NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Conrad Dobler, once dubbed NFL's dirtiest player, had CTE

Former Pro Bowl guard Conrad Dobler, once dubbed the NFL's "dirtiest player," had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death in 2023, his family announced through the Concussion Legacy Foundation on Wednesday.

Dobler was diagnosed with Stage 3 CTE by researchers at the Boston University CTE Center. CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head that can only be diagnosed after death. Stage 4 is the most severe diagnosis.

"My dad loved the game of football, but his love for the game took a toll on his body, his mind, and his relationships," Erin Lewin, Dobler's daughter, said in a statement. "His CTE diagnosis provides a sense of closure in terms of justifying his neurological and behavioral issues that took a toll not only on him but on all of us who loved and cared for him. We are relieved to have a definitive answer and proud to honor his wish to go public with the findings to raise awareness for the risks of repetitive head trauma and for the research being done at Boston University."

In 2010 when he was 59, Dobler had pledged to donate his brain to the BU CTE Center. According to the news release, Dobler had a subtype of the disease called cortical sparing CTE, which was discovered in 2024 and is marked by "slightly less severe cognitive symptoms, but earlier onset of behavioral symptoms."

Dobler died on Feb. 13, 2023, at the age of 73. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection in a 10-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1972-77), New Orleans Saints (1978-79) and Buffalo Bills (1980-81).

Sports Illustrated called Dobler "Pro Football's Dirtiest Player" in a July 25, 1977, cover story. Dobler even titled his autobiography "They Call Me Dirty."

Dobler was the left guard on a Cardinals offensive line that included Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf.

"Conrad started as my teammate and ultimately became my brother," Dierdorf said in a statement. "It broke my heart to watch him struggle and slowly slip away. He was a force of nature... until he wasn't."

ESPN
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Back in the day, no one gave a shit. Its football, its violent, its risky.... thats why I love it.

 

100%, EVERYTHING is for the almighty {click}

 

Myles Garrett: I just want to go to a contender

Defensive end Myles Garrett kicked off the week by requesting a trade and he expanded on his desire to leave the Browns on Wednesday.

Immediately after the end of the season, Garrett said he wanted to see signs that the Browns were on a path toward contending for titles but he said on The Rich Eisen Show Wednesday that he has felt for some time that a move elsewhere would give him the best chance to win. He “relaxed and decompressed emotionally” over the last few weeks before solidifying his decision.

Garrett said he spoke to people from the team multiple times and that he doesn’t think they were blindsided by his feeling that they were not “aligned on where the team is going in the near future.” Garrett said he knows he doesn’t have “much say in where I go,” but made it clear where he’d like to wind up.

“I just want to go to a contender,” Garrett said.

The Browns have said that they won’t trade Garrett and he declined to discuss what he’ll do if they stick to that stance. He added that he’s “sure people are calling and hopefully making some tempting offers” that lead to him putting on a different uniform in the near future.

PFT
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I can understand where he's coming from, he's been through a lot of shit. Too bad he has to make this decision.

 

NFLPA on schedule: 'No one wants to play an 18th game'

NEW ORLEANS -- NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. pushed back against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's recent statement that safety data doesn't discourage expanding the regular season.

"Frankly, we're not sure how he's reaching that conclusion based on the data we've been given access to," Howell said during the NFLPA's annual news conference Wednesday.

Howell was asked about the NFLPA's current stance on an 18-game season two days after Goodell's state of the league news conference. Goodell said Monday that 18 regular-season games and two preseason games "might be a possibility," citing safety data that put concussions at a historically low level during the 2024 season.

Howell said players are against another regular-season expansion after adding a 17th game in 2021.

"No one wants to play an 18th game. No one," Howell said. "Seventeen games is already, for many of the guys, too long. Seventeen games is also so lengthy that you're still dealing with injuries going into the next season. So, there are a variety of issues that hang off of the length of the season before any formal negotiations."

Howell and Goodell said this week that any discussions regarding 18 games has been informal. The current CBA, which was ratified in 2020, expires after the 2030 season. The length of the season is written into the CBA and would have to be voted on and agreed to by both the owners and the players.

"Any commentary outside of a formal negotiation is just commentary," Howell said. "It's a players' decision as to what they will agree to do or not."

Howell said several issues would have to be addressed before any true negotiations could be opened into expanding the season. He cited the number of bye weeks, roster size, practice squad size, the length of the offseason and the number of international games played, which the CBA currently caps at 10.

"When you talked about 18 games, what does the international composition look like, and where? There's evidence that ... they would like to go as far away as Australia, the Middle East, India, you name it," Howell said. "They truly want to look at the international [aspect] of the game. So how does that fit into 18 games?"

Howell said there is "more to be done" regarding the schedule and amount of travel teams are asked to do, citing multiple teams playing three games in 10 days and the Green Bay Packers flying to Brazil and back within 48 hours this season. The safety of playing surfaces was another concern he raised.

Howell also spent time discussing revenue sharing and player benefits, saying "the league has never been more valuable," because of the NFL's growth and the recent rule change that allows private equity firms to buy small stakes in teams. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are two teams that have sold minority ownership stakes to private equity firms.

He said he would like to see players share in that revenue one day.

"The new role of private equity in the league has made me think about how every other industry incentivize their top talent by giving them equity, so that when the organization becomes more valuable, the employees share it," Howell said. "We look forward to working with our members to determine how we can explore compensation structures that provide the right performance incentives while also providing them income security they deserve, including benefiting more from the value they create."

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Personally, I like to see the kick-back against Goodell. he's out of touch, and has been.

 

And the rest of the dominoes start to fall..,,

 

The Browns actually can just keep him if they don't get anything they want. He can sit out but he has 2 seasons left and his base salary is the minimum. They can get something from someone even if he sits out the whole year. I don't think it will go like that as some team is going to give up a lot to have him for cheap the next couple seasons and the chance to resign him.

 

I would have to say NO have they lost their minds i just got a feeling 18 then it will be 19 and if they want to go international Laughing

 

Meh, they always say no in the beginning. The CBA has 5 years left. By 2028 they will have extended it to avoid talk of strike. They will also have negotiated more for the players in order to offset an 18th game. If it is profitable and there’s no indication that a 17th game was a detriment to player health and safety, there’s no reason not to play an 18th game. They are already getting payed for 20 games and only playing 17 real games. They are proving year over year that pre-season is meaningless and the league is making a fraction in those games over meaningful ones. It’s the natural progression.

 

Josh Allen wins, MVP.

In one of the most stunning results in the history of the award, Josh Allen beat out Jackson for the 2024 MVP. He received 27 first-place votes and 383 points, while Jackson had 23 first-place votes and 362 points.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was third (120), Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow fourth (82) and Lions quarterback Jared Goff fifth (47).

Kevin O'Connell wins Coach of the Year.

The Vikings began the season with an over-under win total of 6.5 after losing quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. They drafted J.J. McCarthy and signed veteran Sam Darnold, but McCarthy was lost for the season in August with a full meniscus tear in his knee.

Still, the Vikings went 14-3.

That has earned Kevin O’Connell coach of the year honors, with 361 points and 25 of the 50 first-place votes. He beat out Lions coach Dan Campbell (283 points, 19 first-place votes), Chiefs coach Andy Reid (119, 4), Broncos coach Sean Payton (71, 1) and Commanders coach Dan Quinn (85, 1).

O’Connell is the first coach in team history to win 13 or more games twice. The Vikings reeled off nine consecutive wins in Weeks 9-17, tying for the third-longest streak in team history.

Hall of Fame Inductions...

Defensive back Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe earned election Thursday night.

The class is the smallest since 2005.
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Eagles' Saquon Barkley wins Offensive Player of the Year

Commanders' Jayden Daniels wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

Bengals' Joe Burrow wins Comeback Player of the Year, becomes second player ever to win twice

 

Chad Pennington twice in 3 seasons. He injured his rotator cuff in 2004 and had surgery in 2005. He kept tearing it and the medical team was garbage. He came back in 2006 and ran away with the award. Then the next year he just played like shit, was replaced and let go when the Jets got Favre. He signed with Miami, had a great year breaking Marino's completion percentage record and won the award again and finished 2nd in MVP voting (More behind Peyton than he blew away Brees for his first comeback award).

And this is all off the top of my head except to check the exact years. He was my dad's favourite player. He always got flack for the deep ball (I believe that's 30+ yards in the air.) but he held the career record for the highest deep ball passing percentage in league history until the modern pass happy league came about. He's 12th and the only p[layer from that era ahead of him was a guy that blossomed when Chad won it the first time; Drew Brees, who played well into the modern era. (I know the 2000s with Brady and Peyton seem modern still but that era is gone and I feel old now, sorry for you that are older).

 

No Vinatieri in the HOF is crazy work.

And nothing against Jared Allen but there is no measure by which he should get in ahead of Terrell Suggs.

 

NFL announces Steelers will play in Dublin in 2025

The Steelers have long been expected to be part of the NFL’s first regular season game in Ireland and their participation became official on Friday.

The NFL announced that the Steelers will be the designated home team for a game in Dublin during the 2025 season. The date and opponent for the game will be announced at a later time.

“We are very excited to be the designated team in the first regular season game to be played in Ireland this upcoming season,” team president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there, but also to play in front of the growing number of Steelers fans in Ireland. We are thrilled to be part of this historic event to represent Pittsburgh in a game that brings the NFL to the great sports fans in Ireland.”

It will be the first time the Steelers have played outside the United States since a 2013 game in London. They played a preseason game at Croke Park in Dublin in 1997 and the same venue will host this year’s game.

Late Steelers owner Dan Rooney was the United States’ ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012.

per; PFT

 

I think if you really looked at the numbers it'd say otherwise but not by much. (And by impact I'd say Allen if you put a gun to my head as far as what he did at his position vs the competition and compared to his peers, but it's tight and I know Suggs had a few more individual award and SBs which do matter but the ravens were just a unit on defense forever while Allen IMO had to do more alone (although he's had his guys too). That being said I thought both were going to make it. Allen was waiting longer and I'm sure when Suggs came people thought wait, I like allen just as much or better or only slightly worse and he's been waiting so lket's get him in and I bet a bunch of them said "let's not vote Suggs yet so Allen doesn't reach 80% and get bumped out. Too many did that and Suggs even get 80.

My prediction had "5 of these"
Eli Manning
Terrell Suggs
Torry Holt
Willie Anderson
Antonio Gates
Jared Allen

The reason I just didn't go 5 was because I thought all of them should have been in right away but they can't all make it even if they get the 80% threshold. Boy was I wrong.

In the end only 3 got in plus a committee pick, and the 3rd guy wasn't on my list although a pleasant surprise as an Eagles fan, although he was off the team when I was still a fan and remember him as a Raider. I didn't have Kuechly. I did think they'd make him wait but possibly because of a bottleneck and he had a shorter career and he might even reach the vote minimum.

 

There is also the alleged history of domestic abuse he inflicted holding him back.

 

I was looking at some of the processes used to determine who gets a call to the 'Hall' and its quite convoluted and opinionated. It would seem as if there ought to be a standard developed which would still allow opinion inputs, but some players wait forever, and some go first call leaving some head scratching and wondering why. I understand its the Hall of 'Fame', not the hall of stats, so maybe it should be treated as such... Just a thought/opinion.

 

What Jared Allen did was amazing the Vikings SUCKED so congrats to him but no Torry Holt...Jim Marshall is not in the HOF why not? he died in 2010 74yrs old it almost seems like a punishment of some kind

 

Derrick Henry: I thought it was a no-brainer Lamar Jackson should have won MVP

Ravens running back Derrick Henry was as shocked as anyone by Thursday night’s announcement of the 2024 NFL MVP.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen won the award even though most were expecting it to go to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, whom the same voters had selected as the first-team All-Pro quarterback. Henry acknowledged that he’s not an impartial observer but said he thinks Jackson had the best season of any player in the NFL.

“Of course I’m going to be a little biased toward Lamar because he’s my teammate,” Henry said on Micah Parsons’ podcast. “I just thought it was a no-brainer that he should’ve won. 41 touchdowns, four interceptions, almost 1,000 [rushing] yards.”

PFT/Smith
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I suppose its arguable, but I'm not caring enough to argue. Both were great, period. As I stated here somewhere, the process to determine these near, imo, meaningless awards, is convoluted and biased prone to begin with.

 

Are they ever play the SƁ the pre-game it just to go on and on non stop

 

Never heard of them now this guy just sing the damn song

 

Eagles PI that was BS