Washington coach Jay Gruden said Saturday it’s unlikely the Redskins will try to trade holdout offensive lineman Trent Williams. The Redskins placed Williams on the reserve/did not report list last week after he failed to show up for training camp.
“I would seriously doubt that. So, no,” Gruden responded when asked about trade rumors involving the Pro Bowl left tackle.
Whether the disgruntled veteran can be enticed to rejoin the Redskins remains a mystery. Williams is said to be unhappy with the medical staff after a tumor scare earlier this offseason and also would like at least an “alteration” to his contract.
Williams, 31, has reached seven consecutive Pro Bowls. He has been with the Redskins since 2010, when they took him fourth overall in the NFL draft.
— Suspended New England Patriots wideout Josh Gordon has applied to be reinstated to the league, according to multiple reports.
Gordon, 28, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in December for violating the terms of his reinstatement from a yearlong ban for substance abuse.
The Patriots have supported Gordon since the suspension, offering him a restricted free agent tender, which Gordon signed in April. If he is allowed to play this season, New England would welcome him back. In 12 games with New England last season, he caught 41 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns.
–Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s left calf injury will keep him out of practice for at least another week.
Luck suffered the injury in April and took part in three practices in training camp. He told the Colts last week that he wanted to sit out until his calf was fully healed.
He won’t play in the preseason game Thursday at Buffalo, and while coach Frank Reich would like him to see some preseason game action, the team won’t rush him. Backup Jacoby Brissett is taking the first-team snaps in practice, but Reich said Luck is progressing in his recovery.
–Running back Spencer Ware vowed to play in the 2019 season, despite a report he will have ankle surgery.
The Indianapolis Colts placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the surgery. He added Ware would be sidelined five to six weeks. The Colts and Ware are expected to reach an injury settlement.
“I am NOT done for season! When things happen you have to adjust and treat accordingly,” Ware tweeted. “I’m going to play THIS YEAR, so there are things that need to be done before that happens that’ll put me in the best case scenario. MINOR, MINOR, MINOR setback because of timing.”
–Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown plans to visit a foot specialist, The Athletic reported.
Brown was briefly on the non-football injury list when training camp opened but was cleared to practice on July 28. He has yet to be a full participant, however. The specific nature of the injury has not been revealed.
The Raiders acquired the seven-time Pro Bowl selection from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade in March and later signed him to a three-year, $50.125 million contract.
–The Denver Broncos signed running back Theo Riddick to a one-year deal for $2.5 million, with $1 million guaranteed, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver.
Riddick, 28, was released by the Detroit Lions last weekend.
The Broncos made room for Riddick by placing defensive lineman Billy Winn on injured reserve after he suffered a triceps injury in Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Klis.
–Dallas Cowboys All-Pro guard Zack Martin had an MRI after experiencing back spasms and will not practice this weekend.
The Cowboys are “encouraged” by the test results but will take a cautious approach before he returns to action.
Martin, 28, has only missed two games in five seasons since the Cowboys picked him in the first round (16th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound right guard has made the Pro Bowl all five seasons and earned All-Pro first-team recognition in 2014, 2016 and 2018.
–The toe injury suffered by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert in Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game could cost him the backup role.
Pushing veteran Matt Schaub for the No. 2 spot behind Matt Ryan, Benkert boosted his cause in the preseason opener by completing 19 of 34 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Canton, Ohio.
Benkert, 24, left with the injury during the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 14-10 win. On Saturday, NFL Network characterized the injury as a “major one” while the Falcons announced they had agreed to terms with quarterback Matt Simms.
–Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon settled a sexual harassment lawsuit with a former employee of his sports marketing firm, the woman’s lawyer told The Washington Post. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
Moon originally denied the allegations when the lawsuit was filed in Orange County Superior Court in California in December 2017.
The suit alleged he made “unwanted and unsolicited” sexual advances toward his executive assistant at Sports 1 Marketing.
–Field Level Media
