Jul 31, 2023 4 min read

In the NFL

The Denver Broncos braced themselves for a second straight season without their steadiest wide receiver and locker room leader after Tim Patrick was carted off the field with a left Achilles tendon injury Monday – almost a year after tearing his right ACL at training camp.

With an energized crowd of 3,000 looking on as the Broncos practiced in full pads for the first time, Patrick hit the ground in pain just as he came out of his cut on a short route during a seven-on-seven passing drill. He threw his helmet as teammates including Courtland Sutton and Russell Wilson rushed to his side.

• Dallas Cowboys running back Ronald Jones on Monday was suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.

Jones is eligible to participate in practices at training camp and in preseason games. Jones was on the field Monday as the Cowboys started their second week of camp.

Jones, who turns 26 Thursday, signed with Dallas as a free agent in the offseason. He was a second-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2018 and spent four seasons with the Buccaneers. He had career highs of 978 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020.

Jones will be eligible to play Sept. 24 at Arizona.

• The Indianapolis Colts top two offensive attractions – rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson and star running back Jonathan Taylor – both watched Monday’s practice.

Richardson missed the team’s first workout in full pads because of nasal surgery and is expected to suit up later this week, perhaps even Tuesday.

Taylor’s absence appears more problematic. The 2021 NFL rushing champ is still on the physically unable to perform list with no timetable for his return amid an increasingly a public contract dispute.

In college football

Northwestern is hiring veteran college football coach Skip Holtz, who has won two straight USFL championships with Birmingham, to a temporary role as special assistant to interim head coach David Braun, a person with knowledge of the move told the Associated Press.

Braun was named interim head coach earlier this month to replace Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired after an investigation into hazing allegations in his program.

Holtz, the son of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, has 17 years of experience as a major college football head coach with East Carolina, South Florida and Louisiana Tech. He is 119-98 overall and was 64-50 with six straight bowl victories at La Tech before stepping down after the 2021 season.

Jackson out at ESPN

Add Mark Jackson to the list of ESPN reporters and commentators who have been laid off over the past five weeks.

Jackson was let go Monday with two years remaining on his contract. With Jeff Van Gundy also being laid off in late June, ESPN is expected to replace them with Doris Burke and Doc Rivers.

Burke and Rivers would join Mike Breen on ESPN and ABC’s top NBA broadcast crew.

In the NBA

Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Amir Coffey was arrested early Sunday on a firearms misdemeanor in Hollywood, authorities said.

Coffey, 26, was a passenger in a vehicle that police pulled over for speeding shortly before 2 a.m., according to Los Angeles Police Officer Tony Im, a department spokesperson.

Coffey was cited for carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, Im said. He was released on his own recognizance from a county jail on $10,000 bail.