HEADLINES

Raiders To Start Aidan O’Connell In Week 6

October 9th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Unlike the Las Vegas development earlier this season, Gardner Minshew‘s benching will last into the next week. Antonio Pierce announced Wednesday afternoon it will be Aidan O’Connell in Week 6.

The Raiders had been reportedly set to relaunch their Minshew-O’Connell competition from this offseason, going through practices to determine the starter. That would have been somewhat unusual given all the intel the team already has on the two passers. After sitting Minshew twice during games this season, Pierce will give O’Connell another shot.

Pierce said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he wants O’Connell to start for the rest of the season, though the second-year Raiders HC couched that stance by noting Minshew would return to the lineup if needed. This back-and-forth has lasted for months, with an O’Connell offseason lead eventually turning into Minshew winning the job. Pierce then benched Minshew in Weeks 3 and 5. Pierce is now going back to the player who started throughout his interim HC run.

This brings O’Connell’s second in-season promotion. Although the 2023 fourth-round pick started in place of Jimmy Garoppolo in a game early last season (featuring a Khalil Mack sack explosion), Josh McDaniels went with Brian Hoyer over him when Garoppolo sustained a second injury. Shortly after the Raiders canned McDaniels, Pierce gave O’Connell the job for good. Garoppolo did not start another game with the team and was released, via a post-June 1 cut, this offseason.

O’Connell, who is already 26 despite entering the NFL last year, completed 62.1% of his passes as a rookie (at 6.5 per attempt). That came largely under interim OC Bo Hardegree, who is not on this year’s Raiders staff. O’Connell is at 59.4% and 5.5 per pass under OC Luke Getsy, though 32 passes is obviously not a sufficient sample size. The Raiders will expand that number beginning against the Steelers, but this ongoing drama should be expected to produce ties to future QB options soon.

The Raiders gave Minshew a two-year, $25MM deal ($15MM guaranteed at signing) as insurance in case the draft board did not fall their way. After Pierce pushed for a trade-up — with an unrealistic climb for former Arizona State charge Jayden Daniels the ultimate goal — GM Tom Telesco stood down. The Raiders had hosted Bo Nix on a pre-draft visit and were linked to Michael Penix Jr., but they did not view either as trade-up targets. Denver chose Nix at No. 12, and Las Vegas went with a best-player-available pick in Brock Bowers at 13. Bowers has shown immediate promise, and while he will currently be tasked with helping O’Connell, the Raiders will be looking for a way out of this long-running QB chapter soon.

Minshew, who is being benched despite at 70.7% completion rate (7.2 yards per attempt, albeit with a 4-to-5 TD-INT ratio) secured $3.16MM of his 2025 base salary ($11.84MM) guaranteed at signing. It will cost the Raiders $7.66MM in dead money to drop him in 2025. The Raiders are already on the hook for more than $17MM in dead cap due to the Garoppolo release; $12.8MM of that sum will hit the team’s cap sheet in 2025.

Minshew, 27, led the Colts to the playoff precipice; like Joe Flacco, he proved a more accurate solution than project Anthony Richardson. QBR slotted Minshew 13th last season. This led to the Raiders making him the second-highest-paid QB free agent of this year’s class. But he is now following Garoppolo — last year’s highest-paid QB free agent — in being benched for O’Connell, who joined Minshew in throwing INTs to Patrick Surtain on Sunday. Minshew threw a second pick in his Denver outing as well.

The Raiders enjoyed QB stability for nine seasons, with Derek Carr a dependable (if unremarkable) starter. The team has since started five QBs since Carr’s late-season benching two years ago. It will be O’Connell’s turn again, and with the Raiders having him under contract through 2026, this Minshew demotion gives the (slightly) younger passer a chance to audition for a 2025 stopgap gig.

Bears Open Practice Window For DE Jacob Martin

October 9th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bears are set to add some veteran depth to their pass rushing attack in a couple weeks after opening the 21-day practice window for defensive end Jacob Martin, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The opening of the window will give Martin three weeks to make his return to the active roster.

Martin opened the season on injured reserve with a toe injury. Thanks to new rules dictating NFL roster spots, teams were allowed to place two players on IR before the roster cut deadline and designate them to be able to return during the season. Before this rule change, any players placed on IR before the deadline would be lost for the season. Martin was one of Chicago’s two designations alongside offensive tackle Larry Borom.

After missing the first four games, both players were eligible to return to practice and the active roster, but it appears Borom and Martin each needed a bit more time. Borom’s window still has not been opened.

In his seventh NFL season, Martin is hoping to debut soon for the sixth team of his NFL career. Originally a sixth-round pick for the Seahawks out of Temple, Martin has also spent time with the Texans, Jets, Broncos, and Colts. His time in Seattle and Houston was the most productive of his career. Traded to the Texans after a three-sack rookie campaign, Martin collected 10.5 sacks in three years in Houston. He spent the final year of his rookie deal finally emerging as a full-time starter. Since then, he’s bounced around in minor roles.

Now that his practice window has been opened, Martin has 21 days to be activated from IR onto the active roster. If he’s unable to return to the 53-man roster after those three weeks, Martin will be relegated back to season-ending IR, unable to return in the 2024 NFL season. The Bears will hope to add him and bolster a group currently led by Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker.

Jaguars Place KR/PR Devin Duvernay On IR

October 9th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars watched former All-Pro and Pro Bowl return man Jamal Agnew depart in free agency this offseason after a few injury-nagged seasons with the team. They signed his replacement, former Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay, a couple years after All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons of his own. Unfortunately, it seems that the signing did not solve the team’s injury issues at the position as Duvernay has now been placed on injured reserve.

Duvernay will miss at least the next four games nursing a hamstring injury that he suffered in Jacksonville’s Week 5 win over the Colts. Duvernay has played in all five games this year for the Jaguars, only once playing double-digit snaps on offense. His use on offense has been as a gadget player. In fact, Duvernay has more rushing production (3 carries, 10 yards) than receiving (1 target, 1 reception, -1 yard).

Much like his last season in Baltimore, Duvernay’s main usage has come on special teams. As the new primary return man for the Jaguars, Duvernay has averaged 20.0 yards per kick return, up from 19.3 last year. His 11.6 yards per punt return are tied for third in the NFL with his replacement in Baltimore, Deonte Harty. This past weekend saw his most productive punt return performance. He returned a season-high three punts, including one return for 53 yards.

Replacing Duvernay as the new primary returner will likely be Parker Washington. The reserve receiver served as the injury replacement for Agnew last year, returning 12 punts and two kickoffs. Wide receiver Christian Kirk will likely be the second option on punt returns; he had two returns for Jacksonville last year and has 57 in his career. Backup running backs Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson could be put back with Washington on kickoffs. They might even be the primary pair back there as they combined to return 11 kickoffs last year.

Hamstring injuries can be nagging, so Duvernay likely won’t be rushed back. If he’s able to heal quickly, he’ll be able to return in time for a Week 10 matchup with the Vikings. If he still requires more time after becoming eligible to return, the team’s bye week comes two weeks later. A seven-week absence utilizing that bye week would set him up for a December 1 return against the division-rival Texans.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/9/24

October 9th, 2024 at 7:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Designated for return from reserve/PUP list: CB DJ Ivey

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Free Agents

The Browns are set to start working Hurst and Diabate back to the active roster in practice. 17 of Hurst’s 18 starts came in his first three years in the NFL back from 2018-20, but he did line up as a starter in his lone game with the Browns this year prior to being placed on injured reserve.

Carpenter and Smith are set to miss their next six games due to the suspension levied by the NFL. Carpenter’s suspension is likely linked to the December arrest last year that saw him released from Pittsburgh’s practice squad. The purpose for Smith’s suspension isn’t as clear, but he also got arrested in 2022 on drugs and weapons charges.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/24

October 9th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Wilson is a former collegiate basketball player who played for two years apiece at Idaho and Oregon State. He transitioned to football, transferring to Washington State for three years, appearing in 12 games in 2022 at right and left tackle. He then played in 13 basketball games for the Cougars before transferring to Minnesota and transitioning back to basketball for his final year of collegiate eligibility.

Saints To Start Spencer Rattler In Week 6

October 9th, 2024 at 4:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

A gargantuan gap existed between the Nos. 6 and 7 quarterbacks to go off the board this year, with Spencer Rattler dropping into the fifth round. That will not stop the Saints from the rookie being their choice to replace Derek Carr.

With Carr out for “a few weeks” due to an oblique tear, New Orleans is going with Rattler, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. The former South Carolina and Oklahoma starter will receive the nod in Week 6, being tabbed over Jake Haener as the Saints’ top backup.

Rattler will likely receive the call for at least two games, with the Saints’ Week 7 contest — a home tilt against the Broncos — booked for Thursday night that week. New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay this week. While the expectation of Carr missing multiple games surfaced Tuesday, this is the first news of a tear. This stands to significantly disrupt the 11th-year passer’s season. Carr played through a few injuries last season, a campaign that included two concussions. He has only missed three games due to injury in his career, with the most recent coming in 2017.

This will not exactly be familiar territory for the Saints. Although they needed to start Ian Book due to a COVID-19 emergency in 2021, this organization does not make a habit of using rookie quarterbacks. Carr followed Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston as the Saints’ post-Drew Brees starters. Brees, a 2006 free agency addition, was in place as the team’s starter for 15 seasons. Brees predecessor Aaron Brooks also was not a rookie when he began his starter tenure in 2000. Rattler is poised to become the Saints’ first multigame rookie QB starter of the 21st century.

The Saints have gone 53 years since drafting a quarterback in the first round (Archie Manning). That was not in play for the team this year, with Carr signed through 2026 and restructuring his deal this offseason, but Mickey Loomis and Co. did bring in Rattler after the wave of QBs came off the board in Round 1. Though, it took four more rounds for Rattler to hear his name called. Rattler went 150th overall.

Teammates with both Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams and Oklahoma, Rattler started in between the two eventual NFL regulars. Williams supplanted him, leading to a South Carolina transfer. Rattler posted a Big 12-best 28 TD passes during the COVID-shortened 2020 season but saw Williams take his job in 2021, and while his two South Carolina starting seasons did not produce explosive offensive numbers, the experienced college starter completed a Gamecocks-record 68.9% of his passes last season.

Rattler and Haener battled for the QB2 job this summer. Despite the latter receiving a skin cancer diagnosis, he did not land on the Saints’ reserve/NFI list. Haener, a 2023 fourth-round pick, is on New Orleans’ 53-man roster but will back up Rattler this week.

The Carr component here certainly brings trouble for a Saints team that has lost three straight. The Saints’ schedule is not particularly daunting following the Bucs and Broncos matchups, with the Chargers and Panthers on tap in Weeks 8 and 9 (in the event of a Carr IR move). But the team needs to recapture its early-season form soon. Rattler being thrown into the fire will make that more difficult than it otherwise would be.

Michael Pittman Jr. Sustains Back Injury; IR In Play For Colts WR

October 9th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Receiving a big-ticket extension this offseason, Michael Pittman Jr. is facing his first extended injury absence in years. The Colts may be without their top wide receiver for a while due to a back injury.

The injury is expected to sideline the fifth-year wideout for multiple games, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicates IR is in play for Indianapolis. Pittman has not been on IR since his rookie season, having played all but two games since.

This adds to the Colts’ injury trouble. Jonathan Taylor missed last week with a high ankle sprain, and Anthony Richardson did not overcome a doubtful designation to play. The Colts started Joe Flacco for Richardson, who suffered oblique and abdominal strains against the Steelers. Both the quarterback and running back are uncertain for Week 6, a game that will not involve Pittman.

Leg surgery cost Pittman three games as a rookie, during a period in which an IR placement only cost a player three games. Pittman would miss four if placed on IR, and back injuries can certainly linger. This has already been a rocky season for Pittman, who has admittedly been hamstrung by Richardson’s developmental issues. Pittman has only topped 40 receiving yards in one of the Colts’ five 2024 games. Not coincidentally, it was the Week 4 contest Flacco finished.

The Colts gave Pittman a three-year, $70MM extension, doing so after using their franchise tag for the first time since 2013. His career-best numbers came with Gardner Minshew primarily targeting him last season; the former second-round pick totaled 109 catches for 1,152 yards. The Colts paid Taylor first, but the Chris Ballard regime — one that has made roster retention a high priority during his tenure — circled back to the 6-foot-4 wideout on Day 1 of the legal tampering period.

Indianapolis has been a Pittman-centric aerial operation for a while, having not done too well to find tight end production and struggling to land a reliable WR2 as well. This year, however, the team has other options in recent Day 2 draftees Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell. Downs joined Pittman in not practicing Wednesday, with a toe injury sidelining the second-year player. More of a deep threat compared to Pittman, Pierce leads the Colts with 368 receiving yards. The Colts will need to rely on the third-year playmaker more without their high-priced top target.

49ers Place S Talanoa Hufanga On IR; K Jake Moody An IR Candidate

October 9th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 9: The 49ers are following through with an IR move for one of these regulars. Hufanga is heading back to IR, the team announced. Finishing last season sidelined due to an ACL tear, Hufanga is expected back this season. But the All-Pro safety will be shut down for at least four games. The 49ers signed tight end Brayden Willis from their practice squad to take Hufanga’s roster spot.

OCTOBER 8: Talanoa Hufanga has managed to make a pair of appearances this season for the 49ers, but his next game action will come after a notable absence. The All-Pro safety is dealing with ligament damage in his wrist, head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday.

[RELATED: 49ers Place Yetur Gross-Matos On IR]

As a result, Hufanga is facing an absence of roughly one month. A stint on injured reserve would ensure at least a four-game absence, making that a consideration in this case. Shanahan added (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) the team has yet to decide if an IR stint will be in store.

In either case, today’s news is unwelcomed given Hufanga’s importance to the 49ers’ secondary and his missed time from last year. The 25-year-old suffered a torn ACL in November, limiting him to 10 regular season games and sidelining him for San Francisco’s run to the Super Bowl. Hufanga was activated from the PUP list at the end of the summer, though, making him eligible to play within the first four weeks of the campaign upon returning to practice.

The former fifth-rounder made his season debut in Week 3 before missing the following contest. Hufanga then suffered his latest injury early in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, a game which dropped the 49ers’ record to 2-3. Rebounding from that poor start will be challenging as the team deals with several key absences on defense.

In other injury news, kicker Jake Moody – who is dealing with a high ankle sprain – is facing a similar recovery timeline, per Shanahan. He too could land on IR, something which would result in an extended audition period for the team’s new kicker. Matthew Wright is now in place as Moody’s replacement, having agreed to a practice squad deal earlier today.

The 49ers designated defensive tackle ​Kalia Davis for return from IR before the roster cutdown deadline. That move used one of their eight activations for the year (although Davis has not yet been brought back into the fold), with running back Christian McCaffrey, cornerback Ambry Thomas and Jon Feliciano all still on injured reserve. First-round rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall remains on the reserve/NFI list for now; all four members of that group will use up an activation once they are healthy. The 49ers must therefore be careful with IR designations moving forward, but one or both of Hufanga and Moody could be shelved for four games soon.

Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland Avoids ACL Tear, Expected To Return This Season

October 9th, 2024 at 1:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 9: As could be expected, Kneeland is landing on IR. The Cowboys officially moved the rookie defensive end to the injured list Wednesday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Considering the timetable here, Kneeland being off Dallas’ 53-man roster makes sense. He and Lawrence’s timetables point to returns sometime in November.

OCTOBER 7: Managing to beat the Steelers despite missing their top four defensive ends, the Cowboys also received word the most recent of those injuries — to rookie Marshawn Kneeland — is not as severe as initial fears indicated.

Carted off early in Dallas’ Sunday-night win, Kneeland did not sustain an ACL tear. The second-round pick is expected to return later this season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Kneeland will miss time, however, as he suffered a partially torn lateral meniscus. A surgery is on tap, but this damage will not re-route the promising player on the level an ACL tear would have.

Kneeland is not undergoing a full meniscus repair, Rapoport adds, as that would sideline the Western Michigan alum for the season’s remainder. Rather, this is a meniscus trim. An IR move may still be in the cards, but it would be of the IR-return variety.IR probably will be the course the Cowboys take, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes this procedure will lead to a four- to six-week recovery timetable.

The Cowboys have DeMarcus Lawrence on IR, though he is expected back while Sam Williams is out for the season due to the ACL tear he sustained this summer. Micah Parsons is week to week with his high ankle sprain, creating significant issues for Mike Zimmer‘s unit.

Down Parsons and Lawrence for the Pittsburgh matchup, Dallas opted for a low-key reinforcement strategy. The team added K.J. Henry off the Bengals’ practice squad. Chauncey Golston started opposite Kneeland, while Tyrus Wheat and Carl Lawson played regularly following Kneeland’s injury. Parsons has not been ruled out for Week 6, but with Dallas’ bye coming in Week 7, the team opting for caution regarding its best player would make sense.

Expected to mix in behind Parsons, Lawrence and Williams, Kneeland came to Dallas after meeting with roughly half the NFL on “30” visits. Tallying low sack totals at Western Michigan (fewer than five in each of his four seasons at the MAC program), Kneeland nevertheless impressed on the pre-draft circuit. He tallied 26 tackles for loss from 2021-23 and became a more prominent Cowboys piece following Williams’ injury.

It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys go about replacing their latest injured D-end cog, but Kneeland and Lawrence’s return windows are comparable. A Lisfranc injury will sideline Lawrence between four and eight weeks. It is possible Parsons will have both his sidekicks back at some point in November. Absent a Parsons return in Week 6, the Cowboys will need to get by — absent a higher-profile acquisition — with a skeleton crew against the Lions.

Cowboys Open Practice Window For DaRon Bland

October 9th, 2024 at 12:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cowboys have opened the 21-day practice window for All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland, who started the regular season on injured reserve after a training camp foot fracture that required surgery, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Bland was designated to return when he was originally placed on injured reserve during final roster cuts, so the Cowboys still have seven return designations remaining for their injury-ravaged roster.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]

Rookie Caelen Carson started the Cowboys’ first three games, but struggles against the Saints and the Ravens in back-to-back weeks led to his benching, with Andrew Booth and Amani Oruwariye starting in Week 4 and 5, respectively.

The Cowboys will be hoping Bland can make a sooner-than-expected return to the field opposite Trevon Diggs with their pass rush depleted with injuries to Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland. At 3-2, Dallas sit second in the NFC East behind the Commanders with matchups against the Lions, 49ers, and Falcons in their next three games.

The Cowboys do have a Week 7 bye, so they will monitor Bland’s progress carefully to determine if he needs the extra time to get fully healthy. The sooner he can get back, the better for a Dallas defense that ranks 23rd in points allowed this season, though their primary weakness has been against the run. Still, Bland led the NFL with nine interceptions in 2023 – five of which he returned for touchdowns, an NFL record – and he would significantly shore up the Cowboys’ cornerback play after rotating through three backups to start the year.

Load More Posts