| The only question seems to be whether or not Roger Goodell will still be The Commish when the NFL plants a permanent flag in London or some other foreign clime. This at ESPN.com: As the NFL continues to expand its international footprint, commissioner Roger Goodell says it is inevitable that the league will eventually have a team permanently based outside the United States. Goodell offered his insights on the NFL’s international growth during a recent interview with German media outlet RTL/ntv. “At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA,” Goodell told former NFL player Markus Kuhn during the interview. “I have no doubt that this will happen one day.” The league’s growing international profile has led to questions about whether a Super Bowl eventually will be played on foreign soil. Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events, said in May that an international Super Bowl is “not a front-burner issue” as of now. But Goodell told RTL/ntv that if the NFL has a team permanently located in an international city, that site could potentially serve as a Super Bowl host. “There are definitely international cities that could host something like that,” Goodell said. “But we would like to see an NFL team in such a city first.” The NFL voted earlier this year to play as many as 10 international games starting in 2027, up from eight previously. The league also voted to strip teams’ ability to protect any home games from international play. The league’s 2026 schedule features nine international games — eight league-run games and a London game as part of an agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Wembley Stadium. This year’s host sites are Melbourne, Australia; Rio de Janeiro; London (three games); Paris; Madrid; Munich; and Mexico City. – – -The Dolphins and Cardinals have the worst chance of making the playoffs per these odds from Ben Fawkes of YahooSports.com: The 2026 NFL preseason is here, and we now have odds available for every single game this season. The Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens are tied with the highest over/under among NFL teams at 11.5, while the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins are tied with the lowest at 3.5. Matthew Stafford’s Rams also have the best odds to make the playoffs of any NFL team at -500 odds, followed by Ravens at -320. The Cardinals are the longest shot at a staggering 20-1 odds. Here are the odds at sportsbooks for every NFL team to make the postseason, grouped by conference and sorted by best odds to worst: AFCBaltimore Ravens -375Buffalo Bills -350Kansas City Chiefs -210Cincinnati Bengals -190Los Angeles Chargers -185New England Patriots -185Houston Texans -170Denver Broncos -145Jacksonville Jaguars -115Pittsburgh Steelers +150Indianapolis Colts +165Tennessee Titans +400Las Vegas Raiders +550Cleveland Browns +600New York Jets +800Miami Dolphins 15-1 NFCLos Angeles Rams -500Detroit Lions -220Seattle Seahawks -220Philadelphia Eagles -165Green Bay Packers -150San Francisco 49ers -150Chicago Bears -105Dallas Cowboys +100Tampa Bay Buccaneers +125Minnesota Vikings +150New Orleans Saints +185Washington Commanders +225Atlanta Falcons +240Carolina Panthers +240New York Giants +260Arizona Cardinals 20-1 Here is how the Kalshi prediction market sees it: LA Rams Yes 80¢Buffalo 77¢Baltimore 72¢Houston 67¢Seattle 69¢Cincinnati 66¢Detroit 66¢New England 64¢Kansas City 63¢Philadelphia 62¢Denver 61¢Green Bay 55¢LA Chargers 61¢Dallas 55¢San Francisco 56¢Jacksonville 53¢Chicago 51¢Tampa Bay 44¢Minnesota 42¢Indianapolis 38¢Pittsburgh 38¢New Orleans 36¢NY Giants 31¢Carolina 31¢Washington 28¢Atlanta 27¢Tennessee 20¢Las Vegas 19¢Cleveland 15¢NY Jets 14¢Miami 9¢Arizona 7¢ The gambling odds like Baltimore, Detroit, New England and Kansas City more than the prediction market. Houston and the Giants are among the prediction market favorites |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAJust as the Buccaneers might have something in undrafted FA QB JALON DANIELS, the Eagles are encouraged by the performance of QB COLE PAYTON. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The Eagles’ offense didn’t play its starters in the preseason opener, and the backups couldn’t move the ball much — until fourth-string rookie quarterback Cole Payton entered the game in the fourth quarter. Payton ended up leading the Eagles in both passing yards and rushing yards for the game, and he engineered their only scoring drive in a 24-7 loss to the Ravens. The Eagles drafted Payton out of North Dakota State, where he didn’t become the starting quarterback until his fifth and final season, knowing he’s a project who’s not ready to be an NFL starter. But he’s an impressive athlete who can make plays with his arm and his legs, and did so in the preseason opener. He kept the Eagles’ late fourth quarter drive alive with a 17-yard run on fourth-and-3, and he finished that drive by escaping pressure and finding receiver Erik Ezukanma in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. “What an opportunity, what a cool environment and then to get to strap it up for the first time with an NFL logo on my chest,” Payton said afterward, via NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “It was a lot of fun. Just a ton of excitement. This is what you dream of, this is what you work for. A ton of excitement.” Payton remains behind Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton on the quarterback depth chart. But Payton has a good chance of making the regular-season roster, either because the Eagles keep four quarterbacks or because the loser of the No. 2 battle between McKee and Dalton doesn’t make it. Payton looks like he has a future in Philadelphia. |
| WASHINGTONMike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com on the PR disaster of QB JAYDEN DANIELS: The recent issue between LSU and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels started because LSU made a promise to Daniels that it ultimately couldn’t keep, because of a conflicting promise made to cornerback DJ Pickett. That nuance has been lost on social media, where Daniels quickly emerged as the villain for his overreaction to the re-issuance of the number he wore for two years at LSU. And Daniels has become the butt of a busload of jokes, with MLS teams (more than one), Major League Baseball teams (yes, more than one . . . and more than two . . . and more than three . . . and more than four), minor league baseball teams, CFL teams, college football teams, college soccer teams, Golf Digest, ticket resellers, and consumer product brands joining in the clowning of Daniels. The Los Angeles Angels got in on the act as well, with a video that includes one of the absolute worst ceremonial first pitches in baseball history, courtesy of KISS frontman Paul Stanley. The jokes are everywhere. The “5″ thing with Daniels was immediately entrenched in the zeitgeist. And it’s not going anywhere. The problem is that, even though LSU was in the wrong by making multiple promises that conflicted, Daniels overreacted. And there’s no indication it was Daniels himself who blew a gasket over the situation. It was his camp, his team — and possibly his agent-mom — that picked a five-inch molehill to die on. Daniels is a very good quarterback, whose second season was marred by injury. He has now become a punchline, without taking a single snap in his third NFL season. The lessons are clear. First, it’s never a good look for a former player to complain publicly about his number being re-issued. Second, every player needs to fully control his personal team. It’s their decisions that will stick to the player; the player needs to be aware and in full agreement with any letters the lawyers write or statements the spokespeople issue. Even if Daniels wasn’t involved in any of the effort to push back against LSU, it’s all going to stick to him. And it’s not going to go away, even after the jokes stop being funny. What promise did LSU make to Daniels that it couldn’t keep? Did it “promise” to never issue the number 5 again? We keep seeing this statement from the “Daniels camp”: “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.” So what is “believed his wishes would be respected” mean. Did someone formally promise that in writing, or did LSU respond with crickets such that Daniels “heard” what he wanted to hear. Now the family of DJ Pickett is fighting back against Daniels family: “Honestly, man, this right here makes us want to wear the number more,” (father) Damien Pickett told The Advocate. “We wish in a perfect world that (Daniels) would have given him his blessing, and just from Tiger to Tiger wish my son well,” Pickett said.– – –Pickett liked Kiffin’s stance of last week. “I have the utmost respect for him honoring what was promised to my son,” Pickett said. Pickett said his son wears the number to honor his older brother Jaylen, who wore No. 5 like many other former athletes in the Pickett family. DJ Pickett also has a tattoo of the number on his left arm. “He’s been put in the middle of something that has nothing to do with him,” Pickett’s father said. “My boy’s been wearing No. 5 his whole life.” Damien Pickett said the family did not know about the cease-and-desist letter, which was sent on the first day of fall camp on Aug. 5, until ESPN broke the story on Wednesday night. Pickett said his frustration lies more with Kelly and his staff for making a promise to his son without Daniels’ approval. “We never in a million years would have thought that it would come to this about a number, but we’re here,” Pickett said. “Again, my boy doesn’t really care for the attention. It’s disappointing, considering that we’re ready to start the season |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAThe Falcons have persuaded EDGE Za’DARIUS SMITH to unretire. Josh Kendall of The Athletic: Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is coming out of a brief retirement to join the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced on Tuesday. It will be a one-year deal, a team source confirmed. Smith, who turns 34 in September, spent five games with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, collecting 1.5 sacks and three QB hits, before abruptly retiring in October. The Falcons had a franchise-record 57 sacks a year ago, but their pass rush has taken a beating during training camp. First, Jalon Walker, the No. 15 pick in last year’s draft, was lost for the season due to a torn ACL. Then James Pearce Jr., the No. 26 pick a year ago, was suspended eight games by the NFL under the league’s personal conduct policy. Atlanta is on track to start Cameron Thomas and Samson Ebukam at outside linebacker. The team signed veteran Cam Sample, who started five games for the Cincinnati Bengals over the last five years, last week. A fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, Smith will be joining his seventh NFL team. He blossomed after leaving Baltimore as a free agent in 2019, collecting 25 sacks and 60 QB hits over his first two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, earning Pro Bowl honors both seasons and a second-team All-Pro selection in 2020. He missed all but one game of the 2021 season with a back injury, then rebounded with 10 sacks, 24 QB hits and a Pro Bowl nod with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. Before joining the Eagles last season, Smith spent 25 games with the Cleveland Browns, who traded him to the Detroit Lions at the deadline in 2024.– – -Zachary Pereles of CBSSports.com on the bad opening week for the Falcons in general and QB TUA TAGOVIALOA in particular. Can he bounce back? Tua Tagovailoa and the Atlanta FalconsI’ve already given my thoughts on the Falcons being a major Week 1 loser, given their Friday consisted of … * the NFL suspending James Pearce Jr. for eight games (roughly a week after their other 2025 first-round EDGE, Jalon Walker, tore his ACL); * Tua Tagovailoa fumbling his second snap of the game and generally underwhelming;losing 27-7 to the Broncos, who completely their way with both teams’ starters on the field (even though Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle didn’t play); * and, finally, getting dumped on by Sean Payton for having no fans. The Falcons are still without Michael Penix Jr. in game settings as his knee rehab continues, meaning Tagovailoa is the de-facto QB1 in a pretty dismal quarterback competition. None of Tagovailoa’s five throws went more than 4 yards downfield. He posted a -0.442 EPA per dropback. Obviously it is a teeny, tiny sample size, but the worst EPA per dropback last year was Cam Ward at -0.15. The Falcons will be better than this. If they look like this, they’d be the worst team in NFL history, which I don’t anticipate happening. But this is a glimpse at what it could be like this year. Neither Tagovailoa nor Penix were even ready, physically, to open training camp, leaving Atlanta with two healthy quarterbacks: Veteran Cooper Rush and UDFA Jack Strand. Both of their quarterback options struggle to stay healthy and struggle even when healthy. The sad thing is there is a lot of talent here: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, a good offensive line, some promising young defenders around stud veteran safety Jessie Bates III. But this team is still paying for the sins of the last regime, and will be doing so all season. Chances to bounce back: Medium, but the ceiling is so low given the quarterback situation and the defensive absences that it probably won’t matter. If anything, Penix is a big winner here. |
| NEW ORLEANSThe knock on the Saints for drafting WR JORDAN TYSON in the first round was availability – that he was often hurt at Arizona State. Now, as a Saint, we won’t be seeing him until October at the earliest. Nick Shook of NFL.com: The Saints will be without their first-round pick for the foreseeable future. Receiver Jordyn Tyson will miss approximately two months due to a hamstring injury, NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported on Monday. Tyson, the No. 8 overall pick in April’s draft, initially suffered the injury in practice last week and sought multiple medical opinions prior to Monday’s prognosis, per Garafolo. The injury is not related to the hamstring ailments previously affected Tyson in the spring, head coach Kellen Moore said last week. Hamstring injuries tend to be especially precarious among other common ailments seen in professional sports, which explains the extended timeline for return for Tyson. More concerning is the fact it’s the latest injury added to a lengthy list for the rookie receiver. Tyson entered the 2026 draft as one of the highest-rated receivers in the class, blending size with route-running proficiency and excellent athleticism that powered his ability to make contested catches and win in the most important moments. He was accurately projected as a first-round talent, but the biggest red flag on his resume was his health. Tyson missed games in every collegiate season from 2022-2025 due to various ailments, including a knee injury that cost him more than a full season, as well as collarbone (2024) and hamstring (2025) issues. To his credit, Tyson didn’t miss time due to a lack of toughness. As one NFC scout noted to NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein prior to the draft, Tyson proved he was a gritty, relentless competitor when he played through two hamstring injuries in a game against Texas Tech in 2025 and led the Sun Devils with 10 receptions, 105 yards and a touchdown in a 26-22 win over the Red Raiders. Still, it’s especially discouraging to learn of an injury when it happens to a player who entered the league with medical concerns. With Tyson likely sidelined until roughly October, second-year quarterback Tyler Shough will have to get by with a corps still headlined by big-money receiver Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Kevin Austin Jr. and fellow rookies Bryce Lance and Barion Brown. Fortunately, offensive wizard Moore is in charge of the unit, but the optimism the Saints carry into 2026 will be dampened by Monday’s news. Having a hamstring blow for two months is not a good sign. |
| TAMPA BAYIt’s uncertain whether WR EMEKA EGBUEKA will toe the starting line for the opener in Cincinnati. Jason Owens of YahooSports.com: Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles isn’t offering much information regarding a toe injury that wide receiver Emeka Egbuka sustained in practice last week. But what he is revealing doesn’t sound great. The Bucs have clarified the nature of Egbuka’s injury. Bowles told reporters at his Monday media availability that Egbuka is “day to day or week to week.” When asked if Egbuka’s status for Week 1 against the Bengals is at risk, Bowles responded: “Not sure at this time.” With Mike Evans gone, Egbuka projects to step up as Tampa Bay’s No. 1 receiver in his second NFL season — as long as he’s healthy. |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONATouted RB JEREMIYAH LOVE is on the shelf for the rest of preseason. Bobby Kownack of NFL.com: Details on Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love’s ankle injury are a bit more specific three days after his preseason debut. Love is dealing with a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to play again this preseason, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday. Schefter added that the team is hopeful the No. 3 overall pick can return for the regular-season opener on Sept. 13 against the Chargers. Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur previously announced that Love would miss the upcoming week due to the ankle injury he sustained in Thursday night’s outing against the Raiders. Prior to Schefter’s reporting, LaFleur declined to specify in his Sunday news conference whether Love had a low or high ankle sprain. The latter takes longer to get back to 100 percent from, which poses a challenge to the rookie as he looks to build off a strong first impression. Love logged 14 touches against Las Vegas, going for 58 yards on 11 carries and bringing in three receptions for 14 yards. After a slow start to the contest, he put together some impressive gains of 9, 14 and 16 yards on the ground, exhibiting the ability to break big ones that made him a coveted pick in April’s draft. The injury to Love further thins a running back room that seemed to be quite crowded during the offseason, but now is dealing with a number of ailments. James Conner hasn’t made it to full 11-on-11 work since last year’s season-ending foot injury, and Trey Benson is dealing with a knee injury. The tough-running Tyler Allgeier remains healthy atop Arizona’s unofficial depth chart, with Bam Knight, Corey Kiner and Evan Hull also available. After Love showcased what he can do in one touch-heavy half of preseason play, the focus now moves to recovery as the regular season inches closer. Erik Edholm of YahooSports.com thinks rookie coach Mike LaFleur made a mistake with his handling of Love (and he’s got the numbers to at least show how unconventional it was): When a running back receives double-digit carries in a preseason game, it’s not always a good sign. It might be an indication they’re needing to play their way onto a team’s roster. That very clearly was not the case when Arizona Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love ran the ball 11 times, also catching three passes for good measure, in Arizona’s preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night. As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Love figures to be a very big part of the team’s plans this season. Assuming he’s healthy, that is. Love suffered a high-ankle sprain after a heavy workload outing Thursday. The Cardinals are hopeful that he can be ready for Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but it appears that Love’s preseason is now done. Was this just a fluke injury? Or did the Cardinals bring this upon themselves by overfeeding Love with a 14-touch outing? Did Mike LaFleur misplay his hand early?After news broke that Love’s ankle injury might be worse than expected, first-year Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur defended giving the rookie so much work in his first game. “I mean, it’s a rookie that hadn’t played,” LaFleur said. “One that, not to share too many secrets because I haven’t said it with the players yet, but you know, that was how it was going to be in terms of how many games these guys were gonna play, for what we were looking for. So, that’s what the thought was.” Take that how you will, but it sounds like LaFleur was saying he wanted to see how Love would handle extended duty. On the one hand, it makes sense. The Cardinals made the controversial decision to draft Love third overall — the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018 — and are paying him more than $53 million. That’s more guaranteed money than both Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson received in their new extensions. And they drafted Love that high despite signing Tyler Allgeier this offseason and having James Conner, Tre Benson and others already on the roster. The Cardinals clearly want to feature Love, but it’s not something that he was asked to do a ton in college. Love was Notre Dame’s lead back the past two seasons, but he had fellow first-rounder Jadarian Price carrying a big chunk of the load alongside him. In 41 career games with the Irish, Love was asked to touch the ball only 20 times or more in four of those outings. LaFleur made it clear at the start of camp that he didn’t want to overload either Love or Allgeier, saying, “Not one running back can take all 65 snaps. We’ve seen that story when guys are a little bit overloaded.” Well, now Love will be sidelined for a few weeks, and a crowded backfield suddenly looks a bit thin. Connor has yet to take part in full-team workout following offseason foot-and-ankle surgery, and Benson has been slowed by his own knee injury. Making matters worse for the Cardinals is the fact that their top four draft picks this spring are all currently out. Second-round OG Chase Bisontis (torn MCL) and fourth-round DT Kaleb Proctor (torn meniscus) are both done for the season. Third-round QB Carson Beck (rib injury) is also banged up. An already thin margin for error appears to have narrowed further. LaFleur already was swimming upstream this season with QB questions and defensive concerns as two of the major problems they’re facing while playing in arguably the NFL’s toughest division. They’ll have to hope that Love will be ready by the start of the regular season, and right now they’re unsure of how much work can be earmarked for him when he is ready to go. Jeremiyah Love’s workload was high for a top back, rookie or otherwiseLast year’s preseason rush-attempt leader, D’Ernest Johnson, ran the ball a whopping 46 times in three games. Once the regular season rolled around, Johnson ran the ball a total of 14 times in eight games for two different teams. If you look at the 2025 preseason’s 13 leading rushers in terms of carries, not a single one of them had more carries in the regular season. Several had zero. A few didn’t even play in the NFL’s regular season a year ago. The bottom line: It’s rare to see any prominent back, even a highly drafted rookie, carry the ball much at all in the preseason. Most backs earning heavy preseason carries are either scratching to make a team’s roster, or the team doesn’t want to put its top backs in harm’s way — and often both are true. Four backs had at least 300 regular-season carries a year ago: Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook and Derrick Henry. They combined for exactly one preseason carry last year, a 9-yard run by Taylor. NFL news, live updates: Jets RB Breece Hall to miss 2-3 weeks with injury, Saints rookie Jordyn Tyson out 2 months; Roger Goodell says ‘no doubt’ there will be international NFL teamsJets RB Breece Hall out 2-3 weeks with strained groin, expected to be ready for regular seasonBut Love is a rookie, you say. He needs reps! Perhaps. But most teams with highly drafted rookie backs in recent years haven’t subscribed to the idea of giving them a high preseason workload. Of the six other first-round running backs since 2021, only Najee Harris had anything close to a Love-like workload – 13 carries, four receptions – but those touches were spread over three preseason outings. The two 2025 first-round backs, Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton, had three and two carries, respectively, in their rookie-year preseasons. First-rounders Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson combined for 12 touches between them as rookies in the preseason. Even maligned Jaguars coach Urban Meyer knew to give minimal preseason work to his first-round back, Travis Etienne, in 2021 – two carries and one catch. The Cardinals and LaFleur might have learned the hard way what other coaches have historically shown they want no part of finding out. It might be best to save a key back’s heavy workload for when the games matter. |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSAnother Aaron Donald sighting at Rams camp. Dan Gartland of SI.com: Aaron Donald’s potential return to the NFL is starting to look a lot less hypothetical. Donald worked out with the Rams at their practice facility on Sunday in what was officially listed as a “tryout” on the NFL’s transaction report. It’s the second time this month that the future Hall of Famer has taken the field with his former team as he weighs coming out of retirement. Renewed speculation that Donald might make a comeback first started percolating in early June, the day after the Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett from the Browns. “If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip,” Rams coach Sean McVay said at Garrett’s introductory press conference on June 2. A Donald comeback became far less theoretical when he took the field on Aug. 4 for a workout with pads and a helmet. McVay was asked about Donald in his press conference following Saturday’s preseason game and said that the team is not rushing Donald to make a decision. Donald, who turned 35 in May, hasn’t played since the end of the 2023 season. He went out on top, as he was named first team All-Pro for the eighth time in his 10-year career. His somewhat premature retirement raised eyebrows at the time, but he wasn’t hounded by constant comeback speculation until the Rams added Garrett. The prospect of joining Garrett to form one of the best pass rush duos of all time might be too tempting for Donald to pass up, though. The Rams might not be rushing Donald to make a decision, but the calendar is not in his favor. If Donald wants to get any full-speed reps in a game environment before the start of the regular season, he has less than two weeks to end his retirement and sign in time to play in one of the team’s remaining two preseason games (Aug. 22 and 27). The deadline for teams to cut their rosters down to the regular-season 53-man limit is Aug. 30. It’s clear from the way McVay and others in the Rams organization have spoken about Donald that the decision is entirely up to the player. The team would welcome him back if he decides he wants to suit up, even if it has been nearly three years since he last took the field. If Donald does feel comfortable being on the field after such a long layoff, then why wouldn’t he want to join a Super Bowl contender and team up with another of the greatest defensive linemen of his generation? |
| SEATTLEEvery team should have a first round like the Seahawks did in 2023, although they now have paid the piper. CB DEVON WITHERSPOON says nothing will change now that he has generational wealth. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon’s approach to the game over his first three seasons landed him a big new contract this month. Witherspoon became the highest-paid player at the position when he agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension. The agreement came a few months after his fellow 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba landed a huge deal of his own and the two deals cement the players as franchise cornerstones as they come off their Super Bowl win. During a Monday press conference, Witherspoon was asked if that kind of commitment adds pressure or takes pressure off of him as he heads into the season. Witherspoon fell somewhere in the middle because his feeling is that it won’t change anything about his approach to the game. “I think it’s a little bit of both, but I don’t think it does nothing to me,” Witherspoon said. “I’m going to be me every day. Ain’t nothing going to change about me, so I don’t really see it no type of way.” Witherspoon’s approach has been a winning one so far and not breaking something that doesn’t need fixing should be a popular opinion about how to approach the 2026 campaign. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYEric Bieniemy makes clear that his wife, who is recovering from being shot by their son, is doing great and fully blessed his return to the Chiefs. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to the team last week after leaving the team to be with his wife Mia as she recovered from being shot in late July and he spoke to reporters for the first time since getting back on Tuesday. Bieniemy opened the press conference by thanking the press corps for respecting the family’s privacy in the wake of the shooting, which led to Bieniemy’s son being arrested for allegedly committing the crime. Bieniemy said “it feels good to be back” and that his wife is doing well enough that she signed off on having him return to work. “She is on a road to recovery,” Bieniemy said. “She is doing great. It’s one of the main reasons why I’m back here because of her recovery. She is truly a soldier. She’s a saint. It’s been incredible to watch, but I know I was driving her and a bunch of family members crazy in the house. She was like ‘you have my blessing to leave.’ So it was time to come back.” Bieniemy said he felt like he was still a part of the team because he “had an opportunity to tap in” to practice remotely. That led to a lot of “colorful” language that he said surprised family members, but has been greeted with both familiarity and comfort to Chiefs players who had missed Bieniemy’s presence around the field. |
| LAS VEGASQB FERNANDO MENDOZA got some first string action in joint workouts with the Texans. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Kirk Cousins has been quarterbacking the Raiders’ first string offense throughout training camp, but today rookie Fernando Mendoza got some first-team work at the joint practice with the Texans. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said after practice that he wanted to give Mendoza an opportunity to show what he could do against the Texans’ starting defense, and Kubiak was pleased with how Mendoza responded. “I wanted to see him going against the Texans’ ones,” Kubiak said. “That was our plan all along. I thought he did some good things. I look forward to watching the tape. He and his teammates, all these young guys that were playing, we’ve got to get them up to speed real quick.” Cousins said after practice that he was happy to give up some first-team reps for Mendoza. “He did a great job,” Cousins said. “He’s well prepared, made some great plays and he’s continuing to do what he’s supposed to do and pick up the system quickly.” Kubiak has indicated that Cousins is the favorite to start in Week One of the regular season, but Mendoza is going to get a lot of work in the remaining two preseason games. “He’s going to get lots of reps this preseason,” Kubiak said. “He needs every one of them.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREQB JOE FAGNANO had himself a stat line in the first preseason game. Mike Kadlick of SI.com: Stat line: 22-for-28, 224 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 97.0 passer ratingAnother UDFA that made quite an impression this weekend was Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano. The UConn product, who effectively beat out Diego Pavia for Baltimore’s fourth-string QB job before training camp even started, commanded the offense for six possessions across the second and third quarters and led it on three scoring drives—including one that ended in a touchdown pass to fellow rookie Ja’Kobi Lane. Fagnano did also log an ugly interception to defensive back Kelee Ringo in the red zone while trying to throw across his body. Otherwise? He looked comfortable, and his 224 passing yards lead the NFL’s preseason so far. |
| PITTSBURGHAlbert Breer of SI.com is at Steelers camp where QB AARON RODGERS is passing his knowledge along: It’s pretty well-established where Aaron Rodgers is at this point in his career. He’s 42, so naturally, he’s not moving like he once did. But he can still sling it and see the game at an incredibly high level, and he has given Mike McCarthy a guy in the locker room who has encyclopedic knowledge of his program and offense. What has really impressed the staff, though, has been his work with young quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar. Allar, of course, had a big night against the Packers on Thursday, and that’s simply a carryover from a better-than-expected first spring and summer as a pro for the Penn State product, who has a ton of physical ability. The game didn’t seem too fast for him, and the adjustments the coaches have made to his footwork have taken hold, giving the team hope that Allar could grow into a starting quarterback down the line. For now, as a third-round pick, he has a roster spot. The bigger discussion here will be whether Howard’s ready to be the backup, which could make veteran Mason Rudolph expendable. If the team deems having Rudolph too important, then keeping Howard would mean having four quarterbacks on the roster, which is what the Steelers are sorting through now. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISVeteran WR KEENAN ALLEN has signed a one-year deal, for pretty good money, with the Colts. Stephen Holder of ESPN.com: The Colts have been eyeing veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen for the past several months, and now the sides have finally made things official. In an effort to bolster a thin receiving corps, Indianapolis on Monday agreed to terms with the 34-year-old player, a team source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. Allen returns to the NFL after reuniting with the Los Angeles Chargers last season, when he notched 81 catches in his 13th season. According to multiple reports, the deal is worth up to $8.32 million. The Colts had been evaluating their receiver lineup in training camp and wanted to determine whether it might be good enough as is. But the loss of Michael Pittman Jr. to an offseason trade and the absence of new No. 1 wideout Alec Pierce — who underwent offseason ankle surgery — gave the Colts pause. The one-year deal with Allen allows him to reconnect with Colts coach Shane Steichen, who spent several seasons as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator while Allen was the team’s top receiver. The two maintained a relationship in the intervening years, and Steichen has been having dialogue with Allen for months, gauging the veteran’s level of interest in joining the Colts. What’s more, Indianapolis’ offense under Steichen has several layers to it that he brought over from the Chargers. A third-round pick in the 2013 draft out of Cal, Allen is one of the greatest players in Chargers history. He spent his first 11 campaigns with the franchise before the team traded him to the Chicago Bears in 2024 following a contract dispute. Allen returned to Los Angeles ahead of last season and was the Chargers’ most-targeted receiver (122) in 2025. He finished the season with 81 receptions, 777 yards and four touchdowns, and he was quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite target (and one of the best in the NFL) on third downs. Allen was first in receiving first downs (29) and receptions (34) on third down, earning him the moniker “third-and-Keenan” from teammates. Allen ranks 13th in receptions (1,055) in league history and is a six-time Pro Bowler. He has 12,051 receiving yards and 70 touchdown catches. Allen’s 9.6 yards per reception in 2025 was a career low, but he likely won’t be expected to be a big-play receiver for the Colts. Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch last season, and Indianapolis expects slot receiver Josh Downs to run more downfield routes this year. That should leave ample opportunity for Allen to handle short and intermediate routes. The DB admits to surprise that Allen had 81 catches last year. And that he ranks as high as 13th in career receptions. The amazing thing is that he has 50 catches this year, something he’s done in the last nine seasons and 12 of 13, he will jump all the way to 6th overall (assuming good production from Travis Kelce the only active player ahead of him). He would be 3rd among wide receivers behind only Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald. |
| TENNESSEENot a good start last week for QB CAM WARD in his first game under the tutelage of OC Brian Daboll. Zachary Pereles of CBSSports.com: Cam WardCam Ward’s numbers weren’t particularly flattering: 5-for-12 for 57 yards, translating to a rough 4.8 yards per attempt. Plus, 56 of his 57 yards came via YAC, and he had a potential interception dropped. Ward, who showed positive signs down the stretch of last year, was mostly tasked with getting the ball out quickly. Again, this is where the preseason is a balance of putting your players in a position to succeed while not calling your best plays. The Titans produced a 95-yard touchdown drive on their opening series. Their second series was derailed by an intentional grounding penalty — better to have those in the preseason than the regular season — and the third series wasn’t inspiring at all. A Wan’Dale Robinson drop could have changed that, though. There are still concerns about Ward’s accuracy, mechanics and ability to manage the pocket. But one game into a new system with several new top targets — all while running a vanilla playbook — isn’t time to be overly worried. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSThe injury to RB REECE HALL is not serious. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: Though he exited Monday’s practice with a groin injury, Breece Hall is expected to be ready for Week 1. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters on Tuesday that Hall will be out for two to three weeks, but he should be back for the regular season. That’s good news for a player who is expected to be one of the focal points of New York’s offense. In 16 games last season, Hall rushed for 1,065 yards with four touchdowns and caught 36 passes for 350 yards with one TD. Additionally, Glenn noted that Kenyon Sadiq and D’Angelo Ponds are getting closer to returning from their respective injuries, though the focus is having both players available for Week 1. The Jets will be on the road to face the Steelers on Friday night for the second week of preseason play. |
