League Update 2/17/2021

 The 5-year-old Victim in Britt Reid's Drunk Driving Accident Awakes From Coma.

We were all surprised to read headlines about the (now former) Chiefs' Linebacker Coach Britt Reid's serious drunk driving accident in which he hit TWO cars and critically injured a 5-year-old child and left her in a coma. Little Ariel awoke from her coma Tuesday morning and looks to be on the road to recovery.

Jaguars Change Primary Jerseys

After a series of somewhat cryptic tweets from Jacksonville's official Twitter account Reddit user u/conbon7 cracked the code in his post. Jaguars later confirmed that in fact, they will be using their teal jerseys as their home uniforms for the 2021-2022 season. Great move if you ask me personally as it is a shame they have only been using them sparingly. 

Death of Former Pro-Bowl WR Vincent Jackson

As some know I am a huge Chargers fan and this one saddens me. 3-time pro-bowl Wide Reciever Vincent Jackson was found dead in a hotel room after his family reported him missing, at 38 years old and only 5 years removed from his NFL career he is gone far too soon. Jackson was drafted by the Chargers in 2005 and spent seven years with the franchise before signing with Tampa Bay to finish out his solid 12-year career.

Death of Former NFL Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer

It has been a bad month for the football world and an especially bad week for Chargers fans. Schottenheimer famously was fired as Chargers Head Coach after posting an amazing 14-2 record in 2006. Marty passed away on February 8th from complications of Alzheimer's. With 31 years of professional coaching experience, Marty is ranked 31st all-time in win percentage above the likes of great coaches such as Bill Walsh and Tom Landry. He is also 8th all-time in wins and part of the 200 win club, a remarkable achievement for coaches, of which he is the only inactive coach not in the Hall of Fame. Spending time with Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego, Schottenheimer deserves a bust in Canton, and best believe he will be there the day comes.

Texans Release Star Defensive End J.J. Watt

I wrote a post earlier this week about my thoughts on where Watt should land, however, I didn't really input my opinion on his release as a whole. The Houston Texans are a trainwreck of a franchise at the moment, as a team that almost demolished the Chiefs in the playoffs a year ago, no one would have guessed that J.J. Watt would leave the building and Deshaun Watson soon to follow suit. From a cap perspective, the move makes sense as the Texans save $17 million in an upcoming season where money may be tight due to the salary cap shrinkage. It will be hard to see Watt in anything other than a Texans jersey after his HOF-worthy career and all he has done for the city and people of Houston. I hope to see his ring chasing dreams come to fruition because after a decade of suffering he deserves it. 

WFT Sign QB Taylor Heinicke to a Two-Year $8.75mil Deal

Taylor Heinicke came in relief to the Washington Football Team after their Miracle Man Alex Smith was out with a leg injury for their playoff game against eventual Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers. Heinicke played out of his mind against Tom Brady and company by scoring two touchdowns and keeping it close in a 31-23 loss that was expected to be a blowout. Great story for former XFL quarterback that also spent time with HC Ron Rivera in Carolina two years ago. Whether or not Washington feels like they found their future at QB Heinicke will be in the building and ready to go when they need him. 

Panthers Release Long-Time DT Kawaan Short

After a few disappointing and oft-injured years the Carolina Pathers release two-time pro bowler Kawaan Short. Short had one more year left on the massive deal he signed in 2017 for $80 million. Provided Short can stay healthy he can be a cheap veteran option for teams needing rotational support on the front lines. Panthers save close to $15 million on the move.

Miami Extends All-Pro K Jason Sanders Through 2026

After an amazing season and dethroning Justin Tucker as the league's best kicker, Jason Sanders has earned a payday. In 2020 Sanders went 36/39 on field goals and a perfect 39/39 for extra points on the year. His contact is a whopping 5-year $22 million with $10 million guaranteed, which makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league in terms of the total contract value. Highly deserved contract, but the kicker position is highly volatile, so let's hope for his and the Dolphins' sake this was not a fluke.

by Brandon McCann