Sports Al Dente

The day after meeting Prince William, Louis Rees-Zammit was back at work with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Welsh player is on the Jaguars’ practice squad as a wide receiver after originally signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as a running back.

Despite the position change and moving from a top team to one struggling this season, the 23-year-old Rees-Zammit remains positive.

“I’m loving every moment being in this league,” he shared at a news conference on Wednesday, just before Jacksonville’s game against the New England Patriots, both teams having 1-5 records.

Rees-Zammit, who took part in drills with the receivers and special teams, was known as one of the most thrilling rugby players before he left the sport in January to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

A long-time football fan, he first signed with the two-time Super Bowl champions but did not make the final roster in Kansas City.

Now, he is focused on a new team and a new playbook, but his goal remains the same.

“I’m just working hard every day to try and do what I can do to get an opportunity. Whenever that comes, I’m going to take it with both hands,” he stated. He often refers to the playbook, emphasizing its importance.

“It’s taken a lot of my time because I want to try and learn this as quickly as possible so I can go out there and not have to think during a play. I just want to be able to play fast and know everything.”

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson mentioned that practice squad players “are a play or two away from being elevated to the roster.” He encouraged Rees-Zammit to “continue to work and embrace his role.”

“We love his skill set, his talent, his speed, his physicality,” Pederson said. “He’s got great size. Just learn, just continue to learn, and just be patient; an opportunity will come.”

Rees-Zammit was present for Jacksonville’s 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and even spoke with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before the game. The league hopes he can succeed as part of its international growth efforts.

He mentioned that being a wide receiver “allows me to use my speed a lot more” compared to being a running back.

“I’ve got to just focus on the small details,” he added, “and then wait for an opportunity to come.”

The Detroit Lions have chosen to invest in defensive tackle Alim McNeill by giving him a long-term contract.

“Fired up for Mac, he earned that,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “He’s a pivotal piece for us.”

McNeill signed a four-year extension worth $97 million, according to someone familiar with the details who asked to remain anonymous since the terms hadn’t been made public.

“The timing was crazy,” McNeill said, as he wasn’t expecting a deal to happen this week.

The Lions, with a record of 4-1, are set to face NFC North-leading Minnesota (5-0) on Sunday in an important game for the division and playoff hopes. Last season, the Lions won the NFC North, marking their first division title in 30 years.

McNeill joins quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and offensive tackle Penei Sewell as players who received contract extensions this year.

“He’s one of our pillars here,” Campbell said. “No different than the guys we signed back.”

Lions general manager Brad Holmes drafted McNeill in the third round—No. 72 overall—in 2021 from N.C. State, and he has since become one of the top defensive tackles in the league.

McNeill matched his career high with two sacks in a 47-9 victory over Dallas on Sunday. Last season, he recorded five sacks, the highest by an interior defensive lineman for the Lions since Ndamukong Suh had 8 1/2 sacks in 2014.

Detroit needs McNeill to perform well now more than ever.

“We know we have to step up,” he said.

Aidan Hutchinson was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday while recovering from a broken leg that required surgery. He is expected to be out for at least four months. Hutchinson leads the league with 7 1/2 sacks and has a total of 28 1/2 sacks over 39 games in more than two seasons.

New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas will be out for the season after having surgery on his right foot to fix a Lisfranc injury, coach Brian Daboll confirmed on Wednesday.

Thomas, who signed a five-year, $117.5 million contract in 2023, got hurt late in a 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. A Lisfranc injury happens in the middle of the foot when one of the small bones is broken or sprained, or the ligaments that support that area are torn.

“You can’t replace an Andrew Thomas,” Daboll said. “I feel terrible for him. I was able to text with him today. He had his surgery this morning, everything was successful. He’s a leader, he’s a captain, he’s great in the locker room, he’s a very good football player.”

The Giants (2-4) started practicing on Wednesday for their home game against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-2), with Jermaine Eluemunor playing right tackle and Joshua Ezeudu on the left side in place of Thomas.

Daboll mentioned that Evan Neal, who has been the starting right tackle since being drafted seventh in 2022, might still be an option if the Giants decide to move Eluemunor to the left side. If that happens, either Neal or Ezeudu would start on the right side.

Eluemunor has switched positions during his career and is open to doing it again.

“I think people kind of don’t understand how hard it is, mentally and physically,” said the former Raider who joined the Giants as a free agent in the offseason. “I don’t really know how to compare it to anything just in regular life. But just thinking about, you’re used to doing something a certain way, and then out of nowhere with like two, three days’ notice, you have to switch it.”

Neal has faced challenges on the field in his career and missed the later part of last season and the start of training camp due to ankle surgery.

This is the first time Neal has not been a starter, and he’s trying to learn from this experience.

“I look at the situation I’m in, and obviously it’s not ideal for me, being that I do want to play, but it’s what I’m asked to do right now and I’m going to embrace this role,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and practice and get better every day. Push my teammates and continue to be who I am and work hard.”

Ezeudu, a third-round pick in 2022, played left tackle last season after Thomas got injured in the opening game. He said he will be ready for whatever comes on Sunday.

“In college I used to play three positions in a single game,” he said. “So I don’t think I have to prepare because I feel like that’s just something I’ve been used to. And even though I haven’t done it (in the NFL), you could say I feel like I have done it though.”

Daboll said he will decide on Friday how his offensive line will look for Sunday’s game.

Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers was back at practice, wearing a non-contact red jersey. He has missed the last two games due to a concussion.

Wearing the red jersey means Nabers is getting closer to coming out of the concussion protocol; the final step is to be cleared by an independent neurologist. Since he is still in the protocol, he is not available for interviews.

“Malik has made progress,” Daboll said. “Good progress where he’s able to come out here today and practice. He’ll have a red jersey on, but he passed some of the steps that he needed to do. He’s better, which is a good thing. So, we’ll see. We’ll go through today. I’m optimistic, but I’m not going to push anything.”

Nabers led the league with 35 catches after four weeks before getting injured in a game against Dallas on September 26.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are moving on from their recent loss to the Chicago Bears as they prepare to face the New England Patriots.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence mentioned that the team has left behind the 35-16 defeat. They are set to play the Patriots (1-5) on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

“You just have to be able to move on quickly in this league — wins or losses,” Lawrence said Wednesday after practice at their hotel in the countryside. “We’ve turned the page and we’ve got to put our best foot forward and try to go beat New England.”

However, the loss had a lot of issues, including turnovers, dropped passes, penalties, and missed coverages. This defeat left Jacksonville with a record of 1-5.

“Part of it is keeping the spirits up. Obviously, you stay focused and you stay locked in now more than ever, but you also have to have fun. It’s still a game,” Lawrence said. “We’re still out here getting to do what we love.”

He added that the aim is to not let the pressure “take away the joy of the game. I think that helps you play better, honestly. That’s kind of been what we’ve been talking about and some of the coaches’ messaging.”

This loss wasn’t even their worst of the season; the Jaguars were beaten 47-10 by the Buffalo Bills in Week 3.

Davante Adams will be staying at Aaron Rodgers’ place for a bit, at least until he gets settled in with the New York Jets.

On Wednesday morning, they drove to the team facility together and sat next to each other in the team meeting, just like they used to.

“I turned to him and just said, ‘Man, how crazy is this?’” Rodgers said with a big smile. “It’s something we joke about during the offseasons, but it never felt like it would actually happen. So it’s good to be with him.”

The two former Green Bay Packers teammates will reunite on the field in Pittsburgh this Sunday night, where Adams is excited to make his Jets debut and catch passes from Rodgers again. “Definitely, I’ll be able to roll,” Adams said.

Adams, who was traded from Las Vegas on Tuesday, was limited in the team’s walkthrough session. He missed the Raiders’ last three games due to a hamstring injury, which happened around the time he asked to be traded.

After a hectic 48 hours filled with speculation, he is back with Rodgers and wearing his familiar No. 17 jersey, now in green and white.

“It’s been a roller coaster, for sure,” Adams said. “It’s strange to say I’m happy, but it was time for a change. Everything unfolded in a weird way, but we’re in a better place now. I think the Raiders are in a better place, too. Everyone can move on. It’s definitely been a roller coaster — up and down and all around. But we got it done.”

Last season, the 31-year-old Adams caught 103 passes for 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns with the Raiders, after spending eight years with Rodgers in Green Bay.

This season, he had 18 receptions for 209 yards and one touchdown in three games before the hamstring injury and his trade request. Adams admitted he was frustrated and needed a change.

When asked about what he meant by both sides being better off, Adams said, “let me choose my words carefully here” and discussed how he had different views on his usage, the offensive strategies, and how defenses were playing against him.

“Just because they want to line up with the safety and try to play cover-2, we don’t just shut it down and move on,” Adams said.

“Sometimes you’ve got to find a way to still make the play work because if you’re just looking for single coverage for me to make a play, I won’t be able to make many plays over the course of a year, just based on how I’m being played by a lot of these defenses.

“I think some of it is: Get me to a place where I’ve got a lot of familiarity with this offense and the quarterback. (Rodgers) understands how I see the game and how I see the ball thrown and all those things, and sometimes he can make it easier.”

Adams and Rodgers will quickly reconnect on the field, which was one of the best quarterback-wide receiver partnerships in recent NFL history. Adams caught 615 passes from Rodgers for 7,517 yards and 68 touchdowns during their eight seasons together in Green Bay. That’s the most in all three categories between any active players.

He’ll join a now crowded group of Jets wide receivers that includes Garrett Wilson, who leads New York with 41 receptions, along with Allen Lazard, Mike Williams, Xavier Gipson, Irvin Charles, and rookie Malachi Corley. There are some questions about how new offensive play caller Todd Downing will fit everyone into the system while also bringing Adams in.

“It’s a really cool problem to have,” interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “It’s going to give us an opportunity to have more flexibility in moving these guys around.”

Williams, who signed as a free agent last offseason, has had difficulty building a connection with Rodgers. He was the intended receiver when Rodgers threw interceptions during the Jets’ last offensive series in losses to Buffalo and Minnesota.

Rodgers mentioned that Williams was in the wrong position on the throw that was intercepted by Taron Johnson on Monday night.

Adams’ arrival particularly complicates Williams’ role in the offense. Williams was not at the team’s walkthrough on Wednesday for what the team labeled as “personal” reasons.

Meanwhile, ESPN reported that Adams restructured his contract to lower his salary cap this season and added two voidable years, allowing for future negotiations. His salary cap hit would be $44.1 million in each of the next two seasons.

Adams made it clear that he sees the Jets as a long-term option. “I mean, I hope so,” he said. “That’s the plan. I want to be here. I never go somewhere hoping to find a new home.”

Sean Payton is closely associated with New Orleans after spending 15 years as the Saints coach. During his time, the team made the playoffs nine times and won its only Super Bowl.

Now, as the second-year coach of the Denver Broncos, Payton will experience the Superdome differently on Thursday night. He will start with the walk from the team bus to a visitor’s locker room he has never been in before.

Although Payton became a big part of New Orleans culture and still has a home in the city, he doesn’t expect a warm welcome when the struggling Saints (2-4) host the Broncos (3-3), who are eager to win after losing four straight games.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly — and I get it,” Payton said. He has the most regular-season coaching wins (152) in Saints history, which is 59 more than any other coach.

He also mentioned, “Certainly, there will be emotions going back there, with the amount of time I was there.”

Adding to the nostalgia of the game, former record-setting quarterback Drew Brees will be there for his official induction into the Saints Hall of Fame.

Both teams, however, must focus on the game itself. Each lost on Sunday, has important players injured, and has just three days to prepare.

“It’s fortunate that it’s a short week, because I haven’t had a lot of time to dive into the other stuff,” Payton said. “I get it, but what’s most important is finding a way to win.”

Saints coach Dennis Allen worked on Payton’s staff for 12 seasons, including the last six as the defensive coordinator before being promoted in 2022, when Payton took a year off from coaching.

Right now, the return of his longtime friend and mentor is the last thing he wants to talk about.

“I don’t think that’s where our focus needs to be,” said Allen, who has a record of 18-22 as the Saints coach and hasn’t made the playoffs in his two-plus seasons. “Our focus needs to be on our football team and what we need to do to improve.”

Since starting the season with two big wins, the Saints have struggled, getting worse over the past two weeks with a 26-13 loss at Kansas City and a 51-27 defeat at home against Tampa Bay.

New Orleans is also using a rookie quarterback; fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler has stepped in because of Derek Carr’s oblique injury.

The Saints are aware of how skilled Payton is at spotting and taking advantage of opponents’ weaknesses.

“Everybody in this building knows who Sean Payton is, and if he sees blood in the water, he’s going to go try and take advantage,” Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “That’s always been his M.O. So, we’re not helping to deter that at this point with that last game that we just put on.”

Mike Tomlin is being tight-lipped about who will be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night against the New York Jets. However, it’s not too hard to guess what might happen.

While Tomlin didn’t provide details on how Russell Wilson and Justin Fields shared snaps during practice on Wednesday, Wilson’s readiness and Tomlin mentioning that Wilson was “in consideration” to start for the first time this season likely means that, unless something unexpected happens, Wilson will make his debut for the Steelers in a primetime game against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

Tomlin only said that the decision about the starter would be made “in-house,” but several players noted on Wednesday that Wilson and Fields — who has performed well to help Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start — split first-team reps.

The 35-year-old Wilson’s practice time has gradually increased in recent weeks as he recovers from a calf injury he suffered at the beginning of training camp and then aggravated a few days before the season opener against Atlanta.

Wilson was at the top of the depth chart when he got injured, and Fields never took his spot on that list, even though he played in Wilson’s place on game days.

Tomlin praised Fields for his performance during the first part of the season but noted that Wilson’s availability could change things in the quarterback room.

“We got a player with talent who hadn’t had an opportunity to play, so we’re going to potentially explore those things,” Tomlin said.

Wilson, who signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum in March, had only one series during the preseason. Still, Tomlin highlighted Wilson’s experience and past success as reasons to believe it wouldn’t take long for him to shake off any rust from the longest inactive stretch of his 13-year career.

Wilson isn’t the only player who might return against the Jets. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith practiced on Wednesday and could be back after missing three games due to a groin injury.

“I’m feeling good, optimism is very, very high,” Highsmith said. “Just got to keep trending upwards, continue to feel better and keep getting better.”

The Steelers have faced many injuries at the linebacker position opposite star T.J. Watt. The team had Nick Herbig and DeMarvin Leal step in while Highsmith was out, but both players got hurt too. Herbig is out with a hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve last week due to a neck injury.

Jeremiah Moon, who was claimed off waivers from Baltimore in February, played 45 snaps last week against the Raiders at outside linebacker and also blocked a punt on special teams, which impressed Highsmith.

“That blocked punt was huge,” Highsmith said. “It changed the game. We value that. Moon has been in the league a few years now. He knows what he’s doing. He did a great job coming in and stepping up.”

If it were up to Brian Robinson Jr., he would have played for the Washington Commanders last weekend.

It’s still not his decision, but he is hoping to return for their next game on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Robinson is trying to come back from a knee injury that kept him out and played a part in the loss to Baltimore, which ended the Commanders’ four-game win streak.

After having trouble making much progress on the ground with Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and quarterback Jayden Daniels, having Robinson back would be a big boost in a game that Washington is expected to win.

“It’s going to be helpful to have B-Rob back — I’m looking forward to it,” Daniels said Wednesday. “Regardless if he’s here or not, we want to be able to go out there and be dominant in the run game.

But I mean, B-Rob is a special player, how he’s able to run the ball, how he’s able to break tackles and things like that. And people don’t give him a lot of credit for his hands out of the backfield in the passing game.”

Even though he missed the game against the Ravens, Robinson still leads the team with 325 rushing yards — just 3 more than Daniels — and five rushing touchdowns. He also has eight catches for 68 yards, forming a strong backfield duo with Ekeler.

“We try to complement each other the best way we can,” Robinson said. “If I need to go be physical so Austin can come in and slice guys up, then we need to try to maximize that.”

Without Robinson, the Commanders managed only 52 rushing yards against Baltimore, which is their lowest total in a game this season. Some of that was due to playing from behind and facing the NFL’s top run defense, but many factors contributed to the lack of success on the ground.

“I think what happened last game wasn’t just a personnel issue but really just executing as a whole offense,” rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman said. “From B-Rob to J-Mac, Austin, they’re all doing a great job and running really hard.

We just got to make sure to get them that gap to where they can get through there.” Coach Dan Quinn recognized that it was difficult not having Robinson available but said, “In the sake of what’s best for him first, and then for the team, it was the right call.”

Robinson understands this as well and expressed gratitude to Quinn and general manager Adam Peters for making the decision for him.

“It helped tremendously,” Robinson said. “I’m just so prideful. I’m like, ‘Man, look, I’m ready to play.’ They decided that was the best decision for what we’re trying to do, and I’m thankful for them being in my corner.”

Robinson was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday but felt he was in good shape.

“I don’t want to miss a day, a second out on the field, so just being back out there feels great,” the 25-year-old Alabama product said. “I felt good today. Obviously that’s a decision coaches have got to make. I feel great. I feel more like myself again.”