NFL NEWS
NFLPA HIRES DAVID WHITE AS INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Less than three weeks after NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned amid numerous allegations of impropriety, the union elected David White as it interim executive director on Sunday.
White is the chief executive officer of consulting firm 3CG Ventures and the former national executive director and chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). He was a finalist for the NFLPA post when a the board of 32 player representatives elected Howell in June 2023, according to multiple media reports.
NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said in a statement regarding the move by the Board of Player Representatives to appoint White, “This decision is the result of a comprehensive, player-led process. We understood the urgency to fill this role and did our due diligence to identify the right person to lead our union in this moment.
“We have full faith in David to take the union forward and operate in the best interests of our membership. David has spent much of his career fighting for collectively bargained rights in the labor movement and is committed to putting players first in all the union does. We are confident that he will inspire solidarity and provide the necessary stability during this period of transition.”
White added in a statement, “I am grateful to the NFLPA’s player leadership for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility to guide their union as interim executive director. It’s a duty I do not take lightly, and I’m committed to reestablishing trust and ensuring the union is serving its members best. I look forward to working with the entire NFLPA team to protect players’ health and safety, secure their financial well-being, and further strengthen their voice to shape their futures.”
Howell stepped down on July 17 to no longer be a “distraction” for the NFLPA. During his tenure, he allegedly reached a confidentiality agreement with the NFL over a collusion case, worked for a private equity firm approved to pursue NFL minority ownership stakes and made inappropriate charges to the union, include a strip club visit.
Former NFLPA president JC Tretter, considered a possible replacement for Howell, resigned from his job as the NFLPA’s chief strategy officer after Howell’s exit. Tretter was viewed as instrumental in getting the union to hire Howell, who also left a previous job at Booz Allen, where he was reportedly accused of sexual discrimination.
GUS BRADLEY’S SON JOINS 49ERS, CREATING A UNIQUE FATHER-SON DYNAMIC
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — As a longtime NFL coach, Gus Bradley rarely got the opportunity to watch his son, Carter, play football in person during his career in high school and college.
Fall weekends were spent preparing his teams for games as either an assistant or head coach as Carter played quarterback in high school in Florida and then college at Toledo and South Alabama.
Now the two are part of the same team after Carter Bradley signed a contract last week with San Francisco, where Gus is in his first season as a defensive assistant.
“He’s really excited. I can tell you that,” Gus said Sunday. “We haven’t had much conversation. It’s kind of been a whirlwind when that happened. But I know he’s really excited to be here.”
Gus Bradley said his relationship with Carter has always been more father-son than coach-player with the focus being more in life lessons such as how to respond to being cut than how to decipher a quarters defense.
They had those types of conversations just after Carter was waived by the Raiders before the start of training camp. Gus got a heads up that the Niners planned to bring Carter in for a tryout last week, asking if he would be OK with it.
“I said, ‘Yeah. But as far as you know, that’s Carter Bradley and I’m Gus Bradley and we’re separate,’” Gus said. “You never want to put the organization in a tough position and that’s not how this organization operates. It’s too competitive. You only have so many roster spots.”
Carter Bradley took part in the tryout with several other players last Wednesday. Gus and Carter talked briefly after the workout and Gus said goodbye before he headed into a meeting, figuring that Carter would be sent on a plane home right away.
Gus came out of the meeting later that day and Carter was still at the facility waiting for word for what would come next. Carter got the news later that day that he had made the team. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Carter looked so good in the tryout and on a few dozen plays last preseason with Las Vegas that he earned the spot as the team’s fourth QB.
“That’s what I appreciate about them,” Gus said. “It wasn’t like ‘Gus, hey we’ll give you a heads up. Here’s what we’re going to do.’ It was truly he’s Carter Bradley, I’m over on the defensive side and we’ll handle it that way.”
Gus Bradley acknowledges he has more interest in Carter’s performance than other offensive players but is able to compartmentalize it during practices when he is focused so intently on the defensive side of the ball.
Sometimes it will take until film review later for him to see what Carter did on a certain play.
“I’m not going to lie. I’m still a parent, and he’s here,” Gus said. “But I thought it would be where you would be constantly looking. How’s he doing? It it really is not that. It’s Gus, where did that play hit. You can’t watch what’s happening on the offense and watch the whole defensive and do that.”
Notes
The Niners had the day off from practice headed into their first week with an exhibition game. San Francisco will practice on Monday and Tuesday and then take a day off before hosting a joint practice on Thursday against Denver. The teams will then play Saturday night. … The 49ers signed WR Robbie Chosen and released WR Marquez Callaway.
BILLS DECLINE COMMENT, WHILE RB COOK CITES ‘BUSINESS’ AS REASON HE DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills aren’t commenting on the reason behind James Cook not participating in practice on Sunday in what could be viewed as the running back’s next step in escalating his bid to extend the final year of his contract.
Cook, who watched the two-hour session from the sideline in an all-white track suit, was not included in a lengthy list of injured players coach Sean McDermott provided reporters before practice.
While the Bills declined comment on the player’s status in a text to The Associated Press, Cook reiterated the word “business” numerous times following practice in explaining his status to reporters from The Buffalo News and ESPN.
“Business,” was Cook’s one-word response when asked if it was his choice to not practice, The Buffalo News reported.
As for whether he anticipated practicing on Monday, Cook said: “Business. That’s all I’m going to say. Business.”
Messages left with Cook’s representatives were not returned.
A second-round pick in the 2022 draft, Cook was the NFL’s co-leader with 16 touchdowns rushing in his second full season as a starter.
The 25-year-old has made no secret this offseason of his desire for a new contract that would pay him in the range of $15 million a year in what would make him among the league’s highest-paid players at his position.
Though Cook skipped all of the team’s voluntary sessions this spring, he had previously taken part in each of the Bills mandatory practices, including their first eight of training camp before Sunday.
Cook said “I like my money, that’s why I’m here,” upon reporting for Buffalo’s three-day mandatory camp in June.
He provided a similar answer to open training camp, while insisting he’s confident he’ll get his payday whether it’s in Buffalo or elsewhere. Cook said he didn’t want his contract situation to become a distraction.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane opened camp by saying the two sides remained in contact. He reiterated how he wanted nothing more than to reach an agreement while acknowledging the team had limited room under the salary cap.
TITANS COACH BRIAN CALLAHAN CALLS OUT HIS OFFENSE AFTER SLOPPY PRACTICE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans and rookie quarterback Cam Ward turned in a sluggish performance Sunday, earning a profanity-laced tirade from head coach Brian Callahan as the session concluded.
The No. 1 overall pick followed two solid practices with a rough showing Sunday in team drills. Ward completed just 4 of 13 passes in team drills and was off the mark on several throws.
The Titans also had penalties and a play that would have been a sack as the defense pressured the young quarterback.
Ward’s final rep of the day was a pass that sailed far over the head of receiver Van Jefferson and out of bounds.
That’s when Callahan unleashed on the offense.
The second-year Titans coach spoke before practice. After practice, Callahan stood near midfield talking with Ward, offensive coordinator Nick Holz and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree for about 20 minutes. Tennessee opens preseason play Saturday night at Tampa Bay with a joint practice on Thursday.
Before practice, Callahan said some self-inflicted mistakes Saturday had him concerned because of the emphasis he has put on correcting those all offseason.
“The progress obviously isn’t always going to be linear, we’re going to have ups and downs,” Callahan said before practice.
The Titans have NFL officials on hand to make clear when players commit penalties. Callahan said that’s great to have that experience.
The Titans called Callahan’s outburst warranted because of a lack of focus and intensity on offense.
“He’s not really an outburst-type of coach for the most part,” left guard Peter Skoronski said. “So I think so I think the practice kind of warranted it. It just felt kind of low and juice-less from an offensive end and lacking execution.”
Skoronski said Sunday’s session was disappointing and he could feel the frustration before Callahan went off.
‘When he started yelling, I said, ‘Oh there it is,’” Skoronski said. “We just didn’t move the ball the way we needed to. I think it was warranted. We shouldn’t need that to bring out the intensity. We shouldn’t need the head coach to be like that. It should be player driven. We’ve got to be better and more on that.”
LIONS’ HENDON HOOKER, KYLE ALLEN LOOKING FOR BETTER RESULTS IN BACKUP QB COMPETITION
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Hendon Hooker provided a blunt assessment of his first preseason performance.
“A zero out of 10,” the Detroit Lions quarterback said. “It wasn’t to my standards, it wasn’t to the team’s standards of just being productive and controlling the huddle and making plays.”
Hooker and Kyle Allen, who are competing for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind starting quarterback Jared Goff, are both looking for vast improvement in the offense’s performance when the Lions play at Atlanta on Friday.
Detroit committed five turnovers and generated just 197 yards in a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday. Allen, who started the game, was 9 of 14 for 91 yards but was intercepted twice. Hooker was 3 of 6 for 18 yards and was picked off once.
They’ll switch roles on Friday with Hooker playing the first half and Allen taking over after halftime.
Durability hasn’t been an issue for Goff since he was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. He hasn’t missed a game the past three seasons.
If that streak ends this season, the Lions will need to have a reliable option. They’re looking for either Hooker or Allen to establish themselves as the clear backup.
“I can tell you both of those guys are, it goes without saying, they’re frustrated with the way that went and they both want to improve and get better,” coach Dan Campbell said. “And they will.”
Hooker was selected in the third round of the 2023 draft despite a knee injury suffered late in his college career that turned his rookie season essentially into a redshirt year.
Hooker had 58 touchdown passes and five interceptions in two seasons at Tennessee. The 27-year-old Hendon also spent three seasons with Virginia Tech.
Hooker made three brief appearances last season, going 6 of 9 for 62 yards. This preseason is pivotal to show he was worthy of his draft status.
“Very key. Every play is important,” he said. “So just taking advantage of every play, every throw, every decision and just putting my best foot forward every time.”
Allen, 29, has bounced around the league since making Carolina’s roster as an undrafted free agent in 2018. The Lions are the sixth organization he’s suited up for and fifth in the past five seasons. He appeared in one game with Pittsburgh last season.
Allen has made 19 starts, including 12 of 13 appearances during the 2019 season with the Panthers when he passed for 3,322 yards with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He was sacked 46 times.
The Lions signed him to a one-year, $1.27 million contract with a $100,000 signing bonus in March. The second half against the Falcons gives Allen another extended opportunity to secure his spot on the depth chart.
“Obviously (looking to) correct the interceptions and the mistakes, play a little cleaner football,” he said after Sunday morning’s practice. “Just keep executing the offense, getting more comfortable in it and take it play by play.”
Hendon has similar goals on Friday.
“We’ve just got to come out and execute,” he said. “Point back, period. No excuses and leave it at that.”
RAIDERS SAFETY LONNIE JOHNSON JR. SUFFERED BROKEN LEG IN MOCK GAME, AP SOURCE SAYS
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. broke his right leg in Las Vegas’ mock game on Saturday, a person with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the specifics of the injury were not announced.
That person also said more information was needed to determine how long Johnson, who fractured his fibula, would be sidelined.
Johnson has been competing on the second team in practices, but has been with the starters when the Raiders have gone to nickel defenses.
This is his seventh season in the NFL. Johnson signed as a free agent after playing last season in Carolina. He started once for the Panthers and played in 15 games, making seven tackles.
He also has played for New Orleans, Tennessee and Houston and has 20 career starts with 199 tackles and four interceptions.
BILLS MOUNTING LIST OF INJURIES GROWS TO 15 PLAYERS, WITH ADDITIONS OF WRS SHAKIR AND PALMER
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott put aside his concerns over the team’s growing injury list, which now includes starting receiver Khalil Shakir, by saying he has no choice but to move forward in returning to training camp on Sunday.
McDermott followed the Bills day off by opening his pre-practice news conference listing 15 members of Buffalo’s 91-player roster as either being limited or not practicing.
Shakir was among the latest additions and listed week to week with a high ankle sprain after he was hurt during the Bills annual Red and Blue scrimmage at their home stadium on Friday.
Also injured Friday were receiver Josh Palmer (groin), one of the team’s prized offseason free agent additions, and linebacker Shaq Thompson (groin).
The injuries have particularly hit Buffalo’s receivers, with Curtis Samuel (hamstring) and backup Kaden Prather also sidelined. That leaves Keon Coleman as the only projected starter still healthy with Buffalo preparing to open the preseason by hosting the New York Giants on Saturday.
“What we’ve tried to do is pull back on some things in hopes of getting some numbers back. And that hasn’t helped,” McDermott added, in reference to cutting back on the number and length of padded practices. “We’re moving forward. It’s time for us to go and we got to get some work done and move this team forward.”
The most serious injury has been to rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who is out indefinitely after spraining a ligament in his right knee last week. Hairston is watching practice on crutches with no definitive timetable for his return.
“It’s going to take some time. He’s week to week,” McDermott said of the first-round draft pick who was competing for a starting job opposite Christian Benford.
“Here’s a young player that is not only missing just the moving around, but also the mental part of the experience you get with through the reps,” he added. “So there’s no way to avoid it, he’s going to be behind when he comes back.”
Injuries have been an issue for the five-time defending AFC East champions since opening training camp with four players on injured lists, including tight end Dawson Knox (calf) and right tackle Spencer Brown (back). Of those four, backup center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf) remains sidelined with McDermott hoping the player will be available to return in time for Buffalo’s preseason finale at Tampa Bay on Aug. 23.
Brown resumed practicing on Sunday as did starting linebacker Terrel Bernard, who missed a week with a hamstring injury.
The rash of injuries has also affected Buffalo’s special teams unit with kicker Tyler Bass sidelined with a pelvis issue.
EAGLES WR A.J. BROWN (HAMSTRING) MISSES PRACTICE
Philadelphia Eagles standout wide receiver A.J. Brown did not practice Sunday due to a hamstring injury.
He left practice early Friday because of the issue. There was no timetable provided for his return.
A three-time second-team All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, Brown is entering his seventh NFL season — fourth with the Eagles.
In 13 games (all starts) last season, Brown caught 67 passes for a team-leading 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns.
Brown, 28, has appeared in 90 games (82 starts) with the Tennessee Titans (2019-21) and Eagles. He has five 1,000-yard seasons and 446 receptions for 7,026 yards with 49 scores. He also has one rushing touchdown.
The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles open preseason play Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. They will host the NFC East-rival Dallas Cowboys in the NFL season opener on Thursday, Sept. 4.
RT AUSTIN JACKSON, FB ALEC INGOLD LATEST INJURIES FOR DOLPHINS
The Miami Dolphins endured a rough few days on the practice field as they ramp up for their preseason opener next week.
Right tackle Austin Jackson sustained a lower leg injury on Friday, knocking him out for a matter of weeks, and fullback Alec Ingold wound up in concussion protocol after getting hurt in practice on Sunday.
Jackson missed more than half of the 2024 season due to a knee injury, but coach Mike McDaniel emphasized on Sunday that the latest ailment is unrelated.
“He got the (new) injury playing football and got stepped on. It has nothing to do with anything but that,” McDaniel said Sunday. “And with Austin, the bottom line for me where he’s at … he knocked some rust off, he got back and, in my opinion, exceeded where he was playing before. So we’re fortunate that that timetable (for his absence) doesn’t seem to be into the regular season.”
Jackson, 25, has started 54 of his 56 NFL games for the Dolphins since they selected him with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Southern California.
The Dolphins added to their offensive line depth on Sunday by signing Germain Ifedi. A first-round pick of Seattle in 2016, he has played for the Seahawks (2016-19), the Chicago Bears (2020-21), the Atlanta Falcons (2022) and the Cleveland Browns (2024). Last year, he appeared in 15 games and made five starts.
Ingold, 29, played three seasons with the Raiders before spending the past three years in Miami, including a Pro Bowl season in 2023. Last year, he had 10 carries for 17 yards and a touchdown to go with 11 receptions for 96 yards.
Miami’s exhibition opener is at Chicago on Aug. 10. The Dolphins begin the regular season at Indianapolis on Sept. 7.
REPORTS: DOLPHINS SIGN DT ZACH SIELER TO 3-YEAR EXTENSION
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler agreed to a three-year, $67.75 million contract extension with the Miami Dolphins, ESPN and NFL.com reported on Sunday.
The contract reportedly includes $44 million in guaranteed money.
Sieler, 29, is a seven-year NFL veteran who began his career with the Baltimore Ravens. He joined the Dolphins in 2019, and he had a breakout campaign in 2023, recording 10 sacks.
Last season, Sieler continued his high-level play, posting 55 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus gave him a 78.6 overall grade, ranking him 12th among 219 qualifying interior defenders.
Zieler is now set to become the highest-paid defensive player on the Dolphins and ninth-highest paid defensive tackle in the league by average annual value.
