GREEN BAY, Wis. — You probably thought Robert Tonyan would find a place in the Green Bay Packers’ tight end rotation after his 54-yard touchdown catch against the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. Or after his leaping sideline grab against the Dallas Cowboys last season.
He never did.
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Not in 2018, for reasons no one could figure, and not in 2019, because he shredded his core muscle on that very catch — an injury that kept him out for five straight games. It limited his reps upon his return and ultimately required surgery in the offseason.
So why should anyone — fantasy football players chief among them — think this season will be any different for a tight end with just 14 career catches in two seasons?
Because Matt LaFleur says so. When asked whether Tonyan is in play for the No. 1 tight end job, the Packers coach didn’t hesitate for even a second.
“Absolutely,” LaFleur said.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs are putting in place new policies for fans during games at Arrowhead Stadium with regard to Native American imagery.
Among the changes: Fans are prohibited from wearing headdresses into the stadium. Face painting that is styled in a way as to imitate Native American cultures and traditions is also prohibited.
The Chiefs also said they would look into making changes to two favorite Arrowhead traditions among their fans: the Arrowhead Chop and the pregame beating of a drum, often by a former player or coach or other local celebrity.
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“In 2014, we began a dialogue with a group of local leaders from diverse American Indian backgrounds and experiences,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “As an organization, our goal was to gain a better understanding of the issues facing American Indian communities in our region and explore opportunities to both raise awareness of American Indian cultures and celebrate the rich traditions of tribes with a historic connection to the Kansas City area.
“We are grateful for the meaningful conversations we have had with all of these American Indian leaders. It is important that we continue the dialogue on these significant topics, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”
The Chiefs said this week they planned to have fans at their home games, at least early in the season. They said they would cap attendance for those games at 22 percent of Arrowhead’s capacity, which they listed last year at 72,936.
That would mean about 16,000 fans would attend their early-season games, including the NFL’s Sept. 10 opener matching the Chiefs and the Houston Texans.
Two former LSU students say they were raped by former Washington Football Team running back Derrius Guice in 2016, when he was a freshman at the school, according to a report in USA Today.
The women told USA Today that Guice assaulted them in their own apartments following nights of heavy drinking.
The women said they shared their allegations with multiple people at LSU, including at least two coaches, an athletics administrator and a nurse. The women said the school failed to investigate and didn’t interview them or potential witnesses.
The NFL team released Guice on Aug. 7, two hours after he was arrested on three separate domestic violence charges in Virginia.
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“At no time were allegations of physical or sexual assault brought against Derrius during his years as a student athlete at LSU,” Guice’s attorney, Peter D. Greenspun, said in his statement given to USA Today. “To bring up such assertions only after the Virginia charges were initiated certainly calls into question the credibility, nature and timing of what is being alleged years later.”
Neither woman reported the incidents to law enforcement, according to the report.
“LSU and LSU Athletics take all accusations of sexual assault with the utmost seriousness,” the school said in a statement to ESPN. “Formal complaints are promptly and fully investigated and the rights and privacy of students are protected as stipulated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Complainants are also strongly encouraged to report the offense to law enforcement and are provided information on health care, counseling and supportive measures available.”
Guice, who was expected to be a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, was selected by Washington in the second round (59th pick). He denied he was involved in a pre-draft altercation during a visit with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Guice tore his ACL in his left knee during the 2018 preseason and didn’t make his pro debut until 2019. He had 42 rushes for 245 yards and two touchdowns last season.
At LSU, Guice rushed for 3,074 yards and 29 touchdowns in three seasons. He had three career 250-yard games, the most by any player in SEC history.
Guice, 23, is scheduled to be arraigned on the domestic violence charges on Aug. 28 in Loudoun County District Court.