Reggie Bush Suffers Major Knee Injury
MONDAY, 8:29pm: Bush is done for the year, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Bush will undergo surgery on his torn MCL that will shut him down for the year. His ACL, however, turned out to be okay.
SUNDAY, 6:18pm: 49ers running back Reggie Bush hurt his knee against the Rams, and the team believes it could be a substantial injury, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
It is believed that he has a torn ACL, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). A torn ACL would end his season, and Bush will have an MRI Monday to confirm the diagnosis.
Bush had only eight carries for 28 yards this season, but was in line for a bigger role in the 49ers offense with starter Carlos Hyde dealing with his own injury issues. The team had waived backup running back Jarryd Hayne earlier this week, promoting Kendall Gaskins from the practice squad to the active roster.
Other than Gaskins and the injured Hyde, Mike Davis is the only other back on the 49ers’ active roster.
If Bush does miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, it would put a lot of pressure on the 30-year-old runner, who signed with the 49ers after being released from the Lions who are in need of backfield help themselves. Despite getting heavy run as the lead back in Miami and Detroit between 2011 and 2013, he more likely would only carry value as a third-down specialty back if he comes back healthy next season.
The 49ers will likely look to add another running back to the mix this week, either by trade or through free agency. They could also consider bringing Hayne back into the mix.
Steelers Place Le’Veon Bell On IR
MONDAY, 1:24pm: The Steelers have officially placed Bell on injured reserve, ending his season, the team announced today. Pittsburgh has signed running back Isaiah Pead to take Bell’s spot on the roster.
SUNDAY, 9:09pm: The Steelers were able to get Ben Roethlisberger back in the lineup in time for today’s game against the Bengals, but star running back Le’Veon Bell was carted off with a knee injury. The team was optimistic that it is only an MCL injury with no damage to the ACL based on the initial exam.
However, the MRI showed that Bell had a significant MCL injury, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). According to Schefter, the team will continue to evaluate the injury, but he is expected to be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
With Bell out, DeAngelo Williams should take back the starting role that began the season in. He carried the ball 41 times in the first two games with Bell serving a suspension, but had only 13 attempts in the subsequent five games in a backup role, before filling in today after the injury. He had 71 yards on nine carries, including a 55-yard rush for his season long.
Dri Archer and Jordan Todman are the other runners on the active roster. Fitzgerald Toussaint is on the practice squad, but the team will likely bring a number of backs in to work out this week.
Former Rams halfback Isaiah Pead will be the first to work out for the Steelers, visiting the Steelers tomorrow, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport believes the team could sign him and get him acclimated to the team quickly.
AFC Notes: Patriots, Grigson, Thomas
The Patriots have been very active in midseason trades in recent years, but playing on Thursday didn’t give them a big advantage in terms of trade talks ahead of the Tuesday deadline this year, writes Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. “Teams are involved with games here, yesterday, today, so even though we had a little time, I’d say teams have their rosters set for this game and probably wouldn’t want to do something, maybe a disruptive move at the end of the week,” Belichick said. “I don’t really think there’s not too much talk going on in the league. We’ll see what happens next week.”
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Reports that Andrew Luck has been playing through broken ribs for much of this season has forced Colts general manager Ryan Grigson to defend his injury reports, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Colts have been accused of not accurately communicating player injuries with the league in wake of the Luck news. “Our injury reports are accurate,” Grigson said. “If people have any questions about player injuries, they should refer to our injury reports.”
- Browns All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas may be on the trading block, but that doesn’t mean he is looking to get out of Cleveland. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Thomas does not want to be traded. “I’m not a quitter,” said Thomas. “I’m not a guy that gives up on my goals and my goal from day one was to be part of the turnaround here and that hasn’t changed.”
NFC Notes: Davis, Kaepernick, Forte, Patterson
Among trade candidates on the 49ers, Vernon Davis has been outspoken about not wanting to leave San Francisco. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes that after Sunday’s loss, he came around to the idea that the team might move him. “It’s a possibility; you know there’s nothing I can do about it,” said Davis. “ … I’m a positive believer. I believe everything works its way out for the good for those who are good people. But I’m always prepared for anything. Nothing new surprises me.”
Here are some more notes from around the NFC:
- After another ugly performance by the San Francisco offense, two 49ers players texted Jason Cole of Bleacher Report saying that it was time to bench Colin Kaepernick. Cole was very clear that both players still believed Kaepernick should be in plans to lead the offense in the future, but just needs time on the bench to clear his head.
- The Bears are optimistic for their running back Matt Forte, who exited the game against the Vikings with a knee injury. The team does not think Forte suffered an ACL injury, believing he has an MCL injury, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
- One player who was expected to be on the trade block is Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, but despite having only two catches so far this season, he isn’t going anywhere, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Considering the former first-round pick has been passed on the depth chart by a pair of relatively unknown commodities in Charles Johnson and Stefon Diggs, it is surprising that the team would not consider trading him.
Jets Looking For Options At Quarterback
Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t been a revelation at quarterback, but for a team built on defense and running the football, he had been enough through the first six games.
The team had to turn to Geno Smith as Fitzpatrick suffered an injury early in the loss to the Raiders. It was initially reported as a ligament issue on his non-throwing hand, according to Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press (via Twitter). He was ruled out for the game, although he did return for one play late in the fourth quarter after Smith left the game with an injury.
At that point, the Jets were already making phone calls to inquire about quarterbacks who could potentially be available, either via trade or free agency, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio mentions that there aren’t many options available, highlighting Ryan Mallett and Zach Mettenberger as two potential targets. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com adds Buccaneers backup Mike Glennon to the list of quarterbacks the Jets should consider (via Twitter). He also mentions Chad Henne, Kellen Clemens, Matt Schaub, Chase Daniel, Colt McCoy, and Dan Orlovsky as quarterbacks with expiring contracts (via Twitter).
To add another level of complexity, Smith was also injured in the game, consulting with a doctor presumably to have X-rays taken after the game, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News specifies that Smith is dealing with shoulder and ab issues (via Twitter).
Fitzpatrick is assumed to have torn ligaments in the thumb of his non-throwing hand, according to head coach Todd Bowles as reported by Mehta (via Twitter). Based on how quickly the organization looked to add another signal caller, the expectation is that he could miss some time.
The only quarterback left on the depth chart besides Smith is fourth-round pick Bryce Petty. If Smith also misses time is , which isn’t expected right now, Petty would likely take over, and the team would need to bring in another passer to round out the roster.
Extra Points: NFLPA, Los Angeles, St. Louis
Here are a few other stories you might have missed from around the NFL this Friday,:
- The NFLPA has taken issue with a recent practice of teams monitoring players’ sleep habits, saying the usage of such technologies violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- The “point person” for the Chargers on their stadium issue, Mark Fabiani, has stated that the organization will file for relocation to Los Angeles when the league opens the application window in January, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN. “At this point yes, because there’s no sign that the other team or teams are not going to file,” Fabiani said. “Everyone assumes all three teams will file, and in that case we can’t afford to lose our market in Los Angeles and Orange County.”
- The city of St. Louis has committed $150MM towards the proposed $1 billion stadium to keep the Rams in west Missouri, including $6 million per year and an unknown game-day tax rebate, writes David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. About $70MM of that will come directly from the city, while the rest will come from the public authority that owns the Edward Jones Dome.
AFC East Notes: LaFell, Ridley, Kromer
There will be a huge game between the Patriots and Jets that will decide who is in first place in the AFC East early in the season. Here are some notes surrounding that game, and the rest of the division.
- While Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have been battling injuries for the Jets, the Patriots also have a wide receiver trying to get healthy in time for this weekend’s AFC East matchup. Brandon LaFell has been practicing with the team, and Phil Perry of CSNNE.com believes there is a good chance the team will activate him in time for the game this Sunday. “I think he’s ready to go,” Perry said. “And I think he could be a significant piece against this Jets secondary this weekend.”
- The Jets have their own player ready to come off the PUP list, as Stevan Ridley practiced for the first time on Wednesday and is trying to get ready to be activated in time to face his former team, writes Dennis Wasak Jr. of the Associated Press. “I am ready,” Ridley said, “to get out there and see what I can do.”
- Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is back following his six-week suspension, and the team is excited to get his experience and expertise back into the offensive gameplan, writes Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. “I’ve seen every game, I’ve seen every snap,” said Kromer. “And I know where we are as a team and as a line, and I’m doing everything I can to help. We’re working on the things that we’ve seen on tape that we need to work on.”
49ers Notes: Tomsula, Kaepernick, Bethea
The 49ers became a big talking point for media outlets today after an embarrassing 20-3 loss on Thursday Night Football. Here are some notes about the team:
- The loss to the Seahawks last night put a spotlight on the problems the 49ers have, and head coach Jim Tomsula was put on the defensive. He said despite evaluating everything in the organization, he would not consider a change to the offensive coaching staff in season, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was particularly bad on Thursday night, but coach Tomsula insists there will be no change under center in San Francisco, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). “Colin’s our quarterback,” said Tomsula. “No controversy.”
- Antoine Bethea was placed on injured reserve today, with what was originally reported as a shoulder injury. Barrows reports that it is actually a torn pectoral muscle that will force him to miss the rest of the season (via Twitter).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/15
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Lions have claimed defensive tackle Khyri Thornton off waivers, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). Thornton was cut by the Patriots yesterday. He will fill the spot opened when the Lions waived defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen this morning.
- The Rams have promoted running back Trey Watts to the active roster, and waived safety Christian Bryant to make room for him, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter).
- The Panthers have also promoted a player from the practice squad to the active roster, bringing tight end Scott Simonson up, according to Max Henson of Panthers.com. The team placed tight end Richie Brockel on the IR to make room for Simonson.
- Washington has removed wide receiver Issac Blakeney from the IR with an injury settlement, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Fred Jackson Involved In Car Accident
9:51 pm: Both Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports and Pro Football Talk contradicted the report that Jackson crashed while drag racing, as the initial TMZ report stated. La Canfora’s sources say there was no drag racing, and Jackson just lost control of his car (via Twitter). He adds that Lynch only arrived after seeing Jackson’s car on the side of the road (via Twitter). PFT also has a source that claims there was no drag racing (via Twitter).
8:00 pm: The Seahawks’ top two running backs were involved in a car accident Tuesday night, as Fred Jackson crashed his vehicle into a large planter box and then a stop sign, according to a report from TMZ.
According to the report, Jackson crashed while drag racing against teammate Marshawn Lynch. The tweet from TMZ reported that Jackson was injured in the crash, but Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 hears that Jackson is fine (via Twitter). Lynch is reportedly fine, and drove off on his own, while Jackson was taken back to the team facilities.
The Seahawks had already been thin at running back, with both Lynch and Jackson dealing with injuries this season. It seems that not having been involved in the accident, Lynch’s injury status hasn’t been affected, but further injury to Jackson could diminish an already hampered depth chart.
Additionally, if the league or team decides to take action in terms of suspension, that could also hurt the Seahawks going forward. It is unlikely that the league takes any action based on the initial reports, as they have been hesitant to suspend players before all the evidence is in–as in the cases of Aldon Smith and Sheldon Richardson–since losing in court to Tom Brady this offseason.