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Raiders Rule Out QB Jimmy Garoppolo For Week 4

September 30th, 2023 at 3:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 30: Garoppolo will not clear the protocol in time to suit up on Sunday. He has officially been ruled out by the team, leaving Vegas with an interesting Hoyer-or-O’Connell decision for the contest against the Chargers. Garoppolo should be expected to be available in time for Week 6, a Monday night affair against the Packers.

SEPTEMBER 25: Jimmy Garoppoloplayed the Raiders’ Week 3 game in full, but his availability for the team’s next contest is now in doubt. Head coach Josh McDaniels said on Monday, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that Garoppolo is in the concussion protocol.

It is unknown when exactly in Vegas’ primetime loss Garoppolo suffered the injury, but he was evaluated for a concussion after the game. Having now been placed in the protocol, the team’s free agent addition faces a tough road to be cleared in time for Week 4. Provided he is forced to miss a game, it will be interesting to see how the Raiders proceed under center.

As Tashan Reed of the Athletic notes, McDaniels declined to confirm that veteran Brian Hoyer would suit up as Vegas’ starter if necessary. The latter has dressed as the backup in every game so far this season, giving the Raiders a familiar face given the ties shared between he, Garoppolo and McDaniels dating back to their respective days with the Patriots. Hoyer, 37, contemplated retirement this offseason before taking a deal including $4.21MM guaranteed across two seasons. His last start came with New England in 2022, but it has been seven years since his most recent win.

Vegas also has fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell in place as an option. The Purdue alum drew praise for his performances in preseason, leading to speculation he could overtake Hoyer on the depth chart. O’Connell has been designated the Raiders’ emergency third quarterback each game to date, but a full week of preparation with the first-team offense would of course alter the situation for either non-Garoppolo passer in advance of a Week 4 start.

“We’ll prepare for everybody,” McDaniels said when asked about the team’s QB situation, via Reed and colleague Vic Tafur (subscription required). “I mean, obviously, that would change things relative to Aidan, also, if Jimmy was not to progress through the protocol to be able to play. So, we’re hard at work prepping how we manage that situation as best we can as it progresses through the week.”

After moving on from Derek Carr, the Raiders turned to Garoppolo with a three-year, $72.75MM deal. Offseason foot surgery prompted the team to include an injury clause in that contract, and today’s news adds further to the lengthy injury history for the former 49ers starter. Garoppolo threw three interceptions last night, bringing his season total to a league-leading six. Still, the 1-2 Raiders would have uncertainty under center (especially with O’Connell) if Garoppolo were to miss Week 4, so his progress will be worth monitoring over the coming days.

Raiders OLB Chandler Jones Arrested

September 29th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Police arrested Raiders outside linebacker Chandler Jones in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. The former All-Pro, who resides on the team’s reserve/non-football illness list amid a strange saga that has transpired this month, remains in custody.

Jones committed two violations of a domestic temporary restraining order, according to Andrew Groover of The Associated Press. The 33-year-old defender was cooperative with authorities, TMZ reports. The arrest occurred at 11pm Thursday, and Jones remains at the Clark County Detention Center. He is expected to be released today, Groover adds.

Jones has not been with the Raiders since his initial social media outburst, which occurred September 5. Since, a slew of social media posts have led to the 11-year veteran moving out of the picture for the Raiders. Most recently, Jones shared Monday night that the Las Vegas Fire Department officials transported him to the hospital “against my will.” The 2022 Raiders free agency addition added that he was transferred to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital last week.

During this run of tirades, Jones has levied extensive criticism at Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The known developments in this concerning stretch began with Jones voicing his displeasure about allegedly being locked out of the Raiders’ facility. He then said he did not want to play for the Raiders as long as McDaniels and Ziegler are in charge. The former Patriots and Cardinals standout turned his attention to Mark Davis as well, saying the longtime Raiders owner was holding “a huge secret.”

The Raiders have classified the Jones situation as a private matter, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes the team did not comment on the arrest. Friday’s news comes as personnel around the league have expressed concern about the pass rusher’s well-being. While the Raiders were believed to be open to Jones returning to the team if the situation improves, this week has placed some barriers in his path back to the team.

Raiders To Sign OLB Malik Reed

September 27th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ pass-rushing plan has changed since the beginning of the month. Chandler Jones is not presently in the picture, with concerning off-field issues leading the former All-Pro to the team’s reserve/NFI list. First-round pick Tyree Wilson has not started in Jones’ place yet.

A former AFC West sack artist will be part of Las Vegas’ equation as of Wednesday. The Raiders are adding Malik Reed, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. This is a practice squad agreement, but the increased P-squad flexibility in recent years has led to these deals often serving as bridges to the active roster.

Reed spent three years with the Broncos, working as a regular sub for a team that could not keep Von Miller and Bradley Chubb healthy at the same time for most of Vic Fangio‘s HC tenure. After signing Randy Gregory and drafting Nik Bonitto last year, the Broncos traded Reed to the Steelers, with whom he played a rotational role. Reed ended up a contract-year one-and-done with the Steelers and rejoined Fangio with the Dolphins this offseason, but Miami did not keep the former UDFA on its active roster after cutdown day last month.

This will mark a return to Nevada for Reed, who played collegiately at the University of Nevada-Reno. Reed, 27, posted 13 sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Although Chubb was invited to the 2020 Pro Bowl, Reed’s eight sacks paced the Broncos that season. Reid has worked exclusively as a 3-4 outside linebacker over the course of his career.

The Raiders have tallied five sacks thus far, with Maxx Crosby responsible for two of those. But no other edge rusher has contributed to the team’s sack total through three games. Viewed as a Jones successor opposite Crosby this offseason, Wilson has operated as an off-the-bench rusher thus far, playing 40% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps.

Latest On Raiders, Chandler Jones

September 26th, 2023 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders-Chandler Jones saga continues to unfold, and the veteran edge rusher said he has attempted to reach out to the team about why he is not presently permitted to play. Residing on the reserve/non-football illness list, Jones said he has tried to contact GM Dave Ziegler to no avail.

This turbulent month for the Raiders and their 2022 free agency acquisition has now involved Jones indicating he has been hospitalized. The 33-year-old defender wrote Monday night that the Las Vegas Fire Department officials transported him to the hospital “against my will,” according to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez.

Jones social media posts, which have catalyzed his on-field hiatus, indicated he was transferred from the hospital to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital last week. He said between five and seven Las Vegas Fire Department officials came to his home to inform him he was being placed on a “court hold” by the Las Vegas Police Department.

The former Patriots and Cardinals standout also wrote that the staff at the behavioral hospital “tried to force me to take meds & injections.” Jones also indicated the reasoning behind his alleged hospitalization came about because of his online activity.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Jones said, via Gutierrez. “The police said people were concerned about me because of my posts online. I’m still confused on what I did wrong. I’m stuck here. I’m very sane. I’m to strong of a person to be mentally broken [sic].”

The Raiders placed Jones on the reserve/NFI list last week, moving him off the 53-man roster. While the team is open to activating Jones if the situation improves, it does not seem likely that will transpire in the near future. Jones also said he called Ziegler at least six times after being hospitalized, adding that he “wondered if [Ziegler] had me put in here, but he never answered.” The Raiders have classified this a private matter.

An incident involving Jones being locked out of the Raiders’ facility in early September, leading to him conducting a workout at a public gym, marked the beginning of his tirade against the team and its top staffers. Jones said he no longer wanted to play for the Raiders as long as Ziegler and Josh McDaniels were in charge. The $17MM-per-year pass rusher also said the Raiders sent a crisis team to his house not long after the initial round of posts. Recently, Jones added to this bizarre dust-up by saying owner Mark Davis is “holding a huge secret.” Raider players and others around the league have expressed concern for Jones’ health. The 11-year veteran has not practiced with the Raiders since the locked-door incident.

Jones signed a three-year, $51MM deal with the Raiders in March 2022. The team is not obligated to pay the former All-Pro while he is on the reserve/NFI list, but an offseason restructure converted most of his salary into a signing bonus. Jones is only tied to a $1.17MM base salary this season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23

September 23rd, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
  • Elevated: OL Chris Glaser

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Raiders Place OLB Chandler Jones On Reserve/NFI List

September 20th, 2023 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The strange Chandler Jones saga may not cool down anytime soon. The Raiders are moving the veteran pass rusher to their reserve/non-football illness list, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

At odds with the team since just before Week 1, Jones has made a number of statements blasting the Raiders and their top staffers. The team had deactivated Jones for its first two games; this designation will sideline him for the next four. Jones is dealing with a personal issue, and Rapoport adds the Raiders have not ruled out a return “if his situation improves.” The former All-Pro’s second year with the Raiders has devolved into quite the mess, however.

Irate at being locked out of the Raiders’ facility days before Week 1, Jones went on social media and blasted Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. He since shared a text exchange with owner Mark Davis. The Raiders shelved Jones for their Week 1 game against the Broncos. Jones had also indicated on social media that the Raiders sent a crisis team to his house, posting a series of since-deleted Instagram stories explaining the events and questioning why he was not allowed to play in Denver. Jones also shared that the NFLPA has attempted to contact him.

Recently, Jones kept adding to this bizarre dust-up by saying Davis is “holding a huge secret.” The Raiders deactivated Jones again for their Week 2 Bills tilt. Raider players and others around the league have expressed concern for Jones’ health, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. Jones has not practiced with the Raiders since the locked-door incident.

“I wish mark Davis told the ppl why I really can’t play,” Jones said (sic). “I think I know why, but I want y’all to ask him. I’ll let him say it to the public not me lmao. I wish I could play with my brothers, but marky mark is holding a huge secret that only I know! That’s why I was asking for my protection sorry if I sound scared because I’m not lol, when I found out I was lol.”

The Raiders gave Jones a three-year, $51MM deal in 2022. While the former Patriots and Cardinals standout disappointed last season, he was still expected to start opposite Maxx Crosby this year. The Raiders used the No. 7 overall pick on Tyree Wilson, signaling Jones’ tenure would likely be capped at two seasons. It is obviously not a lock Jones plays for the Raiders again, and the team can opt to not pay the 12th-year veteran while he is on the NFI list. It is not yet known if the Raiders will go that route. Considering how this odd storyline has unfolded, Jones may well let the public know if the Raiders have decided not to pay him. If the Raiders choose not to pay Jones during his NFI stay, the damage would be minimal thanks to an offseason restructure that reduced his 2023 base salary to $1.2MM.

A two-time All-Pro while with the Cardinals, Jones had angled for a trade ahead of his final Arizona season. He ended up playing out his five-year Cards contract in 2021, bouncing back from a biceps injury that ended his 2020 season, and rejoining McDaniels in free agency. McDaniels was in place as New England’s offensive coordinator during Jones’ first four years. Jones’ Patriots stay wrapped not long after an unusual episode that featured the team’s top pass rusher showing up shirtless at a Foxborough police station after a reaction to synthetic marijuana. Contract matters led to the Patriots trading him to the Cardinals during the ’16 offseason, leading to a run of strong seasons.

This Raiders issue will undoubtedly impact Jones’ ability to catch on elsewhere when that time comes. Las Vegas has kept Wilson as a rotational rusher to start the season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/23

September 19th, 2023 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: LB Milo Eiler

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Matt Corral has landed back with the Patriots after going unclaimed on waivers. It’s been a busy few months for Corral, who has bounced on and off the Panthers and Patriots rosters. He’ll now return to New England as the organization’s third QB behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Eric Rowe didn’t last all that long in Carolina after landing on the team’s practice squad in late August. The veteran defensive back spent the past four seasons in Miami, starting 39 of his 63 appearances. He’ll be replaced by Matthias Farley, who brings 100 games of experience to the Panthers. The safety has bounced around the league recently but didn’t miss a game between 2020 and 2022.

It took Mykal Walker a few weeks to find a new gig after getting cut by the Bears on roster deadline day. The former fourth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Falcons, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with 107 tackles. He was surprisingly waived by Atlanta in mid-August before getting scooped up by Chicago. Now, he’ll have a chance to revive his career in Las Vegas.

Rams RB Cam Akers Drawing Trade Interest

September 19th, 2023 at 11:45am CST by Adam La Rose

With Cam Akers‘ time with the Rams set to come to an end, multiple suitors appear to have emerged for his services as a mid-season rental. At least four teams have reached out regarding the contract-year back, reports Jordan Schultz of the Score.

Schultz names the Buccaneers, Ravens, Raiders and Browns as being among the clubs which have show interest in a deal for Akers. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch in Week 2, and head coach Sean McVay has since confirmed that the Rams are once again interested in finding a trade partner to move on from their former second-rounder. Today’s update points further to a trade being the end to this situation.

Both Baltimore and Cleveland have seen their No. 1 backs go down with massive injuries early in the year. J.K. Dobbins suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1, while Nick Chubb is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign after encountering multiple ligament tears in his knee last night. It thus comes as no surprise those squads would seek out short-term help in the backfield, though Ravens head coach John Harbaugh recently stated his confidence in the team’s incumbent RB options.

Kevin Stefanski confirmed, via Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald, the Browns are looking for backfield help in the wake of the Chubb injury. Akers would represent a low-cost addition (in terms of draft capital and finances) to help stabilize the team’s ground game while turning to Jerome Ford in a larger capacity. Even with Deshaun Watson and a new-look receiving corps in place, Cleveland’s offense is still likely to depend in large part on the run game, particularly if a notable addition is made.

Ex-Browns backup Kareem Hunt is still on the open market, and he would represent a logical candidate for a reunion if Cleveland does elect to add a veteran back. Given Ford’s skillset, though, adding Akers for early-down contributions would also come as little surprise. The Florida State alum has been used sparingly as a pass-catcher during his time with the Rams, one which has included serious trade talk for each of the past two seasons.

Both the Raiders and Bucs have their lead back in place at the moment (Josh Jacobs and Rachaad White, respectively), but each squad could use a depth addition. Jacobs – who like Akers is set to hit free agency at the end of the season – has averaged only 1.6 yards per carry through two weeks as Vegas has struggled to find success on the ground. White has likewise seen his efficiency (3.3 yards per attempt) drop compared to last season despite Tampa Bay’s 2-0 start.

Akers struggled in his lone game of the 2023 campaign, turning 22 carries into just 29 rushing yards (though he did find the endzone as well). That performance helped inform the Rams’ decision to turn to Kyren Williams as their new lead back, and no doubt hindered Akers’ trade value. Now far removed from his 2021 Achilles tear, however, the latter could prove to be an effective pickup for a team in need of healthy bodies in the backfield. A favorable new environment could produce a rebound performance for Akers, something which would boost his free agent value come the spring. With multiple interested parties, meanwhile, the Rams may be able to secure somewhat notable draft compensation in a swap.

Raiders DE Chandler Jones: Mark Davis Is Holding A “Huge Secret”

September 17th, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Rory Parks

The odd situation between Chandler Jones and the Raiders does not appear to be any closer to a resolution. On September 15, the edge defender posted a tweet indicating that the team has not yet contacted him or his reps, though just last week he posted to his Instagram account what appears to be a text exchange between him and Raiders owner Mark Davis (via Tashan Reed of The Athletic).

To recap, in the days leading up to Las Vegas’ regular season opener, Jones posted a series of angry messages to his Instagram account alleging that the Raiders locked him out of the team facility, thereby forcing him to work out at a local gym. In those since-deleted posts, he went on say that he could not get in touch with either head coach Josh McDaniels or general manager Dave Ziegler and no longer wanted to play for the club as long as McDaniels and Ziegler remain in charge.

Then, in another round of social media posts that he later deleted, Jones — who missed several practices towards the end of training camp for undisclosed reasons — said that the Raiders had sent a member of the Las Vegas crisis response team to his home. The CRT member allegedly told Jones that he was in danger and needed to go with her.

Speculation has swirled that Jones is dealing with a mental health matter, though there has been no confirmation in that regard. The organization has, unsurprisingly, declined to comment about the situation.

In a new string of tweets, at least some of which have been deleted, Jones spoke more directly about Davis.

“I wish mark Davis told the ppl why I really can’t play,” Jones said (as relayed by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “I think I know why, but I want y’all to ask him. I’ll let him say it to the public not me lmao. I wish I could play with my brothers, but marky mark is holding a huge secret that only I know! That’s why I was asking for my protection sorry if I sound scared because I’m not lol, when I found out I was lol.”

It is unclear what secret Jones is referring to, or what information he discovered. In the above-referenced text exchange, the only substantive portion of Davis’ dialogue read, “I care for you the person more than I care for you the player.. I’m here for you should you feel the need to talk.. Man to man.. With respect..”

Jones was inactive for the Raiders’ Week 1 victory over the Broncos and is also inactive for today’s matchup with the Bills. At this point, it is difficult to say when (or even if) Jones will hit the field again.

In his most recent tweets, Jones added, “[Davis] can’t cut me, I have proof of his reps saying I’m under contract, and they want me on the team.. but not playing right now. Lol.”

Indeed, if the Raiders were to release Jones, they would be saddled with a dead money charge of roughly $13MM (though as a post-June 1 transaction, such a release would actually yield a modest cap savings on the 2023 ledger). Presumably, Las Vegas would like for Jones to return to action and try to live up to the three-year, $51MM contract he signed last offseason, a deal that looks like a signficiant misstep given the current impasse and Jones’ disappointing 2022 campaign.

It is fair to wonder if the NFLPA will become involved in this matter, particulary in light of Jones’ accusations against Davis.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/23

September 16th, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s callups and adjustments heading into Week 2:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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