NFC Notes: Lions, Stafford, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a hamstring injury and a sprained ankle in Detroit’s 27-24 loss to Carolina, a source tells ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Stafford’s status is currently up in the air and his week of practice will determine whether he plays Sunday against New Orleans. The good news is that if Stafford does miss time, it sounds like it won’t be a lengthy absence.
Here’s a look at the NFC:
- Eagles coach Doug Pederson admitted to reporters that it’s going to be tough to get lineman Lane Johnson through the league’s concussion protocol in time for Thursday night’s game (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com).
- Seahawks running back Chris Carson lost a good chunk of money thanks to his injury and the split in his contract, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) points out. His weekly salary is now based off $348K while on IR rather than $465K.
- Bears linebacker John Timu, who was carted off the field on Sunday with a scary-looking injury, only suffered a high-ankle sprain (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). He’ll be out 2-4 weeks, which is a much better prognosis than many expected at first.
Giants To Meet With Branden Albert
The Giants will meet with offensive tackle Branden Albert later this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Albert worked out for the Seahawks on Monday, but he left Seattle without a deal. 
Albert was upset about his contract this summer and unsure about whether he wanted to play at all in 2017. It was said that he had “no desire” to play in late August, but he apparently had a change of heart this fall.
The 32-year-old (33 in November) was once among the league’s better tackles, but it’s fair to wonder what he has left in the tank at this stage. The Seahawks are in dire need of tackle help, so it’s perhaps telling that he did not sign with them after his audition. Then again, given his contractual demands over the summer, it’s possible that the two sides were just too far apart on Monday.
The jinxed Giants – who are without both Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall for the remainder of the season – head to Denver on Sunday in search of their first win.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Luck, Texans, Watt
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has been ruled out for next Monday night’s game against Tennessee, coach Chuck Pagano tells reporters. The Colts are still waiting for Luck to make his 2017 debut but publicly they have been insistent that he will play at some point. Over the weekend we learned that Luck is at least a month away from playing.
Here’s more from the AFC South:
- Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt is facing a lengthy recovery for his tibial plateau fracture, but the good news is that he did not suffer ligament damage, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). The Houston star will miss the remainder of the 2017 season, meaning that he will have missed 24 games over the past two regular seasons. Before that, Watt earned Pro Bowl trips and first-team All-Pro honors in every campaign from 2012-2015.
- Colts wide receiver Krishawn Hogan confirmed that an ACL tear is the reason behind his being placed on IR (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). “‘I kind of knew it when it happened,” Hogan said of the injury. The UDFA out of Marian University was elevated from the Colts’ practice squad in late September and appeared in two games. He had practice buzz, so the Colts can be expected to circle back to him in the offseason.
- Colin Kaepernick‘s representatives reached out to the Titans after Marcus Mariota went down with a hamstring issue.
Texans Work Out Tyson Jackson
Former No. 3 overall pick Tyson Jackson is visiting the Texans and will work out for them, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). The Texans are in desperate need of defensive line help after losing J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus to season-ending injuries, so Jackson could be a natural fit. 
Jackson was cut loose by the Falcons at the outset of free agency. With $8.5MM and two years to go on his deal, it was an easy choice for Atlanta given his disappointing performance in 2016.
Last year, Jackson had just 13 total tackles and two pass deflections in 16 games (seven starts). The advanced statistics at Pro Football Focus rated him as just the No. 67 interior defender in the NFL out of 127 qualified players. His grades for run defense, pass rush, and coverage were all atrocious in his 389 total snaps.
Furthermore, Jackson failed to record a sack in any of his three seasons with the Falcons, but he was an effective player while with the Chiefs. He may not be the world-class player NFL scouts thought he might be in 2009, but he could help to fill a major need in Houston.
Cardinals Release RB Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson‘s time in Arizona has come to a close. The Cardinals released CJ2K in order to make room for the newly-acquired Adrian Peterson. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Acquire Adrian Peterson From Saints]
The 31-year-old rushed for 814 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to David Johnson as the club’s starting running back in 2015. He missed the bulk of 2016, but the team circled back to him again this year when D. Johnson suffered a wrist injury. This time around, things didn’t work out quite as well. The older Johnson had 114 yards off of 45 carries, averaging out to 2.5 yards per attempt.
Johnson has six 1,000-yard seasons (including a 2,000-yard campaign) and three Pro Bowl nods on his resume, but those days are likely behind him. If he can’t find a team willing to give him consistent playing time, it’s possible that he could just hang ’em up.
“I need to be involved,” the speedster said in June. “At this point in my career, I don’t want to sit on the sideline. I want to get in the game.”
NFL May Make Players Stand For Anthem
The NFL may institute a rule change that will mandate players to stand for the national anthem, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Commissioner Roger Goodell issued the following letter to team executives and presidents (Facebook link, from Schefter): 
“We live in a country that can feel very divided. Sports, and especially the NFL, brings people together and lets them set aside those divisions, at least for a few hours. The current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country.
I’m very proud of our players and owners who have done the hard work over the past year to listen, understand and attempt to address the underlying issues within their communities. At our September committee meetings, we heard directly from several players about why these issues are so important to them and how we can support their work. And last week, we met with the leadership of the NFLPA and more players to advance the dialogue.
Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us. We also care deeply about our players and respect their opinions and concerns about critical social issues. The controversy over the Anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players.
Building on many discussions with clubs and players, we have worked to develop a plan that we will review with you at next week’s League meeting. This would include such elements as an in-season platform to promote the work of our players on these core issues, and that will help to promote positive change in our country. We want to ensure that any work at the League level is consistent with the work that each club is doing in its own community, and that we dedicate a platform that can enable these initiatives to succeed. Additionally, we will continue the unprecedented dialogue with our players.
I expect and look forward to a full and open discussion of these issues when we meet next week in New York. Everyone involved in the game needs to come together on a path forward to continue to be a force for good within our communities, protect the game, and preserve our relationship with fans throughout the country. The NFL is at its best when we ourselves are unified. In that spirit, let’s resolve that next week we will meet this challenge in a unified and positive way.”
Bears Place Willie Young On IR
The Bears have officially placed outside linebacker Willie Young on injured reserve. This was the expected move after Young suffered a torn triceps muscle. 
Young, 32, has been a key cog of the Bears’ defense since joining the team in 2014. He has made 50 appearances for Chicago and has been an absolute sack machine with 26 in total.
Without him, the Bears will be extra reliant on Pernell McPhee, Leonard Floyd, and Sam Acho for edge pressure. They may also look to the free agent market for reinforcements. Although he is strictly a situational pass rusher at this point, someone like Dwight Freeney could be of interest to Chicago.
Young inked a lucrative extension with the Bears last year and is under contract with the team through the 2018 season. His recovery will not be fun, but he has been here before. Young tore one of his Achilles’ tendons late in the 2014 season and bounced back to play a complete and successful campaign in 2015. In that 2015 season, Young had 6.5 sacks and 30 tackles.
Lions To Sign DE Datone Jones
Former Packers defensive end Datone Jones is signing with the Lions, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones spent the summer with the Vikings, so he’s getting a good tour of the NFC North. 
Jones joined Minnesota in the spring with the hope that he would thrive in a 4-3 defense. That didn’t quite happen and health issues in late August left him on the outs.
The 27-year-old will slot in behind starting defensive ends Ezekiel Ansah and Anthony Zettel. He might not be able to play up to the expectations laid out for him when he was a first-round draft pick, but he could be a worthwhile rotational piece for Detroit.
George Johnson, Jeremiah Valoaga, and Cornelius Washington are also on the roster for DE support.
Saints Trade Adrian Peterson To Cardinals
The Saints have traded Adrian Peterson to the Cardinals, as first reported by Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The two sides have since confirmed the swap via press release. The Saints will receive a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Peterson has struggled mightily in New Orleans, averaging just three yards per carry. The Cardinals are hoping that a change of scenery will help him get back to his old form. Perhaps the Cardinals are also banking on Peterson having fresh legs. He had only 27 rushing attempts through four games as Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara led New Orleans’ rushing attack. He’ll also have the benefit of two bye weeks – one with the Saints in Week 5 and one with the Cardinals in Week 8.
The Cardinals have been on the lookout for running back help ever since losing David Johnson to injury. Without one of the game’s most electrifying tailbacks, the Cardinals have been unable to get anything going on the ground.
Peterson ostensibly will slot in as the Cardinals’ top running back. Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington, Elijhaa Penny, and D.J. Foster will be there in support, but Chris Johnson will not be after receiving a pink slip on Tuesday.
From the get-go, Peterson seemed a suspect fit for the Saints. Despite his Hall of Fame credentials, Peterson did not look to be on the same level as Kamara or Ingram. When he wasn’t getting the playing time he expected, he immediately lashed out at head coach Sean Payton and went public with his displeasure. We heard in mid-September that the Saints didn’t have any intention of trading or releasing Peterson. Weeks later, they’ve had a change of heart.
Initially, when he signed his two-year, $7MM deal with New Orleans, Peterson insisted that he would not make a fuss over his workload.
“I don’t need all those carries to be my best,” Peterson said in the offseason. “I don’t think I became a great player by having to have 20 or 30 carries to get 200 yards. If they feed it to me, hey, I’m going to eat. Whenever I get opportunities, I’ll take advantage of them.”
Ravens Re-Sign RB Bobby Rainey
The Ravens have re-signed running back Bobby Rainey, according to a team announcement. To make room, the Ravens have cut offensive tackle Dieugot Joseph. 
Rainey was among the Ravens’ final cuts before roster cutdowns in early September. The veteran, who turns 30 next week, was something of a surprise cut since he drew positive reviews from coaches throughout the summer. He’s back in the fold now, however, and it helps that he knows the playbook. He’ll help to provide depth at running back while Terrance West deals with an injured calf.
Rainey’s best pro seasons came with the Bucs in 2013 and 2014 when he rushed for more than 400 yards in each year.