Jets’ Quinnen Williams Cleared Of Gun Charges
Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has been cleared of two felony gun charges against him, attorney Alex Spiro announced (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). Instead, Williams entered a guilty plea and agreed to pay a $250 fine to resolve the March arrest. 
[RELATED: Jets To Keep Adam Gase, For Now]
“As we said from the outset, this matter has been resolved with no criminal charges,” Spiro said. “This case was nothing more than a technical issue with the storing of a firearm, which is why the government gave Mr. Williams nothing more than a ticket.”
Williams, 23 in December, was cuffed at LaGuardia Airport when police say he was carrying a Glock 19. Williams volunteered that the gun was in his possession, but he did not have a license to carry the firearm in New York — only in his home state of Alabama. The Class E and D felonies could have carried serious consequences, so this is a relief for Williams and his camp.
Of course, Williams is not necessarily out of the woods with Roger Goodell & Co. The NFL reserves the right to fine or suspend players for matters such as these, even if they are cleared by the courts.
The Jets selected the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout third overall in 2019, and Williams made nine starts as a rookie. This year, he’s been first-string for all four of the Jets’ games, including a two-sack showing against the 49ers.
Browns Place Nick Chubb On IR
The Browns placed running back Nick Chubb on injured reserve with with an MCL injury, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced. Fortunately, the injury is not season-ending, so Chubb is expected to return later on this year. Doctors believe Chubb will miss about six weeks, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Chubb got rolled up on in scary fashion on Sunday when his knee twisted under a Cowboys defender. Fortunately, the injury was nowhere near as bad as it looked. An MRI on Monday morning confirmed that Chubb is only dealing with mild MCL damage and not a torn ACL.
Chubb, 25 in December, has been off to a tremendous start in 2020. Through four games, he’s got 335 rushing yards off of 57 carries, good for 5.9 yards per tote. Since entering the league as a second-rounder in 2018, Chubb has averaged an eye-popping 5.2 yards per attempt. Last year, Chubb came six yards shy of 1,500 en route to his first ever Pro Bowl selection.
Per league rules, Chubb will have to sit out for at least three weeks. At minimum, Chubb will miss upcoming games against the Colts, Steelers, and Bengals. In theory, he’ll be eligible to return on Nov. 1 when the Browns face the Raiders in Cleveland, but it’s likely that he’ll need additional time to recover. In the meantime, Kareem Hunt will assume RB1 duties, with support from D’Ernest Johnson, Dontrell Hilliard, and fullback Andy Janovich.
Broncos Add LB Nigel Bradham To Practice Squad
The Broncos will sign linebacker Nigel Bradham to their practice squad, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The 31-year-old will provide depth for an inexperienced LB group in Denver. 
[RELATED: Broncos’ Noah Fant To Miss Time]
Bradham, 31, was a four-year starter for the Eagles. He’s got 96 NFL starts to his credit, having played as a full-time starter in seven of his eight NFL seasons. He has two 100-tackle seasons on his resume and registered 97 in 2018. Last season, however, he only played in 12 games. The Eagles dropped Bradham to save money in this past offseason, and the Saints released him before the final cut.
Despite his age, and his injury-shortened 2019 season, there’s reason to believe that Bradham can be a worthwhile contributor. The veteran graded as a top-35 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus, in three of his four seasons in Philly — including the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl slate.
After dropping Todd Davis prior to the season opener, the Broncos have deployed Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell as their three-down linebackers. Mark Barron, a late-summer pickup, has yet to play and remains on injured reserve.
No Positive COVID-19 Tests For Titans, Chiefs, Patriots In Latest Round
The latest round of COVID-19 testing came back with zero positives for the Titans, Chiefs, and Patriots (Twitter links via Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). With that, the Patriots and Chiefs are set to go ahead with tonight’s game, as planned. The Titans, meanwhile, are one step closer to reopening their facilities.
[RELATED: Patriots QB Cam Newton Tests Positive For COVID-19]
Per league protocols, the Titans will need at least two straight days of zero positive tests before reopening. If they get zero positives in Tuesday’s round of testing, they could reopen as soon as Wednesday. It’s encouraging progress — this round marked the first time in seven days that the Titans had zero positives. Previously, the organization had 18 positive tests across six days.
After New England’s Cam Newton and KC’s Jordan Ta’amu also tested positive, there was plenty of speculation that, like the Titans-Steelers Week 4 contest, the Patriots-Chiefs game slated for this week could be pushed back. For now, the game is on. After tonight, the Chiefs will have played three games in ten days. On the other hand, the Chiefs will face a Brian Hoyer-led New England offense tonight with Cam Newton on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Packers’ Allen Lazard Out Indefinitely
Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard is out indefinitely after undergoing core muscle surgery, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The timing is unfortunate as Lazard is coming off of one of the best games of his career — a six-catch, 146-yard showing against the Saints. The Packers placed Lazard on IR Saturday.
The Packers could now be without their top two receivers heading into Monday’s game against the Falcons. Davante Adams remains questionable with a hamstring injury, which could leave Green Bay with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Malik Taylor, and recent practice squad call-up Darrius Shepherd as their only three receivers. At minimum, you can expect the Packers to add one receiver to the group over the weekend, possibly Robert Foster, Caleb Scott, or Juwann Winfree from their expanded 16-man unit.
So far, Aaron Rodgers has loved what he’s seen from the 24-year-old former UDFA. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait a while before he gets to work with him again.
“He was as productive as just about anybody in camp, and I really like his approach,” Rodgers said (via ESPN.com). “He’s the one who’s always in Davante’s ear, listening to what he’s talking about. Damn near every time I come in the Hutson Center during training camp when we’re starting practice, I walk in and do the same thing, put my helmet down. And Shep is picking Davante’s brain about releases and certain things. And look, I try and pay attention as much as I possibly can, but that sticks with you. That impacts you. You’re seeing just that desire to improve and get better. And then you see it on the field.”
Broncos Add DLs Sylvester Williams, Darius Kilgo To Practice Squad
The Broncos are adding two familiar faces to their practice squad. Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that Denver has signed defensive tackles Sylvester Williams and Darius Kilgo. The two players auditioned for the Broncos earlier this week alongside Timmy Jernigan (who ultimately signed with the team), David Moa, Brian Price, and Niles Scott.
Williams was a first-round pick by the Broncos back in 2013, and while he never really lived up to his potential, he still managed to play a role for those competitive Denver squads. The lineman ultimately spend four seasons with the Broncos, starting a pair of Super Bowls (and winning one).
He signed a three-year deal with the Titans prior to the 2017 campaign, but he lasted less than a year in Tennessee. He’s since had stints with the Lions, Dolphins, Saints, and Chargers, and he had five tackles in five games with Los Angeles in 2019.
A 2015 sixth-round pick by Denver, Kilgo was also a member of that Broncos Super Bowl-winning squad. The 28-year-old hasn’t done a whole lot since getting released by Denver during the 2016 campaign; he compiled five tackles in 11 games for the Titans in 2018, but that’s been it. He’s also had stints with the Patriots (where he earned a second Super Bowl ring), Jaguars, Titans, and Lions.
Bears Sign Lamar Miller To Practice Squad
The Bears are expected to add running back Lamar Miller to the practice squad, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Miller will provide Chicago with some much-needed depth in the wake of Tarik Cohen‘s season-ending injury.
[RELATED: Nick Foles Named Bears Starter]
Miller signed a one-year deal with the Patriots earlier this summer, roughly one year after he tore his ACL during the Texans’ preseason. He wasn’t able to stick in New England, but he’s reportedly healthy and ready to go.
Miller earned Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season in 2018, rushing for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) with the Texans. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that season.
The Bears deal reunites Miller with Charles London, his former RBs coach in Houston, and Bill Lazor, his old offensive coordinator in Miami. Both coaches know what Miller is capable of, as he notched 1,000-yard seasons for both the Texans and Dolphins.
Saints’ Michael Thomas Out Vs. Lions
Wide receiver Michael Thomas has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Lions, per a club announcement. Thomas has been chomping at the bit to return, but the Saints are taking the cautious approach to protect his long-term availability. 
Doctors told Thomas that he’d be out for several weeks after suffering a high-ankle sprain in mid-September, but he pushed back when the Saints considered placing him on injured reserve, which would have ruled him out for a minimum of three weeks. The 27-year-old has missed only one game since entering the league in 2016.
Drew Brees has struggled thus far in 2020, and Thomas’ return would go a long way towards firing up the offense. Over the last five years, Thomas has racked up 473 catches for 5,529 yards and 32 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the league’s very best offensive weapons. Last year, he led the NFL with 149 catches and 1,725 yards while matching his previous career-high of nine scores.
Unfortunately for the Saints, Thomas won’t be the only starter out of action this weekend. Cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins, tight end Jared Cook, defensive end Marcus Davenport, and guard Andrus Peat have also been officially ruled out for Sunday.
Cardinals Sign Justin Murray To Extension
The Cardinals have signed Justin Murray to a two-year contract extension, per a club announcement. The offensive lineman can earn up to $9MM over the course of deal, which will keep him under contract through the 2022 season. 
As OverTheCap.com details, the extension is worth $5.5MM in new money. That includes a $1MM signing bonus, a $1.75MM salary in 2021, and a $2.25MM salary in 2022. The 2021-22 seasons also include up to $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. So presumably the $3.5MM difference between the $5.5MM new money value and the $9MM maximum are comprised of other incentives.
Murray, a Cincinnati product, has bounced around quite a bit since he first entered the league with the Broncos in 2016. After stops with the Broncos, Buccaneers, Saints, Bengals, and Raiders, he landed with the Cardinals in 2019 and was quickly thrust into the starting lineup. Murray started in 12 of his 14 games with Arizona, where he has found a real NFL home. Thanks in part to Murray, the Cardinals averaged over five yards per carry in 2019.
The Cardinals re-upped Murray on his low-cost exclusive rights free agent tender earlier this year, and they’ve rewarded him with a fresh deal midway through the 2020 season. No longer serving as the Cardinals’ starting right tackle, Murray now backstops Kelvin Beachum at RT while also supporting J.R. Sweezy at right guard.
This week, the Cardinals will look to advance to 3-1 when they face the Panthers in Carolina.
Jets To Keep Adam Gase, For Now
After last night’s loss to the Broncos, the Jets are still winless, and still sticking with their head coach. Adam Gase will not lose his job following the 37-28 defeat, according to a source who spoke with Connor Hughes of The Athletic.
[RELATED: Former Jets WR Jermaine Kearse Retires]
There was conflicting word on Gase’s status heading into Thursday night. Earlier in the week, there were rumblings of an early season hook for Gase if the Jets fell to 0-4. But, as we heard before kickoff, Gase’s job wasn’t in immediate jeopardy, regardless of the outcome.
For now, Hughes hears, the Jets plan to keep Gase through the end of the year. Of course, that can always change, and the Jets may feel differently by November. The Jets have the Cardinals, Chargers, Bills, Chiefs, and Patriots coming up, a stretch that could put them out of playoff contention by the midway point of the season.
The Jets believe that firing Gase could stifle the development of quarterback Sam Darnold, who is still only 23 and in his third pro season. The Jets may also be concerned about how they’re perceived by coaching candidates early next year, if they do in fact part ways with Gase. The former Dolphins head coach was only just hired in January of 2019, and top coaches will hesitant to join up with Gang Green if they think they’re facing a quick hook.
Despite the tough games ahead, Gase’s fortunes could turn around as the offense gets back to full strength. Receivers Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims are expected to return soon, along with running back Le’Veon Bell.