Cardinals To Place DeAndre Hopkins On IR
DeAndre Hopkins will have knee surgery to repair his torn MCL (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Cardinals will place the star wide receiver on injured reserve with the expectation that he will miss the remainder of the regular season. But, as previously reported, Hopkins could return after roughly six weeks, meaning that he could return for the later stages of the playoffs. ,
Hopkins met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache this week and learned that surgery would be his only choice. After further testing, the injury proved be just as bad as it initially appeared. Sandwiched between two Rams defenders in the end zone, Hopkins saw both defenders land on his legs, forcing him to sit out for the end of Monday night’s game.
The five-time Pro Bowler also missed time earlier this year with a hamstring injury. Now shut down for the rest of the year, his second Cardinals campaign will end with 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year, in a full 16-game slate, Hopkins posted 115 catches for 1,407 yards and six scores.
The Cardinals, sans Hopkins, will look to clinch a playoff spot this week with a win over the Lions. Of course, even without the three-time All-Pro, they still have plenty of weapons in Christian Kirk, Zach Ertz, A.J. Green, and rookie Rondale Moore.
This Date In Transactions History: Reggie Bush Retires From NFL
Four years ago today, Reggie Bush announced that he would hang up his cleats. The veteran running back went unsigned for the 2017 season and he wasn’t about to start his search all over again for 2018.
“I’m done,” Bush said (via Edward Lewis of NFL.com). “Yeah, I’m done. I said it. It’s not breaking news. I’ve been saying it. I said it all season long, I said, ‘Listen, if I don’t play this year, I’m going to retire.’ Because I’m not going to spend a whole year off, come back, 33 years old, trying to get back in the league. Listen, once you get to a certain age as a running back, they just start to slowly weed you out.”
There wasn’t much interest in Bush following a subpar 2016 campaign with the Bills, when he totaled negative yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Of course, those struggles didn’t negate Bush’s impressive eleven-year career. While the 2006 second-overall pick and (later forfeited) 2005 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t necessarily live up to the hype, he was still one of the most respected pass-catching backs in the league.
Bush compiled at least 30 receptions and 200 receiving yards during each of his first eight years in the league, including four seasons with at least 50 catches. The offensive weapon was also a dynamic returner, as he finished his career with four punt returns for touchdowns. The USC product spent time with the Saints, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers, and Bills. Even though his pro career didn’t go as planned, he’s widely regarded as one of the top NCAA running backs of all time.
Interestingly, even though Bush said he was done with football in 2017, he did leave the door slightly open for one pro team:
“Listen, the Saints know I’m coming home at some point. [If I play again,] I’m going to come home to retire as a Saint. But yeah, man, I’m done. For sure. I’m done.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: C Rodney Hudson
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chuck Clark
Chicago Bears
- Activated for return: OT Germain Ifedi, CB Duke Shelley
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: WR Lawrence Cager
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Terrence Brooks, DB Terrance Mitchell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: CB Dicaprio Bootle, DE Cortez Broughton, WR Daurice Fountain, LB Darius Harris
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Scott Quessenberry
- Promoted: DB Ben Deluca
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: LB Ronnie Perkins
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Cameron Jordan
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Wes Martin
- Promoted: WR Pharoh Cooper
New York Jets
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Elijah Moore, LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
Washington Football Team
- Signed: DT Akeem Spence (story)
Dolphins Add Damon Arnette To Practice Squad
The Dolphins have signed Damon Arnette to a practice squad deal (Twitter link via David Furones of the Sun Sentinel). This marks the cornerback’s first deal since he was cut by the Raiders earlier this year. 
Shortly after the tragedy involving Henry Ruggs, a video surfaced showing Arnette issuing threats and brandishing a handgun. The Raiders moved quickly to release the 2020 first-rounder, who was also in the midst of multiple lawsuits, including one for a car crash of his own.
Arnette made his name at Ohio State, flashing potential opposite of Jeff Okudah. With the ability to play on the inside or the outside, the Raiders were high on his upside. Unfortunately, his potential has been torpedoed by his off-the-field problems.
Arnette started in seven of his nine games as a rookie, collecting 25 tackles along the way. This year, he appeared in the Raiders’ first four games, but didn’t top 30% of the snaps in any of those contests.
While Arnette joins the 16-man practice squad, the rest of the team will prepare to face the Jets on Sunday. A win would give them six straight, a 7-7 record on the year, and at least a glimmer of hope in the Wild Card race.
Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins Out Through Week 18?
Cardinals wide DeAndre Hopkins is expected to miss the rest of the regular season (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). On the plus side, doctors are hopeful that his knee sprain will heal up at some point during the playoffs. 
Hopkins, 29, suffered the injury towards the tail end of Monday night’s loss to the Rams. This will mark Hopkins’ second extended absence of the year, after he previously missed three games with a hamstring injury. To date, he’s got 42 catches for 572 yards and eight touchdowns on the season.
In his initial season with the Cardinals, Hopkins played the entire year, posting the kind of numbers (115 catches for 1407 yards and six touchdowns) that the five-time Pro Bowler has become known for throughout his career. With another year of chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray, along with the offseason additions made to the offense, expectations were high for him to continue at his impressive pace.
While the team will certainly miss him for the stretch run of the regular season, the Cardinals can clinch a postseason berth as early as this week against the Lions. Their other main weapons in the passing game – Christian Kirk, midseason acquisition Zach Ertz, along with resurgent veteran A.J. Green and rookie Rondale Moore should be able to maintain Arizona’s potent attack, especially with a healthy Murray.
Hopkins signed a two year extension to his existing contract with Arizona upon being traded by the Texans. His cap number is set to jump from $7MM this year to $12.5MM next season, climbing further still to a maximum of $27.2MM in 2023. The deal ends after the 2024 season, when he will be 32.
Latest On 49ers, Dee Ford
12:15pm: False alarm. On Wednesday morning, Ford explained that he sent a goodbye text to his teammates since he was en route to off-campus injury rehab. That text was misinterpreted by at least one of his teammates as a farewell, hence the earlier report.
“The articles saying I told my teammates I expected to be released are false,” Ford told Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link). “I’m going to be getting rehab and taking the time needed to get back and I was saying goodbye to the boys because I wouldn’t be in the building. We are still rolling. We’re just taking the time needed.”
9:04am: Earlier this week, we learned that Dee Ford is unlikely to return from the injured reserve list this year. With that, the veteran edge rusher is expecting to be released by the 49ers, perhaps as soon as today (via PFT).
[RELATED: 49ers DT D.J. Jones On Future]
“That’s something I never can predict,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked about Ford’s outlook. “But I’ll be surprised if he’s back. I think we’ll just have to continue playing without him.”
The 49ers traded for Ford during the 2019 offseason and saw him play a key role in their Super Bowl LIV run as a part-timer. Unfortunately, he’s been limited to just 18 regular season games in SF over the last two seasons and change.
Ford’s original deal was a five-year, $85MM deal. In March, he agreed to scale it down to a two-year pact worth $24MM. If the Niners cut him, they’ll save $2.09MM on the 2022 books with $9.8MM left in dead money.
The former first-round pick has played in just six games this year and hasn’t taken the field since Oct. 24th. He was productive while healthy, however, tallying three sacks to bring his career total to 40.
Texans’ Jordan Jenkins To Return From IR
The Texans have designated Jordan Jenkins for return from IR, per a club announcement. Jenkins has missed the last few weeks with a torn PCL, but it appears that it was just a partial tear, one that didn’t require significant surgery. 
[RELATED: Texans, Dorsett Agree To Extension]
Jenkins, a 2016 third-round pick of the Jets, joined up with the Texans on a two-year, $6MM deal in March. The Texans aren’t playing for much at this point, but Jenkins may be motivated to keep his job (and contract) for 2022. In theory, the Texans could release him this spring to save $3MM against just $500K in dead money.
Jenkins notched 22.5 sacks in his previous five seasons with the Jets, including 15 sacks between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Then, he took a step back in 2020 with career-lows in tackles (32) and sacks (2). So far this year, he’s got 17 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss in Houston.
The Texans are now 2-11 following Sunday’s loss the Seahawks. They’ll try to snap their three-game losing streak this week when they face the Jaguars in Jacksonville.
Titans Designate Bud Dupree For Return
The Titans have designated outside linebacker Bud Dupree to return from the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. This will trigger a 21-day window for Dupree to return to the active roster. 
Dupree has missed the last three games with an abdominal injury. Although it was a less serious malady that the ACL tear that capped his 2020 season, it was frustrating nonetheless. Combined with Caleb Farley‘s season-ending ACL tear and injuries to Derrick Henry and Julio Jones, the Titans have been playing at half-strength.
Still, they’ve effectively sewn up the AFC South with a 9-4 record and they’re still in the mix for the conference crown. Dupree, who tallied 19.5 sacks between 2019 and 2020, should go a long way towards helping that effort. To date, he’s got just seven stops and one sack through seven games for the Titans. They’re expected better results from here on out as he plays on his five-year, $82.5MM deal.
It remains to be seen whether Dupree will be cleared this week. But, if he’s able to go, he’ll return against his former team on Sunday.
Texans, Phillip Dorsett Agree To Extension
Phillip Dorsett has a new deal. On Wednesday, the Texans agreed to a new extension with the veteran wide receiver that will take him through the 2022 season (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790).
The new portion of the deal carries a base salary of $1.035MM with $300K in guarantees ($100K signing bonus, $200K for skill, injury and salary cap). He’s also in line to receive a $50K workout bonus.
Dorsett, 29 in January, now stands as the Texans’ primary slot receiver following Davion Davis‘ season-ending leg fracture. Before that, he spent time with the Jaguars and Seahawks. Now, the 2015 first-round pick could see more action that he has in a while. His last season of significance came in 2019 with the Patriots when he tallied 29 grabs for 397 yards and five touchdowns. All in all, he has 125 receptions for 1,643 yards and eleven touchdowns across the last five-and-three-quarters seasons.
NFL To Allow HC Interviews On Dec. 28
NFL owners have voted to allow head coaching interviews in the final two weeks of the regular season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). This will be conducted as a one-year trial, beginning on Tuesday, December 28. 
[RELATED: Jaguars’ Khan On Urban Meyer]
The league’s previous rule set prevented employed NFL coaches from interviewing in the final weeks of the season. The new rule may allow teams to accelerate the process, though the current employer still reserves the right to refuse any request.
In the near-term, this resolution could impact the Jaguars who are surely having second thoughts about head coach Urban Meyer. For what it’s worth, owner Shad Khan says he won’t make any rash decisions.
“I want to do the right thing for the team. I want to do the right thing for the city,” Khan said this week. “That, to me, is way more important than just acting helter-skelter on emotion. I think we have a history of really looking at the facts and then really doing the right thing.”
The Bears (Matt Nagy), Giants (Joe Judge), and Vikings (Mike Zimmer) could also take advantage of this new wrinkle.