| If The Season Ended Today in the NFC, it’s a long way among the division leaders from the top two to the bottom two: NFC Last wk Overall Conf1 2 San Francisco West 6-0 4-02 1 Minnesota North 5-0 4-03 4 Carolina South 3-2 3-14 3 NY Giants East 3-2-1 2-2-1 5 5 Green Bay WC1 4-2 3-26 7 Chicago WC2 3-2 2-27 6 Detroit WC3 3-2 2-18 8 Seattle 3-3 1-2 There are 6 teams at 2-4.- – -If you care: Best NFL teams against the spread this season: Raiders: 5-1 ATSVikings: 4-1 ATSNY Jets: 4-2 ATSBills: 4-2 ATSBears: 4-2 ATSBrowns: 4-2 ATSBroncos: 4-2 ATSNY Giants: 4-2 ATSSteelers: 4-2 ATS49ers: 4-2 ATS – – -How bad are the riots in France? Is it throughout the country or just in isolated inflamed pockets? Would the rioters think it in their benefit to target an NFL game? Inquiring minds are asking. Armando Salguero of Outkick: The NFL is monitoring the street violence in France with no current plan to move its first-ever game in the country scheduled for next Sunday just north of Paris, but a league source said that could change if events warrant playing in a different venue. Street violence erupted across France on Saturday when peaceful marches of 500,000 to 800,000 people, according to reports, devolved into masked groups clashing with police, looting businesses and setting fire to private property and public buildings, including the historic city hall in Limoges. Reports on Sunday cited arrests climbing from 1,000 to 1,800, including 855 in the Paris region. The violence in France has gotten the attention of governments worldwide, including the United States. President Donald Trump posted on Sunday morning on Truth Social that “France is burning” and that “people with hatred in their hearts” have “shattered that once great country.” That potentially affects the NFL because it is scheduled to play at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis just north of Paris next Sunday when the New Orleans Saints “host” the Pittsburgh Steelers in a regular season game. The NFL’s official position on the game is that it is a go. “Preparations continue as scheduled for the NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday,” the league said in a statement provided to OutKick and Fox News Digital on Sunday. “We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.” The league source did add, however, that if the situation were to become untenable, a venue change could be made. In the meantime, both teams are going forward with their plans to play in France, although the Steelers have a wider window for changing their plans. The Saints confirmed on Sunday they are boarding their plane to leave for France following their game with the New York Giants. The club is scheduled to arrive in France early Monday morning. That reflects no change by the Saints since they first announced plans for the trip, according to Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis. The Steelers are making their game preparations in the United States before leaving for France on Thursday, per the club. The team is planning to arrive in France on Friday morning. They plan to go directly to Stade de France for a practice at 9:30 a.m. local time. The Saints and Steelers have previously shown the requisite amount of excitement about playing the league’s inaugural France game. “Louisiana’s relationship with France is centuries deep, and this game represents another meaningful step in strengthening those cultural and economic ties,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement announcing the game. Moving Sunday’s scheduled game in France back to New Orleans would require some work. The Caesers Superdome is booked on Oct. 25 for an event. Acrisure Stadium, where the Steelers play their home games, is not scheduled to hold an event that day. We note that Saint-Denis is the epicenter for the current wave of rioting (per GoogleAI): The 2026 French student protests started in September 2026 in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and deteriorating school conditions, before expanding into a nationwide movement. Core Causes and Origins • School Conditions: The protests began at high schools like the Lycée Paul-Éluard in Saint-Denis and Rosa Parks High School, where students complained of staff shortages, unfulfilled teaching posts, broken facilities, and lack of basic resources. • Spread of Unrest: What started as localized high school blockades quickly grew into a broader nationwide movement involving thousands of students, union members, and wider frustration over the cost of living– – -A year after anointing Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show, Jay-Z scanned the world for an even better choice – applying years of musical study with an emphasis on showmanship – and apparently he decided that indeed, he, Jay-Z, should headline the show. TMZ.com: Jay-Z — the key decision-maker on who performs each year at the Super Bowl — has reportedly made his choice for this year’s big game, and it’s none other than himself! According to Puck News … the rap mogul thought about who would take the stage for weeks at the biggest sports event, and then ultimately decided that he would be the perfect pick. Multiple sources tell the media outlet that Jay choosing Jay was a “more compelling” idea than picking Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, both of whom were believed to be frontrunners for Super Bowl LXI. This year’s Super Bowl will take place at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14, 2027. Despite the report, there has been no official announcement on the Super Bowl. TMZ has reached out to Roc Nation, but no word back. In 2019, Jay’s Roc Nation reportedly secured a $5 million-a-year deal to produce the halftime show performance — and the company re-upped the deal in 2024 for another 5 years. But for Jay, the SB halftime performances haven’t always been without controversy. Last year’s Bad Bunny selection stirred up a mountain of backlash, mainly because BB performed only in Spanish, prompting conservatives to criticize him because some Americans couldn’t understand the words. So, this year’s selection certainly feels like a lot less of a headache for the NFL given that Jay pretty much runs the whole show. We reached out to Roc Nation. No word back. As we first reported, Justin Bieber and Harry Styles were on Roc Nation’s wish list. Let the countdown begin … only 117 days until we get to see Jay take the stage at the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, a Super Bowl headlining act from before Jay-Z took over will perform for Netflix on Thanksgiving Eve: Netflix announced today that U2 will headline the halftime show of the NFL’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, live from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, with kickoff at 8 p.m. ET. The performance arrives as U2 celebrates 50 years as a band since forming in Dublin in 1976, adding a milestone moment to the primetime matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams. U2’s Thanksgiving Eve set follows one of the most memorable moments in Super Bowl history: the band’s Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show in February 2002. Nearly a quarter-century later, U2 returns to a Rams home game — this time streaming to Netflix’s members around the world. U2’s performance continues a tradition of marquee halftime entertainment on Netflix’s NFL broadcasts. Netflix’s first Christmas Gameday in 2024 featured international superstar Beyoncé at halftime of the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans game, in the four-time Emmy-nominated Beyoncé Bowl. Last year, Snoop Dogg brought Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party to the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Christmas Day game. U2’s halftime show will be produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGO |
| DETROITCoach Dan Campbell sings the praises of new left tackle PENEI SEWELL. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: During the offseason, the Lions elected to move three-time first-team AP All-Pro Penei Sewell from right tackle to left tackle. So far, head coach Dan Campbell has liked the results. “The switch has been outstanding and yes, I have [seen growth],” Campbell said in his Monday press conference, via transcript from the team. “I still feel an ascending player. I feel like in some regards he looks even more smooth than he did at right. And I never thought he’d looked out of place at right or didn’t look smooth. It almost feels like he’s found even another little gear here [with] his ability to get out of his stance, and anchor, and punch, and run off the football. “But it’s a credit to him. He’s banked a lot of reps and honestly, he can go anywhere. I mean, you can put him in the left, you can put him at right. That’s why we move him a little bit. But he’s playing high level football right now at left tackle.” Sewell’s performance at left tackle is a significant part of why the Lions are tied for the league lead at 32.8 points per game and No. 4 in yards per game at 393.8. At 3-2, the Lions will host the division rival, 4-2 Packers on Sunday afternoon. |
| GREEN BAYIf the Packers could catch the ball their pass attack would be really, really good. @RobDemovskyThrough six games, the Packers lead the NFL in drops (16) and drop rate (7.2%), according to ESPN Analytics, yet they rank fifth in passing (269.3 yards per game) and Jordan Love ranks third in the league in passing yards (1,684). The drops by player are: Golden 6, Kraft 3, Melton 2, Lloyd 2, Watson 1, Strong 1, Reed 1. Golden’s 6 drops are the most in the league, however, he ranks sixth in receiving yards (501) just behind Watson (538). Watson ranks second in receiving touchdowns (6) one behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. |
| MINNESOTA |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASThe Cowboys are the only NFC team that does not have a win against the Packers in the last 10 years (per OnyxOdds). Dallas last beat the Packers in 2016. Since then, 5 Packers regular season wins, a Packers win in a Divisional Playoff Game in January, 2017 and the 40-40 tie in 2025. The Packers are 11-1-1 against the Cowboys since 2008. And this on the consistency of the Dallas defense (in a bad way): @NFL_ResearcherLongest active streaks of allowing 20+ points: 1. Cowboys – 13 (franchise record)2. Chargers – 63. Lions – 53. Commanders – 55. Saints – 45. Raiders – 4 That streak will be tested in the next two weeks against the Eagles (not over 20 points in any of their last 4 games, although one game of exactly 20) and the Cardinals. |
| NEW YORK GIANTSThe Giants have seen enough of (or heard enough from) veteran RB NAJEE HARRIS. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: On Sunday, Giants running back Najee Harris expressed concern about the distribution of touches in the team’s ground game. He’ll now get none at all. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Giants are releasing Harris. In five games with one start in New York, Harris had 31 attempts for 99 yards. In Sunday’s loss to the Saints, Harris had four carries for two yards on 11 snaps. Before the game, it was reported that Harris was expected to take on a larger role. The framing of the report — that the Giants “are releasing” Harris — could be an effort to get someone to try to trade for his one-year, $1.215 million contract. Either way, he’s out with the Giants. And it’s hard not to think it was a reaction to his candid criticism of the running game. “It’s hard to get in a rhythm with one or two plays,” Harris said. “The first couple runs will be like, ‘OK, how are they playing it?’ And then the next ones will be, ‘OK, this is how you attack it.’ But if you’re getting a play here and then get taken out for a series, there’s nothing you could do. That’s why I’m saying, ‘I don’t know.’ I’ve never been through none of this before.” A first-round pick in 2021, Harris had four straight 1,000-yard seasons in Pittsburgh. He tore an Achilles tendon after only three games with the Chargers in 2025, after an offseason fireworks mishap. |
| PHILADELPHIABen Solak of ESPN.com thinks the Eagles will start dumping players: I think … the following Eagles will be traded to the following teamsI expect the Eagles to trade away multiple players at the deadline. It’s Howie Roseman! How could they not? At 2-4 and with quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve for the rest of the year, the season is lost. Sure, they have enough talent to finish 8-9 or 7-10 — Tanner McKee is not a terrible backup, receiver DeVonta Smith is back in the starting lineup, running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) and guard Landon Dickerson (knee) are soon to join him, and that defense still has the potential to cause problems for opponents. But Howie Roseman is not the sort of general manager to limp to 8-9 when there are big offseason decisions to be made. Will Hurts still be the franchise quarterback in Philadelphia? On “This is Football with Kevin Clark” last week, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport openly wondered about the Eagles’ plan for Hurts this offseason — that was before blood clots ended his 2026 season. Will Nick Sirianni still the head coach in Philadelphia? He won a Super Bowl, but his inability to develop coaches and key game-management failures this season invite questions as to his job security. Roseman has already dipped his toe into the reload waters by dealing center Cam Jurgens to the Ravens and receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots over the past few months. In doing so, Roseman added an additional first-round pick and second-round pick in the 2028 draft — the sort of capital that can quickly resupply a transitioning roster with competitive, rookie-contract starters. But that’s two drafts away. And if the Eagles do explore changing their head coach or franchise quarterback, then 2027 capital will help them rebound faster. If I were an opposing general manager, I’d be calling about everyone: Smith, offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell … everyone. Some guys will be untouchable, but here’s who I think has a legitimate shot to get moved and where they end up. CB Riq Woolen to the Bears for a 2027 fourth-round pick Woolen is one of the more interesting trade candidates in Philadelphia. The Eagles clearly intended to make Woolen a one-year player and recoup a compensatory draft pick for him next year after a strong season in Vic Fangio’s defense. That plan hasn’t gone entirely swimmingly — Woolen’s play has been up-and-down, and his penalty woes have continued. How confident are the Eagles in the comp pick they’ll get for Woolen next year? If a team comes calling with a strong enough offer, the Eagles can dodge the comp pick calculations and get value for Woolen now. That team might be the Bears, who should be desperate for cornerback help after what they saw the Packers do to Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson Sr. in Week 5. For as much man coverage as defensive coordinator Dennis Allen wants to play (34%, the fourth-highest rate in football, per NFL Next Gen Stats), the cornerback play in Chicago needs to be stronger. Woolen is at his best when his assignments are simple and he can use his elite blend of length, speed and transitional quickness to stick with WR1s in man-to-man. His propensity for penalties could be a playoff Achilles’ heel, but if he runs pure in the postseason, he has the ceiling of a star player at a premium position. Something the Bears desperately need in the playoffs. A fourth-round pick might be rich for Woolen, though the Bears could use the same comp pick logic as the Eagles and assume they can get some mid-Day 3 pick back for Woolen if they manipulate the formula correctly. RB Saquon Barkley to the Texans for a 2027 third-round pick, a 2027 sixth-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and RB Woody Marks Would the Eagles really trade Barkley? It feels bold, but if there’s a general manager willing to get out a year early instead of a year late on a 29-year-old running back, it’s certainly Roseman. When Roseman invested in Barkley in 2024 free agency, he was doing so with contention in mind — adding a final key piece to an offense that had a dominant offensive line and dominant wide receiver play. Now, in fall 2026, with a rebuild in mind, how likely is Barkley to remain a prime player the next time the Eagles are ready for playoff football? I waffle on this. Barkley could be a huge boon to a rookie-contract quarterback if they move on from Hurts. But the offensive line will need addressing first, as might wide receiver. I think the Eagles will say Barkley isn’t unavailable so that acquiring teams are compelled to send that can’t-refuse offer. Remember: Barkley, if traded, would hit the Eagles with about $26.5 million in dead cap in 2027 … on top of the $27.1 million Brown has already left behind. That’s a big hurdle to overcome. I could see a few contenders doing it. The Seahawks came to mind, as did the Packers and the Vikings. But I love the idea of GM Nick Caserio, fresh off the Marvin Harrison Jr. deal, doubling down on the offense and adding Barkley to a backfield that he has yet to solve in Houston. The Texans are once again on pace to have a bottom-5 rushing attack, but Barkley has the talent behind the line of scrimmage to help cover for a shaky interior offensive line group. By forcing opposing defenses to play more heavy boxes by formation and by the presence of Barkley, the 2-4 Texans could pull further defensive attention away from receiver Nico Collins and field an offense really worthy of a comeback run into the playoffs. DT Moro Ojomo to the 49ers for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 fourth-round pick (can become a conditional third) A lesser-known name outside of Philadelphia, Ojomo is as Milton Williams was a couple of years ago: the third DT behind Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis who absolutely feasts in rotational snaps. Ojomo has a 10.6% pressure rate on the season per NFL Next Gen Stats, well above the league average for defensive tackles (7.9%) and first among all Eagles defensive tackles. He’s also a splashy player against the run — suffers some over-pursuit losses but also creates tackles for loss and run stops with his penetration. Ojomo, should he hit free agency next year, would likely sign a deal worth a third-round compensatory pick. But if an acquiring team can secure his services now (likely with a big extension) without bidding against other suitors, there might be interest. The 49ers make a world of sense to me. They have another trade acquisition in Osa Odighizuwa and a Day 3 rookie in Gracen Halton who have both been sowing admirable chaos, but 2025 draftees C.J. West and Alfred Collins have both disappointed in their play and their availability. Ojomo would become another rotational player who allows Keion White to spend more time on the edge and builds out a deep pass-rush rotation once Nick Bosa returns from his knee and calf injuries. To account for the Eagles’ third-round pick plans, the 49ers could attach a pick with conditions in 2028, such that if Ojomo dominates as expected in an increased role, the Eagles will get stronger compensation for him. |
| WASHINGTON |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTA |
| CAROLINA |
| NEW ORLEANS |
| TAMPA BAY |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONA |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSThe Rams have been here before points out Arash Markazi: @ArashMarkaziRams fans, if you’re looking for a silver lining: The Rams started the season 1-4 in 2024 and finished 10-7, won the NFC West and were in the playoffs. The Rams started 3-6 in 2023 and finished 10-7 and were in the playoffs. And if mere yards were the deciding measure of victory, the Rams would be in 1st place: @SheilKapadiaThe Rams have out-gained their opponents by a league-best 644 yards this season. They are 2-4. While the Rams are unlucky to be 2-4, the Eagles are lucky to have a record that good: @SheilKapadiaThe Eagles have been out-gained by 650 yards on the season. That ranks 32nd in the NFL and is their worst yardage differential through six weeks this century. – – -We have no problem with QB MATTHEW STAFFORD as a Hall of Fame enshrinee – but he is closing in on a dubious record. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com also gives him his due: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford lost his fourth start of the season on Sunday. When he loses his fifth, he’ll reach a career milestone he’d prefer not to have. Stafford has a career record of 122-122-1 as a starting quarterback. Those 122 losses are the second-most in NFL history, behind only Vinny Testaverde, who went 90-123-1. With another loss, Stafford will tie Testaverde for the most ever, and with two more losses, Stafford has the record all to himself. Once Stafford breaks the record, it will be a long time before anyone else comes close. The next 10 quarterbacks on the career losses list are all retired: Eli Manning with 117, Drew Brees with 114, Brett Favre with 112, Philip Rivers with 109, Matt Ryan with 109, Fran Tarkenton with 109, Archie Manning with 101, Warren Moon with 101, Norm Snead with 100 and Kerry Collins with 99. There are some great, Hall of Fame quarterbacks on that list. And that points to a paradox with the record for most quarterback losses: You have to be pretty good to get it. A terrible quarterback could never lost 100 games because a terrible quarterback gets cut long before he reaches 100 losses. Only quarterbacks who are good enough to start for many years have a chance to set the NFL record for career losses. Stafford has been good enough to start for 18 years, playing on some bad Lions teams and going 74-90-1 during his first 12 seasons in the NFL, and then going 48-32 with the Rams. He’s losing more this year than anyone expected, and it’s likely that soon he’ll have lost more games than any quarterback, ever. You say who is next on the list of Active QBs for Career Losses? Here are the next four, and we don’t see any of them losing another 30+ games: 1 Matthew Stafford 1222 Aaron Rodgers 95 3 Joe Flacco 94 4 Andy Dalton 83 5 Kirk Cousins 80 – – -The new Rams kicker didn’t last a full game. @MikeGarafoloThe #Rams placed K Blake Grupe on IR after he suffered a knee injury yesterday trying to make a tackle on a kick return. He’s not the only Rams hurt by the Cardinals. Garrett Podell of CBSSports.com: The Los Angeles Rams (2-4) will now be without one of their top stars on offense for the foreseeable future. Coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday that six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams ruptured his hamstring and will be out for 6 to 10 weeks. Adams suffered the injury in non-contact fashion in the Rams’ 18-16 defeat against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday that dropped the preseason Super Bowl favorites to last place in the NFC West through six weeks. The injury isn’t all that surprising for the 33-year-old, given that he missed three games in both 2024 and 2025 due to hamstring injuries. Averaging 80.0 receiving yards per game, his most since 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders (his third and final first-team All-Pro season, to go along with four receiving touchdowns in 2026, he was just the fifth wide receiver to produce those numbers at the age of 33 or older this century, per CBS Sports Research. This is a massive blow to the Rams’ passing game that will become even more Puka Nacua-centric. Adams wasn’t the only Ram to go down on Sunday against the Cardinals. New kicker Blake Grupe tore his ACL attempting to make a tackle, so he is out for the year. Defensive tackle Poona Ford ruptured his triceps and is out for the season, and defensive tackle Kobie Turner is projected to miss four to six weeks with a groin injury. Meanwhile, 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Myles Garrett (knee) remains sidelined on injured reserve after playing just one game, Week 1 in Australia against the San Francisco 49ers, in a 2026 season that’s gone from a dream to a nightmare in a hurry. |
| SAN FRANCISCOThe threshold for being ranked on the official all-time list for passer rating is 1,500 attempts. And QB BROCK PURDY threw pass #1,500 last night: PASSER RATING (min 1,500 atts) 1 Brock Purdy 105.42 Lamar Jackson 102.73 Aaron Rodgers 101.84 Joe Burrow 101.35 Patrick Mahomes 100.8 Is anyone lurking who will jump in when they hit 1,500? Well, QB DRAKE MAYE of the Patriots is at 101.3 thru 1,013 pass attempts. He should hit 1,500 sometime late in 2027. The leader among retired QBs? It’s Russell Wilson at 99.3, just ahead of Drew Brees at 98.7. |
| AFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES CHARGERSThe Chargers started the 2025 season with an 11-4 record. Since then they are 0-9 counting a playoff loss. It should be noted that most of the losses were to pretty good teams (they did fall to Arizona and Las Vegas this year). After scoring more than 20 points in 11 of their first 15 games last year, they have only done so one time (23 vs Seattle in Week 4) in the 9-game losing streak. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDThe division-leading Browns opened up as underdogs to the 1-5 Titans, but that changed. Of course, they lost the last time they were favorites. Daniel Oyefusi: @DanielOyefusiThe Browns opened as 2.5-point road underdogs to the Titans but are currently favored by 1.5, according to DraftKings. It would mark the first time Cleveland has been favored in a game since Week 14 of the 2025 season: a 31-29 home loss to Tennessee. ESPN’s “Analytics” finds a huge gap in probability for winning the division among the four two-loss AFC North teams. Jamison Hensley of ESPN with the tweet: @jamisonhensleyHere are the projections to win the AFC North entering Week 7: Bengals (3-2): 40.7%Ravens (4-2): 39.2%Steelers (4-2): 15%Browns (4-2): 5.1% We’re not sure what the Bengals and Ravens have done to rank so much ahead of the Steelers. And did those projections take this into account? Also from Hensley (he got this from ESPN “Analytics”): According to ESPNAnalytics, the Ravens’ first six games were the NFL’s easiest as far as strength of schedule (Colts, Saints, Cowboys, Titans, Falcons and Browns). Baltimore’s remaining strength of schedule is ranked as the 7th-toughest. Of the remaining 11 games, eight are against teams that currently have winning records. The Ravens’ next three games are arguably their toughest stretch of the season — the Bengals (3-2) and two division leaders in the Bills (5-1) and Jaguars (4-2). It doesn’t help Baltimore that it will face the Bengals and Bills immediately after their bye weeks. And finally, this: @PFFBrowns QBs W-L vs Ravens all-time Deshaun Watson 3-0Everyone else 13-39 Now, two of the three wins came when the Browns scored only 13 points. And in those 3 games, Watson has thrown only 2 total TD passes, average under 200 pass yards per game and only about 6 yards per pass attempt. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONWe all should be happy to hear this after the horrible playoff injury he suffered: @RapSheetCoach DeMeco Ryans just announced that WR Tank Dell is going to play on Sunday vs the #Giants, his first game since December 2024. |
| INDIANAPOLISThe Colts hope Peyton Manning will do for them what Matt Ryan has done for the Falcons – according to Dan Patrick. Grace McCarron of the New York Post: After the Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard following their disappointing 2-4 start to the 2026 season, rumors began swirling around one very popular name associated with the Colts. On Monday’s edition of “The Dan Patrick Show,” the host said he’s heard the Colts are interested in potentially bringing Peyton Manning into their front office. “The Colts’ first call will be/has been Peyton Manning,” Patrick revealed, citing a source. “The call will not only get names and suggestions, but the call will explore whether or not Peyton would be interested in being a general manager for the Colts as the entry point that would include ownership interest in the Colts. This would be the first major hire by Jim Irsay’s [daughters], the next generation. The community would love this. The league would love this.” Patrick added that Jim Irsay, who died in May 2025, never had any interest in selling any part of the franchise, but that his three daughters, including team CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon, might think differently. Manning is the Colts’ franchise career leader in most major passing categories and led the team to its most recent Super Bowl win in the 2006 season. Manning has turned to positions in media following his retirement from football in 2016, hosting the “Monday Night Football” ManningCast alongside brother Eli since 2021 and appearing in scores of advertisements. Irsay-Gordon released a statement regarding the decision to part ways with Ballard. “Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision,” she said. “Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now. We will conduct a thorough search for our next general manager and take the time necessary to identify the right leader for the future of this organization. “I also want to be clear: this decision does not change our goals for the season. We have a lot of football in front of us, and I expect us to compete, improve, and win football games.” Meanwhile, Zak Keefer of The Athletic sheds no tears over the departure of Ballard: Make no mistake: Luck’s stunning retirement eight months after that playoff win in Houston wasn’t what derailed Ballard in Indianapolis. Not even close. That get-out-of-jail-free card expired years ago. The Irsays — Jim first, followed by daughter Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who took over for her father following his June 2025 death — offered Ballard ample time to build a contender. He never did. And he never came close. And now this sorry, stale era for the franchise — where every season felt like it ended the same way — is over, but only after sucking the life out of a fanbase that’s gone from apoplectic to downright apathetic. Ballard is out six games into his 10th season. The city knows his shortcomings like it knows the sounds of the speedway in late May: two playoff appearances, one playoff win, not a single division title in an AFC South that’s proved eminently winnable. The Colts won the South seven of the division’s first nine years of existence. They haven’t won it since 2014, five years before Luck retired. Deep down, Ballard knew he got more time than he deserved. He knows Monday’s decision could’ve come after the 2021 season, or the 2022 season, or the 2024 season, or the 2025 season. More than once, he walked into his boss’s office thinking it was over. There, too, is a glaring irony in how his words held up over time. It’ll never be about one guy? Ballard never found the guy. He often seemed so assured, so confident, so borderline cocky in his ability to build a roster that the need at quarterback never felt paramount. His actions bore that out. The Colts’ approach to finding Luck’s successor provided a case study in how to undervalue the position. Remember this quote? “Everybody just thinks you just take one, and you’re going to fix the problem,” Ballard said in January 2021, speaking on the need to draft a quarterback high. “Look, taking one will get y’all off my ass for a little bit, but the second that guy doesn’t play well, I’m gonna be the first one run out of the building.” He waited too long, then, at Irsay’s insistence, gambled on an unpolished prospect with 13 college starts who was in no way ready to lead an NFL team. Then the Colts committed a colossal mistake in 2023, naming Anthony Richardson the starter after one preseason game. Ballard grew to regret that decision — he’d gone against everything he’d preached in the years prior. His team kept paying the price. His city and fanbase, too. “I’m tired of the same song and dance every year,” veteran DeForest Buckner said after Sunday’s dispiriting loss to a previously winless Titans team. Buckner, if you remember, landed with the Colts via trade in 2020 after nearly winning a Super Bowl with the 49ers. He’s been one of the best players at his position ever since. He’s also only played in one playoff game for this team. Quenton Nelson has played in three. Jonathan Taylor, one. Alec Pierce, none. That’s part of what the Colts have lost. It’s been more than games, more than the proud reputation built by the likes of Manning and Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and the rest: This team has wasted the primes of some damn good football players. When’s the last time the Colts earned the right to play in a meaningful, late-season game? When’s the last time they won one? Ballard could be exceptionally stubborn — “We like our guys,” he often said — even though those guys never could deliver in December or January. The signs were always there. The Colts dropped five of their final seven in 2019. Two years later, they lost back-to-back games in Weeks 17 and 18 that cost them a playoff berth. Remember this quote? “We embarrassed ourselves. We embarrassed our owner. We embarrassed our city.” That was Ballard a few days later, trying to piece together how his team lost to a Jaguars squad that was 2-14, had earned the first pick in the draft and had fans wearing clown masks in the stands that day. I thought that was rock-bottom for the franchise. Then I covered the 2022 season. They lost seven straight to close that one. Then they lost the winner-take-all 2023 finale against the Texans. Then they dropped seven straight to close 2025 after Daniel Jones’ injury derailed the season. Over time, the roster-building approach Ballard defended over and over — “I can be stubborn and dogmatic,” he admitted — was exposed. For a longtime scout who repeatedly stressed the need to have an elite defensive line, Ballard never delivered one. Oh, he tried. He drafted eight edge rushers in the first three rounds, from Tarell Basham to Kemoko Turay to Ben Banogu to Kwity Paye to J.T. Tuimoloau. None hit. His resistance to bolster his roster via free agency dogged this team for years, and often showed up in the biggest games. You simply cannot win in the NFL in 2026 when your best players are your running back and your left guard. Remember this quote? “I didn’t create enough competition on the roster. That directly falls on my shoulders. I was wrong.” That was Ballard after the 2024 season, when he finally came to accept that his reticence in free agency was holding his team back. He made some bold moves the following spring, then the boldest of all that fall, trading two first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner. The Colts were all-in, buoyed by a 7-2 start and the hope that the franchise had, finally, turned the corner. It hadn’t. The Colts are 3-12 since. Worse, the juice is gone. The excitement. The pride. Talk to anyone in the city — legions of fans who slogged through the dark days of the 1990s and the glory years that followed — and there is a stunning indifference toward this team, a resignation born from years of mediocrity. It’s hard to sell hope when you’re 8-9 every year and the GM keeps saying the same things. Most jarring have been the annual reminders of how far this franchise has fallen. Each time the Colts induct a new member into their Ring of Honor, whether it’s Manning or Dwight Freeney or Dallas Clark or, this past Sunday, Adam Vinatieri, the fans are taken back, if only for a few moments, to what once was. To what meaningful football looked like. To what it felt like. Ballard was hired to recapture that, and his arrival almost 10 years ago — and his early hints of success — invigorated a fed-up fanbase. But this team went nowhere, and worse yet, did it slowly, while its general manager fell victim to circumstance and his own stubborn beliefs. Over time, the culture cracked. The seasons grew stale. The quotes lost meaning. Belief disappeared. The franchise turns the page, while the fanbase is left to wonder why it took so damn long. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOS C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON gets a one game suspension for spitting on Raiders TE BROCK BOWERS. Nick Suss of ESPN.com: The NFL has suspended Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson for one game without pay after cameras captured him spitting toward Las Vegas Raiders players on Sunday. The league said in a statement that Gardner-Johnson violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which applies to “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.” Barring an appeal, Gardner-Johnson will miss the Bills’ Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Buffalo is on a bye this week. Any appeal would be heard by Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, Ron Rivera or James Thrash, who are jointly appointed and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Bills coach Joe Brady said Monday there’ll be no further punishment for Gardner-Johnson beyond the league’s suspension. Brady remained committed to Gardner-Johnson as a starter when he’s eligible to return from suspension in Week 9. “C.J. knows that it’s hard enough to win in this league with 48 guys, much less 47. He knows that that can’t happen. It’s inexcusable. That’s not the standard that we’re going to have and play with. He’s addressed it. It’s been addressed. The league came down with the suspension. … We want to toe the line with everything we do but we can’t cross the line.” Brady preferred to keep the conversations between he, Gardner-Johnson and the team private. Even given Gardner-Johnson’s reputation for toeing and crossing the line, Brady said he has no problem with Gardner-Johnson’s personality or character fit within the organization, saying he doesn’t need all of his players to behave in one prescribed way. |
| NEW ENGLANDWR ROMEO DOUBS is heading for a stint on IR. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: The Patriots will not have one of their key receivers for at least the next four weeks. New England announced on Monday that Romeo Doubs has been placed on injured reserve. Doubs suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday’s win over the Jets. In his first season with the Patriots, Doubs currently leads the Patriots with 261 receiving yards and is tied for the team lead with three receiving touchdowns. The team did get A.J. Brown back at receiver on Sunday. He finished with three catches for 27 yards on 10 targets. As a corresponding move, the Patriots have signed defensive back Elliott Davison to the team’s 53-man roster from its practice squad. |
