LDN - Sports

NFL notebook: Colts move on after McDaniels' reversal

[February 08, 2018] Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard skipped the small talk when he received an unexpected phone call from New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on Tuesday night, well after the franchise announced him in a press release as the team's next head coach.

"He said he had bad news for me. I said, 'Are you in or out?' We went around for a few minutes and he said 'I'm out,'" Ballard said.

Ballard denied what he called "rumors" around quarterback Andrew Luck and his timetable for a return to the field. However, Ballard did confirm Luck has not yet picked up a football in his rehabilitation routine. Luck missed the entire 2017 season recovering from shoulder surgery.

Ballard said he has "a list of great guys" he will interview and is treating the situation as an opportunity to start anew. McDaniels had lined up two assistant coaches for his staff with the Colts, and Ballard said the club would honor those agreements.

--Agent Bob LaMonte, who attempted to talk McDaniels out of a professional U-turn on Tuesday that could lead to a career dead end, has terminated his relationship following McDaniels' stunning decision to reject the Colts and remain with the Patriots.

"My word is my bond," LaMonte told Sports Business Journal on Wednesday. "Once you break that, there's nothing left."

A source told ESPN's Dan Graziano that LaMonte was stunned Tuesday when McDaniels informed him of the decision. According to the source, when LaMonte got the phone call from McDaniels about the change of heart, LaMonte replied that McDaniels was "committing professional suicide."

--Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is reportedly considering retiring from football to pursue a career in Hollywood as an actor.

Citing a source, Bill Burt of The Eagle-Tribune reported Tuesday night that Gronkowski has been told by two acting superstars, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Sylvester Stallone, that he could make millions of dollars in action films.

Despite an impressive performance in Super Bowl LII on Sunday night, the 28-year-old Gronkowski would not commit to playing next season in the wake of New England's 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Gronkowski has told friends that injuries have "taken a toll on him," according to the report.

--Matt Patricia was introduced as head coach of the Detroit Lions on Wednesday at the team's Allen Park, Mich., facility.

"I believe that I am a leader, I believe that I am a problem solver," Patricia said. "I want to represent the toughness of this city. We will be a smart, tough, fundamentally sound football team. We will have a high-character culture."

Patricia, who began his coaching career with the Patriots in 2004, reunites with Lions general manager Bob Quinn. Quinn was in the Patriots' scouting department before taking over in Detroit.

[to top of second column]

--The San Francisco 49ers re-signed defensive end Cassius Marsh to a two-year contract, the team announced Wednesday.

Marsh, 25, impressed the club in six games after being claimed off waivers from the Patriots on Nov. 22. He had 10 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles with San Francisco.

Overall, Marsh has six sacks in 52 career NFL games over four seasons. He spent the first three with the Seattle Seahawks before splitting the 2017 campaign with the Patriots and 49ers.

--An immigrant illegally living in the U.S. was charged with four felonies in the drunken driving crash that killed Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, prosecutors announced in court Wednesday.

Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, was wearing an orange jail suit during a Marion County (Indiana) court appearance. He was charged with two counts of causing death while operating a vehicle above the legal alcohol limit and two counts of failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

Court documents allege a blood test conducted at a hospital determined Orrego-Savala had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than double Indiana's legal limit for driving.

--Eagles head coach Doug Pederson would not deny a glow about himself and the team in the aftermath of winning the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

On Tuesday night, Pederson and his wife went to dinner at a restaurant near their home. And then the parade before Thursday's championship parade began. Dozens of fans approached with thanks, congratulations and stories of what the Super Bowl victory meant in their homes.

"It's a little surreal," Pederson said. "I don't think it's fully sunk in yet."

--Running back Adrian Peterson, who has earned nearly $100 million playing professional football, has been ordered to pay about $600,000 to a bank to settle a 2016 loan, according to a report Wednesday.

In addition to repaying $609,786 in principal and interest, Peterson was ordered to cover the bank's $28,868 in legal fees.

Peterson borrowed $2.4 million from Crown Bank as he was preparing for what turned out to be his final season with the Minnesota Vikings, the Star-Tribune reported. Hennepin County Court records show he took out the loan to refinance other debts.

--Field Level Media

Back to top