NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Within nine days, we will know the name of the Bears starting quarterback!  Jason Leiser of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Don’t worry, everyone. Bears coach Matt Nagy won’t wait till kickoff of the season opener to name a starting quarterback.

After indicating he would keep that a secret as long as possible, Nagy backtracked Monday and said he will follow convention and declare a winner of the competition between Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles early next week.

Nagy apologized for the confusion he caused but will remain vague the rest of this week. He insisted he hasn’t made a decision yet.

“There will be no waiting until the middle of [next] week or the end of [next] week,” he said. “That wouldn’t be fair to our team, and it wouldn’t be fair to the quarterbacks.

“We’re not hiding anything. . . . We don’t even know that yet, to be quite honest.”

Foles and Trubisky have gone back and forth throughout preseason practices, but Foles appeared to play better in the scrimmage Saturday at Soldier Field and at the previous practice. Bears practices were open in full to the media through Saturday but shifted to a short viewing period Monday.

Trubisky has started for the Bears since taking over for Mike Glennon in 2017 but was one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL last season. That prompted the Bears to trade a fourth-round pick and commit to a three-year, $24 million deal for Foles, who is a journeyman but was the Super Bowl MVP in the 2017 season.

Both quarterbacks should look better in the next few days as WR ALLEN ROBINSON has returned to practice after missing a week with an ankle injury.

MINNESOTA

T REILLY REIFF is not wanted by the Vikings at his current salary. Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Another change might be imminent for the Vikings’ offensive line as left tackle Riley Reiff has been told he’ll need to take a pay cut to avoid getting released soon, according to a league source.

Reiff, who was absent from the start of Monday’s practice and replaced by Brian O’Neill during positional drills, was approached recently by the Vikings about restructuring his contract after the team acquired ex-Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.

Ngakoue renegotiated his franchise tender for the Vikings, agreeing to a one-year, $12 million deal; cutting Reiff would save about $11 million against this season’s cap. The Vikings had $12.2 million in space before trading for Ngakoue, according to NFLPA data.

Two weeks before the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers in the season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, O’Neill moved to the left side for the first time in his NFL career. He took every rep as the first-team left tackle during Sunday’s practice, when Reiff watched from the sideline, and stood next to left guard Dakota Dozier again during Monday’s positional drills.

Veteran swing tackle Rashod Hill lined up alongside right guard Pat Elflein on Monday after sitting out the past two practices because of an apparent injury. With Hill held out Sunday, second-year tackle Oli Udoh took reps as the first-team right tackle.

Reiff, a 31-year-old team captain, has had an uneven tenure during three seasons as the Vikings’ left tackle, struggling most in 2018 when he played through a foot injury. He’s entering the fourth year of a five-year, $58.75 million deal he signed during 2017 free agency. The former Lions draft pick has no remaining guaranteed money in the contract.

Remaining cap costs for the Vikings include accounting for a full 53-man roster (offseason cap rules only count the top 51 players), an expanded 16-man practice squad, and eventual injury replacements. Carrying over space might also be enticing for teams. The financial consequences of the coronavirus pandemic could cause the 2021 cap to fall as low as $175 million, down from $198.2 million this year.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

In light of the latest attack from the Washington Post, the NFL is taking over the investigation of complaints about the culture of the WFT, although the same high-powered lawyer Beth Wilkerson will still run the investigation.  This from NFL.com:

The NFL is stepping in to look deeper into allegations of workplace problems within one of its member clubs.

The league informed Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder it is taking over the investigation into alleged workplace issues reported by The Washington Post, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Monday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with Snyder on Monday and the owner was supportive of the step, Rapoport added.

Snyder hired Beth Wilkinson of District of Columbia law firm Wilkinson Walsh LLP to review the organization’s culture, policies and allegations of workplace misconduct after The Washington Post published a report July 15 detailing allegations of sexual harassment from 15 female former employees. On Wednesday, The Post published a second story detailing additional allegations of workplace sexual harassment inside the Washington Football Team organization.

Garafolo reported Wilkinson and her team will still conduct the investigation, but they will now report to Goodell and the NFL.

Daniel and Tanya Snyder later released a statement obtained by Rapoport:

“Recently, The Washington Football Team launched an independent third-party investigation into allegations about our culture and incidents of harassment. In conversations with Commissioner Goodell, Tanya and I suggested that the NFL assume full oversight of the investigation so that the results are thorough, complete and trusted by the fans, the players, our employees and the public. I appreciate Commissioner Goodell agreeing to our suggestion and the entire Washington Football Team remains committed to fully cooperating with all aspects of the investigation.”

Snyder has released any of his former employees from any Do Not Disclose agreements they may have signed upon exiting the Team.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

RB ALVIN KAMARA wants some money now.  We don’t really blame him.  Luke Johnson of the Times-Advocate:

With the start of the 2020 less than two weeks away, the New Orleans Saints and star running back Alvin Kamara appear to have reached a roadblock.

Kamara missed his third consecutive practice Monday, and according to an ESPN report, those absences are related to Kamara seeking a new contract.

When asked after Monday’s practice if Kamara’s absence was injury related, Saints coach Sean Payton referred broadly to the players who missed practice and said, “I don’t really want to get into that at this time.” NFL teams are not required to release an injury report during training camp.

Kamara, the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is set to make $2.1 million in the final year of his rookie contract. He has vastly outperformed the terms of his initial deal with the club, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons while accumulating nearly 4,500 yards from scrimmage and 37 touchdowns.

Earlier this summer, Kamara suggested he was going to let his representation handle any potential contract negotiations while he focused on football. Kamara reported on time for training camp, and outside of a stomach bug that kept him out of two practices, he participated fully until his recent absences.

“Me and my agent (Damarius Bilbo) talked briefly about it, and I told him, ‘Don’t tell me anything about a contract until stuff is happening and there’s something I need to know,’ ” Kamara said before the team began padded practices. “… I’m just here to do my job. I’m healthy and back with my teammates, and we’re working toward getting ready for Tampa (in Week 1).”

 Alvin Kamara opens up: On last season’s knee injury and not rushing a 2nd contract

Kamara went on to say that whenever he did receive a contract that is more commensurate with his abilities, “it’s gonna be well-deserved, and it’s gonna be perfect timing for it. It’s just not something that’s at the forefront of my day. It’s not something I wake up thinking about.”

A separate ESPN report on Aug. 20 indicated the Saints and Kamara’s camp were in the early stages of contract talks. It is not yet clear whether those conversations and their current status have anything to do with Kamara’s recent absences.

If Kamara is indeed in the midst of a holdout, the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement allows the Saints to fine him as much as $40,000 for each day he misses, though those fines are not mandatory because Kamara is still on his rookie contract.

Kamara could also lose an accrued year under an additional stipulation in the new CBA, in which case he would become a restricted free agent next season rather than an unrestricted free agent.

Both those points become moot if Kamara and the Saints agree to terms on a new contract.

 Saints’ Day 12 observations: Drew Brees looks sharp, but secondary closes strong

A once-stagnant running back market has begun to show signs of life in the last calendar year, as a number of high-profile young running backs neared the end of their rookie deals.

Panthers star Christian McCaffrey reset this market this spring when he agreed to an extension that will pay him an average of $16 million per season. That topped the per-year mark set by Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott, who signed a $15 million-per-year contract last summer. The Tennessee Titans also signed reigning rushing champion Derrick Henry to an extension that will pay him an average of $12.5 million this summer.

Potentially complicating matters is the timing of Kamara’s contract year. Though the Saints have more than $7 million in cap space this season, they could be in a serious bind for the 2021 league year if revenues take a severe hit while the pandemic keeps fans at home.

 Watch Saints training camp highlights (Aug. 31): Action from Drew Brees, others after off day

While the Saints front office has proven itself plenty capable of manipulating the salary cap to field a championship-caliber team, the cap could drop by nearly $25 million next season, at which time the Saints may also be trying to extend cornerstone players like Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk.

New Orleans has shown a willingness for taking care of its own, especially lately. In the past 13 months, the Saints have signed former draft picks Michael Thomas, Andrus Peat and David Onyemata to big extensions.

TAMPA BAY

TE ROB GRONKOWSKI seems to be operating with less than a full clean bill of health.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

We’re less than two weeks away from the Buccaneers visiting New Orleans in Week One of the regular season and one of the things to look forward to in that contest is tight end Rob Gronkowski‘s return to game action.

Gronkowski ended his one-season retirement this offseason and signed on to be part of a Buccaneers tight end corps that also includes Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard. With those players on hand and Gronkowski well removed from his last game, head coach Bruce Arians faced a question about how much Gronkowski will play in the opener.

Arians said on Tuesday, via Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, the team will “play it by ear” while noting that Gronkowski (and others) struggled with a 16-play drive in the team’s recent scrimmage. Gronkowski won’t control the number of snaps he plays, but said he expects to bring “joy and adrenaline” to the field when he does get the call to play.

If he throws in a few third down catches to go with that joy and adrenaline, Gronkowski’s return to active duty should be a plus in Tampa’s bid for a 1-0 start to the season.

NFC WEST

SEATTLE

Pete Carroll is all in on Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, 1619 Project and Black Lives Matter.  Jack Baer of YahooSports.com:

Saturday’s news conference with Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was a little different from usual.

For starters, there was no practice to discuss. Carroll had given the team the day off. Second, there were no questions. Just 15 minutes of Carroll addressing the camera, discussing a topic that continues to dominate the sports world: racial inequality.

“(White people) need to be coached up and they need to be educated about what the heck is going on in the world,” Carroll said. “Black people can’t scream anymore, they can’t march any more, they can’t bear their souls anymore to what they’ve lived with for hundreds of years because white guys came over from Europe and started a new country with a great idea and great ideals and wrote down great writings and laws and all of that about democracy and freedom and equality for all. And then that’s not what happened, because we went down this road here and followed economics—rich white guys making money—and they put together a system of slavery, and we’ve never left it, really. It has never gone away.

“And Black people know the truth, they know exactly what’s going on. It’s white people who don’t know. It’s not that they’re not telling us; they’ve been telling us the stories. We know what’s right and what’s wrong, we just have not been open to listen to it. We’ve been unwilling to accept the real history. We’ve been taught a false history of what happened in this country, we’ve been basing things on false premises, and it has not been about equality for all, it has not been about freedom for all, it has not been opportunity for all, and it needs to be. This is a humanity issue we’re dealing with. This is a white people’s issue to get over and learn what’s going on and to figure it out and start loving everybody that is part of our country, and that want to our country, wherever they want to come from.”

To emphasize one of his points, Carroll’s team announced that all of its players are now registered to vote.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Andy Reid plans on coaching until he is at least 67 as he and GM Brett Veach get extensions through 2025.  Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

The Kansas City Chiefs moved to secure their coaching and front-office futures by agreeing to terms of contract extensions through 2025 with coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, sources confirmed Monday to ESPN.

News of the pending extensions was first reported by NFL Network.

Reid and Veach joined the Chiefs in 2013, with Veach starting as a scout. He was promoted to GM in 2017.

The team’s fortunes changed immediately after their arrival. The Chiefs have made the playoffs in six of seven seasons with Reid and Veach, the past four as AFC West champions. The Chiefs last season won their first Super Bowl in 50 years when they beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Reid, 62, is 77-35 in seven regular seasons with the Chiefs. He said recently he had no plans to retire.

“One of the great things about this job is when you look forward to coming to work and to deal with the players and coaches,” he said. “I’m lucky enough to be around good players and coaches. [Patrick Mahomes] makes it even better. He has a unique ability with what he does with his teammates. The ‘Honey Badger’ [Tyrann Mathieu] was part of this, too.

“Both of those two guys make our jobs very enjoyable. I come to work and have two great leaders like that, along with other players who love to play the game. Listen, if it takes me into my 70s, then let’s roll.”

Veach, 42, is credited within the Chiefs’ organization as being the scout who identified Mahomes in the 2017 NFL draft as a future star and convinced Reid and others they should make a move up in the first round to get the quarterback.

The Chiefs at one point this year had less than $200 of room under the salary cap but still found a way to sign Mahomes, defensive tackle Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce to new contracts potentially worth more than $600 million.

Chairman Clark Hunt recently said the Chiefs intended to re-sign Veach.

“We’re very lucky to have Brett as part of our organization,” Hunt said. “He’s done an amazing job over last three years of taking a really good roster and turning it into a championship roster, and I think it’s a roster now that’s going to have a chance for multiple years to be a contender for the Super Bowl. He’s done an outstanding job. He works extremely well with Coach Reid, he also has a great rapport with our players, so he’s somebody that we want here for the long term.”

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Media members who don’t have to deal with him on a daily basis think the Chargers should sign S EARL THOMAS, especially with S DERWIN JAMES going down.  Coach Anthony Lynn tries to put the kibosh on such an idea.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

August is the time of emerging from “on paper” dreams to “on field” realities.

That transition has produced its annual collection of harsh realizations, largely brought on by unfortunate injuries. The Chargers met one of their own over the weekend when safety Derwin James suffered a meniscus injury during Sunday’s practice that NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported is likely to cause James to miss significant time.

The Chargers are suddenly a team that, on paper and in reality, might need some help at safety, even if their coach disagrees.

“Since you guys are constantly telling me how stacked my secondary is, why the hell would I be looking anywhere else?” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters Monday, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

The question might not have arisen had a notable safety not recently become available, and it’s not a question exclusive to the Chargers. Folks around the league, from Los Angeles to Dallas to Cleveland have all inquired similarly: Will you pursue the services of Earl Thomas?

The exercise is tried, true and most often, fruitless for those asking, but with a player with a reputation such as Thomas’, such a question is essentially required. Team A has a need, and Player X could fill that need (while also generating headlines).

We’ve heard for a week now that teams — emphasis on the plurality — are interested in Thomas, who has yet to learn of his next destination. We haven’t seen much clarity beyond the vague group of “teams,” though, meaning these questions are likely to continue to arrive.

For Lynn, the answer is no, at least publicly, and he’s clearly already annoyed by the idea. With less than two weeks before the start of the regular season, it’s not exactly the best time to welcome in a needle-moving veteran. It’s also not the best time to see one of your best defenders — a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate, no less — go down with a serious injury.

Hold on, what is a “kibosh”?  Can we say it in the 21^st century?  It has a mysterious history and could be Irish or Yiddish or neither.  This from Mirriam-Webster:

kibosh

: something that serves as a check or stop —usually used in the phrase put the kibosh on

Inevitably, though, another recession will come putting the kibosh on job and income growth …

— Joseph Spiers

Kibosh has been a part of our language for almost two centuries, but its origin baffles etymologists. It was prominent enough in lower-class London speech to attract the attention of Charles Dickens, who used it in 1836 in an early sketch, but little else is certain. Claims were once made that it was Yiddish, despite the absence of a plausible Yiddish source. Another hypothesis points to Gaelic caidhp bháis—pronounced similarly to, and meaning, “coif of death”—explained as headgear a judge put on when pronouncing a death sentence, or as a covering pulled over the face of a corpse when a coffin was closed. But evidence for any metaphorical use of this phrase in Irish is lacking, and kibosh is not recorded as spoken in Ireland until decades after Dickens’ use.

This, even as word comes that James is done until 2021.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

James will miss the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.

The All-Pro will require surgery on his meniscus and the full repair will keep James out six to eight months, per Rapoport.

The Chargers were hoping James could get by with a meniscus trim, which would have sidelined him four weeks or so. But James has not had much injury luck.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

This headline seems like a bit of contradiction –

Brian Flores: Tua is healthy, but last year’s injury is a consideration for Week One

On to the story, by Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Medically, Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been cleared to play for Week One. But the injury remains in Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ mind as he decides who will start for the Dolphins in 12 days.

Flores acknowledged today that the hip injury that ended Tagovailoa’s career at Alabama plays a part in deciding whether Tagovailoa or Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starter for the opener at New England.

“That is definitely part of the conversation — for sure,” Flores said, via the Sun Sentinel. “We’re at 10 months. It was a pretty serious injury. He looks good, though. . . . He’s healthy. He’s moving around to his right and to his left. But yes, that’s part of the conversation.”

Flores has declined to reveal the order of the quarterbacks on the Dolphins’ depth chart, but most observers think Fitzpatrick currently has the lead, Tagovailoa is second and Josh Rosen is third. The Dolphins seem happy to let Fitzpatrick start the season, and give Tagovailoa a little more distance from that college injury.

NEW ENGLAND

Someone has a Patriots Super Bowl ring and WR Josh Gordon has most of $138,000.

Suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon has missed out on millions of dollars in potential earnings because of his multiple violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but he did make some money this weekend.

Gordon’s Super Bowl ring sold for $138,000 at an auction of sports memorabilia.

Although Gordon was suspended during the 2018 season and did not play in Super Bowl LIII, the Patriots still issued him a ring because he contributed to the team during the regular season.

Gordon is attempting to apply for reinstatement, but there’s been no indication of whether the NFL is going to reinstate him.

THIS AND THAT

COPING WITH CORONA – BIG TEN UPDATE

On Monday, in the law suit brought by the Nebraska parents, Big Ten lawyers offered a tiny peek behind whatever deliberations happened prior to the decision to abandon fall sports.

“Sworn statements” from frontmen Commissioner Kevin Warren and Northwestern’s Morton Schapiro we offered and they say not one, but two anonymous panels, of “medical experts” provided the advice that led to the vote that Michigan’s president could not remember.  They say it was 11-3 in favor of shutting down (Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio State dissenting).  And they are invoking “executive non-profit privilege” to keep the rest of the cloak in place.

Evan Blank of the Omaha Herald:

Almost three weeks after announcing the decision to postpone fall sports, the Big Ten revealed Monday that the decision came by an 11-3 vote and offered additional details in response to a lawsuit filed by eight Nebraska football players last week.

In a 23-page brief filed in Lancaster County District Court that was obtained by The World-Herald, the league laid into the merits of the lawsuit, calling it a “fishing expedition” and encouraging NU player attorneys to dismiss the case voluntarily. Confirming that a vote occurred, the brief said, “once and for all, should put to rest Plaintiffs’ baseless assertion that the Big Ten decision was somehow invalid.”

Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio State were the dissenting votes on the postponement, The World-Herald confirmed.

Nebraska player representatives will file a written reply Tuesday. But regardless of what happens next, the league statement achieved much of the lawsuit’s stated objective, including confirmation of a vote and whether the league followed its own rules in reaching its conclusion.

The league filing indicated that its decision was based on multiple medical factors applying to all 14 schools. It said it took advice and counsel from the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases — created in March and comprised of medical professionals from each school in the conference — as well as the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, made up of sports medicine and team physicians from each school.

The league also submitted a 13-page document — 11 pages of which were fully blacked out — showing league bylaws that say the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors need 60% approval on decisions. With 11 votes (78.6%), the move to postpone fall sports passed easily.

– – –

Further, the conference argued that there was no evidence that anyone acted in “bad faith” in the decision. It cited legal precedent protecting deliberations of good-faith decisions of nonprofit boards like the Big Ten to prevent disclosing further details. Revealing more specific details of the COP/C internal discussions, it said, would bring a “chilling effect” to its dialogue on any future matters and leave members wary of what they say.

“The Big Ten opposes this motion, not because of a concern as to what its internal documents will show,” the brief said, “but because it is an unwarranted intrusion into the legitimate deliberative process of a non-profit decision-making body that should not be permitted.”

The Big Ten also argued against a shortened timetable for early discovery should the case move forward, citing a standard 45-day window established by Nebraska law and saying NU student-athletes would not endure “irreparable injury” within that timetable.

“The Big Ten should not have to be put through the task of assembling all medical and scientific data and evidence provided by its legion of professionals in order to dispel the unsupported suggestion that it only relied on one study,” the brief said. “The request is overly burdensome and simply makes no sense in the context of this case.”

Addressing NU players’ contention that the Big Ten breached its contract with student-athletes, league attorneys produced a copy of the standard financial aid document that athletes sign, which says, in part, that they agree to “full compliance … (with) the rules, regulations, bylaws and other legislation of the Big Ten Conference.” It also cites legal precedent that student-athletes enter into contracts with individual institutions, not conferences.

Wrote the league: “This is a discovery motion in search of a case.”

We have not seen the name of a single specific medical professional who was on either of the two committees willing to speak publicly about the medical evidence.

In an open letter to Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren published at SI.com, Steve Deace starts out nice, then hammers him with facts:

Much has changed with coronavirus and testing since you cancelled the fall season, Commissioner Warren, and it’s all good news. Leadership isn’t tested by always making the right decision, because no one is perfect, but in having the humility and courage to reverse course when it’s obvious you made the wrong one.

Dear Commissioner Warren,

First let me say from the outset that even a veteran commissioner would’ve had difficulty navigating these unprecedented times. The leadership challenges those in your position currently face are unparalleled in collegiate athletics, as they are for leaders across the cultural landscape.

Furthermore, I wish to take you – and the university presidents who likely wield the true power here – at your collective word that you originally cancelled fall football in our league out of an abundance of caution. I think it’s possible, if not even likely, you don’t completely agree with the decision – given the fact your own son is playing football as we speak in the SEC for Mississippi State. Nevertheless, a vital component of your job as commissioner is to represent the interests of the university presidents who call many of the shots in the Big Ten.

However, much has changed in just the three weeks since you made the announcement. And if you have any desire to align with the reportedly unanimous voice of our conference athletic directors who want to play a fall season, not to mention the legions of players and their families sharing that desire publicly as we speak, now is the time to reverse course. To use your office as a platform to make the case to those university presidents to undo potentially one of the worst decisions in the history of collegiate athletics. A decision that has only served to tarnish the league’s branding, generate perpetual public embarrassment, and harm the Big Ten’s relationship with its coaches/donors/alumni/players/fans.

Commissioner, much has changed with the virus since your cancellation, and it’s all good news. None of which you cited, by the way, in your recent clarification. In fact, you didn’t really cite any updated or stratified data in your open letter clarification, other than the global narrative of the virus in that moment. Except you’re playing Big Ten football, not planetary football. So all that really matters is what is happening in your country, and more specifically your own footprint.

Commissioner, permit me to share some of that data with you now:

According to CDC, only 6% of deaths can be directly tied to having died from Covid as opposed to with Covid. Meaning 94% of those who have sadly perished had other preexisting co-morbidities that could’ve led to their deaths. Given the age and prime health of college football players, this is a key data point. How many college football players have a preexisting co-morbidity?

According to CDC, confirmed hospitalizations for Covid nationwide are now at their lowest total since March 21.

Only 2.9% of the available hospital beds in the Big Ten footprint are being used for Covid patients.

According to CDC, only 1.9% of ER visits nationwide are for Covid-like symptoms, which means 98.1% of Americans are going to the ER for something other than coronavirus.

According to the latest active case numbers, only 0.26% of people living in the Big Ten footprint are an active confirmed case of coronavirus.

According to CDC, since March only 1.5% of deaths for those aged 15-24 have been with Covid.

According to CDC, 15-24 year-olds represent 12.9% of the U.S. population but just 0.2% of all Covid deaths.

The NFL has nearly completed its training camps, and heading into roster cuts currently has just one player on its Covid reserve list out of 2,560 total players. As you know, Commissioner, NFL teams have not been operating in a singular bubble like the NBA and NHL has, either. NFL teams have also been conducting padded practices for weeks, too. This means we have a proof of concept in real time for our league to emulate.

A leading cardiologist at the University of Michigan doesn’t believe myocarditis is enough of a concern to justify cancelling football. A top genetic cardiologist at the prestigious Mayo Clinic has said the same. Furthermore, if you were seeing an alarming rate of early onset diagnoses from just the already permitted workouts as some media reports suggested, then why has the league permitted those style of workouts to continue?

There have been three major testing innovations brought to market since the Big Ten’s cancellation as well. The University of Illinois, a member institution, received emergency FDA approval for a quicker and cheaper saliva-based test. The NBA Players Association, in conjunction with Yale University, has also received emergency approval from the FDA for a similar saliva-based test, which can cost as low as $4/sample. And now Abbott Labs has been granted emergency approval from the FDA for a self-contained saliva-based test that it will sell for just $5. Each of these innovations makes testing substantially more accessible and affordable than it even was a few weeks ago, when the conference called off the season.

The numbers are about as low as we can realistically hope for in a country this large, and a footprint as densely-populated as the Big Ten’s, minus an effective vaccine. The testing is more available and more affordable than ever before, too.

Commissioner, I implore you to follow the data, because it will align you with the overwhelming wishes of your players and programs – who simply want the same choice to play your family was granted by the SEC.

Leadership isn’t tested by always making the right decision, because no one is perfect, but in having the humility and courage to reverse course when it’s obvious you made the wrong one.

This from Steve Rosen at HuskerOnLine.com touches on the devastation the presidents and Warren have wrought on their athletic departments:

In the aftermath of that Aug. 11 decision, Nebraska and other schools have announced an array of cost-cutting strategies, from firings and furloughs and the elimination of some varsity teams, to deferring maintenance, canceling magazine subscriptions, cutting travel and even the shutting down of athletic services, such as the training table cafeteria at Nebraska. Say hello to the grim reaper.

Some schools — though not Nebraska — are also exploring taking advantage of super low interest rates and borrowing to cover their daily operations.

So far, half of the schools in the Ben Ten — the highest earning conference in the country at $781 million — have announced detailed restructuring plans: Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan State.

“This isn’t a year to try and figure out how we shave 10 percent off this or 5 percent off of that,” Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman told the Detroit Free Press. “This is a year where we start with zero and try and spend as little as we possibly can.”

Nebraska, which is facing a potential shortfall of $80 million to $120 million, on Aug. 21 announced 51 staff members will be furloughed from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. All other staffers in the department will take a 10 percent salary cut during the same period. Nebraska is also closing its training table cafeteria until further notice.

You may say, what is done is done, that Kevin Warren and his presidents would never admit to a horrible mistake – but Monday we heard semi-directly about a Big Ten coach who believed they will be starting their season on October 3.  Then later in the day, the coach was not as optimistic.

However this –

@realDonaldTrump

 says he’s spoken with the commissioner of the #BigTen Conference Kevin Warren. Says there’s a lot at stake for the players/universities.  Trump wants to see them play #football.  Says “You may be surprised… let’s see what happens.” #CFB

Trump mentioned “Democrat governors” as the only obstacle.

RANKING THE INCUMBANTS

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com ranks the 12 teams that made the playoffs in 2019, from KC to the Patriots, on their likelihood of returning:

The New England Patriots are a true anomaly.

Making the playoffs in back-to-back years is quite difficult. Four out of 12 playoff teams from last season have qualified in three straight years or more, including the Kansas City Chiefs (five), Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints (three apiece).

That makes the Patriots’ streak of 11 straight appearances all the more unlikely. And projecting this year’s 14-team playoff picture even harder.

For guidance, ESPN reached out to league execs and coaches to scout last year’s playoff teams. We took that input and ranked playoff chances from one to 12, wearing a white shirt for the tomatoes to be hurled our way.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs committed to more than $600 million by re-signing Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones and Travis Kelce this offseason, because the Super Bowl window is cranked wide open for the next few years.

Kansas City’s offense is the gold standard right.

“You see around the league teams trying to acquire more speed, and the Chiefs are showing how much that helps,” said an AFC exec. “Everybody is chasing them right now, no doubt.”

And the expectation is Mahomes gets better in his fourth season. Perhaps a stout defensive line can hit Mahomes enough to fluster him, but he’s becoming a better runner with 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs last year.

One area of concern is on defense, where the Chiefs are a bit top-heavy. Kansas City showed a knack for splash plays last year but is thin at cornerback with Bashaud Breeland suspended four games due to violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

His replacement, Rashad Fenton, has zero career NFL starts. His counterpart, Charvarius Ward, enters his second year as a starter.

“I’m surprised they didn’t add more help there,” an AFC coach said.

2. Baltimore Ravens

The playoff loss to the Titans fueled the offseason for the Ravens, who addressed issues up front after Derrick Henry ran all over their front for 195 rushing yards in the divisional round.

Getting Calais Campbell in exchange for a fifth-round pick was the perfect start. The addition of Derek Wolfe also helps.

“Love what they did to address their (defensive) line,” an AFC defensive coach said. “They saw an issue and they fixed it. I’m downright nervous about what Calais is going to do in Wink (Martindale’s) defense. They will free him up to make plays.”

Several personnel evaluators believe Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters compose the league’s best cornerback duo in 2020. The Ravens can account for Peters’ chance-taking ways with the steady play of Humphrey, safety Chuck Clark and others.

That the Ravens had considered signing Dez Bryant, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2017, illustrates Baltimore’s issues with playmaking depth. Lamar Jackson and the passing game need an established third weapon behind Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown (maybe Miles Boykin ends up filling that role).

The running game is well-stocked, with J.K. Dobbins making an early impression in camp.

“They could use one more guy,” an AFC scout said. “Then they will be even stronger.”

3. New Orleans Saints

Everything is set up for the Saints to punctuate Drew Brees’ historic career with a ring.

“That team is absolutely loaded,” one NFL defensive coach said. “At every spot.”

The numbers bear that out: Nine Saints players made ESPN’s top 10 position rankings, including six top-five performers (Brees, Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, Terron Armstead, Michael Thomas). And several sleepers, such as center/guard Erik McCoy and defensive tackle David Onyemata, nearly made top 10. There’s a standout player at virtually every position, and no other team can boast that claim.

The Saints even have the most prolific backup quarterback in Jameis Winston, who’s coming off a 5,000-yard season.

All this makes the 2-3 playoff record since 2017 surprising, but it’s worth noting the Saints lost those three games by a combined 14 points on two overtimes, a Kirk Cousins dime and one of the worst non-calls of the last decade. They are due.

Questions persist about Brees’ waning arm strength delivering at the intermediate and deep levels. But as several evaluators point out, he’s so skilled at the line of scrimmage that he offsets any liabilities, completing 70% of his passes with ease.

A few weaknesses pointed out by evaluators: Linebacker opposite Demario Davis and receiver depth. New Orleans is putting a lot on 33-year-old Emmanuel Sanders to complement Michael Thomas. The Saints are high on Tre’Quan Smith to make a jump.

One AFC scout said, “this has got to be a big year for (pass rusher) Marcus Davenport.”

4. San Francisco 49ers

One of the game’s best rosters added a premier left tackle (Trent Williams) and drafted potential stars at defensive tackle (Javon Kinlaw) and wide receiver (Brandon Aiyuk).

But this is not a team without a few concerns. The 49ers have been working out free-agent receivers for the better part of a month due to injuries. During what should be a springboard season for Jimmy Garoppolo, his pass-catching arsenal beyond George Kittle looks unsettled.

Asked about the team’s biggest weakness, one NFC exec pointed to the interior offensive line of Laken Tomlinson, Weston Richburg and Daniel Brunskill.

These are capable players, but hardly a menacing trio.

“That said, if anyone can scheme around that, [Kyle] Shanahan can,” the exec said.

One trio that has a chance to be dominant: The linebackers. Fred Warner has emerged as a top-10 talent at the position, with Kwon Alexander bringing a physical edge and Dre Greenlaw produced 85 tackles as a rookie.

“I know their defensive line is great, but Warner sets a tone for them. Really good against the pass,” said an NFL coordinator. “I like that linebacker corps.”

5. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle is linked to virtually every free-agent wide receiver, but largely the franchise feels good about its playmakers.

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett compose a high-level duo, with Phillip Dorsett infusing speed into the third receiver spot. The Seahawks have three capable players at tight end and running back. The offensive line is always a wild card in Seattle, but the team is high on third-round rookie Damien Lewis at guard.

Evaluators around the league are waiting to see whether Seattle opens up the offense earlier in games.

“Seattle has been so careful with Russ and the offense, to the point where he’s very cautious about turnovers, which is largely a good thing,” an NFC exec said. “Running the ball and keeping the ball has been their calling card. So I don’t think they will change that a whole lot, but Russ has earned the right … to let it loose a little bit.”

Pass rush remains the primary concern. The 2019 Seahawks ranked next-to-last with 28 sacks and have combed the free-agent pass-rush market for the better part of four months. Evaluators agree Seattle could use one more piece.

6. Green Bay Packers

The Packers are one of the toughest playoff projections. The rest of the NFC North could be dominant or underwhelming, and neither scenario would surprise.

Aaron Rodgers can have his spite season for the team drafting Jordan Love, but he still has limited targets aside from Davante Adams.

“It’s still shocking to me they didn’t get him help,” an NFC exec said. “That’s going to be an issue late in the year.”

Rodgers never has had back-to-back seasons with lower than a 97.0 passer rating, and he doesn’t plan to start now.

“Aaron will be fine. To me, the huge issue was run defense,” a veteran NFL offensive coach said. “It was a big problem last year, and it’s hard to know whether that will be all the way fixed.”

The 26th-ranked rushing defense led to multiple curious blowouts, two at the hands of the 49ers. They added veteran Chris Kirksey at linebacker but largely will look the same with high draft picks all over the field.

One AFC exec looks to the other side of the ball to control the pace.

“That offensive line is really solid,” the exec said. “(David) Bakhtiari still has a few good years left, and they are very good on the interior.”

7. Minnesota Vikings

Intrigue persists about Mike Zimmer’s redone secondary, with the belief that Zimmer doesn’t produce bad defenses, so this should go pretty well.

This is especially true with newly acquired Yannick Ngakoue serving as a potent bookend pass-rusher to Danielle Hunter. One of the league’s sneaky-best rosters looks to break through the proverbial purple ceiling.

Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s zone system will be friendly to an improving offensive line. The onus is on Kirk Cousins and the passing game to build on last year’s divisional round appearance.

“Kirk is a good player who gets too much criticism sometimes,” an AFC exec said. “He might not be a top guy, but he’s accurate and runs that system very well.”

The Vikings had no choice but to trade Stefon Diggs, who made his unhappiness known a few times. But Diggs was dominant for stretches last year, registering 453 yards on 21 catches from Weeks 6 to 8.

“It will be interesting to see how fast they can get Justin Jefferson up to speed,” the exec said. “They have weapons. But they will need a good No. 2 [at receiver].”

With Dalvin Cook set to enter a contract year, expect the Vikings to give Cook the ball 300-plus times in 2020.

8. Houston Texans

The Texans’ reconfiguration at receiver might just work but is considered a gamble.

“Two of your best receivers have had trouble staying healthy,” one NFL personnel evaluator said. “That’s a problem.”

Will Fuller V has missed 20 games since 2017, and though Brandin Cooks has generally been a reliable option, he must rebound from concussion scares that cost him two games a year ago.

All of this applies even more heat on Deshaun Watson, who makes plays on the move better than almost anyone. But, if healthy, the pieces can fit. David Johnson is 28 and not far removed from a dominant stint with Arizona. Watson will break patterns and create enough for the Texans to move the ball, and the offensive line should be better.

The Texans have a playmaking linebacker duo with Zach Cunningham and Benardrick McKinney. But one evaluator said the Texans defense doesn’t scare like it did two or three years ago.

“J.J. (Watt) is the guy you really fear and he’s been hurt,” the evaluator said, citing Watt’s 32 games missed since 2016. “If you double J.J., not sure who beats you.”

9. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have plenty to overcome before the season even starts.

Philadelphia entered the offseason with All-Pro Brandon Brooks at guard and former first-round pick Andre Dillard at right tackle. Now, Matt Pryor, a player with one career start, and Jason Peters, signed to play guard at age 38, take over those spots after Brooks and Dillard were lost to season-ending injuries.

“It’s gonna be all on Carson Wentz to put together a full season and elevate that team,” an NFC exec said. “He’s very talented, but obviously the injuries have hurt him. He will have more speed on the outside this year.”

First-round pick Jalen Reagor is eliciting plenty of bold predictions about his season based on buzz created in camp. And watch out for J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who looks poised to rebound from a choppy rookie year. He’s had a very strong camp.

Evaluators agree new defensive additions Javon Hargrave and Darius Slay upgrade the line and secondary in big ways. Slay, in particular, is a luxury the team simply hasn’t had on the back end in a while. Slay’s 56.4 Pro Football Focus ranking last year in Detroit isn’t ideal, but many evaluators give him a pass because he ran heavy man coverage without much pass-rush help, and his relationship with the Lions had soured.

10. Buffalo Bills

How Stefon Diggs impacts the Bills offense has created considerable buzz in league circles.

A balanced offense lacking star power gets a major lift with Diggs, who’s a borderline top-10 receiver. Word out of Buffalo is the Bills will use him all over the field in multiple looks, inside and out.

“The offense will be better if Josh Allen is accurate,” an NFL defensive coach said. “But that’s such a wild card and impossible to quantify.”

Added an NFL personnel man: “Diggs could be in for a rude awakening if that ball isn’t there on time, because he’s a precise route runner.”

Even if Allen completes less than 60% of his throws for the third consecutive year, evaluators like the Bills’ chances to win more often than not, because of the way they are built.

Head coach Sean McDermott has a defense that limits big plays and can win low-scoring games by controlling the tempo.

Many are expecting big things from defensive tackle Ed Oliver in Year 2, despite a slow start to his career. He’s considered too talented not to put it all together.

11. Tennessee Titans

The Titans ended the season with more momentum than almost any team, blasting through the first two rounds of the playoffs before the Chiefs set them aside.

Now, people around the league are curious how Tennessee evolves the quarterback who earned a $118-million extension despite being trusted to throw just 23 times per game over 15 contests.

“Will they allow Ryan Tannehill to throw early and often is my question,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “They used the threat of the run with play-action early, then pounded with Derrick Henry. If defenses adjust to that, Ryan will have to win them some games with his arm.”

That evaluator said the loss of right tackle Jack Conklin is significant, but the line is good enough.

Expect a sizable jump from A.J. Brown and Jonnu Smith at the playmaking spots. There’s immense talent there.

The team still needs one more pass-rusher. The Titans have tracked Jadeveon Clowney for months, but won’t budge on a price tag believed to be above $15 million.

12. New England Patriots

Bill Belichick can enlarge his carving on the Mount Rushmore of NFL coaches if he wins 10 or more games with this roster. The loss of Tom Brady doesn’t account for an offense thin on high-caliber talent.

New England likely starts a mid-round rookie at tight end (Devin Asiasi), and its best receiver (Julian Edelman) turned 34 in May. The Patriots are stout at four offensive linemen spots but lack depth otherwise. Running back is arguably the one skill position on offense with good depth.

New England lost several key starters — tackle Marcus Cannon, safety Patrick Chung and linebacker Dont’a Hightower — to opt-outs. And many evaluators have questions about whether Cam Newton still has it.

“If [Belichick] wins big with this team, he deserves even more credit,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “This is not a very talented offense. Whoever the quarterback is won’t have an easy time.”

But you can never discount the Patriots’ championship pedigree and Belichick’s deft ability to figure things out midseason. That’s why success would hardly surprise the rest of the league.

With the game’s best cornerback in Stephon Gilmore, plenty of veteran pieces and a buzzworthy young safety in Kyle Dugger, the Patriots defense will be effective as usual, many evaluators agree.

So he has the Texans ahead of the Titans?

And both Buffalo and New England in the bottom three?  Someone has to win the AFC East.

We also question the Packers up at number 6.