HEADLINES

Andrew Sendejo

Vikings Claim Andrew Sendejo

November 6th, 2019 at 4:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings claimed safety Andrew Sendejo off waivers from the Eagles, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a reunion for the vet and the Vikes – Sendejo spent eight seasons in Minnesota up until this year. 

The Vikings had the opportunity to keep Sendejo through 2019, but they elected to put him on the free agent pile by waiving his option. He would have earned $5.5MM had he stayed. Instead, the Vikings dropped that entire number from the cap and set the wheels in motion for him to sign a one year deal with Philly.

Now, he’s back, but at a much lower rate. He’ll have his first chance to don purple again on Sunday, when the Vikings take on the Cowboys.

Eagles Waive Andrew Sendejo

November 5th, 2019 at 2:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have waived safety Andrew Sendejo, per a club announcement. Sendejo joined the Eagles in March on a one-year deal, but he won’t get the chance to see it through. 

Sendejo, 32, had his 2019 option declined by the Vikings in the offseason. The move was largely expected after the veteran lost much of the 2018 season to a groin injury. After Sendejo exited the Vikings’ rotation last year, their defense actually improved. In his wake, the Vikings used Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse to hold down the fort and saw better results. This year, Sendejo tallied 26 tackles and one sack across nine games for the Eagles, playing mostly as a reserve.

Even though Sendejo is a vested veteran, he’ll be subject to the waiver wire as a post-trade deadline cut.

Eagles To Sign Andrew Sendejo

March 18th, 2019 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent safety Andrew Sendejo has agreed to sign with the Eagles, sources tell Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). When finalized, it’ll be a one-year deal for the Eagles and the former Vikings safety. 

Sendejo, 32 in September, had his 2019 option declined by the Vikings last week. The move was largely expected after the veteran lost much of the 2018 season to a groin injury. After Sendejo went down in Week 5, the Vikings’ defense actually improved, though it’s impossible to say whether that was coincidental. In his wake, the Vikings used Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse to hold down the fort.

The Vikings prevented Sendejo from hitting the open market in 2016 with a four-year, $16MM deal. After the Vikes rejected the final year of his deal, he’ll try to reestablish himself in Philadelphia.

Vikings To Decline Andrew Sendejo’s Option

March 11th, 2019 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings will decline the option on safety Andrew Sendejo, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Sendejo will join an exceptionally talented safety market, which could limit his earning potential. 

Sendejo, 32 in September, suffered a groin injury in Week 5 of last season and was unable to return. It may be coincidental, but the Vikings’ defense actually got better since turning to reserves Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse in his stead. In the first five weeks of the season, the Vikings surrendered 26.2 points per contest. Sendejo’s campaign ended with 27 total tackles and one pass deflection across five games.

The veteran was due a $5.5MM salary for 2019, but that sum was completely non-guaranteed. By declining Sendejo’s option, the Vikings will gain a good deal of flexibility to take care of their own free agents and make some small additions this week.

Vikings Place Andrew Sendejo On IR

November 27th, 2018 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings placed safety Andrew Sendejo on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. In a related move, rookie cornerback Craig James was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. 

Sendejo, 31, suffered a groin injury in Week 5 and has been out of action ever since. It may be coincidental, but the Vikings’ defense has been stronger since turning to reserves Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse in his stead. In the first five weeks of the season, the Vikings surrendered 26.2 points per contest. Since then, they’ve allowed 20.3 points per game and lost only to the Saints and Bears, two of the NFC’s best teams.

Sendejo’s 2018 season ends with 27 total tackles and one pass deflection in five games. He faces an uncertain future next year as his $5.5MM salary for 2019 is completely non-guaranteed.

James, a UDFA who attended the University of Minnesota and Southern Illinois, has been with the Vikings’ practice squad for the last six weeks.

Thielen, Sendejo Expected To Play Vs. Eagles

January 21st, 2018 at 8:42am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings have not let key injuries at quarterback or running back deter them this season, and their top wide receiver is set to be available in the franchise’s biggest game in eight years Sunday night.

Adam Thielen will play despite being listed as questionable due to a lower back injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. Starting safety Andrew Sendejo will join him in playing despite a recent injury, per Schefter.

One of the more notable receiver breakout stories in recent memory, Thielen played in all 16 of Minnesota’s regular-season games and suited up for the Vikings’ thrilling divisional-round walk-off win. The 27-year-old Division II product landed on the NFC Pro Bowl roster after a 91-reception, 1,276-yard, four-touchdown slate. He missed practice on Wednesday and went through a limited session Thursday.

Sendejo still needs to clear final concussion protocol to play Sunday night, but Schefter reports he’s anticipated to do so. Mike Zimmer said this week he’s optimistic the veteran Harrison Smith sidekick will play; Sendejo returned to practice on Wednesday despite leaving a concussion sidelining him during the Vikings’ Round 2 win.

NFC North Notes: Vikings, Packers, Bears

January 17th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo left Sunday’s Divisional Round game after taking a hit to the head, and while he remains in the concussion protocol, he was able to perform limited individual work during Wednesday’s practice, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today. While there’s no definitive word on Sendejo’s status, the mere fact that he was able to participate in practice should be a positive sign as Minnesota prepares to face Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game. If Sendejo can’t go, fellow defensive back Jayron Kearse — who played 60% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps following Sendejo’s injury — would see more action.

Let’s take a quick spin around the NFC North:

  • Colts defensive line coach Gary Emanuel has interviewed for the same position with the Packers, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Emanuel is currently in limbo given that Indianapolis is expected to hire head coach Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, so he’s taking meetings in the interim. After spending six seasons with the Colts, Emanuel would replace Mike Trgovac as Green Bay’s defensive line coach. Trgovac was fired earlier this month as part of a Packers house-cleaning that also included the termination of defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
  • The Bears are expected to hire Shane Toub as an offensive quality control coach, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Toub, the son of Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, had been working as a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois. Additionally, Chicago has also decided to retain linebackers coach Glenn Pires and assistant defensive backs coach Roy Anderson, sources tell Marvez (Twitter link).
  • In case you missed it, the Bears may have interest in adding former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to their offensive staff. Bevell isn’t the only ex-play-caller in contention for a role with Chicago, as former Raiders OC Todd Downing is also interviewing with the club.

NFC Notes: Winston, 49ers, Cards, Pryor

November 17th, 2017 at 2:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The woman who accused Jameis Winston of groping her in an Uber vehicle in 2016, via Buzzfeed report earlier today, said only she and Winston were in the car at the time. But Winston’s representatives assert there were several people in the car, with the Buccaneers quarterback sitting in the backseat, NFL.com reports. Winston’s statement pointed to there being multiple passengers in the vehicle as well. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) listened to the voicemail an Uber representative sent Winston, with the phrase “you or someone else in your vehicle engaged in inappropriate behavior” used. This led to Winston being banned from Uber but also has the third-year passer’s representatives saying there were more people in the car than the accuser’s account suggests.

Here’s the latest from the NFC.

  • The knee sprain Drew Stanton suffered will lead to the Cardinals starting a third quarterback this season. Bruce Arians said Blaine Gabbert will start Sunday against the Texans, marking the first time since October 2016 Gabbert will have started a game. Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com notes it will be a game-time decision for who will be Gabbert’s backup. Stanton, who sprained a knee against the Seahawks, being healthy enough to be an in-case-of-emergency option will make him the No. 2. If not, recently signed Matt Barkley will serve as the backup. This marks the second time in four seasons the Cardinals have needed to start three quarterbacks. This happened in 2014, when Carson Palmer, Stanton and Ryan Lindley opened with that playoff-qualifying team’s first unit.
  • John Lynch said the 49ers don’t need to see Jimmy Garoppolo start a certain number of games in order to make a judgment about him for the future. The rookie GM the franchise’s view of the longtime Patriots backup has been enhanced by Garoppolo’s first few weeks in San Francisco despite him not seeing game action yet. “We know what we like about Jimmy Garoppolo. And that’s only been strengthened by the time that’s he’s been here,” Lynch said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “We’re just going to let these things play out. People have had all these ideas about why we got Jimmy. We got Jimmy because we think he has big-time ability at the quarterback position. And we believe so much – to get where we need to get – you have to have a franchise quarterback. We think he’s got that ability. Whether that happens, when that happens, we’ll see. But we certainly like his future with the 49ers.”
  • Both Terrelle Pryor and Jordan Reed will miss the Redskins‘ Week 11 against the Saints, and Pryor’s ankle injury looks like one that could shelve him for multiple weeks. Pryor will see Dr. James Andrews about his ankle, Master Tefatsion of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Signed to a one-year contract, Pryor has been demoted from Washington’s first unit and now hopes he can return this season — one that’s doubled as a grim contract year. Center Spencer Long will also miss Washington’s game in New Orleans.
  • On the subject of less-than-ideal contract years, Ziggy Ansah will miss a second straight game with a back injury, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Injuries have limited the Lions defensive end for the past two seasons and figure to be a key part of the discussion once his contract expires after 2017. He has four sacks — all coming in two games — this season.
  • Mike Remmers experienced a concussion protocol setback this week and will miss the Vikings‘ Week 11 game against the Rams, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Andrew Sendejo will also miss Sunday’s game, the safety being out due to groin and hamstring pain. Rashod Hill and Anthony Harris will respectively replace the ailing duo in Minnesota’s starting lineup.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Tate, Vikes, Sendejo

October 25th, 2017 at 10:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While initial reports indicated Lions wideout Golden Tate would be sidelined for a “few weeks” after suffering an AC joint sprain in Week 6, the veteran pass-catcher participated in practice today, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Tate’s presence at practice certainly doesn’t mean that he’ll be ready to face the Steelers on Sunday, and there’s every reason that he’ll remain doubtful for Week 8 (especially given that he was recently spotted sporting a sling). But it’s a remarkable turnaround for Tate, and gives him a decent chance at being available in Week 9 even if he can’t go against Pittsburgh.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

  • Tate wasn’t the only Lions player to return to practice this week, as offensive lineman Corey Robinson was on the field as well, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. Unlike Tate, Robinson isn’t currently on the Lions’ active roster, as Detroit placed him on injured reserve in September. The NFL now allows clubs to bring two players back from IR, and Robinson appears to be one of the Lions’ choices — he can practice over the next two weeks, and can be activated in time for Detroit’s November 2 contest against the Browns. Last season, Robinson appeared in 14 games as a reserve and made three starts.
  • Free agent offensive lineman Don Barclay worked out for the Lions today, per Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link). Barclay, whom the Packers released off injured reserve earlier this week, appeared in 62 games (24 starts) for the Packers from 2012-16. Given his ability to play guard and tackle, Barclay would give Detroit experience all along the line. The Lions are a bottom-six team in both adjusted line yards and sack rate, and left tackle Greg Robinson — who’s filling in for the injured Taylor Decker — is the league’s second-worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
  • Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo will serve his one-game suspension in Week 8 after his appeal was denied, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Sendejo, who earned his ban due to a hit on Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace, will be off the field when Minnesota faces the Browns on Sunday. Instead, the Vikings will turn to Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse to cover opposite All Pro Harrison Smith. The one-game suspension will cost Sendejo roughly $174K, the amount of a single game check.

Suspension Notes: Lynch, Sendejo

October 23rd, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by GregGoldstein

After being suspended for one game for contact with a referee, Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch made his case during his appeal of the punishment to league officials. The 32-year-old former All-star reportedly had Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters testify in his defense during the appeal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schefter further pointed out that Lynch made his entire argument and will likely hear whether or not the suspension has been lifted at some point tomorrow.

  • Schefter also reported an interesting argument that Lynch made to the NFL today regarding his situation. The insider tweets that the Raiders back and his reps made the point that, “9 players, including Aaron Donald and Taylor Lewan last season, made contact with an official; none suspended.” While it appears that Lynch makes a pretty solid case, it still remains to be seen whether the league will ease his punishment and allow him to play next week vs. the Bills.
  • In other suspension news, today we learned that Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo has been suspended for one game because of his hit on Ravens receiver Mike Wallace, NFL Vice President of Football Communications Michael Signora announced on Twitter. The Ravens starting wideout went onto miss the rest of the game with a concussion, despite pleading with coaches to let him continue. The Minnesota defensive back was penalized for a personal foul on the play and will now have to miss their upcoming game against the Browns. The team has backup safeties Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse to help replace the veteran for the contest.