NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • 49ers Draft Rewind 2023: Dee Winters breaks out of this group…three years later

    49ers Draft Rewind 2023: Dee Winters breaks out of this group…three years later

    It’s time to reflect on the San Francisco 49ers’ previous drafts again. Thanks to YouTube poster and 49ers fan Marvin49, we have videos of each draft. We’ll look at every year during the Kyle Shanahan era up to 2025. Today, it’s 2023.

    Three years later, the 2023 draft class feels incomplete at best and a contributor to the 49ers’ contract woes in 2025 at worst.

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    So how did we get here? The 49ers went into this draft without a first or second rounder, burning those picks on Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey, respectively. Nine picks, all in the third round or later. Just moderate expectations, what could go wrong?

    A class defined by a kicker. And Ronnie Bell. At least, that’s what would be said until Dee Winters had his terrific 2025 — we’ll get to that.

    No first-rounder. No second-rounder. Three third-rounders and a handful of late picks. Here we go.

    Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown came in as the first pick of the class after the 49ers acquired his pick from the Vikings. He flashed early, stepping into the starting role when Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL late in 2023 and held up through the Super Bowl run. Year two was messier — Hufanga came back, the rotation got crowded, and Brown was in and out. Entering 2025, the 49ers drafted fifth-round rookie Marques Sigle, who beat Brown out for the starting job before the season even started.

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    To be fair, he did carve out a big nickel role. He worked his way back into the starting lineup and was improving. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury in the Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Eagles ended his postseason. Brown finished the regular season with 76 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass deflections — respectable numbers for a guy who started the year with question marks. Whether he’s the long-term answer at safety is still genuinely unclear.

    Up next is the star of the draft and, for very painful reasons, Jake Moody. He looked the part: a kicker with a big leg who…

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  • 2027 Georgia safety names Tennessee football in top six schools

    2027 Georgia safety names Tennessee football in top six schools

    Tennessee is recruiting toward its 2027 football signing class.

    Four-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole named Tennessee in his top six schools, along Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Georgia and Florida State, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.

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    The 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect is from Howard High School in Macon, Georgia. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 4 safety in the class and No. 6 player in Georgia.

    Tennessee offered Poole a scholarship on Feb. 21, 2025. He unofficially visited Tennessee for the Vols’ game against Arkansas on Oct. 11, 2025 and for a spring practice on Thursday. He has an official visit to Tennessee scheduled for June 5.

    UNLV was the first school to offer Poole a scholarship on Aug. 1, 2024. Other schools to offer him scholarships include Louisville, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Auburn, Missouri, Delaware State, Miami, North Carolina State, Kentucky, Nebraska, Georgia State, Sacramento State, Florida, Howard, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Memphis, Connecticut, North Carolina, Penn State, Ole Miss, Indiana, Wake Forest, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech.

    Tennessee has six commitments in its 2027 football recruiting class: linebacker JP Peace, offensive tackle Princeton Uwaifo, defensive lineman Kadin Fife, quarterback Derrick Baker, athlete Jaden Butler and wide receiver KeSean Bowman.

    This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2027 four-star safety names Tennessee football in top six schools

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  • Chiefs’ Rashee Rice won’t face NFL discipline for abuse allegations

    Chiefs’ Rashee Rice won’t face NFL discipline for abuse allegations

    The NFL determined on Friday that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice “has not engaged in conduct that violates the personal conduct policy” after the completion of its investigation into the matter. The league also announced its investigation into allegations from Rice’s former girlfriend Dacoda Jones is also done.  

    “Mr. Rice wants to thank the NFL for their thorough investigation, and looks forward to the start of the 2026-27 NFL season,” Sean Lindsey, Rice’s attorney, said in a statement, via ESPN.  

    Following domestic violence allegations she made in January, Jones filed a lawsuit against Rice on Feb. 16, accusing him of physical assault. Dacoda Jones, the mother of Rice’s two children, filed the civil suit in Dallas County (Texas) District Court and seeking $1 million in damages.

    Jones said in the lawsuit that Rice assaulted her over the course of many months from December 2023 through July 2025 and caused severe and permanent injuries.

    The lawsuit states that Rice strangled Jones at their shared home in Victory Park, Texas, in December 2023 and continued to assault her over the course of their relationship. Many of his alleged acts occurred while Jones was pregnant. In addition to the physical assault, Rice is also accused of abusive behaviors including throwing objects, destroying property and locking Jones out of their home in the middle of the night.

    Rice responded to the lawsuit via his legal representation at the time.

    “On October 9th, 2025, well after the parties’ relationship had ended, Ms. Jones stated under penalty of perjury in a sworn Affidavit for Non-Prosecution that ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me.’ We will allow the legal process to run its course and have no further comment at this time,” Rice’s attorney, Sean Lindsey, said in a statement to ESPN.

    The Chiefs also issued a statement after the lawsuit was filed. The team did…

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  • President Trump signs executive order aimed at regulating college sports

    President Trump signs executive order aimed at regulating college sports

    President Donald Trump has signed an executive order of “urgent national action to save college sports,” an intervention at the highest level aimed at federally regulating NIL collectives, limiting transfer movement, capping player eligibility, and enacting funding requirements for the Olympics and women’s sports, the White House announced Friday.

    Trump’s recommendation includes strict guardrails on player transfers and even mentions the return of the NCAA’s “one-time” transfer rule, a source with direct knowledge of the order told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. That rule was previously deemed illegal in court. Under the revised transfer rules, athletes would be allowed to transfer once without penalty, but a second transfer would trigger an automatic redshirt season. The order also redefines eligibility with a 5-for-5 model where athletes have five years to play five seasons, the source said.

    Trump’s order includes a provision to review federal government grants and contracts for schools and potentially cut funding if they fail to comply with NCAA rules, according to the fact sheet released by The White House. 

    NCAA president Charlie Baker released a statement on the order Friday evening:

    “The NCAA has modernized college sports to deliver more benefits for student-athletes, and the Executive Order reinforces many of our mandatory protections – including guaranteed health care coverage, mental health services, and scholarship protections.

    “This action is a significant step forward, and we appreciate the Administration’s interest and attention to these issues. Stabilizing college athletics for student-athletes still requires a permanent, bipartisan federal legislative solution, so we look forward to continuing to work alongside the Administration…

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  • Colts chart course of 2026 offseason training program

    Colts chart course of 2026 offseason training program

    As the NFL’s nine-week offseason program is set to begin in April, the Indianapolis Colts have a structured path moving forward into the 2026 season.

    Indianapolis will open Phase One of the league’s voluntary offseason training program on April 21, which is a period focused strictly on meetings, strength training and rehabilitation. On-field instruction ramps up in Phase Two as the Colts will hold Organized Team Activities on May 26-27, May 29, and June 1-2 and June 4. The final phase of the offseason training program will be a mandatory minicamp scheduled from June 9-11.

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    By design, the program emphasizes gradual progression. No live contact is permitted at any stage, but Phase Three allows for non-contact team drills, which is a critical window for installing schemes and evaluating roster battles ahead of training camp.

    Fresh off the annual NFL League Meetings in Phoenix, Colts general manager Chris Ballard made it clear that he is done entertaining any hypothetical scenarios from 2025 and instead ready to double down on the direction centered on Daniel Jones. Indianapolis has committed $100 million to Jones across two deals since first landing him 13 months ago. Ballard’s message this week left little room for interpretation, which is that he has heard enough of the Colts 8-2 start in 2025 that showed signs of an unstoppable force. Jones is the starting quarterback, and the organization is aligned to build around him.

    That investment effectively closes the door on any quarterback competition. Former first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson was once viewed as the future, but now is stuck in the crossroads. The Colts have explored trade options since Richardson requested a trade during the NFL combine, but a “soft” market yielded no deal to materialize.

    The inconsistency, along with a widely scrutinized moment where Richardson gestured to the sideline that he needed to exit the game on a third down, contributed to his plummet down the depth…

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  • Stephon Gilmore retires: Ex-Patriots CB announces conclusion of NFL career

    Stephon Gilmore retires: Ex-Patriots CB announces conclusion of NFL career

    Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, one of the greatest defensive backs in New England Patriots history and a 13-year NFL veteran, announced his retirement. The Super Bowl champion and 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year last played for the Minnesota Vikings two seasons ago and will not seek a comeback in 2026 after spending last year away from the game.

    Gilmore shared the following message in his announcement on social media.

    “As a young, scrappy kid from Rock Hill South Carolina with humble beginnings, the eldest of 6 – you gave me focus, opportunity, strength, and friends to last a lifetime. 

    From my first game with Finley Road Falcons to two Super Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, you taught me the invaluable lesson of working hard and believing in myself. 

    To my wife and kids, thank you for making it possible for me to chase my dreams. 

    To my parents, thank you for raising me to be the man I am today. 

    To my coaches, thank you for pouring into me. 

    And to the fans—thank you for your support. I have had an incredible 13 years in the League, and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds.”

    While he played for six different teams and posted the longest tenure of his career across five years with the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore is most widely known for his four years in New England. He was a prized addition to the roster in 2017 and exceeded lofty expectations with three Pro Bowl campaigns and two first-team All-Pro nods. In 2019, he led the NFL in interceptions (6) and passes defended (20) en route to the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

    Gilmore was also integral in the Patriots’ run to the 2019 Super Bowl. He hauled in two interceptions and forced a fumble on his way to the first and only championship of his outstanding career. One of those picks came in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl triumph over the Los Angeles Rams and set the Patriots up to…

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  • Virginia Tech football: James Franklin acknowledges chip on shoulder

    Virginia Tech football: James Franklin acknowledges chip on shoulder

    When you get fired nine months after almost leading your team to the national championship game, it would probably be a motivator for the rest of your career. That’s the situation Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin finds himself in these days.

    When Penn State fired Franklin, it was a gift for Virginia Tech, which had only recently fired Franklin’s good friend, Brent Pry. An early opening, a school in desperate need in a recruiting area Franklin knows all too well, was a perfect storm.

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    Virginia Tech desperately needed James Franklin. And Franklin needed Virginia Tech, too. While some coaches would’ve taken Penn State’s money and sat out for a year or two, not Franklin. He’s wired differently — in a good way.

    Franklin was a guest on “Andy & Ari” of On3 this week, where he discussed his departure from Penn State and how it will serve him well for the future.

    “One of the things I talked to this team about, coaches are constantly challenging the players to get better,” Franklin said. “And the same goes for coaches. Through this experience, my 15 years, and what happened this past year, we took on some risks, thinking that we needed to take on some risks to get over the hump. And get those last few wins……we were a game away from playing for the national championship six games earlier.”

    Franklin is referring to hiring to coaches from outside of his comfort zone. Lesson learned. That’s why his coordinators for the Hokies, Pry and Ty Howle, are coaches he trusts and knows well.

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    He also acknowledged that wasn’t the only thing he would do differently, but it was a big one.

    So, does Franklin have a chip on his shoulder?

    “I got a huge chip on my shoulder, kind of an unusual situation again six games earlier we’re playing for the national championship,” he said….

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  • What Raiders’ Kirk Cousins deal means for Fernando Mendoza, Aaron Rodgers and NFL QB market

    What Raiders’ Kirk Cousins deal means for Fernando Mendoza, Aaron Rodgers and NFL QB market

    It’s not quite the last NFL quarterback domino this offseason, but it’s certainly doing a large part to set the rest of the league’s pieces in place for 2026.

    That’s how the Las Vegas Raiders’ five-year, $172 million deal with Kirk Cousins should be absorbed. Which is, in reality, a one-year $11.3 million deal from the Raiders that will also protect another $8.7 million that Cousins will get from the Atlanta Falcons this season.

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    Sort through the bookkeeping, and what you have is this: a $20 million total payday for Cousins in 2026 that will be divided between the Raiders and Falcons, with Las Vegas being the franchise that reaps all the benefits. Not only in the form of a veteran quarterback capable of starting at the beginning of next season, but also a solidly paid mentor who will be a deep well of knowledge and daily study buddy for expected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

    This has effectively been a deal in the works since the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis in February, when it became clear the Raiders were seeking out a potential veteran option that would give the franchise an opportunity to be patient with Mendoza’s development going into the 2026 season. Cousins was squarely on the Las Vegas radar at the combine — with Cousins having spent the 2019-21 seasons starting for Minnesota when new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak had served as the Vikings’ QBs coach and later offensive coordinator. The only hitch? Cousins had yet to be officially released by the Falcons and he was still surveying the landscape for a potential starting job somewhere else in the league.

    Flash forward to this month, and every other potential starting opportunity — aside from the Pittsburgh Steelers — has been locked up:

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    All those moves effectively left Cousins with one lingering option: a Steelers job that is still open, but trending toward running back last season’s quarterback room. According to two league sources…

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