Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The NFL is considering a rule change on a potentially dangerous tackle and are looking at playing surfaces.
This week at the NFL owners meetings, several big items were on the agenda. Here’s a quick look at some of the most important points they discussed and if they apply to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brandon Staley told reporters on Monday that the Chargers have no timeline relative to J.C. Jackson’s return in 2023.
When the Chargers signed cornerback J.C. Jackson in 2022, hopes were high that they would have a lockdown corner to form one of the NFL’s top secondaries. Though the unit thrived last season, Jackson only saw action in a handful of games before his season ended due to injury, which had a major impact on the depth in their defensive backfield.
In his comments on Monday, Brandon Staley gave a brief update on Jackson’s injury, though his words won’t allay fans’ concerns about his return to the field in 2023. Asked about the cornerback’s disposition at present, Staley told reporters that his status is unclear.
“[We have] no timeline,” Staley explained. “He’s at the facility, just kind of same as [usual]. Improving. It’s good to see him on a day-to-day basis.”
Continuing his comments, Staley expressed Los Angeles’ unwavering commitment to having Jackson in an integral role in the Chargers’ defense and made it clear that he and his staff will re-evaluate the cornerback’s performance based on what they saw last season.
“What we’ve tried to do is look at training camp,” Staley said, “that’s when our purest evaluation of J.C. Jackson occurred. And we love J.C. Jackson. We have a lot of belief in this guy as a player. He showed us exactly why we went out and signed him.”
While the uncertainty surrounding his status for the 2023 season is certainly less than ideal, Jackson seems poised to make a huge difference for the Chargers’ defense if he manages to get back on the field at full strength. With the rest of the offseason to recover and rehabilitate, a more thorough update from Staley should be expected later this summer as the team works through OTAs and training camp.
For now, Michael Davis, who had a stellar 2022 season, will start on the outside alongside Asante Samuel Jr. Ja’Sir Taylor is slated to be the starting slot corner. But the depth behind them leaves a lot to be desired, with Deane Leonard and Michael Jacquet as the only backups. This is a position that the Chargers could upgrade in the draft next month.
Miami was a central topic of discussion.
The Miami Dolphins have had arguably the busiest offseason of any team in the NFL, as they’ve made a number of moves to improve their team after missing the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.
Whether it was firing their head coach, hiring a new one, retaining their top two free agents, signing the biggest name on the market or trading for an All-Pro wide receiver, the Dolphins have had their names plastered all over the news cycle. So, it’s no surprise that at this year’s owners’ meetings, the team down in South Florida was at the top of everyone’s minds.
Here’s what coaches and general managers had to say about the Dolphins, transcribed by the Miami Herald.
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has impacted the NBA and college sports. What affect could it have on the NFL, which is still in its offseason?
One of the benefits of the NFL kicking off its slate of training camps in late July is it is well out of the way of cold and flu season. The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is in the same family of viruses and one theory is it should all simmer down by the summer.
The NBA has suspended its season. Major colleges, universities, and their conferences have altered their spectator attendance and media access to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Will the NFL similarly be affected?
The next convocation upcoming on the offseason schedule is the annual league meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. Michael Colangelo from the Touchdown Wire speculates that could be the first NFL event impacted by the coronavirus.
The League Meeting will probably go off without a hitch but it may not be covered as heavily by the press as it has been in recent years. Maybe the owners decide to ban all media members. After all, said media members will be coming in from all parts of the country and put on planes with a bunch of people who are traveling.
Most NFL owners fall into demographic categories that are more susceptible to greater health problems when infected with COVID-19. The disease is statistically worse for people above 70 and that describes a bunch of owners and some coaches are close to 70 as well. They could practice social distancing in press conferences, but the owners may not want to take the chance.
The math alone suggests the owners meetings will be impacted. If only the team’s designated voter, general manager, and coach attend, that is 96 people coming from states that have already had confirmed coronavirus cases. Throw in at least two beat writers per club, and the number of attendees increases to 160, and even this number is not realistic because ownership goes as a family, coaches bring their families, and even media members will bring along friends and relatives.
The NBA showed strong leadership in suspending their season until the spread of the virus gets under control. Expect the NFL to take similar precautions in the offseason so they don’t have to make such a bold decision during the regular season.
