A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee is accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise over a four-year period by manipulating its virtual credit card program, according to documents filed this week in U.S. District Court.

Amit Patel, who worked on the business side, was charged with wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction by the United States Attorney's Office.

The Jaguars were not named in the court filing, but the team confirmed it is the entity identified as "Business A" and said in a statement that it had fired Patel earlier this year.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was arrested on misdemeanor charges of simple battery and criminal mischief around 7 p.m. Friday night, according to Kenner police. Thomas was cooperative and booked without incident.

He was released from lockup around 10 p.m., according to the police.

The NFL has threatened to hand down significant punishment to any players or teams involved in fights before or during games.

In a memo obtained Sunday by ESPN, the NFL told teams that fighting "is irreconcilable" with the league's values and "is never acceptable." The memo, sent Wednesday to top executives and head coaches of all 32 teams, also reiterated the league's warmup rules and outlined potential discipline.

Any players or club personnel who fight before or during a game are subject to ejection, suspension and/or "significant fine," according to the memo.

Roger Goodell has signed a three-year extension to remain as commissioner of the NFL through March 2027. Goodell's current deal was set to expire in March 2024.

Goodell has steered the league through a period of explosive expansion, nearly tripling revenue to about $20 billion a year. 

Goodell was paid almost $64 million in 19-20 and 20-21 after he secured a new labor agreement and broadcasting rights contracts. 

Rob Golum of Bloomberg News reports that YouTubeTV has had “an estimated 1.3 million signups” for NFL Sunday Ticket.

That exceeds by 100,000 the 1.2 million who had Sunday Ticket under DirecTV.

Based on the money Google paid for the Sunday Ticket package, 4.5 million subscribers would be needed just to break even.

YouTube is reportedly paying about $2 billion per year over seven years.

The approval process from the NFL for Tom Brady's proposed deal to purchase a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders has stalled as there are concerns about the discounted price. 

The deal would be unlikely to be ratified at the proposed price, which is up to a 70 percent discount. Brady is purchasing a stake in the Raiders between five and 10 percent.

There is strong sentiment within the finance committee that the deal “can’t happen at that price” and will not be approved without modifications.

The Raiders are worth an estimated $6.2 billion, according to Forbes’s NFL team valuations released in August. 

Forbes estimated in February that Brady earned more than $530 million from playing contracts and off-field business ventures during his 23 NFL seasons. 

The NFL is modifying the league's gambling policies that will punish players more harshly for betting on their own teams while also amending rules that will allow some players, including Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, to return to the field quicker.

Under the new policy, as disclosed in a memo from commissioner Roger Goodell that was obtained by ESPN on Friday, a player who places a bet involving his own team will be suspended at least two years. Bets placed by players on any NFL game will result in at least a one-year suspension.

Betting on non-NFL sports while at a team facility or on team-related travel will now result in a two-game suspension for a first violation, six games for a second violation and at least one year for a third.

The Las Vegas Raiders officially released defensive end Chandler Jones on Saturday.

Jones was arrested Friday in Las Vegas after a turbulent week that included multiple posts to social media. He was arrested after allegedly violating a domestic violence temporary protective order.

The Raiders said in a statement Friday they were "hopeful that Chandler Jones receives the care that he needs. He, his family, and all those involved are in our thoughts."

Alan Williams resigned as Chicago Bears defensive coordinator last week in part because of inappropriate activity, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Williams was not involved in any criminal activity, sources told Schefter, but the Bears' human resources department was part of the process that culminated in his abrupt resignation Wednesday.

A digital forensic search was conducted as part of Williams' resignation, according to sources, who added that such a process was part of the team's standard operating procedure.

Since 2011, total pay for NFL running backs and fullbacks has increased by just 11 percent compared to at least 90 percent for every other offensive position.

Last season, among the N.F.L.’s 32 teams, the 32 highest-paid running backs made an average of $5 million.

In 2013, running backs were typically the sixth-highest-paid position of what could be considered the 11 offensive starters. Now they are the eighth. Last season, on 17 of 32 teams the second-highest-paid wide receiver was paid more than the highest-paid running back.

Since 2000, only 24 percent of starting N.F.L. running backs were still starting four years later, lower than 33 percent for wide receivers and 47 percent for quarterbacks.