DT Gerald McCoy Suspended Six Games
Gerald McCoy is already out for the 2021 campaign, but that didn’t stop the NFL from handing him a suspension. The Raiders defensive tackle was slapped with a six-game ban today, reports ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez (via Twitter).
McCoy was banned for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He’ll begin serving the suspension immediately.
“I love the game of football and have nothing but respect for the players, fans, and this league,” McCoy said in a statement (via Twitter). “I’ve given my all to this game and worked my entire career to compete, train, and rehabilitate at a high level with integrity. It is with great disappointment that I recently learned I tested positive for a banned substance – something I was prescribed to take to help with scar tissue and tendon strength from a previous injury. In no way would I ever intentionally take anything to help with performance or gain a competitive advantage. This was an honest mistake, but it’s something I take full responsibility for. I apologize to my family, the NFL, my teammates, and the fans and ask humbly for your forgiveness.”
McCoy was already sidelined for the entire 2021 campaign after suffering a season-ending injury during Week 1. However, it sounds like McCoy was punished for using a substance that helped him rehabilitate a previous injury…perhaps the torn quad that prevented him from taking the field for the Cowboys in 2020.
McCoy earned six Pro Bowl nods with the Buccaneers and performed as one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman in the 2010s. He spent 2019 with the Panthers, appeared in all 16 games, and registered five sacks, giving him 59.5 for his career.
Latest On 49ers Quarterbacks
The 49ers (especially head coach Kyle Shanahan) have continually said that there isn’t a QB competition in San Francisco. Shanhan reiterated that point today when asked about the coaching staff’s willingness to get rookie Trey Lance more involved in the offense.
[RELATED: Latest On Trey Lance, 49ers QB “Competition”]
“There’s not a quarterback battle right now,” the coach said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Twitter). “We’re going with our starting quarterback who I think is playing very well. I’m happy that he is so Trey is not thrown into any situations he has to do too early.”
Shanahan’s starter is Jimmy Garoppolo, who has completed 67.4-percent of his passes for 760 yards and four touchdowns (vs. only one interception) for the 2-1 49ers. Lance, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, has seen the field for only seven total snaps. However, two of those snaps have resulted in touchdowns, including a crucial score during his team’s loss to the Packers the other night.
Considering the draft capital that the organization invested in Lance, the North Dakota State product will surely take over at center eventually. However, until Garoppolo does something to lose his role, the rookie will remain the second QB on the depth chart.
“Trey’s our backup quarterback,” Shanahan said (via Yahoo’s Jason Owens). “This isn’t the preseason. We’re not just going back and forth all the time. Trey goes in for specific plays or things we want to do.”
Colts Worked Out CB D.J. Hayden
The Colts are eyeing some cornerbacks. The team worked out D.J. Hayden and Grant Haley today, according to Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
Hayden hasn’t lived up to his 12th-overall selection in the 2013 draft, but to his credit, he’s put together an eight-year career. The veteran spent the past three seasons in Jacksonville, but he bounced on and off injured reserve in 2020 while dealing with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old ultimately saw time in five games during his final season in Jacksonville, collecting 18 tackles.
Hayden didn’t end up catching on with a team this offseason. He auditioned for the Bears last week, his first reported visit of the season.
Haley went undrafted out of Penn State in 2018, but he still saw time in 25 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, collecting 76 tackles with the Giants. He spent much of the 2020 season with the Saints, although he only saw time in one game. He was cut by New Orleans in late August.
Patriots Work Out Four Running Backs
With James White sidelined indefinitely, the Patriots are eyeing some free agent running backs. The team worked out Ito Smith, Ryquell Armstead, Dontrell Hilliard, and Artavis Pierce today, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Patriots’ James White Out Indefinitely]
Smith has the most experience among the four, seeing time in 35 games in three seasons with the Falcons. This included a 2020 campaign where he finished with 343 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. The 26-year-old caught on with the Vikings this offseason but was let go before the regular season.
Armstead got into 16 games as a rookie with the Jaguars in 2019, finishing with 252 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He sat out the 2020 season while dealing with issues from COVID-19, and after getting claimed by the Giants in May, he was waived by his new team in June. Pierce, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Oregon State, saw time in five games with the Bears last season, rushing for 34 yards and one touchdown on six carries. Hilliard, 26, saw time in 30 games for the Browns in two-plus seasons with the organization.
White suffered a hip injury during Sunday’s loss to the Saints, and the veteran will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The team is already rostering four other RBs in Damien Harris, J.J. Taylor, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, and special teamer Brandon Bolden.
The Patriots didn’t only audition running backs today. The team also took a look at defensive backs D.J. Daniel and Stephen Denmark and wideout Anthony Johnson.
Titans Place Two Linebackers On IR
A pair of Titans linebackers are heading to the IR. The team placed Rashad Weaver and Derick Roberson on injured reserve today, reports Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com.
Weaver, a fourth-round rookie, suffered a leg injury during Sunday’s win over the Colts. Per McCormick, the linebacker was seen leaving the stadium on crutches, and it’s believed the player suffered a broken leg. If that’s the case, Weaver’s season has likely come to an end.
After seeing a bit of time on special teams in Week 2, Weaver saw a more significant role on defense on Sunday. The rookie finished the game having compiled two tackles.
Weaver’s increase in playing time was partly attributed to Roberson, who was inactive on Sunday due to a knee injury. The linebacker saw time on 31 snaps during Week 1, collecting three tackles. He didn’t see the field over the past two weeks, and now he’ll have to sit out an additional three weeks thanks to his placement on IR.
The team has already started to add some depth at the position. Earlier today, the Titans added linebacker Sharif Finch to their practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/28/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Nate McCrary, S Jordan Richards
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DB Madre Harper
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Herb Miller
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell, TE David Wells
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Ka’dar Hollman, OT Jordan Mills
New York Giants
- Released: WR Matt Cole, DT Willie Henry, OT Foster Sarell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Released: TE Richard Rodgers
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Sharif Finch
- Released: DL Andrew Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Jace Sternberger
- Released: WR De’Quan Hampton, TE Michael Jacobsen, WR Connor Wedington
Washington Football Team
- Released: WR Dalton Schoen, DT Gabe Wright
Jaguars Designate WR Tavon Austin For Return
Tavon Austin‘s debut with the Jaguars could be imminent. The veteran wideout was designated for return from IR today, the team announced.
This move will start a three-week clock. Austin can be activated to the active roster at any point over the next 21 days. If he isn’t activated within that time, Austin will be ineligible to play this year (although this would most likely be avoided by his release).
Austin joined the Jaguars in early August, and the team showed that they intended to keep him around when he survived final cuts. The team subsequently put him on short-term IR due to a quad injury, leading to today’s move.
The veteran hasn’t come close to matching the production from his days with the Rams. Over the past four years, Austin has seen time in 41 games (nine starts), collecting 756 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 110 touches. This included a 2020 campaign when he had only five catches for 20 yards in four games with the Packers.
Jacksonville has a talented grouping of receivers in DJ Chark. Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault, but Austin would provide another savvy target for Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars already prepared for Austin’s return when they moved on from practice squad receiver Phillip Dorsett today.
Patriots Extend LB Raekwon McMillan
Raekwon McMillan won’t see the field this season, but the Patriots linebacker still got a deal for next year. New England has signed McMillan to a one-year extension, keeping the player with the team through at least the 2022 campaign, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
McMillan joined the Patriots this offseason, and it sounded like he was going to carve out a role on the team’s defense (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Twitter). However, he suffered a torn ACL during training camp that knocked him out of action for the entire 2021 season. The 25-year-old will still have a year to pick up the team’s playbook, and he’ll be able to compete for a spot on next year’s roster.
McMillan was a second-round pick back in 2017, but his rookie season was wiped out thanks to a torn ACL. He was relatively productive in two healthy seasons with the Dolphins, collecting 177 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
He was traded to the Raiders prior to the 2020 season, and he finished his lone season in Vegas with 27 tackles and one forced fumble in 16 games (four starts).
Broncos WR KJ Hamler Done For Season
The Broncos have lost another wideout. KJ Hamler suffered a torn ACL yesterday and will miss the rest of the season, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Hamler suffered the injury during the second quarter of yesterday’s win over the Jets. The wideout leaped for a Teddy Bridgewater pass before landing awkwardly. Hamler suffered additional damage to his knee during the play, per ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. The receiver will inevitably land on IR and miss the rest of the campaign.
The 2020 second-round pick finished his rookie campaign with 421 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 13 games (four starts). The 22-year-old was looking to build off those numbers in 2021, especially following the injury to fellow wideout Jerry Jeudy. Through the first three games of this season, Hamler hauled in five catches for 74 yards.
The Broncos could be looking for some reinforcement at the position with two top wideouts out of the lineup. Courtland Sutton (who’s coming off his own injury) leads a depth chart that also features Tim Patrick and Diontae Spencer.
Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller To Miss “Significant Amount Of Time”
Scotty Miller will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The Buccaneers wideout is set to miss “a significant amount of time,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Miller is still awaiting test results that will determine how long he’ll be out, but an IR stint seems likely.
Head coach Bruce Arians referred to the injury as “severe turf toe” earlier today, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine (via Twitter). Standard “turf toe” could lead to a one-month absence or a season-ending injury. During this past year’s playoffs, Patrick Mahomes dealt with a turf toe injury that ultimately required offseason surgery. In other words, the timeline could be variable, but at the very least, Miller will probably be sidelined for at least the next four weeks.
The 2019 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers, and he made a name for himself in 2020 with Tom Brady under center. The wideout finished the year with 33 receptions for 501 yards and three scores, and he added another four receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown in the playoffs.
After appearing in only 20 snaps through the first two weeks of the season, Miller got into a season-high 32 snaps last night and hauled in his first two catches of the season.