Category: NFL News

Justin Madubuike made a name for himself during the 2023 season. Now that Madubuike has his reputation sealed as one of the best defensive tackles in the league, the Baltimore Ravens star wants to go by his birth name for this year and beyond. 

Madubuike will go by his Nigerian-given name, Nnamdi, going forward. 

“Coming from Nigerian culture, our parents give us like an American name and give us a Nigerian name,” Madubuike said, via the Ravens website. “When we were growing up as little kids, they addressed us as our Nigerian name. 

“So Nnamdi, I believe in my heart, that’s my real name.”

Nnamdi means “my father’s son” or “my father’s legacy,” which is one of the reasons Madubuike changed back to his birth name. Justin is the name on his birth certificate, but his parents call him Nnamdi at home. He was inspired to change the name after seeing his teammate, Odafe Oweh, change his name in 2021. Odafe went by Jayson at Penn State and in his years prior to joining the NFL. 

“Just learning from the older vets and stuff, I keep finding ways to get better every single year. I just started to just keep everything real in terms of my life,” Madubuike said. “After I signed my contract, I just need to keep doing that. I just felt like when I keep it real, the better player I am, the better man I am. 

“I just was like, you know, I’m going to go with my real name. So Nnamdi is my real name.”

Madubuike signed a four-year contract extension this offseason, making him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league. 

Madubuike was a game wrecker on the interior of the defensive line last season, accumulating 65 pressures, 13 sacks and 33 quarterback hits and pressure rate of 13.4%. He played a massive role in Baltimore having the No. 1 scoring defense in the regular season. 

Going forward, he will go my Nnamdi, getting approval form his father to change the name.

…..

[ad_2]

Read More

Chargers standouts Joey Bosa, left, and Khalil Mack form one of the most formidable defensive end duos in the NFL, but can Bosa stay healthy this season? (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times; Rusty Jones / Associated Press)

Joey Bosa knew immediately. When he rushed the quarterback on the last rep of a joint practice with the Rams, he realized he broke his left hand. The Chargers’ star defensive end had no idea what would happen next.

“A million” thoughts started racing through Bosa’s mind. “Most of them,” he said three weeks later with a surgically repaired hand, “are negative.”

For the Chargers’ supposed new era, the training camp injury felt like unwelcome deja vu. After two injury-plagued seasons, the four-time Pro Bowl player’s health is one of the key components to orchestrating a turnaround in coach Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL, because with Bosa next to Khalil Mack, the Chargers have the most formidable edge-rushing duo in the league to anchor a defense trying to bounce back from a 5-12 season.

Read more: Chargers aim to change offense for backups Easton Stick, Taylor Heinicke

“We want to build on them; they’re strengths of our defense,” new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter told reporters during camp. “Let them affect the game, do things that they do really well and let them have their best years that they’ve had and try to let them thrive in our defense.”

Mack is coming off a career year. He recorded 17 sacks with 21 tackles for loss and earned his eighth Pro Bowl appearance in his second season with the Chargers.

Despite his production and feeling healthy as ever entering his 11th season, Mack accepted a pay cut in March. He and Bosa both reworked their contracts amid the team’s salary cap struggles with the belief that they’ll be paid back in full when it comes to what matters.

“I just want to win games,” Bosa said. “I just want to go out there and finally put together one of those seasons as a team that…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

USATSI

Scott Frost once spent time as an NFL special teamer. That was the last time Frost was affiliated in the NFL, until this season. 

The Los Angeles Rams have hired Frost to help with a variety of roles on the staff in a multi-faceted role, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports confirms. There is an opening on special teams, but the Rams are hiring the former Nebraska quarterback and head coach for not one specific matter. 

The 49-year-old Frost led UCF to an undefeated season and New Year’s Six bowl win over Auburn in 2017, going 19-7 in his two years with the Knights before returning to his alma mater in Nebraska. The success didn’t translate to Lincoln, as Frost went 16-31 in his four-plus seasons with the Huskers — the worst record for a Huskers coach since Bill Jennings (1957-61).

Frost was the quarterback that led Nebraska to a split of the national championship in 1997, the last one for the program. He threw for 1,237 yards and rushed for 1,095 yards in 13 games. A former third-round pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, Frost lasted four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — playing mostly on special teams. 

Not having been involved in the NFL since 20023, perhaps this stint with the Rams will revitalize Frost’s coaching career. It wasn’t long ago Frost was the hottest head coaching candidate in college football. 

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Why Jennings predicts ‘older’ 49ers will miss playoffs this season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers are eager to begin their revenge tour during the 2024 NFL season after falling just short of winning Super Bowl LVIII last season — their second championship loss in five years.

With most of their core returning for the upcoming season, they are heavily favored to return to the big stage and finally get the monkey off their back.

But former NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings isn’t convinced, and he explained why he left San Francisco out of the NFC playoff picture as he revealed his 2024 season predictions.

“Everyone is so bullish on the Niners,” Jennings said Friday on “First Things First.” “And I thought to myself, ‘I really like the Niners. I love that they got [Brandon] Aiyuk done. There’s just a little too much going on right now and I think Brock Purdy is dealing with that and is not going to handle that great.’ So we’ll see, they may be on the outside looking in.

“I also feel like they’re an older team, going to struggle with being healthy all season long, and that’s why I had to leave them out.”

San Francisco has made four NFC Championship Game appearances in the last five seasons, but has nothing to show for it except heartbreak.

The 49ers locked up star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk through the 2028 NFL season and still are negotiating a deal with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who continues to hold out until a contract is resolved.

But with quarterback Brock Purdy due for a massive payday next offseason, this likely is San Francisco’s final go at a Super Bowl win with its current group.

With much talk about the 49ers’ “Super Bowl window” closing, it appears they’ll have many doubters to prove wrong — including Jennings.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Colorado’s first game of Year 2 in the Deion Sanders era Thursday night was closer than many of us — including Vegas — thought. Yet Shedeur Sanders put on a magnificent show all evening in the 31-26 victory, a performance not simply just enough for the Buffaloes to narrowly avoid defeat but one littered with NFL-caliber throws. 

There were so many, that his effortless 445-yard outing is worthy of an immediate evaluation. 

Let’s start with the post throw under pressure in the first half. Now, the North Dakota State coach mentioned later, during a between-quarters interview, it was a blown coverage. And it probably was. 

But for Sanders to start this drop back by looking left, checking an intermediate route, then uncorking the long ball over the top while his pocket caved in front of him was spectacular and a keen demonstration of the speed at which he calmly processes and his experience as a passer. 

Quite impressive, in the first half of the opening game of the season from Sanders. That very much looked like a play bound to end in a sack or an awkwardly released football that fell incomplete or was intercepted. It ultimately was none of those things. 

Then there was a perfectly “feathered” over route to one of his speedy receivers that required ideal timing, accuracy, trajectory, and velocity, to have enough height to clear the sinking, underneath linebacker but arrive to its destination before the deep safety could deliver a well-timed huge hit to jar the ball loose. 

Sure, Sanders stayed locked into his first read on that throw, but not every high-level play from inside the pocket a quarterback makes has to come after he’s drifted through his entire list of progressions. 

I love here, how, instead of rushing this longer sideline throw and attempting to throw a strike with bad footwork, Sanders stepped up and to his left before releasing the football with plenty…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Kittle ‘very happy’ Aiyuk staying with 49ers, reveals advice he gave originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

49ers fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief Thursday when Brandon Aiyuk and the team agreed on a four-year, $120 million contract extension with $76 million guaranteed.

The long-awaited news was music to George Kittle’s ears as well.

“I’m really happy,” the 49ers tight end told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “Just put a big smile on my face yesterday. I’m so happy for Brandon and his family. He put the work in, he’s made the plays, he’s shown up when we need him to show up, he’s done everything we’ve needed him to do.”

Kittle, who spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area as part of Little Caesars’ free delivery and Pizza! Pizza! Pregame promotions, understands how challenging contract negotiations can be, having gone through his own extension talks before the 2020 season. He eventually landed a five-year, $75 million deal with $40 million guaranteed.

At the time, veteran cornerback Richard Sherman was Kittle’s teammate and offered an analogy that helped the tight end navigate the challenges of the situation. Sherman told Kittle that contract negotiations were like having braces — horrible while you’re going through it but positively life-changing after it’s all over.

“I did. I referenced it to him once,” Kittle said when asked if he imparted that wisdom to Aiyuk. “I told him, ‘It’s really going to suck, you’re going to hate everything about it, but once it’s done, it’s like braces, and you’ll never remember the entire process of having them.’ I don’t remember braces at all.”

49ers players reported to the facility for meetings Friday, but they will have a few days off before welcoming Aiyuk back on the field Tuesday for a bonus practice ahead of the Sept. 9 season opener against the New York Jets. The second-team All-Pro wide receiver will look to improve on his 2023 season stats — 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns — despite…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

PHILADELPHIA — Even though the Philadelphia Eagles are heading to Brazil next week, the season opener against the Green Bay Packers is a business trip. There isn’t going to be any time for exploring the city of Sao Paulo.

A.J. Brown wanted to learn Portuguese from Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee, who spent two years in Brazil before going back to playing football at Stanford. He didn’t have the opportunity to learn words in a new language, because he was learning the etiquette of being in another country. 

“We had a meeting yesterday, and there were a whole bunch of ‘Don’t Do’s,’” Brown said. “So I’m just trying to go down there and win a football game, and come back home … But after hearing all this stuff, I’m probably going to be in my room.”

What were the ‘Don’t Do’s’ Brown learned about in Brazil?

 “A lot, honestly,” Brown laughed. “Things that we would normally do here, even something as simple as walking down the street with your phone in your hand, and stuff like that, which is kind of crazy, so it’s alright.”

Even if Brown chooses to stay in his room, the Eagles are treating Brazil like it’s any other week. The Eagles are giving up a home game for the Brazil game, a date with the Green Bay Packers to boot. This contest could be the head-to-head matchup that settles a potential home-field advantage situation in the NFC playoffs, since the Eagles and Packers both have Super Bowl aspirations. 

“It shouldn’t be tough to do. We’re professionals,” Brown said. “This isn’t my first game, but it is my first game out of the country. So you just gotta put all of that into a factor, and try to navigate through that the best way that you can, and ultimately what are we down there to do? 

“We’re down there to win a football game. We’re not down there to see the city, do all this other stuff. This is not a vacation. This is a football game.”

Business trip for the Eagles…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Decision made: Mayo tabs Jacoby Brissett as Patriots’ starting QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots are sticking to their plan at quarterback.

Jacoby Brissett will be the Patriots’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed in a press conference early Thursday morning.

“We have decided — or I have decided — that Jacoby Brissett will be our starting quarterback this season,” Mayo said. “As an organization, we’re 100 percent behind Jacoby.”

Mayo said he spoke to Brissett and rookie Drake Maye “separately and together” about his decision, which he revealed to his players in a team meeting Thursday morning.

“There are a lot of factors that led to this choice,” Mayo added. “I think the hard part is thinking in the short term and the long term at the same time. As an organization, though, we feel like Jacoby gives us our best chance to win right now.”

Maye made great strides during training camp and the preseason, to the point where Mayo admitted Maye actually “outplayed” Brissett. But the Patriots ultimately sided with Brissett’s experience over Maye’s upside, opting to take their time developing the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

New England’s decision to start Brissett appears to go against Mayo’s assertion earlier this summer that whichever quarterback performs best would win the job. Brissett completed just 5 of 14 passes for 36 yards with an interception in the end zone over three preseason games, while Maye completed 21 of 34 attempts for 192 passing yards with a touchdown, while adding 32 rushing yards on seven attempts with an additional score.

Still, it’s not surprising to see Brissett get the nod. The 31-year-old veteran boasts eight years of NFL experience with five NFL teams and appears to be the preferred QB of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who worked with Brissett in 2022 on the Cleveland Browns.

“There’s certain things in this offense that Jacoby, having played in this…

..

[ad_2]

Read More