| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYInteresting perspective on Coach Matt LaFleur from Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic – on items such as his close bond with Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich, his battling of anger issues, his new bond with DC Jonathan Gannon and the maturity of QB JORDAN LOVE. LaFleur has sometimes given the impression that he always has to be right, that he always has an answer or a rebuttal. His quickness can translate to excellent problem-solving on the field (just look at what he did with backup quarterback Malik Willis, helping the third-round pick-turned-backup become a QB1 again with the Miami Dolphins). But like most NFL coaches, LaFleur will admit that his acuity can also be a gateway to anger or frustration when things don’t go how he plans. I expected a typical conversational path with LaFleur when we sat down that day, one that had very little to do with him and instead was a careful deflection back to the smart scheming and planning for the season ahead. But he was different. LaFleur began talking about what he can and cannot let go. His shoulders slumped briefly, and he looked away. This was grief, sudden and relentless. Cristina Ulbrich, wife of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich — the couple, longtime friends of LaFleur and his wife, Bre — had died just a few days earlier from cancer. She was 48. LaFleur had planned to attend her memorial service, flying privately so as to quickly make it out of one long, work-intensive training camp day and return before another started. As the plane he commissioned prepared to take off, the crew found a mechanical issue, and he got stuck. He ultimately had to return to the Packers’ facilities while Bre traveled separately and made it in time to support Ulbrich and his family. LaFleur said he felt terrible about missing the service. How jarring, to pivot right back to football as a friend was laid to rest. “All the sudden, I’m back in meetings,” he said, wincing. “I’m like, ‘It’s out of my control.’” Cristina — her illness, her passing, how Ulbrich must feel — keeps coming into LaFleur’s mind. He pictures the hurt in Ulbrich’s face. LaFleur, his younger brother Mike (the Arizona Cardinals’ first-year head coach), Ulbrich and Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh, plus their wives and kids, have been friends for years, bonded by various coaching jobs and connecting friendships, and by the unrelenting grind of football. LaFleur, 46, has known loss before. But this was different. Cristina was one of them. She was part of the fabric of their peer group, intertwined with the peaks and valleys of their football lives as much as their family lives. “It’s different … when it’s somebody your age,” LaFleur said quietly. “She was a rock star. I think about it every day. I worry about ‘Brich.” LaFleur gestured around his large office. “It puts all of this stuff a little bit more in perspective,” he said, “… you can’t take it for granted, that’s for sure.” The barely controlled chaos of an NFL head coaching job during a day of training camp was on full display in LaFleur’s office. One wall is actually a giant dry-erase board, covered in hand-drawn plays. Another features a massive screen that is a backdrop for the large, curved double monitors on LaFleur’s desk, surrounded by scribbled-on practice script cards and play call sheets. The computer screens all had a different tab open, from emails to film clips to roster notes and more. LaFleur suddenly remembered he had forgotten to eat lunch between meetings, practice and interviews, so his assistant brought him a bowl of raw vegetables. LaFleur keeps his phone in his office, and throughout that day he checked for updates from Saleh as the two discussed how to support Ulbrich in the coming days. Another group chat that includes longtime friend and former boss Kyle Shanahan provided updates on Shanahan’s health as he recovers from his July car crash. Bre even stopped by with their oldest son after practice to say hello. The office may be all football, all the time, but there’s a lot of life happening there too. Despite LaFleur’s moments of grief and worry, he also seemed … calm. At least, he was calmer than expected for a man who had just experienced a season like the one the Packers had in 2025. Many, many things went sideways for LaFleur and his team despite beginning the year with such optimism and expectations. New team president Ed Policy and longtime general manager Brian Gutekunst made bold moves in the 2025 draft by selecting Matthew Golden at No. 23, the first receiver taken by Green Bay in the opening round in over two decades. They were bold again in their trade for elite pass rusher Micah Parsons right before the season began, sending multiple first-round picks plus defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys. These would be the “new Packers,” they seemed to express — built solidly out of NFL history and tradition but now willing to take bigger swings. With both LaFleur and Gutekunst coming due for contract extensions, it felt like the organization had dared the perennially winning head coach and GM to go bolder, too. But then, both Parsons and tight end Tucker Kraft, who was quickly ascending and bringing the Green Bay offense along with him, got hurt. Other key role players did too. A 5-1-1 start became a 9-7-1 finish (and let’s not even talk about that tie). Quarterback Jordan Love also got banged up and had to sit out a game at the end of the season before the team’s underwhelming playoff exit in the wild-card round to the rival Chicago Bears. LaFleur, who has the third-best winning percentage among active NFL head coaches, at times drew the ire of Packers fans for his situational decision-making and for what looked like confusion in a crowded and inconsistent receivers room. In the offseason, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley left for the head coaching job in Miami, and respected special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia resigned. It was “a weird year,” LaFleur admitted, with a lot of change — some of which he could control, some of which he couldn’t. As he nears a decade as a head coach, LaFleur thinks he’s learning to accept that. “I think my perspective has changed a little bit, just on life in general,” he said. “The older you get, all you can ask of anybody is just do the best you can. … If you’re doing the best you can and it doesn’t work out, I can still look myself in the mirror and know I did everything I could. I feel like that about everyone in the building.” In the spring, the Packers parted ways with receivers Romeo Doubs in free agency and Dontayvion Wicks via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. The remaining receivers and Love have felt more clarity within their group, plus Kraft figures to be back by Week 1 if not sooner. Parsons could return in October. LaFleur also hired former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon as his new defensive coordinator. He and Gannon had never worked together, but from their interview, LaFleur said, he “knew (Gannon) was a good person and knew he knew ball.” They hit it off quickly once Gannon arrived in Green Bay, and now LaFleur has found himself delegating more to Gannon and leaning on him for advice. A head coach sometimes takes a risk when hiring a former one as a coordinator; big personalities accustomed to being the leader can clash. No issues there, LaFleur said. “He’s been better than I could have ever envisioned,” he added. “I love the guy. I love how he holds (players and coaches) accountable. But he doesn’t have an ego. That’s fun to work with.” LaFleur has also embraced more of a hands-off approach with his offensive assistants — at least so far. Earlier in the offseason, he declared to reporters that the offense would “strip everything down and start like it’s Year 1 all over again.” That has in part meant trusting his coaches to help infuse new ideas into an offense that now has seven years of work behind it, and trusting them to be honest with each other about the concepts they should scrap. They went over the entire library concept by concept in the spring. Love said that LaFleur has emphasized developing plays that can work universally against more coverages rather than attempting to force a defense into the coverage the Packers want. “I think he’s done a great job of evolving. I think for him, he just wants me to be comfortable,” Love said. “He’s always asking, ‘Tell me what you’re comfortable with? Tell me what you’re not comfortable with?’ Because at the end of the day, (he says) ‘You’re the one running the plays. I can call it, but if you don’t feel comfortable running it, it’s not going to be a good play.’” Now in training camp, LaFleur doesn’t always feel the need to hover over offensive meetings. Maybe he recognizes he isn’t the only one in the building with answers. “I think for Matt, as a head coach, you’ve got so much on your plate,” Love said. “Matt is the type, as the play caller, where he wants to be in control of what’s going on and put us in the best situations. There are some times where you have got to just sit back and say, ‘Hey, I’ve coached the guys as much as I can.’” Perhaps the years with Love as his quarterback have impacted LaFleur beyond the field. Love is an elite problem-solver — LaFleur raves about his protection calls and adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and his ability to smooth out a complex play for others — but his process is serene. “He’s so cool. He’s so f—ing cool,” LaFleur said. “In fact, I like it when he bites back on me sometimes. But it doesn’t happen often. … He’s a pretty level-headed dude. (And) what’s cool about him is to see the success he’s had, he hasn’t changed. … His knowledge is off the charts, he’s got great recall. I can’t tell you how many times I can call something (bad) and he’ll fix it. He’s just on that level now.” |
| MINNESOTAQB J.J. McCARTHY takes a somewhat high road in his first media availability after KYLER MURRAY was revealed as the starter. Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com: – The decision to name Kyler Murray the winner of the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback competition this week was “out of my control,” former starter J.J. McCarthy said Wednesday. “Obviously, every competitor wants to play,” McCarthy said. “But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number’s called.” Asked why he thought the competition was out of his control, McCarthy said: “There’s so many things out of my control, like the heat today. And it’s just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two [quarterbacks], and that was one of the things outside of my control. And me attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control, and that’s all I was focusing on.” Coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday that McCarthy is now the No. 2 quarterback. But the Vikings also have veteran Carson Wentz on the roster, and a trade could become a possibility. McCarthy, however, said his desire to remain with the Vikings — who drafted him at No. 10 in 2024 — hasn’t changed. “This is the place I want to be,” McCarthy said. “And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I’m going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization.” The Vikings signed Murray in March, and O’Connell declared an open competition in response to McCarthy’s difficult and injury-filled 2025 campaign. In practical terms, Murray was the heavy favorite; his uneven performance during training camp added a layer of complexity to O’Connell’s decision. While making the announcement Tuesday, O’Connell said Murray had “shown enough” and that he was enticed in part by “what could be.” McCarthy said at the start of camp he was “100%” convinced the competition would be fair and that he would have a legitimate chance to win it. Speaking Tuesday, McCarthy said he wasn’t thinking about fairness “at all” during the competition. “I couldn’t control anything during,” he said. “I couldn’t control anything after. The only thing I could do is focus on that next rep and keep at it.” In the spring, McCarthy compared the Vikings’ quarterback room to a high school classroom, where he would sit on one side of the room and Murray the other. Asked about his relationship with Murray now, McCarthy said: “Yeah, he’s just one of my teammates that I care for and respect and just like all my teammates in that locker room. So, it’s about just doing whatever I can for the room and this team and moving forward.” |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSA 61-yard FG highlights the Giants kicking combination per Jordan Raanan ofESPN.com: The kicking competition continues: Ben Sauls went 5-of-6 on field goal attempts in Wednesday’s practice. Rookie Dominic Zvada went 7-of-7, including a 61-yarder to end practice. Overall in camp, Zvada is now 48-of-51 on kicks. Sauls is 41-of-48. “They’re both having really good camps,” coach John Harbaugh said. Running back Cam Skattebo and tight end Isaiah Likely peer-pressured Harbaugh into having Zvada attempt the 61-yard kick after the offense repeatedly sputtered in end-of-game situations. There were 10 seconds remaining on the clock and Harbaugh had the offense out on the field ready to run a play from the 44-yard line. He reconsidered. Zvada drilled the kick with plenty of room to spare (it clanked off the back fence) as the offense went wild. At this point, it seems a fait accompli that the Giants will carry a kicker with little to no experience come Week 1. So, BLAKE GRUPE kicked for four seasons at Arkansas State, then transferred to high profile Notre Dame before making (and now unmaking) the Saints. When Grupe left after 2021, Arkansas State brought in Zvada from Chandler, Arizona. After two years, he left for two seasons at high profile Michigan. It seems to be pronounced – “Zuh-vahduh” like “Nevada.” |
| WASHINGTONAbsent any documentation, does a player have the right to a uniform number in perpetuity? Does it matter if he won the Heisman Trophy? Not a good look actually for QB JAYLEN DANIELS. Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com: An attorney representing Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has informed LSU that it can no longer use his name, image and likeness, according to an Aug. 5 letter sent to Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN on Wednesday. At the center of the dispute, according to a statement from Daniels’ spokesperson to ESPN, is that the Tigers are allowing sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey that Daniels wore when he became LSU’s third Heisman Trophy winner in 2023. While Daniels’ jersey hasn’t been retired by the Tigers, it’s the first time a player has worn No. 5 since he left the program for the NFL. “The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” the statement from Daniels’ spokesperson said. “Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university.” Pickett wore No. 3 during his first season with the Tigers in 2025 when he was named a freshman All-American. He led LSU with three interceptions to go with 37 tackles and one sack in 524 defensive snaps. Pickett was wearing No. 5 when the Tigers opened preseason practice last week, leading to questions about why first-year LSU coach Lane Kiffin had allowed the jersey swap to happen. “Jayden made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected,” the statement said. “His Heisman Trophy-winning season and everything he accomplished on and off the field cemented his place in LSU history. To see his number given to another player is incredibly disappointing and feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU.” The No. 9 jersey that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow used at LSU hasn’t been worn since 2019, when he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to a 15-0 record and College Football Playoff national championship. An LSU athletic department spokesman declined to comment when reached by ESPN on Wednesday. Kiffin told reporters Aug. 5 that Pickett had been promised he could wear No. 5 when he signed with the Tigers in December 2024. Pickett had worn that number as a high school star in Zephyrhills, Florida, where he was the No. 2 cornerback in the Class of 2025 by ESPN Recruiting. “DJ is in [No.] 5, and that was a situation that was promised to him in recruiting here, for him to sign here,” Kiffin said. “I’ve done a lot of research on that with the family and the representatives and the people, so really I didn’t have a decision to make. It was promised to the kid. It wasn’t done for whatever [reason]. I’m not going to get into that. “I’m not going to judge something [that was done] when I wasn’t here. But when a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it. So at that point, I don’t think that’s really my decision. We should honor what he was told.” Former LSU coach Brian Kelly told ESPN on Wednesday that he believed No. 5 was promised to Pickett during his recruitment, but Kelly chose not to issue it to him because Daniels wasn’t on board with Pickett wearing his number. Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, 2025, after his teams compiled a 34-14 record in four seasons. “I just wasn’t prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner,” Kelly said. “We didn’t want to issue No. 9, so you can’t treat one differently from the other.” LSU has retired the jerseys of four of its former players — halfback Billy Cannon (No. 20), defensive back Tommy Casanova (No. 37), halfback Jerry Stovall (No. 21) and running back Charles Alexander (No. 4) — and plans to retire former quarterback Bert Jones’ No. 7 jersey on Nov. 14. However, LSU’s policy regarding jerseys being retired, which is published on its athletic department website, states that any number retired after Jan. 1, 2007, “does not preclude a current student-athlete in that sport from wearing the jersey number in that or any other sport, subject to the discretion of the head coach.” The No. 20 jersey made famous by Cannon, who was the team’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1959, is the only number that can’t be worn again by a football player. The jersey numbers worn by former LSU basketball stars Bob Pettit (No. 50), Pete Maravich (No. 23) and Shaquille O’Neal (No. 33) and former Tigers baseball coach and athletic director Skip Bertman (No. 15) have also been permanently retired in their respective sports. The LSU policy states that an athlete must have completed competition for five years before being nominated for jersey retirement and he or she must have “demonstrated truly unusual and outstanding accomplishments, such as winning a Heisman Trophy or National Player of the Year award and should be based on the total LSU career.” In the cease and desist letter sent to Ausberry, attorney Adam Kenner noted that Daniels’ contract with LSU permitted the school to use his name, image and likeness for 180 days beyond his final game in college. “Accordingly, LSU must immediately cease and desist from any further issue use, display, publication, distribution, promotion, commercialization, or other exploitation of Mr. Daniels’ NIL in any manner or medium,” Kenner wrote. “Any use of Mr. Daniels’ NIL occurring after LSU’s receipt of this notice will be deemed knowing and willful and will be pursued vigorously through all available legal and equitable remedies, without further notice.” Sources told ESPN that LSU hasn’t yet responded to the letter. Daniels, who spent three seasons at Arizona State before transferring to LSU, was named the Heisman Trophy winner after he passed for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns and ran for 1,134 yards with 10 scores while leading the Tigers to a 10-3 record in 2023. The Commanders made him the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and he was named the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. Last season, Daniels labored through an injury-plagued season and appeared in only seven games. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAQB TUA TAGOVIALOA will start the preseason opener. Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will start Friday night in the team’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. That does not necessarily mean Tagovailoa will be the starter Week 1, though. Despite the decision to start Tagovailoa on Friday, Stefanski said it’s still too early to tab a starting quarterback for the regular season. The Falcons travel to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Week 1 on Sept. 13. “We’re not there to name a starter for Week 1,” Stefanski said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Michael Penix Jr., the third-year quarterback, is still not yet fully cleared from a torn ACL he suffered last season and unable to do 11-on-11 team sessions in practice. “I went and saw the doctor before camp started and he’s like, ‘This is an amazing ACL.’ He’s like, ‘You should never have any more knee problems for the rest of your career.” That’s word for word what he told me,” Penix said Wednesday. “So, it’s like, OK, I hear that. But it’s like, all right, now I’m like, ‘Do I trust that?’ So, it’s just more so as just having that confidence in it and not worrying about it because injuries happen in football, but at the same time you don’t want it to happen again.” Penix added that he feels good but he’s not ready to take a hit. “I feel like I can do just about anything except for take a hit. And that’s what we’re trying to stay away from right now.” Stefanski said Falcons starters will play the first series or about 10 plays — whichever comes first — and then come out. Veteran Cooper Rush will be the second quarterback used after Tagovailoa and undrafted rookie Jack Strand will finish out the game. “So, our guys are ready to play and looking forward to Tua getting his first action in a game in this system,” Stefanski said. Stefanski said playing time Friday night will vary from player to player. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will call plays, as he will during the regular season. Stefanski said it’ll be a “simple game plan” against the Broncos, so the Falcons can play fast. “I don’t believe in showing a lot in the preseason and doing all sorts of exotic things and whatnot,” Stefanski said. |
| CAROLINATE DARREN WALLER, once one of the best, is a one-year signing for the Panthers. Mike Kaye of ESPN.com: The Carolina Panthers and free agent tight end Darren Waller reached agreement Wednesday on a one-year deal, his agency announced. The 33-year-old playmaker spent last season with the Miami Dolphins working with new Panthers associate head coach/offensive specialist Darrell Bevell, who was Miami’s passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Waller came out of retirement in 2025 to join the Dolphins following a trade with the New York Giants. He battled multiple injuries in Miami, but in nine games he produced 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns. Waller, a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, has played nine seasons in the NFL but skipped the 2024 campaign for a retirement that proved temporary. He made the Pro Bowl with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and has 374 receptions for 4,407 yards and 26 touchdowns in his career. Waller joins a tight ends room fronted by veteran Tommy Tremble, who is entering his sixth season in Carolina. The unit also features 2025 fifth-round pick Mitchell Evans and 2024 fourth-rounder Ja’Tavion Sanders, as well as veterans James Mitchell and Feleipe Franks. A source told ESPN that the Waller move was not because of an injury to one of the other tight ends on the roster. With Waller joining the team, Sanders, a former starter, might need to battle to keep his job in Carolina. Unlike Tremble and Evans, Sanders played in the Hall of Fame Game last week, even after suffering a minor ankle injury earlier in the week. Sanders has struggled with ankle injuries the past two seasons and underwent surgery for the most recent ailment last season. In 2025, the Panthers kept four tight ends on their 53-man roster — Sanders, Evans, Tremble and Mitchell. With Waller aboard, the dynamic might shift, as Evans and Tremble are traditional tight ends, while Waller and Sanders are pass catchers, first and foremost. Franks, a former quarterback, is a special teams ace, while Mitchell struggled to find a consistent role on game days last year. When Waller, who turns 34 in September, officially signs with the Panthers, he will become the oldest non-specialist on the roster. The Panthers entered Wednesday with just three non-specialists over 30. The Panthers will need to make a corresponding move to add Waller to the roster. The team is currently at the 91-man limit, including an international exemption. |
| TAMPA BAYHe won’t play Friday, but QB BAKER MAYFIELD stood out in joint workouts with the Jets. More from Jenna Laine of ESPN.com: The second day of Bucs-Jets joint practices on Wednesday saw wide receiver Emeka Egbuka suffer a toe sprain after having his foot rolled up on. A source told ESPN that the injury is not serious but he will undergo further testing. The Bucs’ wide receiver room has been quickly depleted in camp, with Jalen McMillan missing practices due to a knee injury (he is now participating in individual drills though), Tez Johnson being out with a groin injury and David Sills being out due to a knee injury. That leaves rookie third-round draft pick Ted Hurst III, Kameron Johnson, Garrett Greene, Dennis Houston, Dean Patterson IV and Eric Rivers. Bowles had this to say about the joint practices — “[The] effort is outstanding on both sides. I think we got a lot of work done. The young guys got a chance to play against different guys, a different scheme, so to speak, and they got thrown in there early. There’s a lot of tape to correct [and] there’s a lot of things to learn from, but the effort was great. We’ve just got to clean up some things.” Other observations: Bowles said quarterback Baker Mayfield won’t play in this week’s first preseason game. Backup Jake Browning also suffered an injury Tuesday, but Bowles wasn’t ready to rule him out. He did say, however, that Connor Bazelak will start. Jalon Daniels, the only other healthy quarterback on their roster, will also play. Rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain, Jr. recorded multiple would-be sacks against Jets quarterback Geno Smith. By all accounts, it sounds like Bowles saw all he needs to from the Bucs’ first-round pick. When asked if he’d play Friday, Bowles said, “Not much, if at all. Cornerback Benjamin Morrison, the Bucs’ second-round draft pick in 2025, did wear pads and participated in individual drills, according to reports. Morrison has missed the entirety of camp so far with a hamstring injury. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDQB DESHAUN WATSON is the choice to start the preseason opener. Daniel Oyefusi ofESPN.com: Deshaun Watson will start the Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener against the Bears in Chicago on Saturday. Shedeur Sanders will start the team’s second preseason game at home against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. Browns coach Todd Monken informed the quarterbacks of his decision after practice Wednesday. Watson and Sanders have been alternating first-team practice reps in Cleveland’s quarterback competition Saturday’s exhibition will mark Watson’s first game since he tore his right Achilles tendon in October 2024. He sat out the 2025 season after undergoing a second Achilles surgery in January 2025. Monken said before Wednesday’s practice that he hoped to play whomever starts at quarterback for one half. The quarterback who does not start would then play in the third quarter. Watson said the preseason would be a “great opportunity” for him as he has played in only 19 games because of suspension and injuries since being traded to the Browns in March 2022. Since making his debut in Cleveland, Watson’s 33.1 Total QBR would rank last among qualifying quarterbacks if he had enough starts to qualify. “I’m super excited,” Watson said Wednesday. “I think all the hard work that I’ve put in with the training staff, with my team, my personal team, to get to this stage has been tremendous for myself. So, I’m super excited for those opportunities and can’t wait for it.” Sanders, the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, started the final seven games of his rookie season. Sanders went 3-4 as a starter, throwing seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown. Sanders recorded a 18.9 QBR as a rookie, the fifth-lowest mark among 696 quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts in the QBR era (since 2006). Coaches, though, have praised Sanders’ pre-snap and post-snap development, dating to the offseason workout program. “We approach practice like a game,” Sanders said Wednesday. “So it’s the same amount of focus and experiences. So that’s why I’m excited: to feel how similar does it feel to practice, honestly. Because it’s a different type of intention and a mentality that we go out there every day with.” |
| PITTSBURGHThe Steelers open the preseason with the Packers – but the game is in Pittsburgh. QB AARON RODGERS wishes the game was at Lambeau Field per Yago Antunes of Clutch Points: The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to begin their preseason schedule on Thursday against the Green Bay Packers. However, quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed some disappointment about the game’s location. In a report by Rob Demovsky of ESPN on X, Rodgers mentioned that he was “100 percent” hoping the matchup would take place at Lambeau Field rather than in Pittsburgh. After facing Green Bay in Pennsylvania last season, Rodgers expressed a desire for one final visit to Green Bay before retiring from the game, lamenting that he won’t have the chance to play at his former home stadium one last time as a visitor. While a return to Lambeau Field as a player is no longer possible, there is still the potential for a ceremonial reunion in Green Bay. As noted by ESPN, Rodgers confirmed that the 2026 season will be his final year in the NFL, and any return to Wisconsin would depend on one crucial condition. When discussing the possibility of having his name added to the stadium facade, receiving a jersey retirement, or being inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame, Rodgers said, “There first has to be an invite back. We’ll see about that, but yeah, I’m always going to have such a strong tie to Green Bay and the organization. If that comes to fruition, that could be a cool deal.” Reflecting on his time in Green Bay, the veteran quarterback emphasized that the lasting relationships he built with the people there are the most meaningful aspect of his storied football career. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSQB GENO SMITH is expected by the oddsmakers to once again throw a bunch of interceptions. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: With the Raiders last year, Geno Smith led the NFL with 17 interceptions. He’s on a new team this year, but the betting odds suggest the same result. Now with the Jets, Smith is the betting favorite to be the NFL leader in interceptions again. His odds to lead the league in picks are +950 at DraftKings. There are a lot of reasons to think Smith will throw a lot of interceptions. The obvious one is his own history, as the reigning league leader in picks. Another is that the Jets are expected to be a bad team this year, which means Smith will often be throwing the ball in desperation mode in the fourth quarter. And if Smith struggles, the Jets don’t have a great option to bench him for: The other quarterbacks on the roster are Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook, and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik. The Jets might want to get a look at Klubnik at some point this season, but it would probably be late in the year if it happens at all. Next in the betting odds to lead the league in interceptions is 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at +1000, followed by Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence at +1100. On a more positive note – Purdy also is among those expected to throw the most touchdown passes: Pre-Season Betting Favorites Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals): +550Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): +650Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): +750Jared Goff (Detroit Lions): +950Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers): +1100 |
| THIS AND THAT |
| QB “TRAITS” RANKINGS FROM DAN ORLOVSKYESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has top 10s for various QB skills: I ranked the top 10 quarterbacks by seven different traits: arm strength, ball placement, mechanics, decision-making, pocket presence, second-reaction creativity and rushing ability. These lists are based on current performance and expectations for the 2026 season. It is how I would rank the QB group at this exact moment. I included only starters and leaned on what I see on tape to form the rankings. Arm strength1. Josh Allen, Bills2. Justin Herbert, Chargers3. Caleb Williams, Bears4. Matthew Stafford, Rams5. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs6. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers7. Drake Maye, Patriots8. Joe Burrow, Bengals9. Lamar Jackson, Ravens10. Dak Prescott, Cowboys There are different kinds of arm strength. Everyone immediately looks at deep balls — the 60-yard Hail Marys down the sideline. It’s all about who can throw the rock the furthest, right? You need a live arm to connect on those shot plays, no doubt. But I focus more on passes into tight windows in the intermediate areas of the field and the pure power throws from what I call “funny body” positions. Quarterbacks don’t have the strong base to fall back on here; there is no loading up and driving through the pass. Instead, they need to rely almost entirely on their arm to get the ball where it needs to go with velocity. Allen is still No. 1 in this department. His ability to get zip on his throws from uncomfortable positions really stands out. He just flicks his wrist, and the ball is suddenly in his receiver’s hands on a rope. Not every QB1 can do that, and yet he does it with consistency. But there are some challengers for his top spot this year. Herbert gets real pop on his throws by driving it. No one has completed more tight-window balls over the past five years than Herbert (162). Williams got legit consideration for No. 1, too. He made some miraculous passes from unorthodox positions in 2025, including a 40-plus-yard strike to the end zone late in the divisional round — while back-pedaling. Mahomes can wing it with the best of them, and Stafford and Maye are both elite on downfield balls. Stafford completed 37 passes of 20 or more air yards last season, easily the most in the NFL. And I also want to call out Mayfield — I still think he has the most slept-on arm in the NFL. The one quarterback I really wanted to get into the top 10 was Trevor Lawrence. He also has some underrated arm talent and makes difficult throws look easy. Hey, it’s tough to limit these lists to just 10 guys. Ball placement1. Matthew Stafford, Rams2. Drake Maye, Patriots3. Sam Darnold, Seahawks4. Joe Burrow, Bengals5. Jared Goff, Lions6. Jordan Love, Packers7. Josh Allen, Bills8. Lamar Jackson, Ravens9. Brock Purdy, 49ers10. Dak Prescott, Cowboys How do you find the best quarterbacks in ball placement? Their receivers are never truly considered “covered.” I say this every year in this space, but it’s worth refreshing: Accuracy and ball placement aren’t the same thing. Accuracy means putting the ball on the receiver so he can make the play. Ball placement means putting the ball on the receiver in the perfect spot so he can make the play — and no one else can. The names at the top of this list — including some MVP candidates last season in Stafford and Maye — routinely keep the ball away from the defender. It’s all about precision. Let’s start by addressing a big shift at the top. Burrow was the top-ranked QB in ball placement on each of the past two lists I’ve put together. He’s now No. 4. He’s still extremely good in this area, able to pin the ball to his receivers. But injuries did cost him more than half of the 2025 season, and it opened the door for some others to move up the list a little bit. Fair or not, I’m factoring in time on task. And Stafford came out every Sunday and fired bull’s-eyes with conviction. If you’re looking at the stats, Maye would have a pretty good case to be the new No. 1, too. He settles for second here, but there’s no knocking his league-best 72.0% completion rate and 9.1% completion rate above expectation (per NFL Next Gen Stats). And unlike every other QB in the top five, he wasn’t playing with an All-Pro receiver. Maye was especially good with trajectory going downfield, dropping it in a bucket. I can’t wait to see what he does with A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in 2026. Goff is sneaky good in this trait, and we see it at all levels of the field. Purdy displays incredible touch, layering the ball in. His 10.7% off-target rate was fourth-best in the NFL last season. Love and Prescott have an impressive ability to float the pass in and set their receiver up for yards after the catch. It’s another list that was hard to sort through at the bottom, but I think every name on here is deserving. Tua Tagovailoa has been a mainstay in the ball placement top 10, and he was all the way up at No. 2 in 2024 when I first started doing this annual project. But he has declined a bit here, and his QB1 battle in Atlanta disqualifies him, anyway. Geno Smith also slid out after making the list in back-to-back years; he didn’t look like the same quarterback last season at 35 years old. Mechanics1. Matthew Stafford, Rams2. Joe Burrow, Bengals3. Daniel Jones, Colts4. Jared Goff, Lions5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys6. C.J. Stroud, Texans7. Caleb Williams, Bears8. Jayden Daniels, Commanders9. Josh Allen, Bills10. Lamar Jackson, Ravens It’s neck and neck between Stafford and Burrow. Things that matter here: Clean, smooth throwing motions from start to finish Strong bases that keep the QB in rhythm and firm Repeatable processes that don’t change from rep to rep, even when things get chaotic around the QB That last one is key for Stafford and Burrow. Defenses don’t know what’s coming because every throw looks exactly the same coming out. It’s amazing consistency. The tight connection between Stafford’s upper and lower body allows him to pull off all those no-look throws. Defenses can’t tell the difference until his release, and bam, the ball is going somewhere unexpected. You might be surprised to see Jones at No. 3. I was, too. But watching the tape again, I was taken aback by how good his mechanics were in Indianapolis last season. The Colts ran many different forms of RPOs, and that means his mechanics need to be sound. They were. Goff, Prescott and Stroud are such pure passers, with beautiful, natural motions. Daniels’ mechanics have shades of Stroud. And I was impressed with how much Williams improved here last season. He might be more known for the off-platform plays, but he’s solid from a mechanics standpoint. I had a hard time leaving Justin Herbert off. He probably should be on the list. Aaron Rodgers was also a tough cut, even in Year 22. Decision-making with the football1. Josh Allen, Bills2. Matthew Stafford, Rams3. Jordan Love, Packers4. Drake Maye, Patriots5. Jayden Daniels, Commanders6. Dak Prescott, Cowboys7. Lamar Jackson, Ravens8. Joe Burrow, Bengals9. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs10. Jalen Hurts, Eagles Here are the league’s top problem solvers. Being a good decision-maker means making the right choice when things are going to plan, but it also means making the only choice when things are falling apart. Find the correct outlet, but avoid mistakes, turnovers and negative plays. Last year, I put Allen at No. 2 on this list and said that his “decision-making improved [in 2024] more than any other NFL quarterback improved in any trait.” Well, he’s moving up again. He makes good decisions both in and out of structure. He threw 10 interceptions and lost three fumbles last season, but his tape shows an ability to read the defense and avoid getting baited into trouble. Maye and Love leaped into the top five. They ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in EPA per dropback last season (Maye was first at 0.27, just beating Love’s 0.22), and they were both in the top 10 in interception rate (Love was sixth at 1.4%, slightly better than Maye’s 1.6% in 10th). Daniels, meanwhile, was already solid as a decision-maker, but he should keep growing in the new Commanders offense. I haven’t really talked about Mahomes yet. Some might see decision-making as a question mark on his otherwise impeccable scouting report. But that would be discounting just how much is asked of him as a decision-maker in Kansas City. He threw 11 interceptions last season, but he was constantly trying to find plays when they weren’t there. It was another list that could have included Trevor Lawrence. I also entertained Jared Goff, who threw eight picks all last season. Pocket presence1. Drake Maye, Patriots2. Joe Burrow, Bengals3. Sam Darnold, Seahawks4. Justin Herbert, Chargers5. Dak Prescott, Cowboys6. Lamar Jackson, Ravens7. Caleb Williams, Bears8. Brock Purdy, 49ers9. Daniel Jones, Colts10. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars What I saw on tape matches the numbers here. Maye was No. 1 in QBR inside the pocket last season at 82.5. He was surgical, completing 74.9% of his throws from there for 9.2 yards per attempt — both tops in the NFL. The quarterbacks on this list are great at navigating out of trouble and creating operational space. There’s no panic to be found as they climb the pocket to maneuver out of danger. And Maye was tremendous in 2025, using his big, strong frame and movement traits to buy time and execute. Despite the injuries that derailed his season, I kept Burrow second on the list. I love watching him operate in a phone booth, with tiny adjustments to stay clean and deliver the ball in a composed manner over and over again. Darnold and Williams took big jumps in pocket presence; Williams even led the league in sack rate at 3.3%. Purdy displays the skills to deal with muddy pockets, and Herbert uses his big 6-foot-6 frame to stay firm. Herbert and Prescott were admittedly snubs from this list a year ago, and I couldn’t let that happen again. This year, that will probably be Patrick Mahomes. I dropped him on a few lists as he comes back from a torn ACL. He’s still one of the best quarterbacks in the world when he’s healthy, and he’ll be back here in short order. Second-reaction ability1. Josh Allen, Bills2. Caleb Williams, Bears3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs4. Drake Maye, Patriots5. Sam Darnold, Seahawks6. Bo Nix, Broncos7. Brock Purdy, 49ers8. Lamar Jackson, Ravens9. Jayden Daniels, Commanders10. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers The flip side is working outside the pocket. There’s obviously always a plan when the ball is snapped, but NFL defenses are pretty dang good at derailing things. So, what happens when Plan A doesn’t work? Can the quarterback pull something out of thin air and still make a positive play? I’m looking for creativity here, as well as the ability to throw from weird arm angles and platforms. You’ll notice a lot of the strongest arms make this list, too — that’s obviously key. But mobility and field vision also matter in a big way. So, it’s no shocker that I have Allen at No. 1. He shows all of those second-reaction traits, and he can obviously tuck and run if there’s nothing else available. The creativity and off-schedule ability of Williams really jumped out in 2025, and Mahomes is always going to be on this list. Darnold led the league with 10.1 yards per attempt when moving at least 10 mph, per NFL Next Gen Stats (signifying throws on the move). And Purdy was atop the NFL in QBR on throws from outside the pocket (79.1). Nix surprised me. He really became a broken-play artist last season. His eight TD throws from outside the pocket tied for the second most in the league, and no one made more outside-the-pocket throws last season than Nix (133). It was a big part of his game. There were a bunch of guys who could have been on here, but I don’t know who you could knock off that top 10 to make room. Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts all have good cases. Trevor Lawrence, too. I’d keep an eye on Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart — if they take big steps in 2026, they could both be on this list in a year. Each passer has the traits to make those whippy throws on the move, but I want to see more consistency. Rushing ability1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens2. Josh Allen, Bills3. Drake Maye, Patriots4. Caleb Williams, Bears5. Justin Herbert, Chargers6. Jalen Hurts, Eagles7. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs8. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers9. Bo Nix, Broncos10. Jayden Daniels, Commanders I actually want to start with the guys not on the list. I would have loved to get Jaxson Dart in. He actually led quarterbacks in rushing yards per game last season with 34.8. But he needs to learn how to protect himself when he’s on the move. I’d bet he makes the top 10 next year if he can stay on the field. Then there is Kyler Murray. I put this list together before he was named QB1 in Minnesota earlier this week, and it was tough to fit him in retroactively. Daniel Jones and Malik Willis also make sense. As for those who did make the list, I can’t imagine many would argue for anyone over Jackson. His rushing numbers fell off last season, as he was limited to 67 carries for 349 yards and two ground touchdowns. But he still averaged 5.2 yards per carry, and he had reached at least 750 rushing yards in each of his past six seasons. Jackson’s running ability opens things up for Baltimore, whether it be on designed carries or scrambles. He still has elite-tier speed, vision and suddenness. New coordinator Declan Doyle’s system should capitalize on that more often. Allen and Hurts bring a more physical brand of QB rushing; Allen led all quarterbacks with 181 rushing yards after first contact. That helped him to a QB-high 14 rushing touchdowns in 2025, five more than the next best (Dart and Trevor Lawrence, potentially another hard snub). Maye hurts plenty of defenses with his legs, and Herbert runs at a high level when he’s 100%. And Mahomes is the most impressive scrambler in the league. He scrambled 18 times for at least 10 yards in 2025 (tops in the NFL). I’ll cap this with one general thought after looking at my seven lists: Lawrence is right on the cusp of so many. I considered him for about half of these but just barely left him off. Just something to keep in mind as he enters Year 2 with coach Liam Coen. |
