Flores, Pearson finalists for Hall of Fame
Two-time Super Bowlwinning coach Tom Flores and standout wide receiver Drew Pearson are finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2021.
Flores, the first Hispanic coach in the NFL, was nominated in the new coaches category, while Pearson is a senior nominee. Flores had a 105-90 career record with the Raiders and Seahawks. He took the Raiders to Super Bowl victories in 1981 and 1984.
In nine seasons with the Raiders, Flores won 91 games against 56 losses (.619 percentage), including a record of 8-3 (.727) in the playoffs. His career wins total trails only Hall of Famer John Madden in franchise history.
“It seems to have lasted a lifetime,” Flores said of the nominating process, “and hopefully it will happen for real. I’m excited by it and everything.”
An undrafted free agent, Pearson played his entire 11-year career with the Cowboys, making three All-Pro teams. He has 489 receptions for 7,822 yards (16 yards per catch). A member of the All-Decade Team of the 1970s, Pearson played in 22 playoff games, making 68 catches and scoring eight touchdowns. The 1977 Cowboys won the championship, with Pearson leading the NFL in receiving yards (870) that season.
● Lions: Rookie defensive tackle Jashon Cornell was carted off the practice field after appearing to injure his lower left leg. Coach Matt Patricia said that the injury was pretty serious, declining to give more details. The 6-3, 290-pound Cornell was hurt during a drill, matching up defensive and offensive linemen.
● Jets: Wide receiver Vyncint Smith had surgery Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury and could be sidelined up to two months. Coach Adam Gase confirmed the procedure and prognosis, saying Smith will likely miss five to eight weeks. Smith caught 17 passes for 225 yards and started four games last season for the Jets. He also returned 10 kickoffs and averaged 29.9 yards, and was expected to be a prominent contributor on both offense and special teams before being injured last weekend.
● Browns: Cleveland’s irst significant injury of 2020 is self-inflicted. The Browns might have a second one. Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb has been placed in concussion protocol after he sustained a head injury while being tackled around the neck by starting linebacker Mack Wilson during the team’s first fully padded practice on Monday. Not long after first-year coach Kevin Stefanski announced Chubb’s concussion on Tuesday, Wilson, who was demoted to the secondteam defense for hurting his teammate, sustained a left knee injury while breaking up a pass and had to be carted off the field.
● Cardinals: Cornerback Robert Alford will likely miss a second straight season because of an injury suffered during the preseason. Coach Kliff Kingsbury confirmed Alford will miss four to six months. Kingsbury did not specify the injury, but the NFL Network reported that the cornerback tore a pectoral muscle during practice on Sunday.