Eagles’ Timmy Jernigan To Miss Time
Eagles defensive tackle Tim Jernigan will miss 4-6 weeks due to a broken foot, PFT’s Mike Florio (on Twitter) hears. Fortunately, Jernigan does not need surgery – an operation would have put his entire season in jeopardy. 
[RELATED: Eagles’ Malik Jackson Done For Year]
It’s yet another blow to the Eagles’ defensive line. Just last week, the Birds lost Malik Jackson for the entire year.
Without Jernigan, the Eagles will need even more out of new pickup Akeem Spence. It’s also possible that they could reach out to old friend Chris Long, though Long would only serve to offer help on the bookends and not on the interior.
The Eagles declined Jernigan’s option in March but brought him back at what turned out to be a substantial discount. After signing a four-year, $48MM extension late in 2017, Jernigan had to settle for a one-year, $1.25MM deal.
The veteran will look to bounce back quickly from injury and capitalize on his opportunity in free agency next March.
Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger Done For Year
The Steelers’ worst fears have been confirmed. On Monday morning, head coach Mike Tomlin announced that Ben Roethlisberger‘s season is over. 
The quarterback was hoping to avoid surgery after suffering an elbow injury over the weekend, but doctors came back with bad news after looking at his scans. With that, Mason Rudolph now becomes the Steelers’ starting QB.
The Steelers traded Josh Dobbs to the Jaguars last week, leaving Rudolph as their only other signal caller on the roster. The club is now expected to promote Devlin Hodges from the practice squad to serve as Rudolph’s backup, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Before this, Roethlisberger hadn’t missed a game due to injury since Week 7 of the 2016 season. Obviously, this wasn’t a good time for his luck to run out – the Steelers are 0-2 after being blown out by the Patriots in the season opener and Sunday’s tough loss to the Seahawks.
Roethlisberger might not have the support of former teammate Antonio Brown, but he was sharp in 2018 with career-highs in completions (452), pass attempts (675), passing yards (5,129), and touchdowns (34). He also started in all 16 games, something he hadn’t done since the 2014 campaign. Though, in the interest of equal time, we should mention that he also led the NFL with 16 interceptions.
Advanced metrics lauded Roethlisberger’s work as well, as he finished fourth in Total QBR and eighth in adjusted net yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Roethlisberger ranked fifth in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR, which measures value over a replacement level player, and eighth in DVOA, meaning he was effective on a per-play basis.
Thanks to the three-year extension he inked in the offseason, Roethlisberger is under contract through the 2021 season.
Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger To Miss Time?
A decision is expected today on whether Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will need elbow surgery, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Big Ben, naturally, wants to avoid the operation, but that will ultimately be determined by medical professionals. 
Roethlisberger has not missed a game due to injury since Week 7 of the 2016 season. He’s always been tough, durable, and able to play through the pain, but this injury probably sideline him for at least some time.
Surgery or no surgery, the Steelers figure to turn to Mason Rudolph as their starter beginning in Week 3. After Big Ben exited, Rudolph went 12-of-19 for 112 yards, two scores, and an INT.
This, of course, is the last thing the Steelers wanted. They’re 0-2 to start the year and, making matters worse, they’re waiting for word on the knee injury suffered by running back James Conner.
Saints’ Drew Brees To Miss Six Weeks?
Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll need surgery to fix the issue, which will likely keep him out for six weeks. 
From here, the Saints will have to decide whether to place Brees on injured reserve, or keep him on the active roster. Placing Brees on IR would free up a place on the 53-man squad, but it would rule Brees out for a full eight weeks. Given Brees’ importance to the team, it seems likely that he won’t go on IR, but we should know for sure in the coming hours.
While Brees is out, backup Teddy Bridgewater figures to start for the Saints at quarterback. Of course, Taysom Hill also looms in the background.
Previous to this, Brees hadn’t missed a game since 2015. Even though Brees has beaten the odds, and Father Time, for many years, no one can escape the injury bug forever in football.
Bridgewater is the highest-paid backup in the NFL, and the team gave up draft capital to acquire him in the first place, so they clearly have confidence in the one-time Vikings star. The 26-year-old finished Sunday’s game having completed 17 of his 30 attempts for 165 yards and no touchdowns.
Browns Sign RB Eli McGuire
The Browns signed running back Elijah McGuire, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. McGuire will provide roster depth as a fill-in for Dontrell Hilliard, who has been ruled out with a concussion for tonight’s game against the Jets. 
Of course, while McGuire’s there, the Browns just might pump him for intel. McGuire spent the last couple of seasons with the Jets, up until his recent release.
The tailback drew solid reviews in Jets practice over the last two years, but his career 3.3 yards per carry average isn’t much to write home about. He’ll hope for an opportunity to break through in Cleveland, where he sits behind Nick Chubb and D’Ernest Johnson.
Saints, Sean Payton Agree To Extension
The Saints and head coach Sean Payton have agreed to a five-year extension, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Prior to the new deal, Payton was in Year Four of a five-year, $45MM deal. 
The financial terms of the new deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that Payton has received a bump over his previous $9MM/year salary. The 55-year-old coach will now be tied to the Saints past the age of 60, lining him up to retire in New Orleans.
In recent years, several teams have made overtures towards Payton, including the Cowboys, where Payton previously cut his teeth. As the Saints’ head coach, Payton has coached his way to a 119-74 overall record, including one Super Bowl ring.
This year, he’s aiming for more jewelry in his 13th season on the sidelines for the Saints.
Melvin Gordon Still Wants To Play For Chargers
Melvin Gordon will continue to “protect himself” with his holdout, but he “still wants to be a Charger,” a source tells ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). This won’t be a “Le’Veon Bell situation,” the source added, so we can still expect to see Gordon back on the field at some point in 2019. 
At this stage, a mid-season or early November return is looking likely, Fowler hears. In the interim, Gordon figures to play on the $5.6MM fifth-year option of his deal, though he’ll be docked 1/17th for each week he misses. So far, he’s down about $660K for Weeks 1 and 2.
Gordon surely wants to play football, but he has other reasons for wanting to get back on the gridiron. Namely – he must report before Week 10 in order to qualify for free agency next season.
Earlier this month, the Eagles expressed interest in Gordon and gave the Bolts a lowball offer for the ages. In theory, the Chargers could still trade the touchdown machine, but for now, they seem willing to wait things out. Here’s what we do know – the Chargers are unwilling to give Gordon an extension in 2019.
For now, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson will share backfield duties in L.A.
Jets’ Le’Veon Bell Undergoing MRI
Jets running back Le’Veon Bell is undergoing an MRI on his shoulder, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Between this, and other maladies suffered by key players, Gang Green is not off to a rollicking start in 2019. 
[RELATED: Jets’ Sam Darnold Won’t Play Vs. Browns]
Bell has been dealing with soreness in his shoulder and doctors fear that it may require more than just a couple days of rest. After the MRI, the team should have a clearer picture of when Bell will be able to suit up again.
Earlier today, the Jets also announced that Sam Darnold will miss Monday night’s game against the Browns after being diagnosed with mono. It’s possible that he could miss even more time than that, depending on how quickly he recovers.
On top of that, the Jets were without linebacker C.J. Mosley (groin) and Quinnen Williams (ankle) in practice on Thursday. Between all of those question marks, and season-ending injuries for wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and linebacker Avery Williamson, the Jets’ season already appears to be in peril.
Vikings Place Josh Doctson On IR
This could be a wrap on Josh Doctson‘s time with the Vikings. On Thursday, the Vikings placed the wide receiver on injured reserve.
[RELATED: Vikings Sign Josh Doctson]
The good news is that Doctson could heal up from his leg injury in time to return later this season. Of course, even if he does bounce back, it’s not a given that he’ll be activated during the season. Per league rules, teams can only bring two players back from IR each season. If there are more central players in the IR-DTR mix, Doctson could be left behind.
Doctson joined the Vikings last week after being cut by the Redskins at the end of August. He was inactive for last week’s win over Atlanta, so he may never get the chance to take the field for Minnesota.
Without Doctson, the Vikings’ WR group consists of Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Chad Beebe, and Olabisi Johnson. They will likely add a fifth WR this week.
Jets’ Sam Darnold Won’t Play Vs. Browns
When the Jets take on the Browns on Monday night, they’ll be without starting quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold will be held out as he recovers from mononucleosis, head coach Adam Gase announced. 
Darnold was held out of Wednesday’s practice this week with an undisclosed and previously undiagnosed illness. The illness was a bit more serious than first thought and, according to Gase, Darnold has lost a significant amount of weight as a result. It’s possible that Darnold will miss additional time, but the team should have a better read on his condition next week.
Without Darnold, the Jets will turn to Trevor Siemian as their Week 2 starter. To back him up, the club has promoted QB Luke Falk from the practice squad.
Siemian, 27, fared reasonably well as the 2016 Broncos’ starter, leading the team to a 9-7 record and throwing 18 touchdown passes against ten interceptions. In 2017, he rated as one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks, prompting the Broncos to change course. The Jets inked him to a one-year deal this offseason to serve as Darnold’s safety net and he’ll be thrust into action as the club looks to reach .500.