Vikings safety Sendejo: Make football violent again
Hard-hitting safety Andrew Sendejo is directing an unmistakable message toward the NFL through a play on a popular political slogan.
The Minnesota safety donned a backward black hat during training camp with the phrase “Make Football Violent Again.” According to Sendejo, the hat was a gift from a former Vikings teammate.
“It fits good and it’s black and I like it,” Sendejo said. “It’s got a good message.”
Although Sendejo said he has been wearing the hat for a while, its message “applies more now” because of an already controversial new rule installed by the league aimed at making the game safer.
The rule states that players can’t lead or initiate contact with their helmets on tackles. During Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and Ravens, the rule resulted in three penalties. Much debate has centered on the difficulty the rule presents for defensive backs, who might be forced into making split-second decisions or hesitations that could prove costly.
Asked what he thinks about the new rule, Sendejo replied, “I don’t.”
He later tweeted an image of him wearing a modified helmet with the phrase “always leading with the facemask.”
Jets LB Donahue won’t face jail time
Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue received a three-month suspended sentence and was fined $1,000 for a DUI crash in his hometown of Billings, Montana. He likely will face further discipline from the NFL, probably in the form of a suspension.
The Billings Gazette reported Donahue pleaded guilty Friday through his attorney and was sentenced at the same hearing. He was charged after hitting an abandoned vehicle in May 2017, causing his Jeep to flip.
Donahue pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving while intoxicated for causing a wrong-way crash in February that injured four people in the Lincoln Tunnel. He spent a month in a substance-abuse treatment facility in Florida soon after the crash and told reporters Thursday he hadn’t had alcohol since then.
Nike won’t renew Winston’s contract
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston reportedly is no longer under contract with Nike. His contract expired before the NFL announced he would be suspended for the first three games of the regular season for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy. The violation relates to a 2016 incident in which Winston was accused of groping a female Uber driver.
Orlando to host Pro Bowl again
The Pro Bowl is headed back to Orlando, Florida, for the third straight season. The NFL announced that the game will be played Jan. 27 at Camping World Stadium. It will be televised on ESPN and simulcast on ABC. Players on the winning team will be eligible to receive a grant from the NFL Foundation to support the high school or youth football programs of their choice.