Texans’ Christian Covington Done For Season
The Texans have lost yet another member of the front seven. This time, it’s defensive end Christian Covington. His season is over thanks to a torn bicep, coach Bill O’Brien told reporters on Monday morning (Twitter link). 
Covington, originally slated to be a backup, was thrust into the starting lineup when the Texans lost multiple starters to injury. Houston will now have to dig even deeper after losing defensive end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus to long-term injuries. Defensive ends Kendall Langford (knee) and Joel Heath (knee), meanwhile, are still on the mend.
Covington appeared in seven games for the Texans this year, including two starts. He finishes out with 16 tackles and one sack. In his small sample of play (166 snaps), Pro Football Focus gave him an 82.2 overall score, putting him the top 30 for interior defenders.
Jets Notes: Watson, Wilkerson, Sanchez
Did the Jets make a franchise-altering mistake by not taking quarterback Deshaun Watson? Some within the organization believe that’s the case, particularly those who lobbied hard for him during the draft, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. Mehta hears that some Jets officials were willing to trade a 2018 first-round pick plus Muhammad Wilkerson to move back into the first round to select Watson.
One can’t help but wonder whether the inclusion of Wilkerson in a trade offer would have helped the Jets’ chances. Wilkerson was once one of the league’s best values on the defensive line, but that went out of the window when he signed a five-year, $86MM extension before the start of last season and regressed sharply in 2016. Jets fans can dream about a scenario in which a future first-round pick, Wilkerson, and perhaps other draft considerations would have been enough to sway the Browns or Saints, but it’s hard to totally buy into that idea.
Here’s more on Gang Green:
- After the Bills managed to unload Marcell Dareus, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com wonders aloud if the Jets could move Wilkerson before Tuesday’s trade deadline. He rightly concludes that a trade is highly unlikely. Aside from his onerous contract, Wilkerson’s production has still not returned to 2015 levels and he is dealing with multiple nagging injuries.
- Recently, former Jets coach Rex Ryan said that he never saw Mark Sanchez as a “franchise quarterback,” but felt that he was good enough to “win with.” Those comments stand in stark contrast with what he wrote in his 2011 book, as Mike Florio of PFT notes. Ryan wrote that Sanchez was going to be “extraordinary in the NFL” and explained the thought process behind trading up to the No. 5 pick in the draft to get him. Ryan, it seems, is looking to rewrite history a little bit. This all may be part of an effort to to work his way back towards becoming an NFL head coach, but that seems unlikely at the moment.
Latest On Bears TE Zach Miller
On Monday, Bears tight end Zach Miller had major surgery on his dislocated knee. As first reported by ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (video link), the injury put him at risk for potentially losing his leg. The early word on the operation is good, however, with the Bears terming it as “successful”.
“Successful surgery was performed immediately on Sunday by the UMC vascular surgeons to stabilize his injury,” the team said in a statement. “Zach remains at UMC, along with Bears medical personnel, where he will stay under further evaluation. We are thinking of Zach and his family and support from our entire organization goes out to them.”
A dislocated knee is a complicated injury and especially scary because of the arteries involved. When there is significant vascular damage, surgeons will sometimes have to graft an artery from one leg to the other. If proper circulation cannot be restored, then the patient may wind up losing the limb. Needless to say, Miller’s season is over and his football future is also in jeopardy, but he has a much larger battle to focus on at the moment.
Miller, who spent the first three seasons of his career as an afterthought in Jacksonville, has done his best work over the past three seasons with the Bears. In 2016, Miller caught a career-high 47 passes and 486 yards with four touchdowns. This year, he was on pace for similar stats with 20 grabs for 236 yards and two TDs.
Patriots Notes: Hightower, Hicks, Amendola
Here’s a look at the Pats:
- The Patriots will probably consider trading for an inside linebacker in the wake of Dont’a Hightower‘s injury, but they also have to think carefully about further mortgaging their future, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Already, the Eagles are on track to send a fourth-round pick to the Eagles for the Eric Rowe deal plus 2018 fifth- and seventh-round picks to the Seahawks to acquire Cassius Marsh and a 2019 sixth-round pick in a deal with the Lions for cornerback Johnson Bademosi.
- Hightower isn’t their only injury concern. Wide receiver Danny Amendola is dealing with a hyperextended knee, as Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald writes. Amendola’s injury, which is nowhere near as serious as Hightower’s, happened during a punt return against the Falcons. Amendola missed practice on Wednesday, but managed to return Thursday, so he could theoretically gut it out on Sunday against the Chargers. Alternatively, they may look to rest the 31-year-old for a bit with the bye week on the horizon. The Amendola injury could impact the Pats’ course of action in filling Hightower’s shoes. They might need a 53-man roster spot to add a wide receiver, or even a defensive tackle in the wake of Malcom Brown‘s ankle injury.
- Coach Bill Belichick called defensive lineman Akiem Hicks at the last minute in 2016 to try and sign him in free agency, Patrick Finley of the Sun-Times writes. Ultimately, the reunion didn’t happen and Chicago is grateful for that. In 2015, Hicks totaled three sacks in 13 regular-season games for New England and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as its 14th-best defensive tackle. In 2016, Hicks finished out with a career-high 54 tackles and seven sacks, setting himself up for a four-year, $48MM extension with the Bears this September. Through seven games this year, he already has six sacks and 24 tackles. Within the article, Hicks also blamed his so-so performance in New Orleans on being miscast as an edge rusher.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Staley, Seahawks
There’s trade talk surrounding Joe Staley as the deadline approaches, but the left tackle says that he wants to stay put with the 49ers.
“I’ve always wanted to play for the Niners, and the facts don’t change now,” Staley said (via Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group). “I’m just here to be better at my job. That’s where my focus is.”
The Eagles became a speculative suitor for Staley after after Jason Peters suffered a season-ending knee injury, particularly since Staley carries a reasonable salary all the way through 2019. The Niners say it would “take a whole lot” to part ways with him, but that just might happen with so many teams looking to strengthen the offensive line.
Staley, meanwhile, says he hasn’t gone to general manager John Lynch or coach Kyle Shanahan for clarification on his status.
“They know I want to be here,” Staley said. “What I’m concerned with is coming off a game where we didn’t do a good job in pass protection. We’ve got a hell of a challenge this week against the Eagles.”
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- We have details on Dwight Freeney‘s deal with the Seahawks, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The veteran will earn $1MM in base salary, plus $8K for each game he is on the 53-man roster. All in all, the deal carries a maximum value of $1.08MM. Freeney, 37, is expected to suit up on Sunday when the Seahawks host Houston.
- Don’t expect Seahawks teammate Michael Bennett to play as long as Freeney. When asked if he sees himself on the field at the age of 37, Bennett replied, “Hell no,” (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). Bennett turns 32 in November, so that doesn’t mean retirement is necessarily coming anytime soon. The defensive end is under contract through the 2020 season, his age-35 campaign, so that could be the cutoff he has in mind.
- The Cardinals formally placed Carson Palmer on IR, ruling him out for the next two months.
- The 49ers are changing Eric Reid‘s position in the midst of his contract year.
Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower Done For Season?
3:35pm: Hightower underwent surgery to repair the damaged pectoral muscle on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds the veteran linebacker is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2018 season.
10:30am: The Patriots still do not know if Hightower will be out for the year, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Hightower will visit Dr. James Andrews to get a better assessment of the damage.
9:51am: Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Pats are expected to formally place him on injured reserve on Thursday afternoon. 
Losing Hightower is a major blow to the Patriots’ defense. As the team’s middle linebacker, Hightower was essentially the leader of the front seven and the extension of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia on the field.
Hightower missed two of the Pats’ games in September and his absence was noticeable. Heading into Week 4, the usually solid Pats ranked dead last in the NFL in points allowed, yards allowed, and defensive DVOA. They can draw from a reserve group including Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts (missed Sunday’s game with an injury of his own), David Harris, Marquis Flowers, and Trevor Reilly, but it would make sense for them to explore available MLBs between now and the Halloween trade deadline.
Hightower, 27, played in 13 games last season and racked up 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best linebacker among 87 qualifiers. In the spring, he was rewarded with a four-year, $43.5MM deal, including $19MM guaranteed. The Patriots’ decision to keep Hightower and re-sign him on a large contract underscored his importance after they traded away other key defenders such as Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones.
Chargers Sign Max Tuerk To Practice Squad
Max Tuerk is back with the Chargers, but not on their main roster. The Bolts have signed him to the practice squad, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. 
Tuerk was suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. For one reason or another, he was not immediately reinstated after the ban was up. On Oct. 3, the Chargers waived Tuerk, a 2016 third-round pick.
The USC product entered the league with a good amount of buzz, but he has yet to play in a game thanks to injuries in 2016 and this year’s suspension/release. It is perhaps telling that the league’s 31 other teams declined to claim him off of waivers. His decision to sign a taxi squad deal with the Chargers could also be an indication that he did not have any 53-man roster opportunities elsewhere, even at the minimum salary level.
If things go well, Tuerk could conceivably earn an in-season promotion. With the ability to play both guard/center, he could be a valuable sub for the Chargers on the interior line.
Details On Lane Johnson’s Lawsuit
Earlier this year, Eagles tackle Lane Johnson filed suit against the NFL and NFLPA for what he said were unfair practices in the wake of his ten-game suspension. We now have some new information on the lawsuit, courtesy of Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. 
Johnson was hit with a ten-game ban as a repeat offender of the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. When it comes to this latest positive test, he insists that it was the result of taking an NFLPA-approved supplement. He also says the appeals process was flawed, noting that arbitrator James H. Carter previously represented the NFL in other matters. Carter’s firm received millions of dollars from the NFL for said work and Johnson says that led to bias. The union, he says, was negligent in allowing Carter to swing the gavel. The NFLPA has countered by saying that Carter was a “properly selected neutral arbitrator with impeccable credentials and no evident partiality in this matter.”
Johnson has already served his suspension, but he is continuing his fight in an effort to recoup his lost salary as well as having $25MM+ in guarantees reinstated in his five-year, $56MM deal. Both the NFL and the NFLPA have moved to have the case dismissed without prejudice, but a win in the courts could have far-reaching implications for all parties involved.
AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Smith, Colts, Good
The Jaguars are no joke, Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post writes. After shutting out the Colts on Sunday, the Jags are now 4-3 with a real chance to put themselves in the playoff mix.
Despite the many question marks they have on offense – including quarterback – the talent-rich defense has bolstered them through the first half of the season. Thanks to high draft picks and lots of free agent dollars, Jacksonville has Jalen Ramsey, Dante Fowler Jr., and Calais Campbell to help anchor the defense. There are also late-round gems like Yannick Ngakoue and Telvin Smith, who was just rewarded with a lucrative four-year extension.
Jacksonville is on its bye this week, but they’ll look to build on their winning record when they face Cincinnati on Nov. 5. Here’s more from the AFC South:
- We have some details on Smith’s extension with the Jaguars, courtesy of NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The four-year pact is worth $44MM in new money with $20.5MM in guarantees. The deal can max out at $50MM and includes a $7.5MM signing bonus.
- It sounds like the Colts will bring Denzelle Good back from injured reserve. The guard/tackle is eligible to return in two weeks, as Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) notes. Good played well in Indianapolis’ season opener before the team discovered a torn wrist ligament the following day.
- The Texans are bringing tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz back from injured reserve.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Hightower, Cutler
The Patriots were aware of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks in the offseason when he was on the block and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link) wonders if he could be a consideration for them now that Dont’a Hightower is dealing with a serious pectoral injury.
Kendricks has long been talked about as a trade candidate and he even requested a trade himself back in January. However, he has become vital to the team in the wake of Jordan Hicks‘ season-ending Achilles tear. Kendricks was on the field for 55 snaps in Week 6 and probably would have been in line for lots of burn last week if not for a hamstring injury. With a 6-1 record, the Eagles probably aren’t inclined to trade away a key defender like Kendricks before the deadline.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- If he’s ruled out for the season, Hightower will lose out on $2.6MM+ in bonuses from the Patriots due to the torn pectoral and his previous knee injuries, Howe tweets. Hightower’s deal includes extra cash based on per-game play and play-time as well as Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances.
- Despite his cracked ribs, Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler is expected to be available a week from Sunday vs. Oakland, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, he will not be able to suit up for Thursday night’s game against Baltimore.
- The Patriots had wide receiver Jake Kumerow and fullback Marquez Williams in for free agent workouts on Wednesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Kumerow was signed to the practice squad on Thursday morning.