PITTSBURGH — Steelers captain Maurkice Pouncey on Thursday announced his intention to make his own choice about what name to put on the back of his helmet, becoming the second player to break from the team’s decision to wear the name of police shooting victim Antwon Rose Jr. on helmets for the 2020 season.
“I was given limited information on the situation regarding Antwon, and I was unaware of the whole story surrounding his death and what transpired during the trial following the tragedy,” Pouncey, a vocal advocate for the police communities in Pittsburgh and in his Florida hometown, wrote in an Instagram post. “I should have done more research to fully understand what occurred in its entirety.
“… Make no mistake, I am against racism and I believe the best thing I can do is to continue helping repair relationships between the police and their communities.”
Pouncey was not made available by the team Thursday to further discuss his social media statement.
Steelers cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick on Thursday said players “talked briefly” about the helmets and a name, but the decision to put Rose’s name on the helmets was “mostly made by everyone upstairs” and not through a team vote.
“It was mostly made from people upstairs and everything else like that,” Fitzpatrick said Thursday. “Don’t know exactly who. Don’t know exactly how. But we did. We knew that we were going to have somebody on the back of our helmets, and it wasn’t exactly clear on what it was going to be. It was mostly made by everyone upstairs.”
Steelers president Art Rooney II on Thursday issued a statement saying the team respects individual decisions made concerning social justice initiatives.
“As an organization, we respect the decisions of each player, coach and staff member relating to how to express themselves on social justice topics,” Rooney said in the statement. “We will continue to support our social initiatives to fight against social injustice and systemic racism not only in our area, but around the country.
“Along the way, we understand that individually we may say or do things that are not universally accepted. There will be uncomfortable conversations. But we will strive to be a force for unity in our efforts to support a more just society.”
Statement from #Steelers President Art Rooney II: pic.twitter.com/Mh4fnKhr0e
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 17, 2020
Rose, who was unarmed, was shot and killed by East Pittsburgh police in 2018 after the car he was riding in with other teenagers matched the description of one involved in a drive-by shooting.
Officer Michael Rosfeld ran after Rose, one of two passengers who fled the car, and shot him three times in his back, face and elbow. Rosfeld, who had been on the force for just three weeks, was charged with criminal homicide but was acquitted of all charges. During the trial, Rosfeld said he thought he saw one of the two teenagers point a gun at him, but he didn’t know which one.
The shooting was captured on video and sparked some protests in the region. Rose’s name has continued to be a rallying cry used by protesters in demonstrations.
The family reached a $2 million settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit against the borough of East Pittsburgh and Rosfeld in 2019.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Despite a losing record and profound struggles on offense, New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson gave his full support to coach Adam Gase, calling him a “brilliant offensive mind.”
Speaking to reporters for the first time in 10 months, Johnson declined to issue a playoff mandate, saying Gase will be evaluated on whether the team progresses throughout the season.
“I have full confidence in Adam,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I think that he has a lot more in him as a head coach than some of our fans are giving him credit for. And I understand they want to see success. I think that they will.”
The Jets are 7-10 under Gase, who has presided over the league’s lowest-ranked offense over that span. They lost the opener to the Buffalo Bills, 27-17, which Johnson called “a mess.”
Asked why he’s so confident in Gase, Johnson said: “Look, I think he can work with and develop quarterbacks. I do continue to think he’s a brilliant offensive mind especially. He has my every confidence.”
For much of quarterback Michael Vick’s scintillating stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, a major area of focus was the amount of hits he was taking and how to fix it.
During his main stretch as a starter from 2010 to 2012, he absorbed 323 hits over 35 games (more than nine per game), second most in the NFL behind only Cam Newton (342). That punishment led to various injuries for Vick, including rib and cartilage damage when he dove head first toward the goal line against Washington in 2010 and got walloped by a pair of defenders. Vick later revealed that, for as gifted as an athlete as he was, he didn’t know how to slide. That didn’t stop the requests from pouring in, including from President Barack Obama, who asked teammate Nnamdi Asomugha during an offseason fundraiser to: “Tell Vick to slide.”
The Cleveland Browns are making a kicking change.
The Browns waived starter Austin Seibert on Monday after he missed an extra point and field goal in Sunday’s 38-6 loss at Baltimore. To replace Seibert, Cleveland signed Cody Parkey off its practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Also Monday, the Browns placed tight end David Njoku on injured reserve with a knee injury. Njoku, who scored the Browns’ lone touchdown Sunday, will be sidelined at least three games per NFL rules.
Njoku has a sprained MCL and is expected to miss three weeks, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Seibert, a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma last year, missed on his only two kicks against the Ravens. He misfired on an extra point after Cleveland’s touchdown in the first quarter. Near the end of the second quarter, he sailed a 41-yard field goal try wide right. The Ravens capitalized, driving right down the field for a touchdown to go up 24-6 at halftime. The Browns are hoping that Parkey, who kicked in Cleveland in 2016, can stabilize the position.