NFL: Cowboys’ La’el Collins Tried To Bribe Drug Test Official
The NFL believes that Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins attempted to bribe the league’s drug-test collector, according to sources who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. This would help to explain Collins’ recent five-game ban. 
Collins reportedly did not test positive between October 21, 2020 and August 11, 2021. However, he’s missed seven tests along the way. The player’s camp claims that many of those missed tests were due to the pandemic, but attempted bribery is a different matter.
Schefter adds that the NFLPA helped to negotiate a reduction of the suspension, lowering it from five games to two. Instead, Collins filed an appeal and lost. The arbitrator reinstated the full five-game ban, which means that he’ll be out until Week 8, following the Cowboys’ bye. Collins has filed yet another appeal, but it’s believed to be something of a longshot.
All of those game checks will cost Collins approximately $2MM while also canceling next year’s $6.5MM injury guarantee. In the meantime, the rest of the 1-1 Cowboys are set to face the Eagles on Monday night in Dallas.
Colts To Start Carson Wentz
The Colts will start Carson Wentz today against the Titans (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This marks a shockingly fast turnaround for the quarterback, who suffered injuries to both of his ankles last week. 
[RELATED: Colts Promote DT Antwaun Woods]
Wentz told reporters on Wednesday that he was “throwing the kitchen sink” at his injured ankles in hopes of getting ready. Then, he managed to return to practice on Friday and got through his drills without any setbacks. Still, he had to practice with his ankles heavily taped, so backup Jacob Eason will go into today’s game ready to play, if necessary. Brett Hundley has also been elevated from the practice squad in case of emergency.
Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Colts so far. Now 0-2, they’ve already allowed Wentz to absorb six sacks. He enters today’s game with 498 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
On the other side of the ball, they’ll have support from newly promoted defensive tackle Antwuan Woods. Woods, 28, played on 57% of the Cowboys’ snaps in 2018 and worked as a full-time starter. The former UDFA started 10 games in 2019 but saw his role reduced during a woeful Dallas defensive season in 2020. He could have an opportunity to shine again as he takes linebacker Jordan Glasgow‘s spot on the active roster.
49ers Won’t Rule Out Richard Sherman
Could Richard Sherman return to SF? When speaking with reporters, 49ers GM John Lynch wouldn’t rule out the possibility (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News). 
“He handled himself incredibly well,” Lynch said of Sherman, who has not been signed since his off-the-field incident in July. “He had a momentary lapse and has to be held accountable for that; he understands that. He also has a decade of doing good for people and overcoming challenges.”
This jibes with recent word that Sherman is a possibility for the Niners, as well as the Buccaneers and Seahawks. Still, Lynch doesn’t sound like he’s ready to put a deal on the table just yet.
“We’re good with where we are at [with our cornerbacks right now],” Lynch said. “Who knows? We could need him down the road. Most of all, I’m pulling for him and his family. He’s going to overcome this and do great things.”
Sherman, 33, was a Seahawks a cap casualty in 2018. That brought him to the Niners, where he turned in a so-so 2018 and a strong 2019. That year, he earned a second-team All-Pro nod while helping the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance. A calf injury kept Sherman out of eleven games last year, but the accomplished cover man is said to be in good shape. He may still have a suspension on the horizon, but he’ll likely land a deal sometime this year.
Latest On Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey
The Panthers expect Christian McCaffrey to miss the next few weeks of action (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). On the plus side, the team not planning to put the running back on injured reserve, which means that he could miss less than three games. 
[RELATED: Surgery For Panthers’ Horn?]
McCaffrey pulled his hamstring on Thursday night and still managed to run the ball out of play before heading to the locker room. The Panthers went on to beat the Texans, but it’s a bad blow to the offense moving forward. For now, Chuba Hubbard figures to see an uptick in work.
CMC was limited to only three games in 2020 after suffering a shoulder injury. It was a disappointing setback, on the heels of his historic 2019 with 2,392 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns. Through two games this year, McCaffrey looked sharp with 324 yards from scrimmage off of 59 totes. The 25-year-old added another 40 total yards on nine carries before his early exit las night.
Hubbard, a rookie fourth-round pick, only saw 26 offensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 2. The team is also rostering Royce Freeman on the active roster, and they could turn to practice squad backs Rodney Smith or Spencer Brown for additional depth.
Besides CMC, the Panthers are also awaiting additional word on cornerback Jaycee Horn. They’ll know more after Horn undergoes testing today, but it sounds like he’ll need surgery on his foot. That’ll rule him out for the bulk of the season, if not the rest of the campaign.
Colts’ Carson Wentz Returns To Practice
A welcome surprise for the Colts. Quarterback Carson Wentz returned to practice on Friday, which means he could potentially play on Sunday against the Titans. 
Wentz was forced out in the fourth quarter against the Rams on Sunday, when his right ankle visibly twisted beneath defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Meanwhile, his left ankle was also sprained, which signaled that he’d be out for one game, at minimum.
“He rolled it up pretty bad,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said earlier this week. “I had a sense when he walked off the field. It didn’t look good. Sometimes if you go back in right away when it’s still warm you can maybe gut out a few more plays. The longer we were off the field, it stiffened up and he tried, but there was no chance.”
The Colts won’t rush Wentz back to the field, so Jacob Eason could still be in line to start this week. Beyond them, Brett Hundley stands as the next QB up with Sam Ehlinger on injured reserve.
Latest On Dolphins, Texans’ Deshaun Watson
Stephen Ross reportedly wants to bring embattled Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to South Beach. That’s no secret, and that’s a sticking point to the Dolphins’ owner. Ross is unhappy about the late-August leak, according to a source who spoke with PFT. 
Watson could be a game-changer for the Dolphins, but Ross doesn’t want to overrule his football people who seem less excited about the idea. Ross also seems willing to wait until next year, when there should be more clarity on Watson’s legal situation and availability.
The Texans still want three first-round draft picks (and more) for Watson and they want them to come with zero conditions. That doesn’t sit well with the Dolphins or other potentially interested clubs who know that Watson could quickly be parked on the commissioner’s list. Meanwhile, it’s safe to assume that the Panthers’ interest in Watson has cooled. New QB Sam Darnold has Carolina at 2-0, following last night’s 24-9 drumming over Houston.
Even with Tyrod Taylor sidelined, the Texans turned to rookie Davis Mills on Thursday with journeyman Jeff Driskel as his backup. Even if Ross really wants Watson in Miami, it sounds like the three-time Pro Bowler will remain in limbo for the foreseeable future.
Surgery For Panthers’ Jaycee Horn?
The Panthers could be without Jaycee Horn for a while. The early word is that the cornerback has multiple broken bones in his foot, which would require surgery and two to three months of recovery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Horn broke three bones in his foot, Matt Rhule said Friday, and the rookie and his family will determine his plans from here. Surgery is certainly on the table. It could well mean Horn’s initial NFL season will end after three games. 
[RELATED: Panthers’ CMC Suffers Hamstring Injury]
A late-season return represents Horn’s best-case scenario. Horn went down on a non-contact play Thursday night and had to be carted off. He was unable to put weight on his leg, an immediate sign of something serious. Meanwhile, the Panthers also saw star running back Christian McCaffrey and safety Juston Burris exit early.
Horn, the first cornerback drafted this year, finished his Ohio State run with two interceptions and six passes defended in just seven games. Through his first two pro games, the No. 8 overall pick has three tackles and one interception to his credit.
He’ll likely land on the injured reserve list, elevating veteran Rashaan Melvin to a larger role. Carolina, however, is likely to have A.J. Bouye in action soon. After missing two games due to a PED suspension, Bouye missed Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Rhule expects Bouye to be ready for Week 4, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets.
Latest On Eagles’ Brandon Brooks
The Eagles should expect to be without Brandon Brooks for the next eight weeks. At least, that’s the timeline quoted by teammate and friend Lane Johnson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). 
The Birds parked Brooks on the injured reserve list earlier this week following his pectoral injury. Early on, there was fear of it being a season-ending for Brooks, one of the league’s most talented offensive guards. However, it wasn’ t a complete pec tear, leaving the possibility of a return in the second half.
Brooks, of course, has been here before. The 32-year-old lost all of 2020 to a torn Achilles, leaving the Eagles to scramble for solutions up front. He also had Achilles and shoulder tears in the past. When healthy, he’s a standout. Brooks made the Pro Bowl every year from 2017-2019, showing why he’s worth his current four-year, $54.2MM deal.
The Eagles turned to rookie Landon Dickerson in Brooks’ stead, but they could pivot to the more experienced Nate Herbig. They also have a newcomer, Jack Anderson, to provide depth. Still, Johnson knows that no one else can be a one-for-one replacement for Brooks.
“Brooks has been one of the best right guards in the league for a long time,” Johnson said (via the Philadelphia Inquirer). “Tremendous loss for us. Having him out there, might’ve been the difference between us winning and losing.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/23/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Nick Bawden
Lions Place Tyrell Williams On IR
The Lions have placed wide receiver Tyrell Williams on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. His roster spot will be filled by linebacker Josh Woods, who has been signed from the Bears’ practice squad. 
Williams has been in concussion protocol ever since Week 1, when he absorbed a hard tackle from 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt. Doctors held Williams out of last week’s game against the Lions and he’ll continue to sit out for several more games. At minimum, Williams will miss this week’s game against the Ravens, next week’s tilt against the Bears, and the Week 5 game against the Vikings.
Williams reunited with Anthony Lynn this year, agreeing to a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $6.2MM. The Lions were hoping to have a healthy Williams front and center in their offense with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones out of the picture. Instead, the 29-year-old will have to spend the early part of the season focusing on his health. In his lone Lions game, Williams notched two grabs for 14 yards.
His most productive season to date came under Mike McCoy — a 1,000-yard 2016 slate — but he remained an auxiliary Chargers cog under Lynn from 2017-18. Still, Williams totaled more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns between those seasons.