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Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb Suffers Torn ACL

January 1st, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Ely Allen

JANUARY 1: An MRI confirmed the worst in Chubb’s case. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports he did indeed tear his ACL late in Sunday’s loss, meaning his season is over. Miami’s Week 18 division-deciding matchup against the Bills will leave the team significantly shorthanded along the edge with Chubb and Phillips out of the picture. The Dolphins’ pass rush in the postseason will likewise be notably thin.

DECEMBER 31: The Dolphins may have missed out on an opportunity to move into the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC today in a one-sided loss to the Ravens, but they still have plenty left to play for this year, having qualified for the playoffs and remained in contention to win the AFC East. That’s why it was so disheartening to see a star defender in outside linebacker Bradley Chubb go down with non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter of today’s game.

The injury occurred during a garbage-time possession late in the team’s decisive loss. With the Ravens’ backups in on offense, Chubb pursued veteran running back Melvin Gordon behind the line of scrimmage. When Gordon performed a juke move in an attempt to evade Chubb, the veteran defender’s momentum seemed to disagree with his foot placement, sending him to the ground, clutching his right knee. The Dolphins’ sideline immediately rushed to his side and eventually carted him off the field.

It was unfortunately a predictable assumption, but word now is that the Dolphins are fearing a torn ACL for Chubb, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. As is the normal procedure, Chubb will undergo an MRI tomorrow morning in order to determine the severity of today’s injury. If it is indeed an ACL tear, Chubb will obviously out for the remainder of the Dolphins’ season and their playoff run and could also miss the start of the 2024 NFL season.

Chubb was in the middle of what many considered to be a Pro Bowl-worthy season. After failing to reach double-digit sacks in the four seasons since his rookie year, Chubb had already tallied 11.0 sacks in 2023. He paired that with 11 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, and six forced fumbles, which is a career-high and currently leads the league. If Chubb is unable to play from here on out, Miami will be heading into the playoffs without their top two pass rushers. The Dolphins defense has operated without third-year outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips after the 24-year-old suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a Week 12 win over the Jets. Those are two big blows for a team that has thrived with its pass rush, which ranks second in the league in sacks.

Still, part of the team’s success rushing the passer comes from having multiple contributors to their pass rush. With disruptive interior defenders like Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, as well as versatile defenders like Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah, the Dolphins should still be able to generate some pressure in the weeks to come.

Jaylen Waddle Sustains High Ankle Sprain

December 31st, 2023 at 9:35am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 31: Waddle may miss the Dolphins’ regular season finale as well, but he is expected back for Miami’s first postseason contest, whenever that might be, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link).

DECEMBER 29: As expected, Waddle will not play against the Ravens in Week 17. McDaniel ruled out the third-year speedster for Sunday’s pivotal matchup against the Ravens. While the second-year HC did not call this a severe injury and pointed to Waddle’s ability to recover quickly, Week 18 looms as his earliest possible return date.

DECEMBER 25: Coming out of a crucial win against the Cowboys, the Dolphins have one of their starting wide receivers facing a cloudy outlook as 2024 nears. Tests are ongoing, but Mike McDaniel said Monday (via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) the injury that forced Jaylen Waddle out of Sunday’s matchup looks like a high ankle sprain.

The Dolphins, who were iffy to have Tyreek Hill available for Week 16 due to an ankle injury, lost Waddle with what was initially believed to be a shin malady. McDaniel’s update makes this a bit more concerning, especially given the Dolphins’ upcoming schedule and push for their first AFC East title since 2008.

Waddle left the Miami-Dallas matchup twice due to injury, not returning after the second instance. While the Dolphins prevailed without their younger speed merchant, this would be an obvious setback — especially considering the number of injuries they have sustained on offense. Miami played Sunday without four starting offensive linemen, with only Terron Armstead — who has again missed time due to injury previously this season — available. The AFC East leaders have been able to withstand these nagging issues, moving to 11-4 and qualifying for the playoffs for a second straight year. But Waddle’s status will obviously be worth monitoring.

McDaniel expressed optimism about his No. 2 wideout, but high ankle maladies often sideline players for multiple weeks. The Dolphins close the season with games against the Ravens and Bills. A loss in Baltimore and Buffalo defeating New England would make the rivals’ Week 18 tilt for the AFC East championship.

Waddle has only missed two games over the course of his pro career, but an ankle fracture caused the 2021 first-round pick to miss seven games during his final Alabama season. The overqualified Hill sidekick snared a 50-yard reception against the Cowboys before leaving Sunday, putting him over 1,000 receiving yards for a third straight year. Considering Waddle’s importance to the team, it would be a surprise if the Dolphins considered an IR move here.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/23

December 30th, 2023 at 9:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions and callups for the remainder of the Week 17 matchups:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Alualu is set to make his Lions debut after signing earlier this month. Given the injury issues Detroit has faced up front, the 36-year-old has the chance to see playing time through the close of the regular season and into the playoffs. Alualu expressed a desire to continue playing with the Steelers this offseason, but he remained a free agent deep into the year. His tenure in the Motor City could help boost his free agent stock if he wishes to remain in the league in 2024, though.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 26th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Panthers, Cardinals and Commanders continued their losing ways in Week 16, the Patriots’ effort in Denver shook up the top of the 2024 draft. New England has dropped from second to fourth in the ’24 order.

In a strange spot in which Broncos fans and and undoubtedly many Pats supporters wanted the Russell Wilson-driven comeback to succeed, Chad Ryland‘s 56-yard game-winning field goal dropped New England out of the No. 2 spot, injecting doubt about the team’s ability to nab a top-flight QB prospect without trading up next year.

The Bears (via the Panthers) remain atop the table, holding a one-game lead on the Cardinals. Carolina closes its season with two games against eight-win teams — the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Arizona will face Philadelphia and Seattle, and with Carolina’s strength of schedule at .522 and Arizona’s at .561, the draft-order tiebreaker reaffirms the Bears’ placement on the doorstep of entering a second straight offseason holding a No. 1 overall pick. The Justin Fields matter remains an important big-picture NFL topic, but GM Ryan Poles is close to having his pick of the 2024 QB prospects.

It is not clear if the Commanders will be interested in a quarterback in the first round, but they will have a new regime running the show. The last time Washington held a top-three pick (2020), it passed on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert due to having drafted Dwayne Haskins in the 2019 first round. With Sam Howell struggling as of late, Josh Harris‘ next set of decision-makers may want to bring in their own prospect. The Cardinals could stand in the Commanders’ way, via another trade in the top three, but suddenly Washington could be a player for a 2024 first-round QB.

Ahead of Week 17, here is how the 2024 draft order looks:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Arizona Cardinals: 3-12
  3. Washington Commanders: 4-11
  4. New England Patriots: 4-11
  5. New York Giants: 5-10
  6. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-10
  7. Tennessee Titans: 5-10
  8. Chicago Bears: 6-9
  9. New York Jets: 6-9
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 7-8
  11. New Orleans Saints: 7-8
  12. Green Bay Packers: 7-8
  13. Las Vegas Raiders: 7-8
  14. Denver Broncos: 7-8
  15. Minnesota Vikings: 7-8
  16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-7
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-7
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-7
  20. Indianapolis Colts: 8-7
  21. Seattle Seahawks: 8-7
  22. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-7
  23. Los Angeles Rams: 8-7
  24. Buffalo Bills: 9-6
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-6
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 10-5
  27. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  28. Detroit Lions: 11-4
  29. Miami Dolphins: 11-4
  30. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-4
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 11-4
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 12-3

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/23

December 23rd, 2023 at 7:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

The Bills will not have depth running back Ty Johnson available for tonight’s game, leading to the decision to elevate Fournette. The former Super Bowl champion will thus make his Buffalo debut, although with lead back James Cook in the lineup, Fournette will likely not receive many looks on offense. The latter has already returned a kickoff for the first time in his career, however.

Signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, Ingram will also make his 2023 debut in Week 16. The 34-year-old last played during his Miami stint in 2022, during which time he started three games and recorded six sacks. With Jaelan Phillips out for the year, Ingram will look to once again give the Dolphins a rotational presence off the edge.

Dolphins Meet With DT Ndamukong Suh

December 20th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ndamukong Suh showed last year he was fine waiting well into a season before signing with a team. The Eagles added Suh in November 2022 and used him for the rest of the season. Suh expressed interest this offseason in playing a 14th NFL slate, and one of his former teams is open to taking him up on it.

The Dolphins brought in Suh for a free agency visit Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Suh played for the Dolphins from 2015-17, coming to Miami after the team authorized a then-defender-record contract during the ’15 free agency period. Miami has also been busy in adding pieces up front this year, recently signing Jason Pierre-Paul off New Orleans’ practice squad and bringing back Melvin Ingram. While the Dolphins waived JPP on Tuesday, Ingram is readying for a return. No Suh deal is imminent just yet, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Moving Suh’s $19MM-per-year contract off the payroll in 2018, the Dolphins have changed power structures since. Chris Grier is in place as the top decision-maker, while the team has twice changed HCs (from Adam Gase to Brian Flores to Mike McDaniel) since Suh’s time in Miami. Suh, however, does have extensive experience in a 3-4 defense from his time with the Rams and Buccaneers. That would help regarding a fit with new DC Vic Fangio.

Named to the 2010s’ All-Decade team, Suh is past his prime. But the former No. 2 overall pick has been one of the most durable defenders in NFL history. Suh has never missed a game due to injury, playing in 199 regular-season contests and 15 playoff games over the course of his career. Last season marked Suh’s first stretch as a backup, with the Eagles bringing him in as a midseason reinforcement during a Jordan Davis IR stay. Suh played in eight regular-season games and all three postseason contests for the NFC champions, logging a 35% snap rate.

Suh made the Pro Bowl and picked up his fifth All-Pro nod while a Dolphin in 2016. After teaming with Aaron Donald to help the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII, Suh worked alongside Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett to produce a Buccaneers Super Bowl win two years later. The Bucs did not re-sign Suh last year, and he waited until November to return to an active roster. Suh spoke with the Ravens earlier this year about a deal and was not concerned about waiting well into the season to catch on somewhere.

Christian Wilkins spearheads the Dolphins’ defensive line, while the recently extended Zach Sieler operates as a quality sidekick. Raekwon Davis sits as Miami’s third D-line starter. Although the team lost edge rusher Jaelan Phillips last month, it still has the services of its top interior D-linemen.

The 49ers pursued Suh along with the Eagles last year. Although the NFC-leading team played Week 15 without starting D-tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave, Kyle Shanahan said this week the team had not discussed anything with Suh. With three weeks left in the regular season, time is running out for Suh to find a home and attempt an acclimation effort before the playoffs. But the menacing DT still represents an interesting piece for a contender to add ahead of a Super Bowl push.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

December 20th, 2023 at 1:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers’ Week 15 win over the Falcons brought the Patriots and Cardinals, who each lost, one game closer to the No. 1 overall pick. New England’s weaker strength of schedule provides keeps Arizona in the No. 3 spot, while Washington — weeks away from a likely full-scale reboot — has lost five straight to move into position for its first top-five pick since 2020.

Early reports have the Bears more likely to draft Justin Fields‘ replacement than trading a top pick once again, but the Patriots and Cardinals are still in the running for what could well be the Caleb Williams draft slot. Much less drama would emerge if New England claimed the top pick, as the Patriots would be expected to draft the top QB prize. Arizona landing atop the draft for the second time in six years could produce a derby, with Kyler Murray‘s contract difficult (but not impossible) to move for new GM Monti Ossenfort. QB-needy teams may well be hoping the Cardinals land one of the top two spots, however, providing a potential gateway to a trade-up for Williams or Drake Maye.

The Raiders’ 63-21 demolition of the Chargers slid them down six spots compared to their position last week. The Packers also climbed eight spots from their slot going into Week 15. Green Bay has not held a top-11 draft choice since it drafted B.J. Raji in the 2009 first round; that came on the heels of Aaron Rodgers‘ first season at the helm. Jordan Love‘s QB1 debut season could still produce a playoff berth, however, and the rest of the NFC and AFC wild-card races remain tightly bunched.

Here is how the 2024 draft order looks with three regular-season games to play:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. New England Patriots: 3-11
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 3-11
  4. Washington Commanders: 4-10
  5. Chicago Bears: 5-9
  6. New York Giants: 5-9
  7. New York Jets: 5-9
  8. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-9
  9. Tennessee Titans: 5-9
  10. Atlanta Falcons: 6-8
  11. Green Bay Packers: 6-8
  12. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
  13. New Orleans Saints: 7-7
  14. Denver Broncos: 7-7
  15. Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
  16. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-7
  17. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  18. Buffalo Bills: 8-6
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-7
  20. Minnesota Vikings: 7-7
  21. Los Angeles Rams: 7-7
  22. Indianapolis Colts: 8-6
  23. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-6
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-6
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: 9-5
  26. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  27. Detroit Lions: 10-4
  28. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-4
  29. Miami Dolphins: 10-4
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
  31. Baltimore Ravens: 11-3
  32. San Francisco 49ers: 11-3

Dolphins Waive OLB Jason Pierre-Paul, Activate RB Chris Brooks From IR

December 19th, 2023 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Pierre-Paul‘s stay with his hometown team may end up being short-lived. Not long after signing Pierre-Paul off the Saints’ practice squad, the Dolphins waived him.

This move will send the veteran edge rusher to the waiver wire. While Pierre-Paul would be eligible to land on Miami’s practice squad if he clears waivers, the Dolphins brought back Melvin Ingram last week. JPP’s two-game stay included just five defensive snaps; he logged 17 during his one game as a Saint.

Pierre-Paul’s exit clears a roster spot for running back Chris Brooks, whom the Dolphins activated from IR on Tuesday. A rookie UDFA, Brooks has worked as a backup this season. He has logged 15 carries while playing on special teams. The Dolphins now only have one IR activation remaining. Brooks’ return may lead to Salvon Ahmed ending the season on IR, as the Dolphins recently placed starting linebacker Jerome Baker on IR with an MCL injury.

Because the Dolphins signed JPP off the Saints’ P-squad, they needed to keep him on their active roster for three weeks. Tuesday marks the three-week point. Considering Miami cut bait when first permitted to do so does not exactly point to the accomplished veteran being in the team’s plans, but we will see how the AFC East leaders proceed if he clears waivers.

Pierre-Paul, 34, angled to sign with a contender. It took the two-time Super Bowl starter until November to score a deal, with the Saints extending an opportunity. Pierre-Paul now joins ex-Ravens teammate Justin Houston on the waiver wire. While Houston fared better last season by leading Baltimore with 9.5 sacks, Pierre-Paul started over him. Despite signing the former first-rounder in-season, the Ravens used him as a 13-game starter. JPP only totaled three sacks in 2022, however, and has not eclipsed that number since the Buccaneers’ 2020 Super Bowl-winning campaign.

The Dolphins have been active in pursuing help at this position in recent weeks. The Jaelan Phillips Achilles tear provided a costly setback for a team that has seen extensive injuries impact its offensive and defensive lines. Miami, however, still has Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel, Emmanuel Ogbah and second-year player Cameron Goode on its 53-man roster. It would seem Ingram’s return to Miami’s active roster is imminent. The former Pro Bowler tallied six sacks as a Dolphins rotational rusher last season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23

December 16th, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.

Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.

McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.

NFL Injury Rumors: Holland, Dillon, Pacheco, Miller, Elam

December 15th, 2023 at 10:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Injuries aren’t anything to keep Dolphins safety Jevon Holland down for long. The third-year starter has missed three games this season (the most he’s missed in his short carer) while dealing with reported knee injuries. According to an interview Holland did with Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network, the Dolphins defender has been dealing with two MCL sprains.

A single MCL sprain is enough to force many players to sit out multiple games, as those knee ligament injuries are not meant to be dealt with lightly. Regardless, Holland wants to be through with missing time, telling Beasley that “he’s optimistic about playing this week.” With the team’s other starting safety DeShon Elliott out this week after suffering a concussion in Miami’s surprising loss to the Titans on Monday, the defense would be glad to return Holland to the field.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFL:

  • Packers running back A.J. Dillon has already been asked to step into a starting role with Aaron Jones out for the past three weeks. Green Bay may be down another rusher as Dillon reportedly suffered a broken thumb in the team’s loss to the Giants on Monday night, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Like Holland, Dillon isn’t one to miss time with an injury. The only games he’s missed in his career were due to COVID-19 during his rookie year. That being said, he’s never played with a broken thumb. He’s listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but Dillon is trying to figure out if he can play through the injury. The biggest issue comes with the fact that opposing teams will know of the injury and attempts to punch out fumbles could lead to further harm.
  • Isiah Pacheco has only missed one game since taking over as the Chiefs‘ starting running back in Week 2, sitting out for last week’s loss to the Bills. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, head coach Andy Reid reported that Pacheco underwent “a clean up procedure on his shoulder” that will force him to miss this weekend’s matchup with the Patriots, as well. Reid expects that Pacheco should be able to return after that.
  • Yet another running back, Saints rookie rusher Kendre Miller has missed the team’s past four games with an ankle injury and is scheduled to miss a fifth straight game this weekend. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill believes that we haven’t seen the last of Miller this season. While the TCU-product may not be back immediately after this week’s game, Underhill thinks a Week 17 appearance in Tampa Bay could be in the cards for the 21-year-old.
  • Lastly, it’s safe to say that we haven’t seen the best from Bills second-year cornerback Kaiir Elam in his sophomore season. 2023 has been an injury-riddled year for the Florida-product as he’s only made an appearance in three games this year, the most recent of which only saw him on special teams. According to Ryan O’Halloran of The Buffalo News, Elam reportedly tore an ankle ligament prior to the start of the regular season. While he did sit out the team’s first four contests, Elam’s Week 5 return apparently saw him attempting to play through the injury without it being healed due to injuries to Tre’Davious White and Christian Benford in the team’s Week 4 win over the Dolphins. The injury would eventually push him onto injured reserve at the start of November. He’s since been designated to return from IR. If he isn’t able to return by shortly after Christmas, Elam will remain on IR for the rest of the year.
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