This year, the annual NFL Top 100 list is being revealed over the not so brief span of June 22 through September 4. A couple of former Philadelphia Eagles players have already made appearances ( A.J. Brown at No. 80, Josh Sweat at No. 78) but now a current member of the Birds has finally been revealed. Jalen Hurts is checking in at No. 56, according to this list determined by player voting. Here’s a highlights clip that features praise from his peers: For the third year in a row, Hurts’ ranking in the NFL Top 100 has dropped. He was No. 3 in 2023, No. 15 in 2024, and No. 19 in 2025. Hurts is the eighth quarterback to make the list thus far. He finished above the following players at his position: No. 59 – Bo Nix No. 62 – Trevor Lawrence No. 69 – Lamar Jackson No. 72 – Jordan Love No. 77 – Baker Mayfield No. 85 – Brock Purdy No. 98 – Bryce Young It’s interesting to see this player-voted list contrasted with the recent ESPN survey of front office executives and coaches. The latter had Hurts ranked as the league’s seventeenth-best quarterback , which feels harsh. Comparatively speaking, Hurts clearly draws more respect from his fellow players. Perhaps none more than former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson , who went as far to say that Hurts should top the list: I’d guess even some of the biggest Hurts supporters would admit that’s extreme. But the sentiment is admirable. While it’s not surprising to see CJGJ hype up his former teammate and fellow Super Bowl champion, it is pretty notable that he’s putting Hurts above his current Buffalo Bills teammate Josh Allen . What do you think of Hurts’ placement in this year’s NFL Top 100 list? Too high, too low, just right? Scroll down and join the discussion in the comments! Hat tip to our community for getting the ball rolling on this topic first in The Feed:
Matthew Stafford is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to putting together go-ahead drives. He’s been pulling off comeback magic basically his whole career. Will Stafford be able to do it again? And here’s another reality, the Los Angeles Rams have lost their last few playoff games by failing to take a lead late in the game. That happened against the Detroit Lions , the Philadelphia Eagles and last year against the Seattle Seahawks . Of course, to be fair, the defense and or special teams haven’t quite held up their end in some cases either. Still though, there is an argument to be made that the Rams have been just one more drive away from putting together some special seasons the last few years, and they’ve come up short. That’s not exactly on Stafford, but it does show that Stafford needs more than just his own magic to go on another Super Bowl run. He needs the team to back him up too. Please comment on whatever you want and thank you for checking out Turf Show Times! “Matthew Stafford was at his best in 2025 exactly when the Los Angeles Rams needed him most. Stafford led all NFL quarterbacks in expected points added per dropback while trailing in the second half at +0.45, per Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis , ahead of Jordan Love (+0.31), Bo Nix (+0.28), Josh Allen (+0.28) and Caleb Williams (+0.27).“ “As training camp approaches for the Los Angeles Rams , all anyone is talking about is Aaron Donald’s future. The former All-Pro defensive tackle is considering a return to football, which would end his two-year retirement in order to chase another Super Bowl ring. There’s no clear timeline for a decision to be made, and it could even spill into the regular season, but the Rams aren’t going to rush or push him. Donald hasn’t spoken publicly about his plans, only telling Pat McAfee and Jordan Schultz last month that he’s considering a comeback.“ “Every season in the NFL produces performances that feel less like a single game and more like statistical outliers — explosive outings where quarterbacks pile up passing yards, running backs break off long scoring runs, and receivers turn routine targets into multi-touchdown afternoons. These are the kinds of games that separate good fantasy weeks from historic ones. Stacker compiled a ranking of the best fantasy performances in Los Angeles Rams history using data from Stathead . The list includes the highest single-game fantasy scores by quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers/tight ends across the franchise’s history, based on standard fantasy scoring.“
THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL BEARSSSSSS Execs, coaches, scouts rank top NFL quarterbacks for 2026 – ESPN 10. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears. “He’s the most dynamic of the group,” one GM said. “He’s got the arm talent and overall athleticism suited for today’s game.” Bears’ Caleb Williams Edges Packers’ Jordan Love for No. 10 Spot on ESPN’s QB Rankings – Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears A tiebreaker separated four quarterbacks for the final spot, and evaluators pointed to one specific trait that pushed Chicago’s passer over the top. Caleb Williams among 6 Bears to Allegedly Have Madden NFL 27 Overall Rating Leaked – Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears Three Chicago Bears were among the top 100 highest rated players, and three 2026 draft picks were in the top 100 rookies. Christkindlmarket in July? No, it’s just a Bears-themed Hallmark movie In the blazing heat of July, Hallmark began filming “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” with cast, cameras and film crews spotted at Federal Plaza. POLISH SAUSAGE ‘Disgusting Work,’ ‘This List Is A Joke’ — NFL World Rips League After Lamar Jackson’s Shocking Rank On Top-100 Players In 2026 – ProFootballNetwork.com NFL fans on X criticized Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s No. 69 ranking on the NFL Top 100 players list. Free-agent WR Stefon Diggs: There is no WR2 better than me – NFL.com “My opinion, I can compete with anybody,” Diggs said. “But take those [top wide receivers] as your 1s, right? You can’t name a No. 2 better than me.” KNOW THINE ENEMY Besides QB, Browns big ‘lingering’ questions are replacing Myles Garrett, extensions – DawgsByNature.com Questions surrounding the Cleveland Browns roster includes Shedeur , Watson and replacing Myles Garrett IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON Analyzing projected stats for top Bears offensive players We take a look at how the top fantasy football outlets project the Bears’ top offensive players will perform in 2026. ESPN Survey: Caleb Williams Top 10 QB in the NFL ESPN’s front office survey ranks Caleb Williams as the 10th best QB in the NFL, beating out Jordan Love, Jayden Daniels , Sam Darnold , and Jalen Hurts . Training Camp Battle: C: Garrett Bradbury vs Logan Jones Will Garrett Bradbury or Logan Jones be the team’s starting center in September? We discuss in our next training camp battle. 10 Most Important Bears of 2026: #1 Caleb Williams For the 15th time in 18 years, the quarterback takes the top spot in @wiltfongjr’s 10 Most Important Bears series. Here’s why Caleb Williams is No. 1. 3 Bears appear in PFN’s NFL Top 100 players of 2026 Pro Football Network has three Bears players ranked in its NFL Top 100 list for 2026. 2nd City Gridiron is our video home! So hit the link and help us grow that brand! THE RULES Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines – SBNation.com – We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following are not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender-based insults of any kind, racial insults, profanity, etc. 2nd City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Bear & Balanced from Jeff Berckes and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., Bears Over Beers featuring Ryan Droste and Bryan Orenchuk, Making Monsters with Taylor Doll, The Mac & Read Show from Evan McLean and Ross Read, and an occasional T Formation Conversation from Lester; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert is another fun one. Click on our names to follow our Windy City Gridiron and 2nd City Gridiron teams on Twitter: Gary Baugher Jr. ; Jeff Berckes ; Dr. Patti Curl ; Sarah DeNicolo ; Ryan Droste ; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter ; Dan Durkin ; Taylor Doll ; Donald Gooch ; Kev H ; Sam Householder ; Jacob Infante ; Aaron Lemming ; Evan McLean ; Dr. Ken Mitchell ; Bryan Orenchuk ; Ross Read : Jack R Salo ; Steven Schweickert ; Jack Silverstein ; Khari Thompson ; Lester Wiltfong, Jr. ; T.J. Starman ; Khari Thompson [... truncated ...]
Across 15 games in 2025, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 66.3% of his pass attempts for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The 27-year-old has established himself as an efficient and effective NFL quarterback, leading Green Bay to the playoffs in all three of his seasons as a starter. However, Love's lack of rushing upside combined with the Packers' run-heavy offensive approach has limited his fantasy viability. Love finished as the QB18 in per-game fantasy scoring in 2024 and the QB21 by the same metric in 2025. Still, Love may finally be fully healthy in 2026 after battling knee, thumb, and concussion issues over the past two seasons. He should also get more out of key pass-catchers in tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) and Jayden Reed, who combined to miss 19 games last season. Love may not offer high-end QB1 upside, but he may be worth buying low on in dynasty formats ahead of what could be a resurgent 2026
Green Bay Packers second-year wide receiver Matthew Golden has clear breakout potential in Year 2 in 2026 and should get plenty more opportunities in the passing game with a year in Green Bay's offense under his belt and with the offseason departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Golden, a first-rounder last year, didn't perform up to expectations in his first year in the NFL in a crowded WR room in Green Bay. He was tied for 84th with 29 catches and 78th with 361 receiving yards, according to TruMedia. The 22-year-old product of the University of Texas didn't score for the first time until the playoffs. Golden will be a clear top-three wideout for quarterback Jordan Love alongside injury-prone receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. He'll be an excellent buy-low target in dynasty formats and a nice sleeper to target in redraft drafts with plenty of speed (4.29-second 40-yard dash), even though he doesn't impress anyone with his size (5-foot-11, 191 pounds)
The NFL is currently unveiling the result of its annual Top 100 players survey, and Packers linebacker Micah Parsons is not happy with where his fellow players ranked his quarterback. Parsons wrote on social media that Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who was ranked No. 72 in the player poll, should have been a lot higher. “ 71 players in the NFL aren’t better than Jordan love!” Parsons wrote. Love has been ranked in the Top 100 after each of his three seasons as the Packers’ starting quarterback, but his ranking has steadily declined. In 2024 he was No. 34, in 2025 he was No. 68, and now in 2026 he’s No. 72. Parsons’ own ranking has not yet been revealed. Last year he ranked No. 36
Micah Parsons publicly disagreed with the NFL Top 100 player poll, stating that Jordan Love deserved a higher ranking than No. 72. Love's ranking has declined in consecutive years
The Las Vegas Raiders used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on whom they hope will be the future of the franchise in quarterback Fernando Mendoza . The Indiana signal-caller cemented himself as a college football legend, as he led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and College Football Championship while picking up the Heisman Trophy along the way. Only three other players have ever won the Heisman Trophy and were selected No. 1 overall: Cam Newton , Jameis Winston and Joe Burrow . All three players were immediately thrown into the starting lineup for their respective teams, but that will not be the case for Mendoza. The Raiders went out and signed veteran Kirk Cousins to start the season, and mentor the young Mendoza. Some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL did not start right away. Patrick Mahomes sat almost his entire rookie season while learning behind Alex Smith , Aaron Rodgers sat for three years behind Brett Favre, and Jordan Love behind Rodgers for two seasons. Even the great Tom Brady sat for over a full year backing up Drew Bledsoe. So, what is the best course of action? Former Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, who coached Philly to its Super Bowl LII victory against Brady's New England Patriots in 2017, believes that Mendoza should start right away. Pederson faced this same dilemma in 2016, when his Eagles drafted Carson Wentz No. 2 overall. It appeared Wentz was going to sit behind Sam Bradford as a rookie, but the Eagles changed course and shipped Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings prior to the start of the regular season. That opened the door for Wentz to play immediately. As Pederson explains it, he truly believed Wentz was going to be his franchise quarterback, and he wanted to get the growing pains out of the way early. He believes the Raiders should do this with Mendoza. "Let's get this guy out there Week 1, let's start having our growing pains Week 1," Pederson said. "Let's not prolong it into October or November or later in the season. Let's get him out there now. Let's get him working with the guys that he's going to be working with. Making the calls at the offensive line, getting Ashton Jeanty the ball. I think Klint Kubiak's system is going to allow for that, with the play-action pass, the run game, all these things that helped Seattle win a championship last year. But let's get Fernando on the field. I think it's very beneficial..." Pederson said Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott called him in 2018 to ask for advice on how to handle his new quarterback, Josh Allen . Pederson told him if McDermott was completely sold on Allen being the future of the franchise, he should play right away. "I think you put him on the field Day 1." Doug Pederson thinks the Raiders should start Fernando Mendoza at QB Week 1. pic.twitter.com/dfjB8Emd9e Wentz went 7-9 for the Eagles as a rookie, and then started his second season 11-2 before tearing his ACL. Wentz looked like an MVP candidate during that 2017 campaign prior to his injury with 33 passing touchdowns in 13 games. He clearly built confidence after playing a full year in the NFL. If there's one former player you should listen to when it comes to handling quarterbacks, it's Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion is a proponent of sitting and developing young quarterbacks. He lamented the state of the quarterback in today's NFL during a 2024 interview. "I didn't start my first year. I think it's just a tragedy that we're forcing these rookies to play early," Brady said. "But the reality is, the only reason why they are is because we've dumbed the game down which has allowed them to play. It used to be thought of at a higher level..." . @TomBrady on the tragedy that is being forced on rookie QBs in today’s NFL pic.twitter.com/IReSLdYL1R Since 2020, we've seen 11 rookie quarterbacks start immediately, and every single one of them had growing pains. Even the great Burrow, [... truncated ...]
Josh Allen is the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL… according to many movers and shakers around the league. In ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler’s latest survey league survey of executives, scouts, and coaches about the Top 10 players at each position, the leader of the Buffalo Bills came out on top in the quarterback rankings. This quote was included in the lengthy write-up about about Allen: “He’s the most singularly unstoppable player at the position when you get his A-game,” the GM said. “And he has cut down on the turnovers the past two seasons.” As someone who has viewed Allen as the best player in the NFL since the start of the 2022 season, I completely agree with that assessment. Here’s what the entire Top 10 looked like in Fowler’s article: While I understand Mahomes at No. 2 — he has not played like the second-best quarterback in the NFL the past two seasons. But reputations at quarterback aren’t super fluid, especially when you’ve won three Super Bowls. The Top 5 does feel like the consensus right now (regardless of order). As for No. 6 – 10, all included are worthy candidates, but I’d have found room for Jordan Love of the Packers . Brock Purdy was voted honorable mention, which is deserving too. Anyway, back to Allen — he represents the finest combination of elite-level passing both inside and outside the pocket and elite-level rushing ability in the NFL. Even if you view him as ever-so-slightly less effective as a passer as Mahomes, there’s no doubt he’s a much more capable runner. And in the inverse is true when comparing Allen to Jackson. He’s certainly not as explosive as the Ravens quarterback but has been darn close to as effective running with the football. And he’s clearly a more impressive passer. Allen is lightyears ahead of Burrow and Stafford in scrambling and designed-run departments. Do you view Allen as the best quarterback in the NFL? Maybe that’s a silly question. Let’s try this — how do you rank the Top 10 quarterbacks entering the 2026 season?
Last week, our PODcast crew debated the best quarterback, wide receiver, and running back rooms in the NFC North . Some of those discussions were straightforward. Some were not. The discussion around the division quarterbacks was interesting, but we all agreed that Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was the best of the North right now. It turns out NFL employees agree. On Monday, ESPN continued their series ranking the top players at every position, as voted on by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. They kicked off this week with the top-10 quarterbacks of 2026 , and Goff came in at ninth— down one spot from last year . In 2024, he was also ninth. The eight quarterbacks ahead of him were as follows, from top to bottom: Josh Allen Patrick Mahomes Matthew Stafford Joe Burrow Lamar Jackson Dak Prescott Justin Herbert Drake Maye Personally speaking, that top five looks good. They are on a different tier, and the rest are certainly debatable. Pertaining to Goff, executives apparently praised him for good mechanics, toughness, and decision-making. “The guy wins,” an anonymous NFL coordinator told ESPN. “He’s going to find a completion if not under pressure. Mature pocket passer with a plus arm who can layer the ball at all levels.” Goff’s highest ranking in a single ballot was fifth. According to the article, around 60% of ballots had Goff in a top-10 spot, meaning just over 40% believe he’s not a top-10 quarterback. As for the rest of the NFC North, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams snuck into the top-10 for the first time, finishing in the final slot. For the second straight year, Jordan Love only received an honorable mention in this poll. Obviously, the Vikings quarterbacks did not receive votes last year after major struggles at the position. For comparison’s sake, here are the statistics for each NFC North quarterback from 2025: Jared Goff: 393-of-578 (68.0%) for 4,564 yards (7.9 Y/A), 34 TDS, 8 INTS, 105.5 passer rating — 19 rushes, 45 yards Jordan Love 291-of-439 (66.3%) for 3,381 yards (7.7 Y/A), 23 TDS, 6 INTS, 101.2 passer rating — 47 rushes, 199 yards Caleb Williams 330-of-568 (58.1%) for 3,942 yards (6.9 Y/A), 27 TDs, 7 INTs, 90.1 passer rating — 77 rushes, 388 yards, 3 TDs J.J. McCarthy 140-of-243 (57.6%) for 1,632 yards (6.7 Y/A), 11 TDs, 12 INTs, 72.6 passer rating — 37 rushes, 181 yards, 4 TDs
The Los Angeles Rams must feel pretty good about the success of their monumental 2021 trade that swapped Jared Goff and a cache of picks for Matthew Stafford. The move resulted in a Super Bowl championship at the team’s home in SoFi Stadium. Years later Stafford is finding new heights in his career. He just put a bow on his most productive season yet and earned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player honors. Even with things going so well, the Rams understand quarterback is the most important position in football. Stafford’s career continuation is on a year-to-year basis. He could easily decide to call it quits after 2026. LA decided now is the time to prepare for the future. They drafted Ty Simpson with the thirteenth overall pick earlier this spring. There is plenty of time to discern what Simpson brings to the table and whether he’s someone that the Rams can be trusted with the keys as soon as 2027. As training camp approaches, now seems like a good moment to ponder on Simpson’s NFL ceiling. For as good as Stafford is, could Simpson one day surpass him? For most of Stafford’s NFL tenure, he was often the 8th to 12th best quarterback in the league. Many in front of him have hung up their cleats: Peyton Manning , Tom Brady , Drew Brees , Matt Ryan , Philip Rivers , Ben Roethlisberger , Eli Manning , Andrew Luck , and others. The league’s new elite quarterbacks are stylistically very different from those who have come before. There is a significant difference in the way they play the game from what makes Stafford successful. I’m thinking of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson , Joe Burrow , Drake Maye , Caleb Williams , Jordan Love , and more. The NFL is in good hands with this emerging crop. But modern professional football almost requires quarterbacks to be able to win with their legs. You can get by with a savvy pocket passer, although in short-yardage and goal line situations you may be leaving meat on the bone if your signal caller can’t pick it up himself. This alone is one of the biggest changes the Rams will see when they one day transition from Stafford to Simpson. And certainly Stafford brings a headiness to his play that is unrivaled by the next generation. His no-look passes and ability to quickly progress through the defense gives Los Angeles a massive inherent advantage. There are tradeoffs for nearly any player teams decide to put under center. At least on the surface the Rams seem to understand where the quarterback position is headed. Simpson fits that bill from a stylistic standpoint. A common draft season knock against both Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson was that they are probably NFL starters but may be not better than mid-tier. Simpson has frequently been compared to Brock Purdy , a former seventh round pick and someone who may never become elite himself. But Simpson has Sean McVay’s seal of approval. That is meaningful for nearly anyone on the offensive side of the ball. While seeing Simpson in such a favorable light does require some hand waving and looking past a small sample size, you can certainly see why the Rams felt he was a fit for their system and that he has the potential to grow into a difference maker. One of the main concerns with Simpson is his frame. He stands 6-1 and weighed 211 lbs. at the NFL scouting combine. That weight is likely significantly heavier than where he played at last season while he was battling gastritis. For example, the below list of quarterbacks have a earned reputation for missing time. Being slight of frame is a real concern. Brock Purdy, 212 lbs JJ McCarthy, 219 lbs Jayden Daniels , 21o lbs Lamar Jackson, 216 lbs Kyler Murray , 207 lbs Joe Burrow, 221 lbs Josh Allen is pushing 240 pounds. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are in the mid-220’s. Even 10 additional pounds may make a big difference in terms of sustaining hits over the course of a season. With an opportunity to observe one of the most savvy passers in football, time to build out his ph
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In a recent write up for SI , Bill Huber asked whether Jordan Love can capitalize on his supporting cast. It’s an interesting question because so much of the national conversation assumes Green Bay ’s offense has gotten worse. Has it? Let’s walk through just a few examples. The Packers lost productivity in the receiver room. This is objectively true, but is sometimes employed in an intellectually dishonest way. Sure, Doubs is gone. Wicks is gone. They were productive. There were also way too many cooks in the receiver kitchen last year. Players knew it. The head coach has since admitted it. If you look back at last year, I think it’s fair to come away thinking Matthew Golden would have been roughly twice as productive if it weren’t for a crowded room and the mistakes of others (cough Wicks cough). His role should be greatly expanded this year, which we should all be really excited about. Also Watson is really good. The Packers don’t have an elite tight end . I mean, this is proveably false, or false-adjacent. I’ve heard multiple NFL generalist types seem pretty lukewarm on Tucker Kraft . I don’t have much to say in rebuttal, because it’s clear the people saying that didn’t actually watch the Packers last year. Once he gets back up to speed, he’s a top 5 (sometimes top 3) pass catching tight end. Period. The offensive line is a mess . Correction: it WAS a mess! Some of that was injuries, some of that was how the roster shook out, and some was probably coaching. But the Packers are entering training camp with a much more solid plan for their starting 5 than they’ve had in a few years. There’s every reason to believe that the unit will perform better than last year (and last year wasn’t terrible, just far below the typical Packers standard). Meanwhile, there’s plenty of love going around for the Bears (who are pretty well coached but also were very lucky last year) and the Lions (who actually got noticeably worse down the stretch last year – though, don’t tell the national folks that). Look, this is peak offseason content. So, thanks for clicking. I’m just anxious to get to meaningful ball so the Packers can prove folks wrong. I’m cautiously optimistic that the end product will be better than last year, not worse. What do you think? Let me hear it in the comments below. Three pivotal questions facing Jordan Love – The first practice of Packers training camp will be held on July 29, three weeks from today. To kick off a series, it’s three key questions at quarterback. Why safety Mark Perry may surprise folks – Safety Mark Perry entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and hasn’t played in a game in his career. He told Packers On SI why that could change this year. ICYMI: ESPN ranks the Green Bay Packers’ roster 10th in the NFL – The Packers came in 10th, while the Detroit LIons were listed as the 6th-best roster in the NFL. New-look Badgers to take the field at Lambeau – The Wisconsin Badgers football team has unveiled new uniforms to be worn versus Notre Dame at Lambeau Field
Our countdown of the 10 best plays of the Green Bay Packers ’ 2025 season continues with a pivotal play in the Packers’ eventual comeback victory in Pittsburgh . To watch the play, please click here . The Packers entered the game in good shape with a 4-1-1 record and as healthy as they would be all year . They would be facing old friend Aaron Rodgers , leading the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers , along with their signature solid defense, and shiny new toy DK Metcalf . After their early loss to the Browns, the offense had been humming, putting 40 on the Cowboys and 27 each on the Bengals and Cardinals, but those defenses were among the worst in the league. The Steelers would go on to win their division, and here they presented a difficult challenge as their most balanced opponent to date. This was also Christian Watson ’s first game of the season, and ended up being the only game in 2025 that the Packers had both Watson and Tucker Kraft available for a full 60 minutes. While the final score may look a bit lopsided, the Steelers took control early, drawing first blood with a ridiculous 56-yard field goal from Chris Boswell . The Packers would respond immediately with a long drive culminating in a brilliant 16-yard touchdown to Tucker Kraft, his first of the day, but the next few Packer drives would stall out due to a combination of ineffective Josh Jacobs runs (13 carries for just 33 yards on the day), especially on second-and-long. After Brandon McManus missed a 57-yard field goal to start the second quarter, the Steelers would leverage that field position into a successful 50-yarder from Boswell. After a three-and-out, they would add another 48-yarder from Boswell, and after yet another three-and-out, Rodgers and the Steelers finally hit paydirt, as the old-timer connected with DK Metcalf on a two-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a two-score lead. To make matters worse, Pittsburgh was due to receive the ball to start the second half, and after Brandon McManus missed yet another field goal, this time a 44-yarder as the first half expired, the game was in danger of getting away from Green Bay Fortunately, the Packer defense held strong, forcing a three-and-out to open the second half, but a huge punt from Corliss Waitman and a penalty on Javon Bullard pushed the first Packer drive back to the ten-yard line. On first down, Josh Jacobs was once again stuffed for no gain, and after a short throw to Luke Musgrave , the Packers were facing third-and-five at their own fifteen, trailing by nine points. It was not looking great! Tucker Kraft is great though, and it’s a good thing because he’s the main reason this play worked at all. On first watch I thought it was a complete disaster, and just a great individual effort from Kraft, but that’s not the entire story. While Pittsburgh’s pressure was effective and Love’s throw was impacted, Kraft was the correct read for a hot route, and as we learned many times in the first half of 2025, when Tucker Kraft is in single coverage, Tucker Kraft is open. The Packers lined up with Jordan Love in shotgun flanked to his left by Josh Jacobs. It’s a tight formation with Romeo Doubs slot left, and a bunch formation of Savion Williams , Matthew Golden , and our hero slot right, with Williams at the head of the triangle up on the line, Golden outside, and Kraft inside. The Steelers are showing blitz, and they bring it at the snap, with six men overwhelming Love’s protection. Zach Tom barely manages to fend off TJ Watt , while linebacker Patrick Queen bursts through the middle, depositing Elgton Jenkins on his rear end and blowing by an ineffective Jacobs, hitting Love as he throws. Because the Steelers are blitzing, they’re left with five men in coverage to deal with four Packers. Doubs runs a 15-yard in route that I suspect was intended as a double move deep shot if the Steelers had backed out of their blitz. He’s covered by Joey Porter, Jr. As it stands, the route looks incredibly awkward as Savi
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With about four weeks until Detroit Lions training camp, it’s time to take inventory not just of the team’s roster, but of their biggest rivals. So on this week’s PODcast, we started comparing the Lions’ roster with those of the other NFC North teams. Can the Lions climb back atop the division and earn their third NFC North crown in four years? Well, let’s compare the roster. On this episode, we kick things off with most of the skill-position players. The PODcast crew ranks each team’s quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receiver groups, all individually. Starting with quarterback, there’s a lot of contention. While it’s pretty easy to slot the Vikings at fourth with their quarterback situation in flux, Chicago ’s Caleb Williams and the advanced-statistic darling Jordan Love appear to be gaining ground on Jared Goff. Many will tell you a guy like Love has already surpassed Goff. Is that true? Our crew debates. When it comes to running back, Jahmyr Gibbs is the clear top option in the division. However, is Chicago’s one-two punch of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai more valuable? Does Detroit’s lack of proven depth pull them out of the top spot? And how screwed are the Packers if Josh Jacobs —the consensus No. 2 back in the division—faces any legal consequences from his offseason arrest? At wide receiver, there’s a ton of youth and promise across the entire NFC North, but there are two clear front-runners for the top spot. We have our most contentious debate of the podcast comparing the Lions’ and Vikings’ receiver groups. All of those conversations kick off in the second segment of the show—around the 42:20 mark of the episode. The first segment is devoted to the latest Lions news—all surrounding some recent lists. Is Jack Campbell too low (#88) on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list ? Is Jahmyr Gibbs the No. 2 back in the NFL ? Does Detroit really have the sixth-best roster in the league ? All of those questions are answered in the first half of the show. You can catch the entire episode using whatever podcasting platform you prefer by searching “Pride of Detroit .” Or, for your convenience, you can just listen using the Spotify embed below. You can also catch the video version of the PODcast on YouTube and Twitch . While you’re listening, share your NFC North team rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers in the comment section below
Our countdown of the 10 best plays of the Green Bay Packers’ 2025 season continues with a go-ahead touchdown to help the team earn a victory on the road. The Green Bay Packers came out of their Week 5 bye week by reeling off a three-game winning streak, defeating the Bengals, Cardinals and Steelers . The Week 8 Steelers game was one of the Packers’ best offensive performances of the season, with Jordan Love completing 20 straight passes in front of Aaron Rodgers : the man he sat behind for 3 years. (Love’s EPA in the Steelers game was +16.3, second only to his +21.7 performance against the Cowboys in Week 4.) After that high, the Packers dropped their next two, scoring a combined 20 points against the Panthers and the Eagles in Lambeau Field. So they packed up and headed to MetLife Stadium at 5-3-1 to face the 2-8 Giants . The Packers led for most of the game, but it was not a particularly pretty game. The Giants hung in and took advantage late, going on a 15 play, 85 yard drive touchdown drive to open the 4th quarter, taking a 20-19 lead in the process. The kickoff was a touchback, giving the Packers the ball on their own 35 with 7:22 remaining in the game. The Packers gained 48 yards on 7 plays (including a 33 yard pass to Savion Williams on a 3rd & 10), and now faced 2nd & 7 at the Giants 17 yard line. The Packers come out in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) in a 2×2 shotgun spread formation. On the right side, John FitzPatrick is on the outside while Christian Watson is in the slot. On the left, Romeo Doubs is the front man in a stack, with Matthew Golden underneath. On the left, they’re running a pick-play for Emanuel Wilson out of the backfield and a delayed in-cutter from Doubs. On the right, they’re running Smash Fade, with FitzPatrick running a quick-hitch and Watson running a deep fade over the top. The Giants are showing a single-high safety pre-snap. Given the fact that the Giants’ defense didn’t disguise their defense much last season, it’s safe to assume that they’ll be running a single-high defense post-snap. The fade to Watson is a good answer to that coverage, so that’s where Love is looking to go. The snap is high and to Love’s left, which causes him to double-catch the snap. Between the single-high look, the high snap and the pressure that had been in Love’s face all day (the 44.4% pressure rate was the second-highest rate Love faced up to that point in the season), Love knows he has to get rid of the ball quickly, but he still makes sure to check the coverage. The Giants stay in single-high coverage and the boundary defender widens with FitzPatrick, so Love takes the fade to Watson. The boundary defender is able to fall back under Watson, but the throw from Love is high-and-outside. Watson goes up over two defenders to bring in the pass and the go-ahead TD. The Packers get the two-point conversion to take a 27-20 lead with 4:02 remaining in the game. That touchdown ended up being the last score of the game for either team. The Giants put together a 10-play, 51-yard drive to get in the Packers red zone with less than a minute remaining, but an Evan Williams interception ended that drive. The Giants got the ball back on their own 35 with 10 seconds remaining, but Micah Parsons slammed the door. The Packers won this game 27-20, helping to kick off a four-game winning streak (after this they won games against the Vikings, Lions and Bears). Albums listened to: Noah Gundersen – Rites of Spring ; Rocket – R is for Rocket
During this slow part of the seemingly year-round NFL season, writers need something to keep fans and themselves engaged. Chad Reuter, an NFL.com draft analyst, does a yearly “mock draft,” not of college prospects, but of players already on NFL rosters . Everyone is available, and the only criterion is that each team’s draft is intended to give the team the best chance of winning the Super Bowl this year. No prospects with bright futures but with development needed, just guys you could put out there right now to give you the best chance of bringing home a ring come next February. It’s just for fun, obviously, but it does serve a few purposes. It gives you a chance to think about just how much you like particular players on your team’s roster vs. a chance to do better. More interesting to me is to see one NFL draft expert’s take on what he thinks of the Giants’ present roster. Reuter doesn’t discuss that, but it can be inferred from how many of the Giants’ current players get drafted at all in his mock. His ground rules ignore comp picks, picks gained or lost in trades, and current free agents, and he just uses the original first round draft order 1-32, except that he flips it each round so that the team that drafted No. 32 in Round 1 drafts No. 1 in Round 32, etc. He does take into account the head coach and where he sees the strengths and weaknesses of the existing roster. Let’s see what he thinks the Giants’ biggest needs would be for them to win it all this year. Here is the Giants draft he comes up with: Just like in the real NFL, it’s all about the quarterback. Reuter’s first 12 picks are all quarterbacks, in the following order: Josh Allen , Patrick Mahomes , Matthew Stafford , Joe Burrow , Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye , Justin Herbert , Jordan Love , Jared Goff , Trevor Lawrence , Jayden Daniels , Dak Prescott . He finally breaks the string to have Atlanta take Myles Garrett at No. 13. Then it’s back to the QBs with Caleb Williams and Baker Mayfield going next, and four more QBs go later in Round 1 ( Sam Darnold , Bo Nix , C.J. Stroud , and Brock Purdy ). Jaxson Dart doesn’t come off the board until Round 2, pick No. 40 by Chicago . So, question to Giants fans: To win this season , would you take Lamar, whom Harbaugh obviously knows everything about, over Maye, Herbert, or any of the rest who were still on the board? For that matter, would you take him over Dart for this season only? Reuter does give the Giants two of their actual players back to them: Brian Burns in Round 2, No. 60, which is good value, and Patrick Ricard in Round 7, No. 197, because…well, Harbaugh. In Round 3, Derrick Henry at No. 69. Henry is 31 years old now, but you wouldn’t really know it from his 1,595 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs last year. Greg Roman would be happy. On “Day 3” the Giants find some intriguing values. Kevin Dotson , a devastating run blocker and adequate pass blocker, comes off the board to the Giants in Round 4 at No. 124. Unless I missed it, Sisi Mauigoa went undrafted by Reuter. Defensive tackle Vita Vea , still a plus player at age 31, goes to the Giants in Round 5 at No. 133; it’s not clear that he’s a better run defender than D.J. Reader at this point but he has more juice in the pass rush. In Round 6 – hard to imagine he’s still on the board – it’s wide receiver Garrett Wilson . Yes, please. That’s quite a set of additions to a relatively inexperienced Giants roster, but of course everyone on the current roster is exposed to this draft as well. How many of the Giants’ own players did they lose? I had to go through the entire draft to answer this, but if I didn’t miss anyone, the complete list is: Jaxson Dart (Rd. 2, No. 40) – Chicago Malik Nabers (Rd. 2, No. 57) – New Orleans Andrew Thomas (Rd. 4, No. 125) – Tennessee Abdul Carter (Rd. 6, No. 183) – Cincinnati Arvell Reese (Rd. 7, No. 204) – Dallas So other than Burns and Ricard, who came back to the Giants in the draft, only 5 other current Giants players we
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The Green Bay Packers , like many teams in 2025, had great success attacking defenses when they played man coverage. The increased use of pre-snap motion has increased the passing game’s efficiency against man in recent years, and the Packers are certainly one of the teams to lean into that approach most prominently. But no single quarterback had a better year throwing the ball against man than Jordan Love . That’s not just anecdotal — the stats back that up. Now, with a wide receiver group that is one of the fastest groups in the NFL, they may be able to attack man coverage even better. Unfortunately, defenses are in man coverage less and less of late. The Packers still need to be able to beat zone coverage with regularity as well, of course. Looking at the other side of the ball, the questions continue to swirl around whether Green Bay will bring in a veteran pass rusher to help ease the load on their young edge group as it awaits Micah Parsons ’ return from injury. But so far, there has been no real movement on anything; still, that’s for good reason. Ultimately, this is something the Packers can look into later on in training camp when they have a bit better of an idea what they have. Finally, if you’re celebrating American Independence Day this weekend, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday. Stay cool and have a great weekend! No quarterback was better than Jordan Love vs. man coverage last season | Packers Wire If you want to see a perfect example of this, I urge you to check out play number 6 on our Top Plays of 2025 countdown, which is publishing later this morning. Titletown to host additional ‘World Soccer Watch Party’ July 6 | Packers.com The Packers are getting into World Cup fever with a big watch party for the USMNT’s round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday. Jadeveon Clowney? Josh Sweat? Latest on Packers’ Need for Pass Rusher | SI.com While the Packers do appear to have a need on the edge, especially early on in the season, there doesn’t need to be an urgent rush to fill it, so there has been no movement on bringing in either of these veterans so far this summer. Which U.S. area has best NFL players? Eight teams, Cup winner | ESPN This is a bizarre but mildly intriguing thought experiment: what if you divided up the NFL’s players into 8 teams based on a player’s home state? These proposed rosters include several Packers, as well as a number of players who hail from the state of Wisconsin, but the Southeast team might come out on top. Eala smokes Joint, blazes way to Wimbledon third round | PhilStar.com My hat is off to this sports headline writer
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