The Pittsburgh Steelers made several notable upgrades to their offense. At the beginning of the offseason, they traded for wide receiver Michael Pittman and signed running back Rico Dowdle. In the 2026 NFL Draft, they added wide receiver Germie Bernard after trading up for him.

Despite the additions, there are those who remain skeptical about Pittsburgh. One of those skeptics is Bill Barnwell of ESPN, who ranks Pittsburgh’s group of skill position players as the No. 21 unit in the NFL.

“Another offseason brought another trade for an expensive wide receiver by an organization that had developed a reputation for finding its own in the middle rounds of the draft,” Barnwell writes. “Michael Pittman Jr. is a good fit for what Aaron Rodgers wants to do (get the ball out quickly for short completions) but a bad fit for what the Steelers need (a wide receiver who can stretch teams downfield). Second-round pick Germie Bernard should be an upgrade on Calvin Austin III, and it’s fair to pin the problems creating big plays on the quarterback and his desire to stay clean, but the Steelers need to find a way to create explosive plays in 2026.”

Barnwell adds that the inconsistency of DK Metcalf is a large reason why the Steelers are so low on the list.

“[Metcalf] had games when that seemed possible in 2025, but it was a boom-or-bust season,” Barnwell writes. “He had four games with 85 receiving yards or more, and he didn’t top 55 yards in any of his other 12 contests.”

Barnwell acknowledges that there are good players in the offense, but the Steelers need Metcalf to become the Pro Bowl talent he was early on in his career.

“There are fun players around the receivers,” Barnwell writes. “Jaylen Warren has been able to handle almost exactly half of a running back rotation reasonably well. Rico Dowdle was prime Marshawn Lynch for a couple of weeks last season. Darnell Washington is one of the least fun players to tackle on the planet. Pat Freiermuth can go missing for stretches, but he’s also still capable enough to produce big games, like the 111-yard, two-score performance he put together in the shootout against the Bengals last season. There are no bad players here, but they could really use a vintage season from Metcalf.”

The aforementioned additions should open things up for Metcalf, rather than allow defenses to make him their sole focus. Should Pittman, Bernard, and the run game all prove to be the high-quality additions many believe them to be, Pittsburgh’s offense very well could surprise many in 2026.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

• NFL analyst tabs Steelers’ Mike McCarthy as NFL Coach of the Year candidate
• C.J. Stroud emerges as Steelers 2027 QB option
• Steelers sign versatile defensive back to one-year deal
• Steelers named landing spot for All-Pro WR Stefon Diggs
• Steelers unable to draft QB Brendan Sorsby, per NFL ruling

Check out BChuk44’s All Bears Historical Fantasy Team – it doesn’t get better than the best.

My strategy was simple in this exercise. Much like the GMs and their salary expenditure across the league today, I focused my attention on QB and rushing the QB.

Everybody knows that Quarterback is not just the most important position in football, but in all of sport. Once I knew I didn’t have a chance on the greatest football player of all time in Sweetness, I pivoted to the QB position and with the quality of QBs pretty dismal for this franchise, securing Caleb Williams was critical.

Apparently there are still some out there who have yet to be convinced that Iceman is the best QB in franchise history, but not me.

My focus then shifted to getting after the passer and 3 of my next 4 picks were top-tier pass rushers in Julius Peppers, Steve McMichael and Montez Sweat. Having three pass rushers with a proven track record of notching double-digit sacks in a single season was a priority as I am a firm believer in Richard Dent’s “Rule of Three.”

The other of those 4 picks was one of the top RTs in franchise history in Darnell Wright. Though Wright only has one 2nd team All-Pro to his name so far, his advanced blocking metrics have been elite for a couple seasons now for a RT.

The rest of my draft was loaded with playmakers at each level. Some were better than most we’ve ever seen at their positions. And some were simply the best.

Offense

Quarterback: Caleb Williams

Does it get better in franchise history than “The Iceman?” I think not. From his clutch factor to uncanny arm ability and vastly underrated athleticism. Caleb gives his team a chance no matter who is lined up with him or against him. Caleb is the foundation of the Blue Ridge Better Bests.

Running Back: Thomas Jones

Speaking of clutch, in the playoffs (including Super Bowl) as a Bear, Thomas Jones had 55 carries for 301 yards and 4 TDs for a 5.47 yard per carry average. Not only did he lead the team in rushing in each of his three years with the team, but Thomas Jones stepped up in the biggest moments and goes down as one of the more underrated backs in Bears history.

Wide Receivers: Tom Waddle / Rome Odunze

Size, effort, toughness and production with this group. “No block, no rock” was innately part of the job description when Waddle played, much like “Catch the rock.” Boasting a career catch rate of 62.2%, Waddle simply got his job done and helped move the chains as a dependable target for his QB. Meanwhile, before his injury last season, Rome was leading the entire league with 5 TD catches in the first 4 games. Both players play a physical brand of ball at WR in both run and passing game and will compliment each other nicely.

Tight End: Colston Loveland

Though he was the second TE taken in this draft behind only Mike Ditka, Loveland is ahead of every TE in NFL history when it comes to most receiving yards in playoff history as a rookie. Not only does Caleb trust him in the biggest moments (like this walk-off 58 yard TD against Bengals above) but the rookie has endeared himself to head coach Ben Johnson as well, with his effort and technique as a blocker, route running and dependable hands. Loveland is a matchup nightmare for any defense, regardless of era.

Utility: Justin Fields, QB/WR/RB/KR

What Fields vs. Caleb debate?! On this team, but freaks of nature are on the same team! In the 2025 season, Bears QB Caleb Williams recorded 4 of the top 5 fastest speeds by a QB including a top speed of 21.01 mph. In the 2022 season, Justin Fields went over 20mph on NINE separate occasions, second only to Tyreek Hill, with a top speed of 21.23 mph. Get these two Bears on the field at the same time and prepare for fireworks. I would also use Fields as my second kick returner where he will be another lethal weapon in the 3rd phase.

Offensive Line: Bill Wightkin, Joe Kopcha, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright

Left Tackle: Bill Wightkin – a dual threat athlete who settled into the LT role for his final four seasons in Chicago and became a 1st Team All-Pro. He will be tasked with protecting Caleb’s blindside.

Left Guard: Joe Kopcha – He may not be Joe Thuney, but Dr. Joe Kopcha is closer than you may think with his three First Team All-Pro’s and one 2nd Team All-Pro seasons. Spoiler: Thuney played nearly twice as many years and only has one more 2nd Team All-Pro’s under his belt.

Center: Drew Dalman – In his lone year as a Chicago Bear, Drew Dalman was a Pro-Bowler and one of the top run-blocking centers in the entire league. Caleb calls him Hulk. And Hulk doesn’t retire in this scenario.

Right Guard: Jonah Jackson – a dependable mauler at the position, Jackson started all 17 games in his first season in Chicago and was one of the top guards in the league, solidifying Chicago’s elite, new-look OL.

Right Tackle: Darnell Wright – the former top 10 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Darnell Wright has continued to ascend each season, quietly becoming one of the leagues absolute best RTs. Wright enjoyed a 2nd Team All-Pro season in 2025 and has been called “a unicorn” by his head coach, Ben Johnson for his ability to do so many things as an OL to help the offense.

Defense

Defensive Ends: Julius Peppers / Montez Sweat

Setting the edge for this 4-3 defense will be perennial All-Pro Julius Peppers and Pro-Bowler Montez Sweat. With Peppers at 6’7″, 295 and Sweat at 6’6″, 270, these Twin Towers not only effectively set the edge in the run game, but both have proven throughout their time as Bears that they can notch double digit sacks despite never having someone as capable opposite them on the DL. Everyone knows Peppers was a freak of nature coming out as a dual-sport athlete from North Carolina, but Sweat was somehow freakier. Good luck blocking these guys.

Defensive Tackle: Steve McMichael / Chris Zorich

When he started at least half of the games in a season, Mongo averaged 8.6 sacks per year. From the defensive tackle spot. His 95 career sacks are the third most in NFL history by a DT. And what’s craziest is how his run defense might have been his strongest suit! Pairing with him is the former 2nd rounder out of Notre Dame, Chris Zorich. Did you know that Zorich recorded 121 tackles during the 1993 season? More than the leading LB on the team Joe Cain that season. Mongo only topped 100 tackles once in his entire career – something All-World DT Aaron Donald never accomplished. Zorich’s energy and tenacity will pair nicely with all the pass rushers around him on this loaded defense.

Linebackers: Otis Wilson / Doug Buffone

These two studs have more in common than their number and affinity for tape on their wrists. Both players were big play enforcers with the ability to both rush the passer and defend in coverage. Otis Wilson had 38 sacks in his eight seasons in Chicago including 10.5 in his Pro Bowl and All-Pro 1985 season where he also had 3 INT including one pick-six. Buffone, meanwhile, tallied 24 career INTs, which is 2 more than Brian Urlacher ever did – for reference. Buffone also notched 15 sacks as a Bear. Bottom line: think twice about passing on these LBs.

Safeties: Gary Fencik / Chris Harris

At Safety, the Blue Ridge Better Best’s boast two “Hitmen.” Did you know both players were dubbed “Hitman” during their careers, despite playing 30 years apart? Fencik and Harris were both heady defenders who understood the assignment of everyone around them and used their elite awareness to put themselves in position for a game-changing INT or bone-crushing tackle. Fencik was a two-time All-Pro while Harris was a one time All-Pro, but both players held down the back-end in the Super Bowl for their teams. Fun Fact: Known for his hitting, Chris Harris actually had 1o INT in his three seasons in Chicago.

Cornerback: Tim Jennings / Nahshon Wright

Ball skills is the name of the game for BRBB at the CB spot. The speedy 5’8″ Jennings led the league in 2012 with 9 INT during his All-Pro season while Nahshon Wright led the team with 8 turnovers (5 INT, 3 FR) in his lone season as a Bear where he also made the Pro Bowl. While Wright doesn’t have the speed or quickness of Jennings, his 6’4″ frame allows these two to match up nicely against opposing WRs with CBs that possess elite ball-skills and toughness.

Defensive Utility: Kyler Gordon

Considering this exercise is assuming full health, nabbing the versatile ‘Spidey’ was crucial for me. Not only can Kyler help immediately in the passing game, but his size and toughness are key in the run game. Kyler will be a chess piece for the BRBB’s.

Special Teams

Kicker: Jake Moody / Punter: Todd Sauerbrun

Moody finally showed his 3rd round talent when he arrived in Chicago where he hit 88.9% of his FGs and 100% of his extra points. His power and consistency led many a Bears fan to debate if the younger Moody should supplant Cairo Santos as the lone kicker on the roster. Sauerbrun, meanwhile, was another highly drafted special teamer (2nd round) and at 5’10”, 215lb could double as backup RB for the BRBB’s.

Special Teamer: Cordarrelle Patterson

Not only is “Flash” an elite returner, he was also an elite cover asset on kicking teams and I will leave you with this.

Assets all over the field on both sides of the ball. Those other teams are definitely good. But not quite at the level of the Blue Ridge Better Bests.

You can check out our full draft here.

Once all eight teams are announced, we’ll hold a tournament and ask you, the WCG readers, to pick the winner.

Over the next few months, we’ll be breaking down all undrafted free agents signed by the Jets. We continue today with former Hawaii and Incarnate Word wide receiver Jalen Walthall.

The 23-year old Walthall is listed at 6’0” and 191 pounds and was initially an undrafted free agent signing for the Texans. The Jets picked him up earlier this month when he was released by them. After catching 37 passes in two years at Hawaii, Walthall transferred to Incarnate Word and posted almost 1,300 receiving yards with 14 touchdowns in 2024, but his production was down last season.

Background

Walthall was a three-star high school recruit who headed to Hawaii and redshirted the 2021 season. He had a promising redshirt freshman season with 27 receptions for 333 yards and a touchdown, but announced he would be transferring five games into his second season. At the time, he had just 10 catches for 127 yards despite starting three times.

He went on to transfer to Incarnate Word and had a breakout campaign with them at the FCS level in 2024. He had 85 catches for 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns. This saw him named as a first-team FCS all-American and the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2025, Walthall was a little banged up, and his production dipped but he was still good enough to earn first team all-Southland Conference honors for the second straight season as he had 70 receptions for 847 yards and eight touchdowns. That production also came in four fewer games.

Walthall was invited to the scouting combine and regarded as one of the top small-school receivers in the draft but did not get selected and Houston picked him up as an undrafted free agent. The Jets acquired Walthall when he was released by the Texans in early June.

Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Walthall brings to the table, based on in-depth research and film study.

Measurables/Athleticism

Walthall has average size and could probably do with bulking up a little for the NFL. As noted, he was invited to the combine where he ran a slightly disappointing 4.57 in the 40-yard dash but posted an excellent 131-inch broad jump.

At his pro day, he failed to improve on his 40-yard dash but did increase his vertical jump from 35 inches to 38.5. He also did the agility drills, posting modest numbers, but did not participate in the bench press.

Usage

In college, Walthall played primarily on the outside with less than 10 percent of his snaps coming in the slot. He also carried four times for 50 yards in his career, with a longest run of 30 yards. All of those carries came last season with three in his final game.

Deep threat

Walthall definitely established himself as someone who could get behind the defense with his burst and acceleration at the FCS level. In 2024 alone, he had almost 500 yards on passes more than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage with nine touchdowns, and he impresses with his ability to routinely track and locate the ball faster than the man covering him.

However, his record on deep plays at Hawaii was less than stellar with just three catches for 85 yards and a touchdown on 16 downfield attempts.

Hands

Walthall’s catch rate was barely 50 percent at Hawaii, although this is impacted by the lack of success on downfield throws noted above. He also didn’t get many high percentage short passes.

His efficiency improved at Incarnate Word with a catch rate of 65 percent and a reduction in drops from six in two seasons at Hawaii to just three in two seasons at UIW.

You may seem him juggle or bobble catches at times, but he absolutely has the ability to make some highlight reel plays.

He also displays the ability to go up and get it athletically on jump balls and fade routes.

Some scouting reports indicate that his hand strength at the catch-point can be lacking. However, this may just be largely based on one play against Villanova where he almost came down with a jump ball but the defender ripped it out at the last minute which was almost an amazing play rather than being a sign of weakness.

Routes

What you will often see with FCS receiver prospects, especially those who saw a dramatic increase in production after dropping a level, is that it can be attributed to them having have a size or speed advantage more often than they used to. This can mean that they don’t need to be as detailed-oriented to get separation because they can rely on those athletic advantages.

In Walthall’s case you can see some good route-running fundamentals and the hope would be that he didn’t become complacent and start picking up bad habits because he was finding it easy to produce at that lower level.

Some scouting reports have indicated that he struggles to get off press coverage but Walthall himself scoffed at this assertion on social media, wondering aloud if the people saying that had watched any of his film. For what it’s worth, we do often notice certain draft analysts who very clearly pick up on one negative play from a player and automatically list that as a negative even when it may be a one-off.

At practices for the East-West Shrine Bowl, he at least showed some good hand usage and an ability to separate when a defensive back gets his hands on him, so he may indeed be much better than advertised at that.

Red zone

Walthall had 22 touchdowns in the past two seasons after having had just two at Hawaii, but the majority of these came from outside the red zone. However, he did still have several scores from close to the goal line as well.

After the catch

Walthall was extremely productive after the catch at Incarnate Word. He was fourth in the FCS in terms of total yards after the catch in 2024 with the only FBS receiver to log more yardage after the catch being one of Walthall’s new teammates with the Jets: Jamaal Pritchett.

He wasn’t used in the screen game much at Hawaii but averaged 10 yards on 27 catches behind the line with two touchdowns in his first season at Incarnate Word. He was considerably less productive on screens last year but did have another touchdown on one.

He had three fumbles during his college career.

Run Blocking

Walthall didn’t make much of an impression as a blocker in college with many scouting reports listing it as a weakness. His grades on analysis sites such as Pro Football Focus tended to be average. However, you can see some flashes of him displaying good effort and getting after it.

Physicality

Walthall’s record on contested catches isn’t too bad, especially considering he doesn’t have outstanding size.

As noted some scouts consider that he can be slowed down by press coverage but Walthall disputes that.

Special Teams

Walthall didn’t play much on special teams during his college career, but there may be some untapped potential here. He played 10 snaps as a gunner in 2023 and had two nice tackles.

Instincts and Intelligence

Walthall tracks and adjusts to the ball well while it is in the air and is considered to have a solid football IQ, often reading the coverage prior to the snap and adjusting accordingly having played in an option-heavy offense.

One area where Walthall’s football IQ shows up is in his ability to improvise and get to an open area when his quarterback extends the play, which was something IUW’s starter had a knack for. He also displays good vision as a ball carrier.

He had a handful of pre-snap penalties during his career.

Attitude

Walthall wasn’t a team captain at IUW but the coaching staff praised him for helping to foster a focused, team-first culture. He gives great effort in practice, the weight room and in film preparation and constantly does everything at full speed. He is also an advocate for the 24-hour rule in terms of putting mistakes or disappointments behind you.

The reason he decided to leave the Hawaii program in the middle of his second season is that he wanted to be closer to home and get more playing time, so that’s not necessarily troubling.

One possible negative is that his on-field discipline hasn’t been great with 14 offensive penalties over the past two seasons, including a handful of unsportsmanlike penalties.

To be fair, one of those penalties was for a headstand celebration that went viral and inspired a couple of NFL players to emulate it the next day, so that one was probably worth it.

Injuries

Walthall doesn’t have any injuries listed during his career and doesn’t seem to have missed any significant time due to injury, but it was reported that he dealt with nagging injuries in 2025, which is one reason why his production slipped.

Scheme Fit

Walthall has played in a relatively complex offense so hopefully the jump from FCS to NFL won’t be too demanding for him. However, one question might be whether he would remain in the mix on the outside. He is a similar size to both Omar Cooper and Garrett Wilson, so they could be who he backs up – and both will be expected to play more in the slot than Walthall has in the past so that might require an adjustment from him.

During his redshirt season at Hawaii, Walthall was a teammate of current Jets offensive lineman Kohl Levao.

Conclusions

Walthall was one of the last players brought in during the offseason program, which might work to his benefit if it means the team wants to see more.

He’s also at the bottom end of the depth chart at a position where, once again, this can be beneficial because it probably means you’re going to get some legitimate playing time in preseason.

Walthall may need to refine a few things if he’s going to be able to produce against NFL-level talent but if he is as competitive as advertised, he should bring a good effort to the battle for opportunities and he does flash the kind of playmaking ability that could enable him to make a splash in preseason.

He’ll be gunning for a practice squad spot and a chance to remain in the system for a year so he can benefit from NFL coaching and conditioning.

Just a little over a month stands between the Dallas Cowboys and the start of 2026 training camp. Dallas officially reports to Oxnard on July 28th, with the first training camp practice taking place on the 29th.

The Cowboys’ roster looks significantly different from what it did at this time last year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With that thought in mind, today we continue our series ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys roster for the 2026 season.

3) Quinnen Williams 

Age: 28

Years Pro: 7 

NFL Awards: 4x Pro Bowl (2022/2023/2024/2025) 1x All-Pro (2022/ 1st Team)

2025 Recap: Quinnen Williams started the 2025 campaign doing what he had done throughout the course of his seven-year NFL career, producing like a star on a bad team. Williams, who was selected with the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, had become the Jets’ best defensive player (along with Sauce Gardner) over the course of the last four seasons.

The 28-year-old was a bright spot for a Jets franchise that had very few of them over the past decade. Despite his continued dominance, with the Jets’ lack of team success, trade rumors had surrounded the star defensive tackle for a few seasons. 

After a 1-7 start to the regular season, the Jets finally pulled the trigger on a Williams trade. New York agreed to send the defensive tackle to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. 

While the bold move to acquire Williams did not result in a playoff appearance for the Cowboys, the former first-round pick was every bit as good as advertised during his first stint in Dallas. In seven games as a Cowboy, Williams recorded 32 total pressures and 23 QB hurries to go with an 88.8 run defense grade as well as an 89.6 overall defensive grade. 

The cost to acquire Williams was steep, but he played like the clear difference-maker Dallas believed he could be when they sacrificed premium draft capital to bring him in.

2026 Preview: Heading into year two, expectations are sky high for the veteran defensive tackle. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker has raved about Williams’ potential to be the anchor of his defense, and the 28-year-old seems to be a perfect fit in Parker’s scheme. 

Williams’ ability to serve as a true interior disruptor in the passing game, as well as being an outstanding run defender, should help him excel in the new-look Cowboys’ odd-front defense. With Osa Odighizuwa shipped off to San Francisco, Dallas is placing plenty of trust in Williams and Kenny Clark to be the two anchors of their defensive interior. 

There should be no doubt that Williams is up to the challenge. Even with one of the worst defenses in Cowboys’ history around him, the tape Williams put on display last season was superstar stuff. With better coaching and more talent around him, there is true All-Pro potential for the 28-year-old in his second year as a Cowboy.

Prediction: Quinnen Williams has a dominant season, making the second All-Pro Team of his career. 

Seattle Seahawks star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba hasn’t had the best luck with awards this offseason.

From the incident at the NFL award show to the league accidentally donning him the Defensive Player of the Year, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year may want to do with any hardware not named the Lombardi Trophy. Despite the turmoil, the universe will get one more chance to redeem itself at the ESPYs, ESPN’s annual award show, where Smith-Njigba is nominated for the “Best NFL Player Award.”

The nomination should come as no surprise, considering Smith-Njiba’s 2025 season was as good as we’ve ever seen from a Seahawks wide receiver. JSN’s 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns propelled Seattle to its second Super Bowl victory in franchise history, shattering the team’s record for catches in a single season.

Smith-Njigba is one of four nominees for the award, joined by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, new Ram Myles Garrett, and the Super Bowl runner-up quarterback Drake Maye.

The Seahawks as a whole are also up for the “Best Team Award,” putting their resume up against the champions from every major sports league and various collegiate champions. Seattle’s 2025 championship run included a 14-3 season, where they won the NFC West before running the table against two division rivals in the playoffs and getting their revenge against the New England Patriots in the biggest game of them all.

NFL teams have taken home three of the last five Best Team Awards, including the most recent, which went to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Seahawks are set to line up against some spectacular stories, including the Indiana Hoosiers’ college football title, and have to overcome the East Coast bias toward the New York Knicks if they want to win the award.

While I doubt the Seahawks are putting much stake in the outcome, it’s always fun for fans to have another night to brag. The ESPYs will take place on July 15 and be hosted by Saturday Night Live star Marcello Hernandez.

The Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver group has been a big subject this offseason. John Spytek was expected to make plenty of moves to help add more depth and explosiveness on the outside.

It started with the team signing Jalen Nailor from the Minnesota Vikings. The next step was the draft, where they surprised fans and the media by only taking one WR. That WR is Malik Benson Jr out of Oregon, who led the team in receiving yards in 2025.

In a column this week by ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. He gave props to the young wide receiver for his performance during OTAs.

[Benson] showcased that ability throughout OTAs and minicamp. He and quarterback Fernando Mendoza developed a strong connection during practices. Benson was Mendoza’s go-to target during team drills, especially in the middle of the field. The competition at wide receiver is pretty much wide open, meaning Benson has a chance to create a role for himself in Year 1 if his production continues during training camp

It is a great sign for the Raiders’ sixth-round pick, who is making his presence known early in the offseason. Training camp will be a huge opportunity for Benson to find a role to contribute to the Raiders football team.

In other Raiders links:

• Inside linebacker Segun Olubi’s winding, resilient road to Raiders: Las Vegas Review-Journal has the scoop on the journey of Raiders linebacker Segun Olubi.
• Raiders’ Kirk Cousins sounds off on grass vs. artificial turf debate: Raiders QB Kirk Cousins gives his thoughts on the battle of grass vs. artificial turf.
• Notre Dame Staff Member Jourdan Blake Leaves Fighting Irish for NFL: Jourdan Blake has left Notre Dame to become a player personnel assistant in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders.
  
  

Running back Blake Corum was one of the biggest breakout performers for the Los Angeles Rams last season. After posting a paltry 207 yards and no touchdowns on the ground as a rookie, Corum took on a much larger share of the running back workload in 2025, rushing for 746 yards on 5.1 yards per carry with six touchdowns. He became yet another legitimate weapon for one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL.

How much more can he produce in 2026?

Rams beat writer Nate Atkins of The Athletic posted a piece late this past week about potential breakout candidates in L.A. this coming season, and Corum was the second name on his list (after tight end Terrance Ferguson). Atkins said that while Kyren Williams will still likely be the Rams’ third-down back, he thinks the rushing attempts splits will be closer to even, and had a bold thought about Corum’s ceiling in 2026.

“If he can stay healthy, Corum could push for his first 1,000-yard rushing season this year, even with Williams’ presence,” Atkins wrote.

If the former third-round pick out of Michigan could crack the 1,000-yard threshold it would obviously be a huge boon for the Rams offense. At the same time, it would mean that either Los Angeles is making history or a trend is getting bucked.

If Corum is to pass 1,00 yards, that likely means a significant drop-off for Williams, who isn’t a perfect player and isn’t always the most popular in the Rams fan ecosystem, but he’s been consistently productive during his NFL career. He has at least 1,100 yards rushing three straight years and over 1,200 in the last two. He’s a scoring machine, with 10+ touchdowns in three consecutive seasons. And while he has his flaws, his under-the-hood advanced numbers grade him favorably as well. He ranked 23rd out of 49 qualified rushers in Rush Yards Over Expected per Attempt last season, and ranked 11th in rushing EPA, all according to NFL Pro/NextGenStats.

Of course, Corum is something of an analytical darling himself, finishing last season 10th in RYOE/attempt and second in rushing EPA, so it’s not a huge leap to think he can be even more productive with more snaps and a heavier workload.

It’s also, frankly, hard to see a scenario in which both Corum and Williams rush for over 1,000 yards, especially considering the other weapons on this offense and the fact that as long as you have Matthew Stafford playing a high level you still want to let him throw it plenty.

There have only been two 1,000-yard rushers on the same team seven times in NFL history. The last time was when Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram did it for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, and the last time it was two running backs pairing for the feat was the duo of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams for the 2009 Carolina Panthers. That team’s quarterback play was split between Jake Delhomme, who had eight touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 11 games, and Matt Moore, who started the other five games and also had eight touchdowns (although only threw two picks). Not quite the firepower of the 2026 Rams.

Total yards is an imperfect stat for plenty of reasons, and it’s probably not be the best way to evaluate a player’s true impact or importance, even if that huge, round number still feels like a big deal. But there are plenty of other ways to evaluate Corum’s potential impact. Can he post similar advanced metrics to last season again? Can he earn a true 50-50 snap share with Williams, or even surpass it?

If Corum can do any of that, it’s a win for the Rams’ development system and it’s a win for the offense this year in general. We’ve already seen him be an impact player; now it’s time to find out if he can be a featured one on maybe the best offenses in the league.

The Daily Slop

Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!

Commanders links

Articles

CBS Sports

Ranking the top 10 NFL offseasons

8. Washington Commanders

General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn microwaved their initial roster with veterans such as Bobby Wagner, Dorance Armstrong, Austin Ekeler and others, but the team is transitioning.

The defensive front was a point of emphasis as the team brought in Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Leo Chenal, first-round pick Sonny Styles, fifth-round pick Joshua Josephs and others.

Cornerback Amik Robertson and safety Nick Cross were good additions to the secondary. Third-round wide receiver Antonio Williams and tight end Chig Okonkwo should be immediate impact performers in the pass game.

Sports Illustrated

These NFL Rookies Hit the Jackpot by Landing in Perfect Situations

Sonny Styles, LB, Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders haven’t re-signed future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner this offseason. They essentially replaced him by drafting Sonny Styles at No. 7 overall. If Styles is about to play the Wagner role in a Dan Quinn-coached defense, then he should be the overwhelming favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Commanders.com

Commanders 2026 opponent breakdown | Seattle Seahawks

Key questions

• What does the run game look like without Kenneth Walker? The Seahawks’ run game wasn’t a top 10 group in 2025, but it did help keep the offense moving, particularly in the second half of the season and the playoffs. They rushed for at least 100 yards in eight of their last nine regular season games and 391 total yards in the postseason. Most of their playoff success came from Walker, who rushed for 313 yards in three games, including 135 in the Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. The performance earned him a Super Bowl MVP, and it quickly became clear that Walker was moving on in the offseason. The Seahawks appear poised to give more responsibility to Charbonnet, who led the team in rushing touchdowns, but they also want to keep a committee approach with the additions of Pierce and Wilson. Defensive teams tend to run the ball more, and that was the case with the Seahawks, who ranked fourth in total rushing attempts. However, they clearly want to get more explosive on the ground and believe the trio of Charbonnet, Pierce and Wilson can achieve that.
• Can the defense remain elite? The Seahawks had one of the most suffocating defenses in the league last year under head coach Mike Macdonald. Though some areas were better than others, they were solid at every level and allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL. Nick Emmanwori was a game-changer at safety, and veterans like Demarcus Lawrence and Williams helped invigorate the team’s pass-rush. There are several foundational pieces still on the roster, but like every Super Bowl team, their overall personnel will look drastically different in the upcoming season. Boye Mafe is gone, as is cornerback Riq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant. The Seahawks are banking on newcomers like Igbinoghene, Jobe and Bell to help maintain the high standards the unit set in 2025. Defensive performances don’t always carry over year to year, but the Seahawks have done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt.

Bleacher Report

Buying or Selling Fantasy Football’s Riskiest Picks in 2026

Jayden Daniels – ADP: QB4, 66th Overall

Jayden Daniels’ first two seasons have been polar opposites. The first was outstanding—over 3,500 passing yards, 25 passing scores, the second-most rushing yards among quarterbacks in the league (891) and top-five fantasy numbers.

Last year, however, was far different. Daniels’ per-game passing numbers fell precipitously just about across the board and Daniels played in just seven games due to knee and elbow injuries.

As SI’s Jeff Salcedo wrote, injuries aren’t the only concern with Daniels in 2026.

“Injuries don’t tell the whole story for Daniels as a sophomore slump and a new offensive coordinator may put Daniels in another potential bust season heading into the 2026 season,” he said. “Compared to other fantasy quarterbacks who played a minimum of seven games, Daniels ranked 17th with 16.8 FPPG, a far cry from his 21.5 FPPG performance in his rookie campaign. Daniels will also be with a new playcaller for the first time in his professional career as his former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury moved west to join the Los Angeles Rams. A first-time offensive coordinator may bring along more Fantasy hiccups for Daniels coming off an injury-riddled sophomore slump.”

Frankly, Daniels’ downturn in passing efficiency and the lack of a big-time additions to the Washington passing game may be the biggest concerns of all with the youngster this year. Daniels averaged almost 30 fewer passing yards per game last year compared to 2024. If that’s the case, there will be that much more pressure on Daniels to do damage with his legs.

And it could be just a matter of time before he lands on the shelf again.

Verdict: Sell

Riggo’s Rag

Commanders need to hope for the best with their maligned defensive line

Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw both return from a season ago, which saw wildly inconsistent production from the two of them. Washington was expected to explore trading the former, but it never came to fruition. With the latter, the Commanders didn’t have much of a choice to run him back after throwing him a massive paycheck last summer.

Last season, Payne and Kinlaw combined for three sacks (all courtesy of the 2022 Pro Bowler) and were mediocre against the run. Better help on the outside might make their life easier this fall, but they are going to need to step it up in a major way.

The two of them will be joined by Settle, who returns to the organization that drafted him in 2018 and where he spent his first four NFL seasons. But he doesn’t do much to move the needle either. He has been a rotational piece throughout his career and brings very little upside as he enters his ninth season.

The Commanders are also hoping for growth from Johnny Newton in Year 3 for the 2024 second-round pick, but his limitations against the run are too severe to trust him as a three-down player. If he can’t emerge into at least a valuable supporting role this season, it’s a problem.

Beyond them, depth is nonexistent.

Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Minicamp 2

Podcasts & videos

How Good is Jayden Daniels REALLY? Commanders QB DARK HORSE MVP + Brandon Aiyuk Update

NFC East links

Philly Voice

10 reasons the Eagles will be a dumpster fire this season

It’s time to contemplate just how it might all go south for the Eagles next season

8) What’s up with Jalen Carter?

The 2025 season didn’t go quite as well. He missed most of training camp with a shoulder injury, but was ready to play Week 1. Except, well, he spit on Dak Prescott before he even played a single defensive snap.

You’re not allowed to do that, and Carter was kindly asked to leave the game.

He then proceeded to have a disappointing season, collecting 33 tackles, three sacks, and seven batted passes in 11 games. 

This offseason was the first that Carter was eligible for a contract extension, and nothing has gotten done yet. It’s at least noteworthy that Carter skipped voluntary OTAs, and was present at a mandatory minicamp but did not participate in team drills. 

Nick Sirianni was asked if that was injury and/or contract related, and he declined to answer. 

Lurie is typically effusive in praise for Hurts at every opportunity, and for him to just give an unenthusiastic one-word answer was kind of shocking. He was then asked another “Jalen” follow-up question that was more clearly about Hurts, when he realized the previous two questions were about Jalen Hurts, when he thought they were about Jalen Carter, lol. OOPS! He then requested to rewind the press conference and re-answer the question about Hurts’ 2025 performance. And sure enough, he gave his usual effusive praise for Hurts.

That misunderstanding was perhaps revealing. Lurie knew full well that he gave an unenthusiastic “Good” when he thought he was being asked how Carter played last season. He asked for a re-do on the question with Hurts but not for Carter lol. Interesting moment!

The need him to be a star player. They can be elite if he’s playing at a high level. If not, who knows? So, you know, this is a situation that the Eagles cannot mess up, however it plays out.

Blogging the Boys

Commanders fans really like Brandon Aubrey

Recently the folks at Hogs Haven were discussing the Dallas Cowboys and in doing so posed a question to their audience: Which player would you steal from the Cowboys?

If you browse through the comments you will find that the majority of Commanders fans who participated in the poll landed on one of two answers: CeeDee Lamb and/or Brandon Aubrey.

There was some mention for Caleb Downs, George Pickens, and even Cooper Beebe had a vote thrown his way. But the mass majority feel like Lamb and/or Aubrey are the best selection for their team.

With all due respect to Brandon Aubrey, is that not sort of wild? That a Commanders fan could have their pick of the Cowboys litter and would start with him?

Lamb clearly makes a ton of sense, and Pickens does to the same degree. Interestingly nobody said Quinnen Williams, he really has been the forgotten man in a lot of ways for this team.

Big Blue View

NFC East Grades: Where do the Giants stack up at EDGE?

Washington Commanders

Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Dorance Armstrong, Joshua Josephs, Drake Jackson, DJ Johnson, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, T.J. Maguranyanga, Andre Carter II

The Commanders added Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson to their edge room, and that was much needed. Yes, Washington uses Frankie Luvu, and they will – presumably – use Leo Chenal in an EDGE role; but, for this discussion, both players were included as linebackers. Oweh and Chaisson, along with Dan Quinn’s favorite Dorance Armstrong, are a solid trio of EDGE rushers, but Washington still earns one point.

Points: 1

New York Giants

Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Chancey Golston, Trace Frod, Khalid Kareem, Caleb Murphy

The Eagles pushed the Giants for this spot, but I’m going with New York and the combination of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the likely second-year jump from Abdul Carter, who recorded 66 pressures in his rookie season. Carter has the highest potential of the three, and Burns is coming off a career year where he recorded 53 pressures and 16.5 sacks, which was second in the NFL last season.

Both Golston and Thiboeaux dealt with injuries throughout the 2025 season, and the latter has dealt with them over the last two years. Despite the nagging issues, Kayvon Thibdoeaux has 70 pressures over the last two years. He is playing on his fifth-year option and is catching the eye of new head coach John Harbaugh in a contract year. The trio is exceptional, and Golston is a solid rotational piece who can be effectively kicked inside.

NFL league links

Articles

NFL.com

Top 100 Players of 2026, Nos. 100-91

91 – Montez Sweat – Chicago Bears · DE

2025 stats: 17 games | 53 tackles | 13 tfl | 10 sacks | 18 QB hits | 3 FF

Chicago’s sack leader for the third time in as many years that he’s been with the Bears, Sweat, 29, returned to the double-digit sack department for the second time in his career. Ranked 82nd in his NFL Top 100 debut in 2024, Sweat’s return coincided with a smashing season for the Bears, who won the NFC North title and earned a Wild Card Round win over the rival Packers. Sweat was a force in that game, posting three tackles and three QB hits before adding a sack in the team’s heartbreaking Divisional Round overtime loss. 

NFL Pro Insight for Sweat: Sweat recorded four turnovers caused by pressures in the regular season, tied for the third among all NFL defensive players.

The Daily Aiyuk

ESPN

Brandon Aiyuk blames ex-agent as push to leaves 49ers continues

In the 3½-minute video, Aiyuk insisted that his relationship with the 49ers will never be repaired and that he has no plans to return to the team facilities — barring one exception.

“We is not cool,” Aiyuk said. “We won’t be cool, and I will never be stepping in that building” outside of Oct. 19, a reference to when the 49ers host the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football.”

It’s unclear whether the Commanders would have interest in signing Aiyuk. Because he is still under contract with the 49ers, the Commanders can’t publicly express interest in the wide receiver without violating the NFL’s tampering rules.

Aiyuk pointed to Ryan Williams, his former agent who is friends with and has a business relationship with Lynch, as a source of the problems between himself and the 49ers. Aiyuk said in an Instagram story Friday that he had fired Williams in November, adding that “there’s nobody that will be speaking for me.” Williams is still listed as Aiyuk’s agent on the NFLPA agent directory.

In the YouTube video, Aiyuk also claimed that Lynch recently came to his house, in part to allegedly apologize for the actions of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Aiyuk, who offered no evidence that Lynch was at his home, said the situation wasn’t safe for him or his wife.

The situation escalated last July when the 49ers voided the remaining guaranteed money in his contract because he did not participate in rehab sessions for the torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee that he suffered during the 2024 season. The Niners put Aiyuk on the reserve/left team list in December after he stopped showing up at the team facility.

Veterans on the 49ers are scheduled to report to training camp July 25. It’s possible the 49ers are waiting until then to decide on Aiyuk’s status with the team.

From Last Man Standig:

Ryan Williams of Athletes First remains Aiyuk’s agent of record, according to the NFLPA’s website. The site is accurate, according to an NFLPA source because paperwork required to terminate the Standard Representative Agreement, or SRA, has not been submitted.

Last Man Standig reported in April that Aiyuk and Williams had not spoken for an undisclosed amount of time. Based on subsequent conversations with other sources, that period exceeded six months.

The typical termination process begins with the player reaching out to the NFLPA. Paperwork and emails are then exchanged between the NFLPA, the player and agent to finalize the termination.

Whether Washington actually intends to sign the receiver, who has not played since 2024, is unclear. A healthy and focused Aiyuk would upgrade the team’s receiver depth. For now, though, like the termination paperwork, that possibility remains far more hypothetical than reality.

For more from Ben Standig, click here

Pro Football Talk

Before Brandon Aiyuk can force his release, he must apply for reinstatement

The 49ers undoubtedly would cut him in lieu of letting him risk popping an Achilles tendon on the practice field or dropping a dumbbell onto his foot in the weight room. A season-ending injury would result in the 49ers owing him his full compensation for 2026 in excess of $26 million. (Currently, not a penny of it is guaranteed.)

But it’s not as simple as Aiyuk walking through the front door. He remains on the reserve/left squad list. By rule, he must apply for reinstatement with the league. Once he’s reinstated (it’s presumably automatic — but we thought applying for the supplemental draft was automatic, too), he can show up and secure his release.

Aiyuk has a simple way to put the 49ers in checkmate. One, submit the petition for reinstatement. Two, once reinstatement is granted, show up.

aBit o’Twitter

Will New York Giants star wide receiver Malik Nabers be ready to start the 2026 season, or won’t he? Whenever he is ready to get on the field, how close will Nabers be to his dominant 2024 form, when he set a franchise record with 109 receptions?

That seems to be the biggest issue hanging over the Giants as we await the opening of training camp.

The questions and Nabers’ importance are why Nabers is No. 4 on our list of the ‘most important Giants players of 2026’.

There is an argument to be made that Nabers is the Giants’ most talented player and that he could be No. 2 on this list. He lands, though, at No. 4.

Nabers, the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, finished that season with the Giants’ single-season record of 109 receptions, which he took for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. The receptions were two more than Steve Smith’s former franchise record of 107, set in 2009.

Nabers’ 109 catches rank as the most by a rookie wide receiver in NFL history, topping the 105 receptions the Rams’ Puka Nacua had in 2023. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers finished the year with 112 receptions, which set the new NFL rookie reception record.

Nabers finished the season fifth in the NFL in receptions and seventh in receiving yards, despite missing two games and catching passes from four different quarterbacks.

Nabers played just four games in 2025, getting just 25 snaps with quarterback Jaxson Dart before tearing his ACL and meniscus after leaping to try and make a catch.

The Giants have remained optimistic that Nabers will play in Week 1, despite that timeline being only about 11 months since his injury.

“I still think he’ll be fine Week 1,” Schoen told Yahoo Sports on Monday. “So we’ll see. He’s trending in the right direction. Again, these things take time, so it’s not instant. Every patient is different.”

Head coach John Harbaugh has said that rehabbing from a knee injury like Nabers’ is “a slog”.

“I think he does everything he can,” Harbaugh said. “He said his plan is to be here most of the time, almost all the time he’ll be here, I believe. I don’t think he will be here all the time. He’s going to be here a lot, working really hard. He’s making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he’ll be back soon.

“Also, understand when you come back from a knee, he’ll be back, and he’ll still be building his way back to his ultimate full strength self. But he’s doing great. He’s doing a great job. He’s made some real good progress in the last few weeks.”

Harbaugh said that progress did not change his outlook on when Nabers might be available.

“I wasn’t less optimistic before. Like I said, it’s a slog, it’s a grind. He’s still in the middle of it,” Harbaugh said. “He’s probably not in the middle of it now. He’s probably maybe 70 percent through. I don’t know, something like that. Eighty percent through.

“He’s still grinding. It’s going to be a grind when he starts playing again too to get back right.”

The way Nabers moved in the two videos below from the Brian Burns Charity Softball Game at the end of May wasn’t exactly encouraging.

The last time we spoke to Nabers was at the end of the 2025 season. He wouldn’t commit to a timeline for his return.

“Target date is when my body feels ready to be out there,” Nabers said. “I had a lot messed up in my knee. Successfully operated on. It’s gonna take a little bit of time.”

The Giants have a cadre of veteran receivers who have played good football in the NFL, but none are Nabers.

Odell Beckham was at one time, but that was a decade or more ago. Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Isaiah Hodgins have all been productive players. Rookie third-round pick Malachi Fields is an exciting player with potential.

None of those players can stretch the field or make the explosive plays that Nabers is capable of making. If the Giants are going to have a chance to be as good as people like NFL analyst Greg Olsen think they can be, Nabers is going to have to be a big part of it.

The Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver group was a much-maligned unit last season. Constant talk of their struggles to separate from man coverage played out in multiple ways, as fans’ concerns played out in real time on multiple Sundays. Buffalo’s decision-makers might not have acknowledged that there was an issue with wideouts, but they have added a number of players whose skill sets indicate that the team knows what they need to do.

Throughout his career, quarterback Josh Allen has always thrived with receivers who are smaller, shiftier, and more agile; he seems to prefer throwing to speedsters and route-running technicians like Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, John Brown, and Khalil Shakir over big-bodied types like Kelvin Benjamin and Keon Coleman. With that in mind, the Bills have added multiple receivers this offseason who are smaller, quicker players who excel against man coverage.

In today’s installment of “91 players in 91 days,” we discuss a smaller receiver who quickness might give him an edge this summer.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Name:  Deven Thompkins

Number:  38

Position:  WR

Height/Weight:  5’8″ 155 lbs.

Age:  26 (27 on 12/23/2026)

Experience/Draft:  5; signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2022 NFL Draft

College:  Utah State

Acquired:  Signed with Buffalo on 6/11/2026

Financial situation (per Spotrac):  Thompkins signed a non-guaranteed, one-year contract worth a total of $1.215 million. Thanks to the veteran’s minimum cap exception, Thompkins will carry a slightly lower cap hit than that, $1.075 million, if he makes the 53-man roster.

2025 Recap:  Thompkins did not have a team for the off-season, but he signed with the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad on September 23. He made his season debut during Atlanta’s Week Six win over the Bills, appearing on three special teams snaps. He returned one kickoff in that game for 16 yards. Overall, he appeared in seven games for the Falcons, as he was elevated from the practice squad three times before being signed to the active roster in December. He played 22 snaps on offense and 47 snaps on special teams. In that limited action, he caught all three of his targets for 27 yards, carried once for a five-yard rush, returned 12 kickoff for an average of 23.4 yards per return, and returned six punts for an averaged of nine yards per return.

Positional outlook:  Thompkins is one of fourteen receivers on the current roster, joining Khalil Shakir, Tyrell Shavers, DJ Moore, Skyler Bell, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Trent Sherfield, Mecole Hardman Jr., Max Tomczak, Jalen Virgil, Ja’Mori Maclin, Stephen Gosnell, and Mac Dalena.

2026 Offseason:  Thompkins impressed at a minicamp tryout, making a great catch on a deep pass from Shane Buechele that was widely reported as the “wow” play of the workout. Thompkins signed with the Bills immediately thereafter.

2026 Season outlook: Buffalo clearly has a need for speed at the receiver position, and Thompkins ran a 4.35-second forty-yard dash at his Pro Day back in 2022. He also displayed a 38.5″ vertical and a 132″ broad jump. Speed, explosiveness, and agility are not the issue for Thompkins; it’s his slight frame that has prevented him from sticking around in the NFL. Can his show enough burst on offense and versatility on special teams to make a push for the roster this summer?

My gut says that he absolutely can, as the Bills have few sure things at receiver. Shakir and Moore are roster locks, and Bell is as close as one can be given that he was the only receiver the team drafted this spring. After that, the group has far more questions than answers, and while it’s easy to see Palmer and Coleman making the team, I could just as easily see the Bills trying to find a trade partner willing to work on a reclamation project (Coleman) or just cutting ties (Palmer) and moving in a different direction if the summer shows us that different players need larger roles.

Thompkins may be small, and he may not have much of an NFL pedigree, but he has traits that the Bills can use. You can’t teach speed and burst like his, and there is definitely a scenario where he makes the roster as a gadget player on offense and a return specialist on special teams. It’s equally likely that he ends up one of the final players cut in August and the Bills try to keep him around on the practice squad.

Ultimately, with Shavers still working back from a January ACL tear, I think Thompkins will be in a dogfight with Virgil, Sherfield, and Hardman Jr. for the final receiver spot, with Max Tomczak serving as the deep sleeper to make a push for that sixth spot. If Thompkins shows that he can succeed in multiple roles, he’s someone who could break camp with the team and add a dynamic element to an already potent offense.

The Buffalo Bills announced on Saturday that when the team debuts its new Family Circle, a space reserved for the best players in franchise history, Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson will not be among the honorees at the new Highmark Stadium.

Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks recaps the decision by the Bills to omit Simpson’s presence from their new stadium.

Check out the reactions to the news and then be sure to leave your thoughts on Buffalo’s decision to not honor Simpson, who was the first player ever honored on the Wall of Fame at the old stadium.

‘He is not a fit:’ Bills explain why O.J. Simpson won’t be featured at new stadium

Buffalo’s Family Circle will be located where the team’s three bison statues are situated outside of Highmark Stadium. Part of the Family Circle is meant to honor former Bills legends with plaques. And after months of speculation, the team finally announced how it would handle O.J. Simpson’s presence at the new stadium.

“We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle,” Pete Guelli, chief operating officer for the Bills, said in a statement first reported by WIVB.

In 1980, O.J. Simpson became the first Bills player to earn a spot on the Wall of Fame in Buffalo’s old stadium following a Hall of Fame career that saw him become the first player in league history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a single season and earn five first-team All-Pro honors.

In nine seasons in Western New York, Simpson led the league in rushing four times, including the 1973 season, when he earned NFL MVP honors and NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors after rushing for 2,003 yards in 14 games.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, but had plenty of off the field issues after retiring, including being tried for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Simpson was acquitted in the 1995 criminal trial, but found liable for their deaths in a civil case in 1997. He also was convicted years later on armed robbery, kidnapping and 10 other charges related to memorabilia that he claimed was stolen from him. Simpson, who served nine years in prison, died in April of 2024 from prostate cancer.

• O.J. Simpson will not be included at the new Highmark Stadium – WIVB
• The Buffalo Bills will honor its Wall of Fame members at new stadium – except for one – Buffalo News (subscription required)
• How the Buffalo Bills are handling O.J. Simpson’s complicated legacy as they move into their new stadium – newyorkupstate.com
• Bills will not honor O.J. Simpson at new stadium – ESPN.com Buffalo Bills blog
• Bills exclude O.J. Simpson from new Highmark Stadium honors – Democrat & Chronicle
• O.J. Simpson will not be honored at Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium – The Athletic (subscription required)
• O.J. Simpson ‘not a fit’ inside the new Highmark Stadium, Bills say – WGRZ
• O.J. Simpson won’t be in the Wall of Fame at the new Bills stadium – NBC Sports
• Bills Exclude O.J. Simpson from New Legends Section at Highmark Stadium – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills

Even more Bills news

Safety Cole Bishop knows he needs to build off of last year’s breakout campaign, when he established himself as a legitimate starter in the league. Plus, get to know new offensive line coach Pat Meyer, who has big shoes to fill in replacing Aaron Kromer; learn how Josh Allen is tapping into his newfound “dad strength” in his efforts to finally win a Super Bowl title; find out which players are realistic trade candidates for the Bills to pursue; and more!

• Bills safety broke out last year, now he must back it up – Democrat & Chronicle
• New Bills O-line coach Pat Meyer looks to build on the success under Aaron Kromer – Buffalo News (subscription required)
• Bills’ Josh Allen Taking Advice From Fellow Fathers in Order to Finally Bring Home Lombardi – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
• Four Realistic Trades Bills Could Still Make in July – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
• Populous designers excited for Bills fans to experience Highmark Stadium – WGR 550
• Legacy of Bills founder Ralph Wilson to remain even as new era begins – Buffalo News (subscription required)

Buffalo Bills articles recently featured on Buffalo Rumblings

• O.J. Simpson won’t be honored at new stadium – Buffalo Rumblings
• ESPN ranks Bills skill-position talent near bottom of NFL – Buffalo Rumblings
• Jim Leonhard’s new scheme may benefit LB Keonta Jenkins – Buffalo Rumblings
• Plays That Defined 2025: Kansas City at Buffalo Bills, Week 9 – Buffalo Rumblings
• The rookie DB with plenty of collegiate experience – Buffalo Rumblings
• Artwork in Bills new stadium adds inviting touch to team’s home – Buffalo Rumblings
• Can you guess this Bills defensive end & kicker in today’s in-5 trivia game – Buffalo Rumblings

Brandon Aiyuk continues to air grievances against what soon will be his former team.

The soon-to-be-former San Francisco 49ers receiver went to YouTube on Saturday to speak more on his feud with the 49ers. It’s a bit all over the place, but here’s a paraphrase of what the video contains:

• The 49ers are referred to as “That Team” and never by name.
• Aiyuk fired his agent, Ryan Williams, because of Williams’ affiliation with 49ers general manager John Lynch.
• John Lynch came to Aiyuk’s home.
• Aiyuk also said Kyle Shanahan had the temperament of a toddler

For a video that runs 3:33, there’s a lot to go over. A portion of the John Lynch visit is transcribed below:

“General manager gonna pull up to my house. A weirdo. Like, bro, don’t pull up to my house uninvited boy. S**t aint safe. But I knew his ass was gonna do it. So I’m looking at my camera, my front door camera, see a big ‘ole white boy—white man, former NFL Safety, and I’m like “Aw, hell no.” And I know my wife is about to be back home soon. So I had to call my wife and say, “Uh, there’s a big-ass white man at the house. I don’t know what he’s doing over there. He was not invited. S**t’s creepy. So if you’re on your way home, just spin the block a few times, because I don’t know what bro’s on. Weird.

The same general manager who tried to run me down and then come apologize for his head coach. Because his head coach got the temperament of a f***king toddler.”

Aiyuk ended his video saying he would see the 49ers on October 19th. For those of you wondering what significance that day has, it’s the day the 49ers play the Washington Commanders.

A few weeks ago, I compared Aiyuk to when Antonio Brown, demanded we call him Mr. Big Chest. This comparison came when Aiyuk went on Instagram wearing a Commanders hat. It didn’t seem like we had entered even a nearby zipcode of Mr. Big Chest territory. Well, a lot has changed since then. We aren’t just in Mr. Big Chest territory—we may even be crossing over into a whole new world.

It’s not even July yet.

We are in the midst of the NFL offseason, with little going on around the league as a whole and the New England Patriots specifically at the moment. Naturally, this week’s version of our Sunday Patriots Notes is therefore a shortened one.

Nonetheless, there are still a few things to talk about. So, let’s dive straight in.

Second-year jump candidates

The Patriots may not be singing the “draft and develop” tune quite as loudly as they did early during Eliot Wolf’s tenure as quasi-general manager, but they have still brought in a significant number of young players over the last few seasons. Among them are 21 entering their second seasons in the league — players naturally in position to make the famous sophomore jump.

Let’s take a closer look at them to find out who should be expected to show some significant improvement heading into 2026.

RB TreVeyon Henderson: The Patriots’ second-round pick a year ago, Henderson led the team in every major rushing statistic as a rookie. However, on the year as a whole he still played second fiddle to starter Rhamondre Stevenson. That is not necessarily expected to change too much this fall, but the youngster should still take on a more active role in the rotation. Improved vision and blocking should help him do so and become even more of a big play threat than he already was in 2025.

RB Lan Larison: After missing all of last season due to a leg injury, Larison will be competing for the No. 3 running back spot behind Stevenson and Henderson this summer. Based on spring practices, the versatile change-of-pace back can be seen as a frontrunner for that role.

FB Brock Lampe: Lampe, like Larison, had to spend all of 2025 on injured reserve. However, his path to a roster spot is blocked by veteran free agency pickup Reggie Gilliam. Pending incident of accident, Gilliam will be the Patriots’ fullback, leaving Lampe to aim for the practice squad.

WR Kyle Williams: Williams ran hot and cold during his rookie season but despite some promising plays had a limited overall impact. With the Patriots having revamped their receiving corps through the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, he will face increased competition for playing time. That said, better depth especially at the X-receiver spot might allow the team to use him in a fashion better suited for his skillset.

WR Efton Chism III: Chism was a non-factor for much of 2025, but did spend all year on the 53-man roster nonetheless. He will get another prime opportunity to earn a spot on the team, and we believe he will ultimately be successful. Whether that means a more active role on offense or in the return game remains to be seen, but with Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte all in a contract year, the Patriots might be playing the long game.

WR Jeremiah Webb: Webb spent all of 2025 on the practice squad. Unless the former UDFA can show a massive jump during the summer, and the spring does not suggest that will be the case, this looks like a best-case scenario again for him.

TE C.J. Dippre: The Patriots’ tight end depth took a hit when Julian Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury during OTAs, leaving the door wide open for others to earn the TE2 role behind Hunter Henry. Dippre has some talent and will get a chance to prove himself, but it would not be a surprise if the team went in a different direction.

OT Will Campbell: Of all the Patriots second-year candidates, Campbell might be under the most pressure. The fourth overall selection in last year’s draft started all 17 of the games he was available for and had some promising stretches of play before a knee injury derailed his season and left him struggling in the playoffs. Now fully healthy and with a year of experience under his belt, he is in a prime position to take a step forward and help solidify the left side of New England’s offensive line.

OT Marcus Bryant: Bryant will be competing for a backup spot behind Campbell, Morgan Moses and Caleb Lomu. The team did give him plenty of quality reps in the spring, but he will need to show some development in order to beat out rookie Dametrious Crownover for the fourth and potentially final tackle spot on the roster.

OL Jared Wilson: After spending 2025 at left guard and having his fair share of struggles, the Patriots decided to move the former third-round pick back into his natural spot at center. Wilson will be the team’s top option at the position, and there is optimism he can show improvement there relative to his work at guard as a rookie. Frankly, the O-line depends on it.

OL Mehki Butler: Butler was little more than an emergency practice squad option in 2025, and he seemingly finds himself closer to the bottom than the top of the depth chart again in 2026. His outlook might change once the pads come on, but expecting a big jump might be expecting too much.

DT Joshua Farmer: Coming off an up-and-down first year in the league, Farmer will likely resume the rotational interior D-line role he held as a rookie. Khyiris Tonga’s departure might allow him to increase his snaps, but at the moment he projects as DT4 behind Milton Williams, Christian Barmore and Cory Durden.

DT Eric Gregory: Gregory has the body type best suited to replace Tonga in the lineup, and the Patriots will give him a chance to make the team. His impact as a post-cutdown addition was negligible in 2025, but the path for a bigger role is certainly open.

ED Elijah Ponder: On paper, the Patriots adding Dre’Mont Jones and Gabe Jacas in the offseason pushes Ponder down the depth chart. However, last year’s third edge could very well fill the same role again after Jacas was unavailable throughout the spring. And if the coaching staff is to be believed, he is certainly trending up and capable of making a more pronounced impact.

ED Bradyn Swinson: Arguably the biggest dark horse on the edge, Swinson split his rookie campaign between the practice squad and 53-man roster. A natural pass rush talent, he should benefit from more time in an NFL weight room and very well could push for a roster spot again this summer as a situational player.

CB Kobee Minor: The final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Minor had some encouraging moments in the spring. He will need to keep building on those in order to make the roster, but seemingly is carrying some momentum into training camp. With the CB4 slot currently unoccupied, he might make a run at it.

CB Brandon Crossley: The Patriots are set atop their cornerback depth chart but they have various open spots further down. Crossley did have some moments in the spring and will get a chance to fight for one of those spots, but he still appears to be facing an uphill battle.

S Craig Woodson: Woodson was one of the biggest positive surprises from a Patriots perspective in 2025. With Kevin Byard now in the mix to provide veteran expertise and playmaking ability next to him, the fourth-rounder should be able to keep making strides. The foundation already is a strong one, and there is little to suggest he won’t be able to keep building.

S John Saunders Jr: Saunders Jr. joined the Patriots during the year and will benefit from a full offseason in the program. However, he still is in a challenging situation as far as making the roster is concerned; the current structure of the depth chart only leaves so many spaces available.

K Andy Borregales: Borregales showed that he can be an NFL-caliber kicker, and should only be getting better in Year 2. And if so, the Patriots will see concrete results in the form of more drives ending in points. His leg already is strong enough to split the uprights from 50-plus yards out, now it’s about increasing his consistency in the 30s and 40s as well as on kickoffs.

LS Julian Ashby: Ashby had a quiet season in 2025, which is exactly what you want from a rookie long snapper. As long as he remains a relatively anonymous piece of the roster, he and the team are fine.

Obviously, while those are the only true second-year players on the roster, the famous Year 2 jump applies to others as well. Take quarterback Drake Maye, for example, who will be in his second season under head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels; he should be able to show strides even though he is technically now in his third year in the NFL already.

Will Campbell’s training partners

The aforementioned Will Campbell has found some veteran help preparing for his second year in the league. He spent some time in Oklahoma recently training with some of the best O-linemen the NFL currently has to offer. Among them were Lane Johnson, Tristan Wirfs, Dion Dawkins and Creed Humphrey — four players who have 11 All-Pro seasons and 20 Pro Bowls between them.

Needless to say that Campbell still has ways to go before reaching those levels. However, learning from some of the best blockers football has to offer is never a wrong thing.

Scotland game in the works?

Even though Scotland’s journey to the FIFA World Cup ended in the group stage, the “Tartan Army” in Boston is one of the defining images of the tournament so far. Among those impressed by their presence in the city was Patriots owner Robert Kraft, so much so that he reportedly asked the NFL that his team would be interested to play in Scotland at one point in the future.

The NFL will be playing nine international games in 2026, and the goal is to have every team play at least one contest abroad per season further down the line. Scotland is not on the imminent list of target areas for the league, especially with London having been a regular host city for years.

However, in the league’s quest to expand the international scope of the game, nothing can be ruled out either — at least further down the line.

Former All-decade Patriot dead at 78

Former NFL linebacker Steve Zabel, who spent four seasons in New England from 1975 to 1978 has passed away.

The former Eagles first-round draft choice played 49 regular season games and a pair of playoff contests for the team, registering 11 total sacks and eight fumble recoveries. He also was voted to the club’s Team of the 1970s. The Minnesota native, who also played for the Colts to close out his career, spent 10 total seasons in the league and saw action in 126 games.

He was 78 years old.

Week ahead

Football-wise there is little going on at the moment. However, we will be keeping an eye on Patriots seventh-round rookie Quintayvious Hutchins this week. The edge defender will have a pre-trial meeting Monday, June 29, after he was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and battery on a family/household member back in May.

Earlier this week, we published our latest SB Nation Reacts survey, sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook. We asked Detroit Lions fans which UDFA is most likely to make an impact on the Lions roster in 2026.

For this week’s question, we provided fans five options—QB Luke Altmyer, TE Miles Kitselman, EDGE Anthony Lucas, DT Aidan Keanaaina, and LB Erick Hunter—to choose from, while also allowing them an “other” option in case they felt strongly about an under-the-radar candidate.

Let’s take a look at the results from our survey:

People love to breathe hope into pass rushers like Anthony Lucas, but there may be more fire in this smoke than originally thought, based on early assessments from OTAs and minicamp. While the Lions are likely set amongst their first three edge options—Aidan Hutchinson, Derrick Moore, and DJ Wonnum—presumed EDGE4 Payton Turner has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, and with Ahmed Hassanein shifting to the Big End, Lucas could be next in line for a contributing role.

Kitselman was my personal choice immediately following the draft, and he has reportedly already climbed the depth chart enough that he should enter training camp in a. presummed TE4 role.

Let’s take a look at the comment section of our original article to get fans’ explanations for their selections (slightly edited for clarity).

• Guaransheed: “Anthony Lucas- Lions coaching staff likes his ideal NFL DE size and his potential. I think he beats out the other bubble guys and makes the final 53.”
• Gonzalezq: “To this point in his football-playing career, Lucas has been an ‘if only’ player, as in ‘if only he could translate his outstanding potential into production on the field, he would be a very good player’. Given that that is at least partially true, I would slow my roll on singing Lucas’ praises until he plays well in pre-season games.”
• GetthoseDSacks: “Went with Kitselman; it wouldn’t surprise me to see him make the roster as TE4. Four tight ends are generally desirable to run the 13 sets that we know Petzing likes to use. Of course, he’ll have to both show some Special Teams ability and beat out Gordon, Horton, and apparently Meeks for the job.”
• sprtn: “I went with Aidan Keanaaina. With his size, he could easily be in the NT rotation just on size alone. It can’t hurt; he got the most guaranteed money of any UDFA.”

As a reminder, this survey was sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook, who currently have the Lions listed as +1700 to win this year’s Super Bowl, +850 to win the NFC Championship, and +145 to win the NFC North as the current favorites.

Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. If you want to get these surveys emailed to you weekly, you can sign up here.

Brian Burns is a terrific football player coming off his best NFL season, a 16.5-sack Pro Bowl year. His value to the Giants on the field is obvious to anyone watching the games.

Burns is more than just a player to the Giants, though. He is a respected veteran leader — maybe even a beloved one by his teammates.

Even with Dexter Lawrence on the roster, by the end of last season, Burns had become the voice of the defense, and probably its heart and soul. He had, truthfully, become the most important veteran voice on the roster. With Lawrence gone now, Burns is the unquestioned leader of the defense.

How his teammates feel about him showed in the tremendous player turnout this spring for the Brian Burns Charity Softball Game.

Burns is a go-to player when the media needs something. More importantly, he is a go-to player for his teammates in the locker room. He leads by example, with his refusal to come out of the lineup when dealing with an injury, and his effort to maximize every practice rep.

Outside linebacker coach Charlie Bullen is in his third season with Burns. Bullen knows it would be easy to take Burns for granted.
“I think it’s because he’s a great player,” Bullen said. “It could be an easy thing to do, but I think it’s a testament to him. You don’t take Burns for granted because you feel him and you feel his greatness every day.

“The guy has been a great player. He’s going on year eight, but he comes out every day, whether it’s meetings or practice, puts the work in, engages teammates, coaches, participates in meetings, asks questions, works his ass off on the field. It’s a testament to him. You feel him. He is a pro. He is a leader.

“Every day, you can appreciate how great he is because he operates like that. All great players don’t have that mode of operation, but he does, and we don’t take it for granted because it’s so obvious on a daily basis.”

Burns shares the edge position with Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, likely making that the most talented position group on the Giants’ roster. It is Burns, though, who is probably the most indispensable.

In Today’s Links: more Jaxon Smith-Njigba numbers that you wouldn’t believe, Drake Thomas in the LB room, why our squad will inevitably repeat as NFC West champs, and a little bit more. Happy Sunday. Hope all is well, truly. Go, ‘Hawks!

#np Good Girl by Renee Rapp

Seattle Seahawks News

Jaxon Smith-Njigba can join Jerry Rice in rare club – Seaside Joe
Why don’t players win back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year awards?

Brock: Seahawks linebacker has key trait that ‘maximizes’ skills – Seattle Sports
Brock Huard sees similarities between Drake Thomas and some past Seahawks greats like Doug Baldwin and Mack Strong.

Ranking Seahawks: Bobby Hart, AJ Finley Among Seasoned Vets Seeking Roster Spot in No. 80-76 – Emerald City Spectrum
With the calendar quickly heading towards July and offseason workouts wrapped up league-wide for the summer, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will soon descend upon the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the start of training camp, kicking off a much-anticipated 2026 season.

Curtis Allen: Sam Darnold, the Salary Cap and the Seahawks’ Super Bowl Window – Seahawks Draft Blog
The link between a good Quarterback and a successful team is one of the most foundational principles in the NFL.  While the team with the best Quarterback does not always win the Super Bowl, no one position can affect a team’s success more.

3 Primary Reasons Seattle Seahawks Will Repeat as NFC West Champs in 2026 – si.com
The Seattle Seahawks can repeat as NFC West champions, and these are the primary reasons.

NFC West roundtable: Which team had the best offseason? – ESPN.com
The NFC West might be the best division in the NFL.

NFC West News

Thoughts & Jots: From the Chicago Bears to Nick Saban to Brendan Sorsby – Revenge of the Birds
The coverage must go on, eh? At least we have the World Cup to fall back on.

Does Fred Warner have a chance at Comeback Player of the Year? – Niners Nation
The 49ers linebacker is in a category where Patrick Mahomes has best odds, that makes him a longshot.

Colby Parkinson is extremely valuable to the Rams offense – Turf Show Times
Analysts around the league are clamoring for him, but they’re almost certainly not going to pry him away from L.A.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …

Kyler Murray for MVP? KC Concepcion for OROY? Long-shot picks for major NFL awards in 2026 – NFL.com
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR — Jalen Carter has been a disruptive force since entering the league, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods in his first three seasons. But he’s been involved in on-field and off-field incidents that have overshadowed his play. When locked in and focused, Carter is a force of nature with a violent game built on strength, power and raw physicality. The fourth-year pro overwhelms opponents at the line of scrimmage, forcing offensive play-callers to use double-teams and creative schemes to prevent him from wrecking games. Despite the extra attention he receives, Carter has piled up 13.5 sacks, 66 solo tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 37 quarterback hits in 43 NFL games. If the 6-foot-3, 314-pounder avoids the distractions that impact his play, Carter absolutely could hoist the Defensive Player of the Year award next February.

Eagles notes: Jalen Carter’s contract, Brendan Sorsby, Bryce Huff, and Quinyon Mitchell – PhillyVoice
The overwhelming sentiment from an Eagles perspective was that Jalen Carter should be happy that the iDL market got pushed up a bit. I view that a little differently. In my opinion, it could have been worse. The top of the iDL market increased roughly 11 percent. However, the salary cap has increased roughly 18 percent since Jones signed his deal that set a new top of the market in 2024. Simmons is a significantly more productive player than Jones of late. Simmons will turn 29 on Sunday. Carter turned 25 in April. However, while Carter has shown flashes that he can be among the league’s best players, he had a disappointing 2025 season during which his production wasn’t close to Simmons’. The Simmons deal probably sets a ceiling on any new Carter deal.

8 Eagles named to CBS Sports ‘Top 100 NFL players of 2026’ – BGN
While the NFL slowly drips their list of Top 100 players for the upcoming season, CBS Sports released their Top 100 NFL players of 2026 by Pete Prisco, and there were eight Eagles named — it would have been nine, but A.J. Brown, who dropped 33 spots from last year’s list, is now a Patriot.

Roob’s Eagles Observations: Why Jalen Hurts will be fine in another new offense – NBCSP
ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS: Tariq Woolen has somewhere around a zero percent chance of being here beyond 2026. Because if he plays well, he’s going to be one of the top free agent cornerbacks on the market, and with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell also needing new contracts at some point the money just won’t be there to sign Woolen. Some 20 corners are making at least $17 million per year and Howie Roseman isn’t about to open up the checkbook for three corners. That’s just not how he does business. He has his own personal salary cap for each position and DeJean and Mitchell deserve what they’re going to get. And if Woolen doesn’t play well, the Eagles aren’t going to want to sign him anyway. Maybe there’s a middle ground where he plays OK, his value after 2025 is modest and the Eagles want to keep him and can afford him. But there’s a very small window for that. It’s just about a lock that Woolen is a one-year rental. But based on his career in Seattle and what we saw this spring, he should be a fun one-year rental.

Commanders fans really like two Dallas Cowboys players – Blogging The Boys
If you browse through the comments you will find that the majority of Commanders fans who participated in the poll landed on one of two answers: CeeDee Lamb and/or Brandon Aubrey. There was some mention for Caleb Downs, George Pickens, and even Cooper Beebe had a vote thrown his way. But the mass majority feel like Lamb and/or Aubrey are the best selection for their team.

Questions about 10 new NFL coordinators entering 2026 season – ESPN
With a first-year playcaller and positional battles across the board, the Cowboys’ defense isn’t guaranteed to be strong. But the Cowboys’ offense is already there. In the first season under head coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, the Cowboys were eighth in DVOA, sixth in success rate, fifth in EPA per play and fifth in points per drive. With the addition of wide receiver George Pickens, Dallas’ passing game seemed uncoverable at times. Adams’ creative running game constantly churned explosive plays with (finally healthy) running back Javonte Williams. Dallas lost nobody from last season’s offense. The coaching staff is intact. Everyone on the line returns. The skill positions are stable. Quarterback Dak Prescott is healthy. Ideally the tackle play improves, and better insurance at backup running back would be nice. But in terms of general offensive health, the Cowboys seemed primed to be a top-five unit. While the Seahawks currently hold the Lombardi Trophy thanks to a stifling defense, the most common model for NFL success the past decade is “elite offense paired with workable defense.” Dallas simultaneously needs Parker to revolutionize its defense — modernizing the scheme and quickly getting multiple young or new players up to speed — but doesn’t need him to do that much. Dallas had the worst starting field position on average last season — imagine if it’s average this season. Only two teams had fewer takeaways. Imagine if the Cowboys’ defense in 2026 does what the Bears’ did in 2025? The offense can power a deep playoff run, so long as the defense carries its own weight. It might not happen right away — but it doesn’t need to. The Cowboys can win 10 games on the back of their offense, which might be enough to win the NFC East. Even with a wild-card berth, Dallas will be live in the NFC playoffs so long as the defense rounds into form across November and December.

Oweh, Armstrong & Chaisson should feast in Commanders new defensive scheme – Hogs Haven
Commanders fans have good reason to expect success from this unit because of the offseason focus on acquiring younger, faster, and highly versatile athletes with significant upside in both free agency and the draft. This injection of speed and depth is exactly what Washington needs to bounce back from last year’s league-worst yardage totals and effectively support franchise QB Jayden Daniels.

Survey results: DT Darius Alexander is the player to watch in 2026 – Big Blue View
The New York Giants were closer to competing than their record would suggest a year ago, but close to winning still isn’t a win. There were a wide variety of reasons why the Giants were able to give playoff caliber teams all they could handle, but not quite close out games when they had the chance. One of the biggest keys to making the leap from close losses to closing out games will be for the under-the-radar players to step up. This week we asked you which of the Giants’ less heralded players will establish themselves as the hidden gem on the roster. In other words, which player you would tell fans of another team to watch out for as an impact player they might not know about. Your choice this week? Defensive tackle Darius Alexander.

Can you guess this NFL cornerback in today’s in-5 trivia game? – SB Nation
Hello football fans! Welcome to the SB Nation NFL in-5 daily trivia game. Click on “Instructions” to learn how to play the game. Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

…

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After a promising rookie season that saw Jonah Elliss total 5 sacks, expectations were high in year two for the Broncos pass rusher. He was still a reserve pass rusher behind starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, but looked to repeat or improve on the numbers he had last season. Unfortunately, due to injuries, Elliss played in just 13 games for the Broncos and would only total 2.5 sacks.

In total, Elliss played 318 snaps on defense, which came out to be 38% of the defensive snaps last season, and 254 special teams snaps, which came out to be 72% of the special snaps the Broncos played last season. During those 13 games, Elliss totaled 28 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass deflection.

Now, in year 3 with the Broncos, Elliss potentially has the opportunity to earn a starting role on the defensive side of the ball. Due to Jonathon Cooper’s off-the-field legal issues and potential suspension, Elliss could be the next man up to start alongside Nik Bonitto on the edge in the Broncos top ranked defense that has led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back years.

The team did flirt with moving Elliss inside to linebacker on a limited basis, but gave that up and decided that he is simply too good on the edge to move him. Also, according to reports, Elliss was a standout player during Broncos minicamp. He is known for his spin move and showed it off in practice during a team rep against starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey and got by him instantly for what would have been a quick sack on the quarterback.

Elliss has talent, but due to the depth at edge rusher, he has been a rotational edge rusher coming off the bench. However, with Cooper’s status up in the air, Elliss may get an opportunity to win the job and not look back.

Player Profile

Jonah Elliss | Edge Rusher | Denver Broncos

• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 242 pounds
• Age: 23 years old
• Experience: 3rd NFL season
• 2025 stats: 28 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass deflection

Jonah Elliss’s outlook with the Denver Broncos

He’s going to be a big part of the Broncos’ pass rush.

With Jonathon Cooper dealing with legal issues, a likely suspension, and potentially even being cut by the team, Elliss has a chance to be the Broncos’ starting edge rusher alongside Nik Bonitto.

The former third-round pick has been a solid rotational piece off the bench and has flashed real potential at times, but now could see his role grow significantly. I would look for Elliss and second-year edge rusher Que Robinson to both get an opportunity to push for the starting job regardless of what happens with Cooper. Both young players have flashed potential during their short times in the league, and Cooper’s off-the-field issues have opened the door for both players to potentially pounce on this opportunity.

As for Elliss specifically, I would like to see a more consistent pass rush from him. His sack numbers dipped to just 2.5 last season, and while he still got after the quarterback when he played, he will need to up that sack total. The Broncos have led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons; Cooper was good for 10 or so sacks a year, and the Broncos are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. If Elliss were to see an elevated role, he would need to up his game because the Broncos cannot afford to see a dip from their pass rush this season. They already lost John Franklin-Myers and are attempting to replace his production with young players, and may have to do the same with Cooper on the edge.

Before all the Cooper stuff went down, I would have said that Elliss would likely have a similar role to the one he has had in recent years. He has proven to be a solid off-the-bench rotational edge who can get after the quarterback and set the edge in the run game. Now, he may have an opportunity to be a starter for the Broncos, and we’ll see if he can take advantage of the situation and run away with the starting job.

Final Thoughts

The Cooper situation certainly clouds the Broncos’ edge rusher room a bit. We don’t know when he will be back, if he will be back, and he is likely facing a suspension regardless. In the meantime, it does open the door for Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson to push for a starting job on defense.

I am personally higher on Que Robinson’s potential right now, but Elliss is still a pretty darn good football player. He has had a good offseason per reports, is still only 23 years old, and could be on the verge of taking that next step in his career. He is a relentless pass rusher with a motor that does not quit and a nasty spin move that he can use at any moment.

The reality of the situation is that the Broncos are going to need both players as well as Dondrea Tillman and potentially even Drew Sanders or whoever else joins them in the edge rusher room. Having a strong pass rush is key to a Super Bowl team, and the Broncos are going to need their young guys to step up if they want to make a deep run in the postseason and win a Super Bowl.

The 49ers did some admirable work this offseason, specifically at wide receiver, where the free agent signings of veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk and the drafting of De’Zhaun Stribling added proven production and firepower to that room.

They also added defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa and linebacker Dre Greenlaw to a group that ranked 13th in the NFL in points given up per game at 21.8 last season.

All that, coupled with what they hope are healthy seasons from Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle and Brock Purdy — all of whom missed significant-to-considerable time last year with injuries — will put the 49ers in the thick of the NFC West battle with the Seahawks and Rams.

But it might not have been enough to close the gap on the Seahawks, the defending Super Bowl champions, or keep up with the Rams, who went on a rampage this offseason by adding all-world edge rusher Myles Garrett and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

And unless they make up the necessary ground, the Super Bowl window they built for themselves is in danger of closing without adding another Lombardi Trophy.

Imagine the regret that will cause when they look back at this period of franchise history, knowing they failed to maximize a core group of players as good as any in the NFL.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though.

In fact, there is a blockbuster move to be made that would edge them closer to the Rams.

No, it’s not beefing up at safety, where legitimate questions remain. It isn’t the strongest room in the league, but they won’t be the difference between the 49ers falling short of their ultimate goals.

And it’s not strengthening their offensive line. Kyle Shanahan has always shown he can scheme around that group’s deficiencies.

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The 49ers have to think bigger than that.

It involves a team that is strategically building for the future and is wide open to the idea of maximizing a valuable asset, and a pass rusher who would team with Bosa to create one of the NFL’s most formidable one-two punches.

The 49ers need to do what it takes to bring Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby back to the Bay Area, where his NFL journey began in 2019 when the Silver and Black still called Oakland home.

This is not some unrealistic pipe dream, either.

The same reasons that the Raiders traded Crosby to the Ravens in March are still in place.

The 28-year-old Crosby still has a handful of peak years remaining. But the Raiders’ current rebuild doesn’t realistically line up with that window. He longs to play in meaningful games in December and beyond, even if it means leaving the only franchise he’s ever known.

The Raiders believe a bright future is ahead, with the tandem of new coach Klint Kubiak and promising young quarterback Fernando Mendoza leading the way. But leveraging that partnership requires a long-range approach to roster building.

Trading Crosby would certainly cause short-term pain. But if they successfully cash in on the assets they get in return, they will not only expedite their rebuild but also greatly enhance it.

That was the motivation when they traded Crosby to the Ravens, only for Baltimore to get cold feet over concerns with Crosby’s knee upon further inspection. The Ravens nixed the deal as a result.

But don’t think for a minute the Raiders wouldn’t revisit a Crosby trade if the right offer was made.

Multiple league sources have told The California Post that the framework for a suitable offer would consist of a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and second-year edge rusher Mykel Williams.

It’s an offer the 49ers would be wise to consider making. And situated with a league-leading $72,133,420 of cap space, they could easily absorb Crosby’s $30 million base salary for 2026.

As for Crosby’s knee, all signs point to him being ready to roll in training camp. In the limited work he did during OTAs and minicamp, he looked well on his way to a full recovery.

And not that he needs any more reason to be motivated, the always-energetic Crosby has some scores to settle after the Ravens hung him out to dry by publicly pulling out of the trade and raising questions about his long-range viability.

The 49ers have time to monitor Crosby’s health. If he returns to terrorizing Raiders’ practices during training camp, he’ll put all concerns to rest.

When he does, the Raiders will be flooded with calls from interested teams.

The 49ers need to be one of them.

A nearly perfect Rams offseason has firmly planted them back in the Super Bowl hunt.

Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford is back for at least one more year.

All-world edge rusher Myles Garrett has miraculously been added to a ferocious defensive line.

All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie now patrols the secondary. His former Chiefs teammate, Jaylen Watson, is joining him in Los Angeles to help turn the Rams’ only weakness into a certifiable strength.

The Rams have the best roster in the NFL, hands down.

But why stop there?

There is one more big move the Rams can make. And it’s a whopper, to say the least.

It’s time to bring Aaron Donald home for one last run.

Whatever the Rams have to do, and whatever power of persuasion is needed from coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead, the Rams need to make it happen.

Yes, Donald is now 35 years old and hasn’t played football in three years.

And it would be unrealistic to expect him to turn back the clock and be the Aaron Donald we all remember, terrorizing NFL offenses during his illustrious Hall of Fame-caliber career.

But even at 75% of his former self, which is a reasonable expectation, Donald would still be a force to be reckoned with. In a condensed role in which his snap count drops from the 55 to 60 he typically played per game to somewhere in the 25 to 30 range, his impact could be maximized.

Bringing Donald back wouldn’t guarantee the Rams would be crowned Super Bowl champions at SoFi Stadium in February, but he would absolutely make a huge difference.

And it might not be as far-fetched as it seems, either.

Multiple league sources indicate the greatest defensive player in Rams history is seriously contemplating coming out of retirement to lend a massive helping hand to the club’s Super Bowl aspirations.

Inspired by the Rams’ addition of Garrett, and motivated by the tantalizing possibilities of joining forces with the best pass rusher in the NFL, Donald might actually dust off his Superman cape for a triumphant return.

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Donald made his curiosity known in a pair of texts to ESPN’s Pat McAfee and NFL insider Jordan Schultz soon after the Rams traded for Garrett, telling McAfee that Garrett’s arrival in Los Angeles has “for sure got me thinking” and Schultz, “I’m for sure flirting with the idea. Helluva opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”

That sounds more like someone getting ready to dive back in, headfirst, rather than carefully putting his toe back in the water to test the temperature.

And, of course, the Rams would welcome him with open arms.

So, is it real or not?

The sense within league circles is that this could actually happen.

And what we do know is that in the weeks since Donald broached the possibility, he and McVay have remained in communication. The two have shared a close bond even during Donald’s retirement.

“Here’s what I would tell you guys overall, too, is Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect he has for Myles,” McVay said. “Talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring him on board.”

Now it’s time to close the deal.

The question Donald is grappling with is rekindling the infamous fire that burns inside him and made him one of the best defensive linemen in NFL history.

Unwilling to settle for anything less than the best version of himself, Donald was one-of-one with his maniacal, year-round work ethic. It bordered on deranged, but it was based on the immense pride he took in being the best.

Knowing the psychotic level of commitment and work ethic he demanded from himself, does Donald even want to go there again?

The right play for the Rams is to continue giving Donald his space while he makes that determination. This includes some gentle coaxing from McVay, of course, reminding Donald how much he still means to the organization and the pivotal role he could play in adding another Lombardi Trophy to the building.

Part of this involves convincing someone who has self-imposed the highest of standards that he can still be a huge asset and help the cause, even if he doesn’t reclaim the 32-year-old version of himself.

Knowing his level of pride, if Donald can somehow reignite the fire, he will work himself into a position to be a force on the Rams’ defensive line.

His role might change. But his impact will be felt.

The Rams toe a fine line trying to persuade him without pushing him. With roughly a month left before training camp opens, they have time to strike the necessary chord and bring Donald back into the fold.

It’s time to seal the deal.

Jim Harbaugh enters his third year as Chargers coach. His first two seasons resulted in postseason appearances, albeit first-round playoff exits.

The key now is turning regular-season success into playoff success.

Clearly, though, he is among the best coaches in football and gives his team a big advantage on most game days.

But how does he stack up against the opposing coaches the Chargers face this season?

Here is a ranking of those coaches and who has the edge:

1. Andy Reid, Chiefs, Weeks 6 and 17

Reid’s been doing this at the highest levels for 27 years, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Coming off one of the few bummer years of his career, does anyone doubt Big Red will get it figured out and turned back around?

From the week of preparation to the game-planning to the playcalling, Reid remains at the top of the game.

Edge: Chiefs

2. Sean McVay, Rams, Week 8

There are many reasons the Rams have become perennial Super Bowl contenders since moving to Los Angeles in 2016. General manager Les Snead is a master at building rosters and supplying the coaching staff with great players.

But McVay is as key to the operation as it comes, first in the influence he plays on personnel but then taking that personnel and molding it into a championship-level team. He’s also shown great flexibility and forward-thinking from a schematic and personnel standpoint.

Edge: Rams

3. Kyle Shanahan, 49ers, Week 15

In a year in which the 49ers made massive personnel changes and suffered an incredible slew of injuries, they still managed to win 12 games and win a playoff game.

Shanahan deserves to take a bow for keeping it together and not only maintaining the 49ers’ standard for excellence but also enriching it.

Edge: 49ers

4. Mike Macdonald, Seahawks, Week 4

Macdonald has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s best young coaches, and it’s not just how he drove the Seahawks to the Super Bowl championship in just his second season.

He is one of the game’s great defensive masterminds, and he is proving to be a top-notch leader and motivator.

Edge: Push

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5. Sean Payton, Broncos, Weeks 5 and 18

Payton has rapidly restored order in Denver and built a team that fell inches short of the Super Bowl.

Interestingly, he is surrendering playcalling duties to Davis Webb, who is on the head-coach fast track. Payton’s willingness to elevate Webb was an interesting display of unselfishness from Payton but also recognition that perhaps the Broncos and young quarterback Bo Nix will be better off with Webb calling the plays.

That is good coaching.

Edge: Push

6. Mike Vrabel, Patriots, Week 12

It didn’t take long for the Vrabel effect to take hold in New England. His bravado, confidence and preference for rugged, smart football teams immediately turned the Patriots into AFC champions.

It will be interesting to monitor how much his offseason off-field controversies will hinder him or the Patriots.

Edge: Push

7. DeMeco Ryans, Texans, Week 9

Ryans has overseen a massive turnaround in Houston, including two division championships and three playoff appearances.

The bulk of that success has been powered by the defense. No surprise, Ryans has a defensive coaching background and is a former NFL linebacker.

For the Texans to take that next step, though, Ryans needs to get the offense up to par.

Edge: Chargers

8. Klint Kubiak, Raiders, Weeks 2 and 14

Kubiak is in his first year as a head coach, so there is some projection on this one. But the pedigree is there, including playing a key role in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl championship as their offensive coordinator.

He’ll be a legend if he can get the Raiders turned around. But it will take some time.

Edge: Chargers

9. Jesse Minter, Ravens, Week 10

Much like Kubiak, there is some projection with Minter going into his first season as an NFL head coach.

But there is a lot to like with a coach many in the NFL cite as one of the brightest defensive minds in the game and foresee as someone who will take that defensive expertise and translate it to success as a head coach.

Edge: Chargers

10. Todd Bowles, Buccaneers, Week 13

Bowles’ placement has more to do with how many first-year coaches the Chargers face this year or, in Aaron Glenn’s case, with the Jets, a second-year coach with a lot to prove.

To put it in perspective, there was genuine surprise in Florida when the Buccaneers opted to retain Bowles after last season. And it would surprise no one if they make a change at the end of this season.

Edge: Chargers

11. Joe Brady, Bills, Week 3

Another first-time head coach, Brady gets a lot of credit for helping Bills quarterback Josh Allen reach a new level, and maximize Buffalo’s offense as a whole, since becoming the coordinator in 2023.

The question now, for Brady and the other first-timers, is whether they can lead? Can they be counted on to make key in-game decisions in real time? And can he command the entire room?

Edge: Chargers

12. Jeff Hafley, Dolphins, Week 16

Hafley arrives in Miami from Green Bay, where he was the Packers’ defensive coordinator the last two years. But he also spent four years as the head coach at Boston College, so he has some experience as the head man.

He is a hard-nosed, no-nonsense leader who is committed to creating a new culture in Miami built on hard work, physicality and mental toughness.

Edge: Chargers

13. Mike LaFleur, Cardinals, Week 1

Another first-time NFL head coach and the brother of Matt LaFleur, the Packers’ head coach, LaFleur walks into an unenviable position in Arizona, where there is a dearth of talent, including at quarterback.

The Cardinals say they will practice patience, and if so, LaFleur will have a chance to grow into the job and eventually help get Arizona on the right track.

But it feels like it’s a long way away.

Edge: Chargers

14. Aaron Glenn, Jets, Week 11

Things could not have gone worse in Season 1 for Glenn. The Jets did not show progress, and there were times when he simply seemed overmatched as the head coach.

In his defense, the Jets had an awful roster and got no help from their quarterbacks.

But Glenn has a lot of work to do to prove he’s the right man for the job,

Edge: Chargers

Should Dak Prescott get a contract extension after the 2026 season? – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star

Does it make “cents” for the Cowboys to pay Prescott some fresh cash?

It was not even two years ago that the Cowboys franchise quarterback and NFL All-Pro, Dak Prescott, signed a massive four-year, $240M contract extension. However, we may be just one season away from the team negotiating another long-term deal with Prescott. At first glance, that sounds ridiculous; how are we already talking about another Prescott contract when the ink on the last one still feels fresh? For the Dallas fans who aren’t the biggest fans of the longtime QB, the last contract is probably still a sore spot.

Unfortunately for those fans, that is the reality of having a franchise quarterback in today’s NFL. Prescott is coming off a strong 2025 season, throwing for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, and if he shows this season that he’s still playing at that level, the conversations will start because of the salary cap situation that will go down if they don’t.

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Dak Prescott’s Next Extension Comes Down To “Cap Hits”

After the Cowboys restructured Prescott’s deal, his number is set to jump to over $75M in 2027 and over $85M in 2028; that is an absurd amount of money for one player to count against the cap, even when that player is your starting quarterback, and you can bet Dallas will find a way to avoid that hit. The only real way to do that is a contract extension.

A new deal would be about pushing money around, lowering those short-term cap hits, and giving the front office more room to actually build around him, not just be about keeping Prescott in Dallas for longer. The Cowboys, for all their struggles of late, have some huge contracts already on the books, and some fantastic players that will soon need their share of that pie. Some fans will argue Prescott’s presence sets the team back, but eating those cap hits to avoid an extension indisputably hurts the team far more.

Cooper DeJean just gave Cowboys fans another reason to love the AJ Brown trade – Jason Kandel, The Landy Hat

Don’t know what you got until it’s gone. How AJ Brown leaving the Eagles helps the Cowboys

It may have happened on the first of June, but the day that the Philadelphia Eagles traded A.J. Brown was like Christmas for fans of the Dallas Cowboys. The long-overdue trade that sent Brown to New England gave Dallas’ hopes of winning the NFC East a big boost. After months of complaining and enough trade speculation to last a lifetime, the Eagles are finally rid of a player that rocked the division in 2025. It got to the point that the city of Philadelphia was ready to escort Brown to the airport, but that opinion isn’t shared by Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean.

On an episode of DeJean’s new podcast “Exciting Mics” with ex-Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, the All-Pro cornerback said something that most Dallas fans will love: he’s making it clear that no matter how the court of public opinion sways on A.J. Brown, he’ll miss him.

“I mean, yeah, I wish him nothing but success over there for sure,” he said. “Yeah, he’ll be a good asset for them. And obviously, we’re gonna miss him, and what he was able to do in Philly. He was a dominant player, so you’ll get to go against him. But yeah, now we get to play against him, or joint practice. It’ll be fun to go against him and see him up there in Foxborough, different colors.”

Cooper DeJean said he will miss having A.J. Brown on the Eagles

After such an ugly breakup, you have to commend the 23-year-old for having the class to speak candidly rather than besmirch his former teammate on his way out the door. From such a young player, it’s rare to see that much professionalism, especially given the classlessness of Eagles fans. DeJean’s comments are telling in another way in that they are a major contrast from the comments of one of his Eagles teammates. Left tackle Jordan Mailata said, “thank God it’s over,” in reference to the saga, as the 29-year-old’s frustration with Jalen Hurts and Kevin Patullo was too much for their locker room to bear.

“I think this is more of a — it sounds terrible — but like, thank God it’s over. It was a slow pain of just, is he in, is he out? We didn’t really know, and that really wasn’t our focus as a team, our team, especially on offense.”

NFL.com analyst makes Cowboys rookie his long-shot pick for DROY award – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire

Cowboys have a DROY candidate on the roster, but its not who you think.

He’s not David Bailey or Arvell Reese, nor is he Mansoor Delane or Sonny Styles, all of whom were drafted before he was. Heck, he’s not even the first guy his own team took on the opening night of selections. But Cowboys edge rusher Malachi Lawrence has at least a chance to leapfrog all of them by season’s end when it comes time to hand out the end-of-year hardware. So says NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, who recently named Lawrence his long-shot candidate to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

(The UCF newbie isn’t the only Cowboys notable on Brooks’s list. He also names “underappreciated” Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy his long-shot pick to win Coach of the Year. That move that would no doubt be a burr under the saddle of Cowboys fans, who were more than ready to run McCarthy out of Dallas despite three straight 12-win seasons… prior to 2024’s collapse.)

Lawrence overshadowing sparkly new safety Caleb Downs on the Cowboys roster would be a major feat in and of itself. The Ohio State product and No. 11 overall pick has sky-high expectations attached to him as he looks to be a key ingredient in leading first-year coordinator Christian Parker’s new-look scheme in Dallas.
But Brooks believes Lawrence, who is somehow flying under the collective radar despite being a top-25 pick himself, could create real havoc making his league entrance alongside a handful of seasoned veterans.

Brooks notes: “With opponents forced to deal with Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, and Kenny Clark at the point of attack, Lawrence will see plenty of one-on-one matchups on the edge, leading to regular sack opportunities. Moreover, the disruptive supportive cast could help Lawrence enhance his stat sheet with a bunch of tackles for loss and quarterback hits generated on extra effort and hustle plays. Lawrence is poised to receive plenty of exposure, given the Cowboys’ brand and the team’s six prime-time games. The rookie from UCF could swipe the award with a productive season that features a series of splash plays.”

Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: CB DaRon Bland – Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys

Dallas needs DaRon Bland to get back to his former self.

The 2023 season wasn’t long ago, but it sure feels like it for Cowboys CB DaRon Bland. Two injury-plagued seasons have dulled the luster of his record-setting breakout year. As Dallas tries to get back to fielding a competitive defense, Bland returning to his former self would be an enormous help.

Background

Years in NFL: 4
Acquired by: 2022 5th-round pick

Bland’s rookie season began at the bottom of the depth chart, but injuries pulled him into duty quickly. When Jourdan Lewis went to IR in October, Bland became the new starting nickel. Even before the breakout, he established his playmaking potential with five interceptions in 2022.

Then the real fun began. In his second season, Bland set a new NFL record for pick-sixes and tied the record for most defensive touchdowns. In addition to the five house calls, Bland had four other picks for nine total. Leading the league in interceptions, Bland was an easy pick as a First-Team All-Pro. The excitement for what he could do with more experience and training was sky high going into 2024.

That’s where the fun ended. A foot fracture in training camp led to a 10-game absence. Bland returned with Dallas already 3-7 in Mike McCarthy’s final season, but helped spark a 4-1 run. But the hole was too deep: Dallas was eliminated from the playoff after Week 16, and Bland’s missed games were ultimately more impactful than his return. Despite this, the Cowboys still made a long-term investment with a four-year, $92 million extension.

Bland returned in 2025 to a defense in disarray. Like so many, he seemed neutered by the issues up front and general breakdowns under Matt Eberflus’ direction. It was eventually revealed that he was also playing through continued foot issues, which eventually put him on IR after 12 games and required surgery in January.

Happy Sunday, Jets fans!

Here are your daily links as we enjoy this weekend.

Michael Nania – 2 league-wide NFL trends the NY Jets need to jump on

Michael Nania – NY Jets RB pulls up to World Cup match at MetLife Stadium

Connor Long – The potential cut candidates NY Jets should be in on

Geoffrey A. Knox – Jets’ Adonai Mitchell impresses teammates during 2026 offseason

Geoffrey A. Knox – Jets’ Joseph Ossai causes social media stir with workout video

Colby Colwell – One Jets Training Camp Battle Not Getting the Attention It Deserves

Efstathios Savvidis – Jets DT Jowon Briggs: Interior Pressure Could Make a Difference From No. 22 Player in 2026

Paul Esden Jr. – Insider Presses the Jets to Add Former All-Pro LB

Paul Esden Jr. – Jets Pushed to Strike Trade for 23-Year-Old Super Bowl Backup

Charlie Baduini – Mason Taylor is just as excited as Jets fans about rookie Kenyon Sadiq

Charlie Baduini – Jets may have a cut candidate hiding in plain sight ahead of training camp

Charlie Baduini – NFL Draft expert says Jets second-round pick may be steal of the draft

Jake Elman – Jets need to shut down the growing Cade Klubnik questions

Jake Elman – Latest Mac Jones trade pitch creates a fascinating Jets scenario

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Have a great day!

Dawgs By Nature

• Browns: New DC will ‘breathe schematic freshness’ into the defense (Thomas Moore) – Mike Rutenberg’s approach can build on past success while adding new twists to enhance Cleveland’s defense.
• Browns weapons: ESPN’s rankings have low hopes despite the young talent (Jared Mueller) – Did the Cleveland Browns improve their roster of offensive weapons enough in free agency, the draft? ESPN rankings say no.
• The last “Brendan Sorsby, Browns” article you will read, probably, for a few months (Barry Shuck) – Another setback for QB Brendan Sorsby whose path to the NFL, and professional football, keeps getting blocked.

The Feed

Cleveland Browns

• The NFL told Brendan Sorsby he has shown no remorse — and Terry Pluto says they were right (Terry’s Talkin’ podcast) – On Tuesday, the NFL denied the request of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to enter a 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft. On the latest episode of the Terry’s Talkin’ podcast, cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto and host David Campbell delved into the not-so-subtle message that the NFL sent Sorsby and his legal team.
• Can the Browns win more than 7 games in 2026? The answer depends on QB (Orange and Brown talk podcast) – Nobody said rebuilding was going to be easy. But heading into the 2026 season, the Browns have layered so many unknowns on top of each other that even the most informed insiders are struggling to land on a firm prediction for the team’s record. On the latest Orange and Brown Talk podcast, that uncertainty came to a head in one of the most revealing debates of the episode, a simple true or false: Will the Browns win more than seven games this season?
• Shedeur Sanders facing Browns exit as Cleveland ‘fielding calls’ on bloated quarterback room (Talk Sports) – There are too many bodies in the Cleveland Browns quarterback room, and Shedeur Sanders is reportedly on the trade block.
• Browns warned over Deshaun Watson decision (heavy.com) – The Cleveland Browns can insist that their quarterback competition will be decided on the field, but the decision will not be made in a vacuum.

NFL

• CFL won’t allow QB Brendan Sorsby to join league this season (ESPN) – Another door has closed for Brendan Sorsby’s immediate football future, as the CFL said Friday that the quarterback will not be allowed to join any of its teams for the upcoming season.
• Falcons want to see more of Kyle Pitts, and they proved they’re willing to pay for it (The Athletic) – If the timing of Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts’ contract extension came as a surprise, it’s because we haven’t been paying close enough attention to the hints coach Kevin Stefanski has been dropping for two months now.
• Josh Allen on 2026 Bills: ‘A lot of new’ but ‘Lombardi Trophy’ quest continues (NFL.com) – Change can be daunting for some. Don’t include Josh Allen in that group.

Good morning, Broncos Country!

People want stability in life.

It brings a sense of calm, comfort, and confidence. When you don’t have the added stress of instability and uncertainty in your life, it’s freeing. The same is true for players and teams, namely the Denver Broncos.

The continuity on the Broncos defense could fuel a dominant unit this season. But it’s not just Denver’s defense; it’s the whole team and organization that could benefit from that stability.

Head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton both received five-year extensions this offseason. Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner have shown their commitment time and time again as the franchise owners. And you have the franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, with a roster that brings back all but one starter from last season while adding a genuine offensive weapon in Jaylen Waddle.

With where the Broncos were before this ownership group took control after Super Bowl 50, you realize the incredible situation this franchise is in right now.

Payton was asked after a minicamp practice recently if he could sense that the team is hungrier because of that roster stability:

“It’s a good question, and honestly, I don’t think there was ever that meeting where we went in and said, ‘All right, we’re going to keep a lot of the same guys.’ It’s hard to measure. There obviously was a lot more transition in ’23. Some of those decisions that were made prior to the offseason relative to players’ returning, it’s just, ‘What are we looking for in a player? What’s the skill set? Does he endear himself to his teammates?’ Those types of things.

“I think that the situational football, more and more, when you just look at the way these games are finishing, a record number of three-point games last year. A record number of lead changes in the postseason. The margins each year continue to just get a little bit closer, so paying attention to that I think is real important.”

Obviously, the players realize all of this, too.

They know how fortunate they are to have that stability, and they want to take advantage of it.

“For professionals, I think it’s kind of underrated because we sort of take it for granted that we can just sort of bring another guy in or change a team,” Nix said to the media after a minicamp practice. “We’re professionals, we’ll handle it right. But you look at the teams that stick together for a long time, they end up winning. That’s kind of how historically, that’s how it was. You didn’t go from team to team as much. You look at the Knicks, they played in college together, and then they play a few years in the pros and they win a championship at a place it hadn’t been done in a long time.

“I think the culture, and the connectivity and everything that goes into play, I think we’re just comfortable playing with each other. At the same time, we go through a season like last year, and we see all these tight games that we won and pulled off … I think it just tells us that we can go this year and do it again. We just have a lot of confidence, and I think that helps as a team.”

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…

The 5 O’Clock Club

The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.

CLICK HERE to see the full 5 o’clock club archive

Previewing Washington’s 14 opponents of the ‘26 season — one at a time

In 2026, the Commanders will, like every other team in the NFL, play 17 games against 14 opponents. With the amount of roster change that NFL teams undergo annually along with the unusually large number of head coach and coordinator changes in 2026, it seems useful to spend some time to review each of Washington’s regular season opponents.

Dan Quinn and his Commanders will follow up a pair of NFC East road games to open the season with the first Washington home game of the 2026 season in Week 3.

Week 3 Preview: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders

Date: September 28, 2026, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Northwest Stadium in Landover Maryland

After road games in Weeks 1 & 2 against a pair of hated division rivals, the Commanders will return home in Week 3 to face the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. No easy games to open the 2026 season! A lot could change by the time these two teams meet, but it’s no surprise that the early betting lines favor the Seahawks on the road against the Commanders.

The All-Time Series Numbers

While these two teams wouldn’t seem to be natural rivals, they have played one another 24 times since Seattle joined the league as an expansion team in the mid-1970s. Washington leads the overall series 13-11-0, and the burgundy & gold has won 8 of 15 games played in this millennium.

The Seahawks have prevailed in the postseason, however. The two teams met in the playoffs three times between the 2005 and 2012 seasons, with Seattle sweeping the Redskins by winning all 3 games — none by less than 10 points.

Interestingly, Washington has been more successful as the road team in recent years, losing 4 out of the last 5 games played in Landover while winning 3 of the last 5 games played in Seattle.

Commanders quarterback play and health has been an issue at times

I’m sure everyone will remember the gruesome-looking play in which Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow in the fourth quarter of the Week 9 game against the Seattle Seahawks at Northwest Stadium.

A similarly gruesome-looking knee injury ended the rookie season of Robert Griffin III against the Seahawks in the playoff game at Landover in January 2013.

In the three Seattle-Washington games played between those two injuries, Washington’s offense was led by Dwayne Haskins (2020), Taylor Heinicke (2021) and Sam Howell (2023), which may help explain the .250 win percentage under Ron Rivera and Dan Quinn.

Hopefully, Jayden Daniels can put an end to this streak of quarterback infamy and injury with a complete and winning effort in Week 3.

Seahawks quarterback stability

Seattle’s starting quarterback is Sam Darnold. Not so long ago, that would have been a reason for many NFL fans to scoff, but Darnold has just finished back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons with the Vikings and Seahawks, and he has a shiny new championship ring.

Like last year, Darnold is backed up by Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe.

Seahawks 2026 Coaching Changes

*New to staff this season:

• Offensive Coordinator – Brian Fleury

• Offensive Line – John Benton

• Running Backs – Thomas Hammock

• Inside Linebackers – Zach Orr

• Quarterbacks – Tyson Prince

The Seahawks coaching staff changes could be significant. Sam Darnold will have both a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback coach. Fleury comes from 7 seasons with the 49ers; Prince is a 4th year coach who has moved up quickly in Seattle after one year in the college ranks.

Add in John Benton’s promotion to senior offensive assistant & offensive line coach, and we could see a very different Seahawks offense in 2026. Fleury’s offensive scheme will be a highly structured, modern variant of the Shanahan-style West Coast offense, built on wide-zone running, heavy pre-snap motion, and calculated deep shots — which may sound familiar to fans who have been reading up on Commanders’ new offensive coordinator David Blough. Upon taking the job, Fleury declared that his unit would be “fast, violent, and aggressive in every way we possibly can” to pressure opponents both structurally and through variable tempo.

Their first-round pick in the backfield, Jadarian Price from Notre Dame, will have a new running backs coach in Thomas Hammock.

One of the most underrated moves of the entire NFL offseason is also on this list, though, with the Seahawks adding former Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr as inside linebackers coach. The wealth of defensive knowledge between head coach Mike Macdonald and Orr should pay off handsomely for the Seahawks; a scary thought given that the Seahawks had the #1 defense in points-allowed in 2026.

Key statistical 2026 rankings

Offensive Rankings

Under coordinator Klint Kubiak, the offense was a top-tier scoring unit that prioritized high yards-per-play efficiency:

• Scoring Offense: 3rd overall (28.4 points per game)
• Total Offense: 7th overall (351.4 total yards per game)
• Offensive DVOA: 9th overall (9.2%)
• Passing DVOA: 5th overall (32.2%)
• Rushing DVOA: 13th overall (-2.2%)
• Yards Per Play: 2nd overall (5.6 yards per play)

Defensive Rankings

Head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense was statistically the best in the NFL, finishing as a top-10 historic defense in modern analytics:

• Scoring Defense: 1st overall (17.2 points allowed per game)
• Total Defense: 1st overall (285.8 yards allowed per game)
• Overall Defensive DVOA: 1st overall (-24.0% — ranked 8th all-time in NFL history)
• Passing Defense DVOA: 1st overall (-19.2%)
• Rushing Defense DVOA: 1st overall (-30.7%)
• Opponent Yards Per Play: 1st overall (4.4 yards allowed per play)

Roster Moves: Free Agency and the Draft

Key Free Agent Signings/Departures

* SIGNED IN FREE AGENCY

• LB Dante Fowler Jr.

• LB Chazz Surratt (Re-signed)

• CB Noah Igbinoghene

• RB Emanual Wilson

• WR Jake Bobo (Re-signed)

• OL Josh Jones (Re-signed)

• CB Josh Jobe (Re-signed)

• WR Rashid Shaheed (Re-signed)

* DEPARTED IN FREE AGENCY

• RB Kenneth Walker III

• LB Boye Mafe

• S Coby Bryant

• CB Riq Woolen

The Seahawks put a heavy emphasis on re-signing their own free agents this offseason, which gives them a short list of departures; nonetheless, they are all significant. Coby Bryant played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in the Super Bowl, while Riq Woolen and Boye Mafe were contributors as well. Of course, Kenneth Walker was the Super Bowl MVP.

Seattle did add former Commanders pass rusher in Dante Fowler Jr. to pair with DeMarcus Lawrence, and they used the draft to help maintain depth in the secondary that was key to their defensive success last year. Another element of that depth comes in the form of the free agent signing of former Washington CB Noah Igbinoghene, who may struggle to make the 53-man roster in Seattle.

As discussed above, their offensive core of Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp will have a new rookie running back and new play-caller in Brian Fleury, replacing Klint Kubiak who parlayed winning a Super Bowl with this group into the head coaching job with the Raiders.

The 2026 NFL Draft

Round 1, No. 32: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
Explosive runner and high-end kickoff returner; co-RB1 replacement for departed Kenneth Walker III. Should fit perfectly into Seattle’s outside-zone rushing scheme.

Round 2, No. 64: Bud Clark (S, TCU)
Experienced, highly competitive, versatile defensive ball hawk who will compete immediately at safety. Plays with a physical edge reminiscent of Devon Witherspoon.

Round 3, No. 99: Julian Neal (CB, Arkansas)
Tall, physical corner (nearly 6’2″) who loves to hit and press receivers. He is a good candidate to step in as Seattle’s 3rd CB.

Round 5, No. 148: Beau Stephens (OG, Iowa)
Versatile 1st-team All-American; expected to push incumbent Anthony Bradford for the starting RG spot.

Round 6, No. 199: Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (WR, Kansas)
Speedy WR; valuable kickoff coverage and return experience. Depth and special teams.

Round 7, No. 236: Andre Fuller (CB, Toledo)
A safety-to-corner convert with good size and 4.49 speed. Depth and battle for one of the remaining CB spots.

Round 7, No. 242: Deven Eastern (DT, Minnesota)
Experienced, durable interior lineman; started 39 college games. Will help restock and add youth to the Seahawks aging defensive line pipeline.

Round 7, No. 255: Michael Dansby (CB, Arizona)
Smaller, faster man-coverage CB; strong candidate for practice squad.

Betting Lines

Oddsmakers have established the visitors as the baseline favorite for this matchup.

• Point Spread: Seattle -3.5
• Game Total (Over/Under): 46.5 points

A 3.5-point spread is a massive one favoring the Seahawks on the road. The point total is set at 46.5, reflecting expectations of solid offensive output from both sides.

POLL QUESTION

Why Jalen Hurts will be fine in another new offense, expectations for Saquon Barkley if the offensive line can stay healthy and an Eagle who got benched multiple times before making a Pro Bowl in his seventh season.

As training camp inches closer, we’re all over the map in this week’s Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Offseason Observations.

WHY JALEN HURTS WILL BE FINE IN A NEW OFFENSE: How will Jalen Hurts manage in a new offense? Here’s a hint. In 2021, after spending his rookie year playing in Doug Pederson’s offense, he found himself playing in a new offense designed by Nick Sirianni with Shane Steichen replacing Sirianni halfway through the season as play caller. All he did in his first year as a starter was become the youngest quarterback ever to take the Eagles to the playoffs and the 2^nd-youngest 2^nd-round pick ever to reach the postseason, record a combined 26 touchdowns and rank 6^th in the NFL with 11.9 yards per completion. Steichen left to become Colts head coach after the 2022 Super Bowl season, so in 2023 Hurts once again found himself in a new offense, this one run by Brian Johnson. All Hurts did in Year 1 of another new offense was throw for a personal-best 3,858 yards, rush for an quarterback-record 15 touchdowns, complete 65 percent of his passes, lead the Eagles to the playoffs again and make his second straight Pro Bowl. Then came 2024 and another new offense under Kellen Moore. All Hurts did that year was go 12-3, complete 69 percent of his passes, record a career-high 103.7 passer rating and then go on a tear in the postseason, with 71 percent accuracy, 10 total touchdowns, a 108.6 passer rating and Super Bowl MVP honors. Moore was off to New Orleans after that, so Hurts found himself playing under the over-matched Kevin Patullo, his fifth new offense in six NFL seasons. But he still played well, going 11-5, leading the Eagles to their second straight NFC East title and fifth straight playoff berth, throwing 25 TDs to just six INTs, rushing for eight more TDs and going to his third Pro Bowl. So when people question whether Hurts will be able to handle another new offense this year, I’m not sure why that’s even a question. He’s done it almost every year of his career with a ton of success. Andy Reid once told me a quarterback doesn’t max out until he’s been in the same offense for five years. The one time Hurts had two years in the same scheme he had his best season and took the Eagles to the Super Bowl. In seasons under a new offensive coordinator, he’s 42-21. Look at the body of work. He knows how to do this. He’s got this. He’s going to be fine.

WHAT A HEALTHY O-LINE MEANS FOR SAQUON: If Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson can all stay healthy and assuming Tyler Steen and Jordan Mailata can as well, there’s no reason Saquon Barkley can’t have another big season. Maybe not 2024 big but big. There’s no question in my mind that Barkley’s struggles at times last year were directly linked to the diminished play up front, mainly from Dickerson’s and Jurgens’ injuries. They just weren’t anywhere close to being the players they were in 2024. And when Johnson misses eight games, that only makes it all worse. It’s actually remarkable that Barkley still ran for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns and over the last 10 games of the season averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He’s still fast, he’s still powerful, he’s still elusive, he’s still a nightmare matchup for defenses … when he has somewhere to run. When he doesn’t, he just doesn’t have a chance. I think Sean Mannion will help Barkley’s fortunes as well. Another 2,000-yard season? Doubt it. But in this offense with a healthy o-line? No reason Barkley can’t have a 1,500-yard season.

ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS: Tariq Woolen has somewhere around a zero percent chance of being here beyond 2026. Because if he plays well, he’s going to be one of the top free agent cornerbacks on the market, and with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell also needing new contracts at some point the money just won’t be there to sign Woolen. Some 20 corners are making at least $17 million per year and Howie Roseman isn’t about to open up the checkbook for three corners. That’s just not how he does business. He has his own personal salary cap for each position and DeJean and Mitchell deserve what they’re going to get. And if Woolen doesn’t play well, the Eagles aren’t going to want to sign him anyway. Maybe there’s a middle ground where he plays OK, his value after 2025 is modest and the Eagles want to keep him and can afford him. But there’s a very small window for that. It’s just about a lock that Woolen is a one-year rental. But based on his career in Seattle and what we saw this spring, he should be a fun one-year rental.

A RECORD THAT STOOD FOR 48 YEARS: In the 1947 NFL Divisional Round, the Eagles beat the Steelers 21-0 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh behind a stellar performance by quarterback Tommy Thompson. The 31-year-old veteran completed 11 of 17 passes for 131 yards with TD passes of 15 yards to Steve Van Buren and 28 yards to Jack Ferrante and didn’t throw an interception. His passer rating of 127.0 was 2^nd-highest in NFL postseason history at that point and remained an Eagles record until 1995, when Rodney Peete posted a 143.3 rating in the 58-37 wild-card win over the Lions at the Vet. In the game of his life, Peete was 17-for-25 for 270 yards with TD passes of 22 yards to Fred Barnett, 43 yards to Rob Carpenter on the final play of the first half and 45 yards to Ricky Watters and no INTs. The only other Eagles QB to top Thompson’s 127.0 is Nick Foles, who had a 141.4 rating in the 2017 NFC Championship Game against the Vikings at the Linc (26-for-33, 352 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs). Crazy that 79 years later, Thompson still has the 3^rd-highest postseason passer rating in Eagles history.

DALLAS GOEDERT’S HISTORIC CATCH PERCENTAGE: One of my favorite stats for tight ends and receivers is catch percentage, which is simply the percentage of targets a given player catches. Dallas Goedert has been over 70 percent in seven of his eight seasons. In 2019, he finished at 67 percent. But only three other tight ends have had more seasons at 70 percent (minimum 30 catches) than Goedert: Jason Witten with 11 in his 18 seasons, Travis Kelce with eight in his 13 seasons and Heath Miller with eight in his 11 seasons. Since 2018, nobody else has had seven such seasons. Goedert’s streak of six straight seasons at 70 percent or higher is longest ever by a tight end. Noah Fant has had five straight going into 2026.  

AN UNDER-RATED FORCE ON THE 2017 EAGLES: The Eagles’ offense had a lot of postseason studs in 2017 – Nick Foles, Corey Clement, Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery, LeGarrette Blount, Torrey Smith – but we can’t forget the guy who led the Eagles in scrimmage yards in the 2017 playoffs, Jay Ajayi. He only played seven regular-season games for the Eagles after coming over from Miami in a trade-deadline move, but he ran for 408 yards with a 5.8 average in those seven games, and he maintained the momentum in the playoffs, where he had 254 scrimmage yards on just 48 touches. Ajayi piled up 98 scrimmage yards vs. the Falcons, 99 vs. the Vikings and 57 in Super Bowl LII against the Patriots, where he, Clement and Blount combined for 255 scrimmage yards. Ajayi’s knees gave out soon after, and he only played seven more NFL games. But his impact on the Eagles’ first Super Bowl championship can’t be over-stated. He was a beast in the 2017 postseason.

JALEN HURTS STAT OF THE WEEK: Jalen Hurts has thrown three postseason interceptions in 291 attempts. That’s the 2^nd-best interception ratio in NFL playoff history among 65 quarterbacks who’ve thrown at least 200 postseason passes. Alex Smith is No. 1 on that list with two interceptions in 253 attempts with the 49ers and Chiefs. 

BENCH TO THE PRO BOWL: I always loved Jermane Mayberry’s story because how often does a guy branded as a 1^st-round bust who got benched multiple times wind up as a Pro Bowler? That’s exactly what happened with Mayberry, the Eagles’ 1^st-round pick in 1996. He was benched late in 1996 at left tackle for Barrett Brooks and he was benched at left guard for George Hegamin 11 games into the 1998 season following a 20-0 loss to the Giants. But he never sulked, he never complained, he never blamed anybody else. He just kept working and by 2000 emerged as a solid right guard. In 2002, he made his first and only Pro Bowl in his seventh NFL season, becoming the Eagles’ first Pro Bowl guard in 46 years, since Buck Lansford in 1956. Mayberry played here through 2004. 

HOW WILL CHRISTIAN PARKER DO IN DALLAS? I’m curious to see how Christian Parker does as Cowboys defensive coordinator. He’s taking over a unit that was atrocious last year – 30^th with 377 yards allowed, 23^rd with 126 rushing yards allowed, last with 252 passing yards allowed, 25^th in sacks, 30^th in first downs, last on third down, 29th in the red zone, last in points allowed. But the Cowboys not only hired Parker off Vic Fangio’s staff, they added veteran Pro Bowl edge Rashan Gary from Paramus Catholic, 1^st-round picks Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence, veteran Rams corner Cobie Durant, veteran 49ers linebacker Dee Winters, among others. Parker is a sharp guy and has always been highly respected by his players. All the Eagles’ d-backs always spoke reverentially about him. But have the Cowboys added enough to give Parker a fair chance to field a respectable unit? That remains to be seen. But after last year, when the Cowboys allowed over 30 points per game, if he can get the Cowboys’ defense to be just average it would be a major triumph for the Hunterdon County native.

JUST TWO IN 93 YEARS: The Eagles have played 42 overtime games in their history, but they’ve only had two overtime rushing touchdowns. The first was a one-yarder by Randall Cunningham to give the Eagles a 33-27 win over the Raiders at L.A. Coliseum in 1986. The other was Jalen Hurts’ 12-yarder to give the Eagles a 37-34 win over the Bills at the Linc in 2023. Of their 14 other overtime wins, 10 came on field goals, three on touchdown passes – Jaws to Quick for 99 yards against the Falcons in 1985, Sam Bradford to Jordan Matthews in Dallas in 2015 and Carson Wentz to Zach Ertz vs. the Giants in 2019 – and one on a blocked field goal recovery return by Clyde Simmons against the Giants in 1988.

Tyler Warren was just what the doctor ordered. The Indianapolis Colts had an incredible deficiency at the tight end position and he single-handedly lifted the entire unit. He showed what a unique talent he is and why the Colts were lucky to get him in the draft. His skill set is undeniable, and his future appears incredibly bright. His rookie year wasn’t without ups and downs, however, and when looking at his stats, it begs the question, did Warren run out of gas or was his second half a product of circumstances?

Over the first half of the season, Warren averaged nearly 62 yards per game and had three receiving touchdowns. Torrid might not be the correct word, but it was an excellent start. After the Berlin game and subsequent bye, the numbers plummeted. He had one touchdown to his name and averaged just 28.5 yards per contest. He faded into the background along with the rest of the team.

Did he hit the rookie wall and run out of steam or was he a victim of a seven game losing streak that saw three quarterbacks under center? It is probably a little of both. The transition from college to the pros is intense. It’s more grueling physically and mentally. Many rookies find themselves fading down the stretch. Going from a quarterback with a broken fibula, to a 45-year-old retired Philip Rivers, to a rookie, is simply asking too much. Producing under those circumstances paired with your first taste of the NFL is a Herculean undertaking.

What we saw from Tyler Warren in 2025 was encouraging, yet his fall was to be expected. The good news is that things are looking up from here. A big time jump in his second year with an entire offseason under his belt should be the expectation. Getting consistent quarterback play will go a long way too. Warren appears to be the type that as he develops, he can help out any quarterback under center. He will be that release valve and safety net. Quality quarterback play will help, but Warren should continue to thrive regardless.

Simpson, the first inductee of the Bills' Wall of Fame at their old home, will not be included in any of Highmark Stadium's new displays inside or outside the stadium, team officials told WIVB News 4. That includes the Family Circle, an outdoor plaza that will feature plaques honoring Wall of Fame inductees.

From WIVB:

"We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle." said Pete Guelli, chief operating officer for the Bills, in a statement on Saturday.

The Bills' reason for doing this should hopefully be obvious. Simpson, who died in 2024, spent the final three decades of his life as a public pariah following a murder trial in which he was found not guilty for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.

While he avoided prison over the matter, Simpson did not avoid repercussions in the court of public opinion or in a civil trial brought the families of Brown and Goldman. The effort to collect on the latter continued after his death. Simpson also did end up going to prison later in life after being found guilty in a separate armed robbery and kidnapping case.

The Bills kept Simpson on their Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium through all of that, but have apparently opted to clean the slate at their new home. It's not a surprise, considering they didn't even acknowledge Simpson's death.

Simpson played nine of his 11 NFL seasons with the Bills, earning MVP honors in 1973 after becoming the league's first player to break 2,000 yards in a single season. He retired second on the NFL's all-time rushing list behind only Jim Brown.

Brandon Aiyuk has delivered his most pointed message so far to the San Francisco 49ers amid a stand-off between the two parties.

On Saturday, June 27, Aiyuk posted a mirror selfie of himself from the waist down to his Instagram story that included a caption calling on the 49ers to release him.

"Take me off yo bum a– team," Aiyuk wrote, with the double exclamation emoji punctuating the sentence. "Tf is the hold up?"

Per usual, Aiyuk didn't directly mention the 49ers by name in his post. Still, it was crystal clear he was referencing the team – with which he had a falling out during the 2025 NFL season.

Taylor, 30, is accused of fatally poisoning Jade Benning, a 24-year-old woman who was five months pregnant with a child authorities say he fathered. Prosecutors allege that Taylor, a former Tennessee Titans scout, murdered Benning with a fatal dose of cocaine in early 2023. Taylor's defense has maintained his innocence.

29-year-old Mical Johnson, a former colleague of Taylor, provided testimony on June 27 about her experience working with him. Johnson was employed by the Titans from 2020 to 2025, where she began as an intern before becoming a scouting assistant.

Johnson testified that she never heard of Benning and didn't know if Taylor had a steady relationship – though he wasn't someone that often talked about his personal life. She also said that she was unaware that Taylor was expecting a baby, adding some of his comments about his readiness to becoming a father.

My version of an All-Time Historical Chicago Bears team is composed largely of standout players from the Bears’ rich history. With only a few exceptions, each player on my roster is representative of a “special” season for Chicago – be it 2025, 2018, 2010, 2006, 1985, or even 1963. This, along with an emphasis on the 3rd phase of the game, was the inspiration for my team’s name. You may have seen some other teams recently, but allow me to introduce you to an ELITE squad known as the Special Bears Unit, dun dun…

Chicago & Football – Special Bears Unit

OFFENSE

QB – Mitch Trubisky (19^th Round): The lead signal-caller for the Bears in 2018 will never be Patrick Mahomes, but he still had a sneaky productive 4 seasons in Chicago despite resistance from his head coaches to start and end his run. Trubisky reached the Pro Bowl in 2018, holds the 5^th spot in all-time career passing yards for Bears quarterbacks (10,609), and offers flexibility and playmaking with his legs.

RB – Matt Forte (2^nd Round): A 2-time Pro Bowler who represented the 2010 team that reached the NFC Championship, Forte was somehow underrated in his time. I definitely placed high value on his rushing and receiving upside in our draft, taking him with the first pick of the 2^nd round to be the primary engine of the offense. Forte will be a tremendous luxury for Trubisky to lean on.

*RB – David Montgomery (17^th Round): As you’ll see below, the player I selected to fill the Special Teams slot on my roster has the ability to get some WR snaps, and that allowed me to use my Offensive Utility pick on a RB for the best value. Montgomery joined the Bears right after 2018, so while he may never have had a “special” season in Chicago, he complements Forte incredibly well. I envision this backfield as another iteration of the “Sonic & Knuckles” duo Montgomery formed with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. Montgomery will provide the ability to gain the tough yardage that was the real only missing piece to Forte’s game.

WR – Harlon Hill (5^th Round): This Chicago Bears legend earned 3 Pro Bowl/all-star honors and 2 all-pro designations in his time. Amazingly, even though Hill played from 1954 to 1961, he still sits in 2nd place in both career receiving yards (4,616) and TDs (40) for the Bears. I was amazed to see he was still available when I was making my pick in the 5th round. One schematic bonus of this selection is that Hill technically played “end,” which would give him the positional flexibility to play either tight in-formation or spread out wide in the modern game.

WR – Allen Robinson (8^th Round): Robinson is one of my favorite players in recent years and is another standout from the Nagy-era Bears. A-Rob was able to compile over 3,500 receiving yards in his 4 seasons in Chicago and perhaps most impressively, sits in 4^th place all-time in receiving yards/game for the Bears (62.5). His size and demonstrated chemistry will definitely be a benefit to Trubisky too.

TE – Cole Kmet (7^th Round): The first current-Bear selection for my team, Kmet fits really nicely into my offense as a jack-of-all-trades. He has great size and has demonstrated an ability to contribute to the run game as a blocker, but he also has caught passes from a number of Bears quarterbacks in his tenure, landing him at 19^th on the Bears’ career leaders in receiving yards (2,939) and tied for 13^th in TDs (21).

LT – Charles Leno Jr. (14^th Round): I began to notice some offensive linemen flying off the board, and although I value the o-line greatly, I felt like there were some sleepers to be had in the later rounds when other positions may be a bit more dried up. One position I did prioritize however, was LT where I got ol’ reliable himself in Leno. Leno not only held down the blind for Trubisky in 2018 (making the Pro Bowl along the way) but remained sneakily dependable until his departure, playing 99% or more of all offensive snaps from 2016 – 2020.

LG – Teven Jenkins (24^th Round): Jenkins never really lived up to expectations, largely due to injuries, but he was at his most productive when he was allowed to settle into the guard position for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Late in this draft, I was happy to take Teven for an injection of a little nastiness on the offensive line.

C – Cody Whitehair (9^th Round): If it wasn’t obvious yet, this offense is primed to take shape as a supercharged version of what Matt Nagy put in place in Chicago. This extends to the offensive line as Whitehair was a Pro Bowler in 2018 alongside both Leno and Trubisky. One lasting memory of Whitehair for fans may be snap issues, however, I believe much of that can be attributed to him being pulled between the center and guard positions post-2018. With his attention solely at C, I feel he will be much better-suited to anchoring the o-line.

RG – Jim Cadile (23^rd Round): Jim Cadile played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Bears from 1962 – 1972. He played 128 games, starting 112 of them, and was a member of the 1963 NFL Championship team. This late in the draft? Yeah, give me a guy who helped block for Gale Sayers, that’ll do.

RT – Bobby Massie (25^th Round): Finally, as the person who ended up last in the draft order, I had the honor of selecting the “Mr. Irrelevant” of this draft. What was interesting is that with the way things shook out, I actually knew who my pick would be at least a few rounds before I would eventually make it. As everyone filled the OT slots on their rosters, I addressed other needs, and then it clicked – I’ll take the definition of a “sleeper” pick! Massie and Leno always seemed like a pairing with the way they held down the OT positions in Chicago from 2016 – 2020 so this is adds additional chemistry on top of Massie’s underrated ability.

DEFENSE

DE – Richard Dent (1^st Round): My first pick in the draft had to be a Hall of Famer, and why not go with a Super Bowl champion at a premium position while I’m at it? Naturally, I went with the Bears’ all-time leader in career sacks in Dent. Dent also ranks 2^nd in forced fumbles (33) behind only Charles Tillman, which is like having the 2^nd highest score on a Pac-Man arcade cabinet behind the 1^st place “Automatic Pac-Man Playing Machine” as far as I’m concerned.

DT – William “The Refrigerator” Perry (13^th Round): You’ll see shortly that after securing Dent, I placed my emphasis on a different level of the defense in the earlier rounds. That said, it was important to go digging for gems and boy did I find a massive gem here! The Fridge is another member of the legendary 1985 defense and helps bring a stout presence to the center of the d-line that will be difficult for the opposition to navigate.

DT – Israel Idonije (15^th Round): A rotation player in 2006, Idonije is a rare example of a player quietly remaining on the roster for some time before blossoming into a quality starter later in their career, as he was a starter for the team by the time they returned to the NFCCG in 2010. With versatility to play inside and out, I opted to take him as a DT that can complement Perry’s size inside and really ratchet up the pass rush of this 4-man group. Idonije has long been an under-the-radar favorite of mine and he’s actually tied for 20^th in Bears career sacks with both Perry and Tommie Harris at 28.5 and he’s tied for 7^th (among available data) in tackles for loss with Julius Peppers and Roquan Smith at 47.

DE – Adewale Ogunleye (9^th Round): Completing this defensive line with Super Bowl experience is Ogunleye, who you’ll find a few notches higher than Idonije on the TFL rankings in 4^th place with 65 as a Chicago Bear. He also had 42 sacks and forced 12 fumbles, which would only have been amplified playing opposite a star like Dent.

LB – Lance Briggs (4^th Round): A key contributor to both the 2006 and 2010 teams, Briggs amassed 7 Pro Bowl nods and 1 All-Pro honor during his career with the Bears. As the 2^nd time around in this snake-draft, I was THRILLED to be able to select him as one of my back-to-back choices along with my 3^rd round pick. You’ll find Briggs’ name amongst the Bears’ defensive career leaders in TDs (2^nd), passes defended (3^rd), forced fumbles (3^rd), tackles (2^nd), and tackles for loss (2^nd).

LB – Roquan Smith (6^th Round): I teased it above, but selecting Smith was a decision based on value that really led to a strong linebacker corps. He notoriously never received accolades until after he left Chicago (although he was named to a Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team in 2022, when he split the season evenly between the Bears and Ravens), but Smith was a star from the jump. Pairing him with Briggs gives my defense the ability to match up with a variety of threats that opposing offenses might send our way.

*LB – T.J. Edwards (22^nd Round): Late in the draft, I considered my options for filling my defensive utility slot, and similarly to offense, my approach became all about value. Even though I am confident in the range and ability of my two star linebackers, Edwards is a great compliment that can play opposite Briggs with Smith at the Mike in a 4-3 base. Injuries might have tarnished the view of Edwards as of late, but when healthy, he’s proven to be more than capable and, alongside Cole Kmet, represents the current era of the Chicago Bears.

CB – Leslie Frazier (10^th Round): Frazier is the final representative of the 1985 defense on my team. With decent height for a boundary corner at 6’0”, Frazier demonstrated solid overall ball skills in coverage and was able to average 6 interceptions per year during his 3 seasons as a full-time starter for the Bears from 1983 – 1985.

FS – Mark Carrier (12^th Round): I like to reveal some themes throughout this breakdown, and one theme for this defense is the ability to create turnovers. Though he undoubtedly peaked during his 1990 Defensive Rookie of the Year season, Carrier is another cog in this turnover machine. The 3-time Pro Bowler amassed a total of 20 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in his 7 seasons in Chicago.

SS – Adrian Amos (16^th Round): Amos wasn’t very flashy during his tenure in Chicago (which is likely why Ryan Pace was happy to let him walk after the 2018 season, leading to the saltiness he’s had ever since as a now former Packer), but he was definitely a dependable piece next to the more “high-risk, high-reward” play of Eddie Jackson. Alongside Carrier, Amos could fill a similar role as a trustworthy piece in the secondary who can play clean-up as needed.

CB – Jerry Azumah (21^st Round): Zoom should give me some kind of bonus points for his ability to serve as a reserve special teamer, but I suppose I don’t make the rules. Instead, he’ll be a serviceable corner to fill out this defense. Azumah was able to account for 10 interceptions and 7 forced fumbles in his career with the Bears, but that was with a very different level of support around him, and I feel that he would be able to benefit from the increased level of play of this defense, particularly the pressure generated by the defensive line.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K – Kevin Butler (18^th Round): As mentioned, to begin this breakdown, I ended up prioritizing my special teams group in the draft. Butler, another Super Bowl Champion, is a part of that. The 2^nd kicker taken off the board in this draft, Butler ranks only behind Robbie Gould in Bears career leaders in field goals made (243) and points scored (1,116). Butler actually leads Gould and all others in extra points made (387).

P – Brad Maynard (20^th Round): This selection was really where I decided to boldly declare that I would have the clear best special teams trio in the draft. I chose Maynard as the first punter selected, and despite a lack of notable accolades from the league, Brad has left a lasting legacy from his 10 years in Chicago from 2001 – 2010, including punting for the team in the Super Bowl and twice in the NFCCG, leading all other Bears punters with 284 career punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

KR/PR – Devin Hester (3^rd Round): I addressed both offense and defense with my first two picks of the draft, but I’d argue that my BEST pick might be this one right here. The ridiculous one himself rightfully found his way to the Hall of Fame as part of the 2024. A member of the 2006 NFC Champions, Hester did his part to help secure Chicago a 2^nd Super Bowl (as we all know). He also earned 3 Pro Bowl nods and 3 All-Pro designations with the Bears (including in 2010) en route to becoming the greatest returner of all-time. Hester also was underrated as a speedy WR and can be used another chess piece that must be accounted for at all times when taking the field with the offense.

You can check out our full draft here.

Once all eight teams are announced, we’ll hold a tournament and ask you, the WCG readers, to pick the winner.

The 2023 season wasn’t long ago, but it sure feels like it for Cowboys CB DaRon Bland. Two injury-plagued seasons have dulled the luster of his record-setting breakout year. As Dallas tries to get back to fielding a competitive defense, Bland returning to his former self would be an enormous help.

Background

Years in NFL: 4
Acquired by: 2022 5th-round pick

Bland’s rookie season began at the bottom of the depth chart, but injuries pulled him into duty quickly. When Jourdan Lewis went to IR in October, Bland became the new starting nickel. Even before the breakout, he established his playmaking potential with five interceptions in 2022.

Then the real fun began. In his second season, Bland set a new NFL record for pick-sixes and tied the record for most defensive touchdowns. In addition to the five house calls, Bland had four other picks for nine total. Leading the league in interceptions, Bland was an easy pick as a First-Team All-Pro. The excitement for what he could do with more experience and training was sky high going into 2024.

That’s where the fun ended. A foot fracture in training camp led to a 10-game absence. Bland returned with Dallas already 3-7 in Mike McCarthy’s final season, but helped spark a 4-1 run. But the hole was too deep: Dallas was eliminated from the playoff after Week 16, and Bland’s missed games were ultimately more impactful than his return. Despite this, the Cowboys still made a long-term investment with a four-year, $92 million extension.

Bland returned in 2025 to a defense in disarray. Like so many, he seemed neutered by the issues up front and general breakdowns under Matt Eberflus’ direction. It was eventually revealed that he was also playing through continued foot issues, which eventually put him on IR after 12 games and required surgery in January.

Contract Status

Years Left: 4
2026 Cap Hit: $17 million

The Cowboys are locked in with Bland for at least one more year. But if the foot problems or other issues continue, they have an out as early as next offseason. Bland will again count a little over $17 million, but with just about $13 million in dead money if released. Hopefully, 2026 goes well enough that we can dismiss that possibility.

2026 Projections

Role: Starting CB
Roster Chance: 100%

While Dallas has loaded up on new defensive backs this offseason, the path to a starting role is still perfectly clear for Bland. His rehab has gone well and he’s expected to be ready for the start of camp. With improved and lasting health, Band should still be CB1 regardless of how our younger prospects perform.

Where Bland lines up in certain formations will be the most interesting variable. While he started in the league as a slot corner, and many feels that’s where he is best suited, the Cowboys now have a lot of options for that role. They signed veteran Cobie Durant, who’s best years with the Rams were also in the slot, along with adding several safeties with slot potential: Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, and Caleb Downs.

While Christian Parker may lean into Bland’s versatility at times, the goal seems to be keeping him outside as one of the primary corners. The slot will get covered in a variety of ways, with Downs and Durant the leading candidates. Their ability to make plays will be enhanced if Bland can get back to putting fear into opposing QBs. He’s not a shutdown corner by any stretch, but his ball skills give any passer pause. If Bland can just stay on the field and perform at a quality starter level, it will be another big step towards fixing this defense.

Check out our previous player profiles from this series:

RB Israel Abanikanda | S Justin Barron | G T.J. Bass | C Cooper Beebe | G Tyler Booker | S Alijah Clark | RB Malik Davis | DT Tommy Dunn | CB Cobie Durant | OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku | TE Princeton Fant | TE Jake Ferguson | WR Ryan Flournoy | C Matt Hennessy | S Malik Hooker | OLB James Houston | QB Sam Howell | WR Jordan Hudson | LB Shemar James | G Trevor Keegan | CB Derion Kendrick | OLB Isaiah Land | OLB Marist Liufau | S P.J. Locke | FB Hunter Luepke | RB Phil Mafah | QB Joe Milton III | WR Jonathan Mingo | CB Devin Moore | LB DeMarvion Overshown | TE DJ Rogers | TE Luke Schoonmaker | LS Trent Sieg | WR Anthony Smith | OT Terence Steele | CB Reddy Steward | OT Nate Thomas | S Jalen Thompson | DT Jay Toia | WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling | OLB Tyrus Wheat | RB Javonte Williams | OLB Sam Williams | DT D.J. Withers | S Julius Wood

49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk posted a video Saturday on his YouTube channel, claiming his former agent has influenced his situation with the team and 49ers general manager John Lynch recently showed up at his home.

In the 3 ½-minute video, Aiyuk said his relationship with Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers will never be repaired and that he has no plans on returning to the team’s stadium. Or at least with one exception.

“We is not cool. We won’t be cool,” Aiyuk said in the video. “I will never be stepping in that building, except for on Oct. 19 when I come through with that motherf—— belt.”

Oct. 19 is in reference to when the 49ers host the Commanders on “Monday Night Football.”

Throughout the NFL offseason, Aiyuk has been saying he will play for the Commanders alongside his former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels.

During the video, Aiyuk said his former agent is also Lynch’s agent and implied that Lynch showed up to his home unannounced by saying he looked at his camera in front of his door and saw a “big old white boy. White man. Former NFL safety” arrive at his home.

Aiyuk went on to call Lynch and his former agent “weird” and called them both “creepy predators.”

After calling the two creepy predators, he held up a football with the Commanders logo on it and said, “I don’t care how long I gotta wait to get to you, my baby, but if it involves f—– [Lynch and his former agent] first, I’m waiting.”

Toward the end of the video, Aiyuk went on to call out Shanahan.

“The same general manager that tried to run me down, and come apologize for his head coach, cause his head coach has the temperament of a f—– toddler and was speaking out the side of his f—– mouth to me?” Aiyuk said. …”What am I going to do in here, beat you up? Come on bro, come on bro. You just talking crazy cause you know you can talk crazy.”

Believe it or not, despite nearly two decades of sustained success, former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin never captured the NFL Coach of the Year Award. The last time a Steelers head coach did win Coach of the Year was Bill Cowher in his inaugural season in 1992, making it 34 years since Pittsburgh has had a coach win the award. Mike McCarthy could change that, though, according to one NFL analyst.

In a recent piece for NFL.com, Bucky Brooks identified McCarthy as his “long-shot” candidate to win the league’s Coach of the Year honors in his first season leading the Steelers.

“This under-appreciated, Super Bowl-winning head coach has a chance to cement his legacy with a strong run in Pittsburgh,” Brooks wrote. “McCarthy takes over a longtime winner that had plateaued under Mike Tomlin, but the roster still features enough veteran playmakers to make a jump from good to great under new direction. If the veteran coach can get Aaron Rodgers to play like a top-half quarterback in a system that minimizes his deficiencies as a 42-year-old—while simultaneously prodding defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to help the vaunted defense regain its swagger and suffocating style—the Steelers will make plenty of noise as contenders.”

While Brooks stopped short of calling McCarthy a favorite for the award, the selection is an indication that the Steelers have at least someone in the national media world who thinks they’ll be a factor in the AFC North.

If McCarthy can guide the Steelers back into legitimate Super Bowl contention while maximizing the final chapter of Aaron Rodgers’ career, he’ll likely find himself firmly in the Coach of the Year conversation. More importantly for ownership, it would signal that a new era has gotten off to exactly the start the organization envisioned.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

• C.J. Stroud emerges as Steelers 2027 QB option
• Steelers sign versatile defensive back to one-year deal
• Steelers named landing spot for All-Pro WR Stefon Diggs
• Steelers unable to draft QB Brendan Sorsby, per NFL ruling
• T.J. Watt welcoming change with Mike McCarthy as he chases return to dominance

In arguably his most explosive comments yet, Aiyuk said he fired his agent because he also represented 49ers general manager John Lynch, though he did not mention Lynch’s name in his remarks.

He went on to complain about Lynch coming to his house to talk, while also saying the team’s “head coach got a temperament of a f***ing toddler.”

“We is not cool,” Aiyuk said of the relationship between him and the 49ers. “We won’t be cool and I will never be stepping in that building except on Oct. 19.”

The Commanders visit the 49ers on that date for a Week 6 matchup this season.

For anyone who wasn't clear on the fifth-year receiver's intentions, he recently posted a video to his Instagram story in which he said, "Go Commanders! Raise hail!"

That was far more explicit than previous hints Aiyuk dropped on social media, such as posts located in Washington and recording videos wearing a Commanders hat.

Days later, Aiyuk took to social media again, demanding the 49ers cut him so he could sign with the Commanders.

"If I'm crazy or if I'm cappin'," Aiyuk said, "tell them boys cut me today and I'll sign with the Commanders tomorrow. We'll see who's cappin'."

On Friday, Aiyuk posted a video in which he said he doesn't currently have an agent — and hasn't had one since November when he terminated his Standard Representation Agreement (SRA) through the NFL Players Association last November.

Yet according to the NFLPA player-agent database, Aiyuk is still listed as being represented by Ryan Williams of Athletes First, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reports. Had Aiyuk terminated his SRA, as he claims, that would be indicated in the database.

That apparent misunderstanding could in part explain Aiyuk's current situation, in which he has not applied to the NFL for reinstatement. The 49ers placed him on the Reserve/Left Squad list in December for not reporting to the team facility to do rehab work on his injured right knee.

Aiyuk has not filed the necessary paperwork for reinstatement, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday. Until he does that, the 49ers don't have to release him.

Perhaps this would have happened already if Aiyuk was communicating with his agent. Or if Aiyuk would have reported to the 49ers' facility, presumably on advice from his representatives.

In July, the 49ers voided the $27 million of guaranteed money in Aiyuk's contract due to his failing to report for rehab sessions and team meetings. The receiver did not file a grievance, believing that would make it easier for the team to release him.

Aiyuk, 28, last played in 2024, appearing in seven games before tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee in a Week 7 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. In five seasons with San Francisco, he's compiled 294 receptions for 4.305 yards and 25 touchdowns, averaging 14.6 yards per catch.

This early into the new regime, you have to give the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff this: They come up with some noteworthy and downright hilarious descriptions of their players.

First it was head coach and chief offensive play caller Klint Kubiak dubbing elite tight end Brock Bowers a “football robot from heaven”. It was a description that not only the third-year Georgia product enjoyed, but his fellow Raiders found hilarious, too.

Then came defensive coordinator Rob Leonard talking up linebacker Quay Walker.

“I mean, I see Quay, he’s an Avatar out there,” Leonard began, “He’s a guy that looks like an outside linebacker that can play off the ball, play on the ball, he blitzes. Yeah, he’s a leader. Him and Nakobe (Dean) have been great, and you can definitely feel his presence.”

Interestingly enough, the Raiders’ football robot and Avatar are both former Georgia Bulldogs. But aligning to Las Vegas’ mantra this offseason of being on the same page, Bowers and Walker are expected to be prime examples of the position-less and hybrid philosophy being engrained in the Silver & Black this offseason. Kubiak’s penchant to run different plays out of identical alignments and formations — and mixing in motions and shifts — alongside Leonard’s desire to have his defense to attack by playing aggressive and fast from a multiple-front looks and deceptive blitz packages is what’s consistently talked about this offseason.

Walker provided more hints and insights on what that exactly means.

“Honestly, man, it’s a lot for offense going in that week ahead of it, so say for instance, it’s week one, and a team is just trying to get us together, whatever the case may be, and they present our defense. We have a lot of guys that played this, play that, they just move around in a lot of areas, so now it’s kind of hard to scout against us and tell what we are doing,” Walker explained when asked what’s the benefit of having defenders play multiple spots on the field. “Say for instance, I’m on the line, you never know if I’m going to drop or if I’m going to rush whether that’s to the field or the boundary. Same thing with (safety Jeremy) Chinn, (edge rusher Kwity (Paye), no matter what the case may be, Maxx (Crosby). Just a whole lot, it kind of helps and play hand in hand with the whole defense I’ll say.”

Now, if you have trepidation on the “multiple”, I don’t blame you.

My eyebrow raised as that was the same buzzword that Dennis Allen uttered constantly and consistently when he was hired as head coach of the Oakland variant of the Raiders back in 2012. He sought versatility and disguised coverages that showcased fluidity between 4-3 and 3-4 fronts and highlighted aggressiveness and attacking nature.

Sounds familiar, no?

That’s the same intent Leonard has this coming season. What helps the first-year defensive coordinator that Allen didn’t have as a rookie head coach at the time in 2012 is a well-constructed roster that saw significant salary cap space and assets this offseason used to rebuild the Raiders’ defense. Allen saw himself as the chosen lead man by then-general manager Reggie McKenzie during the chief personnel man’s tear down phase of reshaping the Silver & Black. And saying the cupboard was bare is an understatement.

Current GM John Spytek didn’t shop on a discount this offseason and spent coin on free agents Walker (three-year contract worth $40.5 million), fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean (three years, $36.03 million), edge rusher Kwity Paye (three years, $48 million), and re-signing cornerback Eric Stokes (three years, $30 million) and edge rusher Malcolm Koonce (one year, $11 million). Las Vegas also retained edge rusher Maxx Crosby after the failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens, giving Leonard much more talent (and let’s not mess around, name recognition) on his unit that Allen didn’t come close too.

Unlike Allen, Leonard is more willing to delve into specifics highlighting not only enthusiasm but the critical-thinking of someone who does intend to be multiple but teach it properly, too.

“Yeah, up front it’s always important to be deep and be able to rotate. It just is. It’s not a crazy, drastic — for the front guys, they’re like, ‘Hey, I’m an outside shade, an inside shade or head up. I’m a three, a two or a shade.’ I don’t think for how we teach D-line that it’s something drastically different,” Leonard said. “What’s my technique? Who am I striking? And then, in terms of 3-4, 4-3 that’s just in my mind the edge guys, who’s dropping, who’s rushing, which is a little bit different, but I don’t think the change is as drastic as it may sound if that makes sense.”

Walker, who stands at a prototypical 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds, brings the physical and mental traits to succeed as a versatile chess piece. The 26-year-old brings with him solid four-year production with the Green Bay Packers (was selected 22nd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft with the pick the Pack acquired from the Raiders in the Davante Adams trade) and the blend of size and athleticism allows him to be deployed as both an inside and outside linebacker who can blitz, stop the run, and drop back in coverage.

And he’s eager to do all of that and anything else Leonard asks for.

“I’m playing more positions that I probably ever played in my career, but this is a challenge that I’m willing to accept. This is what I’ve always wanted to do. I want to always want to be a guy who can move around and play multiple positions, Walker said. “And honestly, man, where we at right now, we’re growing each and every day, that’s all you can ask for. A lot of teams are preaching the same thing around this time. So, how are we going to separate ourselves in order for us to get to where we want to get and get what we can get out of the OTAs and this off season. So, we just got to stay locked in with it and just have the mindset, and as a leader, it’s my job. I feel as if I come in with the right mindset, making sure that guys can match my energy, whatever the case may be.”

Walker taking second-year linebacker Cody Lindenberg, the Raiders’ seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft and became a core special teamer (362 snaps/86 percent of the unit’s total) as a rookie last season, during OTAs and minicamp is tangible proof of the right mindset and making sure teammates match his energy.

While Walker and Dean are the favorites to be the starting inside linebackers in a 3-4 front, getting youngsters like Lindenberg up to speed is vital for depth, especially if the Leonard does intend his Raiders defense to be multiple.

As promised, we’ve got the results of our SB Nation Reacts poll for this week, so let’s take a look at what everyone thought about this week’s question, shall we?

We asked all of you out there whether or not you thought the great Harrison Smith would be returning to the Minnesota Vikings for a fifteenth season. Overall, the overwhelming majority of folks believe that he will be, though there is a bit of dissension on when that return is going to come.

Overall, of those who responded to our poll, only 18% of you think that we’ve seen the last of the Hitman in a Vikings uniform. So, that means 82% of our respondents think that Harrison Smith is coming back.

So, it’s a matter of whether folks think Smith is going to come back before or after training camp. Of those who answered our poll question, 41% believe that he’s going to wait until after camp is over to make his return to the team, while 33% believe that the team will know his choice before camp starts here in about a month. The other 8% of our respondents believe that we’re going to see a mid-season return for #22.

Honestly, at this point, I think Smith has earned the right to miss training camp if that’s what he feels like doing. He knows the defense inside and out, and I’m sure he’s going to be taking care of himself physically to the point he doesn’t need to put himself through the extra strain that training camp would present. The team has already made it clear that he would be welcomed back if he decided to return, so if that’s the way things are going to play out, it wouldn’t be all that surprising.

Those are the results of our SB Nation Reacts poll for this week, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, as always, to everyone who took the time to participate in this week’s poll, and keep your eyes open for the next one!

Check out the FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

While the NFL slowly drips their list of Top 100 players for the upcoming season, CBS Sports released their Top 100 NFL players of 2026 by Pete Prisco, and there were eight Eagles named — it would have been nine, but A.J. Brown, who dropped 33 spots from last year’s list, is now a Patriot.

The No. 1 overall player on the list was newly-traded Myles Garrett, followed by QBs Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen. There’s quite a bit of scrolling to get to the first player from Philadelphia, but that guy is Eagles left tackle, Jordan Mailata.

Prisco addresses why it might be surprising for Mailata to be ranked so high:

“His play dipped a bit last season, but [Jordan Mailata] still remains one of the game’s best left tackles. He is a big power player who keys the run game and also does a good job in pass protection. His pass protection fell off some early, but he regrouped.”

The list’s overall theme for Eagles players was that their 2025 season wasn’t as impressive as previous years, but ultimately, they all have high ceilings and are expected to turn things around this fall.

• No. 30 – OT Jordan Mailata
• No. 36 – CB Quinyon Mitchell
• No. 41 – OT Lane Johnson
• No. 47 – RB Saquon Barkley
• No. 73 – DT Jalen Carter
• No. 74 – CB Cooper DeJean
• No. 84 – QB Jalen Hurts
• No. 85 – LB Zack Baun

It’ll take a couple weeks before we have the full Top 100 list from the NFL, voted on by NFL players, and then we’ll be able to compare where the Eagles landed.

Which players do you think are over-ranked or under-ranked? Was anyone snubbed? Let us know in the comments!

It is Day 78 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.

At Day 78 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff we look back at one of the most dominant road wins in Cowboys history. Dallas entered Week 11 at 6-3, still stinging from an overtime collapse against Green Bay, while Minnesota came in at 8-1 after a dramatic win over Buffalo. The Vikings were one of the NFC’s top stories, riding a seven-game winning streak and looking like a legitimate contender. Then the Cowboys walked into U.S. Bank Stadium and turned the entire afternoon into a national statement.

Sunday, November 20, 2022 — 4:25 p.m. ET

U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 40, Minnesota Vikings 3

The pace of the game was set immediately by the Cowboys defense. On Minnesota’s opening drive, Micah Parsons sacked Kirk Cousins and forced a fumble, giving Dallas a short field. The Cowboys cashed that in with a Brett Maher field goal, and after the Vikings tied it 3-3, Dallas took control for good. Ezekiel Elliott scored from one yard out late in the first quarter, and the Cowboys never looked back.

The second quarter was when the game started to feel like a mismatch. Maher hit from 53 yards, Dak Prescott found Tony Pollard for a 30-yard touchdown, and Maher drilled a 60-yard field goal as time expired in the half. Dallas led 23-3 at halftime, but the score almost undersold how complete the performance already was. The Cowboys were winning up front, finishing drives, and making Minnesota’s high-powered offense look completely uncomfortable. 

The knockout came right after halftime. On third-and-14, Prescott hit Pollard in stride, and Pollard turned it into a 68-yard touchdown. A few minutes later, Elliott scored again from one yard out to make it 37-3. The Cowboys added one more Maher field goal in the fourth quarter, and Dallas left Minneapolis with a 40-3 win that felt even more emphatic than the final score. 

Prescott was truly outstanding, completing 22 of 25 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, no sacks, and a 139.3 passer rating. Pollard was the offensive star, producing a career-high 189 yards from scrimmage with two receiving touchdowns, while Elliott added two rushing scores. Dallas finished with 458 total yards and scored on each of its first seven possessions. 

The defense was even more ruthless. Dallas sacked Cousins seven times, held the Vikings to 183 total yards, and ended Cousins’ streak of 39 straight games with a touchdown pass. Parsons and Dorance Armstrong each had two sacks, and the Cowboys made Justin Jefferson a non-factor after his unforgettable performance the week before against Buffalo. 

This game belongs on the countdown because it was not just a blowout, it was a road annihilation of an 8-1 team, in a hostile dome, one week after Dallas had been heavily criticized for letting a game get away. For one afternoon, the Cowboys looked like the most complete team in football with an explosive offense, relentless pass rush, elite special teams, and total control from start to finish.

Interesting Facts About the Game

This was the largest road win in Cowboys franchise history at the time, with Dallas winning by 37 points. It was also Minnesota’s second-largest home loss in franchise history. 

Countdown To Kickoff by day:

100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83, 82, 81, 80, 79

The Cleveland Browns have a full quarterback room. Here at DBN, we have reported on veteran Deshaun Watson being the starter, the possibility that Shedeur Sanders will evolve into the starting QB, Dillon Gabriel not being out of the equation, and how rookie Taylen Green should develop.

But not a single word that the Browns are attempting to bring Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby into the fold.

RELATED:NFL SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT OFF THE TABLE FOR SORSBY

Plenty of ink has been devoted to who Sorsby is and the journey that might bring him onto Cleveland’s roster. But no quotes from GM Andrew Berry, head coach Todd Monken (quite the opposite, in fact, with Monken), or any other front office personnel stating they are interested, or are going to bring him in.

Lots of conversations about the possibility of Sorsby being selected by the Browns. But no proof. Nobody from the Browns has said publicly that they will become the team that is able to get him and bring him into the training camp scenario.

And you won’t hear anything. GMs and other team personnel don’t discuss these matters with anyone outside of the organization. They will “Hollywood talk” you to death with answers to questions such as, “We will continue to evaluate our options,” or “We are pleased with the quarterbacks we have under contract, but always look to assess our situation at every position.”

That didn’t answer anything. And all media sites are going to ask the hard questions, already knowing they will get the generic answers. Still, it’s what we do, and we media folk have to print something. But no, they aren’t going to divulge anything.

It is a subject that may or may not affect Cleveland. Nobody from the Browns front office or coaching staff ever mentioned that they had an interest in him, but then again, they wouldn’t. Because the draft process for the Supplemental version is by bidding, the franchise has no incentive to discuss their feelings if they are interested in him. No GM will divulge their strategy at any time. Teams have traded up to grab a guy in front of one of their division teams because they believed the division foe was going to snare him on intel they received.

Sorsby’s situation is a mess. He dug his own grave, and whatever is going on with the remainder of his football career is on him. He wanted to go back to college because he had an NIL eval of $5 million. But realistically, what advertisers were going to be interested? Who made that evaluation? His agent? Teams in the same conference were about to bail on Tech. Teams in other sports had already begun the process, as their volleyball had suffered some cancellations.

Looking at his stats, he is a good player with a ton of talent, but is he considered an elite prospect? A franchise QB? Exceptional runner, but Sorsby’s passing stats don’t scream anything other than an above-average passer. He may have been a Texas Tech QB, but he never played a game with them. All of his best stats were with Cincinnati, which never really did anything.

The issue is that nobody wants a quarterback who will throw a game because he has money riding on the other team. A missed throw here, an interception in the fourth quarter, an untimely fumble. More than any other position, the QB has the opportunity on every single offensive down to alter the game’s outcome. 

Sorsby can’t enter the NFL as expected through the Supplemental Draft. He can’t go back to play college football. Perhaps he can play in the Canadian Football League (CFL) this year, although their season is already underway. Then, enter the NFL draft next April under normal draft circumstances after sitting out an entire season.

However, on Friday, another roadblock for Sorsby.

The CFL announced that they are shutting him out from signing with any of their clubs.

Dawgs by Nature has obtained a copy of the statement issued by the CFL league office. It states:

“Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL. The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for him, and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list.”

The “negotiation list” is an internal procedure with this league. They have a session that is similar to a draft, where teams select NFL players and place them on their own list. Teams can keep each drafted player’s rights for five years. In case one of their protected players ends his NFL career and becomes available, that team can then “negotiate” with them regarding becoming a roster member.

As an example, QB Johnny Manziel was released from the Browns after just two seasons, his agent terminated their relationship, Nike ended their business deal, he was indicted by a Dallas grand jury on misdemeanor assault charges, and was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season. Instead, he opted for the CFL. He was on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats negotiation list, and on December 28, 2017, the CFL approved Manziel to play in the league. 

Players enter the CFL through their own draft, an open tryout, or via the negotiation list. As far as pro football contracts, the CFL pays the second most behind the NFL. Since the NFL decided not to hold a Supplemental Draft, of which he would have been the only player entered, it was assumed that his next option would be going to the CFL. Otherwise, he would sit out an entire year since he renounced his final year of college eligibility.

Currently, the CFL is in its third weekend of games. Games are broadcast in the United States by CBS Sports. The regular season concludes on October 24, with their championship game, the Grey Cup, is scheduled for November 15 in Calgary. 

The CFL’s decision to exclude Sorsby eliminates one more avenue for the fledgling quarterback to play this upcoming season. His only options are to enroll in a junior college or play for one of the professional indoor football circuits, such as “Arena Football One,” which is playing in its 10^th week. Their regular season ends July 18.

There are a total of eight indoor football leagues in the U.S, which all play a spring format, and their seasons are coming to a close or will end this summer. The championship game of the “Indoor Football League” in Tucson is on Sunday, August 16.

Sorsby just might have to do what New Orleans Saints backup QB Hunter Dekkers did, who was suspended indefinitely while he was on the roster of Iowa State. Dekkers was accused of placing 366 bets that totaled more than $2,799, including 297 when he was under the age of 21, Iowa’s minimum age for sports gambling.

He then played one season for Iowa Western Community College and was undrafted in the 2025 NFL draft.

Dekkers was signed to the Saints’ practice squad, then played one year in the UFL. Which team, you ask? Why, the Houston Gamblers, of course.    

It’s been 20 years since the Chicago Bears won back-to-back division titles, and the latest odds from our partners at FanDuel Sportsbook don’t favor that happening this season. They have the Detroit Lions as the favorite to win the NFC North at +145, followed by the Green Bay Packers at +260, then the Bears at +320, with the Minnesota Vikings being the long shot at +500.

We asked you guys earlier this week which team posed the biggest threat to the Bears repeating as division champs, and you agreed with FanDuel, as 66% of you chose Detroit.

The Lions may be coming off a fourth-place finish in 2025, but they were the only NFC North foe to sweep the Bears, and they won the division in 2024 and 2023.

The Lions are a very good football team. They are well-coached, and they’ve had some solid drafts over the last few years.

With former Lions coordinator, now current Bears’ head coach, Ben Johnson, manning the ship in the Windy City, and his good friend Dan Campbell still head coach in Motown, this matchup will have some extra spice over the next several seasons.

The NFC North is the toughest top-to-bottom division in football, and while I believe the Bears can repeat, I would not be surprised if any of them come out on top. All four are good, but each has some question marks.

Our guy Aaron Leming did a deep dive into the division with a recent series of articles, and you can check them out at the links below.

NFC North’s Most Improved and Most Concerning Position Groups

NFC North Stockwatch: Which teams are trending up?

2026 NFC North Position Group Rankings: Offense

2026 NFC North Position Group Rankings: Defense

SB Nation Reacts is a survey of fans across the NFL, and throughout the year, we’ll ask questions of the most plugged-in Bears fans and fans across the country right here at WCG, but also in the weekly emailed surveys that you can sign up for right here to participate in. SB Nation will never share your email information, so sign up and let your voice shape the results!

The New York Giants were closer to competing than their record would suggest a year ago, but close to winning still isn’t a win.

There were a wide variety of reasons why the Giants were able to give playoff caliber teams all they could handle, but not quite close out games when they had the chance.

One of the biggest keys to making the leap from close losses to closing out games will be for the under-the-radar players to step up. This week we asked you which of the Giants’ less heralded players will establish themselves as the hidden gem on the roster. In other words, which player you would tell fans of another team to watch out for as an impact player they might not know about.

Your choice this week? Defensive tackle Darius Alexander.

Chris’ thoughts

All told, I can’t say I’m too surprised by these results.

It just makes sense that Giants fans want to see Alexander step up and become “that guy” who impacts the game, considering the concerns surrounding the defensive line. And the position is ripe to produce a hidden gem as well, considering defensive tackle is a (generally) thankless position. Alexander has the traits to be a player who makes an impact as both a run defender and pass rusher, with good size and near-elite athleticism for his frame.

Alexander was a non-factor to start his rookie season after dealing with an undisclosed injury for most of last spring and summer. However, he improved consistently over the second half of the season once he got healthy and played under Charlie Bullen. He could be a player primed to make a real jump in 2026 with a year and a full NFL off-season under his belt.

There has been significantly more optimism for the Giants so far in 2026 than we’ve seen in the past for a team coming off of a 4-win season. There’s always a general trend toward optimism in the offseason, but this year’s optimism has more substance than in previous years. That’s largely being driven by the hope that John Harbaugh can build the kind of culture in New York that made the Baltimore Ravens the model of consistency and competitiveness for the last 18 years.

Right now the Giants are still considered the least-likely team to win the NFC East, but we’re also seeing more optimism from Vegas. The Giants’ over/under is still only at 7.5 per FanDuel, but that’s still 2 wins better than the over/under of 5.5 prior to the 2025 season.

Speaking personally, I’m excited to see each of these players in training camp and the preseason. We’ve already talked about Alexander, but I’m equally intrigued by the other players and how they perform under the new regime.

Defenses typically need three good corners and three good safeties to effectively combat modern offenses. Ar’Darius Washington’s versatility to be a “nickel” who blurs the lines between slot corner and safety could make him a valuable piece for the defense.

Matt Nagy and Brian Callahan have both shown a tendency toward versatile backs, and Tyrone Tracy is very versatile. At the same time, the Giants have been most successful with counter runs over the last couple years, so Tracy might be an unexpectedly good fit with Greg Roman’s love of power runs.

Finally, John Michael Schmitz has improved each season, and the conditions might be right for him to blossom the way similar centers have in the past. Adding Francis Mauigoa and keeping Jermaine Eluemunor could give the rest of the line the size and strength to allow JMS to win with leverage, athleticism, and positioning. Pairing big guards and tackles with smaller centers is a potent combination, as we’ve seen with Tyler Linderabum (300-305), Jason Kelce (280-295), and Weston Richburg (290-295).

Really, if the Giants want to start putting away these close games, they’ll need each of these players (and more) to step up and have a positive impact.

This is my first year participating in the All-Bears Historical Fantasy Draft, and I knew I was up against stiff competition. My fellow competitors had great strategies and approaches that balanced player production and positional value in their drafts.  I saw many a coveted player go just before my opportunity to take them.  But ultimately, I believe I drafted the best historical fantasy team this year, and in this article, I’ll go over my overall strategic approach to the draft, the amazing players I added to my team, and why you should vote for me when the tournament runs.

• By now, you all know the basic rules to our All-Bears Historical Fantasy Draft. We each picked a team consisting of 25 players. We got 11 picks on offense, 11 picks on defense, and three picks on special teams.
• The special teams picks were assigned to one kicker, one punter, and one miscellaneous contributor (returner, coverage defender, long snapper).
• The offensive picks require a full offensive line, a quarterback, a running back, two wide receivers, and a tight end. The 11th pick on offense could go to any skill position of the team’s choosing.
• Given the Bears’ historical preference for a 4-3 base defense over a 3-4, we required two defensive ends, two defensive tackles, two linebackers, two cornerbacks, and two safeties. The 11th pick could be used at any position of the team’s choosing, whether it be a nickel defender, a third linebacker, or an extra defensive lineman.
• Each player’s skill level will be transported to the modern age. For example, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman from the 1940s, while smaller than the modern o-lineman, will still be a Hall of Famer.
• We also only get the player’s ability as it was when he played in Chicago. So if someone were to tout the Hall of Fame credentials of Alan Page, keep in mind that his time in Chicago (0 Pro Bowls) wasn’t the same as his time in Minnesota (9 Pro Bowls).

Gooch’s Historical Draft Strategy

So, I knew going in that there was going to be no hiding Chicago Bears greats from the other seven WCG drafters.  The Bears knowledge runs wide and deep with this group, so I had to strike early with players I wanted at the key positions for building my team.  I was slotted in the middle of the draft – which is generally where I like to be in fantasy drafts (easier to avoid positional runs from the middle), so I felt like that gave me a bit of an edge.   There were two draft position factors I took into account: 1) positional value (quarterbacks matter more than kickers) and 2) positional scarcity (the Chicago Bears have fewer greats at certain positions on the field, like quarterback and wide receiver, than they do at others, like linebacker and defensive lineman). So with that in mind, I approached the draft focused on filling key positional positions and favoring positions early in the draft where the Bears have traditionally had fewer great players than at other positions on the field. If, however, those scare resources were expended by other drafters before I could strike, I was determined not to overdraft lesser players at those positions in the draft. Rather, I was content to wait for later rounds when the Bears’ value at those positions would match the round in which they were drafted.

Gooch’s Chicago Monsters Offense:

QB –  Jim McMahon (Round 2): I don’t have to tell you the desert of great players at the quarterback position in Chicago history.  Here the two prongs of my draft strategy converged on one player.  With Caleb, Sid, and Jay Cutler already off the board in the first round, there was one great player at the position left, and I did the proverbial “run the pick in” to make my choice.  Jim McMahon’s legend is cemented as the quarterback who led the Bears in the 1985 Super Bowl run, but I think that fact sometimes overshadows just how good of a quarterback he was.  While McMahon falls short of a Hall of Fame pedigree (and to be clear – the Bears only have one of those at the QB position and he was well off the board), he is, in my opinion, the best leader we have ever had at the QB position.  His grit and determination rubbed off on his teammates. But his production wasn’t bad either – he was NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1982, and he earned a Pro Bowl spot in the 1985 season.  Over his Bears career, from 1982-1988, he threw for 11,203 passing yards and 67 touchdowns as a Bear.  He was also a solid runner with 168 rushing attempts and 612 yards rushing for the Bears.  And McMahon is #1 on the list for playoff passing yards with 967 (although I hope Caleb passes him soon). One can only wonder what could have been except for that dirty hit he took from Green Bay’s Charles Martin.  I was delighted to lock down the QB position with McMahon in the 2^nd round.

RB – Neal Anderson (Round 5):  Neal Anderson’s career with the Bears was shadowed by the legacy of Walter Payton.  Which is why I don’t think he gets his due for just how much of a superstar running back he was for the Bears.  He played his entire seven-year career with the Chicago Bears.  He was 2^nd team All-Pro in 1990 and a 4x Pro Bowler.  He rushed for 6,166 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.  He also had 302 receptions and 2,763 receiving yards.  He scored 71 touchdowns (approximately ten touchdowns per season).  After Walter and Gale, there is Neal Anderson.  To get him in Round 5 was an absolute steal.

WR – Curtis Conway (Round 10): Jacob Infante thinks he has the best wide receiver core in the draft, and admittedly he has assembled a powerhouse, but I think my three wideouts match up, certainly in the speed category, and given I didn’t make a pick at wide receiver until round 10, I like my group comparatively speaking.  I kick off my Bears WR trio with Curtis Conway.  A staple of the 1990s Chicago Bears, Conway was the Bears #1 WR for his career with the Bears, when healthy. The later part of his Bears career was hampered by injuries and sub-par QB play, but in 1995 and 1996 he posted 1037 yards and 1049 yards seasons.  In 1995, he posted 12 touchdown receptions.  He had 31 total touchdowns for his career as a Chicago Bear.

WR – Willie Gault (Round 15): Speaking of speed, Willie Gault was your prototypical track star convert to wide receiver.  Gault qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team and would have participated if the US had not boycotted it.  Gault was part of the world record-setting 4x 100 meter relay team in the 1983 World Championships.  So yeah, Willie was fast.  While he never posted a 1000 yard receiving season (playing in the 1980s on a run-focused Bears team), he posted 800+ twice and 700+ twice as a Chicago Bear.  Considering he topped out at 42 receptions in a season with the Bears – his reception-to-yards average was eye-popping.  In fact, he averaged over 20 yards per reception for his career with the Bears.  Willie was also a prolific kick returner, so he would fill that role on the Chicago Monsters. He had 37 kick off returns for the Bears and amassed 885 kickoff return yards over his career with the Bears, including 577 yards and a 99 yard return touchdown in 1985.

WR – Darnell Mooney (Round 21): I round out my wide receiver core with yet another burner at the position with Darnell Mooney.  Mooney posted a 4.38 40 yard dash and was an absolute steal in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.  While he dealt with injuries and bad QB play as a Bear that limited his production in 2022-2023, it is his 2021 season that stands out.  Mooney posted 81 receptions and 1,055 yards with a 13.0 average yards per reception.  He also notched four touchdowns that season. To get him in the “flyer” rounds of the draft was a coup.   

TE – Mike Ditka (Round 4):  I continue my theme of taking amazingly productive players who we maybe don’t quite remember were quite as productive as they were with Hall of Fame tight end, Mike Ditka.  Sure his stint as the Bears coach in the 80s, including the Super Bowl, the SNL skits, and the iconic stache and cigar are all part of the popular memory of “Ditka” (you know how you heard that in your head), but what some of you youngins might not know is Ditka was a great, and I mean great, tight end.  Ditka was a terror from day one with the Bears.  He caught 58 passes and scored 12 touchdowns as a rookie.  He was a key cog of the 1963 NFL championship team.  He tied Harlon Hill’s franchise record for most receiving touchdowns in a game with four.  Ditka ranks first among tight ends and fourth in Bears history with 4,503 yards, fifth in both receptions (316) and touchdown catches (34). He was a 2x First-team All-Pro, 3x Second-team All-pro, and 5x Pro Bowler.  At the tight end position, for the Bears, there is Ditka, a big gap, and then everyone else.

LT – Herman Lee (Round 17): With the great left tackles mostly off the board in the early rounds before I had a selection, I bided my time.  And boy did I get rewarded with Herman Lee in Round 17.  Lee played for the Bears from 1958 to 1966 and was on the 1963 NFL championship team.  He is on the centennial list of the 100 greatest Bears of all-time. To get a stalwart, champion left tackle in round 17 of the draft was just a great find.

LG – Joe Thuney (Round 6): Sure, it’s just one season with the Bears and I don’t get to credit most of his Hall of Fame career with the Patriots and the Chiefs, but what a single season it was.  PFF gave Thuney a 79.4 overall grade in the 2025 season, 5^th among the 81 qualified offensive guards, and he played 1,149 offensive snaps.  His PFF pass-blocking grade of 88.6 ranked 1^st among 81 qualified offensive guards, and his run-blocking was a not-too-shabby 71, 19^th overall.  He allowed zero sacks and one hit to an opposing pass rusher.  He permitted only 15 TOTAL pressures in 2025.  I’ll take that at guard all day and twice on Sunday.

C – Jerry Fontenot (Round 25):  Here I used a meta-draft strategy to steal a great center in the last round of the draft.  I noticed around Round 14 that all of my fellow competitors already had the center position locked in.  Which meant I could wait on Jerry, who only ever played center, until the last pick of the draft.  His career with the Bears is certainly worthy of a higher round pick.  He was the starting center for the Bears from 1989 to 1996.  And he was a steady presence centering the offensive line of the early 1990s Bears teams.  The fact those teams weren’t very good probably hurt him in the voting for season honors.  He was a day one starter as a rookie and he didn’t miss a single game his entire career with the Bears.  He had only three holding penalties for his ENTIRE career with the Bears.  I’ll take Jay Hilgenberg-lite in the last round of the draft.

RG – Kyle Long (Round 7): I pounced with back-to-back guard selections by taking Kyle Long.  Son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, he was a day one starter at right guard for the Bears (though they dabbled a bit with him at right tackle).  He was Second-team All-Pro in 2014 and he was a 3x Pro Bowler.  Ignoring his RT stint, as a Right Guard, he gave up a total of 7.75 sacks for his entire Bears career. 

RT – James “Big Cat” Williams (Round 11): I was targeting Big Cat for awhile and so happy he was still there for me in Round 11.  Big Cat Williams was a fixture for the Chicago Bears at right tackle.  He was a second-team All-Pro in 2001 and also earned Pro Bowl honors that year.  Given the terrible 1990s teams that he played for, his individual honors were undoubtedly hampered – had he been playing on a winning team I have little doubt he would have earned multiple Pro Bowl nods.  Over a decade (12 years) locking down the right tackle position for the Bears, spending his entire career as a Chicago Bear, Big Cat is one of the greatest offensive linemen, in terms of longevity and durability and competence, to play for the Bears in history.

I have Chicago Bears Top 100 players at quarterback, running back, tight end, right guard, right tackle, left tackle and wide receiver – key positions on every NFL offense and in particular key for any Chicago Bears offense. I got the #6 overall player (Mike Ditka) on that list in round four. Also Curtis Conway made the “top 10 snubs” from the Top 100 list the Bears released on the team’s centennial anniversary.  More importantly, I feel like my offense gels – in some alternate universe where this team could have been on the field, I have no doubt it would have been a top five, if not top overall, offense, even in today’s NFL.    

Gooch’s Chicago Monsters: Defense

I assembled what I believe to be an amazing offensive team for the Chicago Bears.  But like any Bears fan, I believe that defense wins championships.  So, I had a strong preference in the draft for building out a defense with players that worked together and formed a cohesive defense that could perform on the field like the 1985 and 2006 Bears defenses.  This is that defense. It is a 4-3 base given my preference for the Lovie Tampa 2 players, but my alignment is modern, with the normal strongside linebacker replaced by my nickle slot cornerback.

DE – Alex Brown (Round 12): How about getting one of the most consistent and disruptive defensive ends in Bears history in round 12 of our draft?  Alex Brown is one of the most impactful Chicago Bears of the post 2000 Chicago Bears, and we got him in the 4^th round of the 2002 NFL draft. He started in his rookie season totaling 40 tackles (31 unassisted) and posted 2.5 sacks. He was a first-alternate for the Pro-Bowl in 2005 totaling 75 tackles, six sacks, eight pass breakups, and three forced fumbles.  For his Bears career, he totaled 43.5 sacks, 79 tackles for loss, five interceptions, and 314 solo tackles.  An amazing player to get in the middle rounds of the draft.

DT – Tommie Harris (Round 3): I’m going to go out on a limb here.  I’m fully aware of the pedigree of the Dan Hamptons, the Richard Dents, the Doug Atkins.  But from a pure skill and scheme fit, I don’t think there was any Chicago Bear on the defensive line that exceeded Tommie Harris in his prime. Tommie Harris was the quintessential three-technique in Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 defense.  Had he been healthy for the 2006 Super Bowl, I have little doubt that the Bears would have prevailed. Tommie Harris was a Second-team All pro in 2005, a 3x Pro Bowler, and he qualified for the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time. Of all of the defensive lineman in Chicago Bears history, only the Danimal sits above Tommie Harris on my board.  To get him in round 3 of this draft wasn’t just a steal, it formed the very essence of the defense I have built.

DT – Keith “Tractor” Traylor (Round 18): Having committed to establishing a 4-3 Tampa 2 defense in my construction of the Monster’s defense – I was going to need a 1-technique who could both stack up against the run and play behind the line of scrimmage.  Lucky for me, the Tractor was still available in Round 18.  He only played for the Bears from 2001-2003, but he was an impactful interior defensive lineman in his time.  Of course, we all remember the iconic moment when he intercepted Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars and returned it almost for a touchdown.  But that moment wasn’t the extent of the Tractor’s contribution to the Bears. He had 45 tackles, two sacks, that interception, and two forced fumbles as a Chicago Bear, not to mention four passes defended in 2001. He would follow that up with 41 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and two passes defended in 2002.   Pairing the Tractor with Tommie almost seems unfair.

DE – Trace Armstrong (Round 16): Continuing my trend of taking Chicago Bears with amazing careers who have tended to be overlooked through the fan historical lense, I chose Trace Armstrong in Round 16. Armstrong was a steady presence on the Bears defense in the early-to-the-mid 1990s, although his production would largely go unrecognized due the fact that the Bears weren’t good enough during his tenure. He would play for the Bears for six seasons from 1989 to 1994. Armstrong finished his rookie season with five sacks, and he was voted to the All-Rookie team. He also won the Brian Piccolo award.  Over his career, Armstrong would record several double-digit sack seasons with the Bears, in 1990 (10) and again in 1993 (11.5).  Over his career as a Chicago Bear, Trace Armstrong tallied 42 sacks in just six seasons.   

LB – Brian Urlacher (Round 1): Look, I’m not going to lie. This is my BEST argument for why you should vote for me – and it is simply this, I have, bar none, the best linebacking core of any of the historical teams assembled.  You may be wondering about the fact that I took Brian Urlacher when the Bears have Dick Butkus and Michael Singletary on their historical roster.  And as much as I love both those players (my number in high school, as a middle linebacker, was #50 for Michael Singletary), I am going to assert with full confidence this fact: Brian Urlacher is the best linebacker, nay, the best defensive player in Chicago Bears history.  No player that we have ever had on our team better encapsulated the role he was tasked to play and played it at an all-pro level for longer than Brian Urlacher. First, he played longer for the Bears than any of the other great Bears linebackers: 13 seasons.  Over his career, he was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2000), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2005), he was a 4x First-Team All-Pro, he was Second-team All-Pro in 2010, he is an 8x Pro Bowler.  He was the NFL solo tackles leader in 2002.  He was #14 on the Top 100 Chicago Bears Centennial team. And he was a member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade team.  He dominated the middle linebacker position in Lovie’s Tampa 2 scheme – not only as a massive threat in pass defense in the middle third, but as a pass rusher and a run stuffer.  Brian Urlacher is, bar none, the greatest linebacker in Chicago Bears history.  He is in the top five greatest linebackers of all time in the whole NFL.  To have the opportunity to draft him in the first round was a privilege and an honor.

LB – Wilbur Marshall (Round 8): But wait, there’s more!  Not only did I get the greatest MLB in Chicago Bears history, I got to pair him with the greatest Will linebacker in Bears history.  Don’t get me wrong, I would have liked to pair Urlacher with his contemporaneous companion – Lance Briggs – on my defense.  But I got to do one better in this draft.  I paired Urlacher with the greatest off-ball, non-middle linebacker in Bears history: Wilbur Marshall.  Marshall was a Bear during the Super Bowl Shuffle season – playing with the Bears from 1984-1987.  During that period, he was a First-team All-Pro (1986), and a 2x Pro Bowler (1986-1987).  Marshall shined in the 1985 season, including the iconic runback in the 1985 NFC championship game, where he picked up the fumble by Dieter Brock and alongside the Fridge, returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. In my opinion, if you could take any Chicago Bear linebacker to form a dual tandem, there is no better combination than Brian Urlacher and Wilbur Marshall.  

CB – Donnell Wolford (Round 9): At cornerback here, I chose another Chicago Bears player from the lost era – where a great player was forced to play on losing team after losing team.  Many young fans of the Bears will have no memory of Wolford, but he was a stalwart #1 cornerback for the Chicago Bears in the dark days of the 90s seasons.  Despite the ineptitude of the Bears teams he played for, he would earn Pro Bowl honors in 1994 and be selected for the 100 greatest Bears of all-time during the Centennial celebration.  He was a three-time All-Madden team member during his career. He held the record for the most interceptions for a Chicago Bear, at 32 total interceptions, until he was eclipsed by Charles Tillman. 

FS – Todd Bell (Round 20): I’ll be frank, I am conflicted about this selection. From an ability standpoint – Todd Bell is an obvious selection – particularly as late as I got him in the 20^th round.  But I remain miffed with Todd for sitting out the 1985 season in a contract dispute.  While it allowed the Bears to see the value of Dave Dureson, Bell would have undoubtedly been a key asset for the 85 Bears defense.  That said, Bell’s career as a Bear is one of the most decorated careers of a Chicago Bears free safety. He was a Second-team All Pro in 1984 and was also a Pro Bowler that season.  He would record five interceptions over his career as a Bear, and 8.5 sacks.  His reputation was as a hard hitter but he was also solid in coverage.

SS – Doug Plank (Round 14): Literally the defensive player that defined the 4-6 defense that would go on to give the Bears their one-and-only Super Bowl victory, Doug Plank may be the greatest strong safety in Chicago Bears history (Mark Carrier is certainly a strong candidate). He spent his entire playing career with the Chicago Bears, and he is ranked in the top 100 greatest Bears of all-time. He recorded 15 interceptions over his career and 14 fumble recoveries.  But it was his hard hitting style in the run game that earned him his reputation and would form the ethos of the 4-6 defense that would lead the Bears to the Super Bowl victory in 1985.

CB – Dave “The Weasel” Whitsell (Round 14): This was a historical find in round 14 of the draft, because on the merits, Whitsell should have been drafted at least seven rounds before he went.  Nicknamed “The Weasel,” Dave Whitsell was a key player for the Bears on the 1963 Championship team.  During his six-year career with the Bears, he started 83 of the 84 regular season games at cornerback.  He was given the nickname “Weasel” for his cunning style of play. He had 26 interceptions as a Chicago Bear, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Whitsell was a mainstay for the early 1960s Chicago Bears. The fact he lasted to round 14 is simply a testament to how time dulls the memory of even the most oustanding players in the game.

Slot CB – Bryce Callahan (Round 19).  I chose as my utility defensive player, given the modern NFL game as it is, one of the best slot corners to play for the Chicago Bears, Bryce Callahan. Bryce didn’t win any all-pro or pro-bowl honors during his career, but that didn’t stop him being one of the most impactful, shutdown slot corners in the game during his career as a Chicago Bear. While he would only  record 4 interceptions over his four season career with the Bears, that in no way encapsulates his defensive value.  Bryce shut down slot receivers and tight ends. In an NFL game that increasingly focused on slot and tight end routes, Bryce was a black hole for opposing offenses. During his four seasons with the Bears he would record 123 tackles from the position of defensive back.  He was a key player in the 2018 season and as my utility defender, drafted in the 19^th round, I couldn’t be happier.

So, let’s look at my defense as a whole.  I have two edge players who illustrated substantial pass rush abilities and durability as Chicago Bears. At the 3-tech I have perhaps the greatest Chicago Bears defensive lineman of all time.  At 1-tech I have the undisputed run-stopper / pass rusher of the last three decades of Chicago Bears defense.  And then we look to the linebacking core:  I have the absolute, bar-none, greatest linebacker for the Chicago Bears of all time, Brian Urlacher, and I have paired him with the greatest Will linebacker in Bears history – Wilbur Marshall.  And I have completed my defense with an umbrella of Chicago greats at the cornerback and safety positions.  The 1985 4-6 defense is the greatest defense ever assembled in a single season, but I believe my defense is superior to that defense in almost every metric. Is there any doubt this defense, combined with the offense I have assembled, would be a perennial Super Bowl champion? I certainly do not doubt it.

Gooch’s Chicago Monsters: Special Teams

K – Bob Thomas (Round 22): I’m kind of tickled that I was able to secure a kicker and a punter with elite pedigree in the late rounds of the draft. Thomas was a successful place kicker for the Bears from 1975 to 1982.  He is, to this day, one of the Chicago Bears franchise’s leading scorers. Over his career, he made 87 field goals, and, combined with the extra points he scored, accounted for 261 points from field goals and 169 points from extra points for a total of 430 points scored for the Chicago Bears across his career.

P – Bob Parsons (Round 23): Again, I got to pick a classic, historic Chicago Bear whose career stats and performance match up against any of the greatest kickers for the Chicago Bears across the years. Parsons played for the Bears from 1972 to 1983.  His punting average was 38.7 and he had 34,180 punt yards across his NFL career, posting 884 punts.  He was the 2x NFL punting yards leader in both 1981 and 1982. He ranks 45 all-time of all punters in NFL history.

ST – Josh Blackwell (Round 24): For my special teams ace I went with a current Chicago Bear who we have come to know and love as a special teams monster (see what I did there). When the Chicago Bears need a great play on special teams, be it a big tackle, a blocked field goal, or a fumble recovery, it always seems to be Josh Blackwell that gets it done. He went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft, but that has only seemed to inspire Blackwell’s play, as he has featured on the Bears special teams unit since then. Despite not having a regular role on the defense, he has made 53 total tackles in his career. And we can add to that two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one defensive touchdown. His block of the Las Vegas Raiders field goal attempt in the waning seconds of their 2025 matchup is one of the most atheletic plays I’ve seen in decades (most field goal blocks come up the middle – not from the edge). I’m happy to have Blackwell as my special teams ace!

So there it is, Chicago Bears fans. Gooch’s Chicago Monsters. If you doubt whether this team is the greatest Chicago Bears roster assembled of all time, well, you are entitled to your opinion, friend. But I believe this is the greatest Chicago Bears team ever assembled from the greats who have played for the Bears down the years (at least in the context of a fantasy draft), and I believe it is superior to any of the teams assembled by my fellow WCG drafters. But what do you think? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to vote when the tournament is posted!

You can check out our full draft here.

Once all eight teams are announced, we’ll hold a tournament and ask you, the WCG readers, to pick the winner.

Hey, remember when the Seattle Seahawks signed offensive lineman Bobby Hart before mandatory minicamp? He’s an experienced tackle who was a three-year starter for the Cincinnati Bengals, and he’s the “competition” for Josh Jones heading into training camp.

If you’re curious as to how much Hart costs, as I’m sure you are on this late June day, we have our very simple answer (courtesy of OverTheCap.com).

Bobby Hart’s Seattle Seahawks contract

• Length of contract: 1 year
• Base salary: $1.3 million
• Cap number: $1.075 million
• Cap savings if released: $1.075 million

There is no signing or per-game roster bonus for Hart, so this is the most straightforward contract you can get. Hart is the Seahawks’ latest use of the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB), which allows them to sign players with four minimum credited seasons but only have a cap charge equivalent to two credited seasons.

For the 2026 season, the minimum for two credited seasons is $1.075 million, while the minimum for a player with nine credited seasons (in this instance, Hart) is $1.3 million. Additional compensation (e.g. signing bonus) has to max out at $167,500 to still qualify for VSB status.

Hart’s contract is so inexpensive that it doesn’t even qualify for top 51 status, which is the number of players whose money counts toward the salary cap in a 90-man roster.

For context, Josh Jones’ contract is one-year and $4 million, with a cap charge of $3.955 million, $1.5 million guaranteed, and a $1.5 million signing bonus. With Jones recently saying he believes he’ll be ready for training camp, it’d be a surprise if Hart managed to land a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of Seattle’s top reserve from last season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will all but certainly be in the market for a quarterback in 2027, being that Aaron Rodgers has made it clear that 2026 is his final season. Rookie Drew Allar and former 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard remain potential options, as Mike McCarthy and his staff look to develop the two young quarterbacks. However, if the Steelers wanted to go with a more proven name in 2027, there are a few names they could target.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is set to be a free agent next March, and he himself set a hard deadline for a deal to get done before training camp. And now, a current AFC quarterback becomes one to monitor.

Per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud aren’t close to contract extension before the 2026 season.

“Stroud and the Texans aren’t close to a deal as of late June,” Bien-Aime writes. “Houston and its quarterback are in a tricky spot because last season did not end the way either would’ve preferred. “Stroud threw four interceptions against the Patriots the AFC divisional round. A performance like that can cause hesitation when the extension for Stroud could be in the $55 million to $60 million range per year. With how negotiations are currently going, it’s gearing up to be a prove-it season for Stroud.”

Stroud had a terrific rookie year in 2023 throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. The Texans won the AFC South in Stroud’s first year, which was also head coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season as head coach. Houston has been a playoff team in each of the last three seasons, and they have won a playoff game each season, as well, making him just the third quarterback in the Super Bowl era to accomplish such a feat.

The Texans picked up the fifth-year option for Stroud, meaning even if they don’t get a long-term deal done between now and next offseason, he is still under contract with Houston. So if the Steelers did want to acquire him, it would have to be via trade.

Stroud is 2-0 against the Steelers in his career, with one win coming in 2023 and another coming this past January in the wild card round. The Texans won both games 30-6. Pittsburgh will host Stroud and the Texans in Week 13 on Sunday Night Football.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

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