Lions QB Jared Goff Lands On Reserve/COVID-19 List
After a shocking win over the Cardinals yesterday, the Lions will be looking to carry that momentum into next weekend’s game against the Falcons. Unfortunately, Detroit might have to go for their second-straight win without their starting QB. The Lions announced today that they’ve placed quarterback Jared Goff on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
While things certainly haven’t gone right in Detroit this season, the team’s struggles aren’t entirely Goff’s fault. The 27-year-old has completed 67 percent of his passes this year for 3,007 yards, 17 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He’s also been victim to a career-high 34 sacks for the 2-11-1 Lions.
Goff was forced to miss Week 11 against the Browns, and backup Tim Boyle ended up throwing for only 77 yards and two interceptions in the loss. If Goff isn’t able to play this weekend, there’s a chance Boyle gets another start for Detroit.
The Lions made a handful of additional moves today. Besides Goff, offensive tackle Matt Nelson was also placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, while cornerback Mark Gilbert and running back Jamaal Williams were activated from the list. The team placed linebacker Alex Anzalone on IR, and they signed running back Craig Reynolds to the active roster following a breakout game yesterday.
Chiefs Place TE Travis Kelce On Reserve/COVID-19 List
The Chiefs could be without a major offensive weapon this weekend against the Steelers. Kansas City has placed star tight end Travis Kelce on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to veteran reporter Herbie Teope (on Twitter). Kelce will be joined by kicker Harrison Butker and cornerback Charvarius Ward, who also landed on the list.
While Kelce’s placement on the list puts his status in doubt, it doesn’t definitively mean he’ll be sidelined on Sunday. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), Kelce is vaccinated, so he could be good to know this weekend considering the league’s new COVID protocols.
Butker, however, is unvaccinated and will miss Kansas City’s Week 16 game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Chiefs prepared for a potential Butker absence when they added Elliott Fry to the practice squad last week. Fry, who has bounced around in recent years without seeing much game action (one career appearance, in 2020), will kick against the Steelers.
Kelce is having another incredible season for Kansas City, hauling in 83 receptions for 1,066 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Despite missing almost all of his rookie season due to a knee injury, Kelce has been remarkably durable throughout his career. He has missed only a pair of regular-season games since 2014. If the veteran is sidelined against Pittsburgh, the team will likely turn to Blake Bell and Noah Gray at tight end.
The Chiefs might not be as prepared for Ward’s potential absence; the 25-year-old has started nine of his 10 games this season.
Buccaneers DL Pat O’Connor Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury
The injuries keep coming for the Buccaneers. Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor suffered a season-ending knee injury during last night’s loss to the Saints, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Done For Year]
Doctors believe O’Connor suffered a torn PCL and a partially torn MCL. While the core special teamer will get a second opinion before determining his next step, he’ll surely be sidelined for the rest of this season and the better part of the 2022 campaign.
O’Connor was a seventh-round pick by the Lions in 2017, and while he didn’t end up sticking with Detroit, he managed to find a home in Tampa Bay. The defensive lineman has spent the past four-plus seasons with the Buccaneers, appearing in 40 games. He saw time in all 16 games for the Bucs last season, and he made another four postseason appearances en route to a Super Bowl championship.
In 2021, the 28-year-old has appeared in 13 games, collecting four tackles and 0.5 sacks. He’s appeared mostly on special teams, getting into 100 percent of Tampa Bay’s ST snaps in seven games.
Giants’ Daniel Jones Done For Year
The Giants are shutting Daniel Jones down for the rest of the season (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). While the quarterback’s neck injury isn’t especially serious, the team is opting for the cautious approach. 
Jones has been out since Week 12 and there’s little reason to bring him back out with three meaningless games to go. Of course, these final few games will carry some significance for the Giants, who are currently in line for the No. 5 overall pick. They also own the Bears’ first-round choice, projected for No. 6 as of this writing.
The Duke product will finish near the bottom of the league’s QBR rankings with just ten touchdowns against seven interceptions. He’s got 21 touchdown passes in 25 games over the last two years — less than the 24 TDs he totaled as a rookie in 2019.
It all adds up to a career with flashes of promise but not enough to justify his No. 6 overall draft slot. With a new GM likely on the way, Jones’ status is very much in the air. Between now and May, they’ll have to decide on the QB’s fifth-year option for 2023, which would cost the Giants somewhere around $21MM.
Without Jones, the Giants are left with Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm on the QB depth chart.
Giants Promote Jaylon Smith
The Giants have signed linebacker Jaylon Smith to the 53-man roster, according to agent Doug Hendrickson (on Twitter). Smith debuted as a temporary elevation on Sunday and he’s now a full-fledged member of the varsity squad.
[RELATED: Giants’ Shepard Done For Year]
Smith, 26, earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019 with 154 tackles, good for the second-highest total in the NFL. He was still productive for the Cowboys early on this year too — the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus pegged him as a top-15 linebacker through four weeks. Still, the Cowboys opted to cut him and eat the remainder of his $7.2MM base salary. That led him to a two-game stint with the Packers and a December practice squad deal with the G-Men.
Terms of the contract are not known, but it’s likely a low-cost deal since the Cowboys are still on the hook for Smith’s original $7.2MM base salary. The former Notre Dame standout will be eligible to play this week when the Giants face the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Done For Year
Chris Godwin‘s season is over. On Monday, the Buccaneers announced that the wide receiver has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, ruling him out for the remainder of the season as well as the postseason. 
[RELATED: Brown To Rejoin Buccaneers]
Godwin was forced out in the first half of last night’s game against the Saints with a knee injury. As recently as this morning, the Bucs were optimistic about his outlook — doctors believed that he was dealing with an MCL sprain that would only shelve him for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it’s far worse than that. Godwin is now set for surgery and an offseason of rehab as the rest of the Bucs push for another title.
As expected, Godwin has been a focal point of Tampa’s offense this year. Through 14 games, he notched 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns (as well as one rushing TD). Even with the impending return of Antonio Brown, his presence will be sorely missed.
On the plus side, the Bucs have received better news regarding fellow star receiver Mike Evans and running back Leonard Fournette. Their hamstring injuries may cost them time, but they should be ready to go sometime before the playoffs (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
The timing is doubly bad for Godwin since he’s months away from free agency. Before the injury, he was poised to shatter the WR market. He’s currently fifth in the league with 1,103 yards, trailing only Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, and Tyreek Hill. Up until the injury, he was in line for something similar to his breakout 2019 — 1,333 yards with nine scores.
The Bucs, now without Godwin, remain in the NFC South driver’s seat at 10-4. They’ll have a chance to clinch on Sunday when they face the Panthers.
Lions Promote Craig Reynolds
The Lions have officially signed Craig Reynolds to the 53-man roster, per a club announcement. This comes one day after Reynolds amassed 112 yards off of 26 carries in an upset win over the Cardinals.
Reynolds was elevated to fill in for D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. On Sunday, he made the most of his opportunity. Per league rules, stashing Reynolds on the practice squad again would have required the Lions to expose him to waivers. After his showing against the Cardinals, it’s likely that another team would have snatched him up.
The Lions aren’t playing for much over these final three games, but Reynolds has tons to gain. The Kutztown product was previously earning just $165K in base salary while on the taxi squad. Now, he can solidify his place on the 2022 roster as the Lions continue their rebuilding process.
Reynolds figures to see plenty of carries next week when the Lions face the Falcons in Atlanta. Whether Lions fans want it or not, they’ll be gunning for their first winning streak of the season on Sunday.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/20/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on COVID-19 list: OT Bobby Hart, DE Mike Love
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: P Drue Chrisman
- Released: CB Holton Hill
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: WR Osirus Mitchell
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Peter Kalambayi
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: QB Danny Etling
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Delrick Abrams, OT Adrian Ealy, C Drake Jackson, TE Kyle Markway, OL Austin Reiter
New York Jets
- Signed: OL Isaiah Williams
- Placed on COVID-19 list: CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tanzel Smart, WR Vyncint Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from COVID-19 list: RB Jason Huntley
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from COVID-19 list: CB Linden Stephens
- Released: CB Isaiah Johnson
- Placed on COVID-19 list: OL Malcolm Pridgeon
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on COVID-19 list: CB Michael Jackson, G Pier-Olivier Lestage
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/21
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: TE David Wells
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from IR: LB Pernell McPhee
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted: OL Jacob Capra
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: OT Germain Ifedi
- Placed on IR: DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Promoted: DB Thomas Graham Jr., DB Michael Joseph, DB BoPete Keyes, DL LaCale London, WR Dazz Newsome, LB Charles Snowden, DB Dee Virgin, WR Nsimba Webster
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: LB Joe Bachie (ACL)
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Brian Allen, DE Joe Jackson, G Hjalte Froholdt, RB John Kelly, CB Herb Miller, S Jovante Moffatt, S Tedric Thompson
- Signed to active roster: OT Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: DE Azur Kamara
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: K Elliott Fry
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on IR: CB Trayvon Mullen
- Activated from IR: TE Nick Bowers
- Promoted: G Lester Cotton, WR Tyron Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers: CB Essang Bassey (from Broncos)
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: WR Landen Akers
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: RB Duke Johnson (story), S Sheldrick Redwine
- Waived: S Will Parks
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: S Myles Dorn, WR Myron Mitchell, CB Tye Smith
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: QB Jarren Williams
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: OT Sam Cosmi
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert