Allen Robinson Done For Season
Jacksonville crushed AFC South rival Houston to open the season on Sunday, but if the Jaguars are going to continue to thrive in 2017, they’ll have to do it without their top wide receiver. The team confirmed Monday that Allen Robinson suffered a torn ACL in his left knee Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season, per the Associated Press.
This seemed like the probable outcome for Robinson after he went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter against the Texans and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. While the Robinson-less Jaguars still managed to coast to a 29-7 victory, having to make do without him for the remainder of the year will be a tall order.
Robinson posted at least 73 catches, 151 targets, 883 yards and six touchdowns in each of the previous two years, for one, and the Jags’ receiving corps already took a hit earlier this month when they placed rookie fourth-round pick Dede Westbrook on injured reserve. They’re now down to Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns, the latter of whom has fallen out of favor since last season, as their top options in a passing game that doesn’t inspire much confidence with Blake Bortles at the helm.
The 24-year-old Robinson, meanwhile, may have played his final game as a member of the Jaguars. The 2014 second-round pick is scheduled to hit free agency after the season and could’ve made a case for a monster contract with another big year. Instead, thanks to his knee injury, he’ll enter the offseason in a less-than-ideal position.
Andrew Luck To Miss Week 2
The Colts have already ruled out Andrew Luck for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, coach Chuck Pagano told reporters on Monday. Pagano added that he does not know if the quarterback will be able to practice this week, further casting doubt on when he will be able to take the field again. 
Scott Tolzien got the start in Week 1 in place of Luck and it was not pretty. Tolzien is now 0-3-1 as a starter in his career after going 9-of-18 on passing attempts for 128 yards with two interceptions. He was also sacked four times behind the Ryan Kelly-less offensive line.
The Colts benched the veteran in favor of recently-acquired QB Jacoby Brissett in the fourth quarter and he ran a successful drive for a touchdown. Although the TD was ultimately meaningless, Brissett’s ability to lead the offense down the field versus Tolzien’s struggles cannot be overlooked. Pagano indicated that the team will consider starting Brissett over Tolzien against Arizona.
Both the Colts and Cardinals will be without their best offensive players when they meet. Arizona learned on Monday that running back David Johnson will be sidelined for an extended period due to his wrist injury.
Cardinals To Sign RB D.J. Foster
The Cardinals need a running back and an ASU alum is on his way to help. Arizona has signed D.J. Foster off of the Patriots’ practice squad, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
On Monday morning, the Cardinals learned that star David Johnson has suffered a dislocated wrist. Right now, the Cards are operating under the assumption that he’ll be out of action for approximately 12 weeks, meaning that he won’t be back on the field until December in a best-case scenario.
Foster missed the Patriots’ initial 53-man cut this year which wasn’t a huge surprise given their depth at the position. He signed on with the practice squad that same weekend, but it didn’t take long for another club to pry him loose.
Foster appeared in three games for New England last year. He totaled 24 yards off of seven attempts and also added one reception for two yards. His pass-catching ability may be his best quality – he had 59 receptions for 584 yards as a senior at ASU.
Cardinals’ David Johnson To Miss Time
This is not the way the Cardinals wanted to start their season. After losing to the Lions on Sunday, the Cardinals have learned that running back David Johnson will be out for an extended period of time with a wrist injury. 
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians tells reporters Johnson’s initial prognosis is the same as T.J. Logan. That’s a bad sign since the rookie was ruled out for approximately 12 weeks after suffering a wrist injury in early August.
The early word is that Johnson will require surgery, but he’ll get a second opinion this week to determine the best course of action. If he recovers within the expected timeframe, he could be a candidate to return from IR later this year.
Arians says that the Cardinals will consider re-signing running back Chris Johnson to help fill in the gap. Johnson was released by the team just prior to the 53-man deadline. Fortunately for them, CJ2K is still available. The 31-year-old rushed for 814 yards and three touchdowns before giving way to D. Johnson as the club’s starting running back in 2015. He missed the bulk of last year due to injury.
Bears To Place Kevin White On IR
Bears coach John Fox confirmed to reporters on Monday morning that Kevin White has suffered a fractured scapula. White will be placed on injured reserve, though it’s currently unclear whether he’ll be a candidate to return later in the year. 
Fox says that surgery is a possibility for White. An operation, presumably, would knock him out for the year. If White can avoid surgery, then he may be able to take advantage of the league’s newly modified IR-DTR rules. Teams can bring two players off of IR during the season each year, though players must spend a minimum of eight weeks on the sidelines.
This is yet another frustrating setback for White, who has played in just five games in three seasons thus far. White, a West Virginia product, was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Although he is immensely talented, it’s not clear if he’ll ever be able to stay healthy.
With White sidelined, the Bears are hoping that Markus Wheaton will be ready to go in Week 2. The former Steeler was not able to go in the season opener as he recovers from finger surgery. Another free agent addition, Kendall Wright, could be in line for additional targets while White is out.
Eagles’ Ronald Darby Has Dislocated Ankle
Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby suffered a dislocated ankle during Sunday’s victory against the Redskins, but things are not as bad as they could have been. An MRI on Monday morning showed that Darby did not suffer any major ligament damage, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The dislocated ankle will keep him out for 4-6 weeks.
Without Darby, a thin Philadelphia secondary now becomes a even thinner with Patrick Robinson likely joining Jalen Mills as a starter in base packages. The Eagles played with only three active cornerbacks Sunday, relying on the ability of their safeties — including Corey Graham and Jaylen Watkins — to moonlight at corner if needed. Going forward, Rasul Douglas and/or Dexter McDougle will likely be active.
Other options could be in play, as well, including the potential promotion of practice squad corner C.J. Smith. Alternatively, the Eagles could hypothetically look to re-sign free agents Leodis McKelvin or Ron Brooks, both of whom were released earlier this year. Neither played well for Philadelphia in 2016, but both are familiar with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s scheme.
Darby is a newcomer to the Eagles’ defensive backfield, as the Birds acquired him from the Bills last month in exchange for a third-round pick and receiver Jordan Matthews. A former second-round draft choice, Darby has been up-and-down through two NFL seasons, but had been poised to serve as Philadelphia’s No. 1 cornerback.
Steelers Fear DL Stephon Tuitt Tore Biceps
The Steelers fear that defensive end Stephon Tuitt tore his biceps on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If confirmed, the injury will end Tuitt’s 2017 season.
Tuitt secured himself financially before the campaign began, agreeing to a five-year $60MM extension that includes $14MM in full guarantees. Originally scheduled to earn a base salary of just over $1MM for the upcoming season, Tuitt will now earn $14MM this year: $1MM in base salary, plus a $11MM signing bonus and a $2MM roster bonus.
A second-round pick in the 2014 draft, Tuitt has made 44 appearances and 32 over three seasons with Pittsburgh. One of the more underrated defensive lineman in the league, the 25-year-old managed four sacks ad 20.5 pressures in 2016 while grading as the NFL’s No. 20 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
If Tuitt is done for the year, the Steelers will turn to veteran Tyson Alualu and 2015 sixth-rounder Leterrius Walton to take on more snaps, while practice squad defensive end Lavon Hooks is now a candidate for promotion. Alternatively, free agents with experience in a 3-4 defense — such as Arthur Jones, Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, or Jaye Howard — could be on Pittsburgh’s radar.
Jaguars WR Allen Robinson Has ACL Injury
Jaguars wideout Allen Robinson suffered a “significant” knee injury during today’s game against the Texans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and Jacksonville fears Robinson has a torn ACL, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Jaguars have now officially confirmed that Robinson has an ACL injury to his left knee, and head coach Doug Marrone will provide a further update on Monday.
While details are slim as of yet, Robinson went down early with a non-contact injury, struggled to make it to the sideline, and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of today’s contest. While further test results will surely leak out, an ACL injury appeared to be the most obvious diagnosis.
Jacksonville already lost one wideout prior to the season, as the club placed rookie pass-catcher Dede Westbrook on injured reserve with a “core” injury. But the absence of Robinson — clearly Jacksonville’s most talented wide receiver — would represent a much more serious loss. Even in a down 2016, Robinson posted 73 receptions and six scores, while he managed 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdown receptions the year prior.
Without Robinson, the Jaguars would turn to Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns as their top two wide receivers, with Arrelious Benn and Keelan Cole available behind that duo. Amba Etta-Tawo, currently on Jacksonville’s practice squad, could be promoted, while the Jags could also consider a free agent. Players such as Victor Cruz (whom the Jaguars hosted earlier this year), Vincent Jackson, Stevie Johnson, and Marquess Wilson are among the options available on the open market.
Alternatively, Jacksonville could lean even more heavily on the running game, something they did in today’s victory over the Texans. Rookie running back Leonard Fournette handled 26 carries on Sunday, while backup Chris Ivory rushed nine times. Quarterback Blake Bortles attempted only 21 passes, but the Jaguars had the benefit of leading early versus Houston.
Robinson’s injury could also have an unfortunate impact on any potential extension negotiations. The 24-year-old Robinson is scheduled to become a free agent next spring, and while he’s discussed a long-term deal with the Jaguars, nothing has been signed. If he’s out for the rest of the year, Robinson will hit the open market with an uncertain medical history, possibly forcing him into accepting a short-term pact.
Bears’ Kevin White To Have Surgery?
The Bears fear wide receiver Kevin White has a broken bone in his shoulder and will require season-ending surgery, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. 
If confirmed, White’s latest injury will be simply another health-related setback for the former No. 7 overall pick. White, who missed the entirety of his rookie campaign, has appeared in only five games through two-plus NFL seasons. In 2016, White started four games and managed 19 receptions for 187 yards.
White, 25, is signed through 2018, and will fully guaranteed salaries of $1.9MM and $2.7MM over the next two years. The Bears hold a 2019 fifth-year option on White, but it will almost assuredly be declined. Not only has White not been available to post the kind of production that would make the option worthwhile, but his injury history could easily result in the option becoming fully guaranteed, an untenable outcome from the team’s perspective.
Chicago had already lost one wideout earlier this year, as Cameron Meredith went down with a torn ACL during the preseason. Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson, and Tre McBride now comprise the remaining Bears’ receivers. Tanner Gentry, currently on Chicago’s practice squad, is conceivably a candidate to be promoted to the active roster.
Raiders To Place Sebastian Janikowski On IR
The Raiders will open the season with a kicker other than Sebastian Janikowski for the first time since the 20th century on Sunday, because the team placed the 18th-year veteran on IR Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Janikowski’s struggled with a back injury during the preseason. In Janikowski’s place, Giorgio Tavecchio is in line to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Titans, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. The Raiders signed Tavecchio to their practice squad on Friday after taking him to training camp the past two years.
Schefter notes (via Twitter) the Raiders promoted Tavecchio from the practice squad. The Raiders were concerned about Janikowski’s back for some time, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (on Twitter) the kicker hadn’t felt right in weeks.
A disc injury will shelve Janikowski for at least half the season, but the situation could be complicated. The Raiders are planning to make rookie safety Obi Melifonwu one of their IR-DTR players, and teams only have two such spots. So it’s possible this injury ends Janikowski’s season, depending on what transpires on the Oakland injury front during the first half of the season. The Raiders waited until December of last year to recall defensive end Mario Edwards, but it would certainly be interesting if they held a spot for a kicker.
This has been quite the newsworthy week involving the longest-tenured player in Raiders history. Oakland worked out three recently released kickers — Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent and Marshall Koehn — and a pay-cut agreement commenced, reducing Janikowski’s 2017 salary from $4MM to $3MM. This followed an initial impasse that involved the longtime specialist refusing to accept a pay reduction. That $3MM figure is guaranteed in this the last season of Janikowski’s latest Raiders contract.
The 2000 first-round pick has only missed four games with the Raiders, and his 268 are the most any Raider’s ever played.
Lambo, Nugent and Koehn will be names to monitor, since it’s unlikely Tavecchio will have surefire job security. He’ll have to perform to stave off a potential veteran add. Also a left-footed kicker, Tavecchio kicked for Cal from 2008-11.