Steelers place Witherspoon on IR; active rookie Leal
Steelers rookie defensive end DeMarvin Leal was activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster Saturday and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was placed on IR.
Leal, the Steelers thirdround selection out of Texas A&M, went on injured reserve with a knee injury in October and missed the past six games. Before the injury, he had a growing role in the defense, playing 41 % of the snaps against the Bills.
The move gives the Steelers some muchneeded depth on the edge entering Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Outside linebackers T.J. Watt (ribs) and Malik Reed (back) are questionable. Reed was added to the injury report on Saturday and Watt was limited in practice all week after taking a shot to the ribs in the 24-17 victory against the Colts on Monday might.
Witherspoon has played in just four games this season due to a nagging hamstring injury. He was injured in Week 3 in Cleveland and missed the next four games. He returned to play against the Eagles, but he aggravated his injury during the off week.
Witherspoon will be eligible to return for the final two games of the season, but he might have played his final game for the Steelers. He signed a two-year, $8 million contract in the spring, but the Steelers can walk away from the deal
and absorb only a $1.4 million dead cap hit.
Levi Wallace will continue to take Witherspoon’s place in the starting lineup. Wallace has three interceptions this season, including two in the past three games
Ravens
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said Friday that he “wasn’t thinking about actions” when he wrote a “bitter” reply to a fan on Twitter after Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jackson later deleted the viral tweet, which told a fan questioning his value to “STFU” — “shut the [expletive] up” — and included a vulgar insult. He said Friday that he hadn’t reached out to the fan but that he apologized “if I hurt feelings out there.”
“I was mad,” said Jackson, who was coming off a last-minute 28-27 loss in Jacksonville in which the
Ravens gave up another late lead. “I was mad after the game, and when I got onto social media, that was the first thing I saw. And I’d just busted my behind — my whole team did, coaches did, and that’s what I saw. And I just reacted to it. My bad. My bad.”
Rams
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on injured reserve, one day after he cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol for the second time this season. Stafford already had been ruled out for the Rams’ home game against Seattle on Sunday due to a neck injury. The Super Bowl winner will now be sidelined for at least four games, and his season could be over.
Packers
Green Bay will have its quarterback but their quarterback won’t have his right tackle. Aaron Rodgers practiced Friday and was removed from the Packers’ injury list a week after his ribs were injured. He is cleared to play Sunday. Tackle David Bakctiari had his appendix removed Friday and will not play.
Chargers
Los Angeles wide receiver Mike Williams was ruled out of the game Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders because of a high ankle sprain. This will be the second consecutive game he has missed.