2021 September - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Place G Pat Elflein On IR

September 21st, 2021 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carolina will be without one of its offensive line starters for a bit. The Panthers are placing left guard Pat Elflein on IR, Jonathan Alexander of the Charlotte Observer notes. The team has since announced the move.

A hamstring injury forced Elflein out of Sunday’s win over the Saints during the first half. Matt Rhule had already ruled Elflein out of Thursday’s game against the Texans, but the veteran interior lineman will now have more time to recover. He will miss at least Carolina’s next three games — against Houston, Dallas and Philadelphia.

Dennis Daley replaced Elflein in Carolina’s lineup Sunday and will be in line to start Thursday. Daley started at right guard to open the season but returned to the bench initially in Week 2, with John Miller back at his post. A 2019 sixth-round pick, Daley made nine starts as a rookie and three last season.

Elflein, 27, is no stranger to injury trouble. A knee issue in Week 1 of the 2020 season led to the Vikings placing him on IR. They eventually waived their former starting center and guard, and the Jets claimed him. The Panthers signed Elflein to a three-year, $13.5MM deal in March.

Packers To Cut Jace Sternberger

September 21st, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers are cutting tight end Jace Sternberger (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Since he is not yet a vested veteran, he’ll be available on the waiver wire for the next 24 hours. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll be free to sign with any team.

Sternberger had some hype a couple of years ago as a third-round pick. However, he’s yet to show much at the pro level. In six games as a rookie, he failed to record a single catch. He was a bit more involved last year, securing 12 grabs for 114 yards and a touchdown. Still, Sternberger has yet to meet expectations, and his two-game ban to open the year didn’t do him any favors.

The Packers saw little reason to keep Sternberger with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis as their top tight ends. They also have Dominique Dafney and Josiah Deguara on hand to round out the group.

Sternberger could hold appeal for other GMs who still remember his impressive finale at Texas A&M. Still, given his lack of a pro resume, he may be better suited for a practice squad deal.

Browns Place Jarvis Landry On IR

September 21st, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have placed wide receiver Jarvis Landry on the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. The good is that this should be a short-term IR stint as Landry recovers from his MCL sprain.

Landry went down with a knee injury during the Browns’ opening drive on Sunday and did not return. The Browns still went on to beat the Texans 31-21, but Landry’s injured knee will rule him out for the Bears this week. Per league rules, Landry must sit out for at least the next two games before retaking the field.

On the plus side, the Browns should have Odell Beckham Jr. back in action this week. Barring any additional setbacks, he’ll make his 2021 debut alongside Rashard Higgins and the rest of the Cleveland WR contingent.

Through two games (really, one game and change), Landry has six catches off of six targets for 80 yards. He also notched a rushing touchdown — the fourth rushing TD of his career — against the Chiefs in Week 1.

In a corresponding move, the Browns have promoted defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo from the practice squad.

Steelers Sign Taco Charlton To Practice Squad

September 21st, 2021 at 1:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have signed Taco Charlton to their 16-man practice squad, per an official club announcement. The defensive end will look to impress on the practice field and see his first live action of the 2021 season.

Charlton, once a highly-touted first-round pick of the Cowboys, flamed out quickly in Dallas. After just two-plus years with the Cowboys, he moved on to the Dolphins and did his best work in 2019 — five sacks in ten games. He had a decent 2020 with the Chiefs too, up until he broke his leg in November. He finished out with two sacks, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble for KC. However, the 26-year-old (27 in November) wasn’t able to make the cut.

His first opportunity could come quicker than expected since T.J. Watt is dealing with a groin injury. Fortunately for the Steelers, the latest word is that Watt should be able to play on Sunday against the Bengals.

Nevin Lawson Visiting Jaguars

September 21st, 2021 at 11:16am CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Nevin Lawson will visit the Jaguars today (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If all goes well, Lawson could find work just 24 hours after being released by the Raiders.

The Raiders dropped Lawson on Monday with hopes of re-signing him to the practice squad. That won’t happen if Lawson lands a suitable 53-man roster deal in Jacksonville.

Lawson has yet to make his 2021 debut, thanks to a two-game ban to open the season. The Raiders could have activated him for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, but they chose to drop him instead. There’s reason to believe that Lawson can be a solid contributor to someone’s secondary — he started in nine of his 14 games last year and tallied 61 tackles, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a sack.

If signed, the 30-year-old could dress for this week’s game against the Cardials. As of this writing, the Jaguars’ have Tre Herndon, Shaquill Griffin, and Chris Claybrooks, second-rounder Tyson Campbell, and former first-rounder C.J. Henderson on the roster.

Raiders, Cory Littleton Restructure Contract

September 21st, 2021 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders converted $4.25MM of Cory Littleton‘s base salary into a roster bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Now, the Raiders have created $3.4M in cap space for the current year.

This marks the third restructure for Littleton, who saw his contract reworked in September of 2020 and again in March this year. The Raiders initially signed the former Rams linebacker to a three-year, $35.25MM pact. For all intents and purposes, the deal remains the same. The only real difference is that the Raiders have carved out extra space in this year’s pandemic-altered cap while kicking the can down the road to next year, when the salary max will increase.

Littleton, 28 in November, has 15 stops through two games this year. He’s looking to bounce back from a weak debut season with the Raiders, when he struggled in Paul Guenther’s defense. Now, under the tutelage of new DC Gus Bradley, Littleton is eager to turn back the clock and showcase his old Rams form.

“That’s everything for me,” Littleton said recently (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal). “At the end of the day, nobody wants to have a bad performance. That’s not why we play. We just want to do our best.”

Littleton’s next chance at redemption will come on Sunday when the Raiders take on the Dolphins in Vegas.

Saints Rework Tre’Quan Smith’s Deal

September 21st, 2021 at 8:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have converted roughly $1.2MM of Tre’Quan Smith’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The maneuver will also tack four void years on to his deal, though it’ll provide the Saints with an extra $954K in cap space.

The Saints have yet to see Smith on the field this year thanks to a hamstring injury. The fourth-year wideout could debut as soon as Week 4, but there’s no word yet on his status. Smith was dogged by the hammy for much of the summer — he tried to come back from it prematurely a couple of times but ultimately had to rest it. The Saints hope to have him back in the fold some time after his short-term IR stint is through.

Smith, a former third-round pick, has a chance to break out while Michael Thomas heals up from offseason ankle surgery. Thomas will be out for the first six games, at minimum, since he’s on the PUP list.

Last year, Smith was enjoying a career year up until he was sidelined by his own ankle issue. In 14 games (10 starts), the 25-year-old hauled in 34 receptions for 448 yards and four scores. Since his new void years are only for cap purposes, he remains on course for free agency in the spring.

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Considered Day-To-Day

September 20th, 2021 at 10:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Tua Tagovailoa was carted into the locker room during yesterday’s loss to the Bills, but it sounds like the Dolphins quarterback avoided a serious injury. Tagovailoa is considered day-to-day, reports Omar Kelly of South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter).

The former first-round pick was sidelined during the second drive of yesterday’s game. While X-rays on Tagovailoa’s ribs came back negative, head coach Brian Flores said his quarterback is still in a “good deal of pain.” The head coach also revealed that his starting quarterback tried to return to yesterday’s game, and Tagovailoa’s chances of playing this weekend will depend on his pain tolerance.

“Tua is very tough. It’s not a question with him,” Flores said (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques). “He’s a tough kid, for sure … If Tua can go, he’s gonna go. That’s just the type of kid he is.”

Tagovailoa helped guide the Dolphins to a Week 1 win, tossing a touchdown and rushing for another. Jacoby Brissett filled in on Sunday and completed 20 of his 40 pass attempts for 169 yards and one interception. Brissett would presumably get the starting nod if Tagovailoa is sidelined on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Injury Updates: Henderson, Chubb, Hasty

September 20th, 2021 at 8:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Some injury updates from around the NFL:

Rams running back Darrell Henderson has a rib cartilage injury, coach Sean McVay revealed today (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry on Twitter). The team will check in on Henderson again on Friday, and there’s optimism he’ll be able to play against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The 24-year-old has collected 169 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season. If Henderson is unable to play on Sunday, the team would likely turn to recent acquisition Sony Michel. The team is also rostering the likes of Jake Funk, Buddy Howell, and Javian Hawkins.
Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb aggravated an ankle injury on Sunday, but the team isn’t considering placing him on short-term IR (via Troy Renck of Denver7 on Twitter). The team is remaining flexible as they work through “some roster wrinkles.” Chubb’s ankle injury knocked him out of Denver’s Week 1 win, and the 2020 Pro Bowler collected one tackle on only 19 sacks on Sunday.
The 49ers‘ running back depth chart is already depleted, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has an update on one of the latest injured players (Twitter link). JaMycal Hasty suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday, and the 25-year-old is considered week-to-week. However, don’t expect to see Hasty on the field this weekend, as coach Kyle Shanahan said the running back is “for sure” out next Sunday night against the Packers (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). Through two games this season, Hasty collected 77 yards and one touchdown on 11 touches.
Texans wideout Nico Collins is out for the next three to four weeks, the team revealed today. The rookie wideout suffered a shoulder injury during yesterday’s loss to the Browns. The third-round rookie out of Michigan hauled in two catches for 39 yards through his first two games.

Latest On Bears QB Andy Dalton

September 20th, 2021 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Bears quarterback Andy Dalton was knocked out of yesterday’s win over the Bengals, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirmed (on Twitter) that an MRI confirmed a bone bruise in the veteran’s knee. No official determination has been made about Dalton’s status for next weekend’s game against the Browns.

Dalton wasn’t great during the Bears’ Week 1 loss to the Rams, but he looked a bit better on Sunday. Before exiting with his injury, the veteran completed nine of his 11 passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, after Justin Fields completed both of his pass attempts and rushed for a touchdown in Week 1, the first-round pick completed only six of his 13 pass attempts for 60 yards yesterday. The rook also threw an interception and had a fumble.

The Bears depth chart seems a bit unpredictable at the moment, and coach Matt Nagy didn’t do much to help the matter this afternoon. When asked to reveal who would start Week 3 if both QBs are healthy, the head coach gave a head-scratching answer.

“That’s something that I’m not going to get into with scheme,” Nagy said (via Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network on Twitter).

Later, a team official clarified that Nagy had misinterpreted the question and that Dalton would remain the starter, if healthy (via ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson).