NFL Notes: Ravens TE Dennis Pitta Injures Hip Again

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta has reinjured the same troublesome right hip that already has been surgically repaired twice.

The injury occurred during an offseason practice session Friday. Each time Pitta hurt the hip previously, the injury was serious enough to be considered career-ending.

It's too soon to determine whether that's the case this time.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said Pitta is undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury.

Pitta sustained his first hip injury in 2013 and injured it again in 2014. He played in four games in 2013, three in 2014 and sat out the entire 2015 season.

He appeared to put his hip troubles behind him last year, leading the Ravens with a career-high 86 receptions -- most by a tight end in franchise history.

Philadelphia Eagles

Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Why Jeff Lurie has no problem with Jalen Hurts' stoic demeanor 

A look at the 11 Eagles free agents who haven't found jobs yet

Newsome said: "Dennis is one of the great Ravens, and he has done everything he can to make our team better."

It's the second straight day in which one of the Ravens suffered a serious injury. On Wednesday, cornerback Tavon Young tore his ACL (see full story).

Seahawks: Carroll says Kaepernick a starter, but not in Seattle
RENTON, Wash. -- Pete Carroll saw Colin Kaepernick's rise as a starting quarterback firsthand and the Seattle Seahawks coach still believes Kaepernick is capable of being a starter.

It just won't be in Seattle

Carroll had high praise for Kaepernick on Friday as the Seahawks wrapped up their first week of OTAs. The former 49ers quarterback was in Seattle last week to meet with the front office but left still unemployed.

While Seattle has seemed the most logical destination -- from its style of offense to the outspokenness of its locker room -- Kaepernick won't be signing with the Seahawks at this time.

"Colin has been a fantastic football player and he's going to continue to be. At this time, we didn't do anything with it, but we know where he is and who he is, and we had a chance to understand him much more so," Carrol said. "He's a starter in this league. We have a starter, but he's a starter in this league and I can't imagine that somebody won't give him a chance to play."

Carroll wasn't willing to speculate why Kaepernick remains unsigned after opting out of his contract in San Francisco and becoming a free agent.

"That's not my issue, I don't know," Carroll said. "We brought him in here to check him out, and I think it was very productive for us to get to know him better. I had never really sat down and talked to the guy" (see full story).

Broncos: Parks facing domestic violence charges
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Broncos backup safety Will Parks could face a suspension from the NFL following a domestic violence arrest earlier this offseason.

Parks is scheduled to appear in Adams County court on June 30. He faces misdemeanor harassment and non-physical domestic violence charges involving a former girlfriend.

KUSA-TV in Denver reports that Parks' ex-girlfriend said she went to his home in Englewood to pick up her belongings following the breakup of their yearlong relationship. She said Parks, 22, later accused her of taking some of his personal belongings and made threatening phone calls to her. Parks denied he threatened the woman.

In a statement, the Broncos said the team was informed of the situation shortly after Parks' arrest March 31, which they "promptly reported to the league office and we are continuing to monitor this matter."

Parks could be punished under the league's personal conduct policy whether or not he's convicted.

Parks' agent didn't return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Parks' legal matter came to light the same week he drew criticism for posting video from team practices on his Snapchat account. The video shows two incompletions by Paxton Lynch, the Broncos' 2016 first-round draft pick who is trying to unseat Trevor Siemian for the starting quarterback job this summer.

Parks was a sixth-round draft pick last year out of Arizona who played in all 16 games his rookie season, collecting 17 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups. His biggest play was returning a blocked extra point for two points in the Broncos' 25-23 win at New Orleans.

Bengals: Mixon signs rookie contract
CINCINNATI -- Second-round draft pick Joe Mixon has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Oklahoma running back who was suspended for his freshman season after he punched a woman, breaking bones in her face, signed Friday.

Bengals owner Mike Brown acknowledged the risk of taking Mixon in a letter last month to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Brown said Mixon "did a terrible thing" when he hit Amelia Molitor in 2014, adding it was "unacceptable for a man to strike a woman."

His comments came in response to public backlash against the Bengals selecting Mixon. Brown also called Mixon "a rare football talent."

The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Mixon played in 25 games with nine starts in two seasons for Oklahoma. He rushed for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns. He added 894 yards receiving on 65 catches. Mixon ranked second nationally in all-purpose yards last season, setting a single-season school record with 2,331.

One day after Mixon was drafted, a local television station published an editorial on its website saying it was a "disgraceful" decision. WCPO-TV said fans should stop buying tickets and instead donate money to organizations that work to prevent domestic violence (see full story).

Copyright CSNPhily
Contact Us