HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

QB Kirk Cousins Experiencing No Lingering Issues From Achilles

September 14th, 2024 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

Kirk Cousins struggled during his Falcons debut, which has naturally led to questions about the QB’s health. Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes that the quarterback’s “leg feels good” following his comeback from an Achilles injury, and there aren’t any “lingering issues from his surgery.”

Russini admits that “there is some rust,” which is probably as expected. Cousins didn’t play in the preseason, meaning his Week 1 start was the first time he took the field since suffering his Achilles injury in Week 8 of last season. Russini adds that the offseason acquisition is still showing signs of “hesitation when it comes to getting hit again at game speed,” something the 13-year veteran will surely shake off.

The other contributing factor to the Falcons’ Week 1 offensive struggles surround new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. After serving on the Rams coaching staff for years, this is Robinson’s first time calling plays, with one source telling Russini that we should “extend the same understanding” to first-year play callers as we do with first-year quarterbacks.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Cousins in his debut. The veteran tossed a pair of interceptions while leading his squad to only one touchdown. The Falcons offense also had a botched snap and several penalties. Cousins is hopeful that he can guide the offense to a more “crisp” performance on Monday night.

“I got to play better, I got to operate better and I was probably at the center of it not being clean and crisp,” Cousins said (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi). “So, that frustrated me deeply, because I can place such an importance on that, in running the operation clean and crisp. And that’s what has to be better Monday.”

While the Faclons’ sizable offseason commitment to Cousins would indicate they’re willing to stick through early-season hiccups, that probably won’t stop the veteran from looking over his shoulder. The team surprised many by taking Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the draft, and the front office may have unintentionally set up a QB controversy if Cousins’ struggles continue.

Steelers Promote WR Ben Skowronek

September 14th, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Ben Levine

Ben Skowronek has once again earned a promotion to the Steelers active roster. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers have called up the wideout from the practice squad.

The former seventh-round pick was traded to the Texans this past offseason but was among Houston’s final cuts. He subsequently landed on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and earned a promotion for Week 1, with all 11 of his snaps coming on special teams.

Skowronek showed some flashes during his time with the Rams, including a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 39 receptions for 376 yards. Third-round rookie Roman Wilson was limited at practice this week while dealing with an ankle injury, so Skowronek provides Pittsburgh with some reinforcement on the depth chart.

Speaking of injuries, quarterback Russell Wilson has officially been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. The veteran reportedly made the trip to Colorado with the intent to play his former team (per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). Of course, Wilson also traveled to Atlanta for Week 1 before eventually being listed as out, so we shouldn’t read too much into this decision.

If Wilson can’t go, Justin Fields would earn another start with his new squad. There was uncertainty atop the depth chart heading into the season opener, but Fields had the luxury of taking all of the first-team reps this past week. The speedy QB admitted that the extra practice time should help his performance if he does indeed start tomorrow.

“I guess it helps me a little bit,” said Fields (via the team’s website). “But like I said last week, I come into every week the same with the same approach that I’m going to play. I’d rather be ready and just have that mindset.

“So, I guess it helps a little bit. But it’s really the same process for me.”

Tua Tagovailoa Suffers Concussion; Dolphins To Make QB Addition

September 13th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s night’s contest saw the Dolphins’ record drop to 1-1 but the main takeaway was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exiting the game with a concussion. Miami’s franchise passer has a history of head injuries, and this latest one will lead to a depth move being made.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game that Tagovailoa – who went down late in the third quarter during a scramble which produced a collision with Bills safety Damar Hamlin – will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. Tagovailoa’s history with head injuries is a factor which will be taken into consideration when evaluating his recovery process, which does not have a timeline at this point. McDaniel added he and Tagovailoa will speak later today.

[RELATED: Assessing Dolphins’ Financial Options With Tagovailoa]

After a college career which included several ailments (one of which was a concussion), the Alabama product dealt with at least two more concussions during the 2022 campaign. That cost him five combined regular and postseason games and led to signficant changes to the NFL’s concussion protocol. The 26-year-old’s ability to progress through the protocol will now be critical as he and the team evaluate his rehab. Until more is known about Tagovailoa’s condition, no decision regarding an IR stint will be possible.

In the meantime, Miami will move forward with Skylar Thompson under center. The 2022 seventh-rounder served as third-stringer behind Mike White last season, one in which Tagovailoa remained healthy. White was let go during roster cutdowns this summer, however, paving the way for Thompson to operate as QB2 in 2024. He will be counted on to lead the offense moving forward, but the team is now eyeing an addition to serve as healthy depth.

“The team and organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said during a Friday press conference (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “There’s a reason he is our backup quarterback. We will bring in someone. I’m expecting Skylar is the next man up.”

Thompson made a pair of starts to close out the regular season in 2022, and he remained at the helm for Miami’s wild-card loss that year. The 27-year-old threw five interceptions against just two touchdowns during that span, but he will be atop the depth chart for the foreseeable future with Tagovailoa on the mend. Amongst veteran passers still on the market, Ryan Tannehill is an option familiar to the Dolphins (albeit not to McDaniel). The 36-year-old is remaining patient while considering his options, and he may not be interested in a backup gig if that is what Miami offers him.
Tagovailoa admitted last spring to contemplating retirement in the wake of his concussion issues. He managed to avoid any injuries last season, however, and his 2023 performance landed him a four-year extension this summer. That pact carries an AAV of $53.1MM and includes $167MM guaranteed for injury. Questions have been raised about the prospect of Tagovailoa retiring in the wake of his latest concussion, but plenty still needs to be determined on that front as things stand. How he recovers over the coming days and weeks, along with how the team proceeds at the QB position, will be worth watching closely.

Christian McCaffrey Out For Week 2; 49ers Considering IR

September 13th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Ben Levine

SEPTEMBER 13: Shanahan said on Friday McCaffrey will not play in Week 2 after he was off the practice field altogether today. He said Thursday’s practice led to pain in the affected calf and Achilles area, so McCaffrey will be out for at least another game.

Concerningly, Shanahan added (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) San Francisco is, in fact, now considering injured reserve in this situation. Moving last year’s rushing champion to IR would sideline him until at least Week 6, though it would give him a longer period to heal in full. Mason will be in line for RB1 duties on Sunday at a minimum, but that could be the case for much longer.

SEPTEMBER 11: Christian McCaffrey missed the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Jets thanks to his pesky Achilles/calf issues. Coach Kyle Shanahan has since specified that a bout of Achilles tendinitis has been the main contributor to the running back’s inconsistent status. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like McCaffrey will be sidelined for much longer, as Shanahan told reporters that the star player isn’t a candidate for injured reserve (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

[RELATED: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Inactive For Week 1]

While McCaffrey was listed as limited during today’s practice (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero), the player is confident that he’ll be on the field for Week 2.

“My mentality is I’m playing this week,” McCaffrey said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “That’s where I’m at. That’s how I am every week. I’m not lying. I think as soon as a player says, ‘maybe I’ll play, maybe I won’t,’ that’s not a good mentality to go into a week with when you’re kind of on the fence. For me, I’m ready to go.”

The player’s Week 1 absence inspired some controversy when fill-in Jordan Mason revealed that he learned of his RB1 role on Friday…days before the team announced McCaffrey’s inactive status. McCaffrey said there wasn’t any gamesmanship at play with the late call, as the RB said he hoped he could push through the injury until the last possible moment. McCaffrey said his pre-game workout didn’t go as he hoped, leading to the final decision (via Wagoner).

Mason filled in admirably for his All-Pro teammates, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Mason’s performance may ultimately convince the 49ers to sit McCaffrey for another week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, although the reporter also believes the starter will do everything in his power to play.

Chiefs Place Marquise Brown On IR; WR To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

September 13th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

10:05pm: Brown has officially be moved to IR. When addressing his situation, head coach Andy Reid said Brown’s recovery timeline is now “months not weeks” (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). That ensures he will miss more than the four-week minimum as Kansas City moves forward without Brown in the fold for the foreseeable future.

11:03am: Marquise Brown‘s SC joint injury will further delay his Chiefs debut. The veteran wideout is being placed on injured reserve, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.

The move comes after testing revealed Brown’s injury has not healed correctly, Schultz adds. To ensure a proper recovery, the free agent pickup will undergo a procedure on Monday. Moving to injured reserve will guarantee at least a four-week absence after Brown already missed Kansas City’s season opener.

The 27-year-old suffered the injury in mid-August, and his initial recovery timeline left his Week 1 availability in doubt. He appeared to be making progress, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported Brown did not suffer a broken bone. That differentiates his situation from that of Tyreek Hill in 2019 when he suffered a similar injury, but in spite of that Brown will be sidelined for a notable stretch.

The Oklahoma product managed a 1,000-yard season during his third and final Ravens campaign, but his stint in Baltimore generally fell short of expectations. After asking to be dealt, Brown spent the 2022 and ’23 campaigns in Arizona. He saw his yards per reception average dip to 10.9 across that span, but he was still viewed as one of the top vertical options in the receiver free agent market. Kansas City inked him to a one-year deal with a base value of $7MM. Another $4MM is in place via incentives, but Brown’s ability to reach those will be impacted by his extended absence.

Adding at the receiver spot was an offseason priority for the Chiefs, and they followed up the Brown signing by moving up on Day 1 of the draft and selecting Xavier Worthy. The 40-yard dash record-holder had a strong NFL debut by scoring a pair of touchdowns, and he will be counted to remain an impact player in the passing attack. Kansas City also has Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster in place on the depth chart.

Brown will be sidelined for the four games remaining until the Chiefs’ bye week. He will be eligible to return after that point, though bringing him back into the fold will use one of the team’s eight allotted IR activations.

Assessing Dolphins’ Financial Options With Tua Tagovailoa

September 13th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

After he left last night’s loss against the Bills with a concussion, many have been speculating about the future of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. An extensive history of head injuries has many wondering if yesterday’s latest brain trauma will lead to the end of Tagovailoa’s NFL career.

Last night offered another scary scene for those who have followed Tagovailoa throughout his time in Miami. After lowering his head into a tackle by Damar Hamlin, who is no stranger to scary injuries, Tagovailoa exhibited signs of unconsciousness as he laid writhing on the ground demonstrating what is called a fencing response. It was the second such instance in the past two years.

In a Week 3 game against the Bills in 2022, Tagovailoa left the contest with a reported back injury before returning to finish the game. Many suspected that the team may have violated concussion protocols by letting him return, but he was back in the starting lineup the following week, regardless. In the Week 4 matchup with the Bengals, Tagovailoa was sacked and demonstrated the fencing response for the first time, leading to an exit and a two-game absence. He later missed the last two games of the season under concussion protocol.

After a fully healthy 2023 season, Miami rewarded Tagovailoa with a four-year, $212.4MM extension, including 167.17MM in guarantees. With so many wondering about the potential end of Tagovailoa’s career due to the frequency of his brain injuries, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald took a look at what that would mean financially.

Firstly, it seems wildly unlikely that the Dolphins would make the decision to move on from Tagovailoa if he is medically cleared. First of all, they gave him his extension under the assumption that he would be their quarterback of the future. If he is able to return, they’ll likely stick with that assumption, especially after his 2023 season. Second, releasing a healthy Tagovailoa would require the team to eat $83.65MM in dead money.

On Tagovailoa’s side, if the 26-year-old were to pass a physical but still decide to retire, the Dolphins would be left with $33.6MM in dead money, per Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com, which they would be able to spread over the 2025 and 2026 seasons. That option seems unlikely, as well, though, as it would require Tagovailoa to pass up several of millions of dollars that he has already been guaranteed.

Though many are worried for the health and safety of the former Alabama passer, his recent extension makes it difficult to see a swift end to NFL career. Decisions may be made to limit his exposure and playing time if injuries continue to occur, but with so much money on the table, expect both Tagovailoa and the Dolphins to keep working to forge a way forward together.

NFL Staff Rumors: Jets Front Office, Frost

September 13th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets announced some restructuring in their personnel department back in August. According to the team site, Jon Carr and Greg Nejmeh will be taking over as co-directors of player personnel. New York will also make Dan Zbojovsky the team’s new senior director of football operations.

Carr is an 18-year NFL veteran in his seventh season with the Jets. During his time in New York, Carr has overseen the college scouting process, managing national and area scouts. He recently added oversight of the pro personnel department to his docket, as well.

Nejmeh’s been with the team since 2009, when he started as a scouting intern, and is now entering his 16th year with the Jets. He has overseen the pro personnel day-to-day operations and managed the free agency process and pro player evaluations. He recently started assisting and overseeing with the college process, as well. With Carr and Nejmeh’s responsibilities bleeding over into each other so much, and with both serving as key generals under general manager Joe Douglas, it makes sense to see them now split a title the same way they split their job duties.

Zbojovsky is also an 18-year veteran in NFL front offices, spending all 18 years with the Jets. In his new role, Zbojovsky will oversee the athletic training staff, medical staff, player development, personnel operations, and video department. He will also still retain some of the scouting responsibilities he held from his previous role.

Here are some other NFL staff moves from the last few weeks:

  • Those weren’t the only adjustments the Jets made to their front office. Formerly a national scout, Jay Mandolesi will spend his 21st year with the Jets as director of college scouting with a new promotion. Nick Sabella has also been promoted after two seasons as assistant director of football administration. He will now serve as senior director of football administration in his sixth year with the team. Sabella will be filling the vacancy left by David Socie who has also been promoted to senior director of football strategy. Socie is in the eighth year of his second stint with the team after a one-year stint back in 2006. Jonathan Stigall is another staffer to earn a promotion, moving into the role of national scout. Stigall has been in the NFL since 1999 and with the Jets since 2014 in various roles. Additionally, after three years as assistant director of personnel operations, Christina Wedding née Salvemini has been promoted to director of personnel operations. Former pro scout Evan Ardoin is also getting a promotion into the role of co-assistant director of pro personnel, alongside Kevin Murphy in the same role. Ardoin will monitor NFL practice squads and league transactions while evaluating players for free agency. Lastly, after serving as a personnel assistant for the past two years, Jordan Burton will spend his third year in New York as the NFS college scout for the team.
  • At the beginning of the month, the Rams announced that they would be adding former UCF and Nebraska head coach Scott Frost to their coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Scott is expected to be joining as a senior football analyst. Rams senior staff writer Stu Jackson says that Frost will help special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn but will be expected to contribute on both offense and defense, as well. This makes sense as Frost has playing experience on both sides of the ball, playing quarterback in college at Stanford and Nebraska before getting drafted as a safety in the NFL. He also has experience coaching on both sides of the ball, spending time as an assistant over linebackers, wide receivers, and quarterbacks and spending time as both an offensive and defensive coordinator at the collegiate level.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/24

September 13th, 2024 at 7:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Some practice squad transactions to close out the week:

Houston Texans

  • Released from practice squad IR (with injury settlement): T Cameron Erving

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Released from practice squad IR (with injury settlement): RB Boston Scott

Seattle Seahawks

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/24

September 13th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only minor move in the NFL:

New York Giants

Cota, who came into the NFL last year as an undrafted wide receiver out of Oregon after four years at UCLA, has bounced around the league, spending time with the Lions, Chiefs, Texans, and Giants without seeing any regular season action. He is the son of former NFL safety Chad Cota.

Falcons Host LBs Kwon Alexander, Rashaan Evans, Josh Woods

September 13th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

In search of veteran linebacker depth, the Falcons hosted three veterans at the position on Friday. Kwon Alexander, Rashaan Evans and Josh Woods visited the team, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes.

Atlanta has Kaden Elliss and Troy Andersen in place atop the depth chart at the position, but the team is thin on experienced options beyond those two. Former UDFA Milo Eifler was waived/injured during roster cutdowns, while Nate Landman has been limited during practice this week. His absence would create the need for at least a rotational option on defense along with a special teams contributor.

Alexander is familiar with the NFC South, having spent time with the Buccaneers and Saints. He also played for the 49ers and Jets prior to his Steelers contract signed last season. The 30-year-old made nine appearances and two starts in Pittsburgh before an Achilles tear ended his campaign. Alexander has not been connected to any suitors since, but news of his visit is a strong sign he is now healthy.

Evans served as a full-time starter in 2022 with the Falcons after a four-year run in Tennessee. The former first-rounder made a career-high 159 tackles during his Atlanta campaign, but his usage saw a notable drop last year with the Cowboys. Evans, 28, was let go by Dallas in late December after an arrest for marijuana possession. He could step back into a notable role upon returning to the Falcons, though.

With 66 combined regular and postseason appearances, Woods is the least experienced member of the trio. He has made only eight starts at the NFL level, but seven of those came last year with the Cardinals. The 28-year-old’s 61 tackles in 2023 were by far the most of his career after he primarily handled special teams duties with the Bears and Lions.

The Falcons have fifth-round rookie JD Bertrand in place as an option after he played 23 special teams snaps in Week 1. If a more experienced linebacker is targeted, though, it would come as no surprise if one of the three players hosted on Friday were to land a deal. Atlanta currently has roughly $10.8MM in cap space.

Load More Posts