Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy is not making a quarterback change following Mitchell Trubisky’s two costly fourth-quarter turnovers on Sunday in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Oct 27, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Nagy confirmed Monday that Trubisky, not backup Chase Daniel, will start Sunday when the Bears bring a three-game losing streak into Philadelphia.
“We understand that we didn’t get the win, but we felt there was definitely an improvement,” Nagy said of Trubisky’s performance Sunday during a 17-16 setback.
Trubisky, 25, completed 23 of 35 passes for 253 yards with zero touchdowns, one interception and one fumble against the Chargers. He did lead the team into field-goal range late in the game, only to see Eddy Pineiro miss a 41-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.
—Denver Broncos quarterback Brandon Allen will make his NFL debut this weekend when he gets the start against the visiting Cleveland Browns, the team announced.
Allen was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The 27-year-old is getting the nod in place of Joe Flacco, who is nursing a neck injury. Coach Vic Fangio said the team would re-evaluate the quarterback situation following its bye, which comes after the Cleveland game.
Fangio didn’t rule out the possibility of a stint on injured reserve for Flacco.
—Quarterback Kyle Allen will start at home Sunday against the Tennessee Titans as Cam Newton still needs more time with his foot injury, Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera said.
Newton last played in Week 2, passing for 333 yards in a 20-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has been out ever since, and Rivera said the former MVP is steadily working his way back.
Allen has started the past five games for the Panthers, who saw their four-game winning streak end Sunday with a 51-13 road loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
—Defensive lineman Leonard Williams will trade uniforms but not home cities, going from the New York Jets to the Giants via trade on Monday, according to multiple media reports.
The 2015 first-round pick goes to the Giants in exchange for a 2020 third-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2021. This would mark the first time the Jets and Giants have ever completed a trade. Williams, 25, is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2019 season.
—The Philadelphia Eagles acquired defensive end Genard Avery from the Browns for an undisclosed 2021 draft pick.
Avery, who was selected by Cleveland win the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Memphis, recorded 4.5 sacks while playing in all 16 games during his rookie season. The 24-year-old has seen his playing time diminish this season. He has made one tackle while competing in two games.
—Quarterback Sam Darnold will play through a left thumb sprain likely to bother him the rest of the season, and New York Jets inside linebacker C.J. Mosley could be done for the year with a groin injury.
Darnold was injured Sunday in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, head coach Adam Gase announced. Gase said the injury will be a concern the rest of the season, but Darnold will play through the discomfort.
—Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Drake, 25, has 47 carries for 174 yards along with 22 receptions for 174 yards in six games this season.
The teams reached agreement on a deal Saturday, and Drake was informed he wouldn’t play in Miami’s game at Pittsburgh on Monday night.
—The Washington Redskins are now open to pursuing a trade involving holdout left tackle Trent Williams, according to multiple media reports.
Williams, 31, requested a trade earlier this season, but the team elected to wait out his holdout instead. The former fourth overall pick has two years left on a five-year, $66 million deal.
—Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt will have surgery this week to repair the torn pectoral muscle that ended his season Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.
Watt, 30, faces a recovery time of approximately four months and should be ready in time for OTAs and minicamp this spring, per the report.
—Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and running back Darren Sproles are expected to return to practice this week, coach Doug Pederson announced.
Jackson has been sidelined since Week 2 with an abdominal injury while Sproles has been plagued by an ailing quadriceps since the Eagles’ 31-6 victory over the Jets on Oct. 6.
—Less than two weeks after he was released, Cody Kessler was brought back by the New England Patriots to give the team two backup quarterbacks behind Tom Brady.
—Field Level Media