Rob Ninkovich, who has been a mainstay on New England Patriots defense, surprisingly announced his retirement today. Also, the Dallas Cowboys had yet another defensive lineman get suspended and added a veteran backup quarterback.
Ninkovich announces retirement
Reporting day for Patriots training camp was July 26, but defensive end/linebacker Rob Ninkovich had so far been absent, with head coach Bill Belichick saying it was due to personal reasons. Now, that reason has been revealed, as the 33-year-old held a press conference today to announce his retirement.
Ninkovich had been thinking about retiring in recent years but said that training this offseason made him realize it was time to call it quits.
Ninkovich was drafted in the fifth round by the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and played in a reserve role. He then spent the next two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, also barely playing. In 2009, he signed with the New England Patriots and earned a starting role the following season.
During his time with the Patriots he led the team in sacks twice (2012,14), was named team captain twice (2013,15) and won two Super Bowls (2014,16). For his career, Ninkovich played in 131 games and started 101 of them. He had 475 tackles, 46 sacks, 5 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, 14 fumbles recovered and 2 defensive touchdowns.
Moore latest Cowboy to be suspended
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Damontre Moore has been suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. The suspension stems from a DUI charge he received last December while a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, the 24-year-old only played four games since his was not signed until November and injured his foot soon after.
In January, defensive end Randy Gregory was suspended for one season, while fellow defensive end David Irving was suspended for four games in May.
Cowboys add McCown
On Friday, the Dallas Cowboys reached an agreement on a one-year deal with veteran quarterback Luke McCown. He will likely compete with rookie Cooper Rush for the job as the number three quarterback.
A few days ago Zac Dysert, who was the front runner for the job, underwent season end back surgery after suffering a herniated disk while reaching for a bag. The Cowboys with be the seventh team the 35-year-old McCown will have been a member of as he enters his 14th season in the NFL. He spent his last four seasons as Drew Brees's backup for the Saints.
