| NFC NORTH |
| DETROITSo, the officials on the field never gave a thought to QB JARED GOFF being illegally in motion (actually his illegality was that he never stopped his motion). But the NFL Office opted to help the Chiefs out. Mike Florio: The trick-play fourth-down touchdown on Detroit’s opening drive in Kansas City violated the rules. There’s an unresolved question regarding how the violation was detected. The flag wasn’t thrown immediately. From the snap (at which the violation occurred) until the flag was thrown by referee Craig Wrolstad, one minute and 15 seconds elapsed. Wrolstad said the penalty was called “after discussion.” The circumstances — and the delay — invited speculation that Wrolstad received guidance from the league office as to the situation. That speculation may be accurate. Appearing Wednesday morning on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit, Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was told that New York made the call. That’s not what Wrolstad told pool reporter Matt Derrick after the game. Wrolstad said the call was made after discussion by the crew, with no assistance from New York. What’s the truth? Who knows? But the broadcast showed Wrolstad speaking directly to Campbell after the penalty was announced. In the end, they got it right. But if Campbell’s version is accurate, they did it the wrong way. In violation of clear, indisputable procedures for when the league office may assist the on-field officials. Coupled with the fact that the final decision benefited the Chiefs — who had zero penalties called against them for the entire game — and it’s time for some to take out the tinfoil hats. Again. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASJerry Jones signals he’s willing to part with some of the picks he got for trading EDGE MICAH PARSONS to bolster the Cowboys defense now. Todd Archer of ESPN.com: – Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is not ready to concede anything about what the 2025 season can be even with his team’s 2-3-1 record. Disappointed with Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, Jones was buoyed by the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Chicago Bears, which keeps the Cowboys in the chase in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles lead the division with a 4-2 record but have lost two straight games. The Commanders are 3-3 and visit AT&T Stadium on Sunday. “It just reminded me that we are still in it,” Jones said at an announcement that the East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at Ford Center on Jan. 27, 2026, adding, “I see much parity and then you factor in that these teams get compromised with injury — and we can have and may [have it too] — but if we should have some good go of it here over the next weeks ahead with our injury situation and return of injury and we can get some wins,” before adding how “encouraged” he is for his team’s prospects given the stellar play of quarterback Dak Prescott so far this season. “The last thing that I’m thinking about is in any way being out of the hunt.” The NFL trade deadline is three weeks from today. The Cowboys have extra first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 from the trade of Micah Parsons and $31 million in salary cap space, according to NFLPA figures. In 2018, the Cowboys were 3-4 and scuffling offensively, which led to a trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Raiders for a first-round pick. The Cowboys won seven of their last nine games and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs. Is there an Amari Cooper-type trade to help a defense that is last in the league in yards per game (411.7) and second to last in points per game (30.7)? “Well, if there is a trade that would help the defense, we’re in position to make that trade,” Jones said. Jones mentioned a financial reason of trading Micah Parsons for Kenny Clark. Even without a contract extension, Parsons was set to count $21 million against the Cowboys’ cap. Clark is counting roughly $2 million. “That alone has increased our flexibility of being able to look at potential trades right now whereas you might have had hand cramps before,” he said. “So we’re in position to look at a trade. That doesn’t mean we’re going to make one.” The Cowboys have struggled at every level of their defense. While Jones said he likes the depth of the pass rush, the Cowboys have just 11 sacks. The linebacker play has been inconsistent, and the secondary has given up too many big plays. The Cowboys might not have all of their answers defensively from scheme adjustments to the return to health of players in place before the trade deadline. Jones said linebacker DeMarvion Overshown could be back after the Nov. 9 bye week, but he is returning from tearing three ligaments in his right knee. Rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. could make his debut as well after rehabbing from a torn ACL. “We will weigh what are the likelihood of the players we’ve got coming back, how will they impact where that will put this team as opposed to should we add a player in a trade?” Jones said. “And I don’t have a trade in mind. At all. And that comes about right now if someone is on the phone calling.” |
| NEW YORK GIANTSDianna Russini of The Athletic on the meld between QB JAXON DART, Coach Brian Daboll and the rest of the Giants organization: Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart didn’t sleep much, if at all, after beating the Eagles in prime time. By Friday morning, while most of us were shuffling kids off to school or heading to work, the Giants rookie was already on the phone with his coaches during his drive to the facility, preparing for the Denver Broncos. It had been almost 20 years since the Giants last defeated the Eagles in prime time, and now Big Blue is living, and occasionally dying, with its rookies, Dart and running back sensation Cam Skattebo. Since Dart took over as the Giants’ starter, they’ve beaten Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers and Nick Sirianni’s defending champs. Somehow, this team that was supposed to be a bit of a disaster suddenly looks … kind of dangerous. And look, I feel like I need to say this because it hit me standing on the field during warmups at MetLife Stadium: Both of those young guys look less like NFL players and more like the kind of dudes you’d bump into at Bar Anticipation on Memorial Day weekend. (Those who know, know.) I’m a Jersey girl; that’s a big compliment. Speaking of summer, several people with the Giants told me New York knew since then that Dart was “the guy.” They just didn’t want to rush it. Before the draft, they did their homework on all the quarterbacks, but every meeting with Ole Miss’s Dart ended the same way: with coach Brian Daboll and front-office members walking out saying, “He checks every box.” Believe it or not, the Giants also leaned on some unlikely help. Ole Miss assistant quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, the former Giants head coach, helped the team learn everything it needed to know about Dart. The Giants also knew they weren’t alone. The Saints, Steelers and Browns had all shown interest. New York tried to play it cool, but the Giants also knew Daboll’s personality — fiery, competitive, intense and sometimes a little unhinged — was a perfect match for Dart’s energy. Around the league now, I keep hearing the same line: “Daboll finally has his guy.” Not just a quarterback who can run his offense, but a quarterback who reflects him. One AFC head coach texted me, “(Daboll) thinks Dart has some Josh Allen in him. That’s what this love is all about.” There’s a looseness to the Giants’ offense again, a confidence that’s been missing. Dart’s not perfect, but you can see why the building believes in him. Maybe it’s something in the water, but there’s a little Jersey in this Giants team again. Dart might still look more like a guy holding court on the patio at the Parker House than one commanding an NFL huddle, but that’s the fun in this. He’s not supposed to be saving jobs. The Giants weren’t supposed to be this fun. And yet here they are, believing — and maybe, just maybe, building something real. |
| PHILADELPHIALB Za’DARIUS SMITH retired this week. And it wasn’t a case of a veteran player getting ahead of being put on waivers. He was playing well. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Eagles lost an edge rusher this week when Za’Darius Smith retired and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be responsible for filling the snaps that Smith was playing for the team. Fangio said at Tuesday’s press conference that he “was surprised” when he heard about Smith’s decision and said he wished him the best in the future. Fangio said that you’d always like to have more depth at the position, but is confident that the Eagles “have guys in the building that could fulfill” their needs. “We’ll have to absorb those snaps up with the rest of the guys and we’ll make it work,” Fangio said, via a transcript from the team. Fangio said he’s not aware of any conversations about Brandon Graham coming out of retirement and that it’s possible that linebacker Nakobe Dean’s return to health could open the door to more time on the edge for first-round pick Jihaad Campbell, but the Eagles are unlikely to unveil all of their plans ahead of Sunday’s game in Minnesota. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYJonathan Jones of CBSSports.com with a good look at how QB BAKER MAYFIELD was cast aside by the Browns, meandered through Carolina and the Rams, beat out Kyle Trask, and emerged as an MVP contender: Baker Mayfield is firmly within the MVP conversation more than a third of the way through the 2025 NFL season, and that makes for one of the most remarkable turnarounds for a player in recent NFL history considering the former No. 1 overall pick was dispatched by two teams not that long ago. While the story is spectacular, I believe there has been some misremembering of how we all got here. With the benefit of hindsight and excluding context, it is easy to say the Cleveland Browns should have never given up on Mayfield after four years. And it could be fair to jeer at the Carolina Panthers for not making it a year with Mayfield. But the truth is the NFL collective, given multiple chances over the course of the early 2020s, could have had Mayfield under their employ for a day-three draft pick or a base salary of $5 million. And several times over, other teams stuck with their aging veteran, or focused on the draft, or chose to spend their money elsewhere instead of on the former top pick who is now playing at an elite level for the 5-1 Buccaneers. Why Cleveland exiled MayfieldLet’s get this out of the way early: the Browns are forever on the hook for what has become the worst trade in NFL history. Cleveland believed Deshaun Watson would be an upgrade at quarterback over Mayfield — something just about every NFL talent evaluator would have agreed upon at the time — and sent three first-round picks and more to Houston to sign Watson to the largest fully guaranteed contract in league history — something not many across the league would have done at the time. Four years after being the top pick in Cleveland, Mayfield was immediately rendered expendable in March 2022 when the Browns made that transaction. He could no longer be a member of the Browns, and everyone knew it. The Browns, meanwhile, have gotten a handful of good games out of Watson’s 19 starts, a couple season-ending injuries, a lot of embarrassment and a bevy of day-three picks spent on quarterbacks who have either proven they aren’t the future or have the rest of this season to do so. How’d it get to the point where Mayfield couldn’t stay in Cleveland after being taken with the top pick in 2018? Mayfield brought the first — and, to this point, only — playoff victory to this iteration of the Cleveland Browns in the playoffs following the 2020 season. That strong play encouraged GM Andrew Berry and the organization to exercise Mayfield’s fifth-year option for the 2022 season. But 2021 was a miserable year for the Browns and continued Mayfield’s up-and-down play across his rookie contract. Cleveland hovered around .500 most of the season as Mayfield played through injuries. Mayfield dealt with shoulder ailments through the year and, feeling the pressure of performing for a contract (according to sources), tried to grit his way through it. Odell Beckham Jr. more or less forced his way out of Cleveland in part thanks to his father sharing videos on social media of Mayfield not locating his wide-open son on the field. The Browns had to release Beckham, who went on to flourish with the Rams en route to a Super Bowl victory. Mayfield’s personality, at times, clashed with people in the Browns building. When the wins aren’t coming, that can rub people the wrong way. And Mayfield acknowledged as much years later, just this past week. “Early on in my career it was ‘cocky, immature.’ Now it’s ‘moxie’ and ‘he’s a dog,'” Mayfield said last week. “Same shit, different day. As long as you play well, they change the narrative, but you’ve just got to be yourself, and I’ve always been like that.” Had Cleveland not gotten Watson, it is very possible the Browns go into the 2022 season with Mayfield, in a make-or-break year, with emotions frayed on all sides and relationships fractured. Berry, the GM, had done his homework on all the draftable quarterbacks and even if Cleveland selected one, that rookie wouldn’t have been a true challenge to Mayfield to start the year. Would Mayfield have had a season that commanded a long-term extension, or even a franchise tag? We’ll never know. Cleveland made the ill-fated move for Watson in the 2022 offseason believing it had found a marked improvement at the position. And Mayfield was clearly on the trading block with an $18.858 million contract for the season. Few options for Mayfield on way out of ClevelandNo one outside of Carolina seemed to want him. Go back to that offseason and revisit the moves, a real who’s who of bad-to-mediocre quarterback play: Once Atlanta’s pursuit of Watson became known, Matt Ryan and his big contract went to Indianapolis for a third-round pick, with Nick Foles backing him up. The Falcons decided to roll with Marcus Mariota and later drafted Desmond Ridder. The Titans cruised into what would be their final year with Ryan Tannehill and spent a third-round pick on Malik Willis. Mitchell Trubisky signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh before the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett as the first quarterback in the draft. The Raiders gave Derek Carr a three-year extension. The Commanders dealt two third-round picks to acquire Carson Wentz.The Broncos sold the farm for Russell Wilson. The Seahawks went with Geno Smith and Drew Lock. And the Saints re-signed Jameis Winston and signed Andy Dalton. Not even one of those players remains on those teams today. At that point the Panthers had been trying to figure out what to do without Cam Newton for three seasons. Hell, Carolina ran through so many options that it even brought Newton back hoping it would work again. Matt Rhule’s Way of the Panther led Carolina to Mayfield, who had to eat some of his contract in order to facilitate the trade. The Browns also had to pay down some of his deal. The Panthers sent a conditional fifth-round pick to Cleveland to get Mayfield and pay less than $5 million of his salary. It took both sides until a few weeks before training camp for them to agree to terms, meaning Mayfield missed all of spring work. That’s right. The top-two MVP candidate today had to take a paycut in order to be traded to the only other NFL team that wanted him three years ago. Mayfield battled with Sam Darnold for the starting job and won, but Carolina was not a good football team. Rhule was fired after Mayfield’s fifth start and a 1-4 open, and Mayfield was sidelined with a high ankle sprain. By the time he came back, the Panthers had no offensive identity and eventually released him the first week of December. “He wasn’t the right offensive-wise and with the scheme,” one coach on the Panthers staff tells CBS Sports. “We traded for him in the summer right before training camp. He is more of a shotgun QB in my opinion, and we had him under center a lot.” A different Carolina source pointed to some personal turmoil Mayfield was dealing with at the time that eventually became public. Last year, Mayfield sued his father’s company alleging a failure to repay millions of dollars stolen from him. According to the lawsuit, Mayfield had $12 million stolen from him between 2018 and 2021 by a company operated by his father and brother. That lawsuit was filed last November. “He was dealing with that off the field… and the coaching change didn’t help,” a Panthers source said. Mayfield’s brief flash with McVayThe day after Carolina waived him, the Rams claimed Mayfield and gave him a crash course on the playbook with Matthew Stafford dealing with a spinal cord injury. When John Wolford was ineffective on Thursday Night Football against the Raiders, Sean McVay inserted Mayfield in a game that has since become legend. Mayfield won the game 17-16 over Las Vegas (though it didn’t count as an official quarterback win since Wolford started) and has been used as a turning point in Mayfield’s career. Indeed, Mayfield learned plenty under McVay, and the quarterback has credited McVay with helping him love the game again. But Mayfield would go 1-3 as a starter with the Rams — who were also down Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald down the stretch — with their only win coming in the Christmas massacre of the Broncos that served as Nathaniel Hackett’s final game as a head coach. With Stafford being the unquestioned leader of the Rams, and with Mayfield having higher aspirations than backup duty, a return to Los Angeles wasn’t in the cards for the 2023 season. And so again, ahead of free agency and the draft, all NFL teams were aware that Mayfield was available. Mayfield not a slam-dunk Bucs starterThe Buccaneers came calling after Tom Brady retired officially, again. They had Kyle Trask on the roster but needed more in the quarterback room. Tampa GM Jason Licht offered Mayfield a one-year, $4 million contract with some incentives to come to the Bucs and compete with Trask for the starting job ahead of the 2023 season. That’s right. The top-two MVP candidate today had to split first-team reps two years ago with a player who, at that point, had nine career pass attempts and who today is not signed to a team. To Bucs coaches, Mayfield was clearly the better option. Some thought the “competition” was more due diligence than anything, considering Tampa had spent a second-round pick on Trask in 2021 when it was unclear how long Brady would keep playing. But Mayfield practiced poorly at times during that camp, according to sources. He threw several interceptions and had bad footwork as he settled into another new environment on a prove-it contract. We know what has happened since. Mayfield led the Bucs to the playoffs in 2023, was a play or two away from the NFC title game and wound up earning nearly $6.9 million when totaling incentives he reached. He went to the Pro Bowl that year for the first time in his career, and he signed a three-year contract worth up to $100 million with the Bucs in March 2023. Mayfield followed that up with another Pro Bowl and playoff season last year, setting career highs in completion percentage and passing touchdowns. He even registered on the NFL MVP voting with an 11th place finish. This year, with his third Bucs offensive coordinator in three years, Mayfield has put together four fourth-quarter game-winning comebacks and drives in six games. He has 12 passing touchdowns to just one interception, good for the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the league through six weeks. And his 108.5 passer rating is the best of his career, all doing it without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs and Bucky Irving for some collection of games. Today the Bucs are at the top of the NFC and are 2 1/2 games up in the division in what would be a record five straight NFC South titles. If Mayfield remains on this trajectory, not only could an NFL MVP be in his sights, but league sources believe he will be in line for another major payday. The Buccaneers wouldn’t want to go into the 2026 season with Mayfield in the final year of his deal that currently has a $51.9 million cap hit. What would be the going rate for a quarterback who has led two franchises to four separate postseasons in an NFL where one playoff win (or even appearance) can get you $50 million plus per year? Mayfield is 30 years old and his play is only getting better with each passing season. Cleveland drafted a great player in 2018 but it didn’t work out in the long term. Who knows if Mayfield would be the MVP candidate he is today in Tampa had he stayed with the Browns over those years. The Browns and Panthers each had Mayfield and willingly let him go. But any team that didn’t have an entrenched starter — and that is about half the league — had every opportunity to go after him and declined. That’s Tampa Bay’s gain, and Mayfield’s story gets even better. For all the MVP talk – the oddsmakers now believe that QB PATRICK MAHOMES will take home another award. Ben Fawkes of YahooSports.com: Mahomes is now the +200 favorite to win the 2025-26 NFL MVP at BetMGM, leapfrogging Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen (+275) after the Bills lost 24-14 on “Monday Night Football” to the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (+350) is the only other player with single-digit MVP odds, followed by Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff (15-1) and Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (16-1). |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONADianna Russini of The Athletic gets a split reaction to the huge fine imposed on Coach Jonathan Gannon after he accosted RB EMARI DEMARCADO after his non-contact goal line fumble: Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill fined head coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for a sideline confrontation with Emari Demercado, after the running back dropped the ball before crossing the goal line in a loss to the Titans. Footage surfaced. Gannon apologized. But the NFL was buzzing, and people I spoke with largely disapproved of Arizona’s decision. “It was a meltdown. He’s a first-time head coach, felt helpless. I don’t think they needed to fine him. You deal with that internally,” one NFC head coach said. A rival executive was blunt: “The owner cut his balls off in front of his entire team.” Not everyone concurred. “You can’t push a player like that. That’s garbage,” one AFC assistant said. One player in the same division agreed over text, “Nah, you can’t do that. That can change a locker room.” Gannon is 14-25 in just over two seasons. Arizona’s three losses this season? By a combined five points, all walk-off field goals. And incidents like Sunday’s Titans debacle make the optics worse. “If you’re going to fine him $100,000 because you feel that strongly, then just fire him,” one owner told me. At the end of the day, this isn’t just about a fumble. It’s about leadership under pressure and control in the moment. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIA change in the Bengals defense. Ben Baby of ESPN.com: A move that had been in the works for weeks was finally made Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals benched veteran linebacker Logan Wilson in favor of rookie Barrett Carter. Both Wilson and Carter technically got the start in the loss to the Green Bay Packers. However, Wilson was off the field in any two-linebacker sets and didn’t play any defensive snaps in the second half aside from a kneel-down in the final minute. Wilson was asked by reporters Tuesday whether he thought he was still performing well enough to start. “I felt like I was,” Wilson said. “But obviously [Bengals coach] Zac [Taylor] felt otherwise.” Since being drafted in 2020, Wilson has developed into one of Cincinnati’s core defensive players. He has been a starter since 2021 and is in the middle of a four-year, $36 million contract. That deal runs through the end of the 2027 season. Wilson said the switch was finalized early last week and that there were no hard feelings toward Carter, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson. The move had been foreshadowed earlier in the season. In the team’s Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Wilson was subbed off the field in favor of Carter. At the time, the move was communicated as a way to take snaps off the sixth-year veteran. But Wilson still understood that it meant uncertainty regarding his future standing with the club. “I can’t control what their plan is moving forward,” Wilson told ESPN on Sept. 25. “I’m just trying to control doing my job to the best of my ability on each play and helping this defense out the best I can.” Against the Packers, a 27-18 defeat and Cincinnati’s fourth straight loss, the Bengals opted to roll with Carter alongside fellow rookie Demetrius Knight Jr., who has been the team’s other primary starting linebacker. Carter played all 61 defensive snaps against Green Bay. Wilson played 20% of them. On Monday, Taylor said the team will continue with Carter. “Anytime you put a rookie out there, there’s an element of risk to it,” Taylor said. “When are you going to expose yourself to that risk? Are you going to do it sooner rather than later? “I just felt he’s shown enough to [have us] continue to work through it. We’re going to see constant improvement every single game.” |
| PITTSBURGHBrooke Pryor of ESPN.com on the match-up of two QBs in their 40s coming on Thursday: As Aaron Rodgers stepped to the mic stand in front of the Steelers-logoed backdrop Tuesday, teammate Cameron Heyward stood nearby and playfully heckled the 41-year-old quarterback. “Oldest quarterbacks playing this week, let’s go,” Heyward said, clapping his hands. “Icy Hot bowl. I love it!” Rodgers just smirked and shook his head. In Thursday night’s Steelers-Bengals matchup, Rodgers and Joe Flacco will become just the second pair of opposing quarterbacks 40 or older in NFL history to start a regular or postseason game against each other, according to ESPN Research. “I think it’s great for all the old guys,” Rodgers said. “I know that when I watch other sports, maybe it’s because I’m the older guy, but I tend to pull for the older guys to win championships. “I’ve known Joe for a long time. He’s been great coming to my charity event. He’s been a great ambassador for the league. He’s had a great career, and it’s fun that we’re both still playing.” Tom Brady and Drew Brees are the only previous pair of 40-or-older quarterbacks to start opposite each other, doing so in three games during the 2020 season. Rodgers, though, said matchups featuring two older QBs could happen more in the future as NFL players invest more in taking care of their bodies. But, he added, that’s not the only factor to seeing more of these meetings. “… There is one key component — and that’s consistency,” he said. “In order to keep playing at an advanced age, you have to have some level of consistency to give you the opportunities, and obviously Joe’s done it, and I’ve done it.” Rodgers was taken with the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. Flacco went 18th in the 2008 draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Rodgers, though, didn’t become a full-time starter until 2008 — the same year that Flacco started all 16 games as a rookie and went 11-5 in a season that ended with a loss to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. “It’s one thing you guys can’t talk about this week in terms of me being older at least, but it is pretty neat,” Flacco said of the matchup. “I mean, Aaron’s been in the league a few years longer than me, but we both started playing in 2008. So, been doing it for a long time. It’s pretty cool.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISAfter the fluke orbital fracture sent QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON to IR, here are the QBs the Colts are looking at to join QB RILEY LEONARD behind DANIEL JONES: Jeff Driskel, Jaren Hall, Tanner Mordecai and Kyle Trask all worked out for the Colts today. Driskel was a 2016 sixth-round pick of the 49ers who has also spent time with the Bengals, Lions, Broncos, Texans, Cardinals, Browns Commanders and Raiders. Hall was a 2023 fifth-round pick of the Vikings who has also spent time with the Seahawks. Mordecai was a 2024 undrafted rookie with the 49ers who spent last year on their practice squad but was cut by them at the end of the preseason this year. Trask was a 2021 second-round pick of the Buccaneers who spent four years in Tampa Bay but played only in garbage time and was cut when the Bucs went with Teddy Bridgewater as their backup this year. The Colts also worked out wide receivers Mecole Hardman, Jordan Kerley and Colton Dowell. Teams often bring in wide receivers for workouts just to have someone for the quarterbacks to throw to. And it looks like the winner is none of those four. – – -Dianna Russini of The Athletic says RB SAQUON BARKLEY was on the QB DANIEL JONES bandwagon – in the summer of 2024! Sitting on his couch in his new home just outside Philadelphia, right before he had his best season and won a Super Bowl, Saquon Barkley was raving about Daniel Jones. He was passionately trying to convince me that Jones is better than most starting quarterbacks in football. “You aren’t believing me, and I’m not just saying this because he’s one of my best friends,” Barkley said. “Daniel is a really, really good quarterback. You give him an offensive line, and I’m telling you, he’s a top quarterback. I’ve seen him in practice. He has it.” Quarterback Daniels Jones looks to pass for the Indianapolis Colts.Daniel Jones has the Colts 4-1 and thinking about a division title.Justin Casterline / Getty ImagesI didn’t believe him at the time. I had just watched years of mediocre and sometimes bad Giants football, and while Jones had flashes of brilliance in New York, it never fully clicked. However, reporters and fans don’t always know the whole story. Barkley saw something that both Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota and Shane Steichen in Indianapolis saw, too. In Minnesota, the coaching staff loved that Jones had been through the toughest part of the business: being a quarterback in New York. They loved his work ethic, humility and intelligence, and as one coach there put it, “his best trait is he’s coachable, coachable, coachable!” As someone in Indianapolis explained, “He’s playing with confidence that needed to come out. He’s no longer afraid.” Sorry I doubted you, Saquon … and you too, Daniel. |
| TENNESSEEAs word leaks out about the activist role of owner Amy Adams Strunk, Mike Florio points out that the team might not be able to land just any coach they want for 2026. Former Titans coach Brian Callahan likely shouldn’t have been surprised that he was fired. Based on a new report from Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Callahan probably should have seen it coming. McCormick reports that the decision to remove play-calling duties from Callahan and to shift them to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree after a Week 3 loss to the Colts likely came from owner Amy Adams Strunk. Per the report, many on the coaching staff believe the decision wasn’t made by Callahan, but came from president of football operations Chad Brinker and G.M. Mike Borgonzi, with the message given to them by ownership to make it happen. On one hand, Strunk (like all owners) has the ability to make any decisions she wants. On the other hand, the best owners trust their football people to make the football decisions. The not-best owners meddle where they arguably shouldn’t. But, alas, dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things. Look at Monday, when the Titans announced Callahan’s firing and then delayed the naming of an interim head coach by hours. All the while, the clock was ticking toward the return of former Titans coach Mike Vrabel to Nashville, with a Patriots team that has won as many games through Week 6 as the Titans have won in 23 games since firing Vrabel. The situation serves as a renewed reminder to head-coaching candidates who consider taking employment with franchises that have a history of curious decisions. Look at how ownership has behaved. Consider how past coaches have been treated. Set aside your ambitions and ask yourself the hard question of whether you’ll simply be the next one, sooner or later, to be on the wrong end of dysfunctional decision-making. While the buyout is nice, the best coaches would be wise to wait for the right jobs to come open — and to be pragmatic about the risks associated with a team that has a well-greased revolving door. We are thinking that Kliff Kingsbury for one, having spent time with Michael Bidwill in Arizona, doesn’t seem in any hurry to pursue every head coaching opportunity.- – -Meanwhile, interim coach Mike McCoy hints that he didn’t think the Titans were tailoring their offense to what QB CAM WARD does best. McCoy said on Tuesday he plans to work to help quarterback Cam Ward, and the offense, to execute better. “What does Cam do best?” McCoy said. “And what do we do best as an offense? … We have to look at our scheme and what we are doing, and it is going to change from week to week.” The coaching staff will remain the same, with the exception of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who will not be retained. Assistants Scott Fuchs and Matt Jones will coach the offensive line, and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree will continue calling plays. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSFormer Jets center Nick Mangold needs a kidney. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com: Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold, battling chronic kidney disease since a 2006 diagnosis for a rare genetic disorder, went public Tuesday with his need for a kidney transplant. Mangold, 41, a member of the Jets’ Ring of Honor, made his appeal on social media and via an announcement from the team. “This isn’t an easy message to share, but I want to be open about what’s been happening with me and my health,” Mangold said in his statement. Mangold said he endured a “rough summer” and that he’s currently undergoing dialysis. “I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” he said. “Unfortunately, I do not have any family able to donate at this time, so this is why I’m reaching out to you, our NY Jets community. I am in need of a kidney donor with type O blood. “If you are willing to find out if you could be a match and donate a kidney to me please go to this site https://columbiasurgery.org/kidney-transplant and click the link to indicate I WANT TO DONATE MY KIDNEY. Use my full name, Nicholas Mangold, and my birthday, 1/13/1984. “I am deeply grateful to anyone that would consider donating,” he continued, thanking his family for its support. “This situation has reminded me how lucky I am to have such an amazing family, friends, and community behind me,” Mangold added. “While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead. I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon. I’ll see you all at MetLife Stadium very soon.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| MONDAY NIGHT MATCHUPAt least before the season started, most “experts” would not have been putting either JARED GOFF or BAKER MAYFIELD on their lists of top five current QBs. But if you go by the numbers (this from Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com): Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield were both first overall picks in the NFL draft. And as expected, both have developed into elite players. Just not for the teams that drafted them. Goff and Mayfield are the NFL’s top two passers in both yards and touchdowns over the last three seasons. Since the start of the 2023 season, Goff is first in the NFL with 10,594 passing yards. Mayfield is second with 10,083 passing yards. And over that same time period, Goff and Mayfield are tied for first in the NFL with 81 touchdown passes. Goff was drafted first overall by the Rams in 2016 and played very well at times, but by the end of the 2020 season he was largely being dismissed as a disappointment, and the Rams included him along with two first-round picks in the trade that got them Matthew Stafford from the Lions. That trade will always be viewed as a success for the Rams given that Stafford led them to a championship in his first season, but it’s increasingly looking like an even bigger success for the Lions, as Goff has led them to more team success than Stafford ever did, and the two first-round picks (both of which were traded) ultimately yielded two of the Lions’ best offensive playmakers, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs. But while Goff moving from the Rams to the Lions can be viewed as a success for both teams, Mayfield leaving the Browns was nothing but a disaster in Cleveland, where they mortgaged the future of the franchise for Deshaun Watson only to watch Mayfield, their first overall pick in 2018, become a much better quarterback than Watson. After brief stints with the Panthers and Rams, Mayfield has become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL with the Buccaneers. Goff and Mayfield are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and they’ll square off in Detroit on Monday night in a game that has major playoff implications for both the Lions and the Bucs. |
| 2021 RE-DRAFTArmed with 4+ seasons of knowledge, Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com re-drafts the 2021 draft. He says QB TREVOR LAWRENCE wouldn’t have gone #1, but he would be #2 (and actually HIS rules of the re-draft says they can’t take him anyway): There are few things that get football fans more fired up than mock drafts. But what about mock re-drafts? Instead of looking ahead and trying to predict which players will find their way into the first round, how about we look back and have a draft do-over based on how every single player from a particular class has played in the NFL. The old saying is that every draft class needs at least three years to evaluate how good or bad it is, but we’re going to give ourselves an extra year (and five weeks, if we include the 2025 season to date) to evaluate the 2021 class. That draft saw five quarterbacks go in Round 1 — Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went 1-2-3, Justin Fields went No. 11 and Mac Jones went four picks later. I’m going to save you the suspense — only one quarterback is re-drafted below. In fact, here is the breakdown of the re-draft compared to the 2021 first round: 14 first-rounders from the original 2021 draftSix second-roundersSeven third-roundersTwo fourth-roundersOne each from rounds five, six and sevenOne last thing before we get going — here are the rules for this little exercise: Assume the entire 2021 NFL Draft class is made up of free agents, and we’re holding a re-draft based on their real-life NFL careers to date. Assume all eligible players from the 2021 NFL Draft are healthy as of the re-draft, but prior injury history should be a consideration. The original team cannot re-draft the player they selected in 2021. For example, the Jaguars can’t take Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick. Assume the same draft order from the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. OK, let’s get to it: 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Micah Parsons, EDGE, Penn StateGB • DE • #1Drafted: No. 12 overall by Cowboys | My final big board: No. 6Original pick: Trevor Lawerence, QB, ClemsonThe 2021 NFL Draft saw five QBs go in the first round. That won’t happen here, and since the Jags can’t re-draft the player they originally selected, they’re going with the most dominant name in this draft class in Micah Parsons. 2. New York Jets: Trevor Lawrence, QB, ClemsonJAC • QB • #16Drafted: No. 1 overall by Jaguars | My final big board: No. 1Original pick: Zach Wilson, QB, BYUNo-brainer. The Jets desperately need a QB, and Trevor Lawrence, who was QB1 four years ago, remains QB1 now. 3. San Francisco 49ers: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSUCIN • WR • #1Drafted: No. 5 overall by Bengals | My final big board: No. 5Original pick: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota StateBrock Purdy has battled injuries this season, and Mac Jones — by our re-draft rules — is currently a free agent and draft-eligible. But it doesn’t matter how well Jones has played over the past month: you can’t take him over Ja’Marr Chase here (or anywhere). Chase is one of the league’s most dominant players, and it’s safe to assume Kyle Shanahan would find a way to maximize his impact in San Francisco’s offense. 4. Atlanta Falcons: Patrick Surtain II, CB, AlabamaDEN • CB • #2Drafted: No. 9 overall by Broncos | My final big board: No. 10Original pick: Kyle Pitts, TE, FloridaThe Falcons’ defense has been cooking this year, in part because of the standout play of the rookies, including Xavier Watts and James Pearce Jr. Patrick Surtain II could elevate this secondary to one of the best in the NFL. 5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, OregonDET • OT • #58Drafted: No. 7 overall by Lions | My final big board: No. 4Original pick: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU It’s happening. There was a lot of talk in the lead up to the 2021 draft about whether the Bengals should bolster the offensive line with Sewell or reunite Joe Burrow and Chase. It’s hard to argue with the results — at least when Burrow is healthy. It’s also hard to argue that the Bengals offensive line is one of the worst in the league over the last four-plus seasons. Penei Sewell goes a long way in solving that. 6. Miami Dolphins: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USCDET • WR • #14Drafted: No. 112 overall (Round 4) by Lions | My final big board: No. 96Original pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, AlabamaAmon-Ra St. Brown ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine, and that, more than anything, is why he slipped to Day 3. Again, we all overthought it and the Lions got a steal. I don’t know if St. Brown could save the Dolphins from themselves in 2025, but he would be a lot of fun to watch in this offense when it’s hitting on all cylinders. 7. Detroit Lions: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia TechMIN • OT • #71Drafted: No. 23 overall by Vikings | My final big board: No. 17Original pick: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Penei Sewell has had a dominant career to date, but Christian Darrisaw isn’t far behind him. He’s the anchor of the Vikings offensive line when he’s healthy, and it’s hard to imagine Detroit passing on him here. 8. Carolina Panthers: DeVonta Smith, WR, AlabamaDeVonta SmithPHI • WR • #6Drafted: No. 10 overall by Eagles | My final big board: No. 5Original pick: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina Yes, the Panthers have used first-round picks on Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette in the two previous drafts, but a) Legette hasn’t yet lived up to expectations, and b) DeVonta Smith is too good to pass up here. 9. Denver Broncos: Kyle Pitts, TE, FloridaATL • TE • #8Drafted: No. 4 overall by Falcons | My final big board: No. 2Original pick: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama I can’t quit Kyle Pitts, especially in a Sean Payton offense that will get the most out of his abilities. 10. Philadelphia Eagles: Creed Humphrey, OC, OklahomaKC • C • #52Drafted: No. 63 overall (Round 2) by Chiefs | My final big board: No. 82Original pick: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama Creed Humphrey is one of the NFL’s best centers, and while it’s not uncommon for teams to wait until after the first round to target this position, that doesn’t make it right — especially on an Eagles team that lost Jason Kelce to retirement after the 2023 season and lost its offensive identity early in 2025. 11. Chicago Bears: Rashawn Slater, OT, NorthwesternRashawn SlaterLAC • OT • #70Drafted: No. 13 overall by Chargers | My final big board: No. 9Original pick: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Rashawn Slater won’t play in 2025 because of an injury he suffered just before the season, but because we’re assuming all players in the 2021 class are healthy, the Bears take Slater and immediately put him at left tackle. 12. Dallas Cowboys: Jaycee Horn, CB, South CarolinaCAR • CB • #8Drafted: No. 8 overall by Panthers | My final big board: No. 13Original pick: Micah Parsons, EDGE, Penn StateThe Cowboys offense has been among the best in the league while its defense has been something much less than that. Jaycee Horn would be a welcome addition on a unit that has allowed more 50-plus-yard plays than any other team in the NFL. 13. Los Angeles Chargers: Greg Rousseau, EDGE, Miami (Fla.)BUF • DE • #50Drafted: No. 30 overall by Bills | My final big board: No. 23Original pick: Rashawn Slater, OT, NorthwesternGreg Rousseau signed a four-year, $80 million extension in the spring, and during the 2024 season he set career-highs in pressures, pressure rate and run stuffs. The Chargers need to add some juice to a defense that currently ranks 19th in pressure rate through five weeks of 2025. 14. New York Jets: Nico Collins, WR, MichiganHOU • WR • #12Drafted: No. 89 overall (Round 3) by Texans | My final big board: No. 145Original pick: Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL, USC Nico Collins combined for 927 yards in his first two NFL seasons. In 2023, with the arrival of C.J. Stroud, he had 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. He then followed that up with 1,006 yards and seven scores last season. He’s a legit No. 1 wide receiver, and it’s hard not to get excited about the Jets’ first two picks here in the re-draft: Lawrence and now Collins. 15. New England Patriots: Jaylen Waddle, WR, AlabamaMIA • WR • #17Drafted: No. 6 overall by Dolphins | My final big board: No. 8Original pick: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama The Pats trade one Alabama standout for another in the re-draft. Mac Jones has rediscovered his game in San Francisco, but New England is all set at quarterback. They need an explosive playmaker, something they’ve struggled to develop through the draft in recent years. 16. Arizona Cardinals: Landon Dickerson, IOL, AlabamaLandon DickersonPHI • G • #69Drafted: No. 37 overall (Round 2) by Eagles | My final big board: No. 74Original pick: Zaven Collins, OLB, TulsaLandon Dickerson has played left guard for the Eagles but can also play center; the Cards have needs along the interior offensive line, and Dickerson would immediately move into the starting lineup. 17. Las Vegas Raiders: Milton Williams, DL, Louisiana TechNE • DE • #97Drafted: No. 73 overall (Round 3) by Eagles | My final big board: No. 93Original pick: Alex Leatherwood, OL, AlabamaMilton Williams is in his first season with the Patriots, and he’s among the best defensive tackles in the league at pressuring the quarterback, picking up where he left off in 2024. 18. Miami Dolphins: Spencer Brown, OT, Northern IowaBUF • OT • #79Drafted: No. 93 overall (Round 3) by Bills | My final big board: No. 120Original pick: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami Spencer Brown has quietly solidified the right side of the Bills’ offensive line, and the Dolphins, who have many needs up and down the roster, could use an enforcer up front, especially with all the injuries. 19. Washington Commanders: Alim McNeill, DL, NC StateDET • DT • #54Drafted: No. 72 overall (Round 3) by Lions | My final big board: No. 79Original pick: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Alim McNeill suffered a torn ACL in December and hasn’t yet returned to the field. But like Milton Williams above, when he’s healthy, he’s consistently a disruptive presence in the backfield. 20. New York Giants: Trey Smith, OL, TennesseeKC • G • #65Drafted: No. 226 overall (Round 6) by Chiefs | My final big board: No. 106Original pick: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Trey Smith was a top 100 talent who saw his draft stock fall because he suffered from life-threatening blood clots in college. He’s looked more like a first-round talent during his NFL career, and he’d be a substantial upgrade along the interior offensive line in New York. 21. Indianapolis Colts: Osa Odighizuwa, DL, UCLADAL • DT • #97Drafted: No. 75 overall (Round 3) by Cowboys | My final big board: No. 77Original pick: Kwity Paye, ED, Michigan At only 280 pounds, Osa Odighizuwa is undersized by typical defensive lineman standards, but he’s been one of the few bright spots on this 2025 Cowboys defense, in part because he’s disruptive against both the pass and the run. That versatility makes him a three-down player and a first-rounder in our re-draft. 22. Tennessee Titans: Jonathon Cooper, EDGE, Ohio StateJonathon CooperDEN • LBDrafted: No. 239 overall (Round 7) by Broncos | My final big board: No. 216Original pick: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Jonathon Cooper is the beneficiary from playing opposite Nik Bonitto, but he’s also taken advantage of his opportunities as a former seventh-round pick. He had 8.5 sacks in 2023 and 10 more in 2024. He’s just outside the top 10 in pressure rate this season (15.8%) and has also been very good against the run. 23. Minnesota Vikings: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USCNYJ • G • #75Drafted: No. 14 overall by Jets | My final big board: No. 15Original pick: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker has been so good when healthy … but he suffered an Achilles tear in Week 5 of the 2023 season and will miss the entire 2025 season with a torn triceps. Luckily, we’re assuming everyone in the 2021 draft class is healthy for our re-draft. 24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Camryn Bynum, S, CalIND • SAFDrafted: No. 125 overall (Round 4) by Vikings | My final big board: No. 129Original pick: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Camryn Bynum, a former fourth-rounder who signed a four-year, $60 million deal in March, has been better than advertised for the Colts. He has two interceptions through five weeks, and offenses are throwing away from him. He’s lined up primarily at free safety but has also dropped down into the box, and he’s been good against the run while also generating three pressures and two hurries. 25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinn Meinerz, IOL, Wisconsin-WhitewaterDEN • OG • #77Drafted: No. 98 overall (Round 30 by Broncos | My final big board: No. 90Original pick: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Quinn Meinerz is one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league. According to NextGen Stats, he didn’t allow a pressure in the Broncos’ Week 4 game — the seventh time he accomplished that feat going back to the start of the 2024 season. He also allowed one sack over that span, the lowest rate of any NFL guard. 26. Cleveland Browns: Walker Little, OT, StanfordJAC • OT • #72Drafted: No. 45 overall (Round 2) by Jaguars | My final big board: No. 107Original pick: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern It just so happens that the Browns traded Newsome to the Jaguars in early October, but Walker Little (who currently plays in Jacksonville), is a good example of sometimes you just need your first-round pick to be solid and reliable. Little had some first-round buzz during his Stanford days, but injuries resulted in him dropping to Day 2. He had one of the lowest pressure rates last season, and that reliability would be welcome on a Browns offensive line struggling with health and consistency. 27. Baltimore Ravens: Nick Bolton, LB, MissouriKC • LB • #32Drafted: No. 58 overall (Round 2) by Chiefs | My final big board: No. 42Original pick: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota The Ravens have been so ravaged by injuries this season that any warm body would upgrade this unit. But Nick Bolton, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Chiefs in the spring, is a tackling machine with sideline-to-sideline juice. 28. New Orleans Saints: Samuel Cosmi, OL, TexasSamuel CosmiWAS • OG • #76Drafted: No. 51 overall (Round 2) by Commanders | My final big board: No. 40Original pick: Payton Turner, ED, Houston Samuel Cosmi suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs in January, but the Commanders gave him a four-year contract extension worth $74 million in September of 2024. He allowed just one sack last season and would be an upgrade over Saints former first-rounder Trevor Penning. 29. Green Bay Packers: Deommodore Lenoir, CB, OregonSF • CB • #2Drafted: No. 172 overall (Round 5) by 49ers | My final big board: No. 219Original pick: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Deommodore Lenoir can play in the slot or outside, and he’s allowed just two touchdowns in coverage since the start of the 2023 season. 30. Buffalo Bills: Paulson Adebo, CB, StanfordNYG • CB • #21Drafted: No. 76 overall (Round 3) by Saints | My final big board: No. 47Original pick: Gregory Rousseau, ED, Miami Paulson Adebo was another Stanford player who had some first-round buzz during his final year in college. The former third-round pick has been solid for the Giants so far, allowing just 43 yards to receivers when he’s been the primary player in coverage, according to SumerSports. The Bills don’t have many holes but could use some depth in the secondary. 31. Baltimore Ravens: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, MiamiMIA • LB • #15Drafted: No. 18 overall by Dolphins | My final big board: No. 18Original pick: Odafe Oweh, ED, Penn StateThe Ravens get linebacker Nick Bolton four picks earlier and land an edge rusher here. Phillips has struggled to stay healthy during his NFL career to date (he suffered a torn Achilles in 2023 and a torn ACL in 2024), but he had 8.5 sacks his rookie season and a combined 13.5 in 2022 and 2023. 32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn StatePIT • TE • #88Drafted: No. 55 overall by Steelers | My final big board: No. 45Original pick: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, EDGE, Washington Pat Freiermuth is more receiver than blocker, and he’d give the Bucs and Baker Mayfield another downfield weapon alongside rookie standout Emeka Egbuka. We get it that the other QBs – the first rounders Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones – didn’t pan out. And the other rounds haven’t produced any QBs. Still, wouldn’t the 2025 version of Jones be a consideration for Cleveland at #26? Or the Saints at #28? And if you were wondering – QB BROCK PURDY came along the next year in the 7thround in 2022. |
