Category: sports

The Reverend Al Sharpton, who spoke last week at George Floyd’s memorial service in Minneapolis, delivered the eulogy on Tuesday at Floyd’s funeral in Houston. Sharpton’s remarks included a reference to the NFL’s recent apology to its players for not listening in the past to concerns about racial injustice — an apology that never mentioned [more]

The challenges NFL teams will have to deal with in 2020 might just be a great divider between the league’s good and not-so-good coaches.

Star players speaking out on major social issues isn’t a given in the NFL, but Mahomes’s interest in doing so on this particular one makes sense.

One wouldn’t think to compare the Patriots’ running backs to a bag of candy. But Brandon Bolden has his reasons.

The Bears’ head coach said it’s time for the players to focus on training.

It’s a simple gesture, but a controversial one: “Taking the knee.” It began as one man’s protest, enraged a president, and has evolved into a potent symbol for protesters against racial injustice. Let’s rewind to where it came from. The first notable appearance was in the NFL back in 2016. Colin Kaepernick – then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers – who infamously refused to stand for the national anthem. He said, quote: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” He was protesting racial injustice but, at the time, the debate largely focused on patriotism. Another NFL player and former soldier, Nate Boyer, suggested Kaepernick take the knee instead. “I said, ‘I when I see you sitting on the bench isolated, I think it can come off to some people as if it’s you’re making it about you and not this movement or this cause.’ And I said, ‘Much like in the military, I think it’s important to be alongside your teammates,’ you know. So he thought he agreed and he said, ‘But I’m committed. I’m not going to stand, you know, until things start to change.’ I said, ‘OK, that’s fair. Then I guess your only other option is to take a knee.’” “The thoughts that ran through my head about kneeling was, like, pictures in the history books of somebody kneeling before the king to be knighted, somebody proposing to their wife, taking a knee to pray in the Catholic Church. I’d seen that image of Martin Luther King kneeling as well. I think it’s a powerful image.” The knee was supposed to be more respectful, but the fallout was intense. More players joined the protest – more supporters off the field, more opponents – including President Donald Trump who demanded a boycott of the league and has long since framed those who take the knee as anti-American. “Before watching a football game, you want to see those players be proud of their country. Respect our country.” Kaepernick hasn’t played for years. It reached a peak in 2017 but then subsided – until George Floyd. Within a week of the death of George Floyd, the knee came back in a big way. And now globally. It’s even prompted significant u-turns, including from Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner. “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.” While it may have origins in Kaepernick’s protest, for many, it’s taken on a new reality – a reminder of the way Floyd died. Taking a knee’ now marries protest and defiance with reverence and mourning.

He slide to round two in 2019, and he didn’t play much as a rookie due to a wrist injury. But when he played, he played very well. Broncos quarterback Drew Lock comes in at No. 25 on Simms’ top 40 quarterback countdown. We spent some time on Monday morning’s PFT Live talking about Lock’s [more]

Kliff Kingsbury made a brief stop into the team facility Monday, but the Cardinals coach said he and his assistants will continue to work remotely. “Until we have more guidance from the NFL with what the remainder of the offseason will look like, we want to just keep it flowing,” Kingsbury said in a conference [more]

History will judge Roger Goodell harshly if the NFL commissioner doesn’t try harder to atone for the league’s blackballing of Colin Kaepernick.

We know President Trump wants to distract from protests by focusing on the flag. But the HUD Secretary’s suggestion for protesting athletes isn’t much better.

The NFL’s recent announcement that teams will not travel to other sites for training camp meant that the Steelers’ long run of going to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania will come to an end. On Monday, the team shed some light about where they will be holding camp instead. Steelers director of communications Burt [more]

Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde says there’s one thing the NFL can do to convince players concerned with social justice that the league shares their concerns: Sign Colin Kaepernick. Hyde, who played with Kaepernick on the 49ers and at times joined him in kneeling during the national anthem, told reporters today that bringing Kaepernick back [more]

Eagles defensive tackle Malik Jackson said he lost a lot of respect for Drew Brees last week and doesn’t accept his apology. By Dave Zangaro

Retired tight end Ben Watson detailed his conversation with Drew Brees after his ex-Saints teammate made some controversial comments following George Floyd’s murder.

Malcolm Mitchell, as a rookie, came up huge for the Patriots in their 28-3 Super Bowl LI comeback. It was his last game. But he’s found a different calling.

The Packers offensive line didn’t discuss blocking assignments or other football matters when they gathered online for last week’s meetings. As with many other meetings around the league, the focus for the Packers linemen was to provide time and space for players to discuss their experiences with racism. Black players like guard Billy Turner, tackle [more]

Isaac Seumalo is already better than you think he is but will the left guard have a breakout season in 2020? By Dave Zangaro

Donald Trump responds to Roger Goodell’s statement condemning racism and social injustice.

Teams that have historically been juggernauts at home might look like puppy dogs this season if there are no fans in the stands.

Caldwell was fatally shot in Tampa on Saturday evening.

* Caldwell was killed in ‘targeted’ robbery attempt, mother says * Tampa native played seven NFL seasons after starring at FloridaDonald ‘Reche’ Caldwell, a wide receiver who played seven NFL seasons with the San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots and Washington after a decorated career at the University of Florida, was shot and killed in what has been described as a ‘targeted’ robbery attempt on Saturday night in Tampa, his mother confirmed to TMZ. He was 41.Tampa police, who did not publicly identify the shooting victim after responding to the call late Saturday night, said the incident “does not appear to be a random act”.“He was set up,” Caldwell’s mother, Deborah, told the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m going to follow it all the way to the end. … You get killed right here in your hometown? You made a statement here, and y’all just took it away from us?”Caldwell was selected by the Chargers in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft and played three seasons in San Diego before signing with New England, where he became Tom Brady’s most prolific wideout in 2006 with a team-high 760 receiving yards – only to be released after dropping two passes in a 38-34 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game that helped cost the Patriots a trip to the Super Bowl.He retired from football after a one-year stint with Washington with 152 receptions for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns in 71 career games.Caldwell’s younger brother, Andre, who played eight pro seasons with Cincinnati and Denver, told ESPN The Magazine that he believed Reche was permanently wounded by his abrupt ending with the Patriots, saying: “The way the game kicked him to the curb like an unwanted stepchild hurt him mentally and haunted him.”A number of Caldwell’s former teammates offered tributes on social media as the news of his passing spread on Sunday.Wes Welker, who played alongside Caldwell in San Diego and New England, tweeted: “Reche’s smile and attitude were contagious! My thoughts and prayers go out to Bubba Caldwell and his family!”> So sad to hear this! Reche’s smile and attitude were contagious! My thoughts and prayers go out to Bubba Caldwell and his family! https://t.co/CXBUdKGFJk> > — Wes Welker (@WesWelker) June 7, 2020Added former New England teammate Benjamin Watson: ‘Always kept us laughing and light hearted. Always had the biggest smile. Always had the greatest stories. Sad to hear about the passing of my teammate Reche Caldwell. May the Lord comfort his family during this time.”

Dolphins LB A.J. Duhe started decades of Jets misery, fueling a 14-0 AFC title game victory on Jan. 23, 1983 with three INTs.

Liam Eichenberg’s decision to return to school wasn’t much of a decision. Notre Dame’s left tackle said at an ordinary November mid-week news conference that he planned on coming back for his fifth year instead of declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft, in which he was highly likely of being selected. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 5 offensive tackle prospect in the 2021 draft.

This might surprise a lot of Derek Carr’s biggets critics.

Is it too early for a 2021 NFL mock draft? What a silly question. It’s never too early for a good mock draft.Bleacher Report published a way-too-early 2021 mock draft this week that had the Chicago Bears picking eighth overall and selecting Stanford offensive tackle Walker Little.

Allen Robinson detailed his quarantine workout routine in a recent appearance on Allex Rollins’ Youtube channel.

E2E: Scheduled – NFL Unified Sanity (357, scenario #0)(Test)

The NFL commissioner and the star Saints QB stole the headlines. But as New Orleans LB Demario Davis reminds us, real issues must be addressed.

As it turns out, the league employee who came up with the idea for that compelling video from multiple star NFL players wasn’t the only league employee who went rogue this week. According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the NFL’s 32 owners “mostly were taken by surprise” by Commissioner Roger Goodell’s video response [more]

Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since Jan. 1, 2017.