Vikings Designate C Ryan Kelly To Return From IR
The Vikings are designated center Ryan Kelly to return from injured reserve, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Kelly, 32, suffered two concussions in the first four weeks of the season. The first came in Week 2 against the Falcons, sidelining the 10-year veteran for the Vikings’ next game. He returned in Week 4 in Dublin, but he quickly went down with another concussion that landed him on injured reserve. The longtime Colt also suffered multiple concussions during the 2023 season.
Kelly spent five weeks on the shelf – one more than the minimum requirement – but his designation to return suggests that he has progressed through concussion protocol enough to practice. Limited participation this week would indicate that he will need more time before being fully cleared, especially if he practices with a non-contact jersey. Returning to full participation right away would indicate that he has cleared concussion protocol and should be in line to return for the Vikings’ upcoming matchup with the Bears.
Kelly signed in Minnesota this offseason and put together a solid performance to start the year. He earned a 72.2 overall grade and had yet to allow a pressure on 62 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Vikings called on 2024 seventh-round pick Michael Jurgens to finish the game in Weeks 2 and 4, but five-year veteran Blake Brandel took over the starting center job when Kelly was on IR. Brandel has also stepped in at left guard and left tackle amid Minnesota’s other O-line injuries this year.
A strong return from Kelly would give second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy a major boost in terms of his blocking and leadership along the offensive line. The Vikings committed eight false start penalties (at home!) in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens and will certainly want to improve their operation at the line of scrimmage moving forward.
Lions Designate CB D.J. Reed, DE Marcus Davenport To Return From IR
The Lions are designating cornerback D.J. Reed and defensive end Marcus Davenport to return from injured reserve, per Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers. Both defenders are expected to practice with the team on Wednesday.
Reed landed on IR at the beginning of October due to a strained hamstring. He signed in Detroit this offseason and was off to an excellent start with his new team. Through four games, he allowed receptions on only eight of his 16 targets with four passes defended, putting him on pace for the best season of his career. Rock Ya-Sin has seen an increase in playing time in Reed’s absence and will likely return to a backup role upon his return. However, Terrion Arnold is dealing with a concussion, so Ya-Sin could still start this week even if Reed is ready to play.
Davenport suffered a Week 2 injury for the second year in a row. In 2024, it was a season-ending elbow injury, but he avoided disaster this time with a pectoral strain. The veteran defensive lineman has taken longer to return than the four-game minimum stay on IR, but he could be a late-season boost to the Lions’ pass rush.
The team has 30 sacks on the season, which ranks fourth in the league, though most of that production has come from four players. Edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad both have eight sacks, while linebackers Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes have chipped in four apiece. Davenport will add some depth on the edge and potentially allow defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to come up with some more creative pressure packages.
Cardinals To Place Zay Jones, Simi Fehoko On IR; Marvin Harrison Jr. To Miss Time
The Cardinals are heading into Week 11 with a shorthanded wide receiver room. Zay Jones and Simi Fehoko are both being placed on injured reserve, while Marvin Harrison Jr. will miss at least one game due to a bout of appendicitis, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Josh Weinfuss.
Jones suffered a torn Achilles in Arizona’s loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, which will sidelined him for the rest of the season. Fehoko is dealing with an arm injury and will miss at least four games. His earliest return would come in Week 14 against the Texans.
Harrison had surgery on Monday night. It is unknown when his appendicitis was discovered and diagnosed; he played in Sunday’s game with a full workload (12 targets on a 90.8 snap share).
The trio of receiver absences will push Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, and Xavier Weaver into bigger roles. Wilson has 22 receptions for 231 this season, which both rank third on the team behind Harrison and tight end Trey McBride. With Jones going on IR, no other Cardinals receiver has more than 15 catches or 75 yards this year. Dortch has just 73 yards on 16 targets this year, but has flashed some playmaking ability in the past. Weaver has only been targeted three times in six games over the last two years.
The Cardinals made one immediate move to bolster their receiver room, promoting Andre Baccellia to the active roster from the practice squad. He appeared in 13 games in the last two years, though his last offensive involvement came in 2023. The team also has Jalen Brooks, Tejhuan Palmer, and Jalen Virgil – the last of whom was signed today – available for practice squad elevations.
Arizona also re-signed cornerback Jaden Davis to their practice squad. He was a Cardinals seventh-round pick a year ago, but has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
Eagles CB Jaire Alexander To Step Away From Football
Eagles cornerback Jaire Alexander is stepping away from football to focus on his physical and mental health, per FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer.
The eight-year veteran is evaluating his future and even considering retirement, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Alexander, 28, has been dealing with a knee injury since the start of the season. He joined the Ravens this offseason after a string of injuries limited him to just 34 games in his last four years with the Packers. His most recent was a PCL injury that required season-ending knee surgery, but it is unknown if that is related to his current issue.
Alexander only appeared in two games for the Ravens. A disastrous showing in Week 1 made it clear that he was not where he wanted to be physically, and he only played in Week 5 due to a slew of injuries to other cornerbacks. The Eagles, seeing that he was not in the Ravens’ plans, came calling with a Day 3 pick swap in a buy-low move that does not seem like it will pay off. Alexander did not travel with the Eagles in Week 11; his reason for being absent was listed as a knee injury and a coach’s decision.
Now, it appears that Alexander is a question mark, not just for the next few weeks, but for the rest of the season and beyond. When healthy, he has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. But he has not enjoyed an extended period of good health since 2022, and it’s fair to wonder if he will ever regain his Pro Bowl form.
Glazer’s mention of mental health suggests that Alexander is dealing with more than just his knee. He was expected to need some time to get up to speed physically and schematically in Philadelphia, making today’s news somewhat of a surprise based on his comments immediately after the trade, according to The Athletic’s Zach Berman.
Alexander is currently occupying a spot on the Eagles’ 53-man roster, but the team may consider placing him on the non-football illness list to free up a spot while he is away from the team.
Brian Daboll Fallout: Giants, Kafka, Schoen
The Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Monday after his team blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in Sunday’s loss to the Bears.
The move has major ramifications for the short- and long-term future of the franchise. The biggest immediate impact is the installment of offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as the interim head coach. He will retain play-calling duties, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who noted that the Giants offense has been notably better with Kafka calling plays than with Daboll.
Kafka will likely be evaluated as a candidate for the permanent head coaching gig over the rest of the season. Rookie Jaxson Dart has looked like a potential franchise quarterback thus far, so Kafka’s ability to develop the first-round pick will be a crucial part of his audition.
Daboll was rumored to be on the hot seat for a while, so the Giants’ decision was not a complete surprise. Players were aware of the team’s frustration and knew it was possible, if not likely, that Daboll would be removed as a result of his squad’s latest collapse.
The close ties between Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen – who spent three years together in Buffalo before joining the Giants in the same offseason – have already stirred speculation that Schoen could also be on the way out. The Giants are retaining him for now, indicating that he and Daboll are not necessarily a package deal.
A separate decision on Schoen will likely come at the end of the season, according to The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor, partially because he will play a major role in organizing the search process for the Giants’ next head coach. He was heavily involved in the hiring process that brought Daboll to New York in 2022, along with the team’s principal owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, as well as senior personnel consultant (and John Mara’s brother), Chris Mara. John Mara is currently undergoing treatment for cancer; while he stated an intention to continue in his duties, moving on from Schoen would have doubled the team’s search for new leadership while eliminating a key part of that effort.
Schoen may also stick around because the Giants have already invested in his vision for their internal operations. He restructured their approach to the draft and incorporated data analytics into scouting, roster management, and week-to-week game-planning. Ownership was encouraged by this progress, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, so they may not want to move on from Schoen after already implementing many of his ideas.
Dan Quinn To Take Over Commanders’ Defensive Play-Calling Role
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will take over as the team’s defensive play-caller, he announced on Monday (via Tashan Reed of The Washington Post).
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who served under Quinn in Atlanta and Dallas, will retain his position, but his unit has struggled mightily so far this year. Washington ranks 29th in points allowed and 30th in total defense after finishing 18th and 13th in the same categories last year. The Commanders’ pass defense has been especially porous, allowing 7.9 yards per attempt and just over 260 yards per game.
The unit is largely the same, save for two key departures along the defensive line: DT Jonathan Allen and DE Dante Fowler. Their replacements, Javon Kinlaw and Von Miller, simply haven’t been as effective.
However, that may not tell the whole story. No Commanders defensive back with any kind of regular role on defense has a coverage grade over 65.0, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While PFF grades are not a be-all, end-all of player evaluation, they still offers a glimpse at the team’s current disarray on the back end. Veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore is the only member of the secondary that has allowed a passer rating under 100.0 when targeted, and that does not account for the nine penalties called against him.
Quinn will look to right the ship. He has extensive experience as a play-caller, not only from his defensive coordinator jobs in Seattle and Dallas, but from his first head-coaching job with the Falcons. Quinn took over defensive play-calling on two separate instances during his tenure in Atlanta, though neither time featured a full turnaround.
The first was in 2016 when Quinn took over from then-Falcons DC Richard Smith, and even slight improvements on defense were enough to support the league’s best offense on the way to the Super Bowl. The second came in 2019, when Quinn turned a bottom-five unit into a more respectable one. He was fired in 2020 after an 0-5 start during which the Falcons defense allowed 32.2 points and 446 yards per game.
Obviously, he will be hoping for a more inspired bounce-back this year, but it seems unlikely that he can do enough to drag the team into the playoffs. A tough schedule and multiple injuries to quarterback Jayden Daniels has led to a 3-7 start, and things won’t be any easier going forward. Daniels has an uncertain return timeline after his most recent injury, and the Commanders still have two games against the Eagles and another against the Broncos left on the calendar.
Quinn’s decision is a sign that Whitt could be out of Washington this offseason. A midseason firing would have been a surprise given the two men’s history, but Quinn did part ways with Smith after the 2016 season concluded.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson To Miss 3-4 Weeks With Knee Sprain
Jets receiver Garrett Wilson returned from a two-game absence on Sunday only go suffer an injury to the same knee that sidelined him for the team’s previous two games.
Wilson is dealing with a knee sprain that will keep him out for another three to four weeks, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. He will not require surgery and will instead spend the time rehabbing in the hopes of a strong return for the last few weeks of the season. The Jets air attack that has run through Wilson this year, so the 25-year-old’s absence will be a major, if not fatal, blow to their already-struggling offense.
Despite missing two-and-a-half games, Wilson is the Jets’ leading receiver by a wide margin. He has commanded a 25% target share and produced 22.9% of the team’s receptions (59) and 25.9% of their receiving yards (395). The rest of the receiving room has combined for just 39 catches and 418 yards.
The Jets insisted that wide receiver Adonai Mitchell be part of the Sauce Gardner trade, and the former Colts wideout could quickly see a huge role in his new home after Wilson’s latest injury. He was inactive on Sunday, but the Jets will try to integrate him into the offense this week.
Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, the Jets’ second leading receiver with 30 receptions and 246 yards, will likely see an uptick in targets, too. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand will likely lean on a rushing attack that ranks fourth in the NFL with 5.0 yards per carry and 1,276 rushing yards on the season.
The Jets recorded their first two wins of the season in the last two weeks, but their 0-7 start will make it nearly impossible for them to make the playoffs. Wilson could return in Week 14 at the earliest, based on this initial timeline, but the Jets may consider shutting him down for the season. Even if they win their next three games without Wilson – which come against the Patriots, Ravens, and Falcons – they may still want to take a cautious approach with their star wideout. They signed him to a $130MM extension in July and made him untouchable at the trade deadline despite moving star players at other premium positions. He has hurt the same knee twice, raising the chance for re-injury before the end of the season, and a significant injury could have an impact on the 2026 season.
Browns Planned Adonai Mitchell Move Before Jets-Colts Trade
Even if the Jets hadn’t insisted on getting Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner deal, the second-year wideout was likely headed out of Indianapolis at the trade deadline.
Multiple teams were interested in Mitchell, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Among them were the Browns, who were planning to send a late-round pick to the Colts in exchange for the 23-year-old receiver
However, the Jets’ desire to acquire Mitchell – and the Colts’ to acquire Gardner – made it impossible for the 2024 second-round pick to land in Cleveland. There, he could have stepped into a WR2 role right away. Of the Browns’ top six pass-catchers in terms of receptions, only one – Jerry Jeudy – is a receiver. After career-best numbers in 2024, his 22-257-0 line this season is even more disappointing considering his 54 targets. No other Browns wideout has more than 11 catches or 125 yards on the year.
That would have given Mitchell ample opportunity for more targets after averaging only two per game to start the season in Indianapolis. He should still see increased usage with in New York, as the Jets badly need a second receiver behind Garrett Wilson. He racked up 56 targets in the Jets’ first six games, and even after missing two games with a knee injury, he still has almost one-fourth of the team’s target share. Wilson hurt the same knee in Sunday’s win over the Browns, according to head coach Aaron Glenn, which could sideline him for a few more games. Mitchell should have a chance to step up in his absence, and even when his star teammate returns, there should still be plenty of targets to go around. The Jets’ other primary pass-catcher is rookie tight end Mason Taylor, who has 29 catches for 242 yards. Beyond that, the team’s next-most productive receivers are Tyler Johnson (10 catches for 187 yards) and Josh Reynolds (11 catches for 101 yards).
A glance at the Jets’ cap table shows even more opportunity for Mitchell in the future. The only receivers under contract beyond this year are Wilson, second-year UDFA Isaiah Williams, and fourth-round rookie Arian Smith. Williams has just three catches for 31 yards this year, while Smith has just six for 47.
It might take Mitchell a while to get acclimated to a new scheme midseason, but a full offseason in New York won’t just help him fit into the offense. It will help his new coaching staff figure out the best ways to use him. Whether the Jets stick with Justin Fields or use their new draft capital to add a coveted veteran or rookie quarterback, they will want a better support system than what was in place for the franchise’s past signal-callers. That includes a young, athletic wideout like Mitchell who has plenty of potential and may now have the chance to show it.
49ers QB Brock Purdy Could Return In Week 11
The 49ers could get quarterback Brock Purdy back on the field next week.
After San Francisco’s loss to the Rams on Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) that Purdy “could have gone today.” However, the 49ers deactivated Purdy before the game and did not designate him as the emergency third quarterback. Doing so would not have affected the team’s game day roster, but Purdy would have been able to play had starter Mac Jones and backup Adrian Martinez both gotten injured. That decision runs contrary to Shanahan’s postgame pronouncement that Purdy was ready to play.
It seems like the 49ers are trying to avoid a repeat of Purdy’s first return from injury in Week 4. He played every snap, but re-aggravated his toe injury in the process and hasn’t played since. A similar incident this week or next could sideline him until the last few games of the regular season. He would likely be dropping right into the heat of a playoff race with little time to re-acclimate to the field before the win-or-go-home games begin. Instead, the team will wait until he is at 100%, so when he comes back, he comes back for good.
The 49ers’ success in Purdy’s absence is another reason not to rush his recovery. The team has gone 5-2 in his seven absences, keeping them firmly in playoff contention. Mac Jones‘ stats that aren’t far off from Purdy’s last season and outpace his two starts this year. Shanahan has made it clear that Purdy will retake the starting job once he is healthy, but Jones’ capable stewardship of the offense is a primary reason that he can take his time.
Lions G Christian Mahogany Suffers Knee Injury
NOVEMBER 9: Awosika will indeed get the first chance to replace Mahogany at left guard, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. However, Campbell did say he would consider moving Glasgow to LG and installing Trystan Colon at center.
NOVEMBER 2: The Lions got some bad news coming out of their Week 9 loss to the Vikings.
After getting carted off the field, starting left guard Christian Mahogany was seen in the postgame locker room on crutches. Head coach Dan Campbell told the media after the game that Mahogany would miss significant time with a knee injury.
“Mahogany is going to be out for a while,” Campbell told reporters. “Long time, probably.”
The 2024 sixth-rounder started the Lions’ first eight games of the season and played every snap until he left Sunday’s game. Out of 78 offensive guards with at least 150 snaps, Mahogany ranks 46th in pass-blocking effieciency (96.8), 37th in pressures allowed (12), and 20th in overall grade (68.3), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Mahogany’s injury will force another change to the interior of the Lions offensive line after their offseason overhaul. Longtime center Frank Ragnow retired and veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler left in free agency. Graham Glasgow shifted from left guard to center, rookie Tate Ratledge took over at right guard, and Mahogany won the left guard job after starting only one game as a rookie.
The 25-year-old was replaced by five-year veteran Kayode Awosika on Sunday. He may retain the job going forward, but the Lions could also make a last-minute entry into the guard market before Tuesday’s trade deadline.