Tag: suspension

Prosecutors drop charges against Broncos DL Eyioma Uwazurike

Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against Eyioma Uwazurike, but the Broncos’ defensive lineman remains suspended by the NFL.

The NFL handed down an indefinite suspension to Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike last year for breaking the league’s gambling policy.

In addition to the NFL’s suspension, Uwazurike also faced potential legal repercussions. On Friday, the criminal charges were dropped due to the investigation “exceeding [the] scope of permitted use of tracking software,” according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.

The criminal charges have been dropped, but Uwazurike remains suspended and away from the team. Broncos coach Sean Payton criticized the NFL’s stipulations for suspended players last summer.

“[W]e’re going to send them home for a year, where they can’t be around,” Payton said in an interview with USA TODAY‘s Jarrett Bell last July. “The idea that you just go away — shame on us.”

Uwazurike will be eligible to petition for reinstatement on July 24. There’s no guarantee the NFL will grant a reinstatement, but the criminal charges being dropped could, in theory, make Uwazurike more likely to return in 2024.

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New Orleans Saints to release starting safety Marcus Maye

The New Orleans Saints intend to release starting safety Marcus Maye at the start of the league year, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz:

The New Orleans Saints plan to release starting safety Marcus Maye when the new league year kicks off on March 13, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Maye had missed as many games (17) as he played for New Orleans (17) due to several injuries and a suspension over his two years with the team.

So it’s not too surprising that he’s being let go. Maye was due to count $9.6 million against the salary cap in 2024, the last year of his contract, and the Saints decided it’s worth more to replace him than keep it going. What’s curious is how they’re doing it.

If the Saints are simply cutting Maye loose they’ll have to pay more than $8.4 million against the cap in dead money, meaning they’re saving just $1.1 million by parting ways. But if they’re using one of their two post-June 1 cut designations on Maye, it means they’ll save the $1.1 million now and get another $6 million in savings over the summer to use to sign their rookie draft class and maybe some free agents for training camp. They’ll spread out the dead money with cap hits of $2.4 million in 2024 and $6 million in 2025, but again, the big savings won’t hit until June 2.

Which complicates things. Remember, teams are only allowed to use two of these designations. If the Saints are burning one of them on Maye then it means they can’t use it on one of the other two players who are seen as candidates for the post-June 1 release: Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas. Both players have firm deadlines to be released or extended so this isn’t a move the Saints are taking lightly. It means they’ve already decided which of them will be staying and who will be going.

Winston currently has a salary cap hit of $4.5 million but it’ll grow by about $100 million if he’s still on the roster by March 16, which means the Saints must tear up his contract and sign a new one or let him leave in free agency. Thomas is in a similar position with a $12.4 million cap hit. Releasing either of them with the post-June 1 designation would only save about $1.2 million, so this is all more procedural than actually helpful for the salary cap.

So stay tuned for clarity on Maye’s release and its impact on the Saints’ cap situation. What’s certain is that they must make their outgoing free agents at safety (guys like Johnathan Abram, Lonnie Johnson, and Ugo Amadi) priorities to re-sign. They should also consider additions in the draft or free agency to compete with Jordan Howden for the starting job next to Tyrann Mathieu — who, it should be noted, has played well in New Orleans and could sign an extension to finish his career in his hometown.

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How Jimmy Garoppolo’s suspension could impact Broncos’ quarterback plans

Jimmy Garoppolo’s two-game suspension might impact the Broncos’ quarterback plans this offseason. Here’s why.

The NFL handed down a two-game suspension to Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on Friday after he violated the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.

Garoppolo will now have to sit out the first two games of the 2024 season, and he is expected to be released by Las Vegas in the coming weeks. The QB’s suspension could have ramifications not only for the Raiders but also for the Denver Broncos (and any other team potentially interested in the QB).

Even before the suspension, Las Vegas was widely expected to release Garoppolo this spring. Had that happened under ordinary circumstances, the Raiders would have still owed the QB a significant portion of his contract. That would have allowed a team like the Broncos to sign Garoppolo to a bargain deal while Las Vegas paid most of his salary in 2024.

Instead, Garoppolo’s suspension will now void his $11.25 million salary guarantee, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. With the Raiders no longer set to pay the QB following his (expected) release, Garoppolo’s next club will have to pay him at the market rate.

It’s unclear what Garoppolo will expect to be paid on his next deal (especially when he’ll be unavailable for two games), but his contract with Las Vegas averaged $24.25 million per season. He’s probably not going to get that much from his next team, but Garoppolo won’t be a bargain signing, either.

All of this seemingly makes Denver much less likely to sign Garoppolo this offseason. If the Broncos had a plan to bring in a veteran to mentor a young rookie QB, Garoppolo not being available for the first two weeks of the season would put a lot of pressure on QB2 to be ready to start in Week 1. Denver is also currently over the salary cap, so the team can’t afford to give a big contract to a veteran QB in 2024.

If the Broncos release QB Russell Wilson in March as expected, the team would be wise to add another veteran. Garoppolo might not be a bargain candidate, but several other QBs could be (such as Jameis Winston). All we can do is speculate at the moment, but Denver seems less likely to sign Garoppolo following his suspension. NFL free agency will begin March 13.

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California high school basketball coach suspended 6 games for shoe-throwing incident

Keith Wilkinson, the JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) boys basketball head coach and a former USC men’s basketball player, received a six-game suspension for throwing a pair of shoes during the team’s game against Mater Dei last week, according …

Keith Wilkinson, the JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) boys basketball head coach and a former USC men’s basketball player, received a six-game suspension for throwing a pair of shoes during the team’s game against Mater Dei last week, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Wilkinson was ejected from the game and had an automatic one-game suspension. The California Interscholastic Federation – Southern Section (CIF-SS) added five games to the suspension on Friday.

Wilkinson threw his shoe in protest of a non-foul-call on a layup attempt with 3:12 remaining in the game and Mater Dei leading by seven points. The Lions picked up its third loss of the season in the 78-67 defeat at the hands of Mater Dei, which was ranked No. 23 in the opening Super 25 national rankings released on Tuesday.

Here is a replay of the incident. After Wilkinson was ejected, he threw his other shoe at the ground and walked off the court.

Afterward, he said he did not regret throwing the shoe.

“My mentor Tim Floyd would have thrown a chair,” he said.” As mad as people think I am, that was more to have my kids back.”

In the press release announcing the decision on Friday, Wilkinson apologized.

“I accept full responsibility for my actions, and I apologize for letting my emotions to get the best of me,” he said.

JSerra principal Eric Stroupe said the school continues to support Wilkinson, complimenting his tenure as coach and calling his work as an administrative professional “highly exemplary and commendable.”

Since JSerra’s back-to-back losses to Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, the Lions have won two straight games against Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita. The team is 17-3 on the season as of Jan. 13.

The suspension will last through the Jan. 24 rematch against Mater Dei, and Wilkinson will be able to return Jan. 26 against Orange Lutheran.

Broncos have to make a Kareem Jackson decision by Monday

The Broncos have a roster exemption for Kareem Jackson until Monday. A corresponding move is necessary to make room on the 53-man roster.

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson returned to the team this week after completing his four-game suspension for unnecessary roughness.

With Jackson back in the building, the Broncos currently have 54 players on their roster. Denver’s roster exemption for the safety will expire after Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

After the exemption ends, the Broncos will have to make a corresponding move to make room for Jackson on the 53-man roster. Denver coach Sean Payton seemed to indicate Wednesday that the team is not rushing a decision.

“We have until Monday with his roster exemption,” Payton said. “Officially by Monday, if he comes up, someone else has to come down. We’re at 53 plus him, and then we’ll figure out how we’ll handle it relative to this week and going forward.”

Payton was asked Wednesday is it’s possible that Jackson won’t be activated for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

“We’ll see,” Payton said. “It’s been four weeks. All those things are possibilities. It’s still something we’re going through relative to packages.”

P.J. Locke started during Jackson’s suspension and he played well. Payton was noncommittal when asked if Locke will start on Sunday, saying “we’ll see,” but he did praise Locke’s four-game performance.

“There has been a lot of good things,” Payton said. “It’s been a big part of some of the things that we’re doing. He’s done a good job.”

Jackson, 35, and Locke, 26, are both scheduled to become free agents this offseason.

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Colts’ Shane Steichen on suspensions: ‘There are standards’

Shane Steichen didn’t go into details about the suspensions, but he did mention the need for accountability.

The Indianapolis Colts made a somewhat surprising move Tuesday announcing the suspensions of wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie and cornerback Tony Brown for conduct detrimental to the team.

In meeting with the media Wednesday for the first time since those suspensions were announced, head coach Shane Steichen didn’t offer much in the way of details.

But he did mention the standard the team is trying to build.

“I’ll start off, as you guys have seen, we’ve suspended Isaiah McKenzie and Tony Brown. I know you guys are going to have questions regarding specifics, but it’s a matter that we’re handling internally and I’ve got nothing to add on that,” Steichen said.

When asked about the difficulty of deciding to self-impose suspensions, Steichen mentioned the importance of accountability.

“Yeah, no I think there are standards around here and we’ve got to hold people accountable. That’s it,” Steichen said.

Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reported Wednesday that both players’ lockers were cleared out.

It still isn’t clear what led to the team suspending two key special teamers, and it isn’t clear when (or if) we will find out what happened.

What is clear is that Steichen is going to run a tight ship while trying to build a winning culture, something the players seemingly have responded to during the early part of his tenure.

“I think everything is case by case. There are certain things that happen on football teams, but again, there is going to be a standard set around here and people are going to be held accountable.”

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Colts suspend WR Isaiah McKenzie, CB Tony Brown

The Colts suspended WR Isaiah McKenzie and CB Tony Brown for conduct detrimental to the team.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie and cornerback Tony Brown were suspended by the team three games for conduct detrimental to the team.

It isn’t clear what happened behind the scenes, but it explains why both players were healthy scratches during the Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

McKenzie was replaced by rookie Josh Downs as the punt returner in Week 15. He averaged an impressive 12.7 yards per return on three punts during the 30-13 win.

The Colts will have two roster spots to fill so it’s likely some move will be coming as they prepare for the Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

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Kareem Jackson’s 4-game suspension has ended

Kareem Jackson has served his four-game suspension and he is now eligible to return to the Broncos.

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson has served his four-game suspension and he is now eligible to return to the team.

Jackson missed a 42-17 loss to the Detroit Lions, a 24-7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, a 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans and a 29-12 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Jackson was suspended after he led with his helmet to tackle Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs on Sunday Night Football in Week 11. He previously served a two-game suspension earlier this season after an illegal hit on Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in Week 7.

Jackson traveled to New York to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during his suspension.

“I was told that I’m responsible for the offensive guys’ protection,” Jackson said on Dec. 11. “So I’m not really sure how I protect myself, make plays and protect him [the opponent] as well, but that’s what I was told. I’m not really sure what I do moving forward, as far as playing this game. So, hopefully, I’ll figure it out.”

Jackson, 35, might be playing the final season of his career.

To add Jackson back to the 53-man roster, the Broncos will have to make a corresponding roster move. Denver seems unlikely to cut Delarrin Turner-Yell or JL Skinner, so the Broncos will presumably make a cut at a different position to make room for Jackson.

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The Broncos should not bench P.J. Locke when Kareem Jackson returns

Kareem Jackson can return from his suspension after the Lions game, but the Broncos should continue starting P.J. Locke at safety.

Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson has sat out three of the four games of his suspension since Week 12. After the Broncos face the Detroit Lions in Week 15, Jackson’s suspension will end.

The veteran safety will be eligible to return in Week 16 when Denver hosts the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve.

P.J. Locke has been starting in Jackson’s place and he has played exceptionally well, totaling 22 tackles (including two behind the line of scrimmage), three sacks, three quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.

In the last three weeks alone, Locke has more sacks and more forced fumbles than Jackson totaled in eight games this season (zero for each). Locke has been a play-making safety, and it would be difficult to bench him.

It’s a good problem to have, but the Broncos will have to make a decision on who will start against the New England Patriots in Week 16.

“I think you said at the beginning, it is a good problem to have,” coach Sean Payton said during his Monday conference call with reporters. “It seems like it’s still a ways away yet. We’ll have to deal with it when it gets here, but I think you bring up a couple good points. Certainly, we’ve noticed how he’s been playing, P.J..”

It shouldn’t be a difficult decision for Payton to make. Locke should continue starting after Jackson returns, and if he continues playing at this high level, Locke will likely be a candidate to keep the starting job in 2024.

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Broncos safety Kareem Jackson comments on meeting with Roger Goodell

“I was told that I’m responsible for the offensive guys’ protection,” Broncos safety Kareem Jackson said after meeting with Roger Goodell.

Denver Broncos suspended safety Kareem Jackson recently met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in New York, seeking clarity on what he believes have been inconsistent punishments this season.

After that meeting, Jackson said he felt better after having an opportunity to express himself, but he is still perplexed by the NFL’s stance on tackling.

“I was told that I’m responsible for the offensive guys’ protection,” Jackson said on Sunday evening, via DenverSports.com’s Andrew Mason. “So I’m not really sure how I protect myself, make plays and protect him [the opponent] as well, but that’s what I was told. I’m not really sure what I do moving forward, as far as playing this game. So, hopefully, I’ll figure it out.”

Jackson spoke to media members on Monday night ahead of his foundation’s shopping spree with 50 kids at a local Walmart.

Jackson, 35, will be eligible to return from his four-game suspension after the Broncos face the Detroit Lions on Saturday. Following the 2023 season, Jackson is scheduled to become a free agent in the spring.

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