Tony Romo Fractures Clavicle
Unfortunate news for Dallas Cowboys, as quarterback Tony Romo has walked into the locker room with an injury to his left shoulder, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It has been announced that Romo has fractured his left clavicle, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Romo knew immediately that the injury was bad, as he was heard on the sidelines saying it was broken, according to former NFL offensive lineman Dr. Mark Adickes, who is also an injury expert for ESPN (via Twitter).
David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reminds fans that Romo fractured the same collarbone in 2010, causing him to miss the final 10 games of the season (via Twitter). Matt Miller of Bleacher Report suggests that injury has an expected recovery time of 7-8 weeks (via Twitter), while Pro Football Talk has a source that estimates Romo will miss eight weeks (via Twitter).
Week In Review: 9/14/15 – 9/20/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Signed/Re-Signed/Claimed:
- Buccaneers – Joe Hawley, C (link)
- Raiders – Taylor Mays, S (link)
- Falcons – Jake Long, OT (link)
- Texans – claimed Oday Aboushi, OT (link)
Workouts:
- Cowboys – Hakeem Nicks, WR (link)
- Patriots, Jets, and Seahawks – Terrelle Pryor, WR/QB (link and link)
Traded:
- Patriots acquire wide receiver Keshawn Martin and a sixth-round pick from the Texans for their fifth-round selection
Released/Waived:
- Cardinals – Joseph Fauria, TE (link)
- 49ers – waived Kendall Hunter, RB (link)
Suspended:
- Washington – Chris Culliver, CB one game (link)
Injured:
- Colts – D’Joun Smith, CB placed on IR-DTR (link)
- Ravens – Terrell Suggs, OLB out of the year (link)
- Packers – Bryan Bulaga to miss 4-6 weeks (link)
- Cowboys – Dez Bryant, WR could miss anywhere from 6-12 weeks (link)
- Washington – DeSean Jackson, WR to miss 3-4 weeks (link)
News:
- Colts – Head coach Chuck Pagano on the hot seat (link)
- Seahawks – No talks with safety Kam Chancellor (link)
- Jets – Defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson cuts off extension talks (link)
- Titans – Wide receiver Justin Hunter found not guilty of assault (link)
- Giants – Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul‘s hand worse than expected (link)
Bills’ Aaron Williams Carted Off In Ambulance
4:55pm: Williams’ father confirmed on Twitter that his son has full movement in all his extremities.
2:48pm: Bills cornerback Aaron Williams was injured making a tackle on Julian Edelman‘s touchdown catch, reports John Kryk of Postmedia Report in Toronto (via Twitter). He looked to have had an impact with his helmet and the back of Edelman during the diving tackle, an observation confirmed by Vic Carruci of the Buffalo News (via Twitter).
There was a long delay between the touchdown and the extra point, as the medical staff tended to Williams after the play. Williams had his head and neck immobilized before being taken off the field by an ambulance (via Twitter).
The Bills announced that Williams endured a neck injury, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). Unsurprisingly, he has been ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Injury Updates: 9/20/15
The big news is the Tony Romo injury, which could have a devastating effect on the Cowboys’ season. We already looked at a major injury to Bills safety Aaron Williams – who appeared to be doing okay after being taken to a hospital, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) – and a potential starting quarterback injury for Jay Cutler of the Bears. Here’s a roundup of other noteworthy injuries from Sunday’s action. Any additional injury updates from the afternoon games will be added to the top of the page throughout the day.
- Eddie Lacy has been carted off the field for the Packers due to a right ankle injury, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter). His return is questionable (via Twitter). Davante Adams is also being carted to the locker room with a left ankle or foot injury, reports Jason Wilde (via Twitter).
- Packers defensive tackle Josh Boyd also just went down on the field, and is being attended to by the coaches and medical staff, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He will also be carted off with a right leg injury (via Twitter).
- Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert left the game against the Jaguars twice, not returning the second time, with a reported hamstring injury, according to James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Rookie tailback Tevin Coleman couldn’t finish the game for the Falcons today due to a rib injury, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes a prolonged absence could doom the team’s rushing attack.
Earlier:
- Ereck Flowers left the Giants-Falcons game with an ankle injury, and was not able to return, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Flowers has dealt with ankle injuries for a few weeks, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com notes that head coach Tom Coughlin hopes those issues aren’t continuous (via Twitter).
- Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso has been ruled out of the remainder of today’s game vs. the Cowboys due to a left knee injury, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As McLane observes, that’s the same knee that suffered a torn ACL in 2014.
- Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was getting X-rays taken after the loss to the Vikings, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman writes that Stafford confirmed the X-rays were taken of his chest and ribs (via Twitter).
- Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy left the 26-19 win over the Saints with a right arm injury, reports Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 The Team in Tampa (via Twitter). Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times adds that McCoy was not moving his right arm in the locker room (via Twitter).
- Titans right guard Chance Warmack will have an MRI on his knee on Monday after injuring it today, but the initial diagnosis is a sprained MCL, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter links).
Jay Cutler Out With Hamstring Injury
Jay Cutler went to the locker room after being injured attempting to make a tackle after an interception before halftime of the contest against the Cardinals. After being looked at by team officials, the Bears have announced that he is out with a hamstring injury and will not return, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Jimmy Clausen has taken over under center for the Bears, and the team does not have another active quarterback behind him. Cutler had played well prior to that interception.
The bigger concern is how serious the injury is for Cutler. Hamstring injuries often linger throughout the season, although more commonly effecting receivers and running backs. Often they can cause players to miss significant time.
Cutler isn’t necessarily a threat to run, but a hamstring issue would make it difficult to throw the ball downfield. It is unclear which leg was injured, but either or could threat the immediate future of the Bears’ starting quarterback. Whether it is his plant foot or his drive leg, a serious strain could keep him on the sidelines for a few weeks.
In that case, the team would need to bring in another quarterback to back up Clausen, even if only for a few games.
Holder On Colts’ Running Back Situation
The Colts have a potential need at running back after just one week. Their big free agent acquisition, Frank Gore, carried the ball only eight times for 31 yards in that game against the Bills. As a team, they only had 44 yards on 13 carries from their backs–Andrew Luck had 20 yards on four attempts.
Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star believes that despite chatter, the Colts have not made a decision about whether they will bring in a veteran back to pair with Gore and rookie Josh Robinson. He writes they will likely wait a week or two before strengthening the position group, in order to see what they currently have on the depth chart (via Twitter).
However, he also mentions that while he isn’t sure they will definitely sign a veteran back, the team is doing their due diligence in examining the free agent market for possible options (via Twitter).
While there are rumors that the team will bring in another player, Holder writes that the team wouldn’t have waited to make that move (via Twitter). If general manager Ryan Grigson was positive the team needed new blood in the backfield, the team would have signed a running back already.
One name that has been rumored to be considering joining the Colts is former Bronco Montee Ball. There have been reports Ball told people he would be signing with the Colts imminently. However, Holder says that is all third-hand information, and that he has not been able to confirm those reports (via Twitter).
Browns Sign Austin Davis, Put Charles Gaines On IR-DTR
MONDAY, 12:12pm: The Browns have officially announced their signing of Davis. To make room on the roster, the club used its injured reserve slot with the designation to return on rookie cornerback Charles Gaines. The sixth-rounder will now miss at least the first eight weeks of the club’s season.
SUNDAY, 10:10pm: Earlier today, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN opined that he would not be surprised if the Browns put in a waiver claim for recently released quarterback Austin Davis, given their current trouble at the position (via Twitter).
Fowler looks pretty smart now, as Davis is flying to Cleveland tonight to have a physical with the Browns sometime tomorrow (via Twitter). He is expected to sign with the Browns, assuming the team has an open roster spot for him.
Josh McCown is set to start the opener, but backup Johnny Manziel has experienced soreness in his elbow that has left the team uncertain about his health for the beginning of the season.
The team also just cut both players battling for the third-string role, in Pat Devlin and Thad Lewis. This was viewed as a sign Manziel would be healthy in time for the opener, but bringing in Davis throws even more uncertainty into his arm health.
Former quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who made the Browns as a wide receiver, could always be turned to in emergency situations if both McCown and Manziel become unavailable during a game.
Davis was the 29th ranked quarterback in 2014 according to Pro Football Focus, despite only throwing a pass in nine games last year. For the season he completed over 63% of his passes, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, amassing over 2,000 yards in the process. Respectable numbers for a little more than a half season with a weak Rams’ offense.
Davis could serve as the backup to McCown while Manziel gets healthy, and if he master’s the offensive scheme could definitely challange McCown for starting snaps. With two healthy quarterbacks, he would be a candidate to remain with the team on their practice squad is he isn’t claimed before passing through waivers.
The once undrafted Davis is in his third NFL season, after working his way up the roster for the Rams. His experience starting eight games makes him an ideal candidate for the depth chart, even if he is not active for games with a healthy Manziel.
He will have to pass his physical, and hope the team still has a roster spot open for him tomorrow.
NFC Notes: Washington, Powell, Jones
Despite a need at both tight end and outside linebacker, Washington has elected to remain patient with their roster. The team only kept two tight ends and four outside linebackers on the current version of their 53-man roster, and did not put a waiver claim in on any of the many players on the wire today at either position, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. However, Jones does expect the team to add to the position in the coming days if the opportunity arises.
Here are some more stories from around the NFL this Sunday:
- Receiver Corey Washington has received an injury settlement with the Giants, who therefore released him from the injured reserve, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Washington is now free to sign with any team.
- The Saints have waived linebacker Ronald Powell with an injury settlement, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter). Powell is only eligible to re-sign with the Saints after Week 6 plus the length of the settlement (via Twitter).
- After signing James Jones, the Packers will have to cut a player to make room, writes Jason Wilde of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That player will not be Datone Jones, he adds, despite the rumors that Jones was on the chopping block. Jones is not on the current 53-man roster, because he is suspended for Week 1 (via Twitter). Wilde does mention Myles White as a possible candidate to be cut (via Twitter).
Del Rio: Sio Moore “Wasn’t Going To Make Our Team”
Before being traded to the Colts, Sio Moore was expected to start at weakside linebacker for the Raiders. However, he had reportedly fallen out of favor with new head coach Jack Del Rio, which is why he became expendable, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
“He wasn’t going to make our team,” Del Rio said. “We had depth there that we’re really happy about.”
That depth he is talking about comes with free agent pickups Malcolm Smith, Curtis Lofton, and Lorenzo Alexander, as well as Ray Ray Armstrong and draft picks Ben Heeney and Neiron Ball.
“We brought in two free agent linebackers that are both playing really well. We brought in two draft picks that are both playing pretty well. We developed a guy at the position that’s returning in Ray-Ray and we added a guy that we think is a real core difference maker on special teams,” said Del Rio. “We’ve got a full group. It was an opportunity to acquire a pick for a guy that somebody else may want to have.”
The Raiders will receive a 2016 sixth-round pick in exchange for Moore.
Texans Sign Long Snapper Jon Weeks To Extension
The Texans have locked up their long snapped Jon Weeks to a long-term extension, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The new contract will keep him with the team for four years through 2019. It is worth $3.9MM total, with $330,000 in guaranteed money (via Twitter).
Weeks was excited to be part of the future in Houston, according to Mark Berman of Fox Sports 26 (via Twitter). “I’m speechless. I’m thrilled. I’m humbled,” said Weeks. “I’m incredibly thankful and excited to be here for that long.”
Berman also passed along quotes from Weeks, including where he credited Texans punter Shane Lechler for helping him on his path to becoming a mainstay in professional football (via Twitter).
“I’m very thankful for Shane. Shane’s been a great help.He’s one of the reasons I’m the player I am today,” said Weeks. “I had so many emotions today. I never imagined I would get to sign one of these, let alone a third one.”
Weeks declared for the 2008 NFL Draft but was not selected. The former Baylor Bear eventually signed on with the Texans as an undrafted free agent. He took over long snapping duties in 2010, and this new contract will keep him starting the play on punts and field goals almost until the end of the decade.
Of his guaranteed money, $250,000 comes by way of a signing bonus, and an additional $80,000 is guaranteed base salary, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Wilson also adds that the base salaries for Weeks going forward will escalate from $825,000 this year and next, up to $930,000 in 2019 (via Twitter).