POLICE UNION: HILL NOT ‘IMMEDIATELY COOPERATIVE’ WITH OFFICERS
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins was handcuffed and placed face down on the ground by police during a traffic stop because he was not “immediately cooperative” with officers, the president of the South Florida police union said in a statement Monday.
Passing fans and some teammates saw Hill in handcuffs with at least three officers around him following the stop outside the team’s home stadium that quickly went viral just hours before the Dolphins kicked off their season Sunday.
Hill later said he felt he was respectful and didn’t know why the officers placed him in handcuffs.
“I have no idea, for real,” Hill said Sunday after the game. “I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way. Didn’t cuss. Didn’t do none of that. So like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out, man.”
Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said Hill was handcuffed according to the police department’s policy.
“Before the Dolphins game yesterday, an incident occurred where Tyreek Hill was placed in handcuffs before being released,” Stahl said in a statement. “First, to be clear, at no time was he ever under arrest. He was briefly detained for officer safety, after driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great risk of danger.
“Upon being stopped, Mr. Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on the scene who, pursuant to policy and for their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs. Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground. Once the situation was sorted out within a few minutes, Mr. Hill was issued two traffic citations and was free to leave.”
A police officer was temporarily placed on administrative leave after the incident and the department has begun an internal review. Miami-Dade Police director Stephanie Daniels told the Miami Herald on Monday that the decision to place the officer on leave came after a review of the body camera footage from the roadside incident.
The Miami-Dade police department has declined an Associated Press request for the footage, citing the open and ongoing internal investigation.
Daniella Levine Cava, the mayor of Miami-Dade County, released a statement commending the department’s immediate launch of an investigation.
“In recent years, our nation has confronted important conversations on the use of force,” she said, “and the internal review process will answer questions about why the troubling actions shown in public video footage were taken by the officer.”
Hill said the officers told him he was pulled over for speeding and reckless driving, but added that he didn’t know why the situation escalated the way it did.
Hill’s teammate, defensive tackle Calais Campbell, was also briefly handcuffed after he said he tried to de-escalate the situation. Campbell said he was on his way to the game when he saw Hill handcuffed.
“They were trying to yank him down to the ground,” Campbell said Monday on ESPN. “I saw them kick him and pull him down, I mean, pulling (on) the cuffs; shoulders looked like they were messing up. They kind of got him down. I feel like one officer was pushing on his head.”
Campbell said he got out of his car with his hands up above his head and approached the scene, informing officers that he was a friend of Hill’s. He remained at the scene to “support” Hill after he said officers asked him to leave. Police later placed him in handcuffs for “disobeying a direct order” by being too close to the scene.
This isn’t the first off-field incident involving Hill.
He was accused of punching his girlfriend in college and got kicked off the team at Oklahoma State, later pleading guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation. In 2019, prosecutors in suburban Kansas City declined to charge Hill after an alleged domestic violence incident involving his fiancée and their 3-year-old child.
Last offseason, Hill was under investigation by Miami-Dade police for assault and battery after it was reported that he got into an argument with a South Florida marina worker, which apparently ended with Hill hitting the worker. Hill and the man later resolved their dispute.
RAHEEM MORRIS, FALCONS BRACING FOR ‘TELL THE TRUTH MOMENT’ AHEAD OF EAGLES CLASH
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Raheem Morris’s debut as Atlanta’s head coach didn’t pan out as hoped on Sunday, with new-look Falcons falling 18-10 at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Twenty-four hours later, Morris was ready to move on to Week 2, with the schedule only getting tougher. Atlanta heads to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles next Monday before hosting the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 22.
“Last night didn’t go our way, but we were able to go in today and reevaluate our plans, talk about our stuff, what went well and what didn’t go well,” Morris said on Monday. “It’s a ‘tell the truth moment’ for our team and for ourselves, and now, it’s on to the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for just 155 yards and overrode his lone touchdown pass with two costly interceptions in Sunday’s loss.
Coming off a season cut short by a torn Achilles, Cousins, 36, made his debut for the team paying him $180 million over the next four years.
“(Kirk) probably had some rust from not playing for so long,” Morris said. “But we’ve got to play better at the position and play better around him. … The assessment of Kirk yesterday was easy. It wasn’t good enough. He threw two interceptions, and we’ve got to make better decisions in the passing game all around. It just wasn’t good enough and we’re going to be clear about that.”
Switching focus to the Falcons’ first appearance on Monday Night Football since 2020, Morris and company are dealt with the task of slowing a Philadelphia offense flooded with talent.
“That whole offense, looking at those guys, you’re talking about a bunch of superstars across the board,” Morris added. “A.J. Brown, Saquon (Barkley), the guy they just traded for, Jahan Dotson. They’ve got the biggest offensive line in the history of the game. Jalen Hurts was the runner up for MVP just two years ago. We’ve got to get in the lab, and that’s what today and tomorrow are about.”
In their 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers last Friday in Brazil, the Eagles totaled 410 yards, including 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Barkley in his team debut. Atlanta was outgained 270-226 against Pittsburgh.
Monday marks the Falcons’ first game in Philadelphia since an 18-12 loss in the 2018 opener. Atlanta, which has lost four of its last five against the Eagles, has not won at Lincoln Financial Field since 2012.
–Jack Batten, Field Level Media
COMMANDERS CUT PK CADE YORK AFTER 2 MISSED FGS
The Commanders cut kicker Cade York on Monday after he missed two field goals during Washington’s 37-20 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Sunday’s season opener.
York pushed a pair of kicks wide right on Sunday, one from 56 yards and the other from 47.
York’s release comes three weeks after the Commanders traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for the second-year kicker.
Entering Sunday, York had not kicked since his rookie year with Cleveland in 2022. He made 24 of 32 field goal attempts that season after being drafted by the Browns in the fourth round.
Cleveland waived York in 2023 after a shaky training camp.
Multiple reports have said that Washington plans to sign Austin Seibert to replace York. Seibert, 27, has made 45 of 56 field goal attempts over his five-year NFL career.
The Commanders host the New York Giants (0-1) on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
PACKERS TURN TO MALIK WILLIS; NO IR STINT FOR QB JORDAN LOVE
Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis was elevated to the starting role until Jordan Love returns from a knee injury.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers are going “day to day” with the evaluation of Love and won’t place him on injured reserve, an indication he could be back sooner than the four-week hiatus required by short-term IR.
“First of all, he’s got to get cleared. Until he gets cleared, those conversations don’t exist,” LaFleur said. “We will never put him in a position to mortgage the short-term for the future.”
Love was diagnosed with an MCL sprain. Love sustained the injury to his knee and was helped off the field with six seconds left in Friday night’s season-opening 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Willis was acquired from the Tennessee Titans last month and was the No. 2 quarterback behind Love entering Week 1. Sean Clifford steps into the backup role for Week 2 against the Colts, LaFleur said.
LaFleur said he couldn’t put a percentage on how much of the playbook Willis should be expected to know.
“He’ll know 100 percent of the game plan,” LaFleur said.
The 25-year-old Willis has made three career starts in 12 games. He rushed for 101 yards on 11 carries in the 2024 preseason with the Titans.
“You’ve got to play to your players’ strengths,” LaFleur said. “Whether that’s moving launch points, straight dropback, whatever it may be — play-actions — we’ll come up with whatever we feel like is going to give us the best opportunity to move the football.”
In his first two NFL seasons, Willis completed 35 of 66 passes for 350 yards with three interceptions. He also rushed 32 times for 144 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) with one touchdown.
–Field Level Media
BILLS QB JOSH ALLEN (HAND) CLEARED FOR TNF VS. DOLPHINS
Bills quarterback Josh Allen received medical clearance to start Thursday’s away game against the Miami Dolphins and is not expected to be limited this week in practice.
Allen received the green light after tests on his injured left hand, Bills coach Sean McDermott said Monday afternoon.
Asked if Allen could be limited later in the week because of his grip or any challenges with handing the ball off, McDermott said, “I don’t think so, he was able to do it.”
Allen accounted for four touchdowns to lead Buffalo to a 34-28 win in Week 1. He injured his left hand on a fourth-quarter leap into the end zone over Cardinals safety Budda Baker. Allen landed on his left hand with his right elbow and returned to the game with the hand taped.
The Dolphins (1-0) also rallied for a win on Sunday, beating Jacksonville 20-17 on a last-second field goal from Jason Sanders.
Allen was stellar against Miami last season with six touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and 679 total passing yards.
Buffalo swept the series in 2023 to claim the AFC East division title with a 48-20 win at home and 21-14 victory in Week 18 at Miami.
Bills safety Taron Johnson is out Thursday night against Miami with a forearm injury. The team did not offer a timeline for his return because his injury requires “more research,” McDermott said.
–Field Level Media
BROWNS QB DESHAUN WATSON PLAYED DESPITE DEATH OF FATHER, CLOSE FRIEND
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson played Sunday’s season opener with a heavy heart, but he dismissed any notion that recent losses in his personal life affected him on the field.
In the days leading up to Sunday’s 33-17 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Watson’s father, Don Richardson, and a college teammate of his, Diondre Overton, both passed away.
“Yeah, I tried my best to just, try for at least three hours to separate the two,” Watson said Monday of coping with the losses while focusing on football. “But again, I’m not going to use that as an excuse of why we played bad.
“But yeah, it was definitely a lot of, you know, a heavy heart these last couple days. But again, I don’t want to use that as an excuse for why we lost.”
Watson confirmed after the game that Richardson had died Friday. Watson did not have a close relationship with his father and was raised by a single mother, according to a 2017 interview he did with the Houston Chronicle.
Watson was close with former teammate Overton, a wide receiver at Clemson from 2016-19. He won two national titles with the Tigers, and he overlapped with Watson overlapped in their 2016 national championship season.
Overton died in a shooting in North Carolina on Saturday. Police pronounced him dead at the scene after attempting medical assistance. Overton was 26.
Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, in the loss to Dallas. He took six sacks and 11 additional quarterback hits.
Browns running back Jerome Ford called Watson a warrior and said the team remained behind him.
“I don’t think anybody has lost confidence in this building,” Ford said. “And we’re going to continue to put our faith in him and he’ll be able to show everybody that he can still do it and it’s coming soon.”
–Field Level Media
SEAN PAYTON: BRONCOS ‘NEED TO BE BETTER AROUND’ QB BO NIX
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was generally pleased with the performance of rookie quarterback Bo Nix after watching film of the team’s 26-20 loss at Seattle on Sunday.
It’s the group around Nix that he said needs to perform better.
“I think when I watch this tape offensively, we need to be better around him, and we will be,” Payton said on Monday.
Nix completed 26 of 42 passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns while getting intercepted twice. He did score the Broncos’ lone touchdown on a 4-yard scramble in the fourth quarter to cut the Seahawks’ lead to six points.
That Nix led the Broncos with 35 rushing yards was at the core of Payton’s issues. Running backs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for only 50 yards on 18 carries.
Payton’s game plan involved running the ball effectively in order to keep Nix in manageable down-and-distance situations. However, with the inability to establish the run compounded by falling behind multiple scores in the second half, Nix was forced to throw into the teeth of the Seahawks’ secondary.
“I said it yesterday (and) I’ll say it again. One of the key things that was important in this game is winning the run game battle, and we weren’t able to do that,” Payton said. “We struggled and in that inefficiency on first and second down, it was one of our keys to victory and we were anything but.”
Of Nix’s 138 passing yards, 54 came on the Broncos’ final two drives with Denver trailing by 13 points. One drive ended in an interception, while Nix punctuated the other with his touchdown run.
“Certainly, when we watched this game tape and evaluate the cue, there’s a number of things that we’ll get cleaned up and corrected,” Payton said.
The Broncos’ second-year coach said the pass protection and run blocking “wasn’t good enough,” while pointing to several missed reads on running lanes that were available. Payton also said Nix was hampered by multiple drops from his receivers.
“There may be a game where we plan on throwing it 40 times, not many. So often times, time of possession and runs in the fourth quarter, if you’re up by 10 or more, can get skewed a little bit in your favor, but this is the game where it’s the opposite,” Payton said. “You’re having to throw it to get back in it late.”
The Broncos did come out of the game largely healthy, with Payton saying that X-rays and an MRI for a contusion on offensive tackle Garett Bolles’ leg came back negative.
–Field Level Media
ROOKIE COACH DAVE CANALES TAKES BLAME FOR BRYCE YOUNG’S BRUTAL OUTING
Rookie coach Dave Canales took the blame for Carolina’s futile offensive effort and the career-worst 32.8 passer rating from quarterback Bryce Young in the Panthers’ 47-10 loss at New Orleans on Sunday.
In the season opener for both teams, the Saints scored on the first nine possessions they had the ball. Young was picked on his first pass of the season. The Panthers didn’t get in the end zone until Young took off for a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
“Honestly, it’s on the coaching staff. It’s on us. We sat there like we were sitting ducks,” Canales said. “We didn’t do enough to give our guys simpler solutions in some of those.”
Canales said the Saints “gave us issues with what they did” and could recall only one instance where Young was responsible for pressure when he could have flipped protection.
“We got outcoached in that regard. I take that personally,” Canales said.
From the time he was hired to leave the post as offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers, Canales preached the importance of establishing the running game to take pressure off of Young. He said the game plan included a heavy dose of their ground game, but New Orleans forced the Panthers out of it. Carolina gained 58 yards on 20 total carries with a long gain of eight yards.
“Emphasis was there,” Canales said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted.”
Young was 13 of 30 (43.3 percent) for 161 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked four times in a game the Saints led 30-3 at halftime.
“From a footwork standpoint, I thought it was a solid day,” Canales said. “I think he missed a couple of throws. I think he’s learning some of his guys. … I also have to give the Saints credit for covering us really well. They made it hard. They forced accurate throws. That’s something we have to make sure we cash in on when we have the opportunities.”
Carolina’s next opportunity is Week 2 in the home opener. The Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) travel to Charlotte with a potent pass rush led by edge defenders Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. The Chargers had four sacks and an interception in a 22-10 home win against the Raiders to open the regular season.
–Field Level Media
RAVENS MUM ON LAMAR JACKSON MISSING PRACTICE
Lamar Jackson was among a collection of Baltimore Ravens players who missed practice Monday.
Coach John Harbaugh wouldn’t delve into specific reasons why his star quarterback, cornerback Nate Wiggins and receiver/return specialist Deonte Harty were absent from practice, saying some players had physical issues and some had personal reasons.
“Injury report comes out Wednesday afternoon,” Harbaugh said as Baltimore began its preparation for its home opener Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Ravens were on the practice field Monday because they had a long weekend following their 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL season opener Thursday.
Jackson completed 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown and racked up 122 rushing yards on 16 attempts in that game. The Ravens lost after an apparent touchdown on the last play of regulation was overturned, with tight end Isaiah Likely ruled out of bounds on his catch.
Jackson, 27, missed four practice sessions early in training camp due to an illness. The 27-year-old is the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, winning the award for the second time last year.
Linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Adisa Isaac also missed practice, but for reasons that were more obvious. Van Noy injured an eye during the Chiefs game, with reports saying he sustained a fractured orbital bone. Issac has a hamstring strain.
–Field Level Media
PANTHERS PRO BOWL DE DERRICK BROWN TO HAVE KNEE SURGERY, COULD MISS REST OF SEASON, AP SOURCE SAYS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl defensive end Derrick Brown will need surgery on his knee and could miss the remainder of the season, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity on Monday because the team has not released its injury report.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said the team believes Brown tore his meniscus in the team’s 47-10 loss to the Saints on Sunday. It will be a tremendous loss to a defense that struggled mightily against New Orleans, allowing Derek Carr and company to score on their first nine possessions.
Canales offered no timeline for Brown’s return, adding that the 26-year-old wants to get a second medical opinion before considering his options.
“We will get that when we get the second opinion,” Canales said.
It’s unclear when Brown was injured during the game. He played 60 of 66 defensive plays, coming out of the game only after things were out of hand and the Saints went to a backup quarterback.
Brown informed the team that his knee wasn’t feeling well on Monday and was sent to get an MRI.
Canales said Brown’s effort on the field is the “spirit of what we want to be about.”
Panthers safety Xavier Woods spoke to Brown on Monday and said that “he is devastated about it.”
“He wanted to be with this team and be a part of the team, and he wanted to take the next step as a player for himself,” Woods said.
Brown set an NFL record for a tackles by a defensive lineman in 2023 with 103 and made the Pro Bowl for the first time.
Woods said the 6-foot-5, 320-pound Brown will be difficult to replace.
“It’s a tremendous loss,” Woods said. “We all know that he is a key piece to this team and this defense. … What he does you can’t replace it.”
The injury comes after Carolina gave the No. 7 overall pick in 2020 a four-year, $96 million extension in April. Brown was selected one of the team’s defensive captains last week.
BEARS ROOKIE RECEIVER ROME ODUNZE HAS MRI AFTER INJURING KNEE IN OPENER
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears receiver Rome Odunze was having an MRI on Monday for a knee injury he suffered the previous day in his NFL debut, coach Matt Eberflus said.
Eberflus said he thinks Odunze was hurt blocking during Sunday’s season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans. He had little to say about the severity of the injury or the team’s level of concern.
The No. 9 overall pick, Odunze had one catch against the Titans. He was seen hopping toward the sideline during D’Andre Swift’s 20-yard run with 4:22 left in the game.
“I don’t have enough information yet,” Eberflus said. “We’ll see on Wednesday.”
The Bears overhauled their offense in the offseason, drafting quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick and loading up around the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner out of Southern California.
Odunze is part of a potentially potent trio in Chicago after leading the nation with a school-record 1,640 yards for Washington last season. The Bears also made a blockbuster trade for a receiver for the second straight year, getting six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers after acquiring DJ Moore from Carolina in 2023.
BEARS BACK ROOKIE QB, EXPECT MORE FROM STINGY DEFENSE
Bears coach Matt Eberflus dismissed any flaws evident in evaluating the NFL debut of No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams in Chicago’s 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
“My evaluation was he took care of the football. I know he had two sacks, but he really took care of the football,” Eberflus said Monday.
Williams said he celebrated with teammates in the locker room and doesn’t care what the statistics indicated about his play on Sunday, when he went 14-for-29 passing for 93 yards and a 55.7 QB rating.
Eberflus credited Williams with knowing where not to throw the ball based on coverage reads to assist the rally from a 17-0 deficit with 24 unanswered points.
“That was a difference in the game,” Eberflus said.
The Bears had 11 total first downs and didn’t score an offensive touchdown.
Chicago’s defense is helping change the narrative around the Bears, who now have a six-game home winning streak. Sunday’s victory was the seventh consecutive game dating to last season the Bears held their opponent to 20 or fewer points. Their record in that span is 5-2.
“It was one of those dirty wins that we really needed,” safety Kevin Byard said Monday. He said no one in the locker room was surprised by the defensive showing or the playmakers who helped flip the game in the second half.
The Bears pack their bags this week for their first primetime appearance at Houston to face the 2023 No. 2 pick, C.J. Stroud, and the Texans (1-0).
As defensive coordinator of the Colts, Eberflus turned down a request from the Texans to interview for the head-coaching opening in January 2021. Days later, the Texans hired Nick Caserio from the Patriots to run the front office.
Eberflus, who interviewed with the Chargers and Jets that offseason, was hired by general manager Ryan Poles in January 2022.
–Field Level Media
TITANS AND QB WILL LEVIS WORKING THROUGH GROWING PAINS UNDER NEW COACH
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans and quarterback Will Levis are going through some growing pains.
First-year coach Brian Callahan’s challenge is speeding up Levis’ learning curve after a very painful lesson, blowing a 17-point lead to lose the season opener 24-17 in Chicago.
Making it worse? Callahan just talked with Levis at the end of the third quarter that the Titans could win protecting a 17-10 lead by just punting with how well Tennessee’s defense was controlling the Bears.
Then Levis, in his 10th NFL start, turned it over three times in the fourth quarter.
“Tough lesson to learn in a moment like that that loses you a game,” Callahan said Monday.
The Titans know well enough they let a season-opening win on the road slip away. Center Lloyd Cushenberry said they also know they have a lot of room for improvement and need to put their foot down when up by double digits.
“We just have to learn not to beat ourselves,” Cushenberry said.
What’s working
The defense under new coordinator Dennard Wilson. Tennessee held Chicago to 148 yards. The Titans held the Bears to an average of 2.79 yards per play. Chicago was the first NFL team in 32 games to win averaging fewer than 2.8 yards per play and first since Seattle beat Dallas 21-12 on Dec. 24, 2017. Teams had been 70-534-3 when being held to fewer than 2.8 yards per play.
It was the best defensive performance since Sept. 19, 2010, when Tennessee held Pittsburgh to 127 yards and the franchise’s best defensive performance to open a season since 1995 when the then-Houston Oilers held Jacksonville to 146 yards in 1995.
What needs help
The offense. Callahan was hired to rev up a group that averaged 17.9 points a game last season. The group looked efficient enough in scoring the first 17 points with free agent signee Tony Pollard averaging 5.1 yards on 16 carries.
Callahan, who is calling the offensive plays, said he can be better. The Titans also hurt themselves with eight penalties for 50 yards. Communication also needs to improve. Callahan noted one play where Levis threw to a spot where he expected receiver Calvin Ridley to be when the veteran was somewhere else.
Stock up
RG Dillon Radunz. The second-round pick out of FCS North Dakota State in 2021 earned the starting job this preseason, helped when Saahdiq Charles abruptly retired. He took a hit that left him with injured ribs in the second half. Radunz tried to return after going to the locker room, then left the game.
Stock down
Levis. Yes, the 33rd pick overall in the 2023 draft has had to learn his second offense with a second new coach and coordinator in as many offseasons. But Tennessee still had a 17-10 lead when the quarterback turned it over three times — twice in the span of less 4 1/2 minutes in the fourth quarter.
Levis drifted left almost into a defender instead of moving up in the pocket, and Callahan said Levis reverted to some footwork issues the coach thought had been fixed. That’s when Levis threw the pick-6 instead of taking the sack.
The Titans had a final chance to force overtime when Levis’ final pass on fourth down was picked off. Levis had only four interceptions in nine starts as a rookie.
Injuries
Radunz may be limited, but Callahan said the guard should be ready for Sunday’s home opener.
Key number
2 — Number of rookies who started of the seven who played for Tennessee. Left tackle JC Latham gave up some pressures, including on the strip-sack of Levis. T’Vondre Sweat was the other rookie who started and he had a couple of quarterback pressures in 38 defensive snaps.
Next steps
The Titans host Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Sunday with the Jets not only playing a second straight road game. The Jets also played Monday night in California with a long plane ride back home. Then Green Bay visits with Malik Willis, traded by Tennessee just before the final roster cut deadline, possibly starting with Jordan Love injured late in the Packers’ season opening loss.
CHIEFS’ MARQUISE BROWN ‘GETTING CLOSE’ TO PLAYING, THOUGH STATUS FOR WEEK 2 VS CINCY REMAINS UNCLEAR
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown is “getting close” to being able to play, coach Andy Reid said Monday, though he declined to say whether there was a chance their big free-agent acquisition would be on the field for Week 2 against Cincinnati.
Brown dislocated the sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder in the Chiefs’ preseason opener. It is similar to the injury then-Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill sustained in Week 1 of the 2019 season, causing him to miss the next four weeks.
It would be about five weeks since Brown’s injury when the Chiefs play the Bengals on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Listen, everybody is different,” Reid told local reporters on a conference call. “I know he’s feeling better. We’ve got to just kind of see where it goes from here. They’ve been doing these periodic tests on him, making sure he’s headed in the right directions.”
Brown was present but did not participate in practice last week before their 27-20 victory over the Ravens on Thursday night.
The Chiefs still got solid production from their wide receivers in their Week 1 win, especially first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy, who caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown while taking a handoff 21 yards for another score.
“I thought he did a nice job there,” Reid said. “He can go down the field when needed — I know it was a busted coverage (on his TD catch). He does have speed and some versatility going across the middle; he had a nice grab across the middle. I think the teams we play will see that. If they didn’t know it before, they know it now.”
Second-year pro Rashee Rice had seven catches for 103 yards, and Justin Watson hauled in a 25-yard reception on his only target. JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had just a couple of practices under his belt after he was released by the Patriots and returned to Kansas City, had a chance to make a catch at the goal line but was unable to hang onto the ball.
Now, the Chiefs would like to see the full potential off their offense with “Hollywood” Brown on the field.
“I think everybody accepts everybody in this offense, and they learn so much from Travis (Kelce). They pick his brain and they listen to him talk to me, and we build all throughout the year,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “You can see Rashee just kind of picked up right where he left off last year. Xavier made some big plays. We’re going to continue to build and build, and hopefully get Hollywood back and see what this offense can really be.”
RAMS’ NACUA TO GO ON IR WITH PCL SPRAIN
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua will be placed on injured reserve with a PCL sprain, head coach Sean McVay said Monday, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.
The injury is an aggravation of a knee ailment that he sustained in the summer, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The BYU product is still undergoing testing to determine the severity of the injury, Schefter adds.
The 23-year-old caught four passes for 35 yards before exiting the Rams’ Week 1 overtime loss. Nacua also had one carry for seven yards. He reentered the game briefly after aggravating the injury but was ultimately carted to the locker room at halftime before being ruled out of the contest.
Nacua is coming off of one of the most productive rookie seasons by a receiver in NFL history. He finished the 2023 campaign with 1,486 yards and six touchdowns on 105 receptions.
Cooper Kupp will operate as Los Angeles’ clear top receiving threat while Nacua is sidelined. The 31-year-old finished Sunday’s game with 14 catches for 110 yards and one touchdown alongside two rushes for 10 yards. The receptions mark was the best among all players in Week 1.
Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson are expected to vie for the No. 2 receiver role in Nacua’s absence. Johnson’s five receptions for 79 yards against the Lions ranked second on the team, while Robinson’s 42 yards on four catches ranked fourth.
The Rams’ next opponents include division matchups with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers before games against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
JAGUARS CB TYSON CAMPBELL (HAMSTRING) TO MISS TIME
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell is going to “miss some time” with a hamstring injury, head coach Doug Pederson said Monday.
Campbell, 24, left Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter. He had two tackles, including one for a loss, before leaving.
Pederson would not put a timetable on Campbell’s return.
Campbell has six interceptions, 30 passes defensed and 205 tackles in 44 career games (43 starts) for the Jaguars, who selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Montaric Brown is listed behind Campbell on the depth chart.
–Field Level Media
X-RAYS, MRI CLEAN FOR BRONCOS LT GARETT BOLLES
X-rays and an MRI on Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles’ ankle came back negative and the team’s top lineman was diagnosed with a bruise, head coach Sean Payton said Monday.
Bolles left Sunday’s season opener in the second half and did not return. He was replaced at left tackle by Matt Peart.
Denver fell 26-20 on the road in the season opener after the Seattle Seahawks rallied for 17 second-half points.
Continuity on the offensive line is key with the Broncos turning to rookie quarterback Bo Nix this season. Nix was 26-of-42 passing with 138 yards against the Seahawks and threw two interceptions.
The Broncos are set to play their home opener Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Denver.
The 20th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Broncos, Bolles played in and started his 100th career game Sunday.
–Field Level Media