Seahawks’ Russell Wilson Cleared To Play
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been given the green light to return (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Wilson, who has been sidelined since undergoing finger surgery in October, could suit up as soon as this Sunday against the Packers. 
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Wilson has been gunning for a Week 10 return all along, but it all hinged on the healing process. Fortunately, there were no hiccups as Dr. Steve Shin removed the pin from his fractured middle finger.
The surgery forced Wilson to miss three games between Weeks 6 and 8, before the team’s Week 9 bye. It marked the first absence of his NFL career, breaking an ironman streak of 149 straight regular season starts.
Geno Smith took over in his stead with the Seahawks going 1-2 in his three starts. Wilson should provide a big boost as the Seahawks look to rebound from their Week 8 loss to the Rams.
The Seahawks are now down to 3-5 in the competitive NFC West. Fortunately for them, they’re still within striking distance of a Wild Card spot. Barring any setbacks, they’ll have Wilson under center as they prepare for the Packers and Cardinals in back-to-back games.
Lions To Waive TE Darren Fells
The Lions will waive tight end Darren Fells (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fells requested his release, RapSheet hears, and he’ll get his wish before the end of the business day.
Even though he’s a vested veteran, Fells will be subject to the waiver wire as a post-trade deadline cut. Fells should hold appeal for teams in need of tight end support, particularly those in need of blocking help.
Fells, 35, signed with the Lions in May, circling back after a previous stint in 2017. After his first Detroit tour, he moved on to the Browns and Texans. His most notable season came in 2019, when he notched 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. And, between 2019 and 2020 with the Texans, Fells registered 11 touchdown receptions.
Fells has started in all five of his games for the Lions this year, but hasn’t been a big part of the offense. He has just four grabs for 43 yards, so he’s hoping to see more action with a winning team. Or, at least, a team with a single win.
If Fells goes unclaimed in the next 24 hours, he’ll be free to sign with any club.
Lions’ Tim Boyle Designated For Return
The Lions have designated Tim Boyle for return (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). This will kick off a three-week practice window for the quarterback. If he’s not activated inside of the next 21 days, he’ll be ineligible to return this season. 
Boyle has yet to dress for a game this year, thanks to thumb surgery in late August. Without Boyle, they’ve used David Blough as their QB2 behind Jared Goff.
The Lions are still winless and Goff has struggled mightily, so Boyle or Blough could see some action in the second half. To date, Goff has just eight touchdown passes on the year against six interceptions.
Boyle, 27, has eleven career appearances, all with the Packers in 2019 and 2020. He’s thrown a grand total of four passes, but the Lions could be willing to give him a shot.
After the bye, the Lions will shoot for win No. 1 against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Jets To Release P Thomas Morstead
The Jets will release punter Thomas Morstead today, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). As a post-deadline cut, Morstead will be available on the waiver wire for the league’s other 31 teams. 
Morstead, 35, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. This year, the Saints were more than $100MM over the cap, so he was released in the middle of their numbers crunch.
Morstead landed with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann designated for return, Morstead’s services are no longer needed.
The veteran missed only two games in his 12 Saints seasons and punted in all seven of his Jets contests, bringing his career total to 197 appearances.
Cardinals, Cowboys Pursued Von Miller
The Rams weren’t the only team in pursuit. The Cardinals and Cowboys also chased Von Miller before the trade deadline, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. 
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Miller is on track for free agency this spring, so the Cowboys and Cardinals could get another shot at him soon. However, the Rams are working diligently to make sure that can’t happen — they’re already discussing a new deal for the 11th-year pro.
“We’re actually looking at this from a standpoint of how soon can he help us, can he help us if we’re fortunate enough to continue going and make the 2021 tournament, how can he help us there,” Rams GM Les Snead said last week. “And then there’s a long-term vision for Von as well.”
The Cardinals surely could have used the future Hall of Famer after losing defensive end J.J. Watt to injury. Now, they’ll have to see him on the other side of the ball, with their first meeting in Week 14. The Cowboys, who don’t have the Rams on the regular season docket, clearly lacked pressure against the Miller-less Broncos today.
Miller, 32, has 110.5 sacks to his credit, more than any other active player in the NFL. He’s only notched 4.5 sacks so far this year, and he won’t dress for tonight’s game against Tennessee, but he can start adding to that total next week against SF.
Ravens’ DeShon Elliott Done For Year
Ravens defensive back DeShon Elliott is believed to be done for the year, according to head coach John Harbaugh (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). Elliott will be placed on season-ending injured reserve later this week, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster. 
Elliott was forced out of Sunday’s game and later diagnosed with torn pectoral and a torn bicep. It’s a bad blow for the Ravens, who have been using the 24-year-old as a starter since last year. Elliott’s season will end with 23 tackles, one sack, and three tackles for loss in six games.
The timing is especially rough for Elliott since he’ll be out of contract in March. With a repeat of 2020 — a year with 80 stops, 2.5 sacks, and 16 starts — he could have been in line for a major payday.
The Ravens went on to beat the Vikings 34-31 in overtime, advancing to 6-2 on the year. They’ll try and keep the momentum going without Elliott — or much of a break — when they play the Dolphins on Thursday night.
Panthers’ Matt Paradis Done For Year
Matt Paradis‘ season is over. The Panthers center has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 
This was the expected outcome after Paradis had to be carted off the field on Sunday. The Panthers turned to Sam Tecklenburg after the seventh-year pro was forced out and they went on to lose 24-6. For now, Tecklenburg projects to start in Week 10 against the Cardinals.
The Panthers’ offensive line has been ravaged by injuries this year. While guards Pat Elflein and John Miller work their way back to the field, they’ll have to go the rest of the way without Paradis in the middle.
Following a five-year stint with the Broncos, Paradis joined the Panthers on a three-year, $27MM contract in 2019. He started in all 32 of games between 2019 and 2020, appearing in 100 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2020.
The center reworked his deal back in February, but he still remains on course for free agency in the spring.
Raiders To Sign DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson has agreed to sign with the Raiders (Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but he’ll earn more than the veteran’s minimum, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). 
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Jackson, dropped by the Rams last week, reportedly drew interest from seven teams. The Raiders were aggressive from the jump, aiming to sign the 34-year-old in the wake of Henry Ruggs‘ release. They got the deal done on Sunday afternoon, providing quarterback Derek Carr with the deep threat he needs.
Plenty of teams wanted Jackson, though no GM was willing to pay the remainder of his $2.75MM base salary. The Raiders got him for less than half of that price and they’ll probably target him a whole lot more than the Rams did. Jackson only played on ~1/3rd of the Rams snaps and didn’t top 25 snaps in any single game. To date, he has just eight catches in 2021. But, in classic DJax fashion, he’s made the most of them with 221 yards and one touchdown.
The Raiders are down to 5-3 after today’s loss to the Giants. Jackson will try and get them back in the win column next Sunday when they host the Chiefs in Las Vegas.
Steelers, Eagles Discussed Fletcher Cox Trade
The Eagles and Steelers discussed a trade that would have sent Fletcher Cox to Pittsburgh, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, the Steelers were ultimately warded off by the Eagles’ asking price of a third-round pick. 
Trading Cox would have left Eagles GM Howie Roseman with a sizable dead money hit. However, Kevin Colbert would have been able to fit his contract under the 2021 books, thanks to his recent restructure.
“There were some teams interested in me, and the most important part of it was they wanted me here, and I wanted to be here and I’m happy to be here,” Cox said this past week, via The Athletic.
Cox would have provided an immediate boost to the Steelers, who are without Tyson Alualu and awaiting the return of defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt. The 30-year-old (31 in December) also drew interest from other clubs, JLC hears, so there’s clearly a market for his services. That’s good news for Cox, who might not be in the Birds’ plans for 2022.
Cox, a six-time Pro Bowler, has started in all nine of his games this year, including today’s game against the Chargers. Heading into this afternoon, he’s recorded 12 tackles, and one sack, one fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown.
Saints Called On Broncos’ Teddy Bridgewater
The Broncos received inquiries on Teddy Bridgewater before last week’s trade deadline (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Pelissero also hears that the Saints — Bridgewater’s one-time employer — were among those with interest.
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Bridgewater, of course, remains with the Broncos as their QB1. His squad is now 5-4, following today’s win over the Cowboys.
Bridgewater, who came to Denver via an April trade with Carolina, would have been a logical fit for the Saints after Jameis Winston‘s season-ending injury. But, for one reason or another, the two sides couldn’t agree to terms. The Saints have since installed Trevor Siemian as their starter and he’s likely to keep the job heading into Week 10, despite the final outcome of today’s game against the Falcons.
Bridgewater beat out former second-rounder Drew Lock in this summer’s quarterback competition, and he led Denver to a 3-0 start to the 2021 campaign. Things sagged in the middle, but they’re now back above .500 and riding a two-game winning streak.
It’s worth noting that Bridgewater, 29 this week, will be out of contract in March. With Jameis Winston also on course for free agency, the Saints could aim for a reunion with Bridgewater in the offseason.