Jets activate CB Hall for Patriots tilt
The Jets activated rookie cornerback Bryce Hall from the reserve/ non-football injury list and he was set to make his NFL debut Monday night against the Patriots.
Hall was a fifth-round draft pick out of Virginia whose senior season was cut short because of an ankle injury. He continued his rehabilitation during training camp and the start of the NFL season. A roster spot was cleared last Friday when cornerback Quincy Wilson was released.
The Jets also made a few other moves hours before the game: tight end Trevon Wesco was placed on injured reserve, quarterback Mike White was signed from the practice squad and tight end Ross Travis and defensive lineman Tanzel Smart were elevated from the practice squad.
Wesco was injured in practice last week. He has primarily served as a blocking tight end and fullback in his two NFL seasons.
White served as the backup to Joe Flacco, who started in place of the injured Sam Darnold. The Jets listed Darnold as doubtful for the game after he re-injured his right shoulder last Sunday at Kansas City. He missed two games last month after spraining the AC joint in the shoulder.
Travis has 14 career receptions in the NFL in previous stops with Kansas City and Indianapolis.
The Jets were hoping Smart would help a suddenly thin defensive line after Steve McLendon was recently traded and Quinnen Williams was listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury. Smart was most recently with Cleveland and has also had stints with Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams.
NINERS’ BOURNE BACK ON COVID LIST
The San Francisco 49ers have placed receiver Kendrick Bourne back on the COVID-19 list three days after removing him.
Bourne tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was forced to miss Thursday’s game against Green Bay along with three teammates who were deemed “high-risk” contacts.
Bourne then was removed from the list Friday following two straight negative tests but now is back on it.
The Niners also on Monday opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman has been sidelined since he injured his calf in Week 1.
San Francisco also promoted safety Johnathan Cyprien and receiver River Cracraft from the practice squad to the active roster and signed receiver Chris Finke back to the practice squad after releasing him last week.
BRONCOS’ OKWUEGBUNAM OUT FOR YEAR
Rookie tight end Albert Okwuegbunam is out for the year after tearing his right ACL in the Broncos’ loss at Atlanta on Sunday.
“The fortunate thing of it was it’s just the ACL,” coach Vic Fangio said Monday. “Many times when you get an ACL it involves some other ligaments. So, his rehab and repair should go clean and he should be back as good as new next season.”
Okwuegbunam (pronounced owe-COO-ay-BOO-num) and quarterback Drew Lock had a built-in chemistry from their time together at the University of Missouri, and it showed during red zone drills at training camp when the two hooked up time after time for touchdowns.
Okwuegbunam, who caught 17 TD passes from Lock in their two years together in college, cracked the Broncos game day lineup a month ago and caught 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
PANTHERS’ MCCAFFREY DAY-TO-DAY
Panthers coach Matt Rhule says running back Christian McCaffrey is “day to day” with a shoulder injury he suffered in the closing seconds of Carolina’s 33-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rhule would not say if McCaffrey has already had an MRI or an X-ray, adding that he should know more about the extent of the injury on Wednesday. The Panthers host the Buccaneers on Sunday.
McCaffrey missed six games with a high ankle sprain before returning on Sunday against the Chiefs and racking up 151 total yards and two touchdowns.