NFL roundup: Aaron Hernandez had advanced CTE at time of death

By Brad Weiss | Sep 22, 2017

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 2: Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez sits at the defense table during his double murder trial at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston on Mar. 2, 2017. Hernandez is charged in the July 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado who he encountered in a Boston nightclub. The former NFL football player already is serving a life sentence in the 2013 killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd. (Photo by Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

One of the biggest new stories in the NFL did not even include current players on Thursday, as Aaron Hernandez’s brain test came back with CTE.

During his time in the NFL, Aaron Hernandez established himself as one of the best tight ends in the league. However, he also had a dark side, as he was convicted of the murder of his friend Odin Lloyd. On Thursday, Hernandez’s brain tests came back from Boston University, and it showed he had a severe case of CTE. His family plans to sue the NFL after the findings.

In on the field news, it looks like Garett Bolles may be back sooner than expected. The starting left tackle for the Denver Broncos was injured in the team’s blowout win against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, and it looked pretty serious. However, he was back on the practice field on Thursday and just may be in the lineup this weekend against the Buffalo Bills.

Jordy Nelson was injured during the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, as he suffered a quad injury. He was forced to sit out the rest of the game but was a full participant in practice on Thursday. Nelson is now expected to play this weekend, and he should be in for a big game as the Packers take on the hapless Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.

Teammate Nick Perry was not as lucky as Nelson, as he had hand surgery on Thursday. Despite playing in nearly every defensive snap on Sunday night, Perry went in for his second hand surgery this year. The Packers struggled defensively against the Falcons on Sunday night, and will now have to replace one of their key cogs on defense for the time being.

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For the Bengals against the Packers, they may be without their star tight end in this one. Tyler Eifert is still dealing with a back injury, and he missed practice on Thursday. The Bengals have gotten off to an 0-2 start this season, and without guys like Eifert in the lineup, they are going to find it hard to move the ball against Green Bay on the road this weekend.

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