Steelers Place LB Robert Spillane On IR
The rare 11-1 team in a heated battle for a No. 1 seed, the Steelers will make their trip to Buffalo severely shorthanded at linebacker.
Pittsburgh placed Robert Spillane on IR Saturday. The recent replacement starter suffered a knee injury during the Steelers’ loss to Washington on Monday. He will join Devin Bush on the injured list, though it is not certain if Spillane is out for the season. The young defender will be out until at least Week 17, however.
Altogether, the Steelers are down Spillane, Bush and Vince Williams at off-ball linebacker. The latter is on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. This will increase the importance of the team’s October trade for Avery Williamson. The veteran stands to be a first-stringer against the Bills; his most recent start came in Week 8 when still a member of the Jets.
Spillane stepped in for Bush after he went down earlier in the season. A third-year UDFA, Spillane started seven games, made 45 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown against the Ravens.
The Steelers made multiple moves to help with linebacker depth Saturday, activating Ulysees Gilbert and promoting Tegray Scales from their practice squad. Pittsburgh is tied with Kansas City atop the AFC, though the Steelers still hold the tiebreaker.
Dolphins Place Myles Gaskin On Reserve/COVID-19 List
One week after Myles Gaskin returned from IR, he experienced another setback that is set to sideline him again. The Dolphins placed their top running back on their reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday. Gaskin tested positive for the coronavirus, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Gaskin joins Matt Breida and Jamal Perry as running backs on Miami’s coronavirus list, leaving the Dolphins shorthanded for their Week 14 game against the Chiefs. Gaskin’s positive test will knock him out for at least two Dolphin games.
The Dolphins have not activated Breida, whom they placed on the virus list last week, as of Saturday afternoon. The transactions deadline looms soon. Miami did, however, promote Elijah McGuire from its practice squad. McGuire will join tight end Chris Myarick and defensive end Tyshun Render in being elevated to the active roster.
Gaskin totaled 141 scrimmage yards last week, upon returning from an MCL sprain. The Dolphins are now extremely thin in the backfield, with Salvon Ahmed also out. Gaskin practiced in full Friday but will miss the pivotal AFC matchup. Miami’s backfield depth chart — as far as healthy players go — consists of DeAndre Washington, Patrick Laird and McGuire. The Dolphins acquired Washington from the Chiefs in a pre-deadline trade.
Cardinals Activate DL Jordan Phillips, Promote K Mike Nugent
The Cardinals announced a list of transactions this afternoon, including the activation of defensive lineman Jordan Phillips from injured reserve. The team also activated cornerback Kevin Peterson from IR, placed cornerback Johnathan Joseph on IR, released defensive lineman Trevon Coley, and promoted tight end Seth DeValve and kicker Mike Nugent from the practice squad.
Following a 9.5-sack campaign with the Bills in 2019, Phillips got a three-year deal from Arizona this offseason. While he started eight games for the Cardinals, his production took a dip, as he had only 10 tackles and a pair of sacks through the first two-plus months of the season. With his playing time already diminished, Phillips landed on injured reserve back in November with a hamstring injury.
Joseph, 36, was released by the Titans back in November. He quickly caught on with the Cardinals, and he’s collected three tackles and one pass defended through four games. The veteran hadn’t appeared in more than 20 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in any of his four games, and he was added to the injury report this week with a neck ailment. Peterson, 26, will be taking Joseph’s spot on the roster, with the Oklahoma State product having appeared in 22 games for the Cardinals over the past two seasons.
With starting kicker Zane Gonzalez ruled out for tomorrow’s game against the Giants with a back injury, Arizona is turning to Nugent. The 38-year-old joined the Cardinals practice squad back in September, and with Gonzalez connecting on only 72.7 percent of his field goals this season, Nugent could be auditioning for the full-time gig. Nugent got into four games with the Patriots last season, connecting on five of his eight field goal attempts and 15 of his 16 extra point tries.
DeValve, a 2016 fourth-round pick, joined the Cardinals practice squad last month and was promoted to the active roster last week. In 54 career games (16 starts), DeValve’s hauled in 60 receptions for 736 yards and four touchdowns. Coley, 26, started 29 games for the Browns between the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He’s appeared in 13 games since that time, compiling 20 tackles and one sack.
Texans Place David Johnson On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Texans have placed running back David Johnson on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced. Johnson landed on the list because of his status as a close contact of someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
It’s especially bad timing for Johnson, who suffered a concussion during Houston’s Week 9 win over the Jaguars, landed on IR as a result, and was activated just last week. In the Texans’ loss to the Colts on Sunday, Johnson carried the ball 10 times for 44 yards and a score.
For the season, he has mustered a 4.0 yards-per-carry average over 113 totes to go along with four TDs. He’s added 16 catches for 161 yards and a score through the air. Those are all decent enough numbers, but the Texans (or at least since-deposed HC/GM Bill O’Brien) were probably hoping for more when they acquired Johnson from Arizona this offseason in one of the most heavily-criticized trades in recent memory.
At this point, it seems unlikely that Johnson will ever regain the All-Pro form he demonstrated with the Cardinals back in 2016. He will turn 29 next week, and the injuries he has sustained over the years certainly appear to have taken their toll. He is under contract through 2021, but his base salary of $7.95MM and roster bonus of $1.05MM look pretty steep at this point. It would not be surprising to see the Texans try to work out a paycut with Johnson or to simply release him.
Duke Johnson will get the majority of the work in David Johnson’s stead for this weekend’s matchup with the Bears.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/11/20
Here are the latest NFL practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: FB Tommy Bohanon
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Amara Darboh
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Lee Autry
- Released: WR Marcell Ateman
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Jack Cichy
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB Adrian Killins
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: S Natrell Jamerson
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: OL Cameron Erving
Denver Broncos
- Waived: RB Jeremy Cox
New York Giants
- Promoted: DB Montre Hartage
- Placed on IR: DB Madre Harper
New York Jets
- Signed off Patriots’ practice squad: S J.T. Hassell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Maurkice Pouncey
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: T Marshall Newhouse
- Placed on reserve/suspended list: DL Teair Tart
Packers Expected To Place Tyler Ervin On IR
The Packers are expected to place return specialist Tyler Ervin on IR, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Ervin, who had been dealing with wrist and rib injuries, sustained a foot injury in the team’s win over the Eagles on Sunday. Although surgery won’t be required, Ervin is expected to miss at least a month, so his season could be over.
Green Bay claimed the San Jose State product off waivers from Jacksonville last December, and the club re-signed him to a one-year, $1MM contract this offseason. Ervin, a running back by trade, saw his most extensive action on the offensive side of the ball in a Week 9 victory over the 49ers, picking up eight carries for 24 yards and four catches for 48 yards. By and large, though, he has been a return man, taking back five punts for 20 yards and 10 kickoffs for 196 yards in 2020.
In Ervin’s absence, Tavon Austin could get a shot at return duties. Austin, who spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys, has yet to suit up for a game this season. He signed with the 49ers back in August but was placed on injured reserve before the season started. He was released from IR last month, and he has been a free agent ever since.
Latest On Panthers’ COVID-19 Situation
Dec. 11: Good news for Carolina, as Samuel, Thompson, and Brown have all been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and were back at practice today. They will all be available for the club’s tilt with the Broncos on Sunday.
Dec. 8: The Panthers are now a team to monitor regarding COVID-19. They placed eight players on their reserve/COVID-19 list this week, after two tested positive, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Carolina moved several big names — D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel, Shaq Thompson, Derrick Brown and Greg Little — along with punter Michael Palardy, defensive tackle Zach Kerr and wide receiver Ishmael Hyman to their coronavirus list this week. At least two of these players will miss Sunday’s game against the Broncos, and the rest of the lot will at least miss some practice time this week. It is not yet certain which Panthers tested positive.
While this is certainly an issue, the Panthers do not appear to have the makings of an outbreak. They reported no new positive COVID-19 tests Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The Panthers closed their facility after the positive tests but are scheduled to reopen it Wednesday.
Carolina will host Denver on Sunday. The Broncos saw their bye rescheduled at the 11th hour earlier this season, when the Patriots encountered positive tests. With no teams having more byes, after the Panthers and Buccaneers concluded theirs in Week 13, the NFL’s options would be limited. However, as the recent Ravens outbreak showed, the league will pull out all the stops to ensure games are now played in their scheduled week.
Jason Peters Done For Season
Eagles veteran offensive lineman Jason Peters is done for the season, head coach Doug Pederson announced this morning. Peters has been dealing with a significant toe injury, one that landed him on injured reserve earlier this year, and as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, the 38-year-old has elected to undergo surgery on the toe.
When Peters re-signed with Philadelphia this summer, the original plan was for him to play right guard in place of the injured Brandon Brooks. Then, projected left tackle Andre Dillard was ruled out for the season with a biceps injury in August, forcing the team to shift Peters back to his long-time LT post while giving him a pay bump in the process.
Unfortunately, the toe injury cropped up in early October, and the Eagles placed Peters on IR as a result. Though he was activated just a few weeks later, the team recently moved him to right guard to compensate for his limited mobility. He played 36 snaps at RG during the team’s loss to the Packers on Sunday, but the pain was apparently too much to continue to push through.
Given his advanced age, this might be the end of the line for Peters. If so, he will end his career with a tremendous resume that includes two First Team All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl ring. He is easily one of the best LTs of his generation, and there may be a gold jacket in Canton waiting for him in a few years.
Interestingly, Peters’ last play against Green Bay was also quarterback Carson Wentz‘s last play, at least for the time being. Wentz has been benched in favor of rookie signal-caller Jalen Hurts, who will be playing behind Nate Herbig at right guard.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/20
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Willie Snead
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Chidobe Awuzie
Denver Broncos
- Signed off Ravens’ practice squad: CB Nate Hairston
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Diontae Spencer
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB A.J. Dillon; Dillon had been on the Packers’ virus list since testing positive Nov. 2
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed off Ravens’ practice squad: T Will Holden
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: K Austin MacGinnis
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: TE Hale Hentges
New England Patriots
- Activated from IR: TE Devin Asiasi
- Placed on IR: TE Ryan Izzo
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Julian Edelman; Edelman remains on IR
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Vince Williams