NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Oklahoma HC Brent Venables, QB John Mateer talk matchup vs. Michigan

    Oklahoma HC Brent Venables, QB John Mateer talk matchup vs. Michigan

    Week 2 of the college football season features just one matchup between ranked opponents, as No. 13 Michigan heads south to square off with No. 24 Oklahoma.

    In the week leading up to the game, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, …. and quarterback John Mateer shared their impressions on Michigan and what they expect in the showdown with the Wolverines.

    Here’s what each had to say:

    Head Coach Brent Venables

    Opening statement — “Good afternoon. We’ve got a great opportunity this week with Michigan coming into town. It’s gonna be a really cool matchup — two incredible programs that represent all the excellence in college football for a long, long time. Gonna be really exciting from an environment standpoint. Game day will be here, that’s cool. Some of the best talent in the country will also be on campus from a recruiting standpoint. And for our football team, most importantly, it’ll be an opportunity for us to match up with what’s been the last several years one of the best teams in college football. Michigan returns 51 lettermen. A very experienced football team. A team two years removed from winning the national championship. A team that’s 31-5 in their last 36 conference games in the Big Ten conference.

    “They’ve had a tremendous amount of success for a long time and certainly this is a roster that they have, it’s elite. They’re really good in the trenches on both sides of the ball. They have elite playmakers. The quarterback looks to be mature beyond his years with his decision making and certainly his skill set. He’s got a very live arm, very athletic. And a defense that for the last several years has been one of the gold standards in college football for playing great defense. It’s gonna be a great, physical matchup and a great litmus test to where we’re at. I know our…

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  • Jalen Hurts, Eagles hold off Cowboys 24-20

    Jalen Hurts, Eagles hold off Cowboys 24-20

    It’s going to be hard to beat Thursday night’s season opener. None of the rest of the 272 games might live up to what the Cowboys and Eagles delivered.

    It had everything, including an ejection before the first offensive snap, an hour-long weather delay and plenty of chippiness from the NFC East rivals.

    The Eagles, after raising their Super Bowl LIX banner, outlasted the Cowboys 24-20.

    The game got off to an ominous beginning for the Eagles. They lost fullback Ben VanSumeren to a knee injury on the opening kickoff and saw defensive lineman Jalen Carter ejected during the injury timeout for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys then marched 53 yards in six plays and 3:11 to take a 7-0 lead.

    The teams traded punches, with points coming on eight consecutive possessions.

    The Cowboys, though, didn’t score on their fifth possession despite going 61 yards to the Philadelphia 11. Miles Sanders, who had a 49-yard run before Zack Baun saved the touchdown, fumbled. Jihaad Campbell forced the fumble, and Quinyon Mitchell picked it up and would have been off to the races with a 90-yard touchdown if not for Prescott’s first career tackle.

    That was the final play before a weather delay just before 10:30 p.m. ET. The game ended at 12:18 a.m. ET.

    Neither team scored after the thunderstorm, with five punts, Dallas turning it over on downs on their final possession and the Eagles ending in victory formation.

    The Cowboys’ last chance for a comeback victory ended on fourth-and-3 at their own 45. Prescott lofted a long ball to CeeDee Lamb, who earlier in the game uncharacteristically dropped three passes. The All-Pro receiver dove for the pass and got his hands on it but couldn’t haul it in, with the Cowboys turning the ball over on downs.

    The Eagles were able to run out the clock when Jalen Hurts scrambled for 4 yards on third-and-3 with 1:29 remaining. The Cowboys used their final timeout, and Hurts had…

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  • Bill Belichick and UNC have banned Patriots scouts from practice, limit access to all NFL scouts

    Bill Belichick and UNC have banned Patriots scouts from practice, limit access to all NFL scouts

    Getty Images

    Bill Belichick promised to bring an NFL mindset to running the North Carolina football program, and that apparently includes trying to wall off all outsiders — even NFL scouts. 

    According to reports by ESPN’s Kalyn Kaher and 3&Out’s John Middlekauff, North Carolina banned Patriots scouts from having access to the program and has an extremely strict policy for scouts from the other 31 NFL teams. 

    “[UNC general manager Michael] Lombardi and Tar Heels pro liason Frantzy Jourdain informed the Patriots that they would be banned from UNC the day before one of their scouts was scheduled to visit in August, a source with direct knowledge told ESPN.”

    CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz confirmed the banning of Patriots scouts by Belichick. 

    Belichick’s disdain towards the Patriots’ organization after his acrimonious departure from the organization more than a year ago seemingly hasn’t lessened since taking the UNC job, and it appears he’s taking that out on them in whatever way he can in his new role. Per Kaher, scouts from other teams are limited to watching just three sessions of UNC practice, rather than the full practice period, and are not allowed to speak with coaches or staffers beyond Jourdain. 

    None of this is surprising given what we know about Belichick and how he runs an organization, but the problem is, you do your players a disservice by limiting access to NFL scouting personnel. Preventing an NFL team’s scouts from seeing your players only hurts your players’ chances of making it at the next level, while limiting all scouts access makes it difficult for them to…

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  • 2025 NFL staff picks: Predicting MVP, Super Bowl winner, AFC and NFC wild cards, other major awards

    2025 NFL staff picks: Predicting MVP, Super Bowl winner, AFC and NFC wild cards, other major awards

    The 2025 NFL season is here. Thursday night’s matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, after all, isn’t just a renewal of a longtime NFC East rivalry … and a chance to see how America’s Team fares after trading arguably its best player to another NFC challenger. It’s also the official start of another long-anticipated stretch of real football.

    Consider it something of an NFL holiday: the first chance to see 2025 teams in meaningful action, and a full-force signal that the next race for the Lombardi Trophy has begun.

    Speaking of the championship crown, do the Cowboys and Eagles belong in that conversation? We all know one of them does, at least if last season’s results are any indication. But what about the rest of the league? Which teams are primed to challenge the Birds for the throne? And which players figure to drive the daily conversation about the NFL’s best?

    In celebration of the new season and all the storylines to come, we collected votes from more than a dozen of CBS Sports’ NFL experts, offering predictions for every major award and season result, including Super Bowl champion.

    The voters (15)

    Cody Benjamin, NFL staff writerJohn Breech, NFL staff writerBryan DeArdo, NFL writerJared Dubin, NFL staff writerJosh Edwards, NFL Draft writerEmory Hunt, CBS Sports HQ analystJeff Kerr, NFL staff writerKatie Mox, CBS Sports HQ analystZach Pereles, senior writerGarrett Podell, NFL staff writerPete Prisco, senior NFL columnistMike Renner, lead NFL draft analystKevin Steimle, NFL editorTyler Sullivan, NFL staff writerRyan Wilson, lead NFL Draft insider

    2025 awards predictions

    All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

    MVP

    Imagn Images
    Bengals QB Joe Burrow (5), Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (5)Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (4)

    Others receiving votes: 49ers QB Brock…

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  • Colorado vs. Delaware bold predictions for College Football Week 2

    Colorado vs. Delaware bold predictions for College Football Week 2

    For the first time since taking over the Colorado football program, Deion Sanders lost a home opener when the Buffaloes fell 27-20 to Georgia Tech.

    Like several other programs in Week 1, the Buffaloes had the misfortune of starting off against a high-profile Power Four nonconference opponent instead of easing in with a cupcake matchup. That luxury is reserved for Week 2, when they host Delaware, a program making its FBS debut this season as part of Conference USA.

    Then again, maybe this won’t be the pushover many expect. The Blue Hens have won at least eight games in each of the last three seasons. Colorado fans should also remember that it barely edged North Dakota State, an FCS program, in last year’s home opener — and that was with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter on the field. Those guys are off to the NFL this year.

    So who are Sanders’ playmakers for the Buffaloes this season? That’s the question he has to answer quickly. If there’s a game to sort it out, or to work through any other lingering issues, this is the one. Big 12 play begins the following week against Houston.

    Kaidon Salter splits time with Julian Lewis against Delaware

    Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

    As soon as Shedeur Sanders declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, the number one question at Colorado became simple: Who’s starting at quarterback this season? After all, this was Sanders’ son, not to mention one of the best quarterbacks in the country last year. He wasn’t going to be easily replaceable.

    In Colorado’s Week 1 loss to Georgia Tech, the more experienced of the two new signal-callers — transfer Kaidon Salter and freshman Julian Lewis — earned the starting nod.

    Salter didn’t play poorly, but the offense clearly wasn’t moving with the same rhythm. He finished 17-of-28 passing for 159 yards and one touchdown, while adding 64 yards and…

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  • Dre Greenlaw out of practice with a quad injury

    Dre Greenlaw out of practice with a quad injury

    Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw remains out of practice with a quad injury.

    Greenlaw injured his quadriceps in a July 31 practice. Though Sean Payton said at the time it was unrelated his his offseason quad injury, the Broncos coach would not talk about Greenlaw’s injury Wednesday after Greenlaw worked on a side field.

    “At this point forward, I’m not going to talk one thing about player injuries,’’ Payton said. “We’ll report what we’re required to report. But you’ll never hear me talk about how I feel it’s going or anything of that. Really, there’s no advantage for me to discuss [injuries].”

    The Broncos were required to issue their first practice report Wednesday.

    Greenlaw missed all of the offseason program after hurting his quad while working out. The initial report was a tear, but the team clarified a strain would keep Greenlaw out eight weeks.

    This is just another injury for Greenlaw in a string of frustrating injuries over the past 18 months.

    Greenlaw tore his Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII to end the 2023 season and missed most of last season before a brief return. He played only Weeks 14-15 before knee and calf soreness related to his Achilles ended his season.

    Now, a Week 1 debut with his new team is in doubt.

    Tight end Nate Adkins (ankle) also did not practice. He is not expected to play this week after recently undergoing surgery.

    Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto (foot), linebacker Alex Singleton (thumb) and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (thigh) were full participants.

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  • University of Kentucky athlete arrested after police find dead infant in closet

    University of Kentucky athlete arrested after police find dead infant in closet

    Getty Images

    An athlete at the University of Kentucky was arrested for allegedly hiding a dead infant in her closet to conceal a birth, according to the Lexington Police Department. The baby was found wrapped in a towel and placed inside a trash bag, police said.

    Laken Snelling, 21, was arrested Sunday and charged with abusing a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. Court documents indicate Snelling has posted a $100,000 bond and is now on house arrest without an ankle monitor at her parents’ home in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

    Snelling appeared in court Tuesday, per NBC News.

    Police investigated a residence near Kentucky’s campus last week following a disturbing call, according to arrest documents obtained by LEX18. 

    The citation indicates Snelling “admitted to giving birth” during an interview with officers. Snelling reportedly “admitted to concealing the birth by cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag, including the infant, who was wrapped in a towel.”

    Snelling is a member of Kentucky’s “STUNT” team, which is part of the university’s athletic program. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is investigating the infant’s cause of death, per NBC News.

    In her most recent TikTok post from June, Snelling used an emoji of a woman holding a baby under a list of “goals” that included marriage and a home.

    The University of Kentucky only acknowledged to LEX18 that Snelling was “a member of the STUNT team for the last three seasons,” directing all other questions to Lexington Police.

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  • New kickoff rule has improvements for 2025, but there’s still one change NFL needs to address

    New kickoff rule has improvements for 2025, but there’s still one change NFL needs to address

    NEW YORK — The NFL had one of its most radical changes in years last season, changing the kickoff in the way football has never seen it before. The dynamic kickoff was created to resemble a scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed, essentially creating less high-speed collisions and promoting more returns in the game. 

    The first year of the dynamic kickoff was an experiment, hoping to provide a higher percentage of returns across the league. The league got what it intended, as return rate improved from 21.8% in 2023 (under the old kickoff format) to 33%. The average starting field position went from 25.6 to 30.1 while the average length of return improved from 23.0 to 27.5.

    While the league did see more returns, it wasn’t the dramatic change the league had hoped. Changes needed to be made in 2025 to enhance the dynamic kickoff, which was what the NFL planned after an experimental first season. 

    The significant change was the placement of the ball for a touchback, as the starting field position is now the 35-yard line for a touchback. In 2024, the ball would be placed at the 30-yard line.

    The league initially considered the 35-yard line for the first year of the dynamic kickoff, but settled for the 30. The league believes it will see a 65%-75% return rate with the touchback being moved from the 30 to the 35, a huge increase from last year if the data is proven correct.

    “I think the 35-yard line is pretty severe,” said The NFL Today studio analyst Bill Cowher. “You get two first downs, then you’re kicking a field goal. I think 35 was the answer a year ago. We still saw the kickoffs go up, but do believe with the 35 now — the kickoffs are coming back (even more). 

    “I think it’s definitely coming back and you’re moving more and more guys back to that next level. You’ll see more of the blocking and returns get…

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