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Category: Football

  • NFL: Texans to induct J.J. Watt into Ring of Honor

    NFL: Texans to induct J.J. Watt into Ring of Honor


    The Houston Texans will induct J.J. Watt into their Ring of Honor on Oct. 1.

    Watt, who cemented his legacy with the Texans as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a tireless philanthropist, will become the third person so honored. He joins the late Robert McNair, the founding owner, and wide receiver Andre Johnson.

    The Texans made the announcement Monday in a video posted to social media.

    “Everybody knows how much J.J. means to our family, the Texans organization and the entire City of Houston,” the McNair family said in a statement. “He is one of the most dominant players in NFL history and he created a unique and irreplaceable bond with our fans. J.J. has always kept a special place in Houston’s heart and we’re thrilled to welcome him back.”

    The induction ceremony will be held when the Texans host the Steelers, meaning his brother — Pittsburgh star T.J. Watt — will be in the stadium that day.

    Watt spent the first 10 seasons of his career (2011-20) in Houston after the Texans drafted the Wisconsin product with the No. 11 overall pick in 2011. He played two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before retiring.

    Watt, 34, was named the NFL’s top defender in 2012 and 2014-2015 and a first-team All-Pro in those seasons, plus 2013 and 2018. He also earned the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year award after raising more than $41 million to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

    He played in 151 career games, 128 of them with the Texans. Injuries limited him to just eight games in the 2016-17 seasons combined.

    He set the franchise record for sacks (101) and made 172 tackles for loss, the most in the NFL since TFLs became an official stat. He also holds franchise records for quarterback hits (281), multi-sack games (26), forced fumbles (25) and fumble recoveries (16).

    –Field Level Media

  • NFL: Bills’ Von Miller says ‘knee is all healed up’ from ACL injury

    NFL: Bills’ Von Miller says ‘knee is all healed up’ from ACL injury


    When the Buffalo Bills open training camp in late July, star pass rusher Von Miller expects to take the field, although it would be only about eight months after suffering a torn right ACL.

    The two-time Super Bowl winner said he has “good information from my doctor and my knee is all healed up. It’s all about me and how confident I can be (over) the next three months,” he told the Buffalo News.

    Miller sustained the injury last Nov. 24 against the Detroit Lions. He said earlier this month that he expects to play in the season opener on Sept. 11 against the New York Jets and offseason acquisition Aaron Rodgers.

    Should Miller have to begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, he would not be eligible to return until Week 5 against Jacksonville.

    Miller recorded eight sacks and 21 tackles while forcing one fumble in 11 games (all starts) last season, his first after signing a six-year, $120 million contract.

    The eight-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro has totaled 123.5 sacks, 561 tackles, 27 forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries in 161 career games (all starts) with the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Bills.

    He was part of Super Bowl-winning teams in both Denver and Los Angeles.

    –Field Level Media

  • NFL: RB Saquon Barkley unsure deal gets done with Giants

    NFL: RB Saquon Barkley unsure deal gets done with Giants


    Two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley wasn’t willing to offer an opinion Sunday about his future with the New York Giants, who have designated him with a franchise tag this offseason.

    Barkley, who has 4,249 rushing yards, 1,820 receiving yards and 37 total touchdowns over five seasons, has not signed the franchise tag, allowing for the possibility that he does not play this season.

    Barkley wants a long-term contract, and the deadline for teams to sign tagged players to longer deals is July 17. He said the idea of skipping the season “comes up in conversation if something doesn’t get done” by the deadline.

    “At the end of the day, it’s all about respect,” Barkley said. “That is really what it is.”

    A more immediate consequence of not being under contract is that Barkley won’t be attending the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday.

    “I think they’re open to talking. I’m open to talking,” Barkley said. “If you really break it down and look at it as a whole, there is no rush. There is still time on the table to get to July 17. July 17 is not tomorrow. It’s not in a week.

    “Maybe that is the naive way to look at it, I could be completely wrong. … Hopefully. I trust in the Giants that we could get something done.”

    Multiple media outlets reported earlier this year that Barkley, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, turned down multi-year offers starting at $12.5 million per season during last season, then incrementally higher offers of $13 million and later $13 million plus incentives that could be worth another $1 million.

    The New York Daily News has reported that Barkley wants $16 million per season, similar to what 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey earns.

    –Field Level Media

  • CFL: Elks looking to halt home losing streak in opener vs. Riders

    CFL: Elks looking to halt home losing streak in opener vs. Riders


    The Edmonton Elks aim to start the season right by ending their CFL-record 17-game home losing streak Sunday when they face the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

    The Elks have not won at home since Oct. 12, 2019.

    “Definitely, it’s a big game,” Elks defensive lineman Jake Ceresna said. “I mean, it’s not do-or-die, but it’s the first game of the year and coming from us, we just want to set the tone from the first game. Like, hey, we’re a different team, we’re not who we were last year and we’re here to get back to the old … way of winning games and winning Grey Cups.”

    The Elks were 4-14-0 in 2022, last in the West Division. The Roughriders were 6-12-0, one place above Edmonton in fourth place in the West.

    “I feel like we’ve got a new team and I feel like Saskatchewan is definitely something that will be a good test for us to show how good we are,” Elks receiver Dillon Mitchell said. “And I feel like if we can get our first win, it will be a snowball effect.”

    Roughriders receiver Derel Walker would like to extend the Elks’ home losing streak when he returns to play his former team.

    “I look forward to going out there and doing what I do,” he said. “Be productive, help our team win, go out there and have fun and enjoy it.”

    Walker played for Edmonton from 2015-18 and won a Grey Cup championship. He also was a two-time CFL All-Star and three-time West Division All-Star. After a season with the Toronto Argonauts, the receiver returned to the Elks from 2021-22.

    “I’m very familiar with the turf in that field,” Walker said. “I was there for a while. So, you know, definitely the juices are stirring. Just looking forward to getting out there and running that first route, catching my first ball, putting some good stuff on film.”

    Walker signed with Saskatchewan in March after, he said, the Elks showed no interest in having him return.

    “(The Elks) decided to go another way. I didn’t have any contact with them prior to the season,” Walker said.

    Defensive back Aaron Grymes (knee) and linebacker Eli Mencer (shoulder) sat out of practice all week for the Elks and were ruled out for Sunday.

    Saskatchewan wide receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker (hip) was ruled out for Sunday as was linebacker Derrick Moncrief (shoulder).

    –Field Level Media

  • NFL: RB Dalvin Cook hits open market after Vikings release

    NFL: RB Dalvin Cook hits open market after Vikings release


    The Minnesota Vikings officially released running back Dalvin Cook on Friday after an unsuccessful last-ditch effort to trade the four-time Pro Bowl selection.

    Coming off four straight 1,000-yard seasons, Cook is now free to sign with any other team after 4:01 p.m. ET on Friday.

    Cook had $2 million guaranteed remaining on his contract with the Vikings, who will take a $5.1 million dead cap hit this season.

    A second-round pick in 2017, Cook rushed for 5,993 yards and 47 touchdowns and added 221 receptions for 1,794 yards and five scores in 73 career games (72 starts) in Minnesota.

    “I hold Dalvin in the highest regard and am grateful for his contributions on and off the field. Dalvin is a tough, dynamic player and a respected leader by his teammates, which was evident by his multiple seasons as a team captain,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.

    “… We appreciate Dalvin’s positivity, energy and leadership and will be pulling for him in the future.”

    Rumored landing spots for Cook during the past couple of months have included the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos.

    Cook, who turns 28 in August, is recovering from offseason surgery to repair a shoulder injury that was originally sustained in 2019. His agency said in February that Cook is expected to be healthy for the start of the season.

    The Vikings appear prepared to enter the 2023 season with Alexander Mattison as their lead back. The 2019 third-round pick rushed for 283 yards and five scores in 17 games last season. Ty Chandler and rookie DeWayne McBride are also on the depth chart.

    Cook leaves Minnesota ranked third on the franchise rushing list behind Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith.

    “Dalvin has been an incredible leader for this organization for years, and I quickly noticed how respected he is among everyone in our building,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “I’m fortunate to have been around such an enjoyable, talented and hardworking person like him over the last year.

    “He’s etched his name in Vikings history with his production on the field but also by consistently giving back to the Vikings Foundation. We are thankful for everything Dalvin brought to the Vikings and sincerely wish him all the best in his future.”

    Vikings owner and chairman Zygi Wilf also released a statement following Cook’s release.

    “Over the past six years, Dalvin has meant so much to our organization. His love for playing football in front of the Vikings fan base was evident, and that connection branched into the community where he made an impact around the Twin Cities,” Wilf said. “Dalvin helped us launch the Vikings Table food truck and was a constant advocate for the Minnesota Vikings Foundation. His leadership in the locker room and all-out effort on the field was undeniable and a key reason he was a multi-year team captain. We are extremely grateful for all Dalvin has done for the Vikings and look forward to welcoming him back as a Legend.”

    –Field Level Media=

  • NFL: Report: WR DeAndre Hopkins to visit Patriots next week

    NFL: Report: WR DeAndre Hopkins to visit Patriots next week


    Free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will visit the New England Patriots next week, NFL Network reported Friday.

    The five-time Pro Bowl selection is scheduled to meet with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, according to earlier reports.

    The offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in New England is Bill O’Brien, whose head coaching tenure in Houston (2014-20) overlapped with Hopkins’ time with the Texans (2013-19).

    The Arizona Cardinals released Hopkins, 31, on May 30 after three seasons after they reportedly failed to find a trade partner.

    While the Cardinals cleared $8.15 million in salary cap space with the move, they incurred a dead cap hit of $22.6 million, per Spotrac.

    A three-time All-Pro, Hopkins recorded 221 receptions for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in his three seasons in Arizona. He has 853 catches for 11,298 yards and 71 TDs in 145 career games (all starts).

    Hopkins had 64 catches for 717 yards with three scores during a 2022 season in which he missed the first six games after being suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He missed the final two games with a knee injury.

    The Patriots’ wide receivers room includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton and a pair of rookie sixth-round draft picks, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.

    –Field Level Media

  • CFL: Cody Fajardo, Alouettes aim to make impression vs. Redblacks

    CFL: Cody Fajardo, Alouettes aim to make impression vs. Redblacks


    As the shampoo commercial once informed viewers, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

    Quarterback Cody Fajardo knows that as well as anyone, which is why he said the Montreal Alouettes’ season opener against the visiting Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday is important for him and the team.

    “I think Week 1, with that home opener, is when the real first impression comes,” Fajardo said. “You have your full offensive playbook in; you’re not running your vanilla stuff. You get to play the whole game and that’s when it starts counting.

    “There’s a lot of things in preseason you try to see if you can get away with. It’s not always pretty. You’re just trying to test some things you wouldn’t normally do. Go out there, execute the offense and try to make sure we stay on the field and score some points.”

    Fajardo played the last three seasons in Saskatchewan, falling out of favor with the team last year when he tossed 13 interceptions as the Roughriders limped to a 6-12 record. But he has a fresh start in Montreal along with a new head coach — Jason Maas, his former offensive coordinator with Saskatchewan.

    As for Ottawa, it also has a new head coach in Bob Dyce. It also has a plethora of injuries from the preseason that will have it missing four starters for the opener, including veteran quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (leg) and All-CFL cornerback Money Hunter (torn pectoral muscle).

    Dyce is tasked with changing the culture of a roster and franchise that has won just 10 games over the past three seasons. To that end, not only have there been player moves, there’s also been locker room changes. Instead of having position groups dress together, Dyce mixed them up in an attempt to build team chemistry.

    “Everybody needs to get to know everybody,” Dyce said. “These guys spend a lot of their position meetings together. Not that things get cliquish but you see the same guys all the time. We just felt it was a great way to help build our team culture.”

    Nick Arbuckle, who played in 12 games last year after Masoli was injured in Week 4, will start the season opener.

    –Field Level Media