Mac Jones Rejected Better Offers To Join 49ers; Brock Purdy Unlikely To Return In Week 3
One of the more fascinating QB debuts with a team in recent memory will take place today, with Mac Jones starting for a 49ers team that strongly considered drafting him four years ago. Jones circling back to the 49ers this offseason did not receive tremendous attention, given Brock Purdy‘s unquestioned QB1 status, but it is now quite relevant due to the starter’s injuries.
With Purdy sidelined due to a shoulder injury and a bout with turf toe, Jones is stepping in. Jones joined the 49ers on a two-year, $7MM deal that included $4.75MM guaranteed at signing. This was not believed to be the former first-rounder’s top offer, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini noting the ex-Patriots and Jaguars passer rejected bigger offers to sign with the Niners.
Jones’ market did not produce connections to other teams before his March 12 San Francisco commitment, but he will follow the Sam Darnold reset path as Purdy’s backup. Darnold played out the 2023 season as the 49ers’ QB2, and the $4.5MM contract worked as a springboard to better opportunities. Jones produced a better pre-San Francisco season than anything Darnold offered, via the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign that led New England to the playoffs, though his steep freefall since that point differs from Darnold’s early-career path.
The Jags acquired Jones from the Pats for just a sixth-round pick and needed him for seven 2024 starts due to Trevor Lawrence injuries. Not particularly impressive (8:8 TD-INT ratio, 6.4 yards per attempt) with a 4-13 team, Jones still commanded the 49ers’ attention. Considering the franchise’s interest in the former national championship-winning Alabama arm four years ago, it was unsurprising to see Kyle Shanahan revisit him via free agency.
Plenty has come out about Shanahan’s Jones interest in 2021, and Russini reaffirms the 49ers’ blockbuster trade-up move (via the Dolphins) came with Jones in mind. Shanahan has said the 49ers were considering Jones and Trey Lance that year; the 49ers’ John Lynch– and Adam Peters-led front office has long been believed to have talked Shanahan out of Jones at No. 3 due to the better value (at the time, at least) Lance brought. Lance never proved a fit in Shanahan’s offense and was sent to Dallas for a fourth-round pick months after the 49ers signed Darnold.
Considering Shanahan’s success with Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco (and other QBs during his OC stops), it is fairly safe to assume Jones would have been better served by being a 49ers draftee rather than going 15th to the Patriots. Bill Belichick‘s penultimate year as Pats HC involved a bizarre move to install Matt Patricia as the primary offensive play-caller, and Jones — whose Belichick relationship was not exactly strong — could not recapture his rookie-year form under Bill O’Brien in 2023. Jones ended that season on the bench, as the Patriots closed out the Belichick era with Bailey Zappe at the controls.
The 49ers’ trade without a consensus on where to go at No. 3 was always a bit odd, even if the Lawrence-Zach Wilson order atop the draft was well known by the time the team pulled the trigger on a deal that sent two first-rounders and a third to Miami. Jones, 27, now has a chance to craft a midcareer resurgence of sorts. It will be interesting to see how Jones looks given the downward trajectory his career has taken since a promising rookie slate. The 49ers not having George Kittle available will hurt the fifth-year QB’s cause, but the team will have Jauan Jennings after the wideout was questionable with a shoulder injury.
Purdy is not viewed as likely to suit up in Week 3 against the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, even though the recently extended passer “progressed a lot” this week. Indeed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the 49ers believe the turf toe injury Purdy is battling is not as significant as first thought. This puts Week 4 (against the Jaguars) in play for a Purdy return. Though, the two- to five-week timetable initially given to the fourth-year starter could certainly point to caution on the 49ers’ part.
Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy Dealing With Torn Labrum, Likely To Play In Week 3
Ruled out for Week 2 because of the friendly-fire shot he absorbed from teammate Travis Kelce on a crossing pattern in Brazil, Xavier Worthy is not expected to be out long for the Chiefs. The speedy second-year player may end up missing only one game.
Specifics on Worthy’s injury had not surfaced until Sunday, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the Kansas City wideout is battling a fully torn labrum. Rather than undergo surgery, Worthy will attempt to play through the injury by using a harness.
Earlier this week, Andy Reid said Worthy was unlikely to land on IR. While the Chiefs are holding him out for their Week 2 matchup with the Eagles, they are aiming to have him against the Giants next week. Using a harness to navigate a labrum tear is not unheard of, but a player of Worthy’s size (165 pounds) attempting to do so will make for a more interesting effort.
This does represent positive news for the Chiefs, as a Worthy surgery would have left them in dire straits at receiver. The three-time reigning AFC champions are without Rashee Rice due to a six-game suspension. They will roll out a receiving group headlined by Marquise Brown today, with JuJu Smith-Schuster — re-signed to just a one-year, $1.42MM deal this offseason — likely set to play a key role.
Kansas City has been unable to keep its preferred receiving trio healthy since assembling the pieces last year. During the 2024 preseason, Brown went down with a shoulder injury that did require surgery. Weeks later, Rice suffered an LCL tear that sidelined him for the season’s remainder. Rice has since recovered but is out of the mix due to a suspension in connection with a hit-and-run accident that brought eight felony charges. Brown worked as Patrick Mahomes‘ top target in Week 1, catching 10 passes (on a whopping 16 targets) for 99 yards against the Chargers.
The Chiefs have steadily seen Mahomes fall off the stratospheric pace he set during his early seasons as their starter. Their receiver plan, Travis Kelce‘s presence notwithstanding, has undoubtedly contributed to the soon-to-be 30-year-old passer’s production dip. Kelce’s dominant 2022 season helped the Chiefs after their Tyreek Hill trade, but the increasingly popular tight end has been in decline since that Suepr Bowl LVII-winning season. That component has amplified the issues the Chiefs have run into post-Hill.
Rumors about a Hill-Chiefs reunion appear premature, with the Dolphins holding off on any trade talks involving the mercurial standout. The Chiefs are also focusing on having Worthy healthy and paired with Rice (come late October) rather than reacquiring the star they developed, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
While Mahomes remains one of the NFL’s best players, the Chiefs have ranked 15th in scoring offense in each of the past two years. They have increasingly relied on Steve Spagnuolo‘s defense for protection against running into shootout game scripts, but that unit struggled against the Chargers. The Eagles will present a challenge as well, but the team will hope to begin reassembling its receiving corps soon after this Super Bowl LIX rematch.
Eagles Shut Down A.J. Brown Trade Interest In Offseason
A.J. Brown holds the Eagles’ single-season record for receiving yards, setting it in his first season with the team. The former Titans draftee is 2-for-2 in 1,000-yard years since, establishing himself as one of the greatest receivers in Eagles history. But Philly’s top target took a statistical step back last season — and he was not involved much in Week 1.
Saquon Barkley‘s arrival became a key factor in the Eagles shifting to a run-oriented offense, and Brown totaled 1,079 yards in 2024. That came after back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons. Brown’s step back did involve three missed games due to injury, but he finished with 97 targets — after 145- and 158-target seasons to open his Philly run.
Teams undoubtedly noticed the course change, even as it came following an offseason in which Brown signed a then-record $32MM-per-year extension. That deal ties Brown to the Eagles through 2029. With Philadelphia showing a continued interest in trades during Howie Roseman‘s second stint with full roster control, teams asked about Brown this offseason. Philly, however, shut down those inquiries, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Any trade involving Brown this past offseason would have needed to come after June 1. Otherwise, Philly would have taken on an untenable $59.8MM in dead money. By remaining on the Eagles’ roster as of Day 3 of the 2025 league year, Brown saw his $29MM in 2026 compensation become fully guaranteed. Much of that was tied up in an option bonus, a cap maneuver the Eagles have taken increasingly in recent years.
Because the rolling guarantee structure in Brown’s contract locked in his 2026 money early, the Pro Bowl wideout would tag the Eagles with more than $43MM in dead cap if he is moved before June 1 next year. A post-June 1 Brown trade in 2026, per OverTheCap, would mean a dead cap charge of more than $16MM.
Considering Brown’s form and the Eagles’ well-defined pass-game hierarchy, a trade was never especially realistic from an on-field standpoint either this year. The big-bodied pass catcher remains Philly’s top weapon, and the Eagles landed Brown after multiple early-round whiffs (JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Jalen Reagor) at the position. The team did hit on DeVonta Smith in 2021 and extended him early (in 2024), but the offense having Brown over the past three-plus seasons has elevated its place in the game.
This partnership has brought hiccups, as Brown drew some scrutiny — for a move some deemed passive-aggressive — by reading a book on the sideline during the Eagles’ wild-card win last season. A trade before his second Eagles extension wraps should certainly be considered in play for one of the NFL’s top trading teams, but the NFC East power is defending a Super Bowl title.
That status undoubtedly influenced the team to find a solution (via a pay cut) with Dallas Goedert, who emerged as an offseason trade candidate. Brown’s role in the Eagles’ now-Barkley-centered offense will be worth closely monitoring this season — especially after a one-catch, eight-year Week 1 outing — but no pre-deadline deal would be realistic this year.
Commanders RB Austin Ekeler Suffered Achilles Tear
September 13: An MRI confirmed that Ekeler suffered a torn Achilles, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He will miss the rest of the 2025 season as a result with Croskey-Merritt and McNichols set to step up in the Commanders’ backfield. Washington may be regretting their decision to deal Robinson before the regular season and could explore a running back addition via free agency or the trade market.
September 11: A cart transported Austin Ekeler off the field tonight in Green Bay, and the Washington running back is unlikely to play again this season. Some inside the Commanders organization believe the veteran pass-catching back suffered a season-ending injury, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Ekeler will undergo an MRI, but the expectation — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter — is his second Commanders season will end after two games due to a torn Achilles. This will leave Washington without its top back, as the team traded three-year starter Brian Robinson to San Francisco in late August.
In the second season of a two-year, $8.43MM contract, Ekeler was to play a lead role for the Commanders. At 30 and due for free agency again in March, the former single-season touchdown leader faces an uncertain NFL future. Ekeler went down on a noncontact play in the fourth quarter. Trying to walk off the field under his own power, the dynamic RB fell back to the turf and needed assistance leaving the game.
Although Ekeler could not command a lofty guarantee as a 2024 free agent, he played an auxiliary role in Washington’s journey to its first NFC championship game in 33 years. Missing five games due to injury and complementing Robinson, the former UDFA accumulated 733 scrimmage yards and scored four touchdowns in 2024. He added 173 more yards from scrimmage during the Commanders’ three playoff games. Ekeler landed on IR due to a concussion last year but returned in time for Washington’s postseason run.
Acquired by the Chargers following the 2017 draft, Ekeler has done well to craft a nine-year career out of Division II Western State (Colo.). He outlasted Melvin Gordon in Los Angeles, signing a four-year extension and eventually leading the NFL in touchdowns in both the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Ekeler attempted to secure a raise on the heels of that stretch but was unsuccessful. The Bolts let their then-starter seek a trade, but in an offseason that brought a macro RB crisis, not much interest developed. Ekeler received a minor incentive bump that year and saw an early-season ankle injury lead to a downturn, thus limiting his appeal as a 2024 UFA.
Ekeler joined a stellar collection of RBs as 2024 free agents, hitting the market at the same time Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones, Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift did. Ekeler’s guarantee ($4.21MM) paled in comparison to the non-Jones contingent here, but as a vested veteran, the rest of his contract locked in this month. While Ekeler will collect the rest of his $8.43MM from the Commanders, the part-time fantasy football analyst has hit a career crossroads thanks to tonight’s development.
Following the Robinson trade and Ekeler injury, the Commanders will probably look to add at the position. The team currently rosters ninth-year veteran Jeremy McNichols and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The latter flashed against the Giants in Week 1, despite limited duty, and his presence was believed to have influenced the Commanders on the Robinson trade. While seventh-round rookies are not commonly early-season backfield contributors, Washington may have no choice but to give Croskey-Merritt a bigger role immediately.
The Commanders have also seen their Deebo Samuel trade provide good early returns. Famously referring to himself as a “wide back” in San Francisco, Samuel may also see some backfield work. If nothing else, Washington figures to heavily involve the wideout/gadget cog significantly moving forward — perhaps in dusting off his run-game skillset at points. The recent trade acquisition has logged 255 carries (counting playoffs) during his seven-year career. This included a 19-yard rushing touchdown in Week 1.
Jayden Reed Suffers Broken Collarbone
September 12: Reed is expected to undergo surgery early next week to repair his collarbone, per Rapoport. The Packers are hoping that he can return in November. That recovery timeline may also help Reed fully heal from his foot injury and become a significant late-season addition to Green Bay’s offense.
September 11: Jayden Reed entered Thursday night’s Packers-Commanders game with a significant foot issue. The third-year wide receiver had played through that, but a collarbone injury will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
Matt LaFleur said postgame Reed suffered a broken collarbone and is heading for IR. This may not be a season-ending malady, but Reed will miss a chunk of time. This will further deplete a Packers offense playing without Christian Watson. Reed is expected to return later this season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds.
The team is hoping for a return around the six-week mark, per Rapoport, though the recovery timetable could stretch to two months. A six- to eight-week timetable would sideline the talented pass catcher into November.
This is a major blow for Reed, who saw the Packers draft two more wide receivers — Matthew Golden, Savion Williams — during the draft’s first two days. Green Bay will need to call on its rookies after this setback, though veterans Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks — and fast-emerging tight end Tucker Kraft — remain healthy exiting the team’s Week 2 win.
Kraft and Doubs’ early-career production notwithstanding, Reed has been the most reliable Jordan Love target during the young passer’s first two-plus seasons at the helm. Reed led the Packers with 793 receiving yards in 2023 and 857 last season. Despite suffering a Jones fracture in his foot this summer, the former second-round pick opted to play through the malady — one that regularly sidelines players for several weeks — and scored a touchdown in Green Bay’s Week 1 rout of Detroit. But the Michigan State product will see a separate injury blunt his momentum.
The Golden and Williams draft choices (in Rounds 1 and 3, respectively) prompted Reed agent Drew Rosenhaus to meet with Packers brass about his client’s standing in the organization. LaFleur, as could be expected, endorsed Reed as a key Packer. But the team will need to get by without the inside playmaker for a while. Kraft, whose 124 yards were the most by a Packer tight end in a game since 2015 (the Richard Rodgers Hail Mary night), figures to be a key part of the Pack replacing Reed’s production.
Reed, 25, will become extension-eligible in January. Golden’s arrival does complicate the Packers’ long-term receiver plan, especially with Love on a $55MM-per-year contract and Micah Parsons smashing the defender AAV record (at $46.5MM) after his trade arrival. Reed, who entered Thursday having missed just one career game, could certainly make a strong case for an extension if he submits a productive second half for a Packers team that has looked dominant through two games. The Pack have Doubs unsigned beyond 2025 but extended Watson this week (on a one-year, $11MM deal), providing some clarity for its WR room.
Green Bay already placed running back MarShawn Lloyd and offensive lineman Jacob Monk on short-term IR upon setting its initial 53-man roster. This leaves the Pack’s injury-activation count at six, with Reed poised to become an in-season IR-return player as well. While Reed’s upcoming absence could be complicated due to having two injuries, he will now have more time to stay off his fractured foot ahead of a possible stretch-run reemergence.
Eagles Made Top Offer For Micah Parsons; Bills, Colts, Patriots Also Contacted Cowboys
Jerry Jones slammed the door on trading Micah Parsons within the division, and while the team had hoped to send him outside the conference, traction did not pick up on such a deal. Thus, the Packers blockbuster that sent Kenny Clark and two first-rounders to the Cowboys for the All-Pro edge rusher.
The Eagles are believed to have made the top offer for Parsons, according to Fox’s Jay Glazer, who indicates the defending Super Bowl champions offered two first-round picks, a third-rounder, a fifth and other unspecified assets in an attempt to convince the Cowboys to deal within the NFC East. As could be expected, this bid did not advance far. The Panthers joined the Eagles in pursuing Parsons, though the Carolina offer was clearly not where Green Bay’s ended up going. Clark’s presence played a major role in closing the deal.
[RELATED: Assessing Cowboys’ Action-Packed Offseason]
Jones said during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer) the Cowboys made no counteroffer to the Eagles’ proposal. Considering the Glazer-reported hesitancy about trading Parsons in-conference — something Jones himself did not indicate was part of this process — it would have been shocking to see Parsons traded to Philly. The Eagles are counting on 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt to replace Josh Sweat alongside Nolan Smith, but the team is also playing without the retired Brandon Graham to open the season.
The Cowboys did receive interest from some AFC teams, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Bills, Colts and Patriots made calls on Parsons, but it does not appear any of these talks progressed too far. Each team was told two first-rounders and a “significant” player would be the baseline trade package. With a record-setting extension also essentially a requirement in this deal, it does not appear any major traction with an AFC team ensued. This surprised the Cowboys, per Glazer.
It is likely more interest from the AFC would have come out had the Cowboys truly shopped Parsons this offseason. The team only internally discussed moving him before the draft; no outside talks took place at that point. Still trying to extend the impact pass rusher at that stage, the Cowboys belatedly pivoted as the relationship deteriorated. Though, Glazer reports Dallas made the decision it would trade Parsons around a week before the deal ultimately went down. This would mean the team was prepared to move on before Parsons’ actions during the team’s final preseason game.
Still, Jones needed staffers to convince him to finally move on, according to Russini. As of mid-August, teams were not convinced Parsons was truly on the table. It looks like it took an effort to sway Jones, who had initially told Cowboys supporters not to lose sleep over Parsons’ trade request. But no resumption of negotiations took place. Jones dug in on the informal talks he had with Parsons this offseason. That effort to go around agent David Mulugheta did not sit well with Parsons, Mulugheta or the NFLPA. The team ended up telling Parsons, who had attempted to relaunch negotiations just before the season, to either play on his fifth-year option or be dealt.
Regarding Jones’ effort to negotiate directly with Parsons, the formerly disgruntled D-end believed the owner steered a conversation about leadership toward contract talks, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Don Van Natta Jr. report. While Parsons initially told Jones to talk to Mulugheta about the contract matter, the player contacted COO Stephen Jones later that day (March 18) to have him up the team’s offer. Parsons asked for “several different elements and increases.”
Mulugheta labeled it “unfair” to ask Parsons to both be a dominant NFL defender and be a great lawyer when it comes to negotiating, and interim NFLPA leader David White said he contacted Jerry Jones about directly negotiating with players tied to agents. Parsons’ agency never saw the terms from the direct Jones-Parsons negotiations, per Fowler and Van Natta.
The Cowboys insist they offered more in guaranteed money, but Dallas was believed to have proposed a five-year extension. Considering the cap increases to commence during this CBA, Parsons viewed — as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb had before him — that as a too long of a commitment. The Cowboys also are believed to have “heavily” backloaded the deal — one worth $40.5MM per year — and Russini adds only one year of the contract was guaranteed.
This presumably means fully guaranteed, as Jerry Jones had previously informed Michael Irvin he offered Parsons a deal that contained the highest guarantee of any non-QB. The Packers’ willingness to fully guarantee $120MM at signing — well out of character from a team that typically offers non-QBs signing bonus-only guarantee structures — likely differs from the full guarantee in the Cowboys’ proposal. In terms of total guarantees (which cover injury guarantees or triggers that vest later), it is not unreasonable to view Dallas as beating Green Bay’s extension offer — particularly since it was a five-year proposal.
The Cowboys also received the impression, after no extension was reached in March, Parsons wanted to do his deal after the Steelers locked down T.J. Watt, according to Fowler and Van Natta. His initial negotiation with Jerry Jones occurred shortly after the Myles Garrett deal, helping explain the $40.5MM-AAV offer (as Garrett is signed to a $40MM-per-year Browns extension).
Understandably, Parsons believed he would “blow away” the deals given to Watt and Garrett due to being more than three years younger than either future Hall of Famer. The Packers’ four-year, $186MM proposal — which reset the EDGE market by more than $5MM per year — proved him accurate there.
Dallas, which is now considering Jadeveon Clowney to help its post-Parsons pass rush, drafted 2024 Division I-FBS sack leader Donovan Ezeiruaku in Round 2. That marked the third time in four years the Cowboys used a second-round pick on a defensive end (after choosing Sam Williams in 2022 and Marshawn Kneeland last year). The Cowboys did not view the Ezeiruaku pick as Parsons insurance, per Fowler and Van Natta, as the plan at the time was to have the Boston College product develop as a Parsons sidekick.
While Prescott had said he was surprised by the trade, Fowler and Van Natta add the DE’s behavior during training camp — when he staged a de facto hold-in while using a back injury — rubbed many staffers and players the wrong way. Parsons’ energy during camp was “deflating,” per the ESPN duo. However, Trevon Diggs said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) he did not believe any Cowboys players had an issue with Parsons.
Playing only 45% of the Packers’ defensive snaps in his debut, Parsons registered his first sack with his new team in a dominant home win over the Lions. It was believed Parsons was still dealing with the back injury ahead of Week 1, but he is not in danger of missing Week 2 (a Thursday-night assignment against the Commanders) on short rest. While the Cowboys attempt to replace Parsons, the Packers will attempt to unleash the well-paid trade asset in the weeks to come. Though, the fallout from this megadeal figures to last years in Dallas and Green Bay.
NFL To Fine Eagles DT Jalen Carter; No Suspension Coming
No suspension is on tap in connection with Jalen Carter‘s spitting incident. The standout Eagles defensive tackle will be eligible to face the Chiefs in Week 2.
A $57K fine will be levied, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Week 1 — when Carter was ejected without playing a down — will serve as the third-year DT’s de facto suspension. This fine covers a game check on Carter’s rookie contract.
The Eagles and Carter worked out an arrangement in which future guarantees will not void as part of this NFL-imposed fine, Schefter adds. The team, as should be expected with a player of this caliber, will not seek any signing bonus forfeiture, either. Carter is now in the clear, though this incident will certainly ding a reputation that already sustained hits prior to his Philadelphia arrival.
Because the NFL is treating this like Carter was suspended for a game, the Eagles could have voided his guarantees. With the team undoubtedly eyeing an extension for the 2023 first-round pick — who becomes eligible for a new deal in January — it does not surprise it would work out an arrangement to protect his guarantees and signing bonus money. Having Carter for Week 2 will also provide a significant boost, as the Cowboys pushed the defending Super Bowl champions without the Georgia product available.
Viewed as perhaps the 2023 draft class’ top talent, Carter fell to No. 9 after a handful of teams passed on him. Carter was hit with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. These charges came in connection with the accident that killed Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy on Jan. 15, 2023 (LeCroy and Willock were in a separate vehicle). Carter reached a plea deal in this case, avoiding jail time, but some teams removed him from their draft boards as a result of the accident. That turned out to benefit the Eagles, who traded up one spot (via the Bears) to nab the high-end DT talent.
A suspension was believed to be in play, as Carter spit on Dak Prescott just after the opening kickoff. The Cowboys quarterback had spit in Carter’s direction prior to the ejection; the 24-year-old D-tackle spit on the star quarterback soon after. Dallas enjoyed success offensively against the Eagles, putting up 20 first-half points. Vic Fangio‘s defense adjusted, as the teams combined for just three points after the second-half lightning delay. But Carter serves as the Eagles’ front-seven anchor; having him available will give them a much better chance of containing the Chiefs in the teams’ Super Bowl LIX rematch.
This ban will presumably influence future punishments for spitting, though players would probably run the risk of an actual suspension if such an act occurs well into a game. Carter being let off without a true ban is due to him not playing a down Thursday night.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Accused Of Domestic Violence
Tyreek Hill‘s ex-wife is alleging the Dolphins wide receiver committed several acts of domestic violence against her, according to TMZ. Hill’s attorney has denied the claims, calling them part of a “shakedown.”
While Hill has established himself as one of this century’s best wide receivers and will almost definitely be headed to the Hall of Fame, domestic violence represents an ugly cloud over his career. An arrest while at Oklahoma State in 2014 is the most serious of the incidents, Hill was also part of a 2019 scandal that alleged domestic violence.
He has managed to avoid an NFL suspension, thanks in part to a rule at the time in which off-field incidents prior to a player’s time in the league could not impact the league to impose a ban, but another round of trouble is afoot for the fourth-year Dolphins receiver. Hill, 31, also avoided a suspension for an assault on a Miami-area marina worker in 2023.
Hill’s ex-wife, Keeta Vaccaro, has accused him of multiple acts of violence beginning in January 2024. Hill and Vaccaro were married in November 2023; they separated 17 months later.
In a new court filing as part of the divorce, Vaccaro accused Hill of shoving her to the floor in January 2024 at their guest house in Southwest Ranches, Fla. In a separate incident, Vaccaro accuses Hill of “violently attacked her, throwing her to the floor, twisting her intimate body parts, ripping her hair out and grabbing anything on her person he could get a hold of” in an Orlando hotel two weeks later, according to TMZ.
Vaccaro also alleges Hill shoved a marijuana cigarette in her face when the couple was preparing to leave for the 2024 Pro Bowl. In total, Vaccaro accuses Hill of eight separate acts of domestic violence. This includes incidents while she was pregnant.
Hill’s 2014 arrest involved a different woman, the mother of his oldest children, and involved accusations of punching and choking her while she was pregnant. (That arrest led to Hill being thrown off the Oklahoma State football and track teams; it later led some teams to remove the WR from their draft boards.) That woman, Crystal Espinal, accused Hill in 2019 of violence against one of their children. Hill was also heard in a recording threatening Espinal, his then-fiancé. That recording preceded Hill being barred from the Chiefs’ facility during the 2019 offseason. Due in part to a lack of cooperation from a Kansas district attorney’s office, Hill was not suspended by the NFL in connection with the 2019 incident. He signed a Chiefs extension (three years, $54MM) soon after the team welcomed him back, though that extension had protections for the team in the event more off-field trouble ensued.
With Hill staying out of trouble from then until March 2022, the Dolphins traded a five-pick package to the Chiefs and rewarded the standout receiver with a then-position-record four-year, $120MM extension. A year after not being charged for his marina assault, Hill secured a new $50MM guarantee package from the Dolphins. Months after that guarantee package, Hill checked himself out of Miami’s Week 18 game in New York and made an impromptu trade request — one he later walked back. That said, trade rumors have still followed the former fifth-round pick this year.
As with past Hill accusations, the case will need to play out. No charges have been filed against him in connection with Vaccaro’s allegations, though arrests or convictions are not required for suspensions under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. A league investigation could emerge as a result of Vaccaro’s claims. Two seasons remain on Hill’s Dolphins contract.
Vikings’ Blake Cashman Expected To Miss Several Weeks
Blake Cashman is entering his second season with his hometown team, but the Twin Cities native appears an IR candidate after a Week 1 injury.
A starter since signing a three-year Vikings deal in 2024, Cashman is expected to miss “several” weeks due to a hamstring injury sustained Monday night, per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The off-ball linebacker left Monday’s game in the third quarter.
Caleb Williams‘ 13-yard scramble included Cashman pulling up while giving chase. An Eden Prairie, Minn., native who played at the University of Minnesota, Cashman had been mostly a special-teamer until being called upon for regular defensive duty with the Texans in 2023. That garnered Cashman a nice FA market, and he signed a three-year, $22.5MM deal. The Broncos, Falcons, Packers and Steelers also showed interest last year.
Last season, Cashman started all 14 Vikings games he played. Working as a key part of Brian Flores‘ complex defense, Cashman established new career-high marks in tackles (112), tackles for loss (eight), QB hits (11) and sacks (4.5). Cashman also notched eight passes defensed, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 overall ILB. The 29-year-old defender did miss time with turf toe, however, and he will almost definitely be down for the foreseeable future due to this hamstring malady.
Minnesota plugged veteran Eric Wilson into Cashman’s spot on defense, and while the team rallied back from a two-score deficit to score a Week 1 win in Chicago, Cashman’s absence will sting. The Vikings have sixth-round rookie Kobe King and rookie UDFA Austin Keys behind Wilson at ILB. Wilson, 30 this month, is a 39-game starter. Beginning his career with the Vikings under Mike Zimmer, Wilson has bounced around since. He spent the past three seasons in Green Bay, making 12 starts for last year’s Packers edition.
49ers To Sign K Eddy Pineiro
4:56pm: This is indeed a fast-moving process. Pineiro is joining the 49ers on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. He will be in position to kick for San Francisco in Week 2.
4:31pm: Despite Eddy Pineiro exiting the 2024 season as the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, he did not land a job this offseason. That may be a break for the 49ers, who ended Jake Moody‘s inconsistent tenure earlier today.
Pineiro is set to work out for the 49ers as a possible replacement, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. No other kickers have been tied to this vacancy, potentially giving Pineiro a leg up. With the 49ers needing to move fast, it should be expected we will have an answer about their Week 2 kicker by Wednesday.
Pineiro, 30 this week, worked out for the Dolphins and Bills last month. With those representing temporary openings, Pineiro would have a more enticing opportunity here since the 49ers are looking for a new kicker.
Best known for his Panthers tenure, Pineiro worked with current 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer with the 2021 Jets. Pineiro kicked in five Jets games in 2021. A better opportunity awaited in Carolina, and Pineiro operated as the Panthers’ kicker from 2022-24. Carolina let Pineiro’s contract expire, going with rookie UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald.
In that time, Pineiro moved into third place on the NFL’s all-time accuracy list — behind Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker. Chris Boswell‘s Week 1 showing in New York bumped Pineiro to fourth place all time, but the latter’s 88.03% career make rate is obviously quite impressive. He went 33-for-35, 25-for-29 and 22-for-26 in three Panthers seasons. This included an 8-for-11 rate from beyond 50 yards in that span.
A 2023 third-round pick, Moody missed 10 field goals last season and two in Week 1. The 49ers moved on with two seasons left on the Michigan product’s rookie contract. Greg Zuerlein also kicked two seasons under Boyer in New York, but neither he nor Zane Gonzalez — who joined Zuerlein in auditioning for the Dolphins late last month — have been linked to this job opening yet.