HEADLINES

Aaron Rodgers Will Not Require Surgery; Steelers QB Hopes To Play In Week 12

November 18th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Monday saw Aaron Rodgers undergo further testing on his injured left wrist. Positive updates have emerged on that front.

Surgery will not be required, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. That marks an expected but significant development given Rodgers’ importance to the Steelers. Head coach Mike Tomlin has since confirmed during his Tuesday press conference that Rodgers is dealing with a fracture which he will need to play through down the stretch.

“Really it’s just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety,” Tomlin said of the situation with Rodgers’ wrist (via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic). “And then it’s about how functional he is.”

Rodgers will not practice tomorrow, Tomlin added to little surprise (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). His status for Week 12 will be a question mark over the coming days as a result, though Rodgers hopes to be able to suit up. Sunday may very well represent the longtime Packers star’s final opportunity to play against the Bears, even if he elects to continue playing in 2026.

Mason Rudolph filled in for Rodgers to close out Pittsburgh’s Week 11 win over Cincinnati. The Steelers sit atop the AFC North at 6-4, but they only hold a one-game lead over the Ravens at this point. Being at full strength on offense will be critical, although Tomlin said (via Pryor) conversations about Rodgers receiving medical clearance for this week have not yet taken place.

Updates to this situation will be worth watching closely over the coming days. In the meantime, the Steelers will have Mason Rudolph in place as a potential starter. The veteran returned to Pittsburgh this past offseason by signing a two-year free agent deal. Rudolph did so despite knowing Pittsburgh was interested in adding Rodgers to the mix as a short-term upgrade under center. Things have largely gone according to plan at the QB spot so far, but a change atop the depth chart for at least one week may prove to be necessary.

Rams To Sign LB Jesse Luketa

November 18th, 2025 at 11:16am CST by Adam La Rose

Jesse Luketa has yet to play in 2025. That situation is set to change shortly, however, as the fourth-year linebacker has a deal in place.

Luketa is set to sign with the Rams today, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. A thigh injury ended his 2024 campaign and with it his tenure with the Cardinals. The former seventh-rounder is now healthy, though, and he will look to establish a role for himself in Los Angeles down the stretch.

The 26-year-old Canadian made 31 appearances and three starts across his time with Arizona. Luketa primarily operated on special teams during that time, but he saw an increase in defensive workload with each passing season. In 2024, the Penn State product set a new career high in a number of categories, totaling 21 tackles and three sacks while adding one forced fumble.

At 8-2, the Rams lead the NFC West and currently occupy the conference’s No. 2 seed. Los Angeles can be considered a serious contender at this point, and adding further on defense represents a logical post-trade deadline priority. The Rams had already made a midseason move on that side of the ball by way of the Roger McCreary trade.

Los Angeles entered Tuesday with over $13MM in cap space. As a result, signing Luketa – who visited the Ravens last month – will not be a challenge, nor will it alter any other moves which may be planned over the closing stages of the regular season. It will be interesting to see how Luketa is used with his new team as he looks to boost his 2026 free agent stock.

Jets CB Kris Boyd Remains Hospitalized

November 18th, 2025 at 10:36am CST by Adam La Rose

Jets cornerback Kris Boyd remains in hospital at this time as he continues to recover from the gunshot wound he suffered over the weekend. More details on his situation have emerged.

The bullet which struck Boyd in his abdomen wound up being lodged in his lung, per a report from Bill Hutchinson and Aaron Katersky of ABC News. The report adds that Boyd has undergone “multiple medical procedures” since arriving at Bellevue Hospital in New York. The 29-year-old remains in critical but stable condition at this time.

NYPD detectives were able to speak with Boyd shortly after he was hospitalized, per the report. He informed police he spent Saturday night at Sei Less restaurant with a group of friends. While departing the restaurant after it closed around 2:00am Sunday morning, Boyd and his party engaged in a confrontation with another group. The situation resulted in Boyd being shot by the suspect who has yet to be apprehended.

Detectives hope to be able to speak further with Boyd when he is in position to do so. It remains to be seen when that will be the case, although an update provided on Sunday by one of his friends was encouraging with respect to a full recovery being possible. Keeping in line with their original statement on the matter, the Jets have not commented since the incident.

A seventh-round pick in 2019, Boyd entered the NFL as a member of the Vikings. He spent his first four seasons in Minnesota before splitting the 2023 campaign with the Cardinals and Texans. The Texas product spent all of last year with Houston before joining the Jets in free agency. Boyd was moved to season-ending IR in August, setting him up for a lengthy recovery process on the injury front. The earliest point at which he can suit up is the start of the 2026 season, although attention is of course currently focused on his current situation.

Eagles RT Lane Johnson To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Lisfranc Sprain

November 18th, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Connor Byrne

NOVEMBER 18: X-rays will not be possible until the inflammation in Johnson’s ankle subsides, McLane notes. As a result, it could be one week or more until a determination regarding surgery is ultimately made.

NOVEMBER 17: The Eagles pulled off a 16-9 win over the Lions on Sunday, but they lost one of their best players in the process. Right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his foot and will miss four to six weeks, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report.

There’s optimism that this isn’t a season-ending injury. However, it won’t be confirmed until the results of Johnson’s X-rays come back, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. At the very least, an IR placement looks like a strong possibility.

If Johnson goes on IR before the Eagles-Cowboys game this Sunday, he’ll be eligible to return in Week 16. Fred Johnson will presumably step in as the Eagles’ right tackle over the next several weeks.

Lane Johnson, 35, has evolved into a potential Hall of Famer since the Eagles chose him fourth overall in 2013. The former Oklahoma Sooner has started in all 168 career regular-season games. Johnson has picked up six Pro Bowl invitations, earned All-Pro honors five times, and won two Super Bowls along the way.

Johnson was a key part of a dominant offensive line that helped lead the Eagles to a championship last season. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder has continued his standout play this year, as Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 16th among 62 qualifying OTs.

Fortunately for the Eagles, who improved to 8-2 in Week 11, they should coast to an NFC East title even without Johnson. The 3-5-1 Cowboys are well behind them, while the Commanders and Giants are a combined 5-17. However, losing Johnson could have a negative effect on Philadelphia’s chances to lock up the conference’s No. 1 seed. The 8-2 Rams are among the teams nipping at the Eagles’ heels.

Giants’ Abdul Carter Benched For Opening Series Of Week 11

November 18th, 2025 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants were shorthanded along the edge in Week 11 with Kayvon Thibodeaux out of the lineup. That allowed Abdul Carter to take on an increased workload, but not until after the team’s first defensive series.

Interim head coach Mike Kafka benched Carter for the Packers’ opening drive. That amounted to six missed plays before Carter found himself on the field for every snap the rest of the way. The No. 3 pick addressed the matter after the Giants’ loss without going into detail on it.

“I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team,” Carter said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “I already know that whatever I do is going to have consequences. That was the consequence, have to live with it, keep playing.”

Providing further details on the issue, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports Carter missed a walk-through during the week leading up to the Packers game. He adds Carter was asleep in the team’s facility at the time of the walk-through. The 22-year-old has since denied that he was asleep, stating he was instead undergoing recovery. In any case, this led to Kafka’s decision to keep him on the sidelines for the opening series. Per Duggan, late attendance to team meetings has been a trend in Carter’s case which former head coach Brian Daboll tolerated without discipline. Carter wound up posting one quarterback hit on Sunday.

The Penn State product has been on the field for 71% of the Giants’ snaps during his rookie campaign. That workload has not yielded much in the way of production so far, however. Carter has recorded just 0.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits and 14 pressures in 2025. Brian Burns has enjoyed a strong season with a career-high 13 sacks and counting, while Thibodeaux has continued to operate as a regular along the edge.

Thibodeaux is a pending free agent, and a departure would pave the way for Carter to pair with Burns as the Giants’ edge tandem for years to come. All involved will be seeking improved production over the closing weeks of the season in Carter’s case, though. He will also look to avoid a repeat of this incident and in doing so avoid further team discipline.

Jets Bench QB Justin Fields; Tyrod Taylor To Start In Week 12

November 17th, 2025 at 10:23pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Jets are making a change at quarterback. Tyrod Taylor will start over Justin Fields in Week 12 against the Ravens, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

The Jets signed Fields, previously with the Bears and Steelers, to a two-year, $40MM contract last offseason. The former first-round pick got off to a solid start in a Week 1 loss to the Steelers, but his production has nosedived since then.

Owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields’ performance after a Week 7 loss to the Panthers. Expectations were that Taylor would take over in the wake of Johnson’s scathing remarks, but a knee injury temporarily prevented that from happening.

At 0-7 when Johnson called out Fields, the Jets proceeded to win back-to-back games. Fields threw for 244 yards in a 39-38 victory over the Bengals. He managed just 54 in a 27-20 win over the Browns the next week, though a tremendous special teams showing helped make up for it.

Even though Fields finally strung together a couple of wins, last Thursday’s outing was enough to convince first-year head coach Aaron Glenn to go in another direction. In a 27-14 loss to the AFC East rival Patriots, Fields went 15 of 26 for 116 yards and a touchdown. As has typically been the case, the mobile Fields was more impressive on the ground, totaling 67 yards and a TD on 11 rushes.

Fields will head to the bench with a 62.7% completion rate, 1,259 yards (6.2 YPA), seven TDs, and an interception through nine games. He has added 383 more yards (5.4 per carry) and four TDs as a runner, but his 37.7 QBR ranks 30th in the NFL. The Jets are last in the league in passing and 25th in scoring.

Regardless of whether Fields plays again this year, the Jets will have to determine his future in the offseason. He’s owed a guaranteed $10MM in 2026, and releasing him would add $22MM in dead cap. They’re already on the hook for $35MM in dead money for next year after releasing Fields’ predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, last offseason.

Now that he’s taking over for Fields, Taylor will face the Ravens 14 years after he began his career with them as a 2011 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech. The 36-year-old has appeared in games with six other teams since then. Taylor made one start earlier this year, a Week 3 loss to the Buccaneers, while filling in for an injured Fields. He has completed 62.3% of passes for 379 yards, three TDs, and three INTs in three appearances this season.

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Issued One-Game Suspension

November 17th, 2025 at 10:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL has investigated yesterday’s Ja’Marr Chase–Jalen Ramsey incident. To little surprise, supplemental discipline has been handed down.

Chase has been issued a one-game suspension, per a league announcement. The news means he will be unavailable for Week 12 against the Patriots barring a successful appeal. Ramsey was ejected on Sunday for his retaliation to being spat on by Chase. The latter initially denied such actions, but video of the incident has since confirmed Chase spat on Ramsey as tensions between the two came to a head during the game.

Presuming the suspension stands, Chase will see a notable financial loss. He is due to forfeit a game check of over $448K along with a per-game roster bonus of nearly $59K. The Bengals, meanwhile, are set to be without their top wideout for one week. Chase declined to speak to the media on Monday.

Chase will appeal the ban, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports. It would certainly come as a surprise in the event the suspension were to be overturned considering the precedent set earlier this season. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was disqualified from the team’s Week 1 game after spitting on Dak Prescott. No suspension was handed down, because Carter’s time out of the game amounted to a one-game absence.

As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes, Chase is pursuing a different route than Carter despite their similar situations. Carter did not appeal the fine he received (and therefore the punishment which was treated as a one-game suspension). Chase, on the other hand, could point to the precedent which existed in the NFL prior to the Carter decision – one which included fines, rather than suspensions, for spitting incidents.

In any event, clarity on this situation will likely emerge in the next day or two. The case will be heard by one of the three hearing officers jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA before a final decision is made. If Chase is out for Week 12, a Bengals offense which is still without Joe Burrow will be notably shorthanded in the passing game. Reigning NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson is also in danger of missing Cincinnati’s next game through injury.

Efforts to work out a monster extension in time for the 2024 season were unsuccessful, and Chase played out the season without a deal in hand. This past spring, he and Tee Higgins each signed their new pacts. Chase landed a four-year, $161MM pact and he is on the books through 2029. The four-time Pro Bowler’s yards per reception average is the lowest of his career, but he has remained a focal point on offense even with Burrow unavailable for much of the season.

Chase led the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns in 2024. A second ‘Triple Crown’ campaign does not appear to be in store, although the LSU product’s 79 catches currently pace the league. Missed time through this suspension being upheld will hinder Chase’s chances of remaining the NFL leader in that regard; it will also deal another blow to the 3-7 Bengals’ playoff chances.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. Suffers Partial ACL Tear, Likely Done For Season

November 17th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Connor Byrne

10:01pm: The Falcons will place Penix on IR, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report. Along with damage to his ACL, Penix aggravated a bone bruise and a knee sprain.

11:13am: Penix has a partial ACL tear and is expected to miss the rest of the season, according to Palmer.

9:55am: Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in a 30-27 loss to the Panthers on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Penix will go for a second opinion, but his chances of a 2025 return don’t look good. The Falcons believe Penix is done for the season, per James Palmer of The Athletic.

It seemed likely that Penix would miss at least some time when he exited early on Sunday. However, a possible season-ending injury comes as a surprise. Penix previously sat out a game this year with a bone bruise in his left knee, which he re-injured against Carolina. Kirk Cousins, who replaced Penix, will take over for the foreseeable future.

The Falcons used the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft on Penix, a stunning move after they signed Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM in guarantees in free agency.

Penix entered NFL with a couple of major knee injuries in his past. Then with Indiana, Penix suffered season-ending right ACL tears in both 2018 and ’20. The southpaw finished his college career with a pair of healthy and productive seasons as a Washington Huskie, leading the Falcons to take a chance on him in the first round.

Penix began his NFL career as Cousins’ backup, but the Falcons switched to the heir apparent late last season. After starting 7-7 under Cousins, the team replaced him with Penix. While Atlanta lost two of its final three games en route to an 8-9 finish, Penix showed head coach Raheem Morris enough to grab the reins as the team’s unquestioned starter entering this season. The demoted Cousins wanted out in the offseason, whether via trade or release. The Falcons wound up retaining him.

With Penix at the helm for all but one game this season, the Falcons have stumbled to a disappointing 3-7 record. Penix has underwhelmed at the head of an offense that ranks 18th in passing and 27th in scoring. He has completed 60.1% of passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. The 25-year-old ranks 17th in the league in QBR and 23rd in passer rating.

It remains to be seen whether Penix’s injury will be severe enough to affect his availability for any of 2026. In the meantime, the Falcons will turn back to Cousins. The Falcons gambled on a Cousins mega-deal despite the fact that he suffered a torn Achilles midway through his final season with the Vikings in 2023.

Cousins, who had been prolific passer throughout his career with Washington and Minnesota, hasn’t recaptured his old form since moving to Atlanta. In his lone start this year, a 34-10 loss to Miami in Week 8, Cousins went 21 for 31 for 173 yards. He finished a lackluster 6 for 14 for 48 yards in relief of Penix in Week 11.

Having lost five in a row to fall to 13th place in the NFC, the Cousins-led Falcons will need a miraculous run to earn a playoff berth. To worsen matters, Cousins will go at least one week without the Falcons’ No. 1 receiver, Drake London, who sprained his PCL against Carolina. London won’t play in New Orleans this Sunday, and it’s possible he’ll miss more time after that, per Rapoport.

Browns QB Dillon Gabriel In Concussion Protocol

November 17th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Dillon Gabriel exited the Browns’ Week 11 loss and was evaluated for a concussion, and he’ll now have to overcome league protocol if he hopes to play in Week 12. As expected, the rookie quarterback is in the concussion protocol, coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters today (including Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal).

[RELATED: Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Exits Week 11]

While it’s uncertain when Gabriel suffered his concussion yesterday, the team believes it occurred with about a minute remaining in the first half, when he was tackled by a group of Baltimore defenders. Stefanski revealed that the QB started showing symptoms during halftime, leading to the decision to pull him from the game.

The coach was noncommittal about the team’s QB plans for Week 12, noting that the priority was getting Gabriel healthy and through protocol. However, Stefanski did admit that the team would consider simply benching their starter for Week 12, paving the way for fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders to garner his first NFL start.

“Yeah, we’ll work through that in the next couple days and this week,” Stefanski said (via Easterling). “I’ll update you guys Wednesday as we get into Vegas preparations.”

Stefanski made it clear yesterday that Gabriel would return to the top of the depth chart once he’s healthy enough to play, so Sanders’ stint as QB1 would be short lived. The Colorado product struggled in his NFL debut yesterday, completing only four of his 16 pass attempts for 47 yards and one interception.

With Gabriel in concussion protocol and Joe Flacco now in Cincinnati, the Browns are currently operating with one healthy QB on the active roster. For those wondering, Deshaun Watson won’t be an option for the foreseeable future. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that while Watson is “coming along well” in his recovery from his ruptured Achilles, he’s still not close to practicing with the Browns. While the veteran is eligible to be designated for return at any time, it seems likely that Watson will be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. If Gabriel is forced to miss Week 12, Bailey Zappe would likely serve as Cleveland’s QB2.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Dom Jones is likely heading to injured reserve, according to Easterling. The cornerback suffered a leg injury towards the end of Sunday’s loss. The undrafted rookie has emerged as a key special teamer in Cleveland this season, with the Colorado State product collecting five tackles.

Falcons To Designate LB Divine Deablo For Return

November 17th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons should soon have their starting inside linebacker back in the lineup. According to Terrin Waack of the team’s website, the Falcons will be designating Divine Deablo for return from injured reserve.

Deablo last saw the field in Week 7, when he suffered a fracture in his left forearm. Head coach Raheem Morris indicated that his linebacker should be back on the field for Week 12, meaning it will only be a minimum IR stay for the starter.

A former Raiders third-round pick, Deablo joined the Falcons this offseason via a two-year, $14MM deal. He was one of the team’s most productive defenders through the first six weeks, as the acquisition collected 24 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Notably, he ranks fourth among 81 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.

With Deablo out of the lineup, the Falcons have turned to JD Bertrand and Ronnie Harrison to play opposite Kaden Elliss in the middle of their defense. Harrison has seemed to leap Bertrand in recent weeks, with the journeyman collecting 22 tackles and two sacks in his four appearances. Deablo will likely slide back into his starting spot next to Elliss, but Morris indicated that Harrison will still be in line for a role moving forward.

“We played some really good ball with JD,” Morris said (via Waack). “But Ronnie has really earned more reps and more role, and it’s kind of been increased since he’s been here. A lot of credit to Ronnie, a man that’s come here with us from training camp and really increased his role from a practice squad player to a special teams player to now being out there with that first-team defense in some situations. The way he’s playing, it’s going to do nothing else but increase.”

As Waack notes, the 3-7 Falcons have dropped each of the four games they’ve played without Deablo in the lineup. While the linebacker won’t solve all of the team’s woes, he’ll surely help his squad as they look to make a late-season push.

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