Former NFL defensive back Scott Turner will be part of the incoming administration.
Turner, a seventh-round pick of Washington in 1995, has been nominated by president-elect Donald Trump to become the secretary of the department of housing and urban development
Turner, who played for Washington, the Chargers, and the Broncos in an eight-year career. He appeared in 101 regular-season games, with four starts. He had five career interceptions.
During Trump’s first term, Turner ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. In a statement, Trump praised Turner for “helping to lead an unprecedented effort that transformed our country’s most distressed communities.”
The move comes at a time when many are anticipating an appointment for Jets owner Woody Johnson, who was the U.S. ambassador to the UK in the first Trump administration.
The NFL adopted a flex option for Thursday Night Football in 2023. On Friday, the league activated the break-glass option for the first time ever, bumping Browns-Bengals out for Broncos-Chargers.
While there’s no blanket ability for teams that get a Thursday shoulder tap to say no, the Broncos could have. Per the NFL, the league has a policy against giving a team two short-week road games in the same season. The league asked the Broncos if they’d been willing to make the shift and accept a second short-week road game. The Broncos agreed — even though it makes them the first team since the 1926 L.A. Buccaneers to play twice on the road on Thursday after playing on Sunday, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.
“It’s a road game anyway, right?” coach Sean Payton told reporters on Friday, when asked about the shifting of the game. “I like the fact that we have another opportunity. I remember this a long time ago, ‘Boys, we’d rather be flexed in than flexed out.’ It’s a real good team playing real good, and it flexes Cincinnati out who we play the following week. So there was a little. . . . But it is what it is, and they just tell us when we’re playing.”
Payton didn’t go into further detail about the Cincinnati angle. The reality is that the Bengals would have had three extra days to prepare for the Denver game. Now, the Broncos have three extra days. It’s a six-day swing when it comes to relative prep time.
Payton also was asked whether the flex shows that the Broncos have earned the right to play in bigger games.
“Yes, that’s a big game,” Payton said, “but we’ll play in bigger.”
It’s a great attitude. And it’s supported by the performance of rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who through 11 weeks quite possibly could be emerging as the best of the six quarterbacks taken in the first twelve picks — even though he was the last.
The Giants benched quarterback Daniel Jones for business reasons, not for football reasons. And the Giants allowed personal feelings to interfere with what would have been the best business decision — prevent him from going elsewhere and proving the Giants wrong, Saquon-style.
But they’re going to waive him. Even though they haven’t done it, the owner has said it’s going to happen. (The reason for the delay isn’t clear, but it’s clearly coming.)
While many have adopted the narrative that Jones stinks, he doesn’t. He hasn’t. He helped lead the Giants to the playoffs in 2022. With Jones at the helm, the Giants beat the Vikings in Minnesota in the wild-card round. His struggles have typically traced to subpar offensive line play.
Once he’s released and clears waivers (he absolutely will), Jones will be free to sign with any team at any time. He’ll first need to ask whether to join a team now or wait.
Waiting would allow Jones to get a better feel for who the real contenders will be — and it might give him a chance to play sooner than later, if a starter gets injured elsewhere.
Regardless, consider the backup situations for the various contenders and ask whether a guy who earned a contract that paid $40 million per year and won a playoff game would be better than the current No. 2.
Buffalo: Mitch Trubisky. (Probably.)
Miami: Skylar Thompson/Tyler Huntley. (Yes.)
Baltimore: Josh Johnson. (Yes.)
Pittsburgh: Justin Fields. (Yes, but they seem to be committed to Fields as current backup and potential future starter.)
Houston: Davis Mills. (Yes.)
Kansas City: Carson Wentz. (Probably.)
L.A. Chargers: Easton Stick. (Yes.)
Denver: Jarrett Stidham. (Yes.)
Philadelphia: Kenny Pickett. (Yes.)
Washington: Marcus Mariota. (Probably.)
Detroit: Hendon Hooker. (Yes.)
Minnesota: Nick Mullens. (Yes.)
Green Bay: Malik Willis. (Yes, although Willis has played well this year.)
Atlanta: Michael Penix Jr. (Yes, but they likely wouldn’t do it.)
Tampa Bay: Kyle Trask. (Yes.)
Arizona: Clayton Tune. (Yes.)
Seattle: Sam Howell. (Yes.)
San Francisco: Brandon Allen. (Yes.)
L.A. Rams: Jimmy Garoppolo. (Probably.)
So, yes, someone who is currently contending should want Jones. Jones can afford to take his time. To wait for a clear shot to potentially contribute on a team that has the ability to go deep into the playoffs.
And maybe to wait to see if/when a starter gets injured and an immediate need arises for Jones to play, sooner than later.
The NFL has issued its first-ever flex for Thursday Night Football.
The Week 16 matchup between the Browns and Bengals on Thursday, Dec. 19, has been swapped out for Broncos at Chargers, the league announced on Friday.
With the Browns currently 3-8 and the Bengals 4-7, the divisional matchup between 6-5 Denver and 7-3 Los Angeles would seem to have much more significant postseason implications.
NFL owners approved the proposal for flexing Thursday night games in May of 2023, but the league did not use it last year. Friday was the deadline for moving the Thursday night game in Week 16.
The Chargers and Broncos played their first divisional matchup this season in Week 6, with Los Angeles coming away with a 23-16 victory in Denver.
The Browns and Bengals will now play Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1:00 p.m. on Fox. The Bengals won their first matchup 21-14 on the road in Week 7.
It will be brother vs. brother on Monday night when John Harbaugh brings his Ravens team to Los Angeles to face Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers.
In his Thursday press conference, John Harbaugh was peppered with questions about his brother and the matchup, particularly given the numerous connections between the two teams. John noted he couldn’t recall another situation where an opponent’s offensive and defensive coordinator had worked for him in the past — and that’s on top of coaching against his brother.
Given all that, Jim recently said watching the Ravens on tape is a little like looking in a mirror. John agreed with the sentiment.
“Yes, all of it. The culture, the way things are done, how [the Chargers] play, certainly, [and] the schemes [are] very similar,” John Harbaugh said on Thursday. “The schemes are, in a lot of ways not exactly the same, but in a lot of ways mirror images — the people coaching [and] a lot of the guys playing.
“But with that, it’s two different football teams. It’s two teams squaring off in a really important game, and that’s what it’s really going to be about. It’s going to be about the guys out there playing the game.”
Still, John conceded Monday night will be different than other games.
“[W]e know the schemes pretty much, but there will be wrinkles, there will be ideas,” John Harbaugh said. “It’s kind of the old [saying], ‘They know what we know that we know that they know that we know that they know what we know.’ With that, there will be wrinkles, I’m sure.
“It’s going to come down in the end to the players — just to emphasize that. All the scheme stuff is important, but most important is how the game is played and who plays the best football game out there in terms of making the plays and playing disciplined football and playing physical football and blocking and tackling and all of those things. It’s a players’ game. The players will be determining the outcome of it.”
As always, though, John was extremely complimentary of his brother, saying Jim “is one of the best coaches of this generation, no question.”
“Even if he weren’t my brother, I would say the same thing,” John Harbaugh said. “We have our work cut out for us; we have to travel across the country and play on Monday Night Football.”
The Chargers played without edge rusher Khalil Mack in Week 11, but he would have been able to get on the practice field on Thursday.
Mack was listed as a limited participant on the team’s first injury report ahead of Monday night’s game against the Ravens. The Chargers did not hold an actual practice, so Mack, who is dealing with a groin injury, and the other players are listed with their estimated participation levels.
There were a couple of other edge rushers on the report as well. Joey Bosa (hip) and Bud Dupree (foot) joined Mack in the limited category.
Wide receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder) was listed as out. McConkey was hurt in last Sunday night’s win over the Bengals.
Linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin), safety AJ Finley (ankle), and cornerback Cam Hart (concussion, ankle) were also listed as out. Safety Derwin James (groin) and right guard Trey Pipkins (ankle) were the other players listed as limited participants.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is not on the injury report to start the practice week.
Jackson was not on last week’s injury report until the second practice day of the week when he was limited with a knee issue and rest. He has had some practice time off in recent weeks but has not missed a start.
Linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) is among five players who didn’t practice Thursday as the Ravens began their work week getting ready for Monday Night Football.
Coach John Harbaugh said, via Jeff Zrebiec of TheAthletic.com, that Smith is “working toward the game” and “has not been ruled out by any stretch.”
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor (illness), defensive tackle Travis Jones (ankle), safety Sanoussi Kane (ankle) and cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) also missed Thursday’s session.
Running back Justice Hill (concussion) was limited.
Safety Kyle Hamilton (neck) and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (neck) were full participants.
For the first time since Super Bowl XLVII, the Harbaugh brothers will be facing each other. Ravens at Chargers. Monday Night Football.
On Wednesday, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh talked about the family angle to the fairly important game.
“I’m sure he doesn’t want to make it about him,” Jim said about John, via NFL.com. “I don’t want to make it about me. It is what it is. Big game, for sure. Two teams having at it.”
The Ravens and 49ers had at it nearly 12 years ago. John won; he’s 2-0 against Jim.
“At the time, that was tough,” Jim said. “After some time and reflection went by, it’s my brother, it’s my best friend. Really proud of him. Really happy for his success. It was earned.”
Now, Jim gets a chance to meet John again. And because they’re in the same conference, they could have a rematch in January.
The Chargers are bringing a four-game winning streak into Monday night’s game against the Ravens and their success has been hailed as a result of the change in culture that head coach Jim Harbaugh created when he joined the team this year.
While that kind of success may be new to some members of the team, it’s something that Harbaugh has experienced at both the college and pro level in the past. On Wednesday. Harbaugh was asked at his press conference about how the team is handling the positive recognition that’s been coming their way.
Harbaugh said that getting a taste of success “can be a great motivator” for some players, but he also recounted what former Michigan coach Gary Moeller once said about people throwing accolades your way. Moeller said
“When people are giving you accolades and compliments and telling you you’ve arrived, kick them in the shins,” Harbaugh said. “You kick them right in the shins, that’s what you do. . . . They’re trying to make you soft, kick ‘em in the shins.”
Harbaugh has his sights on more than a 7-3 start to the season and keeping the team on path to reach those goals will be the focus the rest of the way in Los Angeles.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh believes he is coaching one of the best ever to play the game in quarterback Justin Herbert.
Harbaugh said today that people need to appreciate that they’re watching greatness when they watch Herbert play.
“Enjoy it. He’s not only one of the best in the game currently, he’s one of the best of all-time,” Harbaugh said. “I do not feel at all like I’m going out on a limb in saying that.”
Harbaugh said Herbert has every trait a Hall of Fame quarterback needs to have.
“Everything you could say good about a quarterback and then some. Talent and effort, and just intangibles that are off the chart. Every measurement you could have for a quarterback, tangible or intangible, he possesses at the highest level,” Harbaugh said. “It’s like being around greatness every day.”
The arrival of Harbaugh has reinvigorated the Chargers, but Harbaugh believes the team he inherited already had the most important piece in Herbert. The two of them may be winning games for the Chargers for many years to come.
