NFL roundup: Eric Decker placed on IR, ending season
By Brad Weiss
The New York Jets have gotten off to a bad start to the 2016 NFL season, and on Wednesday, their year went from bad to worse.
At 1-4, the New York Jets season is quickly spiraling out of control. The Jets opened up the season with arguably the toughest early season schedule in the NFL, and they have had opportunities to win along the way. However, they have lost three straight, and will now be without one of their best offensive weapons. Wide receiver Eric Decker will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his shoulder, which is a devastating loss for a Jets offense that has struggled to move the ball consistently this year.
After finding out he was going to start this week’s game against the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick restructured his deal on Wednesday. The deal wipes out the final four years of his old contract and enables him to be a free agent after the season. Kaepernick will likely use whatever time he gets to start to showcase his abilities for other teams, as his time in San Fran seems to be coming to a close.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a huge game this week against the Oakland Raiders, as they hit the road for a key AFC West match-up. Last week, running back Jamaal Charles made his debut after battling back from a torn ACL last season. He played only ten snaps, but expects to play 110% more on Sunday. The Raiders game was actually supposed to be his debut game, but he was pressed into duty when Charcandrick West went down due to injury. Expect around 20 snaps for Charles on Sunday.
Cam Newton missed the Carolina Panthers’ Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the team fell to 1-4 on the young season. On Wednesday, Newton was limited in practice as he tried to battle back from a concussion suffered in Week 4. The fact that he was able to run through some drills was a good sign for the Panthers, who are seeing their chances of repeating as NFC champions dwindling with each loss. Carolina has a huge divisional game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
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In one of those moments where politics meets sports, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was asked a question about Republican Presidential Nominee Donald J. Trump on Wednesday after practice. Brady was asked how he would feel if his children heard Trump’s apparent “locker room talk,” to which Brady said, “Thanks guys,” and walked off the podium. The conversation between Trump and Billy Bush has become a focal point of this year’s election, and apparently, has made its way to the sporting world.