John Abraham To Return To Cardinals
Veteran linebacker John Abraham will return to the Cardinals this week, head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Abraham suffered a concussion during the team’s Week 1 game against the Chargers, and had left the team for several days while he reportedly considered retirement.
While Abraham will report back to the team, it’s not clear whether he’ll participate in practices right away, or if he’ll suit up this coming Sunday. He’ll have to pass the league’s concussion protocol, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported last week that the 36-year-old was suffering from memory loss and had been for more than a year. Still, if he’s healthy and able to return to the field, Abraham should help improve a Cardinals pass rush that was a little lacking in his absence.
Because the Cardinals received a roster exemption during Abraham’s stint away from the team, and were able to place him on a reserve list, the team will have to remove someone from its 53-man roster in order to make him active again. I’d expect Arizona to announce that corresponding move later today.
Bears To Place Charles Tillman On IR
The Bears looked impressive last night in San Francisco, fighting back for a road win against a Niners team that led by 13 points after three quarters. However, the Bears certainly didn’t leave the Bay Area entirely healthy. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the club intends to place veteran defensive back Charles Tillman on season-ending injured reserve with a triceps injury.
Tillman, 33, has been with the Bears since he was selected by the team in the second round of the 2003 draft, and has long been a disruptive force in the team’s secondary. Tillman has grabbed at least three interceptions and forced at least three fumbles in eight of his last nine seasons, and is a year removed from forcing an incredible 10 fumbles in 2012. Still, he was limited to just eight games in 2013 due to a triceps injury that’s apparently similar to the one he suffered last night.
Because he re-signed with the Bears in the offseason on a one-year contract, Tillman figures to hit free agency next March. Heading into this age-34 season, he may be hard-pressed to find a starting role after sustaining back-to-back season-ending injuries.
The Bears will have an open spot on their 53-man roster to fill when they formally place Tillman on IR.
NFC Notes: Abraham, Hardy, Lawson, Lions
As we heard when John Abraham left the Cardinals last week, Arizona’s roster exemption means the veteran defender has five days to rejoin the team or else he won’t be eligible to play this season. So it makes sense that GM Steve Keim said this morning that the club expects a decision from Abraham within “the next 24 hours,” as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details. If Abraham does decide to retire due to health problems, it may prompt the Cards to explore the free agent market, or perhaps promote a player from their practice squad, for pass-rushing help.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- While the Panthers are under scrutiny about how to handle defensive end Greg Hardy in the wake of his domestic violence incident, head coach Ron Rivera said today that the club hasn’t considered releasing him, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
- The Lions may be sending yet another cornerback to the injured reserve list, according to head coach Jim Caldwell, who indicated to reporters that he wouldn’t expect Nevin Lawson to return this season (link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Lawson, who suffered discloated toes in his left foot yesterday, could be replaced by an outside free agent or practice-squad player Mohammed Seisay, says Caldwell.
- Caldwell also confirmed in his conversation with reporters, including Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link), that while he thinks Nate Freese is going to be a good NFL kicker, the Lions are considering all their options at kicker after some early-season misses by the rookie.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at some players whose contract values increased or decreased based on this weekend’s games. In Fitzgerald’s view, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Kerrigan were among the players whose stock improved, while Robert Griffin III‘s potential for a big contract extension was diminished by his latest injury.
Dolphins Re-Sign Daniel Thomas
12:31pm: In order to make room on the 53-man roster for Thomas, the Dolphins have placed defensive back Sammy Seamster on injured reserve, per James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
9:56am: Running back Daniel Thomas didn’t survive the Dolphins’ preseason cutdown to 53 players, but he’s heading back to the team that waived him just over two weeks ago. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the Dolphins and Thomas have agreed to a one-year contract.
Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, received 365 carries during his three seasons in Miami, but failed to make a significant impact with those opportunities, averaging just 3.6 yards per rush. When the club signed Knowshon Moreno in free agency this offseason, it made Thomas expendable, and he failed to earn a spot on Miami’s Week 1 roster.
However, Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow during yesterday’s contest in Buffalo, and Lamar Miller was also banged up in the second half, prompting the Dolphins to add some running back depth. Having spent the preseason, as well as the previous three seasons, with Miami, Thomas is familiar with the system, making him a good fit for the roster, even if the team doesn’t necessarily want to rely on him as a primary option.
The Dolphins will have to make a corresponding roster move to clear an opening for Thomas.
Injury Updates: Monday
Here are the latest updates and timelines on a number of notable injuries suffered during Week 2’s slate of games:
- Robert Griffin III told reporters today, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter), that an MRI showed no fracture in his injured ankle. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that the Redskins continue to be optimistic about RGIII‘s recovery timetable, suggesting that he may just miss four or five weeks.
- Saints running back Mark Ingram is expected to miss about a month due to the hand injury he suffered during the club’s game against the Browns yesterday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson figure to receive the majority of the backfield touches in Ingram’s absence.
- Another running back may be sidelined for the next month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Ryan Mathews has an MCL sprain that could keep him out for four or five weeks. Mathews is hoping to return to the Chargers sooner than that.
- Giants nickel corner Walter Thurmond suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Cardinals, and will miss the rest of the season, a source tells Pro Football Talk. Thurmond signed a one-year contract with the team in the offseason, so he may have played his last snap for the Giants.
- There’s uncertainty about the timeline for Jamaal Charles‘ return, according to Schefter, who says (via Twitter) that the Chiefs running back has a sprained ankle. How soon Charles can play will depend on how well he’s able to move on it, and how it feels.
- Redskins wideout DeSean Jackson woke up “sore” after sustaining a shoulder injury yesterday, but it appear he avoided any major structural damage, per Cole (via Twitter).
NFC East Notes: RGIII, Giants, Eagles
When news first broke yesterday that Robert Griffin III had suffered a dislocated ankle during the Redskins‘ win over the Jaguars, there was speculation that he’d be out for the season, but a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested the team was hopeful it would only be without Griffin for a matter of weeks, rather than months. That may be an overly optimistic view, however.
Mike Jones of the Washington Post spoke to multiple orthopedic specialists, all of whom agreed that the best-case scenario for Griffin would probably still see him sidelined for a couple months. Depending on the specific diagnosis of the injury, it could also be a season-ender for the young signal-caller.
As we wait for more details on RGIII, here’s more from around the NFC East:
- In Mike Garafolo’s recap of Sunday’s action for FOX Sports, he notes that “there are those in the Redskins‘ locker room” who believe Kirk Cousins is a better option for the team in the long run that Griffin, though none would say so on the record. Meanwhile, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter) that if Cousins lights it up in RGIII’s absence this season, Washington could have a real decision on its hands regarding Griffin’s fifth-year option for 2016.
- The Giants were one of the most active teams in the NFL this offseason, signing 10 free agents to multiyear contracts. However, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News observes, following the club’s 0-2 start, it’s fair to wonder whether all those moves were worth making.
- The existing relationship between Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and Colts GM Ryan Grigson allowed the two teams to complete the preseason trade that sent kicker Cody Parkey to Philadelphia in about “a nanosecond,” as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
NFLPA Player Reps Approve Drug Policy
10:17pm: While the player reps voted to move forward with the new drug policy, the fact that there’s still no official deal means teams are being informed that suspended players are unlikely to be reinstated in time for this weekend’s games, tweets Rapoport.
8:13pm: “We have not yet reached an agreement with the union. There continue to be significant unresolved issues,” a league spokesperson tells Mortensen (Twitter link).
8:02pm: Just because the player reps gave the go-ahead for the NFLPA to finalize an agreement with the NFL doesn’t mean it’s official yet. As Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets, there are still some “unresolved issues” to hammer out, perhaps including the reinstatement of suspended players for this weekend.
6:20pm: The 32 team player reps for the NFLPA voted today to approve the new drug policy proposed by the NFL, which will include HGH testing, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The yes vote from the player reps allows NFLPA leadership to assent to the changes proposed to the policy by the league, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported (via Twitter) earlier this evening that the player reps were having a “heated discussion” about the league’s proposal, with no guarantee that it would pass. However, when the vote was taken, the player reps were in unanimous approval, tweets Rapoport.
“This is an historic moment for our Players and our League,” said NFLPA President Eric Winston in a statement. “We have collectively bargained drug policies that will keep the game clean and safe, but also provide our players with an unprecedented level of fairness and transparency. Players should be proud of their union for standing up for what was best for the game.”
The new agreement should allow certain suspended players, such as Wes Welker and Orlando Scandrick, to play as soon as this Sunday. Josh Gordon‘s year-long suspension will reportedly be reduced to 10 games under the new policy.
Here are the key modifications being introduced in the new policy, according to the NFLPA’s statement:
Quinn, Rams Progressing Toward Extension
The Rams have made progress toward a contract extension that would lock up defensive end Robert Quinn for several years, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports that talks have intensified as the two sides close in on an agreement. Per Getlin, there is optimism in Quinn’s camp that a new deal could be in place before Week 3.
Quinn, 24, is coming off the best season of his three-year career, having racked up 19 sacks, 57 tackles, and seven forced fumbles in 2013, en route to earning spots in the Pro Bowl and on the All-Pro first team. As Getlin notes, the defensive end’s camp is looking for a contract that would make him one of the league’s highest-paid defensive players, something in the range of $15MM per season on a four- to six-year extension. It’s not clear whether Quinn will match or exceed that $15MM-per-year figure, but that’s the target for his reps, a source tells Getlin (Twitter link).
Like J.J. Watt, who signed a long-term extension of his own before the season got underway, Quinn was a first-round pick in 2011, meaning he’s under contract through 2015 after his fifth-year option was exercised. As such, an extension in the neighborhood of $15MM annually wouldn’t begin until 2016, so there’s no urgency for the team to get something done immediately.
Still, while Quinn likely won’t quite match Watt’s impact on the defensive side of the ball, he’s one of the league’s top pass rushers, and Watt’s extension provides a guideline for what Quinn’s next contract could look like. Quinn may not receive as many years (six) or dollars per year ($16.67MM) as Watt, but he shouldn’t be far behind the Texans star.
Adrian Peterson Indicted In Child Abuse Case
5:46pm: The Vikings have announced that Peterson will be deactivated for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
5:35pm: Several new details and statements have emerged since the initial report on Peterson. Here are a few of them:
- Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Gage sent out a release confirming that a warrant has been issued for Peterson’s arrest, per the Houston Chronicle.
- Nick Wright of Sports Radio 610 in Houston has published a report with many specific details on the incident being investigated, which involved Peterson striking his four-year-old son with a tree branch. According to Wright, Peterson “admitted that he administered two different “whoopings” to his son” during his visit to Texas.
- WCCO in Minnesota also has photos from the police report of the four-year-old’s injuries, which Wright says were taken “at least a week” after the incident (Twitter link).
- Rusty Hardin, Peterson’s attorney, issued a statement which says that his client “used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas,” and that “Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury.”
4:26pm: Vikings star Adrian Peterson has been indicted in Montgomery County for reckless or negligent injury to a child, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the indictment stems from Peterson disciplining his son with a switch. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s office tells ESPN that Peterson has not been arrested, while Montgomery County sheriff investigators say that the running back has been cooperative with them.
According to Rapoport (via Twitter), the investigation into the incident involving Peterson has been ongoing for some time — the longtime Viking testified in front of a grand jury weeks ago, a source tells the NFL.com scribe. It’s the latest bad piece of news in what has been a devastating week for the league, on the heels of all that has transpired with the Ray Rice suspension and the NFL’s apparent botched investigation into that incident.
While due process has yet to play out in Peterson’s case, the Vikings and the league will be under the microscope as they decide how to handle this news. As Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets, because Peterson was indicted, he’ll have to turn himself in and his status for this weekend’s game against the Patriots is unclear. The club is currently deciding on what to do with Peterson for Week 2, Glazer adds in a second tweet.
Bears Cut Kelvin Hayden, Two Others
The Bears are in the process of making some changes to their 53-man roster, and have cut three players to clear some openings. According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter), the club has released veteran defensive back Kelvin Hayden and fullback Tony Fiammetta, and waived quarterback David Fales.
After missing the 2013 season with a hamstring injury, Hayden was cut by the Bears prior to the season, but returned to the team when Marquess Wilson was placed on the IR list with the designation to return. However, he didn’t see action in Chicago’s Week 1 game against the Bills. In fact, all three players cut today by the Bears were inactive last weekend.
Because Fales isn’t a vested veteran, he’ll have to pass through waivers unclaimed to sign with another team or practice squad, whereas Hayden and Fiammetta immediately become free agents. I’d expect Chicago to fill the three openings created by today’s cuts by signing or promoting players at positions that were hit hard by injuries in Week 1, such as wide receiver and offensive line.