49ers Place WR Jalen Hurd On IR
SATURDAY: For a third straight year, Hurd will begin the season on the 49ers’ IR list. San Francisco is stashing the oft-injured wideout on IR, sidelining him for at least three games. While a return in Week 4 would be a bonus for Hurd, who has missed the first two seasons of his career, any IR placement qualifies as a bad sign for the Tennessee and Baylor alum at this point. The 49ers promoted cornerback Dontae Johnson to fill Hurd’s roster spot.
WEDNESDAY: It sounds like Jalen Hurd will miss the 49ers’ season opener. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the third-year wide receiver is a candidate for the injured reserve thanks to a lingering knee injury.
“We felt pretty good (coming) out of the Raiders game just with how he was able to play and get through it,” Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “But it was hurting him three days later when we tried to practice again. And we gave him the weekend off and it hurt again Monday. And just coming in here today and just realizing that we have to reevaluate this and shut him down for a little bit.”
The 2019 third-round pick still hasn’t seen the field for a regular season game thanks to injuries. That included an ACL tear that ruined his 2020 campaign, and knee tendinitis limited him during the early parts of the 2021 preseason. He finally got into the 49ers preseason finale, playing 29 snaps.
If Hurd is destined for injured reserve, the 49ers would likely look to add another wideout to the active roster. Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets that practice squad veteran Travis Benjamin is “the top candidate” to take Hurd’s spot.
Lions To Place LT Taylor Decker On IR
Taylor Decker‘s absence will last more than one week. The Lions are placing their left tackle on the injured reserve, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
We learned yesterday that the offensive lineman had suffered a hand injury, but the team only initially ruled him out for Week 1. According to Rapoport, Decker has since undergone finger surgery, with the reporter estimating that the lineman will be back in about a month. At the very least, today’s move guarantees that Decker will miss the team’s first three games.
The 2016 first-round pick has been especially durable in recent years, only missing a single game over the past three seasons. The 28-year-old started all 16 games in 2020, appearing on all 1,046 of the team’s offensive snaps.
With Decker sidelined, the team will shuffle their offensive line a bit, with No. 7 overall pick Penei Sewell movingto left tackle. The rookie was to transition to a right tackle role with the Lions, despite having lined up on the left side at Oregon, but the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett notes Sewell has primarily worked as the team’s first-string left tackle in practice since Decker’s injury (Twitter link). The team is not planning a long-term switch, with Decker expected to retake his usual job once he returns to full strength.
Eagles Sign LT Jordan Mailata To Four-Year Extension
The Eagles are signing their left tackle to an extension. The team has agreed to a four-year, $64MM extension with offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, reports Adam Caplan SiriusXM (via Twitter).
The contract could be worth up to $80MM and includes $40.85MM in guaranteed money. The extension was signed right before Mailata and his teammates flew to Atlanta for their season opener (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).
Mailata has one of the better NFL stories, as the 6-foot-8, 380-pound lineman didn’t start playing football until just three years ago. The former rugby player was a 2018 seventh-round pick by the Eagles, and he effectively red shirted his first two years in the NFL. Mailata became Jason Peters‘ primary replacement last season, and the lineman ultimately started 10 games.
The 24-year-old was set to make $850K in the final year of his rookie contract. While this is a big-money extension for a player with only 10 career starts, it could end up being a steal if Mailata hits his potential. Pro Football Focus graded him as a middle-of-the-pack tackle last year, but he was ranked as a top-seven offensive tackle from Weeks 12 to 16 (per Brad Spielberger of PFF on Twitter). The Eagles are clearly banking on Mailata carrying that momentum into 2021.
Packers Rework CB Chandon Sullivan’s Contract
The Packers opened a chunk of cap space today by reworking Chandon Sullivan‘s contract. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Green Bay converted $1.213MM of the cornerback’s salary into a signing bonus.
The move added four void years to Sullivan’s deal while opening about $970K against the cap. The Packers are now operating with around $8MM in cap space (h/t to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky on Twitter).
Sullivan went undrafted out of Georgia State in 2018, and following a quiet rookie season with the Eagles, the defensive back found a home in Green Bay before the 2019 campaign. The cornerback has spent the past two years with the Packers, seeing time in all 32 regular season contests. This includes a 2020 campaign where Sullivan started 10 of his 16 games en route to 41 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception. He also started two playoff games for Green Bay, collecting 13 tackles.
While the Packers are doing some work to open cap space, that extra financial flexibility won’t be used to re-sign Davante Adams. The wideout said there’s “no chance” he signs an extension before the season opener, and with Green Bay’s game only about 24 hours away, it’s looking like Adams was probably right.
Bills Rework S Jordan Poyer’s Contract
The Bills opened up some cap space today by reworking one of their veteran’s contracts. The team converted $5.2MM of safety Jordan Poyer‘s base salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN Field Yates (via Twitter). The move will save Buffalo $2.6MM against the cap.
Thanks to the move, the organization has a bit more financial breathing room with about $4MM in cap space. Poyer’s cap hit will be reduced for the 2021 season, but it will jump from around $7.7MM to $10.3MM in 2022.
Poyer has spent the past four seasons in Buffalo, starting each of his 63 games. The former seventh-round pick signed a two-year extension with the organization in 2020, keeping him in Buffalo through at least the 2022 season.
The 30-year-old had one of his most productive NFL season in 2020. In 16 starts, the safety finished with a career-high 124 tackles to go along with two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Poyer also started each of Buffalo’s three playoff games, collecting another 20 stops.
Texans To Promote K Joey Slye From Practice Squad
Joey Slye is the Texans starting kicker … at least for the time being. The team will elevate the kicker from their practice squad today, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
Slye joined Houston’s practice squad earlier this week, and today’s move seemed all but inevitable when starting kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn landed on injured reserve. Per Wilson, Slye secured his spot as the Week 1 starter following a good week at practice, and the 25-year-old established a good rapport with long snapper Jon Weeks and holder Cameron Johnston.
Slye succeeded Graham Gano as the Panthers starting kicker in 2019, and he kept the gig through the 2020 season. The kicker improved a bit during his second full season, connecting on 29 of his 36 field goal attempts and 33 of his 36 extra point tries. After Carolina added Gano’s Giants camp competitor (Ryan Santoso) via trade, Slye landed on the waiver wire in late August and went unclaimed.
While Slye will temporarily hold the starting gig, he doesn’t have a firm grasp on the job. The organization signed Fairbairn to a four-year extension in 2020, and he’ll likely reclaim his gig once he recovers from a pulled muscle. The team also recently worked out ex-Chargers kicker Michael Badgley, so they have at least one backup plan if Slye struggles while Fairbairn is sidelined.
Ravens Finalizing Deal With RB Latavius Murray
The Ravens have been busy adding to their depleted running backs corps, and it sounds like the team is on the verge of adding another veteran. The team is “working on finalizing a deal” with free agent running back Latavius Murray, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Ravens To Sign RB Devonta Freeman]
Murray agreed to a four-year, $14.4MM deal with New Orleans in 2019, coming over from Minnesota to replace Mark Ingram as Kamara’s between-the-tackles sidekick. Missing just one game during his two-year Saints stay, Murray totaled 1,293 rushing yards with the team. He scored 11 touchdowns as a Saint, filling in for an injured Kamara for short stretches in both seasons, and provided a smooth transition from Ingram.
The Saints moved on from the 31-year-old earlier this week, allowing the veteran to sign anywhere. The team’s pay-cut request certainly came at a late juncture; Murray was set to make $2.95MM in base salary this season.
The Ravens have already lost a full depth chart of running backs, with J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill succumbing to season-ending injuries. The team recently added veterans Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman to their practice squad, pairing the duo with former UDFA Ty’Son Williams and recent free agent acquisition Trenton Cannon.
Buccaneers DB Sean Murphy-Bunting Exits Thursday’s Game, Won’t Return
Buccaneers defensive back Sean Murphy-Bunting suffered an elbow injury during tonight’s season opener that will sideline him for at least the rest of the game. The team announced that Murphy-Bunting has been ruled out for the rest of the contest.
Murphy-Bunting suffered the injury in the first quarter in a play that saw Dak Prescott connect with CeeDee Lamb for a touchdown. The defensive back was seen holding his shoulder and arm while retreating back to the locker room.
Some pundits have speculated that Murphy-Bunting suffered a dislocated elbow, an injury that would likely sidelined the 24-year-old for a handful of games. Of course, we’ll learn more over the upcoming days about the player’s status moving forward.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, their cornerbacks depth isn’t a strength. Ross Cockrell moved to the nickle following the injury, with Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean playing the outside.
Murphy-Bunting, a 2019 second-round pick, has started 23 of his 32 games since entering the NFL. He had a career season in 2020, finishing with 70 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception. He also came up big during the playoffs, collecting three interceptions in four games.
Steelers LB T.J. Watt Got Three Fully Guaranteed Years On Extension
One of the major sticking points between T.J. Watt and the Steelers was the organization’s refusal to fully guarantee contracts beyond the first year of the pact. Well, the team ignored their policy today. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the Steelers organization fully guaranteed three years of Watt’s extension.
[RELATED: Steelers, T.J. Watt Agree On Record-Setting Extension]
To review: the star linebacker inked a new four-year, $112MM deal with the Steelers, including $80MM guaranteed. $35MM of that guaranteed money came via a signing bonus, while the other $45MM will be handed out in each of the next three years. Watt’s $1MM 2021 base salary is predictably guaranteed, as is his 2022 base salary ($24MM) and 2023 base salary ($20MM). Watt has identical $21.05MM base salaries in both 2024 and 2025, neither of which are guaranteed.
The Steelers were willing to move past their stubborn financial policy, but it’s still uncertain if Watt is an exception or a changing of philosophy. As Florio notes, today’s move could simply be an “aberration” instead of a “trend.”
Florio also explored how those three fully guaranteed years compare to the NFL’s other top defensive deals. Watt will earn that $80MM through the first three years of his contract; Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa will receive $78 million through the first three years of his extension, while Watt also outpaced Bears linebacker Khalil Mack ($73.7MM through three years) and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ($62.546MM through three years).
Interestingly, Watt may have actually left money on the table. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, Watt’s agents believed they could squeeze the Steelers for more cash, but Watt simply went into the office of Steelers president Art Rooney to tell him that the deal was done (Twitter link). He then excused himself to go work out.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/21
Today’s practice squad changes:
Detroit Lions
- Released: WR Javon McKinley
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Christian Elliss
- Released: G Ross Pierschbacher