Giants place Peppers on injured list
Safety, who has ACL and high ankle sprain, is third captain out for season
The New York Giants have placed safety Jabrill Peppers on injured reserve with a rupture to the ACL and a high ankle sprain, both on his right leg.
Peppers was hurt in the third quarter on a punt return in the Giants’ 25-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He is the third of the Giants’ team captains to suffer a seasonending injury, joining center-guard Nick Gates (broken leg) and linebacker Blake Martinez (ACL).
The Giants also waived cornerback Josh Jackson and wide receiver David Sills on Tuesday. Defensive back J.R. Reed terminated his practice squad contract with the Los Angeles Rams and will join the Giants’ active roster Wednesday. Defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton’s contract was terminated from the practice squad.
Chargers: Dustin Hopkins was signed as the Los Angeles kicker on Tuesday after the team waived Tristan Vizcaino. Hopkins was released by Washington on Oct. 20 after seven seasons.
Cowboys: Dallas placed defensive lineman Brent Urban (triceps) and cornerback Maurice Canady (concussion) on injured reserve Tuesday, sidelining both for at least three games.
Packers: Allen Lazard joined 2020 All-pro wideout Davante Adams on the reserve/ COVID-19 list Tuesday. Adams was placed on the list Monday. That means neither receiver is likely to play Thursday at Arizona (7-0).
Ravens: Baltimore designated defensive end Derek Wolfe for return, allowing him to resume practicing. Wolfe has been on injured reserve since Oct. 2 because of back problems.
Steelers: Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he considers it a “joke” that his name has popped up as a potential candidate for places such as Southern California. “I got one of the best jobs and in all the professional sports, why would I have any interest in coaching college football?” Tomlin said. Former Heisman Trophy winner and USC star Carson Palmer told The Dan Patrick radio show that Tomlin was a “wild card” as the Trojans look for someone to replace Clay Helton, who was fired in September.
Notes: The NFL is encouraged by the progress made in preventing any major spreads of COVID-19 among the 32 teams, while concerned about an increase in soft tissue injuries. Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, noted Tuesday at the first in-person owners meetings since December 2019 that a low positive COVID-19 rate between .04 percent and .06 percent is due greatly to vaccinations and protocols working. Nearly 100,000 COVID-19 tests have been taken, 1,200 a day on average across the league. So far, 94.1 percent of players are vaccinated, as well as 100 percent of team and league staff . ... Former Patriots safety Patrick Chung was charged Tuesday in Massachusetts with assault and battery on a family or household member. Chung, 34, appeared in court Tuesday for arraignment with his fiancee and parents in attendance. Prosecutors allege he pushed a woman to the ground, slapped her in the face and broke her phone Monday outside of her home in Milton. Chung, who has resided in Norton, Mass., since retiring from the NFL before the 2021 season, was also charged with vandalizing property. He was released on Tuesday without bail, the Patriot Ledger reported.
Obituary: Mike Lucci, a Pro Bowl linebacker who played nine seasons with Detroit, died Tuesday at age 81. Lucci died after an extended illness, according to an obituary posted by Glick Family Funeral Home in Boca Raton, Fla.