Football

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder might not be willing to sell the team despite previously hiring BofA Securities to "consider potential transactions," a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

"The source is aware of no objective indication that the process is moving forward," Florio reported. "Indeed, multiple interested parties (per the source) have encountered some 'resistance' in their effort to move things forward."

The source reportedly is concerned Snyder might not sell at all and agreed with the possibility that the initial announcement was simply to clarify the interest from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Charlotte Triggs and Natasha Dye of People reported in November that Bezos had an interest in purchasing the Commanders in a potential partnership with rapper Jay-Z.

According to Peter King of NBC Sports, Snyder refuses to sell the team to Bezos due to his association with the Washington Post.

"It'll never happen," a source told King. "Dan Snyder detests The Washington Post. No way he'd sell to the owner of that paper."

There has been pressure on Snyder to sell the team regardless, including from other owners.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said in October there was "merit" to remove Snyder from ownership. Other owners have spoken to Snyder privately about the issue, per Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal.

On Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform released a 79-page report that revealed Snyder "permitted and participated" in the organization's toxic workplace culture.

An investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson on behalf of the NFL previously determined there was widespread sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation within the organization, resulting in a $10 million fine and Snyder being temporarily replaced by Tanya Snyder, his wife, in overseeing day-to-day operations.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported in November that Snyder could sell the entire team for $7 billion.

The NFL has fined the New Orleans Saints $550,000 after defensive end Cameron Jordan allegedly faked an injury in Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The Saints were fined $350,000, while Jordan ($50,000), defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen ($50,000) and head coach Dennis Allen ($100,000) picked up individual fines.

The Saint released a statement denying allegations of faking an injury:

Jordan and his agent Doug Hendrickson discussed the punishment Saturday on Twitter:

The incident took place midway through the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers were hurrying to the line of scrimmage on a 4th-and-10. Jordan went down with an injury, forcing a stoppage, and the Bucs then punted instead of trying to convert the fourth down.

According to Florio, cameras captured Jordan "receiving direction" from the sideline to go down with an injury.

Tampa Bay won 17-16 on a last-second touchdown pass by Tom Brady.

The NFL released a memo last Friday stating it would fine players, coaches and teams for faking injuries, calling them "deliberate actions to delay the game."

In Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Jessie Bates III seemingly faked an injury to help his team complete a substitution. Bates was also fined $50,000 on Saturday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

On Monday, several fans called out Jordan for apparently doing the same:

It's clear the league office felt the same and levied the fine against the player, the coaching staff and the organization.

It could be difficult for the NFL to prove injuries are not genuine, but the league is taking steps to reduce these attempts to get a competitive advantage.

New York Giants star Saquon Barkley is considered "legitimately 50-50" to play in Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter:

"Most people do expect him to play, but I'm told he really is a game-time decision," Fowler added. "They are probably going to call this sometime early Sunday."

Barkley has been limited during practice this week because of a neck injury. Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters Friday that the running back is "a little sore."

Barkley played 88 percent of offensive snaps in the Week 13 tie against the Washington Commanders and was the only running back to see carries.

The 25-year-old is in the midst of a bounce-back season for the Giants, totaling 1,055 rushing yards, 241 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games. He's easily surpassed the 856 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns in 13 games last year.

Most importantly, Barkley hasn't missed a game yet this year after struggling with injuries the past two seasons.

The one-time Pro Bowler was limited to just two games in 2020 because of a torn ACL, while an ankle injury cost him four games in 2021. Barkley has looked like his old self in 2022, but a neck issue could keep him off the field for an important divisional battle against the Eagles.

New York (7-4-1) is looking to hold on to a wild-card spot in the NFC, even if the squad is unlikely to catch Philadelphia (11-1) in the standings.

If Barkley is unable to play, Matt Breida would likely see the majority of backfield touches after totaling 112 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards in 12 games this season.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley is reportedly preparing to make one or two starts in the absence of injured star Lamar Jackson.

Appearing Saturday on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained Jackson's injury situation and what it means for Huntley:

Fowler noted that Huntley has "loosely prepared" to play one or two weeks, with three weeks likely being the worst-case scenario for Jackson, who suffered a sprained PCL in his knee against the Denver Broncos last week.

After Jackson left last week's game, Huntley stepped in and completed 27 of 32 passes for 187 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, plus he rushed for 41 yards and the game-winning score in the fourth quarter of a 10-9 victory.

The 24-year-old was an undrafted free agent out of Utah in 2020, and he firmly established himself as the Ravens' top backup under center last season.

Jackson missed four games because of injury last season and missed some time in others, resulting in Huntley appearing in seven contests and making four starts. He went only 1-3 as a starter but often succeeded in keeping the Ravens competitive.

He finished 2021 with a 64.9 completion percentage, 1,081 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. Like Jackson, his greatest strength was his ability to do damage with his legs, as he rushed for 294 yards and two touchdowns.

While Huntley is capable, Jackson is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the game and already has two Pro Bowl selections and the 2019 NFL MVP Award in five campaigns.

This season, Jackson is 8-4 as a starter and has completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven picks while also rushing for 764 yards and three scores.

Although there is never a good time for a star quarterback to get injured, the Ravens do have the benefit of an easy schedule down the stretch.

Of their five remaining games, the only one against a team with a winning record is their Week 18 road clash with the Cincinnati Bengals that could be a contest for the AFC North title.

Jackson should be back by then, but there is uncertainty regarding which of the next few games he will be able to play in.

He is doubtful to play Sunday against the 5-7 Pittsburgh Steelers and may not be able to go against the 5-7 Cleveland Browns the following week.

If Fowler's timeline of missing one or two weeks holds true, Jackson should be able to step back into the starting lineup against the 5-8 Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.

Baker Mayfield's dramatic, game-winning drive against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night appears to have won him the starting spot going forward.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Friday that Mayfield is expected to serve as the starting quarterback for the final four games of the season.

Mayfield impressed in his first action with the Rams on Thursday night—just two days after joining the team—finishing 22-of-35 for 230 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. He was sacked four times.

Most importantly, he led the Rams on a 98-yard scoring drive with no timeouts in just a minute and 35 seconds, throwing a touchdown pass to Van Jefferson to secure a 17-16 victory.

For a player who went from being traded by the Cleveland Browns in the offseason to the Carolina Panthers to being cut midseason in favor of Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker, Thursday's performance was the ultimate redemption arc.

"I don't know if you can write it any better than that," Mayfield told reporters after the game. "Obviously, we'd like to be a little bit more stress-free, but it's a pretty damn good story, I'll be honest with you."

It was one written on a very fast deadline, given his arrival in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

"I was really impressed," head coach Sean McVay told reporters. "I don't know if I would say surprised because I've always been a fan of the things that he was capable of, but to say that I expected this, certainly exceeded our expectations. But it was a lot of fun watching him go to work tonight."

And it appears to have earned him four more chances to go to work as the team's QB1. For Mayfield, it will be something of an audition tape for teams around the league as he hits free agency after the season, providing perhaps one last chance to prove he can still be a starter in the NFL.

Saquon Barkley was a surprise addition to the New York Giants' injury report Friday.

The running back is officially listed as questionable for Sunday afternoon's Week 14 clash with the Philadelphia Eagles because of a neck injury. If he is downgraded before kickoff, it could be a massive blow to fantasy football rosters.

Fantasy squads are already thin going into Week 14 because six teams are on byes.

Most fantasy playoffs start next week. The waiver wire is already more scant than usual and another big injury could kill some fantasy postseason hopes.

Fantasy players were already expected to be without Lamar Jackson after his "days to weeks" designation from Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Sunday.

Jackson is officially listed as doubtful for the AFC North clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Below is a look at the other key injuries that could affect fantasy football rosters in Week 14.

•   Saquon Barkley, RB, NYG: questionable (neck)
• Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL: doubtful (knee)
  
• Amari Cooper, WR, CLE: questionable (hip), per NFL.com
  
• Hayden Hurst, TE, CIN: out (calf)
  
• Joe Mixon, RB, CIN: on track to play (concussion)
  
• Trevor Lawrence, QB, JAX: questionable (toe)
  
• Zay Jones, WR, JAX: questionable (chest)
  
• Diontae Johnson, WR, PIT: questionable (hip)
  
• Kadarius Toney, WR, KC: questionable (hamstring)
  
• Leonard Fournette, RB, TB: questionable (foot)
  
• Ken Walker III, RB, SEA: missed practice Thursday (ankle)
  
• Tee Higgins, WR, CIN: off injury report (hamstring)
  
• Damien Harris, RB, NE: missed practice Friday (thigh)
  
• Jakobi Meyers, WR, NE: missed practice Friday (concussion)

Saquon Barkley Listed as Questionable

Barkley is dealing with a tight neck ahead of Week 14.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll revealed the news Friday, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.

Barkley is not only vital to fantasy football teams, but also to the Giants in their quest to take down the Eagles.

Barkley will be needed more this week by fantasy players since Aaron Jones, Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara, Cordarrelle Patterson and David Montgomery have byes.

Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell are Barkley's backups, but neither would be great fantasy football replacements if they are called upon.

Gus Edwards could be a good pickup with Baltimore relying on its running backs more with no Jackson.

Tampa Bay's Rachaad White, Buffalo's James Cook and Kansas City's Jerick McKinnon are among the better waiver-wire options potentially available. Not a ton of help should be expected, though, to replace running back production because of all the bye week absences.

Lamar Jackson Doubtful for Week 14

Jackson suffered a PCL strain last week against the Denver Broncos.

The Ravens quarterback is officially doubtful for Sunday's visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Backup Tyler Huntley played in five games from Week 11 forward last season for the Ravens.

He had one game with more than 250 passing yards and only had three passing scores in that five-game span.

The 24-year-old ran for over 40 yards in each of those contests. He had 41 rushing yards and a touchdown in relief last week.

Huntley is one of the few true options to add off the waiver wire. Taylor Heinicke and Andy Dalton could have been waiver-wire pickups if they were not on byes.

Kenny Pickett, Mike White, Mac Jones and Brock Purdy are among the other potential fantasy replacements for Jackson.

Jones might be in the best matchup, with the New England Patriots taking on a struggling Arizona Cardinals defense on Monday night.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is hopeful that further expansion of the NFL regular-season schedule is forthcoming.

Appearing Friday on 105.3 The Fan (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic), Jones expressed his belief that while a 20-game regular season is unlikely, an 18-game season could and should happen: "I don't see that. That's too many. One more, I see, and I'm a big proponent of it. … I'd like to play two preseason games and 18 regular-season games."

With the exception of the 1982 and 1987 strike-shortened seasons, the NFL schedule consisted of four preseason games and 16 regular-season games per team from 1978 to 2020.

That changed last season with each team now playing three preseason contests and 17 regular-season games over the course of 18 weeks.

As part of collective bargaining agreement negotiations in 2020, it was agreed that the regular season could be expanded by one game in exchange for eliminating one preseason game, and that was put into action last season.

Additionally, each conference now has only one team receiving a bye in the playoffs, as the playoff field was expanded from six teams per conference to seven.

The current CBA runs until 2030, meaning it may be several years before another regular-season game is added, if it happens at all.

When the NFL signed new television rights deals with CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN and Amazon last year, the contracts added up to a total of over $110 billion, per Ken Belson and Kevin Draper of the New York Times.

The new contracts will begin in 2023 and run through 2033, which is another potential target year for schedule expansion.

If the NFL can add one regular-season game per team by the time the next television rights negotiations take place, it would go a long way toward giving the league even more leverage and the ability to land a bigger deal.

NFL owners will undoubtedly be in favor of such a change, but it may not be such an easy sell for the players.

Players could demand higher salaries in order to account for another regular-season week, or they could push for a second bye week for each team.

Regardless of when or if it happens, it seems inevitable that further schedule-expansion talks will happen over the course of the next eight to 10 years.