Tag: NFLPA

Azeez Al-Shaair suspended three games? Not so fast for Texans LB

Azeez Al-Shaair should have an answer on his suspension in the coming days after making his case on Wedensday.

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was hit with a three-game suspension on Tuesday from the NFL office following his hit against Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

It might be three games now, but Al-Shaair is going to do his best to lessen the penalty.

According to multiple reports, Al-Shaair will meet with the NFLPA representative on Wednesday afternoon to appeal his suspension. While the suspension likely will be upheld, it could be reduced to either one or two games.

Al-Shaair was ejected following the hit that left Lawrence in concussion protocol during the second quarter of a 23-20 win. On Tuesday, Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, wrote that the linebacker was involved in a play that the league considers “unacceptable and a serious violation of playing rules.”

“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,” Runyan wrote. “Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.”

Texans general manager Nick Caserio defended Al-Shaair, ripping the NFL for its wording in the letter of Al-Shaair’s character.

“Nobody embodies our program more than Azeez — what he’s about, what he’s been through,” Caserio said. “There’s not a more selfless individual more about the team, who has earned the respect, that represents everything we want this program to be about.”

This isn’t the first time the Texans have had to deal with a suspension because of on-field play. Last season, Denzel Perryman was suspended three games for violating the league’s player safety policy. Following the appeal, it was reduced to two games.

Al-Shaair, the Texans’ defensive captain, has been fined twice this season due to on-field play. He was fined $11,817 for an incident in Week 2 against the Bears after punching running back Roschon Johnson following an altercation with multiple Bears players.

Al-Shaair was also fined 11,255 for hitting Titans running back Tony Pollard out of bounds in Week 12.

Should the suspension be upheld, Al-Shaair would forfeit $112,745 per game, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Vikings organization gets glowing reviews in 2024 NFLPA report card

For the second year in a row, the Minnesota Vikings are one of the top organizations in the NFL according to an annual survey from the NFLPA

For the second year in a row, the NFLPA has released their annual report card evaluating each team in the league. This report card aims to evaluate every team in the league on how they are viewed across the league by the players who play for them.

Each year, the NFLPA sends out surveys to every player in the league, and their answers are recorded anonymously to produce the report cards. Each team is ranked 1-32 based on answers in 11 different categories, such as how players feel about the head coach, owner, training staff, food, etc.

For the second year in a row, the Minnesota Vikings are one of the league’s standout organizations. Across the survey’s 11 categories, the Vikings were ranked either first or second in eight of them. Of the three the Vikings fell outside the top 2, they ranked no lower than 9th.

According to the players, the Vikings were the top team in terms of their treatment of players’ families, the nutritionist/dietician on staff, the locker room environment, and their strength and conditioning coaches. Minnesota came in second regarding their training room, team travel accommodations, the head coach, and the team’s ownership.

The Vikings’ two worst scores were for their training staff (9th in the league) and their weight room (8th in the league).

The survey goes on to break each category down further, giving examples of what players said about each category to earn the rankings. The Vikings were singled out for their family room at the stadium and for providing daycare for players’ children on gameday.

On the low end, only 88% of players felt they received enough one-on-one treatment from the training staff, and felt that the staff only moderately contributed to their success.

Regarding head coach Kevin O’Connell, 98% of the players believed that O’Connell is efficient with their time, and the players stated that O’Connell is “very willing to listen to the locker room”.

All this paints a picture of an organization that is doing things the right way, and has built an environment that players want to be a part of. That’s clear in players like Aaron Jones wanting to come to the Vikings after spending his entire career with division rival Green Bay.

Only the Miami Dolphins got a better overall score from the players than the Vikings.

Denzel Ward rewarded for his off-the-field work

Star Cleveland Browns’ cornerback Denzel Ward was named the Week 7 NFLPA Community MVP for his foundation’s work in preventing cardiac arrest

Star Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward was named the Week 7 NFLPA Community MVP. Ward through his charity, Make Them Know Your Name Foundation, placed 100 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout Cleveland. Cardiac health has been vital to Ward since his father passed from a cardiac arrest in 2016.

Ward hosted a CPR training class in October as part of the Browns’ official launch announcement of their new facilities. Ward was one of 11 NFL players to serve in the American Heart Association’s 2024 Nation of Lifesavers Player Ambassador class.

For winning the award, the NFLPA will donate $10,000 to Ward’s foundation or charity of choice. Ward is also eligible for the Alan Page Community Award, the NFLPA’s highest player honor, including an additional $100,000 donation.

Ward has given his all to Cleveland since returning home in 2018. On the field, he’s been one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s been an even better leader off the field. The Browns are lucky to have a high-character player who is easy to root for while the team struggles.

Titans’ Ernest Jones IV named NFLPA Community MVP of the Week

Titans’ linebacker Ernest Jones IV was named the NFLPA’s Community MVP of the week after providing meals to those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Ernest Jones IV joined the Tennessee Titans this year via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Jones has been an integral part of Dennard Wilson’s defense, but this week, we are discussing his off-field actions. Jones provided 400 meals to those in his hometown impacted by Hurricane Helene, leading him to be named the NFL Player’s Association Community MVP for Week 6.

“The storm hit us pretty bad,” Jones said on Thursday. “I had free time and was like, ‘Let’s give out some free food.'”

“It’s just a blessing to be a blessing, honestly. Everyone was super excited. I don’t get to go back home for a lot of the events I do have, so everyone was excited to see me. It was a good time.”

This isn’t the first time Jones has given back to his hometown of Waycross, Georgia. For the past two years, he has hosted Back-to-School giveaways to ensure that kids have the backpacks and supplies they need for the school year. And this won’t be the last time we see Jones giving back, either.

“It was just good to be able to uplift the community,” Jones said. “I said if I was ever blessed with that opportunity, I would do that.”

He’s holding true to his word, and the Titans are lucky to have a player like Jones among its ranks.[lawrence-related id=151820,151808,151778]

NFPLA goes public with plea to give Cowboys, NFL teams more privacy

How much does instant access matter anymore in a world where players can reach fans in milliseconds? | From @KDDrummondNFL

“That’s just the way it is,” is no longer acceptable. Things from yesteryear, that have been staples because they had to be, can be changed when the circumstances do. Back in the day, the NFL wasn’t a multi-billion dollar business. There was a time when they struggled to capture the nation’s attention, falling far behind college football, baseball and even boxing on the sports landscape.

There was a need to do any and everything to allow newspaper reporters access to players to help socialize the game and get more people involved. Letting reporters interview players in the lockerroom directly after a game was a necessity. The advent of television, recording, the internet and eventually social media has changed all of that. And now, the NFLPA is saying enough with the lack of privacy, there are other ways for the media to get player quotes to the public.

On Friday, the league’s players association went public with their plea for the NFL to agree to changes to the policy.

“Over the past three years, the NFLPA has tried to work with the NFL and Pro Football Writers of America to move media interviews out of locker rooms. However, there has been little willingness to collaborate on a new solution. Players feel that locker room interviews invade their privacy and are uncomfortable. This isn’t about limiting media access but avout respecting players’ privacy and dignity.

The NFL’s current media policy is outdated. We, the NFLPA Executive Committee, urge the NFL to make immediate changes to foster a more respectful and safer workplace for all players. In the meantime, we encourage each player to ask for interviews outside the locker room during the week.” – NFLP via Twitter

The reality is, through social media accounts, podcasts and dozens of outlets, there’s numerous opportunities for fans to get insight from players. Will there be something lost in the raw post-game emotion that’s captured in locker room interviews? Most definitely. Is it a fair tradeoff? Probably.

Pretty soon, there will be no more of these incidents…

Nate Wiggins Named Week 5 NFLPA Community MVP after incredible gesture

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins was named the Week 5 NFLPA Community MVP, becoming just the third rookie to earn the award

Nate Wiggins has hit the ground running on and off the field.

The team announced that the Baltimore Ravens rookie cornerback has been named the Week 5 NFLPA Community MVP.

Wiggins partnered with the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation to celebrate the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative by providing a spa day at M&T Bank Stadium.

“There’s just a lot of people I know that have battled cancer in the past,” Wiggins said. “I just wanted to help the community and the ladies with breast cancer.”

“Thank God for these wonderful people who are taking time out of their busy schedule to come and make us feel really good,” cancer survivor Dozetta Lewis said. “I want to thank them very, very much.”

The event in the Ravens’ locker room also included makeovers, massages, a make-your-own-flower bouquet, food, and the chance to hang out with the players.

Through Wiggins’ Wiggs Worldwide Foundation, each woman received a custom-fitted wig. The event was part of Wiggins’ “Wiggs For Warriors” campaign, which aims to donate 200 wigs to those impacted by breast cancer in his hometowns of Atlanta and Baltimore.

In winning the Community MVP, the NFLPA will make a $10,000 donation to Wiggins’ foundation or charity of choice.

Wiggins is the fourth Raven to earn the award, following Torrey Smith (2014), Justin Forsett (2016), and Brandon Williams (2016).

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Steelers face logistical challenges to facilities upgrades

The Steelers are trying to improve their failing facilities grades.

When the NFL handed out grades for all 32 teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers bombed in the area of facilities. Teams were graded across the board from training facilities, food service, weight room, lockers and more. Pittsburgh was at or near the bottom in a majority of categories prompting the team to look for some solutions.

New Executive Director of the NFLPA Lloyd Howell Jr. visited the Steelers facilities to help with this undertaking but he and the team realized there are some logistical concerns with any upgrades to the team facilities.

“Over time, what we’re looking for is steady improvement,” Howell said. “We’re not looking for the Four Seasons of all training facilities, but certainly efforts to be responsive, starting with the training room, starting with the number of trainers and eventually we can get to the physical aspect of the facility when the economics and everything work out.”

According to Steelers writer Joe Rutter, the problems are logistical with the location of the team’s facilities. Rutter said there are railroad tracks on one side, a river on another an an office complex on a third. The Steelers are bottled in as far as space goes so it might come down to upgrading what they have and maximizing the real estate they have.

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NFL last-minute rule change won’t impact Cowboys’ strategic roster approach to QB

The NFLPA changed a rule at the last minute, but because of the Cowboys’ unique QB situation they were exempt in a different way. | From @KDDrummondNFL

“And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids!”

That’s may be what several NFL head coaches and front office teams are saying to the NFLPA after a rule change was pulled out from underneath them like the mask of a villain in a Scooby-Doo cartoon, but that likely doesn’t pertain to Mike McCarthy and Will McClay.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that the NFLPA has reversed course and has nixed the ability of teams to elevate an emergency third QB from their practice squad an unlimited amount of times during the regular season, a new wrinkle that was to be added for this season.

Important note as teams construct their initial 53-man rosters: NFL teams were informed that the NFLPA vetoed the revised Emergency 3rd Quarterback rule that would have allowed teams to elevate a bona fide QB from the practice squad an unlimited number of times. So, the rule reverted to the 2023 version, which says the emergency third QB must be on the 53-man roster, not an elevation.

Teams will have to use one of each players three allowed elevations for the season and then the QB must join the main roster. Dallas is unique here as the Cowboys have an interesting dynamic at quarterback behind starter Dak Prescott.

The club has a steady, capable presence in long-time Prescott support man Cooper Rush, who has been proven capable of winning games in Prescott’s absence. They also have a young, unproven guy in Trey Lance they hope could be a future star but currently isn’t ready to take on a more serious role.

Spots on the 53-man roster are precious commodities, and it doesn’t behoove a team to keep three quarterbacks on the depth chart if they don’t have to, especially to start a season. A few years ago, Dallas released Rush during final cuts and rolled into the regular season with only Prescott on the roster. Rush and the team had an agreement; as a vested veteran he wasn’t subject to a waiver claim and agreed to rejoin the Cowboys practice squad.

There, he was elevated each of the first three weeks of the season as teams are allowed to do twice a week with a maximum of three elevations per player.

Because of Lance’s guaranteed bonus money ($4.25 million) and upside, he’s going to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. But that doesn’t mean that he’s necessarily the best option to back up Prescott, at least not right now.

So it’s very feasible the Cowboys release Rush, get the extra room on their 53-man roster to keep another player they are concerned wouldn’t make it to the practice squad. Rush goes on the squad, but he’s elevated for the first three weeks of the season and is Prescott’s backup.

Lance could be the emergency third QB, but inactive on game days, but because the Cowboys are going to have him on the main roster regardless, they can operate separate from this rule.

Vetoed rule makes Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s pathway to the 53-man roster clearer

A third QB now becomes an almost certainty.

Originally rostering just two quarterbacks a year ago, Dorian Thompson-Robinson won the backup quarterback job. A year later, he has done all that he can to make sure that he remains on the initial 53-man roster in Cleveland.

And due to a rule change veto by the NFL Players Association, his pathway to staying on the active roster just got clearer. This offseason, a rule change was enacted that would allow for teams to promote a practice squad quarterback every week as an emergency third quarterback that would not count against the gameday roster.

However, the NFLPA has vetoed that rule (according to Tom Pelissero), so that the third quarterback who is designated as the emergency player on gameday either has to use one of their practice squad elevations or has to be a member of the 53-man roster.

For a team that had as many struggles with quarterbacks as the Browns did a year ago, they must retain Thompson-Robinson on their active roster in case of emergency. He has proven to leap in year two thus far, and as the third-string quarterback, he still has plenty of opportunities to learn and let the information soak in.

Keep the young man around.

NFLPA vetoes NFL’s emergency 3rd QB rule change; what does it mean for Zach Wilson?

The NFLPA vetoed the NFL’s rule to give practice squad QBs a game-day roster exemption, another good sign for Zach Wilson to make the 53.

Last year, the NFL introduced a new rule that allowed an emergency third-string quarterback to not count against a team’s game-day roster limit. There was a catch, though. The QB was only eligible if he was on the 53-man roster — practice squad QBs were not a loophole.

This year, the NFL intended to revise the rule to allow QBs to be elevated from the practice squad an unlimited amount of times during the season (the limit for other positions is three elevations). The NFLPA has vetoed that rule change, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“Allowing teams to elevate the third QB each week would have amounted to a sort of legal stashing, which the union doesn’t want,” Pelissero tweeted on Monday. “Of course, teams can still elevate an extra QB from the practice squad — they just wouldn’t get an exemption from the game-day roster limit.”

So, how does this impact the Denver Broncos?

If coach Sean Payton wants to have an emergency third quarterback not count against the game-day roster limit, that quarterback needs to be on the 53-man roster. That’s good news for third-string quarterback Zach Wilson.

Wilson might not have cleared waivers even if the Broncos did try to drop him down to the practice squad, and Payton has already indicated Denver plans to carry all three QBs — Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Wilson — on the active roster this season.

If there was any question that Wilson’s spot might be in jeopardy, though, the NFLPA not allowing a practice squad emergency QB should secure him a place on the Broncos’ 53-man roster this fall.

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