NFL News

[Futureshock]

Texas launches investigation of Tom Brady over FTX promotion

Posted by Mike Florio on November 22, 2022, 9:47 AM EST

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Tom Brady may want to avoid Texas for a while. Or longer.

Via Watcher.Guru, Texas has commenced an investigation of Brady and Steph Curry for their activities to promote FTX.

Sports lawyer Daniel Wallach adds that the Texas State Securities Board has filed a Notice of Appearance in the FTX bankruptcy proceeding.

It could just be the beginning. Federal prosecutors reportedly investigated FTX months before its collapse. Now that the company has imploded, it may just be a matter of time before the indictments are handed down.

Brady, who became a brand ambassador for FTX in 2021, and Curry already have been sued in connection with the crash of the crypto house of cards. The argument is that it is and always was a pyramid scheme, with celebrities employed to encourage folks to buy, buy, buy — driving the price higher. Then, the first ones in start cashing out, more take their money, and it all falls apart. With those who swallowed the hook last holding the bag.

Now, Brady may have multiple bags to hold as the process of figuring out responsibility for the alleged swindle commences.

[Futureshock]

As promised, NFLPA files collusion claim over guaranteed contracts

Posted by Mike Florio on November 22, 2022, 11:04 AM EST

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On October 18, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith strongly hinted that a collusion claim was coming regarding the refusal of teams to give veteran players fully-guaranteed contracts. Within 48 hours after Smith’s remarks, the NFL made it known that the collusion bird had landed.

Kalyn Kahler of TheAthletic.com reports that, in a memo dated October 20, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash informed the league’s teams of the union’s formal allegation that the teams had agreed to not make fully-guaranteed contracts available to “certain quarterbacks” after the Browns gave Deshaun Watson a five-year, fully-guaranteed contract.

The collusion claim, based on Pash’s memo, contends that NFL owners and/or executives discussed at an August 9 ownership meeting not agreeing to additional player contracts with fully-guaranteed salaries. The union will need to prove that something along those lines happened; otherwise, the league will simply argue that the teams independently decided that they wouldn’t follow Cleveland’s lead.

The memo also notes that the NFLPA is not exercising its right to attempt to terminate the Collective Bargaining Agreement, if a violation is proven. (Former NFL player Sean Gilbert once ran for the position of executive director based in part on a plan to attempt to scrap the CBA based on collusion arising from the teams hiding behind the funding rule to refuse to give players fully-guaranteed deal.)

Since Watson signed his deal with the Browns, players like Kyler Murray of the Cardinals and Russell Wilson of the Broncos have gotten long-term deals that aren’t fully guaranteed. It didn’t seem to be a major sticking point for either of them. For Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, it has prevented a deal from being done.

Jackson wants a fully-guaranteed deal. The Ravens refuse to give it to him. The question in the collusion claim will be whether the teams and/or the league office have discouraged other teams from doing what the Browns did.

The union obviously believes there’s smoke. The challenge becomes finding the fire. In a later post, I’ll lay out some of the possible ways that the union may go about trying to prove it.

[Futureshock]

A great trio of Thanksgiving games is looming

Posted by Mike Florio on November 22, 2022, 10:19 AM EST

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The first annual John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration will be memorable, in more ways that one.

For the first time since the NFL expanded the Thanksgiving slate in 2006 to include a prime-time game, it’s the best trio of Turkey Day contests the league has ever presented.

It didn’t look like it was going to be that way when the schedule game out. But Bills-Lions, Giants-Cowboys, and Patriots-Vikings have a much different feel, 11 weeks into the season.

Currently, five of the six teams that will play on Thursday are in the top 10 of the PFT power rankings. The other team, the Lions, have won three in a row — and they look to be capable of taking own the Bills.

So, between the captive audience and the great games, the NFL could have ridiculously high ratings for the three games that will be played in only two days.

[Futureshock]

I don't know if theres any injured kneecaps, but the Lions leave teams battered.


Giants rule out Adoree’ Jackson, Daniel Bellinger for Thursday

Posted by Josh Alper on November 22, 2022, 1:11 PM EST

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The Giants don’t have to issue any injury designations for their Thanksgiving visit to Dallas until Wednesday, but head coach Brian Daboll got a jump on some of the housekeeping on Tuesday.

Daboll told reporters at his press conference that cornerback Adoree' Jackson and tight end Daniel Bellinger will not play. Jackson hurt his knee against the Lions and Bellinger has missed the last three games with an eye injury.

A report this week indicated Jackson has an MCL sprain and will miss four-to-six weeks, but Daboll said the team is not putting him on injured reserve at this point. They also listed Fabian Moreau (oblique) as a non-participant on Monday’s injury report, so they may be even thinner at cornerback this week.

The Giants also signed tight end Nick Vannett to their practice squad. Vannett has played for the Seahawks, Steelers, Broncos, and Saints and gives them an experienced option while Bellinger recovers.

[Futureshock]

Charvarius Ward sounds off on “steroid boy” DeAndre Hopkins

Posted by Mike Florio on November 22, 2022, 7:22 PM EST

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The news emerging in the aftermath of Monday night’s 49ers-Cardinals game has become far more interesting than anything that happened during the game itself.

In addition to Cardinals safety Budda Baker saying he doesn’t think everyone played hard during the 38-10 loss to whatever caused the Cardinals to fire offensive line coach Sean Kugler (don’t hold your breath for the story to be told during an upcoming episode of Hard Knocks), 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward has teed off on Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

“D Hop, he thinks he’s a tough guy,” Ward said in an appearance on KNBR, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “He thinks he still one of the best receivers in the league and he’s really not. He was trying to talk noise and talk hard all game. We’re not scared of him. He thought we were scared of him. He tried to intimidate us, but forget him, we did our thing. We went out there and got a ‘dub’ and we did our job. He was just yip-yapping all game, but we don’t care about that. We just wanted to win.

“He was getting locked up. He was doing some dirty things.He tried to clip me, he grabbed me by the throat. He grabbed my facemask on one play, so I don’t respect his game. That’s steroid boy.”

Hopkins missed the first six games of the 2022 regular season, due to a suspension under the PED policy. He has denied knowingly ingesting a banned substance. (As many who test positive for PEDs do.)

Beyond the “steroid boy” comments, the allegations of dirty play are concerning. And if the NFL sees an evidence of Hopkins crossing the line, he could end up being suspended.

[Futureshock]

Now THATS Grade A smack talk

[Futureshock]

We need CHI to have a better record then the LAR...

Mike White will start for Jets this week

Posted by Josh Alper on November 23, 2022, 11:55 AM EST

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Jets head coach Robert Saleh confirmed that he has decided to bench quarterback Zach Wilson for this weekend’s game against the Bears at his Wednesday press conference and he also revealed who will be taking the field in Wilson’s place.

Mike White will get the start on Sunday. It will be the fourth start of White’s NFL career.

The three other starts all came last season. He threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in the first of them to steer the Jets to an upset over the Bengals and he got off to a good start against the Colts the next week before getting hurt. He returned for a four-interception game against the Bills, but was on the bench for the rest of the season.

Saleh added that Joe Flacco will be the backup on Sunday and that Wilson will be inactive.

[Cody_Russell]

Ruh roh, Zach Wilson.

How many 1st RD QBs benched for poor production comeback to have a quality career with their team? Perhaps just Tua in the last couple of decades? Never a good sign.

[Futureshock]

Quietly...

Tom Brady threatening NFL single-season records for attempts and completions

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 23, 2022, 9:47 AM EST

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Last year Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady set a new NFL record for completions in a season, and he came up just short of the record of pass attempts in a season. This year, Brady isn’t slowing down.

Through 10 games, Brady has completed an NFL-high 282 passes and attempted an NFL-high 427. (Those numbers lead the league even though the Buccaneers have only played 10 games and some teams have already played 11.)

If Brady keeps up that pace through 17 games, he’ll finish this season with 479 completions and 726 pass attempts. That would come up just short of Brady’s own completions record from last year (485), and also just short of Matthew Stafford‘s record for most pass attempts in a season (727, set in 2012).

The Buccaneers would prefer that Brady not need to pass so much that he threatens those records. In the Bucs’ last game, a win over the Seahawks, Brady threw only 29 passes, far fewer than his season average, in part because the Bucs’ running game had a season-high 161 yards. If Brady does break those records this season, that’s an indication that the Bucs have been forced to pass more than they’d like.

[Futureshock]

Report: Cardinals fired Sean Kugler for groping a woman in Mexico City

Posted by Mike Florio on November 23, 2022, 9:27 AM EST

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On Tuesday, the Cardinals surprisingly fired offensive line coach/run game coordinator Sean Kugler. The team shared no details.

Details are now emerging.

Via John Weinfuss of ESPN.com, Kugler groped a woman on Sunday night in Mexico City. Mexican authorities were informed of the incident. The Cardinals were then told about it.

The Cardinals fired Kugler on the spot. He flew back to Arizona on Monday morning.

Amazingly, the development was kept under wraps, even with ESPN employees preparing to televise the game and an NFL Films crew embedded with the Cardinals for the in-season Hard Knocks series.

It’s the kind of information that should have been shared. It’s the kind of information that, if obtained by those with betting interests, could have influenced last-minute wagering decisions.

A move like that creates a last-minute distraction and disruption. It’s a lot for the team to process on the day of the game. And it can contribute to, for example, a 38-10 loss to cap the day.

[Futureshock]

Matt Eberflus says Justin Fields cleared for limited practice

Posted by Josh Alper on November 23, 2022, 12:50 PM EST

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The Jets will not be starting their quarterback from the 2021 draft class in Sunday’s game against the Bears and we’re still waiting for word on whether the Bears will be starting their selection from last year.

Justin Fields is dealing with a left shoulder injury that head coach Matt Eberflus deemed day-to-day earlier this week while also declining to rule out a season-ending injury. Eberflus called Fields day-to-day again on Wednesday and his other comments on the quarterback’s condition seemed to lessen the chance that he’ll be out for a long time.

Eberflus said that Fields has been cleared to practice and would be listed as a limited participant in a full practice session. The team is only holding a walkthrough on Wednesday, however, so that will officially be an estimated participation level.

“If he’s ready to play, he’s gonna play. The reason is we wanna win the game,” Eberflus said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

The Bears are set to practice the next two days and those injury reports will bring more of an idea about Fields’ outlook for Sunday.

[The King]

They can’t really cut Wilson because of the dead money, so I think this is a way to try and get him to man the fuck up.

[Tom]

Speaking of struggling Wilsons…

https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-def...205828780.html

[jaadam4]

WILSONNNNNNNNN!!!!!!

[Cody_Russell]

Who else thinks Russell Wilson is barking back “Let’s ride, let’s ride” here?! 🤣