| You know the season is getting close when Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com does his daily countdown of all the teams with a preseason ranking from 32 to 1. Here is what he has so far: No. 32 TitansNo. 31 SaintsNo. 30 BrownsNo. 29 PanthersNo. 28 JetsYou can hit the links for the full rationale first five – and scroll below (not too far) for number 27:Nobody had to put New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen on the hot seat. Their boss did. The Giants went 3-14 last season. Giants co-owner John Mara decided Daboll and Schoen deserved another season, but he didn’t seem too excited about it. “It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience,” Mara said. “That’ll be a good sound bite for you tonight, huh?” Mara’s meeting with the media after the announcement that Daboll and Schoen would return was weird. It seemed apologetic. He said he knew it was “not the most popular decision” among Giants fans. His meeting with the media was to “face the music.” His assessment of the 2024 Giants was that “we stunk this year.” The tone was so funereal you’d have guessed Mara was forced into the decision, instead of being the one who made it. “I’m going to have to be in a better mood this time next year than I am right now,” Mara said. That set the tone for the Giants season. It’s all about whether Daboll and Schoen can survive again. It won’t be easy. The owner is on edge. The fan base was already there. The Giants’ solution at quarterback was signing two veterans who weren’t wanted back by their previous teams and drafting a quarterback who will need some work. On top of it all, the Giants have the toughest schedule in the NFL, and by a pretty wide margin based on the projected betting win totals of their opponents, via Sharp Football Analysis. It seems like Daboll and Schoen are dead men walking into a season with a roster that would need some help to get out of last place in the NFC East. So why bother bringing them back at all? Mara acknowledged the results weren’t good enough, but gave Schoen credit for a good 2024 draft class and solid additions in free agency. Mara liked the way players still respond to Daboll, and he was the NFL’s Coach of the Year just three seasons ago. It seemed in a way like Mara felt forced into being patient after the team went through four coaches, counting an interim, in six years after Tom Coughlin stepped down under pressure. The duo will need to show some progress this season, even if the record isn’t that much better. Jaxson Dart is the best path to showing that progress. Dart is an interesting first-round pick out of Ole Miss. He will take some time to learn an NFL offense, but he has enticing skills. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed before Dart was picked, and presumably Wilson will begin the season as the starter. If the Giants aren’t much better than last season, the biggest question will be when to give Dart a shot. The reality is that decision will be made by a coach and general manager who are in self-preservation mode. Whatever is best for their survival will play a role in that decision. The Giants have a really good defensive line, a secondary that has gotten an influx of talent, a future star in receiver Malik Nabers and not much else. There’s still a long way to go before the Giants are contenders again. Daboll and Schoen need some results this season to stick around for those better days. Offseason gradeThe Giants had a good draft last year and got top grades for their draft class this year. The Giants got the second-best consensus grade among draft analysts. Defensive end Abdul Carter didn’t fill a need, because the Giants already had a strong defensive line, but he was an easy pick at No. 3 overall. The Giants traded up for quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round, and he provides some hope for fixing a broken quarterback situation. The big free agent additions were cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, who should make the secondary better. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed to be stopgap solutions at quarterback, and neither is too exciting. Overall, it’s clear to see the Giants’ roster improving, and that will accelerate if Dart is a hit. Grade: B+ Quarterback reportThe Steelers showed zero desire to bring Russell Wilson back. The Browns chose to sign 40-year-old Joe Flacco over matching the two-year, $8 million deal Jameis Winston got from the Giants. The Giants didn’t have many great options at quarterback in free agency, and those two veterans will probably deliver predictable results. Wilson played pretty well for a few weeks for the Steelers last season but faded by the end, a reminder that his game isn’t aging well as he approaches 37 years old. Winston is what he is, a sometimes exciting player who can’t avoid turnovers. The odds of either starting through the entire season are long. Jaxson Dart should start at some point this season. He is a good athlete with a strong arm. Consistency can be an issue, but in college he was good at pushing the ball downfield and creating explosive plays. If the Giants get off to a slow start, it will be tough to resist the urge to speed up Dart’s timetable and put him into the lineup. BetMGM odds breakdownFrom Yahoo’s Ben Fawkes: “The New York Giants signed QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason, before drafting Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart in the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft. They’re hoping to have the short- and long-term solutions at QB, but there’s also a chance they have neither. With a win total of just 5.5 at BetMGM, the Giants’ schedule is brutal — New York is favored in just one game and has the toughest schedule according to opponent win totals in the NFL. Will the defense be good enough to overcome the team’s likely offensive shortcomings?” Yahoo’s fantasy takeFrom Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “Malik Nabers is currently the WR7 off the board in Yahoo drafts. The market might be missing an opportunity here. New York’s quarterback room is complicated, but at least things are upgraded from last year’s medley of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. And the Brian Daboll scheme will force the ball to its best players — Nabers was second in the NFL in targets last year despite missing two games. Normally the goal with your early picks is to target the best players on the best teams, but Nabers is likely too big to fail. If you sneak him in the second half of your first round, you’ve done well.” Stat to rememberMalik Nabers, the sixth pick of last year’s NFL Draft, was second in the NFL with 170 targets last season. Only Ja’Marr Chase, who won the receiving triple crown, had more with 175. Chase played two more games than Nabers, who played 15 games and had 10 or more targets in 10 of them. He had seven in his first game and never fewer than eight the rest of his rookie season. In other words, Nabers was the epicenter of the Giants’ offense from his first day on the job. He was productive too, with 109 catches for 1,204 yards. The Giants did nothing to upgrade the receiving room in the offseason, meaning that there is little to keep a healthy Nabers from the rare level of 200 targets this season. As long as the Giants’ quarterback play is reasonable, Nabers could lead the NFL in receptions and yards. Burning question How will the Giants use all their pass rushers?Once Travis Hunter went with the second pick of the NFL Draft, the Giants didn’t have much choice but to take Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3. He was clearly the best player available, and would have been a reasonable first overall pick. But it did create some questions. The Giants already had two top edge rushers in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants could use all three at once, pushing one of them inside. But the Giants don’t want to limit any of those three talented players to less than 70% of the team’s defensive snaps. Something has to give, though it is a good problem to have. Those three rushers along with elite defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II make up one of the best defensive lines in football, regardless of how the playing time is divvied up. Best-case scenarioWhen the Giants made the playoffs in Brian Daboll’s first season as coach, they caught a lot of breaks. The Giants won plenty of close games and then beat a similarly lucky Vikings team in the playoffs. Theoretically that could happen again, but it’s unlikely. It’s a roster that still has questions at secondary, offensive line, running back, receiver outside of Malik Nabers and linebacker outside of Bobby Okereke. And, of course, that lingering question at quarterback. Jaxson Dart could prove himself to be the answer at QB and if that’s the only positive thing to happen for the Giants this season it would be a reason to celebrate. It’s hard to envision the Giants being a playoff team. Maybe that will cost Daboll and Joe Schoen their jobs. But if Dart shows some promise, that might be enough for New York to feel good about its direction going forward and stick with the plan. To many Giants fans, that’s not the best-case scenario. Nightmare scenarioThe Giants’ schedule is brutal. NFL analyst Warren Sharp had it as the toughest in the league based on sportsbooks’ win totals, and the eye test confirms it. The Giants are favored in only one game all season (Week 5 at New Orleans). It’s possible the Giants are buried by November, and there would be a lot of pressure on ownership to make a midseason change at coach and GM. It’s possible Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen never get to experience Jaxson Dart starting a regular season game, if everything goes wrong. And it could. Outside of the obvious quarterback issues, the offensive line could be a problem again, the lack of playmakers other than Malik Nabers is glaring and a defense that was 28th in DVOA last season might not be much better. Trying to figure all of that out against the toughest schedule in the NFL will be a chore. The Giants went 3-14 last season, and they could easily be that bad again. Though if that happens, at least Giants fans would get their wish and see the team reset at coach and GM. The crystal ball saysOn one hand the Giants are getting better. They had a good offseason last year and this year’s draft and free agency seemed to be strong as well. But there are still many holes, which speaks to how much work the roster needed even as the Giants made the playoffs in 2022. The Giants should want Jaxson Dart to sit as long as possible, though it will be tough to resist putting him in as the losses pile up. The team has a Week 14 bye, and giving Dart the final four games to show what he can do seems right. What happens in those final four games will be crucial in determining the future of the franchise, including the job status of the coach and general manager. The Giants are in for another losing season, and that seems more likely than not to be bad news for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. Dart might be able to save them, and reinvigorate the fan base, by showing some promise late in the season. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOQB CALEB WILLIAMS is getting hard coaching from new head coach Ben Johnson. Adam Jahns of The Athletic: Chicago BearsDuring minicamp, new head coach Ben Johnson yelled at quarterback Caleb Williams to go “FASTER” through his reads. On that specific play, Williams reached his checkdown, a completion to running back Roschon Johnson for a first down. But it still wasn’t good enough for Johnson. He saw more and wanted more from Williams. Johnson is going to challenge Williams every day about everything. His fiery, demanding persona on the field at practice stood out throughout the offseason program. That won’t change. Williams is going to be coached hard by Johnson. His development needs it. — Adam Jahns |
| DETROITColton Pouncy of The Athletic on the changes on the Lions staff: Detroit LionsDan Campbell’s new-look coaching staff looks the part. The Lions took it easy this offseason, canceling minicamp with the team starting training camp early because of the Hall of Fame game. Many of the vets were absent or excused for OTAs as a result. But the coaching staff was in full force, and the main takeaway after watching and hearing from them is that they’re all Dan Campbell guys. That’s important, as the team lost key pillars in coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. Their replacements — defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and offensive coordinator John Morton — have longstanding ties to Campbell and can effectively echo his message. Other new faces on staff have crossed paths with him or joined because they know what he’s about. It might take time to come together, but it’s clear Campbell has assembled a staff that knows how to work as one. — Colton Pouncy |
| NFC EAST |
| WASHINGTONThe DB gets why Honus Wagner or Ty Cobb or even Mickey Mantle would have rookie trading cards with high valuations. But QB JAYDEN DANIELS after one year? Larry Holder of The Athletic gives us a play-by-play trying to explain why Commanders owner Josh Harris just paid $500,000 for one. A new record sale for a Jayden Daniels trading card was set when Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris agreed to pay $500,000 for one of Daniels’ most sought-after rookie cards while standing next to the young quarterback on stage at Topps Trade Night on Saturday. Harris and Daniels were special guests at the event, which followed Day 2 of Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center. Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin played negotiator on the microphone in front of a sizable crowd after asking attendees who had the most valuable Daniels card with them. Josh Roth and Jacob Ramos of the Florida-based Rothcards answered that call with Daniels’ 2024 Panini Prizm Black Finite one-of-one card. After a quick back-and-forth chat, Harris agreed through Rubin to purchase the card. In addition to the $500,000, Roth and Ramos also received an autographed Daniels jersey, which the 2024 NFL offensive rookie of the year and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner inked on the spot. Harris will display the card at the Commanders’ Northwest Stadium, according to Fanatics. The original unearthing of the Daniels Black Finite card bears its own improbable story. A collector with the username “Dr. Moist Muffins” acquired the card from a pack through a box break (where collectors pay for a select portion of the cards opened by a third party) on a Fanatics Live stream around midday New Year’s Day. Dr. Ojash Raval, as he’s known outside of trading card livestreams, only spent $36 for the rights to all the Commanders cards in the break. The monster Daniels card then emerged from a pack, spurring immediate offers from interested buyers. Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and husband to tennis legend Serena Williams, had previously offered a $200,000 public bounty to whoever pulled the card. Roth wouldn’t give an exact amount of how much was spent in buying the card from “Dr. Moist Muffins,” but said it was in the mid-$300,000 range. So Roth and Ramos will share in a profit of about $150,000 on the card. And as much as the original discovery of the card came by chance, the card’s sale to Harris felt just as improbable. Roth said he walked into Fanatics Fest before the doors opened early Saturday since his business had purchased a table to sell cards at the show. He found Rubin “just chilling, kicking a soccer ball” in the Dick’s Sporting Goods set-up near one of the Fest’s entrances. Ramos called the encounter with Rubin “just random.” “I walked up to him and said, ‘Yo, we’ve got to show Jayden this card. It’s the best (Daniels) card in existence,’” Roth said. “Now granted, it’s not a Topps product. So Rubin was kind of (hesitant).” Roth said his table had a great day at the show and he and his business partner Ramos then walked into the Topps trade night, which is essentially a swap meet for card collectors, on the top floor of Javits Center after the Fest closed up shop for the day. Rubin introduced Daniels and Harris to the crowd and shortly after asked, “Who has the biggest Jayden Daniels card?” The duo, with the help of a bulky lead blocker, broke through the crowd to the stage holding up the one-of-a-kind card. Rubin asked Roth what he thought the card was worth. Roth shouted “$2 million!” Rubin asked again what the card was really worth, turning to Fanatics Collect CEO Mike Mahan for his assessment, which was $500,000. Roth went right for Rubin’s heart, invoking the Paul Skenes Topps MLB Debut Patch autographed one-of-one card that famously sold for $1.11 million to Dick’s Sporting Goods in March. As he continued to plead the case for the card, Rubin named the price: “Alright one time, half a million dollars. You want it? From Josh Harris, with Jayden here right now.” Roth looked back at Ramos and quickly agreed on the sale. “It was such an experience to be on stage with just everyone. It really happened so fast. Moments like that are timeless,” Ramos said. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTATo say the Falcons have high hopes for QB MICHAEL PENIX, Jr. would be an understatement. Josh Kendall of The Athletic: Atlanta FalconsThe Falcons aren’t even considering the possibility that Michael Penix Jr. might not be great. The second-year quarterback started three games last year and was 27th in the league in passer rating (78.6) and 29th in completion percentage (58 percent) in that time, but Atlanta spent the offseason showcasing confidence that last year’s No. 8 pick is going to be very good. The Falcons have done so with their words: “I’ve got so much confidence for Michael Penix leading us into the future,” Raheem Morris said. And they’ve done so with their actions, too, trading a 2026 first-round pick to get an extra first-rounder this year. — Josh Kendall |
| CAROLINATed Nguyen of The Athletic has the Panthers as one of six offenses likely to be on the uptick in 2025: Carolina PanthersThe Bryce Young resurgence wasn’t just a feel-good story last season; he was legitimately playing some good football and displaying the intelligence and play-making ability that made him a No. 1 overall pick. Notably, his ability to avoid sacks was drastically improved last season from his rookie year. According to Pro Football Focus, in 2023, Young ranked 38th in pressure-to-sack rate — 24.5 percent of the plays in which he was pressured became sacks. In 2024, he improved to 13th in pressure-to-sack rate (16.9 percent). Some thought his small stature would make it hard to get away from NFL pass rushers, but he’s shown he can excel at creating plays. However, he’s not reliant on out-of-structure plays — he’s reading defenses and making quick decisions when needed. Head coach Dave Canales put together a creative offense that got receivers open despite not having a lot of talent at the position. The Panthers have a pulverizing offensive line that opened up holes for running back Chuba Hubbard. They ranked 11th in EPA per rush and 12th in rushing success rate. The entire offensive line is returning, so they should be able to run the ball efficiently in 2025. Last year’s first-round pick, Xavier Legette, had eight dropped passes in 2024, but the Panthers aren’t entirely dependent on a Legette breakout. They also drafted Tetairoa McMillan No. 8 in this year’s draft. Both are big, physical receivers with the ability to win on the outside. To reach their ceiling, the Panthers need Legette or McMillan to establish himself as a No. 1. Hunter Renfrow, who was one of the most productive slot receivers in the league in 2021, missed last season while recovering from an autoimmune disease. He could be a sneaky signing that will give Young an easy underneath target. Adam Thielen plays that role for the Panthers, but he’ll be 35 years old this season. A physical run game and Young’s play-making ability give the Panthers one of the most exciting young offenses in the league. |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONAFor all his hype, WR MARVIN HARRISON, Jr. was not a revelation as a rookie. Doug Haller of The Athletic on the aspirations for 2025: Arizona CardinalsThe Cardinals expect Marvin Harrison Jr., to make a jump. The former Ohio State receiver — the No. 4 pick in 2024 — had an uneven rookie season. He struggled to make contested catches. His rhythm with QB Kyler Murray was off. Over the offseason Harrison bulked up. His arms were noticeably bigger. “I thought it was AI,” Murray said, jokingly. “I thought those pictures were fake.” That’s not the only change: Murray has noticed a different comfort level with Harrison, a different confidence. Arizona increased from four wins to eight during the first two seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon. To make the playoffs in Year 3, the Cardinals will need Harrison to turn into the No. 1 receiver everyone expected. — Doug Haller |
| SEATTLEMichael Silver of The Athletic says QB SAM DARNOLD knows why you are skeptical of QB Sam Darnold. Sam Darnold knows what you’re thinking. If it makes you feel any better, he’s essentially in agreement. He’s acutely aware that his 2024 season ended on a note lower than Barry White’s vocals, and plenty of fans could get enough of his quarterbacking. Sure, the No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft revived his formerly flailing career in an emphatic way last season, injecting himself into the MVP conversation while leading the Minnesota Vikings to the brink of the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. Yet Darnold’s final two games with the Vikings — especially his rocky effort in their first-round playoff defeat to the Los Angeles Rams — left a stench that has endured throughout the offseason, even as Darnold signed a hefty free-agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks. “For lack of a better term, we laid an egg as an offense,” Darnold said in an interview with The Athletic following a minicamp practice last week. “And I think, for me personally, that sucks. I felt like we were a really good team, but at the end of the day — and this is gonna sound a little pessimistic — but when you get to the end of it and you don’t win the whole thing, you failed. “I feel like I could have played way better, to be completely honest with you. I feel I didn’t play up to my standard. I truly feel that way. I feel like if I would have just played better, I would’ve been able to give the team a chance.” Darnold is running point for a new team now, thanks to the three-year, $100.5-million contract he signed with the Seahawks in March. That came after the Vikings extended only a one-year offer as Darnold headed into free agency, an indication of their intent to make J.J. McCarthy — the 10th overall pick of last year’s draft, who missed his entire rookie season following knee surgery — their quarterback of the future. Now with his fifth team, Darnold, 28, sounds optimistic about his immediate future, an emotion echoed by at least one high-profile teammate’s assessment. “I think without a doubt, he’s got his best football ahead of him,” said newly acquired wide receiver Cooper Kupp, a former All-Pro who was the MVP of Super Bowl LVI. “I love his competitiveness. He’s not OK with things being just OK.” Having spent his previous two seasons under the tutelage of two of the NFL’s most respected offensive strategists, Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O’Connell, Darnold has enjoyed a reputational rehabilitation that compelled the Seahawks to pursue him in free agency instead of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. They’re betting that Darnold — like his predecessor, Geno Smith, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick three days before Darnold signed with Seattle — will flourish after a mid-career reboot based in the Pacific Northwest. “I do see him (as ascending), because — well, the experience we had with Geno would tell us that,” general manager John Schneider said. “These guys need reps, and he got a ton (in 2024). “The undercurrent from the league going into last season was that he had kind of turned the corner. And then, the evidence was there.” The Darnold Renaissance began with little fanfare, during his one-year stint as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. Having flamed out as a starter for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, Darnold attempted to rebuild his career by joining the Niners, who still had Trey Lance (the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft) and Purdy (a 2022 seventh-rounder who’d thrived as a late-season replacement for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo during his rookie season) on the roster. At the start of a training camp competition between Darnold and Lance for the backup job, Shanahan, the 49ers’ coach since 2017, went heavy on the hyperbole, telling me he saw some parallels between his newly signed passer and former San Francisco star Steve Young, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. “I mean, Steve Young took a while to get going, and he’s one of the best quarterbacks of all time,” Shanahan said. “I don’t like to compare anyone to Steve, ’cause of how good he is, but why can’t Sam be like that? He’s got that type of ability. He is that type of person. And I’m just pumped that we could get a talented guy like him here.” Darnold, after beating out Lance, barely played as Purdy helped guide the 49ers to a Super Bowl LVIII appearance, starting only a meaningless early January game against the Rams. However, his year under Shanahan’s tutelage helped get him to a better place in 2024. The Vikings offered him a one-year, $10-million deal as their presumed starter, albeit of the stopgap variety. That metric began to shift as the season played out, with Minnesota winning 14 of its first 16 games and Darnold putting up impressive numbers, including a 35-12 touchdown pass to interception ratio. It seemed highly possible, if not likely, that the Vikings would place the franchise tag on Darnold after the season, and perhaps negotiate a lucrative long-term extension. Then the new year arrived — and Darnold seemed to revert to his unseemly past. In the regular season finale, he completed only 18 of 41 passes in a 31-9 defeat to the NFC North rival Detroit Lions, relegating the Vikings to a wild-card slot. Eight days later, in a game relocated to Glendale, Ariz., because of deadly wildfires in Southern California, Darnold was sacked nine times and had two turnovers (including a fumble returned for touchdown) in a 27-9 loss. The lasting image wasn’t pretty, and the Vikings allowed Darnold to hit free agency, but Schneider and second-year head coach Mike MacDonald weren’t deterred. They had a vivid, first-hand recollection of his skill level: Three days before Christmas, Darnold (22 of 35, 246 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions) had thrown an impressive 39-yard touchdown pass to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the final minutes to lead the Vikings to a 27-24 victory over the Seahawks in Seattle. The Seahawks’ pursuit of Darnold snuck up on many NFL observers and proceeded in rapid-fire fashion. While some believed the Las Vegas Raiders would try to sign Darnold, minority owner Tom Brady — a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback whose opinion held great sway — was not in favor of that approach, according to a source familiar with the franchise’s internal discussions. Meanwhile, Smith, seeking a lucrative extension from the Seahawks, reacted coldly to the team’s initial offer. The Raiders, having recently hired former Seattle coach Pete Carroll, emerged as a potential trade partner. As he negotiated the deal that would send the 34-year-old Smith to Las Vegas, Schneider pondered his best options to secure a successor: Darnold, Rodgers and Drew Lock, a former Seahawks backup who spent 2024 with the New York Giants. Rodgers, 41, had not expressed a sense of certainty (via his agent) about his plans, which made Schneider squeamish. There was a higher comfort level with Darnold because of his familiarity with Seattle’s system: MacDonald’s newly hired offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, had been the 49ers’ passing game coordinator in 2023. Schneider had a conversation with O’Connell, the Vikings’ fifth-year coach, who spoke highly of Darnold, hardening the GM’s conviction. The Seahawks ended up signing both Darnold and Lock; in April they drafted ex-Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round. Earlier this month, in an OTA workout open to reporters, Darnold threw a pair of red-zone interceptions, prompting Mike Salk of Seattle Sports 710 to ask MacDonald if something other than injury could cause him to start the season with a different starting quarterback. MacDonald gave an emphatic no, calling it a “crazy question.” Darnold, of course, is very familiar with having his abilities questioned. “I’ve never paid attention to that,” he said. “Because if I did, I’d drive myself insane.” Even in the wake of last season’s success, and despite his prior experience with Kubiak, Darnold doesn’t purport to have all the answers. “He wants to be perfect,” Kupp said. “He wants to be right. He wants to be good for the guys. That’s the standard he holds himself to, and I love it. The issue has never been whether he can throw the rock or not. I’ve been watching since he was at USC, and it’s like, ‘Man, he can throw the ball.’” Said Darnold: “I’m hard on myself — always. I feel I can be a lot more consistent with how I play.” Specifically, Darnold — based on subsequent film study — believes he must get better at adjusting to the defensive strategies employed by the Lions and Rams last January. “I feel like LA did very similar things on third down to what Detroit did to us,” Darnold said. “They played man and tried to play some ‘robber’ stuff, and that just gave us some troubles. It gave me some troubles, personally.” So, too, have MacDonald’s defensive alignments during offseason practices. As he becomes more familiar with various scheme tweaks designed to take away his options downfield, Darnold is determined not to hold the ball too long, even if it means relying more on his athleticism. “KO and those guys in Minnesota did such a good job — and we do a great job here as well — of giving me answers if they take options away,” Darnold explained. “Like, just go through your progressions and work your feet and if it’s not there take off and run — because there’s no one accounting for the quarterback, unless they play a spy or whatever. “I learned a lot last season, from those two games especially. At the end of the day, you go through those experiences, you learn, and you get better. I try every single day to get better. That’s it.” |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERNick Kosmider of The Athletic on the changed running game in Denver: Denver BroncosThe Broncos will have an entirely different backfield in 2025 and training camp will offer an intriguing battle for snaps. Denver drafted RJ Harvey in the second round and the rookie showcased good hands and crisp route-running ability during the offseason program. Just before minicamp ended, Denver also signed JK Dobbins to give the room a productive veteran presence it previously didn’t have. Those two should lead the charge to replace Javonte Williams as the team’s leading rusher, but just how much of an upgrade one or both players can become will go a long way toward determining Denver’s offensive ceiling in its second season with quarterback Bo Nix. — Nick Kosmider |
| KANSAS CITYCoach Andy Reid didn’t like that the Chiefs had a nickel-and-dime offense in 2024. More explosive plays is job one for the offense in 2025 according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic: Kansas City ChiefsAndy Reid made a point of it all spring on the practice field: The veteran coach wants the Chiefs’ offense to get back to pushing the ball deep down the field, akin to what Patrick Mahomes did so well early in his career. Back then, they tore up the league. Kansas City somehow finished 27th in the league in 2024 in passing plays of 20 yards or more, regressing into an underneath offense. But with a deeper receiving room than they’ve had in years — Mahomes mentioned how much of an advantage it is to have Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster all back, and all healthy — look for more emphasis on explosion this fall. If so, a 15-2 team from last season could be even better. — Zak Keefer |
| LAS VEGASWR Henry Ruggs III got a work release from prison to speak to his remorse about driving fatally under the influence. Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III publicly apologized to the family of Tina Tintor, the woman he killed in a drunk driving accident in November 2021, saying at an appearance on Tuesday night that “I wish I could turn back the hands of time.” Ruggs, who is serving a prison sentence of three to 10 years after pleading guilty to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, was on special release and speaking at an event organized by Hope for Prisoners, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. “I would love for them to meet the real Henry Ruggs and not the one that was escaping from something,” he said in a video shared by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I sincerely apologize not only for being a part of that situation, but … the fact that my face is always in the news, so they have to constantly be reminded of the situation.” Authorities said Ruggs was driving his Corvette as fast as 156 mph at 3:40 a.m. when he crashed into the 23-year-old Tintor’s SUV. Las Vegas Metro Police said Ruggs “showed signs of impairment” after they responded to the collision, and that his blood-alcohol content was 0.16, more than twice Nevada’s legal limit, according to the police report. Ruggs was sentenced in August 2023 and is eligible for parole in August 2026. Josh Jacobs, a former teammate of Ruggs’ at Alabama and in Las Vegas, said in an April podcast appearance that he had been talking to teams on Ruggs’ behalf, and a couple of franchises seem willing to give him a shot at continuing his NFL career if he is granted parole. “When you get that chance, man, don’t look back,” Jacobs said he told Ruggs. Ruggs, 26, was the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He totaled 921 receiving yards and caught four touchdowns in 20 career games before the crash. In three years at Alabama, he had 1,716 receiving yards with 24 touchdowns. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDZac Jackson of The Athletic sees QB JOE FLACCO as the best QB on the team: Cleveland BrownsEven if Joe Flacco doesn’t win the starting job, or doesn’t keep it past Halloween, the Browns made a smart move in April when they brought him back on a one-year deal. Flacco is the best pure thrower of the four-man quarterback group, even at 40, but it’s his steadiness and experience that make him such a valuable addition right now. Flacco both mastered the offense quickly and earned the respect of the locker room during his 2023 stint with Cleveland. It was clear this spring that players, young and old, can lean on Flacco as the Browns go about the business of trying to fix their broken offense. — Zac Jackson |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLERest easy, CB/WR TRAVIS HUNTER is signed. And Mike Florio has the details. When it comes to rookie contracts, there’s not much to negotiate. On one of the few negotiable items, Jaguars receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter did very well. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Hunter will receive his full, slotted $30.57 million bonus up front. He’s the first non-quarterback not taken first overall to get the full signing bonus up front. Often, teams stagger the payments. Sometimes, a portion of the money isn’t paid out for nearly a year. There’s real value in getting the cash right away. It can be put to work, earning interest while Hunter does nothing. It’s the least the Jaguars could do for a player who relishes the opportunity to work overtime. His contract won’t pay him extra to play both ways; the total money is driven solely by the position in which he was drafted. When it’s time for the Jaguars to pick up Hunter’s fifth-year option, it will be driven by the position at which he takes the most snaps. Ditto for the franchise tag. Only in his second contract will Hunter have a chance to get paid for playing both positions. He won’t be eligible for that until after his third regular season ends. That’s when it will get interesting. After the 2027 regular season. Hunter, if he’s playing both ways on a full-time basis, will have every right to be paid for both of his jobs. The stakes will be high, for both sides. The Jaguars happily gave up their 2026 first-round pick and more to trade up three spots in the first round because they were getting two players in one — as their two-pronged social-media announcement of his signing confirms. At some point, they’ll need to depart from a Collective Bargaining Agreement that doesn’t contemplate paying extra money to a player who plays both ways. UPDATE 8:05 p.m. ET: A league source takes issue with Schefter’s report that Hunter is the first non-quarterback not taken first overall to get his full signing bonus up front. Per the source, both Nick Bosa and Chase Young got their full signing bonuses up front. (Also, plenty of second- through seventh-round picks have gotten the full amount of their signing bonuses up front. The numbers, obviously, were much smaller.) The DB kind of thinks that Hunter will be WR2 behind the great WR BRIAN THOMAS, Jr. And Jeff How of The Athletic highlights CB TYSON CAMPBELL as a contender for CB1. Jacksonville JaguarsWide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and cornerback Tyson Campbell could be training camp’s true headliners. So much attention has been placed on head coach Liam Coen’s arrival and the corresponding impact on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, along with the fascination over rookie wideout/cornerback Travis Hunter, but Thomas and Campbell had terrific offseason battles. It should be a foreshadowing of some must-see training camp matchups. Thomas should make a big second-year jump, and Campbell is an ascending player who has flown under the radar. But those daily competitions should make two very important players even better in 2025. — Jeff Howe |
| THIS AND THAT |
| 2026 DRAFTDaniel Jeremiah has done a deep dive into Penn State quarterback DREW ALLAR. He offers an NFL comparison – with our soft dive we are going to guess Sam Darnold before we read it. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar’s rare combination of prototypical size, experience and production makes him one of the buzziest prospects in college football entering the 2025 season. There was some speculation last winter that he might enter the 2025 NFL Draft, but Allar announced in December his intention to return for his senior year with the Nittany Lions. The Medina, Ohio, native is on pace to depart Penn State as one of the most decorated QBs in school history. Allar ranks first all-time at PSU in completion rate (62.9%) and interception percentage (1.19%). He ranks third in touchdown passes (53), fifth in completions (530) and sixth in passing yards (6,302). As a junior in 2024, his second season as the full-time starter, he nearly led his team to the national championship game, earning decisive victories in two playoff games before falling to Notre Dame, 27-24, in the semifinals. Allar struggled against the Fighting Irish and didn’t have his best games against Ohio State and Oregon, either (54 percent completion rate, 3:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in those three contests), so I’m fascinated to see how he performs on the biggest stages this year, including a matchup at Ohio State on Nov. 1. Will he position himself as QB1 in next year’s draft with a standout senior year, taking another step in his development? After breaking down Allar’s game tape from last year, here is my initial scouting report. Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 236 pounds (school measurements). 2024 statistics (16 games): 262-of-394 (66.5%) for 3,327 yards (8.4 per attempt), 24 TDs and 8 INTs; 96 carries for 302 yards (3.1 average), 6 TDs. Game tape watched: vs. Ohio State (Nov. 2, 2024), vs. Washington (Nov. 9, 2024), vs. Oregon (Big Ten title game in Indianapolis; Dec. 7, 2024) What I liked: Let’s start with the obvious — Allar has ideal size and arm strength. He has a big, sturdy frame and can generate outstanding velocity with very little effort. He’s at his best on drive throws, especially on deep in-cutting routes. Most big-armed college quarterbacks tend to throw late, but Allar anticipates well and gets the ball out early. He quickly moves through his progression, working the full field and often finding his third option. While he lacks quickness, he’s shown the ability to escape on occasion and can deliver accurate throws outside the pocket. He can collect free yards given to him when rushing lanes open. I admire his competitive nature, and he’s described as an outstanding worker by NFL scouting sources. Where he needs to improve: Allar needs to do a better job of making the easy throws and refining his footwork under pressure. He misses too many quick hitters in the games I studied. He gets sped up and loses control of ball flight. He needs to quiet his feet and smooth out his delivery. The good news is that it’s easily fixable. He also has a bad habit of drifting in his drop and failing to set his feet versus pressure. There are times where it’s appropriate to gain distance and rely on fade-away throws against free rushers. However, Allar does it when there is still plenty of time and space to ground his cleats and deliver the ball. Cleaning up that area of his game will improve his overall accuracy. Biggest takeaway: Penn State was excellent at running back, tight end and on the offensive line last season. However, after studying Allar, I was shocked by how underwhelmingly the receiver corps played. They couldn’t separate, drifted on routes and didn’t fight for the ball. Allar has received plenty of criticism for some crucial turnovers, but after digging in and watching the tape, I don’t think he had much help on the outside. For a top-tier program, there simply weren’t a lot of big-window throws. Allar needs to continue to improve his footwork and decision-making, but he also needs some playmakers on the outside. I know the Nittany Lions were active in the transfer portal this offseason, and hopefully there will be more support for him at the position in 2025. He reminds me of: My first thought was Kerry Collins, who also spent his college career at Penn State before spending 17 seasons in the NFL. They are big, strong-armed passers with similar athleticism. However, the more I thought about it, the more Allar reminded me of Joe Flacco. Allar and Flacco both make drive throws look so effortless, and when given some space, they can collect yards on the ground. Neither guy is ultra sudden or dynamic, but they find ways to occasionally extend plays and deliver accurate throws on the move. They both prefer to read top to bottom, and they’re always on the lookout for shots to present themselves. Another thing they have in common is the streaky nature of their play. Both guys can string together some impressive throws, but they can also make a few head-scratchers. Numbers to know: Allar posted a TD-INT ratio of 11:2 on deep throws (20-plus yards) last season and recorded a completion rate of 48.9 percent on such throws, which ranked sixth in the FBS (11 TDs tied for ninth), per Pro Football Focus. |
