Bills’ Cody Ford Done For Year
Bills offensive lineman Cody Ford will miss the remainder of the season, according to head coach Sean McDermott (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Ford’s torn meniscus will require surgery and 3-4 months of rehabilitation before he can get back on the field. 
Ford, a 2019 second round pick, served as the Bills’ first-string right tackle in his rookie season. This year, he started in all seven of his games on the interior, helping the Bills to an AFC East-leading 7-3 record. Thanks in part to Ford & Co., Josh Allen is playing better than ever. Through ten starts, the former No. 7 overall pick has completed 68.4% of his throws with 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions. The Bills couldn’t ask for much more out of their front five, especially after Jon Feliciano tore his pec to start the year.
The Bills may turn to Ike Boettger or Brian Winters for help up front as they continue their playoff push. They’re also likely to add a lineman to the roster between now and Sunday afternoon when they face the Chargers in Buffalo.
Eagles’ Lane Johnson Done For Year
Lane Johnson is done for the year. The Eagles tackle has been playing through a painful ankle injury all year long, but his condition has only gotten worse with time. 
“The inside of my ankle has collapsed,” Johnson said (Twitter link via Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Johnson underwent “tightrope surgery” in August and managed to play seven games, starting in Week 2. He’s now looking at four or five months of recovery before he can resume football activities.
Johnson is in the midst of the four-year, $72MM extension he signed back in November of 2019. The eighth-year pro is coming off of his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod, a rare feat for often underappreciated right tackles. Without Johnson, the Eagles’ banged up offensive line will likely turn to Matt Pryor as the new starting right tackle.
The Eagles — who find themselves in the NFC East hunt with a record of 3-6-1 — will face the Seahawks on Monday night without Johnson in the lineup. The Seahawks’ D has been iffy all year, but they managed to keep a lid on the Cardinals last week en route to a 28-21 win.
COVID-19 Latest: Ravens, Williams, Browns
Earlier Wednesday, the NFL took the Ravens-Steelers rematch off its Thanksgiving schedule. That game is now on tap for 12:15pm CT Sunday. More is emerging on why the Steelers will see another of their games delayed. The Ravens disciplined a strength and conditioning coach for “conduct surrounding the recent COVID-19 cases that have affected players and staff.” The Ravens are levying the discipline because the unnamed staffer did not report symptoms or consistently wear a mask or a contact tracing device, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). This is believed to have contributed to the Ravens’ outbreak — one that comes nearly two months after a Titans outbreak altered the Steelers’ schedule. Seven Ravens players and at least five staffers have tested positive for COVID. This will not only weaken Baltimore against Pittsburgh but potentially deplete team’s roster for its Week 13 Thursday game against Dallas.
Several teams shuffled their rosters because of COVID on Wednesday. Here is the latest:
- 49ers left tackle Trent Williams tested positive for COVID-19 last week, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). A cancer survivor, Williams has not experienced issues with the virus yet, Graziano tweets. Williams, who landed on the 49ers’ COVID list earlier this month as a high-risk close contact, is on track to miss San Francisco’s Week 12 game in Los Angeles.
- Six players remain on San Francisco’s virus list. The 49ers removed Arik Armstead and center Hroniss Grasu on Wednesday.
- Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki tested positive Wednesday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (on Twitter). Takitaki played against the Eagles and returned an interception for a touchdown. The Cleveland starting linebacker’s positive test follows Myles Garrett‘s. Neither they nor Denzel Ward (injury) will be available for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. The Browns closed their facility Wednesday, but their Jags game remains on schedule.
- The Bengals placed wide receiver Auden Tate and recently acquired offensive lineman B.J. Finney on their reserve/COVID-19 list. Cincinnati has seen staffers test positive, with D-line coach Nick Eason being the most recent. Eason was alerted of his positive test Tuesday. The Bengals now have five players on their reserve/COVID list.
- Christian Wilkins is off the Dolphins‘ COVID list. Wilkins was not reported to have tested positive, but the second-year defensive lineman still missed two games after landing on the team’s virus list.
- The Raiders activated Cory Littleton from their COVID list. The high-profile free agent addition has been out for two weeks due to a positive coronavirus test. Las Vegas’ defense remains shorthanded due to virus issues, with Clelin Ferrell testing positive last week and Lamarcus Joyner missing Sunday’s Chiefs game because of his status as a close contact.
- Dante Fowler also tested positive two weeks ago and missed the Falcons‘ Week 11 game, but the big-ticket free agent addition is off the list now and on course to return to Atlanta’s lineup Sunday.
- The Vikings and Chargers also removed players from their respective virus lists Wednesday. Minnesota activated guard Dru Samia; Los Angeles activated cornerback Brandon Facyson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/25/20
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Claimed off waivers from Broncos: T Jake Rodgers
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted: CB Deante Burton, C Adam Redmond, CB Rashard Robinson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: DT Albert Huggins, WR Mohamed Sanu, CB Dee Virgin
- Placed on IR: OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Bears: DT Anthony Rush
- Placed on IR: DL Montravius Adams, LB James Burgess
Houston Texans
- Signed off Bengals’ practice squad: DE Andrew Brown
- Promoted: DL Corey Liuget, WR Steven Mitchell, RB Scottie Phillips
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers from Titans: CB Greg Mabin
- Promoted: S Doug Middleton
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: LB Jordan Kunaszyk, T David Steinmetz
Broncos Activate LB Mark Barron From IR
It took much longer than expected, but Mark Barron is in position to make his Broncos debut. The team activated him from IR Wednesday.
The Broncos signed the former first-round pick during training camp, eyeing a potential part-time role for the veteran on a suddenly reshaped linebacking corps. Denver released longtime starter Todd Davis before the season and saw rookie Justin Strnad suffer a season-ending injury during camp. Barron, however, soon experienced injury troubles. But the former Buccaneers, Rams and Steelers starter is on track to play in Week 12.
Pittsburgh released Barron earlier this year, and he spent nearly six months in free agency. Upon signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Broncos, Barron suffered a hamstring injury. During his rehab process, Barron then encountered a pectoral malady.
The former Bucs safety and longtime Rams linebacker will likely see time mixing in on a Broncos defense that has used 2019 backup Josey Jewell as a full-time player alongside top inside ‘backer Alexander Johnson. Jewell’s snap rate has risen from 20% last season to 93% this year. But with Pro Football Focus slotting Johnson and Jewell as 2020’s No. 10- and No. 26-ranked off-ball linebackers, respectively, Barron may not see as much time as initially planned.
To make room for Barron, the Broncos waived running back LeVante Bellamy. The latter has bounced on and off Denver’s active roster this season.
Texans Place Randall Cobb On IR
The Texans picked up their third win of the season by beating the Patriots, but they picked up a couple of key injuries along the way. We just heard starting defensive tackle P.J. Hall is done for the year, and now Randall Cobb will be hitting the shelf.
The veteran receiver has a toe injury that is considered “significant,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Texans have since placed Cobb on IR.
Fellow receiver Kenny Stills picked up a quad injury on Sunday, and although we don’t know the severity on that one yet, it’s possible their offense is significantly shorthanded for their Thanksgiving trip to take on the Lions.
It’s a tough blow, as Cobb has been playing a big role in his first season in Houston. Through ten games he has 38 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. He inked a three-year pact worth an impressive $27MM back in March. He turned 30 back in August, but outside of seven missed games in 2018 has mostly been pretty durable.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/25/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Jameson Houston
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: P Trevor Daniel
NFL To Rescind K’Waun Williams’ Ban
Nov. 25: The NFL has reversed course in this case. The 49ers slot corner will not face a two-game ban. Issues with the testing procedures induced the league to backtrack on Williams’ suspension, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Williams has insisted he has not used a banned substance.
Nov. 24: We’ve got another two-game suspension to report on the heels of Luke Gifford getting the same ban. This time it’s 49ers cornerback K’Waun Williams getting hit for violating the league’s policy on PEDs.
Fortunately for San Francisco Williams is already sidelined with a high ankle sprain and wasn’t likely to play before this suspension will be up anyway. He’ll be eligible to return for the team’s Week 14 game against Washington. Williams is the team’s nickel corner who lines up in the slot. He started the year off playing a little over half of the team’s defensive snaps, but then was sidelined with a knee sprain in Week 4.
He returned in Week 8, but went down with the ankle sprain the following game. He was quite productive last year, finishing with 51 tackles, two interceptions, a sack, and four forced fumbles in 15 games and eight starts. The Pittsburgh product entered the league as an UDFA with the Browns in 2014.
He quickly became a key contributor in Cleveland but was waived after the 2015 season following a dispute with the team over an injury he had at the time. After sitting out 2016 with that injury he signed with San Francisco the following year. His strong play earned him a three-year extension worth $10MM that is set to expire at the end of this season. He’ll be a free agent this offseason and due to the high marks he received last year, he’s likely in for a raise.
Colts Place DeForest Buckner On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Colts have placed DeForest Buckner on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to a team announcement. This could be an especially difficult blow, as Indianapolis will take on the Titans in a battle for first place in the AFC South on Sunday.
At this point, it’s unclear if Buckner tested positive or if he is considered a close contact with someone who did. If he tested positive, he is guaranteed to miss the matchup with Tennessee, though if his placement on the list is due to a close contact, he may be back on the field on Sunday (depending on when the contact occurred and his test results in the coming days).
Indianapolis pulled off one of the biggest blockbusters of this offseason in acquiring Buckner, as it shipped a first-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for one of the game’s premier interior defenders and signed him to a massive $21MM/year extension. And Buckner has not disappointed, as Pro Football Focus currently ranks him fifth among all interior D-linemen, including an especially high pass-rush grade (though he has generated just 2.5 sacks on the season).
PFF is not quite as bullish on his run defense, but it still considers him an above-average performer in that regard. And the Colts will need all the run support they can get against Titans’ RB Derrick Henry, who rushed for 103 yards on just 19 carries against Indy two weeks ago.
Buckner joins fellow DL Denico Autry on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and as Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets, Autry’s status for Sunday’s game is still unclear. If the Colts are without both players, they will need monster performances from players like Tyquan Lewis and Grover Stewart to contain Henry.
Bengals Promote QB Brandon Allen
Nov. 25: Allen, not Finley, will get the start against the Giants on Sunday, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (via Twitter). The 28-year-old Arkansas product finally saw his first regular season action in the pros in 2019, starting three games for the Broncos. Denver won just one of those games, and Allen posted a poor 68.3 QB rating.
Nov. 23: The Bengals will promote Brandon Allen from the practice squad to the active roster, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Following Joe Burrow‘s season-ending knee injury, the Bengals’ QB depth chart now consists of Allen and Ryan Finley.
[RELATED: Joe Burrow Done For Year]
Burrow had to be carted off the field on Sunday after his left knee got rolled up. He didn’t need a doctor to tell him that it was an ACL tear. Shortly after leaving the game, Burrow announced that he was done for the year on social media. Minutes later, the Bengals officially confirmed the news.
It’s been a trying year for the Bengals, but Burrow was one of their few bright spots. Behind a porous offensive line, the No. 1 overall pick managed 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
Finley will take over for the former Heisman Trophy winner, with Allen holding the clipboard on the sidelines. The Burrow-less Bengals will look for win No. 3 this week against the Giants who are (somehow) in the NFC East chase.