NFL

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels hasn't ruled out benching star quarterback Derek Carr for backup Jarrett Stidham.

"That's not good enough, you know what I mean?" McDaniels said Monday in response to a question about Carr's recent performances, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore. "And for us to be able to win this time of the year and be productive offensively, you have to throw the ball better than what we've thrown it at times here over the last month-in-a-half."

While later discussing general playing-time decisions over players with injury or contractual issues, McDaniels added he wouldn't treat the quarterback position any differently in the event he thought a change is required.

"I think there's a possibility that we would do the right thing, regardless of the position, in terms of the team," the coach said.

While McDaniels didn't name Carr, he also refused to say his starting quarterback wouldn't change before the end of the season.

Through his first 10 starts this season, Carr threw 15 touchdowns to five interceptions while averaging 243.5 yards per game. His performance has since fallen off noticeably. The three-time Pro Bowler has averaged 217.4 yards per contest with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions over the last five weeks.

The odds of Stidham actually replacing Carr are probably low. The 2019 fourth-round pick has thrown for 342 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 appearances.

McDaniels' comments are nonetheless pretty damning for a player who signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension in the spring and is supposed to be the franchise QB.

Carr's contract does provide the Raiders with an escape route this offseason. Cutting or trading him before June 1 would result in a $5.6 million dead cap hit but save $29.3 million in salary-cap space.

Perhaps that's an option the front office will seriously consider if Carr's slide continues over the final two games.

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James has entered concussion protocol following Monday night's win over the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Brandon Staley told reporters after the game.

James was ejected in the first quarter after hitting Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin in the head and neck area with the crown of his helmet. Dulin also entered concussion protocol and didn't return to the game after the hit.

James, a five-year NFL veteran, entered Monday's game having posted one interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, four sacks, 106 tackles, five tackles for a loss and five quarterback hits in 12 games.

The Bolts selected James with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

His rookie season couldn't have been much better. In 16 starts, the former Florida State star amassed three interceptions, 13 pass breakups, 105 tackles and 3.5 sacks en route to Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.

The Chargers went 11-5 and defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Unfortunately, James only played five games over the next two years.

A stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot suffered during a mid-August practice in 2019 forced him to miss the season's first 11 games. He returned for the final five and had 34 tackles (three for a loss) and one pass breakup.

James suffered a torn right meniscus during an Aug. 30, 2020 practice that required surgery and forced him to miss the entire season.

However, James returned to his dominant self in 2021 with his second Pro Bowl year. He finished the season with 15 starts that resulted in 118 tackles (75 solo), seven pass breakups and two sacks.

Unfortunately, if James is sidelined yet again, the Chargers lose the heart and soul of their defense. He's one of the most exciting and productive defensive backs when healthy, and hopefully, he returns as soon as possible to lead the Bolts' D once again.

Without him, look for Alohi Gilman to fill Derwin's spot. The 25-year-old, who is in his third NFL season, has 44 tackles in 14 games this season.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields will "absolutely" not be shut down for the remainder of the season despite injuries to his shoulder and foot, head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Monday.

Fields' status for the rest of the 2022 regular season had been uncertain since he suffered a left shoulder injury late in Chicago's Week 11 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He suffered the foot injury in Saturday's loss to the Buffalo Bills after getting stepped on.

Eberflus told reporters after the Falcons game that they were operating as if Fields would be "day to day," but he didn't rule out the possibility of shutting down his second-year quarterback for the season.

"We have not ruled that out at this point," Eberflus said when asked if the Bears could say the injury isn't season-ending. "We'll see where it is on Wednesday."

Even going into Week 12, the Bears were playing coy about Fields' status. He was officially a game-time decision against the New York Jets after being a limited participant in practice all week.

Fields went on a dazzling run of success prior to the injury. The 23-year-old threw for 963 yards, ran for 640 yards and accounted for 16 touchdowns in a six-game span from Weeks 6-11.

The Bears scored at least 24 points in each of the final five games during that stretch. Fields set an NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game by a quarterback when he ran for 178 against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9.

Fields' development in the second half of this season has been critical for a Chicago team that needed to see improvement from him after a rough start to his career. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 draft certainly looks like he can become a franchise quarterback.

The Bears will face the Detroit Lions on Sunday before closing out the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 8.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been placed in the concussion protocol, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the NFL Players Association will review the situation. A source told Florio that it's "standard protocol" to review it.

Previously, Tagovailoa most recently suffered an ankle injury at the end of his team's Week 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, although it wasn't believed to be significant, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Any injury involving the 24-year-old is a concern considering his past durability issues.

Tagovailoa missed two games this season because of a concussion after injuries cost him four games in 2021. A hip issue at Alabama also led to a slow start to his NFL career after being drafted fifth overall in 2020.

The left-hander has totaled 3,548 passing yards and 25 touchdowns through 13 games. He leads the NFL with a 105.5 passer rating.

It's been a breakout year after throwing just 27 passing touchdowns in his first two seasons combined, totaling an 88.8 passer rating in that span.

The Dolphins have Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater behind Tagovailoa on the depth chart, but the offense could suffer a setback without the starting quarterback, especially as Miami (8-7) fights for a postseason berth.

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 season after suffering a fractured shoulder in Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Baker played all of Sunday's game.

Baker, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, has been a staple in the Arizona defense since being selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Washington.

The 26-year-old has never missed more than two games in a season and played all of the 2021 campaign.

Earlier this season, Baker suffered a high ankle sprain and was expected to miss multiple weeks, but he worked through the injury and surprisingly didn't miss any time.

Baker was selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl this year and has posted two interceptions, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, 111 tackles, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in 15 games.

With Baker sidelined, Chris Banjo and Charles Washington could see more playing time to end the season.

Baker's injury is certainly a tough blow for the Cardinals, though they have already been eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-11 record, fourth in the NFC West. So it wouldn't necessarily matter if Baker played.

Arizona will face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday before ending the season on Jan. 8 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Denver Broncos edge-rusher Randy Gregory and Los Angeles Rams guard Oday Aboushi have been suspended one game by the NFL for a post-game fight following Sunday's 51-14 win for the Rams, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The two exchanged punches as Broncos and Rams players were milling about after the game, with Gregory throwing the first blow.

"Y'all want to know if I hit him in the mouth, I did," Gregory told reporters after the game.

"As you were walking toward a group of teammates, coaches, and media, you both stopped and swung at each other's head and/or neck," NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan wrote in a letter to the suspended pair, per NFL.com. "Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional."

Gregory apologized for his actions on Monday:

It was one of many troubling incidents for the Broncos on Sunday, as they fell to 4-11 on the season and fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett in the aftermath on Monday.

It appeared that the Broncos had become a discontented bunch under Hackett, with the effects of a losing season finally playing out publicly.

"I think they're upset for all the losing, we all are," Hackett told reporters regarding Sunday's performance following the game. "Every one of us, that's unacceptable, that's not what we're about, that's not what we want to do. We went in with a mindset we were going to win this game, but in the end we weren't ready. ... It wasn't good, it's all of us."

"It always starts with me, without a doubt, that's embarrassing, I'm embarrassed," he added. "That's not what we're about, that's not what we've done all year."

Gregory, in particular, was removed from the game on two separate occasions, each time after having penalties called against him. The first came after Gregory threw his helmet following a Rams' touchdown, while the second was for a late hit on quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"After that second one, we took him out—that's unacceptable," Hackett said of Gregory.

But the frustrations spilled out into the post-game handshakes and greetings between the teams.

The Denver Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday amid a disastrous first season with the team.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg, who was hired to help with clock-management strategy, has been named interim coach. Troy Renck of Denver 7 reported defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero declined the interim job, opting to remain in his current role instead.

Denver fell to 4-11 on the season following Sunday's calamitous 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The team also let special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry go:

Hackett joined the Broncos after spending the past three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. There were high expectations for the organization after the team acquired nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Even with the upgrade at quarterback, the offense has been a disaster this season while ranking dead last in the NFL with 15.5 points scored per game.

The defense has done its job, holding opponents to fewer than 20 points 10 times this season. However, the offensive limitations have kept the team mired in mediocrity.

Beyond the overall struggles, Hackett has been heavily criticized for his decision-making and game management, forcing the head coach to hire a senior assistant to help with game management earlier in the year.

Hackett notably called for a 64-yard field goal attempt instead of going for it on fourth down during a Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The mistakes became more apparent as the Broncos lost three games in overtime.

General manager George Paton offered Hackett support after the team fell to 2-5 in Week 7.

"The scrutiny he's faced is unprecedented," Paton said. "We've had four primetime games so he's had to learn in front of the entire world."

The failure to turn things around led to the end of his tenure in Denver, forcing the organization to make a quick change at head coach.

The Broncos will now look for their fifth coach in nine seasons, trying to find someone who can get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

An elite defense plus young offensive skill players could make this an enticing location for available coaches, although potential uncertainty at quarterback could create major question marks.

Wilson signed a five-year, $243 million extension last offseason that should keep him under team control for at least the next few seasons. However, despite throwing for over 3,000 yards, Wilson has posted just 12 touchdown passes (tied for 25th in the NFL) to nine interceptions and his passer rating of 82.6 is the worst of his career and ranks 29th in the league.