NFL NEWS
BILLS GM BEANE HAS NO TIMELINE ON CONTRACT STANDOFF WITH COOK AFTER RB SKIPS 2ND DAY OF PRACTICE
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane told The Associated Press on Monday he isn’t sure how long the contract standoff with James Cook will last after the running back declined to participate in practice for a second straight day.
Cook wore a white hat, red Bills pullover and blue shorts upon briefly entering the practice field, before ducking into a portable bathroom about 12 minutes before practice was scheduled to start. He then left the field, exiting through the trainer’s tent and did not re-appear for at least the first hour of practice.
This marks the second day Cook has not participated in practice in the fourth-year player’s next step in escalating his bid to extend the final year of his contract. On Sunday, Cook worked out on a stationary bike before watching practice from the sideline while wearing a white sweatsuit.
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.
Cook risks being fined by the team for declining to practice, and with Buffalo preparing to open its preseason schedule hosting the New York Giants on Saturday.
Cook repeatedly used the word “business” when asked about his decision to not practice, in speaking to a small group of reporters on Sunday.
Cook’s agent has not returned messages seeking comment.
Earlier Monday, Beane appeared on WGR-Radio and said the team wasn’t aware of Cook’s decision to not practice Sunday until shortly before the session began. Beane also reiterated the two sides have been in constant contact in a bid to bridge the gap.
“I’d love to see Jimbo out there today. I don’t know that answer at this point this morning, whether that will happen or not,” Beane said.
“But hopefully we’ll get him back out there soon,” he added. “This is my ninth season here, and we’ve never had a player miss due to a contract or anything like that, so that’s disappointing for me. It’s not something we want.”
The 25-year-old Cook 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’s absence from practice comes at a time the Bills are already short on bodies due to injuries. As many as 15 players missed or were limited in practice on Sunday due to injuries, including receivers Khalil Shakir (ankle), Joshua Palmer (groin) and Curtis Samuel (hamstring).
The Bills do have depth at running back with returning backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson as well as Frank Gore Jr., who spent his rookie season last year on the practiced squad.
49ERS’ ROBERT SALEH LEADS LIST OF NEW COORDINATORS FOR NFL CONTENDERS
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers went back to a familiar face when coach Kyle Shanahan looked to revive a defensive unit that had gone from dominant to mediocre in recent years.
The Niners brought back Robert Saleh for a second stint as coordinator in hopes that he could once again build back the defense in similar fashion to what he did in 2019 when San Francisco’s stingy defense helped carry the team to the Super Bowl.
“His commanding presence in defensive meetings is what we needed,” star defensive end Nick Bosa said.
The 49ers aren’t the only contender that made a change at play-caller on offense or defense headed into 2025. How all of those work out will go a long way to determining which teams are playing deep into January.
Some teams were forced to make changes they didn’t want to with Detroit needing to replace both coordinators after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn got head coaching jobs and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia needing to replace offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after he became Saints head coach.
Tampa Bay is in a similar boat for a second straight season after losing an offensive coordinator to a head coaching job with Liam Coen leaving for Jacksonville one year after Dave Canales left for Carolina.
Other teams such as Houston, Cincinnati and Seattle made changes in hopes of finding a spark.
Here’s a look at some of the key new coordinators around the NFL:
49ers DC Robert Saleh
The 49ers ranked 29th in the league in scoring defense last season, allowing 25.6 points per game, and were tied for the seventh-fewest takeaways with 17 as the unit looked nothing like the dominant ones under Saleh and DeMeco Ryans from 2019-22.
That led to Shanahan making another change at coordinator, bringing back Saleh after he was fired as head coach of the New York Jets to replace the fired Nick Sorensen.
During Saleh’s last two full seasons with the Jets in 2022-23, New York ranked first in yards passing allowed per game (178.9) and yards per play allowed (4.7), and second in total defense (301.7 yards per game).
The Niners are hoping similar results will get them back to the postseason after a 6-11 record in 2024.
Lions OC John Morton and DC Kelvin Sheppard
Detroit became the third team in the past 15 seasons to lose both coordinators to NFL head coaching jobs in the same offseason with it also happening to Philadelphia following the 2022 season and Cincinnati after 2013. Both those teams went back to the playoffs the following season, losing in the wild-card round.
The Lions have their sights set higher after making it to the NFC title game in 2023 and losing in the divisional round as the top seed last season. Whether that happens will depend heavily on if Morton can keep the offense in the top five in scoring for a fourth straight season after Johnson helped make it one of the most dynamic in the league with his trick plays and schemes.
Morton has only one year of play-calling experience in the NFL in 2017 with the Jets, finishing in the bottom 10 in scoring with an offense that lacked the playmakers he has in Detroit.
Sheppard should be helped by getting star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson back healthy after he missed the final 12 games last season with a broken leg.
Eagles OC Kevin Patullo
QB Jalen Hurts will have a fourth play-caller in as many years with Patullo getting promoted from passing game coordinator following Moore’s departure.
The offense improved under Moore in 2024 after stagnating the previous season when Brian Johnson replaced Shane Steichen as OC.
Patullo has plenty of talent with one of the top offensive lines, record-setting running back Saquon Barkley and two talented wideouts in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to support Hurts.
Buccaneers OC Josh Grizzard
Tampa Bay’s offense got even better last season when Coen replaced Canales with both the running game and screen passing showing major improvement.
Grizzard will try to build on that as he moves from passing game coordinator to OC. He was heavily involved with the third down offense last season when the Bucs led the NFL by converting 50.9%.
Texans OC Nick Caley
Coach DeMeco Ryans made a change after last season even though Houston made it back to the divisional round. That came in spite of the offense taking a big step back thanks in large part to shoddy line play that hindered the growth of QB C.J. Stroud.
Caley comes over after spending the past two seasons on Sean McVay’s staff with the Rams and is being counted on to bring some of Los Angeles’ successful wrinkles to Houston to help make Stroud’s job at quarterback easier. He will need to do it with an overhauled offensive line that lost stalwart Laremy Tunsil in the offseason.
Bengals DC AL Golden
The Bengals went to the college ranks to hire Golden away from Notre Dame to replace Lou Anarumo. Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl with Anarumo leading the defense in the 2021 season but regressed the past few years and were ranked in the bottom 10 in most categories last season.
Golden spent the 2020-21 seasons as linebackers coach for the Bengals and brings a man-heavy scheme to the NFL.
Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak
Seattle hired Kubiak to replace Ryan Grubb in hopes that his scheme heavy on zone blocking and play-action passing can help the Seahawks offensive line.
Kubiak was OC in New Orleans last season when the Saints got off to a fast start before injuries led to a downfall.
CAM SKATTEBO REMAINS OUT OF GIANTS TRAINING CAMP AS NEW YORK’S INJURIES ON OFFENSE PILE UP
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Cam Skattebo is not practicing with the New York Giants after experiencing a setback, fellow rookie Beaux Collins has also been sidelined by an undisclosed injury and standout left tackle Andrew Thomas has yet to make an appearance on the field at training camp after landing on the physically unable to perform list.
While there is still a month to go before the NFL season begins, the injuries are starting to pile up for the Giants on offense. Skattebo, their fourth-round pick out of Arizona State who was expected to be part of the running back rotation, was among those not participating Monday because of a hamstring injury.
“With all the guys that are hurt, they’re all making progress,” coach Brian Daboll said when asked about Skattebo. “If they can be out there, they’ll be out there. … Well see where we’re at each day. Everybody is day by day.”
Thomas appears further away than that as he works back from surgery in October for a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. Asked about Thomas ramping up this week with the stated goal of him being ready for the opener Sept. 7 at Washington, Daboll said only, “He’ll just keep working his rehab and continue to get better.”
Going into his sixth pro season, the concern for Thomas is more about getting him fully healthy and less about the snaps he is missing. That is not so much the case for rookies such as Skattebo and Collins — the latter of whom is an undrafted free agent wide receiver trying to make the team at a crowded position.
“Any time you can’t be out there, it doesn’t help you,” Daboll said. “Take advantage of the meeting time, but there’s no substitute for being out on the field playing, particularly young players that are trying to earn a spot.”
With Collins and veteran Darius Slayton not taking part in team practice and Bryce Ford-Wheaton on injured reserve after after tearing an Achilles tendon, 26-year-old Montrell Washington has impressed when given the opportunity to run with the first- and second-team offenses. Washington made a dazzling one-handed catch on a pass from first-round pick Jaxson Dart during 7-on-7 drills Monday, adding to his growing list of camp highlights.
“My motto is, ‘A play a day keeps the coaches away,’ so I’m trying to make as many plays as I can,” Washington said. “We don’t like when guys go down, but I’m just trying to be there to show the guys I’m available, I’m locked in (and) I can be that guy to make a play for you guys when y’all need me to.”
Whereas Washington is a newcomer after joining as a free agent following stints with Kansas City and Denver, running back Devin Singletary is very familiar with Daboll’s system from their time together in Buffalo and has embraced getting more carries with Skattebo, Rushawn Baker and Eric Gray all out.
“Every day you’ve got to prove yourself,” Singletary said. “Every day, we like to say, the rent is due, so for me, it doesn’t matter if it’s one opportunity or 30. I’m trying to make the most of every opportunity because nothing is given. Everything is earned in the league, and when you get an opportunity, you want to make the best of it every time and that’s how you get more opportunities.”
Daboll called Singletary “a vet that’s having a really good camp” by keeping his head down and working. Usurped for the starting job last year by Tyrone Tracy in part because of a groin injury that hampered him, Singletary feels he’s back to 100% now and ready to contribute.
“Me, personally, I’m feeling good,” Singletary said. “Just trying to make plays when my number is called. That’s the name of the game.”
REPORTS: GIANTS SIGN FREE-AGENT RB JONATHAN WARD
The New York Giants added depth at running back, signing Jonathan Ward on Monday following a morning workout that included multiple free-agent hopefuls, according to multiple reports.
Ward, 27, has NFL experience with three teams, including five carries for 22 yards in four games with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.
He has 22 career carries for 91 yards and six receptions for 52 yards in 46 games with the Arizona Cardinals (2020-22), Tennessee Titans (2022-23) and Steelers.
Ward originally signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan.
REPORT: VIKINGS BRACE FOR 3-GAME BAN FOR JORDAN ADDISON
The Minnesota Vikings are bracing for a three-game suspension for wide receiver Jordan Addison over last year’s DUI arrest, ESPN reported Monday.
Addison, 23, resolved his legal case last month by pleading no contest to a lesser charge. He was placed on 12 months of probation and ordered to pay a fine and complete two online courses.
He was arrested in July 2024 near Los Angeles International Airport after police found him asleep at the wheel of his Rolls-Royce, which was blocking a lane of traffic on Interstate 105.
The Vikings’ first three games of the regular season are at Chicago in Week 1 and home games against Atlanta in Week 2 and Cincinnati in Week 3.
Addison caught 63 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games (all starts) in his second season in 2024.
The 2023 first-round draft pick (23rd overall) has 133 receptions for 1,786 yards and 19 TDs in 32 games (29 starts).
BILLS SIGN VERSATILE VETERAN OL DAN FEENEY
The Buffalo Bills signed veteran offensive lineman Dan Feeney on Monday. Terms were not disclosed.
Feeney, 31, has played both guard and center for eight seasons with four teams.
He has appeared in 120 games (65 starts) for the Los Angeles Chargers (2017-20), New York Jets (2021-22), Chicago Bears (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2024).
The Chargers drafted Feeney in the third round out of Indiana in 2017.
The Bills waived undrafted rookie offensive lineman Rush Reimer in a corresponding move.
Buffalo also released defensive end Kameron Cline, 27, who has appeared in six games with the Indianapolis Colts (2020-22) and Bills (2024).
REPORT: JAGUARS SIGNING VETERAN DT AUSTIN JOHNSON
The Jacksonville Jaguars are signing veteran defensive tackle Austin Johnson, NFL Network reported on Monday.
Johnson, 31, has played in 131 NFL games (56 starts) since being drafted in the second round by Tennessee in 2016.
He recorded 19 tackles and the first two interceptions of his career in 15 games (one start) for Buffalo in 2024.
Johnson has 260 tackles and 8.5 sacks over nine seasons with the Titans (2016-19), New York Giants (2020-21), Los Angeles Chargers (2022-23) and Bills.
His arrival provides interior depth with Arik Armstead (back) working through an injury and Maason Smith on the active/physically unable to perform list.
REPORTS: EAGLES ACQUIRE CB JAKORIAN BENNETT FROM RAIDERS
The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles added depth to a solid secondary, acquiring cornerback Jakorian Bennett in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, multiple media outlets reported Monday night.
The Raiders reportedly received reserve defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV in the swap.
Bennett, 24, appeared in 10 games for Las Vegas last season, making seven stops. He finished with 26 tackles and eight passes defensed.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2023 out of Maryland, Bennett played in 14 games and started four times as a rookie. In his two seasons overall, he has 58 tackles and 11 passes defensed.
Booker, 25, appeared in every regular-season game for Philadelphia last year, starting once. However, he was in on only 17 percent of the Eagles’ defensive plays and seven percent of the special teams snaps. He had 18 tackles, one sack and one pass defense.
The Texans made him a fifth-round pick out of Stanford in 2022. He appeared in 10 games (one start) for Houston that year — his lone NFL experience before 2024. For the Texans, he recorded 15 tackles, 0.5 sacks and one pass defensed.
The Eagles open the preseason on Thursday against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, then officially start defense of their title against the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4.
The Raiders start preseason play Thursday on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, then open the regular season on the road vs. the New England Patriots on Sept. 7.
VIKINGS QB J.J. MCCARTHY EXPECTED TO PLAY IN PRESEASON OPENER
The J.J. McCarthy era will begin on Saturday, as the Minnesota Vikings plan to play the quarterback against the Houston Texans in the team’s preseason opener.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed McCarthy’s return to action, a year after the QB suffered a right knee injury in Minnesota’s first game of the 2024 preseason. O’Connell, though, did not specify how many reps McCarthy would see not only in Saturday’s matchup but also the remainder of the preseason.
“You’d love to play him as much as possible,” O’Connell said, “but I think with those two days of joint practice [with the Patriots], and the type of reps that the other guys on the offense will get from a physicality and workload standpoint, we’ll more than likely use those two days as our real days.
“Obviously, that’s subject to change based upon on how those go, how we feel coming out of those. If we need to get a little more work, we will. Then we’ll assess that final preseason game as it comes.”
After passing for 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the national championship in his final season, McCarthy underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus that sidelined him for his entire rookie campaign. A second procedure was performed a few months later to address swelling.
Now, McCarthy sits atop the depth chart and has taken every practice snap with the first team.
QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER, 32 EYES RETURN TO NFL
Former quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is leaving his position as head football coach at Miami Northwestern High School and seeking a return to the NFL, according to multiple media reports on Monday.
Bridgewater’s Miami Northwestern exit comes three weeks after he was suspended for allegedly providing impermissible benefits to his players, including Uber rides, meals and recovery services. He also asked for fans to donate to help cover these type of expenses.
The 32-year-old confirmed the suspension in a Facebook post last month.
“The suspension came from MNW and it’s impossible to suspend someone who doesn’t work for you,” Bridgewater said. “So if im suspended from MNW im free to go to another school of my choice but IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
“And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem.”
After joining Miami Northwestern in 2024, Bridgewater led his alma mater to its first state championship since 2019. The program heads into the season as the fourth-ranked team in the state, per to the Massey Ratings.
Bridgewater returned to the NFL as Jared Goff’s backup with the Detroit Lions in December but did not appear in a regular-season game. Bridgewater completed his only pass for 3 yards in the Lions’ divisional round loss to the Washington Commanders.
In 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2014-15, 2017), New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Denver Broncos (2021), Miami Dolphins (2022) and Detroit (2023-24), Bridgewater completed 1,372 of 2,067 passes (66.4 percent) for 15,120 yards with 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He added 844 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Bridgewater was named to the Pro Bowl in his second season after starting all 16 games for the Vikings and leading them to an 11-5 record.
He hasn’t started a game since 2022 with the Dolphins.
CHARGERS LB DENZEL PERRYMAN WON’T FACE CHARGES IN WEAPONS ARREST
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman was released from police custody on Monday, and the Los Angeles District Attorney decided not to move forward with a felony weapons charge, public records showed.
Perryman had been held since Friday after he was pulled over by police for vehicle code violations. He was headed to a gun range at the time, TMZ reported.
Of the five firearms in his vehicle, two were assault-style rifles that are illegal in California.
Although Perryman was scheduled to appear at Inglewood Court on Tuesday, he is free to go as the DA declined to file charges in the case. His arrest will be considered a detention on his record as a result.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters he visited Perryman in jail on Sunday.
“Love Denzel,” Harbaugh said Monday. “He’s always done right. He’s never been in trouble. Got a beautiful family, and we’ll let the due process play out.”
Perryman, 32, is entering the second season of his second stint with the Chargers. He registered 55 tackles and one sack in 11 starts for the Chargers in 2024, missing six games with a groin injury.
Perryman signed a one-year, $2.655 million contract with the Chargers for the 2025 season.
VIKINGS TE T.J. HOCKENSON SIDELINED WITH LOWER-BODY INJURY
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson missed practice on Monday after suffering a lower-body injury on the weekend, according to multiple reports.
Hockenson, 28, was injured during a practice on Saturday and had a noticeable limp.
The two-time Pro Bowler is listed with leg, hip and back issues. It’s unclear if he will be able to take part in drills on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In 10 game last season, Hockenson caught 41 of 62 targets for 455 yards. He was held out of the end zone for the first time in his NFL career.
In six seasons with the Detroit Lions (2019-2022) and Vikings (2022-2024), Hockenson has 382 receptions, 4,002 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in 82 games.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is expected to play against the Houston Texans as Minnesota kicks off its preseason action Saturday, but it’s unclear if Hockenson would play even if healthy. McCarthy, the second-year signal-caller and 2024 Vikings’ first round draft pick from Michigan, missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury.
LIONS ROOKIE S DAN JACKSON (LEG) PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE
A day after exiting practice with a leg injury, Detroit Lions safety Dan Jackson is heading to injured reserve.
The Lions did not set a timetable for the rookie’s return, although Detroit coach Dan Campbell told reporters that the injury “doesn’t look good.” He added that “it looks like he’s going to be down for a while.”
The Lions drafted Jackson with the 230th overall pick in the draft after he garnered third-team All-SEC honors last year while at Georgia, where he finished third on the team with 64 tackles.
Jackson was not the only defensive back to leave practice early Sunday, as 2024 second-round cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. suffered a shoulder injury that will cause him to miss time.
Campbell did not provide additional details on Rakestraw, including a timetable to return, only saying that “it’s going to be a while at best.”
JAGUARS DEPTH CHART: TRAVIS HUNTER 1ST-TEAM WR, BACKUP CB
As Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter prepared for the NFL draft, he left no ambiguity about his ambitions.
He did not want to play on only one side of the ball. He demanded to play defense and offense.
As the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, the team released its first unofficial depth chart that reflects Hunter’s wishes.
The No. 2 pick out of Colorado is listed as a starting wide receiver (alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown) and as a backup outside cornerback (along with Jarrian Jones, behind Tyson Campbell).
“It’s weird, it’s probably harder logistically for us as coaches to navigate it and making sure we’re making use of all his time,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen said at the start of training camp. “I think it doesn’t bother him as much. He’s pretty unfazed by some of this stuff.”
After putting up 96 catches, 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 11 passes defended and four interceptions at Colorado last year, Hunter opened training camp with more offensive reps as he worked on developing chemistry with starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
As camp went on, however, Hunter began seeing more action on the defensive side. What’s more, he is putting on a juggling act as he bounces between meeting rooms and learns multiple playbooks.
That mental side of the game, Hunter said, is the most challenging aspect.
“You’ve got to do different terms each and every day,” he said.
BROWNS QB SHEDEUR SANDERS DOESN’T WANT DEION AT CAMP
Shedeur Sanders is attempting to focus on the job in front of him at Cleveland Browns training camp rather than a potential visit from his famous father.
After Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders said in an interview that his son asked him not to visit him at camp, the younger Sanders explained why on Monday.
“I don’t want him coming to see me right now because I want to get to where I want to go, then for him to see me,” Shedeur Sanders told reporters. “I don’t want him to come and see me get a couple reps, and he is cheering like a good dad. Like, nah, you can’t be proud of me right now. I got to get to where I’m going, and I know it’s a lot I got to do to get there.
“It’s kind of like I just want everything that I’m doing is just focus on this time, and I don’t want no distractions because we know how the media, we know how everybody would take it and take away from the team, just from him being my own dad showing up. So, it is a gift and a curse at the same time.”
Shedeur Sanders experienced a precipitous fall in the draft after he was widely expected to be selected in the first round as one of the first quarterbacks off the board. He wasn’t even the first QB selected by the Browns, who chose Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round before adding Sanders in the fifth (144th overall).
Now Sanders is battling Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Gabriel for reps at camp. Sanders is the only one who has yet to receive first-team reps.
Some speculated that Sanders’ fall was the result of bad advice he received from his father, who was his coach at Jackson State and Colorado, and that NFL teams would not want Deion Sanders’ specter looming over their operation.
Deion did visit Shedeur’s brother Shilo at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ training camp. But he is also dealing with a full plate: He had his bladder removed due to a tumor earlier this year, and his Buffaloes are a few weeks away from their 2025 season opener.
“It was something that we really ain’t even have a formal conversation about because, it was like, ‘Y’all need to focus on what y’all can focus on. Can’t sit here and feel sorry for me, and then that’s affecting y’all doing that,’” Shedeur Sanders said.
