Month: December 2023

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Miami Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle in not expected to play against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday due to a high ankle sprain. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told members of the media: “It’s a high ankle sprain. It’s not overly severe, but high ankles are tough when you make a living on cutting.”

Waddle suffered the injury during the Dolphins’ 22-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, leaving in the third quarter and not returning. This will mark Waddle’s second missed game of the season, who has been on of the league’s better wideouts, recording 72 catches for 1,014 yards, along with four touchdowns in 14 games. He has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first three seasons in the NFL.

Backup receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. will now need to step up with Waddle out. In 13 appearances this season, the 28-year-old has racked up 245 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and has recorded just three catches for 42 yards.

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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Thursday that he will start rookie QB Jaren Hall after benching Nick Mullens against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in Minneapolis. O’Connell told reporters: “Now that he’s healthy, he’s had a great few weeks of preparation, we look forward to seeing what Jaren can do.”

Hall was a fifth-round pick by the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft.  He completed 8 of 10 passes for 101 yards in his two appearances this season, taking over the quarterback role for Minnesota in Week 8 after starter Kirk Cousins sustained a torn ACL. Hall again started in Week 9, but sustained a concussion in the first quarter and has not played since. Joshua Dobbs stepped in for Hall for the next four games, completing 61.9% of his throws for 737 yards, three scores and five interceptions in four starts. The Vikings benched Dobbs in favor of Mullens in Week 14, who started the Vikings last two games, completing 69.5% of his throws for 714 yards, four scores and six interceptions in those appearances.

The Vikings will host the Packers at 8:20 p.m. EST Sunday in Minneapolis.

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The Denver Broncos are sitting out 35-year-old quarterback Russell Wilson for the final two games of the season, head coach Sean Payton confirmed on Wednesday afternoon. As a result, Wilson won’t be starting against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday.

Coach Payton said that Jarrett Stidham will take on the starting quarterback role ‘in an effort to give the offense a spark,’ however, insiders state that Wilson’s benching is being done “in an effort to preserve the possibility of a feasible split this offseason.” Stidham was signed in the offseason to a two-year deal.

Per Over the Cap: “Wilson is currently signed through 2028, but he’s only guaranteed money through 2024. That said, his entire 2025 salary ($37M) will be guaranteed if he remains on the Broncos’ roster at the start of the next league year (March 17). So it’s probable Denver will make a decision on the QB’s future before then,” he writes in a new article Broncos reportedly benching Russell Wilson for rest of 2023: Can Denver get out of QB’s contract?”

Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter in last Sunday night’s loss to the New England Patriots. He became the first Broncos quarterback since Peyton Manning to throw at least one touchdown pass in each of the first 15 games of a season in the process (the only other NFL quarterback who has thrown a touchdown in each of their team’s games this season is Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills).

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Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander has been suspended one game by the team for his actions during the coin toss preceding the Packers game vs. Carolina on Sunday. Alexander, who hadn’t been selected as a team captain for the game with the Panthers, came out for the coin toss and nearly cost his team by initially saying the Packers wanted to be on defense first (rather than saying they deferred the option). Referee Alex Kemp asked Alexander to clarify, and the Packers received a break.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced Wednesday that Alexander was being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, which means the cornerback will not play during their Sunday night game at Minnesota. Gutekunst said in a statement: “The decision to suspend a player is never easy and not one we take lightly. Unfortunately, Jaire’s actions prior to the game in Carolina led us to take this step. As an organization, we have an expectation that everyone puts the team first. While we are disappointed, we had a good conversation with Jaire this morning and fully expect him to learn from this as we move forward together. We look forward to welcoming him back next week as he is a valued member of this team and will continue to be in the future.”

The 26-year-old Alexander missed three games earlier this season due to a back injury; and the victory at Carolina marked his return after he sat out six games with a shoulder issue.

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