Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey Done For Year
Bad news for the Ravens. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that cornerback Marlon Humphrey will miss the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle. 
This was the fear after Humphrey was forced out early from Sunday’s game against the Steelers. Down by one point late in the game, the Ravens could have taken the Steelers to overtime on Sunday with an extra point. Instead, they opted to go for a two-point conversion, knowing that they’d have to go through OT without their star defender. Unable to convert, they lost 20-19, dropping them to 8-4 on the year.
The Ravens still lead the AFC North at 8-4, but it’ll be a little tougher to stave off the 7-5 Bengals without Humphrey. Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, is fresh off of back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, plus a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2019. Last year, he registered 82 stops, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles. The 25-year-old hasn’t been quite as sharp this year, but he still ranks as the 27th best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Ravens, sans Humphrey, take on the Browns this week.
Panthers Fire OC Joe Brady
The Panthers have fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the team announced. Senior offensive assistant Jeff Nixon, along with the rest of the offensive coaching staff, will take over Brady’s duties for the remainder of the season.
Brady spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Saints from 2017-18 and truly made a name for himself as the passing game coordinator for LSU in the Tigers’ record-setting 2019 season that featured otherworldly performances from future first-round draft picks like quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. That afforded him the opportunity to join Matt Rhule‘s first staff in Carolina in 2020.
The Panthers finished in the bottom half of the league last season in terms of total offense, though subpar QB play and a three-game season from star running back Christian McCaffrey certainly played a role in that. NFL clubs were still high on Brady’s ability, as he received five interviews for head coaching positions in this year’s cycle. As Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, Brady interviewed well, and a number of execs involved in those interviews believed he was a lock for an HC gig in 2022.
Unfortunately, Carolina suffered more of the same problems this year. McCaffrey is now out for the season after having played seven games, and an injury to starting quarterback Sam Darnold also helped to derail the Panthers’ once-promising season. A four-game losing streak earlier this year led some to believe that Brady would be stripped of his play-calling duties, and while that did not happen, Brady is now out of a job completely.
This year, the Panthers have slipped to 28th in total offense, and Brady’s creative mind has not been enough to consistently overcome what opposing defensive coordinators have thrown at him. He is still only 32 years old, but his meteoric rise has come to an abrupt halt, and he may have to rebuild his stock back at the college level.
Rhule said, “I met with Joe this morning and informed him that I have decided to make a change. I’m very grateful to him for his time and effort in helping us get established over this past year and a half.”
Ben Roethlisberger Expected To Retire
Ben Roethlisberger enters Week 13 as the NFL’s longest-tenured starting quarterback, having been in his Steelers QB1 post since early in the 2004 season. But the veteran Pittsburgh passer is unlikely to play a 19th season in 2022.
The future Hall of Famer has informed some within the organization and some ex-teammates he does not expect to return to the Steelers next season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Roethlisberger has not announced any retirement plans and is unlikely to do so before season’s end, but Schefter adds it is “highly unlikely” the Pro Bowl passer plays for another team.
While Big Ben put retirement on the table years ago, he instead opted to play a few more seasons. He had the Steelers back in the playoffs in 2020, after they had missed the previous two brackets, and did so after suffering the most significant injury of his career. Roethlisberger endured extensive rehab on his surgically repaired elbow, which ended his 2019 season that September. He returned to throw 33 touchdown passes — the second-highest total of his career — in 2020.
The third quarterback drafted in 2004, Roethlisberger has outlasted both Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. Manning capped his career at 16 seasons, while Rivers walked away after 17. Of the trio, Roethlisberger is easily the safest bet to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The former No. 11 overall pick started in three Super Bowls, winning two, and led a game-winning drive to defeat the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Big Ben, 39, is a six-time Pro Bowler whose numbers improved in his 30s compared to playing on defense-powered teams in his early years.
Roethlisberger’s 410 touchdown passes sit eighth all time, while his 62,870 passing yards are sixth in league history. Although injuries have taken a toll on the increasingly immobile passer, he has started 241 career games. Other than a COVID-19 contraction last month, Roethlisberger has started each Steelers game since returning from elbow surgery last year. QBR tabs him 24th through his 10 starts this season, however. The Steelers revamped their offensive line this offseason and have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball, sliding to 5-5-1 after mounting a run earlier this season.
The Steelers reached a pay-cut agreement to bring Big Ben back this season, and they still have not identified a true heir apparent at quarterback. Roethlisberger retiring would put the onus on the organization to do so, though the team does have backup Mason Rudolph signed beyond 2021. Dwayne Haskins can be retained as a restricted free agent in 2022.
NFL Suspends Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards
Not long after a report surfaced indicating Antonio Brown acquired a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, the NFL is suspending the All-Pro talent. The league handed Brown a three-game suspension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The NFL also suspended Bucs safety Mike Edwards for COVID-19 protocol violations, per Rapoport. Brown denied using a fake vaccination card, but the NFL determined he did, in fact, do so. Neither player is appealing; both will be out until at least Week 16. The league did not fine the Buccaneers.
This further mars Brown’s first full Bucs season. Tampa Bay gave the All-Decade wideout an opportunity after a turbulent 2019 and an eight-game 2020 suspension, with Tom Brady leading the charge to bring the mercurial superstar into the fold. While Brown has been productive on the field, he has run into myriad issues that have kept him out of games this season. He missed a game while on the COVID-19 list, has missed several due to a troublesome ankle injury and will now be down until late December because of his second NFL ban in just more than a year.
When Brown landed on the COVID list in September, he was treated as a vaccinated player, returning after eight days. Unvaccinated players who test positive must quarantine for a minimum of 10 days. The wideout’s lawyer nevertheless released a statement Thursday indicating his client is vaccinated (via Rapoport, on Twitter). Making a fake vaccination card or using one is a felony. Brown’s 2020 suspension stemmed partially from felony burglary conveyance and misdemeanor battery charges.
Brown’s ban also surfaced after Bucs HC Bruce Arians said the team did its due diligence regarding Brown’s vaccination status, via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. Arians called the matter a non-story last month, and a Bucs statement read a team investigation did not reveal any irregularities (Twitter link). Arians said in early September the Bucs were a fully vaccinated team, but the November report contradicted that status. Given Arians’ initial hesitancy regarding a reunion with Brown last year, this is obviously not a good look for the 12th-year wide receiver or the team.
Brown, 33, was set to miss at least two more games because of the ankle injury he has battled for much of the season. The timing of this suspension does not stand to hurt the Bucs much, though it may affect Brown’s post-2021 future with the franchise. Brown re-signed with the Bucs on a one-year deal in May. The former Steelers dynamo was on pace for another 1,000-yard season, having caught 29 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns in five games. But he will finish shy of that mark for a third straight year.
A former third-round Bucs pick, Edwards has worked as a backup safety for most of his career. The third-year cover man did post a rare two-pick-six game in Tampa Bay’s first meeting with Atlanta. He will miss the Bucs’ rematch with the Falcons, along with games against the Bills and Saints. Edwards has played in all 11 Bucs games this season.
The NFL also suspended free agent defensive back John Franklin III, who was with Tampa Bay this offseason. The Bucs waived him in August. Franklin also received a three-game ban.
Seahawks Sign Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson has added another stop to his illustrious resume. The veteran running back is signing with the Seahawks, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times on Twitter). Peterson will initially join the team’s practice squad before getting elevated to the active roster. The running back worked out for the Seahawks earlier today.
The Seahawks have dealt with injuries to the running backs corps all season long. The team already lost starting running back Chris Carson for the season, and Rashaad Penny is currently dealing with an injury of his own (although Carroll told reporters that the running back may be able to play this weekend and will avoid an IR stint for now (via Condotta)). Seattle’s struggling ground game has been led by Alex Collins, who has turned 101 carries into 395 yards and two touchdowns. The team is also rostering DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer, and they have Josh Johnson stashed on the practice squad.
While Peterson has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career, it remains to be seen if he can provide more than any of Seattle’s current options at the position. The 36-year-old saw time in three games (two starts) for the Titans this year, collecting only 90 yards and one touchdown on 31 touches (good for 2.9 yards per touch). Peterson was waived by Tennessee in late November. Peterson’s last full-time action came in 2020 with the Lions when he notched 604 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
He’ll have an opportunity to join the 15,000-yard club for running backs, and with 367 more rushing yards, he would pass Barry Sanders for fourth all-time. His NFL career followed a standout stint at Oklahoma, and Carroll told reporters that he tried to recruit the running back while he was at USC (via Condotta).
Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey Done For Year
The Panthers have placed Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, per a club announcement. Since this is his second trip to IR in 2021, the move will mark the end of the running back’s season. 
CMC previously missed five games with a hamstring injury. This time around, it’s an ankle injury that’ll require multiple months of rehab.
McCaffrey was forced out early yesterday as the Dolphins went on to win 33-10. The loss dropped them to 5-7 on the year, further crushing their slim odds of reaching the postseason.
The Panthers got off to a 3-0 start with McCaffrey in the lineup, then dropped four of five games without him. Even after his return, they’ve lost three of four contests, though the offense was clearly better with him in the backfield. His Week 10 showing performance against Arizona — 13 carries, ten catches, and 150+ all-purpose yards — propelled them to their only win in November.
Between the last two years, McCaffrey has appeared in just ten games for the Panthers. It’s hardly what anyone envisioned for CMC after he inked a $16MM-per-year extension in 2020. In 2019, his last healthy campaign, McCaffrey made a push for Chris Johnson‘s record with 2,392 scrimmage yards.
Now, his ’21 season will end with 442 rushing yards and one touchdown, plus 37 catches for 343 yards and one receiving TD across seven games. The Panthers will likely add another RB to the mix between now and their next game, a Dec. 12 matchup against the Falcons.
Bills’ Tre’Davious White Tears ACL
Tre’Davious White‘s early Thanksgiving exit turned out to be brutal news for the Bills. Buffalo’s top cover man suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bills announced the MRI result Friday.
The two-time Pro Bowler had not missed a game this season and has only been absent for three throughout his five-year career. This will certainly sting a Bills defense that has rebounded to return to an elite level.
Signed to a monster extension last year, White is coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. While Buffalo has been one of the NFL’s best pass defenses throughout the Josh Allen era, White’s first lengthy absence will test the Super Bowl contenders’ capabilities.
The Bills beat the Saints’ low-wattage pass offense to improve to 7-4, but they will go through their two Patriots matchups, a Buccaneers tilt and obviously their playoff docket without their outside coverage ace.
White’s yards-per-completion (9.9) and yards-per-target (5.2) figures rated as career-best marks through 11 games. The 60.8 passer rating the fifth-year corner allowed while in coverage is way down from last season as well.
Buffalo has Levi Wallace and high-end slot corner Taron Johnson anchoring its cornerback corps, and Siran Neal has been with the team since 2018. A seventh-round pick last year, Dane Jackson ranks fourth on the Bills in corner snaps this season — with 86. This setback coming after the trade deadline limits the Bills’ replacement options, though the presence of veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer will help the Bills pick up the pieces to some degree.
Giants To Fire Jason Garrett
The Giants are firing offensive coordinator Jason Garrett (Twitter link via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News). For now, Browns head coach and current offensive assistant Freddie Kitchens will assume play-calling duties.
Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Giants this year. Now at 3-7, their Garrett-lead offense has managed just 42 touchdowns — the lowest total of any team in the NFL. Still, just seven short weeks ago, head coach Joe Judge dismissed the speculation over Garrett’s job security.
“We’re going to stay consistent with what we’re doing and keep improving as a team,” Judge said in early October. “There’s a lot of things we’ve got to clean up coaching-wise, execution-wise. We’re going to stay on track with it and make sure we get those things right before we make any radical changes.”
Those comments came after the Giants’ 0-3 start to the season. Since then, they’ve managed wins over the Saints, Panthers, and Raiders, but that wasn’t enough to save Garrett’s job. As demonstrated by the dismissal of offensive line coach Marc Colombo last year, Judge isn’t afraid to make a midseason shakeup.
Many called for Garrett’s job last year, when the Giants posted the second-lowest point total in the NFL. Still, the G-Men retained the Princeton grad, largely because they didn’t want Daniel Jones to have to adapt to a third OC in his third pro season. And, though Garrett has been heavily criticized for his scheme and play-calling, Jones has performed well at times this year.
Of course, that wasn’t the case on Monday night. Jones lobbed two interceptions and completed just 60% of his throws as the Bucs cruised to a 30-10 victory. It was a new low for the Giants, who posted just 215 yards and 15 first downs while going 1-for-9 on third downs — that last part may have been the final nail in Garrett’s coffin as coordinator.
For now, Kitchens will inherit an offense averaging just 18.9 points and 322.8 yards per game. His first assignment comes this Sunday when the Giants host the Eagles in New Jersey.
Broncos, Courtland Sutton Agree To Extension
The Broncos have agreed to a brand new deal with wide receiver Courtland Sutton (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero). Sutton will receive a four-year re-up worth $60.8MM in total, including $34.9MM guaranteed. 
This comes on the heels of a similar extension for fellow WR Tim Patrick. Between those deals and the presence of Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler, the Broncos now have their receiver group locked up for the long haul.
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Sutton, a 2018 second round pick under the Broncos’ old regime, is still held in high regard by new GM George Paton. Even after his 2020 ACL tear, Paton prioritized and completed a new deal for the 26-year-old midway through the year.
The Broncos could have deployed the franchise tag for 2022, but that could have cost them upwards of $17MM. Instead, they’ve hashed out a longer arrangement at just over $15MM per year.
Sutton broke out in 2019 with 72 catches and 1,112 receiving yards, capturing his first ever Pro Bowl nod in the process. Although his encore was wiped out by a serious knee injury, he’s bounced back this year to lead the team with 43 catches and 617 yards.
The 6-foot-4 target is now locked up through 2025 while Patrick is under club control through 2024. Jeudy and Hamler, meanwhile, are tied to rookie deals through the 2023 season, though Jeudy’s first-round status means he can be kept through 2024 via the fifth-year option.
It’s been an expensive couple of days for the Broncos, but they had the cap room to make it all work. Before Patrick’s extension, the Broncos were in the league’s top five for projected 2022 space. Even after these deals, the Broncos still have enough capital to pursue trades for top-end quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.
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.