With Patriots quarterback Tom Brady Chris Conte Jersey , it’s fairly clear that something is bothering him. It’s still not clear what it is, or how it will affect his preparations for 2018.

With Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, there’s less mystery. And while he may not be present for Organized Team Activities as of Monday, a source with knowledge of the situation says that Gronkowski will be present at some point.

Gronkowski made it clear that last month, after weeks of uncertainty, that he’s committed for 2018. And a revised contract could soon be coming.

Possibly, Gronkowski will show up for OTAs once he gets that adjusted deal.

As to Brady, it’s unclear what it would take to make him happy and to get him to show up for OTAs. And if you hope to plug your fingers in your ears and cry “not listening” or simply shout “fake news!,” the truth is that Organized Team Activities have become the centerpiece of the offseason program, where important work gets done in advance of the work to be done in training camp. If Brady’s not there, he will be behind when he reports.

Whether he’s sufficiently skilled to overcome that isn’t the issue. His teammates (especially the new ones) need to commence the process of working with him. And the coaching staff will surely be less stressed about that adjustment if/when Brady is there.

Yes Lane Taylor Jersey , the workouts are voluntary. But quarterbacks occupy a different position as a practical matter, making them part player, part coach. If the quarterback isn’t all in, it becomes harder to get the most out of the team.

But this blurb is about Gronkowski. He’ll be there at some point, regardless of whether Brady joins him.

Derrick Johnson's tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs is coming to an end.

The franchise's career tackles leader and a four-time Pro Bowl selection, Johnson will become a free agent when his contract expires at the start of the new league year March 14. He intends to keep playing, it just won't be in the familiar red, yellow and white of the Chiefs.

"I love Kansas City and this fan base. They've always had my back," Johnson said in a statement put out by the Chiefs, who made the rare decision to announce publicly that Johnson would not be returning.

That in itself speaks volumes to how much Johnson has meant to the organization.

"I'm grateful I had the opportunity to spend 13 years in a place I love," he said. "I plan on playing for several more years because I love the game so much Dustin Colquitt Jersey , but I look forward to retiring as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs when my career is over."

Johnson was the Chiefs' first-round pick in 2005, though his career got off to a rocky start. At one point early on, he found himself riding the bench, and was even labeled a bust.

But Johnson eventually earned his starting job back, and went on to appear in 182 games with 169 starts. He piled up 1,262 tackles to easily shatter the franchise record, had 27陆 sacks and picked off 14 passes, returning four of them for touchdowns.

He had a career-best 179 tackles in 2011, when he was voted the Chiefs' team MVP.

"Few players in recent history have meant more to the Chiefs franchise and the Kansas City community than Derrick Johnson," Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said.

"His tireless work ethic and passion for the game made him one of the most productive defensive players to ever wear a Chiefs uniform and one of the most respected players both in our locker room and around the league.

"Over the last 13 seasons, Derrick represented himself and the Chiefs organization with integrity and class Bradley McDougald Jersey , and he will always be a part of our Chiefs family."

Johnson piled up his impressive stats despite missing part of two seasons with ruptured Achilles tendons. He returned from the first one as good as ever, earning his most recent Pro Bowl trip in 2015, but the second seemed to finally take a step out of his legs this past season.

He slowly lost playing time to younger teammates in the middle of the Kansas City defense.

"I'm grateful I had the opportunity to coach a player like Derrick," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "He's a passionate football player and a natural leader. I value the amount of quality work he put in every day for us, including teaching our younger players what it means to be a pro.

"I think he will make an incredible coach when he is done playing the game, if he chooses."

The Chiefs have been trying to get younger the past couple of seasons, particularly on defense, and Johnson is unlikely to be the last veteran to go. Fellow linebacker Tamba Hali has been dealing with bad knees for years, and the Chiefs are expected to release him in the coming weeks.

Johnson signed a three-year, $21 million contract extension in 2016, but he had restructured the deal a year ago to help the Chiefs free up salary cap space. In doing so Will Dissly Jersey , he voided the final year, and that made it simple for the Chiefs to move on.

His loss will be felt not only on the field, but in the locker room and community. Johnson often served as a team spokesman, always showing up at his locker to speak with reporters regardless of whether the team was winning or losing. And the role he played in mentoring young players, such as linebackers Reggie Ragland and Ukeme Eligwe, should help the organization for years to come.

"Letting go of a player like Derrick is particularly tough because of how much respect I have for him as a player and a person," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. "He's had a tremendous career in Kansas City and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward."

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All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald is not attending the Los Angeles Rams' mandatory minicamp while he continues his lengthy quest for a lucrative new contract.

Donald wasn't on the field with his teammates for the Rams' first minicamp workout Tuesday Deion Sanders Jersey , and he wasn't at their training complex for their off-field commitments Monday, either. The NFL Defensive Player of the Year also skipped the Rams' voluntary workout program over the previous two months.

"He's in a good place," Rams coach Sean McVay said Tuesday. "Would we want him to be here? Yeah, we'd love to have Aaron here. But it's kind of the same where it's been. We're just focusing on the guys that are here, but we're always in constant dialogue with Aaron and his group, and would like to come to a solution. When that's going to happen, it's hard to say."

Donald is home in Pittsburgh during the Rams' offseason work for the second straight year, but he reported to last season's mandatory minicamp to avoid a potential fine. This year, Donald doesn't appear to be concerned about losing money by missing minicamp while he strives to become one of the NFL's highest-paid players.

The defending NFC West champion Rams haven't indicated whether they intend to fine Donald for missing the camp, but his absence wasn't a surprise. The team could fine him more than $84,000 for missing this camp Devonta Freeman Jersey , but it waived much larger fines incurred by Donald last year when he skipped the entirety of training camp.

"When I spoke with him last week, I said, 'If there's not a solution to this by next week, will you be here?'" McVay said. "He said, 'I'm going to stay back at home, continue training.'"

Donald is due to make nearly $6.9 million this season in the fifth year of his rookie contract. The team agrees he deserves a raise after turning in four dominant seasons as the cornerstone of the Rams' defense, yet the Rams and Donald's representatives still haven't made a deal after many months of talking.

The 27-year-old Donald doesn't have extensive leverage in the negotiation because the Rams theoretically could keep him for another three seasons through 2021 under a franchise tag. Neither side has disclosed their contract proposals, but Donald is widely thought to be seeking a contract big enough to make him one of the top-paid players at any position, with a salary comparable to the wages of the NFL's better quarterbacks.

The Rams have managed to maintain a positive relationship with Donald even after he skipped training camp and the entire preseason schedule last summer. He reported to the team shortly before the regular season began, missing the first game.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection also skipped most of the Rams' offseason program and organized team activities last year. Although he showed up for last season's mandatory minicamp, he didn't participate in the team drills Peyton Barber Jersey , instead doing individual work and staying on the sidelines.

Donald is expected to be the foundation of a standout defensive line alongside Rams newcomer Ndamukong Suh, who agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal in the offseason.

Donald is missing several weeks of work with the Rams' revamped defense, which also added star cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters while losing three veteran leaders: Trumaine Johnson, Robert Quinn and captain Alec Ogletree.

The new Rams don't seem worried about missing these chances to build chemistry while establishing new leaders in the locker room.

"He's the MVP, so we know what he's going to do when he gets here," Talib said. "Everybody is just going to be themselves. If you're a leader, it's going to happen naturally. Nobody has to go out of their way to be a leader, go out of their way to hoorah and just yell stuff out. Everybody will just be themselves."

NOTES: Donald is the only player unaccounted for at minicamp, McVay confirmed. ... McVay is canceling Thursday's scheduled practice and taking his team on a tour of the franchise's under-construction stadium in Inglewood, California. The Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers will open the multibillion-dollar Hollywood Park stadium complex in 2020.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell still hasn't signed a long-term contract Lee Roy Selmon Jersey , and he seems to be willing to go great lengths if the front office doesn't step up with an offer that pleases the three-time Pro Bowler.Appearing on SiriusXM Radio, ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t Ross Tucker), reported that Bell could be willing to sit out the first half of 2018 " if he doesn't get a long term deal done," because "the goal at that point would be to hit 2019 free agency healthy, not rack up another 400 touches."Bell is by far the most dominant and complete running back in the NFL, as he, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and star wide receiver Antonio Brown have formed the best offensive trio in the league. But Bell and the Steelers front office have often butted heads, as they continue to struggle in finding middle ground on a long-term contract.Bell would either play 2018 under the $14.5 million franchise tag, or else he could decide to hold out. The Steelers offense doesn't run the same engine without Bell, so he holds the leverage here as the front office tries to work on a deal that will entice him enough. The 26-year-old rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2014 Kerry Wynn Jersey , 2016 and 2017, (he was limited to six games in 2015) and even racked up over 600 receiving yards in those seasons as well. No running back in the NFL can change a game as quickly as Bell, so it's easy to understand why he's willing to hold out until he gets paid top dollar.Pittsburgh's championship window is only open for so many more years, as Roethlisberger (now 36) and Brown (30), have just a handful of prime years left. With the AFC having more parity in 2018 and beyond, the Steelers have to try and keep the core together. As such, signing Bell long-term may be their only option. Adidas Vincent Trocheck Jersey 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins took the third-and-5 shotgun snap with 3 minutes left and Minnesota holding an eight-point lead.

He decided to run for it.

The San Francisco defense converged as Cousins crossed his 40-yard line Matt Judon Jersey , so the most expensive player in Vikings history lowered his head as he tried to power his way past the first-down marker.

Cousins took a shoulder to the back from 49ers linebacker Elijah Lee as he tumbled to the turf and came up just short, a dangerous way for a franchise quarterback to try to move the chains, but his determination to experience victory in his Vikings debut on Sunday afternoon was not to be reasoned with.

“Hey, when the game’s on the line, we’re trying to get the first down. Go for it,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “I’m all in.”

Cousins passed for two touchdowns and the Vikings forced four turnovers, fueling a 24-16 win over the 49ers in the season opener that stuck Jimmy Garoppolo with his first loss in eight games as an NFL starting quarterback .

The Vikings actually kept that late drive alive by a 49ers neutral zone infraction penalty on fourth-and-1, before punting four plays later. Harrison Smith’s interception, the third by the Vikings against Garoppolo in the second half, sealed the game with 1:35 remaining.

Asked afterward about that head-first hustle, Cousins acknowledged the risk of such a play and said he might have been better served with a stutter-step or some kind of move to try to make Lee miss.

“We had played too hard at that point to just slide early and give up on that,” Cousins said.

Cousins completed 20 of 36 passes for 244 yards without a turnover. He faced plenty of pressure, highlighted by DeForest Buckner and his 2½ sacks Howie Long Jersey , and there were a handful of awkward-looking plays produced by the Vikings. Cousins was right on target at just the right times , though, delivering several clutch throws in traffic including the scoring passes to Stefon Diggs in the second quarter and Kyle Rudolph in the third quarter.

“That’s NFL football. I think that if you’re not really accurate and you don’t have that confidence to let it rip, you’re going to be holding the ball and getting sacked, you’re going to be spraying it everywhere,” Cousins said. “If you’re waiting for guys to be open, you’re going to be waiting a long time.”

Cousins, who signed a three-year, $84 million, fully guaranteed contract with the Vikings this spring, clearly savored his first regular season contest at U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Vikings are 15-3, including the playoffs since it opened. The last player to emerge from the tunnel during pregame introductions Steve Grogan Jersey , Cousins said the honor was undeserved and should have been reserved for Diggs, wide receiver Adam Thielen, left tackle Riley Reiff or running back Dalvin Cook.

“It’s just an example of the team welcoming me with open arms, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given,” Cousins said, “and I just want to make good on it with every chance I get.”

Here are some other key angles that emerged from the game:

GETTING TO GAROPPOLO: Garoppolo finished 15 for 33 for 261 yards and a touchdown pass to rookie Dante Pettis late in the third quarter, but the Vikings sacked him three times. Mike Hughes returned the first pick 28 yards for a score.

“There’s not one word to put on it. We went against a very good defense, and we all didn’t play as good as we could,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Lots of quarterbacks struggle against that defense. Jimmy did some good things, but by no means was he perfect.”

COMEBACK COMPLETE: Cook had 16 carries for 40 yards and six catches for 55 yards, a productive return to live action after tearing the ACL in his left knee about 11 months earlier. He lost a fumble at the San Francisco 29 after spinning and muscling his way through a crowd of defenders for a 15-yard gain.

Cook declared his knee and body fit for a full season, but his mind was also on his family. His uncle and childhood confidant, Anthony Jones Ryan Tannehill Jersey , a running back for Florida International University, was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Miami on Thursday. Cook’s grandmother raised him and Jones, her son.

“Just going out there, competing, playing my heart out, that’s what he wanted,” Cook said.

KITTLE’S DROP: Garoppolo and the 49ers had their hands full against the league’s leading defense of 2017, losing wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to a first-quarter quadriceps injury and two right guards to foot injuries. They had success rolling Garoppolo out on misdirection plays, and tight end George Kittle was the biggest beneficiary with five catches for 90 yards.

The one he didn’t make stood out. Wide open up the seam, Kittle had what would’ve been a 30-yard completion fall off his fingers at midfield. The third-down interception by Hughes came on the next play to give the Vikings a 17-3 lead.

“It didn’t end the way we wanted,” Kittle said, “but I feel like we definitely had some momentum going and if we can do that we’ll be a pretty good offense.”

DEFENSE DIGS IN: The 49ers gave Garoppolo an opportunity with three straight three-and-out possessions by the Vikings in the fourth quarter. Rookie Fred Warner, starting at middle linebacker with Reuben Foster suspended Ronnie Lott Jersey , led the team with 12 tackles, including one for loss. He also had one quarterback hurry, one pass breakup and the forced fumble on Cook.

“Middle linebacker is one of the toughest positions to come in as a rookie and play and be effective,” said cornerback Richard Sherman, who made his 49ers debut. “I think he d

Linebacker Arthur Moats went for a visit with the Cardinals on Wednesday and he’ll be staying around Arizona for a while.

PFT has learned, via a league source, that Moats has agreed to a one-year deal with the team.

Moats played in 14 games as a reserve for the Steelers last season and recorded eight tackles. He played in every game for the Steelers over the previous three seasons and spent the first four years of his career with the Bills.

Moats has 16.5 sacks over the course of his career and he’ll likely be trying for a rotational role off the bench in Arizona this season.

The Cardinals also met with Moats’ Steelers teammate Mike Mitchell on Wednesday, but there’s no word yet about whether he’ll be joining Moats in the desert this season.

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Tight end Temarrick Hemingway and linebacker Ejuan Price are among the players waived by the Los Angeles Rams in their final roster cutdown.

Backup running backs Justin Davis and John Kelly made the defending NFC West champions' roster Saturday.

Cornerback Sam Shields also made the roster. He hasn't played in the NFL since early in the 2016 season due to concussions.

Hemingway was a sixth-round pick in 2016 Raekwon McMillan Jersey , while Price was a seventh-rounder last season.

Davis kept a roster spot despite struggling with injuries in camp. Kelly, a rookie from Tennessee, shined in his absence.

The Rams have just three backup offensive linemen on their roster for the season opener. Starting right guard Jamon Brown is suspended for the first two games.

Jon Cooper’s Tampa Bay Lightning won Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final despite going the equivalent of more than a period without a shot on goal.

They won despite falling behind about 4 1/2 minutes into the game.

They won despite being called for three penalties – one right after the other – late in the first period, allowing Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the Washington Capitals’ prolific power play to get all that time to operate.

And they did it, mainly, thanks to Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 36 saves and kept things close until Alex Killorn scored the tiebreaker with about 8 minutes left, lifting Tampa Bay to a 4-2 victory over Washington on Thursday night, evening the series at two games apiece.

”When you don’t have your `A’ game Daniel Sorensen Jersey , you need your goalie to have his `A’ game,” Cooper said. ”And he sure did.”

Now the Lightning will host Game 5 on Saturday night, with Game 6 back in Washington on Monday.

The road team has won every game in the series so far.

”It’s pretty bizarre,” said Steven Stamkos, who took a puck of the face during the morning skate, then went out and scored a power-play goal that gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead after the first period. ”We’ve got to find a way to win one at home.”

The Capitals might be thinking the very same thing. After all, they fell to 3-5 in the nation’s capital this postseason, while they are 7-1 in away games.

On Thursday, they even got booed – yes Aaron Rodgers Jersey , a smattering of jeers rang out in the team’s first conference final in 20 years – late in the first period after failing to convert any of the trio of man-advantage chances.

That stretch was part of a chunk of nearly 21 full minutes of game time – the last 10:41 of the first period, followed by the initial 10:11 of the second – during which Tampa Bay never putt a single official shot on net.

”Our guys were gassed. That’s a lot of stress. Mental stress. The same guys are on the ice the whole time. Other guys aren’t playing,” Cooper said. ”You kind of lose your whole rhythm.”

And so it was vital that Vasilevskiy played just like the Vezina Trophy finalist he is.

He was spectacular at times, including stops against Chandler Stephenson on a breakaway and Nicklas Backstrom – who returned after missing four games with an injured right hand – from the doorstep in the second period. In the third, Vasilevskiy used his left glove to swat away a try from Brett Connolly.

Following one flubbed chance, Ovechkin threw his head back and looked up, the very picture of disappointment.

After allowing 10 goals in Games 1 and 2, Vasilevskiy has given up a total of four in Games 3 and 4.

”He didn’t play great in the first two. He played well in the second two. It’s our job to make him look like the goalie from the first two games,” Washington forward Tom Wilson said. ”We’ll make it hard on him.”

Capitals goalie Braden Holtby didn’t get a chance to make nearly as many saves P.J. Williams Jersey , given the shot discrepancy: Washington ended up with 38 to Tampa Bay’s 20. And Holtby allowed goals on two of the first five shots he faced, to Brayden Point and to Stamkos. Anthony Cirelli added an empty-netter with a second left.

The go-ahead goal came thanks to a defensive breakdown, when Killorn was left pretty much alone and scored 6 seconds after a Tampa Bay power play expired, putting in a pass from Ondrej Palat.

”Tonight was so important,” Killorn said. ”Going down 3-1 in a series is tremendously different from 2-2.”

After his score, Killorn said, ”We played our best hockey.”

That’s true.

Washington’s goals had come from Evgeny Kuznetsov – off an assist by Ovechkin – in the second period, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov in the early going. But late, the Capitals could not get the tying goal in Patrick Willis Jersey , even after pulling Holtby with a little more than 2 minutes to go so they could play 6-on-5.

”Of course,” Ovechkin said, ”it’s a missed opportunity.”

NOTES: Stamkos has one power-play goal in each game of the series. … The Lightning have produced 11 power-play goals over their last nine games, with at least one in each. … Lars Eller was whistled for both of Washington’s penalties and has five in the past two games. ”That was way too many,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. … Kuznetsov’s 21 points equaled Ovechkin (2009) for the most by a Capitals player in one postseason.

—

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She’s a pioneer and a trailblazer Philip Rivers Jersey , but more importantly she’s a really nice person who knows as much if not more about the NFL than anyone. Former Raiders president Amy Trask was the guest on Wednesday’s #PFTPM.

The extended discussion, covering a wide variety of topics, appears below. If you like #PFTPM, you’ll really like this episode. And if you’re intrigue by the way the NFL does business, you’ll learn plenty from her.

Thursday’s #PFTPM includes a visit with Peter King. On Friday, Florio Jr. makes a return visit to the program.

So with PFT Live on hiatus until late July Kentavius Street Jersey , take advantage of this opportunity to hear about your favorite sport. And keep checking PFT every day for all the latest news, information, and analysis.

WASHINGTON — A pair of old friends will reconnect when the Boston Red Sox visit the Washington Nationals on Monday night.

Former teammates Rick Porcello (9-2, 3.60) of the Red Sox and Max Scherzer (10-4, 2.04) square off for the first time in the opener of a three-game series.

Porcello and Scherzer spent five seasons together with the Detroit Tigers, reaching the 2012 World Series before losing to the San Francisco Giants.

Since leaving Detroit Jason Spriggs Jersey , Porcello won the 2016 American League Cy Young Award and Scherzer is making a strong case for his third straight National League Cy Young. Both have been aware this matchup was coming.

“Looking forward to it. We’ve been texting back and forth,” Porcello told the Boston Globe. “We’ve had a good time with it and I’m sure we’ll both get a kick about going against each other once the game starts.”

Scherzer is looking for his first win since June 5, though he’s pitched well enough to win each of his past four starts, allowing two earned runs or less in each outing. The Nationals are 1-3 in those starts and were shut out in each loss.

“I think everybody’s been punched in the face before of not having success,” Scherzer told The Washington Post after his last start, a 1-0 loss to the Marlins. “This is the big leagues; they are going to keep coming down your throat and keep attacking you.”

Scherzer Jarius Wright Jersey , Washington’s only dependable starter of late, is 4-4 with a 6.05 ERA in 10 starts versus Boston.

Porcello allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings last time out in a no-decision against the Angels.

He’s 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his lone start against Washington, an eight-inning effort in April of 2015.

The Nationals (42-40) squandered an early 3-0 lead in Philadelphia on Sunday and fell 4-3 in 13 innings on Andrew Knapp’s pinch-hit walk-off home run as Washington dropped a second straight weekend series to their division rivals.

Washington managed only four hits in eight innings against the Philadelphia bullpen in the finale.

“Offensively, we’ve got to do more,” outfielder Adam Eaton told The Post. “That’s plain and simple. We score early and then we can’t coast. We can’t take our foot off the accelerator. We got to keep going.”

The Nationals are now 6-15 in their past 21 games and fell six games behind Atlanta in the NL East.

In each of their last nine losses, they’ve scored three or fewer runs.

“We’ve got to start striking out less Derrick Thomas Jersey ,” manager Dave Martinez told MASN, “putting the balls in play, driving in runs when we have the ability to drive in runs.”

Boston (56-29) finished a three-game series against the Yankees on a forgettable note Sunday night, getting routed 11-1 behind starter David Price as New York blasted six home runs, including three by Aaron Hicks.

Price allowed eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox dropped two of three and travel south percentage points behind the Yankees in the AL East.

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