More must-reads:
CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports the Packers are expected to release LB Isaiah Simmons. Simmons, 27, was a two-year starter at Clemson and won the Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker in 2019. The Cardinals used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft on him. Simmons signed a four-year, $20,664,055 rookie contract that includes a $12,588,404 signing bonus. Arizona wound up trading him to the Giants in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick. He was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent after the Cardinals declined his fifth-year option in May 2023, and he opted to remain in New York on a one-year deal. Simmons then signed with Green Bay this offseason. In 2024, Simmons appeared in all 17 games for the Giants and made one start. He recorded 21 tackles and one forced fumble.
The Chicago Bears took another big step toward slashing their roster to the final 53-man squad on Tuesday morning. According to team insider Brad Biggs, the Bears have waived training camp favorite J.P. Richardson, and undrafted rookie wide reciever from TCU. Poles also cut ties with offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg, a former third-round pick who some presumed would offer interior line depth at the time he was added. The Chicago Bears were 20 roster moves away from the 53-man limit before these two transactions. Richardson made an early impression at Bears training camp and emerged as the summer's fan-favorite in late-July. His momentum cooled quite a bit once the preseason schedule rolled around, and with so much depth at receiver on Chicago's roster, Richardson's chances never seemed strong. There is, however, a possibility he returns to the Bears on the practice squad. It's highly unlikely another team will put a waiver claim in for him (it guarantees an active roster spot). Once Richardson clears waivers, he's a name to monitor for Chicago's practice team. Richardson finished the 2024 season with 57 catches for 733 yards and two touchdowns for the Horned Frogs.
In a little over a week, the Dallas Cowboys will take the field for their season-opening showdown against the reigning, defending Super Bowl champions in the Philadelphia Eagles. Micah Parsons‘ status is still firmly up in the air. The star defender hasn’t been taking the field due to an ongoing, and very public, trade request, combined with the contract dispute he’s been going through in Dallas. Cowboys fans are growing restless waiting for a resolution, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided the latest on Tuesday. “I want to give you the good news and the bad news,” Schefter stated, via Get Up. “The good news is, we heard a lot of strong language surrounding Trey Hendrickson and Terry McLaurin—about how far apart the sides were, how nobody was willing to budge, how it could drag on and on. And then, lo and behold, less than two weeks before the opener, both players remarkably get deals done. “That brings us to Micah Parsons. Here’s a player who, again, sounds like he doesn’t want to be in Dallas. He’s issued a public trade request. The Dallas Cowboys have had zero negotiations with him since they felt like they had an agreement—one he didn’t follow through on. All we’ve heard is how bad the situation is, and I think it is bad. “I’ve even heard this situation referred to as Jerry Jones’ Waterloo. He doesn’t want to lose it. But I’ll say this—we’ve seen other sides come through and get deals done. Still, this one feels a little bit different. Now look, McLaurin and Hendrickson looked hopeless. And yet, lo and behold, they got deals done. The Dallas Cowboys open their season a week from Thursday night, and Micah Parsons still has a tight back. He still hasn’t practiced. We still don’t know whether he’s going to play. And this is Jerry Jones’ Waterloo. “There are a lot of elements at play here that point away from a deal. It doesn’t look good. It doesn’t sound like Micah wants to be there. But the hope is, if Trey Hendrickson can get a deal done in Cincinnati, if Terry McLaurin can get a deal done in Washington, then there has to be a way for the Cowboys and Micah Parsons to bridge their differences, somehow, as vast as they are, and get a deal done.” As you can tell, Schefter believes Hendrickson and McLaurin can provide some hope in Dallas, but it seems as if this situation with Parsons is a bit unique. Regardless, the Cowboys have been in similar situations in the past, and they’ve always found a way to get a deal done with their star player at the end of it all. Whether it’s before Week 1 or not remains to be seen, but Micah Parsons not being on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles would be a major loss for the franchise. Don’t count out Jerry Jones and his ability to close though, even in a unique situation like this.
The Green Bay Packers have a tough assignment right away in the upcoming 2025 NFL season, as they are scheduled to lock horns with the Detroit Lions in Week 1 at Lambeau Field. With Jordan Love running the show from under center for the Packers, Green Bay fans are hoping that the team will have a great start to the campaign, something that did not happen in 2024, when Matt LaFleur’s squad lost its season opener to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. Before that showdown between the Lions and the Packers in Green Bay, Love went on an interview with “Kay Adams on the Up Adams Show with Kay Adams.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that promoted the interview, Adams wrote the following as a caption: “I always leave a chat with Jordan Love completely impressed. Please watch comment. He’s the terminator. He’s dialed in. He IS a Packer.” In the interview itself, Adams asked Love about the nickname directly. “Are you the terminator?” Adams asked. “No, why do you say that?” Love responded. Adams thought it was an apt nickname for the former Utah State Aggies star QB after his quick recovery from a seemingly minor thumb surgery. Can the Green Bay Packers end the Lions’ dominance in the matchup? The Packers won 11 games and suffered six losses in 2024. Two of those losses came at the hands of the Lions. Detroit beat the Packers in Week 9 at Lambeau Field, 24-14, and then again in Week 14 at Ford Field via a 34-31 score. Green Bay has struggled to win against the Lions over the last few years. In fact, the Packers have won just once in their last seven meetings with Detroit. Still, the Packers should love their chances to beat the Lions in Week 1. Green Bay is favored in that contest at the moment by 1.5 points as of this writing (per Covers).
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!