Tag: Teammates

Justin Herbert ‘pleased’ with effort of Chargers teammates at minicamp

Justin Herbert said that he was “pleased” with the effort of his teammates at the Chargers’ offseason program.

Offseason minicamps are a great way for teams to stay in rhythm in late spring, and quarterback Justin Herbert seemed impressed with his teammate’s effort at the Chargers’ offseason practices in his comments.

Asked about his experience at minicamp, Herbert said that he and his teammates emptied the tank, even if it didn’t seem like it lasted for an exceptionally long time.

It went by really fast. I thought we had a lot of good work out there. We had a lot of guys come out this offseason. I thought that was huge for us to be able to work together and kind of grow together with this new offense. I was really pleased with the effort that everyone gave this year.

Now heading for the slowest part of the year in the NFL, Herbert and the rest of the roster will lick their wounds, rest for about a month, and get ready for training camp in the preseason in late July.

If Herbert’s assessment is to be believed, fans should expect the team to strive for perfection when the next phase of the new season starts next month.

Saints’ Ohio State duo ranked among best college football teammates in NFL

The New Orleans Saints’ Ohio State duo of Michael Thomas and Marshon Lattimore was ranked among the best college football teammates playing together in the NFL:

There aren’t many NFL players who can say they were college teammates, but the New Orleans Saints have a couple of highly-decorated pros who can make that boast. According to Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon, the duo of wide receiver Michael Thomas and cornerback Marshon Lattimore is one of the best tandems in the league who started out together in college.

And, yeah, that checks out. Even if injuries have cut into their availability in recent years (Thomas was limited to just three games last season, Lattimore only appeared in seven), that doesn’t diminish their accomplishments. Lattimore has been a near-annual Pro Bowl selection. Thomas ended a 20-year drought for a wide receiver to win recognition as NFL Offensive Player of the Year. They’ve just got to get healthy, but that seems to be an unfortunately common problem for New Orleans.

Here’s Kenyon’s recap of each player’s achievements to this point:

The New Orleans Saints leaned on two Ohio State products to help them rattle off four straight NFC South titles from 2017-20.

Michael Thomas, a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2015, notched two All-Pro campaigns during that stretch. Most notably, the wideout set an NFL record with 149 receptions in the 2019 season.

New Orleans picked Thomas in the second round of the 2016 draft and cornerback Marshon Lattimore in 2017’s opening round. The latter was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2016 and won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017. He also added Pro Bowl honors three straight years from 2019-2021.

Thomas and Lattimore both missed a majority of 2022 due to injury but are prime candidates for bounce-back years.

Hopefully both Lattimore and Thomas can return to full health and reestablish themselves on the national stage in 2023. The Saints redoubled their commitments to Lattimore through another contract restructure this spring while also signing Thomas to what’s effectively another one-year extension — meaning they’ll have to circle back and figure out a long-term solution with him next offseason. If he and Derek Carr can play as well together as they hope, that may end up being an easy decision.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”pahxNoVopr-2714582-7618″ type=”amp”]

Packers players react to Davante Adams being traded to Raiders

Packers teammates were both surprised about the news and happy for Davante Adams, who was traded to the Raiders on Thursday night. Here are some social media reactions.

The Green Bay Packers traded receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, stunning the NFL world and all the teammates he’ll be leaving behind in Green Bay.

Members of the Packers took to social media to express their wide range of emotions following the trade. Many were shocked and surprised, but others were genuinely happy for Adams becoming the highest-paid receiver in NFL history.

Here’s a collection of reactions from Packers teammates (list will update as more reactions come in):

 

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif out to show Chiefs he can still play after year away

#Chiefs OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif spoke about his new teammates on the offensive line and readjusting after a year away. | from @EdEastonJr

As the first week of training camp comes to an end for the Kansas City Chiefs, a few questions are answered from the offseason. One of the biggest wonders heading into camp is the status of the offensive line.

The Chiefs have kept it no secret that the offensive line was a priority heading into the season after the struggles in Super Bowl LV. The return of veteran offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has been a plus serving as the glue to a relatively new group. Duvernay-Tardif was a member of the Super Bowl-winning team but opted out of last season to help fight against COVID-19 back in his home country Canada.

The doctor spoke with reporters Saturday about his new teammates on the offensive line and readjusting after a year away.

”I mean, that’s why it’s so great to spend some time here in St. Joe because you get to bond with everybody,” said Duvernay-Tardif. “We’ve got a really cool group of guys and they’ve welcomed me in. Even though I’ve been here for the last eight years, I wasn’t here last year. So, it was good to build that chemistry, and I feel like now we’re pretty united.”

The Chiefs added many new names on the offensive line with hopes of solidifying the position. The new teammates are still building chemistry together in the early days of training camp, but Duvernay-Tardif feels they’ll be better as padded practices begin next week.

“I mean, it’s still a process. It’s always a process, especially because of the fact that I haven’t played for the last year, but I feel pretty good,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “Today was a good day and we just keep on building, and next week we’re going to put the pads on. And I’m looking forward to that. It’s really when you know where you’re at, you know?”

After a year away from the game, Duvernay-Tardif is finding it a bit more difficult to get back into the swing of things. But what is the most challenging to the eight-year veteran in his return to play?

“Everything, to be honest,” Duvernay-Tardif explained. “It’s always a challenge. Training camp is hard, physically and mentally. We’ve been pretty lucky that we’ve had some pretty good weather, other than it was a little hot at the beginning. It’s just making sure you compete every day. Show up with a great attitude. We have a really competitive group this year, and I think that it’s my job to show that I can still play, and I want to play.”

The depth of this team, combined with youth and experience will be essential this season, especially late in the year and heading into the playoffs.

[listicle id=95605]

Kareem Hunt to former Chiefs teammates: ‘Sorry but we’re enemies this week fellas’

Hunt spoke on his relationships with his former teammates following the Browns’ win over the Steelers.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns are officially set to face off in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Ex-Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt is slated to return to Arrowhead Stadium with the Browns. This will be the first time he’s faced his former team since his release back in the 2018 season. The last time these two teams met, Hunt was actually still a member of the Chiefs.

When Hunt spoke to the media following last night’s wild-card game, he revealed that he still receives a lot of support from his former teammates in Kansas City.

“Yeah, I definitely keep in touch with those guys,” Hunt told reporters following the wild-card game. “That’s where I started and they did a lot for me. I’ve got a lot of people on that team that look out for me and care for me as a person. I care for them too.”

Hunt is coming off of a big performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he had eight carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns. One of Hunt’s strongest advocates, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, gave him a shoutout on Twitter during the game.

Leading up to the game, don’t expect much more love between the two players, though.

“I probably won’t be doing too much talking to those guys, but maybe one or a few I’ll call and just chop it up, ask them how they’re doing and stuff,” Hunt said. “Other than that, you know, sorry but we’re enemies this week fellas.”

During the Browns’ postgame locker room celebration, Hunt was recorded on his Instagram live feed saying, “Next week’s personal, next week’s personal.” It could have simply been a heat-of-the-moment type thing as he only has himself to blame for the circumstances surrounding his release from Kansas City. Yet, when a Cleveland media member asked Hunt if he had something to prove to his former team, he didn’t answer directly.

“I don’t say too much about that,” Hunt said. “I’m just going to let my game go through.”

I take that to mean that Hunt intends to let his game do the talking. And after his big performance against the Steelers, you can rest assured that the Chiefs will be game-planning for his involvement too.

[listicle id=85172]

Saints teammates respond to Teddy Bridgewater’s deal with the Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are working to complete a contract agreement with New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

[jwplayer lHo94raw-ThvAeFxT]

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is close to completing a contract with the Carolina Panthers, which he cannot sign until the beginning of the new NFL fiscal year — at 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 18. Once finalized, that deal is projected to put Bridgewater in a starting role under center, with Cam Newton expected to be traded away.

It’s great to see Bridgewater get this opportunity, even if it’s happening with a division rival in the NFC South. But some of Bridgewater’s former Saints teammates also shared their reactions to the news on Twitter, with responses ranging from celebratory congratulations to disappointment at the loss of a popular member of the locker room.

[vertical-gallery id=30078]

Teammates, coaches excited for Shaquem Griffin’s bigger role in defense

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin was praised by his teammates and coaches ahead of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin got the green light in the team’s 27-24 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. He only played 14 defensive snaps, but defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. had a great deal of praise and saw major potential in him going forward.

“When the opportunities arise, that you have to really step up,” Norton told reporters Wednesday. “Griff really, he’s always shown his ability. If you watch his college tape, that’s what he did mainly, was a guy coming off the edge, having a lot of spark, doing a lot of spins. Lot of juice. So, we’re excited about where he can go with this.”

Veteran Seahawk and fellow linebacker Bobby Wagner appreciates Griffin’s ability to get to the quarterback.

“When we watched him practice, it was amazing,” Wagner said Wednesday. “His get-off, his turn, the way he was getting to the quarterback. Then, after that, when you don’t get to the quarterback, the quarterback throws the ball [away]. If you guys watch the film, him coming out of his stack and trying to make a play 10 yards downfield. You notice his energy, you notice his effort, and I feel like he’s been growing and growing.”

With Jadeveon Clowney being a game-time decision for Sunday and the rest of the Seahawks pass rush struggling, Griffin could see significant time against the Eagles. Clowney himself raved about Griffin as well.

“He does everything. I don’t ever put it past him that he can’t do anything now,” Clowney said. “He showed me so much. When he’s over there, I don’t even worry. He’s going to take care of his own. Even with one hand, he still goes out there and does his thing. I’m a big supporter and a big fan of his since I’ve been here.”

Fans may soon see if Griffin can be a significant contributor in a crucial game against Philadelphia.

[lawrence-related id=50935]