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Evan McPherson sends Bengals to Super Bowl: Rookie has most FGs in single playoffs without miss in NFL history - ZellaNews

Evan McPherson sends Bengals to Super Bowl: Rookie has most FGs in single playoffs without miss in NFL history – ZellaNews

Evan McPherson has been as vital as any player to the Cincinnati Bengals winning the AFC title and advancing to their first Super Bowl in 33 years. McPherson’s game-winning 31-yard field goal in overtime that sent Cincinnati to the Super Bowl was his 12th field goal of the postseason, the most by a rookie kicker in league history. McPherson is 12 of 12 in the postseason, the most field goals…

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#nfl drafts #NFL News #NFL rumors

Take two for the NFL, maybe

No distractions: An NFL veteran opens up on his sexuality (espn.com) by Ryan Russell, as told to Kevin Arnovitz 29 August 2019

Ryan Russell is a three-year NFL veteran. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 after a successful college career at Purdue. He played one season with the Cowboys and two for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started seven games for the Bucs in 2017. This is his story, in his own words.

IN EARLY AUGUST, I met with an NFL team that was interested in signing me as a free agent for the upcoming season. This was a big moment for me because, other than the love for my family, playing football again in the NFL is my dream. The team invited me to meet with their front office and members of their coaching staff because, even though I missed all of the 2018 season after suffering a shoulder injury in 2017, I feel the organization believes I have the skills and character to contribute to their success. What they know about me, they like -- but there was one very important detail about my life they weren't familiar with....

[...] But for all the encouraging feelings about the visit, I do have one strong regret that has inspired me to make a promise to myself: This is the last time I will ever interview for a job as anything other than my full self. Out of love, admiration and respect, I want the next team to sign me valuing me for what I do and knowing who I truly am.

Have I lied to teammates, coaches, trainers, front-office executives and fans about who I am? Not exactly. But withholding information is a form of deceit. And I want the next part of my career -- and life -- steeped in trust and honesty. During the season you spend more time with your team than with your own family; truth and honesty are the cornerstones of a winning culture. My truth is that I'm a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man.

Today, I have two goals: returning to the NFL, and living my life openly. I want to live my dream of playing the game I've worked my whole life to play, and being open about the person I've always been.

Those two objectives shouldn't be in conflict. But judging from the fact that there isn't a single openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL, brings me pause. I want to change that -- for me, for other athletes who share these common goals, and for the generations of LGBTQ athletes who will come next....

I hope things go better for Ryan Russell than coming out did for Michael Sam, who really doesn’t seem to have been prepared for the level and type of attention that coming out as a certain NFL draft choice brought to him, and for the extreme focus on his sexuality. One major difficulty Russell may face is that coming out while he’s not actually on a team means that they have a ready-made excuse to avoid him. If he continues to go unsigned -- especially after injuries begin to pile up during the season, as they do -- when they’re asked why they didn’t sign Russell, who has proven himself at that given position, it will be interesting to see what excuses they give. (Assuming the sports media thinks to ask.)

The NFL hierarchy is, to put it mildly, extremely conservative and risk averse. They’ll avoid anything they consider controversial if you don’t have a fairly spectacular and documented level of talent, and sometimes even if you do (see also: Colin Kaepernick, albeit for a different issue). Chris Kluwe lost an NFL career, despite being a very good kicker, purely for being a public advocate of equal rights for LGBT+ people and not shutting up about it when he was told to do so. (Note: domestic abuse is apparently not considered an avoidance-level issue by the NFL, but being LGBT and politics are. Reflect on that.)

[...] That brings me to today, and the biggest challenge yet: Can I bring these two worlds together? Can I take all the progress in my personal life over the 12 months and combine it with the professional success that I experienced the previous year? Can I unify my separate professional and personal lives into a single one?

I don't believe this is a big ask in 2019....

It shouldn’t be a big ask in 2019, no.

#ryan russell #LGBT Issues #LGBT African-Americans #nfl rumors #football

Broncos have already announced that backup QB Jarrett Stidham will replace Wilson as starter for the final two games.

#nfl #denver broncos #russell wilson #quarterbacks #nfl rumors #jarrett stidham

WR Danny Amendola, 36, remains a free agent and there's rumors of retirement if he's not picked up by a team. Amendola began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Cowboys on April 27, 2008. He would eventually play with the Eagles (2008-09), Rams (2009-12), Patriots (2013-17), Dolphins (2018), Lions (2019-20), and finally the Texans in 2021.