NFL notes: Raiders send star pass rusher Khalil Mack to Bears in massive trade

The Chicago Bears have acquired star pass rusher Khalil Mack from the Raiders in a massive trade that sends two first-round draft picks to Oakland.

Mack held out for the entire offseason and preseason, seeking a new, long-term contract rather than play under the final year of his rookie deal that would have earned him $13.8 million. Raiders coach Jon Gruden, in his biggest move since returning to the sideline from the broadcast booth, accommodated the 27-year-old Mack on Saturday.

A person with direct knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press that Oakland will get first-round selections in 2019 and 2020, a sixth-rounder next year and a third-rounder in 2020. Oakland also included its second-round selection in 2020. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced.

No details of a new contract were immediately available. ESPN first reported the trade.

The fifth overall selection in the 2014 draft, Mack is a two-time All-Pro and the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Mack has played in every game for Oakland the past four seasons, with 231 primary tackles, 40 1-2 sacks, and nine forced fumbles.

Since entering the league, Mack leads all players with 185 quarterback pressures and ranks second with 68 tackles for loss, according to SportRadar. He is one of the most versatile defenders in the NFL and joins a Bears team lacking in star power.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, signed a six-year, $135 million deal Friday, with $87 million guaranteed, that made him the highest-paid defensive player in league history.

49ers running back Jerick McKinnon suffers season-ending knee injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon will miss the entire season after tearing the ACL in his right knee on the final play of practice Saturday.

McKinnon took part in his first day of team drills since injuring his right calf Aug. 9 before going down with a much more significant injury.

“He made a cut on air, no one was around him,” coach Kyle Shanahan said before the MRI determined the severity of the injury. “He went down. It looked awkward.”

The 49ers were counting heavily on McKinnon this season after signing him to a four-year, $30 million contract in free agency. The 49ers now have three healthy running backs on the roster in Matt Breida, Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert.

McKinnon spent four years mostly as a backup in Minnesota. He has rushed for 1,918 yards with an average of 4.0 yards per carry, has 142 catches for 984 yards, and has scored 12 touchdowns.

The injury came hours before the 49ers had to reduce their roster to 53 players. The most notable cuts were defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu, who was signed as a free agent this offseason expected to boost the pass rush; Jonathan Cooper, who was expected to challenge for the starting right guard spot; and 2016 sixth-round pick Pita Taumoepenu.

The moves to cut Attaochu and Taumoepenu come as the Niners are still searching for consistent pass rushers on the outside. San Francisco kept 10 defensive linemen, with seven capable of playing outside, but none is a proven pass rusher.

Attaochu was slowed by injuries in training camp and wasn’t able to show he could solidify that spot despite getting $2.5 million in guaranteed money when he signed his one-year deal this offseason.

“We just didn’t get that many opportunities to correctly evaluate him,” general manager John Lynch said. “As you go into the regular season, dependability in terms of knowing when a guy will be out there is important. We made a tough decision but one we felt like we had to.”

The other players released Saturday were receiver Steven Dunbar Jr.; tight ends Ross Dwelley and Cole Hikutini; defensive backs Antone Exum Jr., Dexter McCoil, Tarvarus McFadden, Emmanuel Moseley and Tyvis Powell; running backs Malcolm Johnson, Jeremy McNichols and Jeff Wilson Jr.; offensive linemen Andrew Lauderdale, Coleman Shelton and Najee Toran; quarterback Nick Mullens; defensive lineman Niles Scott; and linebacker Korey Toomer.

The team also placed defensive lineman Kentavius Street on injured reserve and linebacker Reuben Foster and Victor Bolden Jr. on the suspended list. Foster will miss the first two games and Bolden is out for four games.

The Niners also could still place safety Marcell Harris and offensive lineman Erik Magnuson on injured reserve with the option to bring them back later in the season if they need another roster spot.

Bills trade quarterback McCarron to Raiders

Buffalo’s quarterback competition is now down to two after the Bills traded veteran AJ McCarron to the Oakland Raiders.

The Bills received a fifth-round pick for McCarron.

Buffalo also has released wide receiver Corey Coleman, a 2016 first-round draft pick by Cleveland whom the Bills acquired last month.

The trade leaves second-year pro Nathan Peterman and first-round pick Josh Allen vying for the starting quarterback job in Buffalo. Peterman had a solid preseason for Buffalo, posting the best numbers of the group, while Allen has shown flashes and a strong arm after being drafted seventh overall in April.

McCarron was initially considered the front-runner to land the starting job after signing a two-year contract in March, but struggled with inconsistent play. He also suffered a right shoulder injury in Buffalo’s second preseason game against Cleveland, which hindered his pursuit of the starting job.

McCarron returned to lead the Bills to a late comeback victory at Chicago on Thursday night, though his performance was spotty.

The Bills chose not to hold onto Coleman, who has been a disappointment since the Browns made him the 15th overall selection two years ago. Buffalo traded a seventh-round pick in 2020 for him.

Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley suspended four games

Oakland Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley has been suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse and personal conduct.

The league announced the ban on Saturday before the Raiders had to cut their roster to 53 players. Worley will be eligible to return to the team Oct. 1.

Worley pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, carrying firearms in public in Philadelphia and resisting arrest. The charges stem from an arrest in April that led to Worley’s release by the Eagles.

Worley was a third-round pick by the Panthers in 2016 and had 150 tackles, two sacks, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed in 31 games.

Seahawks trade for a tight end

The Seattle Seahawks have traded wide receiver Marcus Johnson to the Indianapolis Colts for tight end Darrell Daniels.

Johnson was a borderline player to make Seattle’s roster in competition for one of the final wide receiver spots. He had three catches for 44 yards in the preseason. Last year as a rookie with Philadelphia, Johnson appeared in 10 games and had five receptions. He was acquired in the offseason as part of the trade that sent Michael Bennett to Philadelphia.

It will be a return home for Daniels, who played at Washington. Daniels was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent before the 2017 season and appeared in 12 games. Daniels also played occasionally at fullback with the Colts and that versatility could be important for Seattle.

Vikings release 11th-year defensive end Robison, with 60 career sacks

The Minnesota Vikings have released defensive end Brian Robison, their longest-tenured player who’s tied for ninth in team history with 60 career sacks.

Robison was the standout of the players cut by the Vikings before the deadline on Saturday afternoon to reach the 53-man limit for the regular season.

Drafted in the fourth round out of Texas in 2007, he has spent all of his 11 years in the NFL with Minnesota. Six of those seasons were as a full-time starter, but Danielle Hunter moved ahead of him on the depth chart in 2017. The Vikings are as deep on the defensive line as at any position group, with Stephen Weatherly (third year) and Tashawn Bower (second year) performing well as backup defensive ends throughout the preseason.

Cuts

Tennessee right tackle Jack Conklin will start the season on the active roster after the Titans waived 35 players and placed two others on injured reserve to reach the NFL’s 53-man limit. Conklin tore his left ACL on Jan. 13 in a divisional playoff loss in New England, and he spent the preseason on the physically unable to perform list, raising questions about how much of the season he might miss. With the Titans choosing not to place Conklin on the PUP list to start the season, the tackle will be available whenever he’s deemed ready to play instead of sitting out the next six weeks. Veteran Dennis Kelly filled in at right tackle for Conklin through the offseason and preseason, but the starting job is Conklin’s after he was the eighth draft pick overall in 2016 out of Michigan State before having an All-Pro rookie season. Conklin is just the fifth player to start his first 32 games as a draft pick of this franchise since 1999. …

Super Bowl winner, cancer survivor and NFLPA treasurer Mark Herzlich is among the players who have been released by the New York Giants in getting down to the league’s 53-man roster limit. Writing on his Instagram account Saturday, the linebacker said goodbye to New York after seven seasons and signed off with (hash)onceagiantalwaysagiant. The move was made on Herzlich’s 31st birthday. It leaves quarterback Eli Manning and long snapper Zak DeOssie as the remaining players from Super Bowl-winning team after the 2011 season, Herzlich’s rookie season. … The Atlanta Falcons trimmed their roster for the regular season, keeping all six draft picks and three other rookie free agents. Strong performances in the preseason earned offensive lineman Matt Gono, linebacker Richard Dewey Jarvis and defensive lineman Justin Zimmer spots on the 52-player roster announced Saturday.

Carolina waived last year’s third-string quarterback Garrett Gilbert as part of final cuts Saturday. Carolina waived defensive end Deashon Hall, a fourth-round draft pick in 2017. He never played a down for the team. The Panthers also cut quarterback Kyle Allen; running back Reggie Bonnafon; wide receivers Austin Duke and Mose Frazier; tight end Jason Vander Laan; offensive linemen Kyle Friend, Taylor Hearn and Dorian Johnson; defensive linemen Kiante Anderson, Zach Moore and Kendick Norton; defensive backs Cole Luke and Dezman Southward. Carolina waived/injured wide receiver Jamaal Jones and placed running back Elijah Hood, cornerback Kevon Seymour and offensive tackle Jeremiah Sirles on injured reserve. The team acquired offensive tackle Corey Robinson from the Lions in exchange for an undisclosed 2020 draft choice. Robinson has played in 23 games with eight starts in three seasons with Detroit.

The Bengals put quarterback Matt Barkley on injured reserve, leaving Jeff Driskel as the backup to Andy Dalton heading into the season. Barkley hurt his left knee during the Bengals’ preseason finale Thursday night against Indianapolis. Kemoko Turay hit Barkley in the legs after he threw a pass, drawing a roughing-the-passer penalty. Barkley left to get the knee examined and didn’t return. Driskel is a third-year player who broke the thumb on his passing had in the final preseason game last year and sat out the season. He has never appeared in an NFL game. The Bengals also waived seventh-round pick Logan Woodside, who is eligible to be signed to the practice squad if he clears waivers on Sunday. The Bengals also released 10th-year defensive end Michael Johnson as part of their moves to get down to the 53-man limit.

Former starting cornerback Tony Lippett has been waived by the Miami Dolphins after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon. Lippett started 13 games in 2016 but struggled returning from his injury in training camp this year. Also cut Saturday was receiver Leonte Carroo, a third-round pick in 2016 who has only 10 receptions in two seasons. Miami kept two reserve quarterbacks, Brock Osweiler and David Fales. Quarterback Bryce Petty was waived injured. Seventh-round pick Jason Sanders apparently won the battle of rookies for the placekicking job when Miami waived undrafted free agent Greg Joseph. Undrafted rookie Lucas Gravelle was cut, meaning 39-year-old John Denney returns for a 14th season as the team’s long snapper.