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John Spytek on Fernando Mendoza: His time is coming, but he's got to earn it
Raiders GM John Spytek discusses quarterback Fernando Mendoza's development and potential for the upcoming season
Tom Brady
QB · FA · 45 yrs · exp 23 · Michigan
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The eight milestones Aaron Rodgers could reach during his final NFL season
As Aaron Rodgers enters his final NFL season, he has a chance to reach several notable milestones. He already holds records for touchdown/interception ratio and passer rating, and is tied for the best career passer rating. Rodgers is also on the verge of joining an elite group of quarterbacks with over 70,000 career passing yards, needing 3,726 yards to do so. Despite an Achilles injury in 2023 that likely ended his chance to pass Brett Favre on the all-time passing list, Rodgers is still poised to achieve significant career statistical achievements in his final year
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Josh McDaniels has ideal response as to whether Tom Brady helped Seahawks
Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Tom Brady
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Robert Spillane on Tom Brady's 'dog in the fight' remark: 'It made me feel sad for him'
When Patriots legend Tom Brady, whose statue sits outside the team’s stadium, said before the Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl “I don’t have a dog in the fight,” New England linebacker Robert Spillane said of the remark, "[P]ersonally it makes me sick .” Appearing earlier today on WEEI in Boston, Spillane was asked if it irritated other players in the locker room, too. “It irritated me, and it made me feel sad for him , spending 20 years here, obviously, went on to do amazing, great things, not only on the football field but in the community, and to say that he had no care in the world, it irritated me,” Spillane said. “It made me feel sad for him. But at the end of the day, that was just my personal opinion. Everyone else has their own opinions in the locker room.” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel recently addressed Brady’s remark, taking a more pragmatic approach : Brady has moved on, he’s with the Raiders now. And if Brady did indeed collaborate with the Seahawks before the game, Vrabel understood that, too. Brady’s team was about to hire Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as its head coach. It was better for the Raiders if Kubiak arrived with a brand-new Super Bowl ring. Especially since it’s been 43 years since the last time the Raiders won one of their own
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Can Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow avoid the quarterback midlife crisis?
Last season was a down year for the AFC's superstar quarterbacks I like to call the "big four." None of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow made the AFC title game. Mahomes, Jackson and Burrow all missed the playoffs and combined to miss 16 regular-season games. Now, don't get me wrong, confidence is still understandably high in this group. Our experts ranked them as four of the best five quarterbacks in the league entering this season. But, maybe 2025 was more than a fluke. Maybe, just maybe, they are in the midst of, or entering the sports version of a midlife crisis. Think about it. They are getting up there in age. All four quarterbacks are either approaching age 30 or have already turned 30 years old. Could they be questioning their careers? Allen and Jackson still haven't made the Super Bowl and this is the age when mobile quarterbacks start to decline. Burrow had some midlife crisis-type comments last year. Mahomes is coming off a serious knee injury and the Chiefs fell apart last year. What's next? Mood swings and impulsive decisions? Maybe a little jealousy? The next generation of star quarterbacks could be waiting in the wings ( Justin Herbert , C.J. Stroud , Drake Maye , Fernando Mendoza ??) In all seriousness, each future Hall of Fame quarterback is entering the second half of their career with plenty of promise but also some concerns about their Super Bowl windows. That's why I'm looking at a case for and against a midlife crisis for each one with a verdict included. Mahomes is the most fascinating case. He's only 30 years old and is already one of three players all time with three Super Bowl MVPs (Brady and Joe Montana). As he chases Brady for GOAT status, it's actually Brady who provides the blueprint for what Mahomes' midlife crisis could look like. Like Mahomes, Brady tore his ACL in his ninth season. He also went a decade between his third and fourth rings as he competed with the likes of Peyton Manning , Ben Roethlisberger , Joe Flacco and Philip Rivers in the AFC. Mahomes also has plenty of talent to compete with in the AFC who are champing at the bit after he's been ring blocking for years. You can definitely make a case the Chiefs' dynasty is over (at least version 1.0) as players decline and bills come due. Kansas City needed to trade Tyreek Hill a few years ago. They moved Joe Thuney last year. This offseason we saw most of their secondary get dismantled headlined by Trent McDuffie's trade to the Rams . Kelce lost a step (or two) and Chris Jones is beginning to decline. You can see the toll all of that has taken as the Chiefs sputtered last year. They have also been struggling on offense for three years now. We are looking at a 50+-game sample where the Chiefs are below average in scoring. Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Brady never had a 30+-game stretch in their careers where their team was below league average in scoring. There doesn't appear to be a solution in sight as Worthy hasn't lived up to the 4.21 40 hype and Rice can't stay on the field. I was shocked when I found this stat recently. The Chiefs are the only team in the NFL without a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in a season in the past three years. The lack of playmaking around Mahomes has caught up to them. So has how defenses are playing them. Mahomes has just seven pass touchdowns on deep throws (20+ air yards) since Hill was traded in the 2022 offseason. That's tied for 27th in the league. He had 41 in four seasons prior to that, easily the most in football. We're all waiting for 50-TD Mahomes to walk through that door again. But with all of the above in mind, it's probably going to take some time. Plus, I buried the lede. Mahomes is coming off last year's knee injury. Although he's healthy for the start of the year, we still don't know how this could impact a quarterback who relies on his legs a lot. He leads the NFL in passing first downs (114) and rushing first downs (60) outside the pocket in the pa [... truncated ...]
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Mike Vrabel wasn't bothered by Tom Brady's "no dog in the fight" remark before the Super Bowl
Before Super Bowl LX between the Seahawks and the Patriots, New England legend Tom Brady rankled his former team’s fans (and some current and former Patriots players), by declaring that he didn’t have a “ dog in the fight .” Former teammate and current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel wasn’t bothered by the remark. “Clearly Tom’s gone out of his way to make it known that he’s trying to, you know — he has a new job and a new role and, you know, it is really what it is,” Vrabel told WEEI on Friday. “Tom’s a friend, he’ll always be a friend. He was a former teammate, but, I mean, he’s made it clear, like, ‘I’m doing something new now.’” Vrabel was also asked about another issue that emerged in recent weeks, due to Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s comment to Dan Patrick that Macdonald consulted with someone before the game who had “ some conflict of interest .” Although Macdonald was not referring to Brady, Vrabel was asked whether he believes Brady talked to Macdonald before the game. “Probably,” Vrabel said. “He hired his offensive coordinator. I mean, that’s not why we lost the game. Like, we talked to a lot of people, and, you know, there’s a lot of film, and it’s not why we lost the game. . . . I mean, I’m sure they talked.” The connection to former Seatle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak always made it plausible that Brady would have tried to help the Seahawks. With Kubiak slated to take over the Raiders, it was better for the Raiders if Kubiak arrived as the coordinator of the offense of the team that won the most recent championship. And Vrabel understands that. Brady is an owner of the Raiders. He’s in competition with the Patriots. If anything, Brady did have a dog in the fight. The Seahawks and Kubiak winning provided an incremental benefit to the franchise Brady now partially owns
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Former All-Pro explains why he doesn't think Ben Roethlisberger is a Hall of Famer
CBS Sports NFLSource ↗
Conversations have already begun as it relates to the 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class and the insane number of notable players who will be eligible for the first time. Among those players is former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , whose career includes two Super Bowl wins, 60,088 passing yards and 418 touchdowns and the fifth-most wins in NFL history among starting quarterbacks. While Roethlisberger's status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer is up for debate , there is usually no arguing the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers ' former quarterback is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. However, LeSean McCoy , a former All-Pro running back, doesn't think that Roethlisberger had a Hall of Fame career based on his lack of individual accolades. "You should never be in the Hall of Fame if you never had no All-Pros ," McCoy said on his podcast. "Think of how that sounds. All-Pro, for the guys that don't play football. All-Pro is the best in the league. You feel me? But I'm being serious, how the hell he not have (an) All-Pro? So, take him off." McCoy didn't change his opinion when it was pointed out to him that Roethlisberger likely would have garnered more individual honors had he played in a different era that didn't include Tom Brady , Peyton Manning , Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. "For me, I can't push your Hall of Fame with the best players of all time if you never had an All-Pro," he said. "Think about that though. That mean you never was the best quarterback or never was the best player in your position ever." Roethlisberger's lack of individual accolades will likely be discussed when his candidacy is debated by the voters. And while McCoy doesn't agree, it almost won't, however, keep Roethlisberger out of the Hall of Fame altogether. Roethlisberger's individual numbers -- that include his impressive wins total -- are just too good for him not to earn induction at some point if he is not inducted in 2027. The third quarterback taken in the 2004 NFL Draft (behind Eli Manning and Philip Rivers ), Roethlisberger enjoyed one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history. He won his first 12 starts (an NFL record) en route to winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The following season, Roethlisberger became the youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl after helping the Steelers become the first sixth seed to win it all. His game-saving tackle in Pittsburgh's divisional round playoff win over the Colts kept the Steelers' championship run alive. Three years later, Roethlisberger engineered one of the most famous game-winning drives in NFL history that culminated in his game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes at the end of Super Bowl XLIII. No. 12: 2008 Super Bowl XLIII - Steelers vs. Cardinals (Feb. 1, 2009) #NFL100 @Steelers 📺: NFL 100 Greatest Games on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/LM12I8rwVt Two years later, Roethlisberger again helped led the Steelers to the Super Bowl, where they were defeated by Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers . And while they did not get back to another Super Bowl after that, Steelers continued to be a perennial contender for the majority following decade largely because of Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger also accumulated some big numbers over that span that included becoming the first player to throw six touchdowns in consecutive games (doing so in 2014). He also owns the NFL record for most 500-yard passing performances (four). From 2014-18, Roethlisberger won a pair of passing titles and was named to four Pro Bowls. He also led the NFL in average passing yards per game on three occasions over that span. On this day in 2014, Ben Roethlisberger threw six touchdowns for the second-straight week! 🔥 The Steelers beat the Ravens 42-23! #BovadaSportsHistory pic.twitter.com/KG43dkJ6vh In addition to his numbers, Roethlisberger's reputation as one of the toughest quarterbacks in NFL history to bring down also strengthens his Hall of Fame argument. Ben Roethlisberger had th [... truncated ...]
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2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony: Where to watch, TV, live stream
Five former NFL players are about to formally join the most exclusive fraternity in professional football. Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, and Luke Kuechly will become the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame during Saturday's induction ceremony. Located in Canton, Ohio, the Pro Football Hall of Fame was built in 1963. Since then, 387 former NFL players, coaches and executives have received gold jackets, bronze busts, a ring and a permanent place in pro football lore. This year's class will include one of the most prolific passers in football history, an equally prolific receiver, one of the most versatile running backs in NFL history, the NFL's all-time leading scorer and the second-youngest player to receive Hall of Fame induction. Here's how you can watch the ceremony, in addition to summaries of each member of this year's induction class. Date: Saturday, Aug. 8 | Time: 12 p.m. ET Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio) TV: ESPN/NFL Network; Stream: Fubo Brees retired as the NFL's career leader in both passing yards (80,353) and touchdown passes (571) and is currently second in both categories behind Tom Brady . Brees never won league MVP, but he did capture Super Bowl MVP honors after leading the Saints to their first championship at the end of the 2009 season. One of the most efficient and prolific quarterbacks of all-time, Brees led the NFL in passing seven times, completion percentage six times and touchdown passes on four occasions. Fitzgerald is second only to Jerry Rice in career catches (1,432) and career receiving yards (17,492). During the 2008 playoffs, Fitzgerald caught 30 passes for 546 yards and seven touchdowns while helping the Cardinals reach the franchise's first Super Bowl. He caught seven passes for 127 yards and two scores in Arizona's Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh. At 35, Kuechly is the second-youngest person to earn a Hall of Fame induction. The youngest was Gale Sayers, who was 34 when he was inducted back in 1977. Kuechly was one of the NFL's premier defensive players before injuries cut his career short after eight seasons. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Kuechly won Defensive Player of the Year the following season and was named to seven straight Pro Bowls and was a five-time All-Pro. He helped spearhead a successful period in Panthers history that included three straight division titles and an NFC title in 2015. The NFL's all-time leading scorer, Vinatieri, ended two Super Bowls with winning field goals. In addition to his four Super Bowl wins, Vinatieri is also notorious for his two critical kicks in blizzard-like conditions against the Raiders during the Patriots' first championship run. One of the most versatile running backs in NFL history, Craig became the first player in history to post 1,000-yard rushing and receiving campaigns in the same season in 1985. His versatility was on full display in the prior year's Super Bowl, when he scored a Super Bowl record three touchdowns in the 49ers ' win over the Dolphins . Three years later, Craig amassed over 2,000 all-purpose yards during the regular season before becoming the first running back to have over 100 receiving yards in a Super Bowl. Craig won his third Super Bowl a year later while helping the 49ers win back-to-back Super Bowl titles
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Chiefs 2026 NFL futures odds: Patrick Mahomes expected to be ready Week 1, but offense has been regressing
CBS Sports HQ continues its tour of NFL training camps Wednesday with a visit to Missouri Western State University to check in on the Kansas City Chiefs , who seem to be at a fork in the road with their dynasty. The franchise's 10-year streak of making the playoffs ended in 2025, thanks in large part to a 1-9 record in one-score games, Patrick Mahomes is working his way back from a devastating knee injury, and fellow future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce is likely playing his final season as he focuses on his post-football career and marriage to Taylor Swift. You also hear talk this could be the last year for another Canton-bound guy in coach Andy Reid. It's his 14th season with Kansas City and Reid lasted 14 previously in Philadelphia, although he was fired there. Indeed, there are many story lines from Chiefs camp. Reid is considered an offensive guru and calls the plays for the most part, but that unit has been regressing for the past three seasons, even with Kansas City repeating as Super Bowl champion in 2023 and returning to the big game yet again in 2024 but losing to Philadelphia. Wager on the NFL with the latest FanDuel promo code and get up to $1,000 in bet resets when you bet $5 for 5 days: In Mahomes' first five seasons as a starter (2018-22), in which he won both of his regular-season MVPs, the Chiefs averaged at least 30 points per game to become one of just three teams all-time to average at least 30 in a five-year span, along with the 1940s/50s Rams and 2000s Patriots of Tom Brady . In that three-year span, Kansas City ranked first in scoring, first in yards per game and first in 20-yard plays league-wide. However, the past three seasons combined, those rankings are 19th, 18th and tied for 23rd, respectively. Mahomes has somewhat evolved from a Brett Favre-type gunslinger type to more of a careful game manager as over the past three seasons he ranks 23rd in yards per attempt, 21st in passer rating and 11th in QB efficiency (as measured by EPA per dropback). It's certainly not all on Mahomes. Kelce will go down as one of the best tight ends in NFL history, but his last 1,000-yard season and double-digit TD catch season were both in 2022; otherwise No. 15 hasn't had great skill-position talent around him. The Chiefs are the only NFL team without a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver in the past three seasons. Mahomes has thrown for 11,698 yards since 2023, the most in a three-year span in league history without a 1,000-yard receiver. I'm not sure I see a 1,000-yard receiver on this roster. Kelce is set at Over/Under 674.5 yards after averaging a career-low 50.2 YPG in 2025, Xavier Worthy is already banged up, and fellow wideouts Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton leave much to be desired. You do hear some chatter that K.C. could bring back Tyreek Hill, who is a free agent but has seen much better days. Mahomes had an NFL-high 41 passing TDs on deep throws (at least 20 air yards) from 2018-21 but seven in the four seasons since the Hill trade to Miami. Worthy might be the league's fastest player, but he has caught only seven of 34 deep balls the past two seasons, the second-lowest catch rate (20.6%) in the league among 42 players targeted a minimum of 30 times on those types of throws. Kansas City has started an NFL-high 15 different wide receivers the past three seasons. Check out Patrick Mahomes props and more NFL picks at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets paid within 14 days after they spend $5+: The team might run more than in years past with the big free-agent addition of tailback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III of the Seahawks . He had had more 25-yard runs on one drive in the Super Bowl (two) than Chiefs tailbacks had all of last season (one). Walker is set at Over/Under 949.5 rushing yards, and I lean Over as long as he stays healthy. Kansas City's last 1,000-yard rusher was in 2017. If you plan to try NFL futures betting at the best sports betting apps and top sports betting [... truncated ...]
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Greg Olsen could be the eventual successor to Tony Romo
Pro Football TalkSource ↗
John Ourand of Puck reports that J.J. Watt and Greg Olsen are being considered as potential long-term replacements for Tony Romo at CBS. Olsen, who has won three Emmys and previously held a top analyst role at Fox, could leave his current network if offered the lead broadcasting position. Romo's future at CBS is uncertain due to the remaining $72 million on his contract and his current leave of absence
QB · MIN
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Aaron Donald wants one final answer before committing to Rams return
Aaron Donald, Tom Brady, Kyler MurrayAaron Donald’s possible return to the Los Angeles Rams now appears to hinge on one question: Can his body still meet the standard he established
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Tom Brady turns 49 today
Not long ago, the arrival of August 3 was a reminder that Tom Brady was stretching the quarterback rubber band farther than anyone has
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Betting the Buccaneers in 2026: See how Tampa Bay's win total, Super Bowl odds are trending and our best bets
The Buccaneers' run of four straight division titles came to an end in 2025 due to the Panthers sweeping the Falcons and winning the tiebreaker between the three 8-9 teams, but Tampa Bay has no one to blame but itself after losing seven of its nine games after the bye. That included a loss to each of its division rivals by four points or fewer from Weeks 14-16. On top of wondering what might have been, the Bucs have had to navigate the loss of longtime stars on both sides of the ball as Mike Evans and Lavonte David are among those who won't be on the field for the team in 2026. We're taking a look at everything you need to know before making Tampa Bay Buccaneers futures bets below, including odds, trends, 2026 schedule, offseason changes and more before sharing our preseason betting strategy for the team. Odds are via DraftKings. Fans interested in betting on NFL and Super Bowl futures should check out the latest DraftKings promo code . The offseason losses have led to pessimism in the market, with the Bucs moving from strong favorites to go Over 8.5 wins to juiced to the Under despite positive reviews for their draft. While they remain the favorite to win the NFC North, the market sees it as more likely than not the Bucs will miss the playoffs. The Bucs have finished with eight or more wins in each of the last six years, three with Tom Brady at quarterback and three with Baker Mayfield. However, their minus-31 point differential last year marked the second time in that stretch where they finished with more points allowed than scored and has led to a much more conservative win total in the market than last year. If you want to wager on NFL futures, you have to check out the latest FanDuel promo code . Not much went right for the Bucs statistically in 2025 as they finished well behind the Falcons offense in yards per play while finishing last in the division in that stat on defense. The Bucs had the worst red-zone defense in the league last year but were one of five teams to allow fewer than 100 rushing yards per game. While Mike Evans and Lavonte David may not have been the same caliber of player as at their peaks, both still represent key losses for the franchise. The losses might not be over, with star defensive lineman Vita Vea requesting a trade, but for now the biggest loss on field may be Jamel Dean, who graded third at cornerback in 2025, according to PFF. With good depth at receiver even after the Evans loss, the Bucs chose this offseason to direct their focus on the defense, bringing in Alex Anzalone, Al-Quadin Muhammad and A'Shawn Robinson to cover losses in the front seven before supplementing those additions with Rueben Bain (seen as great value at No. 15 overall) and Josiah Trotter. Before you wager on NFL or Super Bowl futures, head over to our BetMGM promo code to see a great offer. The Bucs avoid a first-place schedule for the first time since 2022, which this year means playing the Rams, Cowboys and Chargers instead of the Seahawks, Eagles and Broncos. The Bucs are also a rare team that avoided any back-to-back road games on the schedule, with their toughest travel spot a trip to Dallas on short rest for a Thursday game. If you want to tail R.J. White and other SportsLine and CBS experts, check out the latest Caesars Sportsbook promo code . Maybe the Bucs will manage to win the division, but I like making this play as essentially a way to take the other three teams to have the NFC South winner as it seems unlikely a wild card is going to come from this group. While the schedule may not be as challenging as it has been in the past, the quality of the roster seems to be worse than a team last year that struggled on both sides of the ball. Week 1 in Cincinnati should be a good test for how competitive this Bucs team can be this year, so anyone hesitant to play them prior to the start of the season can use that as a gauge to jump in with a positive play ahead of the Week 2 meeting with Cleveland or find [... truncated ...]
QB · CIN
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Bengals News: Ravens player sees Tom Brady in Joe Burrow
It has always been high praise for following Burrow since his time at LSU
QB · NE
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Five Patriots with the most to prove at training camp after surprise Super Bowl run
The New England Patriots bring a new level of expectations to the 2026 season. Their turnaround was quick, but whether they can maintain that momentum is the bigger question. Heading into last year, quarterback Drake Maye was about to play his first full season as a starter. Mike Vrabel just took the job, and they were coming off a 4-13 season. This year, the Patriots are defending AFC Champions with Maye as the MVP runner-up and Vrabel earning Coach of the Year. Was 2026 just a flash in the pan for the Pats? Or are they back to being a threat to the AFC, just as they were for two decades during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick Era? These questions will be answered in part by the performance of a few key players with a lot to prove. Some need to prove themselves after a bad playoff performance; others need to show they can bounce back from injury; some need to prove their contract is worth it; while others need to step up not only as leaders but as the star the team needs and lacked last season. Here are the five players with the most to prove during training camp: If you watched Super Bowl LX, or any of New England's playoff run, you know why Will Campbell is listed. He wasn't the same player after coming back from a MCL tear he suffered in Week 12 , and his performance dipped significantly when it counted most. Campbell allowed 29 pressures during the playoffs, the most in the league since 2016. The 2025 No. 4 overall pick was credited with allowing one of the five Maye sacks in the Super Bowl and four total in the playoffs. Maye ate 21 postseason sacks, an NFL record. This is the biggest of Maye's three years in the league. In his rookie season, he experienced growing pains, and last season, he adjusted to a new coach and exceeded expectations. This year, however, the pressure is on more than ever; the lights are bright, the schedule is more difficult, and with an upgraded roster, his play should naturally improve. He won't get as many passes (no pun intended) for missteps this year as he had the first two years in the league. How he builds relationships with the new players, specifically A.J. Brown, will be paramount. Maye needs better results in the red zone, needs to take fewer sacks (which is also on his protection), and needs to improve ball security. A trip to the Super Bowl is great, but the criticisms of the easy schedule are valid . Maye needs to prove that last year wasn't a fluke and that he can remain a top QB in the league. We've seen it before, where a quarterback explodes one year, then doesn't ever quite reach that same height in future years, and this is Maye's time to prove he won't be added to that conversation. Wide receiver A.J. Brown heads to Foxboro after a rollercoaster experience with the Philadelphia Eagles . The Patriots desperately needed a reliable WR1 for some time, and Brown was brought in to be that guy. Their lack of a real star wideout lately has made both the teams and fans desperate for someone who can fill that role. As Vrabel's former player with the Tennessee Titans , there is familiarity. Brown needs to prove he was worth what the Patriots gave up to acquire him , a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick The Patriots ranked 23rd in receiving yards last season (4.459), but were tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns (31). Stefon Diggs reached 1,000 yards receiving last year, but before that, the last Patriot to hit the mark was Julian Edelman in 2019. Diggs is not currently on the team, and Brown is looking like the best long-term option for a reliable receiver. Christian Gonzalez believes he is the best cornerback in the game and wants to get paid as such. This week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team made a contract offer that would make Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in the league. Los Angeles Rams ' Trent McDuffie currently holds that title, with an average salary of $31 million per year. Gonzalez is eligible for an extension and was training at t [... truncated ...]
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What can the Seahawks ‘D’ for a Super Bowl encore?
History used to be kinder to dynasties. Steelers , Niners, Ming. You know, the big three. Now it kneecaps them, with notable exceptions. It’s widely known that Tom Brady , Patrick Mahomes and John Elway are the only quarterbacks to lead their team to Super Bowl repeats in the salary cap era. Of course, you’ll rightly tell me Brady and Mahomes are no Sam Darnold . And Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce aren’t even in the same discussion as AJ Barner . Silly to talk about those old men when it’s a young man’s league. Plus, Seattle is armed with Jaxon Smith-Njigba , the reigning Defensive AND Offensive Player of the Year, a cleated malevolent sprite who breaks ankles for breakfast and swallows souls for Sunday dinner. Ah, but to frame the Seattle Seahawks’ repeat chances through their offensive playmakers is both unjust and inaccurate. While Mahomes gets the endorsements, Brady gets to play owner in Vegas and Darnold is throwing out first pitches at ball games , the truth remains, defense wins championships, same as always. Same. As. Always. Which is better news for the Dark Side anyway. So in honor of the type of defense the 2025 Seahawks played, four D-related reasons they can repeat are listed below; in honor of how the National Football League actually works, three D-related reasons they cannot repeat will follow. Quick apology which is fake: I’m calling them Dreasons. Longtime fans will easily recall the 2000 Ravens, the 2002 Buccaneers, the 2013 Seahawks, the 2015 Broncos, and other examples from decades of defensive determinism. However, the Brady and Mahomes examples are also arguments for defense. The Patriots won consecutive titles before Tom was in anyone’s top QB tier because defensive guru Bill Belichick assembled a unit that led the league in scoring defense for 2003 and came in second a year later. The Chiefs’ last title came because defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo developed enough Shanahan counter-moves and spooked Brock Purdy in crunch time. Man, that guy would’ve made such a great Seattle DC when we desperately needed one. Minus a raw milk asteroid hitting the V-Mac midseason, the Seahawks defense will again stake a claim to be the league’s best. Ernest Jones , Julian Love , Leonard Williams, and Devon Witherspoon shepherded by Mike Macdonald in his third year — those are the dudes I want leading the charge for a repeat that would put Seattle in anyone’s discussion of the NFL’s most storied franchises. I want them angry that people are picking the Rams, and keeping their teammates sharp. DeMarcus Lawrence , Derick Hall , Byron Murphy , Jarran Reed and Uchenna Nwosu along the defensive line all at once? Sorry to say, your offensive play is probably wrecked. Nick Emmanwori being everything everywhere all at once, teleporting from the defensive backfield to the line of scrimmage because he can, sauntering from sideline to sideline, salivating with malice? God have mercy. Growing role players like Josh Jobe , Drake Thomas and Ty Okada coming into their own, now with valuable experience and a taste for winning? You can try and pick on them out of necessity, but they are not weak links. Y’all, if we’re throwing the Seahawks another parade in February, it’ll be because of those 14 men, their capable understudies, and their head coach, about whom no amount of superlatives will do. Which brings up — While it may sometimes feel to opponents like Seattle has 14 defenders on the field at once, I checked, and the rulebook says 11 at most, and no touching the receivers, ever. Still, you get my drift — while other squads struggle to fill the 53-man with 53 men who can actually hold their own on the field, the Seahawks have more starting-level players than starting spots. And that’s not even counting the incoming rookie class, which figures to hold one or more immediate pleasant surprises ( Bud Clark , Julian Neal, please pick up an action green courtesy phone). I’m not the spirit of John Clayton, RIP. I can’t re [... truncated ...]
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Patriots owner Robert Kraft says team has offered CB Christian Gonzalez 'the highest contract' in franchise history
The New England Patriots want to keep Christian Gonzalez around for a long time. Team owner Robert Kraft gave us an idea of how much on Saturday. Speaking with reporters at Patriots training camp, Kraft said the Patriots have offered their Pro Bowl cornerback a contract that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. It would also reportedly be the largest contract in franchise history. Via ESPN’s Mike Reiss : "We love Christian Gonzalez. We love him as a player, as a person. That's why we've made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL. And coincidentally, it's the highest contract in the Patriots’ franchise history. We're glad we drafted him and he's developed here, and we hope he'll be with us for a long time." Gonzalez currently has two seasons remaining on his rookie deal after the team picked up his fifth-year option in April. The deal will pay him $2.3 million in 2026 and $18.1 million in 2027. Via OverTheCap , the current highest-paid cornerback in the NFL is Los Angeles Rams star Trent McDuffie at $31 million per year. His four-year, $124 million contract is also the largest for a defensive back in league history and contains the most guaranteed money at $100 million . As for the largest contract in franchise history, that title belongs to Gonzalez’s teammate, defensive tackle Milton Williams , with his four-year, $104 million deal. The title does not belong to Tom Brady , who never signed a deal larger than four-year, $72 million deal from 2010 to 2014 or made more than his $23 million in 2019 with the Patriots. So after looking at that history, we can take Kraft’s words to mean that the Patriots have offered Gonzalez a deal of at least four years and $31 million per year. Of course, it’s a general rule of thumb that if a team is telling the public how much it just offered a player, that deal isn’t happening anytime soon. If Gonzalez liked the offer, we’d be hearing that a deal was in the works instead. The Patriots selected Gonzalez out of Oregon with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and have watched him blossom into one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL, as the money would suggest. The 24-year-old was a vital part of the defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in points allowed last year and helped power the team to the Super Bowl. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 13th-best corner in the NFL last year , noting some inconsistency in the middle of the season but calling him “undoubtedly among the NFL’s elite in coverage” when everything is clicking
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Patrick Mahomes reveals he consulted with Tom Brady after suffering ACL tear
Patrick Mahomes wanted the help of the NFL GOAT. The Chiefs’ quarterback revealed Friday that he consulted with Tom Brady after his ACL injury in December, as the legendary quarterback previously dealt with a “very similar injury.” Brady tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in 2008 before leading the Patriots to the playoffs the following year, and Mahomes will look to do the same after going down in Week 15 of last season against the Chargers. Mahomes — who has been cleared to practice roughly seven months after his ACL injury — also told reporters that he spoke with Tyrann Mathieu and Zach Ertz , who have dealt with ACL injuries as well. “It’s just talking to guys that have been through this process and just saying how you have to stay on top of it,” Mahomes said. “It’s a long process. I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games and how much it hurt me, but I knew that if I continued to work, I could be at this spot where I get cleared for practice. Now I’m just trying to get to that spot where I’m cleared to play in the regular season on that first week.” Ertz suffered an ACL injury just one week before Mahomes did last season, and the Chiefs’ passer said he and the tight end had “competitions” with one another while they were rehabbing. “It would start off as how much deadlift — what you’re deadlifting, where you’re at — and then [we would] send little videos,” he said. “He’s jumping and doing certain acceleration things, and I’m sending him next week doing cutting and stuff like that.” Mahomes will be raring to go for the Chiefs after they slumped to a 6-11 finish and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Kansas City began the year 5-3 but went just 1-8 the rest of the way. Mahomes will be able to ramp up during training camp and the preseason before the Chiefs host the Broncos in Week 1 on Sept. 14
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Patrick Mahomes consulted with Tom Brady, others during the rehab process
Patrick Mahomes has made a remarkable recovery from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. The Chiefs quarterback injured his knee in a Dec. 14 game and underwent surgery the following day. A little over seven months later, he is cleared for training camp . Mahomes said he consulted with several players who went through a similar rehab. “I talked to Tom [Brady] early in the process because he had the same injury, a very similar injury that I had,” Mahomes said Friday, via Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star . Brady tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during the season opener in 2008 before winning Comeback Player of the Year in 2009. “It’s just talking to guys that have been through this process and just saying how you have to stay on top of it,” Mahomes said. “It’s a long process. I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games and how much it hurt me, but I knew that if I continued to work, I could be at this spot where I get cleared for practice. Now I’m just trying to get to that spot where I’m cleared to play in the regular season on that first week.” Mahomes also talked to former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu and veteran tight end Zach Ertz. Mathieu tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in 2013 and had another ACL tear in 2015, and Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes’ injury. His conversations with Ertz turned into a rehab competition. “We kind of had like competitions on where we were at, and where we were rehabbing,” Mahomes said of Ertz. “It would start off as how much deadlift — what you’re deadlifting, where you’re at — and then [we would] send little videos. He’s jumping and doing certain acceleration things, and I’m sending him next week doing cutting and stuff like that. “It keeps the competition going because it’s a long process and you feel like sometimes you’re lonely because you’re doing stuff by yourself, and you’re just competing against yourself, so it gave me someone else that I can compete with to push my competitive drive.”
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Patrick Mahomes consulted with Tom Brady, others during the rehab process
Patrick Mahomes has made a remarkable recovery from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. The Chiefs quarterback injured his knee in a Dec. 14 game and underwent surgery the following day. A little over seven months later, he is cleared for training camp . Mahomes said he consulted with several players who went through a similar rehab. “I talked to Tom [ Brady ] early in the process because he had the same injury, a very similar injury that I had,” Mahomes said Friday, via Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star . Brady tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during the season opener in 2008 before winning Comeback Player of the Year in 2009. “It’s just talking to guys that have been through this process and just saying how you have to stay on top of it,” Mahomes said. “It’s a long process. I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games and how much it hurt me, but I knew that if I continued to work, I could be at this spot where I get cleared for practice. Now I’m just trying to get to that spot where I’m cleared to play in the regular season on that first week.” Mahomes also talked to former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu and veteran tight end Zach Ertz . Mathieu tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in 2013 and had another ACL tear in 2015, and Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' injury. His conversations with Ertz turned into a rehab competition. “We kind of had like competitions on where we were at, and where we were rehabbing,” Mahomes said of Ertz. “It would start off as how much deadlift — what you’re deadlifting, where you’re at — and then [we would] send little videos. He’s jumping and doing certain acceleration things, and I’m sending him next week doing cutting and stuff like that. “It keeps the competition going because it’s a long process and you feel like sometimes you’re lonely because you’re doing stuff by yourself, and you’re just competing against yourself, so it gave me someone else that I can compete with to push my competitive drive.”
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