HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa To Meet With Neurologists, Does Not Plan To Retire

September 15th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Rory Parks

In the wake of his fourth diagnosed concussion in the last five years (counting his final collegiate season), Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to meet with neurologists within the next couple of days, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 2023 Pro Bowler is naturally trying to collect as much information as possible before deciding on his playing future, but as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports, Tagovailoa has no plans to retire (video link).

Of course, Tagovailoa will go through the league’s concussion protocol, a process that was modified as a result of his previous head injuries in 2022. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes, the protocol will be the same for Tagovailoa as it is for all other players, although the southpaw passer is one of just a few players – and the only quarterback – who has entered the protocol three separate times in the last five years (Jones also notes that, at the time of his latest injury, Tagovailoa was wearing the helmet that the league and union agree is currently the best at minimizing the severity of impacts to the head).

If Tagovailoa clears the protocol, he will have an important decision to make, one which will have a tremendous impact on his financial future. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the four-year, $212.4MM extension that Miami authorized for Tagovailoa at the end of July does not include any concussion-related provisions or carve-outs for either the player or the team, despite the unfortunate history here. 

Of the $212.4MM total value of Tagovailoa’s new contract, roughly $167MM is guaranteed for injury. $43MM of that figure has already been paid out, so if Tagovailoa is cleared to play but chooses to retire – as noted above, he presently has no intention of doing so – he would forfeit the remaining $124MM, absent some sort of settlement with the Dolphins (h/t Spotrac). The ‘Fins could also seek to recover paid but unearned signing bonus money, which would amount to $8.4MM per year through 2028 and roughly $466K for each game left in 2024 after he is cleared (via Florio). 

Luckily, both Rapoport and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hear that Tagovailoa will not be forced into retirement. But if for some reason he does not receive medical clearance, then the team would still need to pay him the $124MM in remaining injury guarantees. While the contract itself does not include any special language regarding concussions, the Dolphins did take out an insurance policy that would cover up to $49.3MM of that $124MM figure, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com notes.

Needless to say, the primary concern here is Tagovailoa’s long-term health, though the financial component of the situation cannot be ignored. At this time, there is no timeframe for a resolution, with head coach Mike McDaniel saying he is not focused on his quarterback’s return to the field. 

“You’re talking about his career — his career is his,” McDaniel said. “I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind.”

Bengals, WR Ja’Marr Chase Unlikely To Discuss Extension During Season

September 15th, 2024 at 8:23am CST by Rory Parks

Last week, it was reported that the Bengals and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who have been negotiating a contract extension for months, would not reach an agreement prior to the club’s regular season opener. At the time, it was still a bit unclear whether the parties could continue their talks during the season.

That now appears unlikely. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the negotiations will “probably” be tabled for the remainder of the 2024 campaign, unless the team – which is historically disinclined to hold in-season contract talks – does something to rekindle them.

Chase is apparently unwilling to restart discussions himself, with Schefter noting that the star wideout feels misled by the club. Cincinnati reportedly told Chase during his exit meeting following the 2023 season and then again at the scouting combine that a deal would get done, and the fact that he is still playing on his rookie deal while fellow 2021 draftmates Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith have landed their second NFL contracts has left a sour taste in his mouth.

Of course, Chase is looking to top all three of those players and land a deal in Justin Jefferson territory ($35MM AAV, $88.7MM in full guarantees). Chase said shortly before the Bengals’ Week 1 matchup with the Patriots that an extension was “in reach,” but as we have noted previously, the structure and cash flow of the Bengals’ proposal was not acceptable to the No. 5 overall pick of the 2021 draft (Cincinnati generally prefers to make a signing bonus the only post-Year 1 guarantee, although quarterback Joe Burrow became an exception to that rule and, since Chase is a generational talent, the team likely will need to deviate from its traditional stance for him as well).

Chase’s decision to break off talks and play out the season without a new deal in place obviously brings the possibility of a career-altering injury undermining his earning power into play. In order to safeguard against that, Chase has taken out a $50MM insurance policy on himself, which has given him all the peace of mind he needs. As one source succinctly said of Chase: “he’s good.”

While negotiations seemed to get close to the finish line by the time the season opener rolled around, the fact that Chase reported to training camp on time made discussions seem a little more advanced than they really were. Chase was always going to report on the third day of camp in order to collect his $3.81MM training camp roster bonus, but due to “a miscommunication and a misunderstanding,” he arrived on the first day. He also initially threatened to miss the first two games of the regular season before deciding that he would play regardless of contract status.

Even with Chase in the fold, the Bengals suffered an upset loss to New England in Week 1 and will have their work cut out for them as they take on the Chiefs today.

Rams To Place WR Puka Nacua On IR; Nacua To Miss Five To Seven Weeks

September 15th, 2024 at 7:35am CST by Ben Levine

SEPTEMBER 15: Nacua is expected to miss five to seven weeks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While the wideout could still return as early as Week 7, this timeframe puts him in danger of missing that Week 7 bout with the Raiders as well as the Rams’ Week 8 contest against the Vikings (which is a Thursday night game).

SEPTEMBER 9: Puka Nacua‘s knee injury will keep him off the field for the next four weeks. Coach Sean McVay told reporters that the wideout will be placed on injured reserve. The Rams have a bye during Week 6, so the earliest Nacua can return to the field is Week 7.

McVay also revealed that Nacua’s latest injury is a continuation of a nagging knee issue that forced him to miss several weeks during training camp. McVay said Nacua aggravated his knee injury in a “more significant” manner (per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic), and the wideout was officially diagnosed with a PCL sprain. The second-year wideout hauled in four catches last night before limping off the field during the second quarter. He briefly returned to the contest before exiting for good.

The 2023 fifth-round pick set the NFL rookie records for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486), earning him All-Pro and All-Rookie team honors. He only got into 12 games alongside Cooper Kupp in 2023, and the Rams will now be extra reliant on the 31-year-old wideout over the next month. Both Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson saw increased roles following Puka’s exit on Sunday night, and tight end Colby Parkinson also contributed four receptions.

The Rams’ injury issues don’t end there. Offensive lineman Steve Avila suffered an MCL sprain and is also a candidate for injured reserve, per Rodrigue. Avila is also on track to miss at least four games, Rodrigue adds, even though the team has not yet placed him on IR yet.

The 2023 second-round pick earned All-Rookie team honors after starting all 17 games as a rookie, but he could end up missing a handful of weeks during his sophomore campaign. Avila started at left guard last night and was later replaced by sixth-round rookie Beaux Limmer, who bumped Jonah Jackson from center to left guard. Jackson will move back to LG, McVay said. The Rams signed Jackson to play left guard but shuttled him to center recently; a four-year Lions starter, Jackson played LG for nearly his entire time in Detroit.

Left tackle Joe Noteboom is week-to-week with an ankle injury. The lineman was limited to 27 snaps before being replaced by practice squad callup AJ Arcuri. Starting right guard Kevin Dotson didn’t miss a snap last night, but McVay said the lineman is day-to-day while recovering from a lateral ankle sprain.

49ers To Place RB Christian McCaffrey On IR

September 14th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian McCaffrey is officially out for at least the next month. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers are placing their star running back on injured reserve.

NFL Network Ian Rapoport says the team is hoping McCaffrey will be ready to play when first eligible in Week 6. That October 10th showdown with the Seahawks could end up marking the running back’s season debut, although ESPN’s Nick Wagoner cautions that it’s “no guarantee” that McCaffrey is ready by that date, and Rapoport added that CMC could be sidelined for six weeks, and possibly longer (video link).

McCaffrey was limited with calf issues during the preseason and the practices preceding Week 1, leading to him being a sudden inactive for the team’s season opener. It’s since been revealed that the RB is dealing with a serious case of Achilles tendinitis, although both the player and the team expressed some optimism that the star would be back for Week 2. At the very least, there was optimism that McCaffrey would only have to miss one more game.

However, the organization’s tone changed over the past 24 hours. Yesterday, coach Kyle Shanahan definitively ruled out McCaffrey for Week 2 while also admitting that an IR stint was a real possibility. Now, the team will be rolling without their top offensive weapon for at least the next four games.

Jordan Mason had a breakout performance while filling in for his star teammate. The running back finished Week 1 with 152 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown, and it sounds like the third-year back will continue to lead the depth chart.

The team actually didn’t give any carries to backups Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor, with wideout Deebo Samuel getting eight rushing attempts of his own. When asked about the receiver’s usage in the running game, Shanahan said it would be a “game by game proposition” (per Wagoner). The head coach also expressed trust in Guerendo and Taylor, so perhaps we’ll see more of the duo in the coming weeks.

Patriots T Chukwuma Okorafor Leaves Team

September 14th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots made a pair of transactions today ahead of their matchup tomorrow with the Seahawks. One of those transactions was essentially an announcement as offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor was placed on the exempt/left squad list, per Patriots staff writer Evan Lazar.

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Okorafor informed the team that he would be leaving. As Kyed puts it, “the team’s understanding is that this is not a temporary decision” as Okorafor “has been checked out mentally over the past month or so.” These events must have taken place in the last 24 hours or so as Okorafor was present in the locker room yesterday. This is the second year in a row that New England has seen a player voluntarily walk away, though quarterback Matt Corral did not give notice of his departure before leaving the team last season.

After six years of playing right tackle for the Steelers, Okorafor was asked to step in as a left tackle for New England in 2024 after the departure of Trent Brown this offseason. In 12 snaps of football during the team’s Week 1 game against the Bengals, Okorafor was asked to pass block six times. In those six passing snaps, Okorafor allowed three quarterback pressures. He was quickly replaced by Vederian Lowe, who played on the first-team offense for the remainder of the game.

Lowe seems to be the next man up as the Patriots move forward without Okorafor. A former sixth-round pick for the Vikings in 2022, Lowe was traded to the Patriots last year for a 2024 sixth-rounder and made eight starts in 11 games for New England at both left and right tackle. The swingman will once again be asked to step into a starting role.

In addition to placing Okorafor on the exempt/left squad list, the team also called up offensive guard Michael Jordan as a standard gameday practice squad elevation for the second straight week. Jordan was promoted in Week 1 as the Patriots expected starting guard Sidy Sow to miss the game with an ankle injury. Jordan ended up starting the game and playing all 64 snaps at left guard. With Sow expected to miss this week’s game, as well, Jordan could be lined up with the first-team offense, once again.

Practice squad players can only be called up as gameday elevations twice, so if the team has plans to start, or even play, Jordan any more after this week, they will need to sign him to the active roster. After doing so, they can still cut Jordan and return him to the practice squad, where he can be called up twice again.

Chiefs’ Marquise Brown To Miss 2024 Season

September 14th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Shortly after Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown was placed on injured reserve ahead of undergoing shoulder surgery, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Brown is expected to miss the entire 2024 regular season. We had already been told by head coach Andy Reid that Brown’s recovery period had been adjusted to “months” and not “weeks,” but the sternoclavicular injury will seemingly keep Brown from returning this year.

Brown signed a one-year, $7MM deal with the Chiefs this offseason after finishing out his rookie contact with the Cardinals. Originally a Ravens Day 1 selection, Brown was impressive over his time in Baltimore, scoring 21 touchdowns over those three seasons and breaking the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his final year with the team. The Ravens surprisingly included him in a draft day trade that allowed them to move back into the first round and select Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.

During his two years in Arizona, Brown failed to find the same consistent success in the endzone. Though he twice finished second on the team in receiving yards, Brown only secured seven touchdowns during his time as a Cardinal. That hurt his free agent market during the offseason, although with a career yards per reception average of 11.6, the 27-year-old represented one of the top speedsters available and positioned himself to handle a notable role in Kansas City. Now, any game action he sees this campaign will come during the playoffs.

Consistency at the receiver position was an issue for the Chiefs in 2023, with the team’s passing efficiency not reaching its previous heights en route to a second straight Super Bowl title. Brown’s signing was followed by the decision to draft Xavier Worthy in the first round. The latter enjoyed an impressive debut (68 scrimmage yards, two total touchdowns) while logging a 63% snap share and he will be counted on to operate as a key vertical threat in Brown’s absence.

Since 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice is set to continue playing without the threat of any suspension for the time being, he will remain a focal point for Kansas City’s offense. The team also has familiar faces in Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster in place after Hardman was re-acquired midway through last season and Smith-Schuster returned to the team following his Patriots release. The Chiefs’ depth chart is rounded out by Skyy Moore and Justin Watson as things stand.

With roughly $6MM in cap space, Kansas City does not have nearly as much spending power as many other teams at the moment. That would make an outside addition challenging, but the team has a number of other pass catchers (including, of course, All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce) to rely on. For Brown, meanwhile, his attention will turn to recovery once his operation takes place ahead of what will no doubt be a relatively tepid free agent Market next spring.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Packers Unlikely To Exercise LB Quay Walker’s Fifth-Year Option?

September 14th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

In 2022, the Packers double-dipped in terms of adding former Georgia defenders during the first round of the draft. The team’s first selection in that effort – linebacker Quay Walker – appears to have work to do to ensure his tenure with the organization continues beyond 2025.

Walker stepped into a starting role right away, and he racked up 121 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a rookie. While his run defense was poorly rated by PFF, his work in coverage drew a strong evaluation. That situation reversed last year, as Walker’s completion percentage and passer rating allowed took a step back compared to the 2022 season. In the early stages of his third campaign with the Packers, Walker faces the prospect of having his fifth-year option declined next spring.

Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette writes it is currently “pretty iffy” with respect to the Packers exercising the option. Walker would currently be in line for $16.12MM in compensation for 2026 if the option were to be picked up, per Over the Cap. That figure would jump to $22.64MM in the event Walker were to earn a Pro Bowl nod this season, something which would take place through a step forward in his development. The 24-year-old had a productive start to the campaign with 11 tackles in Week 1.

Green Bay has continued to invest considerable draft capital at the linebacker spot not long the Walker addition. Edgerrin Cooper (regarded by many as the position’s top prospect in 2024) was selected in the second round, and Ty’Ron Hopper was taken with one of the team’s two third-round picks. Both were primarily used on special teams during their NFL debuts, but Cooper in particular has the potential to become an impact defender at the second level. For at least the coming season, though, much will still be expected of Walker.

Recent history around the league has seen linebackers devalued regarding fifth-year option decisions. 2020 draftees Isaiah Simmons, Kenneth Murray, Jordyn Brooks and Patrick Queen all had their options declined. Likewise, this past spring saw Zaven Collins and Jamin Davis (both of whom were drafted as off-ball linebackers who have since seen time as edge rushers) had their options turned down, although Collins did receive a Cardinals extension last month. The Packers elected not to exercise cornerback Eric Stokes‘ 2025 option, a move which came as no surprise.

A pair of decisions on that front will be made after the 2024 season. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt saw a major uptick in playing time last year, and he posted 5.5 sacks. A similar campaign would make him a logical candidate to be kept through at least the 2026 campaign given the surging value of the DT market. Whether or not the same approach will be taken with Walker will be an interesting storyline to follow as the season progresses.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/24

September 14th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.

Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.

Bills LB Terrel Bernard Suffers Pec Strain

September 14th, 2024 at 7:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 14: When speaking about the injury, head coach Sean McDermott confirmed (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg) Bernard is facing a multi-week absence. A decision has yet to be made regarding an IR stint, however. As expected, McDermott added that Spector will be counted on as Bernard’s replacement moving forward, setting him up for a signficant workload over at least a short-term span.

SEPTEMBER 13: Terrel Bernard exited Buffalo’s win on Thursday night, and he is now set to miss multiple games. The third-year linebacker avoided the worst-case scenario, however.

Bernard’s pectoral injury has proven to be a strain rather than a full tear after further testing, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. As a result, the 25-year-old is facing a recovery timeline of roughly one month. While that represents positive news in one sense, it makes Bernard a candidate for injured reserve and leaves Buffalo’s linebacking corps even thinner for the time being.

Matt Milano suffered a biceps tear one month ago, sidelining him indefinitely. The All-Pro hopes to return at some point during the year, but being without him (especially after he missed much of 2023) constitutes a notable challenge for the Bills’ second level. Bernard was set to remain a key figure on defense after he logged a full-time starting role last year and collected 143 tackles. The former third-rounder will miss a minimum of four weeks if he is placed on IR, though.

2022 seventh-round selection Baylon Spector stepped in for Bernard on Thursday, and he collected 10 tackles. Spector totaled only 15 appearances during his first two seasons in the league, playing primarily on special teams. A major uptick in playing time could be in store for the Clemson product over the coming weeks with Bernard on the mend as the Bills sort out their remaining linebacker options.

The team also has 2023 third-rounder Dorian Williams in place; he started only two games as a rookie but has already matched that total this season. Williams has seen a 77% defensive snap share so far in 2024, a steep increase from his workload last year. With Milano (who was designated for return during roster cutdowns) and now Bernard out of the picture, Buffalo will rely more on Williams, Spector and the likes of Nicholas Morrow, Edefuan Ulofoshio and Joe Andreessen at the LB position.

Rams Waive S Russ Yeast

September 14th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Ely Allen

The Rams made a number of roster moves in advance of their Week 2 trip to Arizona. Among those moves, Los Angeles made the decision to place defensive back Russ Yeast on injured reserve.

Yeast is in his third season since getting drafted in the seventh round by the Rams. He played a bit of a reserve role as a rookie in 2022, making one start as a fifth defensive back in 15 game appearances. Yeast followed that up with a more impactful 2023 campaign, starting nine of 17 games and recording 61 total tackles and five passes defensed. Yeast played all over the field last year, spending most of his time at safety but playing a healthy number of snaps in the slot and in the box.

Yeast entered the year as the presumed starting nickelback for Los Angeles, but in the season opener in Detroit, Yeast only appeared on the field for one defensive snap. Not yet a vested veteran, Yeast will be subjected to the waiver wire, where any team can claim him if they so desire. In his place, Quentin Lake will take over that nickel role. Lake started four games late into last year before taking the starting role in the opener last week. Lake was drafted a round before Yeast back in 2022, and the two have jockeyed for preference on the depth chart ever since.

Taking Yeast’s spot on the active roster will be practice squad cornerback Cam Lampkin. Lampkin was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State. He failed to make the initial 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad, where he remained until today’s promotion.

Joining Lampkin off the practice squad as standard gameday elevations are offensive lineman Justin Dedich and tight end Nikola Kalinic. Both players will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s contest.

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