Tag: physical

Kene Nwangwu signs with the New York Jets practice squad

After failing the New Orleans Saints’ entry physical, former All-Pro kick returner Kene Nwangwu signed with the New York Jets practice squad:

Kene Nwangwu has found a new home with the New York Jets as a member of their practice squad, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. This means he passed their physical which was not the case in New Orleans.

The New Orleans Saints initially claimed Nwangwu in August after he was waived by the Minnesota Vikings. The vision was that he could pair with Rashid Shaheed to give the Saints two All-Pro returners. With the NFL looking to increase the amount of kickoff returns, this combination could have paid dividends for the squad.

Unfortunately, we were never able to see this as the Saints failed Nwangwu’s physical. It wasn’t revealed what exactly led to the failed test, but it has been a week and a half since then. It was either something minor or this is an example of how all team physicals aren’t the same.

For the Jets, this is their second attempt at adding a dynamic kick returner. New York now adds Nwangwu to the practice squad. Expect him to be called up to the active game-day roster at least once. If he’s productive, he has a skillset that creates an easy path to the 53-man roster.

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Kene Nwangwu waived due to failed physical a day after signing

Kene Nwangwu offered a potentially exciting kick return duo with Rashid Shaheed, but a failed physical stopped that thought in its tracks.

There was immediate excitement when the New Orleans Saints claimed running back Kene Nwangwu off waivers Wednesday. Unfortunately, Nwangwu failed his physical on Wednesday which led to him hitting waivers again.

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was familiar with Nwangwu from his time in Minnesota. Nwangwu offered explosion that would have made a slightly bigger sample size an interesting possibility in New Orleans. His primary role would be as a returner, though.

Nwangwu was an All-Pro returner in 2022 and could have paired with fellow All-Pro returner, Rashid Shaheed, to give the Saints a dangerous tandem under the new return rules.

Prior to signing Nwangwu, Mason Tipton, Taysom Hill and Alontae Taylor joined Shaheed in taking kick return reps at practice.

Report: Rookie TE Joel Wilson did not pass his Saints physical

Report: Central Michigan TE Joel Wilson did not pass his physical, meaning he did not sign with the New Orleans Saints:

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This is a bummer: SI.com’s John Hendrix reports that rookie tight end Joel Wilson did not pass his entrance physical with the New Orleans Saints, meaning he didn’t sign with the team after all. The undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan suffered a season-ending ankle injury on a touchdown reception last November, and though he was able to complete some pre-draft athletic testing it did limit what he was able to do.

So how does this shake up the roster at tight end? The Saints expect Foster Moreau to be on the field next week after completing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this spring, pairing him with Juwan Johnson on top of the depth chart. Second-year pro Lucas Krull is still in the mix, as is veteran free agent pickup Miller Forristall, and Taysom Hill is technically still listed as a tight end (even if he rarely lines up there).

We’ll see if the Saints sign another player here. They invited a couple of tight ends to try out at rookie minicamp this weekend in Cethan Carter (Nebraska) and Jamal Turner (Toledo), so maybe one of them makes a strong impression.

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Foster Moreau returns to finish his New Orleans Saints physical

It’s possible Foster Moreau still signs with his hometown Saints, though he has higher priorities than football after his cancer diagnosis:

This was a bit of a surprise: free agent tight end Foster Moreau returned to the New Orleans Saints team facility on Tuesday to finish the physical he started last week, which was interrupted by his shocking cancer diagnosis. Moreau remains in high spirits about the situation, and has said he intends to continue playing once this is behind him. He’s optimistic he could play for a team this season if his treatment goes well.

Saints News Network’s John Hendrix reports that, “The outlook for Moreau is that it’s a matter of when he’ll play again, not if,” which was echoed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. It’s very possible that a team like the Saints could sign Moreau and put him on the non-football injury list until he’s cleared to play, where he wouldn’t count against the roster limit.

NFL rules stipulate that players on the NFI list may be activated as soon as Week 5 (Oct. 9 last year), which would line up with the general timetable Moreau has said he’s working with in treatment. He would need time to get into playing shape even after being activated, but if the Saints are willing to work with him that patience might be rewarded. We’ll have to see how this unique situation develops further.

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Free agent TE Foster Moreau announces lymphoma diagnosis after Saints physical

Free agent tight end Foster Moreau announced his lymphoma diagnosis, discovered in a routine physical with New Orleans Saints medical staff:

This is tragic news. Free agent tight end Foster Moreau announced Wednesday evening that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after a routine physical with the New Orleans Saints, and that he will be stepping away from football to battle cancer.

It’s truly unfortunate for Moreau, a former fourth-round draft pick by the Raiders who had hoped to suit up for his hometown Saints — he was born and raised in New Orleans, where he graduated from Jesuit High School and went on to play for the LSU Tigers in college.

Moreau is right to describe the discovery as miraculous, but the Saints have a surprising history of unearthing serious medical concerns in their players. Long snapper Jon Dorenbos learned he had an aortic aneurysm that required open-heart surgery back in 2017, the same summer in which former Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley was diagnosed with a career-ending heart issue. It’s a relief that these problems were found and addressed before they could become life-threatening. We’ll wish Moreau a swift and full recovery

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Seahawks release LB Ben Burr-Kirven after failed physical

The Seattle Seahawks released linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven after a failed physical designation in the wake of Chris Carson’s retirement.

In the aftermath of running back Chris Carson’s retirement from the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks have handed linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven his walking papers after a failed physical designation.

Seattle drafted Burr-Kirven in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington. Throughout his three-year career thus far, he has rarely seen the field on defense but has been used extensively on special teams, where he has thrived.

Burr-Kirven suffered a torn ACL in the preseason last year and missed the entire 2021 season as a result. He would be released by the Seahawks on July 26 after failing his physical.

Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton are expected to lead the linebacker corps in 2022 with the releases of Bobby Wagner and Burr-Kirven, while Rashaad Penny and rookie Kenneth Walker III will receive significant playing time in replacing Carson at running back.

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Chris Carson saw numerous specialists but still couldn’t pass physical

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson saw numerous medical specialists but still couldn’t pass his physical leading to his release.

The Seattle Seahawks released running back Chris Carson on Tuesday with a failed physical designation due to a neck injury he sustained last year. The team had waited patiently all offseason with the hopes that Carson would eventually recover.

“It’s a big disappointment,” general manager John Schneider said via the team’s press release. “We took it as long as we possibly could with him, he saw a number of specialists, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to pass our physical.”

Carson was sidelined early last season after the injury and was not able to return to finish the year. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carson will hold off making an official retirement statement for now in the hopes of a dramatic improvement in the future.

“He’s been an incredible pro, a guy who brings an amazing energy about him,” Schneider continued. “His running style is what we’ve always wanted here in Seattle. He’s the type of runner that the whole team feeds off of. The type of player defensive players get off the bench to watch him run—they can feel his energy.

“He’s the type of runner whose style affects the whole team, not just the offense.”

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WATCH: Tua Tagovailoa talks about relationship with Ryan Fitzpatrick

Former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa tells the media about his relationship with veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and how he’s helping him.

Former Alabama star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is getting adjusted to his new life as an NFL signal caller with the Miami Dolphins. Part of the adjustment is getting acquainted with the incumbent quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Despite being the No. 5 overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft, Tagovailoa is not expected to immediately start for the South Florida franchise. This is due to his hip injury from last November, and it also allows him more time to establish a presence within the team and learn the playbook.

While he may be No. 2 on the depth chart, he has already been a focal point for Dolphins fans and NFL fans, alike.

During Thursday’s virtual media availability Tagovailoa showed up wearing a Fitzpatrick jersey and had high praise for the veteran traveling quarterback.

Will Manso, the Sports Director for WPLG in Miami posted a clip from the online press conference that showed Tagovailoa discussing his relationship with Fitzpatrick.

The 2018 Heisman finalist talks about recently meeting Fitzpatrick’s family for the first time via FaceTime. He commends the 37-year old quarterback for being a family man and a leader.

A funny anecdote within the story tells of Fitzpatrick forgetting to introduce Tagovaioa to two of his six children.

“To me, it’s kind of mind boggling how down to earth he is,” Tagovailoa says. “It’s one of those things where this guy gets it. I don’t know what it is, but he gets it. The saying goes true. it says, ‘if you want to get somewhere fast, you go it alone, but if you want to do it with purpose, you bring people with you.'”

Tagovailoa also praises Fitzpatrick for supporting and “promoting” himself and Josh Rosen.

You can watch the full clip below.

There’s no telling when Tagoavailoa will make his NFL debut. Videos have been posted of him participating at full speed with no limitations in Dolphins training camp, which is a good sign that he’s on schedule to appear in-game during the 2020 season.

Quinton Dunbar has some catching up to do in Seahawks training camp

Seattle’s newest cornerback, Quinton Dunbar, has some catching up to do in Seahawks training camp now that he’s off the NFL’s exempt list.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar missed valuable time with his teammates as he waited on the NFL’s exempt list after his arrest for armed robbery earlier in May. Once the prosecutor declined to file charges, Dunbar was removed from the list and could resume team activities.

Dunbar can start practicing with his teammates as soon as Friday after he completes his COVID-19 testing and passes his physical at the VMAC.

Coach Pete Carroll is excited to see what Dunbar can bring to the field.

“He’s a good football player,” Carroll said Wednesday after practice. “He’s a playmaking guy, very creative, really good consistency over his years, he’s good size, really good tackler – I think he didn’t miss a tackle last year or something crazy like that. So he just adds to the competition, should make us better. He’s going to put the pressure on our guys to step up once he gets going.”

But Dunbar will need to catch up quickly after sitting out the first two weeks of camp.

“He’s a ways behind right now because he’s missing this time, and we need to make sure he’s in good shape, get him started well, but very competitive player,” Carroll continued. “We’re just trying to get a little bit better at a lot of places, and he might help us do that.”

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Quinton Dunbar could take physical and practice as soon as Friday

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar could take his physical and practice with his teammates as soon as Friday.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar has had quite the week.

First, the Broward County Prosecutor declined to file armed robbery charges against him for lack of evidence. Second, he was removed from the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List and allowed to return to Renton to join his teammates at training camp.

But before Dunbar can attend practice, he must complete the mandatory COVID-19 testing, with three negative tests over a four-day period. Next, Dunbar will need to pass his physical.

Coach Pete Carroll believes that could happen as soon as Friday.

“He’s here, he’s in town already, going through the protocol,” Carroll told reporters Wednesday after practice. “I think his day is Friday – the first day he can really be here. Until then, he’s got to log the days and the testing and all that. Get his physical done – I think his physical is on Friday. That’s a marker. Once you get to that day, you are ready to re-enter.”

Dunbar could be re-entering just in time to see some action on the field before the Seahawks take a break on Saturday.

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