Injury Rumors: Hyde, Gage
Bills safety Micah Hyde was initially thought to be out for the year after suffering a neck injury in only the second week of this season. A glimmer of hope appeared in late November when a neck surgery allowed Hyde the relief needed to return to active participation with the team. The good news came to a head when Buffalo designated their veteran safety to return from injured reserve a little over a week ago.
Not taking anything away from what the good news means for Hyde and his eventual return to the field, the Bills are remaining cautious and patient with Hyde this season. He was ruled out before last week’s matchup against the division rival Dolphins and ruled out for the divisional round a week in advance, according to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.
Head coach Sean McDermott spoke on Hyde’s situation, saying, “After (the divisional round), I don’t know. It’s kind of one of those things like, wake me up when…tap me on the shoulder when he’s ready.”
Here’s another rumor, this one concerning an injury that occurred on Monday:
- Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage encountered a scare when he exited Monday night’s loss to the Cowboys on a stretcher after taking a scary hit to the head and neck area. Tampa Bay’s official Twitter account released a statement explaining that Gage suffered a neck injury and a concussion and was taken to a hospital for an overnight stay where he received additional testing and observation. Head coach Todd Bowles told the media that Gage was released from the hospital the next day, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Bowles divulged that Gage avoided serious injury in his neck and that “he has all his extremities moving.”
Colts Request To Interview Bengals OC Brian Callahan For HC
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan could see his second head coaching interview take place after being requested for one as the Colts seek to replace Frank Reich this offseason. Callahan and the Bengals are still alive in the playoffs after surviving a matchup with the division rival Ravens last weekend, so the timing of the interview is still up in the air. 
Callahan has had a slow and steady rise in the NFL’s coaching ranks to this point, starting out as an assistant for Denver back in 2010. He followed that up with two seasons as an offensive quality control coach before being promoted to an offensive assistant role which he held until 2015. He got his first role as a position coach the following year in Detroit as the Lions quarterbacks coach. Despite getting offensive coordinator interest, Callahan was not retained by the Lions and he found his way to the same role in Oakland, where his father, Bill Callahan, once reigned as head coach.
The younger Callahan got his first offensive coordinator opportunity when Zac Taylor took over as head coach in Cincinnati. The offense struggled in Andy Dalton‘s final year with the team, finishing 30th in the league in points scored and 26th in yards gained. The team didn’t fare much better in Callahan’s second season, finishing 29th in both points scored and yards gained, but the addition of rookie quarterback Joe Burrow showed lots of promise for the young offense.
That promise paid off in 2021, when the Bengals finished seventh in scoring and 13th in yardage enroute to a Super Bowl berth. This year, Cincinnati performed similarly, ranking eighth and 15th in those respective categories. The team also won its second-consecutive AFC North title after a previous five-year playoff drought.
Callahan earned some head coaching interest after last year’s breakout performance, interviewing to replace Vic Fangio in Denver. He was one of 10 interviewees but failed to qualify as one of the three finalists before the Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett.
He now joins a much more crowded field in Indianapolis as the 14th name linked to the team’s search for a new head coach. The Colts have already interviewed eight candidates, moved on from one (as Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh chose to remain in the college ranks), plan to interview three others, and have requested an interview with one more.
As long as the Bengals continue to see success on the offensive side of the ball, Callahan will likely continue to field calls for head coaching opportunities. To see where he and other candidates stand in the hiring process, follow our 2023 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Vikings Fire DC Ed Donatell
The Vikings announced in a statement from head coach Kevin O’Connell today that the team “will be going in a different direction at defensive coordinator in 2023,” effecting the termination of this past season’s defensive play-caller, Ed Donatell. 
O’Connell’s first year at the helm in Minnesota was widely successful, resulting in both the team’s first 13-win season and first division championship since the 2017 NFL season. Despite the team success, the Vikings were limited throughout the year by a struggling defense, led by Donatell. The Vikings defensive unit tied for third worst in the league in points allowed and allowed the second most yards on defense in the NFL, trailing Detroit by only 62 yards. The group was perhaps saved at times by tying for eighth in the league in turnovers forced.
Donatell chose to join O’Connell’s staff over a lesser role with the Seahawks last offseason. Minnesota looked at a couple of would be first-time defensive coordinators before eventually settling on Donatell, counting on his vast experience on the defensive side of the ball to go along with O’Connell’s offensive expertise.
Donatell had 11 seasons under his belt as a defensive coordinator, the most recent three before this season taking place in Denver. During that period, the Broncos defense often posted stellar numbers, although much of this was credited to the head coach at the time, Vic Fangio, who called plays for the defense. Donatell’s play-calling duties this season were called into question amidst the unit’s struggles, but O’Connell put those calls to rest.
In his statement today, O’Connell asserted that the team “will immediately begin (their) search to fill” Donatell’s now empty role. The answer could simply be in-house as assistant head coach Mike Pettine has several years of experience as a coordinator. Pettine’s presence on staff during this year’s struggles might be hard to overlook, though.
O’Connell and company may stray away from their initial preference towards experience and contact Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver or Packers offensive consultant Aubrey Pleasant, both of whom were considered for the role last year. The team also looked last year into Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai, who has one season as a defensive coordinator under his belt.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/19/23
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/19/23
Today’s only minor transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated to return from IR: LB Devin Harper, WR Simi Fehoko
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/19/23
Today’s taxi squad updates:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: C Greg Mancz
- Placed on practice squad IR: T Alec Anderson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: S Sheldrick Redwine, K Tristan Vizcaino
- Placed on practice squad IR: CB Mackensie Alexander
Chargers Rule Out Mike Williams Vs. Jaguars
JANUARY 13: Despite Staley’s expectation Williams would return against the Jaguars, the injury he sustained in Week 18’s meaningless (for seeding purposes) game will cost the Chargers. Staley said Williams could play without practicing this week, but the Bolts HC ruled out the big-play wideout for Saturday night’s game. Williams will remain in Los Angeles to undergo treatment, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Staley drew steady criticism for leaving his starters in the regular-season finale well into the fourth quarter. That decision leading to the team losing Williams for the playoff opener will increase the scrutiny on the second-year HC.
JANUARY 9: The Chargers got a scare on Sunday when leading wide receiver Mike Williams needed to be carted to the locker room in a Week 18 loss to the Broncos that held no playoff implications.
Despite the serious look of the back injury that ailed him, Williams is expected to play this Saturday night in Jacksonville, according to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry.
Williams, who leads all Chargers receivers with 895 receiving yards, suffered a back injury Sunday that required him to be assisted off the field by trainers and, eventually, to be carted off to the locker room. The injury appeared to affect Williams so much that he required help to get back to the team bus from the locker room. Daniel Popper of The Athletic reported that Williams “could not walk on his own.”
Los Angeles head coach Brandon Staley told reporters that Williams underwent an MRI exam that revealed no fracture or muscle injury. Williams only suffered a contusion, albeit, it appears, a painful one. Regardless, Staley expects that Williams will return to practice this week and should be available against the Jaguars this weekend.
Texans WR John Metchie III Making Strides In Recovery
Rookie second-round pick John Metchie III knew he faced a long road to his NFL debut after tearing his ACL in last year’s SEC title game. Little did he know he would be faced with a much larger challenge as he prepared for his big return. Metchie’s diagnosis of Acute Promyelocytic Luekemia would hold him out of training camp, the preseason, and his entire rookie season. Fortunately, the long road appears to be winding down as Texans general manager Nick Caserio announced that Metchie has made “amazing” progress, according to Texans TV Host Drew Dougherty. 
Caserio hinted that Metchie’s return could come as soon as April. “I’d say there’s a chance that he’ll be ready for the start of the offseason program,” Caserio told Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast on SportRadio 610 this week. Since the Texans, who fired Lovie Smith this week, will have a new head coach in 2023, they will get to begin their offseason conditioning program two weeks before teams with returning head coaches. That means Metchie could be back working out with the team as soon as April 3.
“I think there are still some things that he has to complete or go through,” Caserio continued. “Quite frankly, it’s amazing what he’s done to this point…He actually looks better now than he did when we drafted him in the spring. He’s improved his strength. He’s improved his lower body strength. His attitude has been great, even though he’s been dealing with a lot of things medically.”
While Metchie had originally described his APL as the most curable form of the disease in the statement announcing his diagnosis, it’s still great news to hear that he’s coming back on the other side of it stronger than he started. After a long, hard road, Metchie’s NFL debut is back on track.
Bears GM Ryan Poles Wants RB David Montgomery To Return
We tackled the stock Bears running back David Montgomery holds as he heads into free agency about a month ago. A key concern in his situation focused on whether or not Chicago would want to bring Montgomery back. Earlier this week, Bears general manager Ryan Poles gave us the answer, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times. 
Poles made it clear in a public forum that he has a desire to keep Montgomery in the Windy City. “I’ve always wanted to keep David,” Poles told reporters. “I love his mentality, how he plays the game. I told him that to his face. He’s part of the identity that we had this year that kept us competitive.”
That PDA is endearing and likely sits well with the fourth-year running back out of Iowa State, but it doesn’t put food on his table. Compliments alone are not going to convince Montgomery to keep the “C” on his helmet, and Poles is aware of that.
“The second part of that is just the contract situation,” the rookie GM continued. “That’s something that we’ll see how that goes and if we can find common ground. Obviously, I’ve learned that you can want a player, and the value’s got to come together for it to happen.”
The value is going to be crucial, and there are two factors to take into account when trying to determine where Montgomery’s value falls. The first is current roster. Behind only quarterback Justin Herbert, Montgomery was second on the team in rushing yards, leading all running backs in Chicago. While that seems like a plus for Montgomery, it’s likely only the result of second-year running back Khalil Herbert missing three more games than Montgomery. Despite Montgomery outgaining Herbert 801 rushing yards to 731, Herbert averaged a higher rushing yards per game with 56.2 YPG compared to Montgomery’s 50.1. The benefit in performance comparison is that Montgomery is clearly the team’s preferred receiving back after hauling in 34 passes for 316 yards compared to Herbert, who was next closest for running backs with nine catches for 57 yards.
The second factor is going to be competition. This offseason’s free agent running back class is going to be stacked with talent. Montgomery will be competing for a new contract with the likes of Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, Tony Pollard, Kareem Hunt, Jamaal Williams, and others. The plethora of options has the potential to saturate the market for running backs, leading to smaller contracts. If Montgomery wants to return to Chicago, though, he’ll hold the advantage over the others due to his familiarity with the franchise.
Statistically compared to recent contracts, Montgomery matches up closest with a player like Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette. Fournette recently signed a three-year, $21MM deal after a contract year that looks vaguely similar to what Montgomery did this season. There are two factors in Montgomery’s favor, though. Montgomery doesn’t have the significant injury history that Fournette does, and Montgomery has been far more consistent with his production year in, year out. This could point to either a three-year deal with a slightly larger average annual value or a similar annual amount with another year tacked on. If Montgomery were in a vacuum, he would likely demand something like a three-year, $24MM contract or a four-year, $28MM deal.
If Montgomery finds his way back to Chicago, it will probably not be that steep of a payday. He may find that he can earn more money by taking a team-friendly deal with the only team he’s known so far, but with the emergence of Herbert, Montgomery won’t be able to demand top dollar value. It will be up to Poles and Montgomery to reach an agreement on value. If it helps, I hear Poles is “a big David Montgomery fan.”
NFC Injury Rumors: Rams, Commanders, Penning, Swift
Rams rookie safety Russ Yeast endured a scary moment on Sunday in the team’s loss to the Seahawks, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. The seventh-round pick earned the first start of his career in place of Nick Scott, who was placed on injured reserve last week.
In the game, Yeast suffered a pulmonary contusion and needed to be taken to the hospital via ambulance. Head coach Sean McVay told reporters that Yeast was in stable condition but would stay in the hospital overnight. Yeast was reportedly scheduled to return to Los Angeles on Monday, according to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue.
Following the dramatic events around Bills safety Damar Hamlin, another cardiac event requiring a hospital visit was the last thing the NFL wanted to see in Week 18.
Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFC:
- As the Commanders‘ season came to an end, Washington decided to address some players’ injuries, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. Head coach Ron Rivera informed the media before their final regular season matchup that running back Antonio Gibson underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his foot. Additionally, defensive tackle John Ridgeway tore a pectoral muscle in the team’s season finale against the Cowboys. He’ll have the full offseason to recover.
- Saints first round rookie tackle Trevor Penning missed much of his first NFL season with a foot injury. What was initially thought to be a “bad case of turf toe” ended up being a torn ligament in his foot, resulting in him missing the first 11 games of his debut season. Penning would eventually work his way back and earn some snaps as a backup lineman before earning the first start of his career in Week 18. Unfortunately, a rough start for the Northern Iowa product has gotten even tougher as he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the season finale against the Panthers, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Penning faces a long recovery of approximately five to six months, but if he can come back by June, he should be able to make it back for part of the offseason training program in New Orleans.
- Early in the season, Lions running back D’Andre Swift suffered a high ankle sprain and a separated shoulder that would dog him for the rest of the year. Despite playing through those ailments for much of the season, there doesn’t appear to be any need for surgery in the offseason, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Swift will reportedly meet with medical professionals in the next few weeks but is under the impression that, come next season, he will be fully healthy and ready to go.