2021 - Pro Football Rumors

49ers CB Emmanuel Moseley To Miss “A Few Weeks”

December 6th, 2021 at 10:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The injuries keep piling up for the 49ers, and now one of their starting defensive backs will be sidelined for at least the next few games. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered a high ankle sprain and will miss “a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (on Twitter).

Moseley missed a pair of games to begin the year thanks to a knee injury, but he’s otherwise started all 10 games for San Francisco this season. The 25-year-old has been one of the team’s most reliable defensive backs, collecting 36 tackles and 10 passes defended. He was limited to only nine defensive snaps before exiting yesterday’s loss to the Seahawks. Rookie fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir saw the bulk of the snaps in Moseley’s stead, but he was eventually replaced by Dontae Johnson. The team is also rostering third-round rookie Ambry Thomas.

More injury updates out of San Francisco: running back Elijah Mitchell is in concussion protocol after suffering symptoms this morning. The rookie standout briefly exited yesterday’s game before returning, and he finished the day with 84 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Mitchell has been the team’s leading back this season, and the 49ers might have to turn to Jeff Wilson if starter is forced to miss any time.

There was a scary moment for the 49ers yesterday, when running back Trenton Cannon was forced to go to the hospital after suffering a concussion (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic on Twitter). While Cannon is in concussion protocol, the running back has been released from the hospital and is heading back to San Francisco, per Wagoner. The 27-year-old has spent the majority of his time on special teams this season, and he’s returned 16 kicks for San Francisco.

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux Declaring For NFL Draft

December 6th, 2021 at 9:06pm CST by Ben Levine

As expected Kayvon Thibodeaux is heading to the NFL. The Oregon edge rusher is declaring for the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Thibodeaux will skip the Alamo Bowl to start preparing for the draft.

The six-foot-five, 250-pound defensive end is one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he should be one of the first few players off the board. Both Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus and Dane Brugler of The Athletic had the defensive end being selected with the second-overall pick in their recent mock drafts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have Thibodeaux as the highest-rated prospect on their respective boards.

The edge rusher is a top prospect for good reason, especially following a 2021 campaign where he finished with 34 tackles and nine sacks. While Brugler acknowledges that Thibodeaux isn’t on the same tier as former top edge prospects like Myles Garrett, Chase Young, or Joey and Nick Bosa, he’ll still warrant a top pick, and he should ultimately find himself competing with Michigan edge Aidan Hutchinson for the top-overall selection.

Bills Place LB A.J. Klein On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 6th, 2021 at 5:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills will be without a key piece for tonight’s game against the Patriots. Buffalo has placed A.J. Klein on the reserve/COVID-19 list, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

Klein signed a three-year pact with the Bills back in 2020, and he started 11 of his 16 games during his first season in Buffalo, finishing with career-highs in tackles (75), sacks (five), and QB hits (nine). He also started one of his three playoff appearances. The 30-year-old has only started three of his 11 games this season, collecting 30 tackles.

The linebacker has been completed phased out of the defense in six appearances this year, but he’s seen significant roles in his other five appearances. As Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic tweets, tonight could have been one of those games where Klein saw time on defense, as the Bills could have relied on a three-linebacker look against the Patriots’ “fullback heavy approach.”

The Bills also promoted two players from the practice squad for tonight’s game (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter): nose tackle Eli Ankou and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris. Ankou has seen time in 29 career games, including an appearance with Buffalo in Week 12. Giles-Harris got into 14 games with the Jaguars between 2019 and 2020, and he’s spent the majority of the 2021 campaign on Buffalo’s practice squad.

Patriots Activate LB Jamie Collins

December 6th, 2021 at 5:21pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots defense will be getting some reinforcement for tonight’s showdown with the Bills. The team has activated linebacker Jamie Collins off injured reserve, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter).

After beginning the season with the Lions, Collins made his way back to the Pats for a third stint. Collins played in five games since re-signing with the Pats, registering a sack and seven tackles in addition to an INT. The 32-year-old suffered an ankle injury in November that ultimately led to his placement on injured reserve. The linebacker returned to practice earlier this week.

Collins was mostly playing as a backup for New England when healthy; Collins played around 20 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in his five games. Barring an injury to one of his teammates, Collins will likely continue in that role for the rest of the season.

The Patriots also promoted two players in anticipation of tonight’s game: safety Sean Davis and defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (per Reiss on Twitter). Ekuale has gotten into two games with the Patriots this season, compiling a sack. The former undrafted free agent has also seen time with the Browns and Jaguars. Davis, a former second-round pick, has spent time on both the Colts and Bengals active rosters this season. He’s started 42 of his 68 career games.

Saints WR Deonte Harris Suspended Three Games

December 6th, 2021 at 4:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints offense has taken another hit. Wideout Deonte Harris has been suspended for the next three games, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The move will keep Harris off the field until Week 17.

We heard previously that Harris had been slapped with a ban, but his subsequent appeal allowed him to play in each of the Saints last two games. The suspension stems from the player’s DWI arrest this past summer. The 24-year-old was booked on multiple charge following a July 16th arrest in Maryland.

This move further depletes a Saints receiving corps that has been gutted this year. The team’s Emmanuel Sanders release preceded the Michael Thomas injury drama, which led to the All-Pro target being set to miss the entire season. Tre’Quan Smith also missed time due to injury, though he has since returned. New Orleans has also played without Alvin Kamara since Week 9.

This opened the door to Harris playing a bigger role on offense. While Karama still leads the team in receptions, Harris was the team’s leading wideout, collecting 31 receptions for 523 yards and three touchdowns (all career-highs). The former All-Pro has also continued to contribute on special teams, returning 25 kicks and 17 punts.

Meanwhile, the Saints may have to deal with an absence on their defense, as defensive end Cam Jordan was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football (on Twitter). Jordan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is vaccinated, meaning he’ll have to return a pair of negative tests if he hopes to play next Sunday against the Jets. That would mean Jordan’s 172-game streak is in jeopardy. The veteran has continued to be productive in 2021, collecting 38 tackles, six tackles for loss, 13 QB hits, and four forced fumbles.

The team also designated defensive tackle Malcolm Roach for return from IR (via Underhill).

Falcons Designate Hayden Hurst For Return

December 6th, 2021 at 3:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have designated tight end Hayden Hurst for return from injured reserve. To make room for Hurst, the Falcons have waived veteran punter Dustin Colquitt.

Atlanta traded for Hurst last year, but the team’s new regime replaced him as the primary tight end by selecting Kyle Pitts No. 4 overall in April. Hurst caught 56 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. While Pitts is now the leader of this group and has emerged as one of the NFL’s most promising rookies, Hurst still had 20 receptions through nine games, up until his ankle injury.

The Falcons will now have 21 days to either activate Hurst or lose their opportunity to use him for the rest of the year. Odds are, he’ll be ready to go soon. Hurst, 28, is due to be a free agent in March since the Falcons declined his fifth-year option.

Colquitt, a 17-year-veteran, appeared in six games as Cameron Nizialek‘s fill-in. He was doing well, up until he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the Falcons have picked up longtime Saints punter Thomas Morstead. Morstead is now set to continue in the role for the rest of the season.

Latest On WFT’s Logan Thomas

December 6th, 2021 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Logan Thomas‘ knee injury might not be so bad after all. “The MRI results came back [and] were better than we anticipated,” head coach Ron Rivera told reporters during his Monday afternoon press conference (Twitter link).

“Obviously, there is some damage there,” Rivera continued. “It’s not as extensive as first thought. So, we’re sending for a few more tests just to make sure and we’ll go from there. So we’re still waiting on a little be more of an evaluation, but it is a little bit more positive than first anticipated.”

That’s a big step up from what we heard on Sunday — Thomas was initially believed to have suffered a torn ACL. A partial tear of a less critical ligament, like an MCL, could allow Thomas to return later this year.

The Washington Football Team advanced to 6-6 on the year with yesterday’s win over the Raiders. They now have a 51% chance of making the playoffs, according to Five Thirty Eight. If they keep trending in the right direction, Thomas could come back in time for the final stretch. On the flip side, if Washington slips in the coming weeks, they’ll probably shelve him the rest of the way.

In his six games this year, Thomas has 18 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns. No matter the outcome of his remaining tests, it’s safe to say that he’ll be held out of this week’s contest against the Cowboys.

Jets’ Corey Davis Done For Year

December 6th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Corey Davis‘ season is over. On Monday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters the wide receiver needs core muscle surgery that will shelve him for the rest of the year (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

The silver lining is that core muscle surgery usually calls for 8-10 weeks of recovery. In other words, it’s nothing like an ACL rehab program, so Davis should be good to go for early offseason activities.

Davis played through the pain for several weeks, sat out for the Jets’ Week 12 win over the Texans, and returned yesterday to play 25 snaps against the Eagles. Unfortunately, he aggravated his groin injury to the point where he’ll have to go under the knife.

Davis’ season will end with 34 grabs for 492 yards and four touchdowns across nine games. Extrapolated for a full 17-game slate, that’s roughly in line with what the Jets were hoping to see. He’ll look to stay healthy next season in Year 2 of his three-year, $37.5MM deal.

In the meantime, the Jets will work with Elijah Moore, Keelan Cole, Jamison Crowder, and Denzel Mims as their top wide receivers. The 3-9 Jets, sans Davis, will host the Saints on Sunday.

Panthers Designate Cameron Erving For Return

December 6th, 2021 at 1:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have designated Cameron Erving to return from injured reserve. With that, the offensive tackle will be eligible to play anytime within the next 21 days.

Erving was put on IR with a calf injury in early November. Before that, he was sidelined with a neck injury. So, all together, the 29-year-old has appeared in just seven games so far this year. Without him, the Panthers have been starting Dennis Daley with support from rookie Brady Christensen.

The Panthers, of course, are going to be without Christian McCaffrey for the rest of the year, so Erving’s return will only help so much. Still, the extra protection could help as they look to make the most of their season. The Panthers are 5-7 following their pre-bye loss to the Dolphins. They are — technically — still in the playoff mix, but they’ll have to beat the Falcons this week in order to keep their hopes alive.

In other Panthers news, head coach Matt Rhule reportedly wants to stay put, rather than chase any of this year’s NCAA openings. It’s not a given that the Panthers will have him back, of course, but the early word is that he’ll get another chance in 2022.

Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey Done For Year

December 6th, 2021 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for the Ravens. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that cornerback Marlon Humphrey will miss the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle.

This was the fear after Humphrey was forced out early from Sunday’s game against the Steelers. Down by one point late in the game, the Ravens could have taken the Steelers to overtime on Sunday with an extra point. Instead, they opted to go for a two-point conversion, knowing that they’d have to go through OT without their star defender. Unable to convert, they lost 20-19, dropping them to 8-4 on the year.

The Ravens still lead the AFC North at 8-4, but it’ll be a little tougher to stave off the 7-5 Bengals without Humphrey. Humphrey, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2017 draft, is fresh off of back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, plus a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2019. Last year, he registered 82 stops, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles. The 25-year-old hasn’t been quite as sharp this year, but he still ranks as the 27th best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Ravens, sans Humphrey, take on the Browns this week.