Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Cam Newton plans to have surgery on his foot and that the career-long Panther would be open to joining the Chicago Bears next season.
Cam Newton plans to have surgery on his foot and that the career-long Panther would be open to joining the Chicago Bears next season.
Cam Newton plans to have surgery on his foot and that the career-long Panther would be open to joining the Chicago Bears next season.
Cam Newton plans to have surgery on his foot and that the career-long Panther would be open to joining the Chicago Bears next season.
Cam Newton plans to have surgery on his foot and that the career-long Panther would be open to joining the Chicago Bears next season.
Cam Newton plans to have surgery on his foot and that the career-long Panther would be open to joining the Chicago Bears next season.
Former Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has been designated to return to practice by the Miami Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins designated former Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel to return to practice following a 10-week stint on the injured reserve.
Van Ginkel was placed on the injured reserve on September 6, and will be eligible to make his NFL debut on December 1 when the Dolphins take on the Eagles.
Van Ginkel was a fifth-round pick by the Dolphins in 2019 after two successful seasons at Wisconsin. The Iowa Western CC transfer was a third-team All-BIG 10 selection in his senior year with the Badgers, recording 59 combined tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles.
Van Ginkel’s designation to return to practice is a good sign that he will be a factor for Miami down the stretch, as the team had multiple players eligible to return this season, but they made him one of just two chosen to return.
However, while he is expected to compete for a role as a core special teamer for the Dolphins, he is unlikely to carve out a role on the defense until 2020 at the earliest.
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The Detroit Lions open Week 11 with six players unable to practice on Wednesday, including five starters including Matthew Stafford.
The Detroit Lions (3-5-1) are preparing to host the Dallas Cowboys (5-4) in Week 11 and they opened the week with several key players injured. Six Lions’ players were unable to practice on Wednesday, including five starters.
Let’s take a closer look at which Lions’ players are injured, their current participation level, and what their early expectations for the week are.
QB Matthew Stafford (back, hip)
RB Ty Johnson (concussion)
RT Rick Wagner (concussion)
DL Da’Shawn Hand (ankle)
S Tracy Walker (knee)
DE Romeo Okwara (groin)
When coach Matt Patricia opened his morning press conference, he declared everyone on this list out — everyone except Stafford.
Any hopes that Stafford would return to today’s practice was quickly squashed when he showed up at practice with no pads or helmet. The timeline for Stafford return is very much up in the air and could linger.
Johnson and Wagner suffered concussions in last week’s game and are currently in the league’s protocol. Either would need to return to the field tomorrow if they want a chance to play this weekend.
Walker and Hand missed all of last week — practices and the game — and their continued absence is not a great sign for their status for the weekend.
Okwara was injured mid-week, listed as questionable heading into the game and was ruled out after pre-game warmups. He now opens the week unable to practice indicating there could be a regression in his healing process.
LB/S Miles Killebrew (concussion)
NT John Atkins (wrist)
P Sam Martin (abdomen)
After suffering a concussion last Thursday in practice, Killebrew was able to return to the field today, suggesting he has passed the first few stages of the league’s protocol. Brain injuries are often difficult to project and he still has hurdles to climb, but pending medical monitoring throughout the week, he could return to the field this weekend.
Atkins’ wrist is a new addition to the injury report, but limited participation is a positive sign. Additionally, last Sunday Atkins saw 35-percent of defensive snaps, well above his typical allotment, further pointing the arrow in a positive direction.
Martin is abdomen is still bothering him but it didn’t prevent him from playing last weekend. With no other punter signed to the roster this week, he appears on track to play against the Cowboys.
DT Mike Daniels (foot)
DT A’Shawn Robinson (ankle, thumb)
DT Damon Harrison (groin)
WR Danny Amendola (hand)
With Daniels, Robinson and Harrison all injured, every rostered defensive tackle is dealing with some level of injury. The fact that all three are full participants is excellent news, although it wouldn’t be surprising to see Harrison get a rest day on Thursday, as has been the recent routine.
Amendola didn’t seem hampered by the hand injury last game and expectations are he will be good to go again this weekend in a matchup where he could be a major factor.
CB Darius Slay (hamstring)
RG Graham Glasgow (back)
LG Joe Dahl (ankle)
All three started last week and played over 90-percent of snaps. This is a great sign for their future availability.
DT Kevin Strong (rib)
EDGE Austin Bryant (pectoral)
Strong was placed on IR on Tuesday, ending a very promising rookie season. Despite entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Strong made his mark in training camp, earning a spot on the 53-man roster and seeing the field between 20 and 45-percent of weekly defensive snaps. Expectations are he will take the remaining time this season to heal up and return healthy for next years offseason.
Bryant is now two weeks into his 21-day practice window and the Lions will have to make a decision on his status sometime within the next week. A decision could be made at any time, depending on his health and ability to get up to speed on defense.
The Cowboys may lose their starting left guard Connor Williams to injury.
One of the Cowboys’ longer injury reports of the season. However, Connor Williams is the only one not expected to play Sunday. pic.twitter.com/REponwJ2zq
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 13, 2019
With tight end Luke Willson now out with a hamstring injury, Seattle Seahawks will likely activate Ed Dickson back to the 53-man roster.
The Seattle Seahawks just continue to suffer injuries at the tight end position. In Week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers, Luke Willson left the game with a hamstring injury and was unable to return leaving Jacob Hollister as the team’s only true tight end on the roster.
Willson had been battling a rib injury heading into the contest.
“Luke’s got a legit hamstring – legit meaning that it’s not just a little cramp or something,” coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday after Willson had been further evaluated. “It showed up in the MRI testing of it. But it might be a couple weeks for him, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
With Willson potentially out for the near future, the Seahawks will look to tight end Ed Dickson for additional support at the spot. Dickson, who is now eligible to be activated back from the injured reserve, should be healthy to play.
“Yes, he’s ready to go,” Carroll confirmed. “Fortunately, if Luke is unable to play then we would like to think we can go right to Ed and get him going.”
Dickson has been able to practice with the team but must be added back to the 53-man roster before he can make his 2019 season debut.
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New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton commended the progress WR Keith Kirkwood has made in working to return from injured reserve.
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The New Orleans Saints had high hopes for second-year wide receiver Keith Kirkwood during the summer. Kirkwood was their preferred stand-in for Michael Thomas during his brief holdout for a contract extension, but he played just a dozen snaps in the season-opener before exiting with a hamstring injury. It continued to dog him throughout the following week and was so badly aggravated in pregame warmups that he landed on injured reserve.
Now, nine weeks later, Kirkwood is working to return to the team. Because of the NFL’s injured reserve rules, players designated to return from that list have a two-week window in which to practice before they can be allowed to suit up for a game. The Saints haven’t given Kirkwood that designation yet, so it means the earliest he could possibly return would be Week 13’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. But Saints coach Sean Payton did offer an update on his status before practice Wednesday.
“He’s doing well,” Payton said. “He’s been moving well and running well, so we’ll keep paying attention to that and keep working with him and getting him to where he’s able to play.”
Maybe Kirkwood could be the help the Saints need. He came through in clutch moments last season as a rookie practice squad call-up, appearing in nine games (including the playoffs). He went 15-of-23 for 217 yards, a clip of 14.5 yards per catch, converting 12 first downs and scoring three touchdowns. For perspective, here’s how that stat line would rank among Saints wide receivers this year:
Even if his performance came on limited snap counts (Kirkwood averaged 30.9 plays per game on offense, but trailed only Thomas among snaps played by wide receivers in their playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles), it was enough to earn Brees’ trust and build some momentum going into the offseason. Hopefully they can pick up where they left off when Kirkwood returns, if he’s able. Payton is clearly encouraged by his progress so far.
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Chargers safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips are eligible to get lifted off the injured reserve.
Chargers safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips are now able to come off the injured reserve, but it doesn’t appear that’ll be this week. Despite them not being ready for the Monday night bout against the Chiefs, the two are getting work in to possibly return after the bye week.
According to the Athletic’s Daniel Popper, James and Phillips were on the field doing some agility and speed work, while the rest of the team held their normal practice at Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.
James has been running pain-free as he recovers from summer foot surgery. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he is poised to return to the lineup when the Chargers take on the Broncos in Week 13.
Meanwhile, Phillips has been moving around since fracturing his forearm earlier this season. He recently had a cast on his arm and coach Anthony Lynn said once he got the cast off then the team would see where he’s at.
If Los Angeles is able to take care of business against the Chiefs, James and Phillips’ services will be needed to help them go on a winning streak en route to the playoffs. If they lose, it might make more sense to let them rest the remainder of the season instead of risking another injury.
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The Detroit Lions have claimed offensive tackle Dan Skipper off of waivers from the Houston Texans and placed rising defensive tackle Kevin Strong on injured reserve.
The Detroit Lions have claimed offensive tackle Dan Skipper off of waivers from the Houston Texans and placed rising young defensive tackle Kevin Strong on injured reserve.
This is Skipper’s second stint with the Lions, in what has been a long journey through five NFL teams over the last four years.
He originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2017, signing with the Dallas Cowboys and beginning that season on their practice squad. He was released after just a few weeks but was immediately picked up by the Lions and signed to their practice squad.
After a month on the Lions practice squad, he was promoted to the active roster. He only spent one game on the 53-man roster before returning to the practice squad, where he would finish the season. Skipper signed a futures contract with the team in 2018 but was released after training camp cut downs, and would eventually join the Denver Broncos practice squad.
After the 2018 season, the New England Patriots added him to their practice squad for their Super Bowl run. He would stay with the Patriots through the offseason, but once again was released at roster cuts, eventually signing to their practice squad.
The Houston Texans signed Skipper to their 53-man roster off the Patriots practice squad, where he played three games for them this season in Week’s 7, 8 and 9. Yesterday, Skipper was waived by the Texans and the Lions used a waiver claim to add him to their active roster.
Big (6-10, 309-pounds) but light on his feet (see video below), Skipper has the frame to be a mauling right tackle in the NFL.
Dan Skipper, punt returner… pic.twitter.com/gzHj5ZiEXM
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) January 19, 2017
With Rick Wagner in concussion protocol, the Lions only had two healthy offensive tackles on their active roster — Taylor Decker and Tyrell Crosby — and needed an experienced body to fill out depth. Swing guard Kenny Wiggins has some experience at right tackle, but the Lions have a plan for him on the interior, and practice squad tackle Matt Nelson is not NFL ready as he is still adjusting to the position after playing defensive end last season. Skipper offers the team some flexibility.
Losing Strong for the season is a bigger blow than it appears on the surface as he has completely outplayed his original season projection as an undrafted free agent — only four short weeks ago, Strong was the Lions best defender in Week 7 per PFF grades.
Here are the #Lions highest grades players from Week 7 (min 25 snaps):
Offensively:
WR Marvin Jones Jr.- 76.8 OVRDefensively:
DI Kevin Strong Jr.- 90.3 OVR (T-5th by defensive player)RB Kerryon Johnson earned the highest game grade of his career (84.6 OVR, only 11 snaps)
— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) October 21, 2019
With Damon Harrison, A’Shawn Robinson, Da’Shawn Hand and Mike Daniels all dealing with injuries, John Atkins is the Lions only remaining defensive lineman without a current ailment.
The Seattle Seahawks opted not to activate Ed Dickson from the injured reserve ahead of their Monday night game against San Francisco.
The Seahawks did not activate TE Ed Dickson off IR today, sources tell me and @FieldYates. For him to be eligible to play tonight, they had to do so by 1 p.m. So his ‘19 debut will wait another week. Seahawks still rolling with Luke Willson, Jacob Hollister and George Fant at TE.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) November 11, 2019
The Seattle Seahawks chose not to activate tight end Ed Dickson off the injured reserve before Monday night’s bout with the San Francisco 49ers, delaying his season debut another week.
The Seahawks only have one more week before they will either have to activate Dickson, or cut him loose.
Dickson was placed on the injured reserve just before the start of the season. He was eligible to return against the Buccaneers in Week 9, but the team decided to keep him on the IR while he got his legs back.
That appears to be the plan again this week as well. The Seahawks will go with the trio of Luke Willson, Jacob Hollister, and George Fant against the 49ers.
Dickson missed the first half of last season as well, before returning to haul in 12 receptions for 143 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.
That kind of production would be great for a Seattle team that lost Will Dissly to season-ending surgery for the second year in a row.
However, Seattle will have to wait another week to see Dickson in action.
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