49ers To Place Dee Ford On IR
The 49ers will place edge rusher Dee Ford on injured reserve this week, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan (Twitter link via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco). With that, Ford will be held out for a minimum of three games.
Ford played 46 snaps in the 49ers’ Week 1 loss to the Cardinals, but back issues have kept him out ever since. As it turns out, the Niners didn’t need much help against the Jets and Giants, drumming New York’s teams with ease in Weeks 2 and 3. Still, it’s another frustrating setback for both Ford and the Niners. The 29-year-old registered 6.5 sacks last year despite missing five games, and he was said to be looking sharp after offseason knee surgery.
The 49ers sent a second-round draft pick to the Chiefs in 2019 to acquire Ford in a tag-and-trade deal. The impressive edge rusher managed 13 sacks for Kansas City in 2018, but his five-year, $85MM contract has yet to really pay off for John Lynch & Co. Even when he did suit up last year, Ford had to be restricted by a pitch count, putting him on the field for just 22% of SF’s defensive snaps.
The 49ers — sans Ford — will face the Eagles at home on Sunday night.
Bears Work Out Lamar Miller
Lamar Miller‘s workout tour continues. On Wednesday, the Bears auditioned Miller and a handful of other running backs in the wake of Tarik Cohen’s injury, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Bears Lose Tarik Cohen]
Miller inked a one-year deal with the Patriots over the summer, but failed to inch ahead of Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead before the cutdown deadline. The veteran has been itching to return to the field for a while — he tore his ACL in the 2019 preseason with the Texans and hasn’t seen live action in over a year.
Miller is reportedly healthy now, and he could be a great mid-season grab for the Bears. The 29-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season, 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 2018 campaign. Those numbers don’t quite match Cohen’s best receiving work, but the Bears would gladly take that sort of production alongside David Montgomery.
Texans To Pass On Earl Thomas?
Earl Thomas‘ scheduled workout with the Texans was scuttled, and head coach Bill O’Brien says it was due to the league’s most recent COVID-19 advisory (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). However, that’s not quite the full story, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), who hears that the Texans do not currently see Thomas as a great fit for their locker room. 
[RELATED: Texans Sign Corey Liuget]
Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowler, left his past two clubs on bad terms. In Seattle, Thomas literally left the team with an extended middle finger as he was carted off of the field. In Baltimore, Thomas failed to grasp the playbook in his first year and wore out his welcome last week when he got into an altercation with a teammate.
Thomas’ perceived attitude problems would explain his ongoing unemployment. The years-long love affair between Thomas and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not result in a deal this year, and the Chargers were quick to pass on him after losing star Derwin James for the season.
For now, the Texans will continue with third-year starter Justin Reid and newcomer Eric Murray as their starting safeties. Meanwhile, they’re without key backup A.J. Moore, who has been placed on IR due to the hamstring injury he suffered against the Steelers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: RB Dontrell Hilliard
Denver Broncos
- Promoted: RB LeVante Bellamy, LB Derrek Tuszka
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LS Taybor Pepper
- Released: LS Kyle Nelson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: S Ryan Neal
Panthers Designate Eli Apple For Return
The Panthers have designated cornerback Eli Apple and wide receiver Keith Kirkwood to return from injured reserve, according to Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter). The club now has a three-week window to activate either player. If they are not activated in that span, they’ll be ineligible to return for the remainder of the year. 
[RELATED: Panthers Promote RB Reggie Bonnafon]
A former Giants first-round pick, Apple inked a one-year deal with the Panthers in May. At the time, he was thought to be on track for a starting role, especially since the Panthers waited until the fourth round before addressing their need at corner.
Without James Bradberry to lead the way, the Panthers weren’t left with much. Pro Football Focus graded none of Carolina’s incumbent corners higher than 89th at the position last season. Apple, meanwhile, was only 20 when he was drafted and he only just turned 25 over the summer, so there’s reason to believe that he can be a quality contributor when healthy.
Latest On Cowboys’ La’el Collins
Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins could be done for the year. Collins is still working towards a return, but contact during offensive line drills have proven to be a major hurdle for him, Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Season-ending surgery could be in Collins’ future, but all parties are holding off on that option for now.
“If it was Week 10 and the team was 0-8 it would be something they would explore,” a team source told Slater. “But, we are still hoping it’s manageable.”
Collins was placed on IR after the September roster deadline, so he’s theoretically eligible to return at any time. But, right now, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be ready for live action anytime soon.
The former LSU standout has become one of the NFL’s better right tackles, doing so after making a mid-career move from the guard spot. Since 2015, Collins has appeared in 62 games (61 starts) as one of Dak Prescott’s trusted protectors. Last year, Collins finished as the fourth-highest graded offensive tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, making his five-year, $50MM deal look like an absolute bargain.
Without Collins up front, the Cowboys were held to just 17 points in the season opener against the Rams. Though the offense was sharp enough to top the Falcons in Week 2, they fell 38-31 to the Seahawks on Sunday. This week, they’ll aim for the .500 mark when they face the Browns in Dallas.
Colts Cut Swag Kelly
The Colts have released Swag Kelly from the practice squad, per a club announcement. To take his place, they’ve signed wide receiver Krishawn Hogan to the 16-man unit.
Kelly was once considered one of the top QB prospects in the nation, but he was kicked out of Clemson and his senior season at Ole Miss was cut short by a torn ACL and lateral meniscus. The Broncos made him “Mr. Irrelevant” in 2017 with the final pick in the draft, but he had an opportunity to be very relevant and supplant Case Keenum as the club’s starter in 2018. That never came to fruition thanks to a bizarre arrest and his subsequent release.
In 2019, Kelly hooked on with the Colts’ offseason roster, and he’s been in the team’s practice squad orbit ever since. After the Colts used a fourth-round pick on Jacob Eason in the spring, it was pretty clear that Kelly was no longer a focal point for the offensive staff. With starter Philip Rivers, experienced backup Jacoby Brissett, and Eason leading the way, there was little need to keep Kelly on standby.
The Colts — who have a bit of swag after their 36-7 romp over the Jets — will face the Bears on Sunday.
NFL Postpones Steelers-Titans
The NFL has postponed Sunday’s game between the Steelers and Titans, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). From here, the league will weigh its options, including rescheduling the game for Monday night. Tuesday night is also on the table, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), but Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports that the CBS crew covering the game has been told that it will happen on Monday (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
The Titans put everything on pause this week after three players and five personnel members tested positive for COVID-19. The Titans have since placed linebacker Kamalei Correa, defensive lineman DaQuan Jones, long snapper Beau Brinkley, and practice squad tight end Tommy Hudson on the reserve/COVID-19 list (we already knew about the latter three players, but Correa is a newer addition to the list). The Vikings, who faced the Titans in Week 3, have also suspended their activities. They’re currently scheduled to face the Texans in Houston and, so far, they have not received any positive tests.
Thankfully, no one on the Titans’ side appears to be critically ill. “Some of them are indeed experiencing flu-like symptoms, (but) nothing out of the ordinary. We anticipate they will feel better shortly,” head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters (Twitter link via Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com).
The Titans advanced to 3-0 after their 31-30 win over the Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings, meanwhile, are winless through three games with a thoroughly depleted defense.
Broncos To Sign Timmy Jernigan
The Broncos are set to sign veteran defensive lineman Timmy Jernigan, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The deal marks a quick turnaround for Jernigan, who was released by the Jaguars earlier this week. 
Jernigan made his name as a hard-nosed run-stuffer with the Ravens, before a 2017 trade that sent him to the Ravens. In his first Philly season, Jernigan started 15 games and helped the Eagles on the way to their Super Bowl LII victory. The Birds moved quickly to ink Jernigan to a four-year, $48MM extension, but things didn’t work out as planned.
Back surgery in 2018 limited Jernigan to just three games. After the season, the Eagles 86’d his deal and signed him to a cheaper one-year pact for 2019. He started nine games last season, playing 306 snaps and rating as a middle-of-the-pack interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. After a so-so season, he moved on to the Texans in the spring, only to see them back out in June. That led him to the Jaguars, which ultimately amounted to a cup of coffee.
Now, Jernigan will backstop a Broncos’ defensive line that has been battered by injuries. His first action could come tomorrow night, when the Broncos take on the Jets in a battle of winless teams.
Eagles Place Jalen Reagor On IR
The Eagles have placed Jalen Reagor on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. The wide receiver will use the time to heal up following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. 
[RELATED: Eagles Place Dallas Goedert On IR]
Reagor played through the pain in Week 2, but it wasn’t a sustainable situation. Based on the projections from earlier this month, Reagor is likely to miss at least another month as he recovers. Reportedly, the Eagles are planning to bring Reagor back sometime after the Week 9 bye, which could mean that he’ll re-debut on Oct. 22 when the Eagles face the Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Already down Alshon Jeffery coming into the season, Philadelphia has also lost several starting offensive linemen in Brandon Brooks, Andre Dillard and Isaac Seumalo. Jeffery is still working his way back, and the Eagles are 0-2-1 heading into Week 4. Next up – a Sunday night showdown with the 49ers, in San Francisco.
The first-round speedster out of TCU caught five passes for 96 yards in the first two games of the season. Without him, they’ll need DeSean Jackson and the rest of the WR group to deliver — and better play from Carson Wentz.