Patriots Place Dont’a Hightower On IR
The Patriots have officially placed Dont’a Hightower on injured reserve, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This was the expected move after the linebacker suffered a torn pectoral muscle in October, though there was some hope that he could return to action after resting for a period of time.
League rules dictate that players who are placed on IR must be out of action for at least eight weeks. With only eight games to go, his season is now officially over.
Without Hightower, the Patriots have been using veteran David Harris as the starting middle linebacker with Elandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy on the strong side and weak side, respectively. They’ve fortified the front seven by signing outside linebacker Trevor Reilly in October and adding defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois earlier today, but Hightower’s production and leadership cannot be easily replaced.
Hightower’s season ends with five appearances, two sacks, and 14 total tackles.
Packers T Bryan Bulaga Done For Year
Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga tore his ACL, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Bulaga will be placed on injured reserve with no hope of returning this year. 
Bulaga, 28, has been dealing with injuries throughout the season that have hampered his performance. Bulaga currently rates as just the 39th best tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That’s a major step down from his top 7 placement in 2016 and 2014.
Already, the Packers’ offense is reeling from the absence of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Now, fill-in Brett Hundley will have to do his best behind a thinned out offensive line.
For now, reserve Justin McCray is expected to start in Bulaga’s place. Second-round pick Jason Spriggs is coming off of IR and could also help fill the void.
The banged-up Packers are 4-4 after losing to the Lions on Sunday and their playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy.
Vikings To Activate Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy Bridgewater will be activated to the Vikings’ 53-man roster, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the team is discussing whether Sam Bradford will be placed on injured reserve. 
Moving Bradford to IR could be the Vikings best option given the way that Case Keenum has played in his absence. The Vikings also know that they will probably lose preseason standout Kyle Sloter if they try to sneak him through waivers and on to the practice squad.
Keenum is expected to remain the starter for the time being with Bridgewater as a backup. If Keenum falters against the Redskins on Sunday, the Vikings could have another QB dilemma on their hands.
In 2016, Bradford set the NFL record for completion percentage in a season at 71.6%. This year, however, he has been dealing with serious knee troubles and has appeared in only two games. Bradford opened up the season by completing 27 of 32 passes against the Saints for three touchdowns and no interceptions, but he did not return to action until Week 5 against the Bears. After getting re-injured midway through that game, we have not seen Bradford take the field since.
Giants Reinstate Janoris Jenkins
The Giants announced that they have reinstated cornerback Janoris Jenkins. It was just one week ago that Jenkins was handed an “indefinite” suspension by head coach Ben McAdoo. 
Jenkins was banned from the team when he missed last Monday’s meeting. Initially, the Giants said that Jenkins’ absence was excused. Later, McAdoo told reporters that wasn’t the case.
Jenkins’ act-out marked the second time a Giants star has publicly disrespected McAdoo. Just weeks ago, fellow starting corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie butted heads with the coach. He too was handed an “indefinite” suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. And, he too was reinstated after just one week. We know that DRC had some issues with McAdoo specifically, but it’s not immediately clear why Jenkins missed last Monday’s practice.
The Giants are 1-7 after a 51-17 drumming at the hands of the Rams. In the midst of a disastrous season, it’s fair to wonder whether McAdoo will be brought back for another.
In related moves, the Giants signed linebacker Deontae Skinner off the Raiders’ practice squad and waived defensive end Jordan Williams and defensive back Tim Scott. Linebacker Nigel Harris (ribs) was placed on injured reserve.
Denzel Perryman Expected To Return This Week
Denzel Perryman could make his 2017 debut this weekend. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters today that the linebacker is expected to play this Sunday against the Jaguars (via team’s Twitter). Perryman has been on the injured reserve since September as he recovered from ankle surgery, although 
he did start practicing with the team several weeks ago.
The linebacker will surely be a welcome addition to the Chargers defense, as the former second-rounder has been one of the organization’s most productive players over the past two years. In 2016, Perryman finished with 72 tackles, a pair of sacks, and two passes defended in 12 games (11 starts), earning him a spot among the top-50 linebackers according to Pro Football Focus. The Miami product has dealt with injuries throughout his brief playing career, including pectoral, shoulder, hamstring, and knee ailments.
Korey Toomer has filled in admirably during his teammate’s absence, collecting 31 tackles in seven games (four starts). Perryman will rejoin a linebacker corps that also includes Hayes Pullard, Jatavis Brown, Kyle Emanuel, James Onwualu, Josh Keyes, and Nick Dzubnar.
Falcons Work Out CB Byron Maxwell
Byron Maxwell worked out for the Falcons on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This marks the cornerback’s first known workout since being released by the Dolphins. 
Maxwell has some ties to the staff in Atlanta thanks to his time spent with head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel in Seattle. Maxwell was a disappointment with the Eagles and Dolphins, but he played some quality football with the Seahawks.
If signed, Maxwell would offer some veteran support behind corners Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, and Brian Poole. Atlanta is currently 10th in passing yards allowed per game with 207.2.
Now 4-4 after Sunday’s loss to the Panthers, the Falcons will look to crack .500 with a win over the Cowboys on Sunday. Nothing is set in stone, but it seems likely that Ezekiel Elliott will be in uniform for Dallas.
Buccaneers To Rest Jameis Winston
The Buccaneers will be without starting quarterback Jameis Winston for a bit. On Monday, head coach Dirk Koetter announced that the team will be shutting him down for “a couple of weeks.” 
Winston first suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder during the preseason. At multiple times during the season, he has re-aggravated the injury. The latest instance forced him out of Sunday’s game against the Saints.
While Winston is sidelined, Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as the Buccaneers’ starter. First up for the Harvard product is a showdown with his former team, the Jets. After that, Fitzpatrick is looking at a likely start against the Dolphins and, potentially, a showdown with the Falcons.
Winston and Fitzpatrick are the only quarterbacks presently on the roster, so the Bucs will probably look to add another QB in the coming days. Ryan Griffin would seem to be a likely candidate for promotion from the practice squad.
Texans Have Internally Discussed Colin Kaepernick
After the Texans’ 20-14 defeat on Sunday at the hands of the Colts, there are questions abound about the Texans’ quarterback situation. Naturally, coach Bill O’Brien was asked about Colin Kaepernick on Monday morning. O’Brien confirmed that Kaepernick has been at least discussed in meetings with team officials, but it doesn’t sound like we should bank on him landing in Houston. 
“Again, we talk about everybody that’s out there every day. I coach the football team. What you saw yesterday, that’s what I’m in charge of. I just give my input and then I coach the football team,” O’Brien said, before adding that he “likes the guys” already in-house (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26).
This weekend, the Texans turned back to Tom Savage after losing Deshaun Watson for the season with a torn ACL. The results were not great. Savage completed 19-of-44 for 219 yards and a touchdown as the Texans allowed a divisional rival to snap three-game losing skid.
Shortly after Watson’s injury in practice, the Texans moved quickly to add Matt McGloin and T.J. Yates to the roster. We could see some further movement in the QB room, but it would be a surprise to see Kaepernick added to the mix at this time.
Ezekiel Elliott Rumors: Monday
All parties involved in the Ezekiel Elliott saga say they are are not interested in a settlement. However, on Sunday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported that Elliott’s team has indeed been pushing for a compromise.
Will we see a settlement in which Elliott accepts something less than a six-game ban? It still seems highly unlikely given the comments made by the NFL and Elliott’s desire to clear his name.
For now, things remain in limbo as the two sides duke it out in the courts. We’ll keep track of the latest here:
- The next hearing on the Elliott injunction will take place at 2pm ET/1pm CT on Thursday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit announced. There might not be enough time for a ruling to come down before Sunday, so it seems like Elliott could be able to suit up on Sunday against the Falcons, regardless of the outcome. Thanks to an administrative stay, Elliott was able to suit up this past Sunday against the Chiefs. The running back finished out with 93 yards and one touchdown off of 27 carries.
- A hearing was not originally supposed to occur on the pending Elliott motion and the running back’s representatives see it as a positive development in their favor, Mike Florio of PFT hears (Twitter link).
- Elliott perhaps caught a break in avoiding Denny Chin or Barrington Parker as the judge in his upcoming hearing, sports attorney Daniel Wallach (on Twitter) notes. Chin and Parker both ruled in the NFL’s favor during the Deflategate saga.
Latest On Browns, Josh Gordon
We could be getting closer to the on-field return of Josh Gordon. The wide receiver is slated to report to the Browns’ facility on Tuesday to begin conditioning work, individual workouts, and attend team meetings, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. The hope is that Gordon will be ready to go for their Week 13 game against the Chargers on Dec. 3, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. 
Recently, Browns Executive Vice President Sashi Brown announced that he would be sitting down with Gordon and that day is finally near. As a whole, the organization has come a lot way since coach Hue Jackson was asked about the wide receiver in October 2016.
“I think what we need to do is just close that chapter right now,” Jackson said roughly 13 months ago. “He’s doing what he needs to do, and we need to do what we need to do, which is continue to move forward…Obviously, Josh is not here and doing what he thinks he needs to do for his life, which we support 100 percent. And I think after today, today is really the last Josh Gordon comment I want to make about that. I think what’s best for our football team is that we move forward and move on. He’s not going to be with us, and we wish him well. But we’re moving forward. We’re going to move on.”
Gordon will be allowed to practice with the Browns starting on Nov. 20, and he will be eligible for activation starting on Nov. 27. With an extra week on top of that, the Browns are hopeful that Gordon will be caught up on the playbook and in good enough shape to play.
Prior to the trade deadline, there were rumblings that the Browns would consider moving Gordon if he secured reinstatement in time. With that in mind, one has to wonder if the Browns are looking to keep Gordon for 2018 or if they are looking to showcase him for other teams over the season’s final four games.