Not too much is going on this week in the world of football as teams settle into the routine of training camp building towards the start of the season next month.
But for the first weekly edition of the Five Yard Line, here are the five biggest stories from the NFL this week.
Michael Bennet ejected from Seahawks practice
Michael Bennet is quickly making a name for himself as one of the most outspoken players in football, and contributed further to that this week as he got into a training ground scuffle with teammate Mark Glowinski and had to be restrained by Jordan Hill, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Following the incident, ‘Hawks coach Pete Carroll removed Bennet from the session for the rest of the day.
Michael Bennett thrown out of Seahawks practice: https://t.co/gRz2OeEM55 pic.twitter.com/hTeWWQIbXz
— NFL (@NFL) August 4, 2016
Bennet is currently negotiating a new contract in Seattle and his recent behaviour seems unlikely to help him at the negotiating table.
Nick Foles signs in Kansas City
Soon after being released by the Rams because he wasn’t happy being third string behind rookie Jared Goff and the unspectacular Case Keenum, Nick Foles has found a new home as Alex Smith’s backup with the Chiefs, Ian Rapoport confirmed this week.
While Foles is generally an average NFL quarterback, he did not deserve to be third string in a mediocre team in LA, and will be a reliable insurance policy for Kansas City so this move benefits everyone.
Foles will make a little under two million dollars this year plus incentives, with extension options in his contract.
Although he received alternative offers from the Cowboys and Vikings, Foles cited Andy Reid’s presence in KC as a big factor in his decision.
Reid has always been very vocal in his belief in the quarterback since he drafted Foles to Philadelphia in 2012.
Although Foles is unlikely to see many reps behind Smith this year, this is a smart long term decision by everyone involved.
McManus calls out Justin Tucker
Apparently brimming with confidence after his new contract in Baltimore, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker claimed this week that in a high altitude environment like Denver he could make an 84-yard field goal.
This seems like a somewhat ridiculous statement given Matt Prater’s 64-yard record kick.
“I’ll give him an all-expense paid trip [to Denver] if he can do it” said Bronco’s kicker Brandon McManus, according to Mike Klis of KUSA.
Denver’s kicker understandably feels aggravated over the claims, as Tucker specifically claiming he could kick that far in Denver has to feel like an assertion of Tucker’s elevation above the Broncos kicker.
Cardinals veterans given contract extensions
Arizona has recognised two of their biggest players who could both be coming to the tail end of their careers and made a strong statement that they do not want that any time soon.
Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald have both been given one year extensions on their contracts.
Fitzgerald is probably closer to retiring but Palmer is now locked up by the Cards through the 2018 season.
#AZCardinals gave QB Carson Palmer a 1-yr extension worth just under $24.35M, source said. Next 2 years are now fully guaranteed. Up in ‘18
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 5, 2016
Palmer’s salary for the year will be over $24 million, while Fitzgerald’s salary is close to $11 million, according to Ian Rapoport.
Arizona has been a brilliantly run franchise in recent years and this is a good move to keep two star players around for as long as they can and want to perform.
Jets practice turns ugly
Competition and trash talk turned into insults and thrown punches at the New York Jets training camp on Friday.
Darrelle Revis had some heated matchups against Brandon Marshall with plenty of trash talk between snaps.
Revis allegedly threw a punch at Marshall on the sidelines later, who responded in turn with insults and jeers about some of the corner back’s poor play in the 2015 season.
Although Marshall has admitted since that things “went too far”, coach Todd Bowles has stood by the players claiming the situation isn’t a problem and that sort of competition is exactly what he wants in his players.
The Jets will hope the players get all of this out of their systems at camp, as that attitude leads to poor sportsmanship in the season and potentially results in scrappy games and suspensions.
