Lions Place Tyrell Williams On IR
The Lions have placed wide receiver Tyrell Williams on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. His roster spot will be filled by linebacker Josh Woods, who has been signed from the Bears’ practice squad. 
Williams has been in concussion protocol ever since Week 1, when he absorbed a hard tackle from 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt. Doctors held Williams out of last week’s game against the Lions and he’ll continue to sit out for several more games. At minimum, Williams will miss this week’s game against the Ravens, next week’s tilt against the Bears, and the Week 5 game against the Vikings.
Williams reunited with Anthony Lynn this year, agreeing to a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $6.2MM. The Lions were hoping to have a healthy Williams front and center in their offense with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones out of the picture. Instead, the 29-year-old will have to spend the early part of the season focusing on his health. In his lone Lions game, Williams notched two grabs for 14 yards.
His most productive season to date came under Mike McCoy — a 1,000-yard 2016 slate — but he remained an auxiliary Chargers cog under Lynn from 2017-18. Still, Williams totaled more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns between those seasons.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DE Aaron Patrick (from Jaguars’ practice squad)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Josh Woods (from Bears’ practice squad)
- Placed on IR: WR Tyrell Williams (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: QB Reid Sinnett
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/21
Keeping tabs on today’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DB Mazzi Wilkins
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Holton Hill
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Pita Taumoepenu
New England Patriots
- Signed: C Jake Eldrenkamp
New York Giants
- Signed: C Jonotthan Harrison, OL Foster Sarell
- Released: RB Dexter Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Eddie Yarbrough
- Released: TE Jordan Matthews
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Andrew Brown
Seahawks Add TE Jace Sternberger To PS
Unclaimed on waivers, Jace Sternberger will nevertheless receive another opportunity shortly after his Packers exit. The Seahawks are signing the young tight end to a practice squad deal, according to his agency (on Twitter).
The Packers cut the 2019 third-round pick Tuesday. He will be the second recent mid-round pick to catch on with the Seahawks’ practice squad, following ex-Raiders fourth-round linebacker Tanner Muse.
Sternberger received a two-game suspension to start the season, and Green Bay opted not to activate him ahead of Week 3. The Packers did save one of their two IR-return spots for Sternberger in 2019, when teams had just two such transactions at their disposals, but not much has materialized statistically for the Texas A&M product. Sternberger has just 12 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown — all in 2020 — in his career.
The 6-foot-4 tight end posted a strong college season to land on the draft radar, catching 48 passes for 832 yards and 10 touchdowns in his lone season with the Aggies. Prior to transferring to College Station and earning All-America acclaim, Sternberger played at Kansas and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He will relocate again in hopes of igniting a stalled NFL career.
The Seahawks have three tight ends — Gerald Everett, Will Dissly and second-year UDFA Tyler Mabry — on their active roster, and Colby Parkinson resides on IR rehabbing his second significant foot injury. The team tried multiple ex-college basketball players as P-squad tight ends this offseason, but neither lasted long. Sternberger does have basketball experience, perhaps appealing to the Seahawks, but none of it came in college.
Broncos’ Bradley Chubb To Undergo Surgery
WEDNESDAY: While indicating Chubb’s surgery was successful, Vic Fangio confirmed the six- to eight-week timetable. The Broncos’ bye does not come until Week 11. Chubb’s recovery going well would position him to come back before that point, and Fangio confirmed this scenario will be in play. The team exercising caution with its standout pass rusher could also lead to a return in Week 12 on Nov. 28. Chubb is now on Denver’s IR.
TUESDAY: Bradley Chubb left the Broncos’ Week 2 game early and will be back on the shelf for a bit. The Pro Bowl pass rusher will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur in his left ankle Wednesday, according to the team.
The fourth-year linebacker has battled multiple ankle issues this year and endured a setback in Jacksonville. Chubb missed the Broncos’ Week 1 game but returned Sunday. He will miss more time going forward, and Mike Klis of 9News notes the Broncos are expected to use an IR transaction here (Twitter link). A six- to eight-week timetable should be expected here, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Chubb’s ankle surgery will mark his second ankle operation this year. He underwent a procedure on his right ankle this spring. He then encountered a left ankle problem ahead of Week 1. The Broncos picked up Chubb’s fifth-year option in May, and new GM George Paton identified the former top-five pick as a cornerstone player. Chubb made the Pro Bowl last season and made a run at Jevon Kearse‘s rookie sack record in 2018, recording 12 that season.
“I tried to turn the corner, and I felt it wasn’t all the way there,” Chubb said, via the Broncos’ website. “I’ve been dealing with this bone spur I’ve got in my ankle and sometimes when I try to turn the corner it gets a little annoying and I feel like a stab-type pain.”
This obviously represents a blow for the 2-0 Broncos, who have seen Von Miller return to strong form after missing the entire 2020 season. Miller and Chubb have famously not been on the field together much. Chubb missed most of the 2019 season after tearing an ACL in Week 4. Denver turned to rotational rusher Malik Reed as Miller’s primary sidekick following Chubb’s exit Sunday. Reed registered eight sacks last season. The Broncos also used a seventh-round pick on Jonathan Cooper this year; the Ohio State product would be in line to work as Denver’s third edge rusher while Chubb recovers.
Despite the Broncos’ unbeaten record, they have endured some early-season injury issues. Chubb would stand to join Jerry Jeudy and Ronald Darby on IR. Denver also placed starting inside linebacker Josey Jewell on IR on Tuesday. Jewell suffered a torn pec against the Jaguars and is out for the year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/22/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Keanu Neal; as a high-risk close contact, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota (on Twitter), Neal can return after a five-day isolation period
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LB Micah Kiser (story)
- Promoted: RB Damarea Crockett
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: CB Daryl Worley (story)
- Placed on IR: Ifeatu Melifonwu (story)
Houston Texans
- Promoted: K Joey Slye
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: LB Marquel Lee
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Harrison Hand
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DT Naquan Jones
Jets LB B.J. Goodson To Retire
B.J. Goodson‘s Jets stay will end up being brief. The team announced Wednesday the veteran linebacker intends to retire. Goodson signed with the Jets last week.
The former Giants, Packers and Browns starter made his debut for the Jets in Week 2, seeing action on seven special teams plays in the team’s loss to the Patriots. But Goodson no longer intends to continue his sixth NFL season. The Jets placed the 28-year-old off-ball linebacker on their reserve/retired list.
A fourth-round pick out of Clemson in 2016, Goodson became a starter for the Giants in his second season. He made 20 starts with the team but was traded to the Packers before the 2019 season. Green Bay used Goodson as a first-stringer frequently during his lone season with the team, deploying him as a nine-game starter during a 13-3 campaign.
The Browns signed Goodson last year and plugged him into their starting lineup immediately. He made a career-high 91 tackles and intercepted two passes, helping Cleveland snap its lengthy playoff drought. Goodson did miss two games after contracting COVID-19 late last season, however. He returned to start in both Browns playoff games, making 16 tackles.
Pro Football Focus graded Goodson as an upper-echelon coverage linebacker in 2020, and the Jets signed him to a deal worth up to $2.1MM. Goodson made 251 tackles and intercepted four passes in his five-plus-year career.
Texans To Promote QB Jeff Driskel From Practice Squad
Jeff Driskel will return to a backup role for the Texans’ Week 3 game. Houston intends to promote the veteran quarterback from its practice squad ahead of Thursday’s Panthers matchup, Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 notes.
One of a few quarterbacks the Texans acquired this offseason, Driskel has climbed into position to be Davis Mills‘ backup. The Texans placed Tyrod Taylor on IR Tuesday, sidelining their starter for at least three games. David Culley confirmed Mills will make his first start in Week 3.
As of Wednesday, Mills and Deshaun Watson are the only quarterbacks on the Texans’ active roster. Culley confirmed Watson will not be an option for the team this week. The Texans made the three-time Pro Bowler a healthy scratch in each of their first two games. Embroiled in criminal and civil cases stemming from sexual assault and sexual misconduct allegations, Watson has not worked with the Texans’ new staff.
During an offseason in which the Texans added Taylor and Mills, Driskel signed a one-year deal worth $2.5MM. The Texans guaranteed Driskel $500K but released him ahead of roster cutdown day. Houston retained Driskel via a practice squad deal, keeping him as a de facto third-stringer — with Watson not factoring into the team’s current QB hierarchy — to start the season.
A former sixth-round 49ers pick, Driskel has been with three teams — the Bengals, Lions and Broncos — during the past three seasons. The 28-year-old passer made one start with Denver last season and has nine as a pro.
49ers Add RB Chris Thompson To P-Squad
With major injury issues at running back, the 49ers continue to bring in outside talent at the position. They are adding former Washington back Chris Thompson to their practice squad.
Thompson’s Washington stint lasted long enough he has a history with Kyle Shanahan. Washington drafted the pass-catching back in the 2013 fifth round, when the current 49ers HC remained Washington’s offensive coordinator. The eight-year veteran will now join the 49ers, who have seen injuries inject considerable uncertainty into their backfield.
Thompson, 30, spent last season with the Jaguars but did not factor into their offense much during James Robinson‘s standout rookie season. The 49ers are without Raheem Mostert for the rest of the season and have Jeff Wilson on the reserve/PUP list. Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon and JaMycal Hasty battling injuries. Mitchell and Hasty, who are respectively dealing with shoulder and ankle maladies, did not practice Wednesday. Sermon suffered a concussion in his NFL debut Sunday.
Washington used Thompson as its passing-down back for several years, with the Florida State product initially supplementing Alfred Morris before ending his D.C. career playing alongside Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice in 2019. Thompson eclipsed 700 scrimmage yards in two seasons and earned an extension in 2017. The veteran backup auditioned for the Bears this week but will end up heading to San Francisco.
The 49ers now have eight running backs on their active roster and practice squad combined. Kerryon Johnson and Josh Hokit reside on the team’s taxi squad, while ex-Bengals practice squad cog Jacques Patrick is now on the 49ers’ 53-man roster, joining Trenton Cannon.
Jaguars Place TE James O’Shaughnessy On IR
The Jaguars have placed James O’Shaughnessy on the injured reserve list. The move will free up a roster spot in Jacksonville while the tight end recovers for the next three-to-four weeks.
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign N. Lawson]
O’Shaughnessy was forced out early against the Broncos with an ankle sprain. Up until that point, the Jags were expecting a big day from the tight end — he had just caught six passes for 48 yards in Week 1, good for No. 2 on the team. Now, the Jaguars are down 0-2 and without one of their best offensive weapons.
The Jaguars will rely on Chris Manhertz, Jacob Hollister, and fifth-round pick Luke Farrell to fill out the tight end group, perhaps with another addition between now and this weekend. One spot has already been taken by cornerback Nevin Lawson, who agreed to a one-year deal earlier today.
The winless Jags — sans O’Shaughnessy — will battle the 2-0 Cardinals this Sunday.