The Atlanta Falcons have made a surprising switch at the quarterback position, benching veteran Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Penix Jr. will get his first start as a pro on Sunday against the Giants.  The move, announced by the head coach Raheem Morris, doesn’t appear to be temporary.

“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in a statement. “This was a football decision, and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”

Morris made the decision despite the Falcons beating the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 on Monday. While it marked the end of a four-game losing streak, which put the team’s playoff chances in jeopardy, it also featured a struggling performance by Cousins. He went 11 out of 17 on his passes while throwing for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“It’s pro football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that unfortunately, I wasn’t playing up to that standard consistently enough,” Cousins said on Wednesday about his benching while also saying he will support Penix Jr. “and trying to help him any way I can.”

The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract ahead of 2024 season, believing he will help propel a talented roster to the playoffs. However, the franchise also decided to use a No. 8 pick on Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft to set themselves for the future considering that Cousins turned 36 in August.

The Falcons believed that Cousins would lead the team for the next few years before passing the torch to Penix Jr. However, coming back from an Achilles injury, Cousins was mainly disappointed. While he threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns throughout the first 15 weeks, he also threw a career-high 16 interceptions.

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The Cleveland Browns running back is expected to return to action in Week 7 of the NFL season, a source close to the matter reported. While he has been practicing for the Browns over the past two weeks, Chubb started the season on the physically unable-to-perform list, where he has since remained.

Since the start of the season, Chubb has ramped up his practice sessions gradually as he embarks on the road to recovery. “I think he’s just building on every single day,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said of Chubb’s progression. “I think he’s doing a nice job in the scout team; he’s doing a nice job when he gets some reps within the offense. So, he continues to build on every single day.”

During Week 2 of the 2023 season, Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He underwent an initial surgery to repair his MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule before undergoing a second surgery to repair his damaged ACL.

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The New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich has already made strides in his new role, relinquishing playcalling duties from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. “This is more a byproduct of a different take on things,” Ulbrich explained. “I’m not saying it’s a better or worse take on things by any means but just a different take on things, a fresh approach.”

Hackett’s demotion is of much significance, not only because of his seniority but also because of his close bond with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In fact, Hackett was one of the decisive reasons for Rodgers choosing to move to the Jets.

Although he has lost his playcalling responsibilities, Hackett will remain on the Jets’ coaching staff in an undisclosed role. Rodgers himself weighed in on Ulbrich’s latest coaching change, explaining that such decisions come as no surprise. “I knew that he was thinking about it, leaning toward it, and I told him I’d back him up, whatever he decided,” he clarified, lending his support to the interim coach.

The post Jets Demote Nathaniel Hackett Following Coaching Shakeup appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is expected to be out for multiple weeks after sustaining a back injury, sources told ESPN. Despite playing the entirety of the Colts’ narrow 37-34 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittman is believed to have been injured during the course of the match.

The team’s first-choice wide receiver, Pittman has 22 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown so far this season after five appearances. Over the past three seasons, Pittman racked up a combined 3,159 yards. Following his consistent performances for the Colts, Pittman was rewarded with a three-year, $70 million contract extension in March, thereby preventing the player from entering free agency.

The Colts are facing a barrage of injury concerns as of late, with starting receiver Josh Downs struggling with a toe injury, who was a non-participant in practice. Next up, the Colts face the Miami Dolphins with an eye on closing in on AFC South leaders Houston Texans.

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The New York Jets quarterback has spoken out for the first time about the dismissal of head coach Robert Saleh, insisting that he played no role in the decision to get rid of the underperforming coach.

“As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not going to spend more than one sentence in response to it,” Rodgers stated on The Pat McAfee Show. “And that is that I resent any of those accusations because they are patently false. It’s interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t. I love Robert.”

The Jets quarterback added that he will throw his full support behind interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich as well as any selection decisions he makes to the offensive staff. While several players expressed surprise as Saleh’s dismissal, the former head coach’s 2-3 record and failure to make the playoffs in any of his previous three season at the Jets serves as justification for the team’s leadership’s loss of patience.

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The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. This came after the team’s 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which saw the Jets slump to a 2-3 record, which saw them slip to second place in the AFC East.

Having joined the Jets in 2021 after serving as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, Saleh had obtained a 20-36 record over the course of his tenure with the Jets.

Sources familiar with the matter have claimed that Jets owner Woody Johnson is set to appoint a new head coach next Monday when the New York side comes up against the Buffalo Bills at the MetLife Stadium. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is expected to take over as the Jets’ interim head coach until such time that a new permanent replacement is hired.

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The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has admitted that his team’s performances have not been up to standard following their 41-38 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“We’re not a championship-level team right now,” Burrow admitted. “We’re not. I like to think that we’ll come back and improve throughout the season to get to that point, but right now we are not and we have to get better.”

Although Cincinnati has managed to score at least 30 points over the past three games, defensively the team has consistently appeared vulnerable. Burrow also enjoyed a strong performance, throwing a career-high five touchdowns, with 30 of his 39 passes finding their targets.

Defensively, the Bengals continue to struggle, conceding over 38 points for the second straight game. Following this latest defeat, the Bengals find themselves at the bottom of the AFC North with a record of 1-4.

The post Joe Burrow Admits That Bengals Are Not Up to Standard appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that wide receiver Marquise Brown is set to miss the team’s opening game of the new season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. This comes after Brown dislocated his shoulder during the Chiefs’ first offensive play of the preseason.

“Hollywood won’t be back this week and we’ll just see how it goes [from there],” Reid announced. “But the kid’s amazing. I mean, his progress has been incredible, but I wouldn’t predict him being there this week.”

Despite the setback, the Chiefs remain prepared to start the new season without Brown at their disposal. The Chiefs’ first-round draft pick for 2024, Xavier Worthy, is set to play as well as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who signed with the team earlier in the week, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that wide receiver Marquise Brown is set to miss the team’s opening game of the new season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. This comes after Brown dislocated his shoulder during the Chiefs’ first offensive play of the preseason. and Rashee Rice, the Chiefs’ leading wide receiver last season.

Reid confirmed that all of the team’s other wide receivers are sufficiently prepared to take on the Ravens on Thursday and that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has worked with all of them in practice.

The post Marquise Brown to Miss Chiefs’ Season Opener appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is facing the prospect of receiving fines after missing practice with the rest of the team. This comes after Aiyuk was cleared by the team doctors to participate in Wednesday’s afternoon practice session.

General Manager John Lynch confirmed that while Aiyuk was spotted in the team facility on Wednesday afternoon, he was not at practice, meaning that the 49ers now have the right to enforce disciplinary action on the wide receiver, which could include fines adding up to $16,009 for each activity missed under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

Still, Lynch and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan declined to say whether or not a penalty will be enacted on Aiyuk. “I’ll deal with that when that happens. If that happens,” Shanahan confirmed. Still, Lynch exhibited that he will not exhibit unlimited patience with Aiyuk, explaining, “I’m not going to get into our communication. At some point, you’ve got to play.”

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The Detroit Lions are expected to sign wide receiver Tim Patrick on their practice squad, sources told ESPN. According to reports, Patrick will be assigned to the practice squad where he will receive the opportunity to work his way into the active squad.

Patrick was released by the Denver Broncos after they decided to cut down their squad to 53 players. While he missed the past two seasons due to injury, the wide receiver participated fully in the Broncos’ training camp and preseason games, making five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.

“On behalf of everyone in the organization, I just can’t say enough great things about the type of player, the person, Tim Patrick while he has been a Bronco for the past seven seasons,” Broncos general manager George Paton stated following the announcement of Patrick’s departure.

Having missed the 2022 season due to a torn ACL, Patrick was sidelined the following season after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon early in training camp. In 55 career games, Patrick has 143 receptions for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The post Detroit Lions to Sign Wide Receiver Tim Patrick appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Atlanta Falcons have made a surprising switch at the quarterback position, benching veteran Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Penix Jr. will get his first start as a pro on Sunday against the Giants.  The move, announced by the head coach Raheem Morris, doesn’t appear to be temporary.

“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in a statement. “This was a football decision, and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”

Morris made the decision despite the Falcons beating the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 on Monday. While it marked the end of a four-game losing streak, which put the team’s playoff chances in jeopardy, it also featured a struggling performance by Cousins. He went 11 out of 17 on his passes while throwing for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“It’s pro football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that unfortunately, I wasn’t playing up to that standard consistently enough,” Cousins said on Wednesday about his benching while also saying he will support Penix Jr. “and trying to help him any way I can.”

The Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract ahead of 2024 season, believing he will help propel a talented roster to the playoffs. However, the franchise also decided to use a No. 8 pick on Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft to set themselves for the future considering that Cousins turned 36 in August.

The Falcons believed that Cousins would lead the team for the next few years before passing the torch to Penix Jr. However, coming back from an Achilles injury, Cousins was mainly disappointed. While he threw for 3,508 yards and 18 touchdowns throughout the first 15 weeks, he also threw a career-high 16 interceptions.

The post Falcons Bench QB Kirk Cousins, Turn to Rookie Michael Penix Jr. appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Cleveland Browns running back is expected to return to action in Week 7 of the NFL season, a source close to the matter reported. While he has been practicing for the Browns over the past two weeks, Chubb started the season on the physically unable-to-perform list, where he has since remained.

Since the start of the season, Chubb has ramped up his practice sessions gradually as he embarks on the road to recovery. “I think he’s just building on every single day,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said of Chubb’s progression. “I think he’s doing a nice job in the scout team; he’s doing a nice job when he gets some reps within the offense. So, he continues to build on every single day.”

During Week 2 of the 2023 season, Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He underwent an initial surgery to repair his MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule before undergoing a second surgery to repair his damaged ACL.

The post Chubb Expected to Return for Browns in Week 7 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich has already made strides in his new role, relinquishing playcalling duties from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. “This is more a byproduct of a different take on things,” Ulbrich explained. “I’m not saying it’s a better or worse take on things by any means but just a different take on things, a fresh approach.”

Hackett’s demotion is of much significance, not only because of his seniority but also because of his close bond with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In fact, Hackett was one of the decisive reasons for Rodgers choosing to move to the Jets.

Although he has lost his playcalling responsibilities, Hackett will remain on the Jets’ coaching staff in an undisclosed role. Rodgers himself weighed in on Ulbrich’s latest coaching change, explaining that such decisions come as no surprise. “I knew that he was thinking about it, leaning toward it, and I told him I’d back him up, whatever he decided,” he clarified, lending his support to the interim coach.

The post Jets Demote Nathaniel Hackett Following Coaching Shakeup appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is expected to be out for multiple weeks after sustaining a back injury, sources told ESPN. Despite playing the entirety of the Colts’ narrow 37-34 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittman is believed to have been injured during the course of the match.

The team’s first-choice wide receiver, Pittman has 22 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown so far this season after five appearances. Over the past three seasons, Pittman racked up a combined 3,159 yards. Following his consistent performances for the Colts, Pittman was rewarded with a three-year, $70 million contract extension in March, thereby preventing the player from entering free agency.

The Colts are facing a barrage of injury concerns as of late, with starting receiver Josh Downs struggling with a toe injury, who was a non-participant in practice. Next up, the Colts face the Miami Dolphins with an eye on closing in on AFC South leaders Houston Texans.

The post Colts’ Michael Pittman Out for Multiple Games appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Jets quarterback has spoken out for the first time about the dismissal of head coach Robert Saleh, insisting that he played no role in the decision to get rid of the underperforming coach.

“As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not going to spend more than one sentence in response to it,” Rodgers stated on The Pat McAfee Show. “And that is that I resent any of those accusations because they are patently false. It’s interesting the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t. I love Robert.”

The Jets quarterback added that he will throw his full support behind interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich as well as any selection decisions he makes to the offensive staff. While several players expressed surprise as Saleh’s dismissal, the former head coach’s 2-3 record and failure to make the playoffs in any of his previous three season at the Jets serves as justification for the team’s leadership’s loss of patience.

The post Aaron Rodgers Breaks Silence on Robert Saleh’s Dismissal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. This came after the team’s 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which saw the Jets slump to a 2-3 record, which saw them slip to second place in the AFC East.

Having joined the Jets in 2021 after serving as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, Saleh had obtained a 20-36 record over the course of his tenure with the Jets.

Sources familiar with the matter have claimed that Jets owner Woody Johnson is set to appoint a new head coach next Monday when the New York side comes up against the Buffalo Bills at the MetLife Stadium. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is expected to take over as the Jets’ interim head coach until such time that a new permanent replacement is hired.

The post Jets Fire Robert Saleh Following Slow Start to Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has admitted that his team’s performances have not been up to standard following their 41-38 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“We’re not a championship-level team right now,” Burrow admitted. “We’re not. I like to think that we’ll come back and improve throughout the season to get to that point, but right now we are not and we have to get better.”

Although Cincinnati has managed to score at least 30 points over the past three games, defensively the team has consistently appeared vulnerable. Burrow also enjoyed a strong performance, throwing a career-high five touchdowns, with 30 of his 39 passes finding their targets.

Defensively, the Bengals continue to struggle, conceding over 38 points for the second straight game. Following this latest defeat, the Bengals find themselves at the bottom of the AFC North with a record of 1-4.

The post Joe Burrow Admits That Bengals Are Not Up to Standard appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that wide receiver Marquise Brown is set to miss the team’s opening game of the new season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. This comes after Brown dislocated his shoulder during the Chiefs’ first offensive play of the preseason.

“Hollywood won’t be back this week and we’ll just see how it goes [from there],” Reid announced. “But the kid’s amazing. I mean, his progress has been incredible, but I wouldn’t predict him being there this week.”

Despite the setback, the Chiefs remain prepared to start the new season without Brown at their disposal. The Chiefs’ first-round draft pick for 2024, Xavier Worthy, is set to play as well as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who signed with the team earlier in the week, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that wide receiver Marquise Brown is set to miss the team’s opening game of the new season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. This comes after Brown dislocated his shoulder during the Chiefs’ first offensive play of the preseason. and Rashee Rice, the Chiefs’ leading wide receiver last season.

Reid confirmed that all of the team’s other wide receivers are sufficiently prepared to take on the Ravens on Thursday and that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has worked with all of them in practice.

The post Marquise Brown to Miss Chiefs’ Season Opener appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is facing the prospect of receiving fines after missing practice with the rest of the team. This comes after Aiyuk was cleared by the team doctors to participate in Wednesday’s afternoon practice session.

General Manager John Lynch confirmed that while Aiyuk was spotted in the team facility on Wednesday afternoon, he was not at practice, meaning that the 49ers now have the right to enforce disciplinary action on the wide receiver, which could include fines adding up to $16,009 for each activity missed under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

Still, Lynch and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan declined to say whether or not a penalty will be enacted on Aiyuk. “I’ll deal with that when that happens. If that happens,” Shanahan confirmed. Still, Lynch exhibited that he will not exhibit unlimited patience with Aiyuk, explaining, “I’m not going to get into our communication. At some point, you’ve got to play.”

The post Brandon Aiyuk Faces Fines for Missing 49ers Practice appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Detroit Lions are expected to sign wide receiver Tim Patrick on their practice squad, sources told ESPN. According to reports, Patrick will be assigned to the practice squad where he will receive the opportunity to work his way into the active squad.

Patrick was released by the Denver Broncos after they decided to cut down their squad to 53 players. While he missed the past two seasons due to injury, the wide receiver participated fully in the Broncos’ training camp and preseason games, making five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.

“On behalf of everyone in the organization, I just can’t say enough great things about the type of player, the person, Tim Patrick while he has been a Bronco for the past seven seasons,” Broncos general manager George Paton stated following the announcement of Patrick’s departure.

Having missed the 2022 season due to a torn ACL, Patrick was sidelined the following season after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon early in training camp. In 55 career games, Patrick has 143 receptions for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The post Detroit Lions to Sign Wide Receiver Tim Patrick appeared first on SportzBonanza.