Colts Waive LB Shaquille Leonard
NOVEMBER 22: As expected, Leonard cleared waivers today, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Detached from his lucrative Colts contract, the standout linebacker is now a free agent.
NOVEMBER 21: After steady complaints about his diminished role, Shaquille Leonard will be changing teams. The perennial All-Pro linebacker will shockingly become available; Leonard announced Tuesday the Colts are cutting him. Indianapolis has announced the separation.
This comes barely two years after the Colts authorized a record-setting extension for the former second-round success story, but Leonard has not been a fit in Gus Bradley‘s defensive system. After an injury-plagued 2022, Leonard has not returned to a full-time workload this season. Although Leonard bristled about his usage, Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes he did not ask the Colts to cut him.
A force in Matt Eberflus‘ defense, Leonard signed a five-year, $98.5MM extension before the 2021 season. The Colts owe Leonard $6.11MM in remaining base salary this season — should no team claim him — and the AFC South club is on the hook for an additional $8MM in dead money due to prorated signing bonus. This cut’s full cost to the Colts will not be determined until waivers process.
Certain teams do have the cap space to pick up the remainder of Leonard’s 2023 base salary, a move that would help the Colts on the financial front. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes Leonard is expected to clear waivers. No fully guaranteed money is attached to this contract beyond 2023. This will set up one of the more interesting in-season free agency derbies in recent years.
“Shaq is the ultimate competitor and has been a fan favorite since he arrived as a rookie in 2018,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said. “We are incredibly grateful for his contributions to the team and the city of Indianapolis over the last six seasons. … He will always be a valued member of the Horseshoe.”
Leonard, 28, earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2018, 2020 and ’21 and was a second-team choice in 2019. The Division I-FCS product became a turnover-forcing machine during Eberflus’ four-year run as Indy’s DC. In 2021 alone, Leonard caused an astounding 12 turnovers — four INTs, an NFL-most eight forced fumbles — to help the Colts to the playoff precipice. Over the course of his career, Leonard has forced 17 fumbles and intercepted 12 passes.
The 49ers, Browns, Cardinals and Bengals each hold more than $10MM in cap space, while a handful of other teams carry more than $7MM. It would be interesting to see if a team submits a claim in an effort to secure Leonard’s rights beyond 2023; his current contract runs through 2025. The Bears come to mind as a team that could be interested, as they have made buyer’s trades despite holding one of the league’s worst records in back-to-back years. Eberflus also coached Leonard throughout his Indianapolis tenure, though Chicago did spend top-five ILB money on Tremaine Edmunds this offseason. T.J. Edwards signed a midlevel Bears deal as well, potentially cutting Chicago off early here. The Cowboys and Eagles pursued linebackers at the deadline as well — Nick Sirianni was on Frank Reich‘s Colts staff for three years — while the Steelers have lost two regulars for the season.
Leonard is also coming off a year in which he underwent two back surgeries. After a summer 2022 procedure did not clear up the issue, Leonard was eventually shut down in November of last year. He ended up playing three games in the Reich-Jeff Saturday season, also suffering a concussion and a broken nose, but was ready to go for Week 1 of this year. Bradley, however, refused to use Leonard as his play-calling predecessor did. Leonard (454 defensive snaps) logged a 70% snap rate this season. His snap shares from 2018-21: 98%, 98%, 93%, 98%.
In addition to Leonard being unhappy with his role under Bradley, Pro Football Focus ranks the once-dominant defender outside the top 60 among off-ball linebackers this season. Leonard has made 65 tackles in nine games, but just two of those were for losses; the sixth-year ‘backer also does not have a fumble forced, fumble recovered or an INT this season.
The Colts have used Zaire Franklin on more defensive plays (634), and the recently re-signed E.J. Speed has logged 357 defensive snaps. This duo will represent a lower-cost pair compared to Leonard, whom the Colts did not believe was living up to his lucrative contract. The Colts could have hung on and saved some money by cutting Leonard in 2024; that move would have created $12MM in cap savings for the retooled team. But the now-Shane Steichen-led squad will attempt to make a playoff push without one of the most productive defenders in franchise history.
It will obviously be interesting to see where Leonard lands and if he can prove Bradley and Co. wrong. Claims for Leonard must be submitted by 3pm CT Wednesday. Beyond that, Leonard figures to have a few suitors in free agency.
Steelers Fire OC Matt Canada
Matt Canada will not be given an opportunity to close out a third season as Steelers offensive coordinator. While Canada had long been expected to be fired after this season, Mike Tomlin instead informed the third-year OC of an in-season dismissal Tuesday morning.
The Steelers will pivot to a co-OC setup of sorts to replace Canada, 51. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner will take over in the coordinator role, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will move into the play-calling role. Tomlin is not believed to have made the final call here, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reporting owner Art Rooney II insisted this move be made. That being the case would add intrigue to a Steelers offensive situation that has been one of the NFL’s worst for years, though Tomlin (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly) has since said he made the call.
Sullivan has been an OC with the Giants and Buccaneers previously; he has been with the Steelers since 2021, Canada’s first OC season. Faulkner has been in place as Pittsburgh’s RBs coach since 2019. Faulkner, 46, will play a lead role in game planning, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. But Sullivan, 56, will be the assistant given headset responsibilities.
The Steelers are 6-4, but their offense has struggled throughout Canada’s third season. Pittsburgh holds a minus-29 point differential, being in the historically strange position of holding an over-.500 record after having been outgained in each of its 10 games this season. Canada’s struggles predate this year as well. The Steelers have not produced a 400-yard offensive game since the 2020 season, Randy Fichtner‘s last as OC.
The team’s 249-yard outing in Cleveland represented its 58th straight game coming in below 400 yards. The Steelers’ most recent such outing came in Week 2 of the 2020 season. Kenny Pickett, who completed 15 passes for just 106 yards against the Browns’ menacing pass defense in Week 11, has not taken a step forward in his second season. The 2022 first-rounder’s status is secure for the time being, but the Pitt product may soon be on the clock as well.
Prior to the Browns matchup, Canada had been expected to be given a chance to foster Pickett improvement to close out the season. Tomlin kept Canada on as OC — to the chagrin of many — after Pickett put together a promising stretch to close out a statistically unimpressive rookie season. Instead, this will be the first Steelers OC in-season coordinator removal since Bill Cowher relieved Ray Sherman of play-calling duties during the 1998 slate. That was not technically a firing, since Sherman finished out the season in a lesser role. This will mark rare territory for the old-school franchise. But the Steelers have been a defense-dependent outfit for years, transitioning from the “Killer B’s” era to a period of low-octane offense that has encompassed most of the 2020s.
Tomlin initially hired Canada as quarterbacks coach in 2020, but the longtime HC did not renew Fichtner’s contract for the 2021 season, promoting the ex-Maryland leader ahead of Ben Roethlisberger‘s final season. This marked Canada’s first NFL coaching gig. Prior to joining the NFL ranks, Canada had been an OC at seven schools (Indiana, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, NC State, Pitt, LSU, Maryland) from 2007-18. Finishing his Maryland tenure as interim HC amid a scandal involving former HC D.J. Durkin, Canada surfaced with the Steelers despite not coaching during the 2019 season.
While it could certainly be fair to say Canada did not have an above-average quarterback during his tenure, Tomlin will aim to see if someone else can coax better Pickett play. Roethlisberger was a shell of his Hall of Fame version by the time Canada took over, and Mitch Trubisky did not inspire confidence to start last season. Pickett, however, has flatlined during this year’s opening stretch. Pickett ranks 28th in QBR and has managed only six touchdown passes in 10 games. He finished his rookie season with seven in 13 contests. The in-state product’s yards per attempt (6.1) and completion percentage (60.5) figures are down from 2022 as well.
As a team, the Steelers rank 29th with 14 touchdowns this season. They only put up 30 points twice during Canada’s OC tenure, and this edition ranks 31st with 170 passing yards per game. Although the team missed Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth for extended spans this season, Pickett’s slow development predated those injuries. The Steelers have also enjoyed quality health along their offensive line throughout Pickett’s tenure.
This still figures to be an uphill battle for Faulkner and Sullivan, with the 2024 offseason likely to serve as a pivotal Pickett point. But the team will attempt to salvage what could still be a playoff season. Tomlin famously has never had a losing season, and the historically high-floor operation will reassemble pieces to keep that streak going.
Sullivan’s OC opportunities came from 2012-13 (Tampa Bay) and from 2016-17 (New York). Sullivan previously ran the Bucs’ offense during Greg Schiano‘s HC tenure, which covered the end of Josh Freeman‘s run and a handful of starts from then-rookie Mike Glennon. After the Giants received the last of Odell Beckham Jr.‘s dominant seasons in 2016, they struggled amid injuries in 2017. While the team fired Ben McAdoo late in the ’17 campaign, Sullivan finished that season. He was out of football for two seasons following the 2018 slate, which he spent as the Broncos’ QBs coach.
Faulkner and Canada had worked together in the college ranks, with Faulkner following Canada from Northern Illinois to Wisconsin. Faulkner spent six seasons at NC State, being on staff at the ACC program before Canada. Faulkner handled a number of duties with the Wolfpack, but he was last a coordinator during a two-year stay (2009-10) at Ball State. Sullivan will bring 22 years’ worth of NFL assistant experience to his new role, while Faulkner joined Canada in having never coached in the pros until Tomlin offered him a job.
Broncos S Kareem Jackson Suspended Four Games
NOVEMBER 21: Derrick Brooks, the jointly-appointed hearing officer overseeing Jackson’s appeal, has upheld the ban. Jackson will be forced to sit out four games, the NFL announced on Tuesday. As a result of the decision, the veteran will miss a total of six games this season for illegal hits; this latest suspension will cost him nearly $559K in forfeited salary. The disciplinary issues will no doubt hurt Jackson’s market this offseason, as he is a pending free agent.
NOVEMBER 20: Kareem Jackson has been slapped with his second suspension of the season. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Broncos safety has been suspended four games “for repeated violations of the player safety rules.”
In the NFL’s release (h/t NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan cited a play from yesterday’s game where Jackson made illegal contact with Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Specifically, the league issued a suspension for violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10 which states that “it is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent.”
“Illegal acts that are flagrant and jeopardize the safety of players will not be tolerated,” Runyan wrote in a letter to Jackson. “The League will continue to stress enforcement of the rules that prohibit using your helmet to make forcible contact with your opponent.”
Following Denver’s Week 7 matchup with the Packers, Jackson was hit with a four-game ban for violating the league’s unnecessary roughness rules. Following an appeal, that suspension was knocked down to two games. The 35-year-old was just activated from the reserve/suspension list last week. Jackson was also tossed from Denver’s Week 2 game (and later fined) for a flagrant foul.
Jackson will be allowed to appeal his latest suspension. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the safety will indeed by appealing the punishment. If he does indeed sit four games, he’ll be eligible to return to the active roster in Week 16.
After spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Texans, Jackson joined the Broncos prior to the 2019 campaign. He started all 61 of his appearances through his first four seasons in Denver, and he’s started each of his eight appearances this year. The veteran has collected 51 tackles and two interceptions in 2023, and he had nine tackles in his return from suspension this past weekend.
Browns’ Deshaun Watson To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
NOVEMBER 16: Watson will undergo surgery performed by renowned doctor Neal ElAttrache next week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. A full recovery is expected, while Cabot adds that a six-month timeline will likely be needed for Watson to receive clearance for a return to football action. Whether or not he undergoes open or arthroscopic surgery will play a role in determining the length of his absence, but the fact Watson will not play again until 2024 represents a major blow to Cleveland’s short-term prospects.
NOVEMBER 15: The Deshaun Watson shoulder saga will bring a pivotal plot twist. Despite making the past two starts, the highly paid Browns quarterback sustained a setback during the team’s win over the Ravens. An MRI has since confirmed an injury that will end Watson’s season.
Watson will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, according to the Browns. The team announced Watson sustained a displaced fracture in the glenoid. Watson had previously missed time because of a micro tear in his rotator cuff. After returning earlier this season and then helping the Browns erase a two-score deficit in Baltimore, he will not make another comeback.
In addition to the shoulder trouble that has defined Cleveland’s season, Watson is battling a high ankle sprain. The shoulder surgery will allow time for that matter to clear up as well, and the 6-3 team will be without its high-profile trade acquisition. The Browns will need to turn back to P.J. Walker, who usurped Week 1 backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The team will add a third QB, per GM Andrew Berry, but Walker is expected to be the starter moving forward.
The latest shoulder setback occurred in the second quarter Sunday, Berry said. The fracture was not viewed as a worsening of the torn right rotator cuff, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Berry said Wednesday morning (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) Watson indeed suffered a “completely new injury.” Watson’s upcoming surgery will not address the rotator cuff matter, Berry said.
While a full recovery is expected, this matter obviously threatens the Browns’ viability as a Super Bowl LVIII contender. Although Cleveland ended San Francisco’s unbeaten run without Watson and prevailed in Indianapolis after he left that game, Walker being asked to move forward as the full-time starter will deal a substantial blow to the rejuvenated team. The Browns are 4-1 in games Watson has finished this season.
After returning prematurely against the Colts in Week 7, Watson wanted to receive pain-killing injections and continue to play through this latest shoulder injury, Cabot reports. While this situation had previously involved the lightning-rod quarterback being cleared and not playing, Cabot notes Watson received information that his shoulder could could fall apart if he sustained another hit in the same spot. Multiple medical opinions led to this shutdown decision.
This is the second season of Watson’s five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed contract. The Browns restructured it in March, moving money into the mid-2020s and creating whopping cap figures post-2023. The team dropped Watson’s 2023 cap hit to $19.1MM, but the restructure inflated the 28-year-old passer’s 2024-26 cap numbers to $63.9MM. The Browns will likely push more money on this unprecedented contract into the future, but 2023 represented a key window — especially now with the team’s Jim Schwartz-run defense dominating — for the franchise.
The Browns, of course, traded Josh Dobbs — their handpicked 2023 backup — to the Cardinals before the season. Viewing Thompson-Robinson as ready to back up Watson, Cleveland sent Dobbs west in a swap that included a fifth-round pick coming back. Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-rounder out of UCLA, did not end up being ready to hold down the fort with Watson out. The Browns benched him after a blowout loss to the Ravens in Week 4. Walker has fared better, but the Browns’ non-Watson QBs carry a 1-to-8 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio this season.
Dobbs has since been moved to the Vikings and has helped the team to two wins since arriving. Dobbs said recently he expected to be traded to the Vikings or back to the Browns, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds it not believed Cleveland was a true threat to reacquire the veteran backup. At the time, the Vikings — who had just lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles tear — featured a greater need. Watson’s shoulder issue naturally made the Browns’ setup rather tenuous, but the team stood down at the deadline.
Cleveland has now lost Watson, Nick Chubb and right tackle Jack Conklin for the season. The team has managed to persevere without Conklin and Chubb, who were lost for the year in September. Watson has been a major part of that, though he has not recaptured the form he had displayed before the career-altering run of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault accusations altered his reputation and led him out of Houston. Watson, however, had begun to play better in his latest return effort. He finished the Ravens game 20 of 34 for 213 yards and a touchdown, but the bulk of those incompletions came early. Watson rallied the Browns back from a 24-9 second-half deficit, completing his final 14 passes and leading a game-winning drive that culminated in a Dustin Hopkins field goal.
The Browns, who also recently placed left tackle Jedrick Wills on IR, exited Week 10 with a 63% chance to qualify for the AFC playoffs, according to ESPN’s FPI. They improved their chances in the loaded AFC North with the win in Baltimore, and while this injury may not crush the team’s wild-card hopes, it marks another disappointment for a franchise that absorbed considerable heat for acquiring Watson in the first place. The NFL then handed the embattled QB an 11-game suspension, extending his hiatus — which began when the Texans made him a healthy scratch throughout the 2021 season — well into the 2022 slate.
The Browns won a trade derby that consisted of the Falcons, Saints and Panthers. After it appeared Watson was set to choose Atlanta, Cleveland upped its extension offer to that $230MM guarantee proposal. Not only did the NFC South teams balk at that point, the ensuing run of big-ticket QB extensions did not follow suit. Lamar Jackson‘s pursuit of a fully guaranteed deal did not prompt the Ravens to match the Browns’ Watson terms, and the other QBs who signed for $50MM-plus per year do not come close in terms of fully guaranteed money. The Browns went 7-10 in Watson’s first year in Ohio, which came after an 8-9 campaign that ended up running Baker Mayfield out of town.
Mayfield playing through an injury to his non-throwing shoulder for most of the 2021 season moved him from a QB on the extension radar to one dealt for a fifth-round 2024 draft choice. The Browns also let Jacoby Brissett, who once again served as a team’s emergency replacement, defect to the Commanders in free agency. They had re-signed Dobbs — Brissett’s 2022 backup — in April but will move forward with Walker, who arrived just before the season. The Bears had released Walker previously, going with Division II-developed rookie Tyson Bagent behind Justin Fields.
Walker, who returned to the NFL in 2020 after a quality run in the abbreviated second XFL incarnation, has piloted the Browns to two wins. But the 28-year-old passer has completed just 49% of his throws this season. Watson ranks only 23rd in QBR and has endured steady hurdles in his road back from his defining midcareer issues, but his latest absence may well derail this year’s promising Browns edition.
Bills Fire OC Ken Dorsey
In the aftermath of another underwhelming performance, the Bills are making a signficant change on the sidelines. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey has been fired, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since confirmed the move. 
The Bills have struggled to an extent on offense in 2023, Dorsey’s second year in charge of the unit. He will be replaced by quarterbacks coach Joe Brady, Schefter adds. The latter has also been in Buffalo since 2022, having previously served as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator under head coach Matt Rhule.
The departure of Brian Daboll led to questions about Buffalo’s ability to remain amongst the league’s top offenses with Dorsey at the helm. It came as little surprise when the Bills decided to look in-house for Daboll’s successor, promoting Dorsey from the QB coach position he had held with the team for the previous three years. While Buffalo has posted strong statistical showings during Dorsey’s time as OC, he has been dismissed in the hopes of providing a spark for the unit and getting the team’s postseason push back on track.
The Bills ranked second in the league in both total and scoring offense last season, a sign that the switch to Dorsey could have been one with long-term appeal. However, the team suffered a lackluster defeat in the postseason during the divisional round, and week-to-week consistency has been hard to come by in 2023. This year, Buffalo sits eighth in the NFL in both points (26) and yards (377) per game.
After recording three straight high-scoring wins starting in Week 2, the Bills have failed to score 30 points in their last six games. Turnovers have been a major issue for the unit, which has led to increased criticism of quarterback Josh Allen. Aiming to produce a rebound from their franchise passer, the team will now proceed with a new face for the stretch run. Today’s move will leave Buffalo with neither the offensive nor defensive coordinator which was in place following the end of the 2022 campaign.
DC Leslie Frazier stepped away from football in February, though he intends to return to the sidelines either as a coordinator or a head coach in the future. Head coach Sean McDermott has called plays on defense this season, and that unit has not delivered to the extent it has in past seasons. Injuries on defense have been a major storyline for Buffalo this year, but McDermott has drawn criticism on a number of fronts, including most recently the disorganization which resulted in a penalty to give the Broncos a chance to win in come-from-behind fashion last night. In the wake of that special teams mistake, McDermott will move forward with a new voice for the offense.
Dorsey will now join the 2024 coaching cycle early. The 42-year-old interviewed with the Panthers for their head coaching vacancy last offseason. Given the manner in which his Buffalo tenure has come to an end, it will be interesting to see how much of a market he generates in the winter. Buffalo, meanwhile, will aim for a step forward in efficiency with Brady at the helm.
Rams To Sign QB Carson Wentz
NOVEMBER 9: Wentz will receive a $150K signing bonus as part of the deal, along with a prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum, per ESPN’s Field Yates. The veteran will therefore earn $733K over the course of the next few months in his new home. QB2 duties await Wentz when Stafford is healthy, but any playing opportunities afforded to him will give the former a chance to earn a free agent deal much sooner in 2024 than this 2023 contract.
NOVEMBER 7: After struggling without Matthew Stafford in Week 9, the Rams will make a big move at quarterback. They have agreed to terms with Carson Wentz, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports, ending a lengthy free agency stay for the former No. 2 overall pick by placing him on their practice squad.
While Wentz has not been closely connected to a team since his Commanders release, the longtime Eagles starter was mentioned as an option for a few after injuries struck. With Stafford loosely on track to return after a thumb injury sidelined him in Week 9, it will be the Rams who make the move. The Rams will release QB Dresser Winn from their practice squad in a corresponding move.
The Rams attempted to reacquire John Wolford last week, but the Buccaneers promoted him to their 53-man roster to nix that effort. Brett Rypien, who signed with the team after the draft, started in place of Stafford and struggled in Green Bay. It is uncertain if Wentz will be viewed as ready to replace Stafford if needed in Week 11, but he would have a longer onramp compared to Baker Mayfield. The Rams have experience in readying a QB to make an immediate cameo, turning to Mayfield two days after claiming him. Los Angeles’ bye also arrives in Week 10, giving Wentz some time to begin learning Sean McVay‘s offense.
McVay said he expects Stafford to be ready following the Rams’ bye week, but the team has higher-profile insurance in Wentz. Stafford, 35, has seen his run of durability halt in L.A. After a nagging elbow injury affected his 2022 offseason, the Super Bowl-winning QB missed a chunk of last season due to a spinal contusion. Stafford made the first eight starts for the Rams this season; the thumb issue intervened to provide another pause for the 15th-year passer.
Wentz and the Rams had been working on a deal Monday night, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This will be Wentz’s fourth team (and fourth in four seasons). After the one-time MVP frontrunner’s 2021 Eagles split, the Colts dumped him in March 2022. Requiring higher-end trade compensation to move to both Indianapolis and Washington, Wentz was simply released this year. The 30-year-old passer trained for months with an eye on a 2023 re-emergence and reached out to the Jets about an opportunity following Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 Achilles tear. Gang Green stuck with Zach Wilson, and Wentz ended up waiting until midseason to reenter the league.
It is safe to say Wentz’s stock has tanked since it once required a first-round pick to acquire him in 2021. Jim Irsay insisted the Colts trade Wentz following the 2021 season — a 27-touchdown, seven-interception slate that ended ignominiously, with the unvaccinated QB missing practice time due to a COVID-19 contraction and the Colts losing their final two games to squander a playoff opportunity — and the Commanders benched a player they surrendered two third-rounders for midway through last season. Wentz suffered a fractured finger in October 2022, but after Taylor Heinicke helped the Commanders resurface in the wild-card race, Ron Rivera kept Wentz on the bench. Washington gave Wentz a start in Week 17; he threw three interceptions to dash any Commanders hopes of a last-ditch playoff rally.
The Rams did not make a notable attempt to keep Mayfield, letting him sign with the Bucs on a one-year, $4MM deal. They moved to Rypien, whose backup role became solidified after fifth-round pick Stetson Bennett landed on the reserve/NFI list in September. The two-time national champion remains on L.A.’s NFI list. While Rypien remains on the team’s 53-man roster — after the Jets showed interest in poaching him earlier this season — Wentz will move into position to become Stafford’s backup.
While Wentz has his share of critics, he obviously has enjoyed periods of NFL success. He was all but certain to claim MVP honors in 2017, but a December ACL tear scuttled that path. Nick Foles both replaced Wentz and piloted the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title, from the No. 1 seed Wentz led the Eagles to clinch, and then ignited Philadelphia’s 2018 squad after the starter sustained another season-ending injury. Wentz did lead a receiver-thin Eagles team to the playoffs in 2019, but he struggled in 2020, leading he and Doug Pederson out the door. Last season, Wentz threw 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, averaging just 6.4 yards per attempt. He went 2-5 as a Commanders starter.
The Rams had the opportunity to draft Wentz seven years ago, but their trade-up maneuver — which occurred before the Eagles’ climb — was for Jared Goff. Wentz’s 2019 Eagles extension also framed the Rams’ ensuing Goff re-up. The Rams have Stafford tied to a four-year, $160MM extension that runs through 2026. The team is believed to have dangled the veteran starter in trades, though scant interest emerged after an injury-plagued 2022. Wentz will at least represent better depth for the Rams, who enter their bye week at 3-6.
Giants QB Daniel Jones Suffers Torn ACL
NOVEMBER 6: An MRI has confirmed the worst-case scenario. Daboll said on Monday that Jones has indeed torn his ACL, shutting him down for the rest of 2023. As Rapoport notes, Jones will soon undergo surgery with the expectation he will be available by the start of the 2024 campaign.
NOVEMBER 5: Making his return after missing the Giants’ last three games with a neck injury, quarterback Daniel Jones‘ comeback may be short-lived. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has reported that Jones “is feared to have suffered a significant knee injury, potentially a torn ACL based on initial tests.” 
Four weeks ago, Jones suffered a neck injury that knocked him out for the remainder of that week’s contest. He told head coach Brian Daboll at the time that he would be okay, and he did manage to avoid a serious neck injury, but he missed the last six games of the 2021 season with a neck injury, and a new neck injury would’ve been more than enough cause for concern.
Despite avoiding serious injury, Jones was still forced to miss the team’s last three contests. New York was originally aiming for Jones to return in Week 10 next week, but after potentially having their hand forced by the placement of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve, Jones was cleared in time to start today in Las Vegas.
That’s not at all to say he was brought back too early or that his return this week was the cause of his newest injury. The injury occurred on a non-contact play as Jones rolled to his right within the pocket trying to avoid the pass rush of Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Jones planted his foot to stop his momentum and saw his knee buckle as a result, leading to his collapse and a sack. He tried to tough it out, remaining in the game for one more snap, in which he attempted to drop back before feeling his knee buckle once again and going down for another easy sack. Jones was soon after ruled out for the remainder of the game.
With Jones’ exit, undrafted Illinois rookie Tommy DeVito made his second NFL appearance. DeVito had filled in last week for an injured Taylor, completing only two of his seven pass attempts for -1 passing yards and taking two sacks. He did provide a contribution on the ground, totaling 12 yards and a touchdown on four carries. He fared a little better in today’s relief appearance, completing 15 of his 20 pass attempts for 175 yards while throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. He saw lots of pressure, though, getting sacked six times by the Raiders defense.
This poses an issue for New York. If Jones is forced to miss significant time because of his knee injury and with Taylor out for at least three more games, the Giants are low on options at quarterback. Now post-trade deadline, the team will have to move forward with DeVito or practice squad veteran Matt Barkley, who has not appeared in an NFL game since 2020, or they will have to find an available free agent. Their last option would be to sign a quarterback off another team’s practice squad, straight to their active roster. There are a number of serviceable options there that could provide some competition in New York under center.
As for Jones, this has been an extremely disappointing season following the expectations that came with a four-year, $160MM extension. Six starts, in which the Giants went 1-5, averaging 151.5 passing yards per game and totaling three total touchdowns to seven total turnovers is hardly the return anyone wanted from $40MM per year. Now with his season potentially over, the Giants are faced with many questions for the remainder of the year, and perhaps beyond.
Jones will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of his knee injury. If an ACL tear is confirmed, Jones’ season will be over. They will hope for a lesser severity, but even if his ACL is intact, a serious knee injury is still feared.
Bears To Sign Montez Sweat To Extension
After being acquired by the Bears at the trade deadline, Montez Sweat will be sticking around Chicago. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the edge rusher has agreed to a four-year extension worth $98MM in new money. Including this season, the deal is worth a total of $105MM.
[RELATED: Bears Working On Montez Sweat Extension]
The contract includes close to $73MM in guaranteed money, according to Rapoport. With a $24.5MM average annual value, Sweat should now rank fifth among pass rushers in yearly money.
That’s certainly a lot of money for a player with zero Pro Bowl appearances, zero All-Pro nods, and zero 10-sack seasons on his resume. However, Sweat should be on his way to accomplishing most (if not all) of those feats this season. In his eight starts with the Commanders, the 27-year-old collected 6.5 sacks to go along with 32 tackles, 11 QB hits, and a pair of forced fumbles.
Pro Football Focus has Sweat ranked 28th among 107 qualifying edge rushers, although the site gives him a top-three grade at the position for his run defense. Further, the site ranked him as a top-10 edge rusher in 2022, with Sweat finishing that campaign with 8.5 sacks, 28 QB hits, and 14 tackles for loss. The former first-round pick is just finishing his rookie contract, and while he doesn’t have the track record of some of the league’s other top-paid pass rushers, the Bears are clearly banking on his upside.
The Bears sent a second-round pick to Washington for the edge rusher at the trade deadline. The front office certainly raised some eyebrows with the move; the second-round pick should come early considering Chicago’s 2-6 record, and Sweat was set to hit free agency following the 2023 campaign. The Bears made is abundantly clear that they intended to re-sign the impending free agent, although Sweat was noncommittal after joining the team.
“I think all that goes into play from financial to the people around me to the players in the building, all that type of stuff like that,” Sweat said earlier this week. “I just got here. I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going to lay my head at tonight.”
Chicago ultimately didn’t take long to get the deal done. The trade and extension isn’t unlike last year when the Dolphins traded for Bradley Chubb hours before the trade deadline. Two days later, they finished out extension talks.
Of course, considering the draft capital they gave up, the Bears were prepared to use the franchise tag on Sweat if the two sides couldn’t agree to a new deal. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, the Bears can now use that tag on someone like cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who wasn’t dealt at the deadline despite a public trade request.
Chicago, which traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn last year, has rolled out one of the worst pass-rushing units in the NFL over the past two campaigns. They’ll now be counting on Sweat to be guiding that grouping for the foreseeable future.
Raiders Fire Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler
Midway through the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler tandem’s second season, Mark Davis is pulling the plug. The Raiders are firing their head coach and general manager, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. The Raiders have since announced the firings.
This comes after an ugly Monday-night performance in Detroit, but it represents a stunningly early end for a pair given the keys in 2022. This late-night firing marks McDaniels’ second in-season ouster; the Broncos fired him late in his second season back in 2010. The Raiders are planning to name Antonio Pierce as their interim HC, Schefter reports. The Raiders hired Pierce, a former Super Bowl-winning linebacker, as linebackers coach in 2022. To fill in for Ziegler, the Raiders are promoting assistant GM Champ Kelly, per ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez.
“After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave,” Davis said in a statement. “I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best.”
While the ex-Patriot staffers have not shown indications this operation will turn around anytime soon, this still represents a shocking decision. Davis signed off on a six-year contract for McDaniels during the 2022 hiring period; the Raiders are obligated to pay the former Patriots OC through the 2027 season. McDaniels had operated patiently in the years following his decision to spurn the Colts, being selective on the interview circuit. But he chose the Raiders as his return vehicle; that choice backfired.
Although news of these abrupt ousters emerged just after midnight, Schefter adds Davis began giving indications late Tuesday he planned to fire the second-year HC-GM combo. Though, this certainly qualifies as a news dump. Considering the confidence Davis displayed in this power duo, the timing of this announcement probably should not surprise. The Raiders are set to reboot once again. Davis gave McDaniels a vote of confidence around this time last year, but the product has not improved.
This likely closes the curtain on McDaniels’ head coaching career, and when his decision to backtrack on his Colts commitment is factored in, the successful New England play-caller is poised to go down as one of this century’s least successful HCs. Both McDaniels and Ziegler arrived from New England, with the latter also in Denver during McDaniels’ infamous stint there. McDaniels, 47, is now 20-33 as a head coach. The three-time Super Bowl-winning coordinator does not boast a basement-level record, but this firing comes 13 years after the Broncos canned him after a messy videotaping scandal. Ziegler, 46, joined McDaniels during that second Broncos season but spent eight years with the Patriots prior to coming to Vegas.
The Raiders, who fell to 3-5 after their Monday loss to the Lions, made some curious decisions this offseason to reach this point. Most notably, they signed ex-McDaniels Patriots charge Jimmy Garoppolo and did not bring in a higher-end backup — despite the former 49ers starter having become the NFL’s most injury-prone quarterback. The Raiders met with the draft’s top five QB prospects but waited until Round 4 to make a selection, tabbing Aidan O’Connell. Brian Hoyer, the NFL’s second-oldest active QB, has been Garoppolo’s top backup. The Raiders gave Hoyer a two-year deal that came almost entirely guaranteed; the 38-year-old passer considered retirement this offseason.
Las Vegas made a surprising push to the playoffs after its last in-season HC divorce, which came just two years ago. Leaked emails forcing Jon Gruden out drew considerable controversy, with Davis voicing frustration at the leak — which came about during a Dan Snyder investigation — before ultimately moving on. Despite interim HC Rich Bisaccia leading the team to a 10-7 finish and a narrow wild-card loss in Cincinnati, Davis opted to start over with McDaniels and Ziegler. The Raiders have gone 9-16 since.
This Raiders edition ranks 30th in DVOA (30th on offense, 31st on defense), with McDaniels’ offensive acumen not leading to Year 2 growth. The Raiders largely left their offensive line alone from last season as well. Even after the group delivered surprisingly capable work and powered Josh Jacobs to a rushing title, concerns about the quintet emerged before last season. Through eight games, Jacobs — whom the Raiders franchise-tagged and handed a rare raise after the reigning rushing champion skipped training camp — is averaging 3.1 yards per carry. Hunter Renfrow exceeded 1,000 yards in 2021 and signed a two-year, $32MM extension in 2022. The slot receiver became an afterthought in McDaniels’ offense, sitting on 92 receiving yards this season.
Perhaps most notably, Davante Adams‘ production has dipped from 2022. After the Raiders traded their 2022 first- and second-round picks for Adams, he produced an All-Pro season with ex-college teammate Derek Carr at the controls. The ex-Packer star has not eclipsed 60 receiving yards in a game since Week 4. Adams, 30, displayed visible frustration — after weeks of griping about his lack of opportunities — on the sideline during the Raiders’ double-digit loss in Week 8. Adams is not believed to have requested a trade before Tuesday’s deadline, but the longtime Aaron Rodgers target is trapped in limbo after anchoring three straight playoff-bound Packer teams’ receiving corps.
Davis is believed to have played a key role in McDaniels’ decision to bench Carr before Week 17 last year. Carr then left the team and prepared for an opportunity elsewhere. While Carr rarely flirted with top-tier QB status during his nine-year run as the Raiders’ starter, his level of play worsened under McDaniels. The Raiders used the escape hatch in Carr’s 2022 extension to cut him, doing so after the passer wielded his no-trade clause. Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75MM deal soon after. Garoppolo’s QBR number dropped to 30th after finishing 10-for-21 with 126 yards Monday.
In addition to Garoppolo, the McDaniels and Ziegler loaded up the Raiders’ roster with ex-Patriots. Hoyer, Jakobi Meyers, Jakob Johnson, Brandon Bolden, Jermaine Eluemunor and Justin Herron comprise the ex-Pats wing on offense. While fewer former New England presences reside on Patrick Graham‘s defense, the Chandler Jones fiasco obviously did not help the since-fired bigwigs. The Raiders gave Jones a three-year, $51MM deal in 2022. Not only did the former Patriots draftee and Cardinals All-Pro perform poorly for most of last season, the strange saga that led him off the team this fall stripped a starter off the roster.
They of two playoff appearances since Super Bowl XXXVII, the Raiders are at a crossroads yet again. Davis will be paying two coaches for the foreseeable future, though offset language — should McDaniels land elsewhere, perhaps for a third Patriots stint — could help on this front. But the decision to give the keys to two ex-Patriot staffers will go down as a tremendous misstep for Davis. This also continues to bury the Bill Belichick coaching tree. Aside from Bill O’Brien‘s Texans tenure, none of the legendary Patriot coach’s assistants have been able to win consistently. And O’Brien did well to torpedo his Houston run during his memorable stint in the HC/GM role.
The Raiders gave Pierce his first NFL coaching job. Before coming to Nevada, the 45-year-old assistant was on Herm Edwards’ Arizona State staff. The former Pro Bowl linebacker was the head coach of Long Beach Poly High from 2014-17. The Raiders hired Kelly last year, bringing him over from Chicago. Kelly also was with the Broncos during McDaniels’ tenure, but he stayed longer than McDaniels or Ziegler. The well-respected front office staffer spent seven seasons with the Bears, finishing his run as the team’s assistant director of player personnel.
Commanders Trade DE Chase Young To 49ers
The Commanders indeed made Chase Young available following the Montez Sweat trade, and they will send him to one of the NFC favorites. The 49ers are acquiring the former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reports.
This marks San Francisco’s third high-profile defensive line addition this year. The team gave Javon Hargrave a big-ticket deal in March, and the Broncos sent over Randy Gregory a few weeks ago. After two sluggish defensive outings, the 49ers are not stopping there. Barely an hour before the trade deadline, Young will follow Sweat out of Washington.
[RELATED: 49ers Pursuing Bears CB Jaylon Johnson]
Young will fetch the Commanders a 2024 third-round pick from the 49ers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. It will come from the 49ers’ endless supply of NFL-awarded compensatory picks — for seeing minority staffers hired as HC or GM elsewhere — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Bears sent the Commanders a second-rounder for Sweat earlier today.
This will reunite Young with former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa and add to one of the most star-studded defensive lines in recent NFL history. The 49ers also have veteran defensive tackle Arik Armstead in place. The prospect of a Bosa-Armstead-Hargrave-Young D-line is imminent, which stands to bolster a team coming off two upset losses.
For the Commanders, this constitutes a rebuilding step. Although the 3-5 team has not made Jonathan Allen available and will keep the veteran defensive tackle alongside the recently extended Daron Payne, its prized D-end duo is gone in a day. The Commanders did not pick up Young’s fifth-year option in May, putting both he and Sweat in contract years. While it would have been logical for a coach on the hot seat to push to keep both players, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports ownership played a major role in these trades being completed.
Others in the Commanders’ building wanted the team to retain the young defensive ends, Russini adds, but ownership looks to have led the way here. It was assumed either Sweat or Young would be franchise-tagged in 2024, but Washington has instead cleared the decks for Day 2 draft capital. Considering where Young was as a rookie, this represents an underwhelming return. But the former No. 2 overall pick missed half of the 2021 season and almost all of 2022 due to the ACL tear and patellar tendon rupture he suffered in November 2021. It has taken him a while to rebuild his value, and the former Heisman finalist will finish out his attempt to do so in San Francisco.
Through seven games (six starts) this season, Young has five sacks and nine QB hits. The talented edge rusher has shown much better form compared to the previous two seasons. On that note, Young was believed to be uninterested in extension talks this year. It will be interesting to see if this bet on himself will carry over to the Bay Area, as the 49ers likely will want him as more than a rental. San Francisco will have the option of franchise-tagging Young in 2024. With Brock Purdy‘s rookie contract in place, the 49ers may attempt to do what the Commanders would not: have four D-linemen signed to big-ticket contracts.
While the 49ers will be giving up a third-round pick, the team had two selections in Round 3 of next year’s draft already. Having continually seen their minority assistant coaches and front office staffers earn HC or GM jobs elsewhere, the 49ers have collected a handful of third-round picks under the revised Rooney Rule. They have two more coming in 2024, via the Titans’ hiring of Ran Carthon as GM and Texans hiring DeMeco Ryans as HC. This stream of third-round picks goes through 2025, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
San Francisco is also expected to pick up a compensatory third-rounder in exchange for the Broncos signing Mike McGlinchey to a top-five right tackle contract. The team could add another third-round comp pick if Young leaves, but it would seem the 49ers would prefer this not be a true rental add.
49ers D-line coach Kris Kocurek has been credited with leading emergences of various Bosa sidekicks — from Arden Key to Samson Ebukam to Charles Omenihu. The well-regarded position coach will work with a higher-end talent in Young, with Gregory now in place as more of a rental. Despite Gregory’s Broncos-built deal running through 2026, none of the money on that $14MM-AAV pact is guaranteed beyond 2023. The 49ers are also paying Gregory the veteran minimum, with the Broncos responsible for the rest.
John Lynch had said the 49ers planned to roll over most of their NFL-leading cap-space number to 2024. Young will only be attached to a $1MM base salary through season’s end. The 49ers will retain much of their cap space, though a chunk would need to go to Young — via an extension or tag.
As the 49ers will attempt to use this acquisition to bounce back from their two disappointing defensive showings, the Commanders will see their second Eagles defeat this year key what could be an awkward transition. Rivera is squarely on a hot seat, having not produced a winning record yet in Washington. This would be the second time the former NFC champion HC would be fired by a new owner, with that happening in David Tepper‘s second season (2019). Sweat and Young’s exits will certainly weaken the Commanders, even with ex-seventh-rounder Casey Toohill having four sacks as a backup.
The Commanders have never made five picks in the first three rounds of a draft previously (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates), with the George Allen era and Robert Griffin III trades headlining past hurdles on this front. In Harris’ first months as owner, the team will have this opportunity. Of course, it will risk seeing Sweat and Young play their best years in other NFC cities.