NFL News

[Futureshock]

Discipline officer requires Deshaun Watson to get massages from Browns’ staff only

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 1, 2022, 8:59 AM EDT

Getty Images

The six-game suspension handed to Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson includes an apparently unprecedented condition: Watson can only get massages from therapists on the Browns’ staff.

That mandate from Judge Sue L. Robinson means that Watson can’t hire his own therapists, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Watson is accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with female massage therapists he hired.

All kinds of questions will come from this particular part of Robinson’s decision. The first is whether the discipline officer even has the authority to make such a ruling. Restricting a player from getting the treatment for an injury that he thinks is best is far beyond the typical scope of player discipline, which typically is limited to fines and suspensions.

It’s also hard to understand how such a ruling would be enforced. If Watson pulls a hamstring while working out on his own and asks his personal trainer to massage it, how would the NFL know about it, and what would the NFL do about it?

Robinson clearly wants to warn Watson not to get himself into the same kid of trouble that caused his six-game suspension. A suspension alone should have been enough to send that message.

[Futureshock]

Warren Moon: Kyler Murray homework clause is a “slap in the face to all African-American quarterbacks”

Posted by Mike Florio on July 31, 2022, 1:04 PM EDT

Getty Images

Before the Cardinals forced a homework clause into quarterback Kyler Murray‘s contract, no one questioned his work ethic. Now, with the team apparently thinking he doesn’t work hard enough, others are assuming the team’s assessment has merit.

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, who had to start his pro football career in Canada because no NFL team wanted him, told TMZ.com that Arizona’s effort to reduce an independent study commitment to writing is a “slap in the face to all African-American quarterbacks.”

“It’s something we were always accused of back in the day when they didn’t let us play,” Moon said. “That we were lazy, that we didn’t study, that we couldn’t be leaders, that we weren’t smart. So all those different things just kind of came to surface after we put all that stuff to bed over the years and just because of this deal that’s going on between Arizona and Kyler.”

That would have been yet another reason for the Cardinals to realize the potential harm of insisting on a clause that made their quarterback look bad and the team look worse. Even with the homework clause presumably being dumped from the deal, the stain to Murray’s image will remain. And that fact that Murray is Black invites speculation as to whether the team would have made such a big deal about the clause if he weren’t.

“The damage has been done,” Moon said. “He’ll have this riding on him every time he does something wrong in a football game. They’re going to say, ‘See, that’s the reason why that happened is because he didn’t study enough film last week,’ or whatever it might be. . . . It’s a very unfortunate situation for him and very embarrassing for both sides.”

Indeed it is. And the real question is whether team and player can ever get past this, or whether at some point the franchise quarterback will decide he needs to continue his career with another franchise.

[Futureshock]

What they should do is color the top (of the crown of the Guardian) with red chalk. That way they can immediately re-train on how to properly use and not use, their helmet...

Robert Saleh expresses concern about Guardian Caps

Posted by Mike Florio on July 31, 2022, 1:07 AM EDT
USA TODAY Sports

Some players have complained about the new Guardian Caps, foam helmet coverings that are mandatory at practice through the first two preseason games. On Saturday, Robert Saleh of the Jets became the first head coach to express a public concern.

“I think the spirit of it all is really good, it’s got great benefits,” Saleh said after practice, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, “but I do think there’s a balance in everything, right? Too much of anything is a bad thing.”

He’s concerned that players will get in the habit of using their heads more than they otherwise would, given that the Guardian Cap eases the impact.

“I do think because of the soft blow, it’s kind of lending the players to use their heads a little bit more,” Saleh said. “I do think the first time when they take it off — anybody who has played football knows the first time you take your helmet off or you hit with the helmet or you have a collision, there’s a shock. I do think that if you’re waiting until the first game for that shock to happen. . . . I don’t know, time will tell. It’s just interesting with those Guardian Caps and what exactly are we trying to accomplish.”

Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s Chief Medical Officer, responded in a statement provided to Cimini.

“The brain does not acclimate to head impacts,” Sills said. “The Guardian Cap helps mitigate those forces at a time of the season when we see the greatest concentration of them.”

That’s the purpose of the equipment change. To minimize brain injuries that otherwise would happen during early-preseason practices. Saleh’s question is whether it will induce bad habits that will set the stage for more brain injuries once the Guardian Caps are removed.

It’s a fair question, but it’s probably not the type of thing the powers-that-be will appreciate. The league made the change, and the league believes in the approach. If the data eventually supports Saleh’s theory, that’s a different issue. For now, though, the league surely prefers that coaches buy in to the Guardian Caps, so that players will, too.

And Saleh’s comments likely will be enough to result in some sort of memo being sent by the league office to all teams instructing coaches, executives, and owners to not say anything publicly that undermines the Guardian Cap project.

[Cody_Russell]

So Watson is going to end up missing 23 (17 last year + 6 this year) games due to this… barring the NFL appealing the decision.

Despite the games missed, hardly any financial loss. Lucky Watson. It was smart with how they structured Watson’s contact. The 2022 salary being minimal.

[chemiclord]

For what it's worth, last year was at least partially on him. He started it by refusing to play. The Texans merely said, "You can't quit! You're suspended!"

[Da Geezer]

Warren Moon: Kyler Murray homework clause is a “slap in the face to all African-American quarterbacks”

Posted by Mike Florio on July 31, 2022, 1:04 PM EDT

Getty Images

Before the Cardinals forced a homework clause into quarterback Kyler Murray‘s contract, no one questioned his work ethic. Now, with the team apparently thinking he doesn’t work hard enough, others are assuming the team’s assessment has merit.

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, who had to start his pro football career in Canada because no NFL team wanted him, told TMZ.com that Arizona’s effort to reduce an independent study commitment to writing is a “slap in the face to all African-American quarterbacks.”

“It’s something we were always accused of back in the day when they didn’t let us play,” Moon said. “That we were lazy, that we didn’t study, that we couldn’t be leaders, that we weren’t smart. So all those different things just kind of came to surface after we put all that stuff to bed over the years and just because of this deal that’s going on between Arizona and Kyler.”

That would have been yet another reason for the Cardinals to realize the potential harm of insisting on a clause that made their quarterback look bad and the team look worse. Even with the homework clause presumably being dumped from the deal, the stain to Murray’s image will remain. And that fact that Murray is Black invites speculation as to whether the team would have made such a big deal about the clause if he weren’t.

“The damage has been done,” Moon said. “He’ll have this riding on him every time he does something wrong in a football game. They’re going to say, ‘See, that’s the reason why that happened is because he didn’t study enough film last week,’ or whatever it might be. . . . It’s a very unfortunate situation for him and very embarrassing for both sides.”

Indeed it is. And the real question is whether team and player can ever get past this, or whether at some point the franchise quarterback will decide he needs to continue his career with another franchise.

Yes. Dumb thing to put into a contract. Even dumber to let it leak.

[TheLondonLion]

For what it's worth, last year was at least partially on him. He started it by refusing to play. The Texans merely said, "You can't quit! You're suspended!"

It was all on him. He wasn’t banned, he refused to play while getting a huge pay cheque.

[jaadam4]

I'm not spun up on the homework clause. Does Murray not watch tape or something? I don't see a huge problem with it as contract and incentives are there for a reason. If the players are doing it then it shouldn't be an issue. These aren't minuscule numbers we're talking about. If someone paid me 100 million they could put any kind of homework shit in they want. Are the big guys going to start getting pissy when they have the fat clauses put in? Are the clubs now body shamming them?


I can't remember which Lions coach or coordinator used to give players a DVD to take home to study. Then when the player would come back and say they liked the plays the coach would ask if he really watched it. The DVD would generally either be blank or have some cartoon on it. They'd do it to see if the players would actually put the work in. I always thought that was funny.

[chemiclord]

I don't think anyone was particularly spun up about it initially.

My semi-educated guess is that some old fogey up in the front office (like one of the Bidwell's sycophants) didn't like the look of Murray's Twitch channel or some shit, and decided to make sure there was a "homework" clause in the contract (because videa gaems make yah lazy!). Murray and his agent looked at it, decided it wasn't worth fighting over, because he was already doing what mattered in that clause, so whatever, let the guy feel like he made a point.

Then the media got wind of it, and decided to run with a "Murray is lazy narrative." Now Murray has a problem with it, and once Murray has a problem with it, the team realizes this stupid clause is on the tip of everyone's tongues. So they drop it just as easily as Murray accepted it, because it didn't matter, the work was already being done, and it could just as easily not be there.

[jaadam4]

Arizona added it for a reason. Stafford was known to be in the building at AP all the time studying film. That's prob what they want from Murray and wasn't getting it.

The kid signed a $230,000,000 contract and he's crying over a tape clause? These people have no idea the realm of money that they're in. I'm glad the agents take care of their clients (while lining their pockets of course) but this kind of money is bananas.

[TheLondonLion]

I don't think anyone was particularly spun up about it initially.

My semi-educated guess is that some old fogey up in the front office (like one of the Bidwell's sycophants) didn't like the look of Murray's Twitch channel or some shit, and decided to make sure there was a "homework" clause in the contract (because videa gaems make yah lazy!). Murray and his agent looked at it, decided it wasn't worth fighting over, because he was already doing what mattered in that clause, so whatever, let the guy feel like he made a point.

Then the media got wind of it, and decided to run with a "Murray is lazy narrative." Now Murray has a problem with it, and once Murray has a problem with it, the team realizes this stupid clause is on the tip of everyone's tongues. So they drop it just as easily as Murray accepted it, because it didn't matter, the work was already being done, and it could just as easily not be there.

Murray himself said he didn’t watch “much” film cos he’s so intelligent and sees it all on the field before it happens or some such thing.

[chemiclord]

Arizona added it for a reason. Stafford was known to be in the building at AP all the time studying film. That's prob what they want from Murray and wasn't getting it.

The kid signed a $230,000,000 contract and he's crying over a tape clause? These people have no idea the realm of money that they're in. I'm glad the agents take care of their clients (while lining their pockets of course) but this kind of money is bananas.

Yes, Arizona added it for a reason. You're assuming it was a good reason. You should know enough about NFL front offices (especially from chronically underachieving franchises) to know that is not necessarily the case.

Murray himself said he didn’t watch “much” film cos he’s so intelligent and sees it all on the field before it happens or some such thing.

Stafford also claimed he didn't do much film study early in his career. And probably for the same reason; a dominant, game altering wide receiver that made gleaning what defenses were going to do from film study largely worthless. It turned out that was much ado about nothing too.

[Futureshock]

Yes, Arizona added it for a reason. You're assuming it was a good reason. You should know enough about NFL front offices (especially from chronically underachieving franchises) to know that is not necessarily the case.



Stafford also claimed he didn't do much film study early in his career. And probably for the same reason; a dominant, game altering wide receiver that made gleaning what defenses were going to do from film study largely worthless. It turned out that was much ado about nothing too.

At a point MS had to fight back against this too. The problem is that you have dummies throwing stereotype crap at you and this can feel like that.

I do not agree totally with Moon because Kyler did say at first that he needed to study more. So I am hoping it was indeed something they saw from him personally. Although, why they felt the need to put it in his contract puts it back in the suspect category. I almost did not post it, but it's news.

[froot loops]

I've never heard of a clause like that. It sounds bad on both the Cardinals part and Murray's part. But we have so little information to go on it is hard to make an informed opinion other than it is a PR nightmare.

1. I think quarterbacks have to spend a ton of time watching game film, but you are lying to yourself if you think anyone knows much each individual quarterback is watching and preparing. Jad brings up Stafford and he was known to be at the facility around 6 in the morning, it didn't stop jackwagons from saying he couldn't read defenses in the game thread of Stafford's last game as a Lion. We don't know how much they are really preparing and how much is bullshit puffery. It's kind of like the vaunted coaches who spend 90 hours at the facility, a lot of times they just are there to say they are there 90 hours and the assistants don't leave until the head man leaves.

2. Warren Moon was right to be suspicious about the first time we hear about this type of clause is towards a black quarterback. It doesn't mean he is right and it doesn't mean the Cardinals don't have legitimate concerns but if you are going to give the guy the money you shouldn't have the concerns that would lead you into inserting a clause like that.

3. His biggest problem is his height.

[chemiclord]

I've never heard of a clause like that. It sounds bad on both the Cardinals part and Murray's part. But we have so little information to go on it is hard to make an informed opinion other than it is a PR nightmare.

1. I think quarterbacks have to spend a ton of time watching game film, but you are lying to yourself if you think anyone knows much each individual quarterback is watching and preparing. Jad brings up Stafford and he was known to be at the facility around 6 in the morning, it didn't stop jackwagons from saying he couldn't read defenses in the game thread of Stafford's last game as a Lion. We don't know how much they are really preparing and how much is bullshit puffery. It's kind of like the vaunted coaches who spend 90 hours at the facility, a lot of times they just are there to say they are there 90 hours and the assistants don't leave until the head man leaves.

2. Warren Moon was right to be suspicious about the first time we hear about this type of clause is towards a black quarterback. It doesn't mean he is right and it doesn't mean the Cardinals don't have legitimate concerns but if you are going to give the guy the money you shouldn't have the concerns that would lead you into inserting a clause like that.

3. His biggest problem is his height.

I've heard of clauses kinda like that, not for video games specifically, but for whatever "vice" a team thinks a player has that needs to be checked (didn't DeAndre Levy have some contract clauses that made fans go "huh?"). But again, just because a team thinks they have a reason to do something, doesn't necessarily mean it's a good reason. Carl Pickens for the Bengals had a clause where he couldn't criticize the team. Sports history is littered with bizarre riders and stipulations that really only made sense to the people negotiating (and maybe not even them).