Chargers’ Chris Harris To Miss 4-6 Weeks
3:12pm: The Bolts have indeed placed Harris on IR. They replaced him on their active roster with safety Jahleel Addae. The latter resurfaced with the team as a practice squad cog but played against the Panthers in Week 3 as a special-teamer.
9:28am: Chargers cornerback Chris Harris suffered a foot injury against the Panthers that will keep him out for 4-6 weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a tough blow for the Bolts, particularly in light of their other injuries in the secondary.
[RELATED: Chargers’ Derwin James Out For Year]
The Chargers already opened the year by placing star safety Derwin James on injured reserve, so they were banking on Harris to help keep opposing quarterbacks honest. Through three games, the longtime Broncos standout registered 15 stops and one pass defended. Now, he’s gone ’til November. On the plus side, Harris will not need surgery to correct the injuries suffered to his third and fourth metatarsals.
Harris joined the Chargers on a two-year deal this offseason after spending the previous nine seasons of his career with the rival Broncos. All in all, the 31-year-old has four Pro Bowls and 20 interceptions to his credit.
The Chargers – down yet another key player – will head to Tampa Bay this week to face Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Harris, meanwhile, could be on track to return just in time for a key Week 10 matchup against his old friends in Denver. In all likelihood, the Chargers will place Harris on injured reserve to free up a roster spot in the interim. After a minimum of three weeks, the veteran will be eligible to return to the active roster.
Jermaine Kearse Retires From NFL
Jermaine Kearse is calling it a career. On Wednesday, the longtime NFL wide receiver and former Seahawks standout announced his retirement via Instagram. 
“Seattle, as a hometown kid it was a complete honor to represent you guys out there on the field,” Kearse wrote. “Thank you so much for your endless support throughout my football career. It was an honor to put on that ‘Hawks uniform and I’m so grateful I was able to help bring our first Super Bowl home!”
Kearse entered the league in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Washington. He was used sparingly in his first Seahawks season, but he found his way into the mix by Year Two. Across five seasons, Kearse notched 2,109 receiving yards for Seattle and, most notably, a Super Bowl ring for the 2013 season. In 2017, the Seahawks sent him off to the Jets in a trade for defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson. Kearse kept up the good work with Gang Green, including his best production ever in 2017 — 65 catches, 810 yards, and five touchdowns.
In 2019, a serious leg/ankle injury wiped out his would-be season with the Lions. We haven’t heard the 30-year-old’s name mentioned lately, so his retirement doesn’t come as a huge surprise. We here at PFR wish Kearse the best in retirement.
Seahawks To Meet With Damarious Randall
The Seahawks will host safety Damarious Randall on a visit this week, sources tell NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). Randall could help to fill the void in Seattle’s secondary as they deal with multiple injuries. 
Randall was dropped by the Raiders just prior to their season opener, even though they’re still on the hook for his $1.5MM in guaranteed base salary. That sum will be offset by any deal Randall signs this year, so the veteran could be willing to settle for the minimum.
Randall, 28, spent the first three years of his career with the Packers before moving on to the Browns in 2018. Last year, he was limited to just eleven games, though he still managed 2.5 sacks, 61 total stops, and six passes defensed. All in all, he’s got 56 career starts and 14 interceptions to his credit across five NFL seasons.
The Seahawks were among the clubs to express interest in Randall back in March. Now, they’re interested once again as their secondary has failed to keep a lid on things through three games. In fact, they’ve set a record — the Seahawks have allowed a combined 1,292 passing yards to the Falcons, Patriots, and Cowboys, an all-time high for any NFL club through the first three weeks of the season.
Fortunately for them, the offense has been able to keep up. The Seahawks are 0-3 heading into their Week 4 matchup against the Dolphins.
Broncos Place Elijah Wilkinson On IR
The Broncos will be without their starting right tackle for a while. On Tuesday, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio announced that Elijah Wilkinson will be placed on injured reserve with a leg injury. 
[RELATED: Broncos’ Jurrell Casey Likely Done For Year]
Wilkinson is just the latest Bronco bit by the injury bug, joining linebacker Justin Strnad, cornerback A.J. Bouye, linebacker Mark Barron, and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones on injured reserve. Wilkinson will play again this year, though edge rusher Von Miller and star wide receiver Courtland Sutton will not return from IR. And, of course, the Broncos are without Drew Lock for at least another couple weeks as he nurses a shoulder injury.
Wilkinson, who previously played on the interior, performed well after he was moved to right tackle last year. Demar Dotson is the most likely fill-in candidate for him, especially given his eleven years of starting experience.
Next up for the badly bruised Broncos — a Thursday night clash with the Jets, who are also 0-3 to start the year.
Titans, Vikings Suspend Activities Due To COVID-19
The Titans and Vikings have suspended in-person activities after the Titans learned of three players with positive COVID-19 tests, plus five new personnel positives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). The Titans played the Vikings over the weekend, meaning that the Vikings were potentially exposed.
Already, the Titans have been told to stay away from their facilities until Saturday, so they’ll have to conduct all activities remotely in the interim (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini). The Vikings, meanwhile, will wait until all of their test results come in before setting a plan of action, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. The NFL has ID’d 48 individuals who came in close contact with the nine people who tested positive on the Titans, so the Vikings are taking every precaution. To date, the Vikings have zero positive tests, per a club announcement.
So far, the league has been able to keep the spread of COVID-19 at bay with regular testing and strict guidelines for positive tests. Now, they could be hitting a major roadblock. The Vikings are scheduled to face the Texans this week and the Titans are slated to take on the Steelers. Both games, in theory, could be in jeopardy if there are widespread positives. Hopefully, there are no additional COVID-19 tests, and the games can go on as scheduled with players from Titans’ expanded practice squad called up to the 53/55-man roster.
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.
Browns’ JoJo Natson Done For Year
The Browns will be without their return man for the rest of the year. JoJo Natson will be placed on injured reserve after tearing his ACL, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Natson suffered the injury early in the Browns’ 34-20 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday. In addition to serving as the Browns’ leading returner, Natson was the team’s No. 4 receiver, up until the injury. Without Natson, the Browns are left with Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, KhaDarel Hodge, and a glaring need for additional support at WR.
From here, the Browns are likely to give sixth-round rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones a chance to play this week against the Cowboys. But, given his inexperience, they may want to look at other kick returners who can also contribute on offense. They’ve also got a pair of receivers on the expanded practice squad in Ja’Marcus Bradley and former Titans third-round pick Taywan Taylor.
Texans To Sign Corey Liuget
The Texans have agreed to sign defensive tackle Corey Liuget to the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Liuget had multiple contract offers, Wilson hears, but he ultimately chose to sign with Houston. 
Liuget first entered the league in 2011 and spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Chargers. Typically a consistent producer, Liuget inked a whopping five-year, $58.5MM extension with the Bolts in 2015, a deal that included $30MM in guaranteed money. He didn’t live up to that deal, thanks in part to a serious knee injury and a 2018 PED suspension.
Liuget, now 30, has been on the fringes ever since the Chargers declined his option in February of last year. When auditions with the Jaguars and Cardinals didn’t lead to deals, Liuget hooked on with the Raiders. After appearing in a few games for Jon Gruden‘s squad, the Bills scooped him up. All in all, Liuget appeared in ten games while registering 13 stops and one sack.
It’s unlikely that he’ll ever reprise his best work — including a 2014 campaign in which he compiled 57 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles — but Liuget could be a solid reserve for the Texans. For what it’s worth, Liuget says he’s 100% healthy and down to a trimmer 289 pounds.
Eagles HC On Benching Carson Wentz: “Don’t Go There”
Despite a rocky start to the season, the Eagles are not thinking about benching Carson Wentz, head coach Doug Pederson says. In an interview on 94 WIP, Pederson shot down the notion of giving Wentz the hook in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts. 
“You don’t go there,” Pederson said (via NJ.com’s Chris Franklin). “That’s a knee-jerk reaction. That’s a reaction to things that sometimes are the aura that’s out there. That’s not what we believe internally. We are going to continue to get better. Carson is our quarterback. We are going to get it fixed. Listen, we are only half a game out of first place. The whole division is not playing good football. We’re not that far off.”
Wentz hasn’t been all that and a bag of chips through three games, lobbing two interceptions in each contest against the Washington Football Team, the Rams, and the Bengals. After dropping the first two games, the Eagles came out of this week’s game with a tie, leaving them at 0-2-1 heading into Week 4 against the 49ers. On the plus side, the rest of the NFC East hasn’t gotten off to a rollocking start either, as Pederson indicated. Currently, Washington (1-2) and Dallas (1-2) share the divisional lead with the Giants (0-3) in the cellar.
If Wentz’s struggles continue, so will the questions about Hurts. During his lone season at Oklahoma, Hurts ran for 1,298 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 233 carries. Wentz, meanwhile, has several years and zeroes to go on his four-year, $128MM extension.
Seahawks Promote Scott Fitterer, Trent Kirchner
Two longtime Seahawks execs have received new titles and, presumably, pay bumps. Scott Fitterer is now the team’s Vice President of Football Operations while Trent Kirchner has been elevated to Vice President of Player Personnel (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
Seahawks GM John Schneider brought Kirchner to Seattle as the team’s assistant director of pro personnel in 2010. In 2013, Kirchner was promoted to director of player personnel before moving to co-Director of Player Personnel in 2015. Fitterer started with Seattle in 2001 and followed a similar trajectory up the ladder, teaming with Kirchner as the co-DPP in ’15.
They’ve been an integral part of the Seahawks’ success over the years, and the rest of the league has taken notice. Kirchner was one of the hottest names in the 2017 GM cycle, drawing consideration from the Panthers, Colts, and 49ers. Fitterer has also gotten lots of calls, including the Chiefs (2017) and the Jets (2019). For the time being, the Seahawks will hold on to both execs.
Texans Won’t Pursue Antonio Brown
The Texans could use the help at wide receiver, but they won’t be calling on Antonio Brown. Despite comments from head coach Bill O’Brien that seemed to leave the door open, the Texans do not have interest in AB, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). 
The post-DeAndre Hopkins era is off to a rough start. The Texans are winless and the passing game seems rudderless, even under the guidance of Deshaun Watson. Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb fared better against the Ravens than they did in the season opener against the Chiefs, but the Texans will need sustained production in order to turn things around. Next up, a road matchup against the 2-0 Steelers that could put them in an 0-3 hole.
Over the course of his ten-year career, Brown tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Not long ago, Brown was regarded as a surefire Hall of Famer and one of the game’s most dangerous offensive talents. At this point, it’s unclear if the 32-year-old will play again. He’s got six games to go on his eight-game ban from the league office and a reputation for disrupting locker rooms. The Texans, apparently, want no part of it.
Stars Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson lobbied for Brown throughout the offseason, but the Ravens and Seahawks both came to the same conclusion. If they didn’t have enough sway to spark a deal, then it’s possible that no GM or owner will be convinced to sign him.