Jason Peters Done For Season
Eagles veteran offensive lineman Jason Peters is done for the season, head coach Doug Pederson announced this morning. Peters has been dealing with a significant toe injury, one that landed him on injured reserve earlier this year, and as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, the 38-year-old has elected to undergo surgery on the toe.
When Peters re-signed with Philadelphia this summer, the original plan was for him to play right guard in place of the injured Brandon Brooks. Then, projected left tackle Andre Dillard was ruled out for the season with a biceps injury in August, forcing the team to shift Peters back to his long-time LT post while giving him a pay bump in the process.
Unfortunately, the toe injury cropped up in early October, and the Eagles placed Peters on IR as a result. Though he was activated just a few weeks later, the team recently moved him to right guard to compensate for his limited mobility. He played 36 snaps at RG during the team’s loss to the Packers on Sunday, but the pain was apparently too much to continue to push through.
Given his advanced age, this might be the end of the line for Peters. If so, he will end his career with a tremendous resume that includes two First Team All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl ring. He is easily one of the best LTs of his generation, and there may be a gold jacket in Canton waiting for him in a few years.
Interestingly, Peters’ last play against Green Bay was also quarterback Carson Wentz‘s last play, at least for the time being. Wentz has been benched in favor of rookie signal-caller Jalen Hurts, who will be playing behind Nate Herbig at right guard.
Leonard Williams Likely To Re-Sign With Giants?
The Giants’ trade for Leonard Williams at the 2019 deadline raised plenty of eyebrows at the time, given New York’s status as a non-contender and Williams’ status as a pending free agent. The team applied the franchise tag on Williams in the offseason, and though player and team were unable to agree to a long-term pact, the former first-round pick is having a breakout year and is a big reason why the Giants are sitting in first place in the NFC East.
The knock on Williams throughout his early career with the Jets is that he was unable to consistently convert his high number of quarterback hits into sacks. That has changed this season, as the USC product has already amassed a career-high 8.5 sacks through 12 games, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics consider him the 17th-best interior defender in the league out of 125 qualified players. In addition to his pass-rushing acumen, he continues to excel against the run.
Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv believes Williams and the Giants will ultimately come to terms on a lucrative multi-year contract at season’s end, but as always, money will be the determining factor. Because he is not an edge rusher, Williams is unlikely to hit the $25MM+ AAV that players like Joey Bosa enjoy, and several agents think DeForest Buckner‘s four-year, $84MM pact ($56MM guaranteed) is a reasonable benchmark.
Williams does not have Buckner’s track record, so GMs may be hesitant to pony up that kind of guaranteed cash unless they are confident 2020 is not a peak but is instead a harbinger of things to come. Plus, the market may be depressed in general as a result of the pandemic and the potential for a dramatically reduced salary cap, and a number of talented pass rushers may find themselves looking for a new home in 2021, which would help keep Williams’ price down and increase his chances of staying put.
He has not shown any indication that he wants to leave, and since his potential has finally been unlocked with Big Blue, it makes sense that both sides would want to continue their relationship for the foreseeable future. As one agent said, “A deal with the Giants makes too much sense. They’re not going to be able to get a player like him on the market, and he might not be able to get the money he wants on the market. The Giants can afford to give him $20-22 million per year, maybe with an out in the deal so he gets another shot at free agency in a few years when the cap is back to normal.”
Cam Newton To Remain Patriots’ QB
After picking up back-to-back wins to keep themselves in the AFC playoff picture, the Patriots were pummeled by the Rams in last night’s primetime affair. With New England trailing 24-3 in the fourth quarter, head coach Bill Belichick pulled starting QB Cam Newton in favor of Jarrett Stidham. But even though the loss effectively torpedoed the Pats’ postseason hopes, Belichick is not benching Newton.
When asked about his quarterback situation after the game, the future Hall of Fame HC said, “Great question. Really glad you asked that. Cam’s our quarterback” (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
Newton, 31, signed a very modest one-year pact with the Patriots in late June. Though he has shown flashes of his old self, particularly as a runner, the 2020 campaign has largely been a struggle. Over 12 games, he has thrown for just 2,172 yards and five TDs against 10 interceptions, good for a 78.9 quarterback rating. On the plus side, he has maintained a 4.0 yards-per-carry average over 113 rushing attempts and has found paydirt 11 times on the ground.
He has certainly not had a world-class contingent of skill position talent to work with, and he has been dealing with an abdomen injury that certainly could have impacted his performance in last night’s game (to his credit, Newton denied that his poor play was due to injury). Still, it might make sense for New England to at least give Stidham, a second-year passer who looked as though he would be the club’s starting quarterback before the Newton signing, a chance to show what he can do with a full week of first-team practice reps and an offensive scheme more tailored to his skillset.
Belichick, though, will continue rolling with the 2015 league MVP, whose market value probably won’t be much higher in 2021 than it was in 2020. And as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com said this morning, Newton is unlikely to be back with the Patriots next season, even if the team wanted to re-sign him (video link).
Drew Brees’ Recovery Progressing Well
Saints QB Drew Brees is making good progress in his recovery from 11 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com details. The 41-year-old passer is eligible to come off injured reserve for New Orleans’ matchup with the Eagles next Sunday, and there is a chance that he will indeed be back in action then.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network also hears that Brees is approaching full health, though he says that the Saints may hold out the future Hall of Famer until the team’s Week 15 bout with the Chiefs (video link). Regardless, head coach Sean Payton will have a critical decision to make soon.
Payton and the Saints have long considered Taysom Hill to be Brees’ successor, and in his first two games as the team’s starting QB, Hill has not disappointed. In a Week 10 win against the Falcons, he threw for 223 yards on an efficient 18-for-23 passing, and he has scored four rushing TDs on nearly five yards-per-carry over the past two weeks. His Week 13 passing effort was nothing to write home about — nine of 16 for 78 yards and a pick — but he didn’t need to do much through the air for the Saints to roll to a 31-3 win over the QB-less Broncos.
Obviously, Brees will be reinserted into the starting lineup soon, but Hill’s performance has given the Saints the option to be patient with Brees’ return. As of now, it continues to look as though Hill, who signed an extension earlier this year keeping him under club control through 2021, will be New Orleans’ permanent QB next season.
Jadeveon Clowney Done For Season
The Titans placed edge defender Jadeveon Clowney on injured reserve a little over two weeks ago, and the team hoped he might be back in time for a playoff push. However, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes, Clowney underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair his left meniscus and will require several months of rehab. As such, his season is over.
Clowney was perhaps the most-discussed player on the market this year, and his long free agency journey finally culminated in a one-year, $13MM pact with the Titans in August. Tennessee’s return on its investment was underwhelming, to say the least, as Clowney failed to produce a sack in eight games with the team.
Still, as has generally been the case with Clowney, the raw sack totals do not necessarily tell the whole story. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics peg him as the 16th-best edge player in the league, out of 106 qualifiers, and PFF gives him above-average marks in both run defense and as a pass rusher (he grades exceptionally high in pass coverage).
That is perhaps why the Titans still have interest in re-signing Clowney. Rapoport says Tennessee could explore a new deal if the price is right, and given that the former No. 1 overall pick will be coming off a second consecutive disappointing season in terms of surface-level stats, he could very well be had on a modest contract.
The meniscus tear may also depress his market, especially considering his prior injury history. Fortunately, the latest injury was to his left knee, and the surgery was a straightforward affair with no complications. Earlier in his career, Clowney underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee.
He is expected to be fully recovered by the time free agency opens in March.
HC/GM Rumors: Lynn, Harbaugh, Bears
Three head coaches and two GMs have already been fired this season, and there will be more dismissals to come. We learned this morning that Eagles HC Doug Pederson is on the hot seat, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Chargers HC Anthony Lynn is in danger of losing his job as well.
The Bolts gave Lynn a modest vote of confidence this offseason by handing him a one-year extension through 2021, but despite the emergence of rookie signal-caller Justin Herbert, Lynn’s squad has limped to a 3-8 record. Several of those losses have been of the heartbreaking variety that Chargers fans have become accustomed to, and Lynn’s in-game decisions have been called into question.
The 51-year-old is highly-regarded in the Chargers’ building, and he did lead his club to a 12-4 record two seasons ago. If he does get fired, he probably won’t have a difficult time finding another HC gig.
Now for more from the HC/GM rumor mill:
- Jim Harbaugh‘s days with the University of Michigan appear to be numbered, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says the former 49ers HC is eyeing an NFL return. Florio adds that a number of clubs are already “doing their homework” on Harbaugh, who could be one of a number of prominent college coaches looking to make a leap to the pros.
- A few weeks ago, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports said the Bears “could” move on from HC Matt Nagy at season’s end. Now, La Canfora says it’s more likely than not that Nagy will be ousted and that Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be Chicago’s top choice for Nagy’s replacement.
- Although Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has drawn plenty of interest and is expected to get his first HC job this offseason, Kansas City quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Mike Kafka is also a name to watch, per La Canfora. We knew that the Eagles were interested in Kafka as an OC last offseason, and JLC says the 33-year-old former QB also had the opportunity to take a head coaching interview. Kafka declined, as he wanted to continue to learn under Andy Reid, but he will be a top target for HC and OC openings in 2021.
- As far as GM jobs go, former Giants general manager Jerry Reese is expected to draw interest for the Lions‘ GM opening, as La Canfora writes. Reese, who was fired by Big Blue in 2017, wants to return to an NFL front office and has the support from advisors to the Ford family (including Ernie Accorsi, whom Reese succeeded as Giants GM in 2007).
- The Texans are expected to interview former Chiefs and Browns GM John Dorsey, according to La Canfora. Dorsey was fired by Cleveland at the end of last season, but it would be fair to blame more of the Browns’ disappointing 2019 campaign on former head coach Freddie Kitchens than on Dorsey. After all, Cleveland is now poised for a playoff berth with a roster that Dorsey largely constructed, and Dorsey also has ties to Bieniemy, who has been heavily connected to Houston’s HC job.
- An unfortunate neck injury may have brought an end to A.Q. Shipley‘s playing career, but he will get the chance to join the Buccaneers‘ coaching staff, as Carmen Vitali of the team’s official website writes. Shipley has long been a favorite of Tampa HC Bruce Arians, who believes the veteran center has all the makings of an excellent coach.
Lamar Jackson Expected To Return This Week
The Ravens are slowly getting healthier. After a COVID-19 outbreak decimated Baltimore’s roster and forced the team to field a JV squad against the Steelers on Wednesday — a game that was postponed multiple times — the Ravens activated several key players yesterday. And Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to come off the reserve/COVID-19 list and start against the Cowboys on Tuesday.
Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus on Thanksgiving and has now completed his 10-day quarantine. He can practice today and participate in Monday’s walkthrough in preparation for the matchup with Dallas.
The reigning league MVP has not been nearly as successful this season as he was in his 2019 coming-out party, but he remains a dynamic talent whose presence makes Baltimore a difficult out, regardless of opponent. Though the Ravens have fallen to 6-5 after a 5-1 start to the season, all but one of their defeats have come by less than a score.
Baltimore has a manageable schedule the rest of the way, with games against the Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants, and Bengals upcoming. As such, the Ravens still have a good chance at securing a playoff berth, and having Jackson under center will go a long way towards achieving that goal.
Meanwhile, the NFL-NFLPA investigation into the Ravens’ violation of COVID-19 protocols will take weeks to wrap up, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. We have learned that the coronavirus outbreak was largely transmitted by a strength coach who reportedly came into the team’s facility despite being ill and who did not adhere to facemask protocols. That coach has since been suspended, but several players told their agents and the union that they are also concerned about chaplains and nutritionists not following all facemask and social distancing requirements.
The league has made it clear that the Ravens have been extremely cooperative and forthcoming in the investigation, and the belief is that the outbreak is contained. Nonetheless, Baltimore will likely face at least a heavy fine as punishment for the protocol violations.
Eagles HC Doug Pederson On Hot Seat
A little less than three years ago, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was on top of the world. He and backup quarterback Nick Foles had just guided their club through a memorable playoff run that culminated in a Super Bowl victory over the Patriots, thereby bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia for the first time and solidifying Pederson’s status in franchise lore. But things change quickly in the NFL.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Pederson is on the hot seat. The Eagles have lost three in a row and now sit at 3-7-1, good for third place in the dismal NFC East. After the club’s loss to the Seahawks on Monday night, prominent players like Carson Wentz, Brandon Graham, and Jason Kelce held a meeting, for which Pederson was also present. Accountability and responsibility were among the items on the agenda, and it’s never a good sign when such conversations become necessary.
Team leaders also organized a players-only meeting on Wednesday, and while this past week of practice was described as lively and spirited, the Eagles are heavy underdogs in their matchup with the Packers this afternoon. If they cannot squeeze a postseason appearance out of a historically-bad division and an expanded playoff field, Pederson may very well be looking for new employment in 2021.
Indeed, Rapoport says that the 52-year-old head coach has not received any assurances about his future from owner Jeffrey Lurie, and there is speculation in the team’s facility that Pederson’s job is on the line. The tension and frustration in the building is said to be palpable.
Pederson has ceded some play-calling duties, but Wentz’s struggles and Pederson’s inability to find answers for those struggles has been a major theme of the season. In each of the past two seasons, though, Pederson’s troops have rallied in the final weeks of the campaign to secure a playoff berth, and they hope that 2020 will have a similar ending.
If Lurie does elect to part ways with Pederson, the Jets are one team that could have interest, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. New York is expected to fire Adam Gase at season’s end, if not sooner, and GM Joe Douglas worked with Pederson for three years as Philadelphia’s vice president of player personnel.
In his four-plus seasons as the Eagles’ head coach, Pederson has compiled a 41-33-1 regular season record, along with a 4-2 postseason mark. The team has won two division titles (and, of course, a Super Bowl) in that time.
Titans Work Out Brooks Reed
The Titans are still looking for a boost to their pass rush. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the club has brought in veteran edge defender Brooks Reed for a workout (Twitter link).
Though Tennessee picked up a critical overtime win against the Ravens on Sunday to keep pace with the Colts in the AFC South, Mike Vrabel‘s defense has struggled all season, and one of the reasons for that is the unit’s inability to pressure the opposing quarterback. The Titans have recorded just 12 sacks on the season, third-fewest in the NFL, and they rank near the bottom of the league in terms of passing yards allowed per game.
At this point in his career, Reed is unlikely to move the needle too much, but Tennessee has to try something. The team’s two major free agent additions to its pass rushing corps — Jadeveon Clowney and Vic Beasley — were major flops, and now Clowney is on IR while Beasley is on the Raiders’ practice squad.
Reed, 33, was a second-round pick of the Texans back in 2011. He posted six sacks in his rookie campaign, but that ended up representing a career high. For much of his professional tenure, which includes a four-year stint with the Falcons and a nine-game showing with the Cardinals last year, he has been deployed as a rotational pass rusher.
His 2019 campaign with Arizona was cut short due to a hamstring injury, and this marks the first time we have heard of interest in his services this year.
Colts Place DeForest Buckner On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Colts have placed DeForest Buckner on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to a team announcement. This could be an especially difficult blow, as Indianapolis will take on the Titans in a battle for first place in the AFC South on Sunday.
At this point, it’s unclear if Buckner tested positive or if he is considered a close contact with someone who did. If he tested positive, he is guaranteed to miss the matchup with Tennessee, though if his placement on the list is due to a close contact, he may be back on the field on Sunday (depending on when the contact occurred and his test results in the coming days).
Indianapolis pulled off one of the biggest blockbusters of this offseason in acquiring Buckner, as it shipped a first-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for one of the game’s premier interior defenders and signed him to a massive $21MM/year extension. And Buckner has not disappointed, as Pro Football Focus currently ranks him fifth among all interior D-linemen, including an especially high pass-rush grade (though he has generated just 2.5 sacks on the season).
PFF is not quite as bullish on his run defense, but it still considers him an above-average performer in that regard. And the Colts will need all the run support they can get against Titans’ RB Derrick Henry, who rushed for 103 yards on just 19 carries against Indy two weeks ago.
Buckner joins fellow DL Denico Autry on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and as Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets, Autry’s status for Sunday’s game is still unclear. If the Colts are without both players, they will need monster performances from players like Tyquan Lewis and Grover Stewart to contain Henry.