Leonard Fournette To Miss Week 7
Jaguars star RB Leonard Fournette will miss the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Colts this afternoon due to an ankle injury, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Chris Ivory will get the nod in Fournette’s absence.
Fournette, whom the Jaguars selected with the fourth overall pick of this year’s draft, has not disappointed in his rookie campaign. As the focal point of the team’s offense (and opposing teams’ game plans), the LSU product is averaging a shade under 100 yards per game on the ground, to go along with a 4.6 YPC average. He has rumbled for six touchdowns on the ground and has added a receiving touchdown as well (he is averaging 22.7 yards per game through the air).
The Jaguars have looked like perhaps the best team in football some weeks and the worst in others, but they are still tied for first place in the wide open AFC South, and Fournette is arguably the biggest reason for their status as legitimate division title contenders.
Christ Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets that Fournette was pushing to play today, but team doctors did not feel comfortable with that after examining Fournette this morning. Jacksonville does have a bye next week, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) suggests Fournette will be ready to go in Week 9.
Latest On Roger Goodell Extension, League Meetings
It seems inevitable that Roger Goodell is going to receive an extension at some point in the near future. The extension was supposed to be finalized back in August, but since then, it was reported that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — the de facto seventh member of the league’s compensation committee — was holding up the works as a sort of payback for the Ezekiel Elliott saga, and we also learned that part of the hangup was the amount of severance Goodell would receive in the event that he is fired.
Now, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that completion of the extension has been slowed by debate over NFL player protests during the national anthem. Schefter says the deal is still expected to be completed and has been papered, but the league’s attention to the contract and other league business has been diverted by the anthem issue, according to Schefter’s sources. Schefter adds that no topic received as much attention during last week’s meetings as the anthem.
Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com, though, hears just the opposite. Breer says last Tuesday’s meeting between a group of 13 players and 11 owners, plus Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith included very little talk on the anthem, and the meeting among all league owners later in the day was similarly devoid of anthem-related conversation. Instead, the meetings focused on issues like a multifaceted effort to support the social causes important to players, and 49ers CEO Jed York told Breer, “in the long run, I think you’ll see a really, really strong platform and initiative where we have several weeks of the season that are dedicated to socioeconomic and racial causes.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says owners and players will meet again next week to discuss social issues, but the anthem will not be part of the conversation. It seems that the players know the anthem protests have helped to shed light on topics they truly want to discuss, and now both the owners and the players are focused on those topics rather than the protests themselves. Indeed, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Jones is the only owner who is still criticizing the protests.
So if what Breer and Rapoport say is true, then perhaps Schefter’s report is simply stylized incorrectly. The anthem discussions are not holding up Goodell’s extension, it is discussions about other issues that the anthem protests have raised. In any event, it looks as though Goodell’s new deal will get done soon, and the league will have stability in the commissioner role as it heads into the allegedly inevitable lockout following the 2020 season. Perhaps more importantly, the league and its players are apparently on the same page (mostly) with respect to generating attention for social issues that are important to the players.
Latest On Andrew Luck
Another week, another report on Andrew Luck from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Luck, of course, suffered a setback in his recovery this week, so instead of practicing, the Colts’ franchise quarterback will cease all football activities for the time being.
That leads to the obvious question of whether the 2-4 Colts should just shut Luck down and call it a day. But they are just one game back in the AFC South standings, and La Canfora says Indianapolis is committed to seeing Luck play at some point this season if his health allows (and, presumably, if the team still has a chance at a playoff berth, though La Canfora suggests the Colts want to play Luck even if they are out of contention).
La Canfora adds that the setback is not considered particularly serious. It is not uncommon for a quarterback recovering from shoulder surgery to plateau as Luck did, it just means that his potential return will be pushed back. When he does return to the practice field, he will need to go through several weeks of throwing on a limited basis before being able to throw on consecutive days and being integrated back into the offense.
All of that means that Luck will most likely not suit up until November 26 at the earliest, with a December return more likely. Until then, Jacoby Brissett will continue to start under center.
Latest On Aaron Rodgers
It appears we have conflicting reports on Aaron Rodgers‘ chances to return in 2017. We heard several days ago that the Packers were still hopeful for a Rodgers return, which would be Week 15 at the earliest, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears that Rodgers could resume throwing in as little as six weeks. If he does, he could return near the end of the regular season, assuming Green Bay is still pushing for a playoff spot or playoff seeding at that point.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, however, says the Packers do not anticipate and are not planning for a Rodgers return at the end of the season. Green Bay can bring back up to two players on injured reserve, and Rapoport reports that the team is more likely to designate offensive linemen Jason Spriggs and Don Barclay than Rodgers.
Of course, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, the Packers are holding out hope that Rodgers can return, but it will be weeks before they have a better idea and there is a good chance he will be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
Assuming Rodgers does not come back, Brett Hundley will get the chance to run the show for the duration of 2017. Head coach Mike McCarthy recently indicated that the Packers have no intention of adding a veteran quarterback to the mix, but the club did sign undrafted rookie Jerod Evans to its practice squad earlier this week.
NFC Notes: Vikings, Ngata, Seahawks
The Vikings are facing a quarterback crossroads, as are the quarterbacks themselves. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Sam Bradford traveled to New York late this past week to begin Regenokine treatments in hopes of getting inflammation out of his ailing knee (the treatment involves drawing blood, spinning it down, and re-injecting it into the knee over the course of a few days). He is doing everything he can to ease the pain in his knee, but the fact that he missed three games due to the injury and then was pulled in the second quarter of last week’s contest is obviously not a good sign. In fact, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said today that Bradford’s knee situation is worse than people know (Twitter link).
Teddy Bridgewater, meanwhile, will receive an important checkup tomorrow. He is eligible to begin practicing this week, and the physical will determine whether that is feasible. Sources close to Bridgewater say he is ready to go, and if he is, in fact, activated from the PUP list this season, Rapoport says his contract will not toll, which means he will be a free agent at the end of the season. If he is not activated, the contract will toll and he will remain under club control through 2018.
Now for more from the NFC:
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says it is possible that DT Haloti Ngata, whose contract expires at the end of the year and who suffered a season-ending bicep injury last week, returns to the team in 2018. However, Birkett believes it is more likely that the longtime star retires.
- The Seahawks are making a concerted effort to improve their O-line via trade, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who says the team is focused on landing disgruntled Texans star Duane Brown. We heard last week that the Texans intend to retain Brown, but that could always change if Seattle’s offer is strong enough.
- The 49ers released NaVorro Bowman earlier this week, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says the team will continue to look to trade and/or release some of its long-term veterans over the next couple of weeks as it embarks on a full-fledged youth movement.
- The 49ers will carry $4.774MM of dead money on the books in 2018 following Bowman’s release, but they will save all $9.45MM of his 2018 pay, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
- Rapoport believes the Saints may be in the trading mood after failing to trade for Bowman, and he says the team could consider trading LB Hau’oli Kikaha (Twitter link). Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune, however, suggests (via Twitter) that is not likely.
Steelers Likely To Franchise Tag Le’Veon Bell In 2018
Le’Veon Bell turned down a lucrative extension offer from the Steelers just prior to the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the two sides are likely headed down the same path in 2018.
Bell turned down the deal, which would have paid him $30MM over the course of the first two seasons but an average of $13MM per year over the life of the contract, in his quest to earn $15MM per year. According to La Canfora, however, Pittsburgh just will not go that high, which means that if Bell does not adjust his expectations, the Steelers will slap him with the franchise tag again this offseason.
If that happens, then Bell’s decision to reject Pittsburgh’s offer this year will have been to his detriment. Instead of earning $30MM under the first two years of the extension, Bell will earn just shy of $27MM under two successive franchise tags. While he would still be eligible for free agency again in 2019, he would have to continue playing at an All-Pro level in order to have any chance of achieving his financial goals.
He is not off to a good start in the regard this season, as his rushing and receiving numbers are down across the board. And though he will not turn 26 until February, his injury and suspension history will always make teams wary of committing top-dollar to him over multiple years.
East Rumors: DRC, Marshall, Cowboys
Let’s take a swing around the league’s East divisions:
- In keeping with reports from several days ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will miss Big Blue’s matchup against the Broncos this week, but he will be back for next week’s game against Seattle, which means he will have served just one game of a possible four-game suspension.
- Giants WR Brandon Marshall, who is out for the season due to an ankle injury, has no plans to retire, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Said Marshall, “I’m a competitor, and I don’t want to go out like that. I’m definitely not going out like that.” The report does not come as a major surprise, as Marshall indicated when he signed his two-year deal with the Giants that he would retire at the end of that contract, which expires after the 2018 season.
- Former Dolphins OL coach Chris Foerster has checked into a rehab facility in Miami, per Schefter. Foerster’s decision comes less than a week after his resignation from his post with the Dolphins following publication of a video that shows him snorting a white, powdery substance off a desk in the Dolphins’ training facility. Should another NFL club try to hire him in the future — and he had been in demand in the past — he would be subject to league discipline.
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Patriots LB Shea McClellin, who is eligible to begin practicing this week after opening the season on IR, appears to be close to returning to the field. WR Malcolm Mitchell , however, is not close to returning, and he may not be back this year. DT Vincent Valentine, who went on IR on September 22, could be back at some point this season.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has become a vocal member of the anti-protest contingent in the NFL, and according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, that is creating anger and frustration in the team’s locker room. The anthem issue had not been a hot topic among the Cowboys before Jones’ public statements on the matter, but Jones has helped to make it one, which is not good for a team that already has plenty of on-field concerns.
- Despite a great deal of confusion on the matter, we learned earlier today that Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott will remain suspended unless and until he receives an en banc hearing from the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the temporary restraining order that was previously issued is reinstated. The odds of that happening are pretty slim.
Latest On Luke Kuechly
Panthers star linebacker Luke Kuechly left the team’s Thursday night game against the Eagles and subsequently entered Carolina’s concussion protocol. This morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter offered some encouraging news on Kuechly, reporting that he has passed all tests and that the team does not believe he suffered another concussion, which would be his third in three seasons.
Nevertheless, David Newton of ESPN.com clarifies that Kuechly is still in the concussion protocol, and although he “looks good,” there is no timetable on his return. As defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said, “It’s always encouraging, not just from a standpoint of Luke getting back on the field, but with his health. It’s good to know he was feeling a lot better today, in good spirits, and being his old self. I’m excited about that.”
Head coach Ron Rivera did not offer any comments as to Kuechly’s long-term future, saying, “I have not talked with the doctors. I have not talked with Luke about this. I will eventually, but we’re going to wait till he’s no longer in the protocol before I say anything about this.”
Should Kuechly be forced to miss games, David Mayo and Ben Jacobs will share his duties.
49ers Agreed To Trade NaVorro Bowman To Saints
We learned last night that at least two teams had serious interest in trading for former 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman before he was released by San Francisco, and it turns out that one of those interested teams was the Saints. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, the 49ers agreed to trade Bowman to New Orleans for a seventh-round draft pick, but the Saints learned the veteran linebacker preferred to be a free agent and talk to all teams before deciding on one. As such, the 49ers opted to grant Bowman’s wish and give him his release instead of going forward with the trade.
Schefter adds that San Francisco also engaged in trade talks with the Ravens, Browns, and Panthers, but none of those teams appear to be vying for Bowman’s services in free agency. Instead, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, there is strong mutual interest between Bowman and the Raiders, and Bowman appears set to visit Oakland in the coming days.
In related news, Schefter reports that the 49ers have not had any trade talks involving running back Carlos Hyde — despite speculation to the contrary — and they do not plan to have any such talks. We heard just last week, of course, that San Francisco was attempting to extend the oft-injured RB, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the year.
Cliff Avril’s Career In Doubt
We heard several days ago that Seahawks DE Cliff Avril is dealing with a serious stinger, numbness in his arm, and is expected to miss an indefinite period of time. Unfortunately, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), Avril’s career could be over.
Per Glazer, the injury is far more serious than expected, and Avril will have to determine whether it is worth jeopardizing his long-term health to try and get back on the field.
Avril, 31, has been a stalwart for the Seahawks in recent years, as he appeared in 63 of 64 games from 2013-16 and racked up 33.5 sacks during that time. Although he’d been on the field for 68% of Seattle’s plays thus far, Pro Football Focus hasn’t been enamored with his work — Avril has graded as a bottom-five edge defender and earned horrible marks as a pass-rusher, per PFF.
Avril does have a Super Bowl ring, which he earned with Seattle at the end of the 2013 season. He is in his tenth season, his fifth with Seattle, after spending the first five years of his career with Detroit. The Lions selected him out of Purdue in the third round of the 2008 draft, and he quickly established himself as a capable pass rusher, racking up five sacks in his rookie season. He has compiled a total of 74 sacks in his career, and though Seattle has the horses to help make up for his production, his absence will still be felt (PFF’s evaluation of his 2017 work notwithstanding).