49ers’ Deebo Samuel To Miss Time
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to miss time following his groin injury (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fortunately, it doesn’t appear to be too serious, so Samuel should be able to return later this season. 
Samuel, 26 in January, will know more about his outlook following today’s MRI. Still, the expectation is that he’ll be back before long, giving defenses fits at both wide receiver and running back. Through eleven games, Samuel has 56 catches for 1,006 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, he’s also been doing damage from the backfield. Last night, he racked up 66 rushing yards and two TDs off of just six carries. That brought him to 203 yards and five scores on the year, all from just 25 totes. The Niners are unlikely to have Samuel in the lineup when they face the Seahawks on Sunday, but he’ll be on the field before long.
Meanwhile, the Niners are hoping for more good news regarding the rest of their injured players. Along with Samuel, running back Trey Sermon (ankle) and linebackers Fred Warner (hamstring) and Dre Greenlaw (groin) find themselves in the questionable column.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/21
Today’s minor moves:
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: OL Phil Haynes
- Placed on IR: CB Tre Brown, OT Jamarco Jones
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: C Jon Toth
- Placed on IR: T Sam Cosmi
Jaguars’ Dan Arnold Out 4-6 Weeks
Dan Arnold may be done for the year. The Jaguars tight end has been diagnosed with a grade 2 MCL sprain that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Mickens Off Buccaneers P-Squad]
The Jaguars acquired Arnold in late September, shipping former first-round pick C.J. Henderson and a fifth-round choice to the Panthers in exchange for the tight end and a third-round pick. Since then, he’s been a bright spot for the Jaguars in an otherwise trying year.
Through eleven games (three with the Panthers and eight with the Jags), Arnold has 35 grabs for 408 yards. That’s roughly in line with his entire 2020 with the Cardinals — 31 grabs for 438 yards and four touchdowns. On the plus side, the Jaguars still have Arnold under contract for 2022, thanks to the reasonable two-year, $6MM deal he inked with Carolina earlier this year.
The Jaguars, sans Arnold, will head west this week to face the Rams. At 2-9, they aren’t playing for much, so it’s unlikely that Arnold will return before the year is through.
Latest On Browns’ Jack Conklin
The Browns believe that right tackle Jack Conklin is dealing with a torn patella tendon in his knee, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Conklin, who was carted off during last night’s loss to the Ravens, will know more after additional testing this afternoon.
“You hate that for anybody, especially Jack, who’s been fighting to come back after the dislocated elbow,” said quarterback Baker Mayfield (via ESPN.com). “It’s just one of those freak deals. He’s one of our guys, and it’s just a really, really unfortunate thing.”
Conklin has already missed time this year, thanks to the elbow dislocation he suffered in Week 8 and another knee injury earlier in the year. Of course, when healthy, Conklin has performed as one of the game’s best right tackles. In 2019 and 2020, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the tenth best tackle in the NFL. And, even in this injury-marred season, PFF has him slotted 14th.
The Browns gave the former first round pick a three-year, $42MM deal in 2020. He’s still under contract for 2022 and almost certain to return — releasing him would save just $6MM against $9MM in dead money. Beyond that, they’d be hard-pressed to find a better option for less on the open market.
USC Officially Hires Lincoln Riley
The NFL will have to wait. On Sunday, Lincoln Riley confirmed that he is leaving the University of Oklahoma to become the next head coach of the USC Trojans. 
[RELATED: Oklahoma Eyeing Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury]
“Leaving OU was probably the most difficult decision of my life,” said Riley in a statement issued by Oklahoma. “OU is one of the best college football programs in the country, and it has been forever…This was a personal decision solely based on my willingness to go take on a new challenge, and I felt like it was the right opportunity for me and my family to do that.”
Not long ago, many believed that Riley’s next challenge would come in the professional ranks. Multiple NFL clubs have shown interest, including the Eagles earlier this year, before they settled on Nick Sirianni.
Riley has amassed a 55-10 record since taking over for Bob Stoops in 2017. Though the National Championship has eluded the Sooners, Riley’s work with No. 1 overall picks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray made him a hot NFL candidate. Riley’s still just 38 years of age, so he could make the leap sometime in the future. For now, he’s headed to Southern California while Stoops resumes his old job in an interim capacity.
In related news, Oklahoma has interest in Kliff Kingsbury, but it’s hard to imagine him leaving the first-place Cardinals.
PFR Originals: 11/21/21 – 11/28/21
In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:
- Through his first two years with the Packers, Za’Darius Smith did nothing but validate the four-year, $66MM contract he’d earned in free agency. Now, as Ely Allen writes, his lingering back injury could make him a cap casualty this offseason.
- Four years ago today, Darren McFadden announced his retirement from the NFL. He was still just 30 years old, but McFadden felt that his best days were behind him.
- Will Patrick Mahomes mega-contract prevent the Chiefs from re-signing Orlando Brown? Ely broke down Brown’s case for a big payday of his own and what it’ll take for him to skip the open market.
- Up until the Steelers’ afternoon loss, every team in the AFC North had a winning record. Over the weekend, we asked PFR readers to predict the eventual winner. Nearly half of you picked the Ravens, but at least 25% of you believe in the Bengals.
- Speaking of competitive divisions, the AFC West race is far from over. But, in Saturday’s poll, over 60% of PFR readers picked the Chiefs to top the Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos.
This Date In Transactions History: Cowboys’ Darren McFadden Retires From NFL
Four years ago today, Darren McFadden announced his retirement from the NFL. He was still just 30 years old, but McFadden felt that his best days were behind him. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Place Steele On Reserve/COVID-19 List]
“Today, I am announcing that I am retiring from the NFL. I have been extremely privileged to play in the league for a long time,” McFadden wrote in a statement. “And now that time for me is done.”
McFadden was limited to just one game and one carry (for negative two yards) in 2017. And, even in the wake of Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension, he wasn’t healthy enough to take on the workload. Instead, it was Alfred Morris who jumped to the top of the depth chart, with support from RB2 Rod Smith.
This was a familiar refrain for McFadden, who couldn’t stay healthy after being drafted No. 4 overall by the Raiders in 2008. His best Oakland season came in 2010 when he ran for 1,157 yards plus 507 yards receiving. Unfortunately, out of seven seasons with the Raiders, he was only able to turn in one 16-game slate.
McFadden went on to have a late career re-emergence with Dallas, eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2015. Then, he lost most of 2016 and basically all of ’17 to injury.
The ex-Razorback’s blend of size and speed (6’1″; 4.33-second 40-yard-dash at the combine) never translated into superstardom, but he did manage a ten-year run — more than most get in the NFL. He also left the game with a pair of 1,000-yard seasons to his credit and nearly $50MM in lifetime NFL earnings.
Oklahoma Eyeing Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury
University of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley has agreed to become the next head coach of the USC Trojans, according to sources who spoke with Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. In turn, the Sooners’ own search is underway, and they’re targeting Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
Kingsbury still has one full year remaining on his deal and it’s not clear if he’d consider a return to the college ranks. Given his recent success, it’d be nothing short of shocking. At 9-2, the Cardinals are bonafide contenders for the first time in a long time.
Kingsbury made his name at Texas Tech, even though his teams went just 35-40 during his time there. In an era where new bowls continue to spawn, the Red Raiders only qualified for bowl games in three of those six seasons. There was also a noticeable drop from the final Patrick Mahomes season (fifth in scoring) to the post-Mahomes teams — 23rd in points in 2017, 100th in 2018 — for the Red Raiders’ offense.
Despite the hiccups, Kingsbury’s quarterback-whispering skills scored him the Cardinals’ job, ahead of several big-name candidates with pro experience. Now, in Year 3, there’s no questioning that the Cardinals made the right pick. Even with Kyler Murray sidelined and Colt McCoy under center, Kingsbury’s Cardinals have managed to go 2-1 in their last three games.
The Cardinals will look to pad their NFC lead next Sunday when they face the Bears in Chicago.
Seahawks’ Rashaad Penny To Miss Time
More bad news for Rashaad Penny. Thanks to his latest hamstring flare-up, the Seahawks running back will be held out of tomorrow night’s game against Washington (Twitter link via Adam Jude of the Seattle Times). Beyond that, head coach Pete Carroll says that the injury could result in him reverting to IR, which would rule him out for the rest of the year. 
Penny’s hammy and calf issues have limited him to just four games this year. All in all, he has just 17 carries for 43 yards and one score on the year. He also sat out the majority of the 2020 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL.
On top of that, Travis Homer has been ruled out for this week with a calf injury. The Seahawks — already without Chris Carson thanks to a season-ending neck injury, are down to just Alex Collins, DeeJay Dallas, and newcomer B.J. Emmons. Practice squader Josh Johnson could be elevated for additional support, but the Seahawks may need to consider other options in the long-term.
For Penny, it’s yet another setback in what was shaping up to be a promising career. Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Penny notched 947 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. And, in 2019, he managed a 5.7 yards per carry average, albeit in a limited sample size of 65 totes.
The Seahawks have already declined Penny’s fifth-year option, so he’s on course for free agency in the spring.
Bears HC Matt Nagy Unlikely To Be Fired Mid-Season, Still On Hot Seat
Matt Nagy‘s job appears to be safe — for now. The Bears are unlikely to fire their head coach before the end of the season, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Bears’ George McCaskey On Nagy Rumors]
Rumors of Nagy’s imminent firing were rampant last week, with one report suggesting that he would be dismissed after the Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions. For his part, Nagy says such talk “is not accurate,” though he canceled the Bears’ scheduled meetings Tuesday afternoon. And, as of Tuesday, Nagy said he had yet to speak with owner George McCaskey, team president Ted Phillips, or GM Ryan Pace about his status.
“We all have our own decisions as to how we do things, and I think this whole entire time, for me and for ownership, we’ve had great communication,” said Nagy when asked about the recent lack of clarity from the Bears’ top brass. “[We’re] focused on Detroit. That’s what it is.”
On Wednesday, McCaskey told players and coaches that Nagy would not get a pink slip for Thanksgiving. Still, barring a total 180, it’d be a surprise to see him return in 2022. Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears that change could be inevitable.
Around this time last year, we were hearing that it was more likely than not that Nagy would be fired at the end of the 2020 campaign. While ownership ultimately elected to give its HC one more chance to right the ship, the Bears’ struggles this season are probably too much for him to overcome.
The good news for Chicago is that many offensive-minded coaches view rookie QB Justin Fields as a quality passer that they can build around. So the club, which is expected to consider popular candidates like Tampa Bay OC Byron Leftwich, New England OC Josh McDaniels, and Buffalo OC Brian Daboll, might be able to land its top target. However, Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald, whom the Bears have coveted for some time, remains uninterested in the post.
Meanwhile, although we recently heard that Pace might not be fired at season’s end, La Canfora notes that his status is very much up in the air as well.