Cardinals’ Justin Jones Out For Season
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon announced defensive linemen Justin Jones will miss the rest of the 2024 season with a torn triceps suffered against the Lions in Week 3.
With Jones going on IR, the Cardinals will sign Naquan Jones from the Dolphins’ practice squad after he appeared in four games for Arizona last season.
Justin Jones signed with the Cardinals this offseason on a three-year, $30.2MM contract after recording a career-high 4.5 sacks in Chicago last year. He was originally a third-round pick by the Chargers in 2018 and earned a starting role in his second year, but struggled to stay healthy with just 36 appearances from 2019 to 2021. Jones then signed a two-year deal with Chicago, where he started every game for two straight seasons.
The Cardinals’ reunion with Naquan Jones will help limit the damage from Justin Jones’ absence. He was signed to Arizona’s practice squad last November before a promotion to the active roster the following month. He started one game out of his four appearances, with a total of 78 snaps played for the Cardinals in 2024, so his familiarity with Gannon’s scheme will allow him to easily join teammates Roy Lopez, Bilal Nichols, L.J. Collier, Khyiris Tonga, and Dante Stills on the defensive interior.
Justin Jones joins Jonah Williams, BJ Ojulari, and rookies Darius Robinson and Christian Jones on the list of key Cardinals to land on injured reserve early in the season, though not all are expected to be out for the year. Robinson, the second of the team’s two first-round picks, is eligible to be activated from IR next week.
Lions Place LB Derrick Barnes On Injured Reserve
3:50pm: Barnes has indeed been placed on IR, per a team announcement. The move comes as no surprise, but it ensures Detroit will be without a key starter for a stretch. It will be interesting to see how Barnes’ recovery progresses and when he will become an option to return to action.
1:18pm: The Lions’ injury situation just keeps getting worse, with linebacker Derrick Barnes expected to be placed on injured reserve after sustaining a knee injury in Detroit’s Week 3 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Head coach Dan Campbell said that Barnes would be out for a significant amount of time, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Barnes may even require surgery, making a stint on injured reserve an even more likely option as the team evaluates his knee and determines a long-term outlook for his recovery.
Barnes joins defensive end Marcus Davenport and center Frank Ragnow on the list of injured Lions coming out of Sunday’s game. Davenport suffered a season-ending elbow injury, while Ragnow tore his pectoral muscle.
“It’s going to hurt to lose Barnes,” said Campbell on Monday, but he emphasized that he has “a ton of faith” in the team’s remaining linebackers. He has multiple options to replace Barnes, who started the season alongside veteran Alex Anzalone and 2023 first-round pick Jack Campbell in defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn‘s 4-3 scheme. Malcolm Rodriguez, a 2022 sixth-rounder who became a fan favorite on Hard Knocks as a rookie, is the most likely candidate for Barnes’ spot, with Ben Niemann and Jalen Reeves-Maybin providing additional depth.
Barnes was a fourth-round pick by the Lions in 2021 who appeared in 32 games with 10 starts across his first two NFL seasons before earning a starting role in 2023 as the third off-ball linebacker behind Anzalone and Campbell. Landing on injured reserve will sideline Barnes until at least Week 8, though surgery could hold him out longer.
Surgery, IR Stint Expected For Erik McCoy After Groin Injury
Saints center Erik McCoy suffered a groin injury in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles that is expected to require surgery, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. With a recovery period of six-to-eight weeks, McCoy is likely to land on injured reserve, though the injury is not expected to end the 2023 Pro Bowler’s season.
McCoy had been an integral part of the Saints’ new-look offense under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak that has produced 34.3 points per game, second-most in the NFL. His 95.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) leads all offensive linemen with just one pressure allowed so far this year.
Starting left guard Lucas Patrick is listed as the backup center on the Saints’ depth chart and took over for McCoy on Sunday, so he’s likely the long-term replacement at center. Oli Udoh slid into Patrick’s vacated left guard spot, but both Landon Young and Nick Saldiveri have taken left guard snaps during the regular season. Another week of practice could give either player the opportunity to take over the starting gig until McCoy is healthy.
McCoy’s current timeline indicates that he could return as soon as Week 10, but the Saints will not want to rush his recovery from surgery. New Orleans may take a conservative approach and hold McCoy out until after their Week 12 bye to ensure that he’s fully healthy.
The Saints selected McCoy with the 48th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Texas A&M standout immediately slotted in as the team’s starting center. When healthy, McCoy has been one of the league’s best at his position, but this year will mark the third time in the last four seasons that McCoy has missed at least four games due to injury.
McCoy’s absence only adds to the injury woes along the offensive line in New Orleans, which has lost tackles Ryan Ramczyk and James Hurst since last season. Hurst retired after a decade in the NFL, while Ramczyk was placed on the Reserve/PUP list in July, ending his 2024 season before it even began.
Robert Kraft Picked Jerod Mayo As Bill Belichick’s HC Successor Five Years Ago
Not featuring a coaching search this year, the Patriots have still not conducted a true hunt for their sideline leader since agreeing to send the Jets trade compensation for Bill Belichick in 2000. Their effort to succeed the all-time coaching great proved interesting despite not contributing much to PFR’s latest HC Search Tracker.
Rather than go through a full-scale interview process, the Patriots included language in Jerod Mayo‘s contract making him the heir apparent. Robert Kraft confirmed this has been his plan for a while. The longtime Patriots owner revealed on the Prime Video Thursday Night broadcast Mayo became his pick to succeed Belichick five years ago.
“Jerod learned a lot from Bill in the technical background,” Kraft said. “But they’re each special individuals. I’ve gotten to know Jerod over the last 15 years and, you know, I picked him five years ago to be our next head coach.”
Belichick and the Patriots mutually parted ways after the 2023 season, ending his 24-year tenure as the team’s head coach and de facto general manager. While it was not known to the outside NFL world the Pats had Mayo as their open-and-shut pick, the team was the first to name a new coach during this year’s carousel.
The No. 10 overall pick in 2008, Mayo fared well under Belichick as a player and an assistant. As a starting inside linebacker, Mayo earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Mayo spent his entire eight-year playing career in New England under Belichick and retired after struggling with injuries in his last few seasons, which included a victory in Super Bowl XLIX.
Belichick later hired Mayo as his inside linebackers coach in 2019, a position the latter held until he was promoted to head coach earlier this year. Mayo quickly earned Kraft’s trust, as evident from the owner identifying him as his next leader in his first year on staff, but also drew attention around the league as a potential future head coach.
After interviews with the Broncos, Eagles, and Raiders for their head coaching openings from 2021-22, Kraft was so worried he might lose Mayo that he inserted a succession clause into his former linebacker’s contract to guarantee Mayo would succeed Belichick after he left New England, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Mayo declined a Panthers HC interview last year, and the Patriots released a statement indicating he was staying. Kraft confirmed in March 2023 Mayo loomed as a potential Belichick heir apparent, and while ties to Mike Vrabel emerged late last season, it does not appear the owner deviated from his long-held internal plan.
The succession clause allowed the Patriots to get around the Rooney Rule requiring NFL teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for open HC positions. Roger Goodell (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) called the succession clause “smart management” by the Patriots, who hired Mayo as their first Black head coach in franchise history on January 12.
Mayo began his head coaching career with a surprising upset of the Bengals in Week 1 before falling to the Seahawks in overtime in Week 2. While the Patriots did not enter this season with much in the way of expectations, Mayo will attempt to reward the owner’s faith in his first season at the helm.
Klutch Sports Group Hires Ex-Cardinals GM Steve Keim
Klutch Sports Group has hired former Cardinals general manager Steve Keim as its new general manager, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Although Keim has not worked in the NFL since taking a leave of absence from the Cardinals late in the 2022 season, he spent 10 years as the NFC West team’s GM. The Cardinals made the playoffs just three times during Keim’s tenure, though that is a better success rate than the franchise has displayed in decades. The Cards ventured to the 2015 NFC championship game, and Keim’s regime — despite enduring a rough 2022 — acquired some cornerstone pieces that have ended up boosting the current Arizona front office.
Keim, 52, worked his way up through the Cardinals organization, starting as a regional college scout in 1999 and rising all the way to general manager in 2013. He remained in that position until January 2023, when he stepped down to focus on his health. Keim has not worked in the NFL since that Cardinals separation late in the 2022 season.
Keim finished with an 80-80-2 record as Arizona’s general manager, being atop the front office when the team traded for Carson Palmer, drafted Kyler Murray and traded for DeAndre Hopkins. Keim also oversaw the talks that produced Murray’s five-year, $230.5MM extension
The Cardinals extended Keim and then-HC Kliff Kingsbury months before they hammered out the Murray deal, but ownership reversed course after the 2022 Arizona edition unraveled and finished 4-13. Michael Bidwill bailed on Keim and Kingsbury at season’s end, not bringing back the veteran decision-maker and canning the HC who had pushed for Murray.
Klutch Sports Group is believed to be the first agency to hire a former NFL general manager to the same position within an agency. Keim will work with Klutch’s team of agents, bringing decades of NFL front office experience to the agency.
“Steve gives us a tremendous amount of depth through the lens of knowledge, experience and expertise,”’ said Klutch CEO Rich Paul. “This is a game changer for us and I imagine the industry. His entire life has been loving the game of football, and we couldn’t be happier to have him join us.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/24
Today’s practice squad updates:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR John Jackson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DE Justin Hollins
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: OLB Tarron Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: LB Nathaniel Watson
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Joe Giles-Harris
- Placed on reserve/left squad: OT Chukwuma Okorafor
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: EDGE Jermaine Johnson (story)
- Signed from practice squad: Jalyn Holmes
The Patriots sustained a blow to their offensive line depth when Okorafor left the team after being benched after just 12 snaps in Week 1. New England received a five-day roster exemption for Okorafor’s initial absence but was forced to move the offensive tackle to the reserve/left team list when the exemption expired. He is now ineligible to return this season.
Watson was drafted by the Browns in the sixth round of the 2024 draft and made Cleveland’s initial 53-man roster. He appeared in the team’s first two regular-season games, playing 33 snaps on special teams.
Poll: Which 0-2 Team Has Best Chance To Make Playoffs?
Nine NFL teams have started the regular season with an 0-2 record. Some teams (Panthers, Broncos) are experiencing expected struggles, with others (Ravens, Rams) disappointing fans hoping for a playoff run.
Since 2015, 74 teams have opened the year with back-to-back losses, (h/t James Boyd of The Athletic). Just eight qualified for the postseason, a 10.8% rate that suggests only one of this season’s 0-2 starters will make the playoffs.
The Ravens were a toe away from taking the Chiefs into overtime (or attempting a do-or-die two-point try) in Week 1 before blowing yet another double-digit fourth-quarter lead to the Raiders in Week 2. Baltimore gambled on a new-look offensive line after jettisoning three veteran starters during the offseason, and the results thus far have not been encouraging. Lamar Jackson faced heavy pressure at crucial moments across his first two games, with right guard Daniel Faalele struggling in his conversion from tackle. First-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr is dealing with the same early hiccups that his predecessor Mike Macdonald did back in 2022, surrendering a league-high 257 passing yards per game.
Unlike past years, though, Baltimore has started the season healthy, and it is capable of winning almost any game with Jackson under center. Several young Ravens like Odafe Oweh, Travis Jones, Zay Flowers, and Isaiah Likely have begun the year with promising starts, too, so the team has plenty of reason to remain optimistic about its long-term playoff chances. The Ravens will need to win at least two of their next three against the Cowboys, Bills, and Bengals to avoid a near-insurmountable 1-4 hole.
The division-rival Bengals are also 0-2, scoring just 10 points in Week 1 against the Patriots and losing to the Chiefs on a field goal as time expired. Ja’Marr Chase‘s hold-in did not extend into the regular season, but his lack of practice time and Tee Higgins‘ hamstring injury has hindered Cincinnati’s downfield passing game. The running back committee of Zack Moss and Chase Brown is a clear downgrade from Joe Mixon, and Cincinnati’s defense has struggled to apply pressure outside of Trey Hendrickson.
Cincinnati’s minus-7 point differential is the best of any 0-2 team, and the offense will likely improve as Chase gets more reps and Higgins recovers. The Bengals’ secondary has allowed the second-fewest pass yards through two weeks, and that includes a matchup with Patrick Mahomes. Cincinnati’s season will rely on keeping its three offensive stars healthy. A search for a pass rusher at the trade deadline to pair with Hendrickson may also be avenue the team explores.
The Rams hoped Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp returning to full health would pair with last year’s breakthroughs from Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams to create one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Injuries to Kupp and Nacua, plus starting offensive linemen Joe Noteboom, Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson, have decimated the Los Angeles offense — a clear factor in their Week 2 41-10 blowout loss to the Cardinals. The Rams also have three defensive backs on injured reserve, leaving their secondary shorthanded and placing a burden on a young front seven that lost Aaron Donald to retirement in the offseason.
That young defensive front has plenty of talent in second-year players Kobie Turner and Byron Young and rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske. They will need to step up their play over the next several weeks to keep the Rams afloat as the offense desperately tries to get healthy in time for a late-season playoff push.
The Jaguars‘ anemic offense has emerged as the team’s biggest issue to start the season, as Trevor Lawrence‘s 51.0% completion rate is the second-lowest in the league. The fourth-year QB needs more consistency from his pass-catching group, with none of Lawrence’s targets having more than six receptions yet. The defense has allowed just 38 points, a top-10 mark, but has not forced any turnovers that could have impacted in the team’s one-score losses.
The Colts are dealing with the highs and lows of quarterback Anthony Richardson, as the second-year QB has produced some of the best throws of the young season while also owning the league’s lowest completion percentage (49.1%) and most interceptions (four). Veteran Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Adonai Mitchell have both struggled to find a rhythm on offense, and the defense has been gashed on the ground in both games.
Richardson’s continued development will advance the offense, which has plenty of potential with a strong offensive line and a fully healthy Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis’ defense remains its biggest impediment to the postseason. Outside of the interior defensive duo of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, the Colts lack both consistent contributors and impact playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. And Buckner is now on IR.
The Titans have lost each of their first two games by a touchdown and have yet to score a point in the fourth quarter. Two of Will Levis‘ three primary receivers are new additions, as is running back Tony Pollard. As a result, Tennessee’s offense is a work in progress as the franchise’s decision-makers evaluate if Levis is the QB of the future. Defensively, the Titans have stars at all three levels: defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, linebacker Harold Landry and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The addition of Ernest Jones via preseason trade with the Rams may well be a shrewd move to shore up the middle, giving Tennessee the framework of a high-upside defense.
First-round pick Malik Nabers has been among the few bright spots during the Giants‘ 0-2 start, recording 15 catches for 193 yards to open the year. Daniel Jones has largely struggled when not targeting Nabers behind an offensive line with multiple new pieces. New York’s defense allowed efficient passing performances from Sam Darnold and Jayden Daniels while surrendering 5.3 yards per rushing attempt in Weeks 1 and 2. Offseason addition Brian Burns and 2022 first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux have yet to record sacks this season, making life harder for a young Giants secondary.
The Giants considered trading up for a rookie QB during this past draft, indicating that Jones’ future in New York depends on his performance this season. Either he succeeds, and the Giants stick with him and his contract, or he struggles and is replaced before next season, giving general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll the chance to save their tenure. This duo may not be on the hot seat presently, but this trajectory would point to temperatures rising before season’s end.
Sean Payton landed on first-rounder Bo Nix as his starting quarterback in Denver, and the rookie’s early struggles have only amplified the overall talent deficiency on the roster. Nix’s four interceptions and a virtually nonexistent running game have hindered the offense thus far, putting the defense in disadvantageous positions in both games. The Broncos’ underrated defensive line has gotten pressure on opposing QBs, but the team will need more than just Patrick Surtain in the secondary to stay in games with such a limited offense.
The Panthers benched Bryce Young after their 0-2 start, which included three interceptions and league-lows in points (13) and passing yards (245). A season-ending meniscus tear for Derrick Brown has added injury to insult to a Carolina franchise with little talent or direction at the moment. Switching to Andy Dalton at quarterback may stabilize the offense and aid the development of its young playmakers, but that still provides no long-term solution under center.
Which of these teams has the best chance to beat the above-referenced odds and rebound en route to the playoffs? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Panthers Not Considering Extension For Diontae Johnson
Making major updates to their wide receiver room by using the trade market and the first round, the Panthers are certainly in the early stages of a rebuild. Their highest-paid wideout looms as an extension candidate, with a Steelers-constructed contract expiring at season’s end.
The Panthers, however, have yet to engage with wide receiver Diontae Johnson on an extension, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic, as the team tries to determine the best future pass catchers for young quarterback Bryce Young.
Johnson arrived in Carolina from Pittsburgh in March in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick. The Steelers also sent a seventh-round pick to the Panthers to close the deal. The Panthers hope that Johnson will give Young a second reliable target alongside veteran Adam Thielen, who surpassed expectations last season with 103 catches and 1,014 receiving yards — more than the team’s next two leading receivers combined.
Johnson signed a two-year, $36.7MM extension with the Steelers in 2022, but the Panthers are wisely waiting for him to prove himself in Dave Canales‘ system. The veteran wideout only caught two of his six targets for 19 yards in Carolina’s regular-season opener against the Saints, but he is encouraged by Canales’ use of motion to create favorable matchups.
“They’re moving me around just to get me on ’backers or nickels or different corners,” said Johnson last week. “Try to attack them in different ways. Just little stuff like that is going help us keep the offense on the field and allows me to move the sticks for the offense.”
Johnson has shown interest in an extension with the Panthers in the past. If Johnson can assimilate smoothly into Canales’ offense and develop chemistry with Young, he could cash in on the recent explosion of receiver contracts. While his career pedigree would not warrant the $30MM-plus per-year figures of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandon Aiyuk, a strong season could vault him into the $25MM range.
“It gives me motivation to keep working hard, keep my head down, keep grinding,” Johnson said of this year’s ballooning WR market. “The time will come if I can just continue to make plays and be consistent.”
At 28, Johnson should have a nice opportunity collect a lucrative third contract — either from the Panthers or in free agency — by March. His production in Canales’ offense will provide an important value update for the former Steelers third-round pick. Carolina holds exclusive negotiating rights with Johnson until the 2025 legal tampering period.
Week 7 In Play For T.J. Hockenson’s Return
The Vikings are hoping to have Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson back before the midseason point. While not too much in the way of a timetable has emerged regarding the high-priced pass catcher ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler points to Week 7 as a potential activation point.
Hockenson started the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after tearing his ACL and MCL in December 2023. The 2022 trade acquisition is eligible to be activated from the PUP list after four weeks, but his ongoing rehab may keep him sidelined for a few extra weeks. Considering Minnesota’s bye comes in Week 6, it makes for a natural onramp ahead of a potential debut.
Despite missing the last two games of the 2023 season, Hockenson recorded career-high marks in receptions (95) and receiving yards (960) in his first full season with the Vikings. The former top-10 pick arrived in Minnesota from Detroit in a 2022 deadline deal and smoothly assimilated into Kevin O’Connell‘s offense. Hockenson impressed the Vikings’ front office enough to earn a four-year, $63.5MM extension ahead of last season, making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL before the Chiefs gave Travis Kelce a raise this offseason.
Hockenson’s absence has left the Vikings thin at tight end. Josh Oliver, a former third-round pick who mainly profiles as a blocker, has taken over as the starter. Behind Oliver are veteran Johnny Mundt, who has just 48 catches across an eight-year career, and 2022 seventh-round pick Nick Muse, who has just one career reception.
That lack of tight end depth did not hamper the Vikings in their Week 1 win over the Giants. A stellar defensive showing and efficient games from quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Aaron Jones carried Minnesota to a 28-6 victory.
Darnold, however, signed with the Vikings due in large part to their offensive weaponry. The former Jets and Panthers starter worked with All-Pro Justin Jefferson, former Pro Bowler Aaron Jones and 2023 first-rounder Jordan Addison. Hockenson will round out a stellar Vikings skill-position corps, giving the free agent QB addition a better chance to succeed in what now profiles — after J.J. McCarthy‘s season-ending injury — as an interesting audition year.