Patrick Mahomes Ruled Out Vs. Packers
Patrick Mahomes will not suit up on Sunday night against the Packers. Coach Andy Reid confirmed that Matt Moore will get the start in place of Mahomes.
There remains no timetable for the MVP to return to the field. While there were fears that he may miss the season, it appears that Mahomes will return to the lineup at some point over the next few weeks.
Moore completed 10-of-19 passes in relief of Mahomes last week for the Chiefs. He accumulated 117 passing yards. Kyle Shurmur is the back-up to Moore.
AFC Notes: Mariota, Moncrief, Colvin, Garrett
After an ugly loss to the Jaguars this past Thursday, Mike Vrabel said that the Titans are not considering a quarterback change at this time.
Marcus Mariota, who has been struggling this season, may have cleared 300 yards against the Jaguars, but his performance was underwhelming for the majority of the game. On the season, Mariota is averaging career-low marks in completion rate (61%) and QBR (38) despite being surrounded with arguably the most talented supporting cast of his career.
In fairness to the ex-Oregon star, Mariota has been sacked more times than anyone in league history through the first three weeks of the season. Still, the Titans offense has been dreadful, having scored just seven points in their last 79 minutes of play dating back to Week 2 against the Colts.
Ryan Tannehill, who was traded to the Titans this past spring, figures to get a chance under center sooner rather than later if Mariota continues to struggle.
Heres more from the AFC:
- The Steelers started the season with high hopes for new receiver Donte Moncrief, but after he dropped five passes in the first two games, Mike Tomlin is benching him for Sunday afternoon’s Week 3 game against the 49ers. Moncrief signed a two-year, $9MM deal with the Steelers back in March. Moncrief’s absence likely means an increased role for second-year wide receiver James Washington.
- The Texans will carry less dead money against their salary cap because Aaron Colvin signed with Washington after his $34MM contract was terminated by the organization. Colvin signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with Washington at an $805k rate. Because his contract contained offset language, Colvin is now due $6.742MM from the Texans, less than his guaranteed $7.5MM base salary for the season. Colvin, cut for performance issues after a rocky first season last year and a tough start to this year, has a $2MM cap charge in 2020 for the pro-rated portion of his $4MM signing bonus.
- The NFL fined Myles Garrett $21,056k for each of his two roughing the passer penalties on Monday night in the Browns‘ victory against the Jets. The second penalty injured Trevor Siemian’s ankle, which ultimately ended his season. “You do not want to put anybody out for the season,” Garrett said following the win. “That is their job. That is something that you do not do unless you love it, and you do not want to take that away from anybody. I hope [Siemian] comes back faster and stronger than he ever has. I wish the best for him.” Garrett was also fined $10,527k in Week 1 for hitting Delanie Walker in the face mask.
Latest On Cam Newton
Despite reports that Cam Newton could miss several games as the Panthers try to avoid aggravating his foot sprain, there is a chance the former MVP could practice on Wednesday, paving the way for him to play next week against the Texans, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Newton has been dealing with a foot issue since the preseason and aggravated it in last week’s ugly loss to Tampa Bay. After two games, it is clear that Newton is well below 100% strength, as he has yet to score a touchdown, via the air or ground, and completed only 49% of his passes last week, with 34% of his passes being deemed “uncatchable”.
It would be wise for the Panthers coaching staff to wait until Newton is fully healed before having him return to the field and risk a re-injury to his foot.
In the interim, Kyle Allen will start for the Panthers for the foreseeable future, beginning with today’s matchup with the Cardinals. In his lone career start last year, a win against the Saints, Allen played well, completing 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.
Dolphins Claim Taco Charlton Off Of Waivers
The Dolphins have claimed Taco Charlton off of waivers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com relays (Twitter link).
Charlton will be eligible to play for the Dolphins against the Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas released their former first-round pick earlier this week.
Charlton has been ineffective during his time in Dallas, though injuries have robbed him of a chance to get better. Dallas gets Robert Quinn, who played last season with the Dolphins, back from suspension this week, so the team had little room for Charlton in the defensive line rotation. He finished his Cowboys career with four sacks in 27 games.
Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Dolphins were the only team to put a claim in on Charlton (Twitter link). Other clubs were deterred by the $3MM Charlton is owed over the next two seasons and his relative lack of production to date, but Miami, flush with cap space and in the midst of a rebuild, was willing to absorb the cost of this particular lottery ticket.
Saints Sign LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
The Saints have signed veteran linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong to fill a roster spot created by Alex Anzalone‘s IR placement.
Armstrong did not make the Browns’ 53-man roster this summer and worked out for the Saints on Tuesday, doing so after auditioning for the Redskins earlier this month.
A UDFA out of Miami in 2013, Armstrong has bounced around the league throughout his career, spending time with the Rams, Raiders, 49ers, Giants and Browns. He played in 15 games in each of the past two seasons, working mostly as a reserve, and went through four seasons playing in regular-season games for multiple teams. For his career, the 28-year-old linebacker has made 12 starts.
The Saints placed Anzalone on IR on Monday; it’s unclear if there is a chance Anzalone could return to the lineup this year. New Orleans’ starting middle linebacker will have to miss a minimum of eight weeks before that is a possibility. In the meantime, New Orleans added a journeyman in an attempt to fill the void.
QB Notes: Cam, Dak, Teddy, Eli, Siemian
Kyle Allen is trending toward starting for the Panthers this week, as Cam Newton missed practice Wednesday while he recovers from a foot injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. After Carolina’s loss to Tampa Bay last week, Newton complained of foot pain and it was expected that he would miss some game time. After initially suffering the injury during the preseason, and then aggravating it last week, it would seem wise for Carolina to let the former MVP fully heal before taking the field again.
In the interim, Allen would be the starter for the foreseeable future and would be set to face former college teammate Kyler Murray this Sunday when they take on the Cardinals. In his lone career start last year, a win against the Saints, Allen played well, completing 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.
Let’s take a look at some other quarterback notes from around the NFL:
- A week ago, Jerry Jones said a deal for Dak Prescott was “imminent,” but a few days later acknowledged just because he thinks it is imminent doesn’t mean the quarterback does, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. After the Cowboys‘ win in Washington, Jones continued to display his belief a deal will get done. “I have no hesitation about it. I’m very comfortable. He’s very comfortable,” Jones said. “The way it is, he’s very comfortable. Those are things we re-emphasize a timeframe in anything that requires two people … and I’m not trying to be talking riddles here. Certainly from the standpoint of where we’ve been from talking about, his business, talking about the Cowboys’ business, we have a lot of water under the bridge.” Many expect a deal to get done between the Cowboys and Prescott at some point this season.
- With Drew Brees expected to miss the next six weeks due to a thumb injury, the Saints will rely on Teddy Bridgewater to carry the load and run the offense. Interestingly, there are also some financial incentives tied to Bridgewater making starts for the Saints in the wake of Brees’ injury. Bridgewater can earn up to $5.25MM in incentives, while also getting $2.5MM if he plays 50% of the offensive snaps and they make the playoffs, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
- After undergoing an MRI on Tuesday, Adam Gase informed the media that Trevor Siemian would unsurprisingly be out for the season, with an MRI revealing torn ligaments. After the swelling goes down, Siemian is expected to have surgery, according to Rapoport. In the interim, Luke Falk is penciled in as the Jets’ starter until starter Sam Darnold returns from mono, which could be as soon as Week 5 against the Eagles.
- After being benched by the Giants for rookie Daniel Jones, Eli Manning said today that that he was “obviously disappointed, not happy”, but still intends to finish this season and support Jones. It remains to be seen if Manning finishes the season with the only NFL franchise he’s known. However, if any of the quarterback-needy teams were to try and trade for Manning, they would have to take on a hefty amount of salary. Manning is making $17MM this year, with $5.5MM (roster/workout bonuses) having already been paid out, costing any team $676k a week (base salary), according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Latest On DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery
Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has an abdominal strain that is expected to sideline him for about two weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Tim McManus. Making matters worse, Philadelphia is unlikely to have Alshon Jeffery in Week 3. Both suffered injuries against the Falcons.
It is unclear when the injury actually occurred, but Jackson was not listed on the Eagles’ Week 2 injury report. However, he felt discomfort during warmups and only played 11 snaps on offense against the Falcons before exiting. Jeffery is dealing with a calf strain. Although not considered major, Jeffery’s status for the Eagles’ Week 3-4 games — which occur in a 10-day span — is in some doubt, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Jackson had originally hoped to play this Sunday against the Lions, but the Eagles will undoubtedly remain cautious with their speedster. The veteran logged eight receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns in Philadelphia’s Week 1 victory against the Redskins. His presence as a deep threat is extremely valuable to the offense.
With Jackson and Jeffery both potentially out for two weeks, the Eagles are down to three healthy receivers on their 53-man roster: Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Arcega-Whiteside and Hollins played 93% and 85% of the snaps last week, respectively, due to the injuries to Jackson and Jeffery.
In the interim, the Eagles could look to promote either Greg Ward or Marcus Green from their practice squad, along with potentially signing ex-Eagle free agent Jordan Matthews. Matthews, who had three productive years for the organization between 2014 and 2016, was among the final cuts for the 49ers this past August. Matthews worked out for the Saints on Tuesday.
Redskins To Sign Noah Spence
The Redskins are planning to sign former Buccaneers outside linebacker Noah Spence, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Spence worked out for the Redskins last week, after the Bears worked out the former Ohio State standout earlier today.
Spence has not lived up to the pre-draft hype after the Buccaneers took him with the 39th pick of the 2016 draft. Since then, he’s registered just 6.5 sacks in three seasons, with 5.5 of those coming as a rookie. He missed much of the 2017 season with an injury.
Washington selected Montez Sweat in Round 1, and he’s played behind Ryan Kerrigan and Ryan Anderson thus far. The Redskins’ fourth outside linebacker, ex-UDFA Cassanova McKinzy, registered his first sack of his career in Week 1.
After Redskins inside linebackers coach Rob Ryan declared this defensive unit “ultra talented” with “top five potential” earlier this summer, the Redskins have been anything but, giving up the third-worst yards-per-game average with 455, while giving up the second-most points (63).
Bears Work Out Shane Ray, Noah Spence
The Bears worked out edge defenders Shane Ray, Noah Spence, Nate Orchard and Dekoda Watson on Tuesday, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
A former first-round pick of the Broncos back in 2015, Ray was among the Ravens’ final cuts this past summer after signing a $1.2MM deal with $200K guaranteed shortly after this past May’s compensatory deadline. After having 12 sacks in his first two seasons, Ray missed large portions of the next two seasons due to injury and was looking forward to having a bounce back campaign in 2019.
Spence, a former second-round pick of the Buccaneers back in 2016, most recently worked out with the Redskins after not making the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster. Orchard, who was recently released by the Dolphins, and Watson, who was among the Broncos’ final cuts, are both looking to continue their careers after bouncing around to a number of teams over the past couple of years.
Behind starters Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, the Bears feature Aaron Lynch and former UDFA Isaiah Irving. Tuesday’s workout contingent each boasts at least three years of NFL experience.
Raiders Release Jonathan Cooper
The Raiders released guard Jonathan Cooper, the club announced Tuesday. This comes shortly after Richie Incognito‘s two-game suspension concluded.
Cooper signed with the Raiders this past July to serve as a potential stopgap starter in the wake of Incognito’s ban. Cooper was inactive for the Raiders the past two weeks.
Since being selected seventh overall by the Cardinals in the 2013 draft, Cooper has played for Cardinals, Browns, Cowboys, Redskins and Raiders. He caught on with the Redskins because of injuries last season and joined the Raiders because of a suspension. With Incognito back this week, there was little reason to keep the seldom-used blocker on the roster.
Oakland played without both of its first-string guards over the first two weeks, with Gabe Jackson still recovering from injury. With Jackson improving, the Raiders’ offensive line is soon set to look quite different.