49ers’ Christian McCaffrey will miss another game, could be headed to IRVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has been ruled out of this weekend’s game for the San Francisco 49ers because of his lingering calf and Achilles’ injuries and could be headed to injured reserve. McCaffrey was held out of practice Friday, a day after experiencing pain in...
Chiefs WR Marquise Brown to have shoulder surgery, will be placed on IRVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will have surgery on his dislocated shoulder joint next week and be placed on injured reserve, keeping one of their biggest free-agent acquisitions out for at least four weeks and perhaps much longer. Brown, who signed a $7 million contract with...
Dolphins will bring in another QB while Tua Tagovailoa deals with concussionVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, and coach Mike McDaniel insisted Friday the only thing that should matter to him — or anyone — is Tagovailoa’s health. For the short term at least, Skylar Thompson...
Football Footnotes: AFC North looks to rebound; WVU’s Marc Bulger recalls Backyard Brawls; ACC transfer QBs making impact
This week’s Friday “Football Footnotes” post examines how AFC North teams besides the Pittsburgh Steelers will try to respond to a winless opening weekend. Kirk Cousins may have tipped-off lingering issues from his recovery during Atlanta’s loss to the Steelers last week. Central Catholic graduate Marc Bulger recalls his Backyard...
James Cook scores 3 TDs to help Bills rout Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — James Cook caught a touchdown pass and ran for two scores, and the Buffalo Bills routed Miami, 31-10, on Thursday night, with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leaving early because of a concussion. Tagovailoa left in the third quarter after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin (Pitt,...
Tua Tagovailoa diagnosed with concussion against Bills
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills because of a concussion after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf. Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, remained down for...
Former Pitt standout Joe Schmidt, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92
DETROIT — Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Wednesday. A cause of death was not provided. One of...
Titans QB Will Levis remains optimistic even as NFL defenders advise to take the sackVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A couple of NFL defenders have advice for Will Levis if the Tennessee Titans quarterback will listen. Taking the sack can be the best play. That’s what Chicago defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker said after Levis threw a pick-6 even with the defender’s arms wrapped around the quarterback’s...
Cardinals fully confident in WR Marvin Harrison Jr. despite Week 1 disappointmentVideo
TEMPE, Ariz. — Marvin Harrison Jr. had grandiose plans for his first professional football game, one he hoped would be filled with amazing catches, touchdowns and a victory for the Arizona Cardinals. But as many players have found out over the decades, the NFL is rarely a fairy tale. Harrison’s...
Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill says he could have handled traffic stop better but still wants officer firedVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill acknowledged Wednesday that he could have handled himself better in the initial moments of a weekend traffic stop that left him handcuffed and pulled out of his car by police officers near the team’s stadium. Hill also said he wants...
Browns QB Deshaun Watson says he was surprised by sexual assault lawsuitVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said he was surprised by the latest civil lawsuit filed against him by a woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her four years ago. The woman filed the lawsuit Monday in Texas, saying Watson forced himself on her during a dinner date...
NFL averaged 21 million viewers per game for opening week, its highest on record
LOS ANGELES — The NFL averaged 21.0 million viewers per game during the league’s opening week, making it the most-watched Week 1 on record. The league and Nielsen said Wednesday that the per-game average on TV and digital platforms was a 12% increase over last year. Nielsen began electronic measurement...
Passing in Week 1 reached its lowest level for any week in the NFL since 2007
From rookies struggling in their first career starts to high-paid quarterbacks not living up to their contracts to rusty veterans coming off injuries, the passing in Week 1 of the NFL season looked to be from a different era. More than half the starting quarterbacks in the NFL failed to...
Judge orders former NFL star Adrian Peterson to turn over assets to pay $12M debtVideo
HOUSTON — Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson was ordered by a Texas judge to turn over personal assets to help pay a debt that has ballooned to more than $12 million. A court-appointed receiver has been seeking to collect money from Peterson as part of a judgment from a...
Dolphins coaches, players react to ’emotional’ footage of Tyreek Hill traffic stopVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tyreek Hill’s teammates and coaches used words like “triggering” and a “shame” to describe body camera footage showing a police officer yanking the Miami Dolphins receiver out of his sports car and forcing him face-first onto the ground during a traffic stop. The incident outside the...
Plenty of former NFL coordinators have found a home as assistants in Big TenVideo
It turns out the revolving door sending college coaches to the NFL also works in the other direction. While the Big Ten lost its most prominent head coach when Jim Harbaugh took over the Los Angeles Chargers after leading Michigan to a national title, it gained four guys with Super...
NFL investigating lawsuit filed against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, accused of sexual assaultVideo
CLEVELAND — The NFL said Tuesday it is investigating the latest civil lawsuit filed against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson to determine if he violated the league’s personal conduct policy. On Monday, a woman in Texas accused Watson of sexual assault in 2020 while he played for Houston. “We are...
Tyreek Hill’s traffic stop revives discussion about the realities faced by Black driversVideo
MIAMI — After his traffic stop in Miami on Sunday, Tyreek Hill talked about “the talk” — instructions passed down in Black families for generations about what to do when pulled over by police. Keep your hands in sight, preferably on the steering wheel. Avoid any sudden movements. Don’t talk...
49ers spoil Aaron Rodgers’ return with a 32-19 win over Jets
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Aaron Rodgers’ long-awaited return to the field was spoiled by San Francisco as the 49ers got 147 yards rushing and a touchdown from fill-in back Jordan Mason in a 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night. Rodgers threw for 167 yards and one...
Video shows that officers dragged Tyreek Hill out of his car after he put his window back upVideo
The video showed that the altercation between the Miami-Dade County officers and Hill escalated quickly, that the officers cursed at Hill but he did not resist their physical force or strike at them. Six officers’ body camera videos have been released. Police Director Stephanie Davis said the tape would normally...
Browns QB Deshaun Watson accused of sexual assault by Texas woman in 2020 incident
CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson was accused of sexual assault in a new civil lawsuit brought by a woman who alleges the Cleveland Browns quarterback forced himself on her four years ago when he played with Houston. According to the lawsuit filed Monday in Harris County, the woman is suing Watson...
Christian McCaffrey will miss 49ers opener with calf injury
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey will miss the season opener against the New York Jets because of a sore calf and Achilles tendon that has hampered him all summer. McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning...
Analysis: Turnovers, missed tackles and other mistakes doom Bengals in season-opening loss to PatriotsVideo
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals missed too many tackles and turned the ball over too many times to beat the New England Patriots in their season opener. The Bengals weren’t expecting it. Quarterback Joe Burrow was healthy to start the season for the first time since his rookie year in...
Analysis: Deshaun Watson’s shaky performance in opener heightens concerns whether QB can deliver for BrownsVideo
CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson didn’t flinch last week when asked if he still considers himself one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. “Of course,” he said. “No doubt.” There is mounting evidence to the contrary. Watson didn’t even look average — never mind elite — Sunday with a ragged performance in...
Tom Brady takes awkward first steps in transition from football field to TV booth
Fox Sports is spending $375 million to put Tom Brady in the broadcast booth, and the network wants to make sure everyone knows he’s there. The seven-time Super Bowl champion made his debut as an NFL analyst during the Fox broadcast of the regular-season opener between the Dallas Cowboys and...