Packers Place Geronimo Allison On IR
The Packers placed wide receiver Geronimo Allison on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. The club also released safety Jermaine Whitehead, who was ejected on Sunday night after slapping Patriots center David Andrews in the helmet. His spot will be filled by the promotion of cornerback Will Redmond from the practice squad.
Allison, 24, was held out of Sunday night’s game due to his ongoing hamstring and groin problems. He’ll undergo core surgery soon, which will rule him out for the remainder of the year. Ultimately, his season will end with 20 catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns across five games.
Redmond, a third-round pick of the 49ers in 2016, was signed to the Packers’ practice squad on Sept. 11. He spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve with a knee injury and missed the first eight games of 2017 with an ankle malady. The 24-year-old has yet to see live action, but he may soon get his chance with the Packers.
After losing to the Pats on Sunday, the Packers are 3-4-1, good for third in the NFC North. On Sunday, they’ll return home to take on the Dolphins.
Lions Re-Sign RB Zach Zenner
The Lions re-signed running back Zach Zenner, according to a team announcement. Zenner will serve as the team’s fourth running back now that Ameer Abullah is out of the picture. 
Zenner spent the last three seasons with the Lions and re-signed with the club this offseason. Unfortunately, he was held back by injuries in the summer and was released from IR in September. After waiting the required period of time, the Lions brought him back into the fold.
Zenner enjoyed the best season of his career in 2016 when he ran for 334 yards and four touchdowns off of 88 carries. He also added 18 catches for 196 yards. All of those numbers stand as career highs for the former UDFA out of South Dakota State.
Barring an injury, Zenner doesn’t figure to see a whole lot of work this time around. For now, he’s stationed behind Kerryon Johnson, LeGarrette Blount, and Theo Riddick.
To make room for Zenner, the Lions waived wide receiver Andy Jones.
Lions Release RB Ameer Abdullah
The Lions are signing free agent wide receiver Bruce Ellington, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. To make room, the Lions will waive running back Ameer Abdullah. 
Abdullah entered the league with lots of hype as a second-round pick in 2015, but injuries prevented him from doing much of anything after his rookie season. This year, Abdullah has been mostly inactive behind rookie star Kerryon Johnson, LeGarrette Blount, and pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick. Rapoport notes that the Lions had trade talks about the Nebraska product before the deadline, but the team was unable to find a deal. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to start fresh somewhere else.
Ellington spent most of the 2018 season on Houston’s injured reserve as he dealt with a hamstring injury, but the 27-year-old was recently cleared by doctors to play. While it was once assumed that the Texans would activate the receiver, their acquisition of Demaryius Thomas (and quick recovery of KekeCoutee) changed things. Ellington ultimately got released off of IR late last month.
The 2014 fourth-round pick signed with Houston back in 2017, and finished that campaign with 29 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He was underwhelming through Houston’s first three games in 2018, as he only hauled in eight receptions for 92 yards and one score. But, Ellington can contribute on special teams for Detroit and could carve out a role for himself at receiver in the wake of the Golden Tate trade.
Orleans Darkwa Rejected Redskins Offer
Running back Orleans Darkwa is still without a job, but he had at least one opportunity to sign with a team before the start of the season. The Redskins tried to sign the ex-Giants running back in August, but rejected their offer of a one-year deal for the minimum salary, Peter King of NBC Sports hears. 
The one-year, ~$1MM offer wasn’t good enough for Darkwa, but it was enough to get Adrian Peterson to sign. And, as it turns out, the chain of events worked out just fine for the Redskins. The 33-year-old Peterson is averaging 4.4 yards per carry through eight games, helping propel the Redskins to a 5-3 mark at the midway point.
“If we sign Darkwa, we wouldn’t have signed Adrian,”senior VP of player personnel Doug Williams said.
Darkwa’s last known audition came on Oct. 2 when he worked out for the Jaguars. He ranks as one of the best available running backs left on the market, but at this point, he may have to accept a minimum salary contract if he wants to play.
Saints Interested In WR Jeremy Kerley
Jeremy Kerley was scheduled to be among the big-name wide receivers auditioning for the Saints on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. However, weather interfered with his scheduled flight and he will not be in attendance for the workout. 
[RELATED: Dez Bryant To Work Out For Saints]
Kerley has had a few workouts this year, including recent auditions for the Patriots and Lions. So far, has been unable to find a home for the 2018 season.
In 2016 with the 49ers, Kerley caught 64 balls for 667 yards and three touchdowns. His best season was in 2012 with the Jets, when he gained 827 yards on 56 catches with two touchdowns. He also offers experience in the punt return game, making him a versatile and experienced option for teams in need.
The Saints would have liked to see Kerley on Tuesday, but they have plenty of star power with former Cowboys standout Dez Bryant, ex-Seahawks receiver Brandon Marshall, and former Ravens notable Kamar Aiken on the practice field. Garafalo hears the Saints are likely to add one of those three players to the roster this week.
Giants Won’t Commit To Starting Eli Manning
Eli Manning will get the start this week against the 49ers, but the Giants aren’t making any guarantees beyond Monday night. When asked during a Tuesday morning press conference, head coach Pat Shurmur declined to commit to Manning as the starter for the rest of the year. 
[RELATED: Giants To Activate R.J. McIntosh]
Giants fans revolted last season when the club briefly gave Manning the hook in favor of backup Geno Smith. Their reserve options aren’t much better this time around, but it seems that public sentiment has shifted in the midst of another lost season. If Manning is yanked, fourth-round rookie Kyle Lauletta or journeyman Alex Tanney could get an opportunity to audition.
Of course, Lauletta threw a wrench into any potential succession plans late last month when he was arrested for disobeying the directions of police officers and nearly struck cops with his car. The Giants say they will not suspend Lauletta for the incident, though the rookie will face “internal consequences.”
Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has done little to inspire confidence this season. His 68.3% completion rate is impressive upon first glance, but he has struggled with the deep ball and has thrown six interceptions against just eight touchdowns.
Giants To Activate RJ McIntosh
The Giants are activating defensive end R.J. McIntosh from the non-football injury list, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Giants will have to drop someone from the roster to welcome McIntosh back, but he’ll provide front seven help for a team that can certainly use some. 
When McIntosh was placed on the NFI list in early September, the Giants had playoff aspirations. But, in November, the Giants aren’t playing for much. The G-Men are 1-7 after losing to the rival Redskins in Week 8 and even running the table would not guarantee them a place in the postseason.
McIntosh, a Miami product, was a fifth-round pick of the Giants in the spring, but was unable to partake in practice for much of the offseason. The exact nature of his medical issue is unclear, but it is believed that it is related to an thyroid problem. Whatever the issue was, it appears to be under control.
As a junior at Miami, McIntosh tallied 52 total tackles, including 12.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He’s unlikely to see significant playing time right away, but he’ll have an opportunity to play his way onto the 2019 team in the second half of this season.
Chiefs Activate S Daniel Sorensen
The Chiefs activated safety Daniel Sorensen from injured reserve, the team announced. To make room on the roster, the Chiefs waived linebacker Nate Orchard. 
The Chiefs have been waiting on safety help and Sorensen’s return should go a long way towards fortifying the secondary. Of course, the bigger upgrade will come when/if Eric Berry is able to make his return. There’s no definitive word yet, but the Chiefs are hopeful that Berry will be able to suit up for the final stretch of the season.
Sorensen started 14 games for the Chiefs last year, but was knocked off course this year by a tibial plateau fracture and MCL damage. Before that, the Chiefs were looking to Sorensen, a contributor on the past four Kansas City defenses and Berry’s replacement throughout last season, to take over as a starter for Ron Parker. A few weeks after the full scope of Sorensen’s injury was disclosed, Parker was brought back, but the Chiefs could still use the extra ammo in the secondary.
Upon his return, Sorensen could help Parker and Jordan Lucas at safety and also pitch in at linebacker in the wake of Terrance Smith‘s season-ending injury. With 56 games under his belt and experience at both spots, he could contribute in a variety of packages starting on Sunday against the Cardinals.
Cowboys Won’t Fire Garrett During Season
On Monday night, the Cowboys were held scoreless in the second half and lost 28-14 to the Titans. It marked the Cowboys’ second straight loss and dragged the team down to 3-5, leading many to question Jason Garrett‘s job security. However, owner Jerry Jones says he will not make an in-season head coaching change (via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). 
Whether Garrett is the biggest problem in Dallas is up for debate, but something was clearly amiss with the Cowboys’ game plan on Monday night. Star running back Ezekiel Elliott ripped off 96 total yards in the first half, but had just six touches in the entire second half. Meanwhile, quarterback Dak Prescott didn’t do them any favors by throwing an ill-advised end zone interception early in the game and giving up a costly fumble in the second half.
Many are concerned about Prescott’s development in the midst of his third season, but Jones reaffirmed his commitment to the former fourth-round pick.
“Listen,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan (Twitter link). “Dak is the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. He’s young and he’s going to get extended.”
The Cowboys – with Garrett on the sidelines and Prescott under center – will travel to Philadelphia this week to take on the defending champs.
Packers’ Geronimo Allison Done For Year?
Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison is expected to have surgery on a core muscle injury, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The recovery is expected to take about six weeks, making him a candidate for the injured reserve list.
Allison, 24, was not able to partake in Sunday night’s game against the Patriots due to his ongoing hamstring and groin problems. Even before those issues popped up, the youngster was set back by a brain injury.
It has been a frustrating year for Allison, who had a promising start to the season with 11 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown in the first two weeks of the season.
The Packers have turned to rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown in Allison’s place. They were without both Allison and Randall Cobb earlier this season, but the longtime Green Bay slot staple is back now, lessening the blow of a likely Allison IR trip. The Illinois alum is a third-year UDFA who will become a restricted free agent in 2019.
Were Allison to be played on IR, he could only return to action this season if the Packers qualified for the playoffs. Green Bay is 3-4-1 and currently hovering on the outside of that race.