Despite adding Jadeveon Clowney to the mix, the Ravens were still in need of some reinforcement on the edge. After sitting out Week 3, 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh is questionable for Week 4 with an ankle injury. Further, 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo suffered an ankle/knee injury in Week 3 that landed him on this week’s injury report. With Tyus Bowser still sitting on the NFI list, the Ravens were down a whole rotation-worth of players, leading to the Van Noy addition.
The acquisition certainly provides some veteran know-how to the Ravens pass-rushing corps, with the 32-year-old collecting 33.5 sacks in 126 career games. After flaming out in Detroit, the former second-round pick found a home in New England. Across two stints with the organization, Van Noy collected 27 regular-season and postseason sacks for the Patriots. After earning a pair of Super Bowl rings during his time with New England, Van Noy was named to the Patriots’ All-2010s Team.
After returning to the Patriots for the 2021 campaign, Van Noy spent the 2022 season with the Chargers. He ended up getting into all 17 games for his new squad, compiling 46 tackles and five sacks.
Considering Baltimore’s injury issues on the edge, Van Noy should play a role for the Ravens as soon as this weekend. However, considering his lack of special teams snaps in recent years, it’s uncertain how the veteran will fill in once the Ravens return to full health.
September 29th, 2023 at 10:23pm CST by Adam La Rose
In the wake of an offseason filled with gambling-related punishments across the NFL, changes have come about regarding the policy dictating betting on football and other sports. The league and NFLPA agreed to a revised policy, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Under the new rules, players found to have bet on NFL games not involving their own team will be subject to indefinite suspensions of at least one year. That has been the case on a number of previous occasions, including Calvin Ridleylast year and a pair of now ex-Colts – Isaiah Rodgersand Rashod Berry– in 2023. Notably, however, players who bet on games involving their club will be subject to a ban of at least two years.
Keeping in line with the stiffer punishments for football-related betting, the new policy also includes lifetime bans for players found culpable of “actual or attempted match fixing.” One-year suspensions are also in place for players who provide “inside information” for NFL-related bets. The threat of such moves being deemed necessary has become increasingly present in recent years given the league’s about-face on betting, having developed a highly lucrative relationship with gambling partners.
On the other hand, the punishments for gambling on non-NFL events has been lessened. Betting on such sports remains permitted outside of NFL facilities, but players who violate that section of the policy will no longer be subject to six-game bans. Instead, first-time offenders will face two-game suspensions, with the penalty rising to six games for second offenses and year-long bans for third violations. Given these changes, a pair of teams will have notable players return earlier than expected.
Lions wideout Jameson Williamsand Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere– both handed six-game bans for placing bets at NFL facilities – will be allowed to return to action in Week 5, Jones notes. Given their status as first offenders, the new, lighter penalties for non-NFL betting will see them in place ahead of their scheduled return date under the previous policy. Both players are expected to take on starting roles when they return to action, though a ramp-up period in practice should be expected before that takes place. Free agent receiver Stanley Berryhillwill also be reinstated next week.
The league’s gambling policy is not subject to CBA negotiations, but NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes new NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell spoke to commissioner Roger Goodell about “inconsistencies” in the previous policy. That has resulted in Friday’s news of signficant revisions for players, although no changes are believed to have been made for other team personnel. As a result, the indefinite ban issued to Jets WRs coach Miles Austin in December is not in line to be adjusted, nor are the penalties for NFL and non-NFL gambling slated to be softened for similar violations in the future.
“In recent weeks, we have consulted with many of you and with the NFL Players Association to ensure that out policies are clear, properly communicated, and focused on protecting the integrity of the game,” a memo from Goodell reads in part. “We are working with the [NFLPA] to develop a program to educate players regarding the changes to the policy.”
As was previously the case, gambling violations will be subject to review from Goodell on a case-by-case basis. With these revisions in place moving forward, though, further clarity on all sides will presumably be attained as the league aims to a avoid a repeat of the summer’s slew of punishments being learned of. With further incentives to avoid NFL-related gambling in particular, it will be interesting to see how effective the new policy is in the future.
September 29th, 2023 at 10:19pm CST by Sam Robinson
Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear four plays into his Jets tenure doubles as one of the most crushing injuries a team has sustained in many years. The Jets have gone from a team with Super Bowl aspirations to one trapped in the kind of situation that caused the all-out Rodgers push.
Wilson, 24, has made 24 career starts. He sports a career 54.9% completion rate and ranked in the bottom five in Total QBR in each of his first two seasons. Through three games this year, Wilson is ahead of only Justin Fields — the same placement the 2021 season brought. Wilson’s status created issues in the Jets’ locker room last year, leading to Mike White‘s promotion. While buzz about White staying briefly circulated this offseason, the Jets instead parked Wilson — rumored to be on the outs late last season — behind Rodgers. That has thus far proven to be a mistake, one that certainly could threaten the jobs of Saleh and GM Joe Douglas.
The Jets have been connected to a few outside options, attempting to add Colt McCoy and ex-Nathaniel Hackett charge Chad Henne. They also looked into poaching fellow ex-Hackett pupil Brett Rypien off the Rams’ practice squad, but Los Angeles promoted the ex-Broncos backup instead. Two years after the Jets took heat for not backstopping Wilson — a plan former OC Mike LaFleur called a mistake — the team has not attempted to chase a veteran who would unseat him.
Citing the Jets’ $276MM in cash spent — a number that trails only the Ravens and Browns — a Thursday report indicated a top-down Jets directive has led the team to prefer to have a QB rise through the practice squad route. This, and the team’s desire to avoid a Wilson QB controversy, has led to the current depth chart forming. As such, Trevor Siemian represents the top option to take over if Wilson continues to struggle. Although the recently added arm has not been a regular starter since 2017, the ex-Peyton Manning Denver successor has made 30 career starts.
Siemian, 31, is 0-6 over his past six starts. Prior to losing four games leading a depleted Saints roster, Siemian did pilot the Saints past the then-defending champion Buccaneers in his first appearance with the team. Siemian also started a Jets Week 2 game in 2019, a contest that featured the then-Sam Darnold backup going down with a season-ending ankle injury. But the seven-team journeyman is back in town. Although he is not coming off the practice squad this week, an elevation figures to take place soon after.
Current backup Tim Boyle has thrown 106 career passes, residing as a Rodgers and Jared Goff backup during his career. Boyle’s most notable work came when he started three games for an injured Goff in 2021. A rebuilding Lions team lost all three of those games. Boyle, who played at UConn and Eastern Kentucky, served as Rodgers’ top backup at points in Green Bay. The Jordan Love pick changed his standing with the organization.
The Jets cannot trade their first- or second-round picks, with those selections in escrow since they are part of the Rodgers trade package. But will the Jets attempt to use a mid-round choice to trade for a better option? The team still boasts an upper-echelon defense that is again tied to a bottom-tier QB situation. Teams will not be eager to unload a proven backup, but decent draft compensation could change that equation. The Texans’ backups have generated trade interest, and either Case Keenum or Davis Mills could potentially be pried away. Would they move the needle much for the Jets?
Douglas was in place when the Eagles traded up for Wentz in 2016, and the fifth-year Jets GM was present when the former No. 2 overall pick soared to the MVP favorite before an ACL tear ended his 2017 season. Wentz’s stock has tanked since that outlier year, but he is just 30 and would be an upgrade on Wilson. Matt Ryan is 38 is coming off a dreadful Colts season. While Ryan indicated he is happy at CBS, both free agents are believed to have reached out to the Jets. Although Colin Kaepernick wrote Douglas a letter campaigning for a P-squad opportunity, the Jets are not interested in a player out of the league for the past seven seasons.
Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill loom as longshots that have not come up in legitimate trade rumors, but both are on expiring contracts — albeit pricey expiring deals — and playing for teams with sub-.500 records. The Titans, who drafted Will Levisin Round 2, would likely need to eat some of Tannehill’s money. The 12th-year veteran is on a $27MM base salary; the Jets hold barely $8MM in cap space. Cousins carries a no-trade clause. Both 35-year-old passers have void years at the end of their contracts, with the Vikings starter’s void number checking in at a whopping $28.5MM for 2024.
Will the Jets aim higher via Wentz or a trade? Or will Siemian represent Wilson’s top competition for the rest of the season? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this situation in the comments section.
Monday night’s season-debut for Seahawks safety Jamal Adams will not only be the first game he’s played in since suffering a season-ending quadriceps injury in the team’s season opener last year, but it will also be his first game back in MetLife Stadium since being traded by the Jets in 2020. The sentimental returns are only emphasized by recent reports from Brady Henderson at ESPN that, after his most recent brush with serious injury, Adams considered retiring from the game of football altogether.
Adams started off his career relatively healthy, only missing two games over his first three seasons in New York. Since coming to Seattle, though, Adams has missed 28 of a possible 53 regular season contests with an assortment of injuries. While some injuries to his groin, elbow, and fingers were minor ailments, two shoulder labrum tears and the most recent torn quad tendon have forced him to miss extended periods during his time as a Seahawk. The litany of injuries has had a lasting effect on Adams, leaving him in a “dark place” shortly after he learned he’d be out for the 2022 season.
“It was tough,” Adams told reporters in his first media appearance since suffering the quadriceps injury. “I thought about retiring. I thought about a lot of things. ‘Is this going to be it for me?’ I didn’t know, but I knew eventually. After I got that MRI, I told myself I’m going to be back. I didn’t know when or how, but I was going to figure it out.”
It didn’t take long for Adams to formulate when that return would come. He soon determined that, knowing his recovery would keep him from participating in most of the summer and preseason, he would need a few weeks of regular season practice before returning to action. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list a week before roster cuts, and Week 4 was circled on the schedule.
Another player returning to MetLife for the first time since joining the Seahawks, safety Julian Love has been starting alongside free safety Quandre Diggs in Adams’ place so far this year. Head coach Pete Carroll announced that Adams would have no restrictions in his return from injury, while defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt was a bit more hesitant in making any promises, telling the media that they’d “feel that out as they go.”
We’ll likely have to wait until Monday to see Seattle’s exact plan for working Adams back into the mix. Maybe, he’ll truly be full-go and play 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps against the Giants. Maybe, he’ll split time with Love as the team tests just how much Adams can handle in his first contest in over a year. Or, maybe, Adams just gets his feet wet, testing out the repairs to his knee and seeing if he really is ready to go full speed. Regardless, we’re due for a momentous return that, for a moment, seemed like it may never happen.
The Bengals are losing a bit of special teams depth for the next few weeks after making the decision to place wide receiver and return specialist Charlie Jones on injured reserve. The NFL’s top punt returner so far this year will be forced to miss at least the next four games as he deals with a thumb injury, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Jones has bounced around the northern US quite a bit in the past six years, transferring schools twice from Buffalo to Iowa to Purdue before finally being drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of this year’s draft. At Buffalo, he made his biggest impact on kickoff returns. Three years later, he excelled returning both punts and kicks for the Hawkeyes before finally getting a chance to shine on the Boilermakers offense, where he caught 110 passes for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns.
So far this season, Cincinnati has used Jones almost exclusively on special teams, specifically on punt returns. In fact, over the first two weeks of the year, he only returned punts as Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd continue to hold down most of the offensive snaps for the team’s receiving corps.
A Week 2, 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in a loss to the Ravens really underscored Jones’ potential with the team, and the Bengals rewarded him with three offensive snaps in their Monday night win over the Rams a week later. He took advantage of the small opportunity, catching one of two targets for six yards. Currently, Jones leads the league in all punting categories with eight returns for 150 return yards for a yards per return average of 18.75 with a touchdown, most of this thanks to the aforementioned home run return against Baltimore.
So, the league’s leading punt returner will have to sit out a quarter of his rookie year. In his absence, and with former punt returner Trent Taylornow in Chicago, the team could turn to Trenton Irwin who returned a few punts for Cincinnati two years ago.
The Bears will now need a backup plan for their backup plan. Blackwell became the primary nickel cornerback in Chicago after the team placed Kyler Gordonon injured reserve. The loss of Blackwell will likely mean more responsibility for veteran defensive back Greg Stroman.
Harper was recently waived by Dallas in hopes that he would be able to sign with the Cowboys’ practice squad after clearing waivers, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Unfortunately, they’ll lose control of his contract completely as Cincinnati exercised its waiver claim.
Rivers is being released with much the same intention as Harper, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Houston shouldn’t encounter as many hurdles as the Cowboys, though, since Rivers is a vested veteran and doesn’t need to hit the waiver wire before signing a new contract.
September 29th, 2023 at 4:41pm CST by Adam La Rose
The Chargers will be without a starter up front for the foreseeable future. Center Corey Linsleywill be placed on IR Saturday, as detailed by Daniel Popper of The Athletic (subscription required).
Linsley is dealing with what the team called a “non-emergent heart-related medical issue.” While he turns his attention to recovery from the ailment, his IR placement will force him to miss at least the next four weeks. That news represents a blow to a Chargers offense which is already without top running back Austin Ekelerfor the time being and lost wideout Mike Williamsfor the rest of the season.
The former All-Pro blocker’s absence will be signficant given his importance to Los Angeles’ offensive front. Linsley signed a five-year, $62.5MM deal in 2021 as part of the Chargers’ O-line overhaul. The $12.5MM AAV of that pact ranks fourth in the league amongst centers, and comfortably makes the former fifth-rounder the team’s highest-paid offensive lineman. His performances with the Chargers have not always lived up to the terms of that contract, however.
Linsley earned a strong 85.7 PFF grade in 2021, keeping in line with his career-best performance the previous season at the end of his Packers tenure. That mark slipped to 74.2 last season, though, and his evaluations so far have yielded a grade of just 63.5, the lowest of his career. While the 2023 season is still young, that trend is certainly a concerning one for the Chargers’ level of play at the pivot.
With Linsley now set to miss at least one month, Will Clapp (who re-signed on a one-year deal in April) will step into his first-team role. The latter filled in as a starter on three separate occasions last year while the former dealt with various injuries and a case of food poisoning. This latest ailment is obviously more serious, and updates will be worth watching for in the coming days and weeks. Linsley will meet with both team doctors and outside specialists in the near future, the team announced, meaning further clarity on his condition and prognosis may be attained soon.
September 29th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Adam La Rose
SEPTEMBER 29: Reich confirmed on Friday, via Newton, that Young will indeed be back in action this Sunday. His return will give him the chance to rebound from a pair of underwhelming performances to begin his career, and get the Panthers into the win column for the first time in 2023.
SEPTEMBER 27: Two of the three rookies given starting roles right away in 2023 – Bryce Youngand Anthony Richardson– missed Week 3 due to injuries. Both appear to be on track to limit their absences to a single game.
Young was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, signaling he should be available for Sunday’s contest against the Vikings. His ankle injury required Andy Daltonto start last week, but such a move will not be necessary as long as the No. 1 pick’s recovery proceeds as scheduled. More work is still to be done on that front, of course, but today’s news is an encouraging sign.
“The big thing right now is to see how he responds [Thursday],” head coach Frank Reich said, via ESPN’s David Newton. “Just have to make sure there’s no major setbacks, no flare-ups. But if he stays on track, then I think things are headed in the right direction.”
Originally given a one-to-two week recovery timeline, it comes as little surprise that Young has a strong chance to suit up after only missing one contest. Dalton threw for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Panthers’ loss to the Seahawks, a game which dropped them to 0-3. In doing so, the veteran showcased a continued ability to produce as a spot-starter, something he has done with four teams in as many years since his Bengals tenure ended. Dalton guided Carolina to a more notable performance in the passing game than the team’s two contests with Young under center.
The latter has repeatedly been tapped as the starter when available, though, so he will be in the lineup as soon as possible. To that point, Reich added that the Panthers are prepared to play Young at less than 100% – a noteworthy stance given the Alabama product’s long-term importance to the franchise. Young was the target of the team’s trade-up to the first overall selection, and as such he has been entrusted with providing much-needed stability at the QB spot. Risking further injury so early in his career would need to be weighed against the possibility of dropping to 0-4 on the season.
The same holds true of the Vikings, making Sunday’s matchup one of importance for both teams involved. Presuming all goes well in the coming days, each squad will have their No. 1 quarterback available on Sunday.
September 29th, 2023 at 1:15pm CST by Adam La Rose
A key member of the Rams’ passing attack has a new deal in hand. Tight end Tyler Higbeehas agreed to a three-year extension worth a base value of $27MM which includes $17MM guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The Rams have since confirmed the deal, though they have announced it as a two-year pact which will keep him signed through 2025.
Higbee has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rams, and this newest contract will be his third with the franchise. The 30-year-old’s previous pact – a four-year, $29MM accord signed in 2019 – was set to expire at the end of the season. Instead of hitting the open market in March, he will again remain in place on a multi-year agreement.
Serving as a full-time starter throughout his career, Higbee has been a constant for the team’s passing game over the past four seasons in particular. The former fourth-rounder has recorded at least 520 receiving yards each year over that span, including a career-high 734 in 2019. Higbee has added 16 touchdowns across that span as well, giving Los Angeles a consistent and productive option to compliment wideout Cooper Kupp.
Aside from the latter, the Rams have moved on from a number of skill-position players from their Super Bowl core. That includes trading Robert Woodsto the Titans last March and the deal which sent his presumed replacement, Allen Robinson, to the Steelers this past April. In their absences, along with that of Kupp to start the year, Higbee has posted 132 yards on 11 catches through three games in 2023.
After missing out on the team’s Super Bowl victory due to a sprained MCL, Higbee has yet to be sidelined for a game. That durability will allow him to continue his presence as a consistent chain-mover and add to his 113 games played total, which ranks 13th in franchise history. He will likely crack the top 10 in that regard by the end of this latest pact, which Rapoport notes can max out a value of $30.5MM.
A 2022 restructure left Higbee with a cap hit of $9.13MM in 2023. It will be interesting to see how his latest deal works out on the Rams’ cap sheet, something which has undergone plenty of changes recently as the team transitions to a young nucleus at a number of positions. They will retain a steady veteran at the TE spot for a few more years, however.
Despite adding Jadeveon Clowney to the mix, the Ravens were still in need of some reinforcement on the edge. After sitting out Week 3, 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh is questionable for Week 4 with an ankle injury. Further, 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo suffered an ankle/knee injury in Week 3 that landed him on this week’s injury report. With Tyus Bowser still sitting on the NFI list, the Ravens were down a whole rotation-worth of players, leading to the Van Noy addition.
