Category: NFL News

Training camp is on the horizon for the NFL, as teams embark on their journeys to prepare for a Super Bowl championship. While some teams are in a better position to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy than others, all teams in the NFL have the same goal.

These next five weeks are going to be telling for a lot of teams in terms of if they are ready to compete for a championship, or at least winning consistently on a weekly basis. Expectations will differ for certain teams, but the goal remains the same. 

Several questions will arise for every NFC team over the next several weeks. Let’s take a look at the biggest one for each NFC team. 

The Cardinals will be figuring out a crucial part of this defense over the next six weeks, with plenty of intriguing candidates. Sean Murphy-Bunting is the leader in the clubhouse for one of those spots with his three-year contract in free agency. Max Melton, Starling Thomas V, Kei’Trel Clark and Garrett Williams will also getting an extended look to start opposite Murphy-Bunting.  Melton will be a player to watch given he was a second-round pick…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

In the age of social media, it’s easy for anyone to make something up, pass it off as news, and see it spread. In the NFL world, there’s been an increasing number of social media accounts that do no actual reporting but pretend to have inside information.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has shot down one of those pretenders.

Responding to a viral report claiming he had a list of six NFL teams he prefers to play for when he’s drafted next year, Sanders asked a simple question: “When did I say this?”

Sanders never said it. If he does have a preferred list of teams he hope will draft him, he can communicate that as the draft approached, as Eli Manning did before persuading the Chargers to trade him after drafting him. But that’s not something Sanders has said.

Sanders is the betting favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so he’ll be the subject of many more news reports and social media posts. Football fans who want to stay on top of news about Sanders heading into the draft would be wise to consider the source.

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Jamal Adams recently resurfaced as the newest addition to the Tennessee Titans, marking the next chapter for a player once considered one of the NFL’s best safeties. His deal was arguably just as notable for reigniting questions about a fellow free agent: Why, exactly, is Justin Simmons still available?

Released by the Denver Broncos in a cost-cutting move this March, Simmons doesn’t just have the name recognition of Jamal Adams. He’s also got the resume to back it up. Two years removed from leading the NFL in interceptions, fresh off another Pro Bowl nod, he’s easily one of the most accomplished veterans still unsigned ahead of the 2024 season. So why is he still seeking a new team?

It’s not for a lack of interest in playing. Simmons has been open about wanting to “know where I’m going,” arguing he can be “the missing piece” for a contender. Which means the only logical explanation for his unexpectedly slow market is a glaring discrepancy between his perceived and actual value to other teams. In simpler terms: As is often the case in big-name free-agent negotiations, money is the likely culprit.

Consider the Brandon Aiyuk saga in San Francisco, where the emergent wide receiver has entertained trade rumors while seeking a lucrative extension from the 49ers. All indications are the 49ers want to keep Aiyuk long-term. All indications are Aiyuk wants to stay put long-term. Odds are they’ll even stay together, at least for 2024. Yet there’s been no known movement on the contract front because each side is entrenched in its demands: Aiyuk believes himself worthy of top-tier receiver money, and the 49ers have a designated price point in light of lofty commitments to peers like Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel.

With Simmons, it’s not hard to connect similar dots. Three years ago, the ex-Broncos standout signed a four-year, $61 million extension averaging $15.25 million per year. Since…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

NFL coordinator claims 49ers’ Williams has ‘no weakness’ in his game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Trent Williams widely is regarded as not just the best NFL offensive tackle of all time, but one of the greatest players in the game.

Even entering Year 14, not much has changed regarding the 49ers star’s sustained dominance.

In an ESPN survey, league executives, coaches and scouts ranked the top 10 offensive tackles, and Williams, to really no surprise, cracked the top spot on the list.

“[He] does it all at a high level, still,” an NFL coordinator said. “Protection, run game, second-level stuff downfield — no weakness in his game and I haven’t seen the skill set diminish.”

This is the third consecutive year the 35-year-old tackle ranked No. 1 on the annual ESPN list.

And aside from his flat-out talent, his durability has been one of the most impressive things about Williams. Last season, Williams missed two games, and in 2022, he missed three.

“I thought he was playing hurt last year and it affected his play a bit,” an AFC executive said, referring to Williams’ ankle injury in the second half of the 2023 season. “But that’s nit-picking. He’s still dominant.”

Williams’ résumé includes 11 Pro Bowl selections and three First Team All-Pro nods.

The rest of the rankings are as follows:

2. Lions – Penei Sewell
3. Texans – Laremy Tunsil
4. Buccaneers – Tristan Wirfs
5. Eagles – Lane Johnson
6. Vikings – Christian Darrisaw
7. Eagles – Jordan Mailata
8. Giants – Andrew Thomas
9. Chargers – Rashawn Slater
10. Ravens – Ronnie Stanley

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

..

[ad_2]

Read More

USATSI

Baker Mayfield didn’t hide how playing for four different teams in three years affected him. Mayfield was with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. 

Mayfield has found a home in Tampa Bay after a career season with the Buccaneers, who committed to him as their starting quarterback for three seasons. The stability is what Mayfield has craved since his ouster from Cleveland. 

“You’re having a lot more fun when you’re not getting shipped off to different places like a piece of dirty laundry, I’ll tell you that,” Mayfield said on the Mike Calta Show this week. “So, when I got embraced in Tampa, it made a world of difference. 

“I’ve always played ball to enjoy it. I mean, it is a game. Yes, it is my job, but I love it so much. I’ve always worn my emotions on my sleeve and, so, let people embrace that, and that’s why I’m so excited for having more years to come in Tampa.”

…..

[ad_2]

Read More

Safety Jamal Adams signed with the Titans on Thursday and he will be making the league minimum for veteran players after playing just 10 games over the last two seasons.

Adams tore his quad in his first game in 2022 and missed the other 16 games of that season and then dealt with a knee injury that limited his availability last year. During an appearance on The Official Titans Podcast, Adams called the 2022 injury “humbling” and that he didn’t feel all the way back when he got on the field last year.

Adams said he’s in “a way better place now” mentally and physically and that he hopes to show that he can still be the kind of player he was before he missed all of that time.

“I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder for a long, long time,” Adams said. “For me, it’s moreso I’m not trying to prove anyone wrong, I’m moreso trying to prove myself right. I’m trying to get back out there to prove myself, that I’m still that guy and I still can play. Whether anyone believes in me or not, as long as I believe in myself that’s what matters.”

The move to Tennessee reunites Adams with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who was his first NFL position coach with the Jets. Adams began building the resume that made him the league’s highest-paid safety with Wilson and all involved will be hoping that their second run together can also be a productive one.

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The best teams have the best players, but when all the best players want to be paid as such, it can become impossible for teams to retain them all. Often, in order to keep a solid core around and stay with a winning squad, players end up taking pay cuts or revising their contracts.

This was the case with San Francisco 49ers fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, who valued staying put more than he valued a bigger contract.

Juszczyk admitted that it was not easy to hear that he would not get the money he wanted, but in the end it was all about being a 49er. The 33-year-old worked out a deal with the team and general manager John Lynch that would end up saving the team $4 million in salary cap space.

He admitted that it wasn’t an easy conversation and was one he didn’t see coming. 

“Honestly, it hurt,” Juszczyk said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “When John came to me and asked, I wasn’t necessarily expecting it, and I think it’s natural for anybody that it kind of hurts your ego. It hurts your heart a little bit. I do understand that it’s a business, but I do feel like I’m as valuable as what I was expected to get paid. All that said, there definitely was a process that we had to go through and I had to come to terms with it and that sort of thing. At the end of the day, though, I really, truly, I wanted to be a Niner. This is where I wanted to be. I absolutely love it here.”

In the end, he said there are “no hard feelings” and he is still the highest-paid player in his position in the NFL, something that was important for him to remain.

“Quite honestly, that was important to me,” he said, of remaining the highest-paid fullback. “That was something that went into negotiations: ‘All right, we can figure this out and take a cut, but I still need to be the highest paid.’ No knocks on other fullbacks in the league, but I’m the best fullback in the league.”

The negotiations forced Juszczyk to think…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Paramount is merging with Skydance. This means that CBS will change hands.

Which apparently means that the NFL could open its current deal with CBS.

Which the Commissioner didn’t rule out on Thursday.

Appearing on CNBC, Goodell was asked about the possibility that a CBS ownership change will allow the NFL to renegotiate the CBS contract.

“Do you plan to?” Goodell was asked. “What do you expect to happen?”

“Well, listen, CBS has been a great partner for us back to 1956, I think,” Goodel said. “They’ve been extraordinary, right up to the Super Bowl this past year where we had record ratings at the Super Bowl, over 200 million people watching. So they’ve been a great partner.

“We’ll obviously be paying close attention to the process. We know Skydance. We’re partners with Skydance. They’ve done a terrific job with our relationship. So we’ll look at the structure of the deal. We’ll see how it impacts us. We’ll see how it impacts our business and we’ll make the best decision for the NFL at that point.”

The best decision for the NFL usually takes the form of one word: More. Opening up the contract will result, inevitably, in more for the NFL.

Currently, the league can end all broadcast deals four years early, putting every package back on the market after the 2029 season. If the NFL could put half of the Sunday afternoon package out to bid, the league definitely won’t get less than what CBS is paying.

If someone else would pay more, CBS could be out. Just like it was from 1994 through 1997, after Fox poached the NFC package.

..

[ad_2]

Read More