Newsstand News & Rumors

Titans’ Ryan Tannehill Likely Out For Season

December 22nd, 2022 at 1:14pm CST by Ben Levine

DECEMBER 22: It will be Willis, for this week at least, at quarterback for the Titans. Vrabel ruled out Tannehill for the Titans’ Week 16 rematch against the Texans. This will be Willis’ second start against the Texans.

DECEMBER 21: Ryan Tannehill‘s ankle injury could ultimately end his season. According to Paul Kuharsky, the Titans quarterback’s injury could require surgery and “will very likely end his season.”

Tannehill suffered a right ankle injury during Sunday’s loss to the Chargers. While the veteran QB only missed one series, he dealt with significant pain after returning to the game. Tannehill suffered an injury to the same ankle earlier this season, forcing him to miss a pair of games.

We heard yesterday that Tannehill was facing an uphill battle to play in Week 16, and as Kuharsky notes, offensive coordinator Todd Downing spoke as if third-round rookie Malik Willis will start against the Texans. Coach Mike Vrabel also gave the young signal-caller a vote of confidence this week.

“I’ve seen a lot of maturity and growth, seen the way that his reps are coming in our show team and trying to get him to act like the starting quarterback and lead that unit and communicate our language, the call that’s on the card, the operation, the snap count, the cadence, whether we go on the ball the next play,” Vrabel said (via Nick Suss of the Nashville Tennessean). “All those looks that we try to give him, I’ve seen a lot of maturity and growth in that regard.”

Willis didn’t look completely hopeless during his two starts, although the coaching staff limited him to only 26 pass attempts between the two games. With Derrick Henry in the backfield, the Titans should have enough to get past the Titans in Week 16.

The Titans would surely prefer their veteran QB under center against the Cowboys and Jaguars, but it’s not like he was doing a whole lot to help their playoff chances. While Tennessee currently sits atop the AFC South, they’ve dropped four straight, with Tannehill throwing three touchdowns vs. two interceptions over that stretch.

Cardinals Likely To Part Ways With GM Steve Keim

December 18th, 2022 at 10:53pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals are expected to part ways with longtime GM Steve Keim this offseason, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. Keim recently took an indefinite leave of absence from the team due to an undisclosed health-related matter.

Vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson are presently sharing Keim’s duties on an interim basis, and Jones says both men are legitimate candidates to be promoted to general manager this offseason. Harris enjoyed a six-year playing career that began in Arizona before becoming a Cardinals scout in 2008, and he has been working his way up the personnel ladder ever since. Wilson left more of an on-field legacy, as he played in the NFL for 13 seasons — 12 as a member of the Cardinals — and earned five Pro Bowl nods during that time.

Wilson, 43, was inducted into Arizona’s Ring of Honor in 2015, the same year he began working for the team as a regional scout. His ascent has been more rapid than that of the 45-year-old Harris, though it appears both execs will have a chance to lead a club’s front office sooner rather than later. The Giants interviewed Wilson and Harris during their GM search earlier this year, and it was reported that the Jaguars nearly hired Wilson as general manager.

While Wilson and Harris are well-respected around the league, Jones’ sources wonder if Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill will choose to look outside the organization to replace Keim. Since Buddy Ryan left his post as Arizona’s head coach/general manager in 1995, the club’s next three GMs — Bob Ferguson, Rod Graves, and Keim — have all been promoted from within.

Of course, Bidwill could also be looking for a new head coach this offseason. Kliff Kingsbury, who was hired in 2019, has compiled a 28-33-1 record to date, and a report detailing his uncertain job security surfaced last month. While some of the factors that have played a role in the Cardinals’ 2022 struggles are beyond Kingsbury’s control — WR DeAndre Hopkins‘ six-game PED ban, QB Kyler Murray‘s ACL tear, etc. — his play-calling and game-planning have been frequently criticized. Bidwill would have to eat a great deal of money by cutting ties with Keim and Kingsbury, as he elected to hand both men thru-2027 extensions back in March, but he may feel he has no other choice.

Some good news for Cardinals fans is that Murray’s ACL tear is a clean one, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Murray is expected to begin training camp on the PUP list and will have a realistic chance of taking the field for the 2023 regular season opener.

Jerry Jones: ‘Odell’s Going To Join Us’

December 18th, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 18: Adding further detail to Dallas’ ongoing pursuit, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes that Jones has exclusively been the one involved in communication with Beckham throughout the latter stages of this process. The team informed Hilton of their intention of still inking Beckham to a deal despite the addition of the longtime Colt, but he has reciprocated their enthusiasm for a Beckham deal aimed at boosting a postseason run.

DECEMBER 16: After the Odell Beckham Jr. market looked to be slowing, Jerry Jones is accelerating it to the point he expects the eight-year veteran to sign with the Cowboys soon.

Jones had said Beckham playing in the regular season would factor in heavily to a Cowboys signing, but even after OBJ made comments indicating he would prefer to join a team with the intent of preparing to play only in the playoffs, the longtime owner expects this agreement to go through.

“Odell’s going to join us,” Jones said, via USA Today’s Jarrett Bell. “There’s a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I’ll look to the future. But most of it being about now.”

Viewed as the frontrunners ahead of Beckham’s three-visit week, the Cowboys could move to make this long-rumored signing after their Week 15 game against the Jaguars, Bell adds. While Beckham has angled for a multiyear deal, Jones said the focus on a Cowboys agreement would be for the rest of this season.

Beckham’s Cowboys visit produced several headlines centered around his ACL rehab needing more time than expected. Rumors about Beckham not being ready to go until February surfaced. Beckham tweeted a pawn emoji following the visit, and although the same kind of leaks about his health did not surface after his Giants and Bills visits, rumors connecting him to the New York suitors have died down. Conversely, the Cowboys have continued to talk with Beckham and share that these talks are occurring. Jones’ confidence here points to this process being near the finish line, which would bring an end to one of the longest-running free agency sagas in NFL history.

The former Pro Bowler did not work out for the Giants, Bills or Cowboys, but Jones confirmed Beckham has been working out and “is extraordinary.” Following a week and change of uncertainty in the Cowboys-Beckham drama, the tone here seems to have shifted back to lavish praise. Jones and several Cowboys players spent time recruiting the marquee free agent ahead of and during his time in Dallas last week, and though Beckham’s hopes for a deal in the $20MM-AAV range never seemed in step with his situation, a uniquely structured contract may be in the cards.

Beckham is an in-season free agent for the second straight year, and it will be interesting to see how is Cowboys contract — in the event Jones and Co. finalize this accord, at long last — compares to his incentive-laden Rams pact (which ended up paying out $4.75MM) from November 2021. Beckham’s second ACL tear in a 20-month span cost him a lucrative free agency payday this year. The former Giants, Browns and Rams target could attempt to skip this season in an effort to prioritize a 2023 market run — a rumored scenario around the league this week — but Jones believes OBJ will play this season.

Should Beckham sign, the Cowboys will be set to deploy an intriguing receiving corps for the playoffs. The team has CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, the latter having recovered from a December 2021 ACL tear, leading the way. And Dalton Schultz has improved after a slow start. Beckham would also stand to reduce the roles of James Washington, Noah Brown and recent signee T.Y. Hilton. Acclimation issues may emerge, as it is not exactly common for teams to introduce a high-profile skill player into the mix in the playoffs, but Beckham and Dak Prescott navigating those would raise the Cowboys’ offensive ceiling — assuming Beckham is full-go by mid-January.

“I’m hopeful we can get into some important games and have some Deion Sanders-type results,” Jones said. “Could this be possible to have a great player like that get in two or three playoff games and make some significant plays? I think very much so. That’s not an exaggerated thought at all.”

Beckham is coming off a turbulent 2021, which involved him forcing his way out of Cleveland, but the LSU alum’s form during the postseason has driven this market. The former Giants first-rounder topped 100 yards in the Rams’ NFC championship game win and was well on his way to matching that performance in Super Bowl LVI, before his second-quarter injury. We may soon finally see how Beckham looks coming off his second major knee setback.

Jets To Start Zach Wilson In Week 15

December 18th, 2022 at 9:37am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 18: In addition to Week 15’s tilt with the Lions, White will likely miss the Jets’ Week 16 matchup with the Jaguars as well, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). Wilson will therefore have a chance to win his job back sooner than expected.

DECEMBER 16: Mike White‘s rib injury will sideline him for the Jets’ pivotal Week 15 game against the Lions, meaning Zach Wilson will end up going from the third-string job to the starter in a week’s time.

The Jets announced Wilson would become White’s backup this week, with Joe Flacco being bumped down to No. 3 again. That shift will now rise in relevance. Doctors will not clear White ahead of the Jets’ Sunday tilt, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Robert Saleh has since announced it will be Wilson against Detroit.

After being forced to leave last week’s game twice, White will be given at least a week for additional recovery. White re-entered the Jets’ Bills rematch after both hits, drawing considerable praise for his toughness from teammates, and has practiced in a limited capacity twice this week. It was believed White, who said he is dealing with multiple rib fractures (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, on Twitter), would be able to go. But Jets doctors are not ready to clear their starter for contact just yet, per Schefter. This could be a multiweek injury, if doctors determine another hit could lead to internal damage, Cimini adds (via Twitter).

Saleh said the decision to move Wilson from No. 3 to No. 2 on the depth chart was actually made the Friday before the Jets-Bills game, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Flacco still dressed and entered the game to replace White, losing a fumble during one of his seven snaps, but the team had decided Wilson would dress this week ahead of time.

Upon taking the rare step to bench a top-five quarterback pick for performance reasons in his second season, Saleh said the plan was for Wilson to play again this year. This will be an opportunity for the former unquestioned Jets starter to regain some momentum, and Wilson playing well would certainly reopen the door to another promotion. But the second-year passer struggled to the point Saleh had little choice — as far as his team’s playoff push was concerned — but to bench him last month. White has offered better performances since returning to the QB1 role.

Saleh did not confirm Wilson would remain the starter if he fares well Sunday, via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (on Twitter), but it would obviously be in the Jets’ best interests to see their highly drafted QB earn the starting job back. The Jets bailed on a former No. 3 pick (Sam Darnold) to select Wilson second overall, despite the BYU product not having a sustained run as a top prospect like Darnold did. Wilson has not shown much to indicate he will be a long-term option for the Jets, who have built a strong enough defense to make a surprise playoff push. Football Outsiders gives the Jets a 40.5% chance to qualify for the postseason, but a loss this week would increase the degree of difficulty in a conference that has two other 7-6 teams — the Patriots and Chargers. Entering Week 15, the Jets are just outside the AFC’s seven-team bracket.

Wilson’s 72.6 passer rating ranks last among qualified starters. He threw four touchdown passes in his seven starts this season. Flacco’s five (all in the season’s first three games, as he started in place of an injured Wilson) still lead the team. Wilson’s comments after his most recent start — a loss to the Patriots that included 103 total yards, a bottom-five mark in Jets history — rankled some of his teammates, and select Jets had expressed skepticism about the would-be starter this offseason. Although Wilson is under contract through 2024, considerable doubt about his status beyond this season has emerged. A solid performance this week would help here, though it could also complicate the current Jets’ QB situation.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim Taking Indefinite Leave Of Absence

December 14th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

A season of tumult and adversity continues for the Cardinals this year as the team announced that general manager Steve Keim would be taking an indefinite leave of absence. Arizona’s announcement detailed that the absence is health-related, but due to legally required privacy, the team “will refrain from commenting further.”

After a short career as an offensive lineman in the NFL and CFL, Keim quickly found his course in personnel. Keim joined the Cardinals’ scouting department as a regional scout in 1999 and has worked his way up the ladder, remaining with Arizona for 23 years, serving the last 10 of which as general manager.

During Keim’s tenure with the franchise, the Cardinals have booked a Super Bowl appearance, played in two NFC championship games, and secured five postseason berths. Keim took over a 5-11 Cardinals team in 2012 as GM, quickly helping to turn the team around to a 10-6 record in his first season at the helm, just missing the playoffs in a competitive NFC. They would make the playoffs the following year and lose to the Panthers in the NFC championship the year after that.

The hurdle of Keim’s absence adds to a season that started with a suspension for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and has weathered the slump of quarterback Kyler Murray‘s fourth year that ended with a season-ending ACL tear. The team’s staff has experienced its own setbacks, as well. Formerly the Cardinals co-pass game coordinator with Cam Turner, Spencer Whipple has been serving as the team’s third running backs coach of the season following the administrative leave of James Saxon to deal with personal legal matters and the departure of his replacement, Don Shumpert, who left to pursue other opportunities. Former offensive assistant Mike Bercovici was promoted weeks ago to tight ends coach when Steve Heiden, the team’s longest-tenured assistant coach, was asked to coach the offensive line following the dismissal of Sean Kugler for a sexual harassment incident that occurred during the Cardinals’ trip to Mexico City.

This is not even Keim’s first leave of absence from the team. Keim received a five-game suspension back in 2018 after pleading guilty to extreme DUI charges. This is his first reported absence since that incident, though.

In Keim’s absence, the team will turn to vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson to fill his role on an interim basis. Harris was a defensive back for the team back in the early 2000s and has been a member of Arizona’s scouting/personnel staff since 2008. This is his second year in his current position. Wilson was a long-time star safety for the Cardinals from 2001-12, earning multiple Pro Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro selection. Like Harris, Wilson joined the Cardinals as a regional scout shortly after his retirement as a player and quickly rose through the ranks. He is also in the second year in his current position.

The two will take over a 4-9 Cardinals team on the brink of postseason elimination. With no word on how long Keim will be away from the team, Harris and Wilson will not only be focused on maintaining the roster for the rest of the year but also preparing for the personnel-related tasks that will immediately follow the season like the draft and free agency.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Suffers Torn ACL

December 13th, 2022 at 12:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyler Murray‘s MRI confirmed the worst. The Pro Bowl passer suffered a torn ACL during the first quarter of the Cardinals’ loss to the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Kliff Kingsbury confirmed the tear Tuesday afternoon.

This will shut down Arizona’s recently extended quarterback until at least training camp, and given the timing here, a return by Week 1 of next season may not be a guarantee. This is a brutal blow for Murray and the team, coming months after his landmark extension.

Although Murray has missed time as a pro, this will obviously be new rehab territory. The former No. 1 overall pick had been on an upward trajectory since his senior season at Oklahoma produced a Heisman Trophy and convinced him to eschew a baseball career — after being chosen ninth overall in the 2018 MLB draft — for an NFL run. Murray, 25, checked a new box for the modern Cardinals — a homegrown franchise quarterback — and led the team to the playoffs last season, en route to that five-year, $230.5MM extension. Not much has gone smoothly since that through-2028 deal came to pass, however, and this injury will now define Murray’s next offseason.

Monday’s events make Murray’s push for a new contract this past offseason pivotal. While quarterbacks re-establishing their previous form following ACL tears is almost expected at this point, Murray did well to secure $103.3MM fully guaranteed ($160MM in total guarantees) this summer. Rather than going into an uncertain fifth-year option season in 2023, the former two-sport standout parlayed the momentum from his back-to-back Pro Bowls into a windfall. Strong returns did not exactly emerge from the deal in Year 1, but Murray agreeing to terms months after becoming extension-eligible serves as tremendous protection.

The Cardinals will turn to Colt McCoy to close out their disappointing season. McCoy, 36, re-signed on a two-year, $7.5MM accord this offseason. McCoy’s performance last season filling in for Murray, who had sustained a hamstring injury midway through the 2021 campaign, landed him $6MM guaranteed. He will be in position to hold down the fort during OTAs and minicamp — and quite possibly training camp — for a Cardinals team that may be in transition.

Kingsbury advocated for Murray three years ago, pushing GM Steve Keim to draft him despite the team having just used a top-10 pick on a quarterback (Josh Rosen) the year prior. Nick Bosa‘s status notwithstanding, the Cards were right to bail on Rosen so soon. But Kingsbury’s chances of returning in 2023 may have taken a hit after Murray’s injury. Already viewed as uncertain to return, the former Texas Tech HC will not have a chance to oversee a strong Murray finish. It is worth wondering if Kingsbury — his offseason extension aside — will still be calling the shots when Murray is healthy again.

Murray and Kingsbury have clashed this season, and after being an original-ballot Pro Bowler in 2020 and ’21, the former took a step back in 2022. Murray closes the year averaging a career-low 6.1 yards per attempt, leading to a career-worst 51.2 QBR figure. Murray ranks 21st in that metric. Of course, the Cardinals rarely had the chance to deploy their optimal skill-position corps around their starter this season. DeAndre Hopkins missed six games because of a PED suspension, and just as the All-Pro wideout returned, trade acquisition Marquise Brown was suddenly unavailable because of a foot injury. Zach Ertz has missed the past several games, having also suffered a torn ACL.

The Cardinals have Hopkins, Ertz, Brown and James Conner under contract for 2023. Brown will be heading into the final year of his rookie deal. While a chance for that group to play together remains on the table, Murray and Ertz being set for extensive rehab processes stands to cloud Arizona’s immediate future — especially in the wake of the team taking a major step back from a 2021 playoff appearance.

House Oversight Committee Concludes Investigation Into Dan Snyder, Commanders

December 8th, 2022 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The House Oversight Committee’s 14-month investigation into Dan Snyder and his franchise has led to multiple other ongoing probes, which have produced the loudest noise about a potential Commanders sale. The Oversight Committee’s investigation is now complete, with a final report surfacing Thursday.

The report accuses Snyder of permitting and participating in a longtime toxic workplace culture and obstructing the Committee’s investigation. In addition to dodging a Committee subpoena this summer, the Commanders owner is accused of making an effort to intimidate and dissuade witnesses from testifying. Snyder, 57, also offered hush money to several former Washington employees during Beth Wilkinson’s NFL investigation last year, according to the Committee.

Thursday’s report also links Snyder and the Commanders to playing the lead role in the fall 2021 email leak that led to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders resignation. Former Washington team president Bruce Allen said Lisa Friel, the league’s special counsel for investigations, indicated the email leak came from Snyder’s franchise and not the NFL, according to the report. Dan Snyder’s wife, Tanya, who had taken over the franchise’s day-to-day operations after Wilkinson’s investigation last summer, said at the October 2021 owners’ meetings neither she nor her husband was behind the leaked emails, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, Mark Maske and Liz Clarke. Gruden has since sued the NFL, which had previously denied being behind the leak. Thursday’s report marked a key development on that front, among others.

Allen also informed the Committee that Snyder had spoken about hiring private investigators to gather intel on Roger Goodell. Reports of Snyder obtaining damaging information on Goodell and other owners started a firestorm at this latest set of owners’ meetings, which featured Jim Irsay championing an unprecedented ouster of an NFL owner and saying 24 votes to remove Snyder might be there. Shortly after Irsay’s comments, the longtime Washington owner denied hiring firms to gather dirt on other owners.

The Committee accused the NFL of assisting Snyder’s franchise in covering up Wilkinson’s report. The league is believed to have initially called for a written report to be released but later reversed course. Last year’s NFL investigation brought a $10MM Snyder fine and a de facto suspension, but Snyder is believed to no longer be under any restrictions regarding his role with the Commanders. No summary of Wilkinson’s findings led to the Oversight Committee probe and another NFL investigation. Mary Jo White’s inquiry is set to come with a report of the findings.

“We saw efforts that we have never seen before, at least I haven’t,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, the Committee chairwoman (via ESPN.com’s Tisha Thompson). “The NFL knew about it and they took no responsibility. [The NFL was] acting like they were doing something. Then they turn around and fix it so [Wilkinson] can’t talk.”

Accusing Snyder of instilling a “culture of fear,” the Committee concluded sexual harassment, bullying, “and other toxic conduct pervaded the Commanders workplace.” Included are a number of former employees’ accounts, with the Committee indicating this run of inappropriate conduct occurred for “more than two decades.” More than 100 former team employees spoke about various aspects of this culture to the Committee. Snyder has owned the team since 1999.

The previously reported shadow investigations Snyder was accused of conducting of former employees during the Wilkinson inquiry surface again here. Snyder sent private investigators to homes of former employees, including Allen. The report also includes accounts from former cheerleaders and a video staffer, the latter saying Washington execs commissioned him to produce a video for the owner featuring “sexually suggestive footage of [the team’s] cheerleaders.”

A statement from Commanders counsel John Brownlee and Stuart Nash (via Jhabvala, on Twitter) accuses the Committee of taking a “one-sided approach” and produced a conclusion that “does not advance public knowledge of the Washington Commanders workplace in any way.” The NFL’s latest investigation into Snyder and the Commanders, centered around workplace toxicity and financial improprieties, is ongoing. As are the other investigations the Oversight Committee’s probe launched. A number of prospective bidders for the Commanders have surfaced over the past several weeks.

Falcons To Start Desmond Ridder In Week 15

December 8th, 2022 at 9:41am CST by Sam Robinson

Increasingly in the spotlight due to passing-game limitations, the Falcons’ quarterback situation will undergo a change when the team next takes the field. Atlanta is benching Marcus Mariota for rookie Desmond Ridder, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The second quarterback chosen this year, Ridder has not taken any snaps as a pro yet. The Falcons will begin the Cincinnati product’s audition following their bye week. Atlanta faces New Orleans in Week 15.

While Mariota’s longest run as a starter since 2018 has resulted in a potent Falcons ground attack, the team has not offered much through the air. Mariota has not topped 200 passing yards since Week 8; the Falcons rank 31st in passing. They are 5-8 and 1.5 games behind the Buccaneers, who have used two game-winning drives to take control of the NFL’s worst division this year. A recent report indicated the Falcons would stick with Mariota as long as they were in contention. But Arthur Smith said following Sunday’s home loss to the Steelers everything was on the table at this position.

Atlanta pulled the plug on the Matt Ryan era in March, unloading its 14-year starter after seeing its Deshaun Watson pursuit finish in what was believed to be the silver-medal position. The Browns’ unprecedented contract offer — five years for a fully guaranteed $230MM — enticed Watson to nix believed plans to play in his home state and waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland. The Falcons traded Ryan to the Colts soon after, and Smith then reunited with Mariota via a two-year, $18.75MM deal.

Although Smith had benched Mariota midway through his first season as Titans OC, he designed his second Falcons offense around the former No. 2 overall pick. Mariota’s contract calls for $12MM in 2023. Of that total, $3MM is due via a roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2023 league year, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Mariota, who backed up Ryan Tannehill for most of 2019 and served as Derek Carr‘s backup from 2020-21, does have a 15-to-9 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio and ranks 14th in QBR. But the Falcons used top-10 picks on pass catchers in each of the past two drafts. They have remained a run-oriented offense, putting the likes of Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier to work. That plan resulted in inconsistent years for Drake London and, especially, Kyle Pitts. The latter finished his abbreviated season with 28 receptions for 356 yards; this came after Ryan helped Pitts become only the second rookie tight end in NFL history to surpass 1,000 yards.

A four-year starter at Cincinnati, Ridder impressed as both a passer and runner at the American Athletic Conference program. The 6-foot-4 QB topped 500 rushing yards in three of his four Bearcats seasons and showed progress through the air as a senior. After failing to exceed 2,500 passing yards from 2018-20, Ridder threw for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns to help Cincinnati become the first Group of Five school to crash the College Football Playoff last season.

The Falcons stopped Ridder’s freefall at No. 74, selecting the experienced college passer ahead of Malik Willis and Matt Corral, and saw their draftee flash during the preseason. Atlanta’s delay in benching Mariota for Ridder confounded some around the league for weeks. The team, which took on extensive dead money to move Ryan and Deion Jones in trades, was not expected to contend this season. Were the Falcons in another division, it is worth wondering if they would have made the Ridder decision earlier. But they will begin this examination with four games remaining. While it is a bit later than most expected coming into the season, this stretch will help determine how the Falcons proceed at quarterback in 2023.

Bills’ Von Miller Undergoes Surgery, To Miss Rest Of Season

December 7th, 2022 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Bills had hoped Von Miller would be back this season, the veteran pass rusher did end up undergoing surgery. The exploratory procedure will knock him out for the rest of the season, Sean McDermott said Wednesday.

While Miller was not believed to have torn his ACL, this procedure ended up addressing that ligament. The operation revealed Miller’s ACL was torn, the team announced, and it has now been repaired. This procedure was not intended to repair Miller’s ACL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Instead, it was aimed at repositioning Miller’s lateral meniscus. After previous tests did not reveal a tear, the surgery ended up doing so. Miller would have been able to return this season if only the meniscus was repaired, Rapoport tweets.

Carted off during the Bills’ Thanksgiving Day game, the future Hall of Fame edge rusher had hoped to return after missing just one contest. Then, the Bills placed him on IR. This steadily worsening timetable will now leave the Bills without their top pass rusher as they attempt another Super Bowl push. The Chiefs’ loss to the Bengals opens the door for the Bills (9-3) to win out and claim the AFC’s top seed. Their hired gun was to be a big part of their championship push; the team will now have to get by with its young edge defenders carrying the load.

Wounding the Bills’ defense, this injury deals a blow to this era’s best edge rusher. Miller’s age-33 season wraps with his second ACL tear. He suffered the first such injury — in the same knee — back in December 2013. That season resulted in the Peyton Manning-led Broncos advancing to Super Bowl XLVIII without him, but Denver’s injury-plagued defense could not hold up in that game. Miller rebounded to play the lead role in the Broncos winning Super Bowl 50 two years later, but he has now suffered severe leg injuries in two of the past three years. A late-summer ankle injury wiped out Miller’s 2020 campaign.

The 2020 injury did not end up stopping Miller from playing a major role in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning effort, which catapulted Miller into free agency. The Bills won the sweepstakes with a six-year, $120MM deal that featured guarantees into Year 3. Miller cited that guarantee structure as the reason he chose the Bills over the Rams. That and the chance to be the rare player to win a Super Bowl with three different teams. Miller stands to be back for Buffalo’s Super Bowl push next season, but he will now have to battle back from another major injury — and do so in his mid-30s.

Miller still leads the Bills with eight sacks, but two of the Bills’ recent highly drafted D-ends — Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa — have shown improvement. Rousseau, a 2021 first-rounder, has registered five sacks; Epenesa, a 2020 second-round choice, has tallied 4.5. Those are each career-high totals. Though, Miller being removed from the equation will make the younger edge rushers’ work more difficult. The team also has former second-round pick Boogie Basham and reacquired veteran Shaq Lawson in the fold. The Bills are already playing without safety Micah Hyde, who was lost to a season-ending injury in September.

Jimmy Garoppolo Does Not Need Surgery, Has Chance To Return This Season

December 7th, 2022 at 2:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 7: Shanahan splashed cold water on the Garoppolo-in-January scenario. The sixth-year 49ers HC called it a “way outside” chance Garoppolo can come back late in the playoffs, via Garafolo (on Twitter). Noting Garoppolo still has a big recovery ahead, Shanahan said he is not especially optimistic about the comeback possibility. That said, the 49ers are not ruling this out.

DECEMBER 6: The 49ers will need to get by without Jimmy Garoppolo for an extended stretch, but they now have a shot to see him play again this season. Good news emerged on Garoppolo’s foot injury Tuesday, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting the veteran passer does not need surgery (Twitter link).

Garoppolo has a chance to return after a seven- or eight-week span, per Schefter. That would put him on track to potentially suit up again for San Francisco in the playoffs. Kyle Shanahan had said multiple times since the foot injury Garoppolo was done for the season. It now appears that is not the case just yet.

The ninth-year passer avoiding a Lisfranc injury and ligament damage sets the table for a potential January re-emergence, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets, adding that the most likely scenario remains Garoppolo missing the rest of the season.

While the wild-card round will occur before Garoppolo’s return window opens, the divisional round (Jan. 22-23) could feature a Garoppolo subplot. Of course, the 49ers would have to qualify — something they have not done without Garoppolo under this current regime — but the prospect of having their top QB back in uniform would represent quite the variable for a team with a No. 1-ranked defense and a four-All-Pro offense.

San Francisco (8-4) has won five straight games and now holds a one-game lead on Seattle in the NFC West. The seven-team playoff bracket, which debuted last season, allows only one team per conference to skip wild-card weekend. While the 49ers do not appear a threat to earn the conference’s top seed, securing a first-round home game would obviously better position the well-assembled team for a chance to be in a second-round game with Garoppolo back at the helm.

With a healthy Garoppolo (excluding the 2017 season, when the team was out of contention upon acquiring him from the Patriots), the 49ers are 2-for-2 in NFC championship game appearances. They advanced that far despite the former trade acquisition battling multiple maladies last season, though the team could not match the Rams’ firepower in a game marred by a Jaquiski Tartt dropped interception. The 49ers have made a leap defensively this year, ranking first in total defense and points allowed. This, along with the Trent Williams–George Kittle–Deebo Samuel–Christian McCaffrey quartet being healthy, stands to make life easier on Brock Purdy. Though, the 49ers beating the Dolphins with Purdy and doing enough to secure a division title with this year’s Mr. Irrelevant obviously carry differing degrees of difficulty.

Tuesday’s news further highlights the 49ers’ decision to regroup with Garoppolo, whom they spent months trying to trade. Garoppolo is coming off an offseason that included a shoulder surgery, one that occurred in March to effectively crush his trade value, and played through thumb and calf injuries last season. It is no sure thing the 31-year-old passer returns this season, and his free agency stands to play a role. But the 49ers are open to pursuing another Garoppolo contract — at least, they were before this injury occurred — so a playoff return could provide a springboard to a second extension. Trey Lance again looms as a 2023 variable, but the former No. 3 overall pick’s broken ankle created another hurdle for a historically unusual QB prospect.

For now, Purdy and Josh Johnson — a fourth-stint 49er whom the team added off the Broncos’ practice squad — will try to stay the course. Shanahan expressed doubt the team would claim Baker Mayfield, and Schefter adds (via Twitter) it did not. The Rams claiming the ex-Browns and Panthers starter rendered that issue moot anyway.

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