TEXANS’ FULLER SUSPENDED
Houston Texans receiver Will Fuller said he’s been suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Fuller announced the suspension on Instagram on Monday, saying that the suspension was from a medication he was prescribed that he believed to be permitted, but that was banned under the league’s policy.
“I want to sincerely apologize to the Texans organization and all of my fans for this mistake,” he wrote on Instagram. “I am looking forward to putting this all behind me and returning better than ever in 2021.”
The suspension is a big blow for a team on which he had become the No. 1 receiver in the wake of the offseason trade of DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona.
Fuller, who was a firstround pick in 2016, has had five 100-yard receiving games this season, capped by a season-high 171-yard, two-touchdown performance in Houston’s win over Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Fuller has started each game for the Texans this season after struggling with injuries for the past three years. He will miss the final five games of the regular season, forfeiting more than $3 million. He will be a free agent after this season and will miss the opening game of the 2021 season for whatever team he is playing.
Defense fails in Chicago
Normally the quarterback position troubles the Bears.
So it’s nothing out of the ordinary for them to approach another week without knowing whether Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles will play quarterback. What is a real concern is when their defense is leaking.
Bears coach Matt Nagy challenged his defense to regain its old form to try to snap a five-game losing streak after a 41-25 loss to the Packers.
“When we go out there on the field, we expect a threeand-out,” Nagy said. “If not a three-and-out, we expect a punt. That’s just who we are. When that doesn’t happen, it digs us in a hole.
“We’re fighting and fighting and you get a deficit like that and it’s just hard to overcome. And, oh by the way, it’s even more difficult when you’re playing Aaron Rodgers.”
Rodgers threw for four touchdowns and led three long scoring drives on the Packers’ first three possessions in Sunday’s victory.
Jones on mend
If the New York Giants are to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, they have to start beating teams with winning records.
The Giants (4-7) got back in the hunt for the title in the weak NFC East by beating Cincinnati 19-17 for their third straight win.
The Giants need to keep winning, but they probably have to do some of it without quarterback Daniel Jones. He injured his right hamstring Sunday, and few players come right back from that type of injury.
Rookie coach Joe Judge said an MRI raised questions instead of providing answers. Expect veteran Colt McCoy to start in Seattle and don’t be surprised if the Giants sign a veteran to back him up.
Notable
Indianapolis punter Rigoberto Sanchez feels fortunate doctors found a cancerous tumor before it spread. So do the Colts. Less than 20 hours after punting the ball five times in a loss to Tennessee, one of the most popular players in Indy’s locker room announced on Instagram he would have surgery today to remove the tumor.
• Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow is expected to have surgery on his injured left knee this week in Los Angeles, coach Zac Taylor said.
Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett is on track to be activated from the COVID-19 list on Wednesday after missing two games with the virus.