KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs Coach Andy Reid wouldn’t say Wednesday whether the reigning AFC champs were pursuing Odell Beckham Jr.
Then again, he didn’t say they weren’t.
Beckham became a free agent Tuesday after the wide receiver’s acrimonious split with the Browns, and the Chiefs – with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes – are among the destinations that he’s rumored to be considering.
“That’s (Brett) Veach’s area. He looks at everybody,” Reid said of Kansas City’s aggressive general manager. “You guys know how he does it. I’ve been in a bunker trying to get my work done. I haven’t really talked to him.”
The pairing would make sense, though.
Beckham reportedly wants to spend the rest of the season with a contender, and the Chiefs have been to three straight conference title games and are trending up in the AFC West after a lousy start. Yet their offense has continued to struggle to live up to the lofty standards it has set over the years, and Beckham could provide the jolt that it needs.
The Chiefs already have made a similar move this season, signing Josh Gordon when he was cleared by the NFL to return from his suspension. Gordon has yet to make much of an impact since making his debut in Week 5, though, and the Chiefs have struggled with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce their only real downfield threats.
Mahomes threw for just 166 yards in last week’s win over Green Bay, the fewest of his career for a game he finished.
“I mean, he’s a really good football player who’s done a lot of great things in this league,” Mahomes said of Beckham, “but I’ll leave that stuff up to Veach. He does a great job bringing in great players. He’s always looking to make the team better.”
COMPETITION COMMITTEE: Cincinnati Bengals executive Katie Blackburn has become the first woman appointed to the NFL’s powerful competition committee, which plays a major role in rules changes.
Blackburn is the franchise’s fourth member of the committee. Team founder Paul Brown, his son and current owner Mike Brown, and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also have served on the group that makes recommendations on rules and points of emphasis to the 32 club owners.
STEELERS: Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps will not participate in the team’s Hall of Honor ceremony this weekend following his arrest on DUI charges.
Lipps, who was scheduled to be inducted during Sunday’s game against Detroit at Heinz Field, said he did not want to be a “distraction.”
The 59-year-old Lipps was arrested on Saturday night and charged with driving under the influence after the vehicle he was driving struck a trailer in Mount Washington, a neighborhood across the Monongahela River from downtown Pittsburgh.
Lipps had a blood-alcohol level of .235 according to authorities, nearly three times the legal limit. Lipps had planned to participate in the ceremony, which will also honor former Steelers Jon Kolb, Carnell Lake and the late Tunch Ilkin.
FALCONS: Outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. returned to practice, opening the possibility he might come off injured reserve and play Sunday at Dallas.
Fowler was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 22 with a knee injury. He wore a brace on his left knee on Wednesday. He showed no sign of favoring the knee during the portion of practice open to reporters.
Fowler started Atlanta’s first five games and had two strip sacks. The two sacks still shares the team lead as the Falcons rank last in the NFL with only 11.
PANTHERS: Coach Matt Rhule said quarterback Sam Darnold will miss at least four weeks with a right shoulder injury.
Darnold, who is 4-5 as the team’s starter, suffered an incomplete fracture of the shoulder blade and will go on injured reserve.
P.J. Walker will start for the Panthers on Sunday against the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals, Rhule said. Walker, who played in the XFL, is 1-0 as an NFL starter but has thrown one touchdown and five interceptions during his brief playing career.
BROWNS: The Cleveland Browns made another huge investment into their offensive line, signing three-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio to a three-year, $48 million contract extension.
Bitonio’s deal, which runs through the 2025 season, follows one given by Cleveland to right guard Wyatt Teller, who signed a four-year, $56.8 million extension on Tuesday.
• Coach Kevin Stefanski would not disclose whether star running back Nick Chubb is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, leaving his status for Sunday’s game against New England uncertain.
Chubb tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday along with rookie running back/wide receiver Demetric Felton. Both were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and will need to be symptom free and have two negative tests 24 hours apart to be eligible to face the Patriots. Chubb and Felton are both vaccinated.
JETS: The New York Jets will keep rolling with Mike White at quarterback for now. And maybe a while longer.
Coach Robert Saleh announced the decision to start White against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, with rookie Zach Wilson still recovering from a sprained knee ligament. Wilson has been cleared to return to practice this week and will run the scout team at practice.
COWBOYS: The Dallas Cowboys are adding kicker Lirim Hajrullahu, who is in line to make his NFL debut if Greg Zuerlein doesn’t clear COVID-19 protocols before Sunday’s game against Atlanta.
Hajrullahu worked out Wednesday along with former Dallas kicker Brett Maher. Hajrullahu kicked for Winnipeg, Toronto and Hamilton in the CFL from 2014-19, making 83% of his field-goal attempts.
Coach Mike McCarthy said he was hoping Zuerlein would be available against the Falcons, but acknowledged it was a long shot. Zuerlein was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list Tuesday.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
