Day two of the combine is in the books, and day three is underway. We will have plenty of coverage of the quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends today at BN NFL. First, let’s talk about a familiar face, Robbie Gould.
Robbie Gould has spent the last six seasons in San Francisco, but according to one NFL insider, he will be kicking somewhere else in 2023.
Gould told Adam Schefter that he would test free agency later this month. Gould made 27 of 32 field goals for the 49ers last season. That’s good for 84.4 percent. The veteran kicker has a career 86.5 percent field goal rate and has made 85.3 percent of his kicks over the last five seasons.
But I wouldn’t get too excited about a potential reunion, Bears fans. Robbie Gould still lives in Chicago full-time during the offseason. Still, he told Trey Wingo last month that he wasn’t interested in kicking in the cold at this point in his career.
“I live here [Chicago] full-time but I don’t know if I want to kick in the cold anymore,” Gould said with a laugh. “I’d look to get a dome and some warm weather first. 40 years, 18 years of doing this, I deserve that I think.”
Shane Steichen continues to round out his coaching staff in Indianapolis this weekend. Reports indicate that Notre Dame special teams coordinator Brian Mason will accept a role on Steichen’s staff. The position is unknown at this point, but it’s worth nothing that Steichen and the Colts have not named a special teams coordinator.
Mason spent four seasons as the special teams coordinator at Cincinnati before joining Marcus Freeman’s staff at Notre Dame last season.
The Fighting Irish blocked an insane seven punts last season after blocking six in the previous 10 seasons. “The Irish special teams also finished No. 6 in the FEI Efficiency Rankings. According to Irish Sports Daily: The average starting field position for the Irish offense was their own 33.4-yard line, which was No. 1 in the country. On the flip side, the average starting position for Notre Dame’s opponents was their own 26.1-yard line (No. 5). The net starting field position was +7.3, which was good for No. 2 in the nation. Notre Dame went 9-2 when winning the field position battle and 0-2 when opponents won the metric.”
That seems like an excellent hire for Steichen and the Colts. It’s also a homecoming for Mason, who grew up as a Colts fan in Indiana.
Eagles wide receiver Zach Pascal was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint on Friday in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Police in Prince George’s County said two offenders approached Pascal early Friday morning, pointed a gun, and took his diamond necklace.
The Eagles said they’ve been in contact with Pascal and are “happy to hear he’s doing fine.” Glad that Pascal wasn’t injured in the altercation.
The potential running back market shrunk significantly on Friday. We learned that, unsurprisingly, Josh Jacobs would be tagged by the Raiders if no extension is reached by Tuesday’s deadline. But, of course, we know how Jacobs feels about having the franchise tag placed on him. At the Pro Bowl last month, Jacobs said he would be the “hero turned villain” if the Raiders went that route.
The Dallas Cowboys plan to do the same with running back Tony Pollard:
While Pollard and Jacobs appear to be off the board, Dallas’ decision to tag Pollard potentially adds Ezekiel Elliott to the free agent class.
Friday’s combine recap:
The post-deadline Blackhawks are a smattering of names you wouldn’t recognize unless you’ve been paying close attention all season.
Unfortunate news in the NBA this morning. Grizzlies star Ja Morant is in trouble again after another incident with a firearm. This is sad at this point. I hope someone in this kid’s life can get into his ear before it’s too late.
Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Bleacher Nation Fantasy Plays — In Week 10 of the 2024 NFL Season, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will clash on Thursday Night Football. The Bengals (4-5) are desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the...
The Week 10 NFL Injury Report: A ton of big-name wide receivers went down this week, with Drake London, AJ Brown, Jaylen Waddle, and Chris Olave exiting with injuries. Another big name we'll be watching is Dak Prescott, as he...
The big injury to track all week will definitely be Packers' quarterback Jordan Love. Malik Willis stepped in and performed nicely, but with tougher opponents ahead and the Lions putting another win on the board, the Packers need to get...
The NFL season rolls on as Sunday with huge week 9 matchups. What games are on today, November 3? Check out the schedule including Cowboys-Falcons, Lions-Packers, and more. Interested in DFS? Play NFL fantasy contests on BN Fantasy! NFL Schedule...
Derrick Henry has been an absolute beast for the Baltimore Ravens and is on pace to rush for over 2,000 yards. Despite great performances, he isn't getting much MVP buzz. Let's look at his numbers and some of the reasons...
Bleacher Nation Fantasy Plays — In Week 9 of the 2024 NFL Season, the Houston Texans and New York Jets will clash on Thursday Night Football. Despite their strong start, the Texans (6-2) are in a tough spot vs the Jets...
Dalton Kincaid and the Buffalo Bills will meet the Seattle Seahawks and their 14th-ranked passing defense (200 yards allowed per game) in Week 8, on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.Should Kincaid be a player that you lock into your fantasy...
The most impactful injury of the week also left us very much in the dark. With the game well in hand for the entire game, there's no telling if Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was too hurt to come back or...
The NFL season is heating up and week 8 is here! What NFL games are on today? Check out the full schedule including exciting matchups like Bills at Seahawks and Eagles at Bengals. Interested in DFS? Play NFL fantasy contests...
Bleacher Nation Fantasy Plays — In Week 8 of the 2024 NFL Season, the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams will clash on Thursday Night Football. Despite their strong start, the Vikings (5-1) are coming off a close loss to the...
The Baltimore Ravens (6-3) take on a fellow AFC North opponent when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at M&T Bank Stadium, and if you're looking for best bets, we have them.Sign up for a...
After putting together a stretch of productive games, the Chicago Bears offense has hit a wall in recent weeks. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has experienced some regression, and two months into the season, he and his top wide receiver still...
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus spoke to the media at Halas Hall on Wednesday, and if you were hoping for good news, there wasn't much of it. Let's start with the injury notes. Matt Eberflus provides some depressing Bears...
When it rains, it pours. Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced this afternoon at his Wednesday press conference that defensive tackle Andrew Billings will miss an extended period with a pectoral injury sustained in Sunday's loss to the Arizona...
[ankin_law] Chicago Bulls fans are still waiting for a positive update on Zach LaVine. The two-time All-Star will enter his third straight game as "questionable" on the official injury report. LaVine originally suffered an adductor strain during the Bulls' victory...
I don't love the idea of not getting excited about a Bears game, but honestly, that's where I'm right now with this weekend's matchup against the Patriots. After back-to-back lifeless, blunder-filled losses in winnable games, the Bears are 4-4 with...
I mentioned near the end of the year, in discussing Kyle Hendricks' imminent departure from the Chicago Cubs and first run through free agency, that a rebuilding team with a young pitching staff would be smart to snap up Hendricks...
Bleacher Nation Fantasy Plays — In Week 10 of the 2024 NFL Season, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will clash on Thursday Night Football. The Bengals (4-5) are desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the...
The Chicago Bulls are probably kicking themselves after consecutive losses to the rebuilding Nets and Jazz. A trip to Dallas tonight starts a brutal stretch of the November schedule, which features five of their next six games against winning teams....
WINTER MEETINGS — Although a bulk of the free agent activity has skewed late in the offseason over the past few years, it's not always clear which way things will break (i.e. quick and fun or painfully dragged out). Ten years...
Let's take one last look at the week that was in the NFL before moving on to Week 10. The Detroit Lions have a stranglehold on the NFC North, and right now, it's their division to lose. Plus, the Bears...