News and Views
The Facts: The Jets won’t be making any major organizational changes come the end of the season. Jets owner Woody Johnson confirmed that head coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas will return despite the team missing the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. “My decision is to keep them,” Johnson told Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I think we’ve had some very positive moves."
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The Jets have gone 16-32 since Saleh was hired ahead of the 2021 season and they are 25-55 since Douglas was hired in 2019. The Jets made a big move to get quarterback Aaron Rodgers before the season, but Rodgers tore his Achilles on the fourth offensive play of Week 1 and the Jets have spiraled to a 5-9 record without him. Rodgers gave strong support to Saleh and Douglas earlier this week and Johnson cited the quarterback as part of the reason for the status quo. Johnson did not comment on the futures of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett or the team’s other assistant coaches, so that will be one of many things left for Saleh and Douglas to cover when they address their plans for the 2024 season.
The Facts: Despite being ruled out for his second straight game due to a concussion, Stroud has begun to make some progress, and there is optimism he could be ready to play next week at home against the Tennessee Titans, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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Stroud suffered a concussion in the team's 30-6 Week 14 loss to the New York Jets and remained in the protocol after missing Week 15 against the Titans. When asked earlier this week whether Stroud's injury could end his season, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said, "No." Case Keenum started in place of Stroud during the Texans' 19-16 overtime win last week against the Titans and will again today against the Browns.
The Facts: HC Mike Tomlin is not ready to say who his starting quarterback will be next week against the Seahawks. After Mason Rudolph led the Steelers to a win over the Bengals on Saturday, Tomlin got this question from a reporter: “I guess this is early to ask, but will you be sticking with Mason in Seattle?” Tomlin answered: “You’re right, it is early to ask.”
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Tomlin did speak highly of the way Rudolph played. “He’s got a belief in himself, he was aggressive in his play style, I thought he did a really good job not displaying rust for a guy who hasn’t played a lot,” Tomlin said of Rudolph. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 290 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and the Steelers’ offense had its best game of the year in a 34-11 win. Even if starting quarterback Kenny Pickett is cleared to return from his ankle injury, Tomlin may decide that Rudolph gives his team the best chance to win.
The Facts: Following up on this week's Team Notes. ... The Saints were able to win without Olave last Sunday, but they won’t have to try to do it again on Thursday night. HC Dennis Allen said on Wednesday that Olave is good to go for the team’s Week 16 game against the Rams. An ankle injury caused Olave to miss his first game of the 2023 season.
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Olave has 72 catches for 918 yards and four touchdowns this season. While Olave will be back, Allen also said that right tackle Ryan Ramczyk will miss his second straight game with a knee injury. Landon Young started at right tackle and played every offensive snap in last Sunday’s win over the Giants.
The Facts: Following up on this week's Team Notes. ... Rodgers made it clear on Tuesday that he is not healthy enough to play at this point in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, but that is not going to keep the Jets from activating him from injured reserve. HC Robert Saleh shared the team’s plans during a Wednesday press conference. Saleh was clear that Rodgers is “not playing,” but will come off injured reserve because that will allow him to continue practicing with the team over the final weeks of the season.
Diehards Line:“We’re still gonna keep him on the active,” Saleh said. “We’ve got the roster flexibility with all the different things that have happened over the course of the last couple of weeks. It’s all part of his rehab and just having him out on the football field is a plus for everybody. It’s a plus for him, it’s a plus for his teammates so we’re gonna keep him on the 53. ...” Rodgers also said on Tuesday that he plans to play for the Jets beyond the 2024 season, so the next few weeks will be a way to start the process of building what all involved hope will be a better second year with the team.
The Facts: Stroud, who missed Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans and remains in the concussion protocol, is likely to miss a second straight game this coming Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, sources told ESPN.com's DJ Bien-Aime. "He should miss another game," one source said Tuesday, adding that the Texans will continue to monitor Stroud's progress before making a final decision.
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Stroud, who suffered a concussion in the Texans' 30-6 loss to the New York Jets on Dec. 10, isn't expected to practice Wednesday as he continues to work through the protocol. Case Keenum is the expected starter if Stroud, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 draft, cannot play. Keenum filled in for Stroud in Week 15 and went 23-of-36 for 229 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception as the Texans won 19-16 in overtime to move to 8-6.
The Facts: A report on Tuesday morning said that the Falcons will be starting Heinicke at quarterback against the Colts on Sunday and the team has now confirmed those plans. The team released an updated depth chart for Week 16 on Tuesday and it shows Heinicke on the top rung at quarterback. Desmond Ridder is now the No. 2 and Logan Woodside remains in the third position.
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Ridder was benched in favor of Heinicke earlier this season, but he returned to the job in Week 12. The Falcons won two games after his return, but they’ve lost back-to-back games to the Buccaneers and Falcons to fall to 6-8 on the season. The Falcons were adamant this offseason that Ridder, who was a 2022 third-round pick, was their quarterback of the future. That won’t be the case in the 2024 offseason and the next three weeks will likely determine how many other changes are coming to Atlanta.
The Facts: Chase is likely to miss some time, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport after the MRI on his separated shoulder today.
Diehards Line:
The expectation is that he is sidelined for this week’s game against the Steelers, and it could extend beyond that, as well. ... We'll follow up as needed.
The Facts: Lock is expected to start tonight against the Eagles despite the fact that Geno Smith is active.
Diehards Line:
While it's surprising that Smith (questionable, groin) is active but not playing, that's where we're at. Lock fared reasonably well in Smith's place last week and tonight's matchup against a generous Eagles pass defense is favorable. Again, you can access the full inactive lists for all today's games on our Inactives Page.