NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Ohio State LB Arvell Reese could end up being a star at the combine and go as high as 2nd to Jets

    Ohio State LB Arvell Reese could end up being a star at the combine and go as high as 2nd to Jets

    When Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese showed up to his NFL scouting combine media availability on Wednesday morning, the nameplate at his podium said his first name was “Vell.”

    That surprised him.

    “No, no, no. You can stick with Arvell,” Reese said at the podium, via Chat Sports.

    Advertisement

    What’s clear is that all NFL fans who don’t know Reese’s name will soon, and probably by the end of the week.

    In an NFL Draft that only has one quarterback expected to go in the first few picks, Reese might end up as the second overall pick off the board after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Reese’s athleticism, versatility and production is going to appeal to teams in the top five. Reese said Wednesday that he has already met with the Jets, who have the second pick of the draft. Interviews at the combine do not tip off that a player will go to a certain team, but it also shouldn’t be a surprise that teams selecting in the first few picks of the draft want to get to know Reese better. He’s one of the most intriguing talents in the draft.

    Arvell Reese said he prefers to be outside linebacker or an edge defender in the NFL. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

    (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

    Reese played all over Ohio State’s front seven last season, and the Buckeyes’ defense led FBS by allowing only 9.3 points per game. Reese would play off-ball linebacker but also line up on the edge in pass-rushing situations. That’s similar to Micah Parsons’ role at Penn State. Reese has said he has been asked where he wants to play.

    Advertisement

    “I’ll tell them outside linebacker, or edge,” Reese said.

    That makes sense, because edge rushers have a lot more value in the NFL. Reese said he was on the edge about 60% of the time last season, and he has room to grow as a full-time edge player. He had only 6.5 sacks last season, mostly because he wasn’t rushing all the time.

    “I haven’t even scratched the surface of what really I…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Virginia QB Chandler Morris sues NCAA for seventh year of eligibility

    Virginia QB Chandler Morris sues NCAA for seventh year of eligibility

    Getty Images

    Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in search of a seventh year of eligibility, his agent tells CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer. Morris filed the suit in a Virginia state court after the NCAA denied his request for an eligibility waiver in January.

    The basis of Morris’ waiver request was that he sustained injuries at TCU in 2022 and 2023, and he argued that he should have qualified for medical redshirts in both campaigns. Morris played four games in 2022 and seven games in 2023 after utilizing a redshirt in 2021. His 2020 season at Oklahoma did not count toward his eligibility clock because of a one-time waiver granted to all athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Morris stayed healthy each of the last two seasons and played full campaigns at North Texas and Virginia. He led the American conference in passing yards (3,774) and touchdowns (31) in 2024 and transitioned nicely to the ACC, where he guided Virginia to the first 11-win season in program history and a berth in the conference championship game.

    If the court grants Morris relief against the NCAA’s eligibility rules, he could return to Virginia in search of College Football Playoff contention. The Cavaliers climbed as high as No. 14 in last season’s CFP Top 25 rankings and would have secured an automatic berth into the bracket had they defeated Duke in the ACC title game.

    Morris’s suit against the NCAA is the latest example of an athlete attempting to use the court system to gain additional eligibility. These cases have largely defined the early portion of the college football…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Why Sean Payton is giving up Broncos play-calling duties to Davis Webb

    Why Sean Payton is giving up Broncos play-calling duties to Davis Webb

    The Denver Broncos are coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history. They went 14-3, surging past the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West and earn the No. 1 seed in the conference before falling a game short of a Super Bowl appearance. Still, coach Sean Payton is making a major change for 2026 in hopes of sparking the offense. 

    Payton revealed Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that he is giving up play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Payton called Webb “extremely talented,” and said this decision is best for the team. 

    “It was something I kind of knew during the year. He and I visited on a handful of occasions. He’s extremely talented. With regards to play-calling, I think he’ll be really good at it,” Payton said. 

    In 2025, Denver’s offense ranked 14th in scoring (23.6 points per game) and 10th in total offense (342.6 yards per game), while second-year signal-caller Bo Nix completed 63.4% of his passes for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. At face value, those numbers are pretty solid, but there was a reason why Denver fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi last month. The Broncos made a habit of putting pressure on themselves with slow starts. In fact, Denver registered 12 comeback wins this past season — an NFL record.

    It was evident all year. The Broncos played with their food in the season opener against the lowly Tennessee Titans in a 20-12 victory, and then lost their next two games. In Week 5, the Broncos had to score 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-17. Two weeks later, the Broncos came back from down 19-0 in the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Giants, 33-32. According to CBS Sports Research, those 33 points were the most scored in a game in NFL history by a team that was being shut out entering the fourth quarter. Broncos fans were left wondering why their…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Browns GM Andrew Berry won’t speculate on who will start at QB, but outlines what team wants from Shedeur Sanders

    Browns GM Andrew Berry won’t speculate on who will start at QB, but outlines what team wants from Shedeur Sanders

    When given the chance to share a plan for who the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback will be next season, general manager Andrew Berry passed.

    “Right now it’s what, Feb. 24?” Berry said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday. “We don’t have to make that decision anytime soon. Any player we have in that room we would expect to compete to earn a role.”

    Advertisement

    The most talked about name in that quarterback room is Shedeur Sanders, who started seven games after he had an infamous draft fall to the fifth round.

    The Browns could look into a free agent like Malik Willis or Kirk Cousins, or draft another quarterback this year, but as of now Sanders is a factor in the quarterback race after finishing last season as the starter.

    “I think the biggest thing we want to see from Shedeur is continued growth,” Berry said. “I think he grew a lot from start one to start seven. Certainly playing more efficiently, not putting the ball in harm’s way  as much would be important. While maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays.”

    Shedeur Sanders started seven games as a rookie for the Browns. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

    (Justin Casterline via Getty Images)

    Last season Sanders threw for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He looked good in a few games and struggled in others, which isn’t unusual for a rookie. But it’s clear that for Sanders to have a future in the NFL, he can’t turn the ball over as much as he did.

    Advertisement

    The Browns are many weeks from starting offseason practices, so the progress Sanders can make won’t be in live settings.

    “You’re not going to see that in the upcoming months because we aren’t on the field, so the biggest thing he can do is learn the new offense, get in with the coaching staff once our offseason starts, continue to work on his body physically and then make strides when we actually get on the grass,” Berry said.

    The Browns also have…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • ESPN names Michigan QB Bryce Underwood Wolverines’ key player

    ESPN names Michigan QB Bryce Underwood Wolverines’ key player

    Michigan football has a lot of talented players returning as well as coming in via the transfer portal. If former Utah edge rusher John Henry Daley is healthy and productive this season, he could be among the best of the best, as could fellow former Utah cornerback Smith Snowden. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh light things up, nor would it redshirt sophomore running back Jordan Marshall.

    Yet, everyone knows who the alpha dog on the team is.

    Advertisement

    ESPN put together the best returning player for every team it ranked in its too-early top 25, and second-year quarterback Bryce Underwood was listed as the top player for the Wolverines.

    Key player retained: Bryce Underwood, QB

    New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham prioritized retaining Underwood as soon as he got the job and met with him before his introductory news conference to seek his feedback on the program and sell him on the new offensive vision. The former No. 1 overall recruit stuck with the Wolverines and stayed out of the portal after a promising debut season in which he produced 2,820 total yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 turnovers over a nine-win season. Whittingham and his coaches had several more critical retention wins in January with running back Jordan Marshall returning and OL Andrew Sprague, OL Jake Guarnera, DL Enow Etta and DB Zeke Berry all withdrawing their names from the transfer portal.

    Certainly, Underwood has the highest ceiling, and that may be the case across college football, not just the team specifically. But he’ll have to rise to the occasion, especially if the Wolverines are to get through a tough slog of a schedule in 2026.

    Underwood not only has new coaches in offensive coordinator Jason Beck and quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr., but he hired a personal QB coach this offseason, one who has worked with…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Chargers’ O-line heading toward huge overhaul with Bradley Bozeman’s retirement

    Chargers’ O-line heading toward huge overhaul with Bradley Bozeman’s retirement

    Getty Images

    Los Angeles Chargers center Bradley Bozeman, 31, announced Monday on Instagram that he is retiring.

    “This game has given me so much — lessons, lifelong friendships, and memories my family will carry forever,” Bozeman wrote as part of his caption. “I’ve poured everything I had into this journey, and I walk away grateful and proud.

    “Thank you to every teammate, coach, and fan I was blessed to cross paths with along the way. Thank you to my amazing family who supported me every step of this journey, to my three amazing kids — Brody, Bailey, and Boone — who made every sacrifice worth it, and especially to my unbelievable wife, my ride or die from the very beginning. I couldn’t have done any of this without you!”

    A sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 out of Alabama, Bozeman spent his first four years in Baltimore before joining the Carolina Panthers for 2022 and 2023. He joined the Chargers ahead of the 2024 season on a two-year deal and was set to become a free agent this offseason. Bozeman started in 33 of the Chargers’ 34 regular-season games over the past two years but struggled in 2025, finishing last in Pro Football Focus’ center grades.

    Chargers set to overhaul offensive line

    With Bozeman retiring, left guard Zion Johnson hitting free agency and right guard Mekhi Becton coming off a disappointing first season in Los Angeles, the Chargers are in line to make major moves among their offensive line, which was among the NFL’s worst in 2025.

    The Chargers finished 31st in pass blocking and 32nd in run blocking in Pro Football Focus’ grades.

    Justin Herbert still hasn’t won a playoff game. How much is his fault, and how can the Chargers…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Gunner Rivers, 4-star QB recruit and son of Philip Rivers, commits to NC State

    Gunner Rivers, 4-star QB recruit and son of Philip Rivers, commits to NC State

    Getty Images

    NC State secured a commitment on Monday from quarterback Gunner Rivers, the son of program legend and longtime NFL standout Philip Rivers, according to 247Sports. The four-star recruit and No. 42 overall prospect in the 2027 class is one of the 20 highest-rated commits in Wolfpack history.

    Rivers, a junior at Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael, has been tied closely to NC State since last season. He completed a visit during the final week of the regular season when the Wolfpack thumped rival North Carolina in a 42-19 blowout and progressed through his recruitment in the months since, leading to his commitment nearly a year in advance of the 2027 class’ National Signing Day.

    While Rivers also held offers from Auburn, Boston College, Miami and South Carolina, his familial link to NC State made the Wolfpack difficult to beat. Dave Doeren offered him a scholarship in May 2024, getting a head start on his recruitment after a strong freshman year of high school.

    Rivers plays for his father, who is the coach at St. Michael. He earned the starting job as a freshman and increased his production over the ensuing seasons, leading to a 2025 campaign in which he completed 237 of 343 passes for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also ran 33 times for 196 yards and a touchdown. Rivers has yet to pass for fewer than 3,000 yards in a season.

    The terrific junior season led Rivers to secure an ASWA Super All-State selection, and he was a finalist for the 4A Back of the Year award. He guided St. Michael to a 13-1 record and a semifinal berth in the state 4A playoffs for…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Patriots release RB Antonio Gibson

    Patriots release RB Antonio Gibson

    Running back Antonio Gibson’s time is up in New England.

    The Patriots announced Gibson’s release on Monday afternoon. Gibson appeared in five games for the team in 2025 before missing the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

    Advertisement

    Gibson’s release clears over $3 million in cap space for the Patriots. He will still account for $1 million in dead money.

    Gibson ran 25 times for 106 yards and a touchdown while also returning a kickoff for a touchdown in his five appearances during the regular season. He had 120 carries for 538 yards and a touchdown during the 2024 season.

    Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson remain the top two backs for New England.

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More