2024 September - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Patriots LB Ja’Whaun Bentley Out For Season

September 16th, 2024 at 7:23pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots will be without a defensive captain for the rest of the season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Ja’Whaun Bentley is out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle.

The former fifth-round pick has turned into one of New England’s most dependable defenders, topping 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons. Bentley has also shown some pass rush ability in recent years, collecting a combined 7.5 sacks between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.

Bentley started each of the Patriots two games this season. The linebacker appeared to have suffered his injury while trying to get around Seahawks OL Anthony Bradford late in the first quarter of Sunday’s contest. He stayed in the game for one more snap before exiting, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Raekwon McMillan soaked up all of Bentley’s snaps in the eventual loss, and the former second-round pick could be in line for an expanded role moving forward.

The Patriots could also get creative with their linebacker grouping. Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche have generally been used as pass-rushing weakside linebackers, but that duo could be called upon in the middle. The team also has UDFA Curtis Jacobs, who is the current strongside option behind Jahlani Tavai.

Either way, the Patriots will be hard pressed to replicate Bentley’s production. With Christian Barmore also expected to miss the 2024 campaign, the organization is stressing their defensive depth early on.

Falcons Place LB Nate Landman On IR

September 16th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons got some bad news ahead of tonight’s showdown with the Eagles. The team announced that linebacker Nate Landman has been placed on injured reserve. The team also announced that they signed cornerback Kevin King to the active roster and elevated safety Dane Cruikshank from the practice squad.

Landman had already been ruled out for Monday Night Football after being sidelined with a calf injury throughout the week. It’s uncertain if this is related to the quad injury that the linebacker was fighting towards the end of the preseason. Landman started Atlanta’s season opener, appearing in about half of his team’s defensive snaps while contributing seven total tackles.

The former UDFA saw a limited role as a rookie before breaking out in 2023. Landman was inserted into the starting lineup following Troy Andersen‘s season-ending injury, and the fill-in proceeded to start 14 of his 16 appearances. The Colorado product finished the campaign with 110 tackles, two sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Fortunately for the Falcons, there’s still plenty of ILB depth on the roster. Kaden Elliss obviously leads the depth chart, and Andersen got into 31 defensive snaps during his return in Week 1. The Falcons are also rostering fifth-round rookie JD Bertrand. Still, that didn’t stop the organization from at least exploring some outside help. We learned late last week that the team hosted free agent linebackers Kwon Alexander, Rashaan Evans, and Josh Woods.

King got into a handful of snaps for the Falcons in Week 1, the first time he’s seen the field for a regular season game since the 2021 campaign. The former Packers starter is one of six CBs on the active roster, although Antonio Hamilton will be sidelined again tonight as he recovers from a groin injury. Cruikshank has bounced around the NFL in recent seasons and could make his 2024 debut tonight.

Rams WR Cooper Kupp Candidate For IR

September 16th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The injury issues keep piling up for the Rams. Days after placing wideout Puka Nacua on injured reserve, coach Sean McVay revealed that fellow star receiver Cooper Kupp will also miss “an extended period of time” (per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).

Kupp missed the second half of yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals following a second-quarter ankle injury. The receiver was spotted wearing a boot after the game, and McVay has since acknowledged that the veteran may land on injured reserve.

This is a tough break for Kupp, who has missed time in each of the past two seasons. His 2022 season ended prematurely following a high ankle sprain that required surgery, and he missed the beginning of the 2023 campaign while nursing a hamstring issue. Kupp’s latter absence allowed Nacua to establish himself atop the depth chart, and there was plenty of optimism that the duo would emerge as one of the league’s top WR tandems in 2024.

Instead, Matthew Stafford will likely have to navigate the next month with the likes of Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell, and sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington. We already got a preview of the Rams’ offensive struggles during yesterday’s game. Per Barshop, yesterday marked the first time Stafford failed to toss a touchdown since Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. That ended the second-longest active streak in the NFL (behind Kirk Cousins).

The injury news doesn’t stop there. Guard Jonah Jackson re-aggravated his shoulder injury and could also land on IR, per Barshop. The offseason acquisition dealt with a shoulder injury for much of training camp and the preseason but was able to make his way into the lineup for Week 1. Jackson’s injury will stress an already depleted OL depth chart that’s without Steve Avila and Joe Noteboom.

The injuries also extend to the defensive side of the ball, as Barshop reports that safety John Johnson III is also a candidate for IR while dealing with a shoulder injury. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson suffered a hairline fracture in his scapula and is expected to miss four to six weeks. The veteran defensive back started eight of his 17 appearances during his first season in Los Angeles in 2023.

Ravens To Sign DL Chris Wormley

September 16th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens are set to reunite with a familiar face along the defensive line. Chris Wormley worked out with the team on Monday and he has a deal in place, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. This will be a practice squad arrangement, he adds.

Wormley began his career in Baltimore in 2017. He spent his first three seasons with the team, making 39 appearances and 15 starts during that span. The former third-rounder’s playing time increased with each passing campaign, but ahead of the final year of his rookie contract he was traded to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh used Wormley sparingly during his first season there, but he did enough to land a two-year contract. That pact proved to be worthwhile during the 2021 campaign in particular, when the Michigan alum started 14 games and easily set a career high with seven sacks. He returned to rotational duties the following season and departed as a free agent by joining the Panthers.

Wormely made just five appearances last season and only totaled 46 defensive snaps. As a result, it came as no surprise the Panthers did not elect to retain him or that he remained on the open market well into the start of the regular season. This Baltimore pact will give him the opportunity to work his way back onto an active roster in relatively short order, though.

The Ravens lost a number of key defenders during the offseason, but their defensive line remained intact. Nnamdi Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and Brent Urban are all returnees from the 2023 campaign. Wormley thus has plenty of competition for a roster spot and playing time, but he will provide veteran D-line depth at a minimum upon returning to his original team.

Chiefs To Host RB Kareem Hunt

September 16th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

Isiah Pacheco is set to be placed on injured reserve due to a fractured fibula. Kansas City’s backfield is thin at the moment as a result, but a familiar face could soon be back in the fold.

Kareem Hunt is set to visit the team tomorrow, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. That news comes after head coach Andy Reid noted (via Nate Taylor of The Athletic) general manager Brett Veach would at least explore the free agent market. Hunt has been available since his final Browns contract expired, and he has not been linked to any suitors until today.

The former third-rounder was drafted by the Chiefs in 2017, and he spent his first two years with the team. That stint included his Pro Bowl rookie campaign during which he led the league in rushing yards, along with a productive follow-up season. Upon being released by Kansas City in 2018, Hunt took a deal with the Browns and remained with the team for five years.

Following his suspension-shortened 2019 season, Hunt had his most successful campaign with the Browns one year later. That earned him a new Cleveland contract averaging $6MM per year, although his production while playing out that pact took a step back. Hunt was a free agent at the start of the 2023 season, but Nick Chubb‘s major knee injury paved the way for him to return. Occupying a backup role to Jerome Ford, Hunt averaged a career-low 3.0 yards per carry last year but set a new personal high with nine rushing touchdowns.

The Chiefs retained Clyde Edwards-Helaire this offseason, but he is currently on the reserve/NFI list. That leaves Samaje Perine and Carson Steele as the team’s only healthy backs on the active roster at the moment. Kansas City has veteran Keaontay Ingram and undrafted rookie Emani Bailey on the practice squad, but plans to promote one of them would no doubt change if Hunt were to sign.

The 29-year-old’s lack of a market should limit his price on a free agent deal with the Chiefs or any other team. Kansas City has just over $6MM in cap space at the moment, so a low-cost Hunt contract would be feasible. It will be interesting to see if tomorrow’s visit produces an agreement.

Broncos RT Mike McGlinchey Suffers MCL Sprain

September 16th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Broncos will be shorthanded along the offensive line for the time being. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey is dealing with an MCL sprain, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Garafolo notes the sprain is “significant,” and McGlinchey thus appears to be set to miss roughly one month. Further testing will be needed to determine an exact recovery timeline. Nonetheless, his absence will deal a blow to a Denver offense which has struggled on offense in general and on the ground in particular.

The 0-2 Broncos currently rank 19th in passing yardage per game, but only 27th with an average of 81.5 rushing yards per contest. The team has invested heavily under head coach Sean Payton along the O-line, with McGlinchey and left guard Ben Powers landing big-ticket free agent deals in 2023. Right guard Quinn Meinerz secured a lucrative extension this offseason, but the unit has not performed as hoped so far.

McGlinchey, 30, played his first four seasons with the 49ers, starting each of his 75 regular and postseason appearances. The former No. 9 pick drew consistent PFF evaluations based on his run blocking in particular, although his pass protection was a point of contention. As expected, San Francisco allowed him to depart on the open market and he signed a five-year, $87.5MM deal with the Broncos. The Notre Dame product ranked 39th amongst tackles in terms of PFF grades last season, roughly in line with his past evaluations.

While McGlinchey is sidelined for a notable stretch (placing him on injured reserve would guarantee a four-week absence), Denver will have the option of using Alex Palczewski in his place. The former UDFA took over at right tackle at the end of the contest after McGlinchey was injured. The Broncos also have veteran Matt Peart in place as a candidate to fill in along the first-team offensive line.

Jets DE Jermaine Johnson Suffers Achilles Tear

September 16th, 2024 at 11:40am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 16: Johnson himself confirmed on Monday his injury is indeed an Achilles tear (video link). The news guarantees he will miss the remainder of the campaign and sets him up for a lengthy rehab process. It will be interesting to see how the Jets proceed moving forward at the defensive end spot with Johnson officially out of the picture for 2024.

SETPTEMBER 15: The Jets picked up their first win of the season on Sunday, but the team’s defense appears to have suffered a major blow. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson was carted off the field midway through the contest, and he was quickly ruled out with an Achilles injury.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Johnson is feared to have suffered a tear. Further testing will be required to confirm, but there is a very strong possibility he is facing a season-ending absence. That would leave New York without a key starter along the edge while no resolution appears to be in sight with respect to Haason Reddick‘s holdout.

Johnson logged a rotational role during his rookie campaign, one in which he recorded 2.5 sacks. Last season brought about a major increase in playing time, and the former first-rounder responded with a notable step forward. Johnson racked up 7.5 sacks and 25 pressures while serving as a key member of the team’s edge rush in particular and defense as a whole. The 25-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod, and expectations were high for another strong campaign in 2024.

Instead, attention will now turn to a lengthy recovery process in the event an Achilles tear is indeed confirmed. New York lost Bryce Huff in free agency this offseason, one in which Reddick was acquired via trade from Philadelphia. The latter has been one of the league’s most productive edge rushers in recent years, reaching double-digit sacks every season since 2020. The Jets viewed Reddick as more of a three-down option than Huff, but he has remained absent from the team amidst a contract saga which has not seen traction gained toward a resolution.

Reddick has not reported to the team, racking up millions in fines and giving up nearly $800K in game checks for two weeks in a row. Jets general manager Joe Douglas – who immediately rejected Reddick’s August trade request – has insisted negotiations on a restructured 2024 pact or an extension will not take place until the pending free agent reports.

In his absence, plenty was counted on in Johnson’s case, so a long-term injury coupled with Reddick remaining out of the picture would represent a considerable setback for New York’s defense. The team invested a first-round pick last year with Will McDonald, although the Iowa State product played sparingly on defense as a rookie. His three sacks offered a glimpse of his potential, and Johnson being sidelined will open the door to a notable uptick in playing time.

Johnson is under contract through 2025, but the team will have a decision to make on his 2026 fifth-year option this spring. The Florida State alum seemed to be on track for that decision to be an easy one, but today’s injury is set to keep him off the field for the remainder of this season. Attention will increasingly turn to Reddick’s situation given how the Jets will be shorthanded along the edge, and McDonald in particular will be leaned on to take a step in Year 2.

New York has nearly $18MM in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if an outside addition is targeted. The free agent pool is not particularly deep, though, and several weeks will likely elapse before potential sellers emerged ahead of the trade deadline which the Jets could target for a short-term addition.

Dolphins To Sign QB Tyler Huntley Off Ravens’ Practice Squad

September 16th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

In need of a quarterback addition, the Dolphins have found a passer capable of stepping into the backup role. Miami is set to sign Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss, and given his history of head injuries a long absence would not come as a surprise. In the wake of that development, head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed the team would be in the market for a signal-caller. Huntley – who spent the offseason with Cleveland before returning to Baltimore – will serve as Miami’s backup while Skylar Thompson handles starting duties.

Thompson started the final two games of the 2022 regular season as well as Miami’s wild-card loss that season while filling in for Tagovailoa. The former seventh-rounder did not see any game action last year, but he managed to win the backup competition over Mike White during the 2024 offseason. Thompson is thus positioned to lead the team’s offense for the foreseeable future, but the Dolphins have elected against promoting Tim Boyle from the practice squad for the QB2 spot.

Instead, Huntley will be brought in from outside the organization. The former UDFA spent much of his Ravens tenure as Lamar Jackson‘s backup, and he totaled 10 regular and postseason starts when Jackson missed time over the past three years. Huntley, 26, has amassed 509 rushing yards in his career (along with another 86 in the playoffs) while operating as a dual-threat quarterback. His passing totals – eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, 5.7 yards per attempt – leave plenty of room for improvement, though.

Baltimore chose to keep Josh Johnson in second on the quarterback depth chart this spring, which paved the way for Huntley’s departure. The Utah alum took a league-minimum pact with the Browns as they sorted out their depth options without Joe Flacco in place as QB2. To no surprise, veteran Jameis Winston earned the backup gig, and Cleveland also has Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fold. That allowed Huntley to released as part of the team’s final roster cuts, something which was quickly followed up by his Ravens reunion.

That has proven to be short lived, as Huntley will now turn his attention to learning Miami’s offense. The progress Tagovailoa makes over the coming weeks will be a central storyline for the Dolphins, as will Thompson’s performances under center. The team will have a new backup option moving forward, though. For Baltimore, meanwhile, Huntley’s departure will leave the team with sixth-round rookie Devin Leary as the lone signal-caller on the taxi squad.

Panthers Not Considering QB Change

September 16th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Week 2 produced another loss featuring a dismal offensive performance by the Panthers. When asked about a potential quarterback change, however, head coach Dave Canales gave a public vote of confidence in starter Bryce Young.

“Bryce is our quarterback,’ Canales said (via ESPN’s David Newton). “We’re going to continue to shore up and fix the things we need to fundamentally, from a scheme standpoint, all those things.”

Young started all but one game during his rookie season, one in which Frank Reich was fired midway through his first year as head coach. The target of Carolina’s blockbuster move up the draft order for the No. 1 pick struggled across the board, throwing nearly as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (11) and taking 62 sacks. The Panthers finished 2-15, but the terms of the Young trade left them without their Day 1 selection in 2024.

Aiming to take needed steps forward on offense, the Panthers dismissed general manager Scott Fitterer and hired Canales as a coach capable of overseeing Young’s development. The 43-year-old impressed during a lengthy tenure in Seattle, and his work with Geno Smith landed him the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator gig last year. Canales helped Baker Mayfield enjoy the best statistical season of his career in a number of respects and put himself on the head coaching radar as a result.

Carolina made a pair of big-money additions along the offensive line during free agency (guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis) while also bringing in a number of new faces at the skill positions. An emphasis was placed on the run game to help ease the burden on Young, but the Panthers currently rank just 29th in production on the ground so far. A step forward in passing efficiency would help compensate for that, but Young’s performances in the NFL to date have offered few signs that will be taking place soon.

The Alabama product has mustered 245 scoreless passing yards with a 55.4% completion percentage through two games, throwing three interceptions during that span. While Young has scored a rushing touchdown, his showings individually and those of the Panthers as a whole have left plenty to be desired. The team has scored only 13 points across the past four games dating back to the end of the 2023 campaign.

Andy Dalton resides as Carolina’s backup signal-caller. The 36-year-old racked up 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his lone start last season, and with 170 games of experience he would likely offer considerably more stability under center than Young as things currently stand. Calls for major changes on offense will no doubt continue if Young still struggles, but for at least the short term Canales is set to maintain the status quo at the QB spot.

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

September 15th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Rory Parks

As he deals with 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.”

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