Darren McFadden Announces Retirement
Darren McFadden is calling it a career. The former Cowboys running back announced his retirement from football on Tuesday afternoon. 
“Today, I am announcing that I am retiring from the NFL. I have been extremely privileged to play in the league for a long time,” McFadden wrote. “And now that time for me is done.”
McFadden, 30, was waived by the Cowboys over the weekend. It was reportedly a mutual decision. At the time, it seemed like McFadden might seek work elsewhere, but has decided to walk away from the game instead. In theory, McFadden was free to sign with any team after passing through the post trade deadline waivers.
The running back first broke into the league as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 draft. While he showed flashes of serious potential, injuries hampered him in Oakland. His best Raiders season came in 2010 when he ran for 1,157 yards plus 507 yards receiving.
McFadden had a late career re-emergence with Dallas, eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2015. Unfortunately, he lost most of 2016 to injury and didn’t see much action this year. His 2017 season ends after one game played with one rushing attempt for negative two yards. Some expected McFadden to get back into the fold after Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension, but that never came to fruition.
McFadden’s career ends with 5,421 yards rushing, at an average of 4.2 yards per attempt, and 28 rushing touchdowns. He also had 2,114 yards receiving and five TDs through the air.
We here at Pro Football Rumors wish McFadden the best in retirement.
Giants To Start Geno Smith On Sunday
The Giants announced that Geno Smith will start at quarterback on Sunday against the Raiders. The move will allow the Giants to evaluate their younger quarterback in what has become a lost season. 
“Geno will start this week,” coach Ben McAdoo said in a press release. “Over the last five games, we will take a look at Geno, and we will also give Davis [Webb] an opportunity.”
It’s a historic move for the G-Men given that Eli Manning has started 210 consecutive regular-season games. It is the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history, second only to Brett Favre’s 297. According to the press release, Manning was given the option to continue his streak, but declined.
“Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play,” said Manning, who has started every Giants game since Nov. 21, 2004. “My feeling is that if you are going to play the other guys, play them. Starting just to keep the streak going and knowing you won’t finish the game and have a chance to win it is pointless to me, and it tarnishes the streak. Like I always have, I will be ready to play if and when I am needed. I will help Geno and Davis prepare to play as well as they possibly can.”
The Giants will be re-evaluating every area of the team in the offseason, including the quarterback position. Manning isn’t necessarily being forced out, but the Giants are expected to look towards the future as his 37th birthday comes in January. McAdoo & Co. are about to find out whether the former Jets bust is a potential option. Meanwhile, they’ll have to decide on Manning’s future before he collects on a $5MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2018 league year in March.
Smith played in 33 regular-season games with 30 starts for the Jets, but he has not started a game since October of last year. His stint in green was defined by poor play, injuries, and a locker room brawl that left him with a major jaw fracture.
Heading into the season, the Giants believed that Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and free agent pickup Brandon Marshall would power them into the playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries to OBJ, Marshall, and scores of other key players have taken them out of contention. The Giants are 2-9 with no mathematical chance of reaching the postseason.
“This is not the way it should be, but unfortunately, it’s where we are,” McAdoo said. “Our number one priority every week is to go win a game, but we owe it to the organization to get an evaluation of everybody on the roster, and that includes at the quarterback position. I’ll say it again, I have the utmost respect for Eli and everything he has done for this organization throughout his career. He is the consummate professional. He doesn’t like the position we are in, and neither do any of us. Eli has had to deal with a lot this season. Through it all, he has done everything we have asked of him in getting that unit ready to play. He has been steady, just like he has always been.”
Patriots To Place Martellus Bennett On IR
Martellus Bennett‘s controversial exit from Green Bay led to two games with the Patriots. Those look like the only two Bennett will play for New England this season.
Bennett has been battling a shoulder injury all season, and the Patriots are set to place the veteran tight end on IR, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe tweets.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also reports (on Twitter) the tight end is headed for IR and surgery, noting a hamstring problem may be the bigger reason behind this move. Rapoport adds Bennett will have shoulder surgery, at long last.
Bennett has been dealing with a tear in one of his hamstrings, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets, noting he’d planned to play through the rotator cuff and labrum problems he’d dealt with in his shoulder since last season.
The Packers waived Bennett earlier this month, and the 30-year-old pass-catcher accused the team of attempting to convince him to avoid having a surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff he said worsened this season. He passed a Pats physical, clearing the way for the defending Super Bowl champions’ waiver claim, and played Week 10 and Week 11, catching six passes for 53 yards. With his season likely being finished, Bennett will close with 286 air yards and no touchdowns.
After a season in which Bennett became the team’s primary tight end after a Rob Gronkowski injury, the Patriots are in better shape at tight end. They still have Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen healthy.
Bennett also said earlier this season he would likely retire at its conclusion. There are two years remaining on Bennett’s deal. Bennett being on the Pats’ roster as of March 14 triggers a $2MM bonus, so the Pats will make a decision on the pass-catcher before free agency, Howe tweets.
University Of Tennessee Eyeing Jon Gruden
The University of Tennessee is interested in hiring ESPN commentator Jon Gruden to fill its head coaching vacancy, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
The Volunteers thought they had their new head coach over the weekend, as the university had agreed to terms with former Rutgers/Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano. However, Tennessee backed out of the deal following backlash to the Schiano announcement, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports, who reports some of the adverse reaction was tied to Schiano’s reported involvement in the Penn State/Jerry Sandusky scandal. (To be clear, Schiano was alleged to have seen Sandusky “doing something” in a shower, but was never charged with a crime or sued, and the rumors are largely viewed as hearsay.)
Tennessee has in fact discussed its head coaching job with Gruden, and are open to a deal that would pay the Super Bowl winning coach $10MM annually, per La Canfora. Gruden has never been a head coach at the collegiate level, but he did work as a graduate assistant for the Volunteers from 1986-87 and his wife is a former Tennessee cheerleader.
Sources tell La Canfora that Gruden may prefer an NFL job, and a reunion involving the Buccaneers could be possible if Tampa Bay fires incumbent Dirk Koetter. Indeed, some Tennessee boosters don’t believe a deal with Gruden is realistic, especially given that the college has pursued Gruden without results in the past. Still, Gruden didn’t rule out a return to coaching when the subject was broached earlier this month.
Gruden isn’t the only coach with NFL ties that appears to be on Tennessee’s radar, as the university has also expressed interest in Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.
Seahawks S Kam Chancellor Out For Year
As expected, Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2017 season, head coach Pete Carroll said during an appearance on 710 ESPN (Twitter link).
Chancellor originally suffered a neck injury during Seattle’s Week 10 game against the Cardinals, but Carroll didn’t rule out the possibility of Chancellor returning at some point later this year. However, the ailment is serious enough that hard-hitting defensive back won’t play again in 2017, and Carroll also hinted that Chancellor’s long-term future could be in doubt, noting that beyond this season, “it’s up to [Chancellor]” to determine his outlook.
With Chancellor out, the Seahawks have turned to Bradley McDougald — a former Buccaneer who inked a one-year contract this spring — to fill in at safety opposite Earl Thomas. But the club’s vaunted Legion of Boom has now taken two serious hits, as Chancellor joins fellow stalwart Richard Sherman on injured reserve.
Seattle signed Chancellor to a three-year, $36MM extension in August that contains $13MM guaranteed. As such, the notion that the 29-year-old Chancellor will retire at any point in the near future seems far-fetched, as he’d simply be leaving too much money on the table.
Browns To Activate Josh Gordon
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is eligible to return to live action next week against the Chargers, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link), the team does plan to activate him and he will play next Sunday.
Gordon, who has been plagued by suspensions throughout his career, was conditionally reinstated on November 1, and he has reportedly looked like his old self in his subsequent workouts at the team facility. He apparently kept himself in good shape during his recovery from drug and alcohol problems, and all reports concerning Gordon since his reinstatement have been glowing.
Gordon, of course, produced one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history in 2013 when he led the league with 1,646 yards in just 14 games, but he has played just five games since that breakout campaign. His next game will be his first since 2014.
Gordon’s business manager, Michael Johnson, said Gordon is in the best mental state of his life and the Browns have “bought in.” For his part, Gordon is curious to see how effective he can be sober, as he says he has never been sober in his professional career.
If Gordon — who is still just 26 — can stay on the field even as an average player, it would represent one of the more incredible comeback stories in recent memory. Suddenly, there may be a reason to watch the Browns in the final few weeks of the season.
Cowboys To Waive Darren McFadden
The Cowboys are going to waive RB Darren McFadden, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport and Todd Archer of ESPN.com note that the decision is a mutual one.
McFadden, now 30, has appeared in only one game for Dallas this season, rushing one time for negative two yards. Even in the wake of Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension, he has not been able to get on the field, as Alfred Morris has jumped to the top of the depth chart and Rod Smith has served as Morris’ backup.
McFadden rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2015, his first year in Dallas, but he lost much of the 2016 season due to injury and was brought back for 2017 on a minimum salary benefit deal worth $980K. The Arkansas product, whom the Raiders drafted with the fourth-overall selection of the 2008 draft, has been plagued by injury for much of his career, and he therefore never really lived up to his enormous potential. He did post 1,157 rushing yards for Oakland in 2010 — to go along with 507 receiving yards — but outside of 2015, that was the only time he topped 1,000 rushing yards in his 10 years in the league.
As Rapoport notes, however, McFadden could be a useful piece for a contending club, as he should certainly be fresh down the stretch. If McFadden goes unclaimed on waivers, he will be free to sign with any team.
UCLA Hires Chip Kelly As Head Coach
Chip Kelly is back in the NCAA. UCLA announced today that they have hired Kelly as their new head coach (news first reported by Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports on Twitter). It will be a five-year contract worth $23.3MM with a $9MM reciprocal buyout (financial aspects first reports byFS1’s Bruce Feldman on Twitter).
Kelly made a name for himself as the head coach of Oregon, compiling a 46-7 record between 2009 and 2012 (along with three Pac-12 Conference championships). The head coach subsequently moved on to the NFL, taking a job with the Eagles. During his three seasons in Philadelphia, Kelly amassed a respectable 26-21 record, leading the Eagles to a division championship in 2013.
After the Eagles went 6-9 through the first 16 weeks of the 2015 campaign, Kelly was fired. Less than a month later, he joined the 49ers, although things didn’t go as planned. San Francisco ultimately went 2-14, including a 13-game losing streak, and Kelly was fired following the season. As ESPN’s Darren Rovell points out (on Twitter), the 49ers organization still owed Kelly $15MM, but this will mostly be “erased” as any salary will offset the buyout.
Since then, there have been rumblings that Kelly could take another head coach or coordinator gig in the NFL. The 53-year-old had met with the Jaguars regarding their former head coach and offensive coordinator vacancies, and there were also whispers that he could take a role on either the Patriots or Falcons coaching staffs. The majority of the rumors surrounding Kelly pertained to NFL gigs, as the coach apparently wasn’t interested in taking a job at Alabama (there were also whispers that Florida was eyeing him). Ultimately, during his year off, Kelly spent time with ESPN as a studio analyst.
Last week, former Jaguars offensive coordinator Jeff Fisch was named UCLA’s interim head coach after the school fired Jim L. Mora. Fisch ultimately led the Bruins to an important 30-27 win over California, gaining his team bowl eligibility.
Chiefs Sign Darrelle Revis
The Chiefs announced that they have signed Darrelle Revis. He’s still collecting a paycheck from the Jets, so the Chiefs’ deal for him will help to lessen New York’s obligation. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s a two-year deal for the cornerback, with no guaranteed money in 2018. He’ll be making the minimum in 2017.
“Darrelle is a proven player in this league and we are excited to add him to our secondary,” Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. “He’s had a Hall of Fame career and his leadership and playing experience will be valuable to our defense.”
Revis has 485 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 137 passes defensed, 29 interceptions, six forced fumbles, and 12 fumble recoveries for his career. He also has a Super Bowl ring thanks to his time with the Patriots and seven Pro Bowl nods. He started all 15 of his games for the Jets in 2016, compiling 43 tackles, one interception, and five passes defended. He ultimately ranked as the league’s No. 64 corner in 2016, per Pro Football Focus
“We’re excited to add Darrelle to the roster,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “He has experience and familiarity with Bob Sutton’s defense, he’s a team guy and we feel like a player of his caliber can help our football team.”
Revis had been determined to play this season, but there wasn’t a whole lot of intrigue in the veteran. Besides a pair of unidentified teams expressing interest back in May, we only heard definitively that the Chargers (along with a “handful” of other teams) had reached out to the cornerback.
Reid told Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star that Revis will eventually slide into the starting lineup (Twitter link). With All-Pro Marcus Peters manning one side of the field, that means former sixth-rounder Kenneth Acker will likely move to the bench. The Chiefs could ultimately look to move on from one of their cornerbacks, as they’re also rostering Terrance Mitchell, Steven Nelson, and Phillip Gaines.
Lions Claim Dwight Freeney
The Lions have claimed Dwight Freeney off waivers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Freeney was released by the Seahawks on Tuesday. 
Once among the league’s most dominant edge rushers, the 37-year-old isn’t quite the world-beater that he used to be. Still, Freeney could be a useful situational player, as evidenced by the three sacks he compiled in four games with Seattle. He was also effective in small doses for the Falcons in 2016. Freeney scored three sacks and 26.5 pressures for the Falcons last year while playing roughly a third of Atlanta’s defensive snaps.
In Detroit, Freeney will help to serve as depth behind starters Anthony Zettel and Ezekiel Ansah. If Ansah’s knee keeps him from the field on Thanksgiving, Cornelius Washington will draw the start at right defensive end, potentially putting Freeney in line for significant playing time. Jeremiah Valoaga and the newly-promoted Christian Ringo will also be in the same boat.
Freeney has a chance to reach the postseason with the Lions, who are 6-4. He also has a chance to move up the all-time sack chart. Currently, he sits 17th with 125.5 career sacks, putting him within range of Derrick Thomas (126.5) and Rickey Jackson (128). If he plays in 2018, he might have a chance at leapfrogging Lawrence Taylor and Leslie O’Neal (132.5).