Week In Review News & Rumors

Injuries hit contending teams. A number of possible playoff clubs were affected by injury issues this week, as Seahawks safety Earl Thomas (link), Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (link), Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson (link), and Vikings safety Harrison Smith (link) all went down and now face various recovery times. Thomas and Johnson are done for the season (but Johnson, even at age-34, isn’t considering retirement), but Pierre-Paul and Smith could possibly return later this year, depending on their respective teams’ postseason chances.

Trouble in La-La Land? The Rams recently announced extensions for general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher, but discord between the two decision-makers could threaten to disrupt the franchise. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported last week, the animosity between Snead and Fisher has been an “open secret in league circles for some time, and some sources even labeled the club “Rams Junior High.” Both Snead and Fisher, predictably, have denied any such rancor.

Changes possible in Buffalo. Bills general manager Doug Whaley last week refused to commit to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, on whom the club holds an option that would kick in an extra $30.5MM in guarantees. Although some reports have indicated that Buffalo hasn’t yet made a decision on Taylor, the trend line seems to show that the team won’t exercise its option. Meanwhile, head coach Rex Ryan‘s relationship with Whaley is strained, and he could be fired as soon as Monday if the Bills continue to lose.

RG3 in CLE. For the first time since Week 1, Robert Griffin III was back on a football field, as he started today’s Browns game against the Bengals. Frankly, RG3 wasn’t effective in today’s loss, as he completed only 12 of 28 attempts for 104 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception (though he did add 31 yards rushing). Head coach Hue Jackson, however, has already indicated that Griffin will start again next week as Cleveland uses this final four-game stretch to decide whether RG3 will return in 2017.

Late-season extensions in vogue. As the year progresses, teams that have a good deal of 2016 cap space left over are trying to use it up, extending young players while taking the financial hit immediately. The 49ers locked up tight end Vance McDonald to a five-year, $35MM deal, the Falcons signed cornerback Robert Alford for four years and $38MM, and the Browns inked cornerback Jamar Taylor to a three-year, $15MM pact.

Down goes Gronk. The Patriots have lost their top offensive weapon for the remainder of the season, as All Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent back surgery last week to repair a herniated disc. New England officially placed Gronkowski on injured reserve, and because the Pats already used their IR/return slot on quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Gronk has no chance of playing again this year. Gronkowski’s most recent back injury isn’t career-threatening, although he may have to play through pain for the rest of his NFL tenure. Meanwhile, fellow New England tight end Martellus Bennett turned down a $7MM/year extension offer before the season, but talks are expected to continue next year.

End of an era in Chicago? Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last week, and it’s possible — and perhaps likely — that Cutler won’t throw a pass for Chicago again. Reports all season have indicated that the Bears regime is finished with Cutler and are prepared to move on after the season, saving a chunk of cap space in the process. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com said last week that Chicago could circle back to Cutler if it isn’t able to find a better option. Matt Barkley will be under center for the reset of the season in the Windy City.

You can’t go home again. After the University of Oregon fired head football coach Mark Helfrich last Tuesday, speculation instantly arose regarding the possibility of 49ers head coach Chip Kelly returning to Eugene. Kelly, as he’s already been forced to do this season, denied the rumors, and restated his commitment to San Francisco. Previous reports had indicated that some NCAA clubs had privately reached out to Kelly’s representation in the hopes of luring him back to the college game, but it appears as though Kelly will return to the 49ers in 2017.

Latest on relocation talks. The Chargers are progressing towards a deal with the Rams to share a stadium in Inglewood, California, and although owner Dean Spanos is likely to exhaust all options before leaving San Diego, it appears as though the Chargers will be LA-bound in the near future. The Raiders, meanwhile, might face a bit more opposition to their proposed move to Las Vegas, as several owners recently voiced concerns about both Vegas’ small market size and the integrity of one particular investor.

AP to return this year? Disparate reports have emerged on the state of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s health — while some sources have indicated that Peterson is targeting a return later this month, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested last week that the All Pro back could miss the remainder of the season. Peterson has been doing some light running recently (both in a pool and on a field), while fellow Minnesota RB Jerick McKinnon contends that Peterson is “way ahead” of schedule in his recovery.

Several of the top stories from around the NFL this week…

Injuries, injuries, and more injuries: Injuries are part of the NFL, but we still hate to see some of our favorite players miss time. Several notable players were shut down for this season this week, including Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (ACL), 49ers safety Eric Reid (biceps), and Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (pectoral). It’s not all bad news, fortunately, as we learned that several injured players may actually return this season. There’s still optimism that Bengals wideout A.J. Green will return to the field, while Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is eyeing a December return.

Activations: While several players were lost for the season, we also saw the return of a handful of healthy players. Bills wideout Sammy Watkins was the most notable activation, as the receiver returned to practice for the first time since Week 2. The Buccaneers designated running back Charles Sims as their player to return, while the Panthers did the same with defensive end Ryan Delaire.

Quarterback Futures: Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is reportedly seeking nearly $24MM annually, while the organization could choose to franchise him to a similar one-year deal. This would certainly be a pay increase for the fifth-year veteran, who is currently making $19.95MM. With Jay Cutler being ruled out for the season in Chicago, there was some thought that he may have played his final game with the organization. However, there’s reportedly some optimism that the veteran could return to the Bears in 2017. Finally, the Tony Romo/Dak Prescott saga continues in Dallas.

Webb Cut: Despite signing J’Marcus Webb to a two-year deal over the offseason, the Seahawks cut bait with the offensive lineman this week. The 28-year-old was expected to be a starter for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense, but he ended up losing the gig after only three games. The return of rookie Germain Ifedi cemented Webb’s fate, although it’s not hard to envision the veteran catching on with another team.

McDaniels Wants to Coach: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is presumably enjoying his renaissance with Tom Brady and the organization, but the 40-year-old said he’d love to get another head coaching gig. McDaniels will presumably be a commodity this winter, although he didn’t have much success when he coached the Broncos several years ago. Denver ended up going 11-17 in one-plus season with McDaniels at the helm.

High price tag on Richardson. The Jets reportedly spoke with both the Cowboys and Broncos about the possibility of dealing pass rusher Sheldon Richardson before the trade deadline, but Gang Green was aiming to recoup expensive compensation. The cost for Richardson was apparently a first-round pick, and neither Dallas nor Denver was willing to acquiesce. Subsequent reports have indicated that Richardson, as well as fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, have been repeatedly late for meetings and walkthroughs. The Jets control Richardson through the 2017 season thanks to his fifth-year option.

Stars returning to the field. Both the Chiefs and the Patriots will get key players back on the field in the near future, as the clubs have activated linebacker Justin Houston and running back Dion Lewis from the PUP list, respectively. Though he’s returned to the 53-man roster, Houston didn’t play today against the Panthers (though he did not suffer a setback). It’s unclear whether Lewis will be active tonight when New England faces Seattle, but if he is, he’ll add another dimension to an offense that’s already among the league’s best.

No. 1 pick could become No. 1 QB. Although one report has indicated that Rams rookie Jared Goff won’t start for Los Angeles until the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com today reported that Goff could become the club’s starting quarterback as soon as next week. The Rams are currently locked in a defensive struggle with the Jets, and starter Case Keenum hasn’t led Los Angeles on a touchdown-scoring drive yet today. If he takes the reigns next week, Goff would see his first NFL action against the Dolphins at home.

Suspensions hit contenders. Cowboys pass rusher Randy Gregory failed yet another drug test last week, and is now facing a possible one-year ban. Gregory was supposed to return later this season after serving two concurrent bans, but that now seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro is facing a four-game suspension for using Adderall, though Vaccaro has vowed to fight the discipline. New Orleans and Vaccaro are now awaiting the results of a second sample.

Chargers likely in San Diego through next year. Though an initiave to fund a new stadium in San Diego failed on election day, the Chargers are still probably staying in San Diego through the 2017 season, as the club will delay a decision to move to Los Angeles until 2018. Owner Dean Spanos confirmed as much, saying he’ll put the issue of relocating his team on the backburner until next year.

The Browns make a big move. The Indians blew a three game to one lead to lose the World Series to the Cubs, but elsewhere in Cleveland, the Browns made a huge trade, sacrificing a conditional third-round compensatory pick in exchange for Patriots LB Jamie Collins. The reaction to the move was swift, with most observers guessing that Collins simply wants more money that New England was willing to pay — though Collins has disputed wanting a “Von Miller” contract, reports have indicated that he wants to top Luke Kuechly‘s $12MM+ salary. As of yet, the Browns haven’t started negotiating a new deal with Collins, who will be a free agent at season’s end.

Rest of the deadline stays quiet. Besides the Collins trade, the deadline consisted of mostly smoke but no fire. The Browns were reportedly considering moving defensive backs Tramon Williams (link) and Joe Haden, and while the Saints inquired on the latter, no deal was ever swung. Likewise, Cleveland held onto future Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas, and San Francisco did the same with Joe Staley and Torrey Smith. Meanwhile, conflicting reports emerged in regards to Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson — while the Cowboys reportedly made an offer for Richardson (and were interested in Miami’s Cameron Wake), other reports indicated that the rest of the league had limited interest in Richardson.

No more Norv. Norv Turner abruptly resigned as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator last week, ceding his responsibility to tight ends coach Pat Shurmur. While Minnesota sat at 5-2 entering play today, the club’s offense ranked only 24th in DVOA, though injuries can be blamed for many of the team’s struggles. Head coach Mike Zimmer said he was quite surprised by Turner’s decision, and subsequent reports have said Turner was not forced out. Shurmur, meanwhile, will get his third opportunity to work with Sam Bradford, having coached him previously with the Rams and Eagles.

Andre Johnson hangs ’em up. Midway through his 14th NFL season, receiver Andre Johnson announced that he would retire. Johnson is the all-time leader in just about every Texans’ receiving category, and though he sputtered during his final two seasons with the Colts and Titans, he still looks like a surefire Hall of Famer. His 1,062 career receptions places him eighth all-time (just behind Reggie Wayne), while he currently ranks ninth in receiving yards with 14,185. And Johnson was just as exceptional on a rate basis, as his 73.5 yards per game places him ninth in league history.

Percy is back. While Johnson decided to call it quits, fellow receiver Percy Harvin took the opposite tack — he’s coming back to the NFL, having signed a one-year deal to rejoin the Bills. Harvin will earn about $1MM for the remainder of the season, and will try to help spark a Buffalo offense that has been ravaged by injuries. This past offseason, he wrestled with the idea of retirement and flip-flopped a couple of times in the spring. In April, he told the Bills that he was done playing football, but he apparently had a change of heart in recent weeks.

The Giants mishandle domestic violence. The Giants are one of the more respected franchises in the NFL, but they were embarrassed last week as they erred in dealing with the Josh Brown/domestic violence situation. After reports indicated that Brown had admitted to abuse in the past, New York first stood by its embattled kicker, who had already been suspended for the season opener. Once the pressure escalated, the Giants subsequently signed fellow kicker Robbie Gould, and Brown won’t kick for the club again. Brown has been placed on the exempt list, but other teams were irked by what they viewed as preferential treatment of Brown and the Giants organization.

Down goes Big Ben. Ben Roethlisberger suffered a torn meniscus in last week’s loss to the Dolphins, and now faces an absence of undetermined time. The Steelers QB has undergone surgery, and the club says it’s confident Roethlisberger isn’t dealing with a long-term injury. Still, one report indicates that Roethlisberger could miss as many as six weeks — another report this morning, however, said Big Ben could be back following Pittsburgh’s Week 8 bye. Landry Jones is filling in today against the Patriots, and will hold down the fort until Roethlisberger can return.

The return of Cutler? Brian Hoyer had been playing extremely well in the absence of Bears starting quarterback Jay Cutler, so much so that Cutler might have had a difficult time reclaiming his job. However, any questions Chicago may have faced subsided last week when Hoyer broke his non-throwing arm, meaning he’ll be shelved for some time. Cutler will take the reins once he returns from injury, but the Bears still plan to move on from him after the season.

Viva Las Vegas. The Raiders plan to officially file for relocation in January, and team owner Mark Davis appears to be moving full-steam ahead with his plan to move his club to Las Vegas. Nevada approved $750MM in public money for a $1.9MM domed stadium in Las Vegas, clearing a significant financial hurdle. Still, Davis would still need his other owners to approve such a move, but at least one report indicated that the league’s stakeholders could be agreeable to voting yes.

Packers reshuffle backfield. Green Bay placed Eddie Lacy — who had reportedly regained weight — on injured reserve last week, and with backup James Starks already hurt, the club needed a boost in its backfield. The Packers traded for the Chiefs’ Knile Davis, and promoted Don Jackson from the practice squad, but the real shot in the arm came from converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery. Lining up primarily in the backfield, Montgomery rushed nine times for 60 yards, and added 10 receptions for 66 yards.

The 49ers turn to Kaepernick. San Francisco agreed to a restructured contract with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, wiping out the remaining four years of the deal and therefore ridding itself of Kaepernick’s injury guarantees. With that fear out of the way, the Niners opted to start Kaepernick over the embattled Blaine Gabbert, though the results on Sunday weren’t much different. Kaepernick completed less than half his passes as the Niners lost big to the Bills. Kaepernick, meanwhile, is reportedly likely to opt out of his deal following the 2016 campaign.

The Ravens make a change. The last time Baltimore made a midseason offensive coordinator change, the club went on to win the Super Bowl. Will that chain of events repeat itself in 2016? It’s too early to say, but the Ravens are obviously hoping that’s the case after they fired play-caller Marc Trestman and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Marty Mornhinweg. Following Baltimore’s Week 5 loss to the Redskins, quarterback Joe Flacco described the offense as “embarrassing” and said that the struggles so far this year have been “frustrating.” The Ravens’ struggles continued today, as the team lost 27-23 to the Giants.

Raiders inch closer to Vegas. The Nevada Assembly approved a funding bill for the Raiders’ proposed stadium in Las Vegas, meaning that the club has taken a major step towards relocating to Sin City. The state of Nevada will now contribute $750MM to the project, which is estimated to cost about $1.9 billion. The NFL, meanwhile, is reportedly pushing for a CBA extension in order to secure funding for stadiums in Vegas and San Diego. UNLV’s stadium could prove to be a stopgap option for the Raiders while a new arena is built.

Greg Hardy moving to MMA. With no options remaining in the NFL, free agent edge rusher Greg Hardy is transitioning to MMA. Hardy, once a top defensive player in the NFL, was suspended for the bulk of the 2014 season and part of the 2015 season for a domestic violence incident. The Cowboys gave Hardy a second chance, but he was reportedly a thorn in the side of coaches. This offseason, teams were unwilling to take on all of the headaches that would come with signing Hardy and it now sounds like he is moving on from football altogether.

Eagles lose a key offensive lineman. The NFL upheld Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson‘s 10-game suspension for PEDs, dealing a massive blow to the Eagles’ front five. Johnson’s ban initially came down over the summer, but he had been fighting the decision. Now, the fight is over and Johnson will be out of action until Philly’s Week 16 game against the Giants. Johnson tested positive for PEDs in August but he claimed that he unknowingly took a tainted amino acid. $25MM in guarantees has now been voided in Johnson’s contract thanks to the ban.