The NFL FLAG Championships are back for a third straight year, and this edition is the biggest one yet. According to ESPN, more than 350 teams of youth athletes from around the world descended on the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana — the same training camp site used by the Indianapolis Colts — for four days of competition running July 23 through July 26.

That’s the largest field in the tournament’s short history. Teams are split across 13 age divisions, with semifinal and championship matchups landing on Saturday and Sunday, per the Cincinnati Bengals’ team site, which covered its own local flag squads heading into the event.

This was insane 😮

2026 @NFLFLAG Championships on ESPN/NFLNhttps://t.co/u9u8C2TJ7A to find a league near you pic.twitter.com/sIrdJxdapr

— NFL (@NFL) July 26, 2026

ESPN Goes All In: A Record 34 Games

This isn’t a quiet weekend broadcast. ESPN is presenting 34 total games — 15 boys’, 15 girls’ and, for the first time, four international division matchups, according to the NFL’s official media release. A record 30 of those games will air on linear TV, spread across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel and Disney XD. The rest stream on ESPN+, Disney+ and YouTube.

The coverage windows break down cleanly. Friday brought 16 Round of 16 games. Saturday delivered 12 more — quarterfinals plus the international division’s semifinals and finals. Sunday closes the weekend with six games covering the semifinals and championships across the Boys’ Under-14 and Girls’ High School brackets.

International Field Grows

The tournament’s international division keeps expanding. This year’s field includes teams from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Puerto Rico and Spain, alongside the host country. There’s a new wrinkle this year, too — the winner of the 14u Coed B Bracket plays a friendly against the international champion on Sunday.

The broadcast booth got a refresh as well. Tedy Bruschi returns after working the inaugural 2024 event, joined by returning voices Tom Hart, Wes Durham, Roy Philpott and Kirk Morrison. NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt and Chris Rose make their championship debut this year, alongside ESPN college football sideline reporter Dana Boyle.

A Moment That Caught Fire Online

Amid the weekend’s action, the NFL’s official X account posted a short highlight clip from the championships with a simple caption: “This was insane.” The video showed a fast, physical sequence during a boys’ flag football matchup, drawing thousands of views within minutes of posting. The NFL used the moment to point fans toward NFLFlag.com so they could find a local league — https://x.com/NFL — turning a single highlight into a recruitment pitch for the sport at the grassroots level.

Specific teams, players and the final score from that clip weren’t identified in the post itself, and no box score has been independently verified for that particular matchup at publication time.

Why This Weekend Matters Beyond the Scoreboard

NFL flag football has been building momentum well past the youth level. The sport is set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the league has leaned into events like this one to grow the grassroots pipeline. Free entry through the NFL OnePass app, family-friendly attractions on-site — including a display of all 60 Super Bowl championship rings — and a genuinely global bracket all point to an event the NFL is treating as more than a niche youth tournament.

RCX Sports operates the tournament, which moved to Westfield for 2026 after previous editions elsewhere. The Indianapolis area already hosts the NFL Scouting Combine each year, giving the region a growing footprint in NFL-adjacent events.

The 2026 NFL FLAG Championships presented by Toyota are underway at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana, and a New York squad has punched its way into the semifinal round. According to News10, the Clifton Park-based All American Sports/RFP Patriots — competing under the name “Clifton Park Giants” — reached the semifinals of the 14U bracket for the second straight year.

Getting there wasn’t easy. Clifton Park opened with a 21-14 win over the Carolina Panthers regional representative in the Round of 16 on Friday, then followed it up Saturday morning with a 33-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks representative out of San Diego, News10 reported. That set up a semifinal matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers regional representative from Ocala, Florida — a game that tipped off Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, broadcast live on ESPN.

The Giants qualified for Westfield by winning a regional tournament hosted by the New York Giants. Eight players make up the roster, and half of them attend Christian Brothers Academy in the Capital Region, per News10.

A Bigger Stage Than Ever

This year’s tournament is the largest in the event’s three-year history. A record 350-plus boys’ and girls’ teams are competing across the weekend, and ESPN is airing 34 total games across its family of networks — ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel and Disney XD — according to ESPN. It’s the most extensive linear coverage the championships have received since debuting in 2024.

DRAKE EASON ONE-HANDED PICK-6

2026 @NFLFLAG Championships on ESPN/NFLNhttps://t.co/u9u8C2TJ7A to find a league near you pic.twitter.com/TOWryPuifP

— NFL (@NFL) July 26, 2026

The tournament moved to Grand Park this year, the same complex that hosts Indianapolis Colts training camp. Coverage rolled out in stages: 16 games in the Round of 16 on Friday, 12 quarterfinal and international-division games Saturday, and six semifinal and championship games Sunday, per ESPN.

Every team in the field earned its spot the hard way. All 350-plus U.S. squads qualified by winning an NFL FLAG Regional Tournament hosted by one of the league’s 32 clubs during the fall and spring seasons, according to NFLFlag.com. This year’s bracket also folds in an international division for the first time at this scale, with 12 countries — including Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Germany — sending representatives.

What’s Next

The 14U boys’ championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC, part of a broadcast window that also includes the girls’ high school title game at 5 p.m. ET, per Get More Sports. Whichever team emerges from the Clifton Park–Ocala semifinal will need one more win to reach that stage.

Flag football’s growth is part of the story here, too. NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly pointed to the sport’s addition to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a driver of its rising profile, telling reporters the international turnout this year reflects that momentum, according to High School Football America.

The third annual NFL FLAG Championships closed out this weekend at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana — the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp site — with ESPN putting a record 34 games across its networks and streaming platforms.

More than 350 teams showed up. Boys under-14 squads. Girls’ high school teams. International sides from a dozen countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Puerto Rico and Spain. The tournament ran Friday through Sunday, July 24-26.

Broadcast Footprint Keeps Growing

ESPN enters its third year as the event’s founding media partner — a run that started with the inaugural event in July 2024, following a rights deal struck that February. This year’s slate spread across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel and Disney XD. That’s the most extensive linear lineup the event has had.

Brandon Chong with a clutch interception!

2026 @NFLFLAG Championships on ESPN/NFLNhttps://t.co/u9u8C2UgX8 to find a league near you pic.twitter.com/WdcS3cQbVX

— NFL (@NFL) July 25, 2026

The numbers tell the story of a broadcast partner leaning in, not pulling back. Fifteen boys’ games. Fifteen girls’ games. Four international division games — the first time that bracket got dedicated coverage. ESPN’s coverage showcased the entire boys’ under-14 and girls’ high school tournaments, plus the semifinals and finals of the international bracket.

Streaming coverage stretched further than the channel list. Additional platforms carrying the event included ESPN+, Disney+, ESPN Deportes and YouTube, with reach into more than 125 countries — Mexico, Brazil, several African nations, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, the Netherlands and the Pacific Islands among them.

New Toys on the Sideline

This year’s production leaned harder into the game-level detail. Referees wore hat cams for the first time — a camera mounted on the official’s cap, giving viewers a first-person read on close calls. Players wore microphones alongside the coaches’ mics ESPN has used in past years.

“We’ve been planning our NFL FLAG Championships coverage for months — really since last year’s Championships ended,” said Drew Gallagher, ESPN’s coordinating producer for the event, according to Sports Video Group.

The scheduling was built to build toward Sunday. Friday carried 16 Round-of-16 games. Saturday held 12 — quarterfinals plus the international semifinals and championships. Sunday closed with six games: the semifinals and championship rounds for the boys’ and girls’ brackets, anchored by a four-hour morning window on ESPN.

Why Flag Football’s TV Push Matters

The expanded coverage isn’t happening in a vacuum. Flag football has been building momentum as a participation sport for years, and its Olympic inclusion at the 2028 Los Angeles Games has only sharpened interest from broadcasters and youth leagues alike. Putting under-14 and high school tournaments on national television — with the same camera tools used for Sunday NFL broadcasts — signals networks treating the sport as a long-term property, not a novelty weekend filler.

Registration for the event ran through the NFL’s OnePass system, which is mandatory for entrance, free to register, and requires each adult attendee to register any accompanying minors — a structure the league has used across its youth events to manage attendance and safety.

The New York Jets spent their offseason rebuilding a defense that finished near the bottom of the league in 2025, and one of the headline additions is already drawing bold praise. Nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, acquired from Tennessee in a player-for-player trade this offseason, is shaping up to be the centerpiece of a defensive front some believe could be one of the more entertaining units in the NFL this season.

On a recent episode of “Boy Green Daily,” host Paul “Boy Green” Esden Jr. relayed comments attributed to NFL.com’s Nick Shook, saying on X that Shook predicted the Jets “will have one of the more entertaining defensive fronts in the #NFL because they’re going to get to know & love T’Vondre Sweat & his massive frame & the plays he makes on the interior.” Esden Jr. posted on X. The rest of that second prediction was not visible in the portion of the post reviewed, so it’s being treated as unconfirmed until the full clip or a written companion piece surfaces.

.@TheNickShook predicted that the #Jets "will have one of the more entertaining defensive fronts in the #NFL because they're going to get to know & love T'Vondre Sweat & his massive frame & the plays he makes on the interior."

He also predicted that the team would end up with 5… pic.twitter.com/4FzUfLAVyW

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) July 26, 2026

It’s worth noting this account is second-hand: Esden Jr., who covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com and co-hosts a morning show called “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital,” is paraphrasing Shook’s on-air comments rather than a written article. No standalone NFL.com piece containing this exact quote could be located and verified independently, so it should be treated as reported commentary from the podcast, not a confirmed NFL.com report, until a written source is found.

Why Sweat Is the Focal Point

The hype around Sweat isn’t coming out of nowhere. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds, a frame that makes him hard to miss on the practice field. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn even joked about it during OTAs this spring. “Yeah, he’s easy to pick out,” Glenn said, adding that “it’s a big man’s game” and that adding large, agile players like Sweat “only makes us better as a team.”

Sweat entered the league as a second-round pick out of Texas in 2024, and the Jets acquired him this offseason in a straight swap that sent edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II to Tennessee — a deal built around need on both sides, with the Titans prioritizing pass rush help and Johnson reuniting with Robert Saleh, who originally drafted him in New York.

Through two NFL seasons with the Titans, Sweat has appeared in 29 games, recording 85 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two passes defended. Analysts have flagged his upside as one of the more physically gifted young interior defenders in the league, even as questions remain about consistency of effort snap to snap.

A Defense Under Total Rebuild

Sweat isn’t walking into a finished product — he’s one piece of a defense the Jets almost entirely reshaped this offseason. New York finished the 2025 season 3-14, and the unit’s collapse was part of why. The Jets responded by adding a mix of veterans and premium draft capital, including edge rusher David Bailey and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds as top-50 picks, along with veterans Nahshon Wright and Sweat himself.

Glenn is also taking over defensive play-calling duties personally this season, a shift that Jets beat coverage has framed as a response to a defense that failed to record a single interception in 2025.

That backdrop is exactly why Sweat’s addition carries weight. A defensive front that struggled to stop the run and generate takeaways now has a 366-pound interior presence who, if his physical tools translate consistently, gives Glenn’s scheme a different identity up front. The Jets also signed veteran David Onyemata this offseason to pair alongside Sweat, adding another experienced run-stuffer to the interior rotation.

A Hurdle to Clear First

Before any of that gets tested in games, Sweat has to get healthy. The Jets placed him on the non-football injury list to open training camp with a hamstring issue. According to The Jet Press, citing The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, the injury is “not considered serious” at this time. Two other Jets — wide receiver Tim Patrick and edge rusher Tyler Baron — landed on the physically unable to perform list in the same round of announcements, per the same report.

None of the three situations is being described as long-term, but it does mean Sweat’s camp reps, and any early read on how he fits into the Jets’ front, will be delayed to start.

What It Means Going Forward

Predictions about “entertaining” position groups are inherently speculative, and Esden Jr.’s relay of Shook’s comments should be read as commentary and analysis, not a formal statement from the Jets or the NFL. Still, it fits a broader pattern in how outlets are covering New York’s defensive rebuild this summer: cautious optimism about talent, paired with real questions about whether a defense this remade can find cohesion quickly.

The Jets open the 2026 season on the road against Tennessee — the same team that drafted Sweat and traded him away, and coached by Robert Saleh, who previously ran the Jets’ program. If Sweat is healthy and the buzz around the interior line holds up, that opener will be an early gut check for exactly the kind of front Shook was reportedly predicting.

Every quarterback taken in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is now officially under contract. Ty Simpson agreed to terms on his rookie deal with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, according to NFL.com, closing out the 2026 first-round class just in time for training camp.

The deal is a four-year contract worth $25.4 million, fully guaranteed, with a $14.9 million signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The league’s official transaction wire confirmed the signing later Saturday. Simpson’s deal also carries a fifth-year option, a standard feature for first-round rookie contracts, according to NBC Sports.

Saturday was the Rams’ report day for training camp, so the timing wasn’t an accident. Simpson had been the lone unsigned member of the 2026 first round heading into the weekend, per ESPN, and now walks into his first NFL camp with his contract situation settled.

A Draft-Day Surprise Becomes a Rookie Deal

The Rams drafted Simpson 13th overall out of Alabama, a pick that caught plenty of people off guard. Simpson had been viewed as more of a second-round prospect, and Los Angeles already had reigning AP NFL Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford under center on a roster built to win now. Taking a quarterback in the first round of a Super Bowl-window year isn’t the conventional move. The Rams made it anyway.

Simpson started just one season at Alabama after sitting behind Jalen Milroe for two years. In that lone year as the starter, he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions, helping the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record, according to Bleacher Report.

He was the second quarterback off the board behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Mendoza and Simpson were the only two quarterbacks taken in round one this year. Mendoza signed his own rookie deal three days earlier — a four-year, $57.27 million fully guaranteed contract with a $38.1 million signing bonus, according to NFL.com.

Learning Behind Stafford — For Now

Simpson isn’t walking into a starting job. He’ll compete with Stetson Bennett for the No. 2 spot behind Stafford, with head coach Sean McVay’s offense as the first real hurdle. Simpson has described picking up the scheme as “like drinking from a fire hydrant,” per NFL.com — but he’s also said he sees real value in the situation. He’s called learning behind Stafford and veteran receiver Davante Adams a big advantage, and has said he couldn’t have asked for a better spot to start his career.

That framing matters here. The Rams didn’t draft Simpson to start immediately. Stafford is coming off an MVP season, and the front office has made no secret that this remains his team in the short term. Drafting Simpson in the first round lets Los Angeles develop its long-term answer at quarterback without disrupting a roster built for a title push right now — a page out of the modern playbook for contending teams managing succession at the position.

What’s Next

With Simpson’s deal official, the entire 2026 first-round class is signed, and Rams training camp opens with no contract drama hanging over the quarterback room. Simpson will get his first extended look at NFL practice reps in the coming days as Los Angeles works through camp before the preseason.

The Patriots owner told reporters before New England’s first training camp practice that the team has put a contract offer on the table for cornerback Christian Gonzalez that would make him the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history — and the richest contract in franchise history, period.

“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL. And coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history. We’re glad we drafted him and he’s developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”

Kraft didn’t share exact figures. He didn’t have to. The math does that on its own.

What the Offer Would Mean

Trent McDuffie currently sets the market. The Rams cornerback signed a four-year, $124 million extension in March, days after Los Angeles traded for him in a deal that sent four picks to Kansas City. That contract averages $31 million a season and includes $100 million guaranteed.

For Gonzalez to top it, as Kraft’s comments suggest, the framework New England has offered would need to clear that $31 million-per-year mark. Here’s how the current top of the cornerback market stacks up:

Nothing is signed. Head coach Mike Vrabel said Friday, a day before Kraft’s remarks, that negotiations are ongoing and the two sides haven’t reached an agreement. Kraft’s disclosure tells the public how far apart — or how close — they might actually be, but it’s still a reported offer, not a finished deal.

A Fast Rise Since 2023

New England drafted Gonzalez No. 17 overall in 2023 out of Oregon. He’s entering his fourth season, and the team already exercised his fifth-year rookie option this offseason, locking him in through 2027 on his current deal. That gives New England no urgency to overpay out of fear of losing him — but it also means any extension now is about buying years, not just closing a gap before free agency.

Gonzalez earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2024. Last season, his first as a Pro Bowler, he was part of a Patriots defense that helped the team reach Super Bowl LX, a run few expected. He capped the postseason with a sack and the game-sealing interception in the AFC Championship Game.

He’s made his own intentions known too. Following the season, Gonzalez said he didn’t want to be anywhere else, framing New England as his long-term home rather than a stop before a bigger payday elsewhere.

Showing Up While the Deal Gets Done

Gonzalez reported to training camp on schedule Friday and was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, avoiding any holdout drama that often shadows extension talks for star players entering a contract year. On the first play of 11-on-11 drills Saturday, he broke up a pass from quarterback Drake Maye intended for new wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Maye noticed. “He’s the best corner in the league in my opinion,” the quarterback told reporters after practice. “Everybody was wondering, ‘what’s Gonzo going to do?’ and he’s coming out here, and first play, he’s guarding A.J. in man coverage.”

Fellow Patriots defensive back Marcus Jones said Friday he hadn’t discussed contract specifics with Gonzalez but expected him to stay. “Gonzo loves it here,” Jones said. “I know that for a fact.”

Why New England Is Moving Now

Gonzalez shares an agent with Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who is also extension-eligible for the first time this offseason and expected to command a top-market deal himself. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, that connection is part of why Gonzalez’s deal hasn’t closed yet — Witherspoon is reportedly further along in his own talks with Seattle, which have centered around $30 million annually, and the expectation is that his deal gets finalized first, effectively setting the market Gonzalez’s camp will then measure against.

There’s also a cap consideration. Gonzalez is scheduled to make $4.8 million this season under his fifth-year option, then roughly $18 million in 2027. An extension signed now would let the Patriots spread out cap charges over a longer runway rather than absorbing a lump sum closer to free agency. It’s a familiar approach for teams trying to keep a young star’s price manageable in the short term while committing to him long term.

Kraft was asked directly if he’s optimistic a deal gets finished soon. He declined to answer.

Terry McLaurin isn’t the question mark for the Washington Commanders’ wide receiver room this summer. Everyone else is.

McLaurin enters training camp locked in as Washington’s clear WR1, healthy and reporting in good shape after an injury-shortened 2025 season. New offensive coordinator David Blough has already said he wants to get his top receiver 10 targets a game, according to Hogs Haven. That part of the depth chart isn’t in doubt.

The No. 2 job is a different story. Washington head coach Dan Quinn has made clear the competition behind McLaurin remains unsettled, and multiple outlets covering camp this week say a real battle is underway.

Third-round rookie Antonio Williams, out of Clemson, has emerged as an early favorite for that role, according to Athlon Sports. General manager Adam Peters targeted Williams for his route running and short-area quickness — traits that project him as a natural fit in the slot, in the mold of a player like Wes Welker. Williams caught 55 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns at Clemson last season, and posted a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

He’s not alone in the race. Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and free-agent addition Van Jefferson are all pushing for reps, and RotoWire projects Williams’ most direct competition for early camp snaps comes from McCaffrey, who is working back from a collarbone injury that ended his 2025 season early.

McLaurin, for his part, sounds unbothered by the uncertainty. Speaking with ESPN’s John Keim, the two-time Pro Bowler said he trusts the room to sort itself out once camp gets rolling.

“I have a lot of confidence in the guys that we have in the room right now. Somebody’s going to step up,” McLaurin said, via NFL.com.

It’s a role McLaurin knows well. He walked into a similarly wide-open depth chart as a rookie in 2019 and responded by leading the team in every major receiving category — 58 catches, 919 yards and seven touchdowns. Whether Williams or anyone else in this year’s group can pull off something similar is the question Washington will spend the next month trying to answer.

There’s motivation for the front office to figure it out fast. Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz, who combined to lead the team in catches a year ago, are no longer on the roster. No returning wide receiver other than McLaurin caught more than 20 passes last season. Tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, who posted a career-best 56 receptions and 560 yards, gives Blough another reliable option in the passing game, but the Commanders are otherwise starting close to scratch behind their No. 1 receiver.

Washington’s approach so far has been volume, not a single addition — five different players brought in or retained to fight it out, rather than one clear answer signed in free agency. Camp practices will begin to sort out who actually wins the job before preseason games start.

Kyle Shanahan walked into the 49ers’ first training camp press conference of 2026 without actually walking into it. San Francisco’s head coach was noticeably absent from the podium Saturday, and general manager John Lynch spent much of his opening remarks explaining why.

Shanahan was involved in a car accident on July 14 near his home in Northern California, colliding with an SUV, the team announced in a statement Saturday. The injuries were serious enough to sideline him from full coaching duties as camp opens, even though the team says none of them are life-threatening.

What injuries did Kyle Shanahan suffer?

According to ESPN, which cited sources familiar with the situation, Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs and his hand. He needed more than 40 stitches to his face and suffered what multiple reports described as a severe concussion.

The concussion is the injury driving his timeline back to the sideline. Lynch told reporters the team doesn’t have a formal concussion protocol for coaching staff, so they’re borrowing the one built for players.

“We don’t have a protocol for staff members when it comes to concussions, but we do with players, and it’s become very helpful,” Lynch said, via NBC Sports.

Shanahan will have to clear a series of markers before doctors sign off on a full return, the same basic structure used for a player working back from a head injury. There’s no fixed date. Lynch said that’s by design.

What happened on July 14?

Palo Alto police responded to the two-vehicle crash the evening of July 14. Paramedics took Shanahan to a local hospital, where he stayed much of the night before being released. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured, according to Palo Alto Lt. Nicholas Martinez, who told ESPN that drugs and alcohol were not involved and that both drivers cooperated with investigators. No one was cited.

Shanahan told his assistant coaches about the crash on Tuesday, days after it happened, and has been recovering at home since. The 49ers didn’t go public with it until the team’s official training camp report date arrived Saturday.

Who’s running the 49ers while Shanahan recovers?

Assistant head coach Chris Foerster is taking over the bulk of Shanahan’s day-to-day responsibilities, though Lynch was careful to frame it as a group effort rather than a one-man handoff. Foerster has been on staff since 2019, first as a game-planning assistant, later as offensive line coach, and was elevated to assistant head coach this year. He also worked alongside Shanahan years earlier in Washington.

Shanahan is expected to be around the building and could even show up on the practice field in some capacity, but he won’t run practice or handle his usual head-coaching workload until he’s cleared.

Lynch didn’t sound alarmed Saturday. He opened his remarks by noting that everyone involved in the crash, including the other driver, appears to be fine. That framing set the tone for the rest of the press conference — serious injuries, but a GM trying to keep the temperature down.

“Kyle is doing good. He’s got some bumps and bruises,” Lynch said, via CNN.

Will Shanahan be ready for Week 1 in Australia?

San Francisco opens its season on the road against the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, Sept. 10 (Friday morning local time), the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. That’s roughly seven weeks out from the crash, and Lynch said he has no reason to expect Shanahan will miss it.

“That’s not something we’re anticipating,” Lynch said, according to NFL.com. “That’s not what I’ve heard from the doctors.” He added that the team plans to let the recovery, not the calendar, set the pace.

Rams head coach Sean McVay, who worked alongside Shanahan on the same Washington staff early in both of their careers, said he’s spoken with Shanahan since the accident and was relieved everyone involved came out of it okay, per CNN.

Why this matters for training camp

Concussion recovery timelines are genuinely unpredictable. That’s the same reason teams are cautious with players, and it’s why the 49ers borrowed the player protocol rather than inventing something looser for a coach. San Francisco’s offense runs through detailed installation work in camp, the kind Shanahan typically drives personally through play-calling scripts and practice-tempo decisions. A prolonged absence would push more of that install onto Foerster and the coordinators during exactly the weeks when it usually gets set.

For now, the 49ers are choosing caution over urgency, treating their head coach’s health the same way they’d treat a starter’s.

Green Bay’s books just told an uncomfortable story. The Packers posted an operating loss for the first time in a non-pandemic year since 1990, and team president and CEO Ed Policy isn’t dancing around what that means for the NFL’s only publicly owned franchise.

“It’s like other teams have access to this ATM machine that we just don’t have right now,” Policy said Friday, according to NFL.com, as the Packers released their annual financial report for the 2026 fiscal year. The timing wasn’t random. Green Bay’s shareholders meeting follows three days later, and as a publicly owned club, the team is required to open its books every year in a way no other franchise has to.

The numbers explain the mood. In operating costs, the Packers reported $753 million in revenue against $754.1 million in expenses, according to AtoZ Sports, which pegged the resulting shortfall at $1.1 million. Revenue climbed 4.7%. Expenses jumped 18.7%. That gap is the whole story.

Why the expenses spiked

Policy pointed to player costs as the driver, citing a $130 million increase tied largely to one blockbuster move. Green Bay acquired All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys last year and locked him into a four-year, $188 million contract that included $136 million guaranteed. The team also accelerated payments owed to players who were traded away, a move that front-loads cost even when it clears long-term cap space.

None of that reads as a mistake. Parsons is one of the best pass rushers in football, and the Packers paid market rate to get him. But it does show up on the ledger, and Policy isn’t pretending otherwise.

Green Bay’s overall financial picture still looked healthy on paper. Net income actually rose 54.8% to $132.5 million, but that jump came almost entirely from outside football operations. The team collected $133.6 million in nonoperating revenue, a mix of corporate investment gains and its cut of ESPN’s purchase of NFL Network. Strip that away, and the operating side is running in the red.

League-wide revenue sharing remains massive. Each of the NFL’s 32 teams received $453.2 million from the league last year, mostly generated through national television contracts, according to RealGM. That check lands the same for Green Bay as it does for Dallas or the Rams. What doesn’t land the same is everything after it.

The structural problem: no equity to sell

This is where Policy’s “ATM machine” line cuts deepest. Privately owned NFL franchises can sell small slices of equity to raise cash fast, without giving up control of the team. Green Bay can’t do that. It has no majority owner, no ownership group, no minority stake to shop around — just shareholders who hold stock more as a keepsake than an investment vehicle.

“For example, a team can sell 5 to 10% of their equity without giving up any controlling interest in the team, and they could raise more money than we have in our capital reserve fund in just a matter of months,” Policy said.

That’s not a hypothetical dig. Other franchises have done exactly this in recent years as the NFL loosened rules around private equity investment. For Green Bay, that door simply doesn’t exist. The team’s public ownership model is part of its identity and the reason the franchise stayed in a small market for over a century. It’s also, per Policy’s own admission, becoming a competitive disadvantage as the cost of running an NFL roster keeps climbing.

Green Bay’s operating numbers

What Policy plans to do about it

The team isn’t touching Lambeau Field’s name. Policy was direct about that. But Green Bay has already shown it’s willing to sell naming rights elsewhere. The practice facility at Titletown, the mixed-use development just west of Lambeau featuring shops, offices, restaurants and apartments, is now called Emplify Health Field under a new sponsorship deal.

The team is also leaning harder into non-football events at Lambeau. The stadium hosted Luke Combs concerts in May, and it’ll host a Notre Dame-Wisconsin college football game on Sept. 6. Both are the kind of one-off revenue plays that don’t require touching the team’s on-field product but still generate real money off a building the Packers already own.

“We’re going to have to be more aggressive with revenue generation going forward,” Policy said. “We all know the cost of competing in the NFL is going up, and other teams have access to capital sources that we just don’t have.”

Not a five-alarm fire, yet

Policy was careful to separate the long-term concern from any near-term panic. Green Bay isn’t cutting corners on the roster, and he made that point clearly.

“I feel very good about the Packers’ financial strength and condition in the medium term and the short term, certainly,” Policy said. “But we are keeping a very close eye on some of these long-term trends, looking at how they impact us and our financial health in the long term.”

He added that the club intends to keep investing in whatever it takes to field a contender, whether that’s player salaries, football staff, or facilities. For a fan base that’s watched Jordan Love get paid, Micah Parsons get paid, and a young core get built out over the past two offseasons, that’s the reassurance that matters most heading into training camp.

Still, the underlying tension isn’t going away on its own. Every other team in the league has a lever Green Bay doesn’t. Policy’s job now is figuring out which levers the Packers actually do have, and pulling them before the gap widens further.

Training camps are open. By July 28, all 32 teams will have their full rosters on the practice field, and the moves made since February are about to get tested for real. Bucky Brooks, the former NFL scout and player who now breaks down personnel for a living, went division by division and picked the single offseason acquisition most likely to swing each race in 2026.

Some are blockbuster trades. Some are coaching hires nobody saw coming. All of them carry real weight heading into September.

AFC East: Patriots hand Drake Maye a true No. 1 in A.J. Brown

New England made the move everyone in the league had circled coming. At the start of June, the Patriots sent a first-round pick and a fifth-rounder to Philadelphia for Brown, the three-time Pro Bowler who spent his final Eagles season drawing criticism for his sideline demeanor. None of that erases the tape. Brown is a classic X-receiver — elite ball skills, precise route-running, capable of winning one-on-one or through double coverage — and he’s reuniting with Mike Vrabel, who coached him at Tennessee before taking the Patriots’ job.

That reunion matters. Brown forces defensive coordinators to scheme around him, which should open things up underneath and outside for New England’s other targets, including free-agent addition Romeo Doubs. Maye terrorized defenses last season without a legitimate No. 1 receiver on the roster. Give him one, and a Super Bowl run — with an MVP case attached — isn’t out of the question for the third-year quarterback.

AFC North: Bengals add a wrecking ball up front in Dexter Lawrence

Cincinnati’s defense has bled away years of Joe Burrow’s prime. The trade for Lawrence, which cost the Bengals the No. 10 overall pick in April, is the kind of move meant to stop that. At 6-foot-5 and 350 pounds, “Sexy Dexy” is a rare combination — a run-stuffer who can still get after the quarterback. His 2025 numbers dipped to career lows across the board (31 tackles, half a sack, eight quarterback hits), but a healthy, engaged Lawrence draws double teams that free up everyone around him.

That’s the real value here. A three-time Pro Bowler commanding extra blockers means Cincinnati’s edge rushers see more one-on-one snaps. It also means opposing offenses can’t lean on the run to keep Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown off the field. A defense that gets off the field on third down gives this offense more possessions — and more chances to end a three-year playoff drought.

AFC South: Texans trade for David Montgomery to steady the run game

C.J. Stroud’s rookie-year ceiling has receded over the past two seasons, and Houston’s answer wasn’t a quarterback fix — it was a run game fix. Montgomery spent three years sharing a Detroit backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs and still put up RB1-caliber production: 2,506 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns across 45 games. His physical running style should offset the void left by Joe Mixon’s health issues and take pressure off Stroud, who turned the ball over five times (two lost fumbles, three interceptions) across two playoff games this past January.

The cost was modest — Houston sent Detroit interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two Day 3 picks. If Montgomery does what he did in Detroit, this offense stops living and dying on Stroud’s arm in big moments.

AFC West: Chiefs bring back Eric Bieniemy to fix the offense

Kansas City’s offense hasn’t looked the same since Bieniemy left after the 2022 season, when the Chiefs led the league in scoring. In the three years since, Kansas City has finished 15th, 15th and 21st in scoring offense, and the team is coming off a 6-11 season. Bieniemy’s return as offensive coordinator is a bet that his demanding coaching style — and his background running the ball — can restore some balance to Andy Reid’s play-calling.

That balance matters even more now. Patrick Mahomes is working back from a torn ACL and LCL, and a more disciplined ground game takes pressure off him to manufacture points on talent alone. If Bieniemy’s presence produces the same jump it did in 2022, Kansas City has a real path back from last year’s collapse.

NFC East: Cowboys hire Christian Parker to rebuild a broken defense

Dallas has the offense to make a real Super Bowl push. It didn’t have the defense — the Cowboys allowed a franchise-record 511 points in 2025, dead last in the league. Hiring Parker away from Philadelphia was step one of a full defensive overhaul that also included trading for Rashan Gary and drafting Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the first round, along with additions at every level of the unit.

Parker has coached under Vic Fangio and Vance Joseph, and he’s known as a teacher who mixes coverages and fronts to put players in position to make plays. His immediate task is fixing the missed assignments and blown coverages that sank Dallas a year ago. It may take time for him to settle into the new personnel, but the talent upgrade paired with his scheme gives the Cowboys a real chance to be a different team defensively in 2026.

NFC North: Kyler Murray gets a fresh start with the Vikings

Kevin O’Connell built his reputation as a quarterback whisperer, and Murray is his next reclamation project after a rocky ending to seven years in Arizona. Murray still has to win the job over J.J. McCarthy on a one-year “prove it” deal, but he’s stepping into a favorable situation: Justin Jefferson at wide receiver, plus Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson as complementary weapons. If O’Connell’s scheme can tap into Murray’s dual-threat ability the way it’s elevated other quarterbacks, the Vikings have the pieces to shake up the division.

NFC South: Buccaneers stop Rueben Bain Jr.’s draft slide

Tampa Bay wanted its identity back — the physical, disruptive defense that helped the Buccaneers win four straight NFC South titles from 2021 through 2024. According to NFL.com, Bain was still on the board when Tampa Bay picked 15th overall in April, and general manager Jason Licht said there were “very few scenarios” the team expected him to be available. The Buccaneers didn’t hesitate.

Bain comes with questions about his arm length and testing numbers, concerns that followed him through the pre-draft process. But the tape says junkyard dog: a relentless pass rusher who racked up 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss in three years at Miami. Paired with fellow 2026 draftees Josiah Trotter, Keionte Scott and DeMonte Capehart, Bain gives head coach Todd Bowles the personnel to run his blitz-heavy scheme the way it’s meant to be run.

NFC West: Rams land Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade

This is the move that reshapes the entire conference. According to NFL Network, the Browns agreed to send reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Rams for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and additional compensation — a deal reported jointly by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The trade ended Garrett’s nine-year run in Cleveland, which included seven Pro Bowls, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and a franchise that made the playoffs just twice during his tenure.

Garrett didn’t arrive alone. Los Angeles had already added 2023 first-team All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and re-signed Jaylen Watson as a CB2, addressing the secondary that got exposed in a narrow NFC Championship Game loss to Seattle. Garrett now joins a front that already includes pass rushers Kobie Turner and Byron Young. Add in the fact that reigning MVP Matthew Stafford is still at quarterback, and the Rams enter 2026 as the team every other NFC West contender has to catch — with the Super Bowl itself scheduled for SoFi Stadium this season.

Patrick Mahomes cleared the biggest hurdle of his comeback on Friday. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters the star quarterback is fully cleared to participate in training camp, seven months removed from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season.

“Pat is doing great with his recovery,” Reid said. “He’s cleared to practice in all the different periods we have in camp… He’s been cleared to participate in full,” according to Bolavip.

Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee late in Kansas City’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, 2025, a collapse that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time in the Mahomes era. He underwent surgery the following night in Dallas, where Dr. Dan Cooper repaired both ligaments, according to NFL.com.

“It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, so we kind of hit that next step,” Mahomes said. “Now it’s going to be about building and getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes along, I can try to be available and ready to play.”

Mahomes Zeroed In on Week 1 Against Denver

Kansas City opens the 2026 season at home against the defending AFC West champion Denver Broncos on Sept. 14. Mahomes has treated that date as his real target since the injury.

“I don’t want to miss that game because that’s the team that won the division while we were gone, and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates,” Mahomes said in a mid-July interview, according to NFL.com. “I’ll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1.”

Friday’s clearance doesn’t guarantee he starts that game. Reid was careful not to make promises, noting the team will monitor Mahomes’ workload throughout camp rather than assume a straight line to Week 1.

“We’ve got to see how things go and not make any predictions about Week 1,” Reid said, according to ESPN. He added that he doesn’t plan on limiting Mahomes’ reps during camp, meaning the quarterback will practice alongside his full group of skill players for the first time since the injury.

Mahomes will start camp wearing a knee brace as he builds back up, a standard precaution for a player nine months into an ACL and LCL recovery. He told reporters he’s not yet cleared for regular-season game action specifically — that’s a separate step he still has to earn through practice, according to KOMU.

“It’s a long process,” Mahomes said. “I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games, how much it hurt me. But I knew that if I continued to work, I could be at this spot where I can get cleared for practice. Now I’m trying just to get to that spot where I’m cleared to play in the regular season in that first week.”

Rice Also Cleared as Chiefs Try to Move Past 2025

The good news at St. Joseph didn’t stop with the quarterback. Receiver Rashee Rice, who had a knee debridement procedure in May, was also fully cleared for training camp. “He’s done a great job rehabbing up here,” Reid said, according to Chiefs Digest.

Having both players full-go for the start of camp matters for an offense that stalled without them. Kansas City finished 6-11 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and posting its first losing record since 2012. Mahomes’ own numbers slipped before the injury, too — his completion percentage and touchdown total were both career lows through 14 games.

None of that erases the caution built into this comeback. A torn ACL typically requires around nine months of recovery, and Reid’s “day by day” framing signals the Chiefs know a full practice clearance in late July is a checkpoint, not a finish line. The next one is whether Mahomes can handle padded practices, then preseason reps, without setbacks.

“I’m optimistic, and I know he is,” Reid said. “He’s extremely optimistic. But I think you’ve got to see how things go. Let’s just see where we’re at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day by day and see where it goes.”

Barkley’s Pitch Pays Off

LeBron James picked Philadelphia on Friday, and the city’s football team wants in on the celebration. James agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to NBA.com, ending a free-agency chase that also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley didn’t wait long to respond. “Welcome to the city! Let me know when you tryna tee it up,” Barkley wrote on X, tagging James directly, according to NFL.com.

The invite wasn’t out of nowhere. Two weeks earlier, Barkley had made his case for James to Philadelphia reporters. “I think it is one of the greatest sports towns in the world,” Barkley said at the time, according to Heavy.com. “If you want to go out with a bang, I feel like a great spot would be in Philly, and bringing a championship to Philadelphia, you’d be remembered forever.”

James apparently listened. Eagles tackle Lane Johnson also celebrated the move on social media, referencing the 76ers’ longtime “Trust the Process” rallying cry, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Why the City Sees a Championship Window

The pitch resonates because Philadelphia has already proven it can deliver. Barkley ran for 2,005 yards in his first season with the Eagles and helped the franchise win Super Bowl LIX. The 76ers haven’t won an NBA title since 1983, and James — a four-time champion with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers — is entering the deal as the most decorated player in the league’s history, per NBC News.

James explained his decision in his own words on X. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family,” he wrote, according to CBS News Philadelphia. “What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind.”

He’ll walk into a reshaped roster. The Sixers added Jaylen Brown in a trade with the Boston Celtics earlier this summer, pairing him with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. That trade is a big reason James’s camp reportedly shifted its focus toward Philadelphia in the final stretch of free agency, according to Bleacher Report.

What’s Next

Barkley’s golf invitation is casual, but it fits a pattern. Philadelphia’s biggest athletes — Barkley included — spent much of the summer publicly recruiting James, and the 76ers now enter training camp as an Eastern Conference contender built partly on outside star power showing up to say welcome. Whether James actually tees off with Barkley remains to be seen. Neither side has confirmed a date.

Welcome to the city! Let me know when you tryna tee it up 🏌🏽⛳️ @KingJames

— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) July 24, 2026

👑‼️#TrustedTheProcess https://t.co/ABuOZsampj

— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) July 24, 2026

pic.twitter.com/K9MQ5kY1p4

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 24, 2026

We move. #TrustTheProcess pic.twitter.com/mHkgIKveaz

— Kyle Hamilton (@kyledhamilton_) July 24, 2026

DeAndre Hopkins isn’t at Patriots training camp to make a roster. He’s there to figure out what comes next.

The three-time first-team All-Pro is spending this week in Foxborough working alongside New England’s offensive coaches and personnel staff, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Friday as veterans reported for camp. Hopkins showed up in coaching gear, not pads.

“DeAndre Hopkins is here with us … just to kind of check things out as far as what he wants to do, as far as coaching. You’ll see him on the field,” Vrabel said.

Hopkins is still technically a free agent. He hasn’t retired. But at 34, coming off the quietest statistical season of his career, this looks less like a workout and more like a trial run at what happens when the playing days end.

A Career-Low Season in Baltimore

Hopkins spent last season with the Ravens, and the numbers told a different story than the one he’s used to writing. He caught 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games, a career-low output for a receiver who once ranked among the league’s most reliable targets. According to the Ravens’ own team site, Hopkins was not re-signed this offseason.

He hasn’t shut the door on playing. Last month, Hopkins said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he still believes he has “a lot of ball left,” but he’s not interested in forcing his way onto a roster or fighting for a developmental role built for younger players.

How Hopkins and Vrabel Got Here

This isn’t a cold introduction. Hopkins and Vrabel go back over a decade. They were together in Houston from 2014 to 2017, when Vrabel worked his way from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator for the Texans. They reunited in 2023 in Tennessee, Vrabel’s final season as the Titans’ head coach, when Hopkins put up his last 1,000-yard year: 75 catches, 1,057 yards, seven touchdowns.

“Him and I talked, and he asked if he could come hang out for a couple days and be around the coaches and be around the personnel department,” Vrabel said, according to the Patriots’ official team site. “I called the league and made sure that that was gonna be OK. Then I invited him back, and that’s where he’s been the last couple days, and he’ll be here for the next couple days.”

Because Hopkins hasn’t formally retired, Vrabel said he cleared the arrangement with the league office before bringing him in — a procedural detail that matters, since an active player can’t simply embed with a coaching staff without the NFL signing off.

Not a Backdoor Tryout

Vrabel wanted to be unambiguous about what this is not. New England already carries 12 receivers on its training camp roster, and the coach shut down any suggestion that Hopkins might change his mind and suit up.

“He has got coaching gear on, and he is helping out the offensive coaches and meeting with our personnel guys,” Vrabel said, per NBC Sports. “He loves football. People that love football and have played the game for the length of time that he did [want] to, I think, explore the opportunities and what that looks like after his playing career is over.”

Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones welcomed the addition, telling reporters Hopkins’ presence carries weight in the building regardless of his title. “Unbelievable player. The expertise is much respected by everyone in the DB role, so having him in the building means a lot,” Jones said, according to Get More Sports. Jones added that younger receivers and defensive backs alike could benefit from picking Hopkins’ brain on route running.

What It Means Going Forward

Nothing here is official. Hopkins isn’t listed on New England’s coaching staff page, and Vrabel’s language points to an informal, hands-on look rather than a job offer. This is a former star testing the water, not a hire.

Still, the fit makes sense on paper. Vrabel has repeatedly brought in coaches and staffers he trusts from past stops — offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels coached him as a player in New England, and he brought several former Titans assistants with him when he took the Patriots job. A short-term look at Hopkins fits that same pattern, even if it’s just a few days on the practice field for now.

Whether Hopkins ends up chasing one more season as a player or pivots toward coaching and scouting full time, the next few days in Foxborough should tell him — and the Patriots — a lot about which direction makes more sense.

Jalen Hurts is still on the NFL Top 100. He’s just not on it the way he used to be.

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback landed at No. 56 in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026, according to NFL.com, marking his fourth straight appearance on the annual list voted on by current players. It’s also his lowest slot yet. Hurts debuted at No. 3 in 2023 fresh off a Super Bowl LVII run. He’s dropped every year since: 15th in 2024, 19th in 2025, and now 56th entering this season.

That’s a 53-spot fall in two years for a quarterback who won Super Bowl LIX MVP honors as recently as February 2025.

The numbers explain some of the skepticism. Hurts threw for 3,224 yards and a career-high 25 touchdowns in 16 starts last season, but his 7.1 yards per attempt was a career low, and his 55.2 QBR was his worst mark since 2021, according to Bleacher Report. He also gained a league-low 39.6% of his passing yards after the catch in 2025, per NFL.com’s Pro Insight data attached to the ranking — a stat that points to a passing game leaning heavily on short, low-risk throws rather than pushing the ball downfield.

Then came the offseason gut punch. A.J. Brown, Hurts’ top target for four seasons, was traded to the New England Patriots on June 1 for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, according to ESPN. Brown had voiced growing frustration with his role in Philadelphia’s offense throughout 2025, and the split became one of the most-telegraphed trades of the offseason.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler called 2026 a “crucial year” for Hurts, and one unnamed AFC executive went further in comments to Fowler, framing Hurts’ rushing-dependent value as a ticking clock. Bleacher Report relayed the exec’s blunt assessment: a polarizing player whose value erodes as his legs slow down, with general manager Howie Roseman likely to stay “proactive” in finding alternatives if Hurts doesn’t develop as a pure passer.

That’s an unconfirmed, anonymously sourced opinion — not a Roseman statement, not an Eagles announcement. Worth noting plainly, and worth treating as analyst speculation rather than fact.

Hurts isn’t alone in his division-mate misery. Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb landed right behind him at No. 55, a 20-spot drop from his No. 35 slot a year ago. Lamb missed three games and exited two others early with injury in 2025, finishing with 1,077 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 14 games — still 11th-most in the league in that span, according to NFL.com’s Pro Insight breakdown. The Cowboys’ decision to lean on George Pickens as a complementary target ate into Lamb’s volume, but as SI’s Cowboys site noted, a five-time Pro Bowler slipping outside the top 50 over an injury-shortened season looks like an overcorrection more than a talent read.

Here’s how the two NFC East stars stack up across their Top 100 history:

The Nos. 60-51 batch of reveals, published July 22, wasn’t just about Philadelphia and Dallas. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams debuted at No. 51 off a breakout sophomore season, while Raiders tight end Brock Bowers checked in at No. 60 despite a knee injury that limited him to 12 games. San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner (No. 54), Rams receiver Davante Adams (No. 53) and Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs (No. 52) rounded out the group, per NFL.com.

The full countdown, now in its 16th year, started June 22 and runs through Labor Day week. Two players are revealed daily on X, NFL+ and NFL.com through Aug. 21, at which point the format shifts to one reveal per weekday as the top 10 is unveiled from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4. Saquon Barkley held the No. 1 spot for 2025; whether he repeats or gets replaced remains one of the list’s few genuine suspense points, since no active repeat No. 1 has ever come from the running back position.

For Hurts, the next several weeks won’t change his number. But how he responds without Brown on the outside — and whether new pieces like first-round rookie receiver Makai Lemon can pick up the slack — will go a long way toward determining whether No. 56 turns out to be a floor or just a pit stop.

Patrick Mahomes is done waiting. Kansas City coach Andy Reid confirmed Friday that his quarterback has been fully cleared to participate in Chiefs training camp, seven months removed from the torn ACL and LCL that ended his 2025 season early.

Mahomes went down in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 14, a collapse that also knocked Kansas City out of playoff contention for the first time in the Mahomes era. He had surgery the next night in Dallas, performed by Dr. Dan Cooper, and started rehab immediately.

Reid didn’t hedge when he addressed reporters in St. Joseph, Missouri, ahead of camp. “It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, so we kind of hit that next step,” Mahomes said, “and now it’s going to be about building and keep getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes along I can try to be available and ready to play.”

The Chiefs will still manage him carefully. Reid said the team plans to “just take it day by day and see how he does” as camp ramps up. Mahomes will wear a knee brace during practice, the same setup he used throughout minicamp, though Forbes reported he hasn’t been told he’s required to keep it on.

That distinction matters. Minicamp had Mahomes running 7-on-7 drills but kept him out of full team periods. Camp is different. According to ESPN, Mahomes is expected to lead the first-team offense through 11-on-11 reps, throwing to Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton and tight end Travis Kelce for the first time since the injury.

Mahomes said the physical side of the comeback has gone about as well as it could. “I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt, as far as strength and lifting,” he told reporters Friday, according to ESPN. “I feel amazing.”

He’s not the only skill-position piece trending in the right direction. Rice, who underwent knee debridement surgery in May, is also fully cleared for camp. Reid called his recovery “doing great,” and said the receiver will be full-go despite an offseason complicated by a 30-day jail sentence for a probation violation. Rice rehabbed during that stretch and was released June 16, giving him more than a month to prepare before padded practices begin.

Not every injury update out of St. Joseph was as clean. Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, who tore his ACL in Week 7 last season, will most likely open camp on the physically unable to perform list, Reid said. The Chiefs will take a slower approach getting him back on the field than they are with Mahomes or Rice.

The bigger picture is straightforward enough. Kansas City went 6-11 last season and missed the postseason for the first time in more than a decade with Mahomes sidelined down the stretch. Getting him back to full speed, brace and all, running the actual playbook against a live defense, is the first real test of whether that version of the Chiefs offense — with its top two skill players both working back from knee procedures — can be whole again by Week 1.

Reid isn’t ready to promise anything about the regular-season opener yet. “I’m optimistic,” he said Friday. “And I know he is extremely optimistic. But I think you’ve got to see how things go here. Let’s just see where we’re at and not making any predictions or anything else.” Kansas City opens the season at home against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, a matchup that will also feature Denver quarterback Bo Nix working back from a fractured ankle.

Camp officially opens for Chiefs veterans on July 28, with the first padded practice to follow in the days after.

The NFL Top 100 countdown keeps rolling, and its latest stretch tells two very different stories: one about a Bears quarterback finally arriving, and another about a Niners linebacker forced to watch from the sideline.

Nos. 60 through 51 of the 2026 NFL Top 100, the annual list voted on by players themselves, dropped this week, headlined by Bears QB Caleb Williams cracking the countdown for the first time at No. 51. The full list rolls out in pairs each weekday through Aug. 21, before the top 10 gets a full week of daily reveals starting Aug. 24, according to NFL.com.

Caleb Williams Arrives After Turnaround Season

Williams didn’t just improve in Year 2. He transformed. Playing under new Bears coach Ben Johnson, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns while directing a league-high six fourth-quarter comebacks. He also cut his sack total nearly in third, going from an NFL-worst 68 sacks taken as a rookie to just 24 in 2025.

The turnaround showed up on the scoreboard. Chicago won its first division title since 2018 and picked up its first playoff win since 2010. Williams scrambled on 20.5% of his dropbacks last season, the highest rate of any qualified quarterback in football, according to NFL.com‘s Pro Insight data.

It’s Williams’ first appearance on the Top 100 in his career.

Jalen Hurts Falls 37 Spots Despite Career Year

Not every player moving through this stretch of the countdown is trending up. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts dropped 37 spots to No. 56, his lowest ranking since debuting at No. 3 back in 2023, even though he posted a career-high 25 passing touchdowns and added eight more scores on the ground. The dip appears tied to a lower completion percentage and reduced usage in the run game, plus Philadelphia’s wild-card exit after last year’s Super Bowl run.

Hurts still earned his third Pro Bowl nod in four seasons. He also joined Bills quarterback Josh Allen as the only active players since 2000 with at least 30 total touchdowns in four straight years, according to the Eagles’ official site.

Fred Warner’s Injury Costs Him in the Voting

Few drops sting more than San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner’s. A three-time reigning All-Pro, Warner tumbled to No. 54 after a severe ankle injury in Week 6 ended his season early. He played just six games, but the numbers before the injury were elite: Warner allowed a league-low -18.9% completion percentage over expected among linebackers before going down.

The Niners defense felt his absence. San Francisco allowed 7.9 yards per attempt on play-action passes when Warner was off the field, compared to just 5.5 yards per attempt when he was on it, per the Top 100’s Pro Insight breakdown.

Where the Rest of the Pack Landed

The full Nos. 60-51 stretch spans quarterbacks, receivers, tackles and one veteran linebacker working his way back from injury.

Rams wideout Davante Adams checks in at No. 53 in his first season alongside Matthew Stafford. Adams led the league in receiving touchdowns with 14 despite missing 1,000 yards for the first time since 2019, largely because Los Angeles fed him relentlessly near the goal line. He ran 49 routes inside the 10-yard line last season, the most of any receiver in football.

Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb slid 20 spots to No. 55 after George Pickens’ arrival in Dallas cut into his target share. Still, Lamb posted his fifth straight 1,000-yard season, a mark matched in franchise history only by Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.

Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs fell 24 spots to No. 52 in a season interrupted by a knee injury, though he protected Baker Mayfield’s blind side effectively down the stretch and caught his first career touchdown pass, a 2-yard grab in a Week 13 win over Arizona.

Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins climbed into the countdown at No. 57 for a third consecutive year, backed by a fifth straight Pro Bowl selection. He allowed just a 7.5% pressure rate last season, seventh-lowest among left tackles with at least 200 pass-block snaps.

Texans receiver Nico Collins jumped 26 spots to No. 58 after a third straight 1,000-yard season, catching 71 passes for 1,117 yards before a Divisional Round concussion ended his year. Despite offseason trade speculation that Texans GM Nick Caserio shot down directly, Collins remains in Houston heading into 2026.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix rose five spots to No. 59 after leading Denver to the AFC’s top seed. Nix threw more passes than any quarterback in football and directed a league-high seven game-winning drives, though an ankle injury in overtime of the Divisional Round cost him the AFC Championship Game.

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers rounds out the group at No. 60, dropping 36 spots after a sophomore season slowed by knee trouble. He still posted a standout Week 9 return from injury, catching 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville. Bowers now has 176 career receptions through two seasons, the most by any tight end in NFL history over that span.

What Comes Next

The Top 100 rollout continues with two names revealed each weekday morning through late August before shifting to daily single reveals for the top 10 in early September. Reaction and reveals are tracked in real time on NFL Films’ X account.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback picture got murkier, not clearer, on the second day of training camp. Jacoby Brissett did not take a single snap during 11-on-11 drills Friday, according to ESPN, while Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis ran every rep in his place.

Brissett went through individual drills and stood alongside the other quarterbacks during team periods, but he didn’t run a play. ESPN reported that first-year coach Mike LaFleur said he can’t yet put a timeline on when Brissett will catch up to speed in a new offense.

That’s the backdrop for a quarterback competition that was already crowded a day earlier. Brissett — who started the final 12 games last season — was the presumed favorite to open the season under center, but he skipped the team’s voluntary offseason program entirely while seeking a new contract. He showed up for Thursday’s start of camp and worked with the other quarterbacks, a sign a new deal could be close.

LaFleur wasn’t tipping his hand on the depth chart Thursday. “I’d describe it as practice one on July 23,” he said, according to the nwaonline. A day later, per ESPN, he sounded a similar note, telling reporters the plan is simply to get Brissett up to speed with this year’s playbook rather than crown a starter early.

Brissett’s Contract Standoff

Money is at the center of this. The 33-year-old Brissett is in the final year of a two-year, $12.5 million contract, but only $1.5 million of that is guaranteed, and he’s set to earn $5.39 million in 2026, according to Pro Football Rumors. If he opens the season as the starter without a new deal, he’d be among the lowest-paid quarterbacks in the league.

Brissett had strong individual numbers a season ago — 3,366 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions — but the Cardinals went 1-11 in his starts as the team finished last in the NFC West at 3-14.

Safety Budda Baker weighed in on the situation earlier this month, posting on X: “Just want bro to get his s— done… he is not asking for what you think.” —

Just want bro to get his shit done… he is not asking for what you think. Bro is asking for below the bare minimum. Let’s just get it done!!!

— Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) July 9, 2026

Baker stood by that Thursday. “I definitely think Jacoby did a great job coming in last year,” Baker said, according to the nwaonline. “I know we didn’t get the wins that we wanted to get, but I think he commanded the offense at a high level.”

Injuries and Off-Field Issues Cloud Camp

Two starters opened camp on the physically unable to perform list. Left tackle Paris Johnson is dealing with a knee issue, and edge rusher Josh Sweat, who had a career-high 12 sacks last season, is also nursing a knee. LaFleur downplayed both. “The Paris thing, that’s really, honestly nothing,” he said. “We’re all on the same page, it’s really just maintenance stuff so he’ll be back before you know it.” He added that Sweat “was in great spirits and looked really good” when he saw him.

Johnson and Sweat still count toward the 90-man roster limit and can return to practice at any point in the preseason. Cornerback Garrett Williams (Achilles) and tight end Tip Reiman (ankle) remain on PUP as they continue recovering from injuries suffered last season.

Off-field news has also shadowed LaFleur’s first camp. The NFL suspended Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely on July 17 for violating the league’s gambling policy, with the league saying its investigation found Gold shared confidential, non-public information about the team’s 2026 draft picks before they were announced and placed parlay bets on NFL and college games, per the NFL. Gold is in his 13th season with the organization.

Separately, offensive lineman Isaiah Adams was arrested in Ontario, Canada, on four weapons charges, according to the NFL. Adams, 25, faces charges including possession of a firearm obtained in a crime and possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm; he was one of four people arrested as part of a Durham Regional Police guns-and-gangs investigation, two others of whom face fentanyl trafficking charges. His attorney, Adam Weisberg, said in a statement that Adams is “completely innocent in this matter” and had no knowledge of any firearm.

Adams, who is competing for a starting spot heading into his third season, was at camp Thursday. “He’s doing good,” LaFleur said. “I’m not going to comment too much on that obviously… but he’s doing good and it’s good to see him.”

What’s Next

None of this points to a quick resolution at quarterback. Brissett still needs to get comfortable in LaFleur’s offense before he’s trusted with first-team reps in team drills, and his contract situation remains unsettled. Minshew and Beck, meanwhile, keep piling up reps with the starters — reps that matter in a competition LaFleur insists hasn’t officially started. Expect the snap counts, not the press conferences, to tell the real story over the next two weeks of camp.

The New York Giants finally got a piece of good news about Malik Nabers. The star wide receiver was not among the three players the team placed on the physically unable to perform list Thursday, a sign he could be trending toward a Week 1 return.

Defensive linemen Roy Robertson-Harris and Sam Roberts, along with tight end Thomas Fidone II, landed on the PUP list as the Giants get ready for training camp in West Virginia. Nabers did not join them. According to ESPN, a source said Nabers is not expected to begin camp on the PUP list, a detail first reported by Jordan Raanan.

Staying off the list matters. It means Nabers won’t be limited once camp drills start, even if the Giants ease him in slowly. Landing on PUP would have signaled a much longer runway back. Avoiding it doesn’t.

A Long Road Back From a Torn ACL

Nabers tore his ACL and damaged his meniscus in Week 4 last season, ending his year early. He needed a full repair, then required a second, separate procedure this offseason to clean up scar tissue that was limiting his mobility. He did not participate in the Giants’ offseason workout program.

Giants head coach John Harbaugh has been careful not to overpromise. He described Nabers’ knee injury as “not simple” and said the receiver was in the “slog” of his rehab as recently as this spring. General manager Joe Schoen struck a more optimistic tone, telling reporters he still believes Nabers will be fine for the opener.

USA Today’s Art Stapleton framed Thursday’s PUP news in similarly measured terms. He posted on X: “Malik Nabers is not one of them. Neither is Cam Skattebo” — https://x.com/art_stapleton

Both threads point the same direction: nothing is guaranteed, but the trajectory has turned.

Why Nabers’ Health Changes Everything for the Offense

New York rebuilt its receiver room around the assumption that Nabers might not be full speed right away. Darius Slayton and Calvin Austin III return, and the Giants added Odell Beckham, Darnell Mooney, and JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason, plus third-round rookie Malachi Fields.

None of them replicate what Nabers does. He’s the receiver who forces safeties to shade a coverage, who turns a broken play into a chunk gain. Without him at full strength, the Giants’ passing attack has a ceiling. With him, quarterback Jaxson Dart gets a true No. 1 to build around, and the entire operation looks different.

What Comes Next

Giants veterans report Tuesday, and the team travels to West Virginia for the start of camp. The Giants are expected to bring Nabers along gradually rather than throw him into every rep right away. How much he’s able to do in team drills over the next few weeks will tell New York — and everyone else — a lot more than Thursday’s PUP list did.

New York opens the regular season on “Sunday Night Football” against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.

Jonathon Brooks finally got a full practice under his belt. On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers running back took the field for the opening session of 2026 training camp and, for the first time in his NFL career, participated as a full go — no restrictions, no pitch count, according to Panthers Wire.

It showed. The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye reported that Brooks was cutting well through traffic early in the session and got reps with the first team, according to SI.com. That’s the version of Brooks the Panthers thought they were getting when they traded up for him in the second round two years ago.

Canales: “This Is a Celebration”

Coach Dave Canales didn’t hide his excitement after practice.

“Really looking forward to just the hard work that J.B. has had to do over the last couple of years to get him to this point,” Canales told reporters. “He feels great. He feels strong. He looks fast; he looks like the guy that I remember, and I’m really excited for that.”

Canales went further, framing Brooks’ return as bigger than football.

“But more so just, for a guy to go through things and to be able to have the emotional and mental resiliency to go through that training twice, to get himself back, this is a celebration.”

Two ACL tears in the same knee, back to back, would break most comeback timelines. Brooks tore the ligament during his final season at Texas, then tore it again in Week 14 of his rookie year — just three games into his actual NFL debut, according to NFL.com. The Panthers officially ruled him out for the 2025 season last May.

Nine Career Carries, a Lot of Unfinished Business

Brooks enters his third pro season with nine career NFL carries. That’s the cost of two knee reconstructions eating into what was supposed to be his breakout window. His workload has been a roller coaster dating back to high school: 21 carries as a Texas freshman in 2021, 30 in 2022, then a monster 187-carry, 1,139-yard season in 2023 that made him a first-round talent in a lot of draft rooms. Then almost nothing — nine carries in 2024, zero in 2025.

The Panthers’ offseason moves suggest they still believe in that 2023 tape. Carolina let veteran Rico Dowdle walk in free agency and didn’t spend a draft pick on a running back this spring. The lone addition was journeyman AJ Dillon, who has his own injury history. That’s not a roster built to bury Brooks on the depth chart — it’s one built to give him a real runway if his knee holds up.

What’s Next in the Backfield

Chuba Hubbard opens camp as Carolina’s starter, with Brooks lined up as the primary backup. But NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe has already floated where this could go. “Belief is if (big if) healthy, Brooks forms strong 1-2 punch (with) Chuba Hubbard (and) eventually (becomes) lead RB,” Wolfe said, according to SI.com. That’s analysis, not a confirmed plan — Hubbard is the starter today, full stop. But if Brooks stays on the field, a carries split becomes a real conversation as the season goes on.

Thursday’s practice carried a heavier note, too. Panthers rookie linebacker Nic Scourton went down with a right knee injury late in the same session and was carted off, with the team confirming afterward that he tore his ACL and will miss the 2026 season, per ESPN. Every player on the roster came over to check on him before he left the field — a reminder, on a day defined by one player’s return, of how fast that can flip for someone else.

For now, the story in the backfield is a positive one. Brooks looked like himself again. Whether that holds up once the pads come on remains the real test.

Lamar Jackson’s name is generating headlines for the wrong reasons this offseason, and it has nothing to do with his play on the field. The two-time NFL MVP fell 67 spots on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2026 list, tumbling from No. 2 a year ago all the way down to No. 69. The drop sent shockwaves through Baltimore, and it didn’t take long for new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter to weigh in.

Minter saw the ranking and did what any coach protective of his quarterback would do. He texted Jackson directly. Minter later told “The Lounge” podcast that the exchange got interesting, though he kept the specifics private, according to the team’s official website.

“Look, there may not even be one other player in the league better than Lamar, let alone 68 players in the league better than Lamar,” Minter said, via NFL.com. “When you have one year where he dealt with a little bit of injury and the team missed the playoffs, certain players they hold onto that and certain players they give them the benefit of the doubt. This guy is a multi-MVP winner, has transcended the quarterback position.”

Why Jackson Fell So Far

The Top 100 list isn’t handed down by the league office. Players around the NFL vote on it during the previous season, and 2025 gave plenty of them reason to knock Jackson down a notch. He didn’t look like the quarterback who won back-to-back MVPs. A hamstring injury cost him games. A knee issue and a back contusion piled on, the latter forcing him out of Week 17 entirely. In between, he hit a stretch of three straight games without a passing touchdown — a drought that would have been unthinkable during his MVP runs.

Jackson tried to will his way back into the picture in Week 18, throwing three touchdowns in a win-and-in game against Pittsburgh. It wasn’t enough. The Ravens lost and missed the playoffs, closing the book on a season that never found its footing.

Those numbers, paired with a missed postseason, were enough for voting players to drop him behind quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence (No. 62), Bo Nix (No. 59) and Jalen Hurts (No. 56) on the list, which continues rolling out new names throughout the summer.

Minter Reads It as Motivation, Not an Insult

Minter, stepping into his first season as an NFL head coach, isn’t treating the ranking as a crisis. If anything, he sounds like a coach who sees an edge in it.

“I know Lamar, I don’t think he worries about that,” Minter said. “I think he wants to win, I think he wants to win big. I think he wants to get back.”

That’s a notable dynamic to watch heading into training camp, where Jackson will be working under a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle for the first time. A new scheme, a healthy quarterback and a chip on his shoulder from a players’ vote that stung — Baltimore is hoping all three point in the same direction this fall.

Jackson has been here before, in a sense. He also sat at No. 2 heading into the 2024 season before claiming the top spot outright in 2020, the year of his first MVP award. History suggests a bounce-back season could send him right back up the list. For now, Minter made his stance on the record.

“There’s nobody we’d rather have as our quarterback,” Minter said.

The New England Patriots open training camp this week with most of their roster questions answered. Edge rusher isn’t one of them. As veterans report to Foxborough, the position group behind Harold Landry remains the one spot where the front office’s aggressive offseason hasn’t fully closed the gap — and one familiar name is back in the conversation.

According to Jordy McElroy of Patriots Wire, a reunion with Kyle Van Noy is one option New England could explore. Van Noy won two Super Bowls with the franchise during two separate stints between 2016 and 2021. He’s now a free agent, having elected free agency in March after three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.

The 35-year-old isn’t the disruptive player he was two years ago, but he’s not empty-handed either. McElroy wrote that Van Noy “has some juice left to help a team,” pointing to a career-high 12.5 sacks with Baltimore in 2024. Last season, banged up and playing a smaller role, he finished with 2.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss across 15 games.

Why the position still nags at New England

The roots of the problem go back to last season. K’Lavon Chaisson left in free agency, and the Patriots turned to Dre’Mont Jones as his replacement. In April, they added Gabe Jacas in the second round of the draft. Jacas is a promising pass rusher, but as of this week, he still hasn’t signed his rookie contract, leaving a hole atop the depth chart just as camp opens.

Behind Landry and Jones, the group is young and largely unproven at the NFL level: second-year players Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson, plus Jesse Luketa, Quintayvious Hutchins and Xavier Holmes. Patriots.com’s own camp preview called edge “arguably the only position that looked a little light” during OTAs, largely because Landry and Jacas were both absent for offseason work.

Landry is coming back from a midseason injury that limited him down the stretch last season and into the playoffs, and a stint on the physically unable to perform list to open camp is still on the table. If that happens, an already thin group gets thinner fast.

Vrabel isn’t sounding the alarm — publicly

Not everyone in the building sees it as an emergency. Asked directly about the position in June, head coach Mike Vrabel pushed back on the idea that it’s a glaring need.

“No… that’s a good group. I’m excited about adding Dre [Jones], the development of [Elijah] Ponder and [Bradyn] Swinson, added [Jesse] Luketa and some young guys,” Vrabel said.

That’s a coach backing his room, and there’s a real argument behind it — Jones brings positional versatility, and both Ponder and Swinson got real practice reps as rookies last year that could translate now. But “good group” and “proven difference-maker” aren’t the same claim, and Vrabel’s comments stopped short of the second one.

What’s actually at stake

New England’s roster overhaul elsewhere has been substantial. The team added AJ Brown at receiver, rebuilt the offensive line around Alijah Vera-Tucker and Morgan Moses, and is banking on a third-year jump from Drake Maye. Inside the defensive line, Christian Barmore and Milton Williams give Vrabel one of the more disruptive tackle pairings in the league.

None of that changes what happens on the edge on third down. A defense that can’t win consistently off the corner puts more pressure on the interior and on a secondary anchored by Christian Gonzalez to hold up longer than it should have to. Van Noy wouldn’t be a scheme-altering addition at this stage of his career — even Patriots Wire’s own pitch frames him as an “emergency” option, not a headline one. But adding a battle-tested veteran, even in a rotational role, is a lower-cost way to add insurance while Jacas gets signed and the younger players keep developing.

Nothing here is close to official. No deal, visit, or contact with Van Noy has been reported — this is a suggestion from one outlet’s beat reporter, not a confirmed pursuit. Whether the Patriots view the group the way McElroy does, or the way Vrabel described it in June, should start to show itself once camp battles begin and the pads come on.

The Baltimore Ravens waived rookie quarterback Diego Pavia on Thursday, according to ClutchPoints, cutting him loose before he ever got to training camp. The move made room for veteran center Ethan Pocic, whose one-year deal pushed Baltimore’s roster to the 90-man limit.

Pavia signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in April after becoming the first Heisman Trophy finalist in over a decade to go undrafted. He never got the chance to prove himself in pads against real competition. Instead, he’s out the door, and one of his old interview answers is getting a second look because of it.

The Comment That Won’t Go Away

Before the draft, Pavia sat down for a bracket-style interview and was asked a simple either-or question: who’s the better college quarterback, Johnny Manziel or Lamar Jackson? He didn’t pick either one.

Pavia posted on X: “Neither. Me.” — a line he reportedly repeated more than once, according to Underdog.

It’s the kind of answer that plays fine in a hype-building draft interview. It plays very differently once you’ve been cut by the team that employs the guy you passed over.

An Uphill Climb From the Start

Pavia’s path to Baltimore was never a sure thing. He joined the Ravens on a minicamp invite after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, later converting that tryout into a three-year contract. Even then, cracking Baltimore’s 53-man roster was going to be a fight — he was competing for a No. 3 quarterback job behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, up against Skylar Thompson and fellow undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano.

The Ravens narrowed that competition to Thompson and Fagnano, leaving Pavia the odd man out. Whether it came down purely to on-field performance in spring practices or lingering questions about his attitude off the field — including a profanity-laced Instagram post after losing the Heisman to Fernando Mendoza, which he later apologized for — Baltimore made its decision before camp even opened.

Pavia is now a free agent again, subject to the standard waivers process. If he clears, any of the league’s 32 teams can sign him.

What Pavia Brings to the Table

The résumé is still real. Pavia was a Heisman Trophy finalist in his lone full season as Vanderbilt’s starter, winning SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding 862 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground while leading the Commodores to their first 10-win season in program history.

None of that guaranteed him an NFL job, and it certainly doesn’t guarantee him one now. Scouts had already flagged concerns about his size and decision-making before the draft, and going unselected altogether was the first sign teams weren’t sold. Getting cut before camp is the second.

What’s Next

If another franchise takes a flier on Pavia, the path to a roster spot won’t get any easier — but he’d at least get to compete in preseason games, which is more than Baltimore gave him. He’ll carry some baggage into that next opportunity, and the resurfaced “Neither. Me.” clip isn’t helping the perception that a little more humility might serve him well.

Wherever Pavia lands next, he’ll be hoping for a longer runway than the one Baltimore gave him.

Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room has become the story of its 2026 offseason, and not in a good way. As training camp approaches, the Steelers still haven’t added a proven veteran behind Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson — and one name keeps surfacing as the obvious remedy: Bobby Wagner.

Mike McCarthy took over as Pittsburgh’s head coach this offseason, and he inherited a roster that looks nothing like the ones he built in Dallas. Two spots stand out as unresolved. But the most pressing is the second linebacker job next to Queen.

Why Off-Ball Linebacker Is Pittsburgh’s Biggest Weakness

ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked all 32 NFL rosters ahead of the season and pegged the Steelers at No. 19 overall — third in the AFC North. The culprit wasn’t the offense or the pass rush. It was the inside linebacker duo. According to ESPN, Queen and Wilson return as the starters even after Pittsburgh finished 27th in run stop win rate last season, and Queen himself slipped to 61st among 67 qualified off-ball linebackers in PFF grade — down from 54th out of 69 the year before.

That’s not a small step back. That’s a player trending the wrong direction at the worst possible time.

Teams that can’t stop the run pay for it every single week. Opposing offenses lean on the ground game to control the clock, and once a defense proves it can’t hold up there, play-action becomes a weapon too. Pittsburgh’s choices become limited: bleed clock and lose, or sell out against the run and get gashed through the air. The Steelers actually finished middle of the pack against the run last year in total yards allowed, but their pass defense cratered to 29th in the league. Queen has to be better.

He’s only 26, still theoretically in his athletic prime, and made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2023 and 2024. That makes last season’s dip more alarming, not less. The raw counting stats — 120 tackles, eight for loss — read fine on the surface. But the grade behind them says otherwise, and it suggests he needs real help next to him, not just better scheme.

Queen still has believers around the league. ESPN’s survey of executives, coaches and scouts gave him honorable mention among the league’s top off-ball linebackers, with one AFC personnel evaluator praising his speed and strength while flagging the same issue Pittsburgh saw on tape. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham now inherits the job of getting Queen’s tools and his production to finally match up.

Payton Wilson isn’t off the hook either. He totaled 126 tackles last season with six for loss and played all 17 games — but started only four, and multiple Pittsburgh beat reporters have called 2026 a make-or-break year for him. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly put it bluntly on 93.7 The Fan: if Wilson doesn’t take the leap this season, “then it’s never gonna be Payton Wilson.”

Bobby Wagner Makes Too Much Sense to Ignore

If the Steelers want a real playoff push, they need to get tougher against the run without gutting their pass defense further. That’s exactly the profile Bobby Wagner still offers at 36 years old, even in his 14th NFL season.

Wagner is unsigned as of this writing, and has been since Washington let him walk in free agency this offseason. He’s coming off a 2025 season in which he played 1,132 defensive snaps for the Commanders and posted a 78.6 overall PFF grade — including a 90.3 run-defense grade that ranked fifth among linebackers, per Pro Football Focus data cited by Heavy.com. He’s produced 100-plus tackles in 14 straight seasons. That kind of run-stopping consistency is precisely what Pittsburgh’s front seven is missing next to Queen and Wilson.

Coverage is where his game has genuinely slipped. USA Today’s Tyler Dragon flagged that directly, writing that age is working against the 36-year-old and it’s a surprise he’s still on the market, but he remains a tackling standout with a nose for the ball who could save his legs for a playoff run where his instincts and leadership matter most.

Pittsburgh isn’t the only team connected to him. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed Wagner among the best remaining free agents ahead of camp and named the Dallas Cowboys as the most logical landing spot given their own inside linebacker issues, though the same Bleacher Report piece also names the Steelers among the logical fits, according to Yardbarker’s republication of that list. Nothing suggests a deal is close with anyone. This is speculation and analyst projection, not a done deal — and it should be read that way.

The fit for Pittsburgh isn’t about handing Wagner every snap. It’s about flexibility. Against run-heavy offenses or clock-control situations, Wagner could rotate in and take pressure off Queen and Wilson. Against pass-heavy teams, or once the Steelers have a lead late, he could come off the field entirely, saving his legs for the moments that matter most in December and January.

The real question is contract fit. Wagner played last season on a one-year, $9 million deal in Washington, and Spotrac projects his open-market value now sits closer to $7.7 million on a one-year deal. Whether a soon-to-be Hall of Famer wants to accept a part-time role at that stage of his payday career is unclear — but as a rotational piece and postseason insurance policy, he checks the boxes Pittsburgh needs checked.

The Steelers’ roster isn’t deep enough to survive another season of poor run defense, not with Aaron Rodgers, at 42, trying to close out his career on a winning note. If Pittsburgh wants a real shot in January, fixing this position before Week 1 has to be the priority.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto says he trusts the team’s depth at pass rush as Jonathon Cooper’s legal situation remains unresolved heading into training camp.

Cooper was arrested twice in June on charges connected to an incident involving his girlfriend, according to ESPN. The first arrest, on June 5, produced misdemeanor domestic violence and criminal mischief charges. A second arrest on June 11 added four more charges, including felony assault, per Denver Sports. Cooper pleaded not guilty to the initial charges in June.

The case has not been resolved. A jury trial originally planned for July 22 was vacated after Douglas County prosecutors upgraded the charges, according to Denver Sports. Cooper had a virtual court hearing on July 24, which set his arraignment for August 31, according to Yahoo Sports, citing the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. That date falls after the Broncos’ three preseason games.

The Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp in June while the case moved through court. Head coach Sean Payton said at the time the organization was in contact with the league office and monitoring the situation closely.

Denver’s veterans are set to report for training camp on July 28, with the first practice on July 31. It has not been officially confirmed whether Cooper will participate.

Bonitto on the Broncos’ Depth at Edge Rusher

Speaking to reporters, Bonitto expressed confidence in the linebackers who would step into a larger role if needed, according to the Denver Post.

“We shouldn’t be surprised by any of them. Each one of them, when they have had the opportunity, they have made plays.”

Bonitto pointed to Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman and Que Robinson as players who have shown they can produce in limited snaps. Bonitto has played alongside Cooper for every game of his career to date.

Bonitto himself is coming off a career year, recording 14 sacks, 46 total tackles and two forced fumbles last season, per the Denver Post’s reporting.

Anthony Barr has had years to think about the moment Josh Allen jumped clean over him. Now retired, the four-time Pro Bowl linebacker is finally talking about it in detail — and he’s not bitter. On the debut season of his new podcast, Bent Outta Shape, co-hosted with former Vikings teammate Eric Kendricks, Barr walked through the play frame by frame, and the retelling is as good as the moment itself.

“He hurdled me, OK. He jumped over me like I was a child,” Barr told Kendricks on the podcast. “And he flew through the air, Jordan-esque, right? Boom. And I didn’t even go low, which was the crazy part. I was going for a form tackle … and I just tackled air. And I’m like, ‘Hold on. Where did he go?’ He’s still running.”

Barr didn’t stop there. He explained why he can live with being the answer to a trivia question for the rest of his life.

“Josh was also so young, he was like, fearless,” Barr continued. “He still is pretty fearless … And I will say, I’m happy that it was Josh Allen who did that to me. If it was Joe Schmo, I couldn’t live with that. But, OK. It was a future NFL MVP. Hey, if that’s going to be played forever, whatever. I can live with that.”

The Play That Started It All

Context matters here, and it’s easy to lose it 12 years into Allen’s career. This wasn’t some established franchise quarterback toying with a defense. The hurdle happened in Week 3 of the 2018 season — Allen’s second career start. The Bills beat the Vikings 27-6 that day, and it was the first win of Allen’s career, regular season or playoffs. He was a rookie with four college starts worth of Wyoming tape behind him and nothing proven at the NFL level yet.

Barr, at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, squared up to make a form tackle. Allen never gave him the chance. He left his feet, cleared Barr’s frame entirely, and kept running like nothing happened. The image spread fast — Buffalo Rumblings reported at the time that the play spawned a wave of photoshopped tweets under the hashtag #JoshAllenJumpingOverThings, and even Bills coaches were fielding questions about it that week. Then-offensive coordinator Brian Daboll called it “a good play” while noting the team wanted its franchise quarterback to be smarter with his body going forward.

Why the Clip Still Holds Up

Seven-plus years later, Allen has built the résumé that makes the hurdle feel less like a fluke and more like an early preview. He’s an MVP, a perennial MVP contender, and the owner of some of the most replayed highlights in modern NFL history — including the touchdown pass to himself and the dive for the pylon against the 49ers during the 2024 season. None of that existed yet when he cleared Barr. All anyone knew in September 2018 was that the Bills had a rookie quarterback willing to launch his body over a Pro Bowl linebacker rather than get tackled.

That’s the part Barr’s podcast comments capture well. He’s not just recounting a highlight — he’s explaining, from the ground, what it looked like to realize a rookie he was supposed to bring down had already decided he wasn’t going down.

Barr retired from the NFL as a four-time Pro Bowler after a nine-year career, primarily with the Vikings. Bent Outta Shape, his podcast with Kendricks, is in its first season.

The Los Angeles Rams aren’t hiding how badly they want Aaron Donald back. Speaking at a team event on Thursday, July 23, Rams CEO Kevin Demoff said the organization will welcome the former defensive tackle back “with open arms” if he decides to return to football in 2026 — and made clear the decision belongs to Donald alone, according to USA Today.

Demoff wasn’t the only Rams executive to address the situation. COO Tony Pastoors also spoke about Donald at the same event, telling the crowd, “We want Aaron to go through Aaron’s process and whenever he’s ready, we’ll be ready,” according to USA Today. Pastoors added he’d “rather have Aaron Donald when we’re playing actual football games than in July,” signaling the front office isn’t trying to rush a decision.

Demoff didn’t hold back on Donald’s place in franchise history. “I think we all follow along like you,” Demoff said. “When Aaron Donald raises his hand and said he’s considering coming back … we’re fans as well. He’s one of the most decorated players in NFL history, in franchise history. We don’t have a ring or a Lombardi Trophy or banner if it’s not for Aaron Donald.”

“I think Sean (McVay) said it best yesterday: If Aaron wants to return we will wait with open arms, it is his decision, his choice. But there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wake up refreshing social media, seeing if there’s a post or hoping there’s a text that says ‘You up?’ I think we would all love for Aaron to be here.”

Why the Speculation Keeps Building

The comeback talk didn’t come out of nowhere. It picked up steam last month after the Rams traded for edge rusher Myles Garrett, a move that instantly raised the ceiling on LA’s defense and got fans wondering whether Donald might want one more run alongside him. McVay has since confirmed there have been real conversations about it.

On the Daily Flock podcast this week, McVay said he’s “crossed paths” with Donald and that the two share a bond that goes well beyond football. “It’s family with us,” McVay said. “He’s done so much for me. I love the man he is.” McVay added that Donald “is thinking about this” and “he’s going to go through his process,” according to Bleacher Report.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter offered more detail on where things stand, saying Donald “is working his way back into football shape” and won’t commit “until he’s convinced he can be Aaron Donald,” according to Yardbarker. Schefter estimated it could be at least a couple of weeks before there’s clarity.

Donald Has Already Been Working Out at the Rams’ Facility

Donald gave fans a real reason to believe earlier this month. TMZ Sports first reported that Donald was spotted working out at the Rams’ practice facility in Woodland Hills on July 10, running ladder drills, medicine ball throws and agility work for roughly an hour. An eyewitness told TMZ he pushed himself “until he was clearly gassed.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler later cautioned against reading too much into the video by itself, clarifying that Donald “has not made a decision about his future” and that working out at the Rams facility has been something of a routine for him since retiring, according to Yahoo Sports. Still, Schefter later reported the session was more deliberate than a typical visit — Donald reportedly told the team he wanted to work out in pads specifically to gauge how his body responded.

What a Donald Return Would Mean for the Cap

Even if Donald decides he wants back in, the football decision is only half the equation. He retired after the 2023 season with three years still left on his contract, which left the Rams carrying roughly $30 million in dead money against the cap, a figure first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and confirmed by Over the Cap, according to Yahoo Sports.

That dead money is mostly a cash-accounting issue rather than a straight cap hit, since the Rams already absorbed much of that charge when Donald initially retired. Any new deal would need to be structured around Los Angeles’ current cap space, which sits in the $18-19 million range for 2026.

No Deadline, No Pressure

The Rams aren’t treating training camp as a cutoff. McVay and the front office have repeatedly said the timeline is Donald’s to set, and the team’s real focus is having him available for a deep playoff push rather than Week 1. “The goal isn’t Week 1,” one recent report characterized the Rams’ thinking. “The Rams’ eyes are on a Super Bowl.”

For now, nothing is confirmed. Donald hasn’t made an announcement, and the Rams have stopped short of saying anything is close to official. But between the front office’s public comments, the facility workouts, and the arrival of Garrett, the pieces are lining up for one of the more compelling storylines of the Rams’ 2026 season — whenever Donald decides to make it official.

The Baltimore Ravens waived rookie quarterback Diego Pavia on Thursday, cutting the Heisman Trophy runner-up loose before he ever suited up for training camp. The move, confirmed by the team, clears a roster spot for veteran center Ethan Pocic.

Pavia’s exit was fast. He didn’t get stuffed at the bottom of a depth chart over months of practice reps — he got squeezed out by a roster-math decision one day before rookies were due to report. According to the Ravens’ own site, Baltimore had narrowed its competition for the No. 3 quarterback job to veteran Skylar Thompson and fellow undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano out of Connecticut, leaving Pavia the odd man out behind two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley.

How Pavia Got Here

Pavia went undrafted in April despite finishing as the runner-up for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Heisman finalist to go unpicked through all seven rounds since Northern Illinois’ Jordan Lynch in 2014, according to Heavy.com. The Ravens moved quickly anyway, signing him to a three-year undrafted free-agent deal, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, per NFL.com.

That contract never came with the security his college resume might have suggested. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported Pavia received no signing bonus and no guaranteed money, with his rookie-season earnings projected between $885,000 and $1,005,000 under standard NFL rookie pay rules, according to Yahoo Sports. It was, as that report put it, a prove-it deal from the jump.

He didn’t get the chance to prove much of anything in pads. Baltimore’s decision came down to numbers on a roster sheet, not tape from live snaps — the team simply had too many arms in the quarterback room once Pocic’s signing forced a corresponding move.

What Pavia Brought to Vanderbilt

The résumé that made Pavia a name in the first place is real. He led Vanderbilt to a 10-3 record and the program’s first-ever 10-win season, throwing for 3,539 yards with a 70.6 percent completion rate and a 29-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while adding 862 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground, per NFL.com. That dual-threat production earned him SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation’s top quarterback.

Measured at 5-foot-9 7/8 at the Senior Bowl, Pavia’s size was the recurring question mark scouts brought up throughout the pre-draft process, per On3.

Where He Could Land Next

Pavia isn’t without options. Carolina hosted him for a top-30 pre-draft visit back in April as a potential developmental piece behind Bryce Young, according to a report from Bettors Insider, which means another NFL opportunity isn’t out of the question if a team likes what it saw on Vanderbilt tape.

The more immediate reaction came from outside the league entirely. Hours after Baltimore’s announcement, the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions reposted commentary about Pavia’s next move and added a string of eyes emoji — a not-so-subtle signal they’re watching, according to Pro Football Network. It wasn’t the first time the Stallions had made that gesture; the team did the same thing back in January when Pavia’s draft outlook was still murky, per Larry Brown Sports.

Pavia also has a path in the Canadian Football League if the American routes dry up. His rights currently sit with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the CFL’s negotiation list, meaning any CFL move would have to run through Winnipeg first, Yahoo Sports reported.

Why This Isn’t Necessarily the End

None of this means Pavia’s football career is over — undrafted quarterbacks get released and re-signed elsewhere constantly during camp roster shuffles, and his college production is the kind teams remember when injuries pile up in September. But it does mean the clock is now running. Training camps around the league are filling out 90-man rosters this week, and every day Pavia spends unsigned is a day further from live reps anywhere.

The UFL angle is worth taking seriously beyond the emoji. The spring league has become a legitimate landing spot for players who don’t stick on NFL rosters but still want meaningful game tape, and a name as recognizable as Pavia’s would be a genuine marketing get for a franchise like Birmingham.

George Kittle isn’t picking sides. But he’s not staying quiet either.

The 49ers tight end addressed San Francisco’s ongoing contract standoff with Brandon Aiyuk during a July 23 appearance on “Chris Simms Unbuttoned,” and he made one thing clear: he’s putting the blame on nobody in that building.

“I feel like the Niners have done a very good job throughout the entire process and have tried. Kyle has tried. John has tried. Teammates have tried, and this is where we are,” Kittle told Simms, referring to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. “The organization itself has done a really good job. And like I said, I know plenty of things, and I don’t ever want to single out a player. I don’t want everyone to point a finger at anybody. But I’ve been here for 10 years, and I’ve been treated with nothing but respect and love my entire career. I feel like I’ve done it the right way as long as I can.”

Kittle is entering his 10th season in San Francisco. Aiyuk has been his teammate since 2020, but the two haven’t shared the field in nearly two years. Aiyuk tore his ACL in October 2024 and hasn’t played since. What started as a rehab dispute has snowballed into one of the messier standoffs in the league: the 49ers voided $27 million in guarantees last summer after Aiyuk skipped team activities, and he was eventually moved to the reserve/left-squad list after cutting off contact with the organization.

Since then, Aiyuk has taken his frustration public, firing off a string of social media posts and openly campaigning to land with the Washington Commanders. One fan account on X shared video of Kittle’s comments, noting he stopped short of calling Aiyuk out directly.

#49ers TE George Kittle says he knows more about the Brandon Aiyuk situation than he can share and believes the team has done everything it can:

“I’ve been here for 10 years and I’ve been treated with nothing but respect and love my entire career.”

(via @CSimmsQB “Unbuttoned”) pic.twitter.com/hsYEz72GD4

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 24, 2026

Kittle didn’t dodge the contract angle, either. He compared the process to something a little less glamorous than football.

“Contract negotiations are also hard; those are all always hard for everybody. You just try your best to not be sensitive about it. Richard Sherman gave me advice back in the day when I was going through my first contract negotiation. It was, ‘Contracts are like braces; they hurt and they suck the entire time. Then once you get your braces off and you get paid, you don’t even remember having them and it’s a great time.’ That’s kind of the mindset you have to have.”

It’s worth noting the timing. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension in 2024 after a lengthy standoff of his own — one that nearly sent him to Pittsburgh before San Francisco re-signed him. The 49ers have paid him $48.1 million since that deal, according to The San Francisco Standard, despite getting almost nothing on the field in return. Kittle watched that entire negotiation play out from the locker room, which makes his read on the situation carry a little more weight than the average teammate’s.

Where the Aiyuk Situation Stands

Aiyuk remains under contract with the 49ers through 2028 and has taken no formal steps — like requesting a trade through the league — to force his way out. He’s said repeatedly on social media that he wants to sign with Washington the moment San Francisco releases him, but the Commanders haven’t confirmed any interest, and general manager Adam Peters has so far passed on trading for him, per The San Francisco Standard. Nothing here is confirmed beyond Aiyuk’s own public statements — the Commanders angle remains speculation until Washington says otherwise.

There’s a widely held belief around the league that the 49ers will eventually be forced to release him before a $24.9 million option bonus comes due on Sept. 1, though he’d only be owed that money if he actually reports and passes a physical. For now, San Francisco has shown no urgency to move him, banking on the chance some team eventually offers a trade instead of letting him walk for nothing.

What’s Next for Kittle and the 49ers

Kittle is heading into camp healthy and looking to help San Francisco build on a 12-5 season that ended in a divisional-round playoff loss to Seattle. The 49ers are chasing their second straight playoff berth and a shot at reclaiming the NFC West crown, and they’ll do it while logging more travel than any team in the league — an NFL-record 38,100-plus miles this season, according to 49ers Webzone.

That travel workload starts immediately. San Francisco opens the season on the road in the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Australia, facing the Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET, per the team’s official schedule release. Kickoff lands at 10:35 a.m. local time in Melbourne because of the 17-hour time difference — a scheduling quirk that’ll test San Francisco’s routine before the season even gets going.

Whether Aiyuk is still on the roster by then remains one of the bigger open questions of the offseason. For now, Kittle’s message is about as close to a final word as anyone in the building is willing to give.

Todd Monken is 60 years old, and instead of easing into retirement, he’s stepping into his first head coaching job in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns handed him the keys this offseason, and Monken isn’t wasting any time settling in — including cracking jokes about the coaching tree he’s leaving behind in Baltimore.

Monken spent three seasons as the Baltimore Ravens‘ offensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025, working alongside two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Before that, he had already been through Cleveland once, serving as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2019 before leaving for Georgia. His coaching path also runs through Grand Valley State, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma State, LSU, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Southern Miss and Tampa Bay — a resume built almost entirely on someone else’s headset until now.

When Monken left Baltimore for Cleveland, the Ravens turned to Declan Doyle to replace him as offensive coordinator. It’s Doyle’s first stint with the organization, and he joins new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter, who was hired in January. Both moves put Baltimore’s staff on a collision course with Monken’s new team twice a year in the AFC North.

Monken Traces His Roots Back to Notre Dame

According to ClutchPoints, Monken addressed his connection to both Doyle and Minter during an appearance on the “Ryan Ripken Show,” pointing out that he crossed paths with their fathers decades ago as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in the early 1990s. Public coaching records confirm Monken did serve as a Notre Dame graduate assistant in that stretch, and Rick Minter — Jesse Minter’s father — later worked as the program’s defensive coordinator, giving the story a documented backbone even without an independently verified transcript of Monken’s exact wording.

ClutchPoints reported Monken framed the connection with some self-deprecating humor about his age, while stressing genuine respect for both Doyle and Minter as coaches. That mix of ribbing and sincerity has become part of how Monken talks about the people who make up the NFL’s smaller-than-it-looks coaching fraternity.

A Reluctant Reunion, Twice a Year

Per ClutchPoints’ report, Monken didn’t hide his frustration about running into Doyle and Minter as division rivals now that Doyle is calling plays for Baltimore. Doyle previously spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos before a one-year run as the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2025. He left that job to join the Ravens on January 30, 2026, according to Wikipedia’s coaching database — a move that lines up with the timeline Monken referenced.

The AFC North doesn’t do anyone any favors when it comes to friendly faces. Cleveland and Baltimore play twice annually as division opponents, meaning Monken will now go head-to-head with two coaches he has personal history with, on a staff he used to call home, at least twice a season for as long as all three stay in their current jobs.

What Monken Inherits in Cleveland

Monken takes over a Browns team that spent six seasons under Kevin Stefanski, who led Cleveland to two playoff appearances during his tenure. ClutchPoints reported Monken has called this a “great time” to be with the Browns, pointing to the team’s youth on the roster as a reason for optimism heading into a rebuild-or-retool offseason.

Monken’s most recent extended public comments, made during that same Ryan Ripken Show appearance, also touched on his final season in Baltimore. He took ownership of the Ravens’ offensive regression in 2025 under Jackson, saying he didn’t coach Jackson well enough and that the two could have had a stronger working relationship — while pushing back directly on any suggestion the two had a personal falling out.

None of that history changes what’s ahead for Monken now. He’s building a staff, installing an offense, and trying to get Cleveland back into the playoff conversation — all while knowing two of his former assistants’ sons will be standing on the opposite sideline twice a year.

Myles Garrett already knows which team he wants circled on his calendar. The new Los Angeles Rams pass rusher named the Seattle Seahawks as the divisional opponent he’s most eager to face in 2026, and it’s not hard to see why. Seattle is the team that beat the Rams for a trip to the Super Bowl last season, then went on to win it.

“I want the champs,” Garrett said, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic, in comments posted on X. It’s a short line, but it lands. Sam Darnold and the Seahawks now have a five-time First-Team All-Pro circling the date.

Which NFC West rival are you most looking forward to facing this season?

Myles Garrett: “I want the champs.”

— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) July 24, 2026

Garrett’s Arrival Changes Everything for the Rams

Garrett spent nine seasons wrecking offenses in the AFC North before the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Rams in June, sending pass rusher Jared Verse and multiple draft picks back to Cleveland in one of the biggest trades in NFL history involving a defensive player. Now he’s aimed at the NFC West.

The move came a year removed from a season that ended painfully for Los Angeles. The Rams lost 31-27 to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, a defeat that was partly self-inflicted and one the front office clearly hasn’t forgotten. General manager Les Snead didn’t sit still afterward. He landed former Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson before going out and acquiring Garrett, turning an already good roster into one that’s difficult to find a hole in.

Garrett’s numbers explain the urgency. He racked up 23 sacks last season, an NFL single-season record, to go with 60 combined tackles, 33 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles across 17 games. He also won Defensive Player of the Year. Dropping that kind of production into a defense that struggled to close out January’s title game is the definition of buying an insurance policy after the fact.

Why Seattle Is the Measuring Stick

Garrett picking the Seahawks over any other NFC West team isn’t complicated. Mike Macdonald’s group is coming off a Super Bowl title, and Seattle is the team that ended the Rams’ season in January. Beating the champs is how a defense proves it belongs in that conversation, and Garrett wants his fingerprints on that story from the jump.

There’s a scheme dimension here too. The Rams’ pass rush struggled to consistently pressure Sam Darnold in that NFC title game, and Los Angeles’ secondary took the brunt of the blame for the loss. That’s part of why Snead went out and got McDuffie and Watson. Garrett gives new defensive coordinator Chris Shula a difference-maker off the edge who can speed up a quarterback’s clock and make those secondary upgrades look even better.

None of that guarantees anything. Sam Darnold has already shown he can play through pressure, and Seattle enters the season as defending champions for a reason. But the Rams now have the profile of a team built to answer January’s result directly, not just add name value.

Circle Christmas Day

Seattle hosts Los Angeles at Lumen Field on Friday, December 25, in a Week 17 matchup on FOX — a game the NFL scheduled specifically as a rematch of January’s NFC Championship. It’ll be Garrett’s first shot at the team he says he wants most, and the Seahawks’ first-ever Christmas Day home game.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper stood next to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday and made a case for Charlotte’s future as an NFL host city — a Super Bowl, maybe even a Draft, once the $1.3 billion renovation of Bank of America Stadium is finished. Goodell didn’t rule it out.

“I think that’s probably somewhere down the line in the future,” Goodell said on stage at the announcement, according to WBTV. “As far as the Super Bowl is concerned, there is no question that if this city keeps growing the way that it is it’s certainty Super Bowl quality.”

The event marked the official announcement that Tepper Sports and Entertainment is extending its naming-rights partnership with Bank of America for another 20 years, keeping the Panthers’ home stadium branded through the renovation and well beyond. Goodell also floated Charlotte as a potential home for the NFL Draft, noting the event now draws close to a million attendees. Tepper, for his part, sounded genuinely invested in what a home Super Bowl could mean for the city.

“It would be great to get into the Super Bowl here. It might be great if we have a Super Bowl here,” Tepper said, per WBTV. He went further, talking about what the stadium district could eventually become. “This stadium hopefully will be a new beginning in Charlotte. You hope that eventually more restaurants and clubs will get built. I’m not saying Brooklyn Village Avenue will be Broadway in Nashville, but you have the potential to grow that part of the city and make it more vibrant.”

The renovation, expected to wrap by 2030, has been the home of the Panthers since 1996. A new public preview space on South Church Street in Uptown Charlotte is now open so fans can see renderings of what the finished stadium will look like.

Training Camp Opened With Optimism — Then Took a Hit

The stadium news landed the same week the Panthers opened training camp, and it arrived at an awkward moment. Carolina reached the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017, won the NFC South, and pushed the Los Angeles Rams before falling in the wild-card round. That’s real progress for a franchise that hadn’t posted a winning season since 2017. But Thursday’s practice — the first of training camp — turned rough fast.

Second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton went down on a wet field during team drills and was carted off. He was later diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. Teammates surrounded him on the field before he left, several taking a knee in support.

“I’m just sick about it,” Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Thursday night.

Scourton tied for the team lead in sacks as a rookie and was projected to start opposite free-agent addition Jaelan Phillips. Carolina now heads into the season without him, without starting cornerback Jaycee Horn — sidelined by a foot laceration that kept him out of Thursday’s practice — and without starting right tackle Taylor Moton, who is on the reserve/non-football injury list after a blood clot was found in his lung in late June.

The Offseason Additions Carolina Is Leaning On

All of that makes the Panthers’ offseason work look more important than it did a week ago. General manager Dan Morgan targeted the offensive line and running back room, adding veteran back AJ Dillon, signing center Luke Fortner away from New Orleans, and using a first-round pick on Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling — a group Carolina is now counting on more than expected, with both starting tackles out to open camp.

There was better news at running back. Jonathon Brooks, who tore his ACL twice — once at Texas and again three games into his rookie season — took every rep of Thursday’s practice, his first full NFL camp session. Head coach Dave Canales came away encouraged.

“He feels great, he feels strong, he looks fast. He looks like the guy that I remember, and I’m really excited for that,” Canales told reporters, according to ClutchPoints. He added praise for Brooks’ persistence through two separate recoveries: “for a guy to go through things and be able to have the emotional and mental resiliency to go through that training twice to get himself back.”

Brooks will compete with Chuba Hubbard and Trevor Etienne for touches in a backfield that now includes Dillon as a power-running option — a room Carolina needed to get right after Rico Dowdle left in free agency.

What It Means Going Forward

None of this changes the Panthers’ timeline on the stadium. That project runs on its own 2030 clock regardless of how training camp goes. But it does mean Canales and Morgan are opening the season with a tougher roster puzzle than they expected a week ago — replacing a projected defensive starter, managing a cornerback’s recovery, and hoping two new offensive tackles are ready sooner than planned with both incumbents out.

Quarterback Bryce Young remains the biggest swing factor for how far this team goes, but the margin for error just got smaller. Carolina proved last season it could win a flawed division with a flawed record. Doing it again with holes at outside linebacker, cornerback, and both tackle spots to open camp is a different task.

The Los Angeles Rams pulled back the curtain on two new alternate uniforms Thursday night, unveiling the Classic Sol and Fearsome White designs to season ticket members at the team’s Rams Revealed Live event at YouTube Theater. Both looks lean hard into franchise history while keeping a modern build, according to a team release.

The Classic Sol uniform marks the 75th anniversary of the Rams’ 1951 NFL Championship, the first professional sports title the city of Los Angeles ever saw. That team won it five years after the franchise relocated from Cleveland. The jersey brings back a yellow base with Rams Royal satin stitched directly onto the fabric, along with the return of the original three-stripe sleeve design and a Sol monogram neck tag. It’s the first time the Rams have worn that gold look since 1994, when the club last dusted it off for the NFL’s 75th anniversary season.

The helmet stays mostly familiar — Los Angeles keeps its current blue-and-gold shell — but swaps in a 3D front bumper modeled after the 1951 championship banner. White pants with a blue-gold-blue triple stripe round out the set.

Fearsome White Brings Back the 1960s Defense

The second uniform, Fearsome White, pays tribute to the Fearsome Foursome — the defensive line of Rosey Grier, Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Merlin Olsen that terrorized quarterbacks through the 1960s and into the early ’70s. That group is widely credited with changing how teams valued the defensive front, and its influence still shows up in how pass rushers are built and used today.

The jersey goes almost entirely white, with a continuous Rams Royal shoulder stripe designed to echo the helmet horn, period-style TV numbers on the sleeves and custom name and number styling. The pants carry layered Royal fabric with reflective detailing and Midnight trim.

The bigger swing is the helmet. Fearsome White introduces a brand-new alternate lid — white horns on a Royal shell, a direct nod to the blue-and-white helmets the Rams wore in the 1960s. According to the team, it’s the franchise’s first official return to that blue-and-white combination since it was phased out following the 1972 season.

When Fans Will See Them on the Field

Both alternates are reserved for nationally televised home games at SoFi Stadium. Here’s the full rollout:

The Week 12 game against Green Bay carries its own weight beyond the uniform — it’s the NFL’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, streaming exclusively on Netflix. Pairing that with a uniform debut is the kind of scheduling the league now builds around, stacking a new broadcast window with a new look fans haven’t seen on the field yet.

The Week 13 matchup against Kansas City carries its own history. The Rams wore an all-yellow uniform against the Chiefs back in 2018, in a game many still point to as one of the best regular-season contests ever played. Bringing Classic Sol back for a rematch with the same opponent five years later wasn’t an accident.

These two alternates complete the Rams’ uniform overhaul for 2026, following offseason updates to the team’s primary home and away sets and last year’s addition of the Midnight alternate. That gives Los Angeles five uniform combinations on the shelf for the coming season: the modern white, royal blue, Midnight navy, and now Fearsome White and Classic Sol.

Rams chief marketing officer Kat Frederick said the designs were meant to connect different generations of the fan base, framing both looks as tributes rather than simple retail additions. New alternate uniforms and matching sideline gear are now available at The Equipment Room at SoFi Stadium and on RamsFanShop.com.