2021 December - Pro Football Rumors

Titans Place Rodger Saffold On COVID-19 List, Rule Out Taylor Lewan For Week 16

December 23rd, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY: Backup left tackle Kendall Lamm also revealed he tested positive (Twitter link via Buck Reising of WGFX), putting the Titans in a bind up front ahead of a matchup with the 49ers’ Nick Bosa-spearheaded defensive line.

WEDNESDAY: The Titans’ two most experienced offensive linemen will miss Thursday night’s game. Rodger Saffold landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, while Tennessee also ruled out Taylor Lewan due to injury.

A 2019 free agent addition, Saffold has been the Titans’ left guard starter in 44 of a possible 47 games over the past three seasons. He practiced fully on Monday and Tuesday but will be scratched for Week 16.

Lewan is down because of a back injury. The Titans’ longtime left tackle did not practice this week. This will be the eighth-year blocker’s third absence this season. Lewan finished last season on IR, missing 11 games. Both blockers have made significant contributions to both Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill‘s success over the past three years.

Missing the left side of their O-line will certainly add to the Titans’ issues on offense. They have been without Henry, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones for most of the past month and change. However, Brown has a chance to come back to face the 49ers on Thursday; the Titans designated him for return from IR earlier this week. Jones, despite leaving another game early because of his recurring hamstring issue, does not have an injury designation and will suit up against San Francisco.

Titans To Activate A.J. Brown For Week 16

December 23rd, 2021 at 12:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Tannehill will have both his top wide receivers available against the 49ers. A.J. Brown will be activated off IR to rejoin the team for Thursday night’s game, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter).

Out since Week 11 with a chest injury, Brown returned to practice earlier this week. He was on track to return barring a setback. Evidently setback-free during practice, the young pass-catching talent will play tonight.

The Titans have seen their offensive production crater for much of the season’s second half. They lost Henry in Week 8 and have seen Julio Jones bounce in and out of action because of a nagging hamstring issue. Jones, however, does not have an injury designation going into tonight’s matchup.

After posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his career, Brown has missed four games during his third campaign. Brown, who is less than a month from being eligible for an extension, enters Thursday’s game with 46 receptions for 615 yards and three touchdowns this season. His presence will certainly help a Titans outfit attempting to hold off the Colts, a team they swept with their playmakers available but one that has made up a bit of ground during the stretch without Henry and Brown.

Giants To Consider Kevin Abrams As Next GM

December 23rd, 2021 at 12:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dave Gettleman is expected to step down as Giants GM after this season, his fourth in the role, and the organization may again be looking inward to fill its top front office post.

Kevin Abrams, the team’s assistant GM, will be a strong contender to succeed Gettleman, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. While the Giants’ past hires would not paint an Abrams rise as a big surprise, the team continuing business as usual after the past five seasons would be a controversial strategy.

A Giants staffer since 1999, Abrams has established a versatile skillset. The Giants hired him as a cap analyst early during Ernie Accorsi‘s GM stay. Abrams has since been the team’s assistant GM for the past 20 years, working under Accorsi, Jerry Reese and Gettleman. The Giants interviewed Abrams for the job in 2017 but opted to go with Gettleman, who was a longtime Giants staffer before taking over as the Panthers’ GM in 2013.

Ownership views Abrams as a “very worthy” in-house option, per La Canfora. The Giants’ three previous GMs have worked with the team before being tabbed to lead the front office.

Reese was with the Giants for 13 seasons before being promoted to GM. Gettleman was on staff for 15 years, from 1998-2012, before heading to Carolina. Even Accorsi, who had GM experience prior to coming to New York, was the team’s assistant GM for four years before taking over. Abrams worked extensively with all three. He interviewed for the Lions job that went to Bob Quinn in 2016 but has not been connected to any other outside positions since.

Vikings Move Dalvin Cook To Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 23rd, 2021 at 11:34am CST by Sam Robinson

Another playoff contender will be without a key weapon in Week 16. The Vikings placed Dalvin Cook on their reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

This will sideline the Pro Bowl running back for Sunday’s game against the Rams, with the door open to a Week 17 absence against the Packers. This news points to Alexander Mattison starting in the backfield. The third-year Cook backup tested positive for the coronavirus last week but was activated Wednesday.

Cook’s virus-list placement adds another Pro Bowler this week, following the likes of Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and J.C. Tretter. While the Chiefs are uncertain about their skill-position stars’ availability, the Vikings are certain to be without Cook. He is unvaccinated, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. That requires a 10-day isolation period, which will keep Cook out of practice ahead of Minnesota’s Week 17 matchup against Green Bay. Cook tested positive, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He is out 10 days.

The Vikings have seen Mattison play well in Cook’s stead during his three-year tenure. They will count on another strong performance in a pivotal matchup. Mattison has two 100-yard rushing games and another 90-yarder in three starts. The former third-round pick is, however, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry; Cook exited Week 15 at 4.7.

Cook is two games removed from a 200-yard performance against the Steelers, and he earned his third straight Pro Bowl nod on Wednesday. The fifth-year standout has gained 1,067 rushing yards, doing so in just 11 games during a season in which he has missed more time due to injury. This virus positive will run Cook’s absence count to four games this year.

J.C. Tretter Tests Positive For COVID-19

December 23rd, 2021 at 11:18am CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns are set to run into more offensive line unavailability because of the coronavirus. J.C. Tretter announced (via Twitter) he turned in a positive COVID-19 test Thursday.

Barring a false positive, this will rule the Pro Bowl snapper out for the Browns’ Christmas Day matchup against the Packers. Tretter’s positive test follows Jedrick Wills and Wyatt Teller also doing so. Teller returned to play against the Raiders after testing positive, but the two-day window here would make Tretter following suit all but impossible.

Wills remains on the Browns’ virus list, but swing man James Hudson is back on the active roster, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes. Cleveland tinkered with its O-line as a result of Wills’ positive, sliding Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio to left tackle. Tretter, however, has not missed a game since signing with the Browns in 2017. The Browns also moved Grant Delpit off their virus list.

Tretter, 30, is also the NFLPA president. He said the union’s push to postpone three games last week — rather than cancel them, a path Tretter indicated the NFL preferred — led to the three Week 15 games being moved rather than players losing out on per-game salaries. His absence Saturday will certainly affect a top-tier Browns O-line in a pivotal game. The Browns’ shorthanded loss Monday dropped them to 7-7; FiveThirtyEight.com gives Cleveland a 15% chance to make the playoffs.

Saints Place Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 23rd, 2021 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are the latest team with a virus issue. It may well lead the playoff-contending squad starting a rookie at quarterback Monday night.

New Orleans placed Trevor Siemian on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier Thursday morning, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds that Taysom Hill will also be moved to the virus list (Twitter link). Rookie Ian Book is the next man up. The Notre Dame product is likely to get the call Monday night.

Book would be New Orleans’ fourth QB starter this season, following Jameis Winston, Siemian and Hill. The Saints selected the ex-Fighting Irish standout in the fourth round. This certainly could stall the Saints’ recent momentum. After nearly falling out of the playoff race during a stretch without Alvin Kamara, the Saints have won two straight — including a 9-0 win in Tampa that doubled as Tom Brady‘s first shutout loss in 15 years.

Sean Payton has not been at the facility this week; the 16th-year head coach remains away from the team after testing positive for COVID last week. The Saints chose Book 133rd overall. He started three seasons at Notre Dame, topping out with a 34-touchdown pass season as a junior in 2019.

Book is also the winningest starting QB in Notre Dame history. He stands to be tasked with helping the Saints stay on the No. 7 seed line in the NFC playoff race. The Saints’ win over the Buccaneers moved them to 7-7; FiveThirtyEight.com gives the team a 44% chance to make the playoffs. New Orleans being forced to give the keys to a Day 3 rookie with zero regular-season snaps will impact those odds.

The Saints also added seven more players to their reserve/COVID-19 list. Malcolm Jenkins is among them. Joining the veteran safety are safety Jeff Heath, guard James Carpenter, offensive lineman Jordan Mills, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, D-tackle Christian Ringo and linebacker Kaden Elliss.

Bears Considering Front Office Changes

December 23rd, 2021 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Nagy is not expected to be retained for a fourth season as Bears head coach, but the team is not certain to oust GM Ryan Pace. However, Pace’s status is among the matters being debated within the organization.

Firing Pace and potentially revamping the organizational structure are scenarios chairman George McCaskey is considering, according to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns (subscription required). Last month, a report emerged indicating Pace could well be back to hire a third coach. But the Bears have lost three of their past four games since then, with the lone win coming over the Lions. They are now 4-10, having dropped eight of their past nine.

McCaskey has completed early groundwork on making changes, per Jahns, who adds team president Ted Phillips is not a lock to stay in his role. While the Bears should not be expected to fire their longtime president, the prospect of Pace or another GM reporting directly to McCaskey in the future is on the table. The past three Bears GMs — Jerry Angelo, Phil Emery and Pace — have reported to Phillips, who serves as the team’s top non-McCaskey executive.

A Phillips retirement looms as a possibility, Jahns adds. Phillips has been in his post since 1999. His role as the exec between the GM and McCaskey became a point of contention during the Bears’ previous GM hiring cycle. Former Bears exec Chris Ballard, who was up for the job Pace landed, wanted to restructure the front office were he hired in 2015. That desire caused the Bears to move in a different direction. Ballard stayed with the Chiefs before becoming Colts GM.

Should they remain in their current roles, Phillips and Pace would be McCaskey’s point men in replacing Nagy, who is set to close a sub-.500 season for the first time. The Bears, however, have won one playoff game since advancing to Super Bowl XLI. The Buccaneers and Cardinals have benefited from allowing their GMs to hire a third head coach, with Jason Licht eventually signing Tom Brady and Steve Keim adding the Kliff Kingsbury–Kyler Murray duo. The Chargers have also allowed their GM, Tom Telesco, to select three HCs.

McCaskey keeping Pace on would not be a popular decision in Chicago, given his decision to trade up for Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, but he was also behind the team’s Justin Fields move. It would not shock if the first-time GM stuck around to help see that plan take shape. If the Bears keep Pace, he would certainly enter 2022 on a hotter seat. The franchise may need to act quicker than usual on the firing front, with the NFL now permitting teams with HC vacancies to interview candidates next week. Pace would stand to be at the center of the team’s next HC-hiring process, should be stay on as GM. The Bears have never fired a coach in-season.

Steelers OL Coach Leaving For Oregon Job

December 23rd, 2021 at 9:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Three seasons into his Steelers tenure, Adrian Klemm will head back to the college ranks. The team’s offensive line coach will step aside to join Dan Lanning’s staff at Oregon, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com tweets.

Oregon pursued Klemm, who joined the Steelers after a decade at the college level, and will force the AFC North franchise to hire a third O-line coach in as many seasons. Klemm will leave Pittsburgh after this season concludes.

One year remained on the 44-year-old assistant’s Steelers deal, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds the team was not prepared to move on from him (Twitter link). Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Klemm broke into the coaching ranks at SMU and then spent five seasons at UCLA. The former Bruins associate head coach has been with the Steelers since 2019, rising from assistant O-line coach to overseeing that position group this season.

The Steelers promoted Klemm after axing previous O-line coach Shaun Sarrett in January. The team will continue in search of stability at this post. The Steelers had previously employed one of the league’s top O-line coaches, in Mike Munchak, from 2014-18; Munchak left to become the Broncos’ O-line coach in 2019.

Panthers Place K Zane Gonzalez On IR

December 22nd, 2021 at 9:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Zane Gonzalez‘s season has come to an end. The Panthers announced today that they placed the veteran kicker on injured reserve. The IR stint will force Gonzalez to miss at least three games, and with only three games remaining on the schedule, his season has effectively come to an end.

The 26-year-old was signed off the Lions practice squad in September, replacing the likes of Joey Slye and Ryan Santoso. Gonzalez missed a field goal in Week 4, but he’s since made 17-straight, making him 20-for-22 for the season. The veteran also connected on 22 of his 23 extra point tries. Gonzalez will be a free agent this offseason.

Gonzalez suffered a quad injury prior to Sunday’s win over the Bills. Wideout Brandon Zylstra was forced to handle kickoffs, while the team generally went for fourth downs and two-point conversations without a healthy kicker.

The Panthers will temporarily turn to Lirim Hajrullahu, who was signed off the Washington Football Team practice squad today. The 31-year-old made his NFL debut earlier this season. connecting on five extra point tries for the Cowboys. Carolina also added kicker Alex Kessman to the practice squad.

Colts Place CB Rock Ya-Sin On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 22nd, 2021 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts lost a pair of defensive players to the COVID-19 list today. The team announced that cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and pass rusher specialist Kemoko Turay landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This will make it tough for the duo to play on Saturday evening against the Cardinals.

Ya-Sin was a second-round pick by Indy in 2019, and he’s evolved into the team’s most dependable defensive back. The 25-year-old has seen time in 11 games (six starts) this season, collecting 26 tackles and six passes defended.

If Ya-Sin is forced to miss the matchup against the Cardinals, the team will likely turn to second-year cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

Turay was also a second-round pick by the Colts, getting selected in 2018 out of Rutgers. The 26-year-old is having one of his best NFL seasons in 2021, compiling a career-high five sacks in 11 games. While the linebacker’s role is mostly matchup-dependent, Ben Banogu could see an uptick in snaps if Turay is forced to miss this weekend’s game.