Jerry Jeudy

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22

Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

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

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Broncos Place Bradley Chubb, Jerry Jeudy On Reserve/COVID-19 List

Already favored before the Broncos’ run of positive COVID-19 tests, the Chargers keep learning of more Denver starters who will miss Sunday’s game.

The Broncos will be down Bradley Chubb, Jerry Jeudy and linebacker Baron Browning on Sunday due to positive coronavirus tests. They also placed rotational edge rusher Jonathan Cooper and backup defensive lineman McTelvin Agim on their reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.

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Additionally, the Broncos could also be without Courtland Sutton. Vic Fangio said the recently extended wideout could soon be moved to the team’s virus list, though that has not happened as of Friday afternoon (Twitter links via 9News’ Mike Klis). If Sutton ends up being shelved, the Broncos will likely be down to Kendall Hinton as their top wide receiver in Los Angeles. The team placed Tim Patrick on its virus list Wednesday.

Thirteen Broncos have been placed on the virus list over the past three days. Defensive line coach Bill Kollar also will miss Sunday’s game after a positive test. Chubb and Jeudy have each missed extensive time this season. A second 2021 ankle surgery sidelined Chubb for much of the year, while Jeudy missed most of the season’s first half because of a high ankle sprain sustained in Week 1.

The NFL moved three Week 15 games to new dates but has since altered its protocols twice in order to limit player unavailability. No games have been moved since, with the NFL playing Dolphins-Saints as scheduled despite New Orleans’ run of positive tests, and it should be expected the Broncos-Chargers rematch will be played Sunday.

While the Broncos are not technically eliminated, their losses to the Bengals and Raiders all but buried them in the AFC wild-card race. The Chargers have a 35% chance to qualify for the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.com.

Broncos To Activate Jerry Jeudy From IR

Despite missing practice Friday, Jerry Jeudy remains on track to suit up for the Broncos in Week 8. As expected, Denver is set to activate its second-year wide receiver from IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Jeudy experienced soreness after going through ramp-up workouts this week. The 2020 first-round pick is attempting to return from the high ankle sprain that cost him six games. His re-emergence stands to help a Broncos passing attack that has struggled over the past month.

The Alabama product led the Broncos with 856 receiving yards last season and generated considerable breakout buzz this offseason. After catching six passes for 72 yards in the team’s Week 1 win over the Giants, Jeudy went down midway through that game and saw his momentum stonewalled. Jeudy’s absence, and K.J. Hamler‘s season-ending injuries, stripped the Broncos of considerable weaponry. A four-game losing streak commenced.

The Broncos rank 24th offensively and have scored just 64 points during their four-game skid. During Jeudy’s career, the Broncos have yet to go through a game with he and Courtland Sutton healthy. Sutton missed Week 1 of the 2020 season and suffered an ACL tear during Denver’s Week 2 game last year. Sutton returned in New York to start this season, but Jeudy leaving that game again delayed the team’s hopes of seeing its top two receivers in action.

These setbacks have certainly altered the Broncos’ plan at wide receiver. With Sutton and Tim Patrick due for free agency in 2022, the Broncos will have decisions to make regarding their pass catchers soon.

Teddy Bridgewater will also have tight end Albert Okwuegbunam back in action, with 9News’ Mike Klis noting the second-year tight end is set to come off IR for Sunday’s game against Washington (Twitter link). Okwuegbunam has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury, further stripping Bridgewater of targets. The Missouri product showed some promise in September, after recovering from the ACL tear that ended his rookie season.

Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy To Return In Week 8

A reeling Broncos team will have some much-needed receiver help in Week 8. Vic Fangio said Jerry Jeudy will be activated ahead of Denver’s game against Washington.

The Broncos medically cleared Jeudy ahead of their Thursday road trip trip but held him out of their 17-14 loss against the Browns, giving the second-year wide receiver another 10 days to finalize his recovery from a high ankle sprain. Jeudy went down in Week 1 but was on his way to a 100-yard day in the Broncos’ win over the Giants. The Broncos designated the Alabama product to return from IR last weekend.

Losers of four straight, the Broncos have been without Jeudy and fellow slot weapon K.J. Hamler since Week 3. The team has struggled offensively without its young receivers, averaging just 16 points per game during its four-game losing streak. Hamler is out for the season after tearing an ACL.

Denver chose Jeudy 15th overall last year but has yet to see he and Courtland Sutton complete a game together. Sutton did not play in Week 1 of last season and went down for the year in Week 2. The fourth-year boundary weapon returned to start this season, but the Broncos lost Jeudy during that game. Jeudy led the Broncos in receiving last season, totaling 856 yards as a rookie.

Broncos LB Alexander Johnson Done For Year

Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson will miss the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle, per a club announcement. He’ll be placed on injured reserve today, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Broncos are already without fellow starting ‘backer Josey Jewell, who also suffered a torn pec. It’s a bad blow to Vic Fangio‘s front seven and especially poor timing for Johnson. The middle linebacker is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the spring, after he wraps his one-year, $3.384MM tender.

Johnson, 30 in December, joined the Broncos in 2018 and found his way to the starting lineup in October of 2019. He immediately improved the team’s run defense and kept his first-string gig throughout 2020. Johnson made 124 tackles and forced two fumbles last season while Pro Football Focus rated the 255-pound defender as a top-25 off-ball linebacker. In his six games this year, Johnson recorded 32 stops, two sacks, and three passes defensed.

Meanwhile, the Broncos also say that wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is unlikely to play on Thursday night when they face the Browns.

Broncos Designate Jerry Jeudy To Return From IR, Promote John Brown

Jerry Jeudy‘s return from a high ankle sprain will not happen in Week 6, but the second-year wide receiver is on the verge of coming back. The Broncos are designating him for return from IR, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The team now has 21 days to activate Jeudy.

While Jeudy’s recovery process will now involve practice work, the Broncos plan to promote recently signed wide receiver John Brown to their active roster, Klis adds (on Twitter). A free agent since requesting his release from the Raiders in late August, Brown caught on with Denver’s practice squad earlier this week.

Brown would be in line to begin his Broncos career against the Raiders, though Klis adds it is not a certainty the Broncos dress the veteran Sunday. With the eighth-year veteran being called up from the taxi squad, Denver will have that option. The Broncos are also elevating wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland from their P-squad.

Down since his Week 1 injury, Jeudy has a chance to return Thursday against the Browns but would have a better chance of being activated ahead of Denver’s Week 8 game against Washington. The Broncos have been down Jeudy and 2020 second-round pick K.J. Hamler since Week 3, when Hamler suffered a season-ending ACL tear. They have lost each of their games without both of them in the lineup, though Denver did win in Week 2 and Week 3 — over the Jaguars and Jets — when Jeudy sat and Hamler played.

The Broncos’ offense has struggled for much of the past two games, and while Jeudy would represent a likely boost, Brown will step in for the time being. A two-time 1,000-yard receiver, Brown aided Josh Allen‘s development by serving as Buffalo’s No. 1 wideout in 2019. After a productive ’19 season, however, Brown battled injuries in 2020. The Bills released Brown this offseason, signing ex-Bronco Emmanuel Sanders to replace him. Brown, 31, did not make a great impression as a Raider and was cut after the preseason. The speed merchant will have a chance to reignite his career soon.

Broncos Place CB Ronald Darby On IR

Teams inquired about Denver’s cornerback depth leading up to the season, but the Broncos will need to use it early. Denver is placing Ronald Darby on IR due to a hamstring injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The free agent acquisition will miss at least three games and possibly more. Denver signed Darby to a three-year deal this offseason, one in which the franchise also added veteran Kyle Fuller on a one-year contract and used its No. 9 overall pick on Patrick Surtain II. The latter will be counted on as a potential every-down player beginning in Week 2.

This marks the latest injury setback for Darby, who carries a checkered health history. The veteran starter played 16 games last season, setting him up for a better free agency bid, but missed 20 games over the previous three years. Of Denver’s top four corners, only Darby and Surtain are signed beyond 2021.

Barring other injuries to its cornerback corps, the Broncos have the depth to withstand this setback and continue their momentum. The team returns Bryce Callahan from last season as well. However, Callahan has an extensive injury history — one that includes a full-season absence in 2019 and an IR stay to close the 2020 slate. He will team with Fuller and Surtain as the Broncos’ top three corners beginning Sunday, however. Second-year corner Michael Ojemudia is also on IR with a hamstring injury.

Additionally, the Broncos placed Jerry Jeudy on IR and promoted wide receiver Kendall Hinton and cornerback Nate Hairston from their practice squad. Jeudy suffered a high ankle sprain Sunday and will be out for several weeks.

Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy Out 4-6 weeks

The Broncos will be without 2020 first-round pick Jerry Jeudy for a bit, but it could’ve been worse. Jeudy suffered a high ankle sprain during the team’s win over the Giants on Sunday, head coach Vic Fangio confirmed Monday.

Fangio said that thankfully the plan for now is just rest and recovery rather than surgery. The injury is expected to sideline the former Alabama star for 4-6 weeks, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That’s a tough blow, but still better than the alternative of an ankle break which would’ve brought an end to his season.

When Jeudy went down he was visibly distraught and had to be carted off, so 4-6 weeks may end up proving to be somewhat of a best-case scenario all things considered. Denver looked great while pummeling the Giants 27-7, but they’ll now be without one of their top weapons moving forward.

Courtland Sutton (coming off an ACL tear), Tim Patrick, and KJ Hamler are all likely to see their workloads increase in his absence. Jeudy looked good before suffering the injury, catching six passes for 72 yards. As a rookie last year, he had 52 catches for 856 yards and three touchdowns.

Raiders Notes: Ruggs, Key, Joyner

The Raiders will kick off their regular season on Monday Night Football against the Ravens tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s round up a few recent items on the Silver-and-Black:

  • The 2020 wide receiver draft class was absolutely loaded, and plenty of pundits believed Jerry Jeudy was the cream of the crop. Although no WR had been selected by the time the Raiders were on the board with the No. 12 overall pick, Las Vegas ultimately chose Henry Ruggs over Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb. As Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes, there were Jeudy supporters in the Raiders’ war room, but head coach Jon Gruden wanted his own version of Tyreek Hill, and he saw Ruggs as a player who fit that bill.
  • The Raiders selected DE Arden Key, who was once believed to be a first-round talent, in the third round of the 2018 draft. But the LSU product posted just three sacks in three seasons, and Vegas deemed him surplus to requirements in April. He was quickly scooped up by the 49ers, and he did not mince words when asked about his time with the Raiders. “To be honest, I wanted to get out of there,” Key said (via Jacob Hutchinson of KNBR.com). “I been wanting to get out of there. I wasn’t surprised. I was more happy than surprised. I wish it happened a little earlier but, hey, I got what I wanted and I’m good.” Key went on to say that the Raiders’ defensive scheme was a poor fit for him, and while he did not explicitly say so, it seems he is happy to be away from Gruden.
  • Count Lamarcus Joyner as another ex-Raider who is happy to be away from the club. The Raiders deployed Joyner — who primarily played safety with the Rams before signing a big-money free agent contract with Vegas — as a nickelback over the past several seasons, and he struggled in that role. The Raiders released him in March, and he signed with the Jets 10 days later. Gang Green will deploy him as single-high safety, and he is pleased with how things turned out. “I’m pretty sure the whole world knows that (I’m happy to be away from the Raiders),” he said. “I made that known. I’m so happy it’s over and I’m here with coach [Robert] Saleh right now” (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Joyner was clear that he didn’t have an issue with Gruden personally.

Broncos, First-Rounder Jerry Jeudy Agree To Terms

The Broncos and Jerry Jeudy have a deal. The first-round wide receiver will ink his four-year, $15.192MM deal soon, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The deal includes an $8.61MM signing bonus, of which 71% will be paid upfront.

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Most of this year’s draft pick signings have come later than usual, in one giant burst. There was little doubt that Jeudy and the rest of this year’s 250+ player crop would eventually sign, but teams have been nervous about the current financial climate and the prospect of laying out millions of dollars early on. The first-round picks, in particular, have dragged, due to their larger signing bonuses.

Teammate Henry Ruggs came off the board before Jeudy, going No. 12 to the Raiders. At No. 15, the Broncos got the Alabama star that many evaluators actually preferred. Jeudy doesn’t have Ruggs’ speed, but he has the size to outstretch cornerbacks on the outside and tremendous route-running ability. The 6’1″ receiver averaged 72 catches for 1,239 yards and 12 touchdowns over his final two years on campus, and he could also see some time in the slot. In Denver, he’ll team with Courtland Sutton – mostly on the opposite side, while second-round pick KJ Hamler handles the slot.

The Broncos have also agreed to terms with rookies Lloyd CushenberryJustin Strnad, Tyrie Cleveland, and Netane Muti, meaning that there’s not much paperwork left for their 2020 class.