Latest On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Ravens fans can breathe a sigh of relief…Lamar Jackson is going to be okay, and he could even be on the field this Sunday against the Packers. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh provided some clarity (and optimism) when discussing his quarterback’s sprained ankle earlier today.
[RELATED: QB Lamar Jackson Has Sprained Ankle]
“Lamar has an ankle sprain. It’s not a high ankle sprain, which is good news,” Harbaugh said (via Ryan Mink of the team’s website). “We’ll just have to see what it is from there and how he feels this week going forward and what it looks like.
“The plans are right now, in my mind, for Lamar to be out there. So we’ll see where it goes this week. If he can go, he’ll go. If not, Tyler [Huntley will be the quarterback. That’s where we’re at.”
The diagnosis is good news, and Jackson can now focus on pain tolerance vs. a definitive absence. Jackson exited Sunday’s loss to the Browns after only 10 offensive snaps, completing all four of his passes. Huntley took over once Jackson exited the game with the 23-year-old completing 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 270 yards and one touchdown. He also added 45 yards on six carries, although he also had two costly fumbles.
Baltimore is currently battling for playoff positioning, and a multi-week absence for Jackson would have likely spelled doom for the team’s postseason chances. Fortunately, if the QB is forced to miss any time, it sounds like it’ll only be one week.
49ers DE Dee Ford Not Expected To Play Again This Season
It’s sounding like Dee Ford won’t see the field again this season. Earlier today, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t sound particularly optimistic when discussing the veteran defensive end’s chances of being activated from IR.
“That’s something I never can predict,” Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). “But I’ll be surprised if he’s back. I think we’ll just have to continue playing without him.”
A back issue limited Ford to only one game in 2020, and it was that same ailment that sidelined him in late October. The 30-year-old was designated to return from injured reserve back in late November, meaning he’d have to be activated to the active roster by December 16 or he’d lose his eligibility to play in 2021. While Ford seemed to be progressing well when he first returned to practice, it sounds like the veteran won’t be returning this season after all.
In six games this year, Ford collected three sacks, boosting his career total to 40. The eighth-year defender has struggled with injuries throughout his career, including neck trouble and concussion-like symptoms just this season.
The 49ers traded for Ford during the 2019 offseason and saw him play a key role in their Super Bowl LIV run as a part-timer. Unfortunately, he’s been limited to just 18 regular season games in SF over the last two seasons and change.
Dolphins Worked Out RB Lamar Miller
The Dolphins considered a reunion with one of their former players today. Per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter), the team worked out running back Lamar Miller today. The team also took a look at RBs Benny LeMay, Jordan Scarlett, and Dexter Williams, who ultimately signed with the Dolphins practice squad. Miami also promoted RB Duke Johnson to the active roster and released wideout Travis Fulgham from the practice squad.
Miller was a second-round pick by the Dolphins back in 2012, and he ended up spending the first four seasons of his career in Miami. Miller ultimately saw time in 61 games (48 starts) during his time with the Dolphins, including a career year in 2014 when he collected 1,374 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. The 30-year-old has bounced around the NFL recently, including a stint on the Saints practice squad earlier this season.
Instead of adding Miller to their depth chart, the Dolphins decided to pivot to Williams. Williams was a sixth-round pick by the Packers back in 2019, and he ended up spending two seasons in Green Bay, collecting 19 yards from scrimmage in seven games. The 24-year-old has spent much of the 2021 campaign on the Giants and Browns practice squads.
Miami’s running backs depth chart is shaky heading into Week 15. Myles Gaskin, Phillip Lindsay, and Salvon Ahmed are all on the reserve/COVID-19 list, leading to Johnson’s promotion. Williams will join a taxi squad that already includes RB Gerrid Doaks. The team also has Patrick Laird and Malcolm Brown on the IR, and there’s a chance Brown could return before the end of the season.
Vikings Place RB Alexander Mattison On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Vikings made a handful of roster moves today, and it sounds like they’re preparing to be without Alexander Mattison for next Monday’s game against the Bears. The team announced that they’ve placed their backup running back on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The team has claimed veteran Wayne Gallman off waivers to fill the roster spot.
Mattison has had a career season for the Vikings, thanks mostly to three productive starts where he filled in for starter Dalvin Cook. In 13 games this season, Mattison has collected 615 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 140 touches. He had more than 100 yards from scrimmage after starting Minnesota’s Week 13 loss, but he returned to a backup role last Thursday with Cook back in the lineup.
Gallman is an experienced option to turn to if Mattison misses time. The veteran finished 2020 with a career-high 682 rushing yards, and after getting signed (and cut) by the 49ers, he caught on with the Falcons in September. He proceeded to see time in six games for Atlanta this season, collecting 125 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches.The 27-year-old was cut by the Falcons on Saturday.
The Vikings made some additional moves, including placing wideout Dan Chisena on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The team also placed linebacker Ryan Connelly on injured reserve. The 26-year-old has seen time in 12 games this season, collecting three tackles. The Vikings also made a procedural move, activating Olabisi Johnson from the reserve/COVID-19 list. The wideout still remains on injured reserve.
Titans To Activate WR Julio Jones From IR
Julio Jones will be in uniform for the Titans tomorrow when they take on the Jaguars. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Titans plan to activate the veteran wide receiver off injured reserve. Jones returned to practice earlier this week.
A hamstring injury has limited Jones to just six games so far this season. Last month, the Titans moved to place him on IR, freeing up an additional roster spot for a few weeks. Jones missed time in previous seasons with a hamstring ailment, as well. Fortunately, Rapoport says Jones’ latest hamstring injury “has healed.”
Jones was limited to only nine games and 771 yards in 2020, but he was a 1,000-yard receiver as recently as 2019 (when he was a second-team All-Pro after finishing with 99 receptions for 1,394 yards and six touchdowns). So, the Titans were naturally expecting big things this past offseason when they acquired Jones (along with a sixth-round pick) from the Falcons for a second-round pick and a future fourth-round pick. However, in the veteran’s six games this season, he’s averaging only 56 receiving yards per game, a major dip from his previous career-low (73.8 yards during his rookie campaign in 2011).
Still, Jones will be welcomed back with open arms by a Titans offense that had to go without Jones, A.J. Brown, and Derrick Henry in their most recent loss to the Patriots.
Panthers Plan To Give HC Matt Rhule Another Year
Despite the Panthers’ underwhelming record in one-plus season under Matt Rhule, it sounds like the head coach will get another year to figure it all out. Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Panthers owner David Tepper intends to keep Rhule around for a third season. Of course, the writer cautions that plenty could change over the next five weeks.
The Panthers are 5-7 on the year, giving Rhule a combined record of 10-18 across the last two seasons. Things haven’t gone according to plan for Rhule, but it sounds like the organization will give him some additional time to figure it out. The Panthers have dealt with inconsistent QB play over the past two years, and the team was hit hard by injuries in 2021 (including an injury to their best player, Christian McCaffrey). NFL teams took notice of Baylor’s quick turnaround from the Art Briles era when Rhule was at the helm, and it sounds like the Panthers are still hoping their HC can guide a similar revival in Carolina.
While Rhule will likely get a commitment for the 2022 season, don’t be surprised if he’s given an extremely short leash. Graziano believes the HC will be one of the major names on the “hot seat” heading into the 2022 campaign.
Meanwhile, Graziano writes that the recent dismissal of offensive coordinator Joe Brady wasn’t all that surprising. The two coaches “didn’t have the best relationship,” and if you add in Carolina’s sputtering offense, the writing was clearly on the wall.
Jaguars Players, Coaches Frustrated With HC Urban Meyer
Ever since Urban Meyer skipped a team flight following a Week 4 loss to the Bengals, there have been questions surrounding the head coach’s commitment to and control within the Jaguars organization. In fact, we heard just last night that Meyer and GM Trent Baalke may not be seeing eye to eye. Well, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network has added some fuel to that fire this morning.
According to the reporter, tensions surrounding Meyer have “boiled over with multiple run-ins with players and other coaches in recent weeks.” This has led to rumblings that Meyer could be done in Jacksonville after only one season. The organization is naturally frustrated as they currently have a 2-10 record and have averaged only 10.6 points per game over the six contests since their bye. The HC has continually shifted blame on the players and coaches, per Pelissero, comments that have only helped to “exacerbated frustration in the building.”
The reporter provided more damning anecdotes that seem to show that things are spiraling out of control in Jacksonville. For starters, respected veteran wideout Marvin Jones recently left team facilities before returning and having a heated exchange with Meyer. Next, Meyer reportedly belittled coaches in a meeting by declaring that he was a “winner” and insinuating that his fellow coaches were “losers.” Finally, James Robinson‘s recent benching was indeed Meyer’s decision, and the HC tasked RB coach Bernie Parmalee with preventing the starter from reentering the game. Robinson only got more playing time once top-overall pick Trevor Lawrence questioned why his teammate wasn’t playing.
As Pelissero details, there’s a number of additional reasons why someone would question Meyer’s authority in Jacksonville. Multiple members of his staff have either stepped away or will be taking jobs elsewhere, and the organization was also slapped with fines about the HC’s violation of OTA rules (Meyer was also investigated after acknowledging that he factored vaccination status into his roster decisions). Then there was that whole flight fiasco earlier this season, which was followed by a notorious viral video that showed Meyer at a bar dancing with a woman.
Despite it all, Pelissero writes that owner Shad Khan has shown “no signs” of wanting to make a change. Khan has generally been loyal to his staff, and the owner had pursued Meyer for years. Unless things are truly too far gone, it sounds like Khan will be in favor of giving Meyer a second season with the organization.
NFL Teams Showing Interest In Jim Harbaugh?
After guiding his alma mater to a berth in the College Football Playoffs, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is riding high right now. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano cautions that the HC still has plenty of suitors in the NFL if he wishes to return to professional football. According to the reporter, “there are whispers of NFL teams showing interest” in Harbaugh.
Harbaugh established himself as an elite coach when he was in San Francisco. Between 2011 and 2013, the 49ers had 36 regular season games, made a Super Bowl, and lost a pair of NFC Championship Games. However, San Francisco went only 8-8 in 2014, and thanks in part to power struggles with GM Trent Baalke, Harbaugh and the organization agreed to mutually part ways.
It didn’t take long for the coach to find his next gig. Harbaugh was soon hired by Michigan to be their head coach. The team had their ups and downs through Harbaugh’s first six seasons with the school, but he helped return the Wolverines to glory in 2021. The team finished 12-1 and won their first Big Ten title in 17 years, with Harbaugh being named The Associated Press college football coach of the year.
Thanks to this recent success, it seems that Harbaugh will be sticking around Michigan for the foreseeable future. However, Graziano opines that NFL teams would happily lure the HC back to the league. Specifically, the writer points to the Raiders as a potential suitor. Mark Davis is still reeling from the ousting of Jon Gruden, and Graziano opines that Las Vegas would be the organization to think most “outside-the-box” when it comes to hiring a replacement. Plus, per the reporter, Davis and Harbaugh “have a friendship that dates back a ways.” The Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross (who is from Michigan) have also been connected to Harbaugh throughout the years, but Graziano wonders if Brian Flores (along with GM Chris Grier) have bought themselves some time as the Dolphins have worked their way back into playoff contention.
Buccaneers Activate Richard Sherman
FRIDAY: Sherman is set to make his return in Week 14. Two days after opening his IR-return window, the Bucs activated the 11th-year veteran cornerback. He has not played since Week 6, joining Davis and Murphy-Bunting in missing a sizable chunk of Tampa Bay’s season. All three are set to be in uniform when the defending champions face the Bills on Sunday.
WEDNESDAY: Richard Sherman‘s return is imminent. The Buccaneers designated the cornerback to return from IR today.
Sherman suffered a grade 2 calf sprain back in mid-November, leading to his placement on injured reserve. With today’s move, the Buccaneers will now have 21 days to activate the defensive back to their active roster.
Sherman joined the Buccaneers in late September, and he made his debut for Tampa Bay in Week 4. He started each of his three games for Tampa Bay, collecting 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. The 33-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Week 6, and he was expected to return to the field for Tampa’s Week 10 game against Washington. However, the veteran suffered an injury prior to the game, sidelining him for an extra few weeks.
The Buccaneers have dealt with their fair share of cornerbacks injuries this season. Starters Sean Murphy-Bunting and Carlton Davis were sidelined for months, but the duo have since returned to the lineup. With Sherman back, the team’s cornerbacks corps should be fully healthy. In fact, head coach Bruce Arians suggested that Sherman could end up playing some safety for the squad down the stretch.
“That’s the beauty of having Sherm here is he’s a veteran player who can play a lot of positions,” Arians said this week (via The Athletic). “We’re looking this week to see if that’s a fit for us.”
Former NFL WR Demaryius Thomas Passes Away
Former Pro Bowl wideout Demaryius Thomas has passed away, according to Miles Garrett of Fox 5 Sports in Atlanta (on Twitter). Mike Klis of 9News in Denver has confirmed the sad news. Thomas would have turned 34 later this month.
Thomas was a first-round pick by the Broncos back in 2010, and he proceeded to spend eight-plus seasons with the Broncos. The wideout really broke out in 2012 when Peyton Manning took over under center, and Thomas finished with at least 1,000 receiving yards for five-straight seasons. The wideout earned five consecutive Pro Bowl nods between 2012 and 2016, and he was a second-team All-Pro in 2013 and 2014.
The receiver was also a major part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl run in 2015. The wideout finished the regular season with 105 receptions for 1,304 yards and six touchdowns, and he added another seven receptions in three postseason games.
Thomas ranks second in Broncos history in receiving yards (9,055) and receiving touchdowns (60), and he ranks third in receptions (665). He also owns the franchise records in playoff receptions (53).
Following his stint with the Broncos, Thomas spent time with the Texans, Patriots, and Jets. The receiver added another 59 receptions, 708 yards, and three touchdowns to his impressive resume during this time. He announced his retirement from the NFL back in June.
We here at PFR would like to extend our condolences to Thomas’s family, friends, and colleagues.