The last two teams standing in the 2025 season will kick off their 2026 training camps on Friday. Veteran players for the Seahawks and Patriots will report to camp and both teams will hold their first practices of the summer on Saturday. The Cardinals and Panthers, who play in the Hall of Fame Game, became the first two teams to open camp earlier this week. The Seahawks and Patriots are reporting ahead of other teams because they will play the first game of the regular season on September 9 in Seattle . The Seahawks are hosting the game because they beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. The Rams and 49ers will have their full squads in camp on Saturday and the remaining 26 teams will get things going on July 28
A quality NFL backup quarterback doesn't exactly garner the headlines of an All-Pro-caliber starter. It shouldn't. That said, the value cannot be overlooked. If a franchise's starter goes down for a game, or two, or six, the season could go in the toilet in an instant if they don't have someone who can come in and keep things afloat momentarily. So, while the last thing anyone wants to think about is the established starter missing time, it's good to have a quality insurance plan. Take last season, for example. A number of backup quarterbacks rose to the occasion, and their successes drove the playoff picture. A key reason why the Houston Texans overcame C.J. Stroud's absence after a concussion in Week 9 was due to backup Davis Mills thriving when his number was called. Mills went 3-0 over his stretch as the starter, which helped Houston mount a playoff berth. In the NFC, Mac Jones led the San Francisco 49ers to a 5-3 record as the starter while Brock Purdy was sidelined, and that helped them stay in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the conference until Week 18. Of course, maybe the greatest recent example of having a top backup is Nick Foles in 2017, as he stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz and led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl LII title. With all that in mind, we're going to look at a slew of contenders and size up what their backup quarterback situation looks like and rank them. To draw a line in the sand for what "contender" actually means, we're looking at clubs that have odds to win Super Bowl LXI of +2500 or shorter at DraftKings Sportsbook, which gives us 16 teams in total. Starter : Josh Allen Backups : Kyle Allen , Shane Buechele Kyle Allen inked a two-year, $4.1 million deal to be the primary backup to Josh Allen, while 2021 undrafted free agent Shane Buechele is the third-stringer. Allen, who has been in the NFL since 2018, has starting experience (19 total starts), but hasn't started a game since Week 13 of the 2022 season while a member of the Houston Texans. In that game, he completed just 51.3% of his passes, tossed two interceptions, and recorded two fumbles (one lost). For his career, the 30-year-old is 7-12 as a starter, while completing 62.5% of his passes with an 82.1 passer rating. While maybe no quarterback can compare to Josh Allen, it would be a Grand Canyon-sized difference in the event they need to hand the keys over to Kyle Allen. Starter : Jared Goff Backups : Teddy Bridgewater , Luke Altmyer (UDFA) Not that long ago, Teddy Bridgewater was coaching high school football. After resigning from his post at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in August of last year, he signed on to be a backup for the Buccaneers and did see some action in Week 12 last season against the Rams . There, Bridgewater completed 53.3% of his throws for just 62 yards. The last time he started a game came back in Week 17 of the 2022 season as a member of the Dolphins . Now, Bridgewater is back in Detroit (where he served as a backup from 2023 to 2024) with the Lions and will likely serve as the top option behind Jared Goff, with undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer also in the fold. While Bridgewater has 65 regular-season starts under his belt and is above .500 (33-32) over that run, it's fair to wonder how much he truly has in the tank as he'll turn 34 during the 2026 season. Starter : Justin Herbert Backups : Trey Lance , DJ Uiagalelei Justin Herbert has been remarkably durable over the course of his career, considering the volume of hits he takes. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Herbert has taken the most hits (615) and the most sacks (225) in the league. That includes 129 quarterback hits last season, which was tied for the second-most in the last 20 years. While L.A. has invested in the offensive line and was simply dealt a bad hand with injuries to Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt last season, you'd think they'd pursue a better backup than they currently have in Trey Lance. Lance does have the pedigree of being a
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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:
The 49ers are preparing for the upcoming season with a focus on player development and strategic draft picks. Linebacker Fred Warner is embracing his durability and aiming for a "maniac on the field" approach. The team also secured wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, whom some scouts considered the best in the draft. Quarterback Brock Purdy's development is a key focus, with Steve Young offering insights on how to support his growth
It’s becoming clear that the San Francisco 49ers will have a big opportunity to jump back into contention in 2026 after an offseason where they made a number of quality moves in free agency. After a surprise trip to the divisional round last season, the 49ers will look to top that in 2026, but they’ll need several things to go their way. The team’s biggest hindrance over the past few years has been injuries, and the issue arose again in 2025, with George Kittle , Fred Warner , Nick Bosa, Brock Purdy , and others all missing multiple games last season. But the 49ers will also need younger players to step up, wide receivers to be better, and the pass rush to improve after ranking last in sacks in 2025. There are a lot of 49ers looking to take the next step or bounce back in 2026. Who is under the most pressure? The Athletic revealed the player with the most to prove for every NFL team ahead of training camp, and the 49ers’ candidate was defensive end Nick Bosa, who is coming off a torn ACL. “Bosa is coming off his third knee surgery — and the second ACL injury to the same knee — and is being asked to carry the 49ers’ pass rush while mentoring young players Mykel Williams and Romello Height,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur wrote. “It seems like the 49ers will still add a veteran edge player to help Bosa (after Bryce Huff suddenly retired). “The return of Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner and tight end George Kittle from injuries is a big reason this team has Super Bowl aspirations. Bosa, who turns 29 in October, is also going to need a new contract after this season, as the five-year deal he signed in 2023 has a $54.9 million salary-cap hit in 2027. If Bosa can show that he is still one of the best speed-to-power rushers in the NFL, the 49ers will be in for a successful season and Bosa in for another huge payday.” While there are several 49ers returning from injury, Bosa’s return could be the most important of them all. Bosa was playing at an extremely high level in a short sample size last offseason before suffering the injury. And the 49ers clearly struggled without him, ranking last in sacks. The 49ers didn’t do much with their pass rush in the offseason, with the main addition being Texas Tech’s Romello Height in the draft. That adds more pressure on Bosa to contribute and fast
Wherever you place Joe Burrow among the best QBs in the NFL, there’s no denying he’s in the top five. Meanwhile, you can make a strong argument that his backup, Joe Flacco, is the best thrower of footballs coming off the bench. So it’s no surprise that CBS’ Jordan Dajani has the Bengals QB room as the second best in the NFL in his ranking of the five best and five worst QB situations . Here’s some of what he wrote about Burrow: When he remained healthy in 2024, the former No. 1 overall pick led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions… Burrow is actually the only quarterback in NFL history to register a 100+ passer rating while making zero playoff starts in a three-season span. He’s also been the most-sacked quarterback (242) since entering the league in 2020, if we include sacks taken in the playoffs. Dajani then explained the value of Flacco, writing: The Bengals also have a former Super Bowl MVP and Comeback Player of the Year in their quarterback room, Joe Flacco — who made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year. The 40-year-old was starting to look his age with the Browns at the start of 2025, but was rejuvenated by the trade to Cincinnati in October. In his second start with the Bengals, Flacco threw for 342 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and registered his 30th career game-winning drive in an upset of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers . In Week 9, Flacco became the fifth player in NFL history to throw for 470 yards and four touchdowns while scoring 40 points … in a loss. The San Francisco 49ers won the top spot for QB rooms on account of starter Brock Purdy and backup Mac Jones . Third place went to the Kansas City Chiefs , fourth place to the Los Angeles Rams , and fifth place to the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, Dajani named the Cleveland Browns’ QB room the worst in the NFL on account of the “confusion and chaos” of having the $230 million man ( Deshaun Watson ) on the same roster as the somehow-Pro Bowler Shedeur Sanders . The New York Jets were second worst, the Arizona Cardinals third worst, the Miami Dolphins fourth worst, and the Atlanta Falcons fifth worst
July will shortly turn into August, and soon the San Francisco 49ers will be playing preseason games. But while the season is nearing, the 49ers aren’t without questions going into 2026. Over the next few weeks, we will look at each position group and post three questions, whether they are questions that will be answered in August or during the season. First, we start with the quarterback position: Can Brock Purdy stay healthy? I wouldn’t say Brock Purdy has been injury-prone over his career; instead, he’s more prone to be dinged up. While the 26-year-old has suffered a wide variety of injuries, either the timing or the severity has prevented Purdy from missing too many games up until the 2025 season. An oblique injury in 2022 caused some concern entering a Thursday night game in Seattle, but Purdy toughed it out to help the 49ers beat the Seahawks. Several weeks later, he’d suffer the elbow injury that would knock him and the 49ers out of the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia . Still, he wouldn’t miss any games the following season, with the offseason being used to recover. 2023 was relatively clean for Purdy, with the exception of a concussion finding him on the injury report prior to a Week 8 loss to the Bengals , capping a three-game losing streak. 2024 was the same as the year before, with a right shoulder injury being the only blip, causing Purdy to miss a drubbing at the hands of the Packers . Despite that wide range of injuries, Purdy had only missed three games due to injury entering the 2025 season. But then a turf toe injury cost Purdy half of the 2025 season, where Mac Jones entered and kept the 49ers afloat until Purdy returned in Week 11 and finished the season, nearly leading San Francisco to an NFC West crown. But can Purdy stay healthy for an entire season? He’s been able to mostly avoid serious injury, but can he keep the dings and damage that’s common in an NFL season to prevent his name from hitting the injury report? If Purdy stays healthy, can he take that next step? What does the next step even look like for Purdy? It feels as if he’s been floating around that middle tier of quarterback rankings that are oh so popular around this time of year. But how can Purdy find himself inside that top-10 quarterback list? The first step would be to keep the interceptions at a minimum. Purdy has thrown double-digit picks in each of his last three seasons, which is a concern considering he played just nine games last season. With his 10 interceptions in nine games, Purdy had a career-high 3.5 interception rate, the first time he’s been over three percent in his career. Since he made his debut in 2022, Purdy has the second-highest interception rate in the league (minimum 1,000 pass attempts): Mac Jones – 2.8 Purdy – 2.7 Joe Flacco – 2.6 Tua Tagovailoa – 2.5 Sam Darnold – 2.5 Geno Smith – 2.5 That list is a who’s who of interception-prone quarterbacks, but Purdy is likely the best quarterback on that list. If the interception rate can drop, Purdy can find himself in the very-good-to-potentially-elite tier of quarterbacks. Maybe a fully-healthy season will help Purdy take that step. Maybe even the 49ers revamped receiver room will help as well. But it feels like there’s room for improvement for Purdy, and ideally 2026 will be the year it all comes together for the quarterback. How will the 49ers handle Mac Jones? Let’s look at this question through a hypothetical lens. The trade deadline for the 2026 season lands on November 10. Let’s say the 49ers are 6-2 by the time the Week 10 deadline comes around and Purdy is not only healthy but playing the best ball of his career with no signs of stopping. Now let’s look around the league. The Vikings are 4-4, staying afloat in the NFC North behind their defense but with subpar quarterback play from either Kyler Murray or JJ McCarthy. Maybe the Falcons or Colts are playing well, but they are less than thrilled with their quarterback situations. Let’s j
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Paraag Marathe, a key executive for the 49ers who has been instrumental in roster building and contract negotiations for players like Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Kyle Juszczyk, as well as facilitating trades for Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams, is reportedly a finalist for the MLS Commissioner position
Former 49ers safety Donte Whitner predicts Kyle Shanahan's offense will be the number one in the NFL this season, highlighting the challenge of defending playmakers like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Ricky Pearsall. The article also touches on the development of Jacob Cowing and the need for improved wide receiver play from Kendrick Bourne and Jauan Jennings, while noting a dip in Brock Purdy's intermediate attempts
A former teammate believes 49ers QB Brock Purdy has not reached his full potential, while CBS Sports identifies the defensive line as the team's biggest roster hole. Questions also linger about the interior offensive line and the development of second-year player Connor Colby, who struggled at times last season
Football is the ultimate team sport, but some positions are still more important than others. You won't be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with lackluster quarterback play. We've seen Patrick Mahomes power a dynasty that reached the Super Bowl five times over a six-year span, while the greatest player of all time, Tom Brady , won a record seven Super Bowls during his Hall of Fame career. A quarterback room is more than just the starter. Half of the starting quarterbacks around the NFL can't stay healthy for a full season, and it's up to the backup to come in and guide the offense. The Indianapolis Colts weren't prepared for Daniel Jones going down, and it sank their season. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers fared just fine when Brock Purdy was forced to miss some time. The second-string quarterback is the most overlooked position in today's NFL . Which NFL teams have the best quarterback situations and which have the worst? Below, we will break down the five worst and five best QB rooms in the league. QBs: Michael Penix Jr. , Tua Tagovailoa , Trevor Siemian , Jack Strand One of the more strange moments from this offseason was when the Atlanta Falcons immediately pivoted to Tua Tagovailoa after the Miami Dolphins made the decision to take on an NFL-record $99 million in dead cap just to get rid of him. Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating in 2022 and passing yards in 2023, but has struggled with both consistency and injuries since signing that massive $212.4 million extension. It's also understood that he's not an electric playmaker who can carry offenses alone with his arm. He played his best football in a Mike McDaniel scheme that relied on timing, yet Miami reached the postseason just twice. Tagovailoa threw a career-high 15 interceptions last year while averaging a career-worst 6.9 yards per attempt. Can he resurrect his career under Kevin Stefanski? If it's not Tagovailoa, then it will be Michael Penix Jr. under center for Atlanta. The former No. 8 overall pick is recovering from the third torn ACL of his football career, and is just 4-8 as a starter. Penix is averaging one touchdown pass per start and has completed fewer than 60% of his passes. As a prospect, it was hard not to be intrigued by his arm, but Penix just hasn't been good enough. His bad throw percentage (24%) ranked worst in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Reference. The Falcons' offense features several fun weapons, including Bijan Robinson , Kyle Pitts and Drake London . However, if this group doesn't have a legitimate starting quarterback that can get them the ball, Atlanta is in for its ninth-straight losing season. QBs: Malik Willis , Quinn Ewers , Cam Miller , Mark Gronowski The Dolphins secured the most intriguing quarterback in this free agency class with Malik Willis. It wasn't a surprise, as Miami hired a general manager and head coach that Willis was familiar with. Jon Eric-Sullivan, Jeff Hafley and Willis all come over from the Green Bay Packers . Willis completed 79% of his passes while averaging 10.9 yards per attempt with six touchdowns and zero interceptions in his two seasons with the Packers. He became the first quarterback to complete 85% of his passes in a game while averaging 13+ yards per attempt and rushing for 60 yards. If you want to extrapolate his numbers over three starts, Willis would be a franchise quarterback. The problem is our sample size for Willis is very small. According to Kurt Warner , Willis had just 28 dropbacks over the past two seasons if you take out screen plays, "pick-n-stick" throws at five yards and quick scrambles. He will also be quarterbacking for what is expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. De'Von Achane is a fantastic running back, but Malik Washington , Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell are not exactly elite wideouts. Willis is a huge question mark in general, but even if you're optimistic about his talent, you have to admit that the rebuilding Dolphins are not in a great [... truncated ...]
With training camp approaching and the final cut-down date on August 30th, the San Francisco 49ers may make some surprising roster moves. Potential veterans on the chopping block include a consistent lineman and a 10-year wide receiver, as the team looks to integrate new free-agent signings and draft picks. A safety is also mentioned as a possible cut, depending on the development of younger players and potential offseason acquisitions
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?
How Mike Evans addition will help 49ers in 2026 NFL season, per Jerry Rice originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The 49ers made plenty of headlines this NFL offseason when they acquired star wide receiver Mike Evans to further strengthen their high-powered offense. Along with his proven skills on the football field, Evans brings plenty of other things to San Francisco , according to 49ers legend Jerry Rice . “With Mike Evans coming on board, what a great leader. I had the opportunity to meet him, and he’s just such a good individual, and he works hard. The players are going to get the chance to probably see a [future Pro Football] Hall of Fame [inductee], and he’s going to work his butt off every day,” Rice told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco at the 2026 American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. Prior to coming to San Francisco, Evans spent the first 12 NFL seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , where he was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and once won a Super Bowl championship in 2021. Evans also recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons, breaking Rice’s own record for 1,000-yard seasons to start an NFL career. “I got to meet him in a commercial, then I would follow him because I think we both had seasons where we had over 1,000 yards for 11 of 13 times, or something like that,” Rice also said. “It was just unfortunate that he got hurt because he had a good chance of breaking my record. And if anybody was going to break my record, I would have loved him to do it.” On the football field, Evans is a dynamic weapon who fits right away in 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan ’s offense with quarterback Brock Purdy leading the charge. Rice explained how the 6-foot-5, 231-pound wide receiver can be a threat to opposing teams, especially in red-zone situations. “Throw it up because he has that big frame,” Rice detailed. “He’s going to be able to go up and attack the football, so once you’re in the end zone, just throw that thing up like an alley-oop back in the day. Just throw it up and let him go get it, and he’s capable of doing it.” Especially for young wide receivers such as rookie De’Zhaun Stribling , whom San Francisco selected 33rd overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, Evans also brings his leadership to the 49ers and can help mentor the team’s next generation. “[Stribling] can follow the greatness of Mike Evans because he’s going to see how this guy works every day, and since [Evans] has been in the league for a long time, [Stribling] has the perfect example with Mike Evans,” Rice added. Despite turning 33 years old before the start of the 2026 NFL season, Evans brings plenty of things to the table that can help push the 49ers over the hump and contend for another Super Bowl title. As long as San Francisco remains healthy throughout the upcoming season, the team certainly has a solid chance of achieving its ultimate goal. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
Mac Jones, originally drafted by the Patriots, is now a backup for the 49ers, the team he believed might draft him in 2021. Jones expressed that everything happens for a reason and joked about saving the 49ers draft picks. He will remain Brock Purdy's backup this season, the final year of his contract
In 2021, Trey Lance went third overall to the 49ers , and Mac Jones followed 12 picks later to the Patriots. Lance is a backup with the Chargers, his third team, and Jones is a backup with the 49ers, his third team. It took Jones four years to end up with the team he thought he should have joined on his draft day. "I remember like all the hype leading up to it, but yeah, I think everything happens for a reason ," Jones said on Bussin' with the Boys, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. "Like I'm here where I'm at now, and I did think [they might draft me]. They traded up for somebody, and I knew it was one of two people, and I was one of the people. So, I guess if you're a gambling man, it's a 50/50 shot at the start." It was unclear who the 49ers wanted to draft that year as they kept their choice under wraps. Jones had no indication what San Francisco was doing until the team selected Lance after trading the 12th overall pick, first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and a 2022 third-round pick to the Dolphins. Jones joked that he could have saved the 49ers the draft picks if they had stood pat and selected him. "You could have just picked me at 12," Jones said. "I don't know if I'm worth three first-round picks, but shit, sign me up." No one traded for Jones this offseason, so he will remain Brock Purdy 's backup this season in the final year of his contract
49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk called Mike Evans “ unguardable ” during the offseason practices. 49ers tight end George Kittle concurs. Kittle lauded Evans’ veteran leadership and football IQ. “One thing that I was talking to [quarterback Brock] Purdy about a couple of days ago was that this is our first veteran wide receiver since we had Emmanuel Sanders,” Kittle said recently on the New Heights podcast, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Like, I had Deebo [Samuel]. I had Brandon Aiyuk. But they were both like years one through four—Deebo was like year five. “But Mike Evans is a guy, like, just watching him and his savviness—you know the concept; you have coverage in the red zone; one guy has the corner; the other guy has the ‘now’ route underneath it—and the way he sets it up versus a defender with outside leverage and then just gets wide open, and I’m just like, ‘It’s so fun to watch.’” The 49ers, even with all their injuries last season, still finished fifth in passing offense. If Evans can stay healthy, he should make them even better. Evans’ NFL-record 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start his career ended last season when he had career-lows in catches (30), yards (368) and touchdowns (three) because of a collarbone injury that limited him to a career-low eight games. “Just so savvy,” Kittle said. “Catches everything; runs great routes; gives great effort. I’m all-in on Mike Evans.”
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
