Player Notes

Arizona Cardinals Fitzgerald, Larry · Dec 20, 2018

WR Larry Fitzgerald admitted to being uncertain if he'll retire or return for a 16th NFL season. Fitzgerald told the Arizona Republic that he has "no clue" about his future plans. So, does that mean that the 35-year-old might be playing in his final home game on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET) when the Cardinals (3-11) host the Los Angeles Rams (11-3) at State Farm Stadium? "It may. It may not," Fitzgerald said. ...

Los Angeles Rams Gurley II, Todd · Dec 20, 2018

RB Todd Gurley II is dealing with inflammation in his left knee and the Rams will monitor his usage and playing time accordingly over the final two regular-season games. The tricky part is the Rams need two more wins - or one win and a Chicago Bears loss - to wrap up a first-round bye in the playoffs so resting Gurley is an option they'll use only if absolutely necessary. "It's going to be predicated ...

San Francisco 49ers Gould, Robbie · Dec 20, 2018

K Robbie Gould secured NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after making all four field-goal attempts in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Atlanta Falcons Jarrett, Grady · Dec 20, 2018

DT Grady Jarrett was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in Sunday's 40-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He has a career-high six sacks this season.

Minnesota Vikings Cook, Dalvin · Dec 20, 2018

RB Dalvin Cook captured NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 41-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Houston Texans Fairbairn, Kaimi · Dec 20, 2018

K Ka'imi Fairbairn was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after making five field goals and two extra points in Sunday's 29-22 victory over the New York Jets. Fairbairn leads the NFL with 136 points and 34 field goals.

Pittsburgh Steelers Haden, Joe · Dec 20, 2018

CB Joe Haden secured AFC Defensive Player of the Week laurels after intercepting Tom Brady in the fourth quarter in Sunday's 17-10 victory over the New England Patriots. Haden, who also collected 12 tackles, batted down Brady's final fourth-down pass to seal the win.

Los Angeles Chargers Williams, Mike · Dec 20, 2018

WR Mike Williams was honored by the NFL following his career-best performance. Williams was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after reeling in seven passes for 76 yards and three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) in Los Angeles' 29-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Johnson also caught the pass on a two-point conversion as the Chargers (11-3) took the lead in the game and ...

Los Angeles Rams Anderson, CJ · Dec 20, 2018

RB C.J. Anderson was signed to a contract, the team announced. Anderson is expected to provide depth at his position through the final two regular-season games and playoffs with fellow running back Todd Gurley being considered day-to-day because of inflammation in his knee.

Detroit Lions Johnson, Kerryon · Dec 20, 2018

RB Kerryon Johnson is expected to be placed on injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday. Johnson sustained a knee injury during the second half of a 20-19 win versus the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 18. He was injured on a run in which he cut to the left side of the field before being tackled near the sideline for a 3-yard gain. The 21-year-old, who missed the next four games, is expected to make ...

Recent Stories

NFL roster madness explained

Something always has to have a nickname. Like “Black Monday” in the NFL, when head coaches are fired the day after the end of the regular season, it was only a matter of time before someone slapped a name on the cutdown in the NFL. Some have called it “Black ...

CeeDee cashes in, sets stage for rookie WR class

Now that the Dallas Cowboys finally quieted the daily discussion about wide receiver CeeDeee Lamb with a massive contract, there is no doubt the trend is to covet these pass catchers second only to the almighty quarterback. The prolific All-Pro wideout agreed ...

Must-see 2024 NFL rookie QB battles

After the first 12 picks in this year’s draft were complete, the 2024 quarterback class was destined to be forever linked to that celebrated 1983 draft, which also saw six quarterbacks, including three Hall of Famers, taken in Round 1. With the countdown to the ...

Rookie IOLs with mettle to medal

Amid the Summer Olympics, the NFL season has officially begun with a full slate of preseason games. This is the time of year when the attention is typically on the skilled position players as fantasy football degenerates are fine-tuning their draft strategies to ...

When Life Choices Become Grave Mistakes

I'm deeply saddened to hear about the tragic "accident" that claimed the lives of three young men: Khyree Jackson (24), Isaiah Hazel (23), and Anthony Lytton Jr. (24). These childhood friends shared dreams and aspirations of becoming professional athletes. They ...

Running back: Devolution of a proud position

In this, the first in a series on the state of running backs, we discuss how a dramatic evolution has negatively impacted a once proud position. The series will look back at RBs selected in the 2024 draft, ahead to a 2025 class that seems loaded with runners and ...

Trump's forgotten charge: Killing the USFL

July 11, 2024, is already etched in history as the day former President Donald Trump will be sentenced for 34 felony convictions. Regardless of the outcome, I am reminded of July 29, 1986, when he actually won his battle in a New York court and lost the war. Trump ...

Larry Allen: A long road to respect

Arguably the most dominant offensive lineman in football history, Larry Allen died Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. He was 52.   His life story redefined perseverance. It could have been the original plot line for Straight Outta Compton, but ...

Controversy: Are punters, kickers NFL-draft worthy?

Kansas City Chiefs’ placekicker Harrison Butker made an impression in 2023 by making 33 of 35 field goals. Last week, he made quite an impression at Benedictine College, where Butker, shall we say, pushed his commencement speech wide right.   Controversy and ...

Jim Otto, the original Mr. Raider, dies at 86

The original Mr. Raider has passed. Jim Otto, the first Raider to touch a football, died Sunday at his Auburn (CA) home, with his family at his side. He spent most of his 86 years sneering at the inevitable, enduring last rites three previous times. Otto is survived ...

2024 Draft: A next-gen affair

As we look forward to watching the 257 draftees selected last week in the 2024 NFL Draft, we also gaze in the rear-view mirror at those relatives who preceded them and established the family name long ago. Fathers, uncles, and brothers with names everyone ...

Calculating the 2024 Draft grades of all 257 picks

 2024 DRAFT: 32 TEAMS AND 257 PLAYERS GRADED Exhale. The 2024 NFL Draft did indeed conclude when Mr. Irrelevant, Jaylen Key (DB, Alabama) was drafted by the New York Jets with the No. 257 selection. We can break out the calculators and over analyze the selection ...