Texans To Cut WR Kenny Stills
The waiver wire will soon feature a proven pass catcher. The Texans are cutting Kenny Stills, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Despite Houston trading for the former New Orleans and Miami wide receiver last year, the team has not featured him much this season. The eighth-year veteran has just 11 catches for 144 yards, having taken a backseat to other veteran targets Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb. Even with Cobb on IR now, Stills played just four snaps on Thanksgiving.
With the trade deadline having passed, Stills will head to the wire. A 28-year-old deep threat, he profiles as an interesting late-season piece for a contender. Stills’ contract expires at season’s end. In 117 career games (77 starts), Stills has 310 receptions for 4,843 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Stills enjoyed a bigger role last season, playing alongside Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins. He caught 40 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns. The former fifth-round pick produced two 700-plus-yard seasons with the Dolphins, earning a four-year, $32MM extension in 2017. Barely $1MM remains on that deal. With the Saints, Stills led the NFL with 20.0 yards per catch in 2013 and posted a career-high 931 yards in ’14. The Saints traded him to the Dolphins in 2015.
The Texans, who acquired Stills in 2019’s Laremy Tunsil blockbuster deal, tried to trade Stills prior to this year’s deadline. But they ended up hanging onto each member of their veteran receiving quartet. Now, Houston will have just Fuller and Cooks from that crew down the stretch. Keke Coutee has resurfaced as an auxiliary cog.
Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald Tests Positive For COVID-19
Larry Fitzgerald has tested positive for COVID-19, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). At minimum, the Cardinals wide receiver will miss Sunday’s game against the Patriots. 
[RELATED: Cardinals’ Thompson To Miss Time]
Just yesterday, the NFL was forced to bump Ravens-Steelers from Thursday night in primetime to Sunday afternoon. Despite its protocols and access to tests, the league has been unable to keep a lid on viral spread. Fortunately, most players have experienced mild symptoms, or no symptoms, following their positive tests. However, two players have been forced to end their seasons early due to complications. Jaguars running back Ryquell Armstead had to be hospitalized twice with major symptoms before he was ultimately ruled out for the season in October. And, earlier this week, Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney was diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition which has been linked to the coronavirus.
Fitzgerald, 37, continues to be productive at his advanced age. Just last week, Fitz reeled in eight catches for 62 yards against the Seahawks, matching his stat line from their first meeting in October. All in all, he’s caught 43 passes for 336 yards alongside DeAndre Hopkins, who has become Kyler Murray‘s top target.
Colts Place DeForest Buckner On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Colts have placed DeForest Buckner on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to a team announcement. This could be an especially difficult blow, as Indianapolis will take on the Titans in a battle for first place in the AFC South on Sunday.
At this point, it’s unclear if Buckner tested positive or if he is considered a close contact with someone who did. If he tested positive, he is guaranteed to miss the matchup with Tennessee, though if his placement on the list is due to a close contact, he may be back on the field on Sunday (depending on when the contact occurred and his test results in the coming days).
Indianapolis pulled off one of the biggest blockbusters of this offseason in acquiring Buckner, as it shipped a first-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for one of the game’s premier interior defenders and signed him to a massive $21MM/year extension. And Buckner has not disappointed, as Pro Football Focus currently ranks him fifth among all interior D-linemen, including an especially high pass-rush grade (though he has generated just 2.5 sacks on the season).
PFF is not quite as bullish on his run defense, but it still considers him an above-average performer in that regard. And the Colts will need all the run support they can get against Titans’ RB Derrick Henry, who rushed for 103 yards on just 19 carries against Indy two weeks ago.
Buckner joins fellow DL Denico Autry on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and as Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets, Autry’s status for Sunday’s game is still unclear. If the Colts are without both players, they will need monster performances from players like Tyquan Lewis and Grover Stewart to contain Henry.
NFL Postpones Ravens-Steelers Due To COVID-19
Thursday’s game between the Ravens and Steelers has been postponed due to a rash of positive COVID-19 tests. Now, the two teams are set to meet on Sunday afternoon, though the league will continue to monitor the situation between now and then.
We learned yesterday that Baltimore was dealing with 10 total coronavirus cases, including five players. As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter), the Ravens have actually had seven players test positive over the past three days: RBs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins — which we already knew about — QB Trace McSorley, OLB Pernell McPhee, DE Calais Campbell, C Matt Skura, and G/C Patrick Mekari, all of whom will be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. As such, the league really had no other choice but to push back the game.
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network points out that the league did not make the decision because the Ravens would have been extremely shorthanded. After all, the players who tested positive won’t be allowed to play on Sunday either. Instead, a number of Baltimore players are (obviously) close contacts with those who tested positive, and the NFL wants to make sure the spread is contained (Twitter link).
Unfortunately, things could get worse for the Ravens. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league and the team know how the outbreak began, and there is a chance more players will test positive. By Friday, the NFL expects to know if everything is under control or if the game will need to be postponed again.
If another postponement becomes necessary, this game will likely be the first one set in on the novel Week 18. The Ravens are scheduled to play the Cowboys next Thursday, so the league will not make them play a game on Monday or Tuesday before a Thursday night contest.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Patriots Fear Rex Burkhead Has Torn ACL
It’s just not the Patriots’ year. New England lost another game at the last minute Sunday, and it looks like they’ll be without a key piece of the offense the rest of the way.
The Pats fear running back Rex Burkhead has a torn ACL, a source told Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter link). Howe adds that he’ll get an MRI to confirm, but initial field tests for ACL tears are extremely accurate and almost never wrong. He was never a featured back in New England, but he’s played a consistent role for Bill Belichick over the past four years. He’ll finish the season with 67 carries for 274 yards and three touchdowns, adding 25 catches for 192 yards and another three scores through the air.
A sixth-round pick of the Bengals back in 2013, Burkhead was signed by Belichick after his rookie deal expired in 2017. Burkhead is now set to be an unrestricted free agent again this spring, and he’ll be 31 by the time next season starts. With the Pats having youngsters Damien Harris and Sony Michel in the backfield, it’s certainly possible they’ll decide to move on. That being said he remained productive this season, and was actually seeing a little bit more volume than in years past.
If this is the end of his run with the Patriots, he’ll finish it having won Super Bowl LIII with the team. At his age and now coming off the ACL tear he’ll struggle for much guaranteed money on the market, assuming he decides to keep playing.
Joe Burrow Done For The Year
UPDATE, 4:45pm: It is indeed believed to be an ACL tear for Burrow, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapsheet adds that “there may be additional damage.” We’ll keep you posted as soon as we have more details.
3:58 pm: Devastating injury news to begin Week 11, as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had to be carted off the field with a knee injury. Shortly after leaving the game, Burrow confirmed on Twitter that he was done for the season.
“Thanks for all the love. Can’t get rid of me that easy. See ya next year,” the former LSU star wrote to fans. We still don’t have official word on the exact injury, although an ACL tear looked possible based on the way his left knee got rolled up on. Assuming that’s the case, or if it’s hopefully less severe, Burrow should be fully recovered in time to be under center for Week 1 of next year. No matter what, it’s a disappointing end to what had been an exciting rookie campaign.
Cincinnati has struggled mightily but Burrow has been a bright spot in an otherwise bleak season, looking every bit like the number one overall pick. Despite playing behind a patchwork offensive line that frequently had him running for his life, he showed plenty of flashes and had some huge games. The former Heisman Trophy winner will finish his first year as a pro with 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and only five interceptions through nine-plus games.
Ha also added another three scores as a runner. This year was tough, but with some solid weapons around him, the future is bright for this offense. As for the rest of the season, it looks like the Bengals will turn to 2019 fourth-rounder Ryan Finley moving forward. They also have Brandon Allen on the practice squad. Here’s to hoping this turns out to be little more than a small blip on a long career.
Packers Extend David Bakhtiari
The Packers made a major move before their Week 10 date with the Jaguars. Green Bay locked up left tackle David Bakhtiari with a four-year extension, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link). He had previously been set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The deal is worth up to $105.5MM in new money, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The base value is $23MM per year, Rapoport adds, which makes him the new highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Widely considered one of the best tackles in the league, Bakhtiari made his return on Sunday from a chest injury that cost him a few games. This is certainly a nice welcome-back gift.
A fourth-round pick back in 2013, he turned into a steal for Green Bay. The Colorado product became a full-time starter as a rookie, and he’s been protecting Aaron Rodgers‘ blindside ever since. He’s been pretty durable, starting all 16 games in five of his seven full seasons and never missing more than four in one year.
An All-Pro in each of the past four seasons, Bakhtiari only turned 29 in September. As such, he should still be in the prime of his career when this new pact expires. Laremy Tunsil became the highest-paid offensive lineman and first to eclipse $20MM annually back in March, and now Bakhtiari has blown past those numbers.
He’s pretty much in quarterback-money territory now. Rapoport later posted a follow-up tweet saying he’ll get a whopping $30MM signing bonus, with $62.8MM coming his way before the end of the 2022 campaign. Since 2017 Bakhtiari is first in the league in pass block win rate among tackles, according to a tweet from Seth Walder of ESPN.com.
Falcons Waive DE Takk McKinley
Takk McKinley‘s time with the Falcons has come to an end. Atlanta has waived the defensive end, a former first-round pick, they announced Monday afternoon.
It was widely reported that the Falcons were shopping the pass-rusher ahead of last week’s trade deadline, but last Monday McKinley announced he wouldn’t be traded, saying Atlanta turned down a handful of offers for him. If that’s true, then it’s pretty strange the Falcons would have chosen not to take some draft compensation only to cut him loose a week later. We heard last week that the team had been seeking a fourth-round pick for him in trade talks.
The 26th overall pick of the 2017 draft, McKinley will now be subjected to waivers and any team can claim him. He’s only owed a little under $900K for the rest of the season, so there’s a good chance we see a team submit a claim this week. Since the Falcons declined the fifth-year option on his contract back in April, he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
If he isn’t claimed, there figure to be a number of interested suitors on the free agent market. There are a handful of contending teams who could use edge rushing help including the Titans, who just released Vic Beasley and are dealing with an injury to Jadeveon Clowney, and the Seahawks, who did already trade for Carlos Dunlap.
The UCLA product entered the league with a lot of fanfare, but like most recent Falcons defensive draft picks, he didn’t pan out in Atlanta. He had six sacks as a rookie and seven the next year, but regressed to 3.5 last year despite starting 13 games and appearing in 14. He was only playing a part-time role in the four games he played with them this year, racking up eight tackles, seven quarterback hits, and one sack.
He only turned 25 last week, and still has a lot of theoretical potential. He blasted the team on social media this week for not trading him and allegedly turning down past deals on the table, making the situation untenable. He’ll likely benefit from a fresh start, and it’ll be interesting to see where he lands. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear something.
Titans To Release LB Vic Beasley
The Titans have apparently seen enough out of linebacker Vic Beasley. The team announced that they’ll be cutting the veteran on Wednesday.
While Beasley hadn’t even been with the Titans for a full year, his stint in Tennessee was still plenty tumultuous. He inked a one-year deal containing $9.5MM in guaranteed money back in March, but he was placed on the Titans’ reserve/did not report during training camp. He eventually reported in mid-August, but there was never a true explanation for his no-show. Plus, while the two sides reiterated that they had been in contact throughout his absence, the Titans were also clear that the truancy was unexcused.
That wasn’t the end of things. Beasley subsequently failed his physical was placed on the PUP list, and he was finally activated by the Titans in early September. He made his debut in Week 3 for Tennessee, but he’s mostly played in a platoon role; his season-high in defensive snaps played was this past weekend against the Bengals. In total, the 28-year-old’s Titans career will end with only three tackles and one forced fumble in five games played.
Following a standout career at Clemson, the Falcons made Beasley the eighth-overall pick in the 2015 draft. The linebacker’s tenure with the Falcons was a bit trick-or-treat; after playing a giant role in the Falcons winning the NFC Championship in 2016 (15.5 sacks, six forced fumbles), he combined for only 10 sacks between the 2017 and 2018 campaign. There’s a chance a rival team ends up taking a chance on the 28-year-old; a team would owe him only $1.85MM of his remaining 2020 salary, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
It’s been a busy few days for the Titans. The organization cut cornerback Johnathan Joseph earlier today, and they acquired cornerback/return specialist Desmond King in a trade with the Chargers yesterday.
49ers Waive WR Dante Pettis
Dante Pettis‘ disappointing tenure with the 49ers has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that San Francisco is waiving the wide receiver. The 49ers made the move after “trying and failing to trade” the former second-rounder.
It’s not a huge surprise that Pettis was on the trade block. After all, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the team was shopping the wideout last month. Shanahan seemed to somewhat walk back those comments after the 49ers had suffered a handful of receiver injuries, but it was still clear that Pettis probably wasn’t going to stick around San Francisco long term.
Other teams apparently weren’t willing to give up even a conditional draft pick for Pettis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t find another gig. As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out on Twitter, it’ll only cost a team around $264K in cap space to claim the receiver, so there’s a chance that Pettis may not even hit free agency.
The Washington product was a second-round pick (No. 44) by the 49ers in 2018. He had a solid rookie campaign, hauling in 27 catches for 467 yards and five scores in 12 games (seven starts). He saw time in 11 games (four starts) in 2019, but his production plummeted, as he finished with 11 catches for 109 yards and two scores.
Pettis had basically been phased out of the 49ers offense in 2020. While he’s appeared in five games (one start), he’s mostly appeared on special teams (collecting two punt returns, one kick return, and a lost fumble). He appeared in 73-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in Week 1, but other than three offensive snaps in Week 8, Pettis hasn’t appeared on offense since September.