Jets Sign C Connor McGovern To Practice Squad
Connor McGovern is back in New York. The Jets have added their former starting center to the practice squad, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. To make room, the team released running back Xazavian Valladay from the p-squad.
The former Broncos fifth-round pick caught on with the Jets in 2020 and proceeded to spend four years with the organization. He started all 55 of his appearances with the Jets, including 2021 and 2022 campaigns where Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the better players at his position.
The veteran re-signed with the Jets last offseason and started the team’s first seven games. However, he suffered a dislocated kneecap in October that ended his season prematurely.
With 2023 second-round pick Joe Tippmann establishing himself as the team’s long-term answer at center, McGovern wasn’t re-signed this offseason. The team has already reversed course, as Wes Schweitzer‘s hand injury opened a spot on the depth chart. The team is currently rolling without a backup center, so it shouldn’t take long for McGovern to earn a promotion to the active roster.
Valladay went undrafted during last year’s draft and had stints with the Texans and Steelers before landing in New York. He spent the majority of his rookie season on New York’s practice squad, and he was destined for a similar role in 2024. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Valladay could eventually find himself back on the Jets taxi squad, but the team needed the temporary spot for their veteran lineman acquisition.
Extra Points: Hill, Watson, Prescott
Following Tyreek Hill‘s detainment before yesterday’ game, Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 South Florida released the bodycam footage from Miami-Dade Police. The release of the video follows a statement by the Miami-Dade Police earlier today in which they said that Hill was not immediately cooperative with officers (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).
The video shows that Hill was initially pulled over for speeding while approaching Hard Rock Stadium. After the Dolphins wide receiver was pulled over, he was asked to keep his window down. As ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques and Xuan Thai detail, the “incident escalated when Hill didn’t comply.”
After exiting his vehicle, Hill was grabbed “by the back of the head and neck area” and forced to the pavement before being placed in handcuffs. After being walked to the sidewalk, Hill was forced to the ground again after not immediately complying to an officer’s demand to sit down, with the wideout citing recent knee surgery.
The footage also shows the police tensely interacting with tight end Jonnu Smith, who parked about 25 feet away from Hill. Smith “was ultimately given a citation.” Defensive lineman Calais Campbell can also be seen in the footage approaching police with his arms raised.
Following the release of the footage, the Miami Dolphins released a statement. While the organization lauded the release of the video and acknowledged their relationship with the Miami-Dade Police, they also requested “swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.” Per Armando Salguero of Outkick.com, the officer at the center of the video “was placed on administrative duties” and has hired a lawyer.
More notes from around the NFL…
- Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing a new civil lawsuit claiming him of sexual assault and battery during an incident in October 2020, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. Watson “sexually assaulted the woman for several minutes” before storming out of her apartment. Watson was previously accused of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct by more than two dozen women. He avoided criminal charges but was served an 11-game suspension after the league and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement. Watson settled 23 of his 24 civil lawsuits, and this latest suit joins the one remaining civil suit from 2022. An NFL spokesperson declined comment when asked about the matter, per Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has the details on Dak Prescott‘s new contract with the Cowboys. The four-year, $240MM extension features an $80MM signing bonus and $129MM guaranteed at signing. The quarterback will have another $40MM guaranteed next March, and another $45MM will be guaranteed the following March. The deal also includes a no-trade clause, a no-franchise tag clause, and a no-transition tag clause.
- The NFL sent a memo to more than 20 players and their respective teams before Week 1, warning the players that they could face suspensions if they violated the safety and sportsmanship policies. While the players’ identities weren’t revealed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the individuals “have been penalized and scrutinized in the past,” with all of the players having been suspended over the past two years for on-the-field incidents.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/24
Tonight’s practice squad moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: G Arlington Hambright
- Released: TE Cole Fotheringham
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Released: CB Matt Hankins
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Curtis Bolton
- Placed on IR: LB Carter Coughlin
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/24
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: TE Feleipe Franks
Detroit Lions
- Waived: DL Chris Smith
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguavoen, OL Jake Hanson
- Promoted: TE Anthony Firkser, DL Jalyn Holmes
- Placed on IR: LB Zaire Barnes
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated: OT Trent Williams
- Promoted: DE Sam Okuayinonu, DB Tracy Walker III
- Released: OT Brandon Parker
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Inactive For Week 1
Christian McCaffrey won’t be active for tonight’s showdown with the Jets. The team has announced that the star running back is inactive with his Achilles/calf issues. Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group was first to report the news.
McCaffrey was listed as questionable heading into the contest after being limited in practice with his leg issue. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that the running back was optimistic that he’d be on the field for Monday Night Football, but McCaffrey tested his calf earlier today and determined that it “didn’t feel right.” Both the player and the team opted to take things slow with the hope that the running back will soon recover.
Injuries were a theme during McCaffrey’s final seasons in Carolina, but the running back has stayed relatively healthy over the past year-plus. The veteran has been active for all but one of the 49ers’ 34 games (including playoffs) since he joined the organization.
With McCaffrey out of the lineup, the 49ers will likely turn to Jordan Mason as their starting RB against the Jets. The former UDFA earned the RB2 role after Elijah Mitchell landed on IR, and Mason will now be in line for his first NFL start. The Georgia Tech product has appeared in 33 games with the 49ers over the past two seasons, collecting 495 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
Mason’s promotion to RB1 will also impact the rest of the depth chart. Patrick Taylor Jr. and fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo will be competing for any leftover RB snaps tonight. Guerendo is also expected to return kicks for the 49ers, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Deebo Samuel could also get some looks in the running game after averaging 46 rushing attempts per season between 2021 and 2023.
Browns Add WR Kadarius Toney To Practice Squad
Kadarius Toney has found his next NFL gig. The wideout has landed with the Browns, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’s a practice squad deal for Toney.
The receiver was cut by the Chiefs at the end of the preseason, ending an underwhelming one-plus year stint with the organization. Over the past week, he worked out with both the Seahawks and the Browns, and Week 1 developments may have convinced him to sign with Cleveland.
Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Browns wanted to add another pass-catcher after losing tight end David Njoku to a potential high ankle sprain. Rapoport hints that Toney might not earn a promotion for Week 2, but it shouldn’t take long until he finds himself on the field for the Browns.
The former first-round pick has shown brief flashes through his first three years in the NFL, but there’s also a good reason why he’s settling for taxi squad deals. Toney had 39 receptions as a rookie with the Giants, but that number slipped to 16 catches while splitting the 2022 campaign between New York and Kansas City. There was some hope after he hauled in seven catches during the Chiefs’ 2022 Super Bowl run, and he somewhat rebounded with 27 receptions in 2023. Still, that wasn’t enough to keep his gig with the Chiefs.
There are already plenty of offensive concerns in Cleveland after Deshaun Watson‘s miserable Week 1 performance. Things won’t get any easier with Njoku out of the lineup, and Toney’s addition won’t do much to turn around the team’s outlook. The team’s current WR depth chart is headlined by Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore, with the likes of Jaelon Darden, 2023 third-round pick Cedric Tillman, and fifth-round rookie Jamari Thrash rounding out the receivers room. The Browns are also rostering additional WRs on the practice squad, including Michael Woods II, Lideatrick Griffin, James Proche, and David Bell.
Packers’ Jordan Love Suffers MCL Sprain, To Miss Three To Six Weeks
SEPTEMBER 8: Love’s MCL injury is between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprain, per Rapoport (video link). Love will miss three to six weeks, and it is still unclear whether Willis or Clifford will take the reins in the meantime.
SEPTEMBER 7, 10:04PM: It’s bittersweet news for the Packers after getting the results of their additional scans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Love’s ACL suffered no damage, but he has suffered an MCL sprain. To be clear: this is still good news. When the alternative was the end of the 2024 season for Love, an MCL sprain should be a breath of fresh air.
The young passer, who leads the league in annual average value while making $55MM per year, will still likely miss some time, but the prognosis is much more positive than a season-ending injury. It looks like Green Bay will be forced to depend on Willis or Clifford at quarterback for about four t0 six weeks until Love is able to return. That or they will need to look to the free agent market for a rental.
11:15AM: Some good news on the Love front, at least temporarily. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that initial tests indicate that Love’s ACL is intact. Of course, the quarterback isn’t completely out of the woods. Pelissero warns that there’s still “a wide range of outcomes based on additional scans.”
9:05AM: The Packers dropped their season opener to the Eagles, but the team may have suffered an even more devastating loss along the way. Jordan Love suffered an apparent leg injury during the final drive of last night’s game in Brazil.
A dejected Matt LaFleur didn’t have any updates about his quarterback’s condition following the game. The Packers are scheduled to land back in Green Bay this afternoon, at which time they’ll presumably get more clarity on Love’s injury. Dianna Russini of The Athletic clarifies that Love will indeed undergo an MRI later today, although an ankle injury has already been ruled out.
The injury occurred with five seconds remaining in the game as Love was attempting a Hail Mary pass. Replays showed the quarterback’s knee pop as he was brought to the ground by Eagles defenders, and Love then remained on the ground while “writhing in pain,” per Lukas Weese and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the injury was clearly reminiscent of Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury last year.
From a glass-half-full perspective, Weese and Schneidman note that Love was able to exit the Packers locker room under his own power. The quarterback also didn’t have a noticeable limp.
The centerpiece of Green Bay’s young core, Love was expected to take another step forward following his breakout 2023 campaign. The Packers are especially confident in their franchise quarterback, as the team handed him a four-year, $220MM extension this offseason that featured a record $55MM average annual value. If Love is forced to miss time, Malik Willis would likely take over as the starting quarterback. The Packers are also stashing Sean Clifford on the practice squad.
Center Josh Myers also suffered an injury on the same play as Love, with the lineman telling ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that “severe cramps” forced him to the sideline. The starter will presumably be alright moving forward, but the Packers showed their contingency plan on the final two playe by moving Elgton Jenkins to center (with Sean Rhyan taking over as left guard and Jordan Morgan taking over as right guard).
Panthers Place TE Ian Thomas On IR
Ian Thomas is set to miss at least the first four weeks of the 2024 campaign. The Panthers announced that they’ve placed the tight end on injured reserve with a calf injury. To take Thomas’s place, Feleipe Franks has been signed to the active roster.
Thomas has been dealing with a nagging calf injury since the early part of training camp. He was already ruled out for Week 1, but it sounds like he’ll need at least an additional three weeks to recover.
The 2018 fourth-round pick has spent his entire career in Carolina. Despite getting into more snaps following the departure of Greg Olsen, Thomas hasn’t translated the extra playing time into offensive production. While starting 38 of his 50 appearances between 2020 and 2022, Thomas hauled in a total of 59 catches for 530 yards and one touchdown. He finished with a career-low five catches in 2023, with the veteran finding himself behind Tommy Tremble and Hayden Hurst on the depth chart.
Thomas could have been in line for more snaps in 2024, at least in the interim. Tremble is uncertain for tomorrow’s season opener, so the Panthers may have to rely on fourth-round rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders. The team is also rostering former WR Jordan Matthews and recent addition Messiah Swinson. Franks will now be joining that group. The former QB moved to the TE position with the Falcons in 2022, and after spending the 2023 season on IR, he stuck around Carolina’s practice squad as a tight end heading into the 2024 campaign.
The Panthers announced a handful of additional moves today. The team signed defensive tackle Jayden Peevy to the active roster, elevated running back Mike Boone and cornerback Lonnie Johnson from the practice squad, and waived cornerback Keenan Isaac.
Jets To Place OL Wes Schweitzer On IR
After missing a significant chunk of his first season in New York, Wes Schweitzer will once again visit injured reserve. The Jets offensive lineman is heading to IR, according to coach Robert Saleh (via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
Schweitzer popped up on Thursday’s injury report with a hand injury. While the severity of the injury is unknown, there’s a good chance the veteran will only have a minimum stay on IR.
After inking a two-year contract with the Jets last offseason, Schweitzer twice landed on IR in 2023 with a calf injury. He was ultimately limited to six games (two starts) during his first season with the squad. In the meantime, Joe Tippmann officially solidified himself as the team’s starting center. Schweitzer is expected to play a backup role in 2024, but that gig will temporarily be held by 2023 UDFA Xavier Newman.
Injuries have been a theme for Schweitzer over the past three years, as he was limited to 18 games during his final two seasons in Washington between 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, the lineman started 54 of his 73 appearances in stints with Washington and Atlanta.
Pro Football Focus generally graded the former sixth-round pick as a middle-of-the-road lineman during his early seasons in the NFL, and the recent injuries haven’t helped his performance. The impending free agent will have to show he’s healthy in 2024 if he hopes to get a gig in 2025.
Latest On Haason Reddick’s Ongoing Holdout
The Jets will open their season in Santa Clara on Monday night, but don’t expect Haason Reddick to be on the field. The pass rusher’s holdout continues, and while Dianna Russini notes that there has been recent progress in negotiations, The Athletic reporter cautions that Reddick is also willing to “die on this sword.”
While we heard earlier this week that “nothing has changed” in the ongoing saga, Russini writes that there has been recent communication between the Jets and Reddick’s camp. While a resolution isn’t imminent, this is at least a promising step forward for the two sides.
In his pursuit of a new deal, Reddick has been a no-show at team facilities since his introductory press conference in April. Meanwhile, the Jets have refused to discuss a new contract without the veteran in the building. These two stubborn approaches have led to a natural stalemate, but it sounds like both sides are starting to at least mend the relationship.
Russini notes that it’s a “long shot” for Reddick to take the field in Week 1. Robert Saleh confirmed as much this morning, telling reporters that it’s “fair” to say Reddick won’t be in the lineup on Monday. Still, the head coach is hoping his new pass rusher will eventually take the field.
“I’ll stand firm that when he gets here, we’re going to welcome him with open arms,” Saleh said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “We’re going to love him up and he’s going to be a part of this football team and he’s going to help us win a lot of football games. He’s gotta sort through the financial stuff, which is none of my business.”
Even if Reddick does report, a Week 1 appearance would be unlikely considering the short time the Jets would have to acclimate the player into their defense. Russini notes that it’s still uncertain “if he’ll show up after [Week 1] either.” The pass rusher had a chance to swing by Florham Park this past week while attending a charity event in Jersey City. In lockstep with his offseason approach, Reddick decided to skip the impromptu visit, per Russini.
The offseason trade acquisition has already cost himself more than $2MM in non-waivable fines thanks to his holdout, and he’ll start losing $838K game checks assuming he doesn’t take the field anytime soon. The Jets have reportedly been receptive to sweetening Reddick’s Eagles-constructed deal rather than adding term to the contract. If neither side is willing to concede, the recent communications won’t do much to remedy this situation.