HEADLINES

Caden Sterns

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/24

July 27th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins 

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Martinez had a productive dual-threat career in college, scoring 96 total touchdowns during his time with Nebraska and Kansas State. He joined the Lions as a UDFA last spring, but he did not survive roster cutdowns. Martinez did not see any NFL game action, but he recently boosted his stock in the UFL. The 24-year-old earned league MVP honors while leading the Birmingham Stallions to the championship. Martinez compiled a combined 17:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and led the league with 588 rushing yards.

The top of New York’s depth chart is set with Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, but rookie Jordan Travis opened training camp on the NFI list as he continues to recover from the leg injury which ended his Florida State career. Martinez’s arrival (and the corresponding departure of Bryant) will allow him to see limited reps for at least a brief period. He could be a practice squad candidate if Travis returns to health in time for the fall, but a strong showing in training camp and/or the preseason could make him an attractive option for other teams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/24

July 21st, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions to wrap up this final weekend before training camps begin:

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/13/23

September 13th, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed (off Raiders’ practice squad): CB Sam Webb

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Taylor was placed on IR by the Jaguars in July, guaranteeing that he would not see the field during the 2023 campaign. He has also been suspended for the first two games of next season, though, PHNX’s Howard Balzer notes. The 24-year-old has yet to see regular season NFL game action in his career.

Bennett has been dealing with a shoulder injury, but the NFI designation is used for injuries (or, in this case, illnesses) which arise separate from football-related activities. When asked for specifics about the fourth-round rookie’s circumstances, head coach Sean McVay said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, “out of respect for him and the situation, I’m going to leave all of those specifics and particulars in-house” (subscription required). The Rams will move forward with Matthew Stafford as their starter under center, and Brett Rypien available as an option to be elevated from the practice squad.

Broncos S Caden Sterns Likely Out For Season

September 13th, 2023 at 4:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

SE[TEMBER 13: Payton confirmed on Wednesday (via Denver7’s Troy Renck) that Sterns, who has been placed on IR, is not expected to return this season. The news marks another injury blow to the Broncos on the injury front, and will leave the team’s secondary without a promising young playmaker.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Broncos’ secondary suffered a blow when safety Caden Sterns exited their Week 1 contest. It was initially feared that the third-year safety had encountered a serious injury, and further testing has confirmed that is indeed the case.

Sterns is dealing with a torn patellar tendon and is expected to miss the remainder of the season as a result, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The news marks a notable loss for Denver’s defense and an interruption to what appeared to be another season of signficant playing time for the former fifth-rounder. Sterns logged an 84% snap share last season, and he was poised to operate as a starter alongside Justin Simmons at the safety spot this year.

Those plans were halted when the 23-year-old was carted off the field during the Broncos’ loss to the Raiders. That signalled a major injury to his knee, though 9News’ Mike Klis reported after the game that the team believed Sterns’ ACL was intact. Even with that being the case, an indefinite absence will commence.

Sterns flashed potential as a rookie in 2021 with a pair of interceptions and five pass breakups. The Texas alum played well when inserted into the starting lineup in place of an injured Kareem Jackson last year, but a hip injury limited his campaign to just five games. Expectations were high heading into his return to the field, but Sterns now faces another lengthy recovery process.

In his absence, Denver will move forward with Simmons and Jackson (who re-signed in May on a low-cost deal) as first-teamers at the safety position. As the Broncos continue the beginning of the Sean Payton era on offense, the team’s defense will remain a unit counted on heavily to deliver success. Their ability to do so has been impacted by Sterns’ injury, though the Simmons-Jackson tandem has considerable experience, having played alongside each other since the 2019 season.

AFC West Notes: Jackson, Jones, Broncos

June 19th, 2023 at 8:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.C. Jackson suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during an Oct. 23 Chargers-Seahawks matchup. While this injury is among the toughest to surmount for an NFLer, the high-priced Bolts cornerback expects to be ready for training camp. Jackson has an appointment with the surgeon who performed his surgery, Dr. Neal El Attrache, this week, ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry notes. The sixth-year cornerback did not participate in the Chargers’ minicamp practices and will be a candidate to begin camp on the team’s active/PUP list. The Chargers could remove him from that list once he is cleared to practice. Only a placement on the reserve/PUP list once 53-man rosters are set would delay Jackson’s 2023 debut.

The Chargers, who gave Jackson a five-year deal worth $82.5MM in 2022, did not draft a cornerback or sign a notable free agent. The team has not re-signed veteran slot defender Bryce Callahan, though Asante Samuel Jr. has experience playing both inside and outside. A Callahan return would provide some insurance for the Bolts, but the 31-year-old cover man remains a free agent. Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • In talks with the Chiefs about a third contract, Chris Jones skipped minicamp and is lobbying to become the NFL’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle behind Aaron Donald. While these negotiations might bring complications — due to Donald’s AAV being $8.2MM north of the current second-highest-paid DT (Jeffery Simmons) — SI.com’s Albert Breer expects it to be finalized before training camp. It does not sound like these are particularly acrimonious negotiations. It will be interesting to see if Jones makes an aggressive push to approach a Donald-level salary, since the Chiefs would be unlikely to franchise-tag him in 2024 because of the 120% rule. The team tagged Jones in 2020, making his 2024 tag price 120% of his 2023 pay. That would give Jones a $33MM-plus cap figure if re-tagged, providing the All-Pro with leverage ahead of his latest platform year.
  • Shifting back to the secondaries in this division, the Broncos did brought back one of their veteran DBs midway through the offseason. Kareem Jackson re-signed for a fifth year in Denver. But the 14th-year pro only secured $153K guaranteed. That opens the door for the Broncos to move on, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes Caden Sterns is making his strongest effort yet to unseat Jackson for the safety gig alongside Justin Simmons. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Sterns has worked as Denver’s top backup safety for two seasons. A season-ending hip injury halted that run last year, and while Sterns entered the offseason as no lock to be ready for training camp, he made it back during Denver’s OTA sessions and participated in minicamp. Simmons and Jackson, 35, have been Denver’s safety starters since 2019.
  • The Chargers also added to their staff recently. They hired Noah Evangelides as a football research analyst, Neil Stratton of Insidetheleague.com tweets. Evangelides most recently served as a Northwestern graduate assistant.

Broncos Submit Offer To S Kareem Jackson

April 27th, 2023 at 8:51am CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos and Kareem Jackson have agreed on three contracts since the 2019 offseason. Each deal commenced later in the year. Although the veteran defensive back is going into his age-35 season, the team remains interested in continuing this partnership.

Denver extended an offer to re-sign Jackson, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The four-year Broncos safety starter, however, appears to be looking for a slightly better proposal. He has yet to re-sign, though Klis adds Jackson has spoken with Sean Payton. This comes after GM George Paton, who signed off on the past two Jackson deals, expressed interest in another accord last month.

While Jackson’s initial Broncos agreement occurred weeks after Vance Joseph‘s firing from his head coach post, the returning Denver DC coached Jackson during his three-year run as Texans DBs coach in the early 2010s. Joseph was in Houston under then-DC Wade Phillips from 2011-13, which covered much of Jackson’s rookie contract. The Broncos still employ Pro Bowler Justin Simmons from their Joseph HC period; bringing back Jackson would supply Joseph with more familiarity as he returns.

Jackson, who turned 35 earlier this month, signed his first Broncos deal early during the 2019 free agency period. After the team cut bait on the three-year, $33MM accord in 2021, the parties regrouped on a one-year, $5MM pact. In April 2022, Jackson re-signed on a one-year deal worth $2MM. This offer likely resembles the 2022 contract.

Working as one of the league’s oldest non-quarterbacks or special-teamers last season, Jackson started all 17 games for another Denver defense that ran into extensive injury trouble. He has made 61 starts as a Bronco and 185 overall. The 2010 first-rounder has made a successful transition from cornerback to safety, with he and Simmons serving as one of the NFL’s longest-tenured back-line duos.

Pro Football Focus ranked Jackson just outside the top 50 at the position last season. The Alabama product finished with a career-high 94 tackles, however, and added two fumble recoveries. Former fifth-round pick Caden Sterns has filled in for Simmons and Jackson as an injury replacement and would seemingly be in line to take over as a full-timer if the Broncos cannot re-sign Jackson. But following Simmons’ return from an early-season thigh injury, Sterns went down with a season-ending hip malady. Sterns is recovering from hip surgery, and Klis adds the third-year defender may not be ready by training camp.

Broncos Place S Caden Sterns On IR

October 28th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

After missing the Broncos’ last two games, safety Caden Sterns has been placed on the injured reserve list, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Focus. Sterns will now be forced to miss four more games before he can return to play for Denver.

Sterns is planted firmly in a backup role behind one of the NFL’s better starting safety duos: Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons. Sterns showed his value as the next man up, though, as Simmons spent four weeks recovering from a quad injury earlier this year. Sterns made the most of his opportunities, registering two interceptions and four passes defensed in his time spelling Simmons.

With Simmons returning back to the lineup, Sterns was set to go back to a rotational role, subbing in for certain packages or when Simmons or Jackson need a breather. Unfortunately, Sterns experienced a flare up with a hip issue that had been ailing him since the preseason. The ongoing issue has reared its ugly head and will now hold Sterns out through most of November.

Denver will move forward with its top two safeties carrying the brunt of the work at the position. Backup safety P.J. Locke will serve as the primary backup safety. The team also has fifth-round rookie Delarrin Turner-Yell, who has mostly played on special teams this year, and veteran Anthony Harris on the practice squad.

If the Broncos designate Sterns to return, he will be eligible for the team’s Week 13 matchup in Baltimore.

Denver Emerging As Premier QB Destination

March 5th, 2022 at 6:15pm CST by Ely Allen

We wrote a bit earlier today on the Broncos being among multiple AFC teams who “have trade compensation lined up with the Packers,” in relation to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Well, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Denver has emerged as a prime location for many of the league’s veteran quarterbacks looking for a potential change of scenery.

The Broncos recently hired former Packers’ offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to replace Vic Fangio, who failed to accomplish a winning season in three years with the Broncos. The former Green Bay staffer represents an obvious and strong connection for Rodgers. Should Rodgers decide to move on from the Packers, having a play-caller that he’s familiar with could add some allure to the Mile High City. Another intriguing aspect that could bring a star quarterback to Denver is the addition of former Vikings’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Kubiak just helped Kirk Cousins turn in one of his best seasons in Minnesota.

Hackett and company inherit an impressive roster posed to perform. The defense is comprised of veterans like outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, safety Justin Simmons, defensive end Shelby Harris, and cornerback Ronald Darby. There are a number of free agents that Denver would like to bring back like cornerbacks Bryce Callahan & Kyle Fuller, defensive back Kareem Jackson, inside linebacker Josey Jewell, and outside linebacker Malik Reed. Even if they fail to bring some of those names back, the Broncos saw impressive seasons last year for youngsters like cornerback Patrick Surtain II, linebacker Baron Browning, defensive end Dre’Mont Jones, and safety Caden Sterns. The list of defensive players above may not overwhelm you with stardom, but, together, the Broncos defense ranked third in the league in points allowed and eighth in the league in yards allowed.

In addition to a brand new offense and stacked defense, Denver boasts a nice array of young offensive weapons. An impressive receiving corps is led by veteran 26-year-old Courtland Sutton, young star Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick, who has broken out a bit over the past two seasons. The Broncos also have two talented, young receiving tight ends in Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. Any quarterback looking to join in on the fun would potentially have the benefit of a two-headed rushing attack that was 79 yards short of a combined 2,000-yard rushing season. Running back Javonte Williams enjoyed a healthy dose of carries in his rookie season, and there is mutual interest in bringing back Melvin Gordon.

Rodgers is obviously a name to keep an eye on as the decision on his future in Green Bay looms on the horizon. He has said that he will let the Packers know of his intentions before the franchise tag deadline so they can figure out how to deal with free agent wide receiver Davante Adams. In addition to Rodgers, though, keep an eye out for Denver to make moves on other quarterbacks searching for greener pastures. Russell Wilson has long been rumored to be interested in moving on from Seattle, and Deshaun Watson is still searching for a new home.

Whether Rodgers, Wilson, Watson, or some other under-the-radar name, look for the Broncos to make a move for a star quarterback. If they are able to find the right fit, the move could bring them into contention for what could easily turn into the toughest division in football.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/4/22-1/5/22

January 5th, 2022 at 11:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday and Wednesday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Jared Cook, LB Damon Lloyd (remains on IR)

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

December 29th, 2021 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

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