The List: A Virtual Pro Bowl Highlights the NFL’s Calm before the Super Bowl Storm

The week in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl is usually dominated by a video of the teams arriving at the host site early in the week, as well as practices, walkthroughs, and press conferences. This year, there will be no such coverage, since the Buccaneers and Chiefs will arrive late this week, and the clubs will conduct most of their interviews digitally.

Although there is no in-person coverage, that does not mean this edition of The List will be barren. The Pro Bowl was held via the Madden NFL 21 video game, the college Senior Bowl still went off as planned and several clubs were busy adjusting their coaching staffs. In addition, there will be a look at how the Super Bowl participants impacted their communities. However, we start off with the Pro Bowl.

 

THE GAMES

NFC tops AFC in the virtual Pro Bowl

 Even though the in-person Pro Bowl game was canceled for the 2020 season, rosters were still selected and a game was still held on Sunday. A combination of four current players, NFL legends, and celebrities were selected to control both the NFC and AFC on the Madden NFL 21 video game, with the NFC coming out on top by a 32-12 score. The event was shown on NFL social media sites on Sunday evening, with FOX Sports studio personalities Charissa Thompson and Michael Strahan serving as hosts.

Kyler Murray not only had the controller in his hand for the NFC during the first quarter, but he was also named the MVP in the game after throwing four touchdown passes. Ironically, the only score, while Murray was in control, was a rushing touchdown by Vikings star Dalvin Cook. NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace took over in the second quarter, with Murray tossing scoring passes to his Cardinals teammate, DeAndre Hopkins, as well as Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson. Seattle safety Jamal Adams took over in the third, and Murray threw one more touchdown to Cook to round out the NFC scoring. Former Bills, Raiders, and Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch controlled the NFC team for the final quarter.

The AFC team controllers were Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, former star wide receiver and ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson, Titans running back, and the NFL’s leading rusher, Derrick Henry, and rapper Snoop Dogg. The AFC got the first-quarter touchdown from Super Bowl participant Patrick Mahomes to Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen and a pass from Mahomes to Titans star A. J. Brown in the third. 

National team wins the Senior Bowl

 Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond earned the MVP award but the National team defeated the American team, 27-24, on Saturday in the Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

The game, which began in 1950 at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, transferred to Mobile the following year. The contest includes the best professional hopefuls and the teams are run by the staff of NFL teams. For the majority of the game’s history, the teams were called the South and North, except for a three-year span from 1991-93, when they were named the AFC and NFC according to their coach’s affiliation. This year, the National team (formerly the South) was run by Miami’s Brian Flores while Carolina’s Matt Rhule coached the American team (previously the North).

Mond completed 13 of 25 passes for 173 yards (141 in the third quarter) and two touchdowns in a losing effort, but the game wasn’t decided until he had left the game. Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Mississippi tight end Kenny Yeboah in the fourth quarter as the National team went up by two scores. Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Florida wide receiver Trevon Grimes with 49 seconds left for the American team.

Louisville wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick earned offensive player of the game honors after posting game-highs with six catches and 90 yards for the National team. Tulane defensive lineman Cameron Sample was the defensive player of the game. He had seven tackles and half a sack for the American team.

Inside the Hashes sent a crew to cover the Senior Bowl in person. Click on the links below to check out their stories. 

• LeMarkus Bailey: Three players to keep an eye on during the Senior Bowl and a look at game MVP Kellen Mond. 

• Jacob Keppen: Three players who can raise their draft stock and Senior Bowl winners at Day 2 practice. 

• Jacob Keppen and Ben Schwartz: Eight more players to watch at the Senior Bowl and Mock Draft 2.0.

• T.J. Mathewson: Which senior benefited most by returning to college in 2020.

• Kris Thomas: Interviews with Wake Forest defensive lineman Carlos Basham Jr. and Ohio State defensive lineman Jonathan Cooper. 

SUPER BOWL NEWS

Chiefs tackle social justice and COVID-19 issues

 Patrick Mahomes has done quite a bit in his young career. He earned a regular-season MVP award, led the Chiefs to their first title in 50 years, earned three Pro Bowl selections, was named an All-Pro and Offensive Player of the Year in addition to his MVP honor in 2018, signed a 10-year, $503 million contracts with Kansas City before the 2020 season, proposed to his high school sweetheart and found out he was going to be a dad.

Mahomes’ influence extends beyond the field, as he became a minority stakeholder of the Royals’ franchise, and his fiancée, Brittany Matthews, is part of an ownership group to bring a women’s professional soccer team back to Kansas City. The events of 2020 also inspired Mahomes and safety Tyrann Mathieu to start a voter registration initiative in Kansas City and led to the quarterback joining with More Than A Vote, a group started by basketball superstar LeBron James that focuses on minorities registering to vote and speaking about systemic racism around the country.

Not only did Mahomes and Mathieu try to improve involvement in social issues, and they also worked to increase voter turnout. Mathieu and his TM 32 Foundation hosted multiple voter registration events, including one on September 22 (National Voter Registration Day) at Union Station, a historic train station in downtown Kansas City. Mahomes and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation split the $100,000 cost with the Chiefs to turn Arrowhead Stadium into a polling place for Election Day in early November.

Another Chiefs player who is making a difference is one who hasn’t played a down this season. Guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who started on the right side in the team’s victory in Super Bowl LIV last season, opted out of the 2020 campaign due to the coronavirus. He was sitting out, not to avoid the pandemic, but to work on the front lines. Duvernay-Tardif is a Canadian who was selected by Kansas City in the sixth-round in 2014, but he also has a second career option that few in the NFL have. In addition to being a champion lineman, he also has a doctorate in medicine from McGill University in Montreal, which he put to good use during COVID-19.

Although Duvernay-Tardif did not officially have a medical license, his services soon came into high demand once the pandemic became more widespread. He was assigned to the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu long-term care facility in Quebec, where he has worked as an orderly on the front lines during the pandemic. His work led to Duvernay-Tardif joining his teammate Mahomes, as well as basketball stars LeBron James and Breanna Steward and tennis champion Naomi Osaka as Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award winners.

Team colors announced and coin toss participants named

 The Buccaneers will be the home team this Sunday in more ways than one. The Super Bowl alternates which conference will use the home bench and locker room. This year, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, the NFC has that right. Tampa Bay is the first team to play in a Super Bowl in its own home stadium, and along with that honor is the right to choose what uniform to wear. The Buccaneers have decided to wear their white jerseys and pewter pants while the Chiefs will don their signature red jerseys.

Uniform choice was not the only Super Bowl LV announcement made over the past week. The NFL named four people to participate in pre-game festivities, including three front line workers who will serve as honorary captains during the coin toss. Los Angeles educator Trimaine Davis was responsible for making sure students in his classes had access to devices, internet access, and workshops to learn how to use the technology. Suzie Dorner is the COVID ICU nurse manager at Tampa General Hospital and she lost two grandparents to COVID-19. Marine veteran James Martin helped veterans and young athletes connect through the Wounded Warrior Project and by live streaming events in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

In addition to Davis, Dorner, and Martin, the NFL announced that Amanda Gorman will read an original poem about the impact of the three of them before the Super Bowl. Gorman, a National Youth Poet Laureate, participated in the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20 by reciting a poem entitled “The Hill We Climb.”

THE NEWS

Tight end Witten retires after 17 seasons

 Jason Witten is leaving the NFL once again. On Jan. 27, the 11-time Pro Bowl tight end announced that, once his contract with the Raiders expired, he would sign a one-day deal with the Cowboys and retire. He finished his 17-year career as one of the most respected and productive players at that position.

Witten was a third-round pick of the Cowboys in 2003 out of the University of Tennessee. After backing up new Lions coach Dan Campbell with Dallas as a rookie, Witten took over the starting role and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls in the next 11 seasons while also earning two All-Pro selections. He retired in 2018 and spent the season as an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football game broadcasts before returning for one season with the Cowboys and another with the Raiders in 2020.

Witten ranks high, not just on the tight end leader list, but also on the all-time list with 1,228 receptions (second among tight ends and fourth overall), 13,046 yards (second at the position and 19th overall), and 74 touchdowns (fifth among tight ends and tied for 38th in NFL history). He has already been named the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas.

Rooney family matriarch passed away

 Patricia Rooney, the wife of Steelers owner and chairman, Dan Rooney, and the daughter-in-law of franchise founder, Art Rooney Sr., passed away peacefully at home on Saturday at 88. Patricia and Dan Rooney were married for 65 years and had nine children, including Art Rooney II, who is the team’s current president. Dan Rooney also served as the U. S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12 under President Obama.

“My family and I are mourning the passing of my mother, Patricia,” Art Rooney II said in a statement. “She helped raise nine children while supporting my father's career with the Steelers and his time as Ambassador to Ireland. It is a sad day for our family.”

Lions trade Stafford to the Rams for Goff and some draft picks

 Matthew Stafford’s time with the Lions is over. On Saturday night, Detroit agreed to trade its top all-time passer to the Rams for quarterback Jared Goff, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and first-rounders in both 2022 and 2023. The deal will not become official until the league year begins on March 17.

Stafford is the 2011 Comeback Player of the Year, a Pro Bowler in 2014, and he also tops the Lions’ all-time list with 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns. He has two years and $43 million left on his current contract, and he will count $17.8 million against the salary cap. Goff is a two-time Pro Bowler who totaled 18,171 yards and 107 scores in five seasons. He has four years and $106.6 million left on his contract, including a $25 million base salary and a $22.2 million cap hit in 2021.

The one thing Detroit will be gaining from this trade is a quarterback with playoff success. Goff has a 3-3 record in the postseason, but he threw for 297 yards and a touchdown as the Rams beat the Saints, 26-23 in overtime, in the 2018 NFL Championship Game. He struggled two weeks later when Los Angeles fell to New England in Super Bowl LIII. Stafford led the Lions to four winning records in 12 seasons, but he lost all three playoff games Detroit has played in his tenure.

For Richie Dordas’ reaction to the Matthew Stafford trade, click this link. 

Watson requests a trade from the Texans

 The Texans can only hope the Deshaun Watson situation is resolved as smoothly as the Stafford trade was for the Lions. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback officially requested a trade this week, despite signing a four-year, $156 million contract extension in September.

The situation was made worse when team CEO Cal McNair failed to communicate with his offensive star concerning the hiring of general manager Nick Caserio on Jan. 7. Watson is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL and also owns a no-trade clause that allows him to choose his destination. If the Texans decide to call his bluff, the 25-year-old can simply hold out and refuse to play. Watson ranks second in franchise history with 14,539 yards and 104 touchdowns in just four seasons, and he also has 1,677 yards and 17 scores rushing.

Of course, Caserio stated that he has “zero interest” in trading Watson, but if he did, the team should have plenty of potential trade partners. In the AFC, the Jets may not want to continue to put their trust in Sam Darnold, the Dolphins might be willing to exchange rookie Tua Tagovailoa, the Patriots could try for Watson after the failed Cam Newton experiment and the Colts need someone to replace the newly retired Philip Rivers. Watson might also want to leave the quarterback-rich AFC and force a trade to an NFC team instead. Potential landing spots could be San Francisco (with injury-prone Jimmy Garoppolo), Carolina (with the inconsistent Teddy Bridgewater), or Chicago (which hasn’t had a star at the quarterback position since the Truman administration). 

Ravens give their tight end an extension

 Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 10, tight end Nick Boyle and the Ravens agreed to a two-year, $13 million extension on Friday that will last through the 2023 season. In addition to his run-blocking ability, Boyle has amassed 120 receptions, 1,047 yards, and four touchdowns in six seasons with Baltimore.

Giants sign former Jets center Harrison

 Jonotthan Harrison has now officially run the gamut in terms of being a member of all three New York-area teams. Harrison signed a $2 million futures deal with the Giants on Sunday. The undrafted center out of Florida in 2014 began his career by playing three seasons with the Colts. He followed that by three years with the Jets and started 10 games in 2019. Harrison spent 2020 on the Bills’ practice squad and is expected to back up Nick Gates with the Giants this season.

Seahawks waive lineman after his arrest

 The NFL career of Chad Wheeler unraveled over the past week. The Seahawks offensive tackle was arrested on Jan. 27 and charged with first-degree domestic violence assault, domestic violence unlawful imprisonment, and resisting arrest in King County, Washington. He is out on $400,000 bail.

According to reports, Wheeler allegedly demanded the victim to stand up and bow to him and when she refused, he grabbed her by the neck, threw her on the bed, wrenched her left arm behind her back, and proceeded to strangle her until she passed out. When she regained consciousness, Wheeler reportedly said, “Wow you’re alive” before the victim locked herself in the bathroom and called authorities. Seattle released Wheeler after the incident was made public, and the lineman issued a statement on Twitter in the afternoon, apologizing for his actions, stating that he had a “manic episode” and he was seeking help. He also stated it is time to “walk away from football and get the help I need to never again pose a threat to another.”

Wheeler was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of USC in 2017. He played two seasons with New York and started 14 games at right tackle in 2018. Wheeler spent most of the following year on Seattle’s practice squad and played five games with the Seahawks in 2020.

INJURY NEWS

Crosby played through multiple injuries

 Defensive end Maxx Crosby led the Raiders in sacks each of his first two seasons, and his seven-sack performance looks more impressive in light of some new information. Last week, Crosby tweeted a photo showing him with his right arm in a cast and his left arm in a sling. He stated that he played with a broken hand and a torn labrum in his shoulder. Crosby had surgery to repair both injuries and the recovery time is about four months. The 2019 fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan had 10 sacks as a rookie with Oakland and followed that by starting all 16 games for the Raiders after they moved to Las Vegas this season.

Willie Gay joins Fisher on the sidelines for the Super Bowl

 Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. will not be able to play in Super Bowl LV after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus last week. The procedure includes a four-month recovery period, giving Gay plenty of time to prepare for the 2021 season. He is the second key player who will miss the Super Bowl on the Kansas City side, joining starting offensive tackle Eric Fisher, who suffered a torn Achilles. The Chiefs placed wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center, Daniel Kilgore, on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. Neither Robinson nor Kilgore tested positive and both should be able to play in the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers have announced that wide receiver Antonio Brown (knee) and safety Jordan Whitehead (shoulder and knee) are doubtful for this Sunday’s game. 

COACHING AND FRONT OFFICE MOVES

Texans hire Culley as head coach

 The NFL’s first head coaching position to come open was also the last to be filled. On Jan. 28, the Texans agreed to terms on a five-year deal with David Culley, who spent the past two seasons as assistant head coach, wide receivers coach, and passing game coordinator with the Ravens. He takes over a Houston offense that has ranked in the middle of the pack in the NFL over the past five years with Deshaun Watson under center. Watson has reiterated his desire to be traded even after Culley was hired. Baltimore’s offense rated in the top third of the league during Culley’s tenure, thanks to the efforts of 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson.

The 65-year-old Culley has spent 42 years in coaching, starting as a running backs coach with Austin Peay in 1978. He moved to universities around the southeastern U.S. over the next 25 years, rising to the offensive coordinator position with Texas-El Paso in 1989-90. Culley moved on to the NFL in 1994, and he worked as a wide receivers coach with the Buccaneers and Steelers before staying in that position for 14 seasons with the Eagles from 1999-2012. He was an assistant head coach and wide receivers coach with the Chiefs from 2013-16 and was the Bills’ quarterbacks coach in 2017-18 before joining the Ravens.

Washington coach Rivera is cancer-free

 Ron Rivera has been an NFL head coach for 10 years and is a two-time Coach of the Year. However, his greatest victory was not earned on the field. The coach’s daughter tweeted on Friday that Rivera was cancer-free. The Washington coach was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer in August. He finished treatment in late October and did not miss a game while leading the club to the NFC East title.

Rivera was a linebacker with the Bears when they won Super Bowl XX, and he made a name for himself as a defensive coordinator with Chicago (2004-06) and San Diego (2008-10). He posted a 76-63-1 record in nine seasons as Panthers head coach, leading Carolina to the playoffs four times, including a loss to Denver in Super Bowl 50. Despite a losing record in 2020, Washington gave eventual NFC champion Tampa Bay a run for its money in a 31-23 loss in the Wild Card round.

Other coaching and front office news

• The Falcons added five new members to their coaching staff this week when they hired T.J. Yates as passing game specialist, Robert Prince as wide receivers coach, Jon Hoke as defensive backs coach, Ted Monachino as outside linebackers coach, and Chandler Henley as assistant offensive line coach. Atlanta also filled out a top front office spot on Friday after hiring Kyle Smith as vice president of player personnel. Smith spent the past 10 seasons with Washington, starting as a scout before being promoted to director of college personnel in 2017 and vice president of player personnel in 2020.

• On Thursday, the Bears hired Chris Rumph as defensive line coach. Rumph served as outside linebackers coach with the Texans in 2020. The following day, Chicago added Bill McGovern as inside linebackers coach and Bill Shuey as outside linebackers coach.

• The Lions continued filling out their coaching and front office staff this week. After hiring general manager John Dorsey, offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, and assistant head coach and running backs coach Duce Staley before Championship Game weekend, Detroit followed that up by bringing in Ray Agnew as assistant general manager, Mark Brunell as quarterbacks coach, Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant and Dave Fipp as special teams coordinator. 

• The Packers cut ties with two coaches over the past week. Green Bay announced that defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga will not return to the team in 2021. The Packers promoted assistant Maurice Drayton to replace Mennenga as a coordinator on Thursday. 

• Houston did not wait long to give new head coach David Culley some help. On Friday, the Texans hired Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator. Smith spent the past five seasons as the head coach of Illinois, and he amassed a 17-39 record before he was fired in mid-December. He was head coach of the Bears from 2004-12 and he led the Buccaneers in 2014-15. Smith posted an 89-87 record and led the Bears to three playoff appearances, including a loss to the Colts in Super Bowl XLI. The Texans also hired Alfonza “Pep” Hamilton as quarterbacks coach. Hamilton held the same role with the Chargers last season and worked well with rookie Justin Herbert. 

• Last week, the Jaguars hired general manager Trent Baalke as full-time general manager, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and defensive coordinator Joe Cullen. Jacksonville followed those moves by hiring Sanjay Lal as wide receivers coach and Brian Schneider as special teams coordinator this week. On Monday night, the Jaguars added former Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as passing game coordinator. Schottenheimer will work under Bevell, who preceded him as offensive coordinator in Seattle. 

• The Raiders got onto the coaching carousel on Friday, hiring four coaches on the defensive side of the ball. Las Vegas brought in defensive backs coach Ron Milus, linebackers coach Richard Smith, assistant defensive backs coach Addison Lynch, and defensive quality control coach Ryan Milus.

• Last week, the Vikings promoted Ryan Ficken to special teams coordinator. Ficken is entering his 15th season on Minnesota’s coaching staff. He spent the past eight years as an assistant special teams coordinator. On Monday, the Vikings hired former Eagles strength and conditioning coach Josh Hingst to the same position.

• The Eagles hired several new coaches over the past few weeks, including Michael Clay as special teams coordinator, Brian Johnson as quarterbacks coach, Jason Michael as tight ends coach, and Tracy Rocker as defensive line coach. 

• On Monday, the Steelers announced that Adrian Klemm will be the new offensive line coach. Klemm spent the past two seasons as the assistant to Shaun Sarrett, who was hired by the Chargers last week.

• The 49ers also hired James Bettcher as a senior defensive advisor to aid new defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Bettcher previously served as defensive coordinator for the Cardinals (2015-17) and Giants (2018-19). 

• After special teams coordinator Brian Schneider left for the Jaguars, the Seahawks announced that they were promoting assistant Larry Izzo to replace him. Izzo was a three-time champion and a three-time Pro Bowler on special teams with the Patriots. Seattle also hired former Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator and ex-Rams assistant offensive line coach Andy Dickerson as run-game coordinator.

• The Titans brought in two new coordinators this week, tight ends coach Todd Downing being promoted to run the offense and outside linebackers coach Shane Bowens moving up to lead the defense.

• Tom Rathman, who spent the past three years as Colts running backs coach, announced his retirement on Jan. 28 after more than 30 years in the NFL. Rathman was a Nebraska fullback who won two titles as Roger Craig’s lead blocker with the 49ers in the late 1980s. After a nine-year playing career, Rathman had two stints as San Francisco’s running backs coach (1997-2002 and 2009-16), and he also held the same post with Detroit (2003-05) and Oakland (2006-08) before joining Indianapolis in 2018.

Upcoming schedule: The NFL will bestow all of its major awards the day before the Super Bowl on the 10th Annual NFL Honors special Saturday at 9 p.m. on CBS. Among the awards to be announced include MVP, Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. In addition, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce its 2021 class during the broadcast. All of that leads up to Super Bowl LV between the Chiefs and the Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which will air on CBS at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Writer

-By: Kevin Rakas