Got to Category

NFL category, Page 40

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Lions, QB Jared Goff agree on $212M, 4-year extension with $170M guaranteed
The Detroit Lions have looked in vain for a playoff-winning quarterback for decade after decade. When the search ended with Jared Goff under center, the franchise was determined not to let him get away. The Lions and Goff agreed to a $212 million, four-year contract extension, according to multiple reports....
Bucs make All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. NFL’s highest-paid DB with 4-year, $84M deal 
TAMPA, Fla. — All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. agreed to a four-year, $84 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that makes him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL. The Bucs announced an agreement Monday. The 25-year-old, who as a rookie helped the team win its second Super Bowl...
Super Bowl champion Chiefs will open regular season at home against Ravens in AFC title game rematch
NEW YORK — The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will open the regular season at home against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5 in a rematch of the AFC title game, the NFL announced Monday. The NFL will release the entire 2024 season on Wednesday night on the NFL...
Jerry Rice’s son, rookie Brenden Rice, feels he has plenty to prove
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Brenden Rice already had plenty to prove as the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Not being selected until the 225th pick in the NFL Draft two weeks ago added more fuel to the fire. Many thought Rice would be a middle-round pick....
A.J. Smith, winningest general manager in Chargers’ history, dies at 75
COSTA MESA, Calif. — A.J. Smith, a longtime NFL executive who was the winningest general manager in Chargers history, has died. He was 75. His son, Atlanta assistant general manager Kyle Smith, announced his father’s death in a statement released by the Falcons on Sunday. Kyle Smith said his father...
Chargers sign outside linebacker Bud Dupree to help bolster their pass rush 
COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers signed outside linebacker Bud Dupree on Saturday, helping bolster an already formidable pass rush. The 31-year-old Dupree has 53 career sacks in nine NFL seasons, including 6 1/2 last year in his lone season in Atlanta. Dupree joins a Chargers group of...
Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. says he’s ‘super blessed’ to learn from Kirk Cousins
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr. insists he’ll have no difficulty adjusting to his role as the backup to new Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. Before taking the field Friday for rookie minicamp, Penix was greeted by Cousins at the team’s practice facility. Others have speculated there could...
Bears coach Matt Eberflus says top pick Caleb Williams will open season as No. 1 QB
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams is the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback. Just in case there was a shred of doubt the No. 1 overall draft pick is the team’s No. 1 QB, coach Matt Eberflus erased it on Friday. “No conversation. He’s the starter,” he said. Eberflus’ comment was...
49ers counting on new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers’ experiment of bringing in a defensive coordinator from the outside didn’t work out, with the team firing Steve Wilks after just one season. Now they’re counting on the internal promotion of Nick Sorensen into that role — with a dose of outside...
Former Steelers WR Allen Robinson signs free-agent contract with Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants signed wide receiver Allen Robinson to a free-agent contract with the hope he can help boost the team’s struggling offense. The Giants announced the signing Thursday, two months after Robinson was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a cost-cutting move. The 30-year-old...
Cowboys cut former Steelers WR Martavis Bryant, ending his latest comeback attempt
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys released former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant on Wednesday, ending his latest attempt to return to the NFL following a long absence. Bryant signed with Dallas’ practice squad last season but didn’t make the active roster. He was retained on a futures contract after...
Pitt’s Bill Fralic lends local flavor to Croatian American Hall of Fame
The 2024 inductees to the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame include many names with local connections, including Pitt football great Bill Fralic and his agent, who was an outstanding athlete himself. Plus, a slow-pitch softball star known as King Kong. The CAS-HOF’s selection committee announced the following area inductees:...
Titans bolster wide receiving group by adding Tyler Boyd
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have bolstered their wide receiving group by reuniting first-year coach Brian Callahan with someone he knows very well in Tyler Boyd, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Tennessee agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million Tuesday,...
Joe Burrow is throwing again as the Bengals’ franchise QB rehabs his surgically repaired wrist
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow threw some crisp passes on the first day of offseason workouts Tuesday and said rehabbing his surgically repaired right wrist is still a work in progress. The Bengals quarterback was cleared to throw about a month ago but hasn’t been cleared for contact yet. He hopes...
After a strong 1st round, overall NFL draft ratings down 3% from last year
NEW YORK — After posting strong numbers for the first round, viewership for the NFL draft was down 3% from last year on TV and digital platforms. The draft averaged 5.74 million viewers for the three days this year across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network after averaging 5.93 million...
Pac-12 posts an impressive haul in the NFL draft before the conference breaks up
The final season of the Pac-12 turned out to be as big a hit in the NFL draft as it was on the field. The conference that is breaking up with 10 schools joining new leagues next season produced a record haul over the draft weekend led by No. 1...
Jason Kelce will join ESPN and be part of ‘Monday Night Football’ pregame show
Jason Kelce will join ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” after retiring from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity on Monday because it was not expected to be announced...
Cowboys bring back star RB Ezekiel Elliott
DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are reuniting with running back Ezekiel Elliott after agreeing to terms on a contract with the former two-time rushing champion, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday. Elliott returns to the Cowboys a year after they let him go in a cost-cutting move....
Chiefs, tight end Travis Kelce agree to 2-year extension
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs signed Travis Kelce to a new two-year, $34.25 million contract Monday, wrapping up their star tight end as they attempt to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl, a person familiar with the terms told the Associated Press. Kelce’s deal with Kansas...
NFL mock draft 2025: Carson Beck goes No. 1, Shedeur Sanders No. 6
Even before the 2023 college football season kicked off, there was a fairly clear pecking order among quarterback prospects. Southern Cal’s Caleb Williams was the presumptive QB1 and likely first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and North Carolina’s Drake Maye was considered the most likely challenger to Williams....
AP NFL draft grades: Bears earned highest mark after landing Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze
Some teams see an immediate impact from an NFL Draft class. Others have to wait on a return. The Houston Texans went from worst to first in their division last season after selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge Will Anderson Jr. back-to-back with the second and third overall picks. The...
NFL Draft attendance record set with more than 700,000 fans attending in Detroit
DETROIT — The NFL draft has a new attendance record after more than 700,000 fans flooded downtown Detroit for the three-day event. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer broke the news Saturday at Campus Martius Park. “We have shown the world what the Motor City is all about,” Whitmer said. While it...
Jets trade defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to Broncos
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets traded defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos on Saturday for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. Franklin-Myers was due to count about $16.4 million on the Jets’ salary...
Michael Penix hears from Kirk Cousins, Michael Vick after landing with Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr., the biggest surprise of the NFL Draft’s first round, received a congratulatory call from Kirk Cousins on Thursday night even as Cousins’ agent was second-guessing the Atlanta Falcons adding depth to their quarterback spot. Penix described the chat with Cousins as “a very...
NFL to allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers during games
NEW YORK — The NFL announced Friday it will allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers known as Guardian caps during games next season if they choose. The league is also expanding the use of the devices during practices. Defensive backs and receivers have joined the position groups now...


Editor's Picks

Front Porch Theatricals’ musical ‘Baby’ is a labor of love

Washington townhouse on the market for $1,225,000
Folk legend Bruce Cockburn gives uplifting performance at City Winery
‘Champagne & Chapeaux’: Westmoreland Symphony’s annual soiree for a good cause
Jimmy Stewart’s P-51 Mustang stops in hometown for museum anniversary
More Editor's Picks >