Mendenhall says “a lot of thought” went in to his decision to ditch Chargers game

AP

Like an increasing number of spectators, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall decided earlier this month to watch the game at home.

He got to watch the next game at home, too.  Without pay.

But in response to coach Mike Tomlin’s explanation that Mendenhall was simply frustrated when he decided not to show up for a game in which he was told he wouldn’t dress, Mendenhall disagrees.

“I wouldn’t use that word,” Mendenhall said, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  “There’s a lot of thought that goes into everything that I do.”

If there was a lot of thought that went in to his decision to boycott the game, he should have thought about it some more.  The one-game suspension cost Mendenhall more than $41,000.  And the open act of defiance won’t help the looming free agent’s already diminished marketability, given the position he plays, his injury history, and the controversial remarks he made after the death of Osama bin Laden.

AP

One of the burning questions about the Houston Texans for the 2013 season is whether they will be able to break through and advance beyond the second round of the playoffs after losing in that round in each of the last two years.

If they do, it’s likely that rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will help them get over the hump. Hopkins was the team’s first-round pick last month and it’s hoped that he’ll make their passing game more dangerous by forcing defenses to pay less attention to Andre Johnson. Hopkins will be a guest on Tuesday’s Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Network and we’ll find out how ready he thinks he is for that kind of contribution.

Burning questions for the rest of the teams in the AFC South will also be on the docket as Erik Kuselias, Mike Florio and Ross Tucker discuss the Colts, Titans and Jaguars. Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area will also be on hand to talk about the NFL’s decision to award Super Bowl L to the 49ers’ forthcoming stadium in Santa Clara.

It all gets started at 5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

AP

Any time football players get on the field, there’s a chance of injury.

That includes offseason workouts and OTAs, although aches and pains from May rarely wind up meaning that much. The exceptions are the serious injuries, of course, and injuries for players who have histories that make any physical setback reason for concern.

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray would fall into the latter group. He’s missed nine games over his first two seasons, including six last season with a foot problem, and had his fair share of injuries in college as well. That backdrop made word that Murray missed the first day of Cowboys OTAs with what coach Jason Garrett described as a “hamstring tweak” jump out more than it might for another player.

Garrett said, via the team’s website, that the team was taking a conservative approach with Murray because there’s no sense in doing anything else in May. He’s right, although that won’t do much to quiet concerns about the Cowboys offense should Murray wind up missing any significant time. Philip Tanner, Lance Dunbar and rookie Joseph Randle represent a big drop from Murray and the team will need a more effective running game to snap their playoff drought in 2013.

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Any practices happening this time of year are non-contact.

But that doesn’t mean they’re safe.

According to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com, Packers offensive lineman J.C. Tretter suffered a broken ankle, and is expected to miss six months.

Tretter apparently suffered the injury during a fumble recovery drill during OTAs Monday.

Tretter, a fourth-round pick from Cornell, was working at right tackle for a group looking for answers on that side of the line.

AP

The Chargers got replacement pass-rusher Dwight Freeney into town almost immediately after Melvin Ingram suffered a torn ACL.

But according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, Chargers officials haven’t ruled out getting Ingram back on the field this year.

Ingram had surgery today, and let’s face it, a six-month rehab for Ingram would be the best-case scenario. That would put him back in late November, and doesn’t consider time for conditioning.

But because the team respects Ingram’s work ethic and athleticism, they’re willing to consider it.

The other advantage for leaving the door open is psychological, as such a statement can be a confidence-booster for a player who just suffered a serious injury.

With the injured reserve-designated for return slot available to them, there’s no point to make a decision now. If they need it later for a shorter-term injury, so be it.

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We were gone for a week.  Now we’re back.  And we need content.

So we’re leaving it to you to decide on the topic for the final segment of Tuesday’s Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Network.

Pick a topic from among the possibilities below, and Ross Tucker (whom I’ve promised to no longer refer to as a meathead), Erik Kuselias (whom I’ve not yet promised to no longer refer to as Zoolander), and yours truly will take it up at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Actually, we’ll take it up later in the show.  But we’d really like for you to tune in at 5:00 p.m. ET.

AP

Back in October, an Illinois man who traveled to Jacksonville for the game between the Bears and Jaguars was killed the night before the game.

The man accused of murdering William Pettry pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges on Tuesday. The Florida Times-Union reports that Matthew Reid Hinson will be sentenced at a later date and could receive life in prison for his crime.

Hinson slashed Pettry’s throat at a bar in Jacksonville on Saturday night. Reports indicate that Pettry and a friend were talking to Hinson’s wife just before the attack.

In the days after the murder, former Bears tight end Kellen Davis organized fundraising efforts that raised more than $20,000 for Pettry’s family. Quarterback Jay Cutler also hosted Pettry’s family at a Bears game later in the season.

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Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says the only way Miami will get the stadium it needs to host another Super Bowl is if taxpayers foot some of the bill.

Speaking on NFL Network shortly after the league’s other owners decided not to award an upcoming Super Bowl to Miami, Ross said he can’t pay all the costs of renovating the stadium on his own.

“It has to be a public-private partnership,” Ross said. “I think the percentage that I’m going to put up is probably more than anybody else has ever put up, and I’m willing to do that, but I think we’re going to have to work together.”

Ross noted that South Florida is a great Super Bowl host, but the league simply won’t put another game there if the stadium doesn’t get taxpayer financed renovations. He said that everyone in South Florida who wants another Super Bowl will need to go back to the drawing board to see how they can figure out a way to get public financing.

“We have to sit and think how we can really get the support for it,” Ross said.

Until the Dolphins get that stadium support, Miami won’t get a Super Bowl.

AP

Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson said last week that he wasn’t sure when he would be medically cleared to return to practice after suffering a strained back during workouts last month.

It turned out not to be all that long a wait. Johnson was on the field with the rest of the Bills at Tuesday’s practice after getting the green light to return to work. Johnson didn’t sound like he was quite 100 percent but was pleased to have progressed faster than initially expected.

“It definitely feels good to just be out there on the field, even through the little pains I have,” Johnson said, via Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “It’s getting better every week. They gave me a six-to-eight-week thing to even get on the field, and it’s only been about three, so I feel good.”

Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett was also pleased that Johnson got the go-ahead to work because it will help him manage the “growing pains” of playing in a new system. Hackett also credited Johnson for giving a hand to less experienced teammates as they also learn the scheme the team’s installing this offseason. The Bills will likely take it easy with Johnson as long as he’s still having “little pains” as all the knowledge of the scheme won’t help much if the team’s best players aren’t available to run it.

AP

Lost in the question of whether the Seahawks face fines for future player suspensions is the reality that, based on the policy created by the NFL in 2008, they likely paid more than $60,000 for suspensions that happened in 2012.

The NFL has declined comment on the question of whether and to what extent the Seahawks have been fined for past suspensions, explaining that this information isn’t disclosed for any team.  But the league office has confirmed that the formula developed in 2008 still applies, and it’s public knowledge that three Seahawks were suspended during the 2012 season:  offensive lineman Allen Barbre, safety Winston Guy, and cornerback Brandon Browner.

Barbre came first, suspended the first four games of the season under the performance-enhancing drugs policy.  He was cut after the suspension ended in October.

Under the league’s policy, the Seahawks faced fines for the second suspension (Guy) and the third (Browner).  Based on their salaries for 2012, Guy lost $97,500 in salary during his four-week suspension.  The policy converts 25 percent of that into a fine, which equates to $24,375.

Next up was Browner, who served a four-game suspension and forfeited $109,411 in base salary.  Since Browner’s suspension was the third of the year, one third of his lost salary became a fine.  That’s $36,470.

The total of the two fines is $60,845.

This year, the Seahawks will be fined if there’s another suspension under the substance-abuse policy, the policy regarding steroids and related substances, or the personal-conduct policy, given that defensive end Bruce Irvin already will miss the first four games of the year after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

It’s unclear whether fines will make teams more careful about acquiring players who carry the red flag of a possible violations.  Former Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli said on Tuesday’s PFT Live that the league has discussed the possibility of stripping draft picks as an alternative to fines.

That could be the best way to handle the situation.  Team’s view fines as a cost of doing business; losing draft picks impacts competitive interests, and thus are more likely to get the franchise’s attention.

AP

The lawyer representing Jets running back Mike Goodson said his client would plead not guilty to the five gun and drug charges against him.

And according to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News, Goodson told the Jets that the gun in the car wasn’t his.

“Mike’s charged with possession of that gun, but we’re confident we’re going to be able to show (the gun wasn’t his),” attorney Tony Fusco said.

Both Goodson’s lawyer and the lawyer for the driver of the vehicle Goodson was in said that their clients could escape jail time, because a second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun would be hard to make stick.

Joe Afflito, the attorney for Garant Evans (the driver of the car), said the second degree charge requires “proof that you had a weapon and that you were going to use it to harm a person or property.”

“This gun was found in the car so I don’t know where that comes from,” Afflito said. “According to the newspaper reports, they were picked up on the side of the highway unconscious.”

A third-degree charge comes with a suggested sentence involving jail time, but that’s not a certainty.

While avoiding prison can only be considered a positive, Goodson’s far from in the clear. The Jets haven’t said much about his situation, and are wise to wait to find out more.

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When the NFL says “I’m gonna turn this car around and go home,” they apparently mean it.

South Florida hasn’t hosted a Super Bowl since 2010, and the drought will last at least eight years.  On Tuesday, Miami lost in not one but two attempts to bring Super Bowl L and Super Bowl LI back to Sun Life Stadium.

Losing Super Bowl L to San Franciscoclara was expected.  The head-to-head contest with Houston was regarded as a tougher call, since Miami provides a better overall experience in the days leading up to the game.

But the NFL sent a message that the Super Bowl won’t return to Florida without an upgraded stadium.  To give that threat/promise teeth, owners had to follow through on it.  And they did.

The failure of the bids gives owner Stephen Ross ammunition to continue to try to shake public money out of the taxpayer pockets in order to renovate the stadium.  The politicians and, ultimately, the people will have to decide whether getting another Super Bowl justifies partially paying for the project.

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The Browns announced the signing of rookie safety Jamoris Slaughter, their sixth-round pick, on Tuesday.

A 19-game starter at Notre Dame, Slaughter (6-0, 195) missed most of the 2012 campaign after tearing his Achilles tendon. If healthy, he could have a reasonable shot at making the roster, as the Browns have made some changes at safety in the offseason.

Among the Browns’ changes at safety is the departure of Eric Hagg, which the Browns confirmed Tuesday. The club also confirmed the re-signing of running back Brandon Jackson, news of which PFT reported last week.

In other roster moves, the Browns re-signed wide receiver Michael Edwards and signed defensive back Kenronte Walker, both undrafted free agents. Also, the club waived veteran linebacker Ryan Rau and rookie running back Robbie Rouse.

Less than four months after the Bay Area’s football team returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in a generation, the Super Bowl is returning to the Bay Area.

The league has announced that Super Bowl L will be played at the 49ers’ to-be-opened home in Santa Clara, which will be named Levi’s Stadium.  Technically, the host city is San Francisco, since all associated events will be conducted there.  (We’ll call the location San Franciscoclara, at least until we get bored with that.  Maybe a little longer.)

The game will be played in February 2016, capping the second season of play at the new venue.

The vote means that Miami lost in the head-to-head bid against San Francisco, just like the Dolphins did against the 49ers in Super Bowl XIX, played at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto.

It also means that Miami will now take on Houston for the ability to host Super Bowl LI.

AP

The Patriots are without their two best-known tight ends during drills at this week’s set of organized team activities, but they do have one long-absent member of the position group back at work.

Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com reports that Jake Ballard was on the field with his teammates during Tuesday’s practice, the first time he’s been on the practice field with media in attendance since the Patriots claimed him off of waivers from the Giants last June. Ballard tore his ACL and suffered extensive other damage to his knee in the second half of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI victory over the Pats.

Per Yates, Ballard spent some time doing resistance running with a strength coach but was able to “participate in the majority of practice reps” during the session. The Patriots expect Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez back for training camp and the season, but Ballard will give them good insurance should one or both miss time.

Ballard isn’t likely to replicate their numbers, but he became a frequent and reliable target for Eli Manning on the way to that Super Bowl title. He caught 38 passes for 604 yards while also doing his part as a run blocker. Should he be back to full health, Ballard has a chance to be a useful piece for the Patriots offense even if everyone’s healthy.

AP

The Browns will waive safety Eric Hagg, Adam Caplan of TheSidelineView.com reported Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Hagg appeared in 12 games for Cleveland in 2012, starting three games at free safety and one at strong safety. A Nebraska product, Hagg was a seventh-round pick of Cleveland in 2011.

The reported departure of Hagg continues the Browns’ reworking of their safety corps. Earlier in the offseason, the club released Usama Young, who started 10 games at free safety and one at strong safety in 2012.

With Hagg and Young gone, second-year pro Tashaun Gipson now becomes the most experienced option at free safety. T.J. Ward is the starter at strong safety.