HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Raiders OLB Chandler Jones Arrested

September 29th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Police arrested Raiders outside linebacker Chandler Jones in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. The former All-Pro, who resides on the team’s reserve/non-football illness list amid a strange saga that has transpired this month, remains in custody.

Jones committed two violations of a domestic temporary restraining order, according to Andrew Groover of The Associated Press. The 33-year-old defender was cooperative with authorities, TMZ reports. The arrest occurred at 11pm Thursday, and Jones remains at the Clark County Detention Center. He is expected to be released today, Groover adds.

Jones has not been with the Raiders since his initial social media outburst, which occurred September 5. Since, a slew of social media posts have led to the 11-year veteran moving out of the picture for the Raiders. Most recently, Jones shared Monday night that the Las Vegas Fire Department officials transported him to the hospital “against my will.” The 2022 Raiders free agency addition added that he was transferred to Seven Hills Behavioral Health Hospital last week.

During this run of tirades, Jones has levied extensive criticism at Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The known developments in this concerning stretch began with Jones voicing his displeasure about allegedly being locked out of the Raiders’ facility. He then said he did not want to play for the Raiders as long as McDaniels and Ziegler are in charge. The former Patriots and Cardinals standout turned his attention to Mark Davis as well, saying the longtime Raiders owner was holding “a huge secret.”

The Raiders have classified the Jones situation as a private matter, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes the team did not comment on the arrest. Friday’s news comes as personnel around the league have expressed concern about the pass rusher’s well-being. While the Raiders were believed to be open to Jones returning to the team if the situation improves, this week has placed some barriers in his path back to the team.

Ezekiel Elliott-Cowboys Reunion Did Not Gain Extensive Traction

September 29th, 2023 at 11:35am CST by Sam Robinson

For months, rumors persisted about a potential Cowboys-Ezekiel Elliott reunion. The team did not make a significant addition behind Tony Pollard, with the Ronald Jones move preceding a PED suspension and an eventual release. But Elliott did not appear close to coming back to Dallas.

Ahead of the Patriots’ Week 4 Cowboys matchup, the two-time rushing champion described the talks about a return at a reduced rate as “minimal,” via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. Elliott ended up in New England on a one-year, $3MM contract, one that came together during training camp.

Jerry Jones still hoped Elliott would come back, Machota adds, which points to the the Cowboys making an offer. A report tying Elliott to a league-minimum-level deal surfaced in August. Rumors about an Elliott return came up in late March, late April and mid-June. By August, however, the Cowboys were moving in a different direction. Mike McCarthy said during training camp he did not want Elliott taking reps away from the Cowboys’ contingent of younger backups behind Pollard. Soon after, Zeke signed an incentive-laden deal with the Patriots.

Elliott dead money will remain on Dallas’ books through 2024, with the team using a post-June 1 cut designation to move on in March. The Cowboys are not believed to have submitted a specific pay-cut number to Elliott’s camp prior to the release, which may have complicated a reunion. Elliott, 28, will face his former team Sunday. The new Rhamondre Stevenson backup will enter the Week 4 game with 143 scrimmage yards on 34 touches.

The Cowboys have used Rico Dowdle as Pollard’s top backup. The fourth-year back, who did not log any carries in 2021 or ’22, enters Week 4 with 113 scrimmage yards on 21 touches. Pollard has totaled an NFL-most 24 red zone carries — 10 more than the next-closest player — but is sitting on two rushing touchdowns. The Cowboys used Elliott as their primary goal-line back for seven years; both he and Pollard scored 12 TDs in 2022. Pollard, of course, was far more explosive than Dallas’ starter last season and became the clear priority this offseason.

With Pollard on a $10.1MM franchise tag, the Cowboys were never expected to bring back Elliott at a number close to his original 2023 base salary ($10.9MM). Elliott did well for himself by signing a six-year, $90MM extension in September 2019. Running backs no longer command that kind of money, even as the salary cap has climbed since that deal came to pass. No back has even signed a $10MM-per-year pact since the Browns extended Nick Chubb (three years, $36.6MM) in July 2021.

David Bakhtiari Likely Out For Season; Packers LT Not Contemplating Retirement

September 29th, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest batch of knee trouble David Bakhtiari is experiencing sent him to IR on Thursday. The Packers are not expecting a near-future return.

Bakhtiari is unlikely to come back this season, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who reports the 11th-year veteran has undergone another knee surgery. Already undergoing three knee procedures to address the knee injury that sidetracked his career, Bakhtiari added an arthroscopic procedure to the list this week. Another surgery is scheduled as well.

The ensuing operation is expected to occur within a few weeks, and while this recurring problem has threatened to take the All-Pro out for another season, Rapoport adds Bakhtiari is aiming to be ready for the 2024 season. Despite the knee trouble effectively taking over Bakhtiari’s career since that New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear, he is not planning to retire as a result of this latest setback.

Since the initial injury, Bakhtiari has missed 25 regular-season games and three Packers playoff tilts. He experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee before Week 2, leading to the surgery that is on track to make this a second one-game Bakhtiari season for the second time in three years. The four-time Pro Bowler played only one game during the 2021 campaign, making a return for a meaningless Week 18 contest. Playing in that game led to Bakhtiari missing the ensuing divisional-round matchup, and last season did not bring a return to full strength.

Aaron Rodgers‘ final Green Bay season came with Bakhtiari missing six games. While an appendectomy limited the accomplished blocker as well, the knee trouble recurred. The 32-year-old tackle expressed optimism this offseason; that turned out to be misleading.

This will obviously deal a blow to a Packers O-line that remains without Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins, who is recovering from an MCL sprain. While Jenkins has not been placed on IR, he has already missed three games as a result of his latest round of knee trouble. Jenkins battled back from the ACL tear that shut him down in November 2021, returning to form and signing a lucrative extension late last season. Bakhtiari has not been as fortunate.

These recurring issues aside, Bakhtiari has done quite well contractually. Weeks before his ACL tear, the 2013 fourth-round pick inked his second Packers extension — a then-record-setting four-year, $92MM accord. That contract runs through the 2024 season. With Bakhtiari tied to a $20.2MM base salary and a $40.6MM cap hit, he will not return to the Packers without a contract adjustment. Green Bay could split up his $19MM dead-money hit by using a post-June 1 cut designation, though a pay reduction could conceivably extend the parties’ relationship.

Even with knee pain limiting him last season, Bakhtiari graded second in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s 12th-best tackle in 2022. The Packers have primarily turned to 2022 seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker in Bakhtiari’s place this year. Jenkins filled in for Bakhtiari in 2021, but the team moved him back to guard last season. Green Bay’s O-line struggled to protect Jordan Love in a two-score loss to Detroit on Thursday night, and although Jenkins’ return will certainly help, Bakhtiari will again be difficult to replace.

Robert Saleh’s Zach Wilson Support Creating Tension Among Jets

September 28th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Inheriting his old job back after Aaron Rodgers‘ injury, Zach Wilson has submitted the kind of uninspiring efforts that led to his 2022 benching. Robert Saleh‘s continued support of the former No. 2 overall pick looks to again be creating an issue in the Jets’ locker room.

Asked about Wilson’s status as the team’s starter moving forward, Saleh dismissed the notion the scuffling quarterback could be benched. The third-year Jets HC indicated Wilson gives the team the best chance to win. These comments led to Joe Namath sounding off on Wilson’s poor play, and Saleh’s support looks to have created a locker-room issue for the team.

Saleh is coming off as a “Zach apologist” in the Jets’ locker room, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini said during his Flight Deck podcast (h/t USA Today). New York’s defense, in particular, has shown frustration with the head coach’s Wilson support, with Cimini adding that members of the Jets’ offense are not exactly in lockstep with regards to Wilson backing. Garrett Wilson and Michael Carter could be seen holding animated discussions with Jets assistants on the sideline during the team’s Week 3 loss to the Patriots, and Cimini adds this frustration could reach a boiling point if the situation does not improve quickly.

This is not dissimilar to the fallout that led to Wilson being benched after a loss to the Patriots last season. Locker-room unrest, following Wilson’s postgame interview after a November 2022 loss in Foxborough, helped lead to Saleh benching Wilson for Mike White. The latter is now Tua Tagovailoa‘s backup in Miami, with the Jets devoting their efforts to adding a veteran starter. While the team’s Rodgers push succeeded, the Jets are not believed to have pursued a veteran backup, leaving Wilson in place despite his woeful two-year tenure. The Rodgers-centric plan has also been a point of contention among Jets players, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.

The Jets not having a backup plan behind Rodgers is among the gripes in the locker room presently, per Pauline, who adds players have also voiced concerns about the team’s game plans and Saleh’s overzealous leadership approach. The former San Francisco DC did walk back his Wilson support a bit this week, and the Jets do now have Trevor Siemian on their practice squad.

“We all acknowledge he has to play better. We all acknowledge that,” Saleh said of Wilson (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello). “He acknowledges it; teammates acknowledge it; he acknowledges it himself. But the key is to have confidence in yourself. You have to.

“… We’ve got a great locker room. Locker room is locked in. Is there frustration? Of course there is. Any time you lose two in a row there’s going to be frustration. It’s the NFL. When you lose, it feels like the world is caving in, when you win, everyone puts you on a pedestal, but there’s still a lot of confidence in the locker room.”

Wilson’s 26.7 QBR number sits ahead of only Justin Fields this season. The one-year BYU standout has completed just 52.4% of his passes — down from his 2021 and ’22 accuracy rates, thought the sample size is obviously much smaller — and is averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt. Rumors about the Jets moving on from Wilson circulated late last year, but team brass offered support for the young QB from a long-term perspective.

Wilson, 24, is bungling his last chance. It would not surprise to see Siemian given a shot, despite the ex-Broncos starter being a backup for the past six seasons and failing to beat out Jake Browning for the Bengals’ QB2 job in training camp. Tim Boyle, who will remain Wilson’s top backup this week, did start three games for the Lions in 2021. The ex-Jared Goff backup lost all three.

The latest Jets QB crisis certainly threatens the jobs of Saleh and GM Joe Douglas, who were in place when the team traded Sam Darnold to draft Wilson. The Jets did not have a backup plan in place in 2021, as Wilson struggled mightily, and not backstopping Rodgers with a more proven option is costing the team presently. It will be interesting to see if the Jets become more aggressive on the trade front if Wilson’s woes persist. Only Colt McCoy and Chad Henne came up as targets ahead of the Siemian addition.

Bears Offered Seahawks Three First-Rounders For Russell Wilson In 2021

September 28th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Russell Wilson‘s agent named Chicago as an acceptable trade destination in 2021, the Bears sprang into action. They made what was labeled at the time as a “very aggressive” offer for the perennial Pro Bowler. More details on that proposal have since emerged.

Then-Bears GM Ryan Pace is believed to have offered three first-rounders, a third and veteran players for Wilson in March 2021, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. At the time, Wilson had listed the Bears, Cowboys, Saints and Raiders as teams for whom he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause. While the Broncos were subsequently added to his list, they were not part of the original group.

At this point, the Seahawks were not prepared to trade their franchise quarterback. John Schneider took the offer to Pete Carroll, who determined he did not want to trade Wilson, Finley adds. It is not known which players the Bears were prepared to deal away in 2021, which ended up being Pace’s final year on the job in Chicago.

This was one of the original Wilson what-ifs. The Commanders offered three firsts for Wilson in 2022, beating the Broncos in terms of Round 1 choices included, but he would not waive his no-trade clause for Washington. The Eagles and Browns also pursued the potential Hall of Famer in 2022, but Wilson determined Denver would be the best fit.

The Seahawks turned down the offer in March 2021, leading the Bears to the draft. Pace initially sent the terms to Schneider at Trey Lance‘s pro day in Fargo. A month later, the Bears then vaulted up to No. 11, (via the Giants) to nab Justin Fields. While the Fields-Bears fit has proven rocky, the Ohio State product’s run-game brilliance in 2022 notwithstanding, Chicago did not have to give up what it would have cost to pry Wilson from Seattle.

A year after this offer did not move the needle for the Seahawks, they engaged the Broncos on a swap that came to pass in March 2022. The Seahawks then received a stunning season from three-year Wilson backup Geno Smith and have him signed to a team-friendly deal, which becomes a pay-as-you-go accord following this season.

The Bears, of course, signed off on a similar trade in 2009. They sent the Broncos two first-rounders, a third and Kyle Orton for Jay Cutler in April 2009, with that swap coming weeks after a Cutler-Josh McDaniels feud developed. Cutler ended up setting franchise records for QB starts, passing yards and touchdowns but only piloted Chicago to one playoff berth in his eight-year run. The Bears have struggled to replace the strong-armed passer, who had arrived in Chicago ahead of his age-26 season. Mitch Trubisky bombed, and Fields enters Week 4’s Broncos matchup with the NFL’s lowest QBR.

Wilson has not lived up to the Broncos’ investment, and the decision by management to authorize a five-year, $245MM extension — featuring $124MM fully guaranteed — before seeing how the trade acquisition fit with Nathaniel Hackett has hurt the organization. After the Hackett fit proved disastrous, Wilson has shown better form with Sean Payton. Of course, the Broncos join the Bears at 0-3, thanks largely to a suddenly leaky defense. Wilson, 34, will attempt to continue his progression in Payton’s offense, but his long-term future in Denver is far from certain.

Panthers LB Shaq Thompson Eyeing 2023 Return?

September 28th, 2023 at 9:20pm CST by Ben Levine

When Shaq Thompson underwent surgery to repair his fractured fibula, it was assumed the Panthers linebacker would miss the rest of the season. While that’s still the most likely scenario, the veteran is apparently holding out hope for a return in 2023.

Thompson told reporters that there’s a chance he could return to the field this season (via Joe Person of The Athletic). The linebacker revealed that his recovery timeline is three months, which would put a potential return around mid-December.

If Thompson doesn’t have any setbacks, he could have the opportunity to play in the Panthers’ final three or four games. Of course, if the organization is out of the playoff picture at that point, they may just choose to keep the 29-year-old healthy for the 2024 campaign. Thompson is still under contract through next season, although the Panthers do have an easy out if they want to move on from the former first-round pick.

Thompson suffered the injury during the Panthers’ Week 2 loss to the Saints. The linebacker is the team’s longest-tenure player and only remaining holdover from the Super Bowl 50 squad. He had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2022, finishing with a career-high 135 tackles.

Offseason addition Kamu Grugier-Hill has been the biggest benefactor of Thompson’s injury. After exclusively playing on special teams in Week 1, the veteran has seen the field for 110 defensive snaps over the past two weeks. Former Pro Bowler Deion Jones made his season debut in Week 3, playing 52 defensive snaps alongside Grugier-Hill and Frankie Luvu.

Latest On Texans’ Offensive Line Injuries

September 28th, 2023 at 7:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans have been dealing with a number of injuries on their offensive line, but the team is set to return a number of key players over the next few weeks. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Tytus Howard is set to be activated from injured reserve before Week 5. Wilson also notes that center Juice Scruggs should return by Week 6 at the latest.

Howard broke his hand during training camp, leading to his placement on IR before Week 1. The offensive tackle has reportedly made great progress and should return to practice next week. Howard has been a mainstay on the Texans offensive line since he was selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, starting all 54 of his appearances. Pro Football Focus has generally graded him as an average-to-above average offensive tackle, with the site giving him particularly high marks for his pass-blocking ability.

Scruggs was expected to slide into the starting role when Scott Quessenberry went down with a torn ACL and MCL. However, the rookie second-round suffered a hamstring injury that required a stint on the injured reserve. Wilson notes that the lineman could return as early as next week against the Falcons.

Thanks to all the injuries, the Texans have been forced to rely on a number of backup linemen. Veteran George Fant has been thrust into the starting lineup with Howard sidelined, and rookie Jarrett Patterson has started all three games at center in place of Scruggs. Predictably, the results haven’t been pretty, as the Texans offensive line has allowed 11 sacks and has contributed to a league-worst 2.8 yards per carry.

Unfortunately for Houston, it’s going to get a bit tougher before it gets easier. Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil is set to miss another game while dealing with a knee injury, and potential fill-in Josh Jones won’t play in Week 4 thanks to a hand injury. As a result, the team is preparing practice-squad lineman Austin Deculus to be the starting LT on Sunday against the Steelers, per Wilson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/23

September 28th, 2023 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Seattle Seahawks

The Cowboys are moving on from Devin Harper after two seasons. The 2022 sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma State ultimately got into six games during his time in Dallas, collecting three tackles while mostly playing on special teams.

The Seahawks are down to four wide receivers on their active roster after they moved on from Cody Thompson today. The Toledo product spent much of the past three seasons in Seattle, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

Latest On Broncos’ Frank Clark

September 28th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Frank Clark hasn’t seen the field since Week 1, and the Broncos defensive end explained his absence today. While Clark had been listed on the injury report with a hip injury, the veteran revealed that he actually suffered a partial tear of his abductor, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.

Clark suffered the injury during a September 13 practice, and he admitted that the subsequent MRI results were shocking and “worse than we thought.” Clark also noted that while he generally “play[s] through everything,” he was ultimately sidelined by a Grade 3 tear.

Fortunately, it sounds like the 30-year-old is on the mend and is aiming to make his return next Sunday against the Jets.

“That’s my goal,” Clark said (via Tomasson). “I wanted to be back sometime this week. But you know how it is (with) injuries.. Next week it’s looking like I’ll be back on the field having fun again.”

Clark earned Pro Bowl nods during each of his first three seasons in Kansas City, but that streak came to an end in 2022. The veteran finished the campaign with 39 tackles and five sacks, and he was cut by the Chiefs back in March. The former second-round pick won a pair of Super Bowls during his time in Kansas City, including the 2022 run where he added another 2.5 sacks in three games.

Clark caught on with the Broncos back in June and was expected to provide some veteran depth on the edge. During Week 1, Clark served as a backup to Randy Gregory and Jonathon Cooper, with the free agent acquisition appearing in 25 defensive snaps.

Packers Place LT David Bakhtiari On IR

September 28th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Still dealing with knee trouble, David Bakhtiari will return to injured reserve. The Packers will be without their All-Pro blind-sider for at least four games, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report. The Packers have since announced the IR placement.

Bakhtiari has not played since Week 1. Because this transaction is taking place before Green Bay’s Week 4 game, Bakhtiari would be eligible to return in Week 8. But it is far from a lock he will be able to do so, with Rapoport indicating the 11th-year veteran may need more time to come back this year — if, in fact, a return is in the cards.

Bakhtiari, who will turn 32 on Saturday, has undergone three knee surgeries since his New Year’s Eve 2020 ACL tear. That injury effectively threw the highly paid blocker’s career off course. He only returned for a handful of snaps during the 2021 season and missed six games last year, though an appendectomy contributed to his 2022 missed-games ledger. Prior to the seminal 2020 setback — one that played a significant role in the Packers’ Super Bowl LV push falling just short — Bakhtiari had never missed more than four games in a season.

Matt LaFleur said Bakhtiari experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee before Week 2. The fifth-year Green Bay HC had previously declined to comment on Bakhtiari playing on FieldTurf; the veteran has been a vocal opponent of the surface. But Bakhtiari also missed the Packers’ home opener at Lambeau Field, putting to rest the speculation his Week 2 absence was field surface-related.

It is safe to say Bakhtiari’s career is now at a crossroads. The Packers are certainly a better team when the four-time Pro Bowler is available, but this is the third season in which knee trouble will lead to a lengthy absence. The Packers are also down Elgton Jenkins to a knee injury. Jenkins joined Bakhtiari in missing much of the 2021 season, having suffered an ACL tear himself. But Jenkins recovered from his severe injury on time and has since signed a lucrative Packers extension. Jenkins has been out since suffering an MCL sprain in Week 1. The fifth-year guard does not expect this injury to force an IR stint, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes.

Rasheed Walker has primarily replaced Bakhtiari at left tackle. While the Packers were able to get by without both Bakhtiari and Jenkins en route to home-field advantage in 2021, Aaron Rodgers being in MVP form propped up that effort. Jordan Love being without his best two O-linemen will obviously hinder the cause early in his starter run, though the Rodgers successor managed to eke out a shorthanded win over the Saints last week.

The Packers are also expected to have two of their skill-position pillars back against the Lions tonight. Aaron Jones is set to return from his hamstring injury, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds Christian Watson is on track to make his season debut after missing three weeks due to a hamstring ailment.

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