Sportspool.com Sports News

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Kentrell Brothers has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy. The league announced the punishment Friday for Brothers, who will remain eligible for practices and games in the offseason and preseason before having to sit out. He can rejoin the active roster on Sept. 28, the day after Minnesota's fourth game. He can play on Oct. 7 when the Vikings take on Philadelphia. Brothers was a fifth-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2016 out of Missouri. He has played only sparingly on defense. But he was second on the team in 2017 with 16 special teams tackles. For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org

The 2018 NFL season schedule was released on Thursday and the countdown to September 6 can now begin in its earnest. The new season will see some minor changes to prime time games, with Monday Night Football starting at 8:15 p.m. EST instead of 8:30

With new coach Matt Nagy in place, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky starting Year 2 from the get-go, and a cadre of offensive upgrades, expectations are exponentially higher than they were through the decline and fall of the John Fox regime, which was intended

The Minnesota Vikings locked up standout middle linebacker Eric Kendricks to a multi-year extension, the team announced Monday. "I like the defense we are on now, I like the group of guys we have in the locker room," Kendricks said at a news conference announcing the deal. Kendricks is scheduled to make a base salary of $1.138 million in 2018 in the final season of his four-year rookie contract.

The Minnesota Vikings re-signed cornerback and punt returner Marcus Sherels on Thursday, the team announced. It is the fourth time in five offseasons that Sherels, a native of Rochester, Minn., has re-signed with the Vikings after his contract expired. "It's awesome," Sherels told the team's website.

The Vikings finished a game short of the Super Bowl last season after going 13-3 in the regular season, but they decided to shake things up on offense. Minnesota opted against re-signing quarterback Case Keenum and signed Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract instead. For many, the message behind that move was that Cousins would be able to get the team over the hump that they couldn’t clear with Keenum under center.

Ndamukong Suh has finally found himself a new team after signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. The deal, which according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter is worth $14 million, means the Rams will field a formidable defense next season, with the five-time Pro Bowl selection playing alongside Aaron Donald. Since he was cut by the Miami Dolphins earlier this month, Suh visited the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans and had an offer rescinded from the New York Jets, before signing with the Rams.

Teddy Bridgewater refused to think about the possibility of never playing football again. Bridgewater made it back from a gruesome knee injury in August 2016 to throw two passes in a game late last season for the Minnesota Vikings. Speaking to reporters for the first time since signing a one-year deal with the Jets, he declined to give details about the status of his knee while simply saying, ''I'm feeling good.'' Bridgewater also said he's ''not comfortable'' discussing whether he thought he'd be a full participant during organized team activities and minicamp this spring.

Teddy Bridgewater refused to think about the possibility of never playing football again. Bridgewater made it back from a gruesome knee injury in August 2016 to throw two passes in a game late last season for the Minnesota Vikings. Speaking to reporters for the first time since signing a one-year deal with the Jets, he declined to give details about the status of his knee while simply saying, "I'm feeling good." Bridgewater also said he's "not comfortable" discussing whether he thought he'd be a full participant during organized team activities and minicamp this spring. Bridgewater was a first-round draft pick out of Louisville in 2014 and was selected to the Pro Bowl after his second season with the Vikings.

Teddy Bridgewater refused to think about the possibility of never playing football again. Bridgewater made it back from a gruesome knee injury in August 2016 to throw two passes in a game late last season for the Minnesota Vikings. Speaking to reporters for the first time since signing a one-year deal with the Jets, he declined to give details about the status of his knee while simply saying, "I'm feeling good." Bridgewater also said he's "not comfortable" discussing whether he thought he'd be a full participant during organized team activities and minicamp this spring.