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Month: January 2025

Raiders Under Investigation For COVID-19 Protocol Violations

September 27th, 2020 at 9:28am CST by Rory Parks

Raiders HC Jon Gruden was one of a handful of head coaches to be slapped with a $100K fine for not consistently wearing his mask during his team’s Week 2 game, and the Raiders themselves were handed a $250K fine for Gruden’s indiscretion. And the league isn’t finished with Las Vegas just yet.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported several days ago that a team was under investigation for “unauthorized locker room access” (Twitter link), and as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com wrote last night, that team is the Raiders. This season, only 40 employees in each organization are allowed to be in the locker room, and an unauthorized Raiders employee allegedly entered the locker room following the team’s win against the Saints on Monday night.

If that allegation turns out to be true, then the league will impose discipline, according to Schefter. It seems likely that such discipline would come in the form of additional fines, but the NFL is apparently willing to go further if necessary.

Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says coaches who continue to violate COVID-19 protocols will not only face fines several times higher than the $100K penalty doled out this week, they could also face suspension. Even draft pick forfeiture is not out of the question, and to drive that point home, the coaches who received fines also received a letter from the NFL that included the following language: “[f]uture violations of this rule or any other league policy … will result in increased accountability measures for you, individually, as well as your club.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that all coaches who were fined have filed appeals (Twitter link). That includes Gruden, who said, “I’m doing my best. I’m very sensitive about it. … I’m calling plays. I just want to communicate in these situations, and if I get fined, I’ll have to pay the fine. But I’m very sensitive about that and I apologize.” The appeals will be heard this week.

Interestingly, Gruden also indicated that he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year. He did not divulge many details on his experience, saying only, “it wasn’t pleasant” (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Injury Notes: Baker, Thomas, Hunter

September 27th, 2020 at 8:52am CST by Rory Parks

Cardinals star safety Budda Baker is playing through a torn UCL in his thumb, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Baker plans to play in Arizona’s game against the Lions this afternoon and then undergo surgery this week. Although the same injury sidelined Saints QB Drew Brees for six weeks last season, Baker obviously does not have to throw the football and believes he will miss only the Cardinals’ Week 4 contest against the Panthers before returning to the field to take on the Jets in Week 5.

Now for more injury-related news regarding a few of the league’s high-profile players:

  • There has been a great deal of talk about Brees’ struggles early this season, but the Saints‘ signal-caller may soon have his top target back. Wide receiver Michael Thomas has looked good in workouts and is eyeing a Week 4 return, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
  • The Vikings need a boost on both sides of the ball, and they are clearly missing DE Danielle Hunter. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, Hunter, who is dealing with a herniated disc in his neck, is eligible to come off IR next week but is unlikely to be ready to return by then. However, he is regaining strength, and the team remains optimistic that he will be back this season.
  • Titans WR A.J. Brown is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee, and the injury is a significant one, according to Schefter (via Twitter). Brown’s knee has not responded as well to treatment as the team had hoped, and he might end up missing more than just this afternoon’s game against Minnesota.
  • More difficult news for Tennessee. Titans CB Adoree’ Jackson is eligible to come off IR this week, but Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com hears that Jackson may not be sufficiently recovered from his knee injury for that to happen (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much additional time the 2017 first-rounder will miss.
  • 49ers WR Deebo Samuel is likely to return to practice this week, as Rapoport notes (via Twitter). Samuel will be eased into action, and while he probably won’t play in Week 4, the Niners’ top wideout is expected back for the team’s Week 5 bout with the Dolphins.

Falcons CB A.J. Terrell Tests Positive For COVID-19

September 27th, 2020 at 8:01am CST by Sam Robinson

Going into Week 3, the NFL has done well to prevent the coronavirus from making a major impact on its season — personnel-wise, at least. But the Falcons will be down their first-round pick as a result of the virus.

The Falcons placed cornerback A.J. Terrell on the reserve/COVID list Saturday. Players do not have to test positive to land on the list, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Terrell did indeed test positive on Friday (Twitter link). The team found out about the test results on Friday night, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, who adds that Terrell was not at the team’s walkthrough Saturday (Twitter link). Terrell practiced Friday.

Luckily, as Schefter and others reported on Sunday morning, all tests administered on Falcons players and coaches on Saturday came back negative, so the club’s Week 3 contest against the Bears will go forward as planned (Twitter link). For now, the league has avoided a major COVID-related crisis.

Terrell, however, must now go through the protocols in order to return to the team. He will miss Sunday’s game, joining fellow Falcon secondary starter Ricardo Allen in that regard. The Falcons also promoted cornerbacks Delrick Abrams Jr. and Tyler Hall on Saturday. They also elevated linebacker Edmond Robinson from their practice squad.

Atlanta used the No. 16 overall pick on Terrell this year and turned to him as a Day 1 starter. The Clemson alum has played 100% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps for a team that enters Sunday’s game ranking 28th in DVOA pass defense.

Patriots Move C David Andrews To IR

September 26th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

David Andrews‘ return from a full-season absence will be on hold for the time being. The Patriots placed their starting center on IR Saturday.

The veteran snapper did not practice this week due to a thumb injury. New England is promoting center James Ferentz from its practice squad. The Pats also placed rookie linebacker Josh Uche on IR. The second-round pick is battling a foot injury.

A blood clot issue resulted in Andrews missing all of the 2019 season. But he was cleared to resume his career this offseason, and the sixth-year blocker reclaimed his spot as the Patriots’ starting center. He will be out until at least Week 6, however.

So will Uche, who has yet to make his NFL debut. The Pats made the Michigan alum a healthy scratch in Week 1, and he landed on their injury report soon after and missed the team’s Week 2 game.

Ferentz has been with the Patriots for more than three years now. The son of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz — a Bill Belichick assistant with the Browns in the 1990s — James Ferentz signed with the Patriots in 2017. He played 15 games last season, starting two. The Pats let 2019 Andrews replacement Ted Karras defect to the Dolphins in free agency.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/20

September 26th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Oregon S Jevon Holland Opts Out

September 26th, 2020 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

A second high-profile Oregon Duck will not play this season. Despite the Pac-12 agreeing to play an abbreviated season beginning in November, safety Jevon Holland announced he will opt out of his junior season (Twitter link).

Holland, who ranks 20th on Todd McShay’s big board of draft-eligible 2021 prospects, joins acclaimed Oregon tackle Penei Sewell in opting out. Several high-end prospects have opted out of this COVID-19-altered season, and although some moved to return to their respective schools, others remain set to steer clear this unusual season and preparing for the ’21 draft.

Holland intercepted nine passes as a Ducks underclassman and ended his sophomore season as a first-team All-Pac-12 performer. He also worked as Oregon’s primary punt returner last season. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Holland as his No. 16 overall prospect for 2021.

The Pac-12 plans to begin its 2020 season Nov. 6. The conference will play a seven-game season that will wrap up Dec. 18.

Jaguars To Work Out Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka

September 26th, 2020 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aldrick Rosas will receive another opportunity to earn his way onto an NFL roster. The Jaguars plan to work out the former Giants kicker, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Jacksonville has also scheduled a tryout for veteran kicker Stephen Hauschka. Their current kicker, Josh Lambo, is on IR. Replacement Brandon Wright missed an extra point during Thursday’s loss to the Dolphins.

The Rosas part of this is certainly interesting. The Giants waived the 2018 Pro Bowl kicker after he was hit with three charges in connection with a hit-and-run incident earlier this year. Per the police report, Rosas was driving erratically before he blew through a red light and smashed into the side of a pickup truck. Then, cops say he continued driving, stopped only when his SUV broke down, and took off running.

On the field, however, Rosas has shown intermittent promise. He made 97% of his field goals for the Giants in 2018, going 32-for-33, and kicked in each of Big Blue’s games from 2017-19. Rosas, however, made just 71% of his field goal tries last season.

The Bills released Hauschka during training camp, giving their kicker job to rookie Tyler Bass. Hauschka, who collected a Super Bowl ring during a six-season run with the Seahawks, kicked for the Bills from 2017-19. While he made fewer than 80% of his field goal attempts over the past two years, the 35-year-old specialist made more than 87% of his tries in four of the previous five seasons.

Seahawks To Promote LB Shaquem Griffin

September 26th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquem Griffin will have a chance to resume his career Sunday. The Seahawks are bringing the young linebacker back up to their active roster, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Seattle used Griffin in each of its 32 regular-season games from 2018-19 but waived him on cutdown day this year. The Seahawks kept the inspirational defender around on its practice squad, however, and will call him back up for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys.

Twin brother of starting Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, Shaquem operated in a mostly special teams capacity during his first two seasons as a pro. Despite playing with one hand, Shaquem Griffin has 16 career tackles. The Central Florida alum recorded three QB hits last season, playing 9% of the Seahawks’ defensive snaps and 47% of their special teams snaps.

Chargers Place Melvin Ingram On IR

September 26th, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the heels of a fairly strong defensive performance against the Chiefs, the Chargers will see one half of their top-end pass-rushing tandem miss time.

The Bolts placed Melvin Ingram on IR Saturday. This will knock the veteran defensive end out for at least three games. Ingram is battling a knee injury.

Also placing defensive tackle Justin Jones and linebacker Asmar Bilal on IR, the Chargers will promote safety Jahleel Addae to their active roster. The former longtime Chargers safety starter, Addae agreed to a practice squad deal recently. The Bolts will also promote running back Darius Bradwell from their practice squad.

Ingram, though, certainly represents the biggest piece of news from the team’s Saturday transactions. He and Joey Bosa have seen some interruptions in their run as an edge-rushing pair during an era featuring rampant Bolts injury trouble. Though, Ingram has only missed three games over the past five-plus seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler has 43 sacks over the past five seasons.

Ingram’s return from this injury will begin a critical stretch, with the 31-year-old defender in a contract year. Ingram waged a brief hold-in during training camp but returned to practice when the Bolts guaranteed his 2020 salary.

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