| The 40-40 Green Bay-Dallas tie was the first unique score of the 2025 season: @NFL_ScorigamiSep 29GB 40 – DAL 40Final That’s Scorigami!! It’s the 1093rd unique final score in NFL History.– – -Antonio Brown with a funny: https://x.com/AB84/status/1973223320385679493 |
| NFC EAST |
| WASHINGTONIt looks like QB JAYDEN DANIELS will be back for America’s Game of the Week on FOX this Sunday. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been medically cleared and will be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, coach Dan Quinn said. Daniels has missed the Commanders’ past two games with a sprained left knee. Washington has gone 1-1 in those games with Marcus Mariota starting in his place. Daniels sprained his left knee in a Week 2 loss at the Green Bay Packers, getting hit with a helmet at the end of a scramble on the first play of the fourth quarter. He has passed for 433 yards and three touchdowns this season. Daniels was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season when he passed for 3,568 yards, rushed for 891 yards and accounted for 31 total touchdowns. He led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game during a postseason run in which he passed for 822 yards, rushed for 135 yards and accounted for six total touchdowns.– – -Dan Graziano of ESPN.com with a Fantasy-related note: • One more Commanders note, for you fantasy managers wondering about the running backs: They’re very happy at the moment using a committee with Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jeremy McNichols and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. But they do view Croskey-Merrit as the most capable one of the three to emerge as an all-around threat out of the backfield. And as he gains more experience, I would expect his role to increase. If you have him on your fantasy roster, I’d hold on, because there’s a chance he could be the lead back there over the second half of the season. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOOn Sunday, DC Robert Saleh threatened to kill Jaguars Coach Liam Coen. On Tuesday, he apologized for the comment about “stealing signs” that had Coen so upset. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s comment last week that the Jaguars are “almost elite” at stealing signs legally was not taken kindly by Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and the two men exchanged words on the field after last Sunday’s 26-21 Jaguars win. Saleh addressed the incident in a press conference on Tuesday and reiterated that he wasn’t accusing the Jaguars of doing anything that was against the rules. He said that he thinks “if I said the word film study” rather than mentioning signals, there would have been no response to what he meant as a compliment to what Coen and the Jaguars staff is doing. “As a coach, watching their tape, I recognize the amount of hours that must be spent to be able to build formations and define every little indicator they can to give their players a chance to be in a successful position,” Saleh said. “That’s exhausting, and every team does it. Some do it better than others and it was my way of acknowledging that these guys are really, really, really good at it. And, like I said, Sunday doesn’t change that. I think Liam’s doing a hell of a job, I really do. You can tell that that team’s really taking on his personality and I hope they came out of the game healthy, and I wish him the best of luck throughout the rest of the season. I wish I could have found a better choice of words, but my intent was always to compliment that football staff.” A followup question noted that Saleh doesn’t have a reputation for losing his cool while asking about his animated response to Coen. Saleh responded that “everyone has a trigger I guess” before moving on to discuss the team’s Thursday night game against the Rams. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREPanic in Baltimore? Sort of say Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com: Rate the level of panic in the Ravens’ building on a scale of 1-10 Graziano: I say 5, but it’s important to note that that’s a really high number in Baltimore, where there’s typically not much panic at all. This defense has had no answers for anyone but the Browns, and with Nnamdi Madubuike out for the season and a ton of other injuries (Nate Wiggins, Roquan Smith, Ar’Darius Washington, the list goes on and on) on that side of the ball, where are the answers going to come from? Add Lamar Jackson’s hamstring injury, and now you have a potential for disaster. If Jackson misses significant time, this season could go downhill quickly. Cooper Rush is the backup, and obviously the offense will look a lot different when he starts than it does when Jackson starts. The running game hasn’t done anything since the season opener against Buffalo. There are a lot of problems for a team that was a popular preseason Super Bowl pick. I am guessing the panic meter about the Ravens outside the building — among fans and those of us who analyze objectively — is closer to 10 right now. But the Ravens count on the strength and steadiness of coach John Harbaugh, general manager Eric DeCosta and their internal leadership structure to solve problems and get them through tough times. You can bet they’re scouring for answers, internally and externally. Fowler: I’ll go 6. It’s worth remembering in times like this that Jackson has a .717 career winning percentage as a starter. That’s a Tom Brady-like figure. Assuming Jackson does not miss significant time, the Ravens have a path to a backdoor playoff spot. All three losses are to elite teams with championship hopes. It’s not like the Ravens are blowing leads to winless teams. The offense is still trying to find its rhythm with personnel groupings — when to play big people for the run game (such as two or three tight ends) vs. playing through receivers and the passing game more often. There’s enough talent on offense to make it work regardless. But this defense is galaxies away from the once-proud unit that charged Super Bowl runs. It’s currently serving as a confidence builder for struggling offenses to get right. And losing Madubuike for the year is a crushing blow. That’s a premier player on a defensive front that’s struggling to generate a pass rush. Graziano: Like you, I also look at who their losses are against. The Bills, Lions and Chiefs are among the best teams in the league, sure, but the Ravens were supposed to be, too. And in the case of Buffalo and Kansas City, those are losses that could really come back to bite the Ravens late in the season when we’re sorting out playoff seeding and tiebreakers. At 1-3, Baltimore is probably hoping it has that problem, but assuming the Ravens come back from this and make the run we all expected, these early-season losses could put them behind the eight ball come playoff seeding time. Sunday’s game against the Texans is another that could potentially have implications for tiebreakers and seeding if the Ravens play their way back into contention. When I was at their training camp, I was talking to Harbaugh about the coming season and he was stressing how important it was to get off to a fast start — how they started 0-2 last season and ended up having to play a playoff game in Buffalo in January instead of playing the Bills at home. I’m sure Harbaugh is as perplexed as the rest of us are about why September went so poorly. Fowler: The Ravens’ schedule will ease up. Only one of their next seven opponents (Rams, Week 6) has a winning record. The AFC North is winnable. But it appears they’ll have to win shootouts. On defense, the Ravens need more from pass rusher Odafe Oweh, a former first-round pick, and corner Jaire Alexander, who hasn’t played since Week 1. Otherwise, my preseason Super Bowl pick looks bleak. Harbaugh made an unconventional defensive coordinator hire in Zach Orr, a former Ravens linebacker who quickly worked his way up the ranks, in February 2024 to replace Mike Macdonald. Orr was able to help steady a struggling Ravens defense late last season, but this is two consecutive years of suboptimal results for long stretches. |
| CLEVELANDA rookie shall lead the Browns into battle in London against the Vikings – and it’s not QB SHEDEUR SANDERS. Nick Shook of NFL.com: The Browns’ offensive struggles have prompted a change under center. Cleveland is benching veteran starting quarterback Joe Flacco and replacing him with rookie signal-caller Dillon Gabriel, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday. The Browns later announced the QB change. Gabriel’s first start will come on Sunday in London against the Minnesota Vikings. Flacco will serve as backup with rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders as the emergency third QB. Flacco’s watch as Cleveland’s top QB ends after one month in his second stint with the team, a stretch that saw him complete just 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. Those totals aren’t entirely Flacco’s fault, of course: three crucial drops either resulted in turnovers or stalled drives in a one-point loss in Week 1, and the Browns haven’t received much consistency from their pass catchers over their first four games. Flacco wasn’t propelling this offense forward, either. His lack of mobility severely limited what the Browns could do offensively, and when Cleveland found itself in third-and-long — a rather frequent occurrence in the first month — opposing defenses were free to tee off on Flacco, especially once injuries at both tackle spots weakened the Browns’ pass protection. Cleveland’s offensive struggles predate Flacco’s second stint with the team — the Browns have scored 17 points or less in nine straight games, the longest streak in the NFL — but also they clearly weren’t headed toward improvement with Flacco at the controls. Instead, they’ll turn to Gabriel, the third-round pick whose Day 2 selection stunned much of the football world back in April. In two preseason showings against the Eagles and Rams, Gabriel demonstrated quick decision-making, accurate passing and enough athleticism to escape the pocket, extend plays and occasionally scramble for positive gains. He doesn’t own the same strong arm as Flacco, but what he lacks in throwing power can be replaced by his ability to roll away from pressure, a vital skill given the Browns’ struggles up front. Gabriel will not find a friendly opponent in his first start. Cleveland heads to London to face the 2-2 Vikings, a team that features a defense known for making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. As one of two rookie quarterbacks on the roster — and undoubtedly the less popular of the two — Gabriel will also be under a microscope of scrutiny as soon as he steps on the field. Those clamoring for playing time for Sanders will be lying in wait, ready to criticize at the first opportunity. It will be up to Gabriel to execute Kevin Stefanski’s offense and quiet the persistent noise that follows him and the 1-3 Browns to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. |
| PITTSBURGHBrooke Pryor of ESPN.com on Pittsburgh’s offensive growth after a big game for WR DK METCALF: As DK Metcalf curled toward the middle of the field on a post route, Aaron Rodgers dropped back and rocketed a pass toward the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver just as he hit the soft spot in the Minnesota Vikings zone. Metcalf corralled Rodgers’ ball in stride and kept running through two converging Vikings defenders, streaking toward the sideline. He turned on the afterburners, racing up the sideline until he reached the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown, the longest touchdown from scrimmage in an international game in NFL history, according to ESPN Research. It was exactly the kind of play the Steelers, who beat the Vikings 24-21, had hoped to see out of the Rodgers-Metcalf pairing since uniting the duo this offseason. Before Sunday, there had only been glimpses of their explosive potential. But playing thousands of miles away from the Steelers’ usual home, Metcalf played like he had found his own as he recorded his first 100-yard game as a Steeler. “Today felt like I’m home now, I’m here,” said the receiver, who hit a max speed of 21.2 mph on the score, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. “Nothing happens without the O-line blocking and defense playing the way that they did. Really popped a couple of those for me. Running on the backside of things, taking two, three defenders out of there and giving me space to really work. So shout-out to everybody that was involved in this win.” Not only did the offensive line help spring Metcalf for his big day, but fellow wide receiver Calvin Austin III threw a block on safety Josh Metellus to seal Metcalf’s path through the final couple of yards to the end zone. “Aaron threw it on time, and I was able to sneak out the backside of it, but I don’t think any of that happens without CA running his butt off on the backside,” Metcalf said. On the day, Metcalf finished with five catches on five targets for 126 yards and the score, and 122 of those yards came in the first half to mark the most receiving yards of any half in his seven-year pro career. “Getting him the ball is always our agenda,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “Sometimes it’s controlled by other things. In previous weeks we weren’t getting off the way we would like on third down, so it minimizes offensive possessions. We weren’t winning possession downs. “… These are complex discussions. They don’t happen in a vacuum. We didn’t go get DK not to get him the ball. So, today was a reflection of our intentions, but that’s been our intentions every week.” In addition to the 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown, Metcalf also had a tight-window catch down the sideline for a 17-yard gain on third-and-2 in the first quarter followed by an 11-yard catch on the next play on slant route to again exploit the middle of the field, continuing the success the Steelers found targeting that area a week earlier against the Patriots. “I think last week was the first time we tried to attack it when we played the Patriots,” Metcalf said. “But once again, it really came to fruition, and we kind of hit our stride.” While the Steelers haven’t changed the volume of their throws to the middle of the field in the past two weeks, their efficiency has improved. Rodgers has completed 17-of-21 attempts between the numbers in the past two weeks and is averaging 10 yards per attempt, according to ESPN Research. In the first two weeks of the season, Rodgers completed 23-of-34 attempts and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt. Two plays after Metcalf’s 11-yard gain, running back Kenneth Gainwell found the end zone for the Steelers’ second score of the afternoon. Leading the backfield with Jaylen Warren inactive for the game because of a knee injury, Gainwell finished with 99 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns along with 35 receiving yards on six catches. It was the kind of complementary performance the Steelers have looked for in their ground and air attacks through the first quarter of their season. “There’s been so much talk about how can we get DK [Metcalf] more involved, how can we push the ball down the field a little bit more, and I said last week you’ve got to run the football, and I think today we ran the ball pretty effectively,” Rodgers said. Four weeks into the season, the Steelers still are loath to label their offense with a specific identity, but with heavy doses of Metcalf and a successful ground game, Sunday’s win served as the recipe for offensive success. “Y’all can come up with whatever scenario or slogan y’all want for identity,” Metcalf said. “But as long as you’re putting points on the board and winning, that’s all I care about.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONThe Texans’ shutout of Tennessee came after Coach DeMeco Ryans let his DC, Matt Burke, call the signals. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: The Texans shut out the Titans 26-0 on Sunday. The Titans are bad, but the Texans defense was improved. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged this week that he relinquished play-calling duties to defensive coordinator Matt Burke before the game. It marked the first time for Burke to call the plays in a regular-season game since the Texans hired him in 2023. Ryans, who wants to focus on the entire operation and delegate more responsibilities, said he remained involved in the game planning. “For me, Burke has called plays before [in the preseason],” Ryans said, via Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. “We all collectively put the gameplan together. It worked well, and he did a good job of calling it on Sunday.” The Texans limited the Titans to 175, with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward completing only 10 of 26 passes for 108 yards and an interception. Ryans said he remained in communication with Burke during the game. “We worked well in tandem doing that,” Ryans said. “Burke did a really nice job. Everybody, our entire sideline and our operation.” Burke is expected to continue as the play-caller moving forward. |
| INDIANAPOLISThe Colts are defending veteran CB XAVIEN HOWARD. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: From the outside, it appears the Indianapolis Colts have a cornerback concern, with veteran Xavien Howard getting picked on in recent weeks. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, however, defended Howard this week, noting that the entire defense needs to improve after getting torched by the Rams’ passing attack on Sunday. “The combination of all of it,” Anarumo said on Tuesday, via the Indy Star. “You’re playing against an elite passing game with two elite receivers and a quarterback, and at some point, rust or no rust, we’ve got to make sure we’re out there and guarding the guys we’re tasked to guard. We’ve all got to do a better job. Not just X, but me.” A four-time Pro Bowler, Howard, who didn’t play in 2024, was solid in Week 1 versus his former Dolphins team. Since then, his play has unraveled. In the past three weeks, he’s allowed 16 catches on 20 targets, including getting picked on by Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua. He allowed seven catches on 10 targets for 112 yards and a TD in Sunday’s loss. “Not to my ability,” Howard said after the game. By seemingly every metric, Howard has struggled to open the season. Through four weeks, his target EPA of 14.3 as the nearest defender ranks fifth-worst among all corners (min. 10 targets). Those below him are all young players. Howard is a 32-year-old veteran who appears to have lost a step or two. “We’ll evaluate everybody, every game,” Anarumo said. “X is a player on the team, so he’s certainly going to get evaluated. … Not only X, but everybody will always be evaluated each week, based on performance. We’ll always take a look at all those things and move forward accordingly.” Charvarius Ward has been excellent, generating a -0.4 target EPA. His play, coupled with Howard’s struggles, is only going to lead to defenses continuing to pick on the elder stateman. “It’s not just one guy,” Anarumo said. “If you put the microscope on one person, everybody can always finish, maybe, better here or there. I think he had some plays where he did finish well, and there’s others where he can do better, for sure.”– – -The Seahawks have a pregame celeb/alum raise the 12 flag. The Patriots have the Keeper of the Light each home game. And the Colts have an Anvil Striker and this week it is former LB Shaquille Leonard. Three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard is retiring as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, the team announced Wednesday. Leonard will address Colts fans at halftime of Indianapolis game against the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday and he will be the team’s anvil striker before kickoff. Leonard, 30, played most of his six-season career with the Colts, who selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft out of South Carolina State. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 when he led the NFL in tackles (163) and solo tackles (111) and was named first team All-Pro. |
| TENNESSEEDan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com take the pulse of the Titans: What are you hearing on the Titans’ 0-4 start and potential changes they could make — now or in the offseason? Fowler: There is moderate concern among the coaching staff that the front office and ownership might not be as patient as they originally believed, which could lead to change sooner rather than later. The proverbial “vibes” simply are not good right now. The front office entered the season with optimism about head coach Brian Callahan, who was a hot name on the coaching circuit in 2024. And though it wouldn’t set a win-loss goal in regard to his tenure, Titans brass wanted to see a team that’s improving. That’s hardly the case in Tennessee, where a minus-69 point differential through four games is by far the worst in the league (next closest is New Orleans at minus-55). The overall lack of flow from week to week is only intensifying the discomfort. Callahan relinquishing playcalling duties to assistant Bo Hardegree a week ago could buy the staff a little time, but firing him a week after such a change would be counterproductive. The Titans’ bye is Week 10, which feels important. But the expectation among some around the league I’ve talked to is that the temperature is increasing, especially with owner Amy Adams Strunk’s willingness to make drastic changes in recent years. Graziano: It’s one thing to start 0-4 with a rookie quarterback, but it’s another to be as noncompetitive as the Titans have been. They had a second-half lead against the Broncos in Week 1, but things seem to have gotten progressively worse each week since. Sunday’s loss to Houston was a complete no-show, and to get shut out the week after making an offensive playcaller change doesn’t say much about their chances to fix this thing on the fly. Callahan was Tennessee’s top choice as head coach following the 2023 season, and the franchise entered this season with the belief that he was the guy to shepherd Ward’s transition into the league. But there have been red flags, including some game management situations and some postgame news conferences in which Callahan seemed unaware of some of the rules governing replay challenges, etc. If the Titans can win a couple of games, I’m sure that will buy him time, but that’s a big if right now, and Callahan hasn’t helped himself with some of his gaffes. I will say, from talking to people who follow these situations in the league, that there’s belief that this will be a desirable job if and when it comes open. Young, promising QB, new stadium on the horizon, etc. You agree? Fowler: Agreed. This can be a good job, Dan. Cam Ward has serious potential but needs an infusion of pass-catching talent around him. A few drafts can fix that. The offensive line hasn’t come together despite significant investments. But offensive tackle JC Latham (currently injured) and guard Peter Skoronski are players to build on. The defense has held up at times. President of football operations Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi come from well-established, methodical personnel trees — the Packers and Chiefs, respectively. That should lead to build-through-the-draft patience … which I once thought would help Callahan’s case, but now I’m not so sure. As you mentioned, game management issues in multiple games this season have not helped his cause. That’s such a priority for teams now. Graziano: Yeah, that’s another thing to watch, because Borgonzi and Brinker weren’t really in their current roles when the organization hired Callahan. (Maybe Brinker was, but he didn’t have as much clearly delineated power at the time.) It’s never a comfortable feeling working for people who didn’t hire you. And your point about the offensive line is a critical one, because the offensive line coach is Callahan’s father, Bill Callahan, who’s considered one of the best to ever do that job. I believe Bill wouldn’t stick around if Brian got fired, so you’re talking about major change in critical areas. I might look foolish in a couple of weeks (or days, who knows?), but if I’m making a prediction, I lean toward the Titans giving Callahan the rest of the year before making a decision. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMIEven as WR TYREEK HILL exits stage right to IR, the Dolphins are excited about the prospects of rejuvenated TE DARREN WALLER. Grant Gordon of NFL.com: At the break of July, Darren Waller was traded from the New York Giants to the Miami Dolphins, unretiring in the process. Three months later and four weeks into the 2025 season, Waller made his Dolphins debut and his official return to the NFL playing ranks. For the Dolphins, the wait was worth it, as Waller hauled in two touchdowns and secured Miami’s first win of the season, a 27-21 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night, with an onside kick recovery. “It’s a lot to process,” said Waller, who had three receptions for 27 yards. “It’s exciting, very exciting, just to be out there, just the whole day. Little bit of fear, little bit of everything, you know? Because I haven’t really been practicing a ton, haven’t really done a lot with the team, so it’s like, alright, I’ve got to find a way to get back out there and get into a rhythm and just be somebody that this team can rely on and give this team a return on their investment.” That investment aided mightily in the Dolphins winning their first game of the season. Likely a surprising development to many, it wasn’t all that stunning to Waller’s new head coach Mike McDaniel. “You don’t put in plays or have players play with the expectation of anything but their best,” McDaniel said. “I knew he was fully capable. I just didn’t want to overcook it.” Waller, a 2020 Pro Bowler with the Las Vegas Raiders, played his first game since Jan. 7, 2024, with the Giants. Since joining the Fins, Waller had been a standard on the injury report with a hip ailment, with the team slowly acclimating him upon his return. One game in, at least, the process worked out splendidly. “Anytime you get the ball in your hands and you score twice, that shows us that you’re a viable option for us or you could be a viable option for us,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “That first touchdown, I can’t remember the last time I’ve thrown the ball to dang near the goalposts and somebody catches it like that. That’s the kind of guy that we have in Darren Waller.” Bengals-Broncos on Monday night: What We Learned from Denver’s 28-3 win over Cincinnati On the opening drive of the game, Tagovailoa connected with Waller on his first pass of the game for a 14-yard completion and conversion on third-and-5. On the ensuing drive, the Dolphins were faced with a fourth-and-goal when Waller caught a 4-yard pass for his first touchdown in 708 days, which came in Week 7 of the 2023 season for the Giants. “That touchdown was oddly enough the same route that was like the first touchdown of my NFL career,” Waller said. “Like across the back line, separating from the defender, but that one was like, yeah, really high. Shoutout to Tua for trusting that and putting it up there and giving a guy a chance. We haven’t had that much time to build chemistry, but for him to give me an opportunity like that, I’m really grateful. But, yeah, fourth down, gotta-have-it situation, being where you got to be and go get the football.” Then, for the first time in 1,758 days — all the way back to Week 13 of his 2020 campaign with the Raiders — Waller tallied a second TD reception in a game. That game was also against the Jets, who found Waller to be uncoverable in the red zone as the tight end pulled down a 9-yard Tagovailoa pass with 11:33 to go in the third quarter. Leading, 17-3, after Waller’s second score and Riley Patterson’s ensuing extra point, the Dolphins eventually let the Jets creep back in. After New York cut Miami’s lead to 27-21, however, Waller all but wrapped up a win when he cradled an onside kick. “It was just fun, man,” Waller said. “It felt like when I started playing football as a kid. I feel like I lost it sometimes. Tonight was pretty cool.” Waller’s battles with addiction are well publicized. He missed all of the 2017 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and has been suspended twice in total. Waller, after a year away from the NFL in retirement and three weeks on the sidelines for the Dolphins, made his official return on Monday and exceeded expectations. More so, on a night in which Tyreek Hill’s gruesome knee injury hung a cloud over the team’s first win, Waller supplied some optimism that comeback stories are possible — even more than one. “It inspires me and I think it inspires his teammates, a guy that has a love for the game of football and does the journey to get back,” McDaniel said. “Everybody I think empathized, but at the same time it’s tough when you get to a new team and you’re a partial participator and it takes a while. “All he’s done is everything he possibly can and put his best foot forward and has been a phenomenal contributor to our team. I think the guys have felt that he’s been doing everything he can to participate, and they were very confident when he was ready to go that he would be what we know him to be.” Meanwhile agent Drew Rosenhaus is upbeat about Hill’s prospects for 2026 after surgery. Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com: Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill will not need another surgery after undergoing a major procedure Tuesday to repair his dislocated left knee and multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rosenhaus said Hill’s surgery “went very well according to his doctors. “It’s about rehab, and he will play next season,” Rosenhaus told Schefter. “The realistic goal is the start of the season.” Rosenhaus added in an interview with WSVN-TV in Miami that “there is no nerve damage, no blood flow issues, no broken bones, the [knee] cartilage is fine.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| GOOD BUNNYTom Jones of The Poynter Institute (with an assist from Mike Freeman) tells us why the selection of Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show must be viewed as an obviously correct choice by the NFL: Some argue that by selecting the Puerto Rican-born Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the NFL is sending a strong message about its support for diversity. And, it should be noted, Bad Bunny has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, and he endorsed Kamala Harris for president in 2024. But to suggest all that is the reason Bad Bunny was selected is to be completely ignorant of the fact that Bad Bunny is a humongous international superstar. Besides all of the Grammy nominations (12) and wins (3) and Latin Grammys (11), he is the most-streamed artist in the world. Let me repeat that: the most-streamed artist in the world. And, by the way, he will be the host on the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. So, yeah, he’s a very big deal. Bottom line: This is a smart pick by the NFL, a pick that should be celebrated. On talent and popularity alone, Bad Bunny is an obvious choice to perform the marquee event that typically draws well more than 100 million viewers. But, of course, MAGA types are fuming at the selection of the first Latin male artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson tweeted, “This is Bad Bunny. He was just announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Massive Trump hater. Anti-ICE activist. No songs in English … The NFL is self-destructing year after year.” Right-wing influencer Robby Starbuck from the conservative Heritage Foundation tweeted, in part, “most of his songs aren’t even in English. This is not a pick designed to unite football fans or let people just enjoy the show. It was a pick designed to divide fans and no doubt Bad Bunny will find some way to push a woke message.” He added, “Does this guy really scream American football to anyone? Be for real with me. No one thinks he does. This isn’t about music, it’s about putting a guy on stage who hates Trump and MAGA.” On and on it went with many of the same complaints about the songs not being in English and him speaking out against Trump’s policies. Then again, anyone other than Kid Rock might have been a disappointing selection for the far right. Still, as soon as Bad Bunny was announced, you could almost see the outrage coming. And while the NFL chose Bad Bunny for his massive popularity, it probably didn’t mind celebrating the diversity that the Super Bowl halftime show often lacked until the past decade or so. USA Today’s Mike Freeman wrote, “The NFL knows that Bad Bunny’s emphasis on Puerto Rican pride would likely upset certain people, people who like football, but may not like a message of diversity. In fact, they may hate a message of diversity. The league knew this and didn’t care.” In a statement, Jon Barker, senior vice president of global event production for the NFL, said, “Bad Bunny represents the global energy and cultural vibrancy that define today’s music scene. As one of the most influential and streamed artists in the world, his unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage.” Freeman wrote, “Global energy. Cultural vibrancy. Bridging languages. Cultural moment. This is the opposite energy of what we’re seeing in this country now with ICE raids and draconian immigration policies.” Beyond the bigoted and short-sighted views, the NFL is making a smart and forward-thinking business approach. The league is determined to make the NFL a global game. Each season, the NFL adds more and more international games. This season features seven games played outside of the United States: three in London, and one each in Dublin, Berlin, São Paulo and Madrid. So it makes perfect sense that it would choose a musical artist who has a big global reach. And along the way, it can throw its weight around a bit. Freeman wrote, “The NFL knows it will catch major hell from some powerful people who will be opposed to Bad Bunny and the league still made this decision. Good for the NFL. So, yes, you need to understand what the NFL has done by selecting Bad Bunny as its Super Bowl halftime show. I mean, really understand. The league is using its immense power to push for a more diverse universe, in a country that is, for now, retreating from it.” Meanwhile, the last word should go to Bad Bunny himself. He said in a statement: “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.” (“Go and tell your grandma, we’re going to be the Super Bowl halftime show.”) Much to unpack here but we will limit ourselves to this: And while the NFL chose Bad Bunny for his massive popularity, it probably didn’t mind celebrating the diversity that the Super Bowl halftime show often lacked until the past decade or so. Here are the headliners of the six Jay Z produced shows: ShakiraJennifer LopezThe Weeknd Dr. DreSnoop DoggEminemMary J. BligeKendrick Lamar50 CentRihanna Usher Alicia KeysJermaine DupriLil JonLudacrisKendrick LamarSamuel L. JacksonSerena WilliamsBad Bunny Does Eminem make it “diverse” in either of these dictionary senses: 1. showing a great deal of variety; very different.2. including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds Here are the last 10 shows of the era Jones says was non-diverse: 2010 The Who 2011 The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash 2012 Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green2013 Beyoncé Destiny’s Child 2014 Bruno Mars Red Hot Chili Peppers. 2015 Katy Perry Lenny Kravitz Missy Elliott2016 Coldplay Beyoncé Bruno Mars Mark Ronson Gustavo Dudamel2017 Lady Gaga 2018 Justin Timberlake2019 Maroon 5 While we are at it, Jones says “he is the most-streamed artist in the world. Let me repeat that: the most-streamed artist in the world.” Now, we went to Wikipedia for their 2025 streamiing list – and one of Jay Z’s Super Bowl acts is listed as #1 – although the name Bad Bunny is not in that spot or anywhere else in the top 10: Artist Monthly listeners (millions) 1 The Weeknd 114.87 2 Bruno Mars 111.72 3 Lady Gaga 101.70 4 Justin Bieber 101.15 5 Rihanna 95.07 6 Ed Sheeran 92.50 7 Coldplay 91.90 8 Billie Eilish 89.49 9 Taylor Swift 86.72 10 Drake 81.57 Bad Bunny can be found at #12. Herer are the top 10 in North America: Kendrick Lamar 2.3% Sabrina Carpenter 2.11% Billie Eilish 1.64% SZA 1.31% Chappell Roan 1.54% Bruno Mars 1.06% Benson Boone 0.91% Playboi Carti 0.91% Taylor Swift 0.81% The Weeknd 0.79% We’re not sure why the great Bad Bunny doesn’t even show up in the top 20 He is #9 on the list of Most Followed Artists: Millions1 Arijit Singh 156.8 2 Taylor Swift 142.0 3 Ed Sheeran 121.8 4 Billie Eilish 116.2 5 The Weeknd 110.0 6 Ariana Grande 106.5 7 Eminem 103.1 8 Drake 101.1 9 Bad Bunny 99.7 10 Justin Bieber 84.0 |
