Author: nfltalk

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While nothing stood in their way of capturing Super Bowl LIX, something is temporarily preventing the Philadelphia Eagles from receiving their Super Bowl rings. 

Initially slated to receive their rings during a June 6 ceremony, production issues delayed that event. CBS Sports NFL writer Jeff Kerr has reported that the team is slated to receive their rings on July 18, just a few days before the team will open training camp. 

Obviously, the Eagles will get their rings soon, but until they do, they won’t be able to fully turn the page on the 2024 season. That being said, it’s safe to say that the Eagles already shifted their focus on the 2025 season and the challenge of successfully defending their title. 

In fact, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni recently said that he began thinking of this season immediately following his team’s 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. 

“Of course, I enjoyed the parade,” Sirianni said back in May, “and of course I enjoyed the flight back home, but, you know, then Kellen (Moore) got the job, and then you’re right back into filling coaching spots. Your calendar is always completely full, and you’re just constantly trying to get better at what you did the year before. Like, how do you hire coaches better and then go through that process? And then it’s on to the draft and free agency, and then it’s into players’ phase one. You’ve got to turn the page.” 

While some may consider it a distraction, the Eagles possibly receiving their rings this close to the start of during training camp could actually serve as a positive thing for Sirianni and the rest of the team. Instead of being a distraction, receiving their rings later this month could serve as fresh motivation to…

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The ice has thawed between the Buccaneers and former coach Jon Gruden, who is back in the team’s Ring of Honor. The ice remains solid between the league and Gruden.

On America’s birthday, NFL Network televises a marathon of the America’s Game series. Each episode consists of a one-hour look at every Super Bowl champion — starting with the 1966 Packers and culminating with the 2023 Chiefs. (The newest episode, focusing on the 2024 Eagles, has yet to be released.)

As noted by Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com, the 58-volume library includes only 56. Two are omitted — and they have been, dating back to 2022.

Still gone is the episode devoted to the 2002 Buccaneers (featuring Gruden). He was forced to resign as coach of the Raiders during the 2021 season after emails he’d sent years earlier were leaked from the files of an investigation into the Washington franchise. He has a lawsuit still pending against the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Also omitted is the 1995 Cowboys edition, which is narrated by former P.R. chief Rich Dalrymple. He resigned abruptly in 2022. Not long after he made his exit, he was linked to not one but two incidents of alleged voyeurism. Allegations that he secretly recorded the Cowboys’ cheerleaders in their locker room reportedly resulted in a $2.4 million settlement.

Tune in next year, to see if the 2002 Bucs and 1995 ‘Boys get left out. Until then, you can watch the Gruden episode here, and the Dalrymple one here.

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Throwback jerseys were all the rage in the NFL at the start of the century, thanks to teams bringing back uniforms that went by the wayside in the 1990s in favor of darker colors (San Francisco 49ers going to cardinal red, Philadelphia Eagles to midnight green). Turns out, fans and teams liked the old colors and uniform designs — even if they were only used as a one-off during the year. 

The NFL created the “one-shell rule” in 2013 to improve player safety, requiring teams to have only one helmet color so players would practice and play in the same helmet. Throwback jerseys went by the wayside, as teams that didn’t use stickers on their helmets or had different helmet colors couldn’t don a throwback jersey (didn’t match the helmet associated with it). 

Thankfully, the league eliminated the “one-shell rule” in 2021, meaning teams could wear an alternate helmet in addition to their current one. The alternate helmet allows teams to bring back their proper throwback uniforms, which the New England Patriots are already doing with the “Pat Patriot” design — as their throwbacks haven’t been worn since 2012. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Eagles and Tennessee Titans were the next teams to join the throwback revolution.

Nearly 75% of the league has a throwback uniform now, and more are coming with the Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints set to reveal new throwback designs in 2025. 

Let’s have some fun and rank the current throwback jerseys that were in the rotation in 2024, whether a team uses an alternate helmet or not. Last season was the most throwback designs the NFL had since 1994 — when the league had its seventh anniversary season. 

Teams that use home and road throwback jerseys from the same year/time span will be counted together (the Miami Dolphins are an example). This ranking is certainly debatable, especially the one that claimed…

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The Steelers and linebacker T.J. Watt continue to be at odds regarding his next contract. And the Steelers don’t seem to be very stressed out about it.

Even if, as we’ve heard, the current gap between the Steelers and Watt is significant, the gap necessarily will narrow when the final stages of the negotiations begin.

The last time around, those negotiations lasted deep into training camp and the preseason, with Watt holding in and not practicing until the deal was done. It worked, with Watt then getting a record $28 million per year in new-money average.

This time, the Steelers seem to believe (based on our discussions with those familiar with the team’s approach) that, when their best number is put on the table, Watt will take it.

Our guess (and it’s just a guess) is that the Steelers hope to stay closer to the Maxx Crosby range of $35.5 million, with Watt hoping to surge past Myle Garrett’s $40 million per year.

What if, at the end of the day, the Steelers offer a deal worth $38 million per year? Once that offer is extended (if it is), would Watt give up, essentially, $2.1 million per week (based on 18 checks per season) and hold out into the regular season?

Of course, the Steelers could be underestimating Watt’s resolve. If he’s dug in when it comes to matching or beating Garrett, maybe Watt would still say “no” to anything less than $40 million per year.

And if the Steelers hope to regard the Garrett contract as another Cleveland albatross contract akin to the Deshaun Watson deal, there’s another wrinkle to consider. The Micah Parsons contract will undoubtedly match (or likely exceed, perhaps significantly) the Garrett deal.

At this point, shouldn’t Watt wait to see what Parsons gets? The Parsons package will only drive the current market higher, making Watt’s case for more than Pittsburgh’s best offer even stronger.

However the Parsons negotiations play out, the Watt situation is fairly…

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