Houston’s Watt put on IR; Seahawks pick up Spiller
Decker’s shoulder has gotten worse
HOUSTON — J.J. Watt is out until at least December and could miss the rest of the season with an injured back, leaving Houston searching for ways to deal with the loss of the NFL’s best defensive player.
Watt was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, which means he’ll be out for a minimum of eight weeks.
“You can never replace the best player in the NFL,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “When someone like that goes down, it’s a tough thing obviously, but at the same time … this is a team.”
O’Brien said Watt had reinjured his back and putting him on IR was the best thing for his long-term health.
“It’s flared up to the point where he can’t continue to play right now,” O’Brien said.
The team was still exploring the injury and it’s unclear if it will require surgery.
SEAHAWKS: All indications are that Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, who sprained the MCL in his left knee last week, will be able to play Sunday against the New York Jets.
Coach Pete Carroll said he needs to see how Wilson recovers from practice but as of now he’s expecting his QB to be able to play.
Wilson suffered the injury while being pulled down awkwardly by San Francisco’s Eli Harold in the third quarter of Seattle’s 37-18 win Sunday.
Carroll said Wilson is “pretty determined” to play against the Jets, even with Seattle having its bye in Week 5 and the chance of getting the quarterback two weeks of rest.
Also, Seattle signed veteran C.J. Spiller to a one-year contract Wednesday to add depth at running back.
The team finalized the deal and added Spiller to the 53-man roster after releasing running back Terrence McGee. Spiller was released by New Orleans on Sept. 13 after being inactive in Week 1 with the Saints.
Spiller rushed for only 112 yards in limited opportunities with the Saints last season. Spiller’s best season came in 2012 with Buffalo when he rushed for 1,244 yards and six touchdowns for the Bills.
JETS: Eric Decker’s ailing shoulder has gotten worse.
The New York wide receiver dealt with what appeared to be a minor injury last week while preparing for Kansas City, but it worsened in the 24-3 loss on Sunday. Coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that Decker was “probably” going to have an MRI and his availability for the game against Seattle is uncertain.
Also, New York signed tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who is getting a quick second chance after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence Friday and quickly cut by Tampa Bay.
BEARS: Quarterback Jay Cutler returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday after missing a game because of a sprained right thumb.
DIVERSITY: The NFL received a high grade for its racial hiring practices and a C+ for its gender hiring efforts in 2016, according to a diversity report released Wednesday.
The annual report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave the league its seventh consecutive A on racial hiring practices and a combined grade of B for hiring minorities and women. The second straight C+ indicates the NFL still has a long way to go in improving hiring opportunities for women, but it is an improvement from two years ago, when the numbers were poor.