Let’s take a look around the league as preseason action continues on this Friday evening…
- Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas fractured a finger during tonight’s preseason game against the Steelers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It doesn’t sound like he’ll miss any regular season action, however, as Rapoport says the hope is the injury will affect Thomas — Jacksonville’s top free agent addition — “minimally.”
- More injury news, this time out of San Diego, where head coach Mike McCoy confirms to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter) that guard Johnnie Troutman (broken arm) and linebacker Tourek Williams (broken foot) “will be out for some time.” However, the club doesn’t plan to place either player on injured reserve at this time.
- Former Jets — and current Bills — head coach Rex Ryan blames the media for his firing, telling Andrea Kremer of HBO that he and Jets owner Woody Johnson‘s friendship couldn’t overcome pressure from the outside. “We talk like brothers. I know Woody never wanted to fire me,” Ryan said. “I could’ve been his coach for 20 years, that’s what Woody wanted. There’s no question Woody wanted that.”
- On the subject of the Bills claiming linebacker IK Enemkpali (who broke Jets QB Geno Smith‘s jaw), Jets guard Willie Colon wasn’t surprised. “Rex is Rex,” Colon told Brian Costello of the New York Post. Colon played under Ryan from 2013-14.