National Football League News and Rumors
Retired RB Jones set to donate brain to scienceJane McManus, ESPN.com Thomas Jones, a retired running back who played for five teams in 12 NFL seasons, has decided to donate his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute to be studied for evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). |
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Curtis Crabtree, profootballtalk.com With Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers unable to play in the Pro Bowl due to a handful of injuries, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been named to the NFC roster to replace him. Manning completed 60-percent of his passes for 3,948 y… |
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Curtis Crabtree, profootballtalk.com The list of candidates for the New York Jets general manager job has apparently shrunk by one. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross has pulled his name out of contention for the job. Ro… |
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The Jets stink right now and have sunk to their lowest level since the forgettable and thankfully short-lived Rich Kotite era for one basic reason: The roster is bad. |
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Curtis Crabtree, profootballtalk.com The Denver Broncos made the decision Tuesday to not renew the contract of secondary coach Ron Milus in the wake of the Broncos double overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday. It didn’t take long for the Broncos to fill the role as they have … |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Under the terms of the NFL’s relocation policy, there’s only one team that could as a practical matter move to Los Angeles in 2013. And that team has informed the mayor of its current city that it is staying put. According to Sam Farmer of the Los A… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com The Arizona Cardinals' list of potential coaches lost a name when the San Diego Chargers hired Mike McCoy. |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Kevin Greene has known and worked with Dom Capers for decades, so it’s no surprise the Packers outside linebackers coach will defend his defensive coordinator. It’s the colorful manner in which he defended him which is so fantastic. Asked by Tyler Dun… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Not long after the Browns hired CEO Joe Banner, he tiptoed around the possibility of a uniform change during an appearance on PFT Live. On Tuesday, owner Jimmy Haslam did more than tiptoe. During a press conference announcing that the Factory of Sadness… |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com LOS ANGELES -- The Oregon Ducks came as close as they could to the number-one BCS ranking, and two of the primary reasons for the team's success in 2012 were running back Kenjon Barner and defensive end/linebacker Dion Jordan. Barner ran for 1,767 yards… |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com Newly hired Bills coach Doug Marrone turned to several of his former assistants at Syracuse in continuing to fill out his new staff in Buffalo. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Brandon Marshall may not be defending his Pro Bowl MVP award. Marshall, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com, needs arthroscopic surgery on his hip. It’s unclear whether the looming procedure will keep Marshall from playing in the Pro Bowl.… |
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Tom Ley, deadspin.com If you use the internet on a regular basis, you've probably come across one of those Bad Lip Reading videos. Many of them are funny, but this one in particular caught our attention because it features NFL players. More » |
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NEW YORK (AP) -- From nearly unstoppable to nearly invisible. |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com Denver Mayor Michael Hancock insists he is not trying to renege on a bet after he injured his leg at a stock show. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com … |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com The Pro Bowl ballot does not include long snappers, because, really, who can identify the NFL’s best long snappers? But someone has to long snap in the Pro Bowl, so the coaching staffs of the AFC and NFC teams each choose a long snapper. And today came … |
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Dom Cosentino, deadspin.com On Dec. 31, when news emerged that Wyoming senior guard Luke Martinez—the second-leading scorer on a team that was still undefeated at the time—had broken his hand, the injury was reported as having happened during an "off-campus incident." Ye… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com New Bills coach Doug Marrone announced 10 additions to his coaching staff today, including four of his former Syracuse assistants who will join him in Buffalo. The most recognizable name in the group is that of Tyrone Wheatley, who will serve as the Bil… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says injuries to "multiple lower extremities" will keep him out of the Pro Bowl later this month. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Three days after a historically pathetic performance by the Packers’ defense, Packers coach Mike McCarthy says that the man who runs the defense will be back in 2013, possibly to have another historically pathetic performance in the postseason. McCarthy… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com With the new labor deal utilizing mandatory four-year contracts for all drafted players, restricted free agency will become relevant in the future only when an undrafted player (or when a player cut from his rookie contract) finishes his three season in… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Last year’s trip to the NFC Championship Game was a new experience for many 49ers afters years of missing the playoffs in San Francisco. The 49ers are back in the game again this year safety Donte Whitner says that last year’s experience was education… |
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Samer Kalaf, deadspin.com The Deadspin NFL Coach Challenge Challenge is a tournament pitting the throwing motions of 20 NFL coaches against one another. More » |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Well, it’s not exactly “Win one for the Gipper,” but a flu-ridden Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti did text coach John Harbaugh during last week’s playoff win, offering encouragement at a time when his team was still behind. According to Aaron Wilson … |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Packers tight end Jermichael Finley said earlier this week that he hopes to remain with Green Bay despite reports that the team has decided to move in a different direction. We’ll hear more on that front from Finley when he sits down for a chat with Eri… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com As the Jets search for a man who’ll have to work with and possibly decide (in time) the fate of coach Rex Ryan, coach Rex Ryan has had no role in the selection process. According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, Ryan wasn’t present for the first wave o… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com When the names of this years Pro Bowl players were announced last month, Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth expressed some strong feelings about the process used to put the teams together. “It’s a joke to me,” Whitworth said, via the Dayton Daily News.… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com There’s an opening at quarterback on the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com reports that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be passing on the trip to Hawaii for the game later this month. Rodgers said that he won’t be going beca… |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com An electric utility has bought the naming rights to Cleveland Browns Stadium, which will be known as FirstEnergy Stadium. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com So now when the Browns lose and a fan randomly shouts insults at the Factory of Sadness, it’ll have an official name. The FirstEnergy Factory of Sadness. The Browns announced a “long-term partnership” with FirstEnergy Corp. to apply the company’s … |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com The San Diego Chargers have made it official: Their new head coach is Mike McCoy. McCoy, who has spent the last four seasons as offensive coordinator of the Broncos, officially becomes the 15th head coach in the history of the Chargers franchise today. … |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Kenny Britt's father told the Tennessean that his son will meet with Jersey City police on Wednesday regarding an incident last weekend in which he allegedly drove a friend to the hospital after the man had been stabbed at a party. |
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Jack Dickey, deadspin.com Joe Flacco has played five full seasons in the NFL, and in each one, he has thrown for less than 4,000 yards and completed less than 64 percent of his throws. He has never been sacked fewer than 30 times, and he has never thrown more than 25 touchdowns.… |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com The Panthers have not soiled their hands by shaking down the city of Charlotte for money to upgrade their stadium. But they are certainly willing to catch whatever might be generously thrown at them, and the Charlotte City Council voted 7-2 last night t… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Texans are finished after losing to the Patriots last Sunday, which means one of the greatest individual seasons by a defensive end has also come to an end. J.J. Watt will add no more sacks or batted passes to a resume that’s likely to make him the … |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com As the Browns search for a new General Manager, CEO Joe Banner says there’s a frontrunner for the job. But, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Banner won’t say who it is. Banner added that the first wave of interviews will in… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com When retired players sound off about their current financial and/or medical conditions, the blame primarily lands in the lap of the league. Indeed, the thousands of players who recently have sued the NFL have not (yet) sued the NFLPA, even though the u… |
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AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is enrolled at Auburn for spring semester. |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson earned a trip to the Pro Bowl this year by setting a new single-season record for receiving yards, but he won’t be playing in the game. Johnson has pulled out of the Pro Bowl to rest the nagging injuries he picked up o… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Jaguars are already scheduled to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley (assuming he doesn’t become the Eagles coach before that happens) and now they’ve received permission to speak to Seattle’s other coordinator. Adam Schefter of… |
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Maggie Hendricks, yahoo.com "I knew something was wrong when Coach Smith walked over to me and said, 'They're taking your daughter to the hospital. You need to go home.'" In 2008, Charles Tillman, the Chicago Bears' two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, had to leave practice bec… |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is confident new general manager Dave Gettleman and coach Ron Rivera are the right men to "fix things" in Carolina. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The NFL’s best non-Super Bowl weekend of the year didn’t generate big TV numbers only in Seattle. Nationally, the four divisional playoff games became the four most-watched shows of the week, with an average audience of 34 million for each contest. An… |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Letting defensive end Cliff Avril walk into free agency is as risky for the Lions as his playing under a one-year deal was for his future earnings this year. So with many big-money decisions on deck in Detroit, it’s hard to tell right now which side won… |
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Jay Busbee, yahoo.com Check this out: a Ray Lewis-themed laser light show at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. It began this weekend, and will presumably continue as long as the Ravens win in the playoffs. Our take: nice, but cuts off way too fast to be accurate. This show … |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The fact that Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will interview with the Eagles for a second time on Tuesday coupled with pre-existing rumors that Bradley is the leading candidate for the job has created a sense that Bradley could soon be the te… |
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Critics are still buzzing over the Broncos' costly decision-making Saturday, but what role does Peyton Manning's health play in the situation? Peter King tackles that and more. |
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Barry Petchesky, deadspin.com Rob Gronkowski broke his left forearm back in November, and had surgery to fix it. He returned for Week 17, played sparingly, then broke his left forearm in the Patriots' first playoff game. It's easy enough to jump to the conclusion that he came back t… |
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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN.com Terrell Thomas says he will make a third comeback from an ACL injury. |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com New Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman just wrapped up his first press conference, and frankly, it was like a lot of his predecessor’s old ones. After replacing Marty Hurney and taking over the remnants of a coaching staff Hurney hired, Gettleman g… |
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High Risk, High RewardJan 15
Jim isn't the only Harbaugh to have a bold late-season move pay off. In Baltimore, the switch to Jim Caldwell as OC has the once free-falling Ravens thriving, Don Banks writes. |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is the hot name in the Eagles coaching search at the moment and we’ll be talking about the Eagles on Tuesday’s edition of PFT Live. Tim McManus of 97.5 The Fanatic will join Mike Florio to talk about the proc… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Andy Reid said Monday that he will make the offensive play calls himself this season and the Kansas City Chiefs will continue to use a 3-4 defense. |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com In Philadelphia, Andy Reid’s Eagles teams played a 4-3 defense but he won’t be taking it with him to Kansas City. Reid said Monday that part of the reason the team hired Bob Sutton to be their defensive coordinator was because he was experienced in th… |
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McCoy in as Chargers coachJan 15
SAN DIEGO (AP) Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy has agreed in principle to become head coach of the division rival San Diego Chargers, two people with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is as competitive as anyone who has played or coached or even watched football. When he and his brother, John, were kids, the competitiveness manifested itself in the fact that Jim could throw a football over a large tree in th… |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Bears special teams coach interviewed for the team’s head coaching vacancy, but he isn’t on the short list for it, and won’t be hanging around to work with the next guy. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Toub is “definitely,” leavi… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The Cardinals feared losing defensive coordinator Ray Horton to a head-coaching job. After the two other head-coaching jobs for which Horton interviewed (Browns and Bills) went to other candidates, the Cardinals’ reportedly hatched a plan to keep Hort… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Browns running back Trent Richardson has a new coach. And, as mentioned in the Tuesday morning one-liners, Richardson really wants to meet him. “I like what [Chudzinski] did with Cam [Newton],” Richardson said, per Branson Wright of the Cleveland Pl… |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com It often takes any rookie time to earn the trust of his elders. When it’s a rookie kicker, it’s doubly hard. But for Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, there’s never been a sense that his team didn’t have confidence in him. Tucker’s double-overtime ga… |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Seahawks started their offseason on Monday and coach Pete Carroll didn’t waste much time identifying an area where he wants to see the team improve next season. Carroll wants to juice up the pass rush before the start of the 2013 season. The Seahawk… |
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Toni Monkovic, nytimes.com The Jets don't have a general manager, but they still have their quarterback, and that remains their biggest problem. |
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Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Broncos season came to a disappointing end on Saturday night and owner Pat Bowlen said Monday that the loss to the Ravens is going to linger for a while. Bowlen, making his first public comments since before the season, had plenty of praise for the … |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik confirmed Monday that quarterback Josh Freeman will enter the 2013 season without a new contract. |
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Tuesday morning one-linersJan 15
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Bills should have been paying attention to the quality of the quarterbacks in the playoffs last weekend. How far from the playoffs are the Dolphins? Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is happy to have Brian Daboll join the coaching staff.… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Former Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, who came in third place in last month’s Heisman Trophy voting, is the top star at the East-West Shrine Game. But he’s not the top NFL prospect. Not by a long shot. The reviews are in on Klein’s first Shr… |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Bigfoot, Ken Griffey Jr. and the ghost of Jimi Hendrix could have carried an NBA team back into Seattle Sunday, and there’s a very good chance no one would have noticed. Nearly 87 percent of all televisions that were on in the Seattle market were tuned … |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com The Chicago Bears have entered their second phase in finding a head coach and will speak again with three candidates, including Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com John Fox would tell Peyton Manning to take the knee again. |
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Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com The Falcons have reason to feel relief, beyond finally getting the much-discussed playoff win. The fact they found their run game again gives them reason to believe they might get another one. For all the individual parts of Sunday’s comeback win over t… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com As the Texans deal with the wreckage of a season of failed expectations thanks in part to subpar performances by their starting quarterback in big games, the head coach has reiterated what is obvious in light of Matt Schaub’s contract: Schaub will rem… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com New Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey says he wants to select the best player available with the first overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, and that he won’t address a specific need at quarterback — or any other position. Dorsey says he expects t… |
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Curtis Crabtree, profootballtalk.com When Matt Flynn signed with the Seattle Seahawks last off-season, he knew he was going to have to compete for the team’s starting quarterback job. He didn’t expect to be competing with Russell Wilson. The Seahawks signed Flynn last March to a three-ye… |
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Curtis Crabtree, profootballtalk.com In a season where Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga was upstaged by undrafted rookie Vontaze Burfict, the former second-round draft pick is uncertain his future remains with the Bengals. According to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Maualu… |
