Jahmyr Gibbs: Only time will tell when I'll be practicing

Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been at the team's practice sessions the last couple of days, but he has remained an observer rather than a participant in the team's training camp work. sport-ipl.my

Gibbs's absence from the field has been linked to his desire for a contract extension, although a hold-in has not been confirmed beyond head coach Dan Campbell saying last week that it is a case of "both sides working through something." On Monday, Gibbs briefly spoke to reporters on his way into the team's facility and said "it’s not about that" when asked if a new deal has to be in place for him to get on the field.

When asked what it is about, however, Gibbs said "I don't know" and offered little hint about when the situation might change.

"Only time will tell," Gibbs said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is also in the market for a new contract and sitting out of practice at the moment. A deal for one could help pave the way for the other, but there's been no sign that an agreement is imminent for either player as both teams move closer to the start of the season.

Calvin Ridley took a pay cut to remain with the Titans this offseason, but it wasn't because he thinks he's lost the ability that made him an offensive threat in past seasons.

Ridley only played seven games before he fractured his fibula last season and he had 17 catches in those games, which had him on track for his least productive full season since entering the NFL. Ridley said over the weekend that neither those results nor the injury have left him questioning if he can keep pace.

"Hell yeah," Ridley said, via the team's website. "[I] can still beat all of them, still as fast as all of them. . . . If I stay healthy, I am going to be a good player on this team. I am going to contribute on this team."

Ridley is the most experienced member of the Titans' receiving corps and he explained why he's been able to act as a mentor to younger teammates like Carnell Tate, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor.

"That's because I used to kick ass," Ridley said. "And I still can."

The Titans would love to see Ridley get back to his old ways as they try to make a jump up the standings in quarterback Cam Ward's second season.

The Raiders have cycled through several head coaches in recent years, with Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce, and Pete Carroll all having the full-time role since Jon Gruden resigned midway through the 2021 season.

But now it's Klint Kubiak's job, as the first-time head coach has liked what he's seen as the club tries to change its culture after registering just seven wins in the last two seasons combined.

“I think we just have a professional group of players. They care about getting better,” Kubiak said in his Monday press conference. “We don’t have any turds — we’ve got guys that want to be here, that want to win, that want to change this place. So, I’m really happy with that.”

But when it comes to culture, Kubiak wants the players to define it for Las Vegas.

“There’s things we talk about in team meetings, but words are really just — they’re just words,” Kubiak said. “So, I think the most important thing is, we watch our tape and we talk about what is acceptable and what is not. What effort looks like, what it doesn’t look like. And then we let the players go set that standard. So, it’s their game, not ours.”

We'll see if Kubiak's changes have their intended effect once the season begins in September.

Is Aaron Rodgers really going to play in the preseason this month?

A report from Mike Silver of TheAthletic.com noted that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has asked Rodgers to play in the club’s first two preseason matchups. Rodgers told Silver that he didn’t necessarily want to play in the preseason, but if McCarthy wants it, the QB will suit up.

McCarthy was asked about Rodgers playing in the preseason during his Monday press conference and said it’s still to be determined.

“Those decisions, really, will be made once we get up to it,” McCarthy said, via Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. “Trust me, I have a lot of ideas. … We have plans. But being in a healthy system, let’s see what happens — a lot can happen between now and then, too.

“But he’d like to play. I would like to see him play. But we won’t make a decision until we get all the way up to it because there’s more that goes into that than just having one player play. It’s the combination of the players.”

McCarthy and Rodgers’ separate comments do not necessarily match, as Rodgers explicitly told Silver, “I’m not saying I want to do it.” But with McCarthy as head coach, he’s the one who should have ultimate authority on the decision.

The Steelers will be facing Rogers’ two former teams to start the exhibition slate, hosting the Packers on Thursday, Aug. 13, and the Jets on Friday, Aug. 21. The Steelers will finish the preseason on Thursday, Aug. 27, on the road against the Bills.