Torn ACL For Cardinals WR Jaron Brown?
The Cardinals may have lost a wide receiver for the season. The team fears that Jaron Brown suffered a torn ACL in last night’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Initial tests are pointing to an ACL tear but the team is waiting on additional tests to determine the exact location and severity of the injury.
Brown was thrust into a more prominent role yesterday as teammate John Brown was sidelined with symptoms stemming from sickle-cell trait. Serving as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver, Jaron Brown was forced to exit in the first half. If both Browns are out, then the team is left only with Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and J.J. Nelson at receiver. The Cardinals could promote receivers Marquis Bundy and/or Brittan Golden from the p-squad, but they could also look out-of-house for options.
Prior to suffering the injury, Jaron Brown had been a more prominent part of the Cardinals’ offense this season compared to previous years. Brown had already tied his 16-game reception total from last season (11) and amassed 22 targets – one fewer than his 2015 amount. He also averaged an impressive 17.0 yards per catch and added a touchdown over the Cardinals’ first seven games.
Ryan Fitzpatrick To Start For Jets
Moments ago, Jets coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for Gang Green on Sunday against the Browns. 
Of course, Geno Smith was appointed as the Jets’ starting quarterback last week but that promotion didn’t last long after Smith was forced to exit yesterday’s game in the second quarter. As it turns out, Smith suffered a torn ACL and will be shut down for the season. From there, the Jets had a choice to make between Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty, and rookie Christian Hackenberg. The Jets have decided to roll with Fitzpatrick.
Many have called for the Jets to turn the job over to either Petty or Hackenberg. Petty, a Baylor product, may not be a star in the making, but the Jets may want to get a good idea of what they have in the 25-year-old to figure out if he could be a part of their future plans. Hackenberg is considered to be very green (no pun intended), but he is certainly going to be with the Jets next year. After Fitzpatrick’s putrid start to the season, it’s hard to see him being involved in 2017 and beyond.
After guiding the Jets to victory on Sunday, Fitzpatrick confidently made his case for starting once again.
“I think I should start every week,” Fitzpatrick said. “When the owner stops believing in you and the GM stops believing in you and coaches stop believing in you, sometimes all you have is yourself.”
Packers’ Damarious Randall To Have Surgery
Bad news for the Packers as cornerback Damarious Randall underwent surgery over the weekend to repair a groin injury, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. After going under the knife, Randall will be out for several weeks. 
An exact timetable for his return is not yet known. However, the surgery is not expected to be season-ending for the 2015 first-round pick. Had they lost Randall for the year, the Packers would have been in some serious trouble. Already, they have been forced to place Sam Shields on IR with concussion symptoms while Quinten Rollins is dealing with a groin injury of his own (though, Rollins’ injury is believed to be less serious).
The injuries have left Green Bay with LaDarius Gunter and Demetri Goodson as their top cornerbacks. With any luck, the Packers will get Rollins back in time for Sunday’s game against the Falcons, but it sounds like they’ll still need reinforcements at the position.
In other Packers injury news, safety Chris Banjo is headed to the IR with an undisclosed injury, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Banjo will be healthy in three or four weeks, but the team wanted to free up a roster spot so that they could properly address their issues at cornerback.
Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis is also headed to IR with a thigh contusion, as Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel tweets.
Browns Shoot Down Joe Thomas Trade Talk
The Browns are winless through seven games and there’s next no chance of them reaching the postseason this year. It would stand to reason that they would entertain offers for their best veterans, but coach Hue Jackson says that Joe Thomas is not available via trade, despite reports to the contrary. 
“We. Are. Not. Going. To. Trade. Joe. Thomas,” Jackson told reporters today (via the Browns on Twitter).
Of course, we’ve seen coaches and GMs deny trade talk in the past only to deal the player in question. Thomas, in his tenth season, could be a valuable piece for a contending team and he could bring in a quality return for a Cleveland team that is (once again) playing for next year. According to yesterday’s report, the Browns are looking for a second-round pick in exchange for the veteran. Thomas is under contract for another two seasons after this one and is slated to make $10MM in 2017 and 2018. However, there is no guaranteed cash remaining on his contract.
Thomas, a six-time All-Pro lineman and lifelong member of the Browns, has never been to the playoffs. If Jackson is telling the truth, then that won’t change anytime soon.
Geno Smith Suffers Torn ACL
Jets quarterback Geno Smith has suffered a torn ACL, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The injury is, of course, a season-ender.
After Ryan Fitzpatrick got off to an atrocious start this season, the Jets turned things back over to Smith who has mostly struggled since entering the league. Early on in Sunday’s game, Smith was sacked hard and fell awkwardly, leaving him with a major knee injury. The West Virginia product is slated for free agency this year and has likely played his last down as a member of the Jets.
Last year, Smith lost the majority of the season when a locker room fight with teammate IK Enemkpali left him with a broken jaw. Now, Smith’s season is over after less than one half of action.
It’s not immediately clear what the Jets will do at quarterback for the time being. Fitzpatrick looked capable when he was subbed into the game on Sunday, but the Jets already took the job away from him this month and they have reportedly decided against bringing him back for next season. The Jets may opt to see what they have in the younger Bryce Petty.
Latest On Bears QB Brian Hoyer
After going under the knife, Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer will be out for a while. The good news is that he might not be done for the season. The veteran’s updated timetable for recovery is now 6-8 weeks, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. After a few days, the Bears will evaluate Hoyer and make a roster decision. 
If he’s placed on IR, Hoyer will be out of action until Week 16 at the earliest. However, if he is left on the roster and his radius heals up quickly, he could return to action in Week 14 to face the Lions in Detroit.
Hoyer was thrust into the lineup during Week 2 when Jay Cutler went down with a sprained thumb. On the year, Hoyer completed more than 68% of his passes for 1,396 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. Unfortunately, his injury will sideline him for much of the season.
As of this writing, Matt Barkley stands as the Bears’ only certifiably healthy quarterback. With no QBs on the practice squad, they are likely to sign another signal caller this week if Cutler cannot go against the Vikings on Monday night. If Cutler is healthy, he is expected to start.
Josh Brown Unlikely To Appeal
Last week, Giants kicker Josh Brown was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, which effectively sidelines him with pay while the investigation into his conduct continues. Brown could theoretically appeal that decision, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that he is unlikely to do so. 
While on the list, Brown will still collect his ~$1.15MM base salary. At some point, Brown will probably be cleared to play football again, but it’s hard to imagine him landing another NFL job given the public relations firestorm surrounding him. The Giants, meanwhile, have moved on after signing veteran kicker Robbie Gould.
The NFL has been criticized for only giving Brown a one-game suspension at the start of the season but a recent report indicated that the union was pressured the league office into rendering a decision in September rather than allowing the matter to drag on. Had the league waited, they could have given Brown a more appropriate punishment and avoided a PR nightmare.
49ers Won’t Shake Up Defensive Staff
The 49ers’ defense is struggling and the upcoming bye week would be the optimal time to make a mid-season change. However, coach Chip Kelly told reporters that he is sticking with Jim O’Neil and the rest of the team’s defensive staff (via USA Today). 
On Sunday, the Niners fell 34-17 to the Buccaneers. Jacquizz Rodgers, who started the year as the Buccaneers’ No. 3 running back, ran for 154 yards, becoming the second straight back to gain at least 100 yards against the Niners in the first half. The Niners’ struggles aren’t limited to the defensive side of the ball, of course, but there has been speculation about O’Neil as the team sits at 1-6.
Last year, the 49ers ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed and placed 18th in the league in points allowed at 24.2 points per game under the watch of Eric Mangini. So far this year, they aren’t showing any improvement under their new DC.
Eagles CB Ron Brooks Ruptures Quad
Eagles cornerback Ron Brooks suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon in Sunday’s win over the Vikings, a source tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Brooks will require surgery and he likely will not be fully healthy until training camp in July. Needless to say, the corner will be shut down for the season and placed on IR. 
Brooks, 28, joined the Eagles as a free agent in March, following defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz from Buffalo along with Nigel Bradham and Leodis McKelvin. Prior to this season, Brooks started just three games in his career. This year, he started in five of six games as the team’s slot cornerback.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are meeting with cornerback Aaron Grymes today, according to Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (on Twitter). Grymes was a standout for the Eagles over the summer but was waived after suffering a shoulder injury. Grymes will take a physical at the team’s Novacare Complex and, if everything checks out, he could rejoin the team this week.
Brooks is in the first year of a three-year, $5.5MM deal, though the pact only includes $1.55MM guaranteed.
49ers Make Joe Staley Available For Trade
The 49ers have made left tackle Joe Staley available via trade, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. San Francisco wants a first-round pick in order to part with the five-time Pro Bowler. 
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While there are a number of teams that could have interest in a left tackle like Staley, it remains to be seen whether any of those clubs are willing to meet SF’s asking price. Florio writes that Staley has been “tied” to the Vikings, Giants, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Patriots. A Pats deal would only be feasible if the Niners are willing to lower the price tag, however.
Word of Staley being on the trade block comes after news that several teams are showing interest in Browns left tackle Joe Thomas. In terms of interested clubs, there’s predictably a big overlap on that Venn diagram. However, the Browns are reportedly seeking a second-round pick for Thomas and that could hurt the Staley market.
Staley, 32, is signed through the 2019 season. This season, he has a $5.4MM base salary but that climbs to $8.25MM in 2017. In the final two years of the deal, Staley’s base drops back down to $4.8MM in each season.
So far this season, Pro Football Focus has Staley rated as the 14th best tackle in the league with an overall grade of 81.8. Staley’s pass blocking grade is rather pedestrian, but his run blocking score of 84.6 is the third-best in the NFL, putting him ahead of notables like the Broncos’ Russell Okung and suspended Eagles tackle Lane Johnson.