Jamaal Charles

More Injury Updates: Monday

We passed along one round of Monday injury updates earlier today, and since then we’ve learned that the Bears will be placing Charles Tillman on their injured reserve list with a season-ending triceps injury. There are still plenty of items to round up this afternoon though, so let’s dive right in….

  • Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action, the team announced today (Twitter link). That recovery timeline could make Lewis a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
  • Jamaal Charles also appears to have suffered a high ankle sprain, though Chiefs head coach Andy Reid indicated today that it “doesn’t look to be a real severe one,” according to B.J. Kissel of KCChiefs.com (via Twitter). The timetable for Charles’ return isn’t yet clear, but it looks like Knile Davis will probably get the nod for Kansas City in Week 3.
  • Per Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said today that it’s too early to predict a return date for Robert Griffin III, but Gruden expects the signal-caller to return this season and says he isn’t an IR candidate.
  • Rams wideout Tavon Austin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and is expected to miss a couple weeks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • Dolphins guard Shelley Smith will also be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a grade two knee sprain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

Injury Updates: Monday

Here are the latest updates and timelines on a number of notable injuries suffered during Week 2’s slate of games:

  • Robert Griffin III told reporters today, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter), that an MRI showed no fracture in his injured ankle. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that the Redskins continue to be optimistic about RGIII‘s recovery timetable, suggesting that he may just miss four or five weeks.
  • Saints running back Mark Ingram is expected to miss about a month due to the hand injury he suffered during the club’s game against the Browns yesterday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson figure to receive the majority of the backfield touches in Ingram’s absence.
  • Another running back may be sidelined for the next month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Ryan Mathews has an MCL sprain that could keep him out for four or five weeks. Mathews is hoping to return to the Chargers sooner than that.
  • Giants nickel corner Walter Thurmond suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Cardinals, and will miss the rest of the season, a source tells Pro Football Talk. Thurmond signed a one-year contract with the team in the offseason, so he may have played his last snap for the Giants.
  • There’s uncertainty about the timeline for Jamaal Charles‘ return, according to Schefter, who says (via Twitter) that the Chiefs running back has a sprained ankle. How soon Charles can play will depend on how well he’s able to move on it, and how it feels.
  • Redskins wideout DeSean Jackson woke up “sore” after sustaining a shoulder injury yesterday, but it appear he avoided any major structural damage, per Cole (via Twitter).

Major Injuries: Week 2

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we tend to stay away from injury news and report instead on issues concerning player movement, transactions, etc. However, when there is a major injury to a star player, the potential roster impacts of such an injury are readily apparent. As such, we will update this post with those injuries from Week 2 that could significantly alter a team’s personnel decisions going forward.

  • Chiefs‘ star players Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry were both ruled out of today’s 24-17 loss to the Broncos (via Twitter). Head coach Andy Reid said both players had suffered ankle injuries, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). Charles will have an MRI tomorrow to test the seriousness of his injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • Earlier, we saw that Bengals‘ receiver A.J. Green went down with a toe injury. Green said after the game that his toe is not broken and that he hopes to play next week, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Pro Football Talk reports that a league source believes Green should Dr. Anderson in Charlotte to rule out a Lisfranc injury (via Twitter).
  • Chargers‘ running back Ryan Mathews suffered a sprained MCL in the team’s impressive 30-21 victory over the Seahawks, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego. He will undergo further tests to see the extent of the injury.
  • The Rams‘ versatile playmaker Tavon Austin exited today’s 19-17 win over the Buccaneers with a knee injury, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). The extend of the injury is unknown, and Austin will have more tests tomorrow.
  • Buccaneers‘ defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was also injured in that game, reportedly breaking his hand, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). It has yet to be determined whether or not McCoy will be able to play through the injury.
  • Bears‘ star cornerback Charles Tillman left the Sunday Night Football game with a triceps injury, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune notes that it was a right biceps injury just like this one that forced Tillman to miss a huge chunk of the 2013 campaign (via Twitter).
  • Giants‘ cornerback Walter Thurmond suffered what is thought to be a strained pectoral muscle in the team’s 25-14 loss to the Cardinals, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will receive an MRI tomorrow to confirm.
  • Another key piece to the Giants‘ defense, Jon Beason, suffered a toe injury, according to Vacchiano (via Twitter). Vacchiano notes that the team is worried considering a toe injury on the same foot caused him to miss nearly the entire offseason.

Earlier Updates

  • Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno has suffered a dislocated elbow and is expected to miss four to eight weeks, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • We learned earlier today that Griffin suffered a dislocated ankle and could miss the remainder of the season, depending on the severity of the injury.
  • Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered an injury to his left ankle, and Washington receiver DeSean Jackson injured his shoulder in today’s game against the Jaguars. The team announced (Twitter links) that neither player will return to the game.
  • Meanwhile, Bengals receiver A.J. Green suffered a toe injury in today’s game against the Falcons and will not return, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.

 

Chiefs Sign Jamaal Charles To Extension

THURSDAY3:28pm: Only the 2014 season is guaranteed for Charles, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, that guarantee is $8.3MM, a nice upgrade from the $3.9MM he was set to earn in 2014.

WEDNESDAY, 10:06pm: The Chiefs tweeted a picture of Charles signing the contract, signifying that the deal is now official.

3:52pm: The Chiefs have agreed to a deal with star running back Jamaal Charles, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Charles will sign a two-year extension that will only trail Adrian Peterson is terms of value. Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that Charles will get $18MM in “new” money, and Rapoport adds on Twitter that they player will get an extra $5MM over the next two seasons.

We heard yesterday that the two sides were discussing a deal, but this morning’s reports indicated that a deal wouldn’t be reached today. Charles originally signed a six-year, $27.97MM in 2010, but his 2014 salary made him vastly underpaid. As PFR’s Zach Links pointed out yesterday, the running back was set to earn $3.9MM in 2014 and $6MM in 2015. The $3.9MM would have ranked him behind players like Donald Brown and Toby Gerhart.

The 27-year-old arguably had his best season in 2013, finishing with 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked Charles as the second-best running back last season. The running back has mostly stayed healthy throughout his career; except for the 2011 season, Charles has appeared in at least 15 games since his rookie year.

AFC Notes: Blackmon, Chiefs, Ross, Dalton

Wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who was already serving an indefinite suspension for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, was arrested in Oklahoma on Wednesday night for possession of marijuana, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union details. The Jaguars say they haven’t considered cutting Blackmon, but there’s no indication that he’ll be reinstated and return to the field anytime soon.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap passes along the details on Jamaal Charles’ new deal with the Chiefs, which includes a roster bonus and reporting bonus for 2014, but no prorated signing bonus.
  • Even after signing his extension, Charles also earned the honor of having the best contract on the Chiefs, in Fitzgerald’s view. On the other end of the spectrum, Dwayne Bowe’s deal is the least team-friendly pact on the team’s books, says Fitzgerald.
  • Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), that cornerback Aaron Ross tore his Achilles tendon during the team’s conditioning test, and will be out for the season. The injury is an unfortunate one for the veteran defensive back, who was hoping to earn a regular-season roster spot.
  • Speaking to the media today, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said he’s not worried about his contract situation, adding that the backing of owner Mike Smith makes him confident the two sides will work something out (Twitter links via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com).

AFC Notes: Pouncey, Bengals, McCourty

While Mike Pouncey‘s initial recovery timetable from hip surgery suggested he’d miss the first month of the season, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that the veteran center may not return for a few more weeks after that. According to Salguero, Pouncey’s rehab could extend into late October, meaning he’d miss nearly half the regular season.

Meanwhile, extension talks between Pouncey and the Dolphins have been put on hold for now, says Salugero (via Twitter). Besides the fact that Pouncey, who turns 25 tomorrow, isn’t healthy, it’s still a little early to make serious progress on a new contract, considering the team has exercised its fifth-year option for 2015. So far, no 2011 first-rounders have signed extensions, since their teams still have most of the leverage.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • For years, Bengals owner Mike Brown has served as the team’s de facto general manager, but speaking to reporters – including Joe Danneman of Fox19 – Brown said yesterday that his daughter Katie Blackburn and head coach Marvin Lewis are now running the franchise (Twitter link). As Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer details, Brown still has the final say on personnel decisions, but typically follows the lead of Blackburn and Lewis.
  • A report in early June suggested extension talks between the Patriots and safety Devin McCourty had gotten underway, but according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), there have been no new talks since that initial dialogue. Regardless, McCourty isn’t phased by heading into the regular season on an expiring deal.
  • Focusing on how contract situations may affect players’ roster security, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe breaks down the Patriots who may be on the hot seat as roster cuts approach.
  • Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star consults cap expert Joel Corry to determine whether or not the Chiefs will be able to lock up both Jamaal Charles and Justin Houston to new long-term contracts. The answer: Yes, though the team will have to be careful about how it spreads out the money on the cap.

Chiefs, Jamaal Charles Discussing New Deal

WEDNESDAY, 8:35am: Unless he and the Chiefs have a breakthrough in contract talks, Charles will not report for training camp today, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter), the running back’s contract includes a $1MM reporting bonus, so if he decides not to show up, it may signal that he’s digging in his heels.

TUESDAY, 6:23pm: The Chiefs have discussed a new contract with running back Jamaal Charles, sources tell Adam Telcher of ESPN.com. While Telcher hears the Chiefs believe Charles will report to camp on time, Brad Fanning of KCTV5 (via Brad Stephens on Twitter) hears that the running back won’t be reporting to camp.

Charles, 27, is scheduled to make $3.9MM from the Chiefs this year when factoring in his bonuses and is slated to earn $6MM in 2015. After coming off of what might be his best NFL season, Charles is looking for a payday comparable closer to Matt Forte of the Bears ($6.9MM) and the Eagles LeSean McCoy ($8MM). Charles led the Chiefs in rushing (1,287 yards), receiving (70 catches), and touchdowns (19), setting career highs in the last two categories.

The Chiefs are also facing contract issues with two other key players, quarterback Alex Smith and linebacker Justin Houston with both headed into the final seasons of their contracts. Houston held out from offseason practice, including a mandatory three-day mini-camp. Now, Charles could ratchet up the pressure on KC by staying home during training camp.