Off the wire
Titans lose Lewan for year
The Tennessee Titans are going to have to finish this season without left tackle Taylor Lewan because of a torn right ACL. Lewan announced Monday on social media that an MRI confirmed he tore his ACL in the Titans’ overtime win over Houston.
“Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m going to handle this rehab like a Pro and come back better than ever,” Lewan wrote on Twitter.
The three-time Pro Bowl tackle was hurt with 6:12 left in the third quarter on an incomplete pass to A.J. Brown. He was able to walk gingerly off the field and then to the locker room by himself. Lewan’s replacement, Ty Sambrailo, was beaten by J.J. Watt for a sack two plays later with Ryan Tannehill stripped of the ball. But the Titans (5-0) pulled out a 42-36 win in overtime to remain one of the NFL’s three undefeated teams. The 6-7, 309-pound Lewan was Tennessee’s first-round pick out of Michigan in 2014 at No. 11 overall, and he has started 85 of his 90 games played. The Titans started 2-4 a year ago when Lewan was suspended for the first four games.
Review on outbreak released
The NFL and the NFL Players Association found instances when the Tennessee Titans failed to wear masks at all times and were “insufficiently clear” to players about not meeting or working out once the facility closed in a review given to the team Monday, a person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press. Those issues will be taken into consideration for any potential discipline of the Titans. But the person familiar with the review says there was no discussion of any discipline for an individual including General Manager Jon Robinson, Coach Mike Vrabel or any players, and there was no discussion of punishment, including forfeitures or draft picks. The Titans had no comment Monday when asked if the team had received the review’s findings.
Raiders’ CB on virus list
The Las Vegas Raiders have placed rookie cornerback Damon Arnette on the reserve/covid-19 list. Arnette was already sidelined on injured reserve before being moved to the covid list Monday. The list is used for players who either test positive for the virus or have been in close contact with an infected person. Arnette was a first-round pick by the Raiders in April. He started three games before going on IR when he needed surgery on his thumb. Arnette is the second Raiders player to go on the covid list since the start of the season. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was placed on the list two weeks ago. He returned to practice Monday.
Jets-Bucs swing deal
The New York Jets agreed to terms on a trade that sent veteran nose tackle Steve McLendon to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to a person with direct knowledge of the deal, Tampa Bay also acquired New York’s 2023 seventh-round draft pick for the Buccaneers’ sixth-rounder in 2022. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither team had announced terms of the trade. The deal that was agreed upon Sunday night reunites McLendon with Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who was the Jets’ head coach from 2015-18. McLendon will add depth to Tampa Bay’s defensive line, which lost Vita Vea to a season-ending broken ankle on Oct. 8. The 34-yearold McLendon becomes the second veteran player to part ways with the Jets in the past week. New York released running back Le’Veon Bell on Tuesday after he and Coach Adam Gase didn’t see eye to eye on how he was being used in the Jets’ struggling offense.
Purdue coach to miss opener
Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm is expected to miss Saturday’s season opener against Iowa after a second test confirmed he has covid-19. The Boilermakers have been undergoing daily rapid testing since Sept. 30, and it was Brohm’s test Sunday morning that initially came back positive. A second test conducted immediately afterward also came back positive Sunday night. Big Ten protocol requires players who test positive to sit out 21 days, but staff members are required to isolate 10 days. Athletic Director Mike Bobinski said there is no chance Brohm will be on the sideline, as Alabama Coach Nick Saban was last week, even if he tests negative.
Emrick retires his mic
Hall of Fame hockey broadcaster Mike Emrick announced his retirement Monday after almost 50 years behind the microphone. The man affectionately known as “Doc” for his doctorate in communications spent the past 15 years as the voice of the NHL in the United States. Emrick, 74, called 22 Stanley Cup Finals and six Olympics since working his way up from the minors in the 1970s and did the most recent
NHL playoffs remotely from his home in Michigan with his wife, Joyce, and dogs nearby. “Things change over 50 years, but much of what I love is unchanged from then to now and into the years ahead,” Emrick said in a video essay about his career. “I still get chills seeing the Stanley Cup. I especially love when the horn sounds, and one team has won and another team hasn’t, all hostility can dissolve into the timeless great display of sportsmanship — the handshake line. … I leave you with sincere thanks.” Emrick was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008 on the way to being a part of an estimated 3,750 professional games. Emrick worked the past 15 years as NBC Sports’ lead play-by-play voice. “It has been a privilege and education on hockey’s biggest stage to have sat next to Doc for the last 14 years,” NBC color analyst Ed Olczyk said. “I will miss his stories, his preparation, his play-by-play, his friendship, and our dinners on the road.”