Bears’ Jay Cutler “Pushing To Play” Sunday
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is angling to play on Sunday night against the Cowboys, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds that Cutler is “politicking” coaches in an effort to suit up. However, given that the initial reports following Cutler’s thumb injury indicated that he’d miss two or three weeks, it’s probably a longshot that he could return to the field so soon.
[RELATED: Can the Bears rebound from an 0-2 start?]
Cutler hurt this thumb in the Bears’ season opener against the Texans. He played through the pain in Week 2 against the Eagles, but he wound up making the problem worse. Now, the Bears will use Brian Hoyer under center under Cutler is ready to take the field again.
With Hoyer starting, Chicago promoted former Eagles draft pick Matt Barkley from its practice squad to the active roster. He’ll backup Hoyer until Cutler can return, and then likely be sent back to the taxi squad.
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Vikings Notes: Peterson, Coleman, Zimmer
After Vikings running back Adrian Peterson underwent surgery on his meniscus today, initial reports indicated that he’d miss a minimum of three-to-four months, with the possibility looming that he could be sidelined for as many as six months. Two surgeons (who, it should be noted, did not operate on Peterson), confirmed that general timeline to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, who writes that Peterson is unlikely to return before December, if at all.
Had Peterson opted to have the injured portion of his meniscus removed rather than repaired, he could have returned to the field in weeks, not months, according to one of the surgeons. But doing so could have presented problems for Peterson later in his career and during his post-football life, as such a procedure can lead to arthritis in the knee.
- Peterson’s 2016 season may be over prematurely, and his career with the Vikings could be coming to a close as well, opines Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Even setting aside his injury, Peterson never looked like a great bet to return to Minnesota in 2017 barring some sort of contract adjustment, as he’s set to count for an untenable $18MM on next year’s cap. All of that total can be cleared out by releasing him, and given that Peterson isn’t a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Norv Turner‘s scheme, it seems logical that he’ll be playing for a new club next season.
- Head coach Mike Zimmer admitted that the Vikings made a “mistake” when they released safety Kurt Coleman prior to the 2014 season, as Tomasson writes in a separate piece. Coleman signed a one-year deal with Minnesota during Zimmer’s first year as coach, but the veteran defensive back never played a down for the club. In the years since, he’s blossomed into an excellent player with the Panthers, and recently inked a three-year extension. For his part, Coleman says he has “no hard feelings” about the decision, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes.
- Peterson isn’t the only Viking on the mend, as we learned earlier today that defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd is also undergoing a knee operation. Specifics of the surgery aren’t yet known, but it’s not a great sign for Floyd, who is signed through 2017 thanks to his fifth-year option.
- In case you missed it, the Vikings yesterday placed left tackle Matt Kalil on injured reserve and signed former Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman.
Latest On Seahawks, Tarvaris Jackson
Russell Wilson is expected to suit up for the Seahawks on Sunday, but his recent ankle injury served to expose just how thin Seattle is at quarterback behind its starter. As such, the club has kept in “direct contact” with free agent signal-caller Tarvaris Jackson, a source tells Alex Marvez of the Sporting News, although no signing appears imminent.
[RELATED: Latest On Marshawn Lynch]
Jackson, 33, wasn’t charged following an alleged domestic dispute with his wife in June, but he might not be out of the woods in terms of NFL discipline. The league declined to broach the topic with Marvez, and wouldn’t comment as to whether Jackson might face a suspension. Meanwhile, a source tells the Sporting News scribe that Jackson has told the Seahawks he’s been cleared, but Seattle hasn’t corroborated that with the league.
The Seahawks are currently rolling with undrafted rookie Trevone Boykin as Wilson’s backup, so the club could obviously be in the market for a more experienced option. Jackson had been with Seattle for the past four of the past five seasons, but he hasn’t seen serious action since starting 14 games in 2011. Wilson hasn’t missed a single game during his career, so Jackson has only attempted 20 passes over the past three years.
Other quarterbacks available on the open market include Michael Vick, Charlie Whitehurst, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree, Josh Freeman, and Matt Flynn.
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Dolphins To Work Out A.J. Hawk
The Dolphins will look into adding some depth at linebacker, as the club is expected to work out veteran LB A.J. Hawk this week, a source tells Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. Because Week 1 has already passed, Miami could sign Hawk without having to guarantee his salary for the entire season.
[RELATED: Mike Pouncey Could Miss Several More Weeks]
Although linebacker Jelani Jenkins underwent a knee procedure near the end of August, he was still available against the Seahawks on Sunday, and ended up playing 33 total snaps. However, if Jenkins does go down at some point, the Dolphins might not feel comfortable with Spencer Paysinger in reserve. Hawk wouldn’t be asked to play in sub packages, as Kiko Alonso and Koa Misi stay on the field in passing situations.
Hawk, who spent the first nine years of his NFL career in Green Bay, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in 2015, but ultimately only played out half of that contract before being given his release. In his lone season in Cincinnati, Hawk was a part-time contributor at linebacker, picking up 24 tackles and a sack.
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RG3 Unlikely To Return This Season
Thanks to the NFL’s new injured reserve rules, Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III was a candidate to return later this season even though he was placed on IR earlier today. But RG3 is unlikely to see action again this year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who says it will be “very tough” for Griffin to return. RG3 won’t be evaluated again for three or four weeks, and then might have to undergo surgery.
[RELATED: Browns To Stand Pat At Quarterback]
Per the new rules, a player placed on IR may return to practice after six weeks but must be out for at least eight weeks before being brought back to the 53-man roster. Previously, teams had to designate their players for return at the time of being placed on IR. But given Griffin’s timeline and possible need for surgery, it doesn’t look like a return is in the cards.
Griffin signed with the Browns as a free agent in March. In the season opener against the Eagles, he completed 12 of 26 passes for 190 yards and added 37 rushing yards, but suffered a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder . While he’s out, the Browns will turn to backup Josh McCown, as the club has stated that it won’t trade for another quarterback.
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49ers Promote WR Chris Harper
The 49ers have promoted wide receiver Chris Harper from their practice squad in advance of tonight’s game against the Rams, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). To create a roster spot, San Francisco has cut running back DuJuan Harris.
[RELATED: San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart]
Harper, 22, bounced on-and-off the Patriots’ 53-man roster during his rookie campaign in 2015, and ultimately appeared in five games with the club, posting three receptions for 17 yards. Waived during final cutdowns, Harper caught on with the Niners’ taxi squad but is now getting a shot during the team’s opener. If he’s active tonight, Harper will serve as a backup wide receiver and special teams option.
Harris, meanwhile, was also affected by roster cutdowns, as he was initially released before re-signing with San Francisco a week ago today. The 28-year-old Harris split the 2015 season between the 49ers and the Seahawks, compiling 189 yards on 48 carries. In his four-year career, Harris has averaged 4.2 yards per attempt, and he’ll now head back to the free agent market in search of another job.
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Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/16
Today’s minor moves:
- Cornerback Cody Riggs is now back with the Titans after being waived last week, as Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com reports (Twitter link). To create a roster spot, Tennessee has waived third quarterback Alex Tanney, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
- The Cowboys announced that they’ve waived cornerback Dax Swanson, who signed with the club in June.
- The following players have been released from their respective teams’ injured reserve list with an injury settlement (all Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless noted): Buccaneers TE Kivon Cartwright (link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times), Cardinals LB Tristan Okpalaugo (link), Colts CB D’Joun Smith (link), Jets WR Kenbrell Thompkins (link), Giants T Jake Rodgers (link), Packers C Kyle Steuck (link), Texans C Dalton Freeman (link via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com).
- The Ravens also released wide receiver Michael Campanaro with an injury settlement, but they expect to re-sign him for the second half of the season, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun.
Cowboys’ Randy Gregory Exits Rehab
Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory is now out of rehab and has been removed from the club’s reserve/did not report list, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links). However, Gregory still has three more games left on his original four-game suspension, and is still facing a 10-game ban that will enter the appeals process at some point in the future, according to Yates.
[RELATED: Tony Romo On Track To Return Week 7]
Gregory, 24 in November, didn’t see a ton of action during his first NFL season — he was slowed by an early-season ankle sprain and ended up recording 11 tackles over the course of 250 defensive snaps. Viewed as a surefire first-round pick – and a potential top-10 selection – based on talent, Gregory slipped in last year’s draft to 60th overall, where he was snatched up by the Cowboys. Off-field concerns, including a failed drug test at the combine, contributed to his slide.
“It’s disappointing, but at the same time, sometimes these things don’t get fixed overnight,” Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said in February of Gregory’s four-game suspension. “Anybody who has ever been involved in this type of situation knows that sometimes it takes time. We’re there, but he’s going to have to buckle down, which he is. He’s working hard at it, but he’s got to get over the hump here.
You have to be concerned. That’s the risk you get when you go there. It’s all about that risk-reward deal, but at the end of the day, we got the infrastructure in place to continue to help him. We think he’s utilizing it, but at the same time, it’s disappointing that we had this go far enough that it resulted in a suspension.”
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Buccaneers Place Jacquies Smith On IR
The Buccaneers have placed defensive end Jacquies Smith on injured reserve after he suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s opener against the Falcons, the club announced today. Smith will miss the entirety of the season and will not be candidate to return from IR.
[RELATED: Bucs Work Out Jacquizz Rodgers]
Smith, 26, was the only Tampa Bay defensive end with more than five sacks in 2015. Over the past two seasons, Smith had posted 13.5 quarterback takedowns while appearing in 23 games (18 starts). Although he’s more of a rotational player, Smith’s absence is a blow to the Buccaneers’ depth, and the club will now have to more heavily rely on second-round pick Noah Spence.
“He’s a guy who’s a starter in our nickel package and a key contributor,” said head coach Dirk Koetter. “It’s going to be tough. We’ve got to pick up the slack in other areas. Some guys have to play more snaps than they might have played before. We’re going to be tested on our depth. Any time you lose a key guy like that it’s going to be some mixing and matching.”
The Bucs now have an open spot on their 53-man roster, but the team has yet to announce how it will fill the vacancy. Notably, Tampa does not currently have a defensive lineman on its practice squad.
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5 Key Stories: 9/4/16 – 9/11/16
A compromise in New Orleans. Although Drew Brees had reportedly been looking for a $100MM contract, he agreed to an extension that will keep with the Saints through the 2017 campaign. The deal is technically for five years, but will void after two, and will allow New Orleans to lower Brees’ 2016 
cap charge from $30MM down to a more manageable $17.25MM. Brees still wants to keep playing even after this current contract expires, and one report indicated he had his eyes on the Cardinals as a potential option down the line.
Another trade by the Eagles. General manger Howie Roseman has been extremely active in the trade market this offseason, and he added to his ledger by dealing cornerback Eric Rowe to the Patriots in exchange for a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick. Offensive lineman Josh Kline was originally thought to be part of the Eagles’ return as well, but he was ultimately waived by New England and then claimed by the Titans. The Eagles are also reportedly open to trading offensive lineman, including interior options Stefen Wisniewski and Josh Andrews.
Injuries strike early. Sunday Night Football hasn’t even started yet, and already injuries have taken their toll. The Chargers are likely to be without wide receiver Keenan Allen for the season after he suffered what is believed to be a torn ACL today. Allen, 24, missed half of the 2015 campaign after lacerating his kidney. Meanwhile, Texans linebacker Brian Cushing tore his MCL against the Bears today, and there are differing reports about how long he will be sidelined.
Extensions roll in. Most teams aren’t comfortable negotiating once the season begins, so a bunch of clubs worked out extensions last week in advance of the 2015 campaign. The two biggest names were Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders (three years, $33MM) and Steelers 
G David DeCastro (five years, $50MM), but a number of other players scored long-term deals as well. Tank Carradine (link), Theo Riddick (link), Rob Ninkovich (link), and Joe Berger (link) received new contracts, as did specialists Sam Martin (link) and Caleb Sturgis (link).
Tebow knows. Tim Tebow is now officially a professional baseball player, as he agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Mets. “This isn’t about publicity,” Tebow said. “It’s definitely not about money. I took a pay cut to do this. For me, you pursue what you love regardless of what else happens.” PFR’s Zach Links joined the conference call with Tebow and Mets GM Sandy Alderson following the signing.
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