HEADLINES

Tyrann Mathieu

NFC West Notes: Mathieu, Rams, 49ers, Lynch

December 24th, 2015 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

Tyrann Mathieu‘s season-ending ACL tear did come with some positive news. Bruce Arians informed media the standout defender’s tear is “clean,” unlike the ACL and LCL tear the Cardinals‘ third-year dynamo suffered in Dec. 2013, NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling reports.

Arians hopes Mathieu will be ready for OTAs, as Carson Palmer was following his late-season tear in 2014.

The former LSU star boasted a brace on his right knee and was instructing Arizona defensive backs on the practice field Wednesday.

Here is some more from the NFC West.

  • Rams starters Robert Quinn and T.J. McDonald went on injured reserve just before Mathieu, and both St. Louis defenders underwent successful surgeries this week, Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Both Quinn (back) and McDonald (shoulder) should be back for OTAs in April, Lyons adds. “From a timing standpoint, we needed to do it, just so we could get (McDonald) in the offseason program. Both of them will be fine early in the offseason,” Jeff Fisher told media, including Lyons.
  • Although Fisher noted Stedman Bailey‘s injuries were severe enough to end his NFL career, the third-year Rams wideout returned home from the hospital a month after suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the head, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reports.
  • Marshawn Lynch will return to an altered Seahawks offense now that Russell Wilson‘s taken his game to a higher level. A faster Seahawks tempo will be an adjustment for the Pro Bowl running back, offensive line coach Tom Cable told media (including Pro Football Talk’s Curtis Crabtree). “We’re counting on him to get healthy whenever that is and then once that happens, it’s for him to come back in and be able to adapt to this football team and the way it acts and the way it’s moving right now collectively,” Cable said. “That will be his challenge, but right now his number one thing is getting healthy.” Pete Carroll remains iffy on when the 29-year-old bruiser will return, noting there’s “a chance” he’s back by the time Seattle plays its wild card game in just more than two weeks. PFT’s Mike Florio continues to opine that Lynch, due to occupy an $11.5MM cap number in 2016, will not be back with the Seahawks next season.
  • 49ers GM Trent Baalke has been out on the practice field instructing defenders, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, despite his only coaching experience coming as the defensive line/strength and conditioning coach at South Dakota in the early 1990s. Although it’s unlikely 49ers defensive coordinator Eric Mangini would tell one of his bosses to step off here, the former Jets head coach said Baalke hasn’t been shy about helping out on the field. “I haven’t been everywhere, but there are some GMs who might not be as present and maybe that works for their style,” Mangini told media. “For these guys it’s a little bit different and Trent has always been on the field at different points.”
  • The 49ers’ No. 1 need going into 2016 will be on their offensive front, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. Although Barrows offers recently retired right tackle Anthony Davis could well return for his age-26 season, the Northern California scribe obviously notes the team cannot count on him. Both starting guards, Alex Boone and Andrew Tiller, are due to be free agents.
  • Jarryd Hayne remains in the 49ers’ plans going forward despite being passed over for a late-season promotion onto the active roster, 49ers OC Geep Chryst told media (including Maiocco). The former rugby star not being as likely to be active on game day as newly signed DuJuan Harris led to the 49ers leaving Hayne on the practice squad.

 

Cardinals Place Tyrann Mathieu On IR

December 22nd, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The Cardinals have placed Mathieu on the injured reserve list, officially ending his season. As expected, the club has added a safety to the 53-man roster to provide some depth, re-signing veteran free agent Chris Clemons, who was cut by Arizona from IR earlier this season (Twitter link link via Urban).

MONDAY, 1:26pm: The Cardinals clinched the NFC West with their victory Sunday night over the Eagles, but that win came at a cost. Head coach Bruce Arians announced today that standout defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will miss the rest of the 2015 season – and postseason – after suffering a torn ACL (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

Mathieu, 23, started all 14 games for the Cardinals this season, spending time at both cornerback and safety. Having already established new career highs in tackles (89), interceptions (5), and passes defended (16), the former third-round pick was one of the key players on defense for Arizona, so his loss will be a crushing one for the team.

Pro Football Focus had Mathieu ranked as the top cornerback in the NFL this season, grading him as the best in the league both in coverage and against the run. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher recently told Albert Breer of the NFL Network that he believed Mathieu should receive consideration for the league’s defensive player of the year award.

The Cardinals were also without Rashad Johnson during Sunday’s win over Philadelphia, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club add another safety to the 53-man roster this week — Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger could see increased roles, with Mathieu headed to IR.

Extra Points: Forte, Chip, Norman, Ivory, 49ers

September 27th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bears’ 26-0 loss in Seattle on Sunday was their second straight blowout defeat – one that dropped them to 0-3 for the season. They’ve been outscored 105-46 this year and longtime Bears running back Matt Forte seemed to question his teammates’ commitment after their latest loss.

“It’s a question right now if everybody’s all in,” Forte said, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).

For his part, it looks as though Forte is “all in” this season, a rare bright spot on a lousy team. The 29-year-old added 74 rushing yards Sunday, giving him 202 on a terrific 5.2 per-carry average.

More from around the NFL:

  • Eagles football czar and head coach Chip Kelly garnered plenty of criticism for his roster construction methods during the offseason and has continued to draw ire during the team’s 1-2 start, but he has a fan in Jeffrey Lurie. The Eagles’ owner referred to Kelly’s tenure as “very good,” per ESPN.
  • Jets running back Chris Ivory dressed for Sunday’s 24-17 loss to Kelly’s Eagles, but he had a quad injury and never got into the game. Head coach Todd Bowles elected to keep Ivory on the sideline in order to get him healthy, though Ivory felt he could have played.“I’m not sure how the decision was made,” said Ivory, per Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “I felt comfortable enough to play [after warm-ups], but I just didn’t want it to be nothing that would linger around.”
  • Prior to the season, Panthers cornerback Josh Norman turned down a contract extension worth upward of $7MM per year, according to Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. Norman’s decision to gamble on himself is proving smart, Person writes, as the fourth-year man has turned into a shutdown defender. Norman sealed Carolina’s 27-22 win over New Orleans on Sunday with an interception, his second of the year.
  • The 49ers dealt with a number of significant offseason departures and now they’re reeling at 1-2, their latest defeat being a humiliating 47-7 loss to NFC West rival Arizona. After the game, linebacker Ahmad Brooks acknowledged their weakened roster, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). “This is our team. We’ve got to make the best out of who we have,” said Brooks.
  • Adding to the 49ers’ anguish, Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu offered a less-than-glowing assessment of their offense Sunday, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “Their passing game has just simplified so much, it was easy for us to anticipate routes, get some good breaks on the ball,” said Mathieu. With Mathieu’s help, the Cardinals held the 49ers to an embarrassing 67 aerial yards and intercepted four passes.
  • The 0-3 Ravens aren’t a good team and the secondary is their most glaring weakness, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. After containing Peyton Manning in Week 1, the Ravens allowed over 700 combined passing yards to Andy Dalton and Derek Carr.

NFC Links: Mathieu, Washington, Rams

May 24th, 2015 at 4:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Tyrann Mathieu claims he feels better than ever, and NFL.com’s Conor Orr notes that the Cardinals defensive back is no longer wearing a knee brace or thumb cast. Despite Mathieu being healthy for the first time in his career, the former third-rounder is still tentative about his recovery:

“It just feels good to be free…You try to stay as optimistic as possible, but there is a reality to it, too. It’s kind of hard to keep telling yourself it’s going to be all right, especially when we got into the thick of everything last year, thinking that if I was 100 percent, I’d probably be able to help my team a whole lot more than I’m doing right now.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…

NFC West Notes: Mathieu, Harbaugh, 49ers

December 2nd, 2014 at 7:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have an empty spot on the roster, but head coach Pete Carroll won’t give any hints as to who might be heading to Seattle, write Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. The Seahawks thought they added a defensive back in Loucheiz Purifoy a few days ago, but a failed physical put a kibosh on that deal. More from the NFC West..

  • Second-year Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu suffered a fractured and dislocated thumb, which requires surgery and will likely sideline him for three games while his hand is in a cast, a source tells ESPN’s Ed Werder (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on whether the Cards will make a roster move to add more depth to the secondary.
  • 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh holds more cards in this looming drama than he’s getting credit for, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If he doesn’t like the idea of joining a new team that will be hamstrung by the loss of one or more draft picks, he can tell the 49ers he’ll continue to remain on the job until he’s released from his contract. If Harbaugh makes it clear he’ll coach SF for 2015, the only way the 49ers will be able to keep that from happening will be to fire him or let him walk away without compensation.
  • 49ers fullback Trey Millard and defensive lineman Kaleb Ramsey are now officially done for the year, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. Today was the end of the 21-day practice window without a promotion to the 53-man roster for both players.

Injury Updates: Sunday

November 30th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at some injuries that could force clubs to make a change to their rosters as they enter the final quarter of the regular season:

  • Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel suffered a triceps injury during today’s game against the Saints, meaning his season could be in jeopardy, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Keisel, 36, contemplated retirement before re-signing with Pittsburgh earlier this year, so if this injury is serious, it could potentially signal the end of his career.
  • Receiver DeSean Jackson had to leave Washington’s game against the Colts after bruising his right fibula, but X-rays didn’t show any broken bones, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Jackson, who allowed that he was in pain, called himself day-to-day.
  • In the same game, Colts cornerback Vontae Davis was forced to leave after suffering a concussion, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Davis will presumably enter the league’s concussion protocol, which immediately leaves his Week 14 status in doubt.
  • Titans receiver Justin Hunter suffered an alarming injury today, as he lacerated his spleen against the Texans, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. He will remain in the hospital overnight.
  • Another receiver was sent to the hospital today, as Browns pass-catcher Miles Austin had to leave the field in a stretcher after suffering abdominal pain, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Cardinals lost three starters during today’s game, as running back Andre Ellington (hip), defensive back Tyrann Mathieu (thumb) and guard Paul Fanaika (ankle) all left Arizona’s contest against the Falcons and were soon declared out for the day, the team announced on Twitter.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Cardinals, Packers

August 7th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Dallas Robinson

Falcons fifth-round linebacker Marquis Spruill will miss the 2014 season after tearing his ACL, the team told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Syracuse product could have conceivably contributed to a thin Atlanta linebacking corps that already suffered the loss of veteran Sean Weatherspoon, but now the Falcons will presumably place Spruill on injured reserve and look to fill his roster spot with another LB. McClure thinks (Twitter links) that Nick Barnett and/or Kion Wilson, who last played for the Redskins and Steelers, respectively, could be options for Atlanta. More from the NFC:

  • Dan Connor, who worked out for the Falcons after Weatherspoon’s injury, might have intrigued Atlanta following the loss of Spruill, but as David Jones of the Patriot-News reports (h/t: McClure), Connor has taken an assistant coaching job at Division II West Chester University. Connor, 28, hasn’t officially retired, but after suffering a multitude of injuries throughout his career, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to find a new career path.
  • Veteran linebacker John Abraham, who signed a two-year, $4.6MM deal prior to last season, has the most team-friendly contract on the Cardinals, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Larry Fitzgerald has the least tenable deal in Arizona, per Fitzgerald, as the receiver is in the midst of a seven-year, $113MM extension.
  • Cardinals second-year safety Tyrann Mathieu, who tore his ACL in December, tells Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com that he hopes to return to the field soon. “I expect to be at practice the next two to three weeks,” said the 22-year-old. “Hopefully we can stick to that timetable.”
  • Randall Cobb needs to stay healthy in order to receive an extension from the Packers, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Green Bay signed fellow receiver Jordy Nelson to a four-year, $39MM deal last month, and Cobb knows he has yet to show he is worth similar money. “I don’t believe I’ve done enough,” Cobb said. “I think my job is to come out here every day, do what I’m supposed to do, work hard and hopefully my time will come.”

NFC Links: Giants, Bucs, Eagles, Mathieu

July 22nd, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

After rounding up a few odds and ends from out of the AFC earlier today, let’s shift our focus to the league’s other conference, and check out the latest from around the NFC….

Extra Points: Clowney, Mathieu, Slay, Carrington, Kalil, Turner

June 14th, 2014 at 1:00pm CST by Matt Feminis
  • Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, who was bothered by a groin injury, underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia, relays Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney is expected to be ready for training camp.
  • The Cardinals are taking a patient approach with defensive back Tyran Mathieu and nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu, both of whom are recovering from torn ACL injuries, writes NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus. “I had Oct. 1, or after the (bye week) as the target date for me personally,” says head coach Bruce Arians. “If they do something better than that, God bless ’em.” The Cardinals’ bye comes in Week 4 before a road game at Denver.
  • Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp says the Lions were wise not to “cave to public pressure” and reach for a cornerback in the first round because he expects 2013 second-rounder Darius Slay to make strides in year two. That said, in light of Chris Houston‘s release, Sharp says Slay must be the Lions’ most improved defensive player in 2014. Meanwhile, in a rundown of the team’s cornerbacks, Sharp’s colleague Dave Birkett calls Slay a work in progress, “But he’s long and athletic and after struggling with zone concepts will be a better fit in Teryl Austin’s new defense.”
  • Could Alex Carrington be an under-the-radar steal for the Rams? St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Joe Lyons says, the 26-year-old, 6-5, 300-pound defensive lineman “seemed to be on the verge of a breakout season with the Buffalo Bills last year when a torn quadriceps tendon ended his campaign after just three games.” In fact, entering last season, Carrington was viewed by Pro Football Focus as a “secret superstar,” calling him “one of the league’s most promising young pass-rushing DTs.”
  • A right knee injury was to blame for Vikings tackle Matt Kalil‘s sophomore dropoff, writes Chris Tomasson in the Pioneer Press.
  • “Other than being 20, there’s not much negative you can say” about Panthers third-round guard Trai Turner, says ESPN’s David Newton.
  • The contracts of the NFL’s highest-paid centers – Maurkice Pouncey, Alex Mack and Ryan Kalil – were examined by OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald, who says annual value can be misleading.

Extra Points: Mathieu, Strozier, Ravens

May 18th, 2014 at 7:52pm CST by David Kipke

Cardinals GM Steve Keim says that he has not ruled out a Week 1 return for injured defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, according to Brent Sobleski of USA Today. After having an impactful start to his rookie campaign last season, Mathieu tore both his ACL and LCL in his left knee in a Week 14 matchup against the Rams. Lets look at a few other news bits from around the league:

  • In a mailbag post, John Clayton of ESPN wrote that rookie wide receivers were impressive around the league during rookie mini-camps. He noted that Sammy Watkins of the Bills and John Brown of the Cardinals shined particularly brightly.
  • The Ravens gave UDFA Jerry Rice Jr. good feedback following his workout with the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Although the UNLV product was not offered a deal, he is on the Ravens’ emergency list should they look further for additional receiving options.
  • The Ravens also are impressed with former North Carolina tackle James Hurst. Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times, points out that Hurst, who plays left tackle, would join the likes of Justin Tucker and Priest Holmes if he were to catch on as a major contributor with the Ravens as an UDFA.
  • Former BYU standout receiver Cody Hoffman is hoping to catch on with the Redskins, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.
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