After nine NFL seasons, Snacks intends to walk away from the game. Damon Harrison announced his retirement on Saturday (via Twitter).
Some interest emerged for the veteran nose tackle in the spring, but Harrison, 32, did not catch on anywhere this year. He will step away after 124 games and 111 starts as a pro.
Although Harrison contemplated retirement at the end of the 2019 season, he returned for one more and played with the Seahawks and Packers last season. Snacks’ seven games in Seattle and Green Bay will be closer to the footnote section of his career, one that included multiple seasons with the Jets, Giants and Lions.
Harrison latched on with the Jets as a UDFA in 2012 out of NAIA William Penn (Iowa) and became a starter during his second season. Snacks’ high-end Jets production, alongside Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, led to the Giants giving him a five-year, $46.25MM deal in the 2016 offseason — when Big Blue loaded up with vets on defense.
Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins joined Snacks by signing with the Giants that offseason, and that trio played a key part in the Giants advancing to the 2016 playoffs. While Harrison did not receive a Pro Bowl invite during his career, he earned first-team All-Pro recognition for his work that season.
A struggling Giants team traded Harrison to the Lions ahead of the 2018 deadline, when they also unloaded Eli Apple, and Snacks played in Detroit through the end of the 2019 campaign. Harrison finished his career with 494 tackles and 37 tackles for loss.
3:01pm: The Packers officially activated the reigning MVP off their reserve/COVID-19 list. Rodgers will start against the Seahawks in Week 10.
11:01am: It sounds like Aaron Rodgers will be returning to the field tomorrow. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Rodgers is back with the Packers, is expected to be activated from the COVID-19/reserve list, and will start tomorrow against the Seahawks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (on Twitter) that Rodgers has remained asymptomatic and “has met the NFL/NFLPA return-to-play protocols.”
Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, forcing him to miss Green Bay’s Week 9 game. He later revealed that he experienced COVID-19 symptoms before and after his positive test, putting his availability for Week 10 in doubt. An unvaccinated player must be away from his team for 10 days after experiencing symptoms. Ultimately, Rodgers made it through protocols in time for tomorrow’s showdown.
Rodgers’ positive test also sparked an investigation by the NFL into the Packers’ handling of COVID-19 protocols. The team was slapped with a $300K fine, while Rodgers and teammate Allen Lazard were fined $14,650. The two players were fined for attending a maskless Halloween party. The Packers’ organizational fine also stemmed from the party; while the gathering wasn’t organized by the team, the NFL believes the organization should have penalized each player. The Packers organization was notified that “future violations could result in escalated discipline,” including the potential loss of draft picks.
The Packers offense predictably struggled without Rodgers. The team was limited to only seven points in their loss to the Chiefs, with former Packers first-rounder and fill-in starter Jordan Love completing 19 of his 34 attempts for 190 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
After a lengthy ramp-up period, Michael Gallup will make his long-awaited return soon. The Cowboys activated the fourth-year wide receiver from injured reserve Saturday.
Gallup has missed the past seven games for Dallas, which placed him on IR after a calf injury took him out of the team’s Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers. Gallup returned to practice nearly three weeks ago, moving this to a deadline situation. Dallas had just two days left to activate Gallup, or he would have gone on season-ending IR.
Should Gallup be back in uniform Sunday, that will certainly aid a Cowboys team coming off by far its worst game of the season. Dak Prescott struggled in his return from a calf ailment, and the Cowboys needed multiple garbage-time scores to pull within two touchdowns of the Broncos. Prescott should soon have his full receiver array available.
The Cowboys quarterback has not finished a game with his top three targets on the field since before his 2020 injury. Gallup, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb played together last season, but most of this trio’s initial work came with backup quarterbacks. Gallup exceeded 1,100 yards in 2019 and finished with 843 and five touchdowns last season.
With Dallas unlikely to bring back the Cooper-Lamb-Gallup trio in 2022, this second-half stretch proves key for Gallup’s future. The Cowboys are not planning to discuss extensions with contract-year players until after the season ends, and after missing half this season, the former third-round pick will need to re-establish his momentum ahead of a potential free agency run.
Suddenly in the thick of the NFC playoff race, the Falcons will have their top edge rusher back in uniform going forward. Dante Fowler is back on Atlanta’s active roster.
The veteran edge defender spent three weeks on IR due to a knee injury. While Fowler has not produced for the Falcons the way he did with the Rams, the seventh-year pass rusher still represents a key defender who will be back for the 4-4 team.
Fowler, who signed a three-year deal worth $48MM in 2020, restructured his contract this year. That amounted to a pay cut, and the former top-five pick is now on track for free agency in 2022. That will make the second half of this season pivotal to the 27-year-old sack artist’s future.
After recording just three sacks last season, Fowler registered two sacks and just three quarterback hits in his first five games this year. That total, however, still leads the Falcons, who only have 11 as a team. That ranks 32nd this season.
Additionally, the Falcons placed edge defender Steven Means on IR and promoted tight end Parker Hesse from their practice squad. Means, 31, has started each of Atlanta’s games this season and was a first-stringer in 11 games in 2020.
The Patriots will be without their starting running back against the Browns, and they may be down multiple backs. New England ruled out Damien Harris for Week 10.
Harris is in the Patriots’ concussion protocol after leaving last week’s game. He did not practice this week. While entering the weekend with a questionable designation, Harris will be shelved for at least a game because of his head injury.
This will mean both the run-oriented Patriots and Browns squads will be without their starting backs Sunday. The Pats also have listed Rhamondre Stevenson as questionable due to his status in the protocol. The rookie also sustained a concussion against the Panthers and did not practice this week, but the Pats remain hopeful he can play in the key AFC matchup.
Sunday’s game will nevertheless feature depleted backfields. The Browns have seen COVID-19 reduce theirs essentially to ex-Alliance of American Football performer D’Ernest Johnson, Cleveland’s only active-roster back that did not test positive for COVID-19 this week. Chubb, Demetric Felton and John Kelly did test positive and are out this week. Kareem Huntremains without a firm return timetable from his calf injury, but the standout backup might be down until December.
As for the Patriots, they have the likes of Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor healthy. Harris, however, has gained 547 rushing yards — 400-plus more than the Pats’ second-leading rusher — and scored seven touchdowns in a breakthrough season.
The Cardinals are placing Chase Edmonds on injured reserve. The running back will be sidelined for at least the next three games thanks to a high-ankle sprain, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The Cardinals have promoted running back Tavien Feaster to the active roster to take the open roster spot (Twitter link).
Since Edmonds was diagnosed with the ankle sprain earlier this week, an IR stint seemed inevitable. The injury often cost players 4-6 weeks, so Edmonds could be looking at a longer IR stay than the three required games. Either way, the expectation is that he’ll suit up again for Arizona’s stretch run and the postseason.
Edmonds was limited to only a single carry during his team’s Week 9 win over the 49ers before exiting with an injury. Through the first eight games of the season, the former fourth-round pick had collected 638 yards from scrimmage on 105 touches. James Conner, who currently leads the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns, will see the majority of the reps at running back while Edmonds is sidelined. The team is also rostering running backs Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin.
Feaster split his college career between Clemson and South Carolina. He’s bounced around the NFL since going undrafted in the 2020 draft, also spending time with the Jaguars, Giants, and Lions. He’s spent the majority of the 2021 season on the Cardinals practice squad.
Montez Sweat will head to the IR after all. Washington Football Team placed the defensive end on injured reserve today, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Sweat suffered a fractured jaw two weeks ago, and while he was fortunate to avoid surgery, a trip to the IR still seemed pretty likely. The 25-year-old was told by doctors to have “no physical contact for a month,” so it sounded like there was no shot he’d return before December. Now, the earliest he can see the field is December 5th against the Raiders.
The 2019 first-round pick has been a force since entering the NFL. After collecting 16 sacks through his first two seasons, Sweat compiled another four sacks in eight starts this year. The defensive end also has 19 tackles, two forced fumbles, 12 QB hits, and three tackles for loss.
WFT let Ryan Kerrigan walk this offseason, so the organization has some inexperienced options to replace Sweat. The team will likely turn to James Smith-Williams when they return from their bye tomorrow, although they’re also rostering Casey Toohill and rookie Shaka Toney.
When Cam Newton rejoined the Panthers this week, we learned that he could collect up to $10MM on his one-year contract. Well, it sounds like Newton will be hard pressed to reach those incentives, with the majority of his bonuses tied to the team’s performance in the postseason.
ESPN’s Field Yates has provided (via Twitter) the full details on the QB’s contract with the Panthers. Newton can earn an extra $500K for each playoff win (coupled with playing at least 50 percent of the team’s offensive snaps). Newton can also earn an additional $1.5MM for a Super Bowl win (+ 50% playing time) and another $1MM if he wins Super Bowl MVP.
No disrespect to the Panthers, but there’s no guarantee that they even make the playoffs, much less get a playoff win. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, there are 11 NFC teams with better odds to make the Super Bowl, and there are 23 NFL teams with a better chance of winning the championship. Even if you ignore the Panthers’ odds, there’s still a chance the team goes back to Sam Darnold once he returns from the IR.
In reality, Newton will likely earn the previously reported $4.5MM that is guaranteed plus his per-game roster bonus. In other words, assuming Newton is rostered for the rest of the season and the Panthers either fail to make the playoffs or fail to win a postseason game, then Newton’s really looking at a max contract value of $6MM.
Those per-game roster bonuses are valued at $187.5K, per Yates. Newton’s $4.5MM guaranteed is divided with a $2.25MM signing bonus and a $2.25MM base salary.
While the AFC features a deeper contender pool, the NFC brings more clarity near the top. Five teams enter Week 10 with one or two losses, bringing about a high-level second-half race for the conference’s lone bye.
The 2020 CBA reducing conference byes from two to one made the No. 1 seed more valuable. Only one team — the 2020 Buccaneers, in a season with limited attendance — has qualified for a Super Bowl without the benefit of a bye week over the past eight seasons. Week 9 certainly benefited the Cardinals, with the Rams, Packers and Cowboys joining the Buccaneers as two-loss teams. But eight weeks remain.
The Rams also made two major efforts to tilt the scales over the past week and change, trading forVon Millerand signingOdell Beckham Jr. Will that be enough to give them their first No. 1 seed since 2001? Los Angeles (7-2) is coming off a one-sided loss to Tennessee. The team has not lost one of its impact players the way the rest of the NFC’s top tier has, though Miller and Beckham are coming off injuries sustained with their previous teams. The Rams rank in the top 10 offensively and defensively and have made a major upgrade at quarterback, with Matthew Stafford sitting first in QBR after nine games. Road games against the Cardinals, Packers and Ravens remain, however.
Responsible for handing the Rams their first defeat, the Cardinals (8-1) are the NFL’s lone one-loss team and the only NFC squad to rank in the top five on offense and defense. The Cardinals, who have not earned a No. 1 seed since home-field advantage was introduced in the mid-1970s, have seen their defense make more strides under DC Vance Joseph. Arizona ranks second in defensive DVOA, though the team is now down J.J. Watt for potentially the rest of the season. The Cards, who have seen offseason additions A.J. Green and Rodney Hudson also play key roles in their early 30s, still face the Rams and Cowboys and have two Seahawks matchups — presumably each with Russell Wilson at the controls — in their final seven games.
Last earning the NFC’s top seed five years ago, the Cowboys (6-2) are coming off a strange loss to the Broncos — one in which they trailed 30-0 — and have seen Tyron Smith run into more injury trouble. The Cowboys are also down both DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, the latter being placed on IR this week. Dallas’ defense gave up a franchise-most points last season, but the arrivals of Dan Quinn and Micah Parsons have helped the NFC East leaders move toward the middle of the pack on that side of the ball. No other NFC East team has more than three wins, but the Cowboys still have games against the Chiefs, Raiders, Saints and Cardinals.
While the Packers have gone through significant midseason turmoil, they are expected to have Aaron Rodgers back in Week 10. Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith remain on IR, however. The NFC North leaders (7-2) signed Whitney Mercilus and have seen Rashan Gary fare well in replacing Smith. Despite Smith and Alexander’s absences, the Packers rank sixth defensively. Summer signing De’Vondre Campbell (83 tackles, which lead the Packers by nearly 30) has bolstered new DC Joe Barry‘s unit as well. Green Bay also stands to receive a boost once David Bakhtiari returns following his ACL rehab. The All-Pro left tackle spent nine weeks on Green Bay’s PUP list and is not expected to play in Week 10. The Packers still have games against the Rams, Ravens and Browns.
Tampa Bay’s second Super Bowl run came from the No. 5 slot; the franchise has never secured the NFC’s top seed. But this Bucs edition’s bye path includes an inviting second-half schedule. The defending champions play just one team — the Bills — with a winning record over their final eight. The Bucs (6-2) brought back their full nucleus from last season but have seen some of their veterans run into injury trouble. They will again be without Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski in Week 10, and Gronk may be facing another extended absence. Cornerback unavailability has also helped define Tampa Bay’s season, but the team is getting healthier on that front.
Which of these five teams will prevail en route to the NFC’s bye? Is there another squad that could make a stealth bid? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your NFC thoughts in the comments section.
Pete Carroll confirmed Russell Wilson will start against the Packers, and the Seahawks made it official Friday evening. Wilson is back on Seattle’s active roster.
On IR since rupturing a right middle finger tendon in Week 5, Wilson will return after missing the minimum three games. The 10th-year Seahawks quarterback underwent two surgeries but beat the six- to eight-week timetable initially floated once the extent of his injuries became public.
Seattle went 1-2 without Wilson and lost to the Rams during the game he suffered the injury — his first notable setback as a pro. Wilson had started 149 straight games prior to this finger issue. His absence led to three Geno Smith starts and the Seahawks tumbling down the NFC standings. They are 3-5 entering Week 10.
Wilson, who will turn 33 later this month, has thrown 10 touchdown passes and just one interception this season. Over his five-game sample, he ranks seventh in QBR. Should Aaron Rodgers clear COVID-19 protocols as the Packers expect, the future Hall of Famers will match up for the ninth time (counting playoff games) Sunday.
Placed on IR the same day as Wilson, Chris Carson will not be activated along with the quarterback. Carroll said his starting running back, who returned to practice this week, will not play against the Packers. Carson is working his way back from a neck injury.
In addition to activating Wilson, the Seahawks also moved rookie wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge from IR back to the active roster. Chosen in the second round, Eskridge has not played since suffering a concussion in Week 1. Following the concerningly lengthy absence, the Western Michigan product will attempt to salvage the remainder of his rookie year.
Some interest emerged for the veteran nose tackle in the spring, but Harrison, 32, did not catch on anywhere this year. He will step away after 124 games and 111 starts as a pro.
