The 2023 NFL season kicks off in less than two weeks, and teams across the league are fine-tuning their rosters.
As clubs close out pre-season matchups and prepare for the real deal, we’ve rounded up some of the latest news and notes to keep you updated.
Broncos’ comeback campaign takes a step back
The Denver Broncos are trying to put last season’s woes behind them, but it appears the injury bug might not let them. Nearing the end of what’s been a rough training camp offensively — the team has already lost Tim Patrick for the season, KJ Hamler is dealing with a health issue, and Jalen Virgil and Brandon Johnson have both missed time — the team suffered another big blow on Thursday when Jerry Jeudy was carted off the practice field.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton later told reporters it was a hamstring issue, and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold reported that the star "is expected to miss at least several weeks."
This won’t be the first time Jeudy’s forced to miss time due to injury. The fourth-year receiver, selected 15th overall in 2020, was sidelined three games last season and six in 2021 due to an ankle injury, and has yet to play a complete season.
The spotlight on rookie receiver Marvin Mims Jr., already bright after the injury to Patrick, now intensifies as the Broncos try to piece together a group of weapons around quarterback Russell Wilson.
Raiders not interested in trading Jacobs
The 2023 season is just two weeks away, and yet we still don’t know what to expect from last year’s rushing champ, Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders. Jacobs has been holding out as he refuses to sign his franchise tender one year after the team declined his fifth-year option.
Per reports, the Raiders aren’t interested in trading their star running back.
And, as reported by The Athletic's Vic Tafur, there aren’t any updates on the situation from either head coach Josh McDaniels — “Nothing’s changed,” he said Wednesday — or GM Dave Ziegler, who echoed his coach Thursday when he said, “Nothing new to add right now on that, so we’ll just keep pushing forward.”
Colts set deadline for Taylor trade talks
Vegas may not be entertaining trade discussions with their rushing leader, but the Colts are clearly taking a different approach when it comes to their own feature back. Earlier this week, the team granted Jonathan Taylor and his representation permission to seek trade partners, but it’s since been reported that those talks have a strict timeline. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts have given Taylor until Tuesday to find a suitable trade partner.
This won’t be an easy one to complete. The Colts reportedly want a return valued at a first-round pick or something similar, and the team that is willing to hand that over must also be prepared to meet Taylor’s sizeable contract demands. Complicating things, too, is Taylor’s health. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury at training camp, which has held him from practicing but remains an unknown.
Clowney happy about new assignment in Baltimore
Earlier this month, free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney signed a one-year deal with the Ravens, making the jump from Cleveland to Baltimore.
He looked pretty happy about his new surroundings during a media availability this week. The former Brown knows this team well — and is well-versed in how difficult an opponent his new quarterback can be, sharing his relief with reporters that he won’t need to try to chase down Jackson this year for a change:
Richardson shows potential (and ruffles feathers) in Philly
The Indianapolis Colts emerged victorious over the Philadelphia Eagles in their final pre-season outing, but the biggest win was the progress of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. While the fourth overall pick certainly wasn’t perfect, he was fun to watch and showed off plenty of speed. There are still a lot of question marks, but the Colts are clearly all in on their rookie and getting him reps — this was his second pre-season outing, and he’s already been tabbed as the Week 1 starter.
As much excitement as there is around his potential, the move that earned him the most headlines Thursday night was his “Fly Eagles Fly” celebration… which he said post-game was all in good fun. Clearly, the rookie’s enjoying himself, which is great to see.
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