Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson Suffers Broken Wrist
DECEMBER 13: When speaking to the media about Hendrickson’s injury, head coach Zac Taylor did not rule him out for the team’s Week 15 matchup against the Buccaneers. He added that an IR stint (which would require at least a four-week absence) will not be forthcoming, meaning the Bengals are optimistic that a quick recovery will take place.
DECEMBER 11: The surging Bengals took a big hit today when their leading pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson, suffered a broken wrist during today’s win over the Browns, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Despite the injury, Hendrickson finished the game, ensuring a win for the Bengals. 
Hendrickson currently leads the team in both sacks and quarterback hits with six and 22, respectively. Hendrickson combines with starting defensive end Sam Hubbard to form one the league’s more pressuring duos. Between the two, they total 11.5 sacks, 39 quarterback hits, and 16 tackles for loss. While Hendrickson’s pace of sack production has been slower than last season’s 14-sack performance, he is still a leader on Cincinnati’s defense and will be a tough player to replace.
Despite Hendrickson playing through the injury today, most believe the injury will hold him out for a few weeks. Without Hendrickson, the Bengals will turn to Joseph Ossai. A third-round pick who missed his rookie season with a meniscus injury last year, Ossai has done a decent job in relief work behind Hendrickson and Hubbard this season. Ossai has racked up two sacks, two tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits despite only playing about 25% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Cincinnati also rosters Cameron Sample and Jeff Gunter, who could be available to rush the passer in Hendrickson’s absence. The Bengals will hope to see Hendrickson return to play in time for late-season matchups against the Bills and Ravens that could very well decide the AFC North.
AFC Injury Rumors: Pats, White, Wilson
The Patriots will be facing off against the Cardinals on Monday night without a few key pieces. The team’s official injury report lists wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, cornerback Jalen Mills, and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn as out for the game on Monday night.
Meyers is the team’s leading receiver. Despite trailing running back Rhamondre Stevenson for the team-lead in receptions, Meyers still leads the team in receiving yards, by a healthy margin, and receiving touchdowns with 593 yards and three scores. Without Meyers, quarterback Mac Jones will be throwing to DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and rookie second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, among a few others. This is the third game of the year that Meyers will miss.
Mills, one of New England’s starters at cornerback, will also be missing his third game of the season and his second consecutive game. When Mills was out last week, the Patriots used a combination of fourth-round rookie Jack Jones, third-round rookie Marcus Jones, and Myles Bryant to replace him. I imagine the same approach will be used tomorrow night to handle Cardinals receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, and A.J. Green, as Rondale Moore is also reportedly out for Week 14.
The absence of Wynn, a starting tackle, is troubling for the Patriots, as their other starting tackle Trent Brown and backup tackle Yodny Cajuste are both listed as questionable heading into the week. The only tackle on the depth chart with no injury designation is Conor McDermott. Backup linemen James Ferentz and undrafted rookie Kody Russey are also available and starting guard Michael Onwenu could potentially kick out to tackle in an emergency.
Here are a few more injury rumors from around the conference, all concerning signal-callers in the AFC:
- The Ravens started third-year quarterback Tyler Huntley in place of an injured Lamar Jackson today against the Steelers. The team called up practice squad quarterback, and undrafted rookie, Anthony Brown as a standard gameday elevation in case of emergency, and emergency struck when Huntley left the game in concussion protocol after a brutal blow from Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Brown wasn’t asked to do much but held on to the Ravens lead in a 16-14 win over the team’s division rival. Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that Brown would be playing next Sunday against the Browns if Huntley is unavailable but seemed to think Huntley will be just fine, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “He seems good to me. He’s reciting the months of the year backwards,” Harbaugh quipped with reporters. “Can you do that right now?”
- Jets quarterback Mike White took a pounding today during a loss to the Bills in which Buffalo’s defense racked up eight quarterback hits and four sacks. White left the game twice after receiving shots to the ribs. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco entered in place of White, but, both times, White returned to play and eventually finished a close game in Buffalo. Head coach Robert Saleh informed reporters that White was headed to the hospital after the game for precautionary checks, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. A follow-up provided that White did rejoin the team in time for the flight home after finishing up at the hospital, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The quarterback situation next week will be something to keep an eye on. If starting quarterbacks Zach Wilson and White remain on the injury report, Flacco could earn his fourth start of the year and his first since September. Flacco would be set to face off against the Lions next week, a team he has never lost to in three matchups over 15 years in the league.
- Another quarterback who took a beating today, Broncos signal-caller Russell Wilson was knocked out of today’s loss to the Chiefs with a concussion, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Wilson’s day was even more brutal than White’s as the Chiefs defense accounted for six sacks and 11 quarterback hits. Broncos third-year backup quarterback Brett Rypien would enter for Wilson and attempt to mount a comeback against the division rival Chiefs, falling just short when he was hit while throwing on the team’s final drive resulting in a duck of a pass that fluttered down into the waiting arms of Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Since the loss today officially eliminated the Broncos from postseason contention, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Denver give its quarterback a rest, not rushing Wilson back to play for little-to-no reason. Wilson may be eager to return, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Rypien took the team the rest of the way.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel Carted Off Field
In a dark spot during an otherwise phenomenal day for San Francisco, many thought the 49ers had lost one of their most-talented skill players to a serious injury, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. After his foot was pinned and twisted awkwardly underneath Buccaneers defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, 49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel was carted off the field as many of his teammates consoled him. 
After being tackled, Samuel initially stayed down on the ground clutching at his leg. He attempted to walk off the field himself before needing to be helped to a cart. The 26-year-old appeared to be crying as he left the field and early reports from the team classified it as a knee injury, casting horror into the hearts of many a 49ers fan. Later on, though, it was reported that Samuel actually suffered an ankle injury and that he “is believed to have avoided a major injury,” according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The update is welcome news for San Francisco who is already working with its third-string quarterback Brock Purdy after injuries to season-opening starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Fortunately for the 49ers, Purdy has now led the team to two wins over teams that look to be headed to the playoffs, as of right now, and their good fortune continues if the reports that Samuel avoided major injury are confirmed. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the team is not sure about the extent of the injury but that it is “most likely” a high-ankle sprain, and Samuel’s left ankle “is not broken,” according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
If Shanahan’s comments are accurate, a high-ankle sprain typically necessitates a four- to six-week recovery. With four weeks remaining in the regular season, Samuel will have to count on Purdy and company to keep the team alive long enough for him to make a likely return in the postseason. Samuel has plenty of experience with in-season recoveries. He suffered a broken leg during his redshirt junior season at South Carolina and was ruled out for the rest of the season. It was later announced that Samuel was working his way towards a possible return later on in the season before being permanently sidelined by a sprained foot that he would suffer in rehab. He also began the 2020 NFL season on injured reserve before making a late-season debut. Samuel is clearly not one to throw in the towel.
Samuel is not nearly on pace to match his incredible production from last year. His failure to produce as much is mainly just a byproduct of teammate Brandon Aiyuk‘s breakout season. Samuel receiving fewer touches and targets has helped the 49ers offense to be more evenly spread between himself, Aiyuk, tight end George Kittle, and whoever is playing at running back, most recently Christian McCaffrey.
If Samuel indeed needs to miss extended time, the 49ers will be counting on Aiyuk, Kittle, and McCaffrey to continue propping their third-string quarterback up. The team will ask receivers Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud to step up in Samuel’s absence and attempt to replace his production.
Seahawks RBs Kenneth Walker, DeeJay Dallas Game-Time Decisions
DECEMBER 11: Walker is not expected to play against the Panthers, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Seahawks hope to have him back in action for their upcoming Thursday night matchup with the 49ers.
DECEMBER 10, 3:05pm: Walker and Dallas have both been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow’s game, increasing the likelihood that they make an appearance against the Panthers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The two still have not practiced all week, so it will be intriguing to see if they are still game-time decisions tomorrow and how much they will play, if at all.
The team also announced that it will be elevating practice squad running back Godwin Igwebuike, who converted to running back last year for the Lions after a couple years as an NFL safety. In 17 games with the Lions last season, Igwebuike ran the ball 18 times for 118 yards and a touchdown, adding seven catches for 60 yards. He also returned kickoffs for the Lions, which may indicate that he is taking an injured Dallas’s spot on the kickoff return team.
Seattle will use its second standard gameday elevation on practice squad receiver Laquon Treadwell.
DECEMBER 10, 2:04pm: Initially listed as questionable after injuries in last weekend’s win over the Rams, Seahawks running backs Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas have both been downgraded to doubtful leading into the team’s matchup against the Panthers this Sunday, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Both Walker and Dallas will be game-time decisions to play this weekend. 
Seattle was closing in on panic mode as Walker, Dallas, and fourth-stringer Tony Jones all left the game with injuries. With primary backup running back Travis Homer already declared out for last week’s game, the Seahawks were in trouble when Walker and Dallas exited the game. When Jones sustained a hard hit and made his way to the injury tent, Dallas was asked to return to play despite being listed as doubtful to return.
Walker and Dallas are both technically possible actives for tomorrow, but neither has participated in practice at all this week. This may present Homer with his fist starting opportunity since his rookie season. A former sixth-round draft pick out of Miami, Homer has mostly served as a reserve back in a deep position room. Behind the team’s usual top running backs duo, Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, Homer was granted few opportunities to run the ball or show his prowess catching passes out of the backfield during his first three seasons.
Homer has held onto a roster spot much the same way as his former Hurricanes teammate, Dallas: stellar special teams play. While Dallas’s special teams impact has come as a returner. Homer tends to play on all of the kickoff, punt, and return units. He’s racked up a good amount of special teams tackles with aggressive play and even forced some turnovers. In fact, his lone rushing touchdown in the NFL could be attributed to his special teams play as he scored on a 73-yard rush during a fake punt. He has another special teams touchdown from an onside kick recovery that saw him recover the attempt and speed past would be tacklers as they looked for a ball that was on its way to the endzone.
Homer’s first start three seasons ago came in a Week 17 game that saw injuries force his way up the depth chart. The team signed then-retired running back Marshawn Lynch to back him up, welcoming Lynch back after four years away from the team. In his lone regular-season start, Homer rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries and caught all five of his targets for 30 more yards. He also started the Seahawks’ first-round playoff game before Lynch got the start in the second round.
If Walker and Dallas are unable to go, Jones will likely serve as Homer’s backup. Recent practice squad addition, Wayne Gallman, is also reportedly ready to play if Seattle needs him. Whoever is taking handoffs, Seattle may need a big game from them against a Panthers defense that has been more vulnerable to the run than the pass this year. A big game from Homer and company may be needed to keep the Seahawks from going 0-4 against the NFC South this season.
Raiders Waive G John Simpson
In a bit of a surprise move, the Raiders have released offensive guard John Simpson, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. A former fourth-round pick from only two and a half years ago, Simpson will be placed on waivers. 
The release is surprising for a couple of reasons, the first of which being that Simpson started every game for the Raiders last season. He had earned two starts the year before as a rookie out of Clemson, before winning the full-time job at left guard in his sophomore season.
There were early signs of trouble for Simpson, such as when it was reported that only left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Denzelle Good were guaranteed starting jobs for the 2022 season, according to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic. Good retired a week after that report. The report also noted that rookie third-round pick Dylan Parham “could push (Simpson) at left guard or Andre James at center.”
Parham would earn a full-time starting role as a rookie. He is the only Raider rookie to do so and only one of two Raiders (offensive lineman Thayer Munford) who have started a game at all as a rookie for Las Vegas this year. But Parham isn’t the one who took Simpson’s spot. Parham was the immediate plugin after Good’s unexpected retirement. Simpson was eventually benched before Week 3 for fourth-year lineman Alex Bars. Bars would hold down the starting job until getting injured early in the team’s loss to the Rams last night. Simpson would fill in for Bars for the rest of the game, his first extensive action on offensive since getting benched.
The second reason that his waiving is a shock is that the 25-year-old still has another year on his rookie contract with a base salary of $1.01MM and only $199,195 in guaranteed money. This makes Simpson a no-doubt pickup for any team with a hole on their offensive line and an early enough waiver priority. Simpson is a cheap offensive line option with starting experience. The risk is extremely low. He would fit well on a contender who may need to plug a hole due to injuries, but, at this point, Simpson is at the mercy of the waiver wire and his value may be too good to pass up for many of the teams with top priority.
While the move doesn’t change much, if anything, about the Raiders’ starting lineup, it does raise questions about the team’s offensive line depth. Las Vegas has three offensive lineman, Brandon Parker, Lester Cotton, and Justin Herron, on injured reserve. Simpson was serving as the primary backup for both guard spots and, if James were to get injured, Parham would slide over to center and push Simpson into the lineup. With Simpson out, the Raiders now hold only two backup linemen, Munford and Jackson Barton, on the active roster. Practice squad linemen Hroniss Grasu and Sebastian Gutierrez should expect to hear their names called in the coming days.
An interesting aspect about this move is that it leaves 2020 fourth-round pick Amik Robertson, the team’s final pick of that year’s draft, as the only remaining member of the Raiders’ 2020 draft class. First-round wide receiver Henry Ruggs was released after his involvement in a fatal car accident. First-round cornerback Damon Arnette was released after appearing in a threatening video with a handgun. Third-round utility back Lynn Bowden was traded to the Dolphins along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Third-round wide receiver Bryan Edwards was traded to the Falcons along with a 2023 seventh-round pick for a 2023 fifth-round pick. Third-round safety Tanner Muse was waived without ever taking snap for Las Vegas after spending his whole rookie season on IR. Robertson, who has started six games at cornerback for the Raiders, four this year, is the last man standing as we add Simpson to the list.
Florida QB Anthony Richardson Declares For Draft
After only one season at the helm as the Gators starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson announced on his Twitter account that he would be forgoing his team’s bowl game and the remainder of his college eligibility in order to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. With the announcement, Richardson officially kicks off what will surely be one of the biggest debates of the pre-draft process: will it be worth it? 
There are a ton of question marks surrounding Richardson following his lone season under center in Gainesville. In fact, many scouts have voiced their opinions that they wish he would stay in college for another year to continue his development. Unfortunately for them, 13 games as a starting quarterback is all they’re going to get to evaluate the 21-year-old.
In those 13 starts, Richardson went 6-7, completing 188 of 347 (54.18%) pass attempts for 2,631 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also showed a dual-threat ability, rushing 115 times for 680 yards and nine touchdowns in those starts. For his whole career, Richardson totaled 3,105 passing yards with a 54.71-percent completion percentage for 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, adding 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Richardson only appeared in three games as a true freshman, attempting only two passes and running the ball seven times. After the redshirted season, Richardson appeared in seven games as a redshirt freshman and earned his first start against rival Georgia. Richardson waited his turn behind eventual Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask and Emory Jones, who would eventually transfer to Arizona State. Richardson finally became the team’s full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore.
Richardson led the Gators through a rocky season. After an opening win over the eventual Pac-12 champion Utes, Florida endured a challenging slate, beating teams it should but falling to the top teams in the SEC like Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, and Georgia. After perhaps their worst loss of the season to the lowly Commodores, the team bounced back for a strong performance against in-state rival Florida State before eventually falling to the Seminoles in the season-finale.
Now, he faces the pre-draft gauntlet. As only a redshirt sophomore, Richardson won’t participate in any senior all-star games, so his only opportunities to show his stuff will be the Combine and Florida’s Pro Day. Scouts are in love with Richardson’s measurables and athleticism, at 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds. His physicality and running style have been compared to former No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton. The same scouts are highly critical of Richardson’s poor completion percentage and overall, in-game experience.
This brings his draft stock into question. Where will a prospect with so many questions marks and so many promising attributes fall in the NFL Draft? Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) recently released the site’s top-100 draft prospect rankings. Of the five quarterbacks who made the list, Richardson was not among them. Dane Brugler of The Athletic failed to put Richardson on his list, as well, even though his most recent version came in early-November. This could be a simple omission due to the fact that Richardson hadn’t announced his intentions at the time, but both lists included third-year Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba who announced his intentions earlier this week.
On the other hand, three NFL scouts reportedly said this week that “they expect (Richardson) to be a top-10 draft pick come April,” according to Jason Cole of OutKick.com. These scouts see the teams that will fall in love with his talent and may be in the ideal situation to draft and stash the young quarterback, allowing him time to learn and adjust to the game at the NFL-level.
Cole points out that, of the teams who currently make up the top-eight projected picks of next year’s draft, only three will have an obvious need at quarterback: Houston, Indianapolis, and Carolina. With at least three quarterbacks, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, expected to be selected before Richardson, this leads to a situation wherein Richardson may get drafted to a team who can sit the quarterback for a year or two before forcing him into a starting role. It may end up being a situation like Bears quarterback Justin Fields or Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett where he only sits a few games before winning the job. Or it may be a situation like Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who has sat patiently behind Aaron Rodgers, waiting for his turn at the helm for a couple of seasons.
Regardless of speculation, the road to the NFL starts now for Richardson. He will have an opportunity to show scouts not only his athleticism and accuracy but his coachability, as well, at events like the Combine and his Pro Day. If he can’t prove to NFL teams that he has the ability to improve their team as a starter next season, he’ll have to focus on showing NFL teams that he has the malleability to be molded into a star in the league.
Workout Rumors: Rourke, Davidson
Canadian Football League quarterback Nathan Rourke is in the midst of a bit of a free agency tour, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Shortly after Rourke’s BC Lions were knocked out of the playoffs in mid-November, the 24-year-old announced that he was in communication with a number of NFL teams in regard to scheduling workouts.
Rourke played three years of college ball at Ohio after transferring from Fort Scott Community College. As a starter for all three years, Rourke was one of the country’s most electric dual-threat quarterbacks. He improved each year as a passer, finishing with a career total of 7,457 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. His consistency as a runner is uncanny. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Rourke ran the ball 137, 134, and 154 times respectively, for 912, 860, and 867 yards respectively. Over the three seasons he ran for 2,034 yards and 49 touchdowns. That’s 9,511 yards of total offense and 111 total touchdowns, when you include the two receiving touchdowns he had as a Bobcat.
Rourke went undrafted by the NFL but was the highest drafted quarterback for the CFL in almost 20 years. A rough first season in British Columbia saw Rourke serve mainly as a backup, only starting two games, and making some mistakes early in his career. He only threw three touchdowns to five interceptions, although he was able to add five touchdowns on the ground, as well. In his second year with the team, during the league’s 2022 season, Rourke became a full-time starter. In nine starts, Rourke completed 78.7-percent of his passes for 3,349 yards while throwing 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also added 304 yards and seven touchdowns with his legs.
After the Lions’ season ended with a third loss in four matchups this year against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a few NFL teams reached out to the athletic quarterback. Rourke reportedly met with the Raiders last week, the Jaguars on Monday, and the Broncos on Tuesday.
Seeing as all three of those teams are set with starting quarterbacks on fairly recent deals, it’s worth point out that Rourke did audition for the Giants at wide receiver just prior to the CFL’s 2021 season. It’s also worth pointing out that the XFL has produced some NFL quarterbacks with limited success lately. Both Commanders backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Panthers backup quarterback P.J. Walker have earned playing time with their respective squads. Heinicke, who started most of the 2021 NFL season for Washington, took over the starting job this year for an injured Carson Wentz and has gone on to win five of his seven starts for the team. Walker took over the starting job for an injured Baker Mayfield before suffering an injury of his own.
This opens the door for the league to look outside of the traditional talent pools for a player as important as the backup quarterback. To say Rourke would be an upgrade over Jarrett Stidham, C.J. Beathard, or Brett Rypien is no guarantee, but it may be worth taking a look at the mobile, young quarterback.
Here’s another workout rumor about a very recent second-round pick who was recently released:
- Former Falcons defensive lineman Marlon Davidson visited the 49ers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Through two and a half seasons in the league, Davidson has played in 19 games, only starting one. He’s only recorded one sack but has a fumble recovery and a 3-yard pick six off of Tom Brady to his ledger. Davidson has yet to play this season after being placed on injured reserve following arthroscopic knee surgery and was released in late October. Securing a visit with San Francisco may indicate that he’s healthy enough to find his way back to the field now.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/22
Here are the only practice squad transactions for today:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Marquez Stevenson
- Released: WR Isaiah Coulter
Injury Rumors: Ingram, Tagovailoa, Sutton, Joseph-Day
Saints running back Mark Ingram has likely seen his 2022 season come to an end, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The soon-to-be 33-year-old is set to tie a ribbon on his lowest single season of production in 12 seasons of NFL play.
Ingram suffered a slight MCL tear in the team’s Monday night loss to the Buccaneers. The injury usually requires a recovery period of around four to six weeks. With five weeks remaining in the season, it’s extremely unlikely that Ingram will find his way back to the field in the regular season. Despite the Saints currently sitting at last place in the NFC South at 4-9, they are only 2.5 games behind the first-place Buccaneers (6-6). If they can win some games and catch some good luck in the form of losses by their division rivals, New Orleans could still find itself in the playoffs as the NFC South champion. Otherwise, Ingram’s 2022 season is likely concluded.
Ingram returned to his longtime home of New Orleans after two years in Baltimore and half a season in Houston, accepting his No. 2 role in the lineup behind star running back Alvin Kamara. Ingram has served as a reliable second option in the backfield for the Saints, who will now have to turn to Dwayne Washington to fill that role.
Here are a few other injury rumors from around the league, starting with an MVP candidate looking to keep a strong season going:
- Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exited the team’s loss to the 49ers last week late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Already down 33-17 at the time of the injury, there was no use in forcing the young quarterback back into play, although, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, he could’ve returned to the game, if necessary. The news is a good sign for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa as the injury is likely not significant. As of today, all signs are pointing to Tagovailoa being able to start Sunday night against the quarterback who was drafted one pick after him in the 2020 NFL Draft, Justin Herbert, and the Chargers.
- The Broncos can’t seem to catch a break at the wide receiver position. Shortly after seeing starting wideout Jerry Jeudy return to the field against the Ravens last week, Denver saw its other starting wide receiver, Courtland Sutton, leave the game late in the second quarter with a hamstring injury, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Sutton would sit out the rest of game with a noticeable limp. He’s also expected to be unavailable for the team’s matchup with the Chiefs this weekend, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. With Sutton and KJ Hamler out this week, the Broncos will continue to field a receiving corps that, after Jeudy, boasts the likes of Kendall Hinton, Brandon Johnson, Montrell Washington, and Jalen Virgil.
- Chargers defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day suffered a knee injury in this weekend’s loss to the division rival Raiders. Luckily, head coach Brandon Staley told the media that Joseph-Day likely avoided major injury and has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain, according to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry. The team will continue to monitor the situation and will know more about his status in the next few days.
Titans CB Elijah Molden Returns To IR; Two Others Designated For Return
After only appearing in two games this year, it seems like the sophomore season for Titans cornerback Elijah Molden has come to an end, according to TitanInsider.com publisher Terry McCormick. The 23-year-old had been activated to return from injured reserve a little under a month ago but will head back to IR as his injuries continue to drag him down. 
Molden had come on strong in his rookie season, earning a starting role by Week 6 last year and holding onto the job throughout the season. In his starting duties, Molden racked up 62 total tackles, four passes defensed, and one interception, adding two more tackles in a postseason start against the Bengals.
Molden was placed on IR during the preseason after missing several practices with a nagging groin injury. He wasn’t able to make his 2022 season debut until a Week 9 start against the Broncos. After he was unable to play the following week, his season ended, for the second time in a row, with a loss to the Bengals.
The Titans have been absolutely ravaged with injuries this season. Adding Molden to the list of players on IR extends the NFL-leading number of players on IR from 15 to 16. This includes injuries to fellow cornerbacks Caleb Farley, Chris Jackson, and Lonnie Johnson. With starter Kristian Fulton and Tre Avery questionable to start the week, the bruised Titans secondary may be facing Trevor Lawrence this weekend with only three healthy cornerbacks. The team also recently added cornerback John Reid from the Falcons practice squad for some added depth. It’s no wonder, with this many injuries, that Tennessee ranks 31st this year in pass defense.
Now, due to an updated NFL rule, Molden has the ability to return from IR a second time this season if he can get healthy. The rule says that a player can be designated to return a maximum of two times in a season with both activations counting against the teams eight allowed designations. The Titans, who have had plenty of options throughout their injury-riddled season, only have two activations remaining this year and have already designated wide receiver Racey McMath and defensive back Josh Thompson to return. It Tennessee truly intends to bring back McMath and Thompson, it will use up the last of their allowable designations.
If one of the two doesn’t return, and remains on IR for the remainder of the season, that could open the door for a second Molden return. The question of whether or not he could get healthy enough to return is an important one and, if any hints are to be taken from McCormick’s tweet, the answer is probably “no” as McCormick very plainly stated that “his season is over.” A Molden return wouldn’t be able to occur until Week 18 of the season, if it were to happen at all.