Luke Kuechly Not Considering Retirement
Multiple concussions have felled superstar Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly this season, though the 25-year-old unsurprisingly told media Wednesday that he isn’t mulling retirement. “I’m holding off that retirement word for a little ways down the road,” he said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “It’s something you appreciate everybody concerned with how you’re doing, but whenever my opportunity comes back I’ll be back out there.” Kuechly has recovered from the concussion that he suffered Nov. 17, but the Panthers haven’t cleared him to return to action. Considering they’re 6-8 and all but out of playoff contention, it would behoove the defending NFC champions to keep Kuechly out until next season.
More from the NFC:
- The Bears designated cornerback Kyle Fuller to return from injured reserve last month, but it turns out they won’t activate him, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. There’s now a belief within the organization – including from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio – that Fuller wasn’t eager to come back this season from August knee surgery, per Biggs. Head coach John Fox addressed that, saying, “That’s hard to measure. Looking inside people is not real easy.” The likelihood now is that Fuller – a 2014 first-round pick – has played his final game with the organization, suggests Biggs, who notes that the Bears would take a late-round choice for him. Fuller, who appeared in all 32 games (30 starts) in his first two years and racked up six interceptions, is under contract next season for a relative pittance ($1.74MM-plus). He’s also controllable for 2018 by way of a fifth-year option, but it’s likely his employer – whether it’s the Bears or another team – will decline to exercise it by next spring’s deadline.
- After Eagles left tackle Jason Peters earned his ninth Pro Bowl selection Tuesday, head coach Doug Pederson spoke out against the idea that the soon-to-be 35-year-old could be an offseason cap casualty. “I love him,’’ Pederson said (per Paul Domowitch of Philly.com). “I want him on the team. I don’t want him to go anywhere. I want him to be an Eagle for the rest of his career. Once we get through these next two games, we’ll address all of that.” Notably, Howie Roseman – not Pederson – has final say when it comes to the Eagles’ roster. Further, releasing Peters in order to avail the left tackle position for well-compensated right tackle Lane Johnson would free up $9.2MM in cap space against $2MM in dead money next year. Moving on from Peters would also significantly weaken the Eagles’ line, though, evidenced by his ninth-place ranking among 79 qualifying tackles at Pro Football Focus.
- The Cardinals have an impressive class of 2017 free agents on the horizon, and general manager Steve Keim says he’s already touched base with the agents for many of those players, a list that includes Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, Tony Jefferson, Andre Ellington, and Jermaine Gresham, among others. “One thing public does not generally know, we have spoken to many agents regarding players whose contracts expire after the season and some whose contracts do not expire after the season that we’d just like to try to extend,” Keim told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “There are several players we’d like to have back, but it takes two sides.”
- The Packers worked out former Aggies punter Taylor Symmank on Wednesday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The 49ers plan to sign former Texas kicker Nick Rose to a reserve-future deal in the the offseason, tweets Wilson.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Week 15
With just two weeks to go, the NFL playoff picture is starting to get clearer. The Cowboys, Seahawks, Patriots, and Raiders have already punched their playoff tickets while the Chiefs, Steelers, Falcons, and Giants are considered near locks by the forecasts at Five Thirty Eight.
Here’s a look at where the draft order stands for the teams not currently slated to make the cut (Note: Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
1. Browns 0-14
2. 49ers 1-13
3. Jaguars 2-12
4. Bears 3-11
5. Jets 4-10
6. Rams (pick belongs to Titans) 4-10
7. Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 5-9
8. Chargers 5-9
9. Cardinals 5-8-1
10. Bengals 5-8-1
11. Panthers 6-8
12. Saints 6-8
13. Bills 7-7
14. Colts 7-7
15. Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-7
16. Redskins 7-6-1
17. Titans 8-6
17. Ravens 8-6 (Note: The Titans and Ravens are currently knotted up in terms of both record and strength of schedule. In all statistical likelihood, the SOS logjam will be broken by the end of the season.)
19. Texans 8-6
20. Buccaneers 8-6
Mutual 2017 Interest Between Charles Johnson, Panthers
Veteran defensive end Charles Johnson would like to re-sign with the Panthers in 2017, as he tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
[RELATED: Luke Kuechly Passes Concussion Protocol]
“I’d rather lose with these guys than win with anybody else,” Johnson said. “These are my guys. I know they come to work every day. I can play with them and have fun and do what I want, and also work at the same time. There’s not a lot of places where you’re going to be able to do that.”
Johnson, 30, is posting an excellent season during his 10th year with the Panthers, playing on nearly 60% of the club’s defensive snaps while registering four sacks and three forced fumbles. He’s graded as the league’s No. 23 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus, and as head coach Ron Rivera told Person, Carolina is also interested in a reunion next season.
“It’s about that steady, consistent play. I know people want to see these double-digit sack numbers. But what you see with Charles is the impact he makes throughout the game, the way he plays the game,” Rivera said. “And he’s been a tremendous leader. We’ll see how it all goes, but I’d love to have him back.”
Johnson, originally due $11MM in 2016, was released by the Panthers during the spring, but ultimately found his way back to Carolina on a one-year, $3MM pact. The Panthers could see other changes along their defensive line in 2017, as defensive tackle Kawann Short is headed for unrestricted free agency, while Star Lotulelei‘s fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only.
Luke Kuechly Passes Concussion Protocol
Luke Kuechly has cleared the league’s concussion protocol, the Panthers announced today. However, he remains questionable for Monday night’s game. 
[RELATED: Josh Norman “Salty” After Panthers Rescinded Franchise Tag]
“We are excited to have Luke healthy and cleared from the protocol,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “I know he is extremely motivated to get back on the field and help us win games. Whether he plays this week or not, I don’t know. We have to balance our enthusiasm with what’s best for Luke and the team long term.”
Late last month, the Panthers were adamant that they would not shut Kuechly down for the season. Now, it sounds like the team is giving that some further thought, particularly given their slim playoff hopes.
Five Thirty Eight projects the Panthers to have less than a 1% chance of making the postseason. At 5-8, Carolina must run the table to have any chance of getting in and, even then, they need a lot of things to go their way. The best (and perhaps only) path we can find is a scenario in which the Panthers win out, the Falcons and Buccaneers lose out, and the Saints lose to the Cardinals this week before topping the Bucs and Falcons in the final two weeks. That infinitesimal shot of extending the season is probably not worth risking further injury to the team’s defensive star.
Josh Norman "Salty" After Panthers Rescinded Franchise Tag
- Speaking to Charlotte-based media earlier this week, Redskins cornerback Josh Norman revealed he was “salty” after the Panthers pulled the franchise tag off him last April and likened it to a stab in the back (via Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today). However, the 29-year-old added that feels “no animosity” toward the Panthers, with whom he spent the first four years of his career after they took him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. While Carolina was the reigning NFC champion at the time it cut ties with Norman, it’s now 5-8 and all but out of the playoff picture. The Redskins are very much alive at 7-5-1, on the other hand, and have gotten plenty of help from Norman – Pro Football Focus’ 19th-ranked corner – in the first season of his five-year, $75MM deal. The Panthers will try to spoil the postseason hopes of Norman and the Redskins when the clubs meet in Washington on Monday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Blaine Clausell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Mario Alford
Indianpolis Colts
- Signed: T Pierce Burton
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Kyle Carter, T Marquis Lucas
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Justin Zimmer
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Adam Gettis
- Cut: OL Laurence Gibson, RB George Winn
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Shaquille Riddick
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Mitchell Van Dyk
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB David Fluellen
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL A.J. Francis, DB Shakiel Randolph
- Cut: DL Trevon Coley, DB Lee Hightower
Chargers Claim CB Robert McClain
The Chargers announced that they have claimed Robert McClain off of waivers. The cornerback was dropped by the Panthers late last week.
The Bolts will now kick the tires on a veteran player who has been pretty mediocre for the last few seasons. This year, Pro Football Focus has him ranked as just the No. 115 cornerback in the league out of 123 qualified players. His best year came with the Falcons in 2012 but he had a respectable year with Carolina in 2013. Since then, he has been barely above replacement level, according to the advanced metrics.
The Chargers have Brandon Flowers and Casey Hayward atop their cornerback depth chart with Craig Mager, Trevor Williams, Trovon Reed, and now McClain in reserve. The addition of McClain could be a sign that Flowers will need some additional time to recover from his concussion.
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Most Of Week 14
The final month of the regular season will dictate the playoff futures for teams like the Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs, and Raiders. For other teams, the postseason is a statistical impossibility. Already, the Jets, Jaguars, Browns, Rams, Bears, and 49ers have been mathematically eliminated. The Chargers, Saints, Panthers, Eagles, Bengals, and Cardinals are not technically out of it, but their chances are remote.
Here’s where those teams and the others not currently ticketed for the playoffs stand in the draft order (Note – Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
- Browns 0-13
- 49ers 1-12
- Jaguars 2-11
- Bears 3-10
- Rams 4-9 (pick belongs to Titans)
- Jets 4-9
- Panthers 5-8
- Chargers 5-8
- Saints 5-8
- Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 5-8
- Cardinals 5-7-1
- Bengals 5-7-1
- Bills 6-7
- Colts 6-7
- Titans 7-6
- Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-6
- Packers 7-6
- Redskins 7-5-1
- Ravens 7-5 (Note – The Ravens play their Week 14 game tonight against the Patriots.)
- Dolphins 8-5
Strength of schedule via SB Nation.
Panthers Sign Ben Jacobs
- The Panthers announced that they’ve signed linebacker Ben Jacobs, who takes the roster spot vacated by cornerback Robert McClain this morning. Jacobs, 28, has experience with Carolina, as he appeared in 32 games with the club over from 2014-15, acting as a special teamer.
Panthers Cut CB Robert McClain
The Panthers are getting rid of yet another cornerback. The team has released Robert McClain, a source tells Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
McClain started Super Bowl 50 for the Panthers, but his role decreased this year after the Panthers drafted three cornerbacks. Of course, the team hasn’t gotten the best results out of its secondary after dropping Josh Norman and kickstarting a youth movement. In fact, fifth-round pick Zack Sanchez didn’t even make the 53-man roster to start the year.
McClain’s individual performance has been pretty bad this season. Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the No. 115 cornerback in the NFL out of 123 qualified players. Interestingly, it has been a while since PFF was high on McClain. While with the Falcons in 2012, he earned an 84.0 overall mark, which positioned him as a starting-caliber CB. In 2013, he regressed to a 70.1 grade, which still put him on the fringes of a cornerback worthy of starting. Since then, he has basically been in the cellar in terms of advanced metrics.