Who’s starting, who’s hurt, and who’s on the move?
NFL news is nonstop, and we’re breaking it all down week by week this season.
Here’s the latest on what’s happening around the league entering Week 14:
Colts Sauce Gardner dealing with calf injury
Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen said Monday that starting cornerback Sauce Gardner is expected to miss “some time” after injuring his left calf during Sunday’s 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans but that Gardner avoided hurting his Achilles tendon.
Steichen didn’t provide details on how much time the two-time All-Pro might miss but said he believed Gardner would return this season and that he’s not expected to go on injured reserve.
Gardner was hurt on the Texans second offensive play of the game while in coverage, but he did not appear to get hit when he went down. He stayed on the field for several minutes before he was helped off the field and taken to the locker room.
The Colts envisioned pairing Gardner with two other Pro Bowl cornerbacks, Charvarius Ward and Kenny Moore II, to create one of the league’s top secondaries when they acquired him in a trade deadline deal that included sending two first-round picks to the New York Jets.
So far, though, those plans haven’t worked out. Gardner, Moore and Ward have only played one full game together.
Browns lose Collins for rest of season
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins will be lost for the rest of the season after suffering a quad injury in Sunday’s 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement Monday that Collins will have to undergo season-ending surgery.
The 10-year veteran defensive lineman sustained the non-contact injury during the third quarter. He was second on the team with 6.5 sacks along with 28 quarterback pressures. Collins is also a key reason why All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett needs four sacks to break the NFL’s single-season record of 22.5.
“When you lose a guy like Maliek, you don’t replace him. He’s made a big impact on this football team on the field and off. We have some older guys in there (the defensive line room), but we have a bunch of young guys in there. I think they’ve learned a lot from the professional that Maliek is and I think you have to carry that with you throughout.”
Collins’ injury with 9:36 remaining in the third quarter also set off a fracas between some of the Browns defensive linemen and San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Garrett and Shelby Harris said some of Jennings’ comments after the play crossed the line.
Chargers QB Herbert to undergo surgery
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will have surgery Monday to repair a broken bone in his non-throwing hand.
Herbert is optimistic about his chances to play next week for the Chargers (8-4), who beat the Raiders 31-14 on Sunday for their fourth victory in five games. Herbert played the final three quarters against Las Vegas with a hard cast on his left hand while exclusively taking shotgun snaps.
“I think it’s one of those things where you just stabilize it (and play),” Herbert said. “I’m not the doctor, unfortunately, but they were hopeful, so I think that’s a good thing.’
Herbert wasn’t sure when his hand was broken, but it appeared to happen late in the Chargers’ opening drive when he was thrown to the ground by Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn after a short scramble. Herbert threw a touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston on the next snap, but trainers took him off the field a few minutes later.
“I’m treating it as if I’m playing Monday,” Herbert said of the surgery and recovery, and the Chargers’ next matchup against the Eagles. “I think they were very hopeful for that, so I think that’s just something we’ll see tomorrow and get a feel for.”
Herbert has 2,842 yards passing with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, his sixth for the Chargers.
Vikings waive WR Thielen
The Minnesota Vikings waived wide receiver Adam Thielen on Monday, allowing the 13-year veteran an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere down the stretch of his expected final NFL season and ending a disappointing return to his original team.
Thielen had just eight catches for 69 yards for the Vikings (4-8) this year and was a healthy scratch for their game at Seattle on Sunday, a 26-0 loss that was their first shutout in 18 years. With the Vikings struggling badly on offense, Thielen was rarely used behind the top three wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Thielen’s agent asked last week for his release so he could find a more significant role with another club. Thielen plans to retire after this season.
“Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere. Adam is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success,” Adofo-Mensah said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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