. On the bright side, it sounds like McKissic should be good to go for the 2023 campaign.
The running back found a home in Washington over the past two-plus seasons. 2020 was a career year for McKissic, as the pass-catching back finished with 954 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. Thanks in part to injuries, he didn’t get nearly as many touches in 2021, but he still managed to finish his second season in Washington with 609 yards from scrimmage and four scores.
This past offseason, the free agent RB committed to a two-year, $7MM contract with the Bills before reneging on the deal and re-signing with the Commanders. With the RB room getting a bit more crowded, McKissic had a smaller role in his eight contests, compiling 268 yards from scrimmage on 49 touches.
Brian Robinson has turned into Washington’s preferred option on the ground, with the rookie collecting a career-high 26 carries in Week 10. As a result, Antonio Gibson has inherited McKissic’s pass-catching gig and has flourished. Gibson is already zeroing in on career-highs in receiving stats, as the 24-year-old has hauled in 34 catches in 10 games.
Fritz Pollard Alliance Initiates Inquiry Into Colts’ Interim HC Hire
Following the Colts’ recent decision to suddenly name Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach, the Fritz Pollard Alliance released a statement questioning the organization’s hiring process.
[RELATED: Colts Name Jeff Saturday Interim Replacement]
“In light of the recent interim head coaching hire in Indianapolis, the FPA has initiated an inquiry with the NFL into whether this hiring process conformed with NFL Hiring Guidelines for naming an interim Head Coach,” the FPA said in a statement (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter).
The NFL has said that the Rooney Rule, a policy requiring teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching positions, does not apply to interim HC gigs. Fritz Pollard Alliance executive director Rod Graves told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that the Rooney Rule should apply to interim hirings, and this latest statement “effectively formalizes the push for that change” (Twitter link).
League spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN’s Stephen Holder that the Colts would be required to conduct a HC search that complies with the Rooney Rule following the season, at which time the organization will presumably be seeking a full-time coach. Colts owner Jim Irsay also indicated as much following the announcement of Saturday’s hiring.
“At the end of the season, there will be a full process of reviewing permanent head coach, which we will have an interview process for and go from there,” Irsay said (via Holder). “This is for eight games and hopefully more.”
Injury Updates: Dobbins, Allen, Cardinals
J.K. Dobbins sat out the first two games of the season, started for four weeks, and then landed on injured reserve. When Dobbins was knocked out by knee surgery in mid-October, it was thought that the Ravens running back had suffered another knee injury. However, the second-year pro made it clear that the surgery was precautionary and intended to remedy lingering effects from his earlier surgery.
“I didn’t get reinjured,” Dobbins told WBJ in Baltimore (via NFL Network’s Mike Giardi on Twitter). “I didn’t hurt myself or anything. I just didn’t feel like myself… there was some stuff in my knee that was making me not feel like myself. It wasn’t bad, I could have still played … but I’d rather be 100 percent going into the playoffs towards the end of the year so I could really do what I really need to do to help the team win.”
Following a rookie campaign that saw him finish with more than 900 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns, Dobbins collected 162 yards and two touchdowns this season before landing on injured reserve. As Gus Edwards continues to nurse a hamstring injury, the Ravens have leaned on Kenyan Drake to lead the RB room.
More injury notes from around the NFL…
- While it sounds like Josh Allen won’t be forced to miss any time with his elbow injury, the Bills quarterback will be on a strict recovery plan for the foreseeable future. Allen told reporters that Buffalo’s training staff has him “on a specific plan that we’ll follow,” and CBS’s Jonathan Jones assumes that the quarterback will continue to be limited in practice going forward (Twitter link). Allen did acknowledge that his right elbow will eventually get back to normal, so there shouldn’t be any lingering concerns about his outlook moving forward.
- Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said he originally injured his hamstring in Week 8 against the Vikings, played through the injury, and then tweaked his hamstring in Week 9, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss on Twitter. Colt McCoy got the start for Arizona in Week 10, and while Murray acknowledged that he’s feeling better, he’s still unsure of his status for Monday night’s game against the 49ers.
- Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. While we don’t know any specifics surrounding the injury, coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters that the veteran will undergo surgery (per Weinfuss on Twitter). Ertz totaled 406 yards and four touchdowns on 47 receptions in 2022 before getting sidelined. The veteran inked a three-year, $31.65MM contract with the Cardinals this past offseason.
- Leonard Fournette suffered a hip pointer last weekend, but the Buccaneers running back isn’t expected to miss any time following the team’s Week 11 bye, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Rookie Rachaad White got an extended look filling in for Fournette, finishing with 22 carries for 105 yards.
- Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker told reporters that he’s still dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Week 1 that forced him to miss four games. “I’m not at 100%, no,” the veteran said (via Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star). “I mean, if I was at 100%, I’d be doing full steps on my kickoffs or going back to the 10 yards and everything.” Butker has struggled in the five games he’s played in 2022, connecting on only 62.5 percent of his field goal attempts. He’s also missed a pair of extra point tries over the past two weeks.
Bills Claim LB A.J. Klein
The Bills added a familiar face off waivers today. The team announced (via Twitter) that they’ve claimed linebacker A.J. Klein off waivers from the Bears. The veteran was waived by Chicago yesterday. To make room on the roster, Buffalo placed wideout Jake Kumerow on injured reserve.
Klein spent two seasons with the Bills between 2020 and 2021. He had a career year during his first season in Buffalo, finishing with a career-high 75 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles in 16 games (11 starts). He saw a reduced role in 2021, starting only four of his 15 appearances, but he still finished with 35 tackles. Klein also got into five playoff games during his first stint with the organization, collecting another seven tackles.
The 31-year-old has bounced around a bit since getting released by the Bills back in March. He joined the Giants practice squad in October before getting signed to Baltimore’s active roster. He was later sent to Chicago in the Roquan Smith trade before getting waived a few weeks later. He’s totaled five tackles in four games (one start) this year.
Kumerow has seen time in six games for the Bills this season, hauling in four catches for 64 yards while also playing a role on special teams. The veteran suffered an ankle injury during Buffalo’s Week 10 loss to the Vikings, and now he’ll be sidelined for at least the next four games.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/22
Today’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Kingsley Jonathan
- Released: C Greg Mancz
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB BoPete Keyes
- Released: RB Gerrid Doaks
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Hunter Thedford
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Isaac Yiadom
- Released: LB Kenny Young
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Auden Tate
- Released: CB Mac McCain
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/17/22
Today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted: LB Ladarius Hamilton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: WR C.J. Board
- Promoted: DB Davontae Harris, DB Greg Mabin
- Placed on IR: CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Both roster additions were made in anticipation of tonight’s game between the Packers and Titans. Board has got into one game for the Titans this season, returning four punts. Hamilton has seen time in two games this season after getting into six contests for Green Bay in 2021.
Johnson suffered a hamstring injury during Tennessee’s Week 10 win against the Packers. The 27-year-old has appeared in eight games this season, collecting five tackles.