REPORT: Ex Buckeyes Standout Vonn Bell Released By Panthers | Ohio State NFL Tracker
MARCH 13 BELL OUT IN CAROLINA According to reports from NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Carolina Panthers have officially released former Ohio State Buckeyes standout Von Bell.
Bell had 69 total tackles and an interception in 13 games last season.
Before heading to Carolina, Bell spent three years in Cincinnati, where he tallied 288 total tackles and five interceptions.
Bell began his career with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 after being drafted with the 61st overall pick in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
JAN 28 BUCKEYES TO VEGAS After the San Francisco 49ers took down the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the NFC Championship Game in Santa Clara, two Ohio State Buckeyes will be heading to Super Bowl LVIII.
Defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young will represent the Buckeyes in the Super Bowl.
Chase Young ended the game with two tackles in the win, while Bosa had three tackles and a pair of sacks on Lions QB Jared Goff.
One-time Buckeye Jameson Williams had a big game for the Lions, catching Goff's only touchdown pass on a 42-yard strike.
The 49ers will face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas.
There are no Buckeyes on the Chiefs roster.
JAN 24 STROUD ROY Houston Texans and former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud had a remarkable rookie season, breaking records, leading his team to an AFC South title and winning in the Wild Card round over the Cleveland Browns along the way.
Now, he is getting some recognition, with the Pro Football Writers Association naming Stroud the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Drafted second overall as the hopeful franchise quarterback, Stroud silenced the critics early and only built off each performance.
He also became the fifth rookie passer in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in a season, and finished with the third-highest total in passing yards ever for a first year QB with 4,108 behind only Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert.
Stroud also became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game and the first rookie passer to claim a win in the postseason since Mark Sanchez in 2009.
The former Ohio State gunslinger and two-time Heisman finalist joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to lead the NFL in NFL in passing yards per game (273.9) and touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio (23/5) in a season.
JAN 9 VRABEL OUT Another NFL head coach has been fired after a poor season, this time in the Texans' own division.
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel after going 6-11 and losing four of his last six games at the helm. Vrabell spent six years as the Titans coach.
During his time in Tennessee, Vrabel went 54-45, winning two-straight division titles in 2020 and 2021, going 11-5 and 12-5 in those seasons respectively. He also took the Titans to the playoffs in three straight seasons.
However, in 2022 and 2023, the Texans took a major step back, going 7-10 and 6-11 in those two seasons, and missing the playoffs in both.
Vrabel played defensive end at Ohio State from 1993-1996, amassing 36 sacks over four seasons, and being named a consensus first-team All-American in his senior season.
Vrabel was also named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in each of his final two seasons, becoming just the second player to win the award twice.
JAN 6 PLAYOFF CJ Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is playoff-bound once again. Only this time, it's in the NFL.
On Saturday night, Stroud led the Texans to a 23-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts, sealing a postseason berth for Houston for the first time since 2019 when Deshaun Watson was under center.
Stroud finished the game completing 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns, and doing so without three of his top four receivers - Tank Dell, Robert Woods and Noah Bornw - in the lineup.
If the Jaguars win tomorrow, Houston will be in the Wild Card, with the opponent yet to be determined. But if the Jaguars lose, the Texans will win the AFC South, and host Deshaun Watson's new team, the Cleveland Browns.
DEC 28 HICK SIX! Former Ohio State Buckeyes standout Ronnie Hickman is having himself a night on Thursday night football.
Not only did Hickman land his first career interception, but the former Buckeyes safety was able to take the pick back for a touchdown, putting the Browns up two scores.
Hickman was originally signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent, with the former Ohio State star fighting his way to the 53-man roster.
Now, that effort has paid its dividends once more, with Hickman making the play of the night.
DEC 26 OLAVE MILESTONE Former Ohio State wideout and current New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave has had a stellar start to his NFL career.
In fact, he has been so good, that on Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams, Olave hit the 1,000-yard mark for the second season in a row.
In the game, Olave was by far the most productive weapon for the Saints, catching nine passes for 123 yards, and hauling in a two-point conversion. Those nine receptions also tied a career-high.
By doing that, Olave became just the third Saints receiver in franchise history to hit the 1,000-yard mark in his first two seasons, joining Marques Colston and another former Buckeye - Michael Thomas.
Olave is now just one yard and one touchdown shy of surpassing the numbers from his excellent rookie campaign. He will have two chances to pass those numbers over the final two weeks against the Buccanneers and Falcons.
DEC 10 STROUD DOWN? Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud is having maybe the best rookie season of any QB in NFL history.
However, on Sunday against the New York Jets, he may have suffered a setback.
late in the game with the Texans trailing big, Stroud went down with an injury. Stroud was later taken to the medical tent, and eventually the locker room, where he underwent evaluation for a concussion.
Stroud is currently questionable to return.
NOV 22 SHOTS FIRED Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud was 0-2 vs. the Michigan Wolverines during his time in Columbus.
As such, there is no love lost for the former Buckeye and the current iteration of the Wolverines, especially after the allegations of sign-stealing by Michigan came to light in October.
And when asked about his take on the game during an interview with Ryan Clark on ESPN, Stroud took his chance to troll the Wolverines, cracking a joke at their expense.
"I'm very confident," Stroud said. "I'm really proud of those guys. I know that they're going to go up there and fight their tails off. Hopefully they don’t steal signals this time."
The Wolverines, of course, were seemingly caught on camera during the 2022 matchup between the two teams, attempting to decipher the Buckeyes' signs.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has since been suspended for the remainder of the regular season, including Saturday's matchup in Ann Arbor.
NOV 19 BOSA INJURED During his team's Sunday matchup vs. the Green Bay Packers, former Ohio State and current L.A. Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa was carted to the locker room with what appears to be a serious lower-body injury.
Bosa was 'visibly emotional' on his way to the locker room, and there is serious concern about his status for the remainder of the season.
Officially, the Chargers have listed Bosa as questionable to return. An update to that status will be expected following the game.
NOV 15 BRADY VS STROUD Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud made a guest appearance on NFL legend and former Michigan Wolverines QB Tom Brady's "Let's Go!" podcast on Tuesday, where the two discussed Stroud's quick rise in the NFL.
However, as was to be expected, the two also exchanged jabs in regard to the matchup between the Buckeyes and the Wolverines on Nov. 25 - a game that will likely decide the Big Ten Championship representative from the East, as well as the conference's College Football Playoff contender.
In fact, the two even made a playful wager, with Brady offering Stroud one of his seven Super Bowl rings.
"If Ohio State wins... you get one of my Super Bowl rings," Brady said. "And if Michigan beats Ohio State, then you got to give me all your youth, your agility, your time in the 40 (yard dash), and all your future years in the NFL. How about that?"
"That's a bet," Stroud responded.
Recent history would seem to favor Michigan, who have won the last two games in the series.
Ohio State, however, has won 1 of the last 21 matchups between the two.
NOV 12 OLAVE FOR SIX Former Ohio State Buckeyes and current New Orleans Saints wideout Chris Olave has been a human highlight reel at times this season.
On Sunday, he was at it again, making an insane touchdown catch vs. the Minnesota Vikings in the third quarter.
Olave's catch was the first touchdown of the day for the Saints, cutting the Vikings lead down to two scores after the two-point conversion.
NOV 8 BURROW A TIGER Since his entry into the NFL, there have been questions as to whether or not Ohio State fans should claim Bengals QB Joe Burrow as one of their own.
On Wednesday Burrow made his stance clear, telling reports exactly how he feels about his college football allegiance.
"I always say, I went to school at Ohio State and I played football at LSU," Burrow told reporters. "That's how I think about it."
Burrow played in 10 games in three seasons for the Buckeyes, throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns, completing 74.4 percent of his passes.
He then transferred to LSU, where he completed 621 of 906 passes for 8,565 yards and 76 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in two seasons, winning a national title and a Heisman Trophy along the way.
NOV 7 CARR LOVES OLAVE New Orleans Saints wide receiver and former Ohio State Buckeye Chris Olave has had an up-and-down season on and off the field.
At times, he looks like a top NFL receiver, while at others, he has made critical mistakes.
However, his QB, Derek Carr has nothing but confidence in the young pass catcher.
"He's a young player. This is another thing that I think is a problem in this league, we don't give young guys a chance to grow and develop and go through their process," Carr said after the Bears game. "He's developing into what I think is going to be a tremendous player for a long time.
So far this season, in what was expected to be a breakout year for Olave, he has underwhelmed statistically, catching 50 passes for 563 yards and two scores, averaging 11.3 yards per catch. While in 2022, Olave had 72 receptions for 1,042 yards and four scores, averaging 14.5 yards per reception as a rookie.
"The city of New Orleans should be very happy to have Chris as one of their starting receivers because he's the ultimate pro, he loves football. He's a great teammate. He does anything you ever ask him. Sometimes even when it's the hard stuff, he goes in there and he does it. We called on him to put us in better field goal position. Boom, he comes up for us."
NOV 5 STROUD GOES LONG Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is arguably the top quarterback in this year's rookie class - and for good reason.
On Sunday, he made another statement toward that title, tossing a 75-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to cut the Texans deficit down to 20-16.
Heading into the game, Stroud had completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,800 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception.
On Sunday vs. Tampa Bay, He has completed 15 of 23 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
NOV 3 JUSTIN FIELDS RETURNS TO PRACTICE Former Ohio State Buckeyes standout and current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields returned to the practice field Friday in a limited fashion ahead of Sunday's road meeting with the New Orleans Saints.
Fields has missed the past two games after suffering a dislocated thumb in his throwing hand in a 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 15. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent has gone 1-1 in two starts while Fields has sat.
Here's Fields at practice:
He is still listed as doubtful for Sunday, but returning to practice is a positive sign for Fields' availability on a short week when the Bears host the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
This season, Fields has gone 100 of 162 passing for 1,201 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also added 47 carries for 237 yards and one touchdown.
OCT 31 ZEKE TRADE COMING? Former Ohio State star running back Ezekiel Elliott could be on the move at the NFL Trade Deadline on Tuesday.
Per NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, the New England Patriots, who signed Elliott to a one-year deal this season, have been fielding trade calls for the former Buckeye.
Elliott has been productive at times in his reserve role with New England, rushing 67 times for 260 yards and scoring two touchdowns in eight games.
The deadline is at 4 pm ET on Tuesday.
OCT 29 YOUNG ON THE MOVE? According to multiple reports, the Washington Commanders could be on the verge of trading former Ohio State Buckeyes star Chase Young ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline on Tuesday.
One of the main teams who are rumored to be interested in Young, is the Chicago Bears, who are led by former Buckeyes QB, Justin Fields.
Young, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was the defensive rookie of the year in 2020 but suffered a major injury in 2021, which has put his availability in flux over the last two seasons.
However, in 2023, a healthy Young has been making a return to form, with the Ohio State star making five starts with five total sacks, and playing in all six games for the Commanders this season.
OCT 24 NFL BUCKS REACT With Michigan mired in their sign-stealing scandal, two former Ohio State Buckeyes have chimed in on the situation.
Earlier Tuesday, a video emerged of the perpetrator of the scandal, Connor Stalions, helping coordinators on the sidelines of the matchup vs. the Buckeyes.
Garrett Wilson and Dawand Jones - both well-versed in the rivalry between the two schools - reacted to the video via Twitter.
Wilson was the first to react to the video, tweeting, "Ahhhh neck is broken!"
Jones then chimed in 20 minutes later, with a one-word response.
"Wowwww," said Jones.
Michigan would go on to win that game 45-23, and win the Big Ten.
OCT 23 ENDORSING FIELDS The Chicago Bears got a big win on Sunday over the Las Vegas Raiders, winning 30-12, in part behind the steady play of backup quarterback Tyson Bagent.
It was just the second win of the season for the Bears, who have struggled with former Buckeyes QB Justin Fields under center.
And Bagent was crisp, completing 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown.
However, despite some fans clamoring for Bagent to be named the full-time starter, Bears coach Matt Eberflus was quick to tell the media that Fields would remain the starter in Chicago once he heals from his injury.
“Justin is our starting quarterback," Eberflus said. "Tyson’s the backup, he came in and did a nice job. We don’t know where Justin is, we’ll see where he is, if it’s a week-to-week thing, we’ll assess it more tomorrow.”
Fields dislocated his thumb last week in the team's loss to the Vikings and is expected to miss some time.
In relief of Fields against the Vikings, Bagent was also impressive, completing 10 of his 14 pass attempts for 83 yards.
OCT 22 SCARY TERRY CATCH Former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Terry McLaurin has developed into one of the top receivers in the NFL since entering the league, and on Sunday vs. the New York Giants, he proved exactly why.
Late in the third quarter deep in their own territory, the Washington Commanders went to McLaurin to get themselves some breathing room.
McLaurin responded with an insane catch on the sideline, giving the Commanders a desperately needed big play.
McLaurin has four catches for 79 yards in the game, with the Giants leading 14-7.
OCT 18 STROUD GUEST PICKER ESPN's College GameDay is making its way to Columbus when the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.
As is tradition, there will be a celebrity guest picker for the broadcast. And its a good one.
Per an announcement from ESPN, former Buckeyes QB C.J. Stroud is set to take the stage with Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Pat McAfee, Rece Davis, and Desmond Howard.
Stroud has been arguably the best rookie quarterback in the NFL this season, completing just under 60 percent of his passes for 1,660 yards with nine touchdowns, just one interception, and a 96.4 QB rating.
OCT 17 VIRAL QB VIDEO Ohio State Buckeyes quarterbacks have not had the most success at the NFL level over the last few years.
Whether it was Terrell Pryor, Troy Smith, J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones, Dwayne Haskins or even most recently Justin Fields, former Buckeyes QBs failing at the NFL level has become a bit of a stigma.
That is, it appears, until Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud came along, with the former Buckeye lighting it up through his first six games, and setting NFL records along the way.
And now, that idea has become a viral video meme on TikTok. The video is from a scene in the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid showing one student shining above the rest during a music audition.
OCT 16 FIELDS DOUBTFUL VS RAIDERS After being knocked out of the game vs. the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday with a dislocated thumb, the status of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields for this weekend's matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders has been revealed.
Per reports, Fields is doubtful vs. Las Vegas, and there is no timetable for his return.
Luckily for the Bears, no surgery is expected for Fields.
Should Fields indeed miss the matchup, rookie backup Tyson Bagent will likely get the start.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus also provided an update on Fields, noting that the situation is still very fluid for the former Buckeyes QB.
"It's really going to come down to grip strength," said Eberflus.
OCT 15 FIELDS OUT The Chicago Bears have lost former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields for the remainder of their Sunday matchup vs. the Minnesota Vikings with a hand injury, according to reports.
Fields suffered the injury in the third quarter of the game with the Bears trailing 12-6.
At the time of the injury, Fields had completed 6 of 10 passes for 58 yards and an interception and was the team's leading rusher with 46 yards on eight carries.
Entering the game, Fields was coming off of back-to-back four-touchdown performances, throwing for 617 yards combined in those two games.
According to reports, Fields dislocated his thumb on his throwing hand and will undergo an MRI on Monday.
OCT 8 OLAVE TD Former Ohio State Buckeyes wideout Chris Olave has had a highlight reel star to the 2023 season.
But on Sunday it got even better, with Olave catching his first touchdown of the season for the Saints against the New England Patriots.
So far this season, Olave has 24 catches for 311 yards and the score. Entering the day, Olave has 95 receptions for 1,348 yards and for touchdowns for his career.
OCT 1 ZEKE HONORED Former Ohio State Buckeye Ezekiel Elliott spent seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was one of the most feared running backs in the NFL over that time.
And upon his return to Dallas, the Cowboys honored him with an emotional pre-game tribute video.
In his seven years in Dallas after being selected in the first round, Elliott rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of those seasons. While, in two of those seasons, finishing just shy at 983 yards (2017) and 979 Yards (2020).
And in both of those seasons, Elliott did not play a full season, missing six games in 2017 and one game in 2020.
Elliott was also an absolute star with the Buckeyes, rushing for 592 times for 3,961 yards and 43 touchdowns in just three seasons.
OCT 1 FIELDS DIME Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has struggled to start 2023. However, on Sunday, he is off and running in a big way.
On the Bears' second drive of the game, Fields hit D.J. Moore for a 29-yard touchdown in the front right corner of the end zone to tie the Broncos at 7-7.
Fields has started the game 7-of-7 passing for 93 yards and the touchdown - by far his best start to a game this season.
SEPT 27 WILSON SPEAKS The New York Jets were expected to be a player in the AFC East this season. But after an abrupt end to the season in the opening drive of the opener for star QB Aaron Rodgers, things have gone off the rails in a big way.
As a result, many Jets fans are understandably frustrated. However, Former Ohio State star Garrett Wilson is pleading with the Jets faithful to remain patient with the team.
“I would just tell them to stick with us,” Wilson said. “No one wants this more than us. We’re working every single day to make sure that y’all have a lot to root for on Sundays."
The Jets currently sit at 1-2, with a big Sunday Night Football matchup against the Chiefs on the Horizon.
SEPT 25 FIELDS INJURED Justin Fields has had a tough start to the season with the Chicago Bears.
And on Sunday, it got even worse, with the Bears suffering an embarrassing 41-10 blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and Fields having to be helped off of the field due to what looked to be a head injury by his teammate, D.J. Moore.
Shockingly, despite not being able to find his way to the sideline on his own without the assistance of Moore, Fields ended up returning to the game and even threw a touchdown pass to Moore afterward.
The Bears injury report later this week should reveal more about Fields' status going forward.
SEPT 24 OLAVE THE MAGICIAN Former Buckeyes star wide receiver Chris Olave has been a highlight reel player through the beginning of the NFL season.
On Sunday, he did it again, making an amazing one-handed grab for the Saints against the Green Bay Packers.
The Olave catch would ultimately set up a Saints field goal, putting New Orleans up 17-0 heading into the locker room.
SEPT 20 FIELDS TAKES BLAME Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was the subject of Twitter discussion on Wednesday afternoon after he seemingly blamed his poor play through the first two games of the season.
Now, however, Fields has clarified those comments, taking full responsibility for his struggles, and blaming the media for a misrepresentation of his comments.
"You guys' jobs are to get clicks. So, it's like, take my quote out of context and we can just say that," Fields said. "If you paint the picture on the inside out, y'all are trying to split us up.
"I'm not blaming anything on the coaches, I'm never going to blame anything on the coaches. I'm never going to blame anything on my teammates. Whatever happens in the game, I will take all the blame. I don't care if it's a dropped pass, it should have been a (better) pass. Put it on me. Never when you hear anything come out of my mouth to where I will blame it on somebody else in this organization, my teammates, never will you hear that. I just want to clear that up.
"Just know that I need to play better -- that's it, point blank. That's what I should have said in the first place, but I was trying to give y'all more details because I appreciate y'all for doing what y'all do and I try to give y'all the information y'all want for you guys' job. I'm going to do that and in the future, I just ask you guys to put the whole quote out. Don't cut it up into words and pieces to make it seem like I am saying something that I'm not."
SEPT 20 WILSON AND OLAVE REPRESENT Ohio State has the best case of any college football program to take on the 'WR U' moniker, with multiple top-line players both in the NFL and waiting their turn in Columbus.
And in NFL Week 2, a pair of them showed out, with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both making highlight reel plays for their respective teams.
First up was Wilson, who exploded for a 68-yard touchdown against the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
Wilson finished the day with two catches for 83 yards and a score on eight targets.
Next up was Olave, who made arguably the catch of the week in primetime against the Panthers on Monday Night Football. Olave finished with 86 yards on six catches.
SEPT 17 FIELDS PICK SIX The Chicago Bears are off to another rough start in Year 2 of the Justin Fields experiment.
And on Sunday, it took another bad turn.
Trailing 20-17 just before the two-minute warning, Fields had to take the Bears 94 yards to get the win. Instead, Fields made a massive mistake, tossing a game-sealing interception to Buccaneers defensive lineman, Shaquil Barrett.
Barrett then pushed that interception into the end zone, putting the Bucs up 27-17 with two minutes to play.
JK DOBBINS SUFFERS SERIOUS INJURY Former Ohio State and current Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins season is over after suffering a torn Achilles in the team's 25-9 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Justice Hill took Dobbins' place in the game and scored two touchdowns in his absence.
Dobbins has had injury issues throughout his career, suffering a torn ACL and missing the entire 2021 season, and missing eight games with a separate knee issue last season.
AUG 18 CJ'S GIFT Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is prepping to take on the Houston Texans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud in a Saturday afternoon preseason game, and his scouting report on the QB is a flattering one. ... with at least one "unique gift'' at his disposal.
"I think he is a very natural thrower that has a unique gift at ball placement," McDaniel said of Stroud.
The coach tempered his thoughts on the Houston centerpiece by adding, "He's probably not bragging about ball placement right now because as a rookie NFL quarterback, you're in a foreign language.''
But, McDaniel added, "He looks the part to me with the way he throws the ball, and you can tell that he has an aura of confidence that's exciting to see from a player."
FORMER BUCKEYE RISING UP IN NFL COACHING WORLD
Ohio State's former national championship-winning quarterback J.T. Barrett has been elevated to assistant quarterbacks coach for the Detroit Lions, according to a report by Ari Meirov.
Barrett, the former NFL quarterback, hung up the cleats and shoulder pads back in March after suffering an injury during his time with the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Elks.
Since retiring from football, Barrett has been on staff in Detroit, previously serving as an offensive assistant since last July.