VIKINGS WR JESHAUN JONES GETS A 3-GAME SUSPENSION FOR VIOLATING THE NFL’S SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY
The NFL’s announcement of the punishment on Tuesday did not disclose the nature of the violation. Jones spent each of the past two years on Minnesota’s practice squad, before being promoted to the active roster and appearing in the final game of the 2025 season. He went undrafted out of Maryland, where he had 2,040 receiving yards on 151 receptions with 14 touchdowns over a six-year career.
Jones remains eligible to participate in what remains of the preseason, including the final exhibition game at Denver on Friday. His suspension will begin on Sunday, and he will be eligible for reinstatement on Sept. 28.
The 26-year-old Jones was already going to have a tough time making the active roster for the regular season, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings locked into the starting spots and Tai Felton and Myles Price in line for backup roles after strong performances during training camp.
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SAINTS PLACE RUNNING BACK TY CHANDLER AND TIGHT END MOLIKI MATAVAO ON INJURED RESERVE
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints running back Ty Chandler and tight end Moliki Matavao were placed on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday with knee injuries that occurred during a 34-0 preseason loss at the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.
A day earlier, the Saints placed defensive back Rejzohn Wright on injured reserve.
Chandler and Matavao appeared on track to make the 53-man roster before their injuries.
Chandler returned a kickoff 86 yards in New Orleans’ preseason opener and had 12 carries for 45 yards in the preseason.
Matavao, a seventh-round draft choice in 2025, had three catches for 34 yards in exhibition play.
Earlier in camp, New Orleans lost starting defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and reserve offensive lineman Dillon Radunz for the season — both to knee ligament tears.
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KUBIAK: RAIDERS WILL DECIDE WHEN TO START MENDOZA BASED ON HIS PLAY AND NOT THE OFFENSE AS A WHOLE
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Raiders’ offensive line is far from proven, no wide receiver has emerged as a true No. 1 and a rookie could be the starting running back entering the season.
Probably not the ideal situation to start a first-year quarterback, but players drafted first overall — as Fernando Mendoza was — usually join a team with a lot more questions than answers.
And there are plenty with Las Vegas.
Could that be a factor for when Raiders coaches decide to start Mendoza? He likely will be the backup to Kirk Cousins when the season opens Sept. 13 against Miami.
“They’ve all got to get ready,” coach Klint Kubiak said. “Whoever is playing quarterback for us, it’s a team thing. It’s not the QB playing well and everyone else is not or the other way around.”
The Raiders’ offense last season was statistically the worst in the NFL. Las Vegas’ averages of 14.2 points and 245.2 yards per game were each last in the league.
It didn’t help that the Raiders’ offensive line also was statistically at the bottom, but management hopes that is no longer the case. The club signed three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum to the richest contract ever for an interior offensive lineman. Kolton Miller, who missed all but four games last season because of an ankle injury, is one of the league’s best left tackles.
But how much the Raiders improve up front remains a question, particularly at right guard where Jackson Powers-Johnson is competing with Caleb Rogers for the starting role.
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THE 49ERS HEAD INTO FINAL PRESEASON WEEK WITH SEVERAL PLAYERS HURT BUT EXPECTED BACK SOON
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers held their final practice before their exhibition finale with nearly two dozen injured players missing but remain hopeful that most will be able to return to practice next week before the team departs for Australia for the season opener.
The 49ers finish the preseason on Thursday night in Las Vegas against the Raiders and then will take three days off. They will return to practice on Monday, the day after rosters are cut from 90 players to 53, and have three sessions before leaving for Australia late on Sept. 2. San Francisco opens the season on Sept. 11 in Melbourne against the Los Angeles Rams.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he’s hoping star defensive end Nick Bosa will be back at practice next week. Bosa went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 last season and began training camp doing only individual drills. He was shut down in early August because of soreness and tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee.
“He’s doing good,” Shanahan said. “I’m hoping that he can get into practice next week.”
Receiver Mike Evans (groin), cornerback Upton Stout (hip flexor) and receiver/returner Jacob Cowing (groin) also are expected back next week.
The main position battle remaining is at left guard where the team has been looking for someone to seize the starting spot all summer. Rookie Carver Willis and second-year player Connor Colby are both expected to play against the Raiders while most of the team’s starters get the night off. Veterans Robert Jones (calf) and Austen Pleasants (knee) could be back at practice next week as all four remain in the mix for the spot.
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BENGALS WR JA’MARR CHASE SAYS HE’S ‘GOOD’ AFTER KNEE SCARE
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase left Tuesday’s practice early after suffering what he called a “hyperextension” of his left knee, but he also said he was not concerned about the injury.
Chase was hurt as he fell to the turf while trying to catch a deep pass from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He stayed on the ground for a few seconds before trainers came out to examine him. He left the field but stayed on the sideline for the remainder of practice, The Athletic reported.
He told Cincinnati radio station WCKY after practice he wanted to keep going but the Bengals “pulled” him. He said he could play if the team had a game Wednesday.
“I’m feeling good,” the sixth-year pro said.
Chase, 26, is an integral part of the Bengals’ offense. Last season, he led the NFL with 185 targets and was third with 125 receptions, for 1,412 yards (11.3 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns in 16 games (all starts). Chase earned first-team All-Pro honors for a second consecutive season and a fifth Pro Bowl honor in as many seasons. He and Tee Higgins form one of the most potent 1-2 receiving combinations in the league.
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GIANTS WR CALVIN AUSTIN III CARTED OFF PRACTICE FIELD
New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III was carted off the field after sustaining an apparent right knee injury during Tuesday’s practice.
Austin was cutting while working against Deonte Banks during a 1-on-1 drill when his knee appeared to buckle. Austin was consoled by his teammates on the field and again by Giants co-owner John Mara, who followed Austin in his own cart and tapped the wideout on the helmet and shoulder pads.
Signed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, Austin played the past three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
“The nice thing about Calvin is that he can play all three (receiver) spots,” Giants head coach John Harbaugh said of the 5-foot-9, 162-pound Austin after Monday’s practice. “You can move him around in any one of those positions. He’s a ‘smaller receiver,’ and yet he can go outside. He’s played outside a lot. You don’t see that that often. So, he gives us a lot of versatility that way. Kind of everything you ask him to do, he does it well. He’s very reliable. Runs the right routes, makes catches. He’s been that way kind of his whole career.”
Austin, 27, had 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games (seven starts) last season.
He had 84 receptions for 1,100 yards and eight scores in 48 career regular-season games (16 starts) with the Steelers.
Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said he had “no idea” how seriously Austin was injured, but it would be “a blow” if the team were to lose him. Nagy stressed Harbaugh’s “next man up” ethic applies. The injury could provide Odell Beckham Jr. and other receivers an opportunity for more playing time.
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WEEK 1 ‘ALWAYS THE PLAN’ FOR CHIEFS QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is ready to return and expects to be on the field for Week 1 of the regular season — pending the approval of head coach Andy Reid.
Reid isn’t ready to declare Mahomes good to go for the opener next month, a Monday night date with the Denver Broncos.
“I’m literally taking it day by day. There are no predictions here on anything,” Reid said. “But if the doctors and the trainers and everybody that are involved with this give him an OK — and then most of all, if he feels like he can, then we’ll address that when we get there. But other than that, these other guys are playing quarterback and doing a nice job with it.”
Mahomes called his return to face the Broncos’ fearsome pass rush in Week 1 “the goal” at the outset of training camp. He hasn’t played in the preseason, which has followed the plan established by coaches and medical personnel.
He’s not worried about missed reps or live looks until Denver week.
“This has always been the plan,” he said Tuesday. “Be ready for training camp, get all the reps in training camp, prepare your body that way so that when we get to Week 1, you’re ready to play the game and you’ve had the right amount of time off.”
Reid does have time on his side if he’s waiting to be convinced Mahomes is ready. The Chiefs start the season almost exactly nine months from the date he suffered tears to his ACL and LCL. Their Week 1 game is scheduled for Sept. 14 and there are at least 13 more Kansas City practices scheduled before the game kicks off.
Mahomes hasn’t missed reps with the first team or taken a day off, Reid said.
“I’m someone that, if you put something in front of me, I want to go out and get it,” Mahomes said.
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COMMANDERS CUT FORMER STARTING S WILL HARRIS
The Washington Commanders cut former starting safety Will Harris on Tuesday among several roster moves.
Harris, 30, played in the Commanders’ first three games last season before fracturing a fibula and returned to action in Week 13 on Nov. 30 against Denver. He started all nine games he played last season, his first with Washington. Harris totaled 38 tackles, one sack, three passes defended and one forced fumble.
The Commanders added free agent Nick Cross in the offseason and are high on returning veteran safeties Jeremy Reaves and Quan Martin, the latter intercepting two passes in the first two preseason games.
Detroit selected Harris in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Boston College.
For his career, Harris has 358 tackles, three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, 22 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 103 regular-season games (62 starts) for the Lions (2019-23), New Orleans Saints (2024) and Commanders.
Washington placed outside linebacker Drake Jackson (hamstring) on injured reserve, ending his season. Jackson, 25, tore a patellar tendon in 2023 while with the San Francisco 49ers and played in three games last season with the Commanders.
The team also released rookie safety Malik Spencer and signed outside linebacker Boogie Basham, 28, and safeties Joshuah Bledsoe, 27, and Quindell Johnson, 26.
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DOLPHINS ROOKIE LB TREY MOORE TO HAVE ANKLE SURGERY
Miami Dolphins rookie linebacker Trey Moore needs surgery on his left ankle and is expected to miss an extended period of time.
“Hopefully he will be back at some point this season, but it will be awhile,” coach Jeff Hafley confirmed Tuesday.
Moore, a fourth-round pick out of Texas, was injured in Saturday’s 26-3 preseason loss to the New York Giants.
Moore, 23, registered 30.5 sacks and 175 tackles in 57 career games at UTSA (2021-23) and Texas (2024-25).
Miami concludes the preseason Friday at home against Atlanta and opens the regular season on Sept. 13 at Las Vegas.
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REPORT: VETERAN RB KAREEM HUNT VISITS WITH LIONS
Free agent running back Kareem Hunt visited the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, ESPN reported.
Hunt, 31, rushed for 611 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (four starts) with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.
The Lions are looking for depth behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs due to a series of injuries in the backfield.
Backup Isiah Pacheco, Hunt’s former Chiefs teammate, is sidelined due to an MCL sprain. Sione Vaki (back) has been banged up in training camp, Jabari Small is in concussion protocol, and Raheem Blackshear was placed on injured reserve Monday.
A third-round draft pick by Kansas City in 2017, Hunt burst onto the scene that season by leading the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards and making the Pro Bowl.
Hunt has rushed for 5,775 yards and 55 touchdowns in 121 career games (50 starts) for the Chiefs (2017-18, 2024-25) and Cleveland Browns (2019-23). He has 267 career receptions for 2,209 yards and 18 scores.
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REPORT: CARDS C HJALTE FROHOLDT GETS 2-YEAR, $20M EXTENSION
The Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms with center Hjalte Froholdt on a two-year, $20 million contract extension, NFL Network reported Tuesday.
The deal will keep Froholdt, who turned 30 last week, on the roster through the 2028 season.
Froholdt started all 17 games in each of his first three seasons with the Cardinals from 2023-25. He played at least 98% of Arizona’s offensive snaps in all three campaigns.
A fourth-round draft pick by New England in 2019, the Denmark native has played in 82 career games (57 starts) for the Patriots (2020), Cleveland Browns (2021-22) and Cardinals. He has recovered three fumbles.
Also Tuesday, the Cardinals announced the signings of safety Josh Minkins and punter Jack Browning. Terms were not disclosed.
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JAGUARS WR BRIAN THOMAS JR. ‘ALL RIGHT’ AFTER INJURY SCARE
Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. appeared to injure his shoulder and was held out of the remainder of Tuesday’s joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Thomas landed on his shoulder during the first play of 11-on-11 work. Trainers looked at Thomas, who returned for one more play before sitting out the action on the sideline.
“I think he’s all right, just fell on his shoulder,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said. “Holding him out was smart. Get him ready for Cleveland (in the season opener on Sept. 13).”
Thomas, 23, enjoyed a sensational rookie season, reeling in 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 after being selected by Jacksonville with the 23rd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Last season was a different story. Thomas tied for second in the NFL with 10 drops, missed three games and was limited to 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns.
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STUDY: AT LEAST 25% OF NFL PLAYERS IN SAMPLE HAD CTE
At least 25% of former NFL players who died from 2016-21 had the degenerative brain disease CTE, according to a study posted Tuesday by the British Medical Journal.
The study was conducted by Mass General Brigham, Boston University and the Concussion & CTE Foundation.
Researchers examined samples of the brains from some of the 878 players who had appeared in at least one NFL game, in any year, and died during that six-year period. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, has been linked to repeated head injuries and can only be diagnosed after death.
Of the 878 deaths, 235 players donated their brains and it was discovered that 215 of them had CTE at some stage. That’s more than one in every four deaths and an overwhelming 91.5% of the ones studied.
The NFL Players Association sent an email to its players and their agents Tuesday that warned this study “suggests that CTE may be significantly more common among NFL players than previously understood, reinforcing the importance of continued research, care and support.”
“While CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death,” said the email obtained by The Athletic, “many symptoms commonly associated with CTE, including memory challenges, mood changes, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances and cognitive difficulties, may also be caused by other medical or neurological conditions, many of which can be treated or managed. That is why a thorough medical evaluation is so important.
“Pay attention to your cognitive, neurological and overall health. If you have concerns, seek evaluation and support. Early intervention matters. Resources are available today that can help.”
The NFL said it “continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts.”
“The NFL remains committed to ensuring that the NFL community has access to a robust — and expanding — set of resources to enhance their physical and mental well-being,” the league said in a statement to ESPN.
Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, the study’s lead author, said that the estimate of 25% is on the “low end.” He said the maximum possible prevalence is around 97%, with the true rate of CTE “somewhere in the middle.”
A higher presence of CTE is probable but not possible to calculate because of the number of players who donated their brains.
The study also found that more than 70% of the samples submitted were linked to Stages III and IV CTE. Stage IV, the most advanced stage, meets the criteria for dementia.
Daneshvar said the risks of CTE can be mitigated by eliminating hits during practice sessions and prohibiting children from playing tackle football.
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COACH SHANE STEICHEN: https://www.colts.com/video/indianapolis-colts-head-coach-shane-steichen-provides-injury-updates-shares-plans-for-saturday-detroit-lions-game-media-availability-august-25
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