Blowing $11.9 Million

The San Francisco 49er's probably wish they never exercised the option on Colin Kaepernick back in April. They are now on the hook for a fully guaranteed $11.9 million salary for the 2016 season.

His recovery from off-season surgery on his shoulder, thumb and knee has hindered his participation in training camp. His recent comments are making him toxic to almost everyone that might want him on their team.

The 49er's can save a $1.125 million roster bonus if they cut him before the season starts.

They are in a real jam. If they release Kaepernick, it will look like they parted ways because of his comments.

It's a situation that is getting out of control.

Bridgewater's Worst Moment

Football players know that their season or career can end on one play. It did for Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater when he dislocated his knee and tore his ACL at practice without any contact.

It doesn't always take a bone-crushing hit to end a season. Nobody touched Bridgewater, but the injury was devastating to him and the Vikings. Their season is in jeopardy.

A Losing Bluff

The plan to move the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas is a great example of everything that is wrong with publicly funded stadiums.

The group behind the arena wants the city to cough up $750 million of the $1.9 billion cost. They said there is no room for negotiation. The cost would be covered by increasing the hotel room tax.

Las Vegas doesn't need a NFL team. They have enough going on. City officials need to walk away from the table.

The Stand of Colin Kaepernick

QB Colin Kaepernick has certainly drawn attention to himself with his refusal to stand for the National Anthem before a preseason game Friday night. He cited the ongoing racial issues in America.

He has lit up social media with comments from all sides. I think this will last longer than his "15 minutes of fame".

There is no solution that will make everyone happy.

Breaking Romo

It's beginning to look like QB Tony Romo will be facing his biggest challenge after fracturing a vertebrae in his back last night. The Cowboys will be without him for at least half the season.

At 36, he must be wondering how many snaps he has left in him. He missed 12 games last year with a shoulder injury. Romo has taken quite a physical beating during his career.

Hopefully, the team doesn't rush him back too soon. Otherwise, he could be lost for the season.

The Missing Fans

There are so many things to take away from the Pats 19-17 win over he Carolina Panthers in their third preseason game. It doesn't appear that anyone was seriously hurt.

Whenever the television network cameras scanned the stadium, it was obvious that there was nobody at the game.

The games are all about being shown on television. It doesn't really matter if fans show up at the stadium. The game will be played.

Stork Drops Off In DC

The Pats were going to cut center Bryan Stork, but ended up trading him to the Washington Redskins for a conditional 7th round draft pick.

It came as a surprise to many, but he has been dealing with injuries and was outplayed by David Andrews for the starting position.

Redskin fans seem pretty excited about the acquisition. It's a win for both sides.

Not So Rosey

The days of rookie holdouts are basically over, but don't tell that to DE Joey Rosa and the San Diego Chargers. He still remains unsigned with training camp nearing conclusion.

The CBA of 2011 financially slotted every draft pick, but Rosa is looking for more money. These situations never end well. The player finally signs, but ends up getting injured or not playing up to expectations.

Rosa will be no exception.

The Puncture

The world finally got to see the scissor injury to Tom Brady's thumb. It looked like a puncture wound rather than a laceration. We can only speculate if bleeding occurred upon injury.

This season has a strange feeling to it. Will Brady play against the Carolina Panthers on Friday? Injuries will impact the upcoming roster decisions.

The Challenge For Dion

Fans were expecting big things from Dion Lewis this season after his brilliant start last year. It now looks like he will need another procedure on his knee after having a season-ending injury.

It doesn't look like he will be lost for the season, but it's very ominous. Players like Dion tend to have short careers.

Branching Out

Pats DT Alan Branch has been suspended for a "few days" for violating team rules. Naturally, fans will never know the real story and can only speculate.

It doesn't sound like much of a deal, but why doesn't the team just come out and say in order to stop rumors.

The Ground Committee

The NFL Network had a great discussion about fantasy football and building your team around a dominant running back.

The Pats choose to do "running back by committee". They have never had a dominant ball carrier since Corey Dillon.

Teams choose their own way for running the ball with various results. Running backs tend to have short careers.

Cruz Not Cruising

The clock is ticking down on Giants WR Victor Cruz as he continues to struggle with injuries. His latest groin injury caused him to miss the team's first exhibition game and sidelined him from practice. He also has rookie 2nd round pick Steven Shepard ready to take his place.

The next few weeks will be critical to the survival of Cruz's career. He is far from a lock for a roster spot. A move to IR would probably result in his release.

Gronk Tweaked

There was a big panic at Pats training camp today when Rob Gronkowski pulled up during a 7 on 7 drill. Fans will never know the extent of any injury. There will be speculation and rumors, but the truth will never see the light of day.

Gronk will always have a cloud hanging over him whenever he gets any type of injury. He is that crucial to the Pats.

The Arm of Rob

We will never know the extent of the injury to the tricep in Rob Ninkovich's arm. He has a muscle tear, but who really has the answer. He was at practice today wearing a compression sleeve.

I'm sure he is concerned about his streak of playing in 116 games going back to 2009. His injury will effect the final 53 man roster. He is so vital to the Pats.

How will this play out?

Who Evicts Their Mother?

The reputation of CB Antonio Cromartie will take another hit with the news about him evicting his mother from a house he bought for her in 2007. He claims that she has not been making the mortgage payments.

This seems so outlandish. Who evicts their mother from a house they bought for her? Cromartie is infamous for having fathered ten children from eight different women. I'm sure that figure will keep rising though the years.

A Change For Mitchell

It was nice that the Pats beat the Saints last night in their first pre-season game, but it came with a price. Rookie WR Malcolm Mitchell suffered a dislocated elbow which looked much worse than at first. He could miss at least four weeks.

His injury opens the door for others at the receiving position. Mitchell's timeframe takes him past opening day. Will they place him on season ending IR? He was prone to injuries in college. These things happen.

Mitchell's bad timing might force the Pats to do something they don't really want to do.

Who Will It Happen To?

With pre-season games starting tonight, it will only be a matter of time before some player suffers an injury that will end their career. These games are riddled with injuries to starters and rookies trying to make the team.

The goal of every team is to make it through without losing a player to injury. It's a lofty goal that won't be achieved in most cases.

2016 Season Is Here

When the Pats play the Saints, it's really the start of the season. Everyone is under a microscope. Players will get hurt and placed on IR before the regular season even starts. It happens to all teams.

Who will play against the Saints? Will Tom Brady get some snaps? Gronk will be protected like a glass vase. They can't lose him in a meaningless preseason game. Every player counts.

So many questions to answer.

Tebow Diamond Time

Tim Tebow is in the news again today because he wants to try and play professional baseball, in spite of not playing since his junior year in high school.

He was scouted as a ballplayer before  committing to football at Florida State. He wants an audition before a major league team scouting department.

He sounds a lot like Michael Jordan and his time with the Birmingham Barons. It would make a lot of sense for a minor league team to sign him for a publicity stunt.

Does he really have a possibility of making it? That's very unlikely, but only a guy like him could get a chance to try.

The Bad Surface

The exhibition game scheduled after the Hall of Fame inductions was canceled because of concerns about the playing surface. The NFL looked very foolish after having the middle of the field painted with a logo that turned out to be hazardous to run on

What would happen if this was the regular season? Does the league have a plan in effect to deal with a situation like this? I'm surprised it never happened before. Maybe it did, but we never heard anything about it.

Days of Julian

Julian Edelman practiced with the Pats today. He is such a critical part of the offense. There is so much potential this season for this team.

How will it work out? Players get hurt and miss too many games. Careers end too soon. Julian Edelman is having the ride of his life as he plays with Tom Brady.

Who will leave the game first, Brady or Edelman? It will happen.

Snake Night

The NFL Network did a great job broadcasting the Hall of Fame inductions. They took a three hour program and made it interesting to the television audience.

The speeches by each player were awesome. It really reminded me that there is no good way to elect members. Ken Stabler should have been there a long time ago. There is never a good reason to say why he never made it.

Gronk Leading

Rob Gronkowski seems to be taking a bigger role in leadership this season. Gronk is a regular with the media after practice. He had an amazing off-season with all of the things he did. His pairing with Martellus Bennett should drive defenses crazy.

The sky is the limit for them this season. Hopefully, they can both stay healthy. That remains to be seen.

Another Head Injury

Some players seem more injury prone than others. More attention is being paid to concussions. Pats center Bryan Stork just suffered his third one in the last three years.

He missed three games during his rookie year in 2014. Another one last season kept him out of action until week nine. He also had one when he played at Florida State.

Stork will probably miss a significant amount of time during training camp. It remains to be seen whether he will be ready for the start of the season.

Some players have their career cut short by concussions. Will Stork be one?

Brady At 39

Tom Brady turned 39 today, making him the oldest non-kicking player in the NFL. He is four years behind former teammate Adam Vinatieri who will turn 44 during the season.

Brady's level of play shows no signs of slowing down, but he will face challenges this season starting with his four game suspension.

He has always stated about wanting to play until he is 45. Only Warren Moon, Vinny Testeverde and Steve Deberg made it to 44. Nobody should ever doubt Brady, but that is a lofty goal.

The Days of Reggie

NFL training camps are filled with players on their last chance. Every team has them. RB Reggie Bush is a great example after signing with the Buffalo Bills.

The former #2 overall pick in the 2006 draft has never lived up to the expectations that come with such a high selection. He missed most of last season with a knee injury and is with his fifth team in 11 seasons after spending time with the Saints, Dolphins, Lions and 49er's.

His reputation as being injury prone makes him a challenge to be on the final roster. At 31, he is trying to prove that he has something left.

It remains to be seen if he will add to his 5,493 career rushing and 3,508 receiving yards.

Easy For Richie

Grammy Award winner Lionel Richie hit the jackpot when he teamed up with Peyton Manning to endorse Direct TV NFL Sunday. They already have multiple commercials on television and the internet.

Manning will do very well in retirement with his endorsements. It's a great opportunity for Richie to parody his song "Easy" to "Peyton On Sunday Morning". It's a brilliant marketing campaign that will make money for both of them.