Colt McCoy to start, but RGIII not ruled out

Oct 20, 2014

Redskins Coach Jay Gruden wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Robert Griffin III returning for the upcoming Monday night game at Dallas, but went ahead and named third-string Colt McCoy as Washington’s starter.

“He still has a long way to go,” Gruden said of Griffin during Monday’s press conference. “I wouldn’t rule him out, but he has got a way to go to show that he can play, show that his ankle is 100 percent. That’s the big thing: He has got to be 100 percent ready to go. We don’t want to put him out there at 85 percent, have it be weak and have him do something to it. We want to make sure he’s ready to go when he’s out there.”

Griffin dislocated his left ankle in the first quarter of Washington’s Sept. 14 game against Jacksonville and has been sidelined since. Backup Kirk Cousins stepped in to win that game but lost the subsequent four and was on a downward trajectory Sunday against Tennessee, having turned the ball over twice, when Gruden benched him at halftime in favor of McCoy.

“Right now we’re going to move forward with Colt,” Gruden said. “I’d like to make the decision as soon as we can so we can get the reps. I’m a big rep guy. I want to make sure we get the starter ready to go, so we’re moving forward with the Cowboys with Colt, and Kirk is going to get the reps he gets and he’ll be ready to go if need be. But Colt will be the starter on Monday night.”

Fantasy Impact:

The team can't wait until Monday to name a starter just because of preparation, so McCoy gets the nod for now and will take the first team reps. It sounds like RGIII has a way to go and would likely need to get his reps in during the week in order to start on Monday, so that's something to keep an eye on. It's not a great situation, and to make matters worse it's a Monday night game at Dallas against their surprisingly good defense. RGIII is worth a pickup if you're in need of help at the position but probably shouldn't be saved to play on Monday night with too much up in the air at this point.

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Steelers call WR George Pickens doubtful, outside chance to play

Pro Football Talk

2 hours ago

The Steelers did not have receiver George Pickens for their Week 14 victory over the Browns and they are likely to be without him again against the Eagles on Sunday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Tuesday press conference that Pickens could be characterized as doubtful for Week 15, but there is still an outside chance he’ll play.

Fantasy Impact:

The Steelers thought Pickens would play last week but was eventually ruled out. After Sunday’s contest, Pickens underwent an MRI, which revealed the injury was more significant than initially believed, the story said. Reports from those who follow the team on Monday mentioned it was unlikely Pickens would play, and that's certainly looking like the case.

Cowboys don't expect to make change at QB

Pro Football Talk

4 hours ago

The Cowboys’ loss to the Bengals on Monday night dropped them to 5-8 on the season and left them with scant hope of making it to the playoffs this season, but that’s not going to lead to a shift in their plan at quarterback.

That was the word from team owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday morning. Cooper Rush has been the team’s starter since Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury, but there have been questions about whether the Cowboys will take a look at Trey Lance before his contract expires at the end of the season.

Fantasy Impact:

The story said Jones has been resistant to playing Lance and that he hasn't changed his mind about who will start against the Panthers in Week 15. Jones added in a quote he thought the team "did some good things out there" against the Bengals, and that he believes Rush "gives us our best chance." Unless things change over the final couple of weeks, it doesn't look like Lance is going to get any kind of chance in Dallas.

Raiders Beat: Team will be looking for a QB in 2025

The Athletic

5 hours ago

Looking ahead to 2025, the Raiders will find themselves searching for an answer at quarterback for the third offseason in a row.

Related players: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder

Fantasy Impact:

The author said O'Connell is the best bet to be in the mix, but it's only because he hasn't really played much. Minshew is under contract for next season, but hasn't played well in his time this season. The Raiders are on pace to have one of the top picks in the NFL Draft, but also could opt to go another direction and take the best player, much like they did last draft with Brock Bowers at TE. The author said the Raiders could once again explore the available veterans: Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston are scheduled to be free agents. Either way, it appears the Raiders will probably have a new starting QB in 2025.