Jon Condo

LS Jon Condo Announces Retirement

Jon Condo is calling it a career. The veteran long snapper announced on Twitter that he’s decided to retire.

“After serious thought I’ve decided it is time to hang the cleats up. I’m thankful for the opportunity the 49ers gave me but realized after yesterday’s game that I am not 100% committed to playing this game and it would have been unfair to the organization to continue playing.

“I would also like to thank all of the organizations who believed in me throughout my career and gave me the opportunity to compete. 

“I’m at the point in my life where my focus has shifted and I realize the most important thing for me is being mentally and physically healthy for my 3 young children and wife.”

The 2005 undrafted free agent out of Maryland ended up putting together a 15-year career that saw him appear in 181 total games. During his career, Condo had stints with the Cowboys, Patriots, Raiders, Falcons, and 49ers. During his tenure in Oakland, Condo earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods.

After appearing in only four games last season, the 38-year-old joined the 49ers last week. The team had initially turned to Colin Holba as they looked to replace the suspended Kyle Nelson, but the team ended up replacing the former sixth-rounder with Condo. The veteran went on to play in Sunday’s win over the Steelers.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that he was notified of Condo’s decision this morning. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner tweets that the team is expected to sign a long snapper in the next 24 hours.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/17/19

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

NFL Workout Updates: 9/17/19

Here are Tuesday’s updates from the workout circuit, all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter unless otherwise noted.

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • T Gerhard deBeer, Christian DiLauro, Brandon Hitner, C James Murray (link)

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/18

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

New York Giants

49ers LS Kyle Nelson Suspended 10 Games

Kyle Nelson‘s season is over. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the 49ers long snapper has been suspended 10 games. The team announced that Nelson was suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The 10-game van would seemingly indicate that this is the veteran’s second violation.

“I have been made aware by the NFL that I tested positive for a banned substance, and as a result will be suspended,” Nelson said in a statement. “I have been taking the same supplements for my entire time with the 49ers, while undergoing often simultaneous testing by the NFL with no issues. I do not deviate from my nutrition routine, and I would never knowingly take a banned substance. I am currently having the supplements tested, and I hope to uncover the cause of the positive test. When the product is identified I fully intend to seek legal action against the manufacturer to protect against this happening to other players in the future.”

The 32-year-old has spent the past four-plus seasons in San Francisco, appearing in every single game for the organization. The suspension could actually spell the end of the veteran’s tenure with the 49ers, as Nelson is set to become a free agent this offseason.

Since he’ll be forced to sit out the first six games of the 2019 campaign, it’s unlikely the 49ers will carry two players at the position for more than a month. In fact, it’s unlikely Nelson will be able to snag a new gig with any team before the start of the regular season. However, the long snapper will be eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices/games.

Considering Nelson’s reliability, it was a bit odd to see the 49ers audition a number of long snappers last week. That grouping was headlined by veteran Jon Condo, and it also included Tanner Carew, Lucas Gravelle, Colin Holba, and Taybor Pepper (via Matt Maiocco NBC Sports Bay Area on Twitter). The workouts now make a lot more sense, as the team will need to add a long snapper for the final stretch of the season.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/27/18

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit, all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer, unless otherwise specified.

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

NFL Workout Updates: 10/23/18

Here’s a rundown of today’s NFL workouts:

Cincinnati Bengals

  • TE Nick Keizer (Twitter link via Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson)

 Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

 

Titans Work Out LS Jon Condo

The Titans worked out long snapper Jon Condo on Friday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Raiders did not re-sign the two-time Pro Bowler this offseason and he has so far been unable to land a job despite being active on the workout circuit. 

Condo offers 12 years of NFL experience with all but one of those seasons coming in Oakland. He celebrated his 37th birthday in August, but age typically doesn’t work against specialists as much as other NFL players, so he could very well find a home with the Titans or another club.

The Titans already have a long snapper in Beau Brinkley, and it’s not clear whether he is injured or if the club is giving serious thought to making a change. If he is displaced by Condo, his 100+ game streak in Tennessee will come to an unceremonious end.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/9/18

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit, courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

AFC Notes: Condo, Colts, Jets, Kendricks

Long snapper Jon Condo spent 12 years with the Raiders, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods along the way. However, the organization moved on from the 36-year-old this offseason, opting to roll with a younger alternative in Andrew DePaola.

While Condo may have 176 games under his belt, he isn’t planning on hanging up his cleats any time soon.

“I’m a free agent right now,” Condo told Mike Boytim of the Altoona Mirror“My first year was 2005, so I’ve been in the league for 13 years. I’m happy with where I’m at, but I’m also hungry to get back out on the field. If a team comes calling, I’m definitely staying available and keeping in shape. I want to make myself ready for the opportunity.”

While Condo had a visit with the Texans earlier this offseason, he understands that his opportunities have essentially dried up. However, he’s still optimistic that a job could open up during the preseason.

“There’s definitely teams interested,” Condo said. “But with me being 36 years old, they want to give the reps to the younger guys. They know what I can do. If they want to see me, they can put on 12 years of film. I’ve spoken with my agent, and he told me a lot of teams are interested in me, but right now it’s a matter of someone getting hurt or a team losing confidence in their guy.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

  • While Titans undrafted rookie wideout Deontay Burnett is talented, Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com believes fellow undrafted receivers Jordan Veasy and Devin Ross were more impressive during OTAs. When asked which other undrafted rookies could crack Tennessee’s 53-man roster, Wyatt pointed to running back Akrum Wadley and linebacker Sharif Finch.
  • The Colts have a number of talented offensive and defensive linemen on their roster, and Kevin Bowen of 1070TheFan.com writes that the team will have to cut bait with some notable names. For instance, offensive lineman Le’Raven Clark and Jeremy Vujnovich could end up being on the chopping block, while defensive linemen Margus Hunt, Chris McCain, Hassan Ridgeway, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches are all fighting for limited roster spots.
  • The Jets signed linebacker Avery Williamson to a three-year, $22.5MM contract back in March, but Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that there’s no certainty he’ll be a three-down player. His former team, the Titans, would take Williamson out of the game during passing downs, but Jets head coach Todd Bowles has expressed optimism that the linebacker will remain on the field in all scenarios. While Costello doesn’t sound all too bullish on that sentiment, he does believe Williamson will end up being a primary pass rusher for his new team.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com lists Mychal Kendricks as the Browns‘ “key linebacker.” The 27-year-old sat out minicamp as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery, but it shouldn’t take long for him to fit in with his new team, as he has the versatility to play any of the linebacker spots. Cabot writes that Kendricks will initially contribute as the “Will” linebacker, although that means he’s behind Christian Kirksey on the depth chart. “Being more in the box, run front, blitzing, covering backs and tight ends from the Will is what he’s done,” said linebackers coach Blake Williams“That’s where he’ll definitely start out from the get-go to make sure that it’s as seamless a transition as possible. As he can take more, we can move him around more, but we want him to have confidence and success to start out with.”