Patriots’ Shea McClellin Done For Year
The hits just keep on coming for the Patriots. After officially placing Dont’a Hightower on injured reserve, the Patriots have learned that linebacker Shea McClellin will be unable to return from IR this year (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). 
McClellin suffered a concussion in practice which will keep him from seeing the field in 2017. We still don’t know the nature of the original injury that landed him on IR to begin the year.
McClellin, a former first-round pick by Chicago, joined the Pats on a three-year, $9MM deal in 2016. He appeared in 441 snaps for New England last year and made some athletic plays, including his memorable leap over the line of scrimmage to block a field goal against the Ravens in December. The Patriots were hoping that he could help beef up their weakened pass rush this season, but he admittedly wasn’t stellar in that area last year. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 72 ranked edge defender among 108 qualified players.
Patriots Place Dont’a Hightower On IR
The Patriots have officially placed Dont’a Hightower on injured reserve, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This was the expected move after the linebacker suffered a torn pectoral muscle in October, though there was some hope that he could return to action after resting for a period of time.
League rules dictate that players who are placed on IR must be out of action for at least eight weeks. With only eight games to go, his season is now officially over.
Without Hightower, the Patriots have been using veteran David Harris as the starting middle linebacker with Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy on the strong side and weak side, respectively. They’ve fortified the front seven by signing outside linebacker Trevor Reilly in October and adding defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois earlier today, but Hightower’s production and leadership cannot be easily replaced.
Hightower’s season ends with five appearances, two sacks, and 14 total tackles.
Patriots Sign Ricky Jean-Francois
The Patriots have signed defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Jean-Francois became a free agent last week when he was released by the Packers for the second time in 2017. 
Jean-Francois didn’t see a lot of burn in his six Packers games this year and recorded only two tackles. Last year, however, he was a seven-game starter for the Redskins and he was a full-time starter during his time with the Colts.
The Patriots, who have been working to fortify their front seven for months, could have a larger role in line for Jean-Francois. He’ll look to get some playing time on Sunday when the Pats face the Broncos in Denver.
In 2016, Jean-Francois saw action on roughly 40% of Washington’s defensive snaps, racking up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks in that span.
Packers T Bryan Bulaga Done For Year
Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga tore his ACL, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Bulaga will be placed on injured reserve with no hope of returning this year. 
Bulaga, 28, has been dealing with injuries throughout the season that have hampered his performance. Bulaga currently rates as just the 39th best tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That’s a major step down from his top 7 placement in 2016 and 2014.
Already, the Packers’ offense is reeling from the absence of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Now, fill-in Brett Hundley will have to do his best behind a thinned out offensive line.
For now, reserve Justin McCray is expected to start in Bulaga’s place. Second-round pick Jason Spriggs is coming off of IR and could also help fill the void.
The banged-up Packers are 4-4 after losing to the Lions on Sunday and their playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy.
Vikings To Activate Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy Bridgewater will be activated to the Vikings’ 53-man roster, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the team is discussing whether Sam Bradford will be placed on injured reserve. 
Moving Bradford to IR could be the Vikings best option given the way that Case Keenum has played in his absence. The Vikings also know that they will probably lose preseason standout Kyle Sloter if they try to sneak him through waivers and on to the practice squad.
Keenum is expected to remain the starter for the time being with Bridgewater as a backup. If Keenum falters against the Redskins on Sunday, the Vikings could have another QB dilemma on their hands.
In 2016, Bradford set the NFL record for completion percentage in a season at 71.6%. This year, however, he has been dealing with serious knee troubles and has appeared in only two games. Bradford opened up the season by completing 27 of 32 passes against the Saints for three touchdowns and no interceptions, but he did not return to action until Week 5 against the Bears. After getting re-injured midway through that game, we have not seen Bradford take the field since.
Giants Reinstate Janoris Jenkins
The Giants announced that they have reinstated cornerback Janoris Jenkins. It was just one week ago that Jenkins was handed an “indefinite” suspension by head coach Ben McAdoo. 
Jenkins was banned from the team when he missed last Monday’s meeting. Initially, the Giants said that Jenkins’ absence was excused. Later, McAdoo told reporters that wasn’t the case.
Jenkins’ act-out marked the second time a Giants star has publicly disrespected McAdoo. Just weeks ago, fellow starting corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie butted heads with the coach. He too was handed an “indefinite” suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. And, he too was reinstated after just one week. We know that DRC had some issues with McAdoo specifically, but it’s not immediately clear why Jenkins missed last Monday’s practice.
The Giants are 1-7 after a 51-17 drumming at the hands of the Rams. In the midst of a disastrous season, it’s fair to wonder whether McAdoo will be brought back for another.
In related moves, the Giants signed linebacker Deontae Skinner off the Raiders’ practice squad and waived defensive end Jordan Williams and defensive back Tim Scott. Linebacker Nigel Harris (ribs) was placed on injured reserve.
Eagles Give Raise To D.J. Killings
The Eagles gave practice squad cornerback D.J. Killings a pay raise, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). He’ll now earn a weekly rate that is equivalent to the league minimum paycheck. 
Bumping Killings up to a $27,353/week rate is probably an indication that another team tried to sign him away. It’s not a huge surprise given that he was one of the most talked about undrafted free agents in the 2017 class.
Killings bounced back from an injury-riddled 2015 season to start in all 13 games for UCF last season and had 42 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack, and 11 pass break-ups. After he ran a 4.48 40-yard-dash and posted a 37.5 inch vertical jump at his Pro Day, teams started showing real interest. Although he was passed on 250+ times in the draft, several teams tried to sign him in the spring.
Killings landed with the Patriots on a UDFA deal in May that gave him a higher-than-usual $20K guarantee. He did not make New England’s Week 1 roster, but the Eagles stashed him on the p-squad in October. It seems that Killings is a popular target yet again and the Eagles may have to elevate him to the main roster if they want to keep him for the full year.
The Eagles currently have five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster in Jalen Mills, Patrick Robinson, Rasul Douglas, Dexter McDougle, and Ronald Darby. Darby is dealing with an ankle injury, but it is believed that he will be able to return to action after Philly’s bye to face the Cowboys in Week 11.
Falcons Work Out CB Byron Maxwell
Byron Maxwell worked out for the Falcons on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This marks the cornerback’s first known workout since being released by the Dolphins. 
Maxwell has some ties to the staff in Atlanta thanks to his time spent with head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel in Seattle. Maxwell was a disappointment with the Eagles and Dolphins, but he played some quality football with the Seahawks.
If signed, Maxwell would offer some veteran support behind corners Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, and Brian Poole. Atlanta is currently 10th in passing yards allowed per game with 207.2.
Now 4-4 after Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, the Falcons will look to crack .500 with a win over the Cowboys on Sunday. Nothing is set in stone, but it seems likely that Ezekiel Elliott will be in uniform for Dallas.
NFL Suspends Buccaneers WR Mike Evans
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has been suspended without pay for one game, the NFL announced. Evans’ “violations of unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules” on Sunday against the Saints will keep him sidelined for the team’s upcoming game against the Jets. 
[RELATED: Buccaneers To Rest Jameis Winston]
“During the third quarter, after a play had ended, you struck an unsuspecting opponent in the back, knocking him to the ground. Your conduct clearly did not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional,” NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote in a statement.
Per the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Evans may file for an appeal the suspension within three business days and he’ll do just that, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Appeals are heard and decided by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash in cases of on-field player discipline.
Evans, 24, has topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons. He’s on pace to do it again (532 yards through eight games) but the one-game ban will set him back a bit.
The Buccaneers will also be without quarterback Jameis Winston this week.
Buccaneers To Rest Jameis Winston
The Buccaneers will be without starting quarterback Jameis Winston for a bit. On Monday, head coach Dirk Koetter announced that the team will be shutting him down for “a couple of weeks.” 
Winston first suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder during the preseason. At multiple times during the season, he has re-aggravated the injury. The latest instance forced him out of Sunday’s game against the Saints.
While Winston is sidelined, Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as the Buccaneers’ starter. First up for the Harvard product is a showdown with his former team, the Jets. After that, Fitzpatrick is looking at a likely start against the Dolphins and, potentially, a showdown with the Falcons.
Winston and Fitzpatrick are the only quarterbacks presently on the roster, so the Bucs will probably look to add another QB in the coming days. Ryan Griffin would seem to be a likely candidate for promotion from the practice squad.