Dec 4, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;  Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) catches a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Jaguars WR Christian Kirk returns to practice from IR

Wide receiver Christian Kirk began his 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve as the Jaguars prepare for the regular-season finale at Tennessee.

Kirk was injured in Jacksonville’s “Monday Night Football” loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 and placed on injured reserve Dec. 8 with a groin injury.

In 12 games this season, he has 57 receptions for 787 yards and three touchdowns. A big-ticket free agent prior to the 2022 season, Kirk has 141 receptions for 1,895 yards and 11 touchdowns in 29 games with Jacksonville.

Kirk, 27, caught three passes for 48 yards in the first matchup with the Titans on Nov. 19.

He is third on the team in receptions and targets behind tight end Evan Engram (104 receptions, 130 targets) and wide receiver Calvin Ridley (70 receptions, 126 targets).

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) reacts after Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker (7) misses a field goal attempt during the first quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Feb. 12, 2023.

Nfl Super Bowl Lvii Kansas City Chiefs Vs Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles put LB Nakobe Dean (foot) on IR

The Philadelphia Eagles placed linebacker Nakobe Dean on injured reserve Thursday as he continues to recover from a Lisfranc sprain.

Dean was injured during the second quarter of the Eagles’ 28-23 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 5. The Eagles had a bye last week.

He sustained a foot injury in Philadelphia’s 25-20 win at the New England Patriots in Week 1 and went on IR for four weeks.

NFL rules allow for a player to return from IR twice in the same season.

Dean, who turns 23 on Dec. 13, has started four of the five games he has played this season. He has 30 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a half sack. He has called the defensive signals for the Eagles (8-1) and has been part of a rotation at linebacker with Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham.

A third-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2022, Dean played in all 17 games as a rookie and registered 13 tackles while mostly playing on special teams.

–Field Level Media

Oct 1, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz (86) reacts after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Cardinals TE Zach Ertz (quad) headed to IR

The Arizona Cardinals are putting tight end Zach Ertz on injured reserve, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

Ertz will miss a minimum of four games because of a quad strain, but the plan is for him to return this season, per the report.

He suffered the injury in Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The earliest Ertz could return is Nov. 26 against the Los Angeles Rams.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Ertz has 27 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown on the season.

This is the second straight season that Ertz has landed on IR. Last season, Ertz tore his ACL and MCL in Week 10 during a game against the Rams on Nov. 13.

Ertz, 32, had 47 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games, all starts, in 2022.

In 11 NFL campaigns, he has caught 709 passes for 7,434 yards and 46 touchdowns.

The Cardinals (1-6) host the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Jan 15, 2023; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead before playing against the Buffalo Bills  in a NFL wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Dolphins to put LT Terron Armstead (knee) on IR

Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead will be placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury, NFL Network reported on Friday.

Armstead sustained the injury during Miami’s 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The four-time Pro Bowl selection will miss the Dolphins’ next four games and be eligible to return for the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 5 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Armstead, 32, signed a five-year, $75 million contract — including $43.37 million guaranteed — in March 2022. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee in the offseason.

Armstead started both games in which he has played this season. He has started 108 of his 112 career games with the New Orleans Saints (2013-21) and Dolphins.

–Field Level Media

Jul 30, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown (85) catches a pass during training camp practice at the Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Texans WR Noah Brown placed on IR with groin injury

Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a groin injury.

Brown had three receptions for 20 yards in Week 1 at Baltimore, sharing time with rookie Tank Dell. Dell, who caught three passes for 34 yards, will step into an expanded role.

Brown played 52 snaps in the 25-9 loss to the Ravens; Dell played 37.

Texans defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway was also placed on IR.

To fill their roster spots, the Texans elevated rookie punter Ty Zentner from the practice squad and signed defensive end Michael Dogbe.

Ridgeway was questionable for Week 1 with a calf injury and left the game after posting two tackles due to the same injury.

–Field Level Media

Jun 14, 2022; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Desmond Ridder (4) and Marcus Mariota (1) pass on the field during Minicamp at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons QB Marcus Mariota (knee) likely headed to IR

Quarterback Marcus Mariota is expected to be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Monday.

The move comes after what Smith said was a “performance based decision” to make Mariota the backup and start rookie Desmond Ridder.

“I have a lot of confidence in Des,” Smith said Monday as the Falcons returned from their bye week.

The Falcons (5-8) play the New Orleans Saints (4-9) this week. Ridder played well in the preseason and the third-round pick could nail down the position with a strong finish to the 2022 regular season.

“Obviously where our circumstances are, we talked last time about trying to get over the hump in some of these close games and where we try to push the offense,” Smith said. “We feel like that this is the best decision where he’s at, where the team’s at, as we prepare to go down to New Orleans.”

Mariota was not at the team facility on Monday but undergoing medical testing on his injured knee.

A move to injured reserve would effectively end the season for Mariota with four regular-season games to play, unless the Falcons win the NFC South division to reach the playoffs.

The Falcons signed former Tennessee Titans practice squad quarterback Logan Woodside to the active 53-man roster. Woodside will be active and serve as the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday.

Atlanta is 1-4 in the past five games, but Smith said it was time to turn to Ridder because of his progress over the past month. Smith did not want to make a switch if it meant paring down the offense.

“If I thought we had to restrict him, that wouldn’t be fair to this team,” Smith said.

Mariota is in the first year of a two-year, $18.75 million deal he signed in March as the Falcons moved on from Matt Ryan. He is owed a $3 million roster bonus in March that could invite the Falcons to release him before taking on his $9 million base salary for 2023.

The No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Mariota spent five seasons with the Titans and played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (24) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Bears RB Khalil Herbert (hip) lands on IR

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert landed on injured reserve on Tuesday with a hip injury that will cost him at least four games.

Herbert, who favored his hip after a 50-yard kickoff return and a 12-yard run in which he carried multiple Detroit Lions several yards on Sunday, has rushed 108 times. He was on pace for more than 1,100 yards in 2022 with 643 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season.

Herbert stepped in when David Montgomery was hurt with 20 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns Week 3 against the Houston Texans. He’s averaging 6.0 yards per carry, second on the team to quarterback Justin Fields.

Montgomery is averaging 3.8 yards per carry and had nine carries for 37 yards in the 31-30 loss to the Lions last week.

–Field Level Media

Nov 6, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA;  Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) runs for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Rams WR Cooper Kupp to have ankle surgery, placed on IR

Los Angeles Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp will have surgery on his right ankle Wednesday.

Coach Sean McVay confirmed Tuesday that Kupp has a high-ankle sprain and will undergo a procedure known as “tightrope” surgery.

The team planned to place Kupp on injured reserve, meaning he will miss a minimum of four games.

McVay did not rule Kupp out for the season.

The Rams (3-6) have lost three straight and five of their last six. The defending champions are in last place in the NFC West.

Kupp, 29, has 75 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns in nine games this season.

He led the NFL in catches (145), receiving yards (1,947) and TD receptions (16) in 2021, earning Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LVI MVP honors.

He departed Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals early in the fourth quarter.

Kupp jumped in the air near the sideline in an attempt to grab an off-target pass from backup quarterback John Wolford and came to the ground, where Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson rolled over his leg.

–Field Level Media

Training staff tends to Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard (53) on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Reports: Colts LB Shaquille Leonard placed on IR

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard was placed on injured reserve due to an ongoing back injury, multiple reports said Friday.

Leonard reportedly experienced a setback in practice Wednesday and it led to the Colts’ decision to place him on IR, where he must stay for at least the next four games.

The three-time All-Pro selection, who formerly went by Darius Leonard, had back surgery in the offseason and has yet to fully recover. He has played in just three games this year, starting one, and recorded 11 tackles and one interception.

His back trouble has caused nerve issues in his left leg, where he recently said a nerve “still isn’t firing.”

Leonard also suffered a concussion and a broken nose in Week 4 – his first appearance of the season – after colliding with a teammate. He missed three games before returning for the Colts’ Week 8 and 9 losses to the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots, respectively.

The 2018 second-round draft pick has 549 career tackles, 15 sacks, 12 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries across 61 career games (59 starts).

The Colts (3-5-1) fired coach Frank Reich Monday and will play their first game under interim coach Jeff Saturday on Sunday against the host Las Vegas Raiders (2-6).

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Trainers attend to Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers fire two assistants, activate QB Sam Darnold from IR

Two assistant coaches were fired and Sam Darnold was activated from injured reserve and returned to practice — and a crowded but unclear quarterback depth chart — on Monday.

The Panthers (2-7) made the moves following a 42-21 defeat Sunday in which Baker Mayfield entered in relief of PJ Walker, who was pulled in a dismal showing against the Bengals (5-4).

The Panthers fired cornerbacks coach Evan Cooper and defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni on Monday. Carolina was scorched for a season-worst 464 yards and 241 rushing yards against Cincinnati and has three days to get ready for Thursday’s visit from the Atlanta Falcons (4-5).

Darnold, 25, was hobbled by an ankle injury in the preseason finale against Buffalo on Aug. 26. He returned to practice on Oct. 19.

Mayfield won the starting job in training camp but had been sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Walker performed well until Sunday, when he was pulled after throwing two interceptions with a 0.0 quarterback rating after completing 3 of 10 passes for nine yards.

Mayfield had two TD passes and went 14 of 20 for 155 yards.

–Field Level Media