Former Giants WR Russell Shepard Retires From NFL
Longtime NFL wide receiver Russell Shepard has retired from the NFL (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). Shepard, who also celebrated his 30th birthday today, spent seven seasons in the league. 
Shepard still had opportunities to play this year, but he wasn’t interested. In August, he declined the Ravens’ invitation to work out alongside Dez Bryant and other wide receivers.
Shepard spent the first five years of his career in the NFC South, playing for the Bucs and Panthers before inking a one-year deal with the Giants in 2018. The former undrafted free agent was always more of a special teams player than an offensive force. Statistically, his best season came in 2016 when he set career highs in catches (23) and yards (341). His first season in New York/New Jersey wasn’t much different – he notched just ten grabs for 188 yards and two scores. In 2019, he landed on IR after just three games.
Allen Robinson Wants To Stay With Bears
Despite rumblings of a trade demand, Allen Robinson says he wants to stay put. On Wednesday, the Bears wide receiver said that he’s intent on remaining in Chicago throughout his walk year, and beyond (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). 
[RELATED: Bears Were “In The Running” For Tom Brady]
“My heart and spirit has never wavered as far as the city of Chicago and playing for this organization,” Robinson said.
Robinson also seems to have smoothed things out with head coach Matt Nagy. The two had a productive chat earlier today and Nagy says he has no concern about the receiver’s status with the club moving forward.
“He’s a super person and a super player,” Nagy said. “I think he definitely feels good. He’s confident that we want him to be here and he wants to be here. That’s ultimately the goal.”
Nagy also pointed out the Bears’ track record for taking care of players. In recent years, they’ve extended Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Cody Whitehair in the month of September, so it stands to reason that Robinson could get his wish sometime soon.
Robinson, 27, is in the final season of a three-year, $42MM deal. Since he signed that contract, the wide receiver market has changed substantially. Robinson’s $14MM AAV now places him No. 15 among WRs. Despite Mitchell Trubisky‘s inconsistent passing, Robinson registered a career-high 98 receptions in 2019 for 1,147 yards in 2019.
49ers’ Ahkello Witherspoon To Miss Time
The 49ers’ cornerback shuffle continues. In addition to placing Richard Sherman on injured reserve with a leg injury, the Niners also announced that fellow corner Ahkello Witherspoon has entered the concussion protocol. To replenish the group, the Niners have promoted Dontae Johnson from the practice squad to the active roster. And, to replace Johnson on the practice squad, they’ve signed former Steelers fifth-round pick Brian Allen. 
[RELATED: 49ers Place Richard Sherman On IR]
Now, the Niners are without their leading outside cornerback and one of their top reserve CBs. Jason Verrett figures to start opposite of Emmanuel Moseley for the time being with K’Waun Williams continuing to serve as the slot man. Beyond that, the Niners will lean on Dontae Johnson as the first corner off the bench and hope that they won’t be hit with any more CB injuries.
In other Niners news, they’ve added veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu on a one-year deal. On the other side of the ball, they’ve decided to pass on Ezekiel Ansah yet again after their second meeting with the defensive lineman.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Curtis Riley (off Steelers‘ practice squad)
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: LB Montrel Meander
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Chris Jones
- Promoted: WR Daurice Fountain
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: S Dallin Leavitt
New England Patriots
- Promoted: CB Myles Bryant, K Nick Folk
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Ken Webster
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: K/P Kaare Vedvik
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Cordrea Tankersley, C Tyler Gauthier
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL James Ferentz
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Derrick Dillon
- Waived: WR Alex Bachman
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Paul Worrilow
Washington Football Team
- Signed: TE Temarrick Hemingway
49ers Place Richard Sherman On IR
The 49ers are placing cornerback Richard Sherman on injured reserve with a leg injury, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. He’ll be sidelined for at least three weeks, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds that it’s a short-term issue, meaning that he should be able to return later this year. 
The exact nature of Sherman’s injury is not clear, especially since he finished out the season opener against the Cardinals. At minimum, he’ll miss the next three games against the Jets, Giants, and Eagles.
Sherman, 32, is in his contract year, and he says he’s hoping to play four more years. Set to make $8MM in base salary this year, he’s hoping to secure his next/final pay day with a big 2020. In 2019, Sherman earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors while helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl. In the regular season, he notched three interceptions and 61 total stops in 15 starts.
The Niners have Jason Verrett and Ahkello Witherspoon on hand to step in at outside corner. Now, they’ll also have an available roster spot to add another CB for depth.
Chiefs’ Khalen Saunders To Miss Time
Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is expected to miss roughly four weeks of action with a dislocated elbow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear whether the Chiefs will place Saunders on injured reserve, which only requires players to sit out for three weeks under the modified rules. 
Saunders, who was forced out of the season opener early, will not require surgery. That’s good news for the Chiefs, who are counting on the former third-round pick to disrupt from the interior. With uncommon athleticism for a 325-pound lineman, Saunders has found a regular role in the rotation.
Last year, the 24-year-old stepped up for the Chiefs and stepped into the starting lineup while Chris Jones was sidelined with an injury. In 12 games (four starts), Saunders notched 22 tackles, two QB hits, and notched his first ever sack against the Packers.
The Chiefs, sans Saunders, will face the Chargers in L.A. on Sunday. To fill the void, the Chiefs may look to promote defensive tackle Braxton Hoyett from the practice squad.
Bears’ Allen Robinson Denies Trade Demand
Allen Robinson wants out, according to a league source who spoke with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, the receiver’s agent tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he has not requested a trade. 
Still, Robinson is unhappy with his contract, Schefter hears. Robinson is in the final year of his deal and wants an extension to put him in line with the current market. The $14MM AAV on Robinson’s three-year, $42MM deal currently ties him for 14th with Bills star Stefon Diggs among all WRs.
“We know how important A-Rob is to us not just as a player but as a teammate,” Bears GM Ryan Pace said recently. “But those things are going to remain behind the scene as we work through the process.”
Robinson underscored his importance in the season opener against Detroit, leading the way with five catches for 74 yards. Last year, he was one of the team’s few bright spots as he caught 98 passes for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns.
Both sides have incentive to get a deal done. An extension would allow the Bears to lock Robinson down while reducing his expected 2021 salary cap hit. Robinson, 27, could be in line for something close to $20MM per year, similar to recent deals for Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper.
49ers Sign Mohamed Sanu
The 49ers have agreed to sign Mohamed Sanu to a one-year contract, according to an announcement from his agent (Twitter link). The deal reunites the wide receiver with Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, who worked with the veteran in Atlanta. 
[RELATED: Ziggy Ansah Leaves 49ers Without Deal]
Sanu, 31, underwhelmed during his eight regular season games (six starts) with the Patriots, hauling in 26 receptions (on 47 targets) for 207 yards and one score. He was also invisible during New England’s playoff loss to the Titans as he caught just one pass for eleven yards. Earlier this month, the Patriots dropped Sanu to save $6.5MM in cap space.
Sanu’s low-cost deal could pay serious dividends for SF. Despite his iffy 2019, he’s only a season removed from a campaign where he finished with a career-high 838 receiving yards to go along with 66 receptions and four touchdowns. There should also be ample opportunity for him, considering all of the injuries in the 49ers’ WR group. Deebo Samuel won’t return until Week 4 at the earliest, first-round rookie Brandon Aiyuk is coming off of a hamstring injury, and Jalen Hurd is out for the year with a torn ACL. This could be Sanu’s time to shine, starting this Sunday against the Jets.
Saints’ Michael Thomas To Miss Time
The Saints will be without Michael Thomas for a while. The star wide receiver will be sidelined for several weeks with a high-ankle sprain, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Saints Sign LB Demario Davis To Three-Year Extension]
The Saints want to put Thomas on injured reserve, but he’s pushing back in hopes that he can return inside of three weeks. Based on the diagnosis, Pelissero senses that an extra-speedy recovery is unlikely. The 27-year-old has missed only game as a pro and zero since 2017.
Needless to say, losing Thomas for a month or more would be devastating for the Saints. Thomas is fresh off of a record-shattering 149-catch season in which he finished with 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. It was an unbelievable encore, even by Thomas’ standards. In the previous season, Thomas set Saints records with 125 catches and 1,405 yards while adding nine TDs. He was wildly efficient, too – Thomas’ catch rate of 84.5% was the highest of any NFL receiver since at least 2001.
But, on the flipside, the Saints did manage to down the Buccaneers on Sunday despite an uncharacteristically quiet game from Thomas. For now, Drew Brees will look to newcomer Emmanuel Sanders for increased support and likely send additional targets towards running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook.