Sam Shields - Pro Football Rumors

Packers Release Sam Shields

February 8th, 2017 at 4:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers have released veteran cornerback Sam Shields with a “failed physical” designation, per a team announcement.

The release of Shields doesn’t come as a complete surprise, as the 29-year-old struggled to stay on the field during the 2016 campaign, ultimately only playing in a single game (the season opener). A concussion sidelined him for the remainder of the year, and Packers doctors never cleared him after that. Still, despite suffering two major head injuries in a nine-month span, Shields has maintained that he has no plans to retire.

Shields, who served as Green Bay’s No. 1 corner for a three-year stretch, agreed to forgo free agency in 2014 by agreeing to a four-year, $39MM deal. Although he made it through 75% of that contract, Shields won’t see the final season, as the Packers will save $9MM in salary cap space by cutting him. The club will also incur $3.125MM in dead money by parting ways with Shields.

A former undrafted free agent, Shields spent seven years with Green Bay, starting 62 games and racking up 18 interceptions during that span. The 2014 Pro Bowler will now hit the free agent market for the first time in his career, and he’ll face stiff positional competition. Other cornerbacks available on the open market this offseason include A.J. Bouye, Trumaine Johnson, Stephon Gilmore, and Dre Kirkpatrick, among others.

The Packers have now cleared roughly $12MM in the past two days by releasing Shields and running back James Starks, and could invest some of that savings in free agency, as the club is reportedly open to delving into the market for the first time in years.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported Shields’ release. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Packers Notes: Lang, Cook, Shields

January 23rd, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Lang will be a sought-after guard if he makes it to the free agent market, joining the likes of Kevin Zeitler, Ronald Leary and Larry Warford among a talented contingent of interior blockers. But the six-year Packers starter wants to wrap up his prime years in Green Bay.

“I think everybody in this locker room knows that this is where I want to play,” Lang said, via Ryan Wood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It’s been eight years now. I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ve been saying that since the beginning. I love this team; I love Green Bay; I love everything about being a Packer.”

Already having two tackles signed long-term, Ted Thompson did not make a Lang extension a priority this season. Nothing emerged about the sides discussing a deal. Lang, who will undergo hip surgery for an injury that’s bothered him all year (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com), won’t turn 30 until September. He made his first Pro Bowl this season, but Thompson cut three-time Pro Bowler Josh Sitton last year. The Packers have depth at tackle with Bryan Bulaga, David Bakhtiari and second-rounder Jason Spriggs, but the build-from-within team doesn’t have a surefire replacement lined up at guard. Center J.C. Tretter also stands to be a UFA come March.

Here’s more coming out of Green Bay after the franchise’s second NFC championship loss in three seasons.

Count Jared Cook as another Packer who wants to come back.Aaron Rodgers agrees with that sentiment. “Jared Cook, I think, needs to be near the top of the priority list, the way he played this year,” the All-Pro quarterback said, via Wood. Cook represented one of Thompson’s rare forays into free agency, and with the backing of the league’s most gifted quarterback — and the team finally having a viable weapon at tight end — a reunion makes sense. Wood reports a source informed him in December a Cook return was likely. An underwhelming raw talent with the Titans and Rams, Cook caught 18 passes for 229 yards and two TDs in his first playoff run. He and Martellus Bennett are the top tight end options on the current market.
Rodgers appeared to be stumping for more talent to be added this offseason, Thompson’s free agency-phobic tendencies notwithstanding. “We need to reload,” he said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I don’t think we need to rebuild; we need to reload. We got a lot of players who are young. … We just need to reload a little bit this offseason.” Green Bay’s core receivers are all under contract for 2017, with only Cook as a UFA. The Packers re-signed Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in recent years and could do the same with Cook. Rodgers added that keeping the offensive line together was a “big part of our success.” Of the Packers’ starting line, only Lang is a free agent.
Sam Shields does not want to retire despite suffering two concussions in a nine-month stretch, but Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal notes the Packers are likely to move on from their previous No. 1 corner. Shields stands to carry a $12.125MM cap number in 2017, his age-30 season and the last on his contract, and the Packers would save $9MM by cutting him. The team did not receive much consistency at cornerback this season due to rampant injuries, but Green Bay did draft corners in the first and second round of the 2015 draft and land promising UDFA Ladarius Gunter. So, Shields returning at that price is almost certainly a non-starter, and he might have to find another employer on a short-term deal.

Eddie Lacy, Sam Shields Won’t Return For Packers

November 23rd, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers announced that they are activating cornerback Makinton Dorleant from injured reserve. The move means that running back Eddie Lacy and cornerback Sam Shields can not return this year.

Lacy had surgery on his injured ankle roughly one month ago, but there was a glimmer of hope that he could see the field again this season. The injury was unfortunate since Lacy trimmed down this season and was boasting a career-best 5.1 yards-per-carry average on 71 attempts. The bruising tailback went down around the same time as top backup James Starks, leaving Green Bay with a major hole at running back.

This fall, Shields suffered his fourth reported concussion in the past six seasons. When healthy, Shields is regarded as one of the better cornerbacks in the entire NFL. However, given his concussion issues, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever return to that form. Today, the Packers opted to promote a rookie cornerback over Shields, and that is telling.

NFC Notes: Dak, Vikes, Panthers, Packers

October 19th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, the Cowboys are starting quarterback Dak Prescott after the team’s bye week against the Eagles, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Tony Romo may not be ready to be considered for the following week against the Browns either, Rapoport hears.

Packers Place CB Sam Shields On IR

October 18th, 2016 at 2:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers are placing cornerback Sam Shields on injured reserve, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter). Shields himself seems to have confirmed the news via social media as well.

Shields recently suffered a concussion and he has not rebounded from it as doctors hoped he would. By placing him on IR, the Packers are sidelining the cornerback for a minimum of two months. If he recovers in the next eight weeks and the Packers do not elect to bring a different player back from IR, then he could potentially be activated late in the season.

Shields suffered a concussion during Green Bay’s Week 1 victory against Jacksonville, which came less than nine months after his previous concussion in December 2015. Just 28, Shields has now suffered four concussions in the past six seasons. Considered to be one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL when healthy, he signed a four-year, $39MM deal with Green Bay prior to the 2014 season.

Shields described last year’s concussion as particularly scary because he does not remember anything that happened.

“All I remember is going after the tackle and my head hitting the ground. And that was it. I blanked out. I try to keep my head from getting in there, but it’s kind of hard. It’s a physical sport,” Shields said.

Given Shields’ history with head trauma, the Packers aren’t taking any chances with him. Packers coach Mike McCarthy indicated yesterday that the team would consider adding a cornerback, though it’s not a certainty since the team does not want to leave itself thin elsewhere.

Sam Shields To Miss “A Few More Weeks”

September 25th, 2016 at 8:42am CST by Rory Parks

Packers cornerback Sam Shields will not be cleared to play for at least a few more weeks, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Shields suffered a concussion during Green Bay’s Week 1 victory against Jacksonville, which came less than nine months after his previous concussion on December 13, 2015. That concussion forced Shields to miss the final three regular season games of 2015 plus the Packers’ NFC wild-card playoff win over Washington before he returned for the divisional playoff loss at Arizona.

Shields has now suffered four concussions in the past six seasons, and as they continue to pile up, one has to wonder about the longevity of his career. Just 28, Shields has established himself as one of the better cornerbacks in the league when healthy, and he signed a four-year, $39MM deal with Green Bay prior to the 2014 campaign. But as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com wrote several days ago, Shields described last year’s concussion as particularly scary because he does not remember anything that happened.

Shields said of that concussion, “All I remember is going after the tackle and my head hitting the ground. And that was it. I blanked out. I try to keep my head from getting in there, but it’s kind of hard. It’s a physical sport.”

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has not offered any details about Shields’ recovery or prognosis except to say that he going through the league’s concussion protocol and its attendant evaluations.

Shields has posted five interceptions in his career and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2014.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 12th, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While we don’t cover every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, we will keep track of injuries to key players that could force teams to make important roster moves. We’ll update the following list throughout the day:

Giants nickel back Trumaine McBride told reporters tonight, including Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link), that he has a dislocated thumb, which figures to sideline him for multiple weeks.
Eagles running back Darren Sproles left tonight’s game against the Giants with a knee injury, and as Doug Farrar of SI.com tweets, NBC’s Michele Tafoya reported that the tests adminstered to Sproles’ MCL and ACL by the team left the running back “pretty unhappy.” We should have a clearer idea of the prognosis for Sproles on Monday.

Earlier updates:

The Jets fear that starting right guard Brian Winters will be sidelined for the season with a torn ACL, a sources tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The team will conduct tests tomorrow morning to determine whether or not that’s the case.
Sam Shields believes he avoided a major knee injury today, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Losing Shields would’ve been a costly blow for the Packers, who re-signed the cornerback to a lucrative long-term deal during the offseason.
Milliner is believed to have torn his Achilles, tweets Rapoport; the second-year corner would obviously miss the remainder of the season if true.
The Browns believe Mack has suffered a significant leg injury, and expect him to “miss extended time,” reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Currently, the Browns have moved right guard John Greco to center, with Paul McQuistan taking over at RG. We’ll certainly have more on this situation as more news is relayed.
Patriots running back Stevan Ridley has been ruled out for the day with a knee injury. Per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter), Ridley’s “ankle bent in a way no one wants their ankle to bend.”
The Bengals linebacking unit has taken another hit, as Rey Maualuga had to be carted off the field with a leg injury, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of the the NFL Network (Twitter link).
Speaking on FOX, Jay Glazer provided an update on Broncos running Montee Ball, who will miss an additional 3-4 weeks with a groin injury.
The Browns excellent offensive line has taken a hit, as center Alex Mack had to be carted off the field with a left ankle injury, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi adds (on Twitter) that an air cast was applied to Mack’s ankle, an indication that the injury could be serious.
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo is out for the day after suffering a knee injury that forced him to be carted off the field, according to John Clayton of ESPN (via Twitter).
After suffering two concussions already this season, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict left today’s game after taking a hit to the head; another concussion could shelve Burfict for some time.
2013 first-rounder Dee Milliner is out for the rest of the Jets’ game against the Broncos after suffering a non-contact injury to his ankle.

Packers Notes: Shields, Starks, Burnett

June 10th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Potential free agents tend to play down their loyalty in order to preserve their value but over the weekend, Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson made no secret of his love for Green Bay. “My wife and I have enjoyed it,” Nelson said Sunday of his time with the Packers. “Let’s see, it’s six years, going on seven years now. We don’t want to go anywhere else. We love it here. We want to be here, and hopefully we can get to that point.” More on the Packers..

The Packers are lucky they didn’t lose Sam Shields this offseason, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Shields explained that before he signed a four-year, $39MM to stay in Green Bay, the Browns and other clubs were hot on his tail. “Most of the time I was scared because, like I said, I wanted to be a Packer,” Shields said. “You know how that business goes. It’s kind of scary at first, but they came with it. I’m happy to be back.”
James Starks re-signed with the Packers this offseason on a two-year, $3.25MM deal. Some might see that as a little light, but Starks isn’t complaining, writes Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette. “(Running backs) have got a high risk of injuries, it’s a more dangerous position,” Starks said. “When you can keep yourself healthy and do what you’re supposed to do, you get paid well. We’re making enough money I think. We make a lot of money, I don’t see how anybody can’t be happy with this contract. I’m happy. I like playing football, so being paid for that in itself is good.”
Safety Morgan Burnett says he’s not feeling any extra pressure after inking a four-year, $24.75MM contract extension with the Packers, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. The arrival of first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix should also help Burnett peform to the fullest of his abilities this year.

Contract Details: Weatherford, Snee, Shields

March 11th, 2014 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

Giants punter Steve Weatherford accepted a pay cut to reduce his $2.025MM base salary for 2014, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today says (via Twitter) it was a $950K cut. However, Weatherford can make some of that money back, as he now has $350K available through incentives, rather than an initial $50K. Here are a few more details on contracts recently signed or restructured around the league:

Weatherford’s new deal includes $1.1MM in compensation for 2014 with $150K in new guarantees, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com. His cap number is $1.9MM.
Chris Snee’s restructured deal with the Giants isn’t quite what was initially reported, according to Pelissero, who says the new contract features a $2MM base, $500K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $50K roster bonus (Twitter link).
Pelissero has the specifics on Sam Shields’ four-year deal with the Packers, which includes a $2.5MM roster bonus next March (Twitter links).
Darrin Walls avoided restricted free agency by re-signing with the Jets last week, and his two-year deal is worth $1.9MM, including a $350K roster bonus, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
The new two-year deal for Ravens linebacker Albert McClellan includes a $400K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bears

March 9th, 2014 at 6:05pm CST by Ben Levine

When evaluating potential free agents, teams certainly look at a players’ ability to stay on the field for as many games as possible. David Chao of the National Football Post ranked his top-ten injury risks among this year’s free agents and he featured two Packers on that list. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was seventh, with Chao pointing out that the 31-year-old will still need another month or two to recover from offseason surgery. Tight end Jermichael Finley was number-eight following his neck injury in October, and the writer believes he’ll be medically cleared very soon. Cowboys’ defensive end Anthony Spencer finished atop the list.

Let’s take a look at some more rumblings from around the NFC North…

The Packers ended up paying cornerback Sam Shields, which seems to go along with what Packers’ General Manager Ted Thompson has done in the past, writes Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Based on Silverstein’s list of players the Packers have and have not extended, the team has typically made the correct choice in which players they’ve chosen to keep.
The number of signings, particularly in the NFC North, has shrunk the Bears‘ market, says John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. He points to Shields as a player the team could have used.
After the Vikings signed Everson Griffen earlier today, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com took a look at what was next for the team. He estimated that the Vikings would have about $25MM left in cap room, which would be enough to sign Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner (the Vikings have expressed interest in both) but wouldn’t leave the team with enough room to extend Kyle Rudolph or sign other free agents.
Former Viking Jared Allen will likely take his team choosing a new team and probably won’t have a decision by Tuesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.