Romo exits early but seems to be OK
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo appeared to suffer a back injury on the third play of Thursday night's exhibition against the Seattle Seahawks after getting pulled down from behind by Cliff Avril.
Romo was forced from the pocket by a blitz from K.J. Wright. As the quarterback scrambled and was about to begin his slide, he was pulled down by Avril chasing in pursuit. Romo immediately grabbed at his back and was tended to by trainers for a few minutes before popping up and walking off the field without assistance.
While Dak Prescott took over, Romo spoke with medical personnel on the sideline for several minutes and threw passes. But when the Cowboys took the field for their second drive, Romo remained sidelined.
Later, Coach Jason Garrett said that Romo’s injury was not serious but “we just felt better keeping him out.”
Mingo is traded
Barkevious Mingo never really fit in with the Cleveland Browns. The New England Patriots will try to find an ideal spot for him.
The sixth pick in the 2013 draft, a major disappointment in Cleveland, was traded to the Patriots, who sent a 2017 fifth-round draft pick to the Browns.
Mingo, a former Louisiana State standout, has recorded only seven sacks in three seasons and spent much of last season on special teams. His size and speed have made him intriguing, but the Browns coaching staff couldn’t find the best way to utilize the 6foot-4, 240-pound linebacker. They moved Mingo, 25, from outside linebacker to inside this summer.
Harrison, others meet with NFL
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and Green Bay Packers defensive players Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers met this week with NFL investigators looking into allegations linking them to performance-enhancing drugs, the players’ union said.
Matthews and Peppers met with league representatives Wednesday; Harrison did so Thursday, according to the NFL Players Assn.
Last week, the league threatened Harrison, Matthews, Peppers and free agent Mike Neal with indefinite suspensions if they did not meet with investigators. All were mentioned in an Al-Jazeera television interview with Charlie Sly, who worked as an intern at an anti-aging clinic.
In the December report, Sly made claims of PED use by several athletes, including Harrison, Peyton Manning and the others, but later recanted his claims.
Etc.
Running back Arian Foster, who joined the Miami Dolphins in the off-season and is coming off an Achilles injury, scored on a two-yard touchdown run in a 17-6 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Orlando, Fla . ... Running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings said he won’t play in the exhibition season . ... A Miami federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by New York Giants lineman Jason Pierre-Paul against ESPN over disclosure of his medical records from a 2015 fireworks accident . ... Denver Broncos President John Elway, Arizona Cardinals Coach Bruce Arians and former NFL coach Tom Coughlin have been added to the NFL’s powerful competition committee, a person familiar with the appointments told the AP. Rams Coach Jeff Fisher has left the committee . ... The Vikings have sold out their new stadium for the inaugural season, announcing that they’ve started waiting lists for tickets and suites. The official capacity at U.S. Bank Stadium will be 66,655, with more than 60,400 seats committed for the entire season.