Latest On Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott might be out for a little while. The Cowboys are thinking about holding the running back out of Thursday night’s game against the Saints as he heals up from his knee injury (Twitter link via Ed Werder of ESPN.com). 
On the plus side, it doesn’t sound like Elliott will need to go on injured reserve, which would rule him out for at least three weeks.
“It’s that time of year,” head coach Mike McCarthy said this week (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). “Zeke’s running style is ferocious. He gives a pounding and he takes some hits. We need to evaluate that and this week we’ll see what the preparation looks like for him.”
Elliott’s knee has clearly been bothering him. Over the last five games, he’s totaled less than 200 yards while averaging 3.43 yards per carry. And, on Thursday night against the Raiders, Zeke was held to just 25 yards, his lowest total of the year.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have lost three of their past four games, dropping them to 7-4 on the year. That’s still good enough for first in the woeful NFC East, though the Eagles are trending upwards and still within striking distance.
If Elliott can’t go against the Saints, the Cowboys will use Tony Pollard as their lead back with support from Corey Clement. And, if Zeke needs extra time to recover, they may want to consider a promotion for practice squader JaQuan Hardy.
Chargers Tried To Claim Mac McCain
Former Broncos cornerback Mac McCain was a popular player on the waiver wire. Before he was awarded to the Eagles, the Chargers also submitted a claim for him, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). 
The Chargers could have used an extra CB with Asante Samuel Jr. in concussion protocol. But, beyond that, they probably would have benefitted from McCain’s intel as they prepare to face the Broncos on Sunday. After all, there isn’t a ton of game tape out there on the 23-year-old — he’s played in just one game this year with 13 special teams snaps.
Interestingly, McCain has spent the year bouncing back and forth between the Broncos and Eagles. In May, he signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina A&T. Then, in September, Philly plucked him off of the Broncos’ taxi squad. Then, when the Eagles waived him a few weeks ago, the Broncos claimed him. This week, when Denver cut him, Howie Roseman brought him back.
Eventually, McCain may get an opportunity to stay in one place. After all, he is a two-time All-MEAC player with multiple pick-sixes on his collegiate resume. For now, McCain will take the place of Davion Taylor on the roster, now that the linebacker is on IR.
The Eagles, winners of two straight, will try for three in a row when they face the Giants on Sunday.
Dolphins’ Jamal Perry Done For Year
Jamal Perry‘s knee injury will be a season-ender, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Unfortunately, this was the expected news after Perry was carted off the field last week against the Jets. 
[RELATED: Dolphins, Howard Restructure Deal]
Perry, 27, jockeyed between the Dolphins’ practice squad and active roster throughout the year. His season will end after four tackles in four appearances with the bulk of his time coming on special teams. Perry has seen more significant action in the past, however, including 2019 season when he made six starts. The Dolphins have replenished their defensive back depth by signing safety Will Parks off of the 49ers’ practice squad, but they may look to add a corner in the coming days.
Meanwhile, linebacker Brennan Scarlett‘s knee injury isn’t quite as serious, according to Jackson. He also placed on injured reserve following Sunday’s game, but he could return in as little as three weeks.
The Dolphins are riding a three-game winning streak heading into this week’s game against the Panthers. While they face long odds of winning the Wild Card, they still have a ~6% chance of pulling out a playoff berth, according to Five Thirty Eight.
49ers Designate Dee Ford For Return
Dee Ford has been designated for return, per an announcement from the 49ers. This will open a 21-day practice window for the defensive end — he’ll either be moved to the active roster in the next three weeks or lose his eligibility to play in 2021. 
[RELATED: Kyle Shanahan Says Garoppolo Could Start In 2022]
Ford hasn’t played since Oct. 24, a 30-18 loss to the Colts. It’s all tied to ongoing back trouble, the same issue that wiped out all but one of his games in 2020.
The eighth-year defender has struggled with injuries throughout his career. And, in addition to his bad back, Ford has also dealt with neck trouble and concussion-like symptoms this season.
“[My back issues have] never fully gone away. That’s something he’ll deal with most likely forever,” Kyle Shanahan said earlier this month. “So, something that’s on again, off again.”
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.
So far this year, Ford has three sacks and four quarterback hits to his credit.
Texans Designate Justin Britt For Return
The Texans are designating Justin Britt for return from injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk 790. This will jumpstart a 21-day practice window for the center, allowing him to return after several weeks on the sidelines. 
Britt has been out since Week 7 thanks to a handful of maladies, including a hyperextended knee. Between that and last year’s ACL tear, he’s played in just six regular season games since the end of the 2019 campaign.
The Texans signed Britt to a one-year, $5MM deal earlier this year, installing him as their first-string center. Through six games, he’s earned a so-so overall grade of 61.4 from Pro Football Focus, positioning him as the No. 22 ranked middle man in the NFL. The hope is that he’ll come back stronger after a month of rest and replicate some of his early work with the Seahawks.
To date, Britt’s rookie season in 2014 (71.7 overall score) and 2016 (81.6) stand as his best, per PFF. That ’16 campaign slotted him as the seventh-best center in the league and propelled him to a three-year, ~$27MM extension in 2017.
Without Britt, the Texans have used ex-Raiders practice squader Jimmy Morrissey as their starting center. If goes well for Britt this week, he could resume his starting role on Sunday against the Jets.
Steelers Activate Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Steelers have activated Minkah Fitzpatrick, per a club announcement. After a short stint on the COVID-19 list, the star defensive back will be eligible to play against the Bengals on Sunday. 
Fitzpatrick tested positive on Nov. 15, forcing him to the reserve list, per the league’s protocols. The Steelers clearly missed him last week against the Chargers, allowing 41 points in a losing effort. They were also without edge rusher T.J. Watt and cornerback Joe Haden, but both players are trending towards returning as well. Watt, who suffered a hip and knee injuries against the Lions, returned to practice on Wednesday. Haden, meanwhile, is expected to practice tomorrow.
Through nine games, Fitzpatrick has 64 tackles, one pass defensed, one tackle for a loss, and one forced fumble. Besides linebacker Joe Schobert, he has more total stops than anyone on the Steelers.
Fitzpatrick has been a cornerstone of the Steelers’ D, ever since the mid-2019 trade that brought him to Pittsburgh. The Steelers sent first-, fifth-, and sixth-round picks to Miami in the trade, but they’d do it again in a heartbeat. In 2020, the 25-year-old tackled on yet another First-Team All-Pro nod with four interceptions, 79 total stops, and eleven passes defensed on the year. He also took one of those interceptions back for a pick six, giving him four defensive TDs for his career.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/25/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Anthony Hines
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Deon Yelder
49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo Could Start In 2022
There’s at least a “chance” that Jimmy Garoppolo could wind up as the 49ers’ starting quarterback next year. At least, that’s what head coach Kyle Shanahan told Niners beat writers on Wednesday afternoon (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). 
“I think there’s a chance for anything, but I think we made it pretty clear that Trey [Lance] is our guy of the future, whenever that’ll happen,” Shanahan said. “But it was also nothing against Jimmy that we [drafted] him. But we do believe Trey will be our guy of the future. And like I said, I think it’ll be really hard if Jimmy’s [playing well] for [Lance] to beat [him] out right away. So it is kind of going like that right now and I’m not thinking much past that.”
The Niners sacrificed two future first-round draft picks to move up nine spots and select Lance. After that, many expected GM John Lynch to send Garoppolo elsewhere and recoup some of that ammo. Instead, they kept the veteran and installed him as the Week 1 starter. Lance, meanwhile, has started just once, filling in while Garoppolo nursed a calf strain. The rookie looked awful green against the Cardinals, allowing Jimmy GQ to immediately reclaim his job.
Garoppolo may be the better option for 2021, but it’s still hard to imagine him staying on board next year. Keeping the veteran for 2022 would saddle the 49ers with a ~$27MM cap charge. Meanwhile, trading or cutting him would only leave them with $1.4MM in dead money. Lance — this year’s No. 3 overall pick — will carry a much lower $7.75MM cap figure.
Dolphins, Xavien Howard Restructure Deal
The Dolphins have restructured the contract of star cornerback Xavien Howard (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). By converting a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus, the Dolphins now carved out an additional $3.8MM in cap room for 2021. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Sign Parks Off 49ers’ P-Squad]
This marks Howard‘s second contract revision of the year. In August, the Dolphins ended Howard’s holdout by guaranteeing his entire 2021 salary while adding $3.5MM in incentives to his deal. Of course, that hasn’t done much to quell the speculation over his long-term future in Miami.
On the flipside, the Dolphins did rebuff a pre-deadline trade offer from the Ravens, back when they were a one-win team. It’s possible that Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta would have even coughed up a first-rounder to land the two-time Pro Bowler if the Dolphins were willing to eat a portion of his $13.8MM salary. Chris Grier‘s refusal — in the midst of a down year for Howard — indicates that he could still be in their plans for 2022 and beyond.
Since then, the Dolphins have rattled off three straight wins, bringing them to 4-7 on the year. Howard & Co. will look to extend the streak on Sunday when they host the Cam Newton-led Panthers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/25/21
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Marquise Copeland
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: OL Will Clapp