NFL notebook: Two dead at mall hosting Madden tournament
Four people were reportedly killed and several others wounded Sunday in a shooting rampage during a Madden 19 video game tournament in Jacksonville, Fla.
Two people were killed and 11 injured Sunday at a Jacksonville, Fla., mall that was hosting a Madden NFL 19 qualifying tournament.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said the shooter was 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore, who died after turning the gun on himself.
The shooting occurred during the Madden NFL 19 Classic tournament in the GLHF Game Bar at Chicago Pizza in The Jacksonville Landing, where the tournament was taking place. The shooting used one handgun, Williams said.
Seven people with gunshot wounds and two hurt while escaping the scene were transported to a local hospital, Williams said. Two others with gunshot wounds drove themselves to the hospital.
All of the injured were listed in stable condition, Williams said.
He added that 911 calls were received by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department at 1:34 p.m. ET and police were at the scene two minutes later.
Police obtained a video of the live-streamed tournament. Gunshots were audible in the background.
The NFL issued a statement expressing sadness over the "horrific tragedy today in Jacksonville.
"Our hearts go out to all those affected," the league said in the statement. "We are grateful for the first responders immediately on the scene. We support our partners at EA Sports and will continue to monitor developments with local law enforcement."
-- Wide receiver Eric Decker retired on Sunday saying on Intstagram he looks forward to spending more time with his family.
Decker had just signed a one-year deal on Aug. 3 with the New England Patriots.
The 31-year-old Decker has played eight seasons in the NFL since the Denver Broncos selected him in the third round (87th overall) in the 2010 NFL draft. He was with the Broncos from 2010 to 2013, the New York Jets from 2014 to 2016 and the Tennessee Titans last season, when he played in 16 games and started eight, finishing with 54 receptions for 563 yards and one touchdown. He played in two postseason games and caught eight passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.
During his eight NFL seasons, Decker has 439 receptions for 5,816 yards and 53 touchdowns in 111 games, with 83 starts. He has had three seasons with more than 1,000 yards receiving, gaining 1,064 yards in 2012, 1,288 in 2013 and 1,027 in 2015.
-- Free-agent cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones signed a one-year deal on Sunday with the Denver Broncos, multiple media outlets reported.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Broncos hosted Jones earlier in the day.
The Broncos, who saw Aqib Talib depart to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, have established stars Chris Harris and Bradley Roby while they plan to work on the development of third-round rookie Isaac Yiadom.
Jones will reunite with Broncos coach Vance Joseph, who coached defensive backs with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014-15. Jones played for the Bengals from 2010 to 2017. The 34-year-old sustained a season-ending groin injury in 2017 while playing for the Bengals, who declined his option for 2018, making him a free agent in March.
A Pro Bowl selection in 2014 and 2015, Jones has 499 tackles and 16 interceptions in 139 career games with the Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys and Bengals. He's also found the end zone on eight occasions via kick/punt return or interception.
-- The Buffalo Bills dodged a bullet after quarterback Josh Allen, the seventh pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, was taken to the locker room after hitting his head hard on the turf during the second quarter of Sunday's game.
During the third quarter, the Bills announced Allen had been cleared to return to the game after being evaluated for a head injury.
Up until that time he was hurt, Allen had completed 6 of 12 passes for 34 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He had been sacked five times for a loss of 39 yards.
-- Minnesota Vikings center Pat Elflein will remain a bystander for the remainder of the preseason, coach Mike Zimmer announced.
Zimmer told reporters on Sunday that Elflein will not return to practice this week ahead of the team's final preseason game on Thursday. The second-year player was placed on the preseason physically-unable-to-perform list July 25.
Hours after Zimmer updated reporters on Elflein's condition, the Vikings acquired center Brett Jones from the New York Giants. The Vikings sent a 2019 pick to New York for Jones, who appeared in 30 games. He does have 12 starts at center.
Elflein underwent two surgeries in the offseason after fracturing his left ankle in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He also injured his shoulder in Atlanta in December. The 24-year-old has been limited to working out with trainers in the weight room and on a rehab field for the last month.
-- Tennessee on Sunday activated wide receiver Rishard Matthews and placed wide receiver Michael Campanaro on injured reserve.
Matthews had been on the physically unable to perform list since the beginning of training camp on July 26. He passed a physical was cleared to return to practice.
Matthews has become a favorite target of quarterback Marcus Mariota, catching 118 passes for 1,740 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Campanaro was signed to a one-year deal in April but has not practiced in a few weeks because of an undisclosed injury.
-- Baltimore defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-10 on Saturday night, but the Ravens did so with heavy hearts. arlier in the day, the daughter of wide receivers coach Bobby Engram died.
Bobbi Engram, who was born with hereditary sickle-cell disease, was only 20. The Engram family did not disclose a cause of death.
The Ravens dedicated the game to Engram.
"It's just an awesome family, a wonderful Christian family," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters at the beginning of his postgame news conference. "They're going to be good. Their church is supporting them right now. Our Ravens family is supporting them.
"I just want to ask all Ravens fans to pray for Bobby Engram, Deanna Engram, and for Bobbi, who is in heaven right now with her arms wrapped around her creator."
Bobbi Engram was a student at Towson University at the time of her death.
-- The Green Bay Packers acquired linebacker Antonio Morrison from Indianapolis in exchange for cornerback Lenzy Pipkins, the Colts announced Sunday.
Green Bay traded for Morrison to address its lack of depth at linebacker after Jake Ryan tore his ACL and rookie fill-in Oren Burks sustained a shoulder injury during pregame warmups of Friday's 13-6 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Ryan started 12 of the 15 games in which he played last year and had 81 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. He collected 206 tackles and one sack in 43 career games since being selected by the Packers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Morrison notched a team-leading 109 tackles last season with Indianapolis, which switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense this year.
Pipkins had 17 tackles, one pass defensed and one special teams stop in 12 games in 2017 during his rookie season with the Packers. The 6-foot, 196-pound Pipkins was one of three rookie free agents to make Green Bay's season-opening roster last year.
-- Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso lost his way after making a third-down tackle during Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.
After upending Ravens tight end Maxx Williams, Alonso trotted toward the sideline before looking back onto the field. Alonso continued to retreat and ultimately found himself standing right next to Baltimore coach John Harbaugh.
"I kind of just went over there, and it was the wrong sideline," Alonso said of his gaffe. "It happens."
What also happened is the Dolphins were flagged for a delay of game penalty.
He dismissed the notion that he sustained a concussion after his hit on Williams.
"Not at all. If you can see the whole thing, I did a flip over the guy and I went over there with my head down," Alonso said. "I was totally fine. People obviously right off the bat were like, 'Oh my God, he's concussed.' I'm like, 'No.'"
-- Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt celebrated a number of positives during Saturday's preseason game, including that he was able to leave the field under his own power.
Watt has been limited to eight games in his last two injury-riddled seasons. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year saw his 2016 campaign come to an end due to a back injury while a broken leg sidelined him for the final 11 games of 2017.
So Watt was understandably upbeat after the Texans' 21-20 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.
"I wanted to get in on tackling, I wanted to have to pop back up, get back to the huddle, play another play, go off to the sideline, get a series and get another series," Watt said, via the Houston Chronicle. "You just want to get those little intricacies of the game that you don't get in practice so that the first time you're seeing it is not New England (in the season opener on Sept. 9). I'm glad we got that in. It felt good."
-- Outspoken Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey pointed his finger at the NFL's recent rules changes after seeing wide receiver Marqise Lee carted off the field during a preseason game.
Lee sustained what appeared to be a serious left knee injury after being tackled by Atlanta Falcons safety Damontae Kazee during the first quarter of the Jaguars' 17-6 win on Saturday night. Lee's left knee buckled and he immediately clutched at it with both hands. Kazee was penalized for lowering his helmet to initiate contact.
"You can't be mad at 27 (Kazee)," the 23-year-old Ramsey said, via ESPN. "You have to be mad at the NFL; not mad at them, but that is how the rule is. People are scared to tackle normal because I guess they don't want to do helmet-to-helmet and get flagged. ... Game-changing stuff could happen. You don't really want to blame anyone, but you feel bad for him. I don't know, man, that's just tough to see it happen to one of my teammates, period, but you can't really blame 27."
Signed a four-year, $34 million contract ($16.5 million guaranteed) in March, Lee has 71 receptions for 2,166 yards and eight touchdowns in four seasons with the team. He led the Jaguars in catches (56) and was second in yards (702) in 2017.
-- The Arizona Cardinals and star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald were among many who took to social media to honor the life of U.S. Sen. John McCain, who died on Saturday. He was 81.
McCain, who was severely injured after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967, spent more than five years as a prisoner of war. He was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 and the Senate four years later and made an unsuccessful Presidential bid against Barack Obama in 2008.
McCain was a fan and supporter of Arizona sports teams, including the Cardinals.
"Your legacy in our state and country will forever live on. May you rest in peace, Senator John McCain. Our thoughts are with all of @SenJohnMcCain's family and friends," the Cardinals posted on Twitter.
Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said "the world will never be the same" without McCain's voice.
"We are heartbroken by his passing but know that the character, courage and conviction that he demonstrated throughout his life will forever endure," Bidwill wrote.
Fitzgerald, who penned a tribute to McCain for Sports Illustrated in December, also took to social media to honor his "dear friend."
"Rest in peace to an American hero, statesman, servant of the people, and dear friend," he wrote. "Godspeed Senator McCain. My prayers for Cindy and the beautiful McCain family."
-- Perhaps it's no surprise that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was quick to label his team's offense as the best in the league.
Known for his speed, Hill caught all eight of his targets from second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Saturday's 27-20 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears.
Mahomes completed his first seven passes and finished 18 of 24 for 196 yards in two quarters of work. He will have plenty of options, including three-time Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, 2017 rushing champion Kareem Hunt as well as offseason acquisition Sammy Watkins.
"I know that we will be the best offense in this National Football League, without a doubt in my head," Hill told NFL Network's Stacey Dales. "We got the best tight end, the best running back, we got two of the best deep-ball threat receivers -- Sammy Watkins addition, who can do it all -- great offensive line, Hall of Fame coach (Andy Reid). So the sky's the limit for us. It's up to us to put all the pieces together."
Hill had 75 receptions for 1,183 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games in 2017 for the Chiefs, who followed a 10-6 season with a playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans. That contest was quarterback Alex Smith's last game for Kansas City, as he was traded to the Washington Redskins in the offseason.
-- Pittsburgh is thin at the tight end position and could very well being hanging up a Help Wanted sign after seeing Jesse James go down in Saturday night's 16-6 win over Tennessee. He suffered a contusion to his back, coach Mike Tomlin said.
"I don't know the severity ... We'll give you an appropriate update when we get," Tomlin said of James' injury.
James was injured leaping to catch a pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter.
The Steelers already were missing starter Vance McDonald, who has been out all of preseason with a foot injury. Backup Xavier Grimble (thumb/wrist) had surgery earlier in August.
It's possible that none of the three will be ready for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
James is entering his fourth year and coming off his best season when started 14 games and had 43 receptions and three touchdowns.
Recent Stories
Rams hard at work despite earning bye
The Los Angeles Rams will continue to stay hard at work despite earning a bye through the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
Players will continue to visit the ...
Packers' lost season includes losing Rodgers to concussion
Green Bay's 6-9-1 season ended with Aaron Rodgers getting knocked out of Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Detroit Lions with a concussion. That was dubious and fitting ...
49ers will retain defensive coordinator Saleh
The San Francisco 49ers gave up a lot of points and did not force many turnovers, but Robert Saleh will return for his third season as the 49ers' defensive coordinator, ...
GM Licht says Winston is Bucs' quarterback
Dirk Koetter was fired as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coach on Sunday, but his quarterback will be staying.
General manager Jason Licht, who will lead the search ...
Chargers get another chance against Ravens
The Los Angeles Chargers didn't have to wait long for a chance to avenge their Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Los Angeles was shut down by Baltimore's stout ...
Latest Player Notes
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...
Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback
San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...
Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall
Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...
Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather
CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...
Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense
Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...
Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game
With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...