NFL notebook: Multiple contenders lose players for season

[December 10, 2019]  Week 14 proved to be a particularly painful one in the NFL, as numerous players went down with season-ending injuries. And contenders weren't immune from the damage -- particularly in the NFC West.

San Francisco starting center Weston Richburg will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a torn right patellar tendon in his team's 48-46 road win over the New Orleans Saints, coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday afternoon.

Richburg, in his second season with the 49ers after agreeing to five-year deal in March 2018, has started all 13 games for the 49ers this season. He sustained the injury during a play early in the third quarter when his leg was entangled with guard Mike Person on a running play.

Shanahan also said that cornerback Richard Shanahan likely will miss two weeks and that defensive end Dee Ford probably will be out at least three weeks, both with hamstring injuries.

In Seattle, coach Pete Carroll confirmed that running back Rashaad Penny will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Penny sustained additional damage to his left knee.

Penny left Sunday's 28-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams after being injured on a 16-yard reception on Seattle's first drive, immediately grabbing the knee after planting his leg before going down.

More season-ending injuries

--Indianapolis placed veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri on ending injured reserve with an ailing left knee, ending his 24th season -- though the 46-year-old impending free agent reportedly said he hopes to have "another chapter left" in his career.

--Atlanta wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who collapsed, then was carted off the field with abdominal pain against the Carolina Panthers, announced on social media that he is out for the rest of the season. He has 63 catches for 866 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games this season.

--Oakland rookie tight end Foster Moreau will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury against Tennessee, head coach Jon Gruden announced. Moreau leads all rookie tight ends with five touchdown catches.

--Chicago linebacker Roquan Smith will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, coach Matt Nagy announced. The 22-year-old finishes the season with a team-leading 101 tackles to go along with two sacks and an interception.

More injury news

--Baltimore quarterback and leading NFL MVP candidate Lamar Jackson was limited at practice, though coach John Harbaugh said Jackson's quadriceps injury is not serious and his star is receiving treatment.

--Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is dealing with a bruised right hand, coach Andy Reid told reporters, though X-rays came back negative. He sustained the injury Sunday against New England.

49ers center Weston Richburg (58) is carted off the field after an injury in the second half against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers won, 48-46. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

--Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston will see a specialist after fracturing the thumb on his throwing hand on Sunday, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said. Also, Arians called star receiver Mike Evans "very doubtful for this week" after he pulled his hamstring Sunday.

--Washington interim coach Bill Callahan said he does not know the severity of Derrius Guice's knee injury, but he did rule the running back out for Sunday's home game against Philadelphia. Callahan also said linebacker Ryan Kerrigan won't play this week after he suffered a calf injury against Green Bay on Sunday.

--New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is expected to be sidelined two to four weeks with a high-ankle sprain, the NFL Network reported. Eli Manning, 38, started against the Eagles on Monday night and will likely start Sunday against Miami.

Around the league

--Dallas released kicker Brett Maher and signed veteran Kai Forbath. Maher, 30, has made 49 of 66 field goal attempts (74.2 percent) in his Cowboys' career, but was just 20 of 30 this season.

--Cleveland coach Freddie Kitchens said that star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. won't be shut down, as Beckham continues to deal with hip and groin injuries from the start of training camp.

--ESPN reported that the NFL is investigating an incident in which a Patriots video crew allegedly recorded the Bengals' coaching staff on the sideline in the entire first half of Sunday's game between the Bengals and Browns in Cleveland. The Patriots employee was reportedly credentialed to shoot video for a Patriots web video series, and when confronted by Bengals media relations and security personnel, asked if the video could be deleted and the entire incident be forgotten. The NFL in 2007 fined the Patriots $250,000 and coach Bill Belichick $500,000, as well as docked the team a first-round draft pick, after finding that New England videotaped New York Jets' defensive play calls on the sideline that season. The incident has become known as Spygate.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.