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
Ravens’ Dez Bryant Tests Negative For COVID
Word of a positive COVID-19 test forced the Ravens to pull Dez Bryant just prior to kickoff earlier this week. Now, the wide receiver says that he has tested negative for the coronavirus in two subsequent tests (via Twitter).
“I tested negative back to back for covid and I’m not excited about it,” said Bryant.
After the first positive test, Bryant said that he would call it quits for the rest of the season rather waiting to go through the league’s protocols. Now, his plans aren’t exactly clear. For what it’s worth, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says that he plans to have Bryant back once he comes off of the COVID-19/reserve list (Twitter link).
Negative tests notwithstanding, the Ravens have placed Bryant on their reserve/COVID list. Bryant is ineligible to practice until being removed from the virus list. It has, to say the least, been an interesting week for the veteran wide receiver.
The former Cowboys Pro Bowler lobbied NFL teams for a long time before he got his opportunity to return with the Ravens. Since signing with Baltimore, he hasn’t been used much. His only registered stats came in Week 11 against the Titans, when he caught four passes for 28 yards.
After beating Bryant’s former team without him, the Ravens will turn their attention to the Browns on Monday night.
COVID-19 Closes Bears’ Facility
4:11pm: Return man DeAndre Carter tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). He is now on their reserve/COVID-19 list. It appears this was responsible for the team shutting down its facility. The Bears claimed Carter off waivers from the Texans last month. He has played in two games with the team, including Sunday’s loss to the Lions.
9:55am: The Bears have closed their team facility for the day, per a club announcement. They’ll be WFH all day Thursday as they gear up for Sunday’s game against the Texans.
“This morning we were notified that we had a positive COVID-19 test,” the team said in a statement. “As a result, the club has elected to pause all in-person football activities today and close Halas Hall. Instead, all meetings will be conducted virtually. The individual who tested positive has been contacted and has already begun self-isolation. We are working with the NFL medical experts to identify close contacts and follow the league’s guidance. The health and safety of our team, players and staff are the highest priority.”
The Bears did not identify the positive player or staffer, though practice squad wide receiver Thomas Ives was recently placed on the reserve list. He was reported to have tested positive for the virus, and two other p-squadders — defensive lineman LaCale London and linebacker Manti Te’o — have also hit the list.
Every NFL team has had to suspend practice at one point or another in 2020. For the Bears, it’s the second time that they’ve had to scrap a Thursday session. For now, their game against the Texans is slated to go on as scheduled.
Bills, GM Brandon Beane Agree On Extension
The Bills will prevent Brandon Beane from going into a contract year. Beane signed an extension Thursday to stay in Buffalo long-term.
Considering where the franchise is now compared to where it was prior to Beane following Sean McDermott to Buffalo, this is not exactly surprising. But the first-time GM’s five-year contract was set to expire after the 2021 season. He is now locked up beyond next year.
This move comes four months after McDermott’s re-up. McDermott is signed through the 2025 campaign. It would make sense if Beane’s contract runs through the ’25 season as well. Beane and McDermott have the Bills poised to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons — something that has not happened since the late 1990s — and the team has the inside track on winning its first division title since 1995.
After a brief period when the Bills teamed McDermott with previous GM Doug Whaley, the Bills made the move to hire Beane after the 2017 draft. In 2018, Beane engineered multiple trades to move into position to draft Josh Allen. That move, though scrutinized, has paid off for the Bills. Allen is enjoying by far his best season, having made tremendous strides in Year 3. March acquisition Stefon Diggs has impacted Allen’s development considerably, as have 2019 signees Cole Beasley and John Brown. Buffalo also featured top-five pass defenses in 2018 and ’19, though its 2020 group has not performed on that level.
Beane spent nearly 20 years with the Panthers, becoming part of the Carolina organization in 1998. He and McDermott worked together from 2011-16 with the NFC South franchise, and the Bills opted to form a Panthers North of sorts. The move has led to sustained success (and a slew of former Panthers receiving Bills contracts).
The Bills are 9-3 going into their Week 14 game against the Steelers. A year after their first 10-win season since 1999, the Bills are a game up on the Dolphins in the AFC East and three up on the perennial division champion Patriots. This is certainly the franchise’s most stable point since its Jim Kelly– and Bruce Smith-led nucleus of the ’90s, and the team is moving forward with the power structure that enabled it.
Darian Stewart Announces Retirement
Three months after Aqib Talib retired from the NFL, one of his teammates from the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning secondary announced he will wrap his career.
Darian Stewart will call it quits after 10 seasons, indicating (via Instagram) he will not attempt to catch on with a team this year. While Stewart is best known for his time in Denver, the former UDFA played with four teams and logged 92 starts during his career.
After spending the first half of his career with the Rams and Ravens, Stewart landed with the Broncos in 2015 via two-year, $4.25MM deal. He became the final piece of Denver’s No-Fly Zone secondary, which led the team to first-place rankings in pass defense DVOA in 2015 and ’16.
Stewart intercepted a pass in his first game with the Broncos, sealing a Week 1 win, and intercepted Tom Brady in the Broncos’ AFC-clinching victory four months later. He also forced a fumble in Super Bowl 50, playing a key role for one of the modern NFL’s defining defenses — one that led the way in a two-score win over a 15-1 Panthers team.
The South Carolina alum was one of three Denver secondary starters to make the Pro Bowl in 2016, alongside All-Pros Talib and Chris Harris, and landed a $7MM-per-year extension with the Broncos that season. He outlasted No-Fly Zone mates Talib and T.J. Ward in Denver, working as a Broncos starter through the 2018 season. Stewart notched eight of his 11 career interceptions over his final three seasons in Denver.
Stewart, 32, finished his career with the Buccaneers, playing 13 games for last year’s Tampa Bay edition. He will finish with 463 career tackles, six forced fumbles and seven recovered.
Titans Place Isaiah Wilson On Reserve/NFI List
Isaiah Wilson‘s turbulent rookie year may be over, and the latest news involving the Titans first-round pick points to the offensive line prospect needing to surmount hurdles to resume his career.
The Titans placed Wilson on their reserve/non-football illness list Wednesday. This came four days after they suspended him for Sunday’s game. Jack Conklin‘s would-be heir apparent at right tackle, Wilson made his NFL debut in Week 12. He played four snaps against the Colts. That might end up being his only action as a rookie.
“Currently, (Wilson) is dealing with some personal issues, which will take some time for him to work through,” Titans GM Jon Robinson said. “We will continue to help him and support him, with the hope that he can ultimately re-join the team.”
Since the Titans drafted him, Wilson has been arrested for DUI, received a trespass warning for attending a party at Tennessee State and twice landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Former swing man Dennis Kelly has worked as Tennessee’s right tackle starter, and that status does not look to change in the near future. Wilson is under contract through 2023, but the Georgia product’s career can be considered on hold.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/9/20
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: CB Essang Bassey
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from reserve/NFI list: G Simon Stepaniak
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Jamal Perry
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Terron Armstead
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DT Raequan Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Davion Taylor
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DE Cassius Marsh
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: OL Tony Bergstrom
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: TE Marcus Baugh
- Placed on IR: TE Temarrick Hemingway
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/20
We’ll keep track of the latest practice squad moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Chris Williamson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Jerell Adams
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Beau Benzschawel
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Colin Holba
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Dayan Lake, WR Devin Smith
- Released: LB Jack Cichy
New Orleans Saints
- Activated from practice squad injured list: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, TE Daniel Helm
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: QB Alex McGough
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/8/20
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves. There are many.
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: DB Shyheim Carter
Chicago Bears
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Thomas Ives, DT LaCale London, LB Manti Te’o; London and Te’o tested positive for the coronavirus
Cleveland Browns
- Activated off practice squad IR: WR Ryan Switzer
- Released: DE Jamal Davis
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: C Anthony Fabiano, TE Isaac Nauta
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: G Jeremiah Kolone
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Isaiah Ford
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Zack Bailey
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Brandon Dillon
New England Patriots
- Signed: S J.T. Hassell
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Niko Lalos, QB/WR Joe Webb
- Waived: TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
New York Jets
- Signed: LB Brady Sheldon
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Lavert Hill
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: WR Jordan Matthews
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: WR Darvin Kidsy
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR/KR Jaydon Mickens
Washington Football Team
- Signed: QB Taylor Heinicke