HEADLINES

Year: 2024

Browns’ Takk McKinley Done For Year

December 21st, 2021 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

Takk McKinley‘s season is over. On Tuesday, doctors confirmed that the defensive end has in fact suffered a torn Achilles (Twitter link via Josina Anderson). McKinley will be placed on injured reserve this week, allowing the Browns to fill his spot on the 53-man roster.

McKinley, 26, had to be carted off after a non-contact injury in the third quarter of last night’s game. The Raiders went on to beat the Browns 16-14, dragging Cleveland’s playoff odds down even further. At 7-7, they now have a 15% chance of sneaking into the playoffs, per the stats at Five Thirty Eight. The Raiders, also stationed at 7-7 but with no hope of winning their division, have an 11% chance.

The timing is especially terrible for McKinley since he’s on track for free agency in the spring. The Browns had him on a one-year, $4.25MM deal with the potential to reach $6MM through incentives. Even with the usual dearth of quality pass rushers on the market, his next contract will likely be for less.

The Browns, without the former first-round pick, will travel to Green Bay to face the Packers on Christmas Day.

Minor NFL Transactions:  12/21/21

December 21st, 2021 at 10:02am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawk

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Dolphins’ Will Fuller Done For Year?

December 21st, 2021 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins don’t expect to see wide receiver Will Fuller return this season, according to head coach Brian Flores (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Fuller, who has been out with a broken finger since early October, has suffered a setback in his recovery that will require even more rest. 

Fuller has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Even before the finger fracture, he already missed 29 regular season games. Now, he’s looking at more than 40 missed games between 2016 and 2021.

The Dolphins had high hopes for Fuller, who enjoyed his best season to date in 2020. After he notched 879 receiving yards and career-high eight scores for the Texans, the ‘Fins inked him to a one-year, $10.6MM deal. His season will end with a grand total of four catches for 26 yards in two games.

On the plus side, the Dolphins expect to have Jaylen Waddle back for Monday night’s game against the Saints. Barring any new signings, that’ll leave the Dolphins with Waddle, DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson, Mack Hollins, Preston Williams, and Isaiah Ford at WR.

Giants’ Kyle Rudolph, Riley Dixon Rework Deals

December 21st, 2021 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have a little extra spending money, just in time for Christmas. On Tuesday, the G-Men reworked the contacts of tight end Kyle Rudolph and punter Riley Dixon to create ~$350K in cap room (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).

[RELATED: Giants’ Jones Done For Year]

The Giants won’t be making any marquee signings over the next few weeks — after all, they’re 4-10 on the year after taking their third straight loss on Sunday — but they will need to make a few minor moves like signing players to the practice squad and doling out roster bonuses.

Injuries have piled up for the Giants in recent weeks. Just yesterday, they opted to shut down quarterback Daniel Jones for the rest of the year, allowing him to fully heal from his neck injury. They also lost Sterling Shepard for the year with an Achilles tear — just the latest in an unfortunate string of setbacks for the wide receiver.

Rudolph, 32, has 22 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown so far this year. He remains under contract for 2022, thanks to his two-year, $12MM deal, but it’s not a given that he’ll return. The Giants could theoretically cut the veteran to save $5MM against just $2.25MM in dead money.

Dixon, 29 in August, also has one year to go on his contract with a similar split. His release would save $3.25MM versus $125K in dead money. The Giants’ next GM may prefer to go cheaper, rather than roster the league’s fourth-highest paid punter.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/20/21

December 20th, 2021 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

A long list of players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. We listed the players who landed on the list today, as well as those who were activated off the list:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DE John Franklin-Myers, DB Sharrod Neasman

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Browns Fear Torn Achilles For DE Takk McKinley

December 20th, 2021 at 9:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Takk McKinley‘s season has most likely come to an end. The Browns pass rusher is “feared” to have a torn Achilles, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

McKinley will have an MRI on Tuesday morning to determine if that is indeed the case. The 26-year-old was carted off the field during the third quarter of tonight’s loss to the Raiders. The defensive end appeared to initially grab at his ankle before falling to the ground.

This past offseason, the pass rusher inked a one-year pact with the Browns worth a base value of $4.25MM that can be worth up to $6MM. McKinley has found a role for himself on Cleveland’s defense, appearing in at least 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in seven games. In 10 games (one start), McKinley has compiled 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.

The UCLA product was the 27th overall pick in 2017, but things never worked out for him in Atlanta. By the end he was butting heads with management and blasting the team on social media, which ultimately led to him getting waived. A bizarre saga then ensued, with a number of teams trying to claim him to cash in on his potential. He was claimed by the Bengals and then 49ers, but failed physicals with both teams and reverted to waivers each time. He was then finally claimed and cleared by the Raiders, but spent the rest of last season on Las Vegas’ injured reserve.

Lions QB Jared Goff Lands On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 20th, 2021 at 5:13pm CST by Ben Levine

After a shocking win over the Cardinals yesterday, the Lions will be looking to carry that momentum into next weekend’s game against the Falcons. Unfortunately, Detroit might have to go for their second-straight win without their starting QB. The Lions announced today that they’ve placed quarterback Jared Goff on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

While things certainly haven’t gone right in Detroit this season, the team’s struggles aren’t entirely Goff’s fault. The 27-year-old has completed 67 percent of his passes this year for 3,007 yards, 17 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He’s also been victim to a career-high 34 sacks for the 2-11-1 Lions.

Goff was forced to miss Week 11 against the Browns, and backup Tim Boyle ended up throwing for only 77 yards and two interceptions in the loss. If Goff isn’t able to play this weekend, there’s a chance Boyle gets another start for Detroit.

The Lions made a handful of additional moves today. Besides Goff, offensive tackle Matt Nelson was also placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, while cornerback Mark Gilbert and running back Jamaal Williams were activated from the list. The team placed linebacker Alex Anzalone on IR, and they signed running back Craig Reynolds to the active roster following a breakout game yesterday.

Chiefs Place TE Travis Kelce On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 20th, 2021 at 5:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs could be without a major offensive weapon this weekend against the Steelers. Kansas City has placed star tight end Travis Kelce on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to veteran reporter Herbie Teope (on Twitter). Kelce will be joined by kicker Harrison Butker and cornerback Charvarius Ward, who also landed on the list.

While Kelce’s placement on the list puts his status in doubt, it doesn’t definitively mean he’ll be sidelined on Sunday. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), Kelce is vaccinated, so he could be good to know this weekend considering the league’s new COVID protocols.

Butker, however, is unvaccinated and will miss Kansas City’s Week 16 game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Chiefs prepared for a potential Butker absence when they added Elliott Fry to the practice squad last week. Fry, who has bounced around in recent years without seeing much game action (one career appearance, in 2020), will kick against the Steelers.

Kelce is having another incredible season for Kansas City, hauling in 83 receptions for 1,066 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Despite missing almost all of his rookie season due to a knee injury, Kelce has been remarkably durable throughout his career. He has missed only a pair of regular-season games since 2014. If the veteran is sidelined against Pittsburgh, the team will likely turn to Blake Bell and Noah Gray at tight end.

The Chiefs might not be as prepared for Ward’s potential absence; the 25-year-old has started nine of his 10 games this season.

Buccaneers DL Pat O’Connor Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury

December 20th, 2021 at 4:37pm CST by Ben Levine

The injuries keep coming for the Buccaneers. Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor suffered a season-ending knee injury during last night’s loss to the Saints, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Done For Year]

Doctors believe O’Connor suffered a torn PCL and a partially torn MCL. While the core special teamer will get a second opinion before determining his next step, he’ll surely be sidelined for the rest of this season and the better part of the 2022 campaign.

O’Connor was a seventh-round pick by the Lions in 2017, and while he didn’t end up sticking with Detroit, he managed to find a home in Tampa Bay. The defensive lineman has spent the past four-plus seasons with the Buccaneers, appearing in 40 games. He saw time in all 16 games for the Bucs last season, and he made another four postseason appearances en route to a Super Bowl championship.

In 2021, the 28-year-old has appeared in 13 games, collecting four tackles and 0.5 sacks. He’s appeared mostly on special teams, getting into 100 percent of Tampa Bay’s ST snaps in seven games.

Titans Designate A.J. Brown For Return

December 20th, 2021 at 3:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have designated wide receiver A.J. Brown and defensive back Chris Jackson to return from injured reserve. It’s welcome news for the Titans as they await word on Julio Jones‘ hamstring injury. 

Jones was limited to just 26 snaps and one target before leaving Sunday’s game against the Steelers. The Titans went on to lose 19-13, dropping them to 9-5 on the year.

Brown, 24, was well on his way to a third 1,000-yard season, up until his November chest injury. So far this year, he’s got 46 catches for 615 yards (still enough to lead the Titans) and three touchdowns. It’s not yet clear if he’ll dress for Thursday night’s game against the Niners, but it’s a promising sign for his availability heading into the playoffs.

Jackson has been out for roughly a month, but his foot seems to have healed up. To date, he’s got 31 tackles, two quarterback pressures, one tackle for loss and four passes defensed across nine games.

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