Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham makes a throw during minicamp in June. Stidham will reportedly miss up to 12 weeks after having back surgery. Steven Senne/Associated Press
According to the NFL Network, Patriots backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham underwent successful back surgery this week and will miss up to 12 weeks.
Stidham’s reported timeline would put him on track to return around late October. If he remains on the active roster through cutdown day in September, it’s all but guaranteed he’ll be placed on injured reserve for Week 1.
Stidham opened training camp on the Physically Unable to Play list and was not spotted at any time during the team’s first three practices. The Patriots signed former practice-squad quarterback Jake Dolegala to fill in as their new fourth quarterback on Wednesday. Pats Coach Bill Belichick commented about Dolegala’s addition Thursday morning.
“We just thought it would be a good to have another quarterback activated and participate in the camp,” Belichick said. “Jarrett Stidham will miss a little bit of time, so we’ll have Jake in here.”
Dolegala joined Cam Newton, Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer in the team’s quarterbacks room. Newton mentioned Stidham off-hand during his press conference Friday.
“Shout out to him,” Newton said, “hopefully everything went good for him.”
BROWNS: Running back Nick Chubb has agreed to a three-year, $36.6 million contract extension with the team, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press.
Chubb, who has developed into one of the NFL’s best backs in three years, is guaranteed $20 million, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the sides are still finalizing the package.
Chubb was entering the final year of his rookie contract with Cleveland, which drafted him in the second round from Georgia in 2018.
The 25-year-old has become the heart and soul of Cleveland’s team while endearing himself to Browns fans with a no-nonsense running style and impeccable work ethic.
Chubb rushed for 1,067 yards last season despite missing four games with a knee injury. In 2019, he finished second in the league with 1,494 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 10 yards per carry in the fourth quarter last season.
With Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the Browns have one of the best 1-2 rushing tandems in the league.
COLTS: Indianapolis signed veteran quarterback Brett Hundley, one day after the team said projected starter Carson Wentz would be out indefinitely with an injured foot.
Hundley was drafted by Green Bay in the fifth round in 2015. The 6-foot-3 UCLA product has played for the Packers, Arizona and Seattle.
He has played 18 games and started nine in his six-year career, completing 199 of 337 passes for 1,902 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He’s also run 46 times for 309 yards and one score.
The Colts opened camp with four quarterbacks but only one, Wentz, who had thrown an NFL pass.
Offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said Wentz was injured late in practice Thursday. He sat out Friday when Eason took most of the snaps with the starting lineup. The Colts drafted Eason out of Washington in the fourth round in 2020.
WASHINGTON: All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff is going on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list.
Scherff and fellow offensive lineman David Sharpe became the fifth and sixth players at Washington’s training camp to go into virus protocol. Scherff was on the field for the start of practice before being walked off.
“It’s a personal decision for me,” said Scherff, who wore a mask when speaking to reporters Friday, a requirement for unvaccinated players. “It’s a personal decision for everybody. Nobody’s made a deal of it. We’re all here to play football and that’s what we’re doing.”
Scherff declined to give his vaccination status. As of earlier this week, roughly 60% of Washington’s players were fully vaccinated, which ranks last in the league.
RAVENS: Baltimore agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran linebacker Justin Houston.
The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Houston, a four-time Pro Bowler, is entering his 11th NFL season. He spent the past two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and played for the Kansas City Chiefs prior to that.
Houston has 97 1/2 career sacks, including eight last season.
DOLPHINS: Cornerback Xavien Howard returned to practice on a limited basis and said he’s hoping for a resolution to his contract dispute to remain with the team.
Howard took to Instagram on Tuesday night to request a trade over his displeasure about his contract. Howard was an All-Pro selection in 2020 after leading the NFL in interceptions with 10.
A second-round pick in 2016, Howard signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension in May 2019 that has four years remaining. The deal made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time, but he has since fallen to sixth.
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