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Amik Robertson

Lions CB Amik Robertson Suffers Broken Arm

January 19th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 19: After the Lions’ upset loss, HC Dan Campbell announced that Robertson suffered a broken arm and would undergo surgery (via Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website). Robertson’s injury was the last in a laundry list of maladies afflicting Detroit’s defense this season, which ultimately proved too much to overcome.

As relayed by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Robertson’s surgery went well, and he is expected to be ready for offseason workouts.

JANUARY 18: The Lions entered Saturday’s game with injury concerns at the cornerback spot. The team’s secondary has now suffered another notable loss.

Amik Robertson exited Detroit’s ongoing divisional round game against Washington early in the contest. He has quickly been ruled out as the result of an elbow injury, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes he has been taken to hospital for further evaluation. The Lions will be shorthanded to an even further extent moving forward as a result.

Carlton Davis is out for tonight and is not expected to return to the lineup even if Detroit makes it to the Super Bowl. His absence has been sorely felt since he suffered a broken jaw in Week 15, and Robertson was leaned on heavily down the stretch as Detroit locked up the No. 1 seed. Especially with second-round rookie Ennis Rakestraw Jr. inactive despite having been activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game (and with Emmanuel Moseley on the NFI list), cornerback will be a spot to watch closely for the Lions.

Terrion Arnold suffered a foot contusion in Week 18, but Detroit’s win in that game gave the team a first-round bye. Having benefitted from the extra rest time, the Lions’ top pick in April’s draft is healthy and taking part in Saturday’s contest. He along with Kindle Vildor will be counted on the rest of the way while the team awaits updates on Robertson’s status.

The 26-year-old played out his rookie contract with the Raiders ahead of his first trip to free agency. Robertson signed a two-year, $9.25MM pact to head to Detroit, and he provided his new team with roughly the same contributions in terms of snap share as his old one this year. The Louisiana Tech product posted 50 tackles and eight pass deflections across 17 games in his debut Lions campaign. Whether or not he will be an option to play next weekend (if applicable) will depend his prognosis.

49ers Notes: Ward, Kittle, Juszczyk, OL

January 15th, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers are heading into a pivotal offseason, headlined by oncoming negotiations with Brock Purdy on a long-term extension.

Among the 49ers’ pending free agents is cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has started 46 of the team’s 51 games since joining on a three-year, $40.5MM contract during free agency in 2022. Only one of those absences was due to injury, though. The other four were personal: Ward stepped away from the team for three weeks after his daughter, Amani Joy, passed away in October, and later sat out in Week 17 to welcome a son, Charvarius Jr.

Ward acknowledged that the personal tragedy he endured this year may impact his decision to return to San Francisco in 2025.

“I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” Ward said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s probably going to ever happen to me — knock on wood — happened in California.”

Ward’s free agency situation is a glimpse into how players’ personal lives – not just the desire for money or championships – can factor into their career decisions.

“It can just bring up bad memories,” continued Ward. “Every time I get on a plane and come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it just brings up bad memories.”

Ward’s girlfriend does not want to live in California after the tragedy, further pulling him away from San Francisco. The couple had their son in Dallas, where Ward began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Cowboys. They are on his list of desired destinations in free agency, along with other teams in the south where he grew up and attended college.

The 28-year-old hasn’t ruled out a return to the 49ers, saying that general manager John Lynch has talked to him about re-signing, but he’s not sure they can afford him. San Francisco already signed Deommodore Lenoir to a five-year extension worth just under $90MM after using a second-round pick on Renardo Green in last April’s draft.

Ward should be able to match or beat Lenoir’s contract as an unrestricted free agent. He was excellent in 2023, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selections, and his step back in 2024 is perfectly understandable considering his personal tragedy. Though the 49ers are projected to have $46.5MM in cap space this offseason, per OverTheCap, another top-15 cornerback deal might not be available with multiple other contract situations to figure out.

Here is the latest out of San Francisco:

  • For example, the 49ers may be considering an extension for All-Pro tight end George Kittle, who set league records with his last extension. His $15MM per-year average set a new high for tight ends at the time of signing (2020), and his $75MM in total money remains the most in the position’s history. He is “all ears” to ideas from the 49ers front office and emphasized that he wants to stay in San Francisco for the rest of his career, per Wagoner.
  • Fellow offensive chess piece Kyle Juszczyk also hopes to stay in San Francisco, according to Wagoner. The veteran fullback took a pay cut last offseason and will count for $6.5MM against the 49ers’ salary cap in 2025. He could be a cap casualty this offseason, but Kyle Shanahan will be hard-pressed to find another player who can fill Juszczyk’s diverse role in the offense. He’s earned eight straight Pro Bowls since signing with the 49ers and will likely remain a crucial part of their offensive attack.
  • The 49ers also have a few offensive line spots to evaluate this offseason. Right guard Aaron Banks is expected to price himself out of San Francisco after last year’s explosion in the position’s free agency market. Ben Bartch is also a free agent, but he will be cheaper to retain and could take over for Banks in 2025. At center, meanwhile, the 49ers will likely stick with veteran Jake Brendel, but 2022 sixth-rounder Nick Zakelj could factor into the team’s future plans, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
  • The 49ers almost added another cornerback last offseason, pursuing now-Lions defender Amik Robertson in free agency, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Robertson opted for a two-year, $9.25MM deal in Detroit, where he managed to avoid the defense’s injury bug to appear in 17 games, including three starts to end the regular season. He is now set to play a major role in the Lions’ postseason push for a Super Bowl.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Lions To Sign CB Amik Robertson

March 12th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having already made one notable cornerback addition via trade, the Lions are set to add further to their secondary. Detroit has agreed to a two-year deal with Amik Robertson worth $9.25MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

The four-year Raiders contributor will join Carlton Davis as outside additions coming in to help the Lions’ cornerback situation. Detroit has re-signed Emmanuel Moseley as well, rounding out a still-Cameron Sutton-led CB corps. Robertson is coming off a 12-start season.

Patrick Graham turned to Robertson as a starter more than the Jon Gruden-era Raiders DCs did; the 2020 fourth-round pick logged 19 starts over the past two seasons. The Louisiana Tech product has spent time in the slot and on the boundary in Las Vegas. The Lions have Brian Branch stationed in the slot, but with the 2023 second-round pick also bringing safety experience to the table, the Robertson addition — as the C.J. Gardner-Johnson pickup did last year — provides Aaron Glenn options.

At 5-foot-8, Robertson certainly has a slot frame. Starting only two games before Graham’s arrival, Robertson has also forced three turnovers in each of the past two seasons (after a 12-INT college career). He intercepted two passes during both the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, forcing a fumble in each season as well. Robertson allowed a career-low 87.4 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage last season. He fared better in Graham’s two years in this department, and considering both seasons featured more than 670 snaps, the numbers mean a bit more than early-career struggles as a seldom-used DB.

Gardner-Johnson has not committed anywhere yet, as the torn pec sustained early last season clouds his market. If the Lions do consider moving Branch to safety, they would have a potential slot option in Robertson. Though, that setup may not excite like a Branch-CJGJ duo would.

Latest On Raiders’ CB Depth

July 10th, 2023 at 9:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders cornerbacks depth chart isn’t any clearer now than it was a few months ago. Earlier this offseason, the Raiders hosted Marcus Peters, and it seemed like the former All-Pro CB was destined to join the organization.

[RELATED: Latest On Raiders, CB Marcus Peters]

Fast forward to the middle of July and a contract still hasn’t materialized. However, the inaction from the front office doesn’t mean the Raiders are necessarily content with their in-house options. As Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes, the Raiders are still expected to add either Peters “or another veteran free agent” at the position.

For the time being, the Raiders are left with a questionable depth chart at cornerback. Tafur projects that Duke Shelley, who started five games for the Vikings last season, and Nate Hobbs, who has started 20 games over the past two seasons for the Raiders, will be the starters on the outside. That configuration would likely provide journeyman Tyler Hall with an inside track at the main slot role.

Further down the depth chart, Tafur opines that Brandon Facyson will have a safety net with his two-year contract (plus his experience in a Gus Bradley defense). The Raiders also used a fourth-round pick on Jakorian Bennett, and the rookie could end up emerging as one of the team’s top options at the position. When you account for the five aforementioned cornerbacks and a potential acquisition, that means Amik Robertson could be fighting for a roster spot heading into the 2023 campaign.

The 2020 fourth-round pick was in and out of the lineup through his first two seasons in the NFL, but he took on a bigger role with a new coaching staff in 2022. Robertson ended up starting seven of his 17 appearances, finishing with 38 tackles and two passes defended.

There is some depth here, and that could explain why the organization hasn’t jumped into a deal with any free agents. When it comes to Peters in particular, we previously heard that the front office would take their time as they monitored the veteran’s health. A 2021 ACL tear has led to questions about Peters’ ability to return to the form he showed earlier in his career, and those questions continue to persist following a rough 2022 campaign with the Ravens.

Raiders Place CB Damon Arnette On IR

October 3rd, 2020 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

After aggravating a previous thumb injury in Week 3, Damon Arnette will see his rookie season paused for a while. The Raiders placed the first-round cornerback on IR.

Arnette initially broke his thumb during training camp but landed on it awkwardly against the Patriots last week. As a result, the Raiders will be without a key defensive piece for a while. Arnette underwent thumb surgery this week and will be out at least six weeks.

The suddenly potent Bills passing offense will face a Raiders team ranking 31st in defensive DVOA, though the unit sits 18th in DVOA against the pass through three weeks. The Raiders may also be down rookie cornerback Amik Robertson, who is questionable with a non-coronavirus illness. Arnette has started each of the Raiders’ games this season.

Las Vegas looks also set to be without its other 2020 first-rounder against Buffalo. The Raiders listed Henry Ruggs as doubtful to face the Bills. Ruggs is battling knee and hamstring injuries.

Additionally, the Raiders promoted safety Dallin Leavitt from their practice squad and placed defensive tackle Daniel Ross on IR.

Raiders Sign Damon Arnette, Wrap Draft Class

July 26th, 2020 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have wrapped up their 2020 NFL Draft class. Following their reported agreement with first-round wide receiver Henry Ruggs, the Raiders formally announced deals for the rest of the class. Here’s the full rundown, via PFR’s tracker: 

1-12: Henry Ruggs III, WR (Alabama): Signed
1-19: Damon Arnette, CB (Ohio State): Signed
3-80: Lynn Bowden Jr., WR (Kentucky): Signed
3-81: Bryan Edwards, WR (South Carolina): Signed
3-100: Tanner Muse, LB (Clemson): Signed
4-109: John Simpson, OL (Clemson): Signed
4-139: Amik Robertson, CB (Louisiana Tech): Signed

Per the terms of his slot, Arnette will receive a four-year deal worth $13.4MM, including a signing bonus of ~$7.3MM. Beyond that, the Raiders will hold a fifth-year option to keep him under club control through the 2024 season. Arnette wasn’t expected to go in the middle of the first round, but the Raiders aren’t afraid to buck conventional thought.

Arnette took a while to develop and reach Ohio State’s starting lineup, but once he got there, he provided the Buckeyes with a solid partner opposite star Jeff Okudah. With the ability to play on the inside or the outside, the Raiders believe that Arnette has what it takes to make it at the next level. His 4.56 second 40-yard-dash didn’t necessarily impress evaluators, but his ability to jam receivers at the line is a major plus.

Extra Points: CBA, Marijuana, Draft

December 13th, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

While CBA negotiations have been on the January schedule for a while, the NFL and NFLPA have already resumed talks. The sides convened for negotiations last week, Judy Battista of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), adding the goal remains to have a new agreement finalized by season’s end. The NFL initially sought to have this done before Week 1, an unrealistic scenario since the current CBA does not expire until March 2021, and has since inserted a 17-game season into the talks.

Roger Goodell said he and the owners discussed the CBA for roughly an hour at this week’s league meetings, but the 13th-year commissioner is uncertain how far apart the owners and players are. Should a deal not be completed by March, new elections of an NFLPA president and new members on the union’s executive committee could change the tenor of the months-long negotiations, per Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith.

Here is the latest from around the league:

  • Shortly after Major League Baseball announced marijuana will not be on its banned substances list, Jerry Jones said the NFL will likely further amend its policy, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets. The league has already shown leniency on this front, years ago raising the threshold for what results in a marijuana-based suspension. Owners are reportedly ready to make marijuana a bargaining chip in exchange for the players’ side agreeing to an extra regular-season game. Jones has said in the past he’s in favor of marijuana not residing on the NFL’s banned substances list.
  • Two running backs will skip their final collegiate seasons to enter the draft. Boston College’s A.J. Dillon and Mississippi State’s Kylin Hill announced they will enter the 2020 draft pool. At 250 pounds and with 13 career receptions, Dillon profiles as an old-school back. Boston College’s all-time leading rusher gained 4,382 yards (5.2 per carry) and, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, is expected to time in the 4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash. The 215-pound Hill did not fare nearly as well in college but will enter the draft on the heels of his lone 1,000-yard season — a 1,347-yard, 10-touchdown slate — and do so with only 430 college carries under his belt. Hill will play in the Bulldogs’ bowl game; Dillon will skip the Eagles’ postseason tilt.
  • Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson will join the backs in declaring early, Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network tweets. An All-American this season, Robertson intercepted five passes and ranked second in passes defensed with 21.