Sun. set? No word yet on Montgomery
The Bears remain optimistic about running back David Montgomery’s groin injury, but it remains unclear whether he’ll be able to play in the opener Sunday.
Montgomery was at practice Sunday afternoon, but the extent to which he participated is unknown because it was closed to the media. The Bears provided a report that listed outside linebacker Robert Quinn and cornerback Kyle Fuller as the only players not in attendance.
Coach Matt Nagy insisted on keeping injury news private to hinder the Lions’ preparation, despite the fact that he’s required by the NFL to give specifics starting Wednesday.
“I’ll talk to you on Wednesday about [Montgomery], but we do feel good with our running back room right now,” he said.
The original timetable had him returning as early as the opener or, at the worst, missing two games. So it’s possible that Nagy’s good vibes about his running backs really means he feels fine patching it together with Tarik Cohen and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Montgomery figures to be one of the team’s top playmakers this season, perhaps second only to wide receiver Allen Robinson.
He had 1,074 yards of offense (889 rushing) as a rookie and tied Robinson for the team lead with seven touchdowns.
Quinn, Fuller concerns
With Nagy’s post-practice news conference dominated by quarterback talk, he did not address the absence of Quinn and Fuller.
Those are two of the most important players on the defense, and Quinn missed significant time throughout preseason practices as coaches said he was “ramping up” on his own. Fuller was fine in the preseason; it’s possible the Bears just gave him a veteran’s day off.
The Bears signed Quinn to a five-year, $70 million contract thinking he could vault their pass rush to the top of the league when teamed with Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. He had 11oe sacks for the Cowboys last season.
Edwards arriving soon
The Bears will make at least one more roster move to accommodate the signing of former Saints defensive lineman Mario Edwards, a source said. Edwards played 14 games as a backup last season and was cut at the deadline. He has not been a starter since 2017.
The team could make room for Edwards by cutting another player or putting someone on injured reserve. The NFL has a three-game IR option this season, making moves like that easier than they typically would be.
Practice squad set
The practice squad is more interesting and significant than usual this season. The NFL expanded it to 16 players, and teams can protect four each week. That makes it simpler to plan on adding a player to the active roster if there’s an injury concern.
The key players brought back were quarterback Tyler Bray, running back Artavis Pierce, kicker Cairo Santos and offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons.
They also signed veteran guard Jamon Brown, who started nine games for the Falcons last season. He is the only practice-squad player who wasn’t with the Bears in the preseason.
Running back Adrian Peterson reportedly agreed to a one-year, $1.05 million contract that includes incentives with the Lions.
The 35-year-old Peterson was released by Washington on Friday after spending the last two seasons there.
He has rushed for 14,216 yards in 13 seasons, mostly with the Vikings, and is 1,053 yards behind Lions great Barry Sanders for fourth on the NFL career rushing list.
The Lions have struggled recently to develop a consistent running game. Kerryon Johnson showed promise but has dealt with injury problems. He led the team last season with only 403 yards rushing.
Steelers give Heyward big extension
Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward reportedly agreed to a fouryear, $65.6 million extension.
The new deal has him with the Steelers for five years and $75.1 million and makes him the league’s highest-paid defensive player over 30 based on yearly average.
Heyward, 31, who is a 2011 first-round draft pick, is entering his 10th season with the Steelers after a nine-sack, Pro Bowl season. A starter for the last seven seasons, Heyward has 54 career sacks and 117 quarterback hits.
Bucs sign QB Rosen to practice squad
The Buccaneers signed quarterback Josh
Rosen to their practice squad after he was released by the Dolphins on Friday.
Rosen started three games last season for the Dolphins, completing 53% of his passes for 567 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions. He will join a quarterback group with Tom Brady, Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin.
Eagles sign McCown as emergency QB
The Eagles signed former Bears quarterback Josh McCown to their practice squad as insurance in case one or more of their quarterbacks tests positive for the coronavirus, league sources told ESPN.
The 41-year-old, who becomes the oldest practice-squad player in NFL history, played three games for the Eagles last season. His last start was with the Jets two seasons ago.
More QB news
Quarterback Josh Dobbs reunited with the Steelers a day after he failed to make the 53-man roster with the Jaguars. To make room for him, the Steelers waived quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
Niners WR Samuel might play in opener
Niners general manager John Lynch said starting receiver Deebo Samuel “has a shot” to play in the season opener after being sidelined all summer by a broken foot.