49ers’ Solomon Thomas Suffers Torn ACL
The hits just keep on coming for the 49ers. Shortly after learning that defensive end Nick Bosa is done for the year with a torn ACL, the 49ers announced that defensive lineman Solomon Thomas has suffered the same injury. Needless to say, Thomas’ year is over. 
[RELATED: 49ers’ Nick Bosa Done For Season]
Thomas didn’t just go down in the same game — he went down two plays after Bosa. This marks a lost season for the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 draft after a string of disappointing campaigns. The Stanford product started at least 12 games in each of his first two seasons but was first string just three times in 2019. After playing on just 41% of the Niners snaps, he turned into more of a role player than the star SF envisioned. This year, he started in both of his games, but he won’t have an opportunity to build off of that.
In 2017, Thomas was widely regarded as the second-best defensive lineman in the class, behind only Myles Garrett. On draft night, the Niners sent their No. 2 overall pick to the Bears and tapped Thomas, even though they already had a loaded defensive front featuring Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. With that, the Bears got Mitchell Trubisky and the 49ers got a king’s ransom for sliding down just one spot. Unfortunately, they missed on Thomas. In four seasons (really, three seasons-and-change), Thomas registered six total sacks while starting just 30 games.
In other Niners injury news, the club received good word on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s day-to-day with his high-ankle injury, giving him a small chance of playing this week against the Giants and a better chance of returning for Week 4 against the Eagles (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Running back Raheem Mostert, meanwhile, will be out for several weeks with a knee injury.
Vikings LB Anthony Barr Done For The Season
More tough news for the Vikings, as head coach Mike Zimmer announced Monday the team will be placing veteran linebacker Anthony Barr on injured reserve. He’s got a torn pec.
It’s the last thing this Minnesota team, which has looked awful through two games, needed. Since it’s a torn pec, Barr will be done for the season. The ninth overall pick of the 2014 draft, Barr has been with the Vikings his whole career. He’s one of the leaders of the defense, and made the Pro Bowl four straight seasons from 2015-18. In his absence, rookie fourth-round pick from Oregon Troy Dye will be counted on to play a more prominent role.
Luckily for Barr, he just locked himself into a huge contract last offseason. In March of 2019 it was reported he was leaving to sign a deal with the Jets, only for the UCLA product to change his mind at the last second and return to Minnesota on a five-year, $67.5MM contract.
Last season he had 79 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four passes defended, and an interception in 14 games. Minnesota’s usually stout defense has struggled mightily so far, and it’s not hard to see why with all the departures. Star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter is on injured reserve, and key defensive contributors like defensive tackle Linval Joseph, defensive end Everson Griffen, and cornerback Trae Waynes all left in free agency.
It’s looking like it could be a long year for Zimmer’s unit, and they’ll be significantly shorthanded for their pivotal Week 3 meeting with the Titans. Barr, who will turn 29 in March, is signed through the 2023 season.
Broncos’ Courtland Sutton Tears ACL
Courtland Sutton’s season is over. On Monday morning, doctors confirmed that the Broncos’ talented wide receiver has suffered a torn ACL (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Sutton, 25 in October, was forced out early from Sunday’s game against the Steelers, but not before he notched three receptions for 66 yards. For the Broncos, it was a tantalizing preview of what could have been another impressive season. Last year, Sutton enjoyed a breakout campaign, finishing out with 72 grabs for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns.
It’s another devastating blow for the Broncos, who have been bit hard by the injury bug recently. Right before the season started, star pass-rusher Von Miller was likely lost for the year with an ankle injury. Then on Sunday, quarterback Drew Lock went down as well, and will miss multiple games with a shoulder injury. Starting cornerback A.J. Bouye and running back Phillip Lindsay are also currently on the shelf.
Sutton missed Week 1 with a shoulder injury, and had just made his return against Pittsburgh. In his absence, rookie first-round pick Jerry Jeudy will take on a more prominent role in the offense. Fellow young pass-catchers like DaeSean Hamilton, K.J. Hamler, and tight end Noah Fant will all be leaned on more as well.
Fortunately, Sutton should be ready in time for the start of the 2021 season. At 0-2 now and with a depleted roster, it’s looking like a potential lost year for the Broncos. Jeff Driskel will start at quarterback for the time being.
Panthers’ RB Christian McCaffrey To Miss Time
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to be sidelined for “multiple weeks,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The early hope on Sunday was that CMC’s ankle injury was not especially serious. Now, it sounds like McCaffrey will be a candidate for the injured reserve list. The expectation is that he’ll be out for the next 4-6 weeks, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
McCaffrey turned his right ankle during Sunday’s contest against the Bucs, capping his day with 18 carries for just 49 yards. Afterwards, the Panthers turned to Mike Davis, who finished the game with eight catches for 74 yards. Davis is a solid understudy who drew rave reviews throughout camp, but the Panthers will obviously miss having CMC, who is the focal point of their offense.
Although the Panthers fell short in their season opener, McCaffrey was his usual stellar self. After coming just shy of 100 yards rushing and averaging ~13 yards per reception on three grabs, there was little doubt that the 24-year-old was setting himself up for another elite season. The Panthers are counting on more big performances from McCaffrey after he inked his record-breaking four-year, $64MM deal in the offseason.
Even in a down 2019 for the Panthers, McCaffrey still managed 1,387 rushing yards off of 287 carries, giving him an average of 4.8 yards per tote. He also caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards through the air. All combined, he notched 19 touchdowns on the year.
If McCaffrey misses the next six weeks, he’ll be absent for games against the Chargers, Cardinals, Falcons (twice), Bears, and Saints.
Giants’ Saquon Barkley Tears ACL
The Giants’ fears have been confirmed. On Monday morning, the club announced that star Saquon Barkley has suffered a torn ACL. The running back will be formally placed on injured reserve, officially ending his season after just two games. 
The severity of Barkley’s knee injury was readily apparent when he was forced out early from Sunday’s game against the Bears. After an MRI of his right knee at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the former No. 2 overall pick now knows that he’ll be headed to the operating table. After that, Barkley will begin his road to recovery with an eye on 100% health to open the 2021 season.
Barkley was hampered by an ankle issue last year that limited him to only 13 games and had him hobbled in several others. In his full 16-game season as a rookie in 2018, the Penn State product notched 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He also added another 721 and four through the air while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. That was the kind of season that the Giants and Barkley were banking on.
Now 0-2 after falling to the Steelers and Bears, the Giants are left with Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman as their backfield leaders. Both players profile as capable backups — and Gallman has impressed on the practice field — but the Giants are still expected to scour the market for alternatives. There aren’t a ton of high-end free agent options at this stage of the season, but the trade market could provide the Giants with some opportunities.
49ers Believe DE Nick Bosa Has Torn ACL, Jimmy Garoppolo To Miss Week 3
Just minutes after it was reported the Giants believe Saquon Barkley is done for the year, another star player appears to have suffered a season-ending knee injury. The 49ers believe pass-rusher Nick Bosa has a torn ACL, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced at his post-game press conference.
It wasn’t the only significant injury the 49ers suffered, as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also went down with an ankle injury. Shanahan announced after their win over the Jets that it was a high ankle sprain and that backup Nick Mullens would likely start their Week 3 game against the Giants.
It’s an absolutely massive blow to this 49ers defense, which was the engine behind their Super Bowl run last year. The defensive front already took a hit with the trade of All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner this offseason, and now there’s a huge hole on the outside.
The second overall pick of last year’s draft, Bosa was sensational as a rookie. He had nine sacks, making the Pro Bowl and winning the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The 49ers beat the lowly Jets, but they lost as big favorites to the Cardinals in Week 1, and are now at a significant disadvantage.
Bosa should be able to make a full recovery in time for Week 1 of next year. Ankle injuries don’t tend to keep quarterbacks out too long, so it would be a surprise if Garoppolo isn’t back under center for San Fran’s Week 4 date with the Eagles.
Giants Fear RB Saquon Barkley Has Torn ACL
Absolutely devastating news for the Giants, as it appears Saquon Barkley will be done for the year. New York fears their young running back has torn his ACL, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Schefter adds that official confirmation won’t come until Monday, but since field tests for ACLs are extremely accurate, it’s all but certain. Barkley was completely bottled up in the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Steelers, and went down early in their game against the Bears. The Penn State product hasn’t always had a ton of room to run behind New York’s patchwork offensive line, but he’s still managed to be electric during his first couple of years in the league.
The second overall pick of the 2018 draft, Barkley quickly became one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL, and this is a huge loss. Dion Lewis and Wayne Gallman are next up at running back for the G-Men, although it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if they went out and added a veteran in the wake of this injury.
Barkley was hampered by an ankle issue last year that limited him to only 13 games and had him hobbled in several others. In his only 16-game season as a rookie he had 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, adding another 721 and four through the air while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
The Giants are now 0-2 on the year, and will be missing the heart of their offense moving forward. It certainly won’t help Jason Garrett’s first year as offensive coordinator, and Daniel Jones will now be without his safety blanket. Here’s to hoping Barkley makes a full recovery in plenty of time for the 2021 season.
Rams, Robert Woods Agree On Extension
After Sean McVay hinted at a Robert Woods extension Thursday, the Rams have agreed to a deal with their dependable wide receiver.
Woods agreed to terms on a four-year extension Friday, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The pact includes $32MM guaranteed, per Thiry, and can max out at $68MM. It is a four-year, $65MM deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Rams have tweaked their receiving corps this offseason but determined they want Woods and Cooper Kupp to form a long-term duo. Teammates since 2017, Woods and Kupp are now signed at $16.25MM per year and $15.75MM per year, respectively.
Kupp agreed on a new deal earlier this month and is now signed through 2023. Woods’ new contract is stacked on top of his previous through-2021 pact, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (on Twitter). That means the elder of the Rams’ starting wideouts is signed through 2025.
These deals emerged months after the Rams ate a sizable chunk of dead money to get off Brandin Cooks‘ $16.2MM-AAV contract. The Rams traded Cooks to the Texans this offseason, shipping out their nominal No. 1 wideout after two seasons. Woods and Kupp each surpassed 1,100 yards last season, however, while Cooks’ concussion concerns worsened. The current Rams starters are now the NFL’s highest-paid receiver tandem.
Woods, 28, broke out after signing with the Rams in 2017 — to the point his deal quickly became a bargain for the recently relocated franchise. A moderately productive Bills receiver, Woods has topped 1,100 yards in back-to-back seasons. His 176 receptions in that span rank sixth in the NFL. While Woods only scored eight touchdowns in those seasons, he has been essential in McVay’s attack. The Rams gave Woods two modest pay bumps for his work but now have renewed their commitment to the former second-round pick.
Bengals’ C.J. Uzomah Done For Year
It’s now official. On Friday morning, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that tight end C.J. Uzomah will miss the remainder of the year with a torn Achilles tendon. Uzomah will be placed on injured reserve, freeing up a spot on the club’s active roster. 
Uzomah seemed on course for a big year after catching eight of Joe Burrow‘s eleven targets for 87 yards and a touchdown. Now, he’ll have to turn his focus to 2021. In the interim, Drew Sample seems poised for a larger role in the offense, and the Bengals will likely look to add another tight end off the bench to join Cethan Carter. Fortunately, the Bengals are rostering two tight ends on their expanded practice squad in Mitchell Wilcox and Mason Schreck.
Through two games, Burrow has been dialed in on Uzomah and wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who has eleven grabs for 105 yards and 1 TD thus far. It’s possible that Sample will absorb all of Uzomah’s would-be looks, and he might be able to capitalize on them in similar fashion. As a rookie last year, Sample registered just five receptions through nine games. Now, he’s looking like more than a blocking TE. Last night, he finished out with seven catches for 45 yards.
Chargers C Mike Pouncey Out For Season
The Chargers will be without their veteran center for the entirety of the 2020 season. GM Tom Telesco announced Thursday Mike Pouncey plans to undergo surgery to repair a hip injury.
Pouncey will go under the knife at some point in September, and the procedure will prevent him from playing this season. The Bolts will place Pouncey on IR and promote fullback Gabe Nabers to their 53-man roster.
For arguably the NFL’s most injury-prone team, this represents a major setback. Both Pouncey and Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner missed the Chargers’ opener, and Pouncey joins All-Pro safety Derwin James in being out for the season. Starting linebacker Drue Tranquill also suffered a broken ankle against the Bengals.
For Pouncey, it looks like a crossroads moment. The former Dolphins starter missed 11 games last season due to a neck injury last season. He was medically cleared to return this summer, but the hip troubles that the Florida alum experienced with the Dolphins continue to plague him. During the 2017 season, Pouncey said he will at some point early in his post-playing life he will need a hip replacement.
Still, the former first-round pick rebounded in his first Bolts season to make the Pro Bowl. The Chargers then signed Pouncey to a one-year extension, but his contract expires after the 2020 slate. Pouncey, 31, stands to head into free agency a major question mark.
Los Angeles moved guard Dan Feeney to center against Cincinnati, sliding contract-year lineman Forrest Lamp back into its lineup at guard. Lamp has failed to live up to his second-round billing thus far but may now have a key opportunity in a contract year.