Bengals Place Jake Fisher On IR
The Bengals placed offensive lineman Jake Fisher on injured reserve due to his ailing back, per a team announcement. Fisher is now the 14th player to land on the Bengals’ IR this season. 
The Bengals acted fast to replace Fisher, signing old friend Andre Smith on Thursday morning. Smith may offer experience and familiarity with the Bengals’ blocking schemes, but he is far less skilled at this point in his career than the 25-year-old.
Fisher, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, also missed half of the 2017 season with an irregular heartbeat. This is a disappointing way for his 2018 season to end, especially since he is slated to reach the open market in March.
The Bengals, who are also without starting quarterback Andy Dalton, face extremely long odds of making the postseason. According to Five Thirty Eight, they have just a 6% chance of making the playoffs with a 1% probability of passing the Steelers and Ravens to win the AFC North.
Cardinals Place Jeremy Vujnovich On IR
The Cardinals placed offensive lineman Jeremy Vujnovich on injured reserve, per a team announcement. To take his place, the club re-signed fellow offensive lineman Will Holden. 
With Vujnovich going to IR, the Cardinals are now without two of the five players who started on the offensive line in Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Chargers. Andre Smith was released on Monday and has since rejoined the Bengals.
Vujnovich, 28, appeared in five games for the Cardinals this year and started twice. In 2017, he started all 16 games for the Colts at left guard, but he has struggled in Arizona this year. In Week 10, for example, Vujnovich allowed three sacks against the Chiefs. He’ll likely be replaced at right guard by Oday Aboushi.
Holden was most recently with the Saints’ practice squad. Last year, Holden appeared in seven games (five starts) for the Cardinals and saw snaps at left guard, left tackle, and even tight end.
Bengals Sign OT Andre Smith
The Bengals signed offensive tackle Andre Smith, according to Geoff Hobson of the team website (on Twitter). The deal marks Smith’s third career stint in Cincinnati. 
Smith, ostensibly, has been brought on board to fill in for Cordy Glenn and Jake Fisher, who are both out with back injuries. Cedric Ogbuehi was next in line to pitch in at tackle, but team brass apparently prefers Smith, even though he struggled at right tackle last year and has not earned a quality score from Pro Football Focus since 2014.
Smith spent the first seven seasons of his career with Cincinnati after being selected No. 6 overall in the 2009 draft and reunited with the Bengals last offseason. He signed a one-year deal with the notion that he would be the team’s starting right guard, but lost that competition to Trey Hopkins. Later on, a spot opened up at right tackle when Jake Fisher was shut down for the year with a heart condition.
This year, Smith hooked on with the Cardinals, but he was unable to produce. Earlier this week, Arizona released him and he went unclaimed on waivers.
Latest On Redskins, Reuben Foster
Redskins decision-makers were split over whether to claim Reuben Foster off waivers from the 49ers this week, according to Les Carpenter and Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post. The biggest proponent of the move was team president Bruce Allen, who “masterminded” the idea. 
Foster was arrested at the Niners’ team hotel on Saturday night, marking the second time this year that he has been accused of getting physical with girlfriend Elissa Ennis. Ennis recanted the first allegation, but she is cooperating with authorities this time around and her attorney says she will “participate in the [legal] process.”
The 2017 first-round pick is undeniably talented, but the Redskins’ decision to add him to the roster has been widely criticized. That may explain why Allen chose to have Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams quoted in the team’s press release rather than himself.
“The Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben,” Williams said in the statement. “If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone.”
Shortly after claiming Foster, the Redskins announced that the linebacker will not play until his legal situation is resolved. They won’t have the opportunity to do that anyway – the NFL placed Foster on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning that he cannot play or practice for the Redskins until the league office gives its blessing.
Giants Could Keep Eli Manning In 2019
There is still a chance that Eli Manning could return to the Giants as their starting quarterback in 2019, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY hears. While the offense has sputtered under Manning’s command, the Giants do not have a clear replacement for him, so the possibility of another season together cannot be ruled out. 
Obviously, the Giants will be keeping close tabs on Manning’s performance over the final five games of the season. They also have to weigh the fiscal consequences of keeping him. Manning is signed through next year at a salary cap number of $23.2MM, which is a lot for a soon-to-be 38-year-old quarterback in decline.
The Giants may want to use these final five games as an opportunity to see what fourth-round pick Kyle Lauletta has to offer. If Lauletta sees the field and plays well, the Giants may gain enough confidence to move on from Manning.
The stats indicate that Manning is having a solid season on the whole, but the Giants’ offense has struggled to put points on the board. The veteran has completed 69% of his passes with just seven interceptions and he’s on pace for one of his best career totals in passing yards. Manning has also played better over the last three weeks thanks to improved protection from the offensive line. Still, he’s thrown only 14 touchdown passes through eleven games and the Giants’ offense is averaging only 21.5 points per contest.
Manning will look to keep it up against the Bears on Sunday. If the game gets out of hand, we could be one step closer to seeing what Lauletta has to offer.
Seahawks Activate RB J.D. McKissic
The Seahawks have officially activated running back J.D. McKissic to the 53-man roster. McKissic will return to action after missing the first 12 weeks of the season with a foot injury. 
McKissic was designated for return last week and it didn’t take long for him to prove his health. The 25-year-old will look to build off of a breakout season in which he compiled 187 rushing yards and one touchdown on 46 carries. He also added another 34 receptions for 266 yards and two scores. The former undrafted free agent out of Arkansas State also offers special teams and kick-return experience.
The tailback could see the field on Sunday when the Seahawks host the 49ers. It’s a pivotal game for Seattle as they look to capture a Wild Card spot in the NFC.
McKissic figures to step in for C.J. Prosise, who has not been involved in the offense as of late. Chris Carson, Mike Davis, and Rashaad Penny are also on hand for Seattle.
Colts Sign TE Clive Walford
The Colts signed tight end Clive Walford, according to a team announcement. Walford will help fill in for Jack Doyle, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. 
[RELATED: Colts Place Doyle On IR]
Colts tight ends have caught 18 of Luck’s 32 touchdown passes this season, so Walford may have an opportunity to shine in Indianapolis. Then again, eleven of those TD grabs belong to Eric Ebron, and the UNC product figures to be the primary tight end going forward. The Colts also have tight ends Erik Swoope, Mo Alie-Cox, and Ryan Hewitt on the roster, though they were sidelined on Sunday.
Walford, a third-round pick of the Raiders in 2015, missed the Jets’ final cut in the offseason. His best season came in 2016 when he hauled in 33 catches for 359 yards and three scores. Last year, he had just nine catches for 80 yards with Oakland. He’s worked out for multiple clubs in recent months, including the Seahawks, Bengals, Lions, and Packers.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/28/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Thurston Armbrister
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed RB Jeremy Langford
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Nick Keizer
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Francis Owusu, S Chris Lammons
New Orleans Saints
- Released: QB J.T. Barrett
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Mark Thompson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB James Cowser, WR Johnny Holton
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Tyrone Swoopes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: TE Donnie Ernsberger
Dolphins, Tannehill Haven’t Discussed 2019
Ryan Tannehill says he has been given no assurances that he will be the Dolphins’ quarterback in 2019 (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). The QB added that he’s not focused on the future right now, but it’s definitely a topic of discussion within the Dolphins’ headquarters. 
Tannehill is set to have a cap hit of over $26MM in 2019, hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and hasn’t been consistent on the field even when he is able to play. If Tannehill cannot close out the season on a high note, the team will have to think long and hard about whether to stick with him. Releasing Tannehill would result in a $13.4MM cap hit, though it would free up about $13.1MM in funds.
The Dolphins could attempt to rework Tannehill’s contract, though his guarantee for 2019 could provide him with leverage. Instead of taking a significant pay cut, Tannehill may prefer to pocket his $13MM and try his luck on the open market.
Tannehill missed the end of the 2016 season with a torn ACL, then missed all of the 2017 season when he re-tore the ACL. This year, Tannehill started the first five games, then went down with a mysterious shoulder injury. He returned in on Sunday to complete 68% of his passes and throw for two touchdowns in a loss to the Colts.
Falcons Place DE Derrick Shelby On IR
The Falcons place defensive end Derrick Shelby on IR with groin injury, per a team announcement. To take his place, the team promoted defensive back Ryan Neal to the active roster. 
The Falcons released Shelby in March only to re-sign him to a cheaper deal three weeks later. Shelby started the bulk of last season for Atlanta, but he’s been more of a rotational player this year. In seven games (three starts) Shelby recorded ten total tackles and zero sacks.
Even without the 29-year-old, the Falcons have a number of other options at DE. Former first-round picks Takkarist McKinley and Vic Beasley will continue to start on the edge with Bruce Irvin, Brooks Reed, and Steven Means in support.
At 4-7, the Falcons’ playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread. If they fall to the Ravens on Sunday, they’ll punch their ticket for a top 20 pick.