Raheem Mostert Opts for Season-Ending Surgery
The timeline on Raheem Mostert’s return from the knee injury he suffered on Sunday just went from the eight weeks previously reported, to out for the season. Mostert has decided to have season-ending surgery to repair the cartilage in his knee, explaining in a released statement that the surgery gives him the best chance at a full recovery.
“After consulting with multiple doctors and weighing my options, I will be having season-ending surgery to repair my knee.
This gives me, without a doubt in my mind, the best possibility at coming back 110%. I have always come back stronger and I will this time too. I have faith in myself, my doctors, my support system, my team, and God. He makes no mistakes.”
The undrafted free agent signing back in 2016 was a breakout star in the 2019 postseason for the 49ers, but he’s also dealt with injuries for much of his career. He ended the 2017 and 2018 seasons on injured reserve, missed eight games in 2020 because of a high ankle sprain, and now ends 2021 after getting just two carries in the opening week of the season.
After failing to cover the spread in last week’s match against the Detroit Lions, the 49ers have since slipped in the NFL division odds. According to the BetUS Sportsbook, San Francisco is now tied with the Los Angeles Rams at +180 to win the NFC West.
Several Saints Coaches Test Positive for COVID-19
The topsy-turvy start to the season for the New Orleans Saints took another turn as reports surfaced that “several” offensive coaches and one player have tested positive for COVID-19.
The team and most of their families have been living on the road and away from New Orleans since Hurricane Ida struck the city in August. Despite those circumstances, and being forced to play their home-opener 500 miles away in Jacksonville, the Saints pulled off the upset of Week 1. But now these positive tests put the Week 2 status for those individuals in doubt.
According to the report, six coaches, a team nutritionist, and a player all tested positive. The player is on Injured Reserve, so he wouldn’t be playing anyway. As for the coaches, a member of the team says all of them, including the nutritionist, are vaccinated, and will “be just fine.”
As a vaccinated staff, if they are displaying no symptoms of COVID they can return to the team as soon as they have two negative tests within 24 hours.
The Saints play the Panthers in Week 2 at Carolina. They are still targeting a Week 4 against the Giants as their return to New Orleans. Still, they are laying 3½ points as road favorites, according to the BetUS Sportsbook’s NFL Odds.
Panthers Save Draft Pick With Kicker Release
Kicker Ryan Santoso didn’t have a bad Week 1 for the Panthers. He converted on both of his field-goal attempts and was 1-for-2 on extra points. But he has been released by Carolina and replaced by Zane Gonzalez, who has signed off the Detroit practice squad.
Santoso came to Carolina over the summer in a trade with the Giants that was to send them a conditional seventh-round draft pick back in return. The one condition: Santoso stays on the Panthers roster through two weeks of the season.
Since that threshold won’t be met, the Giants get nothing back in return for the trade, and Santoso is now looking for a job elsewhere.
Gonzalez is not new to Carolina. He was with the team this summer for a tryout but failed to catch on with the Panthers then. Now he will be their kicker for Week 2 against New Orleans. In 2019 Gonzalez had his best pro season, converting 31-of-35 field goals for Arizona.
Ronald Jones Still the Starter in Tampa Bay
As good as Week 1 was for the Bucs, it was bad for Ronald Jones. The running back was on the field for just six snaps and carried the ball just four times. That fourth and final carry ended with a fumble in the second quarter, and he never saw the field again
Despite that benching in the middle of the opening game, head coach Bruce Arians says that Jones remains his starting running back heading into Week 2 against the Falcons.
As for why he pulled his running back so quickly in Week 1, Arians was candid with his response. “Rojo was running really well until the fumble. Then he struggled mentally to get over it. That was too big a game to not be totally focused.”
