Steelers cornerback Justin Layne charged with traffic, firearm violations in Ohio
Police in Ohio arrested Steelers cornerback Justin Layne on Friday morning for alleged traffic and firearms violations, court records show. Ohio court records show Layne, 23, was charged Friday by Willoughby police with driving with a suspended license, speeding, and transporting a loaded firearm, which is a fourth-degree felony. Records...
FCS draft prospects generally opted not to play this spring
There’s a common thread linking most of the Football Championship Subdivision players who expect to hear their name called in the NFL draft. They didn’t participate in their schools’ pandemic-delayed spring season. “Ultimately, it just comes down to athletes taking care of their bodies,” North Dakota State offensive tackle Dillon...
Rich Eisen didn’t let NFL Combine cancellation stop his ‘Run Rich Run’ movement
LOS ANGELES — Rich Eisen had wingtips, but clearly no wings. The NFL Network host’s first 40-yard dash came during a lull at the 2005 scouting combine, in the old RCA Dome in Indianapolis, and on a lark. “Terrell Davis was sitting next to me, part of our crew,” Eisen...
Canceled NFL Combine a bummer, but invite still a golden ticketVideo
Kansas State tight end Briley Moore, a graduate transfer from Northern Iowa, frantically scrolled through his waterproof phone. “It was a dream of mine since I was a little kid to go to the combine,” Moore said. “So once I had seen a couple on Twitter got the combine invite,...
Battery arrest warrant issued for Seahawks’ Aldon Smith
CHALMETTE, La. — A sheriff’s office in Louisiana has issued an arrest warrant for Seattle Seahawks defensive end Aldon Smith. St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies responding to a call for medical assistance in Meraux on Saturday evening found a man who said he had been assaulted by an acquaintance outside...
Alex Smith retires after comeback from gruesome leg injury
Alex Smith retired Monday after making an improbable comeback from a gruesome broken leg, saying he’s ready to leave the NFL but believing he’s still able to play quarterback. Smith made the announcement on Instagram a few weeks shy of his 37th birthday, hoping to enjoy more time with his...
Tom Brady expects to be ready for minicamp after knee surgery
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady is recovering from offseason knee surgery and expects to be ready for June minicamp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Speaking at a fundraiser for Bucs coach Bruce Arians’ foundation, the 43-year-old quarterback joked that he didn’t know “if I can go this week.” He then...
Players on 5 more NFL teams say no to in-person workoutsVideo
Players on five more NFL teams will be skipping in-person voluntary workouts because of the pandemic: the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. The players posted through their union that they are joining 11 other groups who previously said they would not...
Browns release veteran DT Richardson in salary-cap moveVideo
CLEVELAND — This offseason remodeling of the Cleveland Browns’ defense includes a surprising removal. Veteran tackle Sheldon Richardson’s contract was terminated Friday, a head-scratching move that creates more salary-cap space but also a hole in the middle of Cleveland’s defensive line. Days after adding free agent end Jadeveon Clowney, the...
Lawyer: Video shows Aaron Donald did not beat up man in South Side brawl
An attorney for Pittsburgh native and NFL defensive standout Aaron Donald says the L.A. Rams player helped save the man accusing him of assault from further injury, contradicting claims from this week Donald beat up the man in a South Side melee. Attorney Casey White said there’s no dispute Devincent...
Pandemic making NFL Draft’s small school gems harder to findVideo
Those diamonds in the rough selected in the late rounds of NFL Drafts or signed as undrafted free agents are more like hidden gems this year. Fewer schools outside the Football Bowl Subdivision hosted pro days this year, meaning college players from smaller schools with NFL hopes didn’t get the...
Browns sign Jadeveon Clowney to pair with Myles Garrett on D-line
CLEVELAND — Free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Cleveland Browns, who will pair him with All-Pro Myles Garrett to chase quarterbacks and maybe get them deeper in the playoffs. Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, hasn’t always played up to...
Giovani Bernard joins Buccaneers on 1-year deal
TAMPA, Fla. — Running back Giovani Bernard agreed to a one-year contract with the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Tuesday because the move, adding yet another offensive playmaker for Tom Brady,...
NFL players call for virtual offseason, shun in-person workVideo
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — NFL players were locked out of team headquarters last offseason because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, their union wants them to boycott any in-person OTAs. Members of the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers said Tuesday they will do just that....
Patriots’ Julian Edelman, NFL’s ultimate underdog, announces retirementVideo
BOSTON — For more than a decade, Julian Edelman lived the ultimate NFL underdog story, going from undersized college quarterback to a favorite option of Tom Brady on three Patriots’ Super Bowl-winning teams. He says he’ll leave the league after giving everything he had to the sport. Citing a knee...
Ex-Chiefs coach Britt Reid charged with DUI after crash
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid was charged Monday with driving while intoxicated resulting in serious physical injury after a crash that left a 5-year-old girl critically injured. The Jackson County prosecutor’s office said Reid’s blood alcohol content shortly after the Feb. 4 crash...
AP source: Browns still putting rush on Jadeveon Clowney
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns remain in active pursuit of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Monday. The free agent visited the team last month and could do so again. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity...
Column: Love for QBs not named Trevor Lawrence in draft a bit too strongVideo
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a generational talent and the best player in this NFL Draft. That’s why Urban Meyer took the Jacksonville job, and that’s why the Jaguars are drafting Lawrence No. 1 overall April 29, no questions asked. But after Lawrence, the best players in this draft are...
Adams said to have spurned NFL, union health programs
The NFL and its players’ union have an array of health programs designed to help players in their life after football. According to his agent, Phillip Adams did not avail himself of those opportunities. Adams, a journeyman player, spent six seasons in the league. Authorities say he fatally shot five...
Judge orders one accuser of Texans QB Deshaun Watson to be ID’d
HOUSTON — A judge on Friday ordered that the name of one of the 22 women who have filed lawsuits accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment must be made public. Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, has asked that all the women, who have sued under the...
Authorities: NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself
ROCK HILL, S.C. — Former NFL player Phillip Adams fatally shot five people, including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren before killing himself early Thursday. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson told a news conference that investigators had not yet determined a motive for Wednesday’s mass shooting. “There’s...
Nike suspends Deshaun Watson sponsorship amid allegations
Nike suspended its endorsement contract with Deshaun Watson amid allegations of sexual assault and harassment against the Houston Texans quarterback. “We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and have suspended Deshaun Watson,” Nike said in a statement released Wednesday. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation.” Watson has...
Jets send QB Sam Darnold to Panthers for 3 draft picksVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Jets traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers, ending a stint that was marked by a few flashes of brilliance, inconsistent play and unfortunate injuries. And with the Jets holding the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, they’re likely moving on...
NFL’s move to 17 games could alter record books
The NFL could finally see its first 2,000-yard receiver. The 5,000-yard passing club might be ready to induct a few more members with Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 5,477 yards possibly in jeopardy. The accomplishment of 1,000-yard seasons rushing or receiving will become more common and a little more devalued....
NFL considering changing onside kick and overtime rulesVideo
NEW YORK — The NFL is considering a rule change that would allow teams to maintain possession of the ball after a score by substituting one offensive play for an onside kickoff attempt. The proposal submitted by the Philadelphia Eagles is among 11 that will be voted on at the...
