PFT Clips
Titans receiver Calvin Ridley was involved in an incident over the weekend at the Nashville International Airport. No details were provided by the Titans, who simply acknowledged that they were aware of it.
On Monday, coach Robert Saleh called it a “very minor miscommunication.”
The folks at AtoZSports.com recently reported that Ridley was “allegedly involved in a verbal and physical altercation with an airport valet driver that resulted in an injury, and the valet sought to press assault charges with local law enforcement.” When Ridley spoke to reporters on Wednesday, he seemed to confirm that account of the situation.
Ridley said he took his keys from the valet, and that the valet claims Ridley “broke his finger,” via video posted by Paul Kuharsky.
As to whether Ridley is facing criminal charges, he said, “I don’t know.”
It seems like it’s not a big deal. Where it goes from here may largely depend on how aggressively the valet driver pushes it, either by insisting on criminal charges or filing a lawsuit. Or both.
There is some more clarity around running back Josh Jacobs’ timeline for return from his broken finger.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jacobs could return in as few as 2-3 weeks.
Jacobs is set to undergo surgery to repair his broken finger later this week and Green Bay will decide afterward if it’s necessary for the running back to be placed on injured reserve.
Green Bay plays Minnesota at home on Sunday before an abbreviated Week 11 bye, as the club will take on the Rams in Los Angeles on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Jacobs has played just three games so far this season, rushing for 80 yards on 36 carries with one touchdown. He’s caught 11 passes for 68 yards with two TDs.
Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has made the pivot to media. One question won’t go away.
Will he coach again?
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Tomlin said Wednesday on an NBC conference call, via Mark Maske of Front Office Sports. “Haven’t given one iota of thought about coaching. I’m sure that, you know, some of that’s going to come up in the not-too-distant future. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Really haven’t thought a lot about it. Really excited about my new role and working to get better each and every week.”
He’s excellent in his new role. Which serves as a reminder to all NFL owners that he’s excellent as a coach.
Here’s the reality. Owners and/or their proxies will be reaching out through the backchannels, sooner rather than later. Some teams may not even be thinking about changing coaches unless they believe they can get Tomlin.
Despite the league’s procedures when it comes to coaches, it would be naive to think some jobs aren’t unofficially filled before the interview process ends.
Ultimately, the manner in which any pursuit of Tomlin unfolds will be dictated by him. If he says, “I’ll entertain nothing until the regular season ends,” interested teams will have to factor that into their planning. If they really want Tomlin, they’ll have to wait.
Tomlin can also wait for the right opportunity. He’d still be at the top of the “A” list after the 2027 season, and possibly (if not likely) beyond. He’d surely want to pick a team that has everything he needs to be successful right away. With the key factors (as they would be for any coaching candidate with options) being ownership support and quality of quarterback.
This year, teams to potentially watch (and this is my own list, pulled out of thin air and/or my butt) include the Jets, the Colts, the Eagles, and the Panthers.
The Cowboys would make the list, if owner and G.M. Jerry Jones was truly willing to write the check. He made it clear last week that he’s not.
And it surely will require the shattering of the piggy bank to get Tomlin. With the top of the coaching market in the range of $25 million annually, it’ll likely take $30 million (or more) annually to even get his attention.
The one to watch most closely is the Panthers. Owner David Tepper, who previously owned a piece of the Steelers, is widely believed to be very interested in Tomlin. The Jets make sense, too; with the Giants reaping the instant benefit of hiring Tomlin’s former arch rival, John Harbaugh, Jets owner Woody Johnson may become motivated to do whatever it takes to get Tomlin.
Harrison Butker keeps missing field goals, but the Chiefs are not ready to make a change at kicker.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at a Wednesday press conference that the team will stick with Butker for this Sunday’s game in Atlanta.
Butker missed a 56-yard field goal against the Jets last Sunday and then missed again from 51 yards after the Jets were flagged for being offside on the initial kick. He’s missed field goals in each of the last three games and is 12-of-19 on field goals over the entire season.
Butker’s shaky performance led the Chiefs to sign Justin Tucker to the practice squad late last month, but neither his presence nor Butker’s continued struggles has prompted Reid to make a change.
Browns head coach Todd Monken opened his Wednesday press conference by confirming that Deshaun Watson will be back as the team’s starting quarterback for their Week 10 game against the Texans.
Watson did not play last week after missing a pair of practices while in the concussion protocol and the team’s plans for this Sunday remained a topic of conversation because Monken declined to say who would start during a Monday press conference. Monken explained that response by saying that he wanted to talk to the team’s coaching staff before adding that he also didn’t feel a need to make a public proclamation.
“Ultimately, the full body of work, the previous eight games we had played,” Monken said. “Deshaun played pretty well. That was my intention, I just wanted to make sure to run it by my staff before I said it publicly. I don’t know why I have to say it publicly.”
Monken was asked if he will be making a quarterback determination on a weekly basis moving forward.
“I don’t look at it week-to-week and I don’t look at it as long term,” Monken said. “We’re judged each week. I am, he is, our team is. . . . I anticipate him being our starter. That’s what he’s been, he’s been our starter. . . . I have no intention of Deshaun not being our starter.”
The Texans are 5-4 heading into their game with the Texans and they have a bye in Week 11. If they are unable to stay on the right side of .500 after that break, Monken will likely field more questions about the plan for Watson moving forward.
No, it’s not The Onion. No, it’s not April Fool’s Day.
Former Jets and Bills coach and current (for now) ESPN analyst Rex Ryan has been arrested in Nashville after allegedly running over the feet of two pedestrians with his truck.
Via Edward Lewis of the New York Post, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said that Ryan turned himself in “on six outstanding misdemeanor warrants” for “striking two pedestrians with his pickup truck” just on November 5.
“The pedestrians were crossing Broadway from 4th Avenue with a walk sign when the pickup truck turned right from 4th Avenue running over both victims’ feet and making contact with one of the individual’s legs,” the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.
“The pedestrians said the vehicle kept going, but stopped for the red light at Broadway and Representative John Lewis Way where they waved down the driver. They said he stepped out of the truck to argue with them, got back in, and drove away. They took pictures of the truck’s license plate and the driver.”
Ryan faces two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failure to give information/render aid, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic control signal.
Ryan became notorious in 2010 for a foot-fetish video that appeared online. He made light of the situation last month on ESPN, saying “I’m an expert in a few things. One of them is feet.”
Jaguars kicker Cam Little has gained a reputation for long field goals over his three years in the NFL, but he didn’t have to show off his big leg against the Ravens last Thursday.
Little was called on to kick four field goals during the game, but none of them were longer than 47 yards. Little made all of them and he also hit all three extra points he tried in Jacksonville’s 33-10 win.
On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Little has been named the AFC special teams player of the week. Little also won that award once last season.
Little is 14-of-16 on field goals and 25-of-26 for extra points over the entire season.
For the first time since 2024, Jake Bates is the NFC special teams player of the week.
Bates was an essential part of Detroit’s 19-9 victory over Miami on Sunday, hitting all four of his field goals and his only extra point attempt in the contest.
Bates’ field goals were from 28, 40, 33, and 43 yards.
Bates previously won special teams player of the week for his Week 7 and his Week 10 performance in 2024. He is now the third Lions kicker ro earn three special teams player of the week awards, joining Jason Hanson and Matt Prater.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones only had a half-sack in the team’s first seven games this season, but things went a lot better for him on that front in Week 9.
Jones sacked Jets quarterback Geno Smith twice during Kansas City’s 35-12 win. Jones had four overall tackles in the game and he also batted down one pass.
The NFL announced on Wednesday that Jones has been named the AFC defensive player of the week in recognition of that effort. It’s the fourth time that Jones has won the award and the first time since the 2024 season.
Jones will try to keep the sacks coming in Atlanta this Sunday.
Giants rookie linebacker Arvell Reese was all over the field in Sunday’s victory over the Eagles.
The league has now recognized his performance, naming him NFC defensive player of the week.
This is Reese’s first career player of the week award.
Reese finished the contest with 12 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble in the 19-11 victory over Philadelphia.
According to the league, Reese became the youngest player since 1982 — when the sack became an official stat — to have at least three sacks in a game. Reese is 21 years and 70 days old. The previous record holder was Vernon Maxwell, who was 21 years and 321 days old on Sept. 11, 1983.
The No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, Reese has tallied 68 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and an interception so far this season.
