Several of the top stories from around the NFL this week…
Injuries, injuries, and more injuries: Injuries are part of the NFL, but we still hate to see some of our favorite players miss time. Several notable players were shut down for this season this week, including Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (ACL), 49ers safety Eric Reid (biceps), and Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (pectoral). It’s not all bad news, fortunately, as we learned that several injured players may actually return this season. There’s still optimism that Bengals wideout A.J. Green will return to the field, while Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is eyeing a December return.
Activations: While several players were lost for the season, we also saw the return of a handful of healthy players. Bills wideout Sammy Watkins was the most notable activation, as the receiver returned to practice for the first time since Week 2. The Buccaneers designated running back Charles Sims as their player to return, while the Panthers did the same with defensive end Ryan Delaire.
Quarterback Futures: Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is reportedly seeking nearly $24MM annually, while the organization could choose to franchise him to a similar one-year deal. This would certainly be a pay increase for the fifth-year veteran, who is currently making $19.95MM. With Jay Cutler being ruled out for the season in Chicago, there was some thought that he may have played his final game with the organization. However, there’s reportedly some optimism that the veteran could return to the Bears in 2017. Finally, the Tony Romo/Dak Prescott saga continues in Dallas.
Webb Cut: Despite signing J’Marcus Webb to a two-year deal over the offseason, the Seahawks cut bait with the offensive lineman this week. The 28-year-old was expected to be a starter for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense, but he ended up losing the gig after only three games. The return of rookie Germain Ifedi cemented Webb’s fate, although it’s not hard to envision the veteran catching on with another team.
McDaniels Wants to Coach: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is presumably enjoying his renaissance with Tom Brady and the organization, but the 40-year-old said he’d love to get another head coaching gig. McDaniels will presumably be a commodity this winter, although he didn’t have much success when he coached the Broncos several years ago. Denver ended up going 11-17 in one-plus season with McDaniels at the helm.