Will a mysterious absence distract the Bears from the first ever NFL game played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
We dive into the latest news regarding Roquan Smith and other headlines from around the league in this edition of NFL news and notes.
Three things that matter
Roquan Smith remains away from team
The star linebacker was listed as a surprise inactive just before Sunday’s win over the Vikings for a "personal issue," and it was rumored he had not been acting like himself around the team facilities in recent days. Bears coach Matt Nagy declined to provide any new details on the situation Monday.
"He's completely a personal issue," he told reporters. "It's for us something that we're going to leave at that right now."
When pushed for more information on Smith's status and availability for Sunday, Nagy stood firm.
"Personal issue," he repeated. "I'm just going to say it was a personal issue. I'm not getting into anything else until... I'm just going to completely keep it at that."
Panthers place Kawann Short on season-ending IR
The team announced the All-Pro defensive lineman has a partially torn rotator cuff that initially was suffered in the team's Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. Short has spent the last two games on the sidelines, and will be staying put the rest of the year.
"KK has done everything he could possibly do to try to play these past two games," general manager Marty Hurney said, "but we have made the decision that it is in the best long-term interest of KK and the team that he undergo surgery to fix his shoulder and focus on his rehab and get ready for next season."
It's another huge loss for the Panthers, who are already without quarterback Cam Newton, though Kyle Allen has gone 2-0 in his two starts this season, so Carolina has been able to stay afloat in his absence.
Cowboys get 'best news' for Tyron Smith's ankle
The Pro Bowl left tackle suffered a right ankle injury in Sunday's loss to the Saints and needed to be carted off the sideline. While Jerry Jones said it's "unlikely" Smith plays this week against the Packers, the Cowboys owner is optimistic he won't be missing in action long.
"We got the best news we could possibly get," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "We couldn't have asked for better news. Looking forward to having him back out there quick."
Two things that don't matter
Khalil Mack hoped to be a Raider for life
The Bears linebacker thought he found his home in Oakland after the Raiders drafted him fifth overall in 2014, but a blockbuster trade last September changed that. Now, Mack is gearing up to face his former team for the first time since he was dealt.
"That's the expectation when you get drafted to a team: You want to be there for the long haul and bring championships and all those good things," Mack said, per ESPN. "It's the business side of it that doesn't really let you do that.
"It's another game, man. It's going to be a fun one because I know a few of the guys out there. But it's going to be a good one. Can't wait."
Miami vendor charged fan $724 for two beers
Overpriced refreshments at stadiums are a joke, but this fan wasn't laughing when his bank alerted him of the fraudulent transaction after his credit card was scanned to a personal card reader.
Nathaniel Collier was arrested and will face two felony charges for his alleged scam at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium during Sunday's Dolphins-Chargers game, including third-degree grand theft and possession of a skimming device.
Fortunately the fan received a refund, and Collier was fired by the independent contractor that hired him.
One video you have to see
The Rams offered fans a glimpse at the progress made on their new stadium.
"This could only happen here in Los Angeles."
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 1, 2019
Our future home is coming along! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Y0E1WEDG6G
Tuesday's tweet of the day
Could Dez Bryant swoop in to save one of the six remaining teams still in search of a win?
I plan on it.. https://t.co/XpMCms4zxy
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) October 1, 2019