Jets release kicker Sergio Castillo, who missed three of four field goal tries Sunday at Seattle.
Injured Ficken about ready to return; they also claim Mclaughlin
The New York Jets released kicker Sergio Castillo on Tuesday after he missed three of his four field goal attempts at Seattle last Sunday.
Castillo had been filling in for Sam Ficken, who’s on injured reserve with a strained groin but could be cleared to practice this week. The Jets also claimed kicker Chase Mclaughlin off waivers from Jacksonville on Monday, signaling Castillo’s likely departure.
The 30-year-old Castillo was signed to the Jets’ practice squad on Oct. 14 and to the active roster two weeks later when Ficken initially injured his groin. Castillo went 6-for-7 on field goals — with the only miss a blocked kick — and made all four of his extra points in three games before Ficken returned.
But Ficken was re-injured and Castillo stepped in again, but struggled in the past three games. He missed four of six field-goal tries, including attempts from 37, 41 and 43 yards in the 40-3 loss to the Seahawks, and was 2-for-3 on extra points.
In six games overall with the Jets, Castillo was 8-for-13 on field goals.
Browns: Cleveland safety Andrew Sendejo suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter after a collision at the goal line with Ravens rookie running back J.K. Dobbins, who gloated about the violent play on social media. Sendejo got hurt when he couldn’t stop Dobbins on a 2-point conversion in Baltimore’s 47-42 win over the Browns — one of 2020’s best games so far.
Lions: Former linebacker Chris Spielman is joining Detroit as a special assistant.
Steelers: Pittsburgh signed offensive lineman Danny Isidora off Kansas City’s practice squad. Isidora joins a group in need of healthy bodies. Left guard Matt Feiler was placed on injured reserve on Monday with a pectoral injury. His replacement, rookie Kevin Dotson, is battling a shoulder injury and right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor tweaked his ankle in a loss to Buffalo on Sunday night.
Postseason: NFL teams won’t be allowed to create local bubbles during the postseason by mandating that players stay in a hotel, except for the night before a game. Teams will be allowed to continue paying for players who want to move into a hotel to avoid the risk of catching COVID-19 from family or roommates throughout the postseason. When teams stay in hotels before games, players and staff now will be required to wear a tracing device until they return to their rooms for the night whether staying at home or on the road. The NFL also reminded teams that gathering socially at team hotels remains prohibited, while requirements to wear masks and physical distance from each other are still in effect. In the postseason, teams will be reimbursed for using two planes to travel to road games. The limits on how many people can travel remain unchanged. The NFL and NFL Players Association also agreed to update COVID-19 protocols adding a new test, clearing people to work game days, extending the time for people testing positive but asymptomatic to return, and extending testing to players’ family and their service providers, according to the memo.
Art Rooney Award: Baltimore defensive end Calais Campbell is a threetime finalist with New England wide receiver Matthew Slater a finalist for a second straight year and third overall for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award announced by the NFL on Tuesday. The award was first created in 2014.