Here's a look at some of the top rumors for Thursday, August 20:
Getting three weeks into training camp without hearing a peep from safety Kam Chancellor wasn't a good sign for Seattle Seahawks fans hoping his holdout would end soon. The severity of the situation was confirmed Thursday when Chancellor's agent, Alvin Keels, told ESPN's Josina Anderson, "Nothing has changed. He will not report without his contract being addressed this season." It's now worth wondering whether Chancellor will miss regular-season games, because a resolution seems impossible at the moment. It would be a shock to see the Seahawks redo a contract that still has three years remaining, as it would set a dangerous precedent for a team filled with top-level players. (Remember, Michael Bennett had similar complaints this offseason, just a year into his four-year, $28.5 million pact, but wasn't steadfast enough to hold out.) If Chancellor is as committed as Keels says, Seattle will hope that Dion Bailey or DeShawn Shead can step up at strong safety.
Refusing to renegotiate contracts with multiple years remaining is a common policy around the league, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have followed it for decades. Despite visiting with Drew Rosenhaus -- wide receiver Antonio Brown's agent -- last week, the Steelers appear to be sticking to their guns regarding their wideout. General manager Kevin Colbert told Mark Kaboly of Trib Total Media that the team won't redo Brown's deal, noting that the long-standing policy "is something that we believe in and it works for us, so I don't see it changing." This situation isn't as pressing as Chancellor's because Brown has been present for every practice since missing a week of offseason conditioning. If Brown continues to proceed without a fuss, the Steelers and their offense should be just fine, while the five-year, $42 million extension they signed Brown to three years ago will look even better.
San Francisco 49ers linbacker NaVorro Bowman appears to have moved one step closer to returning to the field for the first time since suffering a gruesome knee injury in January of 2014. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee notes that Bowman practiced Wednesday without a brace on his left knee for the first time since the injury. It's unclear if Bowman will play in Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, or if he'll wear a brace in games, but his willingness to go without one suggests he's close a return. San Francisco would really benefit from Bowman returning to his former self, especially without Patrick Willis or Chris Borland around. However, considering it's been 19 months since the injury and Bowman hasn't yet been cleared to play, expectations must be tempered.
With the Tennessee Titans' recent offensive line shuffling, it's a legitimate question to ask: Will the team release guard Andy Levitre? Byron Bell has moved from right tackle to left guard for the struggling Levitre, and Jeremiah Poutasi has stepped in at right tackle. This comes with four years remaining on the six-year, $46.8 million deal Levitre signed in free agency in March of 2013. Levitre counts $8.6 million against the cap this season, but the Titans would incur a dead money charge of $6.3 million if they release him, making for a savings of just $2.3 million. But considering how disappointing Levitre has been, that's not out of the question. Unless he shows drastic improvement, Levitre will almost certainly be released before next season, when it would save Tennessee $4.6 million against the cap and incur a dead money charge of $4.2 million.
Speaking of guard contracts, the Houston Texans appear to have interest in keeping guard Brandon Brooks, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, around for the future. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes that while "no deal is imminent," the Texans "would ideally like to lock up [Brooks] ... depending on how expensive it gets." Pro Football Focus ranked Brooks 11th among all guards for his performance in 2014, so it will be interesting to see what sort of contract the 2012 third-round pick will seek. A $6 million per year average marks the low end of the 10 highest-paid guards in the league.
After tearing his ACL in the 2014 season finale, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks is "right on schedule," Gus Bradley told Hays Carlton of the Florida Times-Union. The goal is for Marks to return by Week 1 of the regular season, which appears attainable. Marks has quietly become one of the better interior defenders in football, earning the respect of his peers this offseason by ranking 76th in the NFL Top 100. Marks had 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss a year ago.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Marcus Smith looks to have avoided serious injury despite being carted off the field during Thursday's practice. Matt Lombardo of NJ Advanced Media heard via text from Smith that the linebacker suffered a "tweaked hamstring" rather than a season-ending knee injury. The 2014 first-round pick was mostly anonymous as a rookie, but seems to have had a better camp in his second season.