Dolphins Activate QB Tua Tagovailoa Off IR
Tua Tagovailoa is officially back. The Dolphins have activated the quarterback off injured reserve. While Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com observes that Tagovailoa is listed as questionable, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the QB will start tomorrow in London.
Tua hasn’t played since suffering a rib injury during Miami’s Week 2 loss to the Bills. He was placed on IR in late September, and he was designated to return from IR earlier this week. While the QB got a week of practice under his belt, it was still uncertain if the organization would fly the former first-round pick across the Atlantic Ocean in order to play the winless Jaguars in London tomorrow. Ultimately, it sounds like Tagovailoa will be under center for his squad at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The former fifth-overall pick started nine of his 10 games last season, completing 64.1-percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also added another 109 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He threw a touchdown and rushed for another during the Dolphins’ Week 1 victory over the Patriots, and he completed one of his four pass attempts in Week 2 before exiting.
Jacoby Brissett has been filling in as the starting QB in Tua’s absence, throwing four touchdowns in three starts.
The Dolphins made two additional moves this morning, promoting wideouts Isaiah Ford and Kirk Merritt from the practice squad.
Giants’ Daniel Jones To Start In Week 6
FRIDAY: Jones cleared the protocol Friday. He is no longer on the Giants’ injury report and is set to make his return against the Rams this week.
The third-year quarterback will also have Sterling Shepard available. After missing two weeks with a hamstring injury, Shepard is good to go for Sunday. The injuries Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay sustained against Dallas will shelve them against Los Angeles, however. The team has listed Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton as questionable for Week 6. Toney managed three limited practices this week, making him a reasonable bet to play.
THURSDAY: Despite getting knocked out of last weekend’s loss to the Cowboys with a concussion, Daniel Jones could be on the field for Sunday’s game against the Rams. Coach Joe Judge told reporters that his starting QB is “on track with everything” as he looks to clear concussion protocol (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan).
Jones completed five of his 13 pass attempts before exiting Sunday’s loss. Following a helmet-to-helmet hit, Jones stumbled off the field before getting carted to the locker room. Jones is currently in concussion protocol, and he was ruled out of practice on Wednesday. However, he was seen participating in work outs on a side field.
That would seemingly open the door to Jones clearing concussion protocol and playing on Sunday. Even if the QB doesn’t see the field this week at practice, Judge indicated that his starter could still be in the lineup against Los Angeles (per Raanan).
The former first-round pick has had an unremarkable start to the 2021 campaign, completing 64.3-percent of his passes for 1,282 yards, four touchdowns, and only one interception. He’s also added another 197 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. If the 24-year-old isn’t able to play this weekend, Mike Glennon would be under center for the Giants. The veteran made his first appearance of the season in Week 5, completing 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 196 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Colts CB Xavier Rhodes, S Andrew Sendejo In Concussion Protocol
A pair of Colts defensive backs might not be cleared to play this weekend. The team announced that cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Andrew Sendejo are in the concussion protocol.
This is a tough break for Rhodes, who missed the first two games of the season with a calf injury. He’s been relatively productive since returning to the lineup, although he was limited to 41 snaps on Monday before exiting with the concussion. The veteran is currently in his second season with Indy. He got into all 16 games in 2020, finishing with 42 tackles, 12 passes defended, and two interceptions.
Sendejo‘s absence further depletes a safety corps that’s already missing Khari Willis. After starting 14 games for the Browns in 2020, Sendejo has started two of his four games in 2021, collecting eight tackles.
If Rhodes and Sendejo are unable to go this weekend against the Texans, the team would have to turn to defensive backs BoPete Keyes, Anthony Chesley, or George Odum to cover the open cornerback and safety spot.
NFL Reinstates CB Tyrique McGhee
Tyrique McGhee is now free to sign with any team. The NFL has reinstated the free agent cornerback, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Back in April, McGhee was hit with a five-game ban for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. This was the second suspension of the young cornerback’s career; during the 2020 campaign, he was suspended two games for the same violation.
McGhee had a standout career during his time at Georgia, appearing in 50 total games. He joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and he spent his entire rookie season on the team’s practice squad.
The Rams released him shortly after he was slapped with his second suspension. Now, the 23-year-old will look to restart his career elsewhere.
Colts WR T.Y. Hilton Considered Retirement
Following neck surgery that forced him to sit out the start of the 2021 season, veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton briefly considered hanging up his cleats, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic on Twitter.
“The first two days out of surgery, I didn’t think I’d be back, man, to be honest with you,” Hilton said (via Akeem Giaspie of the Indianapolis Star). “It was just painful. It was very painful. I hope nobody has to go through that at all. It sucks, especially not being able to play the game that I love after being in training camp so long with my team grinding and being so happy. God is good.”
The receiver acknowledged that he talked with former teammate Andrew Luck, who decided to retire after only seven years in the NFL.
“I talked to Andrew, that was probably the wrong thing to do,” Hilton said with a smirk. “(Luck) just wanted me to be good with it, get back healthy and don’t rush it. … He was a big supporter. My family just continued to check on me, so I was good once I got over those two to three days I started feeling better.”
Hilton has established himself as one of the greatest receivers in Colts history. In nine seasons with the organization, Hilton has hauled in 608 receptions for 9,360 yards and 50 touchdowns. The 31-year-old returned to practice yesterday, starting his 21-day IR-return clock.
The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. Hilton will be eligible to play Sunday against the Texans. While the Colts could slow-play his return, they are 1-4 and need as many weapons as possible in the near future.
Eagles OL Lane Johnson To Miss Third Straight Game
Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson is set to miss his third-straight game due to a personal matter, according to EJ Smith (via the Philadelphia Inquirer). The injury report for tonight’s game against the Buccaneers has confirmed that Johnson is inactive.
Johnson was a surprising inactive for Week 4, and he remained out in Week 5. Per Smith, the team’s only explanation was that Johnson has been “dealing with something privately and has the team’s support.”
“[He’s] still working through a personal matter, and we’re here for Lane for everything and all our guys through good times and bad times,” said head coach Nick Sirianni.
The three-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire nine-year career with Philly, and he inked a four-year, $72MM extension (including $54.5MM guaranteed) in 2019. The veteran was limited to only seven games in 2020, but he got into 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first three weeks of the 2021 campaign.
With Johnson out of the lineup, Jordan Mailata will continue lining up as the right tackle, with Andre Dillard serving as the left tackle.
Dolphins Designate QB Tua Tagovailoa For Return
Tua Tagovailoa is another step closer to returning. The Dolphins QB was designated for return from IR today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
Tagovailoa suffered a rib injury during Miami’s Week 2 loss to the Bills, and he was placed on injured reserve in late September. This meant the QB would be eligible to return in time for the Dolphins game against the Jaguars on Sunday morning.
Of course, just because Tua returned to practice, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be on the field this weekend. It remains to be seen if Tagovailoa will travel to London with his squad, and even then, he’d need the team to trust that he’s healthy enough to start. We heard earlier this week that the QB would be “ready” to play, so we’ll see if he gets his way.
The former fifth-overall pick started nine of his 10 games last season, completing 64.1-percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also added another 109 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He threw a touchdown and rushed for another during the Dolphins’ Week 1 victory over the Patriots, and he completed one of his four pass attempts in Week 2 before exiting.
As long as Tagovailoa is out of the lineup, Jacoby Brissett will continue under center for the Dolphins.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert, Cardinals DE Chandler Jones Land On Reserve/COVID-19 List
Two notable players landed on their respective teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists today. Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones and Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert landed on the list today, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Each player tested positive.
This will be a close call for Goedert, who is set to play on Thursday night. The NFL says vaccinated and asymptomatic players are required to return two negative tests 24 hours apart, so the organization will start getting more clarity tomorrow. The former second-round pick has appeared in all five games for the Eagles, hauling in 15 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
Fortunately for Philly, the team does have some depth at the position. Veteran Zach Ertz will likely see an increase in snaps, and rookie Jack Stoll could also get some run.
Collins has a bit more time on his hands, as the Cardinals don’t play until Sunday. After being limited to only five games in 2020, Jones has bounced back in 2021. Through the first five games, the 31-year-old has collected nine tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Titans punter Brett Kern also landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list today after testing positive.
Saints Release CB Desmond Trufant, Others
The Saints cleared a handful of roster spots today, letting go of three veterans. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Saints released kicker Cody Parkey, defensive back Brian Poole, and cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Parkey had a brief stint as the Saints starting kicker before suffering a groin injury that landed him on IR earlier today. Ultimately, the veteran was released with an injury settlement, allowing him to sign elsewhere (instead of being sidelined for three weeks before inevitably getting released). During New Orleans’ win over Washington the other day, Parkey didn’t attempt a field goal while converting three of his five extra point tries.
The kicker will be replaced by kicker Brian Johnson, who was signed off the Bears practice squad today. The Saints will continue to rotate through options at the position as they await Wil Lutz‘s return.
Trufant, a Pro Bowler during his time with the Falcons, joined the Saints in early September. He saw time in only two games for the Saints, collecting three tackles. The veteran hadn’t seen the field since Week 2, and he was pushed down the depth chart following the Bradley Roby acquisition. Now, the 31-year-old will have an opportunity to find work elsewhere.
Poole landed on injured reserve prior to the season, which meant he wasn’t going to see the field for New Orleans during the 2021 campaign. Like Parkey, he’ll be released with an injury settlement, allowing him to immediately find work elsewhere. Poole started 17 games for the Jets between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, collecting 103 tackles and three interceptions.
Besides the addition of Johnson, the Saints used one of their open roster spots to sign defensive tackle Christian Ringo.
LB Avery Williamson Expected To Sign With Titans
Avery Williamson is heading to Tennessee. The veteran linebacker was granted his release from the Broncos practice squad and will be signing with the Titans active roster, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (via Twitter).
Williamson’s stint in Denver lasted only a week; he signed with the organization last Tuesday. Now, he’ll be rejoining the Titans after having spent the first four seasons of his career in Tennessee. During that time, Williamson started 59 of his 63 games, collecting 376 tackles and 11.5 sacks.
The Jets gave Williamson a nice contract in 2018, signing the former fifth-round pick for three years and $22.5MM. The linebacker missed the 2019 season after suffering a torn ACL, and he split the 2020 campaign between the Jets and Steelers. He ultimately saw time in 15 games (10 starts) last season, collecting 111 tackles and one sack.
With Jayon Brown recently landing on injured reserve, the Titans were looking for some veteran reinforcement at linebacker. Williamson will certainly fit that bill, and there’s a good chance he sticks around Tennessee even when Brown returns.