NFL News Updates

Blog

  • Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter named eighth-best kicker in college football

    Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter named eighth-best kicker in college football

    As any college football fan will tell you, kickers at that level are particularly maddening. It really makes one appreciate how accurate NFL kicker are. College football really weeds out those who get to the next level and those who don’t.

    Fortunately, Notre Dame has less of a chance of a big game being lost on a missed kick. That’s because Big Game Boomer, social media’s college football list guru, has ranked Mitch Jeter, the Irish’s transfer kicker from South Carolina, as the eighth-best player at his position:

    This isn’t to say the Irish haven’t had some decent kickers in recent years. But the fact that Jeter is coming over from arguably the sport’s best conference in the SEC, and the fact that he should have the edge in most matchups this season should give Irish fans reason for optimism. You want someone with a good reputation when the game is on the line, and Jeter fits the bill.

    Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

    Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

    Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Roger Goodell doesn’t dismiss possibility of opening CBS rights deal after ownership change

    Roger Goodell doesn’t dismiss possibility of opening CBS rights deal after ownership change

    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

  • Monte Kiffin dies at 84: Longtime NFL, college coach was mastermind behind ‘Tampa 2’ defense

    Monte Kiffin dies at 84: Longtime NFL, college coach was mastermind behind ‘Tampa 2’ defense

    Monte Kiffin, the longtime defensive coordinator at both the NFL and college levels who became the innovator behind the renowned “Tampa 2” defense, died Wednesday at age 84. The father of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, the elder Kiffin’s coaching career stretched back to 1966 when he started as a graduate assistant at Nebraska. He was most recently a player personnel analyst for the Rebels. 

    “As his grandson Knox said, he’s free of pain and smiling down on us from above,” a social media statement from the university said. “Please keep the Kiffin family in your thoughts and prayers during this time.” 

    Kiffin’s “Tampa 2” defense was a variant of Tony Dungy’s “Cover 2” that helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII. The 2002 Buccaneers’ defense is regarded as one of the NFL’s all-time great units. Against the Raiders in that year’s Super Bowl, Tampa’s defense picked off then-NFL MVP Rich Gannon five times, returning three for scores. The Buccaneers’ defense featured future Hall of Famers Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber. 

    Along with coaching future Hall of Famers, Kiffin was involved in the hiring of six former assistant coaches who would eventually become NFL head coaches. That list includes current Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Falcons first-year head coach Raheem Morris. Tomlin was 29 years old when Kiffin and Co. gave him his first NFL opportunity as the Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach. 

    “We interviewed 15, 16 guys for the secondary job,” Kiffin once said about hiring Tomlin. “Then we heard about a young guy at the University of Cincinnati by the name of Mike Tomlin. Rick Minter was the head coach. I had worked with him. I said, ‘I heard you have a young coach who is under the radar.’ He said, ‘How did you…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Aaron Rodgers after Davante Adams says QB is recruiting him to Jets: ‘I can’t wait to play with him again’

    Aaron Rodgers after Davante Adams says QB is recruiting him to Jets: ‘I can’t wait to play with him again’

    USATSI

    Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams reached tremendous heights and were arguably the top quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL during their shared time with the Green Bay Packers. In more recent years, however, their paths have diverged. Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders back in the spring of 2022 and Rodgers was shipped to the New York Jets last year. But could these two superstars find their way back to one another? It sure sounds like Rodgers is trying to make it happen.

    “I love Davante,” Rodgers said Thursday at the American Century Championship. “I can’t wait to play with him … again.”

    The comments came not long after Adams admitted the quarterback has been pursuing him, telling the “Up and Adams” show that his close friend remains persistent when it comes to a potential reunion.

    “He’s in the ear,” Adams admitted. “But it’s not as easy. Obviously, we can get together and talk about the old times and the potential of doing this and that, but like I said, I’m a Raider and he knows that.” 

    In their final four seasons together from 2018 to 2021, Adams averaged 119 receptions, roughly 1,463 yards and 14.5 touchdowns per season. Even as he enters his age-32 season, having Adams opposite of Jets phenom Garrett Wilson would make them arguably the top receiver duo in the league. 

    As Adams reminds us, however, he’s still with the Raiders and such a reunion would require a trade. That said, it will be interesting to possibly revisit this idea next offseason. Adams’ contract becomes much more palatable for Las Vegas to get out from under, and if they decide to further its rebuild, the veteran receiver may not fit their timeline, setting the stage for him to land with a new club. And possibly call up an old…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • West Texas High School Football Preview: 12 linebackers to watch ahead of the 2024 season

    West Texas High School Football Preview: 12 linebackers to watch ahead of the 2024 season

    Please consider a subscription. Much of the 2024-25 season coverage will be exclusive to subscribers.

    Texas high school football is only weeks away from fall practice, and excitement grows as fans, players and coaches with high aspirations anticipate the return of Friday night lights in West Texas.

    Despite the turnover from departing senior classes, many of the nearly 40 teams in the Standard-Times coverage area retained plenty of young talent, as well as bringing in some new faces, looking to make their mark on the 2024 season.

    Before the season begins, the Standard-Times will highlight the top local players in seven position groups — quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, defensive backs, defensive linemen, and linebackers.

    Today, we finish our position group watch list by spotlighting the top returning linebackers to watch in West Texas.

    Linebackers to watch in 2024

    Honorable Mention: Devin Medina, sr., Miles; Jaidyn Vineyard, sr., Coahoma

    Sire Garcia, jr., Grape Creek

    Garcia was a breakout star for the Eagles on defense in 2023 earning Defensive Newcomer of the Year in District 2-3A Division II. He finished the season with 68 tackles, five tackles for a loss and two interceptions returned for touchdowns, earning an All-West Texas Honorable Mention.

    HS FOOTBALL: See what Dave Campbell’s Texas Football predicts for West Texas, San Angelo programs

    HS SPORTS: A deep dive into UIL’s split division playoff format, how it affects West Texas sports

    Crue Levien, jr., Junction

    Junction took a huge step forward last season going winless in 2022 to a playoff birth and six wins in 2023, and Levien’s performance was a large part of the success. In his first season on varsity, he finished with 93 tackles and one sack and was an All-West Texas Honorable Mention.

    Ethan Michalwicz, sr.,…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Hargrave ranked as top-10 DT despite ‘quieter’ 49ers season

    Hargrave ranked as top-10 DT despite ‘quieter’ 49ers season

    Hargrave ranked as top-10 DT despite ‘quieter’ 49ers season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

    Javon Hargrave’s first season with the 49ers fell short of the gaudy numbers he posted with the Philadelphia Eagles, but the 31-year-old still remains among the NFL’s most respected defensive tackles by those in the league.

    In an exclusive by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, scouts, coaches and executives voted on who they believe are the best defensive tackles in the NFL, with Hargrave earning a top-10 nod despite a down debut campaign in San Francisco.

    An NFC executive explained that while Hargrave’s production declined, his pass-rushing skill set remains dangerous as ever.

    “He’s always had a deep rush toolbox with a good feel to affect the QB,” the NFC executive told Fowler. “He was a little quieter when we prepared for him than he was in Philly, but he remains an issue as an interior rusher.”

    Among the nine players ranked ahead of Hargrave was former 49ers defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who took the No. 8 spot in the rankings for continuing to display the dominance that made him a household name after breaking into the league with San Francisco.

    Hargrave recorded seven sacks during the 2023 NFL season, a noticeable drop off from the career-high 11 he registered a year prior with the Eagles, leading to a lucrative free-agent contract from the 49ers.

    Even with the dip in numbers, Hargrave still earned Pro Bowl honors during his first season in San Francisco, logging eight tackles for loss and 14 QB hits in 16 regular-season games.

    Hargrave’s continued impact on the 49ers’ defense will be imperative as San Francisco seeks its sixth consecutive season with a top-10 ranking in total defense.

    Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Utah star QB Cam Rising hints 2024 college football season will be his last: ‘Seven years is more than enough’

    Utah star QB Cam Rising hints 2024 college football season will be his last: ‘Seven years is more than enough’

    Getty Images

    Utah star quarterback Cam Rising is not aspiring to become an eighth-year senior, even though he would be eligible to play again in 2025. The 25-year-old Utes icon clarified during Big 12 Media Days that he intends for the 2024 season to be his last in the college ranks.

    In response to a question from Brett McMurphy of the Action Network about using an eighth year of eligibility, Rising said “that’s not the plan,” adding “seven years is more than enough.” 

    Rising is among a handful of players in line to benefit from a proposed consent decree by the United States Department of Justice that would prohibit the enforcement of NCAA transfer rules. One of the provisions states that Division I student-athletes deemed ineligible for any portion of a season during or since the 2019-20 academic year will be granted an extra season of eligibility by the NCAA. Rising began his college career at Texas as a redshirt in 2018 before transferring to Utah in 2019 and sitting out a year as was required by NCAA rules at the time.

    The 2020 season also didn’t count against Rising’s eligibility because of the relief provided by the NCAA amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If Rising wanted to capitalize on the DOJ’s proposed consent decree, none of his first three seasons of college football would count against his eligibility.

    Rising used two seasons of eligibility as Utah’s starting quarterback in 2021 and 2022 before taking a medical redshirt in 2023. Rising has thrown for 46 touchdowns and run for 12 more in his two full seasons as the Utes’ starting quarterback. Utah was picked to win the…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More

  • Vikings’ Justin Jefferson addresses Kirk Cousins leaving, expectations for J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold

    Vikings’ Justin Jefferson addresses Kirk Cousins leaving, expectations for J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold

    Getty Images

    The Minnesota Vikings made 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history this offseason when they signed him to a four-year, $140 million extension. 

    Thanks to his partnership with four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins, Jefferson is averaging 98.3 receiving yards per game in his career, the most in NFL history. Jefferson’s 5,899 career receiving yards are also the most in NFL history through a player’s first four seasons. However, he is going to have to adjust to life without Cousins after the soon-to-be 36-year-old departed in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year, $180 million contract.

    Cousins’ move down south didn’t fully surprise the Vikings’ top target. 

    “Yeah and no,” Jefferson said on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Tuesday when asked if he was surprised when his quarterback left. “I always knew Kirk was going to do whatever he…

    ..

    [ad_2]

    Read More