Bears To Place Kevin White On IR
Bears coach John Fox confirmed to reporters on Monday morning that Kevin White has suffered a fractured scapula. White will be placed on injured reserve, though it’s currently unclear whether he’ll be a candidate to return later in the year. 
Fox says that surgery is a possibility for White. An operation, presumably, would knock him out for the year. If White can avoid surgery, then he may be able to take advantage of the league’s newly modified IR-DTR rules. Teams can bring two players off of IR during the season each year, though players must spend a minimum of eight weeks on the sidelines.
This is yet another frustrating setback for White, who has played in just five games in three seasons thus far. White, a West Virginia product, was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Although he is immensely talented, it’s not clear if he’ll ever be able to stay healthy.
With White sidelined, the Bears are hoping that Markus Wheaton will be ready to go in Week 2. The former Steeler was not able to go in the season opener as he recovers from finger surgery. Another free agent addition, Kendall Wright, could be in line for additional targets while White is out.
Eagles K Caleb Sturgis Suffers Injury
The Eagles are on the lookout for a kicker. Caleb Sturgis suffered a hip flexor strain on Sunday, as Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The injury will rule him out for four weeks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, and the team is already making plans to look at replacements. 
[RELATED: Eagles’ Ronald Darby Has Dislocated Ankle]
We don’t know who will be working out for the Eagles just yet, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) suggests that free agent Mike Nugent could get a look. Bengals practice squad kicker Jake Elliott could also get a call, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Sturgis, 28, made all three of his field goal tries on Sunday, including a 50-yard attempt, but missed one of his two extra point tries. Last year, he sank a career-high 85.4% of his field goals and went 30-for-31 on XPs.
Good News For Steelers DE Stephon Tuitt
Defensive end Stephon Tuitt is week-to-week with a biceps injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s not ideal, but the Steelers are breathing a sigh of relief after they initially feared a complete tear of the muscle. 
Tuitt exited the Steelers’ season opener against the Browns in the first quarter. He could miss next week’s game against the Vikings and Week 3 against the Bears, but the Steelers should get the starting bookend back in the lineup before long.
The 25-year-old recorded 37 tackles, four sacks, 20.5 pressures, three passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 2016. The advanced metrics told a similar story – he finished out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 20 ranked interior defender.
The Steelers rewarded him ths offseason a five-year $60MM extension that includes $14MM in full guarantees. The former second-round pick was scheduled to earn a base salary of just over $1MM for the upcoming season.
Lions P Kasey Redfern Suffers Torn ACL
Lions punter Kasey Redfern is done for the year. Redfern suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and partial tear of the patellar tendon in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Redfern will be placed on injured reserve, likely later today or tomorrow. 
The injury took place after Redfern bobbled a snap in the Lions’ end zone and ran with the ball. He was hit hard around the ten-yard line – shy of the first down marker – causing his leg to hit the ground at an awkward angle.
Redfern was signed to serve as the team’s punter while Sam Martin is on the non-football injury list. The Lions will now have to look into a Plan C. Kicker Matt Prater took over punting duties on Sunday, but the Lions will almost certainly sign a full-time punter this week.
Rams, Ethan Westbrooks Agree To Extension
The Rams and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks have agreed to a one-year extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The new deal calls for a pay cut from his $1.797MM salary for this year to $1.25MM. In exchange for that, Westbrooks gets a $1.75MM salary for the 2018 season. 
Westbrooks signed his original-round RFA tender this offseason, which would have put him in line for unrestricted free agency in the spring. Last spring, the 26-year-old (27 in November) was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, but the Sacramento County District Attorney chose not to file charges.
The West Texas A&M product has been with the Rams since 2014 when he entered the league as a UDFA. His role has slowly grown over the years and he even wound up starting two games last year. Westbrooks finished out 2016 with 24 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. On Sunday, he notched three tackles and sacked opposing quarterback Scott Tolzien in the third quarter.
Saints’ Jon Dorenbos To Have Heart Surgery
Saints long snapper Jon Dorenbos had an aortic aneurysm, coach Sean Payton told reporters on Friday. Dorenbos will be placed on the non-football injury list as he undergoes open heart surgery. 
The Saints acquired Dorenbos in a trade with Philadelphia less than two weeks ago. Eagles coach Doug Pederson says the team was unaware of the condition at the time and is only just learning about it today along with everyone else.
Dorenbos spent eleven seasons with the Eagles before he was sent to New Orleans for a 2019 seventh-round choice. He earned Pro Bowl honors in both 2009 and 2014.
We here at PFR wish Dorenbos the best of luck during this difficult time.
Saints Working Out CB Leon Hall
The Saints are working out cornerback Leon Hall, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The veteran also auditioned for the Niners on Thursday, a follow-up to his late May tryout. 
[RELATED: Saints To Re-Sign John Kuhn]
On the whole, it has been an eerily quiet offseason for Hall. Outside of the Saints and 49ers, we have not heard of any other workouts for the 32-year-old.
Hall hooked on with the Giants last year after nine seasons with the Bengals. He appeared in 12 games (two starts) and compiled 2o tackles, one forced fumble, and one interception. He appears to have lost a step or two since his prime years and has started just six games in the last two seasons.
The Saints could use some additional depth at cornerback after losing Delvin Breaux for at least eight weeks. They’re slated to start P.J. Williams and first-round pick Marshon Lattimore when they face the Vikings on Monday night.
NFL Suspends K Josh Brown For Six Games
Former Giants kicker Josh Brown has been suspended for an additional six games for domestic violence accusations, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. The timing of the ban makes little sense, particularly since Brown is highly unlikely to ever get another chance to play in the NFL. 
“We reopened the investigation based on new info,” a league source texted to Schefter on Friday. “[We] concluded there was a violation of our personal conduct policy and imposed six-game suspension which he accepted without appeal.”
By adding six games to Brown’s ban, the league could be looking to establish a stronger precedent heading in the Ezekiel Elliott court case. The Cowboys star is pushing for a temporary restraining order that would allow him to continue to play this season.
“[The] timing has nothing to do with Zeke and made no sense to hold this until Zeke was complete,” the source said via text.
In 2015, Brown’s last complete season, he sank a career-high 93.8% of his field goal attempts. He also contends that he never actually struck his ex-wife. Still, no NFL team will take on the PR firestorm that would come with signing him or even auditioning him at this point.
Chiefs’ Eric Berry Suffers Achilles Injury
The Chiefs crushed the defending champs on Thursday night, but it wasn’t all roses. Late in the game, star safety Eric Berry was carter off the field with what is feared to be an Achilles tear. The team is still waiting for tests, but head coach Andy Reid is bracing for the worst. 
“I don’t think it’s positive news,” Reid said.
If it’s a full on Achilles tear, then Berry’s season will end after three-and-a-half quarters of September football. From there, the Chiefs will consider promoting reserves Daniel Sorensen or Eric Murray to the starting lineup, but they may also want to look into some outside help.
Berry played a full 16 game season in 2016 and posted four interceptions, nine passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He graded out as the NFL’s No. 8 safety, per Pro Football Focus, which also handed Berry top marks for pass coverage. In February, he re-upped with KC on a six-year, $78MM deal instead of testing the open market.
Pro Football Rumors’ 2017 NFL Predictions
The 2017 NFL season gets underway tonight, and the writers at Pro Football Rumors have weighed in with projections for the upcoming year. We’ve predicted which teams will earn playoff berths, which clubs will win their respective conferences, the Super Bowl champion, and the winners of the league’s major awards.
Will the Patriots repeat as defending champions? They’re a popular pick, but not everyone on the staff played it safe. There’s also a wide range of predictions when it comes to the Offensive and Defensive Rookie Of The Year awards.
Click on the table below for predictions from Zach Links, Connor Byrne, Ben Levine, Dallas Robinson, and Sam Robinson. And please head to the comments section to chime in with your own prognostications for the 2017 NFL season!
