Steelers Activate QB Ben Roethlisberger
Some good news for the Steelers’ offense as the team prepares for tomorrow night’s game against the Chargers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and is “is on track to play Sunday night.” The news was first reported by Steelers PR man Burt Lauten (on Twitter).
The Steelers have made the move to activate their 18th-year passer, indeed putting Big Ben in line to play Sunday night in Los Angeles. The Steelers also promoted safety Karl Joseph, who stands to help a team missing Minkah Fitzpatrick, who remains on the COVID list. Kevin Dotson is now on IR as well. Dotson, who moved into Pittsburgh’s starting lineup after mixing in as a rookie, is dealing with a high ankle sprain.
Big Ben landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last weekend, forcing him to miss Sunday’s game against the Lions. The 39-year-old passer had self-reported COVID symptoms to the team and subsequently tested positive for the virus. Roethlisberger has reportedly passed the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, and while he’s not traveling with the team to California, he is on a separate flight and intending to play on Sunday.
The Steelers offense predictably struggled last weekend against the lowly Lions. While backup QB Mason Rudolph did pass for 242 yards, he only completed 30 of his 50 passing attempts, and that came with an extra period of play before the eventual tie. Rudolph also tossed a touchdown and an interception.
Prior to last weekend, the Steelers had won four in a row to bring themselves squarely into the AFC playoff picture. During that streak, Roethlisberger — whose early-season struggles prompted speculation about his job security — was over 200 passing yards per game, had thrown six TDs, zero interceptions, and posted a 104.6 QB rating (h/t Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network on Twitter).
Eagles To Activate RB Miles Sanders From IR
SATURDAY: Philadelphia will have its starting running back available Sunday, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeting the veteran running back is off IR and back on the active roster. The Eagles have seen Howard and Scott fare well in Sanders’ absence, forming a three-pronged rushing attack with Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni said Sanders will return to his role as Philly’s starter (via ESPN.com’s Tim McManus, on Twitter).
WEDNESDAY: Miles Sanders is back at practice. The Eagles running back was designated to return from IR today, according to the team (on Twitter). Sanders’ 21-day practice clock now starts, meaning the RB should be back by Week 15 (following Philly’s bye) at the latest.
Sanders landed on injured reserve in late October with a knee injury. The team initially thought their starting RB might be able to avoid IR, and it sounds like they’re optimistic that he’ll return when first eligible. That would be this weekend against the Saints.
So far this year, Sanders has amassed 300 rushing yards off of 63 totes, good for a 4.8 yards per carry average. He also has 19 grabs for 118 yards, though he’s yet to find paydirt via the air or the ground. The 24-year-old has amassed 1,985 rushing yards since making his debut in 2019. In 2020, he finished out with a career-high 5.3 ypc and a total of 867 rushing yards despite missing four regular season games.
With Sanders out of the lineup, Jordan Howard and Boston Scott have garnered the majority of the carries, with Kenneth Gainwell also seeing a minor role.
Chiefs To Activate Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The Chiefs will have Clyde Edwards-Helaire back in uniform Sunday. After not activating him when first eligible last weekend, Kansas City is moving its starting running back onto its active roster Saturday, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.
A sprained MCL has sidelined Edwards-Helaire since Week 5, marking the second year the first-round pick has missed a chunk of a season due to injury. While the LSU product has been inconsistent as a pro, he would stand to further equip a Chiefs team that has re-emerged atop the AFC West.
It is uncertain how the Chiefs plan to use last year’s No. 32 overall pick, with backup Darrel Williams having played well in his absence. Andy Reid expressed caution about CEH returning against the Cowboys, so it is possible he will not resume his full pre-injury workload. Williams is coming off a strong performance, when he totaled 141 scrimmage yards and a long touchdown reception in the Chiefs’ blowout win over the Raiders.
Edwards-Helaire does have two 100-yard rushing games this season but also has lost two fumbles, including one that ended a potential Chiefs game-winning drive against the Ravens. He finished with 1,100 scrimmage yards in 13 games last season, before a hip and ankle injuries put him on ice until the playoffs.
Eagles Extend CB Avonte Maddox
The Eagles have extended another member of their 2018 draft class. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that cornerback Avonte Maddox has signed a three-year extension.
The three-year deal is worth $22.5MM and includes $13.3MM in guaranteed money, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The deal will keep Maddox in Philly through the 2024 season.
The former fourth-round pick has developed into an important piece in the Eagles’ secondary. Despite starting only two of his 10 games, Maddox has been having a career year in 2021, collecting 48 tackles, four tackles for loss, two QB hits, two forced fumbles, and one pick. The 25-year-old has generally seen time in more than 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. In total, Maddox has appeared in 45 career games (25 starts).
Philly is still rosteirng four of their five picks from the 2018 draft, and each of those four players have now received extensions. Tight end Dallas Goedert signed a four-year extension with the team yesterday, while offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and defensive end Josh Sweat got new deals back in September.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/21
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: LB Cassius Marsh (story)
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: K Brett Maher
- Waived: K Brian Johnson
New York Giants
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Logan Ryan
Broncos, WR Tim Patrick Agree On Extension
Entering the season with two key contract-year wide receivers, the Broncos made the move Friday to extend one of them. They agreed to terms with Tim Patrick on a three-year deal, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
The former UDFA will collect a nice payday, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com noting the contract carries a max value of $34MM and includes $18.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link). While Courtland Sutton remains unsigned beyond 2021, Denver is keeping its other outside wideout in the fold long-term.
Despite his undrafted status and complementary role with the Broncos, Patrick has become one of the NFL’s most dependable wideouts. He did not drop a pass last season and grades as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 overall receiver against man coverage this season. Patrick’s drop-less streak extends to the 2019 season, with Field Yates of ESPN.com noting the ex-Utah Ute has not dropped a pass since Week 13 of that slate (Twitter link).
The 6-foot-4 wideout has been essential for the Broncos this season, with the team having lost K.J. Hamler for the year and having been without Jerry Jeudy for a chunk of it. Patrick has 37 receptions for 523 yards and four touchdowns this season; he led the Broncos with six TD grabs in 2020.
The Broncos initially signed Patrick in 2017, after three other teams cut him, and he became an auxiliary piece for a team still rostering Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Patrick became part of Denver’s solution after those Pro Bowlers left via trade. The team placed a second-round RFA tender on Patrick this offseason, and the soon-to-be 28-year-old target opted to bypass a free agency run to collect a Broncos payday early.
It remains to be seen if new GM George Paton will also extend Sutton, who will carry a higher price tag. Paton did refer to Sutton as a core player earlier this year. But the Broncos have Jeudy and Hamler tied to rookie deals through 2023, with Jeudy’s contract including a fifth-year option, and Patrick locked down through the ’24 season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: G Joe Sculthorpe
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Dan Skipper
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: DE Nate Orchard
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Montravius Adams
Bears’ Khalil Mack Done For Year
Khalil Mack‘s season is over. The Bears’ All-Pro pass rusher is set for foot surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport 
(Twitter link).
[RELATED: Bears’ Trevathan Done For Year]
Mack missed the two Bears two games previous to their Week 10 bye. The Bears were optimistic that the former Defensive Player of the Year would be able to play this weekend, but the specialists have said otherwise.
Mack, 30, got off to a strong start this year with six sacks across the first six weeks of the season. Up until the foot injury, he had only missed two games during his three-plus-seasons in Chicago.
Acquired via a 2018 blockbuster trade with the Raiders, Mack has been the centerpiece of the past four Bears defenses. The former DPOY has delivered on the Bears’ investment, even though the gaudy Oakland sack totals have not followed him to Chicago. And, even though Mack’s double-digit sack streak ended after 2018, but was well on pace to post his fifth 10-plus-sack slate this year. Pro Football Focus graded Mack as its No. 1 edge defender in 2020, despite his lower sack (9) and QB-hit (13) totals.
Mack, who will be absent from the Pro Bowl list for the first time in a long time, remains under club control through the 2024 season. For right now, the Bears find themselves at 3-6, down both Mack and longtime defensive leader Danny Trevathan.
Bears’ Danny Trevathan Done For Year
The Bears have placed Danny Trevathan injured reserve, per a club announcement. This marks the veteran linebacker’s second trip to IR, which will officially shut him down for the rest of the season. In related moves, the Bears have officially signed linebacker Bruce Irvin while promoting fellow LB Cassius Marsh to the 53-man roster. 
[RELATED: Bears Sign Bruce Irvin]
Trevathan, 31, has been with the Bears since 2016. A training camp knee injury camp sidelined him to start the year, but the 10th-year linebacker returned after missing the first four games. His presence alongside Roquan Smith figured to strengthen Chicago’s defense, but he wasn’t able to stick around for long. Appearing mostly as a reserve, Trevathan registered just 19 tackles across five games and appeared in roughly one-quarter of Chicago’s snaps. That’s a big drop from last year when Trevathan turned in a full slate, registered 113 stops, and lifted the Bears to the playoffs.
Even with Trevathan in the lineup, the Bears have sunk to 3-6 on the year. Now, they’re out to stop their four-game skid against the Ravens without one of their key defenders.
Trevathan is no stranger to injuries, having missed a ton of time since 2016. Still, he’s been a starter for most of his Bears tenure and remains under contract through 2022, thanks to the three-year pact he inked in 2020.
Eagles Sign Dallas Goedert To Four-Year Extension
The Eagles have signed Dallas Goedert to a four-year contract extension, per a club announcement. The deal positions Goedert as one of the three highest-paid tight ends in the NFL on a yearly basis (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) and ties him to the club through 2025. 
Before the deal, Goedert was on course for free agency in March, where he would have commanded top dollar. “There’s going to be no discount on Dallas Goedert,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman confessed in October, the same week in which he traded one-time star Zach Ertz to the Cardinals.
“No discount” is right. Goedert’s new four-year deal is worth $59MM with $35.7MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s a sizable — and well-deserved — bump up from his current $1.24MM salary.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides the full details on the contract, pointing out that “only” about $14.92MM is guaranteed at signing (in the form of a $10.22MM signing bonus, $408K 2021 salary, $3.22MM option bonus for 2022, and $1.08MM base salary for 2022). However, Goedert’s $12.92MM option bonus for 2023 and his $1.08MM base salary for 2023 — which are both guaranteed for injury already — become fully guaranteed this coming March, so unless something unforeseen happens over the next few months, Goedert’s practical full guarantee is about $29MM.
With Ertz out of the picture, Goedert has served as the undisputed top dog in the club’s tight end room. Through nine games played, the 26-year-old has 29 catches for 429 yards and two touchdowns.
In his 26 games between 2019 and 2020, Goedert tallied 104 catches for 1,131 yards and eight TDs. He’s also been highly efficient throughout his career, having caught more than 70% of his targets over the last four years.
Goedert’s new average annual value slots him ahead of Ravens TE Mark Andrews for third at the position. He trails only George Kittle ($15MM/year) and Travis Kelce ($14.3MM), which makes sense given his production and age. Goedert, who won’t turn 27 until January, already has 166 catches for 1,894 yards and 14 touchdowns to his credit — numbers that are even more impressive given his previous split with Ertz.