Ruling On A.J. McCarron Grievance To Come In February
- A ruling on A.J. McCarron‘s grievance will be made in February, as La Canfora reports. The Bengals‘ backup QB has argued that he should be an unrestricted free agent when the 2018 league year opens, while the league feels he should be a restricted free agent. In any event, the matter will be resolved before free agency gets underway.
John Ross To Have Another Shoulder Surgery
James Harrison sounds like he’s regretting his offseason decision to re-sign with the Steelers. The 39-year-old edge defender told NBC’s Michele Tafoya he would have signed elsewhere had he known he was going to receive this level of playing time (Twitter link). Harrison’s been active for just four Steelers games and has played just 29 snaps. While the Steelers viewed him as a bullpen-type weapon this offseason, those plans either haven’t come to fruition or are part of a long-game solution by the Super Bowl-contending team. He delivered standout football as a full-timer last season, and Pro Football Focus has not viewed Bud Dupree‘s work highly this season. But it hasn’t been enough to get Harrison on the field. Harrison signed a two-year deal to stay in Pittsburgh in March; the Steelers can save $1.3MM by cutting him after the season. While Harrison could look elsewhere if he wants to continue his career, he’ll turn 40 in May and did not fare well the only other time he left Pittsburgh, having retired from the 2013 Bengals.
- John Ross enjoyed an up-and-down 2017. The former Washington speedster became a top-10 selection despite offseason injuries but enjoyed one of the more nondescript rookie seasons a first-round wideout has in memory, playing just 17 snaps over three Bengals games and failing to catch a pass. Ross will encounter more hurdles soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) Ross will undergo surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. This comes after Ross underwent a procedure to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. While this marks yet another surgery for the oft-injured pass-catcher, Rapoport notes Ross is expected to be ready by OTAs.
- The Bengals placed Adam Jones on IR on Saturday, but the veteran cornerback does not want to wrap up his career just yet. The 34-year-old Jones said (on Twitter) he’s “not done playing football.” A team option will determine whether Jones will play his age-35 season on the Bengals, who can save $6MM by cutting the polarizing but effective corner.
Bengals Place Adam Jones On IR
The Bengals have placed cornerback Adam Jones on injured reserve with a groin injury. To take his place, the team promoted fellow corner Tony McRae from the practice squad. 
Jones, 34, was forced out of last week’s game against the Steelers with the injury. On Pittsburgh’s first offensive drive, Jones dove to intercept Ben Roethlisberger. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get up after that when he suffered the tear.
Jones’ season is over after just nine games, 23 tackles, one interception, and four passes defensed. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus indicate that this has been his worst season ever as a pro. His overall score of 47.0 portrays him as a below replacement level player and he is ranked just 91 out of 115 qualified cornerbacks. For reference, he was PFF’s No. 37 CB in 2016 and their No. 15 CB in 2015.
Given his age, regression, and history of off-the-field issues, it’s fair to wonder if Jones will be back with the Bengals in 2018. He’s under contract for next year with a $6.66MM cap number, but the Bengals would only have to eat $666K if they release him.
Losing Jones will hurt the Bengals’ already slim hopes of reaching the playoffs. Cincinnati is 5-7 heading into tomorrow’s game against the Bears with just a 1.7% chance of securing an AFC Wild Card spot, according to Football Outsiders.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/8/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Arizona Cardinals
- S Cedric Thompson (link)
Chicago Bears
- S K.J. Dillon (link)
Cincinnati Bengals
- LBs Ben Boulware, Connor Harris; Ss Lorenzo Jerome, Robenson Therezie (link)
Denver Broncos
- S K.J. Dillon (link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post)
Houston Texans
- TE Steve Donatell (link)
Minnesota Vikings
- WRs Darel Walker, Brandon Zylstra; DE Craig Roh; DBs Jonathon Mincy, Kacy Rodgers (link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press)
New Orleans Saints
- DE Joby Saint Fleur; LB Vontarrius Dora (link)
New York Jets
- RB Roy Finch (link)
Bengals Place WR John Ross On IR
The Bengals placed wide receiver John Ross on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. This brings an end to a frustrating year for the team’s first-round pick. 
The speedy wideout appeared in only three games this year and did not catch a single pass. Injuries marred his freshman season in the pros, which is exactly what scouts feared in the spring.
Ross was lighting quick, but he had more red flags than a USSR medal ceremony. He tore his ACL and missed the 2015 collegiate campaign and also underwent labrum surgery after the combine. Clubs loved his 4.22-second 40-yard-dash time, but many viewed him as a one contract player and not as a long-term investment. Next year, he’ll work to prove those critics wrong.
At 5-7, the Bengals have less than a 2% chance of reaching the playoffs. They’ll face the Bears, Vikings, Lions, and Ravens, without their top pick in tow.
In related moves, the Bengals have promoted defensive tackle Josh Tupou from practice squad and signed linebacker Carl Bradford to the practice squad.
Suspension Overturned For George Iloka
George Iloka won’t serve a one-game suspension after all. The Bengals safety has won his appeal, according to an announcement from the team. 
Iloka was initially given a one-game ban for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Antonio Brown with 3:55 left in Monday night’s game. Instead, he’ll pay a $36K fine and suit up for Sunday’s game against the Bears. Had he been suspended, Iloka would have missed out on a $235K game check and his $31K per-game roster bonus. Wednesday’s decision by appeals officer Derrick Brooks will save him a pretty penny.
Initially, Iloka was reprimanded by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan for his especially violent tackle.
“On a play which began with 3:55 left in the game, you violently struck a defenseless receiver in the head and neck area,” Runyan wrote. “The Competition Committee has clearly expressed its goal of ‘eliminating flagrant hits that have no place in our game’ and has encouraged the League office to suspend offenders for egregious violations such as the one you committed [on Sunday].”
If Iloka’s suspension was upheld, the Bengals likely would have signed a safety or promoted a defensive back like Tony McRae or Sojourn Shelton from the practice squad. They can hold off on any roster moves now.
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was also suspended for an incident in the same game. He tried to appeal his one-game ban, but the league quickly rejected his plea.
NFL Suspends Steelers’ Smith-Schuster, Bengals’ Iloka
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bengals safety George Iloka have each been suspended one game for violations of safety-related playing rules on Monday night. The league announced the suspensions in a press release on Tuesday, and has already denied an appeal by Smith-Schuster. 
In his letter to Smith-Schuster notifying him of the suspension, NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan slammed his unsportsmanlike conduct in his illegal hit on Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Runyan also noted of Smith-Schuster’s taunting:
“You are suspended for the dangerous and unsportsmanlike acts you committed during the fourth quarter of last night’s game. Specifically, with 7:10 remaining, on a passing play to a running back, you lined up a defender and delivered a violent and unnecessary blindside shot to his head and neck area. You then “celebrated” the play by standing over him and taunting him. The contact you made with your opponent placed the opposing player at risk of serious injury and could have been avoided. Your conduct following the hit fell far below the high standards of sportsmanship expected of an NFL player.”
Smith-Schuster is appealing his one-game suspension, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Per the collective bargaining agreement, his appeal will be heard by either Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks or former NFL receiver James Thrash.
Meanwhile, Iloka will serve a one-game ban for his helmet to helmet hit on Antonio Brown with 3:55 left in the game. He’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Bears while Smith-Schuster will be forced out of Sunday’s primetime matchup against the Ravens.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon Suffers Concussion
Just as Bengals running back Joe Mixon was beginning to get comfortable with the NFL game, the team has officially ruled him out for rest the team’s Monday night game vs. the Steelers with a concussion.
The rookie running back took a big hit from both sides and was down on the ground for awhile until he was able to walk off under his own power to go through testing on the sideline.
Mixon, 21, had started off his NFL career fairly slowly given his lofty status coming out of the draft. Many experts speculated that the former Oklahoma Sooner was just as, if not more talented than top backs like Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook. However, Mixon had just rushed for his first 100 rushing performance last week in a win over Cleveland and was just starting to show that immense potential many thought he had coming into the 2017 NFL Draft. The primary reason why the Bengals were able to nab him in the second round was due to off-the-field concerns stemming from an assault he committed back in 2014.
Cincinnati will be on a short week after appearing on primetime tonight, so it remains to be seen whether Mixon will have enough time to recover from the injury for the team’s Week 14 game against the Bears.
Practice Squad Updates: 11/27/17
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Kevin Snyder
- Cut: LB Connor Harris
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Lorenzo Doss
- Waived: OL Will Pericak
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DB Alex Carter
- Waived: WR Mario Alford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DL Josh Tupou
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DB Jacob Hagen
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Jace Billingsley, DB Stefan McClure
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Jeremy Liggins
- Waived: G Ian Silberman
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE Francis Kallon
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Brooks Ellis, WR Jaelen Strong
- Waived: DL Marcus Hardison
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Johnny Mundt, DB Marcus Sayles
- Waived: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: RB De’Veon Smith
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Mike Purcell
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Kyle Coleman, LB Kache Palacio
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Jake Lampman, T Givens Price, CB David Rivers
Burfict Will Not Be Suspended For Hit
- The Bengals have avoided a suspension to one of their key defenders in linebacker Vontaze Burfict, according to Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com. The energetic defender was flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting a defenseless receiver in yesterday’s win over the Browns. Burfict has made a number of boneheaded plays throughout his career, which include him getting ejected for making contact with an official and for his unsportsmanlike penalty against the Steelers earlier in the season. He’ll avoid game punishment here, but a fine is certainly possible.