Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Will Start Sunday
3:01pm: The Packers officially activated the reigning MVP off their reserve/COVID-19 list. Rodgers will start against the Seahawks in Week 10.
11:01am: It sounds like Aaron Rodgers will be returning to the field tomorrow. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Rodgers is back with the Packers, is expected to be activated from the COVID-19/reserve list, and will start tomorrow against the Seahawks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (on Twitter) that Rodgers has remained asymptomatic and “has met the NFL/NFLPA return-to-play protocols.”
Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, forcing him to miss Green Bay’s Week 9 game. He later revealed that he experienced COVID-19 symptoms before and after his positive test, putting his availability for Week 10 in doubt. An unvaccinated player must be away from his team for 10 days after experiencing symptoms. Ultimately, Rodgers made it through protocols in time for tomorrow’s showdown.
Rodgers’ positive test also sparked an investigation by the NFL into the Packers’ handling of COVID-19 protocols. The team was slapped with a $300K fine, while Rodgers and teammate Allen Lazard were fined $14,650. The two players were fined for attending a maskless Halloween party. The Packers’ organizational fine also stemmed from the party; while the gathering wasn’t organized by the team, the NFL believes the organization should have penalized each player. The Packers organization was notified that “future violations could result in escalated discipline,” including the potential loss of draft picks.
The Packers offense predictably struggled without Rodgers. The team was limited to only seven points in their loss to the Chiefs, with former Packers first-rounder and fill-in starter Jordan Love completing 19 of his 34 attempts for 190 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Cardinals To Place RB Chase Edmonds On IR
The Cardinals are placing Chase Edmonds on injured reserve. The running back will be sidelined for at least the next three games thanks to a high-ankle sprain, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The Cardinals have promoted running back Tavien Feaster to the active roster to take the open roster spot (Twitter link).
Since Edmonds was diagnosed with the ankle sprain earlier this week, an IR stint seemed inevitable. The injury often cost players 4-6 weeks, so Edmonds could be looking at a longer IR stay than the three required games. Either way, the expectation is that he’ll suit up again for Arizona’s stretch run and the postseason.
Edmonds was limited to only a single carry during his team’s Week 9 win over the 49ers before exiting with an injury. Through the first eight games of the season, the former fourth-round pick had collected 638 yards from scrimmage on 105 touches. James Conner, who currently leads the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns, will see the majority of the reps at running back while Edmonds is sidelined. The team is also rostering running backs Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin.
Feaster split his college career between Clemson and South Carolina. He’s bounced around the NFL since going undrafted in the 2020 draft, also spending time with the Jaguars, Giants, and Lions. He’s spent the majority of the 2021 season on the Cardinals practice squad.
WFT Places DE Montez Sweat On IR
Montez Sweat will head to the IR after all. Washington Football Team placed the defensive end on injured reserve today, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Sweat suffered a fractured jaw two weeks ago, and while he was fortunate to avoid surgery, a trip to the IR still seemed pretty likely. The 25-year-old was told by doctors to have “no physical contact for a month,” so it sounded like there was no shot he’d return before December. Now, the earliest he can see the field is December 5th against the Raiders.
The 2019 first-round pick has been a force since entering the NFL. After collecting 16 sacks through his first two seasons, Sweat compiled another four sacks in eight starts this year. The defensive end also has 19 tackles, two forced fumbles, 12 QB hits, and three tackles for loss.
WFT let Ryan Kerrigan walk this offseason, so the organization has some inexperienced options to replace Sweat. The team will likely turn to James Smith-Williams when they return from their bye tomorrow, although they’re also rostering Casey Toohill and rookie Shaka Toney.
Details On QB Cam Newton’s Contract With Panthers
When Cam Newton rejoined the Panthers this week, we learned that he could collect up to $10MM on his one-year contract. Well, it sounds like Newton will be hard pressed to reach those incentives, with the majority of his bonuses tied to the team’s performance in the postseason.
[RELATED: Panthers Sign QB Cam Newton]
ESPN’s Field Yates has provided (via Twitter) the full details on the QB’s contract with the Panthers. Newton can earn an extra $500K for each playoff win (coupled with playing at least 50 percent of the team’s offensive snaps). Newton can also earn an additional $1.5MM for a Super Bowl win (+ 50% playing time) and another $1MM if he wins Super Bowl MVP.
No disrespect to the Panthers, but there’s no guarantee that they even make the playoffs, much less get a playoff win. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, there are 11 NFC teams with better odds to make the Super Bowl, and there are 23 NFL teams with a better chance of winning the championship. Even if you ignore the Panthers’ odds, there’s still a chance the team goes back to Sam Darnold once he returns from the IR.
In reality, Newton will likely earn the previously reported $4.5MM that is guaranteed plus his per-game roster bonus. In other words, assuming Newton is rostered for the rest of the season and the Panthers either fail to make the playoffs or fail to win a postseason game, then Newton’s really looking at a max contract value of $6MM.
Those per-game roster bonuses are valued at $187.5K, per Yates. Newton’s $4.5MM guaranteed is divided with a $2.25MM signing bonus and a $2.25MM base salary.
OBJ Notes: Rams Pursuit, Contract, Other Suitors
Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense has been cruising, and the team added another weapon today when they signed Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year deal. Predictably, Stafford is excited to see OBJ join a depth chart that already features Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.
“I’ve played with a bunch of good (receivers) in my career, and he’s up there,” Stafford said (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “He’s a talented guy. It’s one of those things where everybody on our team carves out their role. They do a great job of figuring out what that role is going to be and going out there and proving it — both on the practice field and in games — and then getting those opportunities. I know he’ll do the same. There’s a lot of time between now and that. We’ve just got to make sure that we’re on the same page, go out there and play ball.”
While Stafford and the Rams won the Beckham sweepstakes, a few teams were left empty handed. That included the Seahawks and Russell Wilson, who wished the wideout well but noted that his squad already has plenty of capable receivers on the depth chart.
“First of all, with Odell, he’s an unbelievable talent, a world class, generational type of talent,” Wilson said (via Mike Florio of PFT). “For our organization, we are always looking for ways to compete and find ways to win, but we have some great guys already. We have some of the best guys in the world, so to have the possibility of adding another amazing talent would be amazing. If not, we are still ready to go, hopefully all of the way, and that’s been our focus. He’s a tremendous talent.”
Some more notes following OBJ’s decision to join the Rams:
- NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has details on OBJ’s contract (on Twitter). Beckham Jr. got a one-year, $4.25MM deal that includes a $500K signing bonus and $750K for the rest of the season. The other $3MM is based on team-based incentives, so the wideout will get a nice payout if the team makes a Super Bowl run. This also means that OBJ could end up earning more with his new team than he was due from the Browns.
- The Rams came in late to the bidding process, and OBJ was ultimately enticed by the team’s passing attack. “We came in a bit late —but we gave him best shot,” a team source told ESPN’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link). “Sold great QB. 65% pass. Single coverage.” Another Rams source told Russini that the team believed they “needed to add one more piece” to their receivers depth chart, with the OBJ signing allowing them to basically rotate four players for three spots.
- Albert Breer tweets more details on the Rams pursuit, noting that the Rams initially told the wideout that they didn’t have a lot to spend. However, the player’s camp “encouraged” the organization to stay involved. Meanwhile, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets that the Rams had interest in acquiring OBJ in 2018 when the Giants put him on the trade block.
- For failed pursuits: Chiefs coach Andy Reid made a pitch to Beckham Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). The 49ers also failed in their pursuit, with GM John Lynch acknowledging that the team’s underwhelming record probably didn’t make them a legit suitor…although OBJ apparently did have past interest in joining San Francisco. “I don’t think close,” Lynch responded when asked how close the organization came to signing OBJ (via Can Inman of the San Jose Mercury on Twitter). “To be blunt some of that, you have to earn the right … He’s been fond of our place. He came up to me in [2018] pregame and said “get me here, get me here.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Damontre Moore
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Duke Dawson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Gary Jennings
- Placed on injured list: WR Jeff Badet
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Signed: LB Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Corbin Kaufusi, CB Saivion Smith
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Breon Borders
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/21
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR A.J. Green
- Placed on IR: LS Aaron Brewer, TE David Wells
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: OL James Carpenter, DT Kahlil McKenzie.
- Signed to active roster: TE Eric Tomlinson, CB Chris Westry
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: CB Cameron Lewis, QB Davis Webb
- Placed on IR: DL Justin Zimmer
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Jake Fromm, WR Tanner Gentry
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Drue Tranquill
New England Patriots
- Designated for return: DE Chase Winovich
New Orleans Saints
- Activated off IR: TE Nick Vannett
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jason Pinnock
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Won’t Start Tonight
Tua Tagovailoa will likely miss his second-straight game. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports (via Twitter) that backup Jacoby Brissett will be starting for the Dolphins when they take on the Ravens tonight.
Tagovailoa has been dealing with a small fracture in the middle finger of his throwing hand that forced him to miss last Sunday’s game against the Texans. Per Wolfe (on Twitter), the quarterback is still dealing with a grip issue and corresponding discomfort. Fortunately, it sounds like the QB is getting better, and the team is hopeful he’ll play next weekend against the Jets. Just like last week, Tagovailoa will still be active for tonight’s game. If Brissett is forced to exit the game, Tagovailoa will be forced into the lineup, injury and all.
The Alabama product has posted a disappointing 86.7 quarterback rating in his 15 professional games, and his persistent injury problems are preventing him from generating any positive momentum. Before the finger ailment, he previously missed three full games this year (and most of a fourth) due to a rib injury. In the five games he’s started, Tagovailoa has completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,040 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. He’s added another 62 yards and two scores on 15 touches.
Brissett has already started four of his seven games this season. The veteran has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,127 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions. Per Wolfe, Brissett got the majority of the starting reps at practice this week, and the team was preparing for tonight’s contest as if the 28-year-old would get the start.
Cowboys Place Randy Gregory On IR
Randy Gregory is heading to injured reserve after all. The Cowboys announced today that they’ve placed the pass rusher on injured reserve.
We already knew that Gregory’s calf injury was going to sideline him for at least one game, but it sounded like the team was considering keeping him off IR. Ultimately, that won’t be the case, and Gregory will now be sidelined for the next three games. Gregory suffered the injury during a one-on-one drill on Wednesday, and a subsequent MRI revealed the strain.
Gregory has largely done well to stay on the field this season, which comes after the former second-round pick spent much of his career away from the Cowboys due to suspensions. In seven games, Gregory has recorded five sacks and 12 quarterback hits. The seventh-year D-lineman has added a team-high two forced fumbles during what has been a breakthrough season.
When Gregory was sidelined earlier this season, the team moved first-rounder Micah Parsons to defensive end, so the team could go back to that configuration for the next few weeks. Despite playing mostly in an off-ball role, Parsons has matched Gregory’s five sacks. No other Cowboy edge rusher has more than one sack, however.
Saints Place DL Payton Turner On IR
The Saints are placing their rookie first-round pick on injured reserve. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), defensive lineman Payton Turner has been placed on IR.
Turner suffered a shoulder injury that limited him to a season-low 15 snaps during Sunday’s loss to the Falcons. The defensive lineman had just returned to the lineup after missing two games with a calf injury, so this is unfortunate timing for the rook. He’ll be out for at least the next three games.
The Houston product was selected by the Saints with the 28th-overall pick in the 2021 draft. He’s seen time in five games this season, collecting 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three QB hits, and one sack. In his first four games of the season, Turner has appeared in at least 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
Turner has mostly played defensive end since entering the NFL, and the Saints have plenty of depth at the position in Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Carl Granderson, and Jalyn Holmes.