The Washington Post - 07.09.2019

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 , 2019. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ M2 D3

to wear yourself down.’ That’s J. Reed.” Before the concussion — suffered on an ugly helmet-to- helmet hit from Atlanta safety Keanu Neal, a hit for which Neal was fined more than $28,000 — there were plenty of reasons to believe that Reed had built himself back up rather than worn himself down. Bommarito first worked with Reed to get him prepared for the 2013 draft, in which Washington selected him in the third round. But over the past few offseasons, the pair hadn’t been able to work together because Reed’s body wasn’t ready. That lack of offseason training has an impact, Bommarito said, on in- season preparedness. “In order to be that elite, you’ve got to be able to train your body in the offseason,” Bommarito said. “Just because you have the genetic potential doesn’t mean you’re able to maintain it all year round. The season itself takes a toll on your body. That’s for everybody. But with him, when he was rehabilitating an injury, he couldn’t do that. The overall frustration is he just knows what his body is able to do.” This offseason, finally healthy and coming off a year in which he played 13 games and caught 54 balls for a Washington offense that churned through quarterbacks, he pushed his body to do what he knows it can. But in the process, he needed constant reassurance that he was performing to his standard. “He would literally break everything out,” Bommarito said. “He would hit every cut at every angle at every speed. Inside edge. Outside edge. Everything.” The overarching question, though, remains: Is he back? This is a league in which early retirements are becoming more common. Jordan Reed isn’t at that point yet. The point he’s at: You would love for him to catch a break. You would love for him to play 16 games. You would love for him not just to go into next season healthy, but you would love for him to be healthy, period. Not just for football. But for life. [email protected]

Fo r more by Barry Svrluga, visit washingtonpost.com/svrluga.

of biographical information. So Reed is needed because of what this team lacks around him. More than that, though, Reed is needed because of who he is. He needs his head clear and not just of the concussion. He needs his head clear of everything that has limited him in the past. “I’ve seen frustration, big- time,” Thompson said. “He’s had a hard time dealing with it. But as I’ve seen him the last few days or so when he’s come back in the building now, he doesn’t look as down as he did in the past. What I’ve seen in previous years when he had injuries, it was like he knew he was nowhere close to getting back. And if he did go out, he wasn’t feeling like himself. Now, I think, because his lower body’s good and healthy, I think he’s in a much better place.”

What Reed is dealing with is, in some ways, no different than for anyone who decides to make his living by violently slamming into other men. “Think about it,” s aid new Washington linebacker Jon Bostic, who played three years with Reed at Florida. “You put your body in how many car accidents a year, and then you have to be able to go back and play on Sunday. Sometimes your body just goes through it.” In college, Bostic saw how Reed dealt with issues that began with being switched from quarterback (imagine that) to tight end. In the offseasons, Bostic made it a practice to spend Saturdays at the Gators’ facility, watching film. “I’d look out, and J. Reed would be running the same route over and over and over,” Bostic said. “The coaches had to tell him: ‘Go home. You’re going

Excerpted from washingtonpost.com/redskins

Moreau listed as out, Reed as questionable

The Washington Redskins will be without cornerback Fabian Moreau for their season opener in Philadelphia on Sunday. Coach Jay Gruden on Friday ruled his top slot corner out after Moreau was unable to practice all week because of an ankle injury. Gruden might have Jordan Reed available after the tight

end went through another limited practice Friday. Reed has been in the concussion protocol since he was on the receiving end of a helmet-to- helmet hit in Washington’s third preseason game. He returned to practice Wednesday and is officially listed as questionable to play against the Eagles. “He’s still not cleared for full contact,” Gruden said. “They’ll probably have a good feeling [Saturday] morning.” Linebacker Cassanova McKinzy is also questionable after suffering a concussion in

the final preseason game, but he fully participated in practice Friday for the first time this week. Defensive lineman Caleb Brantley is questionable with a foot injury but also was a full participant Friday after being limited earlier in the week. Quarterback Colt McCoy (leg) is officially out and has yet to return to practice. The Eagles will be without backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld (wrist), tackle Jordan Mailata (back) and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (knee). All three are ruled out. — Kareem Copeland

Robinson i njured h is right knee in practice Thursday — it gave out during a noncontact, pass-block- ing drill — and w as listed as d oubt- ful to play against Kansas City. Marrone said he didn’t have knowledge o f test r esults. l MISC: The NFL kickoff game between the Packers and Bears was the most viewed opener since 2016. Green Bay’s victory Thursday night averaged 22.7 million viewers o n NBC as well as the n etwork’s and NFL’s digital platforms. The viewer figures were released by the n etwork and compiled by Niel- sen a nd Adobe Analytics. This year’s game saw a 16 per- cent increase over last year, when an average of 19.6 m illion w atched the P hiladelphia E agles defeat t he Atlanta Falcons. The audience peaked at 23.9 million viewers between 9:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Eastern.

the C olts f rom 1 998 t hrough 2009, where he helped teach Reich the nuances of b locking. “He was all in. It was tremen- dous in every way,” R eich s aid. “He had a l ot of energy, passion, a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience in those meetings. It was a lot of fun for our guys, especially our younger guys to get a chance to rub s houlders with Howard.” l JAGUARS: Jacksonville probably will be without starting left tackle Cam Robinson for its season opener — and maybe lon- ger. It’s a potentially significant set- back for an offense that was so ravaged by injuries in 2018 that Coach Doug Marrone completely revamped his approach to training camp and the preseason this year. Marrone simply wanted to get to the regular season as healthy a s possible. No c hance n ow.

double coverage in the end zone with the Bears going for the t ie. “It starts with me,” Nagy said. “I need to be better, and I will be better, and I’m going to demand that from myself, from our coaches and f rom o ur players.” l COLTS: Longtime assistant coach Howard Mudd decided to walk away from football just two days before Indianapolis opens the season at the Los Angeles Chargers. Coach Frank Reich made the announcement Friday. The 77-year-old Mudd came out of retirement six months ago and accepted the title of senior offensive assistant, working primarily with new offensive line coach Chris Strausser. Mudd worked for seven NFL franchises from 1974 through 2012 before r etiring. But, Reich said, over the past week, Mudd started indicating he might be ready to leave the game again. He previously worked for

it what have become eternal and
inevitable questions about his
availability. After the healthiest
offseason he can remember, he
was drilled in the head during
Washington’s third preseason
game and hasn’t played since. In
an offense whose most
promising playmakers are either
unproven (Derrius Guice), aging
(Adrian Peterson) or limited
physically (everyone else?),
Reed’s ability to simply pull on
pads and be some version of
himself is essential.
“He’s an elite player,” Coach
Jay Gruden said.
“He changes our offense big-
time,” r unning back Chris
Thompson said.
Anything written about Reed
is in danger of plagiarizing
everything else written about
Reed: He is an unusual,
dynamic talent who just needs
his health to prove his worth.
That could have been written
when he was a rookie in 2013
(nine games), when he caught
87 balls and scored
11 touchdowns in 2015 (career-
high 14 games), when he made
the Pro Bowl in 2016 (12 games)
or when he missed more than
half the season in 2017 (six
games).
But it is written here, in 2019,
because he is in the NFL’s
concussion protocol, and
though he went through some of
the team’s workouts Wednesday
and Thursday, he has not yet
been cleared to play. That’s
distressing because
Washington’s offense is in a spot
in which it may have to rely on
Reed, who was listed Friday as
questionable for the opener,
more than ever.
Stop someone on the street
and ask what the local football
team’s best threat at wideout
would be. Cue the blank stares.
Maybe — maaaaaaybe — you
would get someone to say “Paul
Richardson Jr.” because the
veteran has speed or “Terry
McLaurin” because they
remember him from Ohio State.
But the elite downfield threat of
DeSean Jackson is long gone.
The first-round talent of Josh
Doctson was cut at the end of
the preseason. The slot
excellence of Jamison Crowder
walked away in the offseason. As
far as the league is concerned,
the leftover guys require not
only name tags but also reams

SVRLUGA FROM D1

dence to support the alleged abuse. The NFL cleared Hill the week before training camp, at which p oint the Chiefs a nnounced that he was free to resume working with the team in advance of this season. l BEARS: From the time quarterback Mitchell Trubisky bobbled a snap and handoff to Ta rik C ohen on the first play Thursday night, Chicago struggled on offense in a 10-3 home loss to the Green Bay Packers. Bears Coach Matt N agy insisted Friday what happened to Trubisky and t he o ffense was a n aberration. If it wasn’t, the Bears could be headed for a long, difficult fall from the 12-4 r ecord o f last season. The Bears hadn’t scored so few points s ince John F ox w as c oach in

They rushed for only
46 yards. Trubisky threw a critical
fourth-quarter i nterception t o for-
mer teammate Adrian Amos in

reach a n agreement w ith Ty reek to keep him in a Chiefs uniform for the foreseeable future,” General Manager Brett Veach said. “He understands our expectations of him as a member of this team and community. This extension is con- tingent upon the conditions Ty reek agreed to adhere to upon his return to the team in July. “Tyreek is an elite player in this league and h as played a major role in our team’s success,” Veach said, “and we’re pleased that he’ll con- tinue to make a n impact f or us.” Hill was b arred f rom t he Chiefs’ facility all offseason after audio surfaced in which his t hen-fiancee accused him of hurting their 3- year-old son. It prompted an in- vestigation by the district attor- ney, another by the NFL and another by the Kansas Department for C hildren and Families. Local authorities were the first to clear Hill after finding no evi-

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Kansas City Chiefs signed
Ty reek Hill to a three-year,
$54 million contract extension
Friday, locking up the playmaking
wide receiver whose off-the-field
issues left his future in the NFL in
question just a couple of months
ago.
The deal includes a $5.8 m illion
signing bonus and $ 35.2 million in
guarantees.
“I hope he can still run that fast
with all that money in his pocket,”
Coach Andy Reid quipped after
Friday’s walk-through ahead of
the Chiefs’ opener Sunday at the
Jacksonville Jaguars.
The length of the deal protects
the Chiefs from investing too
heavily in a dynamic player with a
checkered past while also giving
the 2 5-year-old Hill the c hance for
another payday down the r oad.
“We’re pleased we were able to

REDSKINS NOTES

NFL NOTES

Kansas City gives troubled Hill a three-year, $54 million contract extension

BARRY SVRLUGA

Redskins need healthy, productive Reed

JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST When he is healthy, veteran tight end Jordan Reed is the best pass-catching option for the Redskins.

BY MARK MASKE

The Oakland Raiders, in an
abrupt reversal, allowed wide
receiver Antonio Brown to rejoin
the team Friday and opted
against suspending or releasing
him, at least for now.
He is scheduled to play in the
Raiders’ season-opening game
Monday night at home against
the D enver Broncos, a ccording to
Coach Jon Gruden.
“That’s the plan,” Gruden told
reporters Friday at the team’s
training facility. “ That’s the plan,
yes.”
Gruden also said: “Antonio is
back today. We’re really excited
about that. We’re ready to move
on. He’s had a lot of, obviously,
time to think about things. We’re
happy to have him back. I know
Raider Nation is excited about
that, too.”
Brown apologized to his team-

mates during a meeting Friday, he confirmed when he spoke briefly to reporters. “I’m excited to be out here today,” Brown said. “I apologized to my teammates [and] the or- ganization. Enough talk, man. I’m excited to be out here with my teammates. I’m grateful for all the fans. I’m excited to be a part of the Raiders and see you guys soon.” Brown’s return to the Raiders came a day after he was told to stay home Thursday as team officials, according to people close to the situation, mulled over disciplinary measures that included fining, suspending or releasing him. A suspension would have been without pay and could have voided the guarantee of a large portion of Brown’s contract. The penalties would have co me in reaction to a practice-

field incident Wednesday between Brown and Mike Mayock, the team’s general manager. But agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents Brown, worked to mend Brown’s relationship with Mayock and the team. The Raiders appear to be giving Brown, the seven-time Pro Bowl selection they obtained in an offseason trade with the Pitts- burgh Steelers, at least one more chance. It was not immediately clear whether the Raiders will fine Brown for Wednesday’s verbal confrontation with Mayock. Un- der the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Associa- tion, a club can fine a player as much as one week’s pay for conduct detrimental to the team. In Brown’s case, that would be $860,294, one-seven- teenth of his 2019 salary of

$14.625 million. Under the CBA, a team can suspend a player for as many as four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team. The Raiders, at least for the time being, have chosen not to do that with Brown. Brown could, if he chooses, appeal any penalty by the Raiders through the NFLPA. Brown signed a three-year, $50.1 million contract with the Raiders as part of the offseason trade that brought him from the Pittsburgh Steelers. That deal contained $30.1 million in guar- anteed money. If he was sus- pended, that could have revoked the guarantee of $29.1 million, although this season’s salary would have become re-guaran- teed with him on the Raiders’ roster Monday. Wednesday’s incident came with Brown unhappy about re-

ceiving a letter from Mayock informing him that he had been fined nearly $54,000 for missing a walk-through and a practice last month. Brown had posted a photo of that letter to social media. The incident included, according to reports, Brown us- ing profane language toward Mayock and threatening to punch him. Brown reportedly also punted a football and told Mayock to fine him for that. The Raiders told Brown to stay home Thursday rather than re- port to the team’s training facility. Brown did not participate in Thursday’s practice. Mayock and Gruden spoke to reporters Thursday but declined to discuss the specifics of Wednesday’s incident or the Raiders’ plans for Brown. Brown was one of the NFL’s most productive pass-catchers in Pittsburgh. But he became in-

creasingly disgruntled, and the Steelers eventually a ccommodat- ed his trade request. His short tenure with the Raiders has been turbulent. He missed practice time because of injuries to his feet reportedly suffered while undergoing cryotherapy treat- ments. He filed two failed griev- ances against the NFL seeking to be permitted to wear a helmet not up to the league’s safety standards. The Raiders mostly remained supportive of Brown throughout the feet and helmet ordeals. Gruden has expressed admira- tion for Brown as a player and has said he believes that Brown is a good person. But Mayock followed one of Brown’s a bsences last month by saying it was time for Brown to be “all-in or all-out” in terms of his commitment to the team. [email protected]

Raiders allow Brown to return, say he will play Monday night against Broncos

professional football

“As I’ve seen him the

last few days or so

when he’s come back in

the building now, he

doesn’t look as down as

he did in the past.” Chris Thompson , on teammate Jordan Reed

The Washington Post - 07.09.2019

Get our desktop app

Company

Features

Documentation

Resources