Broncos To Release OLB Randy Gregory
4:15pm: When speaking about the Gregory move, Payton said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) the Broncos are still in the process of trying to find a trade partner. If no deal materializes, the release will go through in the next day or so. Notably, Payton added that Gregory did not, in fact, ask for his release upon learning that the Broncos will turn their attention to younger members of their edge rush group. In any event, he will soon find himself out of the Mile High City.
10:16am: The Broncos are admitting a mistake on Randy Gregory early. After benching the 2022 free agency pickup in Week 4, Denver is moving on. The team is releasing the veteran edge rusher, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
This will tag the Broncos with a big dead-money hit. They had signed Gregory to a five-year, $69.5MM deal in free agency, finalizing a deal after Gregory talks with the Cowboys hit an 11th-hour snag. Denver intends to use its younger pass rushers under Sean Payton. The Broncos have now moved on from Gregory and Bradley Chubb in consecutive years.
Denver moved Gregory to the trade block this week, with 9News’ Mike Klis reporting the team had been trying to unload the talented but unreliable veteran. As a vested vet, Gregory will head straight to free agency. The former Cowboys second-round pick asked for his release Tuesday, per Klis, and Payton will grant the request after no trade buyers emerged.
Gregory, 30, had been a key part of GM George Paton‘s post-Von Miller edge rusher plan. A year after deploying a Chubb-Gregory setup at outside linebacker, the Broncos are rid of both. They dealt Chubb to the Dolphins at last year’s deadline, doing so while Gregory was out with a knee injury. While Gregory showed flashes as a pass rusher, his Broncos tenure featured the undependability his Cowboys run did. Gregory’s Broncos run ends with just three sacks.
The Cowboys thought they had a deal done with Gregory, but the oft-suspended Nebraska alum objected to language inserted into the contract. Denver made the initial Gregory offer in March 2022; the former Dallas starter said he would stay a Cowboy if the team matched the terms. Dallas did, but the disagreement on language led Gregory to Colorado. The Cowboys ended up doing fine after Gregory left, forming a dominant edge-rushing group that includes Dorance Armstrong — who re-signed shortly after Gregory’s defection — along with Dante Fowler and 2022 second-rounder Sam Williams.
Gregory came to Denver on the heels of a shoulder surgery, one that kept him out of training camp last year. A knee injury sidelined Gregory early in his first Broncos campaign, and while he returned late in the year, Gregory’s first season offered little in the way of production. Denver managed to field a top-10 defense largely without Gregory, though its pass rush took a hit after Chubb’s departure. The Broncos benched Gregory after giving up 70 points in Week 3, with the ninth-year veteran’s effort — particularly against the run — leading to the demotion.
While the Broncos remain fairly deep on the edge, two of their cogs here — Baron Browning and Frank Clark — are unavailable. Browning is on Denver’s reserve/PUP list due to an offseason knee injury, while Clark is working his way back from an abductor malady sustained in a recent practice. Browning is eligible to return this week, though it is uncertain if the third-year linebacker will be ready. Clark is hoping to come back for this week’s Jets matchup.
The Broncos benched Gregory for Nik Bonitto, a 2022 second-rounder. He and 2021 seventh-rounder Jonathon Cooper are the Broncos’ starting edges for the time being. The two teamed up on the pivotal Justin Fields fumble-six in Sunday’s comeback win. Bonitto, Denver’s top 2022 draft choice, registered 2.5 sacks against the Bears. The Cooper-Bonitto duo may generate some optimism, but the Broncos have taken a massive step back on defense. Vance Joseph‘s unit ranks last in points and yards allowed, with a historically bad Miami outing sounding alarm bells.
The Gregory chapter represents a misstep on the Broncos’ part. The team had hoped Gregory’s lower-mileage Cowboys run — thanks to four suspensions — would help lead to a late prime period. Instead, Gregory is gone after just 10 games with the team. The Broncos will eat $16.1MM in dead money as a result of the cut. Gregory’s Cowboys form, which produced six-sack seasons in 2018 and 2020, will undoubtedly lead to another chance elsewhere. Though, it is unlikely he will come close to the $14MM-per-year pact the Broncos authorized.
Jonathan Taylor To Practice This Week
OCTOBER 4: ESPN’s Stephen Holder notes that, to no surprise, Taylor’s teammates are excited about his presumed return to action in Week 5. The 24-year-old’s relationship with the Colts seems to be “headed in the right direction,” Holder writes, adding that Taylor’s mindset regarding his situation in Indianapolis has “improved significantly.” That points to an audition period in 2023 taking place, the potential trade effects of which will be worth watching closely.
Taylor was listed as a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, though it was merely a walkthrough. Still, all signs continue to point to his 2023 debut happening on Sunday as the next phase of his Colts tenure takes shape.
OCTOBER 2: After two months of trade rumors, Jonathan Taylor remains on the Colts. While the prospect of trade is not believed to be shut down, the team is indeed opening the running back’s practice window.
A Sunday report indicated this move was coming, and Shane Steichen confirmed Taylor is slated to return to practice Wednesday. Taylor has resided on Indianapolis’ reserve/PUP list; he will now have a 21-day window to return. Questions remain about Taylor’s desire to play for the Colts again, and the trade deadline looms Oct. 31. For now, however, the Colts will move him closer toward playing for them in 2023.
Steichen also did not rule out Taylor from making his debut Sunday against the Titans, Fox 59’s Mike Chappell adds. Taylor requested a trade in July, amid a clash with owner Jim Irsay, and likely attempted to use his ankle issue as a way to avoid a return to the Colts. The 2021 rushing champ is believed to have been healthy for a bit now; Irsay proclaimed him ready to go back in mid-July. But a stretch of turbulence between Taylor and the team engulfed Steichen’s first summer on the job. It will certainly be pivotal if/when Taylor addresses his situation this week.
After Irsay flatly stated Taylor would not be traded back in July, the Colts did end up engaging with teams ahead of the August deadline to finalize 53-man rosters and set injured lists. The Dolphins and Packers discussed Taylor with the Colts, with other teams rumored as interested to a lesser degree. Rumors have emerged about the Colts’ lack of desire to truly move the contract-year back, a development foreshadowed by Jaylen Waddle coming up in Dolphins talks. The Taylor market never appeared robust, and it has cooled from the August point.
The Colts are believed to have dropped their asking price for the fourth-year RB. No team has fetched a first-rounder for a running back since the Colts sent the Browns one for Trent Richardson 10 years ago, and Indy is now open to accepting a Round 2 choice here. As of last week, Taylor also remained at odds with the Colts. Of course, if Indianapolis does not make a deal, Taylor’s options are limited.
Once Taylor returns to practice, the Colts will have 21 days to activate him from the PUP list. If the team does not do so, Taylor’s season is done. A player not on an injured list exaggerating an injury to force a trade is not unprecedented; Jalen Ramsey did so in 2019, when the Jaguars collected two first-rounders from the Rams. But some finality to Taylor’s 2023 saga looks to be coming. Steichen said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) he has stayed in contact with Taylor during his time on the PUP list.
It is also uncertain if Irsay and GM Chris Ballard are on the same page regarding a potential trade. If the Colts do not trade Taylor, they would still have the option of franchise-tagging him in 2024. This year’s franchise tag deadline accelerated Taylor’s standoff with the Colts, with three running backs (Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard) playing on the tag. And the grim prospect of Taylor playing out his rookie deal and then being cuffed still looms. Though, the Colts will need to decide how much longer they want to endure this situation. How Taylor reacclimates under a new coaching staff could be important as he rejoins his teammates at workouts.
Winning the 2021 rushing title by more than 500 yards, Taylor missed six games due to an ankle injury — his first notable malady during his college or pro careers — last season and underwent what was labeled a minimally invasive surgery in January. It is expected the Wisconsin product is good to go. If Taylor is truly on track to play in Colts games, he would presumably reclaim the starter role ahead of Zack Moss, who has operated as such for the past three weeks. The 2022 trade acquisition has played at least 75% of the Colts’ offensive snaps in each of his three games since returning from a broken arm.
Panthers Designate G Austin Corbett For Return
This week doubles as the earliest window teams can designate players on injured lists for return. The Panthers will do so with one of their starting guards.
Austin Corbett returned to Panthers practice Wednesday, the team announced. Corbett suffered a torn ACL in Week 18 last season, leading him to the reserve/PUP list, and was never a candidate to start the season on time. But the Panthers are close to having the 2022 free agency pickup back in their lineup.
The 0-4 Panthers are attempting to develop Bryce Young, but they have been without both their starting guards for most of the season. Left guard Brady Christensen suffered a season-ending biceps injury in Week 1. The Panthers have started Cade Mays and rookie Chandler Zavala in place of their ailing starters.
Carolina intends to proceed cautiously with Corbett, Frank Reich said Wednesday. It would not surprise to see Carolina use multiple weeks to get its right guard starter ready, and Corbett suggested (via ESPN’s David Newton) a return might not take place until after the team’s Week 7 bye. The Panthers have 21 days from Wednesday to activate Corbett. Not doing so would result in a trip to season-ending IR. With Corbett on the PUP list, he does not count against the Panthers’ eight allotted IR activations.
Both Corbett and Christensen went down in the Panthers’ 2022 season finale, with the former suffering the worse injury. Christensen made it back from his broken ankle to start in Week 1 but went down after a handful of snaps. Christensen’s rookie contract runs through next season; Corbett’s three-year, $26.25MM deal goes through 2024 as well.
The Panthers rank 24th in scoring offense and 25th in yardage, being one of two teams to sit 0-4. The team had made a big commitment up front, returning all five of its O-line starters from last season. The Panthers were largely healthy up front last year, until the very end, but have been dealt some bad breaks to start the Reich-Young partnership. Corbett joins Taylor Moton and the recently re-signed Bradley Bozeman as veteran contracts on Carolina’s front. The former Super Bowl LVI starter, who showcased good form in 2022 before his injury, will have a chance to bounce back in the near future.
Jags Designate Dawuane Smoot For Return
During their London trip, the Jaguars could have multiple linemen back. In addition to seeing left tackle Cam Robinson reinstated from his four-game PED suspension, Jacksonville is opening Dawuane Smoot‘s practice window.
The Jags announced Smoot will begin practicing Wednesday. The recently re-signed edge rusher landed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season. Smoot sustained an Achilles tear in Week 16 of last season.
Smoot is playing on his third Jaguars contract. The team had re-signed the former third-round pick in 2021 and had seen steady play amid a woeful period. Smoot registered between five and six sacks in each of his past four seasons. He combined for 29 QB hits from 2020-21 and added 12 last season to go with his five sacks. The Achilles tear crushed Smoot’s market, but shortly after the Ravens arranged a free agency meeting, the Illinois alum opted to return to the Jags on a one-year, $3.5MM deal.
The team circled back to Smoot in July, adding him months after losing Arden Key in free agency. Key signed with the Titans, creating a void behind starters Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Smoot, 28, will be expected to re-emerge as a key backup. The Jags are down multiple front-seven pieces, with defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton still on IR.
Week 5 represents the first week for players on the PUP, IR and NFI lists to return. Wednesday’s designation for return starts Smoot’s activation clock. The Jaguars now have three weeks to move the seventh-year defender back onto their 53-man roster. Failure to do so in a 21-day period would send Smoot to season-ending IR.
Bengals Not Planning To Rest Joe Burrow
Through four weeks, Joe Burrow sits 29th in Total QBR and last in passer rating. The recently extended passer’s 4.8 yards per attempt also check in at the bottom of the league. The Bengals have seen Burrow’s training camp calf injury define the first quarter of their season.
His mobility compromised by the setback he suffered in Week 2, Burrow has been unable to shake off this particular camp issue in the way he did after missing extended summer stretches in 2021 (ACL rehab) and 2022 (appendectomy). This lingering issue has led to the Bengals dropping to 1-3. But Zac Taylor quickly brushed off the prospect of the team resting Burrow, indicating (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Jay Morrison) the Pro Bowl QB can operate an effective offense despite his injury and would remain in place for Week 5.
Also completing just 57.6% of his passes, Burrow had entered his fourth season as the most accurate passer in NFL history (among those with at least 1,500 attempts), Morrison adds. The former Super Bowl starter is 2-for-22 on throws beyond 15 yards and is the first QB in NFL history to throw 150 passes through four games at less than five yards per attempt, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. adds. The Bengals’ 27-3 loss to the Titans moved this to a crisis point, but Cincinnati’s options are limited. While the organization was believed to be divided on Burrow playing at less than 100%, improvement ahead of Week 3 kept the starter at the controls.
The Bengals have never rostered an upper-echelon backup behind Burrow, going mostly with Brandon Allen during the former No. 1 overall pick’s career. The team let its multiyear backup sign with the 49ers in May; Allen is now San Francisco’s third-stringer. Cincinnati signed Trevor Siemian on the same day Browning inked the San Francisco deal, but Siemian is now back with the Jets after failing to beat out Jake Browning for the Bengals’ QB2 gig. Browning has been with the Bengals since 2021 and entered the NFL as a 2019 UDFA. But the 27-year-old passer has one regular-season attempt on his resume.
While Cincy released Reid Sinnett from its practice squad Monday, A.J. McCarron still resides on the 16-man P-squad. McCarron has not attempted a pass since 2020, but the former national championship-winning QB spent seven years in the NFL before a 2021 ACL tear nixed his effort to become a Falcons backup. The ex-Andy Dalton Bengal backup returned to action in the XFL this season. Neither Browning nor McCarron qualify as a passable stopgap at this point, however.
Cincinnati’s Week 7 bye supports a case for Burrow sitting. The team faces the Cardinals and Seahawks before its week off. The Bengals could face a steeper uphill battle if Browning starts in one or both of those games, but this version of Burrow has reduced this explosive offense’s capabilities. The team ranks 31st in scoring offense (12.3 points per game). This unexpected chapter threatens the Bengals’ chances to win a third straight AFC North crown, but for the time being, they will stick with their injured starter.
Eagles To Sign CB Bradley Roby
4:46pm: This is a practice squad agreement, per to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. While this will be a first for Roby, numerous veterans have taken the P-squad route to return to active rosters over the past four seasons. The plan indeed is for Roby to be bumped up to the 53-man roster at some point, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus adds.
3:58pm: Already rostering two 30-something cornerbacks, the Eagles spent Tuesday looking into another one. They brought in Bradley Roby for an audition, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
It looks to have gone well, with The Score’s Jordan Schultz reporting Roby is signing with the team. It is unclear just yet if this is an active-roster or practice squad agreement. Interest emerged from multiple teams, per Schultz, which should have been expected based on the corner’s experience. But the Eagles are going to give the nine-year veteran a shot.
The Saints released Roby on roster-cutdown day in August. The former first-round pick had been a free agent since. Roby, 31, has made 60 career starts but was an off-the-bench regular for much of his career, working as a Broncos sub-package corner for years. The Eagles have their top nickel corner, Avonte Maddox, out with a torn pectoral muscle.
Philadelphia made a substantial commitment to its 2022 starting duo — Darius Slay–James Bradberry — by extending Slay and re-signing Bradberry. Both are over 30, with Slay 32 and Bradberry turning 30 this offseason. This is the NFL’s only team to have two 30-something corners installed as regular starters. The Eagles placed Maddox on IR last month; he suffered the torn pec in Week 2. Maddox, who has operated as Philly’s primary slot corner for years, missed time due to separate injuries last season but was back in the playoffs. That timeline may not recur this year, with surgery having transpired. And the Eagles are adding a veteran to the equation.
New Orleans rostered Roby for two seasons, acquiring him from the Texans before the 2021 campaign. The Saints pivoted to younger options, in Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor, alongside ace Marshon Lattimore. Roby worked as both a New Orleans starter and a backup during his tenure with the team.
Roby has mostly worked as an outside cover man. His CB3 role in Denver’s former No Fly Zone secondary involved Chris Harris shifting from an outside spot to the slot in sub-packages. Roby worked alongside All-Pros Harris and Aqib Talib for four seasons in Denver, taking two interceptions back for TDs in 2016 to help the Broncos close with DVOA’s top-ranked pass defense but was not deemed a priority after his 2018 fifth-year option season. He then made his way to Houston for a two-year run as a starter.
While Bradberry has lined up outside for nearly his entire career, the Eagles shifted the former Panthers and Giants mainstay into the slot recently. This setup has helped cover for Maddox’s absence. The less experienced Mario Goodrich had filled in for Maddox after he went down, and the Eagles have also used rookie safety Sydney Brown inside. But Brown missed the NFC champions’ Week 4 game due to a hamstring injury. Bradberry, who re-signed on a three-year deal worth $38MM in March, had also taken slot reps during the Eagles’ training camp. With Bradberry temporarily on the inside, Josh Jobe has seen extensive work alongside Slay on the boundary.
Roby would stand to provide the Eagles with veteran insurance. He signed two contracts with the Texans, the second a three-year, $31.5MM deal. The Ohio State product played on that contract for two Saints seasons, being traded from Houston to New Orleans before the 2021 campaign. But the team cut bait ahead of the third year.
A foot injury sent Roby to IR last season, but he returned to finish out the year with New Orleans. Pro Football Focus viewed Roby as a middling corner in 2021 but graded him as a bottom-10 corner during his injury-abbreviated 2022 slate. The Eagles will hope he can display better form nearly a year out from that injury.
Steelers To Add WR Denzel Mims
Known for developing Day 2 receiver draftees, the Steelers will take a flier on a former second-round pick whose stock has dropped in the years since his NFL arrival. Denzel Mims is joining the team on a practice squad deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
This will be Mims’ third NFL team and third this year. A trade-rumor mainstay with the Jets, Mims was finally dealt this summer, landing with the Lions. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher struggled to make an impression in Detroit, and an ankle injury led to the team waiving him with an injury designation. The Lions cut Mims from IR with an injury settlement.
Mims is believed to be healthy now, per Garafolo. He will attempt to kickstart his career with a team that has a strong track record for receiver development. Of course, the Baylor product has produced three unremarkable seasons and saw the Jets overhaul their receiving corps this offseason. Nevertheless, a Steelers squad missing Diontae Johnson will kick the tires here.
The Jets traded Mims to the Lions in a conditional pick-swap deal in July. Detroit did not need to send over a pick, however, since the trade was conditional upon Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. With Mims being waived nearly two weeks before roster-cutdown day, the swap essentially amounted to a free trial for the Lions. While Mims landed on season-ending IR, he was always an injury-settlement candidate. Players who receive settlements and are moved off IR lists are eligible to play that season at a later date.
Going off the 2020 draft board 59th overall, Mims totaled 23 receptions for 357 yards as a rookie. He has not exceeded 200 yards in a season since. Trade rumors engulfed Mims for most of his Jets time, but he continued to remain a Gang Green backup during the team’s Zach Wilson period. After Mims requested a trade before the 2022 season, the Jets discussed him with teams. It was not until a last-call-type situation in which Mims was finally moved this year.
Johnson resides on the Steelers’ IR list due to a hamstring ailment; he cannot return until Week 6. The Steelers have Calvin Austin and Miles Boykin, a former Ravens third-round pick the team added via waivers last year, in place as backup wideouts. Special-teamer Gunner Olszewski is also on Pittsburgh’s active roster behind starters George Pickens and Allen Robinson.
Giants Add G Justin Pugh To Practice Squad
In the wake of one of the worst pass-protecting performances in primetime NFL history, the Giants will add an experienced reinforcement. Their recent Justin Pugh visit will produce a reunion.
Pugh is rejoining the Giants on a practice squad deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. A Giants first-round pick back in 2013, Pugh spent five seasons with the franchise before joining the Cardinals as a free agent in 2018. Pugh expressed interest in rejoining the Giants late this summer and worked out for his old team last month. He will join a team reeling up front.
The 11th-year veteran suffered a torn ACL in Week 6 of last season, cutting his Cardinals contract year short. Pugh, 33, considered retirement before last season but had said he received interest from a few teams this offseason. The in-season signing likely comes due to his health, but he received clearance in late August.
The Giants have top-10 draftees at both tackle spots, and second-rounder John Michael Schmitz is in place to stop a center carousel. But the team has not invested too much at guard. Mark Glowinski is attached to a midlevel free agency pact, but the ex-Colts starter needed to compete for his job in training camp and was benched in Week 2. While the Giants did not pursue guards in free agency, letting Nick Gates walk, they are rather desperate for help now.
Injuries, however, have significantly affected the team. Joshua Ezeudu, a guard by trade, has started in place of Thomas at left tackle. Schmitz suffered an injury on the Giants’ failed effort to replicate the Eagles’ “Tush Push/Brotherly Shove” play Monday night. Brian Daboll said (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) the team had not repped that particular QB sneak in practice, only doing so in a walkthrough. The Giants also finished Monday night’s game without backup Shane Lemieux, who suffered a groin injury. The Seahawks finished the 24-3 win with a Monday Night Football-record 11 sacks.
After vacillating between guard and right tackle during his first Giants go-round, Pugh signed with the Cardinals as a guard. He signed a five-year, $45MM contract and started 56 games for the team from 2018-22. (He started 63 games for the Giants, being a regular on the last batch of Eli Manning-led teams.) Pugh represented an O-line constant during Kyler Murray‘s ascent, helping the team to the playoffs in 2021. That season, Pugh ranked fifth among guards in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric.
The Giants will hope the veteran blocker can reprise his pre-injury form. It should be expected Pugh will be promoted to the active roster soon, pending a successful ramp-up period.
Chase Claypool Will Not Be With Bears For Week 5
The Chase Claypool situation in Chicago has moved to a point the team will prepare for its Week 5 game without him. The disgruntled wide receiver will not be in the building ahead of the Bears’ preparations for their Commanders tilt, Matt Eberflus said Monday.
Eberflus’ update (courtesy of ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan) provides a different stance compared to Sunday, when the second-year head coach said the 2022 trade acquisition is expected to remain with the team going forward. Several hours later, it looks like a separation is imminent.
These standoffs do not necessarily mean the end of the line, however. Last year, both Brandin Cooks and Cam Akers went from being at odds with the Texans and Rams, respectively, to finishing out the seasons back as starters for their teams. (Though, both were dealt this year.) Claypool, however, does not have the same type of role with the Bears. The ex-Steelers second-rounder has underwhelmed since being dealt to the Bears at the 2022 deadline. The Bears made him a healthy scratch for their Week 4 game against the Broncos, and a Sunday-morning report pointed to a trade attempt taking place.
While the Bears were believed to be asking for a fifth- or sixth-round pick for the bulky wideout, this particular asset’s value has tanked since he was last on the trade block. In 10 Bears games, Claypool has caught just 18 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown. He has four grabs for 51 yards this season.
Bears coaches criticized Claypool for his effort in Week 1, and GM Ryan Poles issued an ultimatum of sorts after that showing. Claypool then caught three passes for 36 yards in Week 2 but was not a factor in the Bears’ Week 3 loss in Kansas City. In the same vein, Claypool responded in the affirmative when asked if the coaching staff was putting him in the best position to succeed. While this is not a good look, The Athletic’s Adam Jahns added that Claypool’s benching did not solely stem from his comments about the staff, pointing to Eberflus mentioning meetings, practices and walkthroughs after the game.
The Bears surrendered the No. 32 overall pick for Claypool last year. The Packers also sent the Steelers a second-round offer, as they attempted to make an 11th-hour upgrade on their pass-catching corps to help their final Aaron Rodgers-led offense. Pittsburgh preferred Chicago’s pick, believing it would come in higher. That bet proved prescient; the Bears have not won a game since acquiring Claypool. Sunday’s 21-point collapse marked Chicago’s 14th straight loss.
The former Notre Dame standout is tied to a $2.99MM base salary this season. It should not be considered out of a question other teams still value Claypool, but this Bears regime will not recoup anything close to the same level of draft asset it parted with to bring in the 6-foot-4 target nearly a year ago.
QB Notes: Watson, Pickett, Herbert, Cards
After a Week 3 bounce-back effort, Deshaun Watson sat out Week 4 due to a shoulder injury. The Browns endured a 28-3 loss. While Kevin Stefanski said the team is on the same page with its high-priced quarterback medically, the fourth-year HC added (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) Watson was cleared to play against the Ravens.
“He knows is body, he’s played through serious pain before, very, very serious injuries,” Stefanski said. “It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties.”
The 2022 trade acquisition had missed one game due to injury since the ACL tear that ended his 2017 rookie season, being sidelined for a 2019 contest. The Browns, who saw Watson predecessor Baker Mayfield struggle when playing through a shoulder injury in 2021, traded away their Watson backup — Josh Dobbs — just before the regular season, leading to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking the keys.
Here is the latest from the QB landscape:
- After limping off the field in Houston, Kenny Pickett received good news upon going through an MRI. The second-year Steelers QB did not sustain serious damage to his knee, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Pickett sustained a bone bruise and a muscle strain, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, but he has a chance to play this week. With the Steelers’ bye in Week 6, it would make sense for the team to hold its starter out. Mitchell Trubisky, who signed an offseason extension, remains in place as Pickett’s backup. After being usurped by the 2022 first-rounder, Trubisky was needed after Pickett sustained two concussions as a rookie.
- The Chargers also received fairly good news on their starter. Justin Herbert is not expected to miss time after suffering a finger injury in Week 4. That said, Rapoport notes Herbert did suffer a finger break on his nonthrowing hand. Herbert playing through early-season injuries is, of course, nothing new. The star passer battled rib trouble after a Week 2 injury last year. The Bolts’ franchise centerpiece has never missed a game due to injury.
- With Kyler Murray not particularly close to returning, Dobbs’ unexpected starter run will continue. The Cardinals pursued Dobbs in free agency, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes the team made him an offer to rejoin OC Drew Petzing. While Dobbs preferred a Cleveland return, he ended up back with Petzing — the Browns’ QBs coach last season — in Arizona via the “out of the blue” Cards trade offer. Dobbs became Arizona’s surprise starter due partially to the new staff’s concerns about Colt McCoy‘s lack of mobility, per Urban. McCoy, 37, did not impress as the starter during training camp. Murray’s two-year backup, who had signed a two-year deal worth $6MM in 2022, remains a free agent.