Bears Veteran Should Be Booted Alongside Matt Eberflus on Monday.
To say Matt Eberflus is on the hot seat after Thursday’s loss to the Detroit Lions is an understatement. If most Bears fans had his way he’d be fired today. And as things stand, there’s a decent chance he ends up finding himself fired on Monday as the team begins preparation for Week 14.
But Eberflus isn’t the only one who’s gotta go on Monday. One Bears veteran’s absurd gaffe played almost as big a role in the loss as Eberflus’. And he’s someone whose job should already have been on the line too.
The play that set up the clock management disaster from Eberflus was a sack on 2nd and 20, and it wasn’t some run-of-the-mill sack either. It was a sack that came so fast that Caleb Williams had literally no options to get the ball away or avoid the pressure. And that was thanks to one of the worst plays of the game coming from Larry Borom at right tackle.
Borom already looked like he probably shouldn’t be on the roster before the game. His 48.7 offensive grade from PFF was the fifth-worst on the team, and lined right up with his 48.0 in 2023. He hasn’t played enough snaps to qualify for the leaderboard this year, but in 2023 that grade had him ranked 74th among 81 graded tackles in the NFL.
So while it’s easy to be annoyed at Borom for this play — blocking literally nobody with the game on the line — to some extent you can’t say it’s all his fault. The team knows full well the level of play he’s capable of (or not capable of), and they’ve got him out there anyway. If the Bears put you or me in front of Za’Darius Smith, how much of the resulting beating would be our fault and how much would be the team’s fault?
Borom is on the final year of his contract, and the team would take on essentially no cap penalty for letting him go early. He’s not going to suddenly make this team a playoff contender, and he’s not someone you need to get a good look at to decide on whether you’ll keep them as part of your future plans.
Make the move now, Ryan Poles. Borom should not still be on this roster next Sunday against the 49ers.
Positive Aaron Rodgers injury update leaves NY Jets fans asking more questions.
NY Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been forced to battle through a number of different injuries this season. He’s popped up on the injury report over the last few months with injuries to his hamstring, ankle, and both his knees.
But for the first time in months, Rodgers was not listed on the team’s injury report ahead of their Week 13 game against the Seattle Seahawks. This marks the first time since Week 4 that Rodgers hasn’t appeared on the Jets’ injury report.
The timing of Rodgers’ seemingly positive injury report is a little curious, however. That’s because it comes just days after reports emerged that Rodgers was not only masking the severity of his injuries but that he could ultimately be shut down and placed on the injured reserve.
Despite those reports, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich insisted that Rodgers is healthier than he’s been in weeks when speaking to reporters on Wednesday. Rodgers and the Jets continue to contradict every report that’s released.
Is Aaron Rodgers actually healthy?
Rodgers may not be listed on the injury report for this week, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still hurt. NFL teams are only required to list players on the injury report if they are actively receiving treatment for their ailments.
Take San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner for example. Warner revealed this week that he’s been playing with a fractured ankle for most of the season, but he hasn’t been on the 49ers’ injury report in weeks.
Rodgers may still be dealing with multiple injuries, including a potentially severe hamstring issue, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport this past Sunday. His absence from the injury report doesn’t contradict that.
The timing of his removal from the injury report is interesting, though. Just days after reports suggested Rodgers might be more injured than he’s letting on, the four-time MVP’s name disappeared from the list. It’s a development that’s sure to fuel speculation among conspiracy theorists.
