| This has nothing to do with football, but it is amazing that since 1918, the second season that has seen the White Sox win a postseason series (also 2005 when they won three series culminating with the World Series). They did win two World Series prior to 1918. Most famously they lost one amidst scandal in 2019. |
| NFC NORTH |
| MINNESOTAAri Meirov points out that the Vikings are 3-0 even though they have punted 18 time through three weeks, more than any other team. Here is how many times the 5 3-0 teams have punted: VIKINGS 18Raiders 12Chiefs 749ers 7Bills 5 Five punts is the fewest in the NFL. The Bills are tied with the Cowboys. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASAri Meirov: @MySportsUpdateThe #Steelers used a 2022 2nd-round pick on WR George Pickens, a 2023 1st-round pick on LT Broderick Jones and a 2023 2nd-round pick on CB Joey Porter Jr. They’ve now traded all three to the #Cowboys. Here are the details on the acquisition by the Cowboys of disgruntled Steelers CB JOEY PORTER, Jr. Grant Gordon of NFL.com: The Steel City impasse is over. The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Wednesday evening. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero first reported the trade. The Cowboys announced the terms of the transaction Thursday morning. Porter, entering the final season of his 2023 rookie contract, was seeking an extension, but he and Pittsburgh were unable to come to terms. The 26-year-old Porter had missed each of the Steelers’ first three games this season. He was listed as having a back injury throughout training camp, but as of late had appeared on the Steelers’ practice report as being a full or limited participant due to conditioning. Earlier Thursday, Porter had been ruled out for the team’s Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns with the designation officially for not injury related/conditioning/back. Now, the consternation in Pittsburgh has concluded, and Porter Jr., whose father was a four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Steelers from 1999-2011, will move on to helping the Cowboys shore up a defense that was supposed to be much improved but has continued to be a disappointment. Steelers — and former Cowboys — head coach Mike McCarthy was upfront in declaring Pittsburgh and Porter at an impasse this offseason before general manager Omar Khan declared that there would be no negotiations during the season. Meanwhile, Porter hadn’t been practicing, instead stationed on the physically unable to perform list throughout training camp with the aforementioned back injury. He was removed from the PUP list on Sunday, Aug. 31 to be included on the team’s initial 53-man roster. Days later, Porter indicated there was a chance he would not play this year without a new deal. As it turns out, he would never play for the Steelers again. Here are the details of all the Cowboys-Steelers dealings: Josh Rowntree@JRown32 Cowboys get:George PickensBroderick Jones Joey Porter Jr. 2027 4th round pick Steelers get: 2026 3rd round pick (Drew Allar)2027 5th round pick 2027 3rd round pick2027 6th round pick2027 6th round pick2028 2nd round pick |
| NEW YORK GIANTSDan Duggan of The Athletic on the injury to EDGE BRIAN BURNS: New York Giants star outside linebacker Brian Burns tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee, in addition to tearing his ACL, according to league and team sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the injury. Burns is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair both injuries Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The 28-year-old suffered the injury while pass rushing early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. Coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday that Burns had suffered a torn ACL. The Athletic has since learned of the additional damage to his meniscus. “It’s a big challenge for us,” Harbaugh said of moving forward without Burns. “I mean, not just a great player, which he is. In many ways, (he’s) the leader of the defense, just as a veteran leader and star player, also a worker, out front kind of guy in everything he does. You hate to see it. … He was just such a rock for us.” Burns had yet to record a sack this season, but he led the NFC in sacks last season with 16.5 en route to being named both a Pro Bowler and All-Pro. The typical timeline for recovery from ACL and meniscus surgery is 9-to-12 months. Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a similar injury on Sept. 28 last season. Even after a second “clean-up” surgery to remove scar tissue interrupted his rehabilitation, Nabers was ready for the start of the 2026 season. Throughout his career with the Giants and Carolina Panthers, Burns had been an iron man, missing only three games in his first seven seasons.– – -QB J.J. McCARTHY heads to the Giants, presumably with the endorsement of the head coach’s brother. Jacob Camenker of USA TODAY: The New York Giants traded for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy on Monday, Sept. 28, to help provide depth at the position following Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury. Before acquiring McCarthy, John Harbaugh was able to get a scouting report on the 23-year-old from his brother, Jim Harbaugh, who coached McCarthy at Michigan. Jim Harbaugh, now coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, confirmed he had spoken to his brother about McCarthy in a news conference on Wednesday, Sept. 30. “I mean, John called me and asked me,” Harbaugh told reporters when asked whether he had given his brother a scouting report. “I said, ‘John, I love you. I love J.J. I think you guys would be…’ so, really, I’m telling you the same thing that I told my brother.” Harbaugh didn’t elaborate any further on the information he had shared with his brother about McCarthy. Harbaugh and McCarthy won a national championship together at Michigan during the 2023 college football season. McCarthy’s efficient performance – he completed 72.3% of his passes for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions – and dual-threat capabilities helped establish him as a first-round prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings ultimately selected McCarthy with the 10th overall pick, but he struggled to establish himself in Minnesota. He played in just 10 games because of a variety of injuries and endured issues with accuracy and turnovers, completing just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 12 starts. McCarthy began the 2026 NFL season as the Vikings’ third-string quarterback behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, so the team was ultimately comfortable with trading him to the Giants in an early-season move. John Harbaugh spoke about the McCarthy trade at a media availability on Monday, Sept. 28. He explained the team was looking to add quarterback depth after Dart’s injury and that eventually led the team to gravitate toward McCarthy. “We’re really glad, really happy, very excited to add J.J. McCarthy,” Harbaugh said. “Think he’s a strong, young quarterback. Has some experience in the National Football League. Obviously, was a very high draft pick, a very talented player. He’s going to make us a stronger football team. So, excited about it. I think it makes us better.” Harbaugh was clear McCarthy would not be handed the starting job immediately. He confirmed Jameis Winston would remain in that role and that McCarthy’s main focus would be on getting up to speed about the Giants’ offense. Still, Harbaugh lauded McCarthy’s skill set and expressed confidence that the 23-year-old signal-caller has great “talent.” “He’s a talented guy, there’s no doubt about it,” Harbaugh said. “He’s talented. He was a top-10 pick for a reason and there’s plenty of good tape, even in the NFL out there. I know he didn’t hold onto that job in Minnesota, and that’s why he’s available. If he had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. It would be somebody else.” |
| PHILADELPHIAMLFootball thinks another Nick S should be coaching the Eagles. @MLFootballSHOULD THE #EAGLES HIRE NICK SABAN AS THEIR NEXT HEAD COACH…? Nick Sirianni is on the hot seat after a slow start. Saban coached Jalen Hurts at Alabama, and a reunion would give Hurts the chance to chase an NFL Super Bowl with his former coach. Imagine this duo in Philly. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAThe Falcons have extended DT GERVON DEXTER, Sr. who they acquired on cutdown day from the Bears. Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com The Atlanta Falcons did not waste any time keeping newly acquired defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. in the building. The Falcons signed Dexter to a four-year, $78 million contract extension with $46.5 million guaranteed, Dexter’s agents, Drew and Jason Rosenhaus, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday. Dexter, 24, has been one of the best interior linemen in the NFL in the early season. He is eighth in the league in quarterback pressure rate (20.5%) among defenders with at least 50 pass-rush snaps. Dexter has just a half sack but has regularly affected the quarterback. The Falcons are third in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (41.6%) despite blitzing only 19% of the time, the second-lowest mark in the league. Dexter has been a major part of defensive line coach Nate Ollie’s attacking front. “It’s a mindset more than anything,” Ollie said earlier this month. “You got to be telling yourself every single rep that, man, I’m willing to run in a dark room. Just visualize yourself just running in a dark room and everything else [will] take care of itself. Just play fast, play free. [Dexter is] embracing the mindset.” The Falcons acquired Dexter on Aug. 30 by sending cornerback Clark Phillips III and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears. Dexter was a Bears second-round pick in 2023 and had a combined 11 sacks over the past two seasons. The Falcons needed front-seven help with the loss of edge rushers Jalon Walker (ACL) and James Pearce Jr. (suspension). |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSPer Sean McVay, the NFL agrees with the rest of the world that the Broncos were gifted a critical and bogus pass interference penalty Monday night in the Mile High City. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The game-changing pass interference call on Rams cornerback Josh Wallace was a bad call, according to Rams head coach Sean McVay. McVay said today that the league office told him pass interference should not have been called on Wallace. The penalty was huge, as it negated what would have been Wallace’s interception with 1:09 remaining in the game and the Rams leading 26-23. Instead of the Rams getting the ball back and almost certainly winning, the penalty gave the Broncos first-and-goal, setting up a touchdown and a 30-26 Broncos win. Wallace did make contact with Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant, although it was the kind of contact that frequently goes un-called, and Bryant also made contact with Wallace and could have been flagged for offensive pass interference. Bryant acknowledged that he flopped to sell the call. The controversial call was one of the biggest penalties of this NFL season. And, according to McVay, the NFL now says it was a flag that should not have been thrown. |
| SEATTLEAnother stat on the greatness of WR JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA from Doug Clawson: @doug_clawsonJaxon Smith-Njigba is the only player EVER to lead his team in rec yds 19x in a 20-game span SEA rec yds leader last 2 yrsJSN-124JSN-102JSN-96JSN-79JSN-132JSN-162JSN – 123JSN-129JSN-93JSN-105JSN-167Barner-35JSN-92JSN-113JSN-96JSN-72JSN-84JSN-122JSN-155JSN-128 |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASWith two teams, QB KIRK COUSINS now has seven consecutive victories. Kirk Cousins is still a bridge quarterback for the Raiders, holding down the starting job until No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is ready. Alex Smith did that for Patrick Mahomes for one season, and Aaron Rodgers held off Jordan Love for three seasons. Cousins has already served in that role once, starting 14 games for the Falcons in 2024 before they turned to first-round rookie Michael Penix. (Cousins ended up starting eight games last season when Penix was injured.) With the Raiders off to a 3-0 start, though, no one is calling for Mendoza. “We’re just worried about playing the next game, and [Cousins is] playing this next game,” Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said, via Mark Anderson of the Associated Press. “Fernando’s ready to go when called upon.” Cousins has won seven games in a row, the league’s longest active streak. He can become the first quarterback since the 1970 merger to win four consecutive games for two teams in the same streak. Cousins has thrown nine touchdown passes and three interceptions and his passer rating of 107.2 ranks eighth. “That’s the great part about this league is you’ve got to go out every single week and prove it to yourself, prove it to everyone else,” Cousins said. “So I’ve never really felt like anything was going to be handed to me or given to me. You’ve got to go out and play at that level, and I think the opportunity was what I was more interested in, was just having an opportunity to go see. But you’ve got to go do it.” We would note that while the Falcons were finishing the 2025 season with a 4-0 run under Cousins, the Raiders were going 1-3. And while he is 3-0 with the Raiders, the Falcons are 1-2. So without Cousins in the same period the teams are 2-5. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIThere is a lot of talk going around about QB JOE BURROW’s lack of comeback ability. Here’s one such tweet from Scott Kacsmar: @ScottKacsmarJoe Burrow has never taken a snap, trailing after the 2-minute warning, and won a game. Caleb Williams has done it 8 times since the calendar turned to 2025. Andy Dalton did it in his 5th NFL game. |
| PITTSBURGHMike DeFabo of The Athletic on how the Steelers came to trade CB JOEY PORTER, Jr. and how they hope to replace him: Both player and team are worse off for it. A city that once embraced the son of a Steelers legend now views him as a villain. Omar Khan has now traded away the first two draft picks he made as an NFL general manager to Dallas in separate deals. The Steelers are now without a true CB1 despite building an all-in roster around a 42-year-old quarterback. And, according to two league sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal was not yet finalized, Porter still might not get the one thing at the heart of his summer of frustration, at least not right away: a new contract. To understand how the Steelers and Porter got into this situation, start on July 28. The day he reported to training camp, Porter began complaining of back pain. The 26-year-old sat out the entirety of camp and continued to say the ailment was bothering him during the first four weeks of the regular season. At the same time, it was impossible to ignore the fact Porter was seeking a new contract. He was eligible for an extension for the first time this past offseason, with his rookie contract set to expire at the end of the year. But just like he watched three years ago as the 13 other players in the green room heard their names called on draft night, Porter saw the cornerback market get reset almost by the week this summer and never got his deal. Porter sat out each of the Steelers’ first three regular-season games. On Wednesday afternoon, the team officially declared him out for Thursday night’s Week 4 contest in Cleveland. Often during the contract dispute, veteran Jalen Ramsey would huddle up with Porter in the corner of the Steelers’ locker room. One of Porter’s closest friends on the Steelers, Ramsey demanded to be traded out of Jacksonville in 2019 at the end of his own rookie deal. Ramsey sat out several games with back tightness that season, yet was back on the field five days after being traded to the Rams. Last year, former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons sat out training camp with back tightness. After a late-August trade, he was on the field for Green Bay’s season opener. Both are represented by David Mulugheta, who mentored Porter’s agent, Andre Odom. This week, it appeared both sides would put aside their differences. Porter was listed as a full participant at practice for the first time this season. Asked on Tuesday if Porter would play against Cleveland, coach Mike McCarthy answered “I hope so,” though he didn’t sound optimistic. While most of the public criticism has been pointed at Porter, the Steelers should not be absolved of blame. Khan has a history of letting negotiations linger to the last minute. That comes along with two long-standing (and, arguably, outdated) front-office policies: The Steelers rarely give out guaranteed money and they don’t negotiate contracts during the season. The Steelers’ unwillingness to budge on the guaranteed money has led to several other messy breakups. In 2017, when Kevin Colbert was general manager and Khan the team’s chief negotiator, Le’Veon Bell reluctantly played on the franchise tag. Ahead of the 2018 season, the Steelers reportedly offered the Pro Bowl running back a five-year, $70-million contract ($14 million per season) that would have made him the highest-paid running back in the league by $6 million per season. A lack of guaranteed money was the sticking point. When the Steelers stood firm, Bell refused to sign the extension or play on the franchise tag. He ended up sitting out the entire season, leading to his unceremonious divorce with the Steelers and one of the biggest “what if” moments in recent franchise history. Coming off a 13-3 season, the Steelers lost four of their final six games to miss the playoffs in 2018. Porter has to know the franchise’s history. Even if he returned to the field this season, the Steelers had the option to franchise tag him for next year at just over $23 million, a far cry from the $34 million per year New England’s Christian Gonzalez got to reset the cornerback market this summer. The Bell precedent suggests nothing would have stopped the Steelers from using the franchise tag a second time in 2028. Because of the team’s other policy, which prohibits contract talks in-season, Khan couldn’t negotiate his way out of this mess. It became clear that a trade was the only viable way for this to end. Unfortunately for the Steelers, other teams know about their policy. The Steelers got two picks for Porter, but it’s likely less than what they hoped to get. More importantly, it provides no immediate help this season. As uncomfortable as the last two months have been for everyone involved, the hard part is only just beginning for Khan. It’s one thing to trade a disgruntled player. It’s another to find an adequate replacement. After a 2024 season in which Mike Tomlin said George Pickens had to “grow up,” Khan traded the receiver to the Cowboys. Khan never brought in a legitimate WR2, which caused the Steelers to spin their wheels at the position. Last season, with a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center, they had to remake that room on the fly with Adam Thielen (now retired) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (who started 2026 on the Chargers’ practice squad). A similar scenario played out at safety. It made sense to move on from Minkah Fitzpatrick, whose hefty contract wasn’t aging gracefully. However, when Khan dealt the ball-hawking safety to the Dolphins, he never made the necessary corresponding moves. The safety position in Pittsburgh has become a revolving door, with Juan Thornhill, Chuck Clark, Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger and others trying to fill the vacancy left last season. Pittsburgh eventually moved Ramsey to safety, mostly out of necessity. Currently, the Steelers’ top-two corners are Jamel Dean and Asante Samuel Jr. There’s cause for concern with both players. Dean, who will turn 30 this month, missed 12 games over the last three years due to injury. Already, he’s nursing an ankle issue. On the other side, Samuel was the darling of training camp as Porter’s direct replacement. He played well enough against third-string Falcons QB Cooper Rush in Week 1 and a slumping Drake Maye in Week 2, but then Sunday’s Bengals game happened. Samuel was burned by Ja’Marr Chase for one touchdown and bullied by Tee Higgins on a second. Not long after he gave up a 21-yard completion on fourth-and-2, the Steelers benched the veteran for third-round rookie Daylen Everette. (An Everette gaffe led to a touchdown when he ran into Ramsey while the Steelers were trying to sort out a stack; he said he apologized for the mistake.) The Steelers now have to hope that Samuel stabilizes, Everette develops and Dean stays healthy. Odds are, the search for a legitimate CB1 is going to be something that continues through several drafts. It’s an unfortunate way for the Pittsburgh chapter of Porter’s career to end, but it was also the inevitable outcome of pride, precedents and an inability to compromise. The Steelers refused to bend on their policies, and Porter made it clear he wasn’t ever going to put on that suit again. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEEQB CAM WARD’s sister says “fans” are “threatening his family” over his poor play. Turron Davenport of ESPN.com: The disappointment from the Tennessee Titans’ 0-3 start to the season is mounting to the point where fans have started to send threatening messages to quarterback Cam Ward’s family. Ward spoke about the issue for the first time since his sister Chantel Ward took to social media earlier this week, saying she’s tired of the threats. “I mean, at the end of the day, people are weird,” Cam Ward said Wednesday. “They can say whatever they want at the end of the day, but I think football will take care of a lot of it. My family knows the position I’m in and what I’ve wanted my whole life. They’re in this position as well with me.” The disappointment hit a climax after the interception at the end of the Titans’ 12-7 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. Tennessee had the ball on the Giants’ 7-yard line with 24 seconds left in the game, but Ward’s pass was intercepted by Giants safety Jevon Holland. Chantel Ward posted the following on social media soon after the game. “The fact I even have to post this is diabolical,” she wrote. “People see the football games, they see the wins, the losses, the interceptions, the touchdowns, the press conferences and everything that happens on the field. What they don’t see is what comes with it for the people who love these players when the game is over. “Criticize the game, criticize a play, be frustrated with your team. That’s sports, and I completely understand that. But seeking out a player’s sister, parents or other family members to personally attack them because you’re upset about what happened on a football field is something completely different.” Some of the people in Cam Ward’s circle have recently made posts in response to the fans complaining about the second-year quarterback’s struggles. Fans have accused Ward’s father, Calvin Ward, of sending messages as well. Cam Ward said Wednesday that “there’s also an aspect of me being someone’s son or brother” in response to his family coming to his defense. He said he believes winning will solve everything. “Every adverse situation I have, I’m going to take on. It’s really just about making plays on the football field. If I do that, we do that as a team, it’s going to cut all that out.” |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDQB DRAKE MAYE has a media availability and provides no juicy answers to the inquiring media. Nick Shook of NFL.com: Trouble in paradise now includes a health concern for Drake Maye. The quarterback landed on New England’s Wednesday injury report with a right shoulder injury, but was a full participant in the day’s practice. Maye was asked on Wednesday if his shoulder is impacting how he’s throwing the football. “No, it hasn’t,” Maye said. “I don’t think it impacts my decision-making, and that’s what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks.” Maye instead redirected the attention toward the team’s turnover issues, which he admitted are holding them back. “That’s this position. There are reps in the game, and there are ones that cost you,” Maye explained. “It happens to be that you’ve got to outweigh the good with the bad by a wide margin to play well at this position, and that’s quarterback. I’m feeling good throwing, and I feel like I have some throws I wish I had back, as I always do, and definitely some decisions. But at the same time, I’ve got to trust my guys and trust the guys up front — they’re doing a nice job — to keep on playing football.” Coach Mike Vrabel didn’t appear to be concerned with his quarterback’s status when speaking with reporters prior to Wednesday’s practice, but did have to answer questions regarding a local report from WEEI’s Greg Hill that suggested there is friction between Vrabel and Maye. “He heard from who? Unnamed sources? Let me just tell you why I’m here,” Vrabel said. “I’m here because Drake was the quarterback. Believe it or not, I had choices as to where I wanted to coach. I wanted to coach here because Drake was the quarterback. So, I don’t have really much other to add to that about a comment from an unnamed source. But I’ll just tell you what I’ve told numerous people if they want to ask me why I’m here.” After three weeks, New England is 1-2 but occupies a place that seems much more nightmarish than the team’s record might suggest. Maye has played a major role in their difficulties, creating space for the locals to sow discord. Maye has struggled significantly to start the 2026 season, throwing three interceptions in the season’s kickoff game, a 13-10 loss to Seattle, and committing seven giveaways in three contests. In New England’s lopsided 35-6 defeat in Jacksonville on Sunday, Maye accounted for all three Patriots turnovers, including a couple of ghastly interceptions and a fumble in which the ball slipped out of his hand as he was winding to throw. Maye had this to say about Vrabel, per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel dismissed a report that he has issues with quarterback Drake Maye during a Wednesday press conference by saying that coaching Maye is the reason he’s in New England and Maye got his chance to comment on it later in the day. While Vrabel said he didn’t “have much to add to that about a comment from an unnamed source,” Maye’s response avoided discussion of where the report came from and focused on how much he likes playing for the coach. “Coach Vrabel’s been one of the best football coaches I’ve had in my life,” Maye said, via a transcript from the team. “I think Coach Vrabel’s been one of the biggest things as to why this has been so enjoyable for me is playing for Coach. I think we all feel that way in the locker room. He pushes us hard. I’ve loved playing for him, and it’s not going to change. It hasn’t changed, and it won’t change. The way he pushes me, and he coaches the quarterbacks in a way that I really respect, and I’m looking forward to getting going, proving to Coach that I can lead this football team and play good football.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| MIKE TOMLIN AND MINECRAFTIn his spare time over the last 12 years, Mike Tomlin has devoted himself to building a city in the game “Minecraft” as a way of staying in touch with his children. Now, he’s sharing that city on YouTube: Later on Wednesday, Tomlin revealed that tonight will simply be the first of several episodes dedicated to his Minecraft creation. “Can’t give it all away in one video,” the NBC analyst wrote. Tomlin shocked the NFL and gaming worlds when he revealed to NBC’s Today host Craig Melvin that he was a devoted Minecraft player. “I’m a big Minecrafter,” Tomlin told Melvin. “I started playing Minecraft, man, when my kids were young. I have a Minecraft city on creative, man, that I’ve been working on for like 12 years. When they come home, they’re like, ‘Hey, Dad, put your city up; let me see what’s up.’ My kids, they’ve taken it from PS3 to PS4 to PS5. They’re into preserving it because they know I don’t have the technical knowledge. But we’ve been talking recently about sharing it with the world. My oldest son is like, ‘Dad, you’ve got to share this with the world. People need to see this city that you’ve been working on for 12 years.’” There’s probably no better way for Mike Tomlin to launch his YouTube channel than giving the people what they want. Just from his announcement post alone, the channel has surged to over 18,000 subscribers before a single video has been posted. It’s the type of thing you might do if you’re looking to build a career in media, and maybe not something that someone intent on getting back to the sidelines would care much about. Regardless of whether or not this is any indication of what Tomlin’s future has in store, there’s clearly immense interest in what he’s been up to during his down time for the past decade. And we’ll all get to see the fruits of that labor tonight – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_pQ1-5iQg If you do watch the 19-minute video, you can’t help but be impressed, almost amazed, with how much thought Tomlin has given to every aspect of his city. |
| 2027 DRAFTDane Brugler and Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic with some talk about some top draft prospects: Which prospects helped themselves this week? Our draft experts, Dane Brugler and Nick Baumgardner, break down a handful of the most impactful performances: 1. Without speculating about Oregon QB Dante Moore’s health after the scary hit he took Saturday night, we should reintroduce Dylan Raiola. What is his ceiling, either in the 2027 or ’28 draft class? And did USC’s Jayden Maiava do anything to impact his projection with his performance?Dane Brugler: Credit to Raiola for entering a highly emotional situation, on the road, and answering the bell. He didn’t transfer to Oregon to be the starter in 2026, but based on how he led the Ducks’ offense, he was clearly preparing for his moment. Raiola stayed poised, worked his reads and confidently made throws. He was more willing to push the ball downfield than Moore, and that aggressiveness paid off on the scoreboard. Not many head coaches would trust the “backup” quarterback on fourth-and-3 late in the fourth quarter with a one-score lead, but Dan Lanning is an aggressive coach, and Raiola isn’t your typical backup. That fourth-down completion basically secured the win for the Ducks. Raiola is still more of a 2028 prospect. Moore’s health the rest of the season, though, will obviously be a major part of that storyline. Maiava, meanwhile, has the talent to play in the NFL for a decade. He is a good-sized athlete who throws with rhythm and keeps his offense on schedule. He was terrific in the run-pass option and play-action games against the Ducks and didn’t force decisions that weren’t there. Credit to Oregon for making him uncomfortable at times, especially on critical money downs. The key question with his NFL projection: Can he ascend beyond being a potential spot starter at the next level? NFL teams like his floor, but his ceiling is the tougher part of the evaluation. I don’t think we learned the answer to that question against Oregon. Baumgardner: Raiola is basically a backup by choice right now, which is the exact path Moore took in 2024 behind current Cleveland Browns QB Dillon Gabriel. That said, Raiola is a legit talent, with a huge arm, who made a pretty mature decision to spend more time learning this year. He has plenty to prove, but Raiola has a first-round arm — we saw as much on a few shots Saturday night. As for Maiava, he’s a battler and has been pretty consistent this season. He’s more limited athletically than some of the other top QBs in this class, and he has struggled with turnovers and ball placement, but he never stops slinging it. He’s also not afraid to attack between the numbers. Maiava probably ranks behind only Trinidad Chambliss among senior QBs for 2027. A high-volume thrower who won’t be bashful at the next level, Maiava seems as if he could fill that developmental backup spot in the NFL next year. If he stays hot this season, maybe he could turn into more. 2. Jeremiah Smith can’t be stopped — he posted 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Illinois. Is there literally anything else he needs to show NFL scouts? Brugler: Smith is just a special player. If we are going to nitpick, I do wish there were more broken tackles from a 225-pound athlete with his strength and speed. According to TruMedia, Smith has just three broken tackles this season, tied for 89th among FBS receivers. Especially in the screen or quick game, you’d like to see Smith do a better job shaking defenders one on one or powering through initial contact. His average yards after catch per reception stands at 4.6, which is respectable, but it’d be great to see that number climb above 6.0. Again, that’s more of a nitpick than a legitimate concern. Smith is clearly the best player in the 2027 draft class, which was evident from early in his freshman season. Baumgardner: I ran out of superlatives for this guy like two years ago. It’s hard to compare him to others. I do like the Julio Jones comp, because he and Smith were just so obviously “it” from the first time you saw them play in college; Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson had some crazy times together with Joe Burrow, too. But start to finish, it’s hard to find many modern prospects who can measure up to Smith. If he had only a so-so work ethic, he’d still be the best player in America by a mile. He actually has an amazing work ethic, though, which makes his upside all the more impressive. I don’t know what else he’d need to show. We’ve seen so many great receiver prospects over the last 10 years, and none of them has dominated as consistently as Smith has. 3. We’ve mentioned Jadan Baugh a couple of times recently, and he (and Duke Clark) carved up Ole Miss’ defense Saturday. If you had to plant a flag for one of the RBs in this class, who would it be? Brugler: The Florida offense is fun to watch for multiple reasons, but Baugh is No. 1 on the list with a bullet. The 228-pound runner has a rare combination of strength, contact balance and agility that makes him a nightmare to tackle. Even when it looks like he is dead to rights, Baugh is able to catch his balance and bounce away from trouble. He is underused as a pass catcher, and his pass-protection awareness must improve, but there aren’t many questions about Baugh when he has the ball in his hands. I had similar grades over the summer on Baugh and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy (who missed Saturday’s game with an injury), but I gave the edge to Lacy as RB1 because of his ability to create explosives. After not having a carry of more than 30 yards last season, however, Baugh leads the FBS this season in carries of 50-plus yards and has put explosive runs all over his tape. By hitting more triples and home runs this season, Baugh is separating himself as top running back for the 2027 NFL Draft. It is tough to find a perfect comp for him. He has some Leonard Fournette to his game; some Le’Veon Bell, as well. All I know is he looks like a first-round player. Baumgardner: The Gators have my favorite offense to watch so far this season. And if we’re awarding a September Heisman, my vote might be for Jadan Baugh (or Smith … OK, probably Smith, but still …). He’s been a horse for the Gators every week — and really has filled that role since his true freshman year. He’s the one back in the country right now who basically has the complete trust of his play caller in critical situations. When Florida needs to move the football, it calls on No. 13. The only player comparable to that, in terms of workload, is BYU’s LJ Martin. But Baugh’s a much more complete prospect. He runs with tremendous balance at his size and has breakaway speed. I still like Lacy, but I’m with Dane: Baugh is clearly RB1 right now. He’s a true three-down running back around whom you can build an offense. |
