Report: NFL offers to scrap preseason games; players to be tested every day for 1st 2 weeks of campVideo
The NFL has offered to scrap all preseason games, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press. The players’ association had sought no preseason games, and the league had reduced the exhibition schedule to two games. But Monday evening, the NFL said it would eliminate those preseason contests...
Former Pine-Richland, Pitt QB Ben DiNucci agrees to terms with Dallas CowboysVideo
Former Pine-Richland and Pitt quarterback Ben DiNucci agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys to a four-year rookie contract. DiNucci, a seventh-round pick, led James Madison to the FCS national championship game last year. DiNucci was at Pitt from 2015-17, playing in 12 games and making six starts. Prior to...
Jets, Giants won’t have fans at games in New Jersey, at least initiallyVideo
The New York Jets and Giants announced they will not have fans at home games this season “until further notice” because of the coronavirus pandemic. The teams, who play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ., and have separate training facilities in the state, released a joint statement Monday after...
What’s going on with Penguins’ Sidney Crosby? Mark Madden has sources telling him what’s up.
Based on the Penguins’ history when it comes to their players’ health, I’m sure we all had the same thought when the team returned to practice during the coronavirus pandemic. “Sid is going to get it. Mumps. Concussions. A broken jaw from a teammate’s slapshot. He’s gonna get the virus.”...
Players plead with NFL to address health, safety concernsVideo
NFL players are pleading publicly with the league to address several health and safety concerns on the eve of training camp. The league informed teams Saturday training camps will open on time even though discussions with the players’ union regarding testing for coronavirus and other health and safety protocols are...
Report: 15 former employees accuse Washington NFL team of sexual harassmentVideo
The Washington Post reported Thursday that 15 female former employees of the city’s NFL franchise said they were sexually harassed during their time with the team. In a statement, the team said it takes issues of employee conduct seriously and added, “While we do not speak to specific employee situations...
Texans WR Kenny Stills arrested during Breonna Taylor protestVideo
Houston Texans receiver Kenny Stills was among 87 protesters arrested outside Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home in Louisville on Tuesday night as they advocated for the arrests of the police officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in March. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Stills was charged...
Dak Prescott set for franchise tag after no long-term deal with CowboysVideo
Dak Prescott will play whatever becomes of the 2020 season under the one-year franchise tag after the Dallas Cowboys and their star quarterback couldn’t agree on a long-term contract. Clubs had until Wednesday afternoon to reach multiyear deals with players given the franchise tag. Of the 14 tagged in March,...
Titans, Derrick Henry reach agreement on contract, avoid franchise tagVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans agreed to a new contract with Derrick Henry, keeping the NFL rushing leader around and not playing under the franchise tag before the league deadline for an extension. The team announced the deal, saying only it was a “multi-year extension.” Henry reportedly received a...
Philadelphia cancels large events through February; Eagles’ games to have no fans
Large-scale events won’t be happening for the rest of the year in Philadelphia, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. On Tuesday, officials announced that big public events would not be permitted through February. Philadelphia health commissioner Thomas Farley said the decision and time frame came because a coronavirus vaccine would not...
NFL, Oakley come up with face shields to protect players
NEW YORK — With NFL training camps set to start at the end of the month, the league believes it is closer to one answer when it comes to player safety amid the coronavirus pandemic: face shields for the players’ helmets. The NFL and the players’ union agreed to several...
Washington NFL team dropping ‘Redskins’ name after 87 yearsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday it will drop the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo immediately, bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans. A new name must still be selected for one of the oldest and most storied teams in the National...
Report: Washington NFL team expected to change name in next 24 hours
There’s going to be a new name in the National Football League this season. Yahoo Sports reported late Sunday that the NFL’s Washington franchise has committed itself to a new name, the league has asked partners to begin scrubbing “Redskins” from their platforms in anticipation of a change that could...
Fantasy Sports: Pirates pitching sleepers, sneaky saves, home run totals, NFL signings and trades
This week’s Fantasy Sports podcast takes a look at potential Pirates surprises in a shortened season. Jeff Erickson of RotoWire has a few. He says Joe Musgrove and Mitch Keller have a chance to pop in the pitching rotation. Musgrove may outperform his average draft ranking. And if Keller can...
NFL players banned from exchanging jerseys after gamesVideo
NFL teams will be prohibited from post-game interactions within 6 feet of each other, so players won’t be allowed to exchange jerseys after games as part of the guidelines to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions are outlined in the game-day protocols finalized by the league and...
Browns give season-ticket holders opt-out optionVideo
Planning for a season they acknowledge will be “very different,” the Cleveland Browns told their season-ticket holders they can opt out of the 2020 season without penalty and described other plans related to the covid-19 virus and its impact on the NFL. The Browns sent a letter to their fans...
First Call: Gerrit Cole’s pandemic problem, NHL TV schedule, robot fans, no Cleveland for Clowney
Thursday’s “First Call” features a pandemic problem for Gerrit Cole. Might we see robot fans at games? The potential rebooted NHL television schedule is interesting. And the Cleveland Browns appear to be out when it comes to Jadeveon Clowney. Covid conundrum for Cole Former Pirate Gerrit Cole made a simulated...
Running back Raheem Mostert to 49ers: Trade me or pay meVideo
Raheem Mostert wants a new contract. Again. And he deserves one. Again, only this time after emerging as much more than a special-teams ace. Mostert broke out last season as the 49ers’ leading and most explosive rusher, after agreeing to a three-year, $9 million contract in the 2019 offseason. Mostert’s...
Maryland governor on Redskins: Probably time to change nameVideo
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday he believes the name of Washington’s professional football team “probably should be changed,” though he supported the team’s name when he ran for governor in 2014. Hogan, a moderate Republican and a critic of President Donald Trump, was asked on NBC’s...
First Call: DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic post, Joe West’s coronavirus confusion lead ‘week of dumb’
We need games back. Now! Because we need to start talking about dumb decisions by players, coaches, executives and officials on the field. Those things are a lot easier to digest than what they are saying in quotes and on social media. Wednesday’s “First Call” takes a look at this...
Patrick Mahomes’ big bet on football pays off with $503 million dealVideo
Patrick Mahomes risked everything when he opted for football over baseball. Turns out, he got baseball money anyway. One day after the former two-sport star got a 10-year deal worth up to $503 million, the richest contract in American sports history, the reigning Super Bowl MVP repeatedly insisted this deal...
AFL launched 60 years ago by ambitious owners who changed football forever
See you next year. That’s what the Baltimore Colts told offensive lineman Ron Mix during a bidding war for his services in 1960. On one side was the Colts, an established NFL powerhouse. On the other, the Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League, which was ramping up for...
Eagles WR DeSean Jackson apologizes for anti-Semitic postVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has apologized after backlash for sharing anti-Semitic posts on social media over the weekend. “My post was definitely not intended for anybody of any race to feel any type of way, especially the Jewish community,” Jackson said in a video he posted...
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes signs historic 10-year deal worth more than $500MVideo
The Kansas City Chiefs made sure they’ll have Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes around as long as possible. Mahomes agreed to a 10-year extension worth $503 million, according to his agency, Steinberg Sports. The deal is worth $477 million in guarantee mechanisms and includes a no-trade clause and opt-out clauses...
Native American groups ask NFL to force Redskins name changeVideo
WASHINGTON — Several Native American leaders and organizations sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday calling for the league to force Redskins owner Dan Snyder to change the team name immediately. The letter obtained by the Associated Press is signed by 15 Native American advocates. It demands...
