2021 November - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Designate DeMarcus Lawrence For Return

November 24th, 2021 at 2:48pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have designated defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence for return, as Doug Kyed of The Athletic tweets. The two-time Pro Bowler is back on the practice field today, and his 21-day activation window is officially open.

Per ESPN’s Ed Werder, Dallas is targeting next Thursday’s matchup with the Saints for Lawrence’s return to game action (Twitter link). Lawrence suffered a broken foot in practice after the club’s Week 1 loss to the Bucs, and he has been on injured reserve ever since.

Lawrence, 29, has yet to replicate the double-digit sack totals that he posted across the 2017-18 seasons, but he remains a key component of Dallas’ defensive front. He is a highly-effective run-stopper, and despite the drop-off in sack numbers, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics have consistently pegged him as a top-tier edge defender. His return, and the imminent returns of fellow D-linemen Randy Gregory and Neville Gallimore, will be a massive boost to the Cowboys’ playoff push.

Dallas has lost another defender to injury, however. The team announced that it has placed safety Donovan Wilson, who is dealing with chest and shoulder ailments, on IR.

Wilson, a 2019 sixth-rounder, started 10 games for the Cowboys last season, notching 71 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three passes defensed. He suffered a groin injury in training camp this year and aggravated the injury in Week 1, which forced him to miss the next four games. He was gradually eased back into action, and he started both of Dallas’ last two contests. On the season, he has 18 tackles and a pass defensed, and he presently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 46th-best safety out of 91 qualifiers.

Bears GM Ryan Pace Could Return For 2022

November 24th, 2021 at 1:46pm CST by Rory Parks

Bears head coach Matt Nagy did his best to quash the speculation that tomorrow’s Thanksgiving game against the Lions would be his last on the Chicago sidelines, but there seems to be at least some fire to that smoke. Bears fans are doubtlessly wondering whether GM Ryan Pace, who was on the hot seat last year, might also be in his final days as a Bears employee.

However, league sources tell Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic that Pace could be retained for the 2022 season, which would mark his eighth year on the job. After all, there are currently three clubs — the Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Chargers — who have hired three head coaches under one GM, and all three of those teams have legitimate championship aspirations. Plus, Bears ownership generally places a high value on stability and thinks rather highly of Pace, which could give the team’s top exec one more bite at the apple.

Unfortunately for him, Pace’s tenure has been largely defined by the Mitchell Trubisky trade that has helped to undermine the Bears’ fortunes in the last few seasons. Pace’s decision to trade four draft picks to move up from the No. 3 overall selection in the 2017 draft to the No. 2 overall pick to acquire Trubisky — when players like Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes were still on the board — was widely panned at the time, and it has not aged well. Though Trubisky earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018, his subsequent regression ultimately led him out of Chicago and took him to Buffalo, where he is presently serving as Josh Allen‘s backup.

Another black mark on Pace’s resume is the fact that the Bears have yet to win a playoff game in his time at the helm (they have only qualified for the playoffs twice since Pace was hired in 2015, and at 3-7, the 2021 postseason is a pipe dream). So while the blockbuster Khalil Mack trade in 2018 brought Chicago a terrific defensive player, the draft capital Pace surrendered to acquire him did not produce any hardware and cannot be considered a success.

Pace has certainly done some good things. He has a solid track record in the middle and late rounds of his drafts, and though the Trubisky selection was a major misstep, first-round rookie Justin Fields has given the Bears some hope that he can be the long-term answer at quarterback that the team has been seeking for so long. And, as Fishbain posits, the Chicago roster features a strong, young core.

Assuming Nagy is fired either later this week or at the end of the season, the next head coaching search will be geared towards finding a candidate that can help Fields to blossom, something Nagy could not do with Trubisky. The question is whether Pace will be around for that search.

Zach Wilson To Start Week 12

November 24th, 2021 at 11:00am CST by Rory Parks

As expected, the Jets will have their No. 2 overall pick back under center when they take on the Texans on Sunday. As Alex Smith of SNY.tv writes, Zach Wilson will get the start for Gang Green.

Wilson suffered a PCL sprain in the team’s blowout loss at the hands of the Patriots in Week 7, and since then, the Jets have deployed Mike White, Josh Johnson, and Joe Flacco at quarterback. New York has gone 1-3 in that span, with its lone victory coming in a White-led upset of the Bengals in Week 8.

White’s performance in the Cincinnati game and in the first quarter of the ensuing matchup against the Colts — he left that contest early due to an injury of his own — gave the former fifth-rounder a chance to hang onto the starting job even when Wilson was healthy enough to return. But while the Jets still plan to tender White, an impending RFA, this offseason, his disastrous four-interception outing against the Bills in Week 10 scuttled that opportunity. He was benched in favor of the veteran Flacco for last week’s loss to the Dolphins.

Of course, even if the Jets were inclined to start one of White or Flacco over Wilson this week, they would be unable to. The team has placed both passers on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and they will be forced to miss Sunday’s game. Johnson will serve as Wilson’s backup.

Wilson has generally struggled in his rookie season. The BYU product has gone just 1-5 in his six starts and has mustered a meager 63.5 quarterback rating. He has completed just 57.5% of his passes and has tossed four touchdowns against nine interceptions. If he can show a marked improvement down the home stretch, the Jets’ offseason outlook will be considerably brighter.

Latest On Bears, Matt Nagy

November 24th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions fired their head coach after their Thanksgiving Day game last season. Are the Bears prepared to do the same this year? While Matt Nagy denied a report he will be relieved of his duties after Thursday’s Detroit trip, some interesting details have surfaced regarding the coach’s status.

Nagy canceled the Bears’ scheduled meetings for Tuesday afternoon and did not exactly reveal confidence he would be around much longer, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, and some players are miffed by the lack of direction displayed by the organization this week.

The Bears have lost five straight games for a second consecutive year. While they rallied back to make the playoffs after a six-game skid in 2020, helping Nagy save his job, the outlook is bleaker a year later.

Nagy told media Tuesday he had not met with Bears management this week but informed his players later that day he did, in fact, have a productive meeting with ownership, Biggs adds. Nagy is believed to have met with ownership after making those comments. However, the former Coach of the Year did not address his status with the team, which upset some players due to the uncertainty surrounding this situation. A short-week firing would certainly not be ideal, but word of a potential ouster getting out early does not present a stable picture, either.

Despite addressing their quarterback situation by adding Andy Dalton and Justin Fields, the Bears have regressed again on offense. They will enter Week 12 ranking 31st in total offense and 29th in points — down from 2020’s full-season perches. The 2019 Bears finished 29th in points and yards, injecting concern about their direction after a bounce-back 2018. “Fire Nagy” chants broke out at Soldier Field during Sunday’s loss to the Ravens.

The Bears have leaned against in-season firings, allowing their previous embattled coaches to finish their respective seasons. The franchise has never fired a coach during a season. But Nagy might well be the coach to break this tradition. Nagy has been given more time than the team gave Marc Trestman and John Fox, though the ex-Chiefs OC has led the Bears to two playoff berths — compared to his recent predecessors’ zero — since taking over in 2018.

Jaguars Sign Jaydon Mickens Off Buccaneers P-Squad

November 23rd, 2021 at 10:13pm CST by Ben Levine

We learned yesterday that wide receiver and special teams ace Jamal Agnew was likely going to miss the rest of the season, and it sounds like the Jaguars have already found a replacement. Jacksonville is signing wideout and returnman Jaydon Mickens off the Buccaneers practice squad, reports Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter).

This will be a bit of a homecoming for Mickens, who made his NFL debut (and ultimately spent two years) with the Jaguars. The wideout has been with the Buccaneers since the 2019 campaign, and he got into 10 games for the Super Bowl champs last season. He served as one of Tampa Bay’s top returners, collecting 16 punt returns and 14 kick returns. He also had 15 combined returns in the playoffs. Mickens also got some run on offense, hauling in seven catches for 58 yards.

The 27-year-old has bounced on and off the Buccaneers’ active roster in 2021. He ultimately saw time in five games, returning five kicks and eight punts. Mickens last played during Tampa Bay’s Week 6 win over the Eagles.

Agnew suffered a hip injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Niners, and he landed on injured reserve yesterday. Agnew has registered seven return touchdowns since 2017, more than any other player in the NFL. Two of those have come this year — he housed a 102-yard kickoff in Week 2 and returned a botched field goal try for a record 109-yard TD in Week 3. Mickens will be hard pressed to match those numbers, but he’ll still provide the Jaguars with an experienced option on special teams.

Falcons Sign P Thomas Morstead

November 23rd, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Thomas Morstead has found his next gig. The Falcons announced that they’ve signed the veteran punter. Morstead also confirmed the signing on Twitter.

There’s a chance Falcons punter Dustin Colquitt is forced to miss Sunday’s game due to COVID-19 protocols. Morstead would be a temporary fill-in, and there’s a good chance he’ll earn his walking papers once Colquitt is back in the lineup.

Morstead, 35, first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick of the Saints in 2009. After earning a ring as a rookie, he signed multiple extensions to stay in New Orleans through 2020. This year, the Saints were more than $100MM over the cap, so he was released in the middle of their numbers crunch. Morstead landed with the Jets in mid-September, replacing the injured Braden Mann. But, with Mann designated for return, Morstead’s services were no longer needed and he was cut.

The veteran missed only two games in his 12 Saints seasons and punted in all seven of his Jets contests, bringing his career total to 197 appearances. Morstead was averaging 48.2 yards per punt with the Jets, his best average since 2016.

Titans WR Marcus Johnson Done For Season

November 23rd, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Marcus Johnson is done for the season. The Titans veteran wideout has been placed on injured reserve, reports Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus (via Twitter). Since this is Johnson’s second IR stint of the season, he’ll have to sit out the rest of the 2021 campaign.

Johnson suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday that knocked him out for the majority of the contest. The receiver was a standout during training camp and preseason, but he landed on IR prior to the start of the season. He ended up returning in Week 5 and has played in each of the Titans last seven games (with three starts). In total, the 27-year-old has collected 158 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches.

In total, Johnson has seen time in 41 career games, hauling in 51 receptions for 839 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to his stint in Tennessee, he spent three seasons with the Colts.

With Julio Jones on IR, Johnson was expected to see a larger role in the offense, and he had a breakout game with an 100-yard outing in Week 10. A.J. Brown is also banged up, meaning the Titans passing attack could be led by the likes of Chester Rogers, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Dez Fitzpatrick during this weekend’s showdown with the Patriots.

Johnson wasn’t the only Titans player to land on IR today. The team also cornerback Chris Jackson on injured reserve.

49ers Sign Devin Funchess To P-Squad

November 23rd, 2021 at 4:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to sign wide receiver Devin Funchess to a practice squad deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Funchess, once a rising star with the Panthers, has yet to see the field in 2021.

The Packers released Funchess in August with an injury settlement. Between that and his 2020 opt-out, Funchess’ Packers run came and went without having ever played a down for Green Bay. His last action came in 2019 with the Colts, a stint that was really more like a cup of coffee. That season ended midway through Week 1, thanks to a broken collarbone. On the plus side, Funchess secured $10MM in salary that year, plus some additional bucks from his terminated Packers contract.

The Panthers selected Funchess in the second round of the 2015 draft and watched him enjoy the best year of his career in 2017, compiling 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. Even though it took him 111 targets to get those 63 grabs, it was a glimpse of his future potential.

No one knows what Funchess has to offer at this point, but the Niners are eager to find out. There won’t be a whole lot of targets to go around behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and tight end George Kittle, but with Mohamed Sanu on injured reserve, Funchess could see some snaps ahead of Jauan Jennings, Trent Sherfield, and/or Travis Benjamin.

Titans Add Golden Tate To Practice Squad

November 23rd, 2021 at 4:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have signed wide receiver Golden Tate to the practice squad (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The veteran wide receiver has yet to play this year, but he could be a quick promotion away from making his 2021 debut.

“I would love to go back home to Tennessee,” Tate told SiriusXM NFL Radio back in June (Twitter link). “[I’d also like to go to] Indy, over with Carson Wentz. Obviously, the LA Rams would be fantastic with Stafford too.”

Tate, a native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, has gotten his wish. The 33-year-old saw time in 23 games for the Giants over the past two seasons, collecting 84 receptions for 1,064 yards and eight touchdowns. Before that (and the PED suspension), he captured a Super Bowl championship with the Seahawks and made the Pro Bowl with the Lions in 2014. From 2014-17 he had at least 1,000 yards in three of four seasons, but the expectations a bit lower at this stage of his career.

Meanwhile, the Titans have released fellow one-time star Adrian Peterson from the 53-man roster. So, if all goes well for Tate, he could earn a quick promotion to the varsity squad.

Titans Waive Adrian Peterson

November 23rd, 2021 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have released Adrian Peterson, per a club announcement. Peterson, who signed with the Titans just three weeks ago, will be available to the rest of the NFL on the waiver wire.

Following the injury to Derrick Henry, the Titans signed the future Hall of Famer to their practice squad. Peterson ended up getting into three games (two starts) with Tennessee, collecting 90 yards and one touchdown on 31 touches. The 36-year-old was held to a season-low 15 offensive snaps on Sunday, with Dontrell Hilliard getting the bulk of the looks at RB. Hilliard’s performance (82 total yards) probably spelled the end of AP’s stint with the Titans. For the time being, the team will move forward with Hilliard, D’Onta Foreman, and Jeremy McNichols as their running back group.

Peterson’s last full-time action came in 2020 with the Lions when he notched 604 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He compiled more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage as recently as 2019, and he rushed for 1,042 yards and seven scores with Washington in 2018. There’s a chance he still finds another gig during the 2021 campaign; we previously heard that the Ravens, Raiders, Bills, Falcons, and Dolphins all expressed interest in Peterson before he signed with the Titans.

Peterson, 36, is still less than 200 rushing yards away from the 15,000 mark. Depending on where he lands, he could be just a few weeks away from joining Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore and Barry Sanders in the elusive club. He’s also about 500 yards away from leapfrogging Sanders for fourth all time in rushing yards and six rushing TDs away from besting Marcus Allen for third place.