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Latest On Texans’ GM, HC Search

October 11th, 2020 at 11:02am CST by Rory Parks

With Bill O’Brien gone, the Texans find themselves with an interim GM in Jack Easterby and an interim HC in Romeo Crennel. Earlier this week, team owner Cal McNair said that internal conversations as to how the team will permanently fill those roles had yet to begin, but it seems that has changed.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, McNair has hired Jed Hughes, the vice chairman of the search firm Korn Ferry, to assist him. The club will reportedly wait until after the season to hire a new head coach and general manager, but obviously McNair wants to start the process as soon as possible. Interestingly, Hughes also played a key role in helping the Texans identify and hire O’Brien back in 2014.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Patriots exec Nick Caserio is once again under consideration for the Houston GM job. As many of our readers probably remember, the Texans made a play for Caserio in June 2019, only to back out when the Pats threatened to file tampering charges.

Caserio is widely considered to be a top GM candidate, and though he did sign a two-year extension with New England in February, La Canfora says that the new deal prohibits the Pats from interfering with Caserio’s pursuit of a GM job. JLC adds that McNair remains high on Caserio.

Meanwhile, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has been a hot head coaching candidate in recent years, was one of the first names to surface in speculation after O’Brien’s dismissal. And La Canfora says Bieniemy has a fan in Texans QB Deshaun Watson, whose opinion and feedback will be valued by McNair. Indeed, Watson has already advocated for Bienemy, who may have several options but who will unlikely find an HC-needy team with a signal-caller as good as Watson.

McNair is said to be seeking a QB guru, so Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and Bills OC Brian Daboll will also be under consideration.

Bears PS Player, Chiefs Coach Test Positive For COVID-19

October 10th, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Ben Levine

An unidentified Bears practice squad player has tested positive for COVID-19, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Fortunately, Chicago does have some time on their side. After beating the Buccaneers on Thursday night, the Bears won’t play again until next Sunday at Carolina. Schefter notes that the team facilities have been closed since Thursday night.

Mark Maske of The Washington Post tweets that while contact tracing is ongoing throughout the Bears organization, there are “no further issues expected at this point in terms of effect on games.”

More notes below:

  • In the same tweet, Schefter adds that a Chiefs strength and conditioning coach has tested positive. Kansas City hosted the Patriots on Monday night, and we later learned that New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore had tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, tests for Chiefs players have reportedly come back negative all week.
  • We learned last night that the “presumptive positive” test result for a Jets player was proven to be a false positive. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the organization was confident that “protocols have been followed.” Similarly, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano tweets that the team did another full round of PCR testing among some players and staff “just to be safe.”
  • The Patriots (along with the Titans) returned to their practice facility today, but New England was still without two key players. Neither Cam Newton nor Gilmore were on the practice field this morning, according to Schefter (via Twitter). As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com detailed this morning, there’s a path to both Newton and Gilmore playing Monday against the Broncos, although it’s unlikely that at least the cornerback misses the contest. Both players are currently sitting on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Patriots, Titans Expected To Return To Team Facilities Today

October 10th, 2020 at 8:22am CST by Ben Levine

Some good news out of New England and Tennessee. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that there have been no positive tests for the Patriots nor Titans during their respective latest round of COVID-19 testing. As a result, both teams are planning on opening their facilities today.

The Titans had all negative tests for the second day in a row, meaning they could safely return to the practice field this morning. Over the past few weeks, the team has placed a dozen players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and their game against the Steelers last weekend was postponed indefinitely. This week’s contest against the Bills has been moved to Tuesday night.

The Patriots have also gone two days in a row without a positive test. The team’s expecting to hold a team practice this morning, and they’ll hold a walkthrough on Sunday in anticipation of their game against the Broncos on Monday. That game was moved from Sunday after star cornerback Stephon Gilmore tested positive earlier this week.

It’s been a week since Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive, but it’s uncertain if he’ll see the field against Denver on Monday night. New England head coach Bill Belichick told reporters that he doesn’t expect Newton to practice today, noting that he’s taking the player’s status “day-by day” and “hour-by-hour.” If Newton can’t play, it’s expected that the Patriots will turn to second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Jarrett Stidham To Start For Pats If Cam Newton Is Unavailable

October 9th, 2020 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots are currently scheduled to play the Broncos on Monday, and if starting QB Cam Newton is unable to take the field, New England will turn to second-year passer Jarrett Stidham, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Newton has been taking part in Zoom meetings with the team, and there is still hope that he will be able to suit up.

Of course, Newton’s positive COVID-19 test sidelined him for last week’s matchup against the Chiefs, and though New England’s defense generally held its own against Patrick Mahomes & Co., the club was clearly missing the 2015 league MVP. The Pats turned to veteran Brian Hoyer to start the game, but Hoyer lost track of his team’s timeouts at the end of the first half, and he lost a fumble late in the third quarter. Both mistakes likely cost New England points.

Hoyer was benched in favor of Stidham, and the Auburn product kept the Pats in the game on a nice TD pass to N’Keal Harry, but he ultimately threw two interceptions in just 13 pass attempts (though to be fair, one of them was really receiver Julian Edelman‘s fault, and the other came on something of a desperation heave that Stidham might not have tried but for the score of the game at that point). Given that Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round selection, clearly offers more upside than Hoyer, it makes sense that the Pats would look his way.

Of course, Stidham appeared to be the leading candidate to open the 2020 season as the Patriots’ starting signal-caller until Newton fell into their laps at the end of June. Then, a disappointing training camp that included some injury concerns forced the team to slide Stidham behind Hoyer on the depth chart. Stidham will surely welcome the opportunity to rebuild his stock if Newton has to sit.

No New Positive Tests For Titans, Patriots

October 9th, 2020 at 8:44am CST by Rory Parks

Yesterday’s round of COVID-19 testing yielded no new positive results for either the Patriots or Titans, according to multiple sources, including Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As such, the Broncos-Patriots contest, which has been moved to Monday night, is on track to be played, as is the Bills-Titans matchup, currently scheduled for Tuesday night.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that contact tracing identified multiple Patriots players as close/high-risk contacts with CB Stephon Gilmore, who tested positive for the coronavirus, and there are multiple Titans players who are close/high-risk contacts with their COVID-infected teammates (Twitter link). That is not at all surprising, of course, but it stands to reason that there may be more positive tests on both clubs in the coming days. That does not mean, however, that their games would necessarily be nixed.

Pelissero goes into more detail on that point in an interview on the NFL Network this morning (video link). He adds that while the Patriots’ and Titans’ facilities remain closed today, both clubs could be back on the practice field tomorrow if all goes well.

As the NFL already postponed Tennessee’s Week 4 game, it obviously does not want to postpone another one and deal with all of the logistical and competitiveness questions that such a decision would create. Presumably, that’s why additional positive tests would not necessarily impact the club’s Tuesday night affair with Buffalo.

There is also good news for the Chiefs in all of this. Although they tangled with Gilmore and the Pats on Monday night, Pelissero says all of KC’s tests have come back negative this week.

NFL To Move Broncos-Patriots Game To Monday

October 8th, 2020 at 10:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a second straight week, a Patriots game will be moved from Sunday afternoon. The league has officially announced that their Week 5 game against the Broncos will be moved to Monday at 4pm CT/5pm ET.

Cam Newton learned he tested positive for COVID-19 on the Saturday before Week 4 game against the Chiefs, and Stephon Gilmore — who had dinner with Newton last Friday — tested positive Tuesday. As of Thursday, both players are believed to be asymptomatic. Patriots practice squad defensive tackle Bill Murray has also tested positive for the virus. No positive Patriots tests occurred Thursday.

While the Broncos have been able to practice at their facility this week, the Patriots remain barred from doing so because of their coronavirus issues. The Pats will conduct virtual sessions Friday as well, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. This makes the status of Week 5’s Denver-New England game murky.

The Titans saw a string of players test positive for the virus, over a period of more than a week, and their outbreak has continued through Thursday. The Titans’ issues with the virus could prompt the league to err on the side of caution to help prevent a Patriots spread.

But for now, the Patriots will have a second straight game moved from the late-afternoon Sunday window to Monday night. This game will precede the previously scheduled Monday-night game (Chargers-Saints).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/8/20

October 8th, 2020 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Signed: TE Paul Quessenberry

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: DB Dante Olson

NFL Not Considering Pausing Season

October 7th, 2020 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday morning brought more trouble for the NFL on the coronavirus front, with news of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore‘s positive test preceding more Titans positives. Sunday’s Titans-Bills game is firmly in doubt, while the Patriots’ Week 5 contest against the Broncos is no longer a certainty to occur.

The NFL has beefed up its COVID-19 protocols, but the league may stop there for the time being. The league is not considering implementing home-market bubbles by putting players in hotels, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, who adds the NFL pausing its 101st season is also not a serious consideration.

Another Titans postponement would represent a significant schedule glitch, since the league has already moved Tennessee’s bye week — along with Pittsburgh’s — after the outbreak forced a Week 4 schedule change. Wednesday’s news of the additional COVID cases forced the Titans to pause their facility reopening, and the NFL and NFLPA are investigating a protocol-violating offsite workout Tennessee players allegedly conducted.

More Patriots positive tests will further push calls for the NFL to make bigger changes to its coronavirus effort. The Pats did not practice Wednesday, closing their facility. Cam Newton remains asymptomatic, and the Patriots’ round of tests prior to Gilmore’s positive all came back negative. But given the string of positive tests the Titans have encountered since their outbreak began, this is obviously a situation to monitor.

The NFL has considered pushing its playoff slate back to add a Week 18 makeup window, however. But a Titans hiatus beyond this week would create issues with that plan as well. The next few days figure to be a critical point for the league, which Maske notes believes its in-place protocols will work if they are followed.

Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore Tests Positive For COVID-19

October 7th, 2020 at 8:04am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has tested positive for COVID-19, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. With that, the Patriots have called off Wednesday’s practice.

Gilmore’s positive tests comes on the heels of quarterback Cam Newton‘s diagnosis. In addition, practice squad defensive lineman Bill Murray has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which means that he has either come in close contact with someone that has the coronavirus or has it himself.

The Chiefs — who played the Patriots on Monday night — had zero positive tests in Wednesday’s round. However, Gilmore was in close contact with numerous Chiefs players during the game, including star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Gilmore was also on one of the Patriots’ two team planes, meaning that many more players and personnel members were potentially exposed.

Gilmore, 30, was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. He’ll be ineligible to play on Sunday against the Broncos, per league protocol, and his diagnosis will likely have a ripple effect on the schedule. More importantly, the hope is that the virus has not spread and that Gilmore remains in good condition.

Latest On Patriots' COVID-19 Situation

October 6th, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cam Newton was reported Monday to be asymptomatic after his positive COVID-19 test, and with nothing changing on that front Tuesday, the Patriots quarterback could return to practice as soon as Thursday. While no other players on New England’s active roster tested positive, the team placed practice squad defensive tackle Bill Murray on its reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. Murray did not make the trip to Kansas City, per NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran (on Twitter), but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the young defender did stay at the hotel near Gillette Stadium with teammates previously.

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