Now three weeks into the NFL season, teams are starting to settle into the grind of the NFL season. We are also starting to see early signs of which teams may be contenders this season while also learning which ones may be in for long years.
While the play has been exciting on the field, there has been plenty of news off of it as well. Between injuries, signings, and trades, this week has a little bit of everything on the news wire.
McCaffrey and Other Injuries Plague Week 3
Unfortunately, injuries are a significant part of the NFL. In Week 3, though, there seemed to be a rash of injuries to key guys on teams throughout the league. Here are a handful of the most significant injuries from the weekend.
The Carolina Panthers are off to an impressive 3-0 start after their win over Houston on Thursday night; however, it came at a cost. The Panthers lost running back Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury.
While the team is hoping to avoid putting him on the injured reserve, it appears that McCaffrey could be questionable for the foreseeable future.
This season, McCaffrey has rushed for 201 yards and a touchdown while catching 16 passes for another 163 yards.
Aside from McCaffrey, other injuries around the league include…
KJ Hamler of the Denver Broncos is done for the year after tearing his ACL in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets. This season, the second-year wide receiver had five receptions for 74 yards before the injury.
With Jerry Jeudy also injured, the Broncos are starting to get a little thin at the wide receiver position.
The New England Patriots also lost a solid piece of their offense as running back James White suffered a hip injury that will put him out at least a few weeks. White primarily serves as the Patriots’ pass-catching back as he has 12 receptions for 94 yards thus far this season.
Lastly, it appears that New York Giants’ linebacker Blake Martinez is done for the season after suffering a torn ACL. For the 0-3 Giants, Martinez had 23 tackles this season in three games.
Josh Gordon Reinstated, Signed By Chiefs
Josh Gordon has undeniably exhibited elite talents through his career in the NFL. Unfortunately, off-the-field issues have always hindered his ability to stay on the field.
Getting another chance, the NFL reinstated the wide receiver this week, and he immediately latched on with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Gordon last played in 2019 with both the Patriots and Seahawks. In a combined 11 games, he had 27 receptions for 426 yards and a touchdown that season.
His best season came back in 2013, his second year as a pro when he had 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. While those days are long gone, the Chiefs are hoping to add another depth piece and to possibly catch lightning in a bottle with the talented Gordon.
This season, Kansas City is the favorite to win the Super Bowl at +600. They are currently 1-2 after three weeks of play.
Andy Reid Hospitalized
Staying with the Chiefs, head coach Andy Reid was hospitalized shortly after the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers. He actually left the stadium via an ambulance due to what the team was describing as “feeling ill.”
While it was obviously a scary situation, Reid has been released from the hospital and has rejoined the team.
Jaguars Trade C.J. Henderson
With Carolina’s impressive 3-0 start to the season, they are already bringing in reinforcements. On Monday, the Panthers acquired cornerback, and former first-round pick, C.J. Henderson and a fifth-round draft pick for tight end Dan Arnold and a third-round pick.
In two games this season, Henderson has eight tackles. Last season, in eight games, he had 36 tackles, one forced fumble, and an interception for the Jaguars.
At just 22-years-old, the Panthers are hoping that the 2020 ninth overall pick can boost their secondary. The Panthers currently rank second in scoring defense, allowing 10 points per game, and they rank first in passing defense, allowing 146 yards per game.
Carolina is +550 to win the NFC South, and they are +5500 to win Super Bowl LVI.
