Patriots’ Edelman injures his knee
New England receiver Julian Edelman limped off the field Friday night with an apparently serious injury to his right knee, putting a damper on the Patriots’ 3028 preseason victory over the Detroit Lions at Allen Park, Mich.
Multiple outlets reported that Edelman and the Patriots fear the team’s leading receiver last season suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. An MRI exam was scheduled for today to determine the extent of the injury.
Edelman had three receptions for 52 yards in a four-play stretch and was injured on the last one, going down without contact less than two minutes into the game while running an inbreaking route. He was evaluated on the sideline briefly before being taken to the locker room on a cart.
Edelman, a slot receiver, led the Patriots with 98 receptions and 1,106 yards receiving last season. He had 16 catches for 265 yards and one score in two AFC playoff games and had five receptions for 87 yards in the Super Bowl win over the Atlanta Falcons. Ware carted off
Kansas City running back Spencer Ware injured his right knee and was carted off the field in the first quarter of the Chiefs’ 26-13 preseason loss at Seattle. Ware, who rushed for 921 yards and had 447 yards receiving last year, was injured about halfway through the first quarter. He remained on the turf after making a six-yard reception on a pass from Alex Smith.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game that Xrays were negative and the preliminary diagnosis was a sprained knee. However, an MRI test to further assess the damage was scheduled for Saturday. Khan open to signing Kaepernick
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he would be open to signing free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking to the team’s flagship radio station, Khan said “absolutely” when asked whether he would support signing Kaepernick if the team’s front office wanted to do it. Kahn’s comments were not recorded; they were relayed via Twitter.
According to 1010 XL, Khan said that while he would not have knelt during the national anthem to protest social injustice in the United States the way Kaepernick did, the billionaire businessman respects the quarterback’s right to express his beliefs.
Tom Coughlin, the team’s executive vice president, has final say on personnel decisions. Coughlin declined to comment Friday through a team spokesman.
Kaepernick remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He and many of those who support him believe the NFL is punishing him for refusing to stand during the anthem. More than 1,000 people crowded the steps of the NFL’s midtown Manhattan offices Wednesday to demand that Kaepernick be signed before the start of the season. 49ers cut Brooks
The 49ers released outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who spent eight seasons with the team.
Brooks, 33, signed with San Francisco in 2008 and was the longest-tenured defensive player on the roster, recording 511⁄2 sacks in 131 career games and helping the team make three straight trips to the NFC title game from 2011-13.
The 49ers said they determined that Brooks, who tied for the team lead with six sacks last season, would not make the roster and wanted to give him a head start on finding a new team.