Chiefs claim vet Suggs off waivers after Okafor injury
KANSAS CITY, MO. >> The Chiefs claimed veteran pass rusher Terrell Suggs off waivers on Monday, filling a massive hole at defensive end after losing Alex Okafor to a torn pectoral muscle a day earlier against the Denver Broncos.
The 37-year-old Suggs spent the first 16 years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens before spending most of this past season with the Arizona Cardinals. He had 5 ½ sacks for the Cardinals before he was waived last week, driving the seven-time Pro Bowl pick’s total to 138 sacks for his career.
He needs two more sacks to pass Jason Taylor for seventh most since sacks became an official stat in 1982.
The Chiefs already placed Emmanuel Ogbah on injured reserve with a torn pec sustained in Week 10 against Tennessee. It is likely that Okafor will join him after sustaining the same injury late in the first half against Denver.
Their top pass rusher, Frank Clark, has missed time with a neck injury and a lingering illness this season.
NFL suspends Seahawks WR Gordon indefinitely
RENTON, WASH. >> The troubles that have followed Josh Gordon throughout his career continued Monday as the Seahawks wide receiver was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league’s drug policy again.
Gordon tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and “substances of abuse,” the league said in a statement.
Gordon was reinstated by the NFL in August after having been suspended indefinitely in December
2018, missing the final three games of last season for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Gordon signed with New England and was among the leading receivers for the Patriots with 20 catches for
287 yards and a touchdown through six games. But he was placed on injured reserve with knee and ankle injuries and was released in late October.
Seattle stepped in and claimed the oft-troubled receiver off waivers. His first game came in Week 10 against San Francisco when Gordon made a pair of key catches late in Seattle’s 27-24 overtime win. Gordon had seven receptions over five games with the Seahawks. All seven had some significance, including his 58-yard catch in Sunday’s win over Carolina.
Ravens take it upon themselves to clinch No. 1 seed in AFC
OWINGS MILLS, MD. >> Looks like the Baltimore Ravens are going to have to care of the business of clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC all by themselves.
After capturing their second straight AFC North title Thursday night by beating the New York Jets, the Ravens (12-2) could have wrapped up the top seed in the conference Sunday if New England lost to Cincinnati and Kansas City either tied or lost to Denver.
Neither of those things happened, so now Baltimore must beat either Cleveland this Sunday or Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl.
“We expect to have to do it ourselves. You’re not sitting there, counting on anybody to do anything for you,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “That’s the way it needs to be done. We plan on winning both the next two games. That’s really our job, to go out there and earn whatever we get.”
A victory over the Browns would make the Pittsburgh game irrelevant and give Harbaugh the opportunity to rest quarterback Lamar Jackson and several other starters before the postseason begins. Jackson has taken several hard hits in recent weeks and faced the Jets with a sore quadriceps, but Harbaugh skirted the issue when asked if he would consider resting his regulars in Week 17.
Arbitrator rules against Jaguars in grievance with NFLPA
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. >> The Jacksonville Jaguars tried to fine former defensive end Dante Fowler more than $700,000 for missing “mandatory” appointments with a team trainer or physician.
An arbitrator recently ruled in favor of the NFLPA, negating the fines levied by Jacksonville in 2018.
The NFLPA responded by blistering the Jaguars in a statement.
“This is just one of the many grievances we had to file to protect our players from the Jaguars’ actions,” the NFLPA said. “The decision puts a stop to the blatant overreach by the Jaguars and emphasizes the voluntary nature of almost all football activities during the offseason.”