« December 21, 2008 - December 27, 2008 | Main | June 7, 2009 - June 13, 2009 »
Profootballtalk.com reports that Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson missed practice on Wednesday and on Thursday with a groin injury.
Also missing practice for the second straight day was tight end Antonio Gates, who has an ankle injury.
“If we were playing today [Gates] probably wouldn’t play,” coach Norv Turner said, adding that he believes Tomlinson would indeed be able to go.
The Cleveland Browns are interested in hiring Mike Shanahan for their vacant head coaching search, and have also received permission to talk to Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Other candidates for the Browns job include former Jets coach Eric Mangini and Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo along with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels
Dolphins QB Chad Pennington has won his second Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award.
Pennington received 19 of 50 votes.
Pennington also won the award in 2006.
Titans quarterback Kerry Collins and Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme received six votes.
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin, and Buccaneers receiver Antonio Bryant earned four votes each.
Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter received three votes, and one vote each went to Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, Steelers safety Ryan Clark, and Ravens tackle Willie Anderson.
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo has been named the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year by the Associated Press.
Mayo, the tenth overall pick in the 2008 draft, secured 49 of 50 votes for the award
Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron will be back in 2009. The Bills were originally going to make a decision on Wednesday, but made the announcement on Tuesday.
Mike Shanahan, the second longest-tenured NFL coach, was fired by the Denver Broncos on Tuesday after the team lost a three-game lead with three games to go in the AFC West.
Shanahan, 56, coached the Broncos since 1995, behind only Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher in tenure with one team. He led the Broncos to consecutive Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999 and compiled a record of 146-89 with the team.
The Broncos have won just one playoff game since Elway retired.
Browns owner Randy Lerner will be interviewing Eric Mangini for the team’s vacant head-coaching position, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The Lions are setting up several interviews for their head coaching vacancy. In addition to interviews with Jerry Gray and Steve Spagnuolo, the team has three more candidates lined up.
According to Adam Schefter, the team has requested interviews with Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. They’ve already received permission to speak with Garrett and that interview may take place this week.
Matt Ryan is more than the face of the sensational turnaround by the Atlanta Falcons. He also is the best member of a superb rookie crop, earning The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award Tuesday.
The quarterback from Boston College, selected third overall in April's draft, was a landslide winner in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. Ryan became the third quarterback in five years to win the award; before that, no QB ever took the honor.
The New York Jets are expected to interview Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Jaguars assistant head coach Mike Tice and current Jets assistants Brian Schottenheimer and Bill Callahan for their head coach opening, says the Newark Star-Ledger.
The Jets have requested permission to interview Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo is expected to interview with the Jets on Thursday or Saturday.
The SF Chronicle reports that Raiders owner Al Davis will begin interviewing candidates this week. The list is expected to include Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, Raiders advance scout Paul Hackett and Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, according to team sources. Former Giants coach Jim Fassel has openly lobbied for the job and went so far as to send Davis a letter expressing his interest. Interim coach Tom Cable remains very much in play after finishing the 5-11 season with two straight victories.
According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Lions have requested permission to interview Redskins secondary-cornerbacks coach Jerry Gray for the Lions head coaching job.
Gray played for the Rams, Oilers, and Buccaneers, and he has worked for the Titans and Bills. He previously served as defensive coordinator in Buffalo.
After firing head coach Rod Marinelli, the Lions have promotedTom Lewand from COO to President, and Martin Mayhew has been given the permanent position of General Manager.
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry has been terminated, and offensive coordinator Jim Colletto has been reassigned to offensive line coach.
Secondary coach Jimmy Kaye and assistant offensive line coach Mike Barry have been released, and defensive line coach Joe Cullen’s contract will not be renewed. Also, assistant director of pro personnel Dave Boller won’t be retained.
The Cleveland Browns have fired coach Romeo Crennel.
The Browns are expected to make a move to get Bill Cowher as a GM/Head Coach.
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson suffered an abdominal strain in the second half of Sunday nights win, and did not return.
After the game, Tomlinson told NBC’s Andrea Kremer that he hopes to play next weekend against the Colts.
“Well, hopefully, I’m [going to] play,” Tomlinson said. “You know, but again I gotta get it checked out, make sure everything’s OK. You know, I think I could have went back in the game, but, you know, we wanted to take it easy. Hopefully, I’ll play.”
The Chargers host the Colts on Saturday night.
The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports that the 49ers have made Mike Singletary their new head coach. Singletary signed a four-year, $10 million contract.
Singletary also reportedly has the contractual right to hire and fire assistant coaches. It’s unknown at this point whether he’ll be firing offensive coordinator Mike Martz.
Jay Glazer of FOX reported that Singletary would be willing to bring Martz back, but that the front office wants to get rid of him.
With the Jets eliminated form the playoffs, the terms of compensation for the trade that brought quarterback Brett Favre to New York are almost complete.
Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports, the Packers will get a third-round pick for Favre.
The base value of the trade was a fourth-round pick. With Favre playing in more than 50 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, the pick upgraded to a third-round selection.
But Schefter also points out, that the Jets will get a seventh-round pick back from the Packers in 2010 if Favre retires after one season with the Jets.
On Saturday, NBC will televise the Falcons-Cardinals game at 4:30 p.m. EST. At 8:00 p.m. EST, NBC will broadcast the Colts at the Chargers.
On Sunday, the Ravens will visit the Dolphins at 1:00 p.m. EST on CBS. At 4:30 p.m. EST on FOX, the Eagles will face the Vikings in Minnesota.
According to profootballtalk.com, Chiefs running back Larry Johnson doesn't want to return to Kansas City.
“It has everything to do with the environment,” running back Larry Johnson said after Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Bengals. ”The city is tired of me, and the organization and I have run our course together. It’s time to move on for me. There could be 100 changes. It’s time for me to go.”
His cap number is extremely high and it will be difficult for the Chiefs to just take that cap hit by cutting Johnson
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Browns owner Randy Lerner has fired Browns GM Phil Savage. The firing came before the season finale on Sunday.
The decision reportedly arose from “problems with Savage’s communication and leadership skills.”
