NFL Lifts Ban On Former Raiders, Cowboys LB Rolando McClain
For what it’s worth, free agent linebacker Rolando McClain is officially available to sign after spending a total of almost eight years under an indefinite suspension from the NFL. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the former No. 8 overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft had his suspension lifted by the league today. 
The former first-round pick showed a lot of promise coming out of Alabama a year early but saw his career derailed by a series of off-field incidents. These extracurricular activities, combined with an ineffectiveness on the field, led to the Raiders waiving him after the third year of his rookie deal. The Ravens signed him on a low-risk, high-reward one-year contract, but McClain would announce his retirement before the season began at the age of 23.
He was coaxed out of retirement a year later, when the Cowboys opted to obtain his rights from the Ravens in a trade, and McClain seemingly had an opportunity to revamp his career as he became a leader in Dallas. He received a four-game suspension for substance abuse issues in 2015, but overall, McClain had a productive two years on the Cowboys defense. That suspension would serve as a harbinger, though, as the NFL would levy a 10-game suspension for the same issue in the 2016 offseason.
Before McClain’s suspension could end, he failed a midseason drug test, leading the NFL to make his suspension indefinite. Reports were made that McClain’s struggles with addiction made a return to the NFL nearly impossible. Three years after the initial suspension, McClain was conditionally reinstated by the NFL, just to be released by the Cowboys and put back on indefinite suspension three months later.
That final suspension is that one that is ending now, after nearly four additional years. The transaction is largely nominal, as McClain is now 34 years old and hasn’t played football at a professional level in over eight years. His return in 2016 was nearly impossible; a return now, is even further from reality. As far as the NFL is concerned, though, McClain no longer resides on the no-fly list.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/13/23
Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated to return from IR: CB Bobby Price
Buffalo Bills
- Designated to return from IR: WR Justin Shorter
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated to return from IR: DL Viliami Fehoko
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Designated to return from IR: WR Jamal Agnew
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: C Connor Williams (story)
New England Patriots
- Designated to return from IR: T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster: WR David Moore
Washington Commanders
- Designated to return from IR: G Saahdiq Charles
- Signed to active roster: DE Joshua Pryor
- Placed on IR: LB Jamin Davis (story)
Agnew has missed the four games required to return from injured reserve, and though he’s not been activated yet, the Jaguars took the first step towards that outcome today in returning him to practice. It was shoulder and rib injuries that led to the return specialist’s placement on IR. During his absence the team had turned to rookie sixth-round receiver Parker Washington to return punts and veteran backup running back D’Ernest Johnson to return kickoffs. Jacksonville still has a few days to determine whether or not they’ll activate him right away for this weekend. If not, the team will have 21 days to activate him before his practice window closes and Agnew is reverted to season-ending IR.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/23
Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Joey Fisher
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from practice squad IR: C Billy Price
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Chris Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: G Henry Byrd
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LS Evan Deckers
Chargers’ Justin Herbert Fractures Finger
DECEMBER 11, 7:35pm: Herbert is “very likely” to undergo surgery tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The outcome of that operation will determine whether the QB is capable of returning to the field this season.
DECEMBER 11, 1:55pm: Herbert will consult with two hand specialists on Monday, Staley said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic (subscription required). No firm decision has been made on his 2023 future, though Staley unsurprisingly added Herbert’s long-term health is the main consideration with respect to a recovery timeline.
Herbert has not yet been ruled out for the Chargers’ upcoming Thursday night game, but both Popper and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo note he is highly unlikely to suit up. With the Chargers’ playoff chances looking very slim at this point, it would come as no surprise if he were to be shut down for the remainder of the season. It will remain worth watching how he and the team proceed, however.
DECEMBER 10: The Chargers have dealt with a good amount of adversity so far this season. With five of their eight losses coming by three points or fewer, wide receivers Mike Williams and Josh Palmer finding their way to injured reserve, and injuries here and there causing absences of stars like Austin Ekeler and Joey Bosa, Los Angeles needed to show some resiliency in order to stay in the playoff race this weekend. Instead, they were dealt yet another injury, this one to perhaps their most important player. 
Quarterback Justin Herbert was forced to exit today’s game when he apparently injured his finger. At the time, we didn’t know much as Herbert was ruled out and undressed from his pads but remained on the sideline to watch his backup Easton Stick. Now, it’s been reported that Herbert suffered a fracture to the index finger on his throwing hand, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN.
Head coach Brandon Staley was the one to report the injury, though he did not have any information on a timetable for Herbert’s return to play. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the plan is for Herbert to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow on the injured finger in order to determine the severity of the injury. More specifically, Rapoport’s post stated that they will look to determine “how long he’s out and if he’ll be able to return this season,” painting the potential outcome in a fairly negative light.
If the Chargers are forced to play games without Herbert, Stick would likely be the starter moving forward. Since being drafted in the fifth-round back in 2019, Stick had only appeared in one game before today. He played two snaps in Week 6 of the 2020 season, completing his lone attempted pass for four yards. Today, he saw his first extended action. In just over a half of play, Stick completed 13 of 24 pass attempts for 179 yards. He did lead the Chargers down the field on a touchdown drive late in the game by completing two big passes to rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston before letting Ekeler punch it in from three yards out.
Even if Herbert only requires a short recovery period, the Chargers face a short week with their next game coming on Thursday night in Las Vegas. If Stick earns his first start in the upcoming week, he’ll have to be backed up by practice squad quarterback Max Duggan, the rookie teammate of first-year wide receivers Johnston and Derius Davis. Duggan would need to be called up as a standard gameday elevation or signed to the active roster in order to be on the gameday roster this week.
There’s another question that begs attention: How much time does Herbert need to be out, and how many games do the Chargers need to lose, for the team to shut him down for the season. Los Angeles just committed to making Herbert the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL (outdone shortly after by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow‘s deal), locking him down with a five-year extension. If the playoffs start to appear out of reach, it may be in the best interest of Herbert and the team to hold him out for the rest of the year. Let him recover with little-to-no strain, and don’t risk doing any sort of permanent damage to your massive investment.
The Chargers don’t have to make that call just yet. They will look at the results of his scans tomorrow and have a much better idea of what the short-term future looks like. While he may need more time than three days and could miss Thursday, there’s still a chance Herbert recovers easily and is back for the last few weeks of the season. Still, with the pessimism displayed in Rapoport’s report, and the season beginning to wind down, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that we’ve seen the last of Herbert this year.
AFC East Rumors: Eichenberg, Hines, Pats
With a little more time and a lot more publicity, Dolphins offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg could have a case for Comeback Player of the Year. Not really, but Eichenberg has done an impressive job of turning around his career, which was trending downwards through his first two years in the league.
An offensive tackle at Notre Dame, Eichenberg struggled as a rookie full-time starter at left tackle in Miami. In 2022, Eichenberg slid inside to the left guard spot and delivered a more admirable performance before having his season derailed by injuries.
Eichenberg opened this year as a sixth-man for the Dolphins’ offensive line, specializing on interior play. When injuries held out starting center Connor Williams, Eichenberg stepped in to complete his trifecta of starting at every position on the left side of the line. Later on, he filled in with starts at right and left guard, as well. He’s reportedly more comfortable at right guard, but the Dolphins opted to start him at left guard last week ahead of Lester Cotton, who had started there the past two weeks.
In fact, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami’s staff has been so impressed with Eichenberg that, barring a miraculous return by Isaiah Wynn from a significant quadriceps injury, Eichenberg could have won the starting left guard job for the remainder of the season.
Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East:
- Patriots star pass rusher Matt Judon has now missed the team’s last nine games on injured reserve. Judon has certainly missed enough time to come off of IR, but there’s been no word of that possibility yet. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, when head coach Bill Belichick was asked about the possibility of Judon returning this year, the long-time skipper replied, “We’ll see. That’s a good question.” He continued, “I know he’s working hard. Matt’s been in here, works hard on a daily basis, but again, that’s a medical question that I wouldn’t be able to answer.”
- When Bills running back Nyheim Hines suffered an off-site jet ski injury that would end his 2023 season before it even began, that put the veteran rusher in an uncomfortable position concerning his contract. Since the injury occurred away from play, Hines was placed on the non-football injury list, “which technically doesn’t require the team to pay him anything,” per Zak Keefer of The Athletic. Hines was out millions in incentives and bonuses. It took the two sides a few months to hammer out the details, but eventually, they “agreed on a smaller sum” than the $9MM over two years that they had originally agreed to. This allows the Bills to stay on good terms with Hines when he’s able to return to the team next year while saving them from having to pay his full contract for a year in which he won’t see the field.
- When it was reported that Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown failed to make the trip to Frankfurt with the team for personal reasons, Brown took exception to the speculation that followed. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Brown felt the need to clarify that the reason he was unable to make the trip was because of the second opinion he sought on his ankle sprain. While he did attend a funeral during the team’s visit to Germany, he was not able to spend much personal time with his family as he was due back in New England for rehab.
NFL Injury Roundup: Jefferson, Herbert, Hamilton
Justin Jefferson‘s return from injured reserve may not last long. In Jefferson’s first game back from the IR-stint caused by a nagging hamstring injury, the Vikings wide receiver was knocked out of the game early with a separate injury.
While cutting across the middle of the field on a deep slant, Jefferson leapt up, arms extended, in an attempt to grab a high pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Jefferson was fully exposed in the process of the catch, Raiders safety Marcus Epps delivered a big shot to Jefferson’s rib cage from the side.
It didn’t take long for the team to rule Jefferson out for the remainder of the game with a chest injury. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Minnesota decided to transport Jefferson to a local hospital in Las Vegas. While perhaps not indicative of the worst-case scenario, the Vikings are likely just acting out of an abundance of caution.
At 6-6, the Vikings are one of a handful of NFC teams on the boundary of playoff contention, even without Jefferson for the last eight weeks. If Jefferson’s chest injury is not too painful to overcome, he would be a great asset in a playoff push to close the season.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:
- The Chargers are facing an uphill battle in their attempts to remain in playoff contention. Things won’t get any easier as starting quarterback Justin Herbert was ruled out of today’s game with a finger injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With Herbert out, backup quarterback Easton Stick has entered the game for his first game action since the 2020 season. Since starting in place of an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2 of his rookie season, Herbert has not missed a single start in his career. If Herbert’s finger keeps him out for more than a few days, with Los Angeles facing a short week, Stick could see his first ever NFL start in Vegas this Thursday.
- Ravens do-it-all safety Kyle Hamilton was forced to leave today’s overtime win over the Rams with a knee injury. He had sat out a couple of plays after initially tweaking his knee before returning to the field of play earlier in the game. A few drives later, he would not return and was ruled out for the rest of the game. According to Schefter, the plan is for Hamilton to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow in order to determine the extent of the injury. Baltimore is set up well with Marcus Williams and Geno Stone at safety, but Hamilton lines up in so many places on the defense that he would be virtually impossible to replace with a single player if he’s forced to miss any time.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith Out For Week 14
DECEMBER 10: Smith will indeed miss today’s divisional matchup. Lock is in line to start, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The 27-year-old will see No. 1 duties for the first time since 2021, the final year of his Broncos tenure.
Smith’s groin injury is one which is classified as having a two-week recovery timeline, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. As a result, it comes as little surprise that he will miss today’s contest. Seattle next has a Monday night game against the Eagles, and his ability to recover in time for that tilt will be worth watching in the coming days.
DECEMBER 8: Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith went into the team’s Thanksgiving matchup against the 49ers with a questionable designation as he dealt with a bruised elbow. Now, in this week’s rematch, Smith will once again come in questionable after tweaking his groin in practice yesterday, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. 
In the first game against their division rival, Smith struggled, perhaps due to the injury. Smith only completed 18 passes for 180 yards and an interception. The 49ers didn’t go easy on him as their defense tallied up 12 quarterback hits and six sacks. If another injury would deliver similar results, Seattle may think twice about putting him under center to start Sunday.
His newest ailment was a bit of a freak accident, as he tweaked his groin when he “stumbled over somebody.” Smith was held out of practice today in order to rest the groin, while head coach Pete Carroll remained vague about Smith’s chances of once again being able to play despite the questionable designation. It sounds like they’ll make their official decision during pregame warmups on Sunday.
If Smith can’t go, Drew Lock will be asked to step in and start in his place. Not only would this be Lock’s first start since he was a Bronco in 2021, but it would also be his first serious action at all since his time in Denver. Lock took the NFL by storm when, as a rookie, he stepped in as a starter after injuries to Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen. Lock would go 4-1 as a starter that year while throwing seven touchdowns to only three interceptions.
His first full season as a starter didn’t go nearly as well. In 13 starts, Lock’s completion percentage plummeted to 57 percent. He failed to match the efficiency of his rookie year as he threw only 16 touchdowns while leading the league with 15 interceptions. Lock lost the preseason starting battle to Teddy Bridgewater the following year, but started three games in injury relief, losing all three contests.
Since being traded to Seattle, Lock hasn’t seen any extensive action. As a Seahawk, he’s only appeared in two games, both coming this year. He came in during garbage time in the team’s win over the Giants and found a few drives as an injury replacement during the team’s loss to the Rams. Seattle is hoping that they can keep Lock’s usage low as they attempt to stay in the playoff race. They’ll hope that Smith will find no trouble in pregame warmups and be able to start with no limitations.
The concern is real, though. So much so that the Seahawks added quarterback Sean Mannion to their practice squad today. After Brett Rypien was signed off their practice squad by the Jets earlier this week, Mannion now stands as the only quarterback left to backup Lock, should Smith be unable to go. In order to make room on the practice squad for Mannion, Seattle released practice squad running back SaRodorick Thompson.
NFL Finds Bengals Compliant After Lack Of Injury Report On QB Joe Burrow
After Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending torn thumb ligament during a Thursday night loss to the division-rival Ravens in Week 11, the NFL decided to conduct an investigation into whether or not Burrow should have been included on the injury report prior to the matchup. The result of the investigation was reported on today by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports with Jones stating that the league found no wrongdoing as Cincinnati was “in full compliance with the league’s injury report policy.” 
The investigation was deemed necessary after an intriguing series of events that saw the Bengals’ social media team delete a post that showed the team arriving in Baltimore. Closer inspection of video revealed that Burrow has an apparatus on his wrist, the same wrist that he would eventually injure against the Ravens. This led many to believe that the Bengals were perhaps covering up a potential injury from the NFL and their opponents, which would be against NFL regulations.
Officially, teams are required to disclose injuries in the spirit of fairness, so that an opposing club has the ability to strategize against the correct personnel. It’s also in the best interest of the players, as playing with injuries can lead to more severe consequences for the individual. In theory, if a team fails to report concussion symptoms from a practice injury, the NFL would be unable to hold that player from participation. Unofficially, now that gambling has become a prevalent source of income for the NFL, accurate injury reports become crucial for the appropriate setting of lines. Unknown injuries, especially at a position as critical as quarterback, could result in major line swings.
The Bengals immediately denied any wrongdoing, with team doctors claiming that Burrow’s injury was “acute and not one that happened over time.” Burrow would later claim that the apparatus was merely a compression sleeve used to help prevent swelling during flights and was unrelated to any injuries.
Regardless, Cincinnati turned over medical records and practice footage from the week prior to the game. After reviewing the materials and interviewing Burrow and relevant medical personnel, the league determined that the team had been in compliance with their reporting. Burrow successfully underwent wrist surgery at the end of November and is expected to return to play well before the start of the 2024 season.
While some have speculated that the league’s young ties to the betting world made this their only possible conclusion, the Bengals have avoided the potential punishment of a team fine, individual fines, or the loss of future draft picks. The team reportedly followed the necessary protocol on disclosing their injuries and should have Burrow back next year.
Bills Activate TE Dawson Knox From IR
Set to enter their second juggernaut matchup in a row, the Bills will be getting a reinforcement to their offensive unit. Tight end Dawson Knox has officially been activated off of injured reserve and should be available this weekend against the Chiefs. In order to make room on the active roster, Buffalo has waived veteran linebacker A.J. Klein. 
Klein was signed to the active roster back in mid-October, after spending some time on the practice squad, and has been a bit of a nonfactor this year. Since being promoted, Klein has only appeared in two games, serving special teams duty in both contests.
Knox has missed the team’s last five games as he’s recovered from a wrist injury that required surgery back in late-October. He’ll be able to return to the offensive lineup this week, but he could be returning to a bit of a different situation than when he left. Knox’s absence has given rookie first-round pick Dalton Kincaid every opportunity to learn on the job and take over his role as the primary pass-catching tight end.
Knox had signed a significant four-year, $52MM extension prior to the 2022 season, and though he took a slight step back from an impressive 2021 campaign, Knox still was a heavy factor in Buffalo’s passing attack, even earning a Pro Bowl selection. Matters were slightly complicated by the decision to draft Kincaid, with many questioning the call to utilize such high draft capital on a position they had just dedicated a lofty contract extension to.
Regardless, Knox and Kincaid shared the load through the first few weeks of the season, with each staying fairly even in terms of targets and snaps. Neither really seemed to be taking control of the job too much until Kincaid delivered a 75-yard performance while catching all eight of his targets in Week 7. Kincaid has been impressive since then, embracing his larger role in the offense and striving in it. Add in the fact that the team has recently been mentioned in the same breath as veteran free agent tight end Zach Ertz, and things get a little more complicated for Knox.
The Bills will be happy to see Knox back in the fold, but with the price tag he carries, it will be interesting to see how they use him after watching Kincaid look a bit more effective in his role as a rookie. Things could get even more complicated if Ertz does indeed enter the picture, as well.
49ers Place WR/KR Ray-Ray McCloud On IR
The 49ers were forced to make a roster move today, announcing that they have placed wide receiver and return man Ray-Ray McCloud on injured reserve. The 27-year-old will be forced to miss at least the next four weeks as he deals with a rib injury. 
McCloud is in his second year with the 49ers after time with the Bills, Panthers, and Steelers before this. His biggest year came in 2021 with Pittsburgh when he led the league in punt return yardage with 367 yards and finished with career-highs in kick return yards (776) and receiving yards (277). Despite being on the field for both special teams return units and offense, McCloud has only scored two career touchdowns. Both came last year for the 49ers with one coming through the air and one on the ground. This year, he’s continued his role as the team’s primary return man while also still playing a small role in the offense.
To fill his roster spot, San Francisco has signed practice squad receiver Chris Conley to the active roster. At 31 years old, the veteran wideout has failed to see extended action in the past two years. Conley has been elevated for gameday three times this year, the limit for a single practice squad contract, and though he found almost 20 snaps on offense, he has yet to register a target in 2023. Still, he has the vast experience as a supporting receiver to step up, should the team ask him to.
Additionally, the 49ers announced that safety Erik Harris and running back Jeremy McNichols will be called up as standard gameday elevations from the practice squad for tomorrow’s contest. Harris was called up last week in an effort to add depth at the position with injured starter Talanoa Hufanga out. McNichols, on the other hand, has not appeared in a game since his time with the Titans in 2021.