Tyus Bowser is a multi-faceted player with great athleticism and the skill set to do many things in defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s scheme. He’s another Swiss Army Knife who Macdonald can deploy in many ways, allowing his defense to be chameleon-like, morphing into different looks pre- and post-snap. And when Bowser has been healthy, he’s been an effective chess piece as an edge-setter, pass rusher and in coverage.
When he’s healthy!
Bowser reported to training camp with a heavily wrapped knee and has been on the NFI (non-football injury) list since. Inclusion on the NFI list means that Bowser isn’t being paid. A look at NFLPA records indicate that Bowser in fact, has not been paid. There’s no gentlemen’s agreement between the team and the 28-year-old linebacker to the best of my knowledge.
I’m hearing that the Ravens and their doctors see no reason why Bowser can’t take the field. Yet he doesn’t despite the lack of income. Bowser is a man who takes extremely good care of his body. He’s almost always in great shape but his refusal to play costs him $250,000 per week (1/18th of his $4.5M base salary). With each missed paycheck, the Ravens receive and equal credit against the cap ($250K).
Yesterday during his presser, head coach John Harbaugh was asked about Bowser’s status.
“That’s gotten a little more complicated over the last couple of weeks. I’m really not at liberty to talk about it right now, but at some point in time, I’m sure we’ll have an announcement on that one way or another. He has to make some choices and decisions.”
Read between those lines if you wish.
We can take Harbaugh’s response to the Bowser question in a number of ways. Will his injury require surgery and if so, does it end his season? Is there something besides the injury holding Bowser back? Could the Ravens be prepared to part ways? It sounds like they’ve drawn a line in the sand and it’s all up to Bowser.
No matter how you look at it, the situation is very peculiar and given Bowser’s skill set, given the injuries to Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, the Ravens could certainly use the versatile backer. But if the team doctors truly believe that activating Bowser would not put him at further risk, yet he continues to refuse to play, from the outside looking in, it doesn’t say much about his commitment to the team.
At this point, the Ravens have realized $1.5M in cap savings while Bowser sits on the NFI list. If that continues, they could save $4.5M which the team can then carry forward into 2024. When 2024 rolls around, the last under Bowser’s current contract, they can cut him loose and realize another $5.5M in cap savings.
Not bad considering Bowser has played in just 10 of the teams last 24 games.
NFL Officiating is draining the game’s entertainment.
— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) October 17, 2023
Parting Shot
Jason Whitlock posted an article in The Blaze titled, “The NFL ‘pump and dump’ scheme has fallen and can’t get up”. In it, the thoughtful Whitlock compares the NFL to the decline of Enron. He writes:
“Nothing is more overvalued than the NFL. This year’s product is the worst the game has ever produced. The league’s most interesting story is a manufactured love story between America’s top pop star (Taylor Swift) and a vaccinated tight end (Travis Kelce). The on-field product is sloppy and uninteresting.
NFL teams are averaging just 2.32 TDs per game, the lowest average in 18 years. Individual teams are kicking 2.12 field goals per game, the highest average since the 1970s. The average of 1.84 field goals made is the highest in league history.”
Whitlock considers these developments to be “odd”, particularly in light of all the changes to the game to enhance scoring.
So why aren’t the changes working?
Practice, or the lack thereof, says Whitlock.
“High-level football requires practice. Teams no longer practice. Under the pretense of protecting players from head injuries, teams no longer practice. They train. They condition. They conduct walkthroughs. They do not practice. Not in pads. And not in any real way.”
And that might explain why there are so many stoppages for penalties. Referees were bigger factors than the players this past during some games, or at least it certainly seemed that way. One might think that penalties would diminish as the season goes on. During Week 6, games on average had 12.64 penalties for 105.57 yards. The week before, 10.86 penalties for 89.93 yards. But then there’s this thing called practice.
Remember when the NFL wouldn’t entertain a move to Vegas due to the city’s ties to gambling? Now the pair are in bed, spooning. The league knows that TV is the key and what better way to ensure a large TV audience than for fans to have skin in the game(s)?
Literally!
To borrow from U2’s Bono, the NFL wears our love like a see-through dress.
And really, they don’t care what you think as long as the TV audience is there.
10 Responses
Whitlock wrong on head injuries. Teams dont practice or play in preseason because of all injuries. Feels like wasting bullets. Also o line play at all time bad level due to college football spread offenses nobody can run block anymore and many dont try to run which causes more holds when pass blocking 50 times a game
Your points are solid. But I don’t think your points refute Whitlock’s conclusions. I think they complement them.
Wonder if this has anything to do with the strength coaches?
Whitlock is the WORST.
But broken clocks are right twice a day. He’s correct here.
I’ll just give the honest truth on NFL being bad this year and offenses being mediocre etc. It’s THE GAMBLING! Anyone who isn’t naive realizes it. All these great Qbs and offenses didn’t just forget how to play football at a high level. And all these defenses didn’t just turn into 2000 Ravens. But because Public betting more wide spread now nationally and Public generally takes overs and points and picks star players in fantasy and prop bets to hit overs yards, TDs etc you are seeing alot of 17-14 and 20-17 type games
Whitlock is now saying what many of us oldtimers have known for over 20 years as it keeps getting worse every season. What is going on in NCAA D1 with the NIL money, transfer portal, and the culture there isn’t helping the NFL. I know what I would do but its not going to happen. I would turn the clock back rules wise to 1978. Get the lineman smaller and more athletic and I would get rid of the shotgun, pistol, etc. Nothing wrong with low scoring games when the defense can knock the daylights out of guys. This business of playing for field position is poison too. Oh and let qbs call there own plays instead of being robots with a headset in the helmet. As far as CTE just have the league cover longterm care insurance for retired players. They got the bread!
As an “old timer”, I share your concerns, Noah! One thing is certain: the game has become way over regulated due primarily to the league’s complicity in the handling of injuries over the years! As the ultimate contact sport, players for years were considered to assume the inherent risk of injuries. However, when the league failed to acknowledge what some of those inherent injuries were, particularly with regard to concussions and even covered them up, it opened the floodgates to liability! And, that has led to over regulation and a mediocre watered down version of a once great…..sport!
Just commenting the other day with Tony on the Bowser situation. When nobody’s talking you know something is up. Bowser got a decent 2nd contract, but it appears he wants more (maybe the Roquan $$ signing sparked this). Either that, or he is just pissed that the Ravens won’t pay him for an off-season injury, which is no doubt in the contract he signed. Kinda like holdout RBs it would seem Bowser is screwing himself on this and he isn’t getting any younger.
On the gambling thing, great line Tony: “Remember when the NFL wouldn’t entertain a move to Vegas due to the city’s ties to gambling? Now the pair are in bed, spooning.”
Tony – you probably already know but after you posted Bowser apparently addressed this issue on “his” show. But I’m not sure how much he cleared up.
“I’m feeling great. … I’m just gaining more and more confidence each and every day,” he told
@GlennClarkRadio
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@theNFLchick
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