It’s amazing how much NFL news breaks in just one week. Let’s catch up on all of this week’s headlines heading into the meat of the Week 10 schedule.
It’s All Over
Cam Newton’s 2019 season is officially over. The Panthers placed Newton on injured reserve, ending his season because his Lisfranc injury has been slow to heal. Newton suffered the injury during the preseason and re-aggravated it during Week 2.
After seeing a specialist last week, no definitive timeline was given for his return, leading the team to place a frustrated Newton on injured reserve. Without him, the Panthers have survived with Kyle Allen at quarterback. Allen has won five of his six starts, getting Carolina to 5-3 and in the mix for a playoff spot midway through the season.
Look Who’s Back
While Newton is done for the year, another quarterback is making his return. Nick Foles will start for the Jacksonville Jaguars when they return to action this week. The former Super Bowl MVP was lost in the first half of Week 1 to a broken collarbone but is ready to get back on the field.
Rookie Gardner Minshew started the last eight games for the Jaguars, going 4-4 and making a strong case for keeping the job when Foles was deemed healthy. But after a terrible outing in a 26-3 loss to the Texans last week, Minshew is going back to the bench, and the Jags will look to Foles to finish out the season and take them to the playoffs.
Bad Week
Newton wasn’t the only player to see his season end this past week. Several other notable players were placed on injured reserve because of injuries this week.
For starters, the Eagles placed wide receiver DeSean Jackson on injured reserve after tearing an abdominal muscle against the Bears over the weekend. He’ll undergo surgery but could return if Philadelphia makes the playoffs.
The Titans have lost cornerback Malcolm Butler for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken wrist against the Panthers last week.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, their first win of the season came at a price, as wide receiver Preston Williams suffered a torn ACL that will end his 2019 season. Williams, an undrafted rookie, had his best game of the season against the Jets, catching five passes, including two touchdowns, before getting hurt.
Finally, the Jets placed cornerback Trumaine Johnson on injured reserve amidst struggles with two sprained ankles. Johnson has been a scapegoat for the team’s defensive struggles this year and will likely be released after the season.
Up In The Air
For two starting quarterbacks, their status for Week 10 remains up in the air. First, there is Patrick Mahomes, who is starting to trend in the right direction. The Chiefs have steadily increased his workload in practice this week, meaning there could be a decent chance he’ll play Sunday against the Titans after only missing two games following a dislocated kneecap.
Meanwhile, there is uncertainty in Indianapolis concerning Jacoby Brissett, who suffered a sprained MCL during last week’s loss to the Steelers. Brissett has been limited in practice and could be held out of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, forcing the Colts to start Brian Hoyer.
