HEADLINES

Year: 2024

Chiefs Extend LS James Winchester

November 23rd, 2021 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have agreed to a two-year contract extension with long snapper James Winchester, according to his agent Ken Sarnoff (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but the new money average will position him as the highest-paid long snapper in NFL history.

After entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Winchester caught on with Kansas City in 2015 and became a staple of their special teams unit. The 32-year-old has played in all of the Chiefs’ 107 regular season games during this span, signing multiple deals to bypass free agency.

In 2017, Winchester restructured his deal to give the Chiefs an additional $400K in cap space. It’s likely that the new pact is similarly structured to provide KC with extra room in the near term, though Winchester will see a sizable bump from his current $890K/year average.

Previously, the highest-paid mantle was shared by five long snappers making $1.2MM: Luke Rhodes (Colts), Jeffrey Jansen (Panthers), Clark Harris (Bengals), Morgan Cox (Titans), and Jon Weeks (Texans).

Winchester and the Chiefs advanced to 7-4 on the year with Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. Currently on bye, they’ll look for their fifth-straight win against the Broncos on December 5.

Texans Cut RB Phillip Lindsay

November 23rd, 2021 at 10:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are cutting running back Phillip Lindsay (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). As a post-trade-deadline cut, Lindsay will be subject to the waiver wire. 

[RELATED: Texans’ Jenkins To Miss Time]

The Texans shopped Lindsay before the trade deadline, but they didn’t find any deals to their liking. Through ten games, Lindsay has 50 carries for 130 yards and one rushing touchdown, plus three grabs for 37 yards and one receiving TD. Far less efficient than usual, he’s been used far less than expected in Houston.

Of course, this hasn’t been a banner year for anyone on the Texans, so it’s hard to say whether this is indicative of a sharp decline for Lindsay. Before joining up with Houston, Lindsay averaged 4.8 yards per tote across three Broncos seasons. And, between 2018 and 2019, he showcased his receiving ability by reeling in 70 catches for 437 yards.

Still only 27, Lindsay could be a difference-maker for a contender. Any team claiming Lindsay would be responsible for the balance of his one-year contract and the prorated portion of his $2.25MM base salary.

The league’s other 31 teams will have 24 hours to submit claims for Lindsay. If he’s not claimed between now and 4pm ET/3pm CT Wednesday, he’ll be eligible to sign with any club of his choosing.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/23/21

November 23rd, 2021 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

  • Signed: P Corliss Waltman

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

  • Signed: C Tyler Gauthier
  • Released: LB Anthony Hines, WR Damion Willis

Latest On Packers’ David Bakhtiari

November 23rd, 2021 at 9:44am CST by Zachary Links

Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero). That means Bakhtiari won’t be able to practice or play this week, but the procedure should enable him to return sometime before the season is through. 

[RELATED: Packers’ Jenkins Done For Year]

Bakhtiari tore his ACL at the tail end of December 2020, forcing him to undergo reconstructive surgery in January. He was clearly missed in the playoffs, as the Buccaneers’ front seven rushed the Packers’ backfield with ease. Now, in the wake of Elgton Jenkins‘ own ACL tear, the Packers need him more than ever.

The All-Pro left tackle was activated from the PUP list earlier this month, making him eligible for his 2021 debut. He’s still a few weeks away from seeing the field, but the clean-up surgery is expected to put him on the right track.

Before the injury, Bakhtiari had never missed more than four games in one season. One of the game’s best protectors when healthy, Bakhtiari has earned four Pro Bowl selections and and two First-Team All-Pro nods.

For now, the Packers will be leaning heavily on Yosuah Nijman, Dennis Kelly, and other would-be reserves to hold down the fort. They’ll be short-staffed on Sunday when they host the Rams this week, but Bakhtiari may be ready to face the Bears on Dec. 12, after the Packers’ Week 13 bye.

Minor NFL Transactions:  11/23/21

November 23rd, 2021 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

  • Designated for return: WR Marquez Stevenson

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Injury Notes: Fields, Saints, Seahawks

November 22nd, 2021 at 10:51pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Andy Dalton will be back in the lineup for the Bears on Thursday night. The veteran quarterback is expected to get the start for Chicago later this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Rookie Justin Fields is currently dealing with a rib injury, thrusting Dalton back into the starting lineup. The 34-year-old has barely seen the field since starting Chicago’s first two games. Since then, Dalton has appeared in two contests, completing 12 of his 24 pass attempts for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

Fortunately, it sounds like it’s more of a timing thing for Fields than anything else. The rookie spent the day undergoing more testing on his rib injury, but the turnaround time will ultimately keep Fields out of the lineup. Rapoport adds that the young QB has “been making major strides,” and it sounds like he’ll be back for the Bears before long. Fields has started eight of his 10 games this season, throwing four touchdowns vs. eight interceptions.

More injury notes from around the NFL:

  • Saints tight end Adam Trautman had a career day yesterday, but it came at a cost. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Trautman suffered a sprained MCL that will keep him sidelined for the next four to six weeks. Presumably, the former third-round pick will end up seeing a stint on the injured reserve. Trautman had a standout game on Sunday against the Eagles, finishing with five catches for 58 yards and one touchdown.
  • Saints defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson landed on injured reserve a few weeks back, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be sidelined for much more than the three required weeks. Rapoport tweets that Garden-Johnson’s expected recovery time from his foot injury is only three to four weeks. The 23-year-old started each of the Saints first seven games this season.
  • Saints quarterback Jameis Winston underwent surgery on his ACL earlier this month, but ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that the procedure “did not include an MCL repair.” While there was damage to the MCL, doctors believe the ligament was still strong enough to heal on its own.
  • Seahawks rookie cornerback Tre Brown is likely done for the season, as Pete Carroll acknowledged that Brown will likely require season-ending knee surgery. “This is just the day after and it looks like surgery is imminent,” Carroll said (h/t Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “Yeah, so he would be [done for the year].” The fourth-round pick has gotten into five games (three starts) this season, collecting 10 tackles and one pass defended.

Latest On Falcons WR Calvin Ridley

November 22nd, 2021 at 5:53pm CST by Ben Levine

It doesn’t sound like Calvin Ridley‘s return is coming any time soon. While the Falcons wideout is now eligible to be activated off the non-football injury list, head coach Arthur Smith told reporters that he doesn’t have an update on the former first-round pick (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

The wideout announced in late October that he’d be stepping away from football to deal with his mental health. The organization later placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning he’d miss at least three additional games. The 26-year-old is now eligible to come off the list, but it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to return to football.

The 2018 first-round pick emerged as one of the NFL’s top wideouts in 2020, finishing with 90 receptions for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. This was going to be a pivotal year for the former first-round pick. The Falcons picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option but have not yet signed him to an extension. The team also traded Julio Jones to the Titans, firmly establishing Ridley as Atlanta’s No. 1 wideout.

His numbers were a bit underwhelming through the first four games, with Ridley hauling in 27 catches for 255 yards and one touchdown. Since that time, he’s only seen time in one game, when he caught four passes for 26 yards and one touchdown.

Giants Activate OT Andrew Thomas

November 22nd, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Daniel Jones will have his left tackle back in the lineup tonight. The Giants announced that they’ve activated Andrew Thomas from injured reserve.

Thomas suffered an ankle injury back in October that landed him on injured reserve for several weeks. The former fourth-overall pick had previously missed a game this season due to a foot injury, so the Giants decided to be cautious with their young lineman. The lineman discussed juggling a pair of injuries when he spoke with reporters earlier this week.

“Just managing both, trying to do what I can,” Thomas said (via Michael Eisen of the team’s website). “It depends on the day and how they feel, so just doing what I can to make sure I’m ready to play.

“It’s not easy, but it puts a lot of emphasis on my technique. Plays that I might not be able to make athletically, if I have the right technique, I’ll be in the right position, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Thomas started 15 of his 16 games during his rookie campaign. He started each of his five appearances in 2021, and he appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first four weeks. Matt Peart slid in as the starter while Thomas was out of the lineup.

Buccaneers Activate CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

November 22nd, 2021 at 5:04pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers will be getting some reinforcement at cornerback for tonight’s game against the Giants. The team announced that they’ve activated cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting off injured reserve.

The former second-round pick suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 1, but he returned to practice earlier this month. Murphy-Bunting started 23 games through his first two seasons in the league, collecting four interceptions and 114 tackles. He also came up big during last season’s Super Bowl run, snagging three picks in four games. He’ll surely slide right back into the lineup for the defending champs.

Murphy-Bunting was the first of a few Tampa Bay corners to go down this season. The Bucs subsequently lost Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, though Dean has since returned. Davis, who has been out since Week 4, was previously eyeing a Week 10 return, and his return appears to be imminent. The cornerback brought in because of this injury run, Richard Sherman, later landed on injured reserve, and fellow replacement Dee Delaney was knocked out of last week’s contest with a concussion.

The Buccaneers also activated long snapper Zach Triner from IR today. The veteran was also injured during the season opener, with Carson Tinker filling in. The team is temporarily holding two long snappers, and the team will surely make a decision at the position before next weekend.

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