NFL News & Rumors This Week: Contract Extensions, Training Camp Injuries
It’s here! We had our first NFL preseason game last night with the Hall of Fame Game between the Chicago Bears vs. Houston Texans. And sure, none of the starters played. And it was also rained out and canceled in the third quarter.
But it was still football nonetheless! Pads, whistles, flags, touchdowns, field goals – you name it! And soon enough, we’ll have a BUNCH of preseason games.
Top NFL News & Rumors This Past Week
August is the month of fantasy football drafts so it’s our job to keep our fingers on the pulse of these NFL training camps. As always, let’s hit on the “real” NFL news then, at the bottom, we’ll cover the rumors and speculation for you deep cut fantasy gamers!
NFL Contract Extensions: Big Paydays For Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa, More
- Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love received a four-year, $220M extension.
- Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa received a four-year, $212M extension.
- Chicago Bears WR DJ Moore received a four-year, $110M extension.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs received a five-year, $140M extension.
- Detroit Lions OT Taylor Decker received a three-year, $60 million extension.
2024 NFL Training Camp Injuries Begin
- Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot. He’s in a boot but is expected to start the season.
- Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith suffered a knee and hip injury that will keep him out indefinitely. Sam Howell would be the QB1 if it lingers.
- Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins suffered a knee injury that could keep him out 4-6 weeks.
- Patriots DT Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots – there is no timetable for his return.
- In a scary incident, D’Onta Foreman was transported by helicopter to the hospital after a hit directly to the head in practice. He is reportedly back at camp today, which is great news.
- Robert Tonyan was carted off with a back issue and is expected to miss time.
The Surprise Onside Kick Is Dead
- The new NFL rules make it impossible to do a surprise onside kick. Because of that, onside kicks will need to be announced in advance. The new rules also indicate that they are illegal before the 4th quarter and only a losing team can perform one. Although rare, it is a fun piece of the game that will be missed. Shoutout to Sean Payton and the Saints for pulling it off in Super Bowl XLIV.
Bill Belichick Joins Underdog Fantasy
- Bill Belichick has found a home for 2024, but it will not be with a coaching staff. It’s been announced that he’ll have his own show that will be produced by Underdog Fantasy, a fantasy gaming platform. There, Belichick will have the freedom to break down film his own way, which should be an interesting watch.
NFL Cracking Down On “Cheat Motion” Used By Dolphins, 49ers
- This is an interesting one because it doesn’t seem like any major changes to the rules have been made – it more seems like “emphasis”. Essentially, “cheat motion” sees a guy coming from the slot and quickly speeding to the outside where they can then use that momentum to “get vertical” quickly. At times, they may even round things just before the snap and see if they can stretch the rules to some degree. The new wording also includes the term “actions are not abrupt”, which could be interpreted as flags being thrown even if the player is not moving forward. Will be interesting to see how it is interpreted.
“Any eligible backfield player who changes his stance does not have to come to a complete stop prior to the snap, as long as his actions are not abrupt (false start) or forward (illegal motion)."
Houston Texans DE Denico Autry Suspended For 6 Games
- Denico Autry was suspended for 6 games for violating the NFL policy against performance-enhancing drugs. As with every player that has ever been suspended based on the PED policy, he released a statement saying that he did not intentionally or knowingly ingest any banned substance. By my count, there has yet to be an NFL player that has ever done steroids on purpose or gotten caught doing so.
Fantasy Football News & Rumors
This section is dedicated to fantasy-relevant rumblings from around the various off-season practices and meetings:
- Panthers running back Rashaad Penny has announced his retirement.
- Former Bears running back Tarik Cohen has also announced his retirement.
- Chase Brown has been taking the majority of the reps with the first team for the Bengals.
- A couple of reports have suggested the Patriots rookie QB Joe Milton is outshining the QB they took no. 3 overall, Drake Maye.
- After Daniel Jones has had some rough practices, there are already calls for Drew Lock to get first team reps.
- Jets coach Robert Saleh said that QB Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to play this preseason while recovering from an Achilles injury.
- There have been reports of multiple fights on back-to-back days at Steelers training camp as well as a heated exchange between George Pickens and WR coach Zach Azzanni over “lack of effort”:
- The steam for Saints undrafted WR Mason Tipton continues to grow.
- John Harbaugh reportedly said that Ravens running back Justice Hill is “going to play a lot” alongside Derrick Henry.
- We had our first football game. The most impressive player? Obviously, that would be Bears WR Collin Johnson:
- T.J. Hockenson reportedly looks good as he attempts to recover from a torn ACL.
- Joe Mixon is making progress with the quad injury that has kept him out of practice.
- Zac Robinson says that Tyler Allgeier is going to have a big role. And we thought we were safe with Arthur Smith gone.
- As of now, it’s being reported that Brian Thomas is the WR4 in Jacksonville. He is a rookie, after all.
Player News
Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury said Jayden Daniels (knee) is “preparing mentally” on Thursday, but Marcus Mariota “is taking the reps.”
It’s a long-winded way of saying Daniels won’t practice on Thursday. Head coach Dan Quinn said earlier this week that Daniels won’t practice until Friday at the earliest, so his absence today doesn’t come as much of a surprise. All signs point to Mariota getting the start in Week 3, but the Commanders are at least leaving the light on for Daniels right now. Daniels will be all but guaranteed to miss Sunday’s game versus the Raiders if he doesn’t return to practice tomorrow.
Chargers signed EDGE Clelin Ferrell, formerly of the Commanders.
Ferrell appeared in 14 games for the Commanders last year, operating as a rotational pass-rusher. He notched 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. With Khalil Mack landing on injured reserve because of an elbow injury, the Chargers were bound to add some depth at EDGE. Ferrell will work his way into the mix as a part-time player until Mack is ready to return.
Chargers signed S Tony Jefferson from their practice squad.
Jefferson came out of retirement to play for Jim Harbaugh in 2024. He was released by the team this year at the end of camp but immediately joined LA’s practice squad. He started for the Chargers versus the Raiders last week and broke up two passes with one interception. The strong performance was enough to earn him a permanent spot on the roster.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said how Mac Jones plays “doesn’t really affect” whether Brock Purdy (toe) will play in Week 3.
Shanahan is already getting out ahead of a potential quarterback controversy by reiterating that there isn’t anything Mac Jones can do to earn more playing time. He will stay under center until Purdy is healthy and then head back to the bench. The 49ers just signed Purdy to a contract extension this offseason, keeping him in town through the 2030 season. Purdy’s deal also includes a no-trade clause. Even if Jones outplays Purdy, there’s no viable way for the team to make the switch. Purdy is practicing this week and could return after missing one game, though we suspect he will be held out until at least Week 4.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports a Week 4 return for Chris Godwin (ankle) “feels like a real possibility.”
Bucs GM Jason Licht said at the end of training camp that Godwin was likely to play in Week 5 or later, so a Week 4 return would be a great outcome for the veteran wideout. We remain skeptical that he will actually be ready by next week, but Fowler’s reporting at least indicates that things are going smoothly in Godwin’s rehab. Emeka Egbuka and Mike Evans will hold things down until Godwin returns. If he looks anything like he did in 2024, Godwin will be a problem for both wideouts. He averaged 7.1 receptions for 82 yards in his seven appearances last year. It might take a few more weeks, but Godwin should be back in the WR2 ranks before midseason.
Jets QB Tyrod Taylor will start in Week 3 against the Bucs.
First-year head coach Aaron Glenn didn’t string Jets fans or the Bucs along with the idea that Justin Fields might play this week. He ruled out the young quarterback on Wednesday, giving him a week to recover from the concussion he suffered on Sunday versus Buffalo. That puts Taylor in line to make his first start as a Jet after backing up Aaron Rodgers in 2023. Taylor made five starts with the Giants in 2023. He went 2-3 with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Taylor is as conservative as you would expect a 36-year-old journeyman to be, but that should keep the fantasy stocks of Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson afloat. Taylor himself is nothing more than a 2QB dart-throw.