MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Kirk Cousins has Covid and is out for Sunday nights game in Green Bay...

 

John Harbaugh: Lamar Jackson has “a chance” to play against Rams

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson moved with a heavy limp during Wednesday’s practice. Then he wasn’t on the field Thursday and Friday.

Still, he’s not being ruled out for Sunday’s big game against the Rams.

“I think he’s got a chance to play on Sunday. We’ll have to see,” head coach John Harbaugh said in his Friday press conference. “This time of year, you’ve got guys with different things. He has what he has, some other guys have their dings and things like that. It’s all hands on deck. The guys who are ready to play and can play, will. The guys who aren’t and can’t, won’t.”

Jackson hasn’t played the last two games after suffering an ankle injury during Baltimore’s loss to Cleveland in Week 14. Harbaugh told reporters that Jackson didn’t suffer a setback when he returned to the practice field on Wednesday.

Harbaugh also confirmed that backup QB Tyler Huntley, who came off the COVID-19 list on Thursday, is in line to start if Jackson can’t play. Huntley started the Week 15 loss to Green Bay, throwing and rushing for a pair of touchdowns.

Baltimore’s full injury report will be released later on Friday.

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Colts activate Carson Wentz from COVID-19 reserve



Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is back on the active roster after a brief stint on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Wentz was activated today, making him the highest-profile player to benefit from the NFL’s new rule reducing the amount of time that unvaccinated players who test positive for COVID-19 have to quarantine. Following CDC guidance, the NFL changed the minimum quarantine time from 10 days to five days. Wentz is unvaccinated.


Although Wentz still has to get final clearance from doctors tomorrow, all expectations are that he will play tomorrow against the Raiders.

The Colts have also activated tackle Braden Smith and cornerback T.J. Carrie, elevated long snapper Kyle Nelson and safety Will Redmond from the practice squad, brought up quarterback Brett Hundley and defensive tackle Chris Williams from the practice squad, waived offensive linemen Joey Hunt and Greg Senat, and restored cornerback Chris Wilcox from COVID-19 reserve to the practice squad.

Sunday’s game is a big one: If the Colts win, they clinch a playoff berth. If the Raiders win, Las Vegas would clinch a playoff berth with another win next week.

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Ravens planning on Tyler Huntley starting vs. Rams



Officially, the Ravens say quarterback Lamar Jackson has a chance to play today despite the ankle injury that kept him out of practice most of the week. But more likely, Tyler Huntley will start against the Rams.

Jackson may see what he can do in pre-game warmups, but the expectation is that Huntley will start against the Rams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.


That’s not a big surprise, as Jackson was limping on the practice field Wednesday and then didn’t even take the field at all during practice Thursday or Friday. Jackson hasn’t played and has barely practiced since injuring his ankle on December 12 against the Browns.

The good news for the Ravens is that Huntley has played well, showing he’s a far better quarterback than NFL evaluators expected when he went undrafted in 2020. The Ravens need Huntley to step up in a big way today, as they’re fighting for their playoff lives.

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Jimmy Garoppolo won’t play Sunday, will need surgery after the season



The 49ers tried to create a sense of mystery as to the identity of their starting quarterback on Sunday against the Texans. The mystery is now conclusively resolved.

Rookie Trey Lance gets the start. Oft-injured Jimmy Garoppolo won’t play, due to a ligament issue in his thumb. Multiple reports point to Lance getting an opportunity to finally show what he can do, after weeks of not doing anything.


Lance starts once, in Week Five. He served as the injury replacement for Garoppolo. Lance suffered a knee injury in the game, a 17-10 home loss. He last played in Week 11, running the ball three times for four yards in a 30-10 win over the Jaguars.

The 49ers reportedly are holding out hope that Garoppolo will return for Week 18 against the Rams. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Garoppolo eventually will need surgery to repair the thumb that was injured against the Titans during a Week 16 loss on the Thursday night before Christmas.

Although Garoppolo is expected to make a complete recovery (indeed, all surgical procedures performed on NFL players are deemed to be a complete success, until they aren’t), his health complicates the team’s plans for 2022. At times, he and the team performed well enough to spark talk of Garoppolo returning as the starter for the final year of his current contract, despite the huge draft-pick investment made to secure his inevitable replacement.

Garoppolo has a base salary of $24.2 million in 2022. None of the money is guaranteed for injury or otherwise, and there’s no trigger that converts any of the payments to guarantees — other than his presence on the active roster at the start of the regular season. It gives the team maximum flexibility to decide whether to keep, trade, or cut Garoppolo.

The final decision surely will be influenced by the manner in which Lance plays on Sunday. Indeed, that will become a factor in whether Garoppolo plays in Week 18. And both games will influence whether Lance or Garoppolo get the nod in the postseason, if the 49ers hold their current spot in the pecking order.

It’s similar, but not identical, to the situation the 49ers faced in 2012. Second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick replaced Alex Smith, who suffered a concussion during a game in November. Kaepernick instantly played well, seized the job, carried the 49ers to the brink of a Super Bowl victory, and supplanted Smith.

Lance arrived as the clear heir to Garoppolo. The move that the 49ers made from No. 12 to No. 3 signaled that they wanted a Jimmy G replacement, sooner than later. The decision flowed in large part from the fact that Garoppolo gets injured too often.

And now he’s injured again, with the playoffs on the line. That’s why they wanted someone else. Now, their hand-picked someone else gets a chance to show that, when the 49ers chose between Lance and Justin Fields and Mac Jones, they made the right choice.

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Carson Wentz gets final clearance to play Sunday



The Colts activated quarterback Carson Wentz from the COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday, but he needed to get final clearance on Sunday morning in order to play against the Raiders in Week 17.

Wentz has received that clearance. Colts head coach Frank Reich told Stacey Dales of NFL Media that Wentz received the green light to play.


If Wentz had tested positive before this week’s change to protocols, he would have missed Sunday’s game because unvaccinated players were required to sit out at least 10 days. That quarantine time was cut in half for all players regardless of vaccination status, so he’s on track to play for the Colts and help them wrap up a playoff berth.

A win puts the Colts in the postseason for the second straight year and their bid will get underway at 1 p.m. ET in Indianapolis.

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Tom Brady continues to make history, one game at a time



Sunday’s meltdown from Antonio Brown overshadowed yet another excellent performance by Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

On Sunday, he passed for 410 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 13 career games of 400 or more passing yards, tying him with Dan Marino for third place on the all-time list. Peyton Manning has 14 games of 400 or more passing yards, and Drew Brees has 16.


Brady also has thrown 40 touchdown passes for the third time in his career. Only Aaron Rodgers has three seasons of 40 or more touchdown passes. Also, only Brady and Drew Brees have thrown 40 or more touchdown passes in consecutive seasons.

It’s an amazing accomplishment, given that Brady is 44 years old. He’s thrown for 40 touchdown in each of the past two seasons, even though he didn’t get past 30 until 2007.

Arguably, Brady has had two Hall of Fame careers, from 2001 through 2007, and then from 2011 through 2018. He could be earning a third bust with what he’s done the last two years in Tampa Bay, especially if he keeps doing it for another year or two.

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Matt Nagy hopes Justin Fields is well enough to start in finale



The Bears will close out the season against the Vikings in Week 18 and head coach Matt Nagy would like to have rookie quarterback Justin Fields on the field for that game.

Fields has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but was able to practice on a limited basis all of last week before being deactivated for Chicago’s rout of the Giants. On Monday, Nagy told reporters that he’s hopeful Fields’ condition will improve enough for him to close out his rookie season on the field.


“He’s put a lot of time and effort into this year. Into developing and becoming better as a quarterback. What this will enable him to do is finish on a high note,” Nagy said, via Sean Hammond of Shaw Local News.

Whatever happens this week, Fields will remain a big part of the future for the Bears. Nagy’s outlook is far less certain as he nears the end of his fourth season in Chicago, although it seems we’ll be waiting until after the finale to find out the Bears’ plans for their head coaching job.

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This team has done enough harm to the kid. Please, don't make him play.

 

Baker Mayfield out this week, will have shoulder surgery ASAP



Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said on Monday night that he will have surgery on his left shoulder and indicated that he could have it before the team finishes out the season against the Bengals on Sunday.

The date of Mayfield’s surgery hasn’t been revealed, but he won’t be playing on Sunday. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Tuesday that Mayfield will not play in the finale and will have the operation as soon as possible.


Mayfield has played through the injury for most of the season and he wore a harness in order to remain on the field. Stefanski said both the team and Mayfield were involved in the decision to end his season now and begin the process of getting ready for his fifth NFL season.

That’s the final season of Mayfield’s rookie contract and his future with the organization will be a talking point around Cleveland this offseason.

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Case Keenum: Some weeks, getting Baker Mayfield on the field was a small miracle



With Baker Mayfield out for Cleveland’s season finale to undergo shoulder surgery, Case Keenum will start at quarterback, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed in his Wednesday press conference.

It will be Keenum’s second start of the season. He also got the nod in Cleveland’s Week Seven win over the Broncos, finishing 21-of-33 passing for 199 yards with a touchdown.


There were points during the season where it looked like Keenum could replace Mayfield again due to the starter’s various injuries. But the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft continued to play week after week.

“One of the gutsiest, toughest performances from a quarterback in a season I’ve ever seen,” Keenum said of Mayfield on Wednesday, via Jake Trotter of ESPN. “[O]ne of the toughest guys I know. He’s a fighter and came to fight every day. … Tremendous amount of respect for him and it grew.”

Keenum added, “There were some weeks, getting [Mayfield] onto the field was a small miracle.”

In some ways, that raises the question why didn’t Stefanski and the Browns turn to Keenum more often to give Mayfield more time to heal? Keenum displayed in Week Seven that he is fully capable of running the offense.

Nevertheless, the Browns and Mayfield have some soul searching to do when it comes to their partnership. Mayfield is under contract through 2022 on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option. But beyond that, it’s hard to say where Mayfield’s future lies.

Mayfield completed 60.5 percent of his passes in 2021 for 3,010 yards with 17 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and three lost fumbles.

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The Bears are going back to Justin Fields.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy said today that Fields will practice today and barring a setback will start Sunday’s season finale against the Vikings.


Injuries have forced the Bears to go from Andy Dalton to Fields, back to Dalton, back to Fields, to Nick Foles, back to Dalton and finally back to Fields.

Fields is the future in Chicago, even though Nagy will probably not be his coach after Sunday. So it makes sense to give Fields as much experience as he can get. Fields has shown flashes of talent, but the overall results have been poor, and the Bears’ next coach is going to need to get a lot more out of Fields.

 

Bears put Justin Fields on COVID-19 reserve list



Bears head coach Matt Nagy said on Wednesday that the plan for Week 18 was for rookie quarterback Justin Fields to get the start against the Vikings, but that plan is going to have to change.

The ankle injury that kept Fields out of the lineup the last two weeks is not the reason for the change. Fields was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Thursday and it is unlikely that he’ll be cleared to return in time to play on Sunday.


Andy Dalton started for the Bears in last Sunday’s rout of the Giants and is now likely to move into position to start again this weekend. Nick Foles would be the backup.

If Fields’ rookie season is over, it will end with 10 starts and 12 overall appearances under his belt. He was 159-of-270 for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also ran 72 times for 420 yards and two touchdowns.

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Report: Baker Mayfield may ask to be traded



The Browns and quarterback Baker Mayfield have been on a collision course for weeks, if not months. The collision may indeed happen this offseason.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that, if Mayfield “doesn’t get assurances that things will change next season,” the quarterback will “consider asking to be traded.”


The primary change he seeks relates to the offense and its various philosophies. At the heart of the rift is Mayfield’s relationship with coach Kevin Stefanski.

Mayfield has one year left on his rookie deal, at a salary of $18.858 million. The two sides have not had significant (if any) talks on an extension.

Frankly, the Browns may decide to trade him without him even asking for it. He hasn’t played well on a sufficiently consistent basis. And even though a left shoulder injury provides an obvious explanation/excuse for his regression in 2021, he deserves full blame for the injury. It happened when he decided to go make a tackle after throwing an interception.

The Browns would be wise to consider their options. Mayfield has said enough publicly this season, and enough has been reported regarding his thoughts and beliefs, to justify a conclusion that Mayfield is, at times, a pain in the butt for the organization. From Mayfield’s perspective, his frustration could be rooted in lingering dysfunction within the franchise. Although they made it to the playoffs last year and won a wild-card game, Mayfield’s career began with Hue Jackson and continued with Freddie Kitchens as the head coaches of the team. While it may be better with Stefanski, it still may be a long way from where it needs to be.

On Monday night, Mayfield witnessed a memorable sendoff for Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh. Mayfield is smart enough to realize that’s likely never going to happen for him in Cleveland. If that’s ever going to become his football destiny, he’ll need to go elsewhere to make it.

And if the Browns want to turn the page on the Mayfield era, they likely won’t experience much pushback from the fan base. Mayfield’s prickly side has emerged just enough this season to make it easier for fans to welcome the possibility of a new quarterback for a team that otherwise has plenty of solid pieces in place to contend.

It may come down to who makes the first move. Does Mayfield ask to be traded before the Browns can decide to find an upgrade? Do the Browns start exploring for a better player at the position as a preemptive strike against Mayfield asking to be shipped elsewhere? However it plays out, it should shock no one if Mayfield has a new home city in 2022.

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Tom Brady poised to break Drew Brees’ single-season completions record on Sunday



Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is set to add another NFL record to his collection.

If Brady completes at least 16 passes in Sunday’s regular-season finale, he’ll have a new NFL record for completions in a season.


The current record is 471 completions in a season, set by Drew Brees in 2016. Brady has 456 so far this season. Considering that Brady has completed more than 16 passes in all 16 games this season, it’s highly likely that he’ll break Brees’ record on Sunday.

Brees, of course, set his record in a 16-game season, and Brady is poised to break it in the 17th game of this season, so Brees’ record is arguably more impressive. Brady would need 45 completions on Sunday, bringing his total to 501 completions on the season, to have a better completions-per-game average this season than Brees had in 2016. Brady has never completed 45 passes in a game in his career, so it’s probably safe to say he’s not going to do that on Sunday.

Although Brady has led the NFL in many statistical categories through the years, he 2021 season will be the first time in Brady’s career that he has led the NFL in completions.

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Gotta gut feeling that Baker's camp is going to push towards getting out of Cleveland.

If I'm playing the part of Andrew Berry, I'm listening to offers and making calls. His stock is at a point right now where someone may still be willing to overpay, or at least pay fair market. If Mayfield goes into his 5th season in orange offering up complaints about coaching, then underperforms to start the season, his trade value will fall off of a cliff before the in-season deadline.

The Browns should consider being proactive instead of reactive. It's not what half of the fan base will want, but it's also not in the best interest of the franchise to offer up the kind of capital that will hamstring their future for a player that hasn't displayed a positive arc in maturation.

What kind of mindset will it put Baker in if he gets a big bag of cash after publicly stating he wants to see changes in how the coaching staff operates? It will only embolden him to offer up public complaints anytime he doesn't like how things reflect on him.

There should have been a statement out of Berea immediately following Baker's comments on how the proper structure within a team works. Managers manage, coaches coach and players play. Cleveland has made too many positive strides since first starting the Dorsey era to let one player dictate what their future should look like.

The Raiders would probably be the best bet to make a move on a passer for passer swap. Getting Carr to come and start would be much, much simpler than trying to convince Wilson or Rodgers (I can't see either of those happening). You could try to make the move for Kirk Cousins, but I would rather see Derek come in and be the quarterback that you know is the extended bridge. You get him in the building, sign him to a new 4 year deal and have a reliable, if unremarkable, passer through 2025.

The other route would be to roll the dice on a guy like Trubisky with a two year deal. Either way, you continue to build the roster through the draft, build around the coaching staff and continue to focus on the identity that's in place. It's an identity that doesn't change if Baker is gone - Run the damn ball and play aggressive defense.

There has to be stability in the building process or landing a big name free agent at the right time simply won't happen.

 

This is the exact thing i floated on their board yesterday but they still arent capable of serious discussion re Mayfield over there.

The only thing i dont quite agree with is Carr being unremarkable, tad harsh imo. I consider him a little under rated tbh. A case can be made for Carr being a top12 QB. Maybe not quite now Burrow & Herbert have ascended, but nevertheless, the point is he's better than Mayfield who is at best a top16. The Browns already have so much in place thats all they need. Carr would be able to lift the QB play by enough to turn the Browns from playoff contender to contender to represent the AFC.

And the numbers would probably work well also. The Browns would need to check on that in trade negotiations tho, they cant make the deal and then get a shock at Carr's money expectations. But i have a feeling both sides could make that work in a way that Carr gets a bump in pay and the Browns arent weighed down by the contract so much that it hinders them rounding out the roster.

In terms of temperament i think Carr wouldn't just work, he'd prob be an upgrade on Baker. The Raiders are a tough team to play for, always have been. Carr's been through a lot there and just kept going. He's had more 2nd guessing than he deserved, from the media and his own coach over the years, but he never let the ego take over. That team has been through a ton just this season and Carr is a major factor in keeping them together. He's quietly tough and has the respect of his team mates. The Browns could do a hell of a lot worse.

The problem to me would be getting the Raiders to ok this. They've never seemed overly committed to Carr, but you have to ask why they would want less consistent play and less stability at the QB position? They have a known quantity they can hand another contract to if they want and no problemo, they would be taking on a much less known quantity(and thats me being kind) who they would then have to make a big decision on in the pretty near future. Or even to get Baker onside they may have to pay him right away. That would be risky. Its a player for player swap, but the two players arent on a par. The Browns would have to kick something in, a draft pick. That alone shouldn't break a deal.

I dont think it will happen but i think Carr would be a very good move for the Browns.

 

Or, as Baker says, a lot of what you are about to read is clickbait and has no basis in reality...

For Andrew Berry, if he's doing his job, he will be listening to offers for every player on this team. Even Myles Garrett has a price, thought it would be so high no one would pay it. Making calls, actively shopping Baker Mayfield, I would be shocked if that happens.

The media took one comment about a rookie right tackle not getting help and it has taken on a world all it's own.

This season is what it is. It is a season that they competed for a playoff spot right up until the last couple of weeks. Had some bad breaks along the way. Made mistakes that need correcting by their 2nd year head coach.

But most of all, the part that no one is going to see or talk about, it was one of the gutsiest seasons by a player to ever wear a Browns uniform. That is what everyone is missing here.

 

I really dont know what to think of this Baker Mayfield situation. Someone lied, or is misleading in the reporting, or where there's smoke there's fire. Some things were said which probably should have been left unsaid by both Matfield and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

One thing for certain, a contract year is looming and a decision will have to be addressed. I agree Baker was playing hard and hurt, 'guttsiest', as Keenum put it, but was it to the detriment of the team? He certainly didnt help himself as far as stats, or winning or over-all improvement with his play and the interceptions were very detrimental.

My guess is the Browns office will entertain offers and maybe even make some offers, because thats what you do in a bussiness, but whats puzzling to me is, if Baker's crew decides he wants out, Baker is going to look a might peculiar... especailly after denying the Plain Dealers report.

Something has got to give on this front and i will be watching... its very interesting.