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NFL notebook: Reich rallies Colts behind Brissett

[August 27, 2019] Andrew Luck won't play this season, and coach Frank Reich wants his Indianapolis Colts locker room to rally behind new starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

"On one hand, we can respect and honor the player and the teammate (Luck) was," Reich said. "At the same time, we can share an excitement and an enthusiasm about the team we have going forward and the journey ahead of us."

Luck's shocking retirement at age 29 on Saturday passed the proverbial baton to Brissett (5-12 as a starter). He was 4-11 with Indianapolis in 2017 when Luck missed the season with a shoulder injury.

--Tom Brady turned 42, signed a new contract and enters his 20th season in the NFL. In other words, he doesn't entirely relate with Luck's decision to retire before 30.

"It is his life. Everyone has the right to choose what he wants to do," Brady said on his WEEI radio spot. "He had a great career, and he was a great player. Everybody wishes they could be healthy all the time."

Brady rebounded from a torn ACL in 2008, but his injury toll doesn't match Luck's. The former No. 1 overall pick had a lacerated kidney, an 18-month shoulder injury requiring surgery that cost him the 2017 season, and a leg-ankle issue that preceded his retirement.

--In an interview with Maxim, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott said he wants to be a Dallas Cowboy for life.

"I love playing for the Dallas Cowboys, I love the organization, my teammates. I do want to be a Cowboy for the rest of my life and hopefully that's a possibility," Elliott told the magazine.

Elliott is currently holding out for a renegotiated contract and training on his own in Cabo, Mexico. It was reported recently that Dallas offered to make him the NFL's second-highest paid running back.

--Companies are lining up to protect Antonio Brown with a custom-built helmet he'd be paid to wear, agent Drew Rosenhaus said of the Oakland Raiders wide receiver.

Rosenhaus said Brown was "going to move on" after a second grievance over his preferred -- but no longer NFL-approved -- headwear was denied.

The plan for moving on could include an endorsement with a company offering to craft a helmet to Brown's preference.

--Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden said he feels "very strongly" that the team will not trade seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams.

Williams, 31, is in the midst of a holdout due to reported dissatisfaction with the organization. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Williams is healthy after surgery to remove a growth on his head earlier this year.

--A source told NFL Network's Ian Rapaport that the league fined Titans running back Dion Lewis $28,075 for unnecessary roughness and lowering his helmet in Tennessee's Aug. 17 preseason game against the Patriots.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck watches from the sidelines against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Despite Lewis going unpenalized on the play, the eighth-year veteran will still be docked big money despite players only receiving minimal preseason pay -- reportedly $2,000 weekly for NFL veterans from the start of training camp through the week before the regular season starts.

--Patriots safety Patrick Chung pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of cocaine possession and waived his arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, according to a New Hampshire Supreme Court spokesperson.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 8 at Belknap County Superior Court in Laconia, N.H.

Chung, 32, was indicted earlier this month after police allegedly found cocaine at his home near Lake Winnipesaukee on June 25. The Class B felony charge carries a potential prison term of 3 1/2 to seven years.

--The Kansas City Chiefs are signing quarterback Matt Moore after losing Chad Henne to a fractured ankle in Saturday's preseason game against San Francisco, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

Henne, 34, is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday and is not out for the season. Moore, 35, made his NFL debut with Carolina in 2007 and spent seven seasons with Miami (2011-17).

--Atlanta Falcons rookie offensive lineman Kaleb McGary, returning from a heart procedure, went through his first full practice and could play in the team's final preseason game on Thursday.

McGary, the 31st overall pick in the 2019 draft, mostly worked with the second team at right tackle early in camp before undergoing cardiac ablation on July 31, a procedure designed to correct heart rhythm issues.

--The Minnesota Vikings activated cornerback Mike Hughes from the physically unable to perform list.

The 2018 first-rounder has worked his way back from a torn left ACL sustained in Week 6 against Arizona. Hughes finished his rookie season with 22 tackles and an interception he returned for a touchdown.

--The Cardinals signed defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, per a tweet from the player's agent.

McDonald, 32, played in 15 games with Oakland last season, posting 31 tackles and two sacks.

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