Wednesday is the last day of practice before teams get ready to open up their 2016 NFL Preseason schedule. With that being said, there is plenty of news to report from all around the league. Here it all is in one tidy roundup.
Tom Brady is not going to be playing in the first four regular season games for the New England Patriots, but that is old news. The new news is that he is likely to be held out of the team’s first preseason game as well, giving way to Jimmy Garappolo for the opener. The Patriots are slated to play the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, and Garappolo will be under center with the first team.
On the injury front, the San Diego Chargers will be without starting wide receiver Stevie Johnson for the entire season, as he had surgery to repair a tear in his meniscus on Tuesday. Johnson was expected to team with Keenan Allen to form a nice 1-2 combo at wideout for the Chargers this season. Up in Buffalo, rookie Reggie Ragland will also miss the entire season, as he will need surgery to repair a torn ACL.
On player coming back from injury is Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham, who is coming back from a major knee injury last season. Graham was activated off of the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday, and has returned to practicing with his teammates. He will be crucial to the Seahawks success in 2016.
The Kansas City Chiefs have yet to strike a deal with star cornerback Eric Berry, the 2015 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Berry came back last season from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, retaking his spot as one of the best defensive backs in the game. General Manager John Dorsey expects Berry to be there when the Chiefs open up their 2016 regular season schedule against the San Diego Chargers.
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Finally, condolences go out to the family and friends of longtime ESPN personality John Saunders, who passed away on Wednesday morning. The 61-year old Saunders had an incredible career at ESPN, establishing himself as one of the best television personalities in sports. He will certainly be missed.