HEADLINES

Year: 2024

Buccaneers’ Antonio Brown To Miss Time

December 1st, 2021 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown will miss at least two weeks as he rests his sprained ankle (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Brown, who suffered his injury way back in Week 6, will try to return after sitting out games against the Falcons and Bills. 

Brown also missed eight games in 2020, his inaugural season with the Buccaneers. In his five games played this year, Brown has registered 29 catches for 418 yards and four touchdowns.

Despite Brown’s lengthy absence, Tampa Bay’s offense has been as prolific as expected, leading the league in both points (31.5) and passing yards (315.5) per game.

The earliest Brown is likely to return will be in Week 15, when the Bucs host the Saints on Sunday night.

Cowboys Activate Amari Cooper

December 1st, 2021 at 1:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

It appears the Cowboys’ wide receiver room will be at full strength for Thursday’s game against the Saints. Amari Cooper has been activated from the Covid-19 list, reports Jane Slater of the NFL Network (via Twitter). 

After playing in each of the first ten games of the season, Cooper missed the last two contests – part of the mandatory ten-day isolation period for unvaccinated players. In his absence, Dallas lost to the Chiefs in Week 11 and to Cooper’s former franchise, the Raiders, on Thanksgiving. Cooper’s positive test was one of several that have since been documented throughout the Cowboys organization.

Fellow starting wideout CeeDee Lamb also missed that Thanksgiving matchup, but he is expected to play against the Saints. With Michael Gallup also back from a lengthy IR stint, the Cowboys’ passing attack has the potential to return to its explosive self.

Cooper has registered 44 catches for 583 yards and five touchdowns this season. Having lost three of their last four games, the Cowboys will look to get back on track against the struggling Saints.

Seahawks Hosting Adrian Peterson

December 1st, 2021 at 1:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Adrian Peterson could be on the verge of making his NFL return. The legendary running back is in Seattle today meeting with the Seahawks (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

Peterson joined the Titans earlier this year, following Derrick Henry‘s injury. He wound up seeing time in three games (two starts), collecting 90 yards and one touchdown on 31 touches. The 36-year-old was effectively leapfrogged by Dontrell Hilliard, however, leading to his late November release.

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.

If he joins the Seahawks, he’ll have an opportunity to join the 15,000-yard club for running backs, and with 367 more rushing yards, he would pass Barry Sanders for fourth all-time. If things don’t work out in Seattle, he could still find an opportunity elsewhere. The Ravens, Raiders, Bills, Falcons, and Dolphins were all said to have interest in him earlier this year, before his deal with Tennessee.

The Seahawks have already lost starting running back Chris Carson for the season, and Rashaad Penny may also have played his last snap of the year. In their absence, Seattle’s struggling ground game has been led by Alex Collins, who has turned 101 carries into 395 yards and two touchdowns.

The earliest Peterson could play would be this Sunday, when the Seahawks host the 49ers.

Kenny Vaccaro Retires From NFL

December 1st, 2021 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

Kenny Vaccaro is calling it a career. On Wednesday, the longtime NFL safety announced that he is stepping away from the game to focus on a new e-sports venture (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

“This isn’t a reflex decision for me; it’s something I’ve thought about for a long time,” Vaccaro said. “I’ve been a gamer for even longer than I’ve played football, and I’ve always thought of myself as a gamer first. So this is the realization of a long-term dream for me…Life doesn’t end just because you put down the helmet. You can reinvent yourself.”

Vaccaro, a 2013 first-round pick, spent his first five years with the Saints and started in 67 of his 68 regular season games. After that, he found himself in a severely depressed market for veteran safeties. But, after settling for a cheap one-year deal with the Titans in 2018, he parlayed a strong season into a four-year, $26MM extension.

The veteran made 42 for the Titans before his release earlier this year. In 2020, his last NFL campaign, he finished out with 62 stops, one sack, and five passes defensed. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus — which have never been especially fond of his work — gave him a 58.8 overall grade, slotting him just 68th out of 84 qualified safeties.

After 110 career games, multiple postseason trips, and over $28MM in career earnings, Vaccaro is now set to enter the e-sports arena.

James Conner Wants To Stay With Cardinals 

December 1st, 2021 at 9:53am CST by Zachary Links

James Conner seems to have found a home with the Cardinals. As he plays out his one-year contract in the desert, the running back says he has little reason to leave.

“Man, I want to win a Super Bowl here,” Conner said (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic). “I love the weather and everything this team has going and my teammates out here and the coaching staff. I don’t see why not, why I wouldn’t want to be here. We have all the resources and everything we need to be successful. We’re going to take it one week at a time first. We’ve got a big game against Chicago coming up. But after the season, I’ve got a lot of love for the Cardinals, so we’ll see what happens.”

Conner, 27 in May, has found paydirt eight times over the last five games, giving him a total of 13 touchdowns on the year. Through eleven games, that’s already enough to match his previous single-season best. Now, he has a chance to leapfrog Chris Johnson‘s all-time franchise record of 20 TDs.

Conner admitted that his “options were limited” when he agreed to join the Cardinals in the spring. Now, his one-year, $1.75MM contract stands as one of the best values in the NFL. There’s no doubt that Conner will get a big pay bump in 2022 — ideally, he says he’d like to make it happen in Arizona:

“I just came, and I wanted to play my best football. My options were limited. This is the plan. It’s the Cardinals. And I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else right now.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/21

December 1st, 2021 at 8:15am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Suspends Cowboys’ Trysten Hill

November 30th, 2021 at 10:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday, 10:40pm: Hill’s suspension has been reduced from two games to one by NFL-NFLPA appeals officer Derrick Brooks, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

Monday, 3:13pm: The NFL has suspended Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill for the next two games without pay (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero). Hill, who punched Raiders lineman John Simpson after last week’s game, won’t be eligible to return to the roster until Monday Dec. 13.

“After the Las Vegas Raiders-Dallas Cowboys game on November 25, you engaged in conduct that this office considers unnecessary roughness and displays a lack of sportsmanship,” VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote in an open letter to Hill. “Specifically, as both teams were shaking hands, you waited more than 50 seconds for your opponent at the 50-yard line. When you located him, you then walked toward him in the opposite direction of your locker room. You both engaged in a verbal chest-to-chest confrontation which you escalated by throwing an open hand punch to his facemask, forcible enough to cause your opponent’s helmet to come off.”

Hill could still appeal the ban and make his case before either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash, the ex-players who operate as suspension hearing officers. But, barring any changes, Hill will be withheld from the next two games against the Saints and the Washington Football Team.

It’s yet another blow to the Cowboys’ defensive line, though they could have reinforcements in time for Thursday. DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, and Neville Gallimore have all been designated for return and would be eligible to play against New Orleans.

Saints Cut WR Kevin White, FB Alex Armah

November 30th, 2021 at 9:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Kevin White‘s stint with the Saints has come to an end. The team has waived the wideout, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The team has also cut fullback Alex Armah, per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

White, the seventh-overall pick in the 2015 draft, battled injuries throughout his Bears tenure and later caught on with the Cardinals and 49ers. He managed to get into three games with San Francisco last season without recording a reception, and he ended up getting cut by the squad in August.

He ultimately caught on with New Orleans, and he ended up seeing time in five games (one start) for his new squad. The 29-year-old contributed one 38-yard reception during his time with the Saints, and he ultimately saw more special teams snaps than offensive snaps. The Saints have been without Michael Thomas all season, and their leading receivers, Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway, have combined for only 54 receptions. If White couldn’t break into the Saints’ depth chart, he’ll be hard pressed to find another team that’s willing to give him a shot.

Armah, a former sixth-round pick, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers, appearing in 57 games. He joined the Saints this past offseason and ended up getting into nine games (two starts), collecting 22 yards and one touchdown in six touches. Practice squad player Adam Prentice is the only other fullback in the organization.

Giants Activate Logan Ryan, Place Darnay Holmes On IR

November 30th, 2021 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

While the Giants are welcoming back one cornerback, another defensive back will be sidelined for the next few weeks. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that cornerback Darnay Holmes is heading to injured reserve. Meanwhile, the team will be activating veteran defensive back Logan Ryan from the reserve/COVID-19 list (via Schwartz on Twitter).

[RELATED: Giants QB Daniel Jones Week-To-Week With Neck Injury]

Holmes suffered a rib injury on Sunday that required an overnight stay at the hospital. Now, the 23-year-old will be forced to miss at least the next three Giants games. Holmes was a fourth-round pick by the Giants in 2020, and he started five of his 12 appearances as a rookie. The cornerback has started four of his 11 games this season, collecting 29 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception.

It’s been a few seasons since Ryan played cornerback, but the Giants will still welcome back their veteran safety with open arms. The 30-year-old has missed the past two games for New York, but he otherwise started each of the team’s first nine games. Ryan has collected 72 tackles and two forced fumbles this season.

The hits keep coming for the Giants. Earlier this evening, we learned that quarterback Daniel Jones was likely to be sidelined this weekend as he recovers from a neck strain.

Giants QB Daniel Jones Week-To-Week With Neck Injury

November 30th, 2021 at 6:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Daniel Jones‘ neck strain will likely force him to miss some time. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Giants quarterback is considered week-to-week and veteran Mike Glennon is expected to start on Sunday against the Dolphins. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY tweets that the starting QB’s status is uncertain, and his status will “depend on how he feels this week.”

Jones suffered the injury during the second play from scrimmage this past weekend against the Eagles. The quarterback ended up staying in the game and completing 19 of his 30 pass attempts for 202 yards and one touchdown (along with another 30 yards on the ground) in a Giants victory.

Jones missed games in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, and it’s bad timing for a struggling Giants offense that’s still managed to win three of their past five games. The former sixth-overall pick has seen some improvements during his junior season, holding a career-high mark in completion percentage (64.3) and a career-low mark in interception percentage.

Glennon stepped in for Jones when the starter exited the Giants’ Week 5 loss with a concussion. The 31-year-old completed 16 of his 25 pass attempts for 196 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. The journeyman started five games for the Jaguars last season, throwing seven touchdowns vs. five interceptions. The Giants added some depth to their QB room earlier today when they signed Jake Fromm off the Bills practice squad. New York also has QB Brian Lewerke stashed on their taxi squad.

Load More Posts