Category: NFL News

After announcing that Daniel Jones would be benched for the remainder of the season, the Giants granted the QB’s request and released him on Friday.

Upon hearing the news, former Giants RB Saquon Barkley told reporters after practice that he’s kept in touch with Jones and wishes him the same amount of success once he finds a new team.

“I’ve been in contact with him. Our friendship has stayed close throughout the whole process of me being here,” Barkley said. “It sucks to see how everything went down for him over there. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about him. You’re not going to really find anybody that can say negative things about him.

“It’s the NFL. Hopefully, wherever he ends up next, they’re going to get a guy who come in and work. It didn’t work for me over there, and I’m doing well over here. Hopefully, he can find the same fresh start and success.”

Barkley took a subtle shot at his time in New York, where he played the first six seasons of his career until leaving in free agency during the 2024 offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley is now having his best season in the NFL with Big Blue’s NFC East rival, averaging a career-high 113.7 rushing yards per game with eight touchdowns already over 10 games.

Jones, who was drafted with No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft a year after NY drafted Barkley No. 2 overall, also spent six seasons with the Giants. He went 24-44-1 over 70 games (69 starts) with 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions. Jones was 2-8 as the starter this season, throwing for only eight TDs with seven interceptions.

The 27-year-old will now go through waivers, but it’s unlikely a team claims him by the 4:00 p.m. deadline on Monday. If Jones goes unclaimed, he’ll become a free agent and can sign with any team for the rest of the 2024 NFL season.

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USATSI

Two years ago, Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones led the New York Giants to the franchise’s first playoff win since winning Super Bowl XLVI. Barkley is currently enjoying a standout season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones will now begin his search for a new team after he and the Giants mutually agreed to part ways on Friday. 

When asked Friday about his former teammate, Barkley said that he has been in contact with Jones, who asked for his release after the Giants demoted him to No. 3 on the depth chart earlier this week. Barkley said that he and Jones have remained close since he signed with Philadelphia this past offseason. 

“Sucks to see how everything went down for him over there,” Barkley said of Jones. “I’ve got nothing but great things to say about him. You’re not really gonna find anyone who is going to say negative things about him. 

“Wherever he ends up next, they’re gonna get a guy who is going to come in and work. It didn’t work for me over there, and I’m doing well over here. Hopefully he can find the same kind of fresh start and success.” 

Things have certainly worked out for Barkley, who signed a multiyear deal with the Eagles after he was unable to find common ground with the Giants on a long-term contract. Through 10 games, Barkley currently leads the NFL in carries and is second in the league in rushing yards and touchdown runs. 

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The snowy conditions got progressively worse as the game went on [Getty Images]

The Cleveland Browns overcame blizzard conditions to secure a dramatic 24-19 comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ohio.

The Steelers had looked on course for victory when touchdowns from Jaylen Warren and Calvin Austin helped them fight back from 18-6 down in the fourth quarter to lead 19-18.

But the Browns hit back immediately as Jameis Winston led a nine-play, 45-yard drive that ended with Nick Chubb barging into the end zone for his second touchdown of the match.

Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson attempted a Hail Mary with the final play but it was ruled incomplete.

The match began in dry conditions before a snow storm moved in and got progressively worse as the contest went on, with the players struggling to keep their footing.

“I’ve never played in anything like this before,” Winston told ESPN. “We are so grateful to the staff for providing hand warmers and clear scrapers so we were able to go out there and do the best we can.”

The defeat means the Steelers slip to 8-3 for the season but remain ahead of the the Baltimore Ravens at the top of the AFC North. The Browns stay bottom after improving to 3-8.

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Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

It took 12 weeks, but the NFL is finally forcing the Cleveland Browns on us. Through the first 11 weeks of the season, the Browns didn’t play a single prime-time game, but that will be changing tonight when they play host to the Steelers. 

The Browns have been a train wreck this season and the NFL will clearly be hoping over the next few weeks that we all love watching train wrecks because Cleveland has a total of four prime-time games scheduled over the next six weeks. Although two of those could end up being flexed, it won’t be easy. For instance, the Browns play the Bengals on Thursday night in Week 16 and if the NFL wants to flex that game, the deadline is TODAY (The league has to give 28 days notice to flex a Thursday game, which is a big reason why we’ve still never seen a Thursday night game get flexed). 

Anyway, we’ll be handing out picks and best bets for tonight’s game, plus we’ll be taking a look at which coaches are currently sitting on the hottest seat. 

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter or you can tell people you run into at the grocery store. That also works. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.

1. Thursday night preview: Picks and best bets for Steelers at Browns

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If the Steelers (8-2) are going to beat the Browns (2-8) tonight, they’re going to have to do something they’ve never done before: Beat a divisional opponent on the road in a Thursday game. Since Mike Tomlin took over as coach in 2007, the Steelers have faced that situation five times and they’ve gone 0-5. In franchise history, they’re 0-7 in that situation. 

The Steelers are also 1-4 in their past five Thursday night games….

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LaFleur slyly answers if Saleh is helping Packers prep for 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is in enemy territory now.

No longer coach of the New York Jets and instead serving as an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers, Saleh is giving coach Matt LaFleur all the help he can ahead of their Week 12 matchup with San Francisco.

“He’s been helpful,” LaFleur told reporters with a smile Wednesday when asked if Saleh has provided any insight on the 49ers, declining to expand any further.

The ex-Jets coach joined the Packers in a unique role last month after New York fired him, offering LaFleur and his offensive unit a defensive perspective on things. And while LaFleur spent three seasons with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan in Washington from 2010 to 2013, Saleh has more recent experience under Shanahan from 2017 to 2020.

“He’s doing a great job too,” LaFleur said of Saleh’s strictly offensive role. “He always gives us a nugget. I mean, there’s plays that come up within discussion that we’ve been running in games that have been pretty successful, so he’s been a great asset.”

When the Jets fired Saleh after their 2-3 start to the 2024 NFL season, there was some speculation he could re-join the 49ers as the team’s defensive unit struggles with growing pains under new DC Nick Sorensen. But he quickly found a new home with Green Bay, putting those rumors to rest almost as soon as they started.

There’s no telling if Saleh will return to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday with the Packers. He was there Week 1 when the 49ers dealt his Jets their first loss of the season, but LaFleur revealed Saleh now helps out Green Bay during the week and spends time with his family on the weekends.

Despite never working under Shanahan at the same time, LaFleur and Saleh go way back. They were graduate assistants together at Central Michigan in 2004 and worked with each other on the Houston Texans in 2008 and 2009, with LaFleur also serving…

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With the Dallas Cowboys sitting at 3-7 heading into Week 12, it’s starting to look like Mike McCarthy won’t be returning for a sixth season with the team. That means the Cowboys could be in the market for a new coach come January. 

If that happens, one name that keeps popping up is Deion Sanders. The Pro Football Hall of Famer spent five seasons in Dallas and won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1995. Although Sanders seems to be happy in his current role as head coach at Colorado, the Cowboys could still lure him to Dallas if they’re willing to do one thing, according to Michael Irvin. 

During a Tuesday appearance on “The Herd,” Irvin was asked whether Sanders would consider taking the Cowboys coaching job if the team were to draft his son, Shedeur Sanders, and he gave a very interesting answer. 

“I believe 100% [yes], and I can tell you, good sources have told me that,” Irvin said. “Great sources have told me that. That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.”

Basically, if you believe Irvin, then Sanders would be all about taking the Dallas job if the Cowboys are willing to use their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Shedeur, who is currently a star quarterback at Colorado. Considering the Cowboys already have Dak Prescott, this seems like an unlikely scenario, but crazier things have happened. 

Also, Irvin has already made it clear that he’s going to spend the next month pleading with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to hire Deion. 

Jones and Irvin actually did an interview together at the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight on Friday and the Hall of Fame receiver made sure to mention Deion. 

“Everybody loves Mike [Tyson], but everybody loves and respects Jake [Paul] also for what he’s done here,” Irvin said, via PFT. “To have an ability to not go the normal route and still end up right here. You give him respect. I give him respect like I give my…

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The Houston Texans are top of the AFC South division [Getty Images]

Houston Texans beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 on Monday Night Football to seize control of the AFC South.

Joe Mixon rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns to inspire his side to a first franchise victory at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium.

The Texans raced into a 14-0 lead before the defence stepped up and sacked Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush five times, intercepted him once and scored a touchdown on a strip sack.

Quarterback CJ Stroud had an underwhelming evening, completing 23 of 34 passes for no touchdowns and one interception.

Houston conceded nine penalties for 69 yards, which allowed the Cowboys to stay in the game, but ended a two-game losing streak to improve to 7-4 at the top of the AFC South, two wins ahead of the Indianapolis Colts.

Dallas have lost five games in a row and have slipped to 3-7, all but ending their play-off hopes.

The Texans’ next two opponents are divisional rivals the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, both of whom have won just two games this season.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys will travel to the Washington Commanders before hosting the New York Giants.

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The New York Giants have hinted at the end of the Daniel Jones era for months, exploring and publicly craving new quarterbacks since well before the start of the 2024 NFL season. On Monday, 10 games in, they finally acted on their desires, benching Jones with plans to promote backup Tommy DeVito moving forward, as CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports.

General manager Joe Schoen told reporters recently that any move regarding Jones’ role would be a “football decision,” countering speculation New York could demote the former first-round draft pick to avoid a potential $23 million injury payout. Jones, 27, went just 3-13 in his last 16 starts under center, and his 79.4 passer rating this year ranked 32nd among qualified quarterbacks.

The Giants originally signed former Denver Broncos starter and Seattle Seahawks reserve Drew Lock as their new No. 2 quarterback this offseason, and Lock briefly appeared in relief of Jones during two games this year. DeVito, however, has a longer track record as a fill-in starter under coach Brian Daboll, going 3-3 in place of an injured Jones during the 2023 season.

“After evaluating and watching a lot of tape, that’s the reason we are going with Tommy,” Daboll said Monday in a team statement. “Drew Lock will be the backup. This was a necessary move for us, and I’m looking forward to working with Tommy, and he’ll be ready to go against Tampa Bay.”

Undrafted out of Illinois, the 26-year-old DeVito became something of a local fan favorite as a rookie, growing up in New Jersey and throwing eight touchdowns to three interceptions as an emergency starter. He’s set to make his 2024 debut in Sunday’s upcoming Week 12 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jones, meanwhile, has likely played his last down for the Giants, despite signing a four-year, $160 million contract extension ahead of the 2023 season. Beleaguered by injuries, turnovers and…

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