Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
NFL NOTEBOOK Suspended running back returns to Browns
Kareem Hunt ran back to the Cleveland Browns sooner than expected.
The suspended star running back returned to the team and practiced Monday after serving only six games of an eight-game NFL suspension for two violent off-field altercations that threatened to end his playing career.
Hunt has been observed since August by the league, which had banned him from the Browns’ facility for the past two-plus months.
“We have been monitoring his progress during the suspension,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “He is permitted to return to team activities, including practice. He is not permitted to play in or attend games until after the team’s eighth game. The time with the team enables him to re-acclimate himself and engage in conditioning work and practices.”
Typically, suspended players don’t rejoin their teams until the Monday before they’re eligible to play. The 24-yearold Hunt, who led the league in rushing in 2017 as a rookie with Kansas City, can play on Nov. 10, when the Browns host the Buffalo Bills.
Hunt looked agile during drills in the portion of the workout open to media. He underwent surgery on a sports hernia on Aug. 29.
Ryan isn’t ruled out: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan’s decade-long streak of consecutive starts is on the line due to a sprained right ankle.
Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Ryan ran in a pool on Monday to test the ankle and has not been ruled out of Sunday’s game against Seattle.
The 34-year-old Ryan has not missed a start since 2009. His streak covers 154 regular-season games.
Asked if the injury is a high ankle sprain, Quinn said: “We’ll stay with sprain. … Hopefully it’s not a long-term thing.”
Ryan was hurt when sacked by Aaron Donald in the 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Matt Schaub can’t play.
Disgruntled Ramsey traded would start if Ryan to
Rams: The Los Angeles Rams acquired star cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for two first-round picks and a fourthrounder.
Jacksonville gets first-round picks from the Rams in 2020 and 2021, and a fourth-round pick in 2021.
Ramsey is one of the NFL’s elite defensive backs, earning two Pro Bowl selections in three seasons with Jaguars. The fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft has nine career interceptions, but his tumultuous tenure is Jacksonville is over.
The Rams traded two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters to Baltimore earlier in the day.
Raiders, Texans swing deal: The Oakland Raiders traded 2017 first-round cornerback Gareon Conley to the Houston Texans for a 2020 third-round pick, marking the third former first-round pick traded away by coach Jon Gruden in the past 14 months.
Bears lose Hicks: The Chicago Bears placed Pro Bowl defensive tackle Akiem Hicks on injured reserve last week, the latest blow on the injury front for a team trying to keep up in the NFC North.
Hicks suffered an elbow injury Oct. 6 against the Raiders. Coach Matt Nagy had suggested Hicks might return this season and putting him on IR allows the Bears to bring him back in eight weeks.
Vikings, Lions players injured: In the NFC North, Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered a hamstring injury while scoring his seventh touchdown of the season in Minnesota’s victory over the Detroit Lions. He did not return. Minnesota defensive end Everson Griffen limped off the field in the third quarter.
For the Lions, running back Kerryon Johnson (knee) and cornerback Darius Slay (hamstring) were injured during the game and did not return.
Officials erase Watson’s TD: Another week, another questionable officiating decision in the NFL.
In the Houston Texans’ 30-23 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, referee Tony Corrente’s officiating crew blew a second-quarter play dead that wiped out a touchdown from Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson to receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Because it was a third down, it forced Texans coach Bill O’Brien to bring out the field goal unit on fourth down.
During the play, a third-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Watson faced a pass rush from Colts defenders Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston but remained in the pocket and tried to extend the play. Eventually, Houston had Watson wrapped up around the ankles, causing a member from the officiating crew to blow the whistle and blow the play dead.
Watson, though, attempted a pass just after the whistle blew and found Hopkins near the goal line. Hopkins caught the pass and dipped into the end zone for what would have been a score.
Miami safety apologizes: Dolphins safety Bobby McCain regrets a series of confrontations he had with Bills fans, during which he allegedly spit on one’s face following Miami’s loss at Buffalo.
“I wish I could have handled myself better,” McCain said Monday, without going into detail of what happened. McCain added he has spoken with coach Brian Flores, but declined to say whether he will miss any playing time in Miami’s next game at Pittsburgh on Oct. 28.
The team captain also is accused of having a verbal confrontation with a teenage Bills fan, during which he twice threatened to spit in the boy’s face before the winless Dolphins’ 31-21 loss to the Bills.
Flores didn’t go into detail when he called it an internal matter in announcing earlier in the day that McCain will be disciplined by the team.
“I heard his side of the story. It’s unfortunate,” Flores said. “There’s a standard we’re trying to set here, professionalism in the way we go about things. And we need to live up to that standard, and we’re going to.”
Erie County Sheriff spokesman Scott Zylka confirmed police are investigating several fans’ complaints and are working with the Bills and the NFL in reviewing stadium security video.