Newsstand News & Rumors

Colts LB Shaquille Leonard Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

November 15th, 2022 at 12:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquille Leonard underwent a second back surgery this year, going under the knife Tuesday morning. This procedure will knock him out for the rest of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The Colts placed the three-time All-Pro on IR last week, after he endured a setback with the injury that has defined his year. Leonard will attempt to complete a successful recovery and return to his top form by the 2023 season.

This news will wrap Leonard’s 2022 season after three games. Leonard played through this back issue in 2021, a season in which he led the league with eight forced fumbles and secured his third first-team All-Pro honor. But he underwent surgery early this summer. That operation was not believed to threaten Leonard’s Week 1 availability, but he did not debut until Week 4. The cornerstone Colts linebacker will have more time to recovery from his latest procedure.

Even after Leonard returned to the field this season, other injury issues plagued him. The former Division I-FCS standout suffered a concussion and a nose injury this season; he ended up undergoing surgery to repair the nose issue last month. His 2022 slate closes with 11 tackles, a pass deflection and an interception. Leonard, 27, never received a full complement of snaps in a game this season; he ended up seeing action on just 74 defensive snaps in 2022.

The Colts have managed to stay near the top of the league defensively despite Leonard’s absence. Gus Bradley‘s unit ranks fourth in total defense this season. The previous four Colts defenses have benefited greatly from Leonard’s presence. Becoming one of the league’s best defensive players, Leonard already has 17 career forced fumbles, 15 career sacks and 12 career picks. The production from 2018-20 secured Leonard a five-year, $98.5MM extension. That deal remains the highwater mark among off-ball linebackers.

It will be interesting to see how Leonard’s supporting cast looks when he is healthy enough to play again. Bobby Okereke may be in the process of pricing himself out of a second Colts contract. The former third-round pick has followed up a 132-tackle 2021 with 86 stops through 10 games this season. Pro Football Focus ranks Okereke and E.J. Speed as top-10 linebackers this season. Okereke and Speed are eligible for free agency in March. The Colts took care of former Zaire Franklin — a former seventh-round pick who has been a full-time player for this Indianapolis edition — this past offseason.

D.C. Attorney General Sues Dan Snyder, Commanders, NFL

November 10th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Still amid multiple investigations, the Commanders are now being sued. The office of D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced Thursday it has filed a lawsuit against Dan Snyder, the Commanders, the NFL and Roger Goodell (Twitter link).

This is a consumer protection lawsuit, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, accusing Snyder and his franchise of, in pursuit of revenue, “colluding to deceive and mislead customers” about the investigation into the team’s workplace culture.

Snyder and his franchise remain the subject of three investigations — from the House Oversight Committee, the NFL and the office of Virginia’s attorney general. Racine’s lawsuit will also seek to have the findings of the NFL’s previous investigation — a Beth Wilkinson-run probe that, at the league’s request, did not produce a written report — public, according to the Washington Post.

“Faced with public outrage over detailed and widespread allegations of sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment at the Team, Defendants made a series of public statements to convince District consumers that this dysfunctional and misogynistic conduct was limited and that they were fully cooperating with an independent investigation,” the lawsuit reads. “These statements were false and calculated to mislead consumers so they would continue to support the Team financially without thinking that they were supporting such misconduct.”

Racine’s term in office ends Jan. 2, but he believes the case will move forward. His office plans to issue subpoenas, per Jhabvala (Twitter links). Subpoenas emerged in the Oversight Committee’s investigation, but Snyder evaded testimony for weeks. Eventually, the embattled owner did testify but did so remotely and without being under oath. Those circumstances allowed Snyder to bypass certain questions during that hearing. Goodell also testified before the Oversight Committee this summer, doing so before Snyder.

Repeated allegations of toxic workplace culture and financial impropriety led to this latest batch of trouble for Snyder. He and other team executives have been accused of withholding ticket revenue from opposing teams and keeping refundable deposits from fans. The Committee also accused Snyder’s franchise of dishonesty with the NFL regarding sharable revenue. A former employee, testifying to the Committee, indicated Washington had two separate books — one with the full figures and another with underreported ticket revenue. Regarding ticket revenue, Grant Paulson of 106.7 The Fan tweets the team has sent a letter to various season-ticket holders — some from the not-so-recent past — indicating the team owes a balance to certain fans.

This endless spree of trouble has led to the threat of owners voting to remove Snyder from his 23-year ownership post, which would be an NFL first. It is uncertain if there are 24 owners willing to vote Snyder out, but some likely would. Jim Irsay indicated 24 removal votes could be there, with the Colts owner speaking out after an ESPN report indicated Snyder had conducted shadow investigations of select other owners. Snyder later denied that charge.

The prospect of owners assembling votes against Snyder hovered over the Commanders owner for much of 2022. However, Snyder has since begun the process of exploring a Commanders sale. After defiantly indicating he would never sell the team, Snyder is believed to be seeking a $7 billion sum for the franchise. That would surpass the Broncos’ 4.65 billion haul fetched this summer. The Broncos’ price more than doubled the previous NFL record. Several prospective buyers have emerged.

Regardless of a sale, Snyder remains in hot water. No timelines exist regarding the completion of the three investigations. As of now, the owner is believed to be operating without restrictions in his ownership role. Wilkinson’s investigation previously led to a de facto suspension, but that is believed to be over.

Raiders Waive S Johnathan Abram

November 8th, 2022 at 1:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders dangled Johnathan Abram in trades leading up to last week’s deadline, and they are now moving on from the former first-round pick.

Las Vegas plans to cut Abram on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The veteran starter, whom the Raiders recently demoted, will be available on waivers. Abram has made 34 career starts, but the Jon Gruden-era draftee was unable to carve out a spot as a long-term Raiders piece. Just more than $1MM in base salary remains on Abram’s rookie contract. The Raiders have since announced the move.

Trades of Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper gave the Raiders three first-round picks in 2019. The team selected Josh Jacobs with the Mack-produced draft slot and landed Abram with the Cooper-obtained pick. The Bears and Cowboys, respectively, gave the trade acquisitions second contracts. The Raiders did not pick up Abram or Jacobs’ fifth-year options. The first pick from the first Gruden-Mike Mayock draft, Clelin Ferrell, is also playing out his rookie contract after never gaining a foothold as a viable starter.

The Raiders shopped both Abram and Ferrell before the deadline, but no takers emerged. Despite being on Las Vegas’ roster bubble this offseason, Ferrell has seen a greater snap share compared to Abram in recent weeks. Abram started the Raiders’ first six games but did not open the team’s Week 8 Saints matchup in the lineup.

Abram, 26, played at least 75% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps over their first six games. The Raiders saw the former No. 27 overall pick’s rookie season nullified by a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum. He bounced back to return to the starting lineup in 2020 and tallied 116 tackles in 2021. During his final three Raiders seasons, Abram has played in three defensive systems. The Raiders have gone from Paul Guenther to Gus Bradley to Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator over the past three seasons. The Raiders’ defense, which has struggled regardless of coordinator for most of the 21st century, ranks 28th in both points and yards allowed.

Coverage issues have plagued the Mississippi State alum as a pro. While Pro Football Focus rates Abram outside the top 75 among full-time safeties this season, the advanced metrics site has Vegas starter Trevon Moehrig slotted in the bottom five at the position. The Raiders’ Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime brought in ex-Patriot Duron Harmon this offseason; the veteran has worked as a full-timer at safety since arriving.

Abram’s exit during his rookie contract makes him the fourth Raider first-rounder over the past four years who failed to play out his rookie deal. The Raiders cut Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette within a two-week period last fall, with off-field incidents leading to each’s exit. Alex Leatherwood did not make it into his second season, being waived after training camp this year. Although the Gruden era produced draft hits like Maxx Crosby and Hunter Renfrow, the first-round misses have undoubtedly set the Raiders back.

Colts Fire HC Frank Reich, Name Jeff Saturday Interim Replacement

November 7th, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Adam La Rose

11:59am: In a surprising move, the Colts have announced former center Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach. The 47-year-old spent all but the final season of his 14-year playing career in Indianapolis, earning a total of six Pro Bowl nods. A member of the team’s Ring of Honor, he has since worked as a consultant with them, along with a role as an ESPN analyst.

The decision to hire from outside the organization is noteworthy, given the presence of far more experienced options in Bradley and Fox. This will mark Saturday’s first coaching role at the college or NFL level, making this a borderline unprecedented hire. A press conference is scheduled for later today.

10:34am: The second in-season head coach firing has taken place in the NFL. Frank Reich has been let go by the Colts, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news.

Reich had increasingly become the subject of scrutiny this season, his fifth leading the Colts’ sideline. The team has run into unexpected offensive struggles, and as the unit’s play-caller, the 60-year-old bore the brunt of criticism. Just last week, however, it had appeared as though his job was safe for at least the immediate future.

Yesterday, Indianapolis suffered a 26-3 loss to New England, representing another low mark on the campaign with respect to the offense. Second-year passer Sam Ehlinger was making his second career start, after being installed as the starter in place of veteran trade acquisition Matt Ryan. That decision, it was later revealed, was driven not by Reich, but rather team owner Jim Irsay.

Another sizeable move came last week, when offensive coordinator Marcus Brady was fired. He did not handle play-calling duties, though, leading to questions of how much of a difference that move would make. It also pointed to Reich’s time with the Colts potentially being in jeopardy barring a significant turnaround. That certainly didn’t take place yesterday, and the team now sits at 3-5-1 on the year.

Indianapolis has faced inconsistency along the offensive line – once the undisputed strength of the team, and one of the best units in the league – and star running back Jonathan Taylor has missed time with injury. Even when healthy, however, he has not played to the potential his first two seasons demonstrated. In the passing game, the team actually ranks in the top-10 in yards per game (257), but Ryan’s struggles with turnovers hamstrung the league’s lowest-scoring team and greatly influenced his benching. The lone move the team made at the trade deadline was sending backup running back Nyheim Hines to the Bills.

Reich will depart with an overall record of 40-33-1. Three of his past four seasons had ended with winning records, but the team’s late-season collapse in 2021 cost them a playoff spot. A return to the postseason was considered a baseline expectation for 2022, especially given the stability Ryan was expected to provide after years of searching for a long-term Andrew Luck replacement. It appears likely the Colts will be kept out of the playoffs once again this year, making the remaining weeks an evaluation period for Ehlinger and the team’s other young players.

The Colts’ remaining staff includes a pair of coaches with HC experience: defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, and defensive assistant John Fox. Former DC Matt Eberflus became the Bears’ head coach this offseason, one year after former OC Nick Sirianni departed for Philadelphia to do the same. Now, all three mainstays on Indy’s sideline are gone, with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team moving forward. Reich joins ex-Panthers bench boss Matt Rhule as coaches now on the lookout for their next employer.

Packers’ Rashan Gary Suffers Torn ACL

November 7th, 2022 at 8:02am CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers lost their fifth straight game yesterday, but any turnaround of their season will come without one of their top defenders. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported this morning that edge rusher Rashan Gary was feared to have suffered a torn ACL; Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms that that is indeed the case, meaning Gary will miss the remainder of the season (Twitter links). An MRI will be conducted to determine if any further damage has been caused.

Gary was one of several Packers who had to leave Sunday’s contest early, leaving the team with a number of question marks from a health perspective. Gary was seen on crutches after the loss to Detroit, joining cornerback Eric Stokes and wideout Romeo Doubs in that regard (Twitter link via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky).

Green Bay will be hard-pressed to replace Gary, 24, for the remainder of the season. He was in the midst of another productive campaign off the edge, recording 6.0 sacks and seven tackles for loss. That marked a continuation of last season, during which he broke out with 9.5 sacks while taking on a full-time starting role. The former first-rounder drew plenty of scrutiny during his first two campaigns, as he showed only flashes of the athleticism he was renowned for coming out of college.

After things turned around in 2021, however, it came as little surprise when the Packers picked up Gary’s fifth-year option this spring. That move will keep him on the books for 2023 at a cost of just under $10.9MM. Given his play last year, and his continued career ascension until yesterday, the Michigan alum was setting himself up as a prime extension candidate this offseason.

That held especially true since the Packers released Za’Darius Smith in a cost-cutting move in March. The veteran ultimately landed with the division rival Vikings as a high-priced free agent. So far, he has enjoyed another productive season, and he ranks second in the NFL with 8.5 sacks. Gary had filled in for Smith (as he did last season, with the latter sidelined through injury), with fellow veteran Preston Smith chipping in with 3.5 sacks on the campaign.

Now, the Packers will need to regroup defensively with the elder Smith leading the way in terms of pass rushers. Green Bay is also rostering Day 3 draftees Kingsley Enagbare and Jonathan Garvin, along with former UDFA Tipa Galeai as potential Gary replacements.

A mentioned, Green Bay lost a number of key players on both sides of the ball yesterday. Joining Gary, Stokes and Doubs are lead running back Aaron Jones (who was seen in a walking boot, per Demovsky) and rookie wideout Christian Watson, who exited to be evaluated for a concussion after suffering one last week. As crushing as the Gary diagnosis is for the team, then, there could very well be more bad news coming today as the Packers continue reeling.

Saints To Place Michael Thomas On IR; WR Not Expected To Return In 2022

November 3rd, 2022 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michael Thomas has already missed the Saints’ past five games. The Saints ensured Thursday he will miss at least four more, preparing to place their former All-Pro weapon on IR. But Dennis Allen indicated this is a more serious issue — one that a four-game IR stay will not address.

A complication in Thomas’ recovery from a toe injury will lead to the IR placement, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell (on Twitter). That complication appears severe, with Allen adding he does not expect Thomas to play again this season. The 29-year-old wideout will undergo surgery, Terrell tweets.

This continues a tough period for Thomas, who has missed much of the 2020s due to injury. After missing just two games over his first four seasons, Thomas will have missed 40 over the past three. His future with the Saints is certainly in doubt in the wake of this news.

New Orleans received tremendous value from Thomas during the late 2010s. After a few teams misfired on wideout picks in the 2016 first round, the Saints found a gem in Round 2 of that draft. Thomas ascended to the All-Pro level in 2018 and broke Marvin Harrison‘s 17-year-old single-season reception record a year later. As Drew Brees continued to play at a high level in his late 30s and into his early 40s, he depended on Thomas. That partnership earned the Ohio State product a big-ticket extension. Unfortunately, injuries have ruined most of his time on this deal.

The Saints gave Thomas a five-year, $96.25MM deal before the 2019 season, and he rewarded them with that record-setting 149-reception campaign. But injuries began to crop up in 2020. Week 1 of that season began the trouble, with Thomas suffering a high ankle sprain that day. He then encountered a midseason hamstring injury, but the ankle trouble lingered into 2021. Thomas held off on undergoing ankle surgery until summer 2021 — months after the Saints wanted that operation to take place — and ran into a new ankle injury during the ’21 season.

Because the Saints restructured Thomas’ deal more than once, a high dead-money hit would come if/when the team releases him. A $25MM-plus dead-cap hit would follow a 2023 Thomas release, but the Saints could drop that to just more than $11MM by designating Thomas as a post-June 1 cut. That would spread the cap hit over the 2023 and ’24 league years.

Optimism existed coming into this season. Thomas had recovered from the career-sidetracking ankle ordeal and caught three touchdown passes in the first three weeks this season — including two during a comeback win over the Falcons. The four-time 1,000-yard receiver caught 16 passes for 171 yards in New Orleans’ first three games, but the toe problem then intervened. Thomas’ unavailability will make it difficult for the Saints to keep him — barring a major pay cut. His $28.3MM cap number is tops on the Saints’ 2023 payroll.

The Saints, who were eagerly awaiting to deploy their transformed receiving corps this season, have needed to get by without both Thomas and Jarvis Landry for much of this year. Landry is not on IR, but the free agency addition has missed the past four games with an ankle malady. Landry did return to practice this week, and it would obviously be a boon for New Orleans’ offense if the ninth-year veteran returned in Week 9. Landry will be needed more than the Saints anticipated, though first-round pick Chris Olave has produced when available for the team.

Ravens WR Rashod Bateman To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

November 3rd, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens will be without their No. 1 wide receiver for the rest of the season. Rashod Bateman will undergo surgery to repair a Lisfranc issue, John Harbaugh said Thursday (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley, on Twitter).

This foot operation is expected to sideline the second-year receiver for this campaign’s remainder. Bateman had missed Baltimore’s Week 5 and Week 6 games, before returning to play in the team’s most recent two contests. This will be a tough blow for the AFC North-leading team.

Bateman aggravated his foot injury during the Ravens’ Week 8 win over the Buccaneers. This setback was only supposed to cost him multiple games; an IR stay was not yet certain prior to today. Instead, an already-thin Ravens receiving corps will need to get by without the player drafted to be its anchor.

Baltimore played without Bateman for five games to start the 2021 season, after the Minnesota product suffered a groin injury during training camp. But the 2021 first-round pick still re-emerged as a key target down the stretch for Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Bateman caught 46 passes for 585 yards and a touchdown. He already has two scores this season and has far exceeded his rookie-year yards-per-catch figure, but the 19-yard number will end up being final.

While Bateman still stands to be a big part of the Ravens’ long-term future, he will end this season with 18 career missed games. The Ravens moved to draft Bateman 27th overall last year, prioritizing him over an outside linebacker need. Baltimore had both Gregory Rousseau and Odafe Oweh rated closely that year, so the team preferred Bateman’s value with its initial first-round pick and ended up with Oweh — who went one spot after Rousseau — three spots later.

The Ravens resisted calls to augment their receiver situation this offseason, going into the year with Bateman and Devin Duvernay as their top targets. None of Baltimore’s auxiliary presences have made much of an impact thus far, leading the team to sign DeSean Jackson. The historically productive deep threat has battled extensive injury troubles in the recent past as well, but he bounced back with a solid health stretch last year. Jackson, 35, will likely make his Ravens debut Monday night against the Saints.

Dolphins, Bradley Chubb Agree On Extension

November 3rd, 2022 at 8:21am CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins are working fast with Bradley Chubb. Less than two days after trading for the veteran pass rusher, they reached an agreement to extend him, The Score’s Jordan Schultz reports (via Twitter).

Chubb is signing a five-year, $110MM deal that includes $63.2MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter links). The former No. 5 overall pick now checks in as the league’s sixth-highest-paid edge defender. Initially reported to be worth $119MM, the deal’s new-money average comes in at $22.7MM per year. The $119MM accounts for Chubb’s remaining 2022 fifth-year option salary (just more than $7MM) and minor Pro Bowl incentives. Chubb is under contract through 2027.

Like they did with Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins stepped up with a big-ticket extension just after trading a first-round pick for a veteran. Chris Grier indicated Wednesday a deal was likely near, and he has now authorized a payday to keep Chubb off the 2023 market. The Dolphins acquired Chubb just before the deadline, sending the Broncos first- and fourth-round picks and running back Chase Edmonds.

Miami’s compensation package gave Chubb’s camp some leverage, but the sides found common ground. The 26-year-old pass rusher’s deal was always expected to come in north of $20MM AAV, but the parties finalized an agreement that puts Chubb in between ex-teammate Von Miller‘s $20MM-per-year Bills pact and the league’s top tier.

This contract checks in less than $1MM below Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM-AAV Raiders extension, representing a bit of a bargain for the Dolphins. While Chubb’s production has not been as steady as Crosby’s, the trade cost and upcoming salary cap bump could have likely allowed the new Dolphin to push for a deal that moves him into the top five at the position. That said, Chubb has a notable injury history and locking in money now protects him from another setback affecting his value.

Hill came to Miami after ripping off a stretch of five straight Pro Bowls as a wideout (the first nod came for returner production); Chubb has one career Pro Bowl. That 2020 honor came for a 7.5-sack season. Chubb also has a 12-sack slate (2018) on his resume, but he has missed 24 career games — mostly due to his 2019 ACL tear and two-ankle-surgery 2021. This contract represents the Dolphins’ belief Chubb will grow into their pass-rushing anchor.

Miami has been active in reshaping its edge rush in recent years. The team brought in Emmanuel Ogbah as a 2020 free agent and gave him a new deal this offseason. The Dolphins drafted Jaelan Phillips in the 2021 first round and signed Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers this year. This contingent has produced just 15 sacks (T-21st), with Phillips leading the way at three. The Dolphins rank 22nd in points allowed and 23rd in total defense. Chubb comes to south Florida with 5.5 sacks, having shown a full recovery from an injury-marred 2021 season.

Despite this bounce-back effort, the Broncos sold high on the John Elway-era draftee. Denver is 3-5 and almost certainly did not receive an offer of a first-round pick for fellow trade candidate Jerry Jeudy. With the Dolphins stepping up to win these sweepstakes, the Broncos — who traded both their 2023 first- and second-round picks for Russell Wilson — are now in line to pick on the draft’s first day. San Francisco’s finish will determine Denver’s draft slot, with the Dolphins sending the Broncos the 49ers’ 2023 first — obtained in the 2021 swap that gave the 49ers Trey Lance draft real estate — in this exchange. The Dolphins are without a first-round pick next year, seeing its own selection stripped because of the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering penalty.

The Broncos have now traded the likes of Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Miller and Chubb over the past five trade deadlines, becoming one of the league’s consistent sellers. While Thomas, Sanders and Miller were each part of Broncos teams that ventured to the playoffs and Super Bowl 50, Chubb arrived amid the franchise’s endless search for a franchise quarterback. The North Carolina State product also barely played alongside Miller during his tenure, with both players’ injuries limiting their time together before Miller’s 2021 trade to Los Angeles.

Denver’s 2022 outside linebacker moves — signing Randy Gregory, drafting Nik Bonitto in Round 2 and moving inside linebacker Baron Browning to the edge — signaled a possible Chubb departure. The Dolphins’ offer of a first-rounder convinced the team to pull that lever early, passing on a possible 2023 franchise tag. The Broncos are saving money at this position, with Gregory tied only to a $14MM-per-year accord.

During the 2021 offseason, Broncos GM George Paton — an ex-Grier Dolphins coworker in the 2000s — called Chubb a core player. Although the Broncos gauged what it would cost to extend Chubb, the sides are never believed to have negotiated. The Dolphins have now paid up to ensure Chubb is one of their core performers, and the franchise gunning for its first playoff win since 2000 will count on the trade piece to lead the way defensively.

Dan Snyder Considering Commanders Sale?

November 2nd, 2022 at 10:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Although a statement from Dan Snyder insisted he would never sell his franchise, he and wife Tanya have hired Bank of America Securities to “consider potential transactions,” the Commanders announced Wednesday (Twitter link). Addressing whether this would regard a partial or full sale by the Snyders, a Commanders spokesperson said (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter), “We are exploring all options.”

“Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders announced today that they have hired BofA Securities to consider potential transactions,” the statement reads. “The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.”

Snyder, who has owned the Washington franchise since 1999, has been under several investigations in recent years. A House Oversight Committee probe and another NFL inquiry into his franchise’s alleged workplace misconduct and financial improprieties represent the latest scandals engulfing the embattled owner and his team.

Snyder has received at least four calls from interested buyers, according to Forbes (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). The Broncos set a new market recently, by shattering the American sports record with a $465 billion price. Snyder purchased the Washington franchise for $750MM 23 years ago.

It is not known if the Snyders will follow through with a sale, but this development comes shortly after one of Dan Snyder’s peers — Colts owner Jim Irsay — went public about 24 votes potentially being there to remove Snyder as Commanders owner. Dan soon sent a letter to the NFL’s other owners ensuring them he has not hired firms to investigate them — an explosive charge levied against the Washington owner last month — and this came shortly after a statement from the Snyders which confirmed no sale would ever be considered. Amid steady turmoil, it now appears the Snyders are considering it.

No vote has ever passed to remove an NFL owner from his or her post, but scandals have led owners to sell. This happened most recently with the Panthers, who saw Jerry Richardson sell his franchise to David Tepper amid workplace misconduct allegations in 2018. As Dan Snyder goes through his latest batch of investigations, Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver — recently suspended after a lengthy investigation — announced his intention to sell both his NBA and WNBA (Phoenix Mercury) franchises.

While Washington had tumbled off its perch as a Super Bowl contender during the mid-1990s, the franchise’s reputation has taken steady hits since Snyder’s 1999 acquisition. The team, which made five Super Bowl appearances from 1972-1991, has not made consecutive playoff berths under Snyder. And countless stories of misconduct, producing the investigations, have followed. Routine calls for Snyder to sell have emanated from FedEx Field for years.

An NFL investigation that wrapped in 2021 led to Dan Snyder being fined $10MM and a de facto suspension, which left Tanya Snyder in charge of the franchise’s day-to-day responsibilities. Dan denied he was ever suspended, and a recent statement insisted he was free to resume his regular duties with the team. The NFL’s latest investigation is slated to produce a written report — after the previous probe did not — while “further action” is on tap once the Oversight Committee’s investigation concludes. No timetable exists regarding the NFL’s latest probe, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, minimizing the notion this sale buzz was connected to Mary Jo White’s report dropping soon (Twitter link).

Snyder once said he would never change the name of his team, which dropped the Redskins moniker after years of outside pressure. After insisting he would not sell, will he change his mind on this front as well?

Colts To Trade RB Nyheim Hines To Bills

November 1st, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills will beat the buzzer by acquiring a running back. Nyheim Hines is Buffalo-bound, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The longtime Colts passing-down back/return man surfaced in trade rumors Monday night and will join a 6-1 Bills team.

Hines will head to Buffalo in a package that includes Zack Moss going to Indianapolis. The Bills are trading Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for Hines, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Moss is signed through 2023.

This move comes after Buffalo was involved in talks for both Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. While Hines is not on that level, he has been a longtime Colts complementary piece. After signing an Indianapolis extension last year, Hines is signed through 2024. Momentum began to build toward a Hines deal earlier Tuesday, and his three-year, $18MM pact will change hands.

A part of the Colts’ impact 2018 draft class, Hines has been the team’s passing-down back supplementing both Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, catching at least 40 passes in each of his four full seasons. Hines topped 60 receptions in 2018 and 2020, displaying rare durability at his position. Hines has missed just one game as a pro.

Buffalo’s backfield equation changed in the spring, when a J.D. McKissic agreement did not lead to a finalized contract. McKissic reneged on the deal and went back to Washington. The Bills then drafted James Cook in Round 2 this year. Cook had overtaken Moss as the AFC East leaders’ No. 2 back. It will be interesting to see how the Bills use Cook now that Hines is in this Devin Singletary-fronted mix.

Hines, who turns 26 next week, has also worked as Indy’s punt returner since his second season. The North Carolina State product produced two punt-return touchdowns in that 2019 campaign. As they gun for their first championship since the AFL days, the Bills are undoubtedly planning to take advantage of Hines’ versatility. Hines has 19 career touchdowns, with a career-high seven coming in 2020.

The Bills inquired about McCaffrey this offseason and could have outflanked the 49ers by offering a first-round pick. But Buffalo viewed a first as too rich for the ex-Carolina star and did not make an offer. The team asked the Saints about Kamara recently, but New Orleans — which has not otherwise been linked to trading the five-time Pro Bowler — rebuffed that inquiry. Hines could be a nice consolation prize.

This does qualify as a seller trade for the Colts, but they have underperformed to start the season and are now breaking in another new quarterback (Sam Ehlinger). Moss will be part of the team’s Jonathan Taylor backup crew. The Bills took Moss in the 2020 second round and used him extensively during the first season and change of his career. The Utah product backed up Singletary primarily, totaling 1,118 scrimmage yards over his first two seasons. But Singletary received most of the backfield work down the stretch last season for the pass-first squad. Cook’s arrival further reduced Moss’ role this season. He will attempt to rebound as a Taylor backup.

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