Ravens signing former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell to practice squadVideo
BALTIMORE — The Ravens have found another running back: Le’Veon Bell. The team is signing the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back to its practice squad, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed, and likely will add him to its 53-man roster when ready. ESPN first reported the deal Tuesday....
Gambling wave coming to NFL TV screens, but in moderationVideo
Al Michaels no longer has to subtly refer to the point spread if a game comes down to the wire on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” Now he can refer to it directly without worrying about drawing a comment from NFL officials in New York. Three years after the Supreme Court...
Ravens RB Justice Hill reportedly tears Achilles tendon; former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell among players trying out
BALTIMORE — Ravens running back Justice Hill reportedly tore his Achilles tendon in practice last week, likely ending his season and forcing the team to scramble for a replacement ahead of next Monday’s season opener. Hill, who was not at practice Monday, was reportedly hurt Thursday, according to the NFL...
Derrick Henry poised to run into more NFL history in 2021
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Derrick Henry is a man of few words, preferring to work hard with a tunnel-vision focus and let his play do all the talking. Henry has been almost shouting the way he keeps running into the NFL record books. Now the NFL’s back-to-back rushing leader has the...
Former Super Bowl champ David Patten dies in motorcycle crashVideo
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former three-time Super Bowl champion David Patten Jr. died in a motorcycle accident. The Richland County (S.C.) Coroner identified the victim of a crash Thursday night as Patten, 47, who is from Columbia. Patten played with the New England Patriots from 2001 until 2004, wining three NFL...
Mark Madden: When it comes to NFL and vaccines, ‘dependability is more important than ability’
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick says he didn’t cut quarterback Cam Newton because Newton declined to get a covid vaccination. But absolutely, he did. Belichick just wasn’t dumb enough to say it out loud like Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer. Belichick doesn’t necessarily appear to be pro- or anti-vaccine,...
Colts’ Carson Wentz still weighing options after return from covid listVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Carson Wentz spent three days attending Zoom meetings and rehabbing his injured left foot at home. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback also used the time to think about how to avoid another trip to the reserve/covid-19 list. On Thursday, Wentz returned to practice still unvaccinated but with a stronger...
Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson among unsigned big namesVideo
NEW YORK — They were once at the top of the NFL — league MVPs, All-Pros, Pro Bowlers and faces of franchises. With the regular season about to kick off, they’re now at the front of the unemployment line. Cam Newton, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley and Richard Sherman...
Ex-NFL player Keith McCants, 53, found dead in Florida home
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Former NFL player Keith McCants was found dead Thursday at his home in Florida after a suspected drug overdose, investigators said. He was 53. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in an email that deputies were called to a St. Petersburg home about 5:10 a.m. Thursday....
NFL returns social justice helmet decals, end zone stencils
NFL players can wear social justice messages on their helmets again this season and “It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” will be stenciled in end zones for the second straight year as part of the league’s Inspire Change platform. The league will also bring back the “Say Their...
Joe Burrow, Bengals healthy and hopeful after 2020 debacleVideo
CINCINNATI — Plagued by injuries to key players — including franchise quarterback Joe Burrow — on top of all the pandemic-related disruption, last season was a special kind of mess for the Cincinnati Bengals. There is plenty of reason to believe this season will be better than that 4-11-1 result...
Raiders seek to make strides on defense in Jon Gruden’s 4th year
The improvement the Las Vegas Raiders showed offensively in Year 3 under Jon Gruden was negated by the lack of progress on defense. The end result was another season without a winning record or playoff berth. That prompted an offseason of change for the Raiders, who brought in energetic new...
Rookie QB Mac Jones ushers in new era for revamped PatriotsVideo
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mac Jones has the keys to his first NFL offense. The rookie quarterback won’t be the only one tasked with steering the New England Patriots back into relevance in the AFC East after a fiasco of a first season without Tom Brady. Bill Belichick spent a lot...
High expectations again for Lamar Jackson, Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In 2 1/2 seasons as a starter, Lamar Jackson has been an offensive threat unlike any in the NFL. He won an MVP and eventually a playoff game, blending efficient passing with a running ability rarely seen in a quarterback. About all that’s left for the...
Saints’ opener vs. Packers moved to Jacksonville because of Hurricane IdaVideo
The New Orleans Saints will play their season opener in Jacksonville after being displaced by Hurricane Ida. Instead of playing in the Superdome for the Sept. 12 opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Saints will host the game at the home of the Jaguars, the NFL announced Wednesday. While...
Ravens sign former Penn State QB Trace McSorley to practice squad
The Baltimore Ravens officially signed Trace McSorley to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday afternoon. The former Penn State quarterback didn’t stay away from the Ravens for long. The Ravens waived McSorley during roster cuts Tuesday, but Baltimore signed him back to its 16-man practice squad Wednesday, according to...
NFLPA investigating Urban Meyer’s comments on vaccine status
The NFL Players Association has launched an investigation following Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer’s admission that vaccination status factored into the team’s roster decisions. NFLPA spokesman George Atallah confirmed the union’s action in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday night, hours after Meyer told reporters: “Everyone was considered....
No resolution to Deshaun Watson dilemma as he stays on Texans rosterVideo
HOUSTON — Quarterback Deshaun Watson remained on the active roster Tuesday as the Houston Texans made cuts to reduce their roster to 53 players. Watson’s future with the team is in question after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging he sexually assaulted or harassed them. Houston police and the NFL are...
Cardinals place former Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler on reserve/retired listVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals placed cornerback Malcolm Butler on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday, potentially signaling the end of his seven-year career. NFL Network reported Monday that Butler was mulling retirement because of a “personal situation.” The 31-year-old Butler signed a $6 million, one-year deal with the Cardinals...
Cowboys cut former Pine-Richland, Pitt QB Ben DiNucciVideo
It appears the Dallas Cowboys will open the season with Cooper Rush as the primary backup quarterback to Dak Prescott. He is currently the last man standing, with the team informing Garrett Gilbert and former Pine-Richland and Pitt player Ben DiNucci of their release. “I just think he has shown...
Patriots cut Cam Newton, clearing way for Mac Jones to start
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Mac Jones era in New England has begun. The Patriots released Cam Newton on Tuesday, clearing the way for the rookie to open the season as New England’s quarterback. Newton’s release came hours before NFL teams had to reduce their rosters to 53 players and brings...
Weekly covid-19 tests for vaccinated NFL playersVideo
Fully vaccinated players will be required to get tested for covid-19 weekly instead of every 14 days as part of the revised protocols for the regular season agreed upon by the NFL and NFLPA. The weekly testing applies also for fully vaccinated Tier 1 and 2 staff. There’s an option...
Displaced by Hurricane Ida, Saints set up shop at Cowboys stadiumVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — Displaced by Hurricane Ida, the New Orleans Saints went back to work Monday about 500 miles away in the stadium of another NFL team. Coach Sean Payton stood on the star logo in the middle of the home field of the Dallas Cowboys as the Saints stretched...
Tagliabue memoir a strong look into the NFL’s inner workings
Paul Tagliabue left his job as commissioner of the NFL in 2006 and didn’t get selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until last year. If that seems odd for a man who guided the NFL for 17 years and oversaw labor peace, expansion, new stadiums, huge increases in...
Teams mull decision when to start rookie QBs
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Top two overall draft picks Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are set to step right in and become starting NFL quarterbacks in Week 1 of their rookie season. The timeline for the three other first-round quarterbacks in this year’s draft is a bit murkier. But if...
