Suspended Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett plans to appeal his indefinite suspension at a hearing with James Thrash on Wednesday.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Garrett intends to argue he was provoked by a shot to the groin from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Garrett was suspended Friday by the NFL, a ban that spans the rest of the regular season plus the postseason. In Cleveland's Thursday win over Pittsburgh, Garrett ripped Rudolph's helmet off of the quarterback's head. As the confrontation continued, Rudolph lunged at Garrett. Garrett reared back and, using Rudolph's helmet, struck Rudolph atop the unprotected head.
Thrash is expected to render his decision on the appeal the same day, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and Garrett plans to plead his case in person. Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said Garrett was in self-defense mode on Thursday. Rudolph was fined, not suspended, for his role in escalating the incident.
--The Indianapolis Colts won't have running back Marlon Mack or safety Khari Willis for their Thursday night AFC South clash with the Houston Texans.
Both starters were injured Sunday during Indianapolis' 33-13 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mack sustained a broken right hand during the third quarter after rushing 14 times for 109 yards and a touchdown. He had surgery Monday, and there is no timetable for his return.
Willis developed concussion symptoms after the game and was placed in the league's concussion protocol, coach Frank Reich confirmed. The 2019 fourth-round pick ranks seventh among rookies with 44 tackles through 10 games. He also has two tackles for loss and one pass defensed.
--Lamar Jackson's latest jaw-dropping performance did more than just extend Baltimore's winning streak to six and move the Ravens closer to a first-round playoff bye. It also made Jackson the odds-on favorite to win NFL MVP for the first time this season.
According ESPN, Caesars Sportsbook in Las Vegas has Jackson at +140 (or 7-5 odds), followed by Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson at +200 (2-1).
From there, the field -- with the top six all quarterbacks -- takes a sharp drop with Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers third at +900 (9-1), followed by Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (+1000, 10-1), Minnesota's Kirk Cousins (+1500, 15-1) and Houston's Deshaun Watson (+2000, 20-1).
--Chicago coach Matt Nagy insisted that pulling quarterback Mitchell Trubisky from the Bears' Sunday night game had "zero to do with his play."
Nagy said Trubisky has a right hip pointer injury that occurred near the end of the second quarter of Chicago's 17-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Trubisky completed 24 of 43 passes for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception before being removed in favor of Chase Daniel. Nagy was seen chatting with Trubisky shortly before the 25-year-old was pulled.
--An AFC West showdown at Arrowhead Stadium was bumped into the featured spot in the NFL Week 13 game lineup.
The league announced that the Dec. 1 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders was moved to the 4:25 p.m. ET time slot on CBS. Both teams were 6-4 ahead of the Chiefs' game in Mexico City on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Bumped from that slot on CBS, the Cleveland Browns-Pittsburgh Steelers game will be played at 1 p.m. ET. Kansas City beat the Raiders 28-10 in their first meeting of the season in Week 2.
--The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran tight end Nick O'Leary, according to his agents.
O'Leary, 27, was released by the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 29. The Jaguars were short-handed at the position after rookie tight end Josh Oliver left the team's loss at Indianapolis on Sunday with a back injury. Seth DeValve missed the game with an injured oblique.
O'Leary caught four passes for 37 yards in seven games (two starts) with Miami this season. He has 44 catches for 596 yards and three touchdowns in 54 games (21 starts) with the Dolphins (2018-19) and Buffalo Bills (2015-17).
--Dallas Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown will undergo season-ending triceps surgery, coach Jason Garrett announced.
Brown was injured in Dallas' 35-27 road victory against the Detroit Lions Sunday. Eligible to become a unrestricted free agent, Brown may have played his last game for the Cowboys. The 25-year-old has 17 tackles (11 solo) and no interceptions in nine games (four starts) this season.
Also, Cowboys right tackle La'el Collins has a left knee injury. Garrett said the injury was similar to one Collins had earlier this season that caused him to miss one game.
--Field Level Media