Browns’ Takk McKinley Done For Year
Takk McKinley‘s season is over. On Tuesday, doctors confirmed that the defensive end has in fact suffered a torn Achilles (Twitter link via Josina Anderson). McKinley will be placed on injured reserve this week, allowing the Browns to fill his spot on the 53-man roster.
McKinley, 26, had to be carted off after a non-contact injury in the third quarter of last night’s game. The Raiders went on to beat the Browns 16-14, dragging Cleveland’s playoff odds down even further. At 7-7, they now have a 15% chance of sneaking into the playoffs, per the stats at Five Thirty Eight. The Raiders, also stationed at 7-7 but with no hope of winning their division, have an 11% chance.
The timing is especially terrible for McKinley since he’s on track for free agency in the spring. The Browns had him on a one-year, $4.25MM deal with the potential to reach $6MM through incentives. Even with the usual dearth of quality pass rushers on the market, his next contract will likely be for less.
The Browns, without the former first-round pick, will travel to Green Bay to face the Packers on Christmas Day.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: LB Joe Walker
- Released: TE David Wells
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: S Shawn Williams
- Released: CB Will Sunderland
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Lirim Hajrullahu
- Claimed: DE Azur Kamara (from Cowboys)
- Released from IR: T Matt Kaskey
- Placed on IR: DB A.J. Bouye
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: CB Thomas Graham
- Released: LB Ledarius Mack
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: LB Keandre Jones
- Placed on IR: LB Joe Bachie
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: DE Porter Gustin
- Released: TE Nick Guggemos, WR Alexander Hollins
- Placed on IR: Takkarist McKinley (story)
Denver Broncos
- Released: WR De’Mornay Pierson-El, LB Pita Taumoepenu, T Casey Tucker, RB Kerrith Whyte, RB Damarea Crockett
- Placed on IR: FB Andrew Beck
Detroit Lions
- Released: CB Shakur Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Ron’Dell Carter
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: RB, Carlos Hyde, S Rayshawn Jenkins (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Grant Haley, DB Damarious Randall
- Released: CB Delrick Abrams, T Adrian Ealy, TE Kyle Markway, C Austin Reiter
- Activated from IR: RB Jake Funk, LB Travin Howard
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: G Dakota Dozier
- Released: RB A.J. Rose, WR Darrius Shepherd
New York Giants
- Released: Jake Hausmann
New York Jets
- Claimed: DB Will Parks (from Dolphins)
- Placed on IR: TE Ryan Griffin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from IR: G Jack Anderson
San Francisco 49ers
- LB Tyrell Adams
Seattle Seahawk
- Promoted: DT Myles Adams, RB Josh Johnson, DB Josh Jones, WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on IR: WR Chris Godwin, DE Pat O’Connor
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: RB Alex Armah, LB De’Jon Harris, QB Kyle Shurmur, T David Steinmetz
- Placed on IR: RB J.D. McKissic
Dolphins’ Will Fuller Done For Year?
The Dolphins don’t expect to see wide receiver Will Fuller return this season, according to head coach Brian Flores (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Fuller, who has been out with a broken finger since early October, has suffered a setback in his recovery that will require even more rest. 
Fuller has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Even before the finger fracture, he already missed 29 regular season games. Now, he’s looking at more than 40 missed games between 2016 and 2021.
The Dolphins had high hopes for Fuller, who enjoyed his best season to date in 2020. After he notched 879 receiving yards and career-high eight scores for the Texans, the ‘Fins inked him to a one-year, $10.6MM deal. His season will end with a grand total of four catches for 26 yards in two games.
On the plus side, the Dolphins expect to have Jaylen Waddle back for Monday night’s game against the Saints. Barring any new signings, that’ll leave the Dolphins with Waddle, DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson, Mack Hollins, Preston Williams, and Isaiah Ford at WR.
Giants’ Kyle Rudolph, Riley Dixon Rework Deals
The Giants have a little extra spending money, just in time for Christmas. On Tuesday, the G-Men reworked the contacts of tight end Kyle Rudolph and punter Riley Dixon to create ~$350K in cap room (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
[RELATED: Giants’ Jones Done For Year]
The Giants won’t be making any marquee signings over the next few weeks — after all, they’re 4-10 on the year after taking their third straight loss on Sunday — but they will need to make a few minor moves like signing players to the practice squad and doling out roster bonuses.
Injuries have piled up for the Giants in recent weeks. Just yesterday, they opted to shut down quarterback Daniel Jones for the rest of the year, allowing him to fully heal from his neck injury. They also lost Sterling Shepard for the year with an Achilles tear — just the latest in an unfortunate string of setbacks for the wide receiver.
Rudolph, 32, has 22 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown so far this year. He remains under contract for 2022, thanks to his two-year, $12MM deal, but it’s not a given that he’ll return. The Giants could theoretically cut the veteran to save $5MM against just $2.25MM in dead money.
Dixon, 29 in August, also has one year to go on his contract with a similar split. His release would save $3.25MM versus $125K in dead money. The Giants’ next GM may prefer to go cheaper, rather than roster the league’s fourth-highest paid punter.
Titans Designate A.J. Brown For Return
The Titans have designated wide receiver A.J. Brown and defensive back Chris Jackson to return from injured reserve. It’s welcome news for the Titans as they await word on Julio Jones‘ hamstring injury. 
Jones was limited to just 26 snaps and one target before leaving Sunday’s game against the Steelers. The Titans went on to lose 19-13, dropping them to 9-5 on the year.
Brown, 24, was well on his way to a third 1,000-yard season, up until his November chest injury. So far this year, he’s got 46 catches for 615 yards (still enough to lead the Titans) and three touchdowns. It’s not yet clear if he’ll dress for Thursday night’s game against the Niners, but it’s a promising sign for his availability heading into the playoffs.
Jackson has been out for roughly a month, but his foot seems to have healed up. To date, he’s got 31 tackles, two quarterback pressures, one tackle for loss and four passes defensed across nine games.
Giants’ Daniel Jones Done For Year
The Giants are shutting Daniel Jones down for the rest of the season (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). While the quarterback’s neck injury isn’t especially serious, the team is opting for the cautious approach. 
Jones has been out since Week 12 and there’s little reason to bring him back out with three meaningless games to go. Of course, these final few games will carry some significance for the Giants, who are currently in line for the No. 5 overall pick. They also own the Bears’ first-round choice, projected for No. 6 as of this writing.
The Duke product will finish near the bottom of the league’s QBR rankings with just ten touchdowns against seven interceptions. He’s got 21 touchdown passes in 25 games over the last two years — less than the 24 TDs he totaled as a rookie in 2019.
It all adds up to a career with flashes of promise but not enough to justify his No. 6 overall draft slot. With a new GM likely on the way, Jones’ status is very much in the air. Between now and May, they’ll have to decide on the QB’s fifth-year option for 2023, which would cost the Giants somewhere around $21MM.
Without Jones, the Giants are left with Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm on the QB depth chart.
Texas A&M TE Jalen Wydermyer Enters Draft
Jalen Wydermyer is going pro. On Monday, the Texas A&M tight end announced that he’ll forgo his remaining eligibility to enter the 2022 NFL draft.
“Aggie Nation, 12th Man, and the entire College Station community, from my first visit to campus I felt at home,” Wydermyer wrote (Twitter link). “Thank you for making me one of your own.”
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Wydermyer ranked as the best tight end in this year’s class, ahead of Colorado State’s Trey McBride and Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert. At 6’5″ and 255 pounds, he already has the build for the pro game. And, with 40 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns to close out his collegiate career, he’s got a solid chance of going in the first round. On the flipside, some scouts are concerned about his history of drops. It’s also worth noting that this year’s TE class is especially deep, so it’s possible that teams will wait until Day 2 to start drafting them.
Wydermyer, who will also skip the Gator Bowl, leaves campus with 118 receptions for 1,468 yards and 16 touchdowns in total.
Giants Promote Jaylon Smith
The Giants have signed linebacker Jaylon Smith to the 53-man roster, according to agent Doug Hendrickson (on Twitter). Smith debuted as a temporary elevation on Sunday and he’s now a full-fledged member of the varsity squad.
[RELATED: Giants’ Shepard Done For Year]
Smith, 26, earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019 with 154 tackles, good for the second-highest total in the NFL. He was still productive for the Cowboys early on this year too — the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus pegged him as a top-15 linebacker through four weeks. Still, the Cowboys opted to cut him and eat the remainder of his $7.2MM base salary. That led him to a two-game stint with the Packers and a December practice squad deal with the G-Men.
Terms of the contract are not known, but it’s likely a low-cost deal since the Cowboys are still on the hook for Smith’s original $7.2MM base salary. The former Notre Dame standout will be eligible to play this week when the Giants face the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Done For Year
Chris Godwin‘s season is over. On Monday, the Buccaneers announced that the wide receiver has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, ruling him out for the remainder of the season as well as the postseason. 
[RELATED: Brown To Rejoin Buccaneers]
Godwin was forced out in the first half of last night’s game against the Saints with a knee injury. As recently as this morning, the Bucs were optimistic about his outlook — doctors believed that he was dealing with an MCL sprain that would only shelve him for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it’s far worse than that. Godwin is now set for surgery and an offseason of rehab as the rest of the Bucs push for another title.
As expected, Godwin has been a focal point of Tampa’s offense this year. Through 14 games, he notched 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns (as well as one rushing TD). Even with the impending return of Antonio Brown, his presence will be sorely missed.
On the plus side, the Bucs have received better news regarding fellow star receiver Mike Evans and running back Leonard Fournette. Their hamstring injuries may cost them time, but they should be ready to go sometime before the playoffs (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
The timing is doubly bad for Godwin since he’s months away from free agency. Before the injury, he was poised to shatter the WR market. He’s currently fifth in the league with 1,103 yards, trailing only Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, and Tyreek Hill. Up until the injury, he was in line for something similar to his breakout 2019 — 1,333 yards with nine scores.
The Bucs, now without Godwin, remain in the NFC South driver’s seat at 10-4. They’ll have a chance to clinch on Sunday when they face the Panthers.
Brian Schottenheimer To Call Jaguars’ Plays
Jaguars quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer will call the plays for the rest of the season, interim head coach Darrell Bevell announced (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Bevell is, of course, an experienced offensive coordinator, but he’s handing things over to Schottenheimer so that he can focus on his HC duties over the next few weeks. 
[RELATED: Doug Pederson Interested In Jaguars HC Job]
Bevell may be a candidate for the permanent HC post and the final few games of the season may impact his candidacy. Schottenheimer, meanwhile, has an opportunity to re-establish himself in the coaching ranks. He hasn’t gotten great results out of No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, but few Jaguars players have shined this year. Now, Schottenheimer has a chance to display his offensive acumen and show the league that he wasn’t the problem in Jacksonville.
Schottenheimer, 48, has more than two decades of coaching experience under his belt. He got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator with the Jets in 2006 and proceeded to spend six years in New York. He later served as offensive coordinator for the Rams and at Georgia. Following his brief collegiate stint, he returned to the NFL as the Colts quarterbacks coach. In 2018, he was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator to replace Bevell. He spent three seasons in Seattle, and, despite Seeattle setting a single-season franchise record for points scored, he was fired in January of 2021.