| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYWR JAYDEN REED needed surgery on two distinct parts of his body – but should return in November. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed announced on social media Tuesday that he underwent surgeries to repair a fractured collarbone and a Jones fracture in his left foot. “Successful foot & clavicle surgery thank you God,” Reed wrote. He was expected to miss 6-8 weeks after breaking his collarbone in last Thursday’s win over the Commanders. He was playing through the foot injury after fracturing it in training camp. Reed missed only one game in his first two seasons but will miss “a lot” of time this season, coach Matt LaFleur said last week. He caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening win over the Lions. The Packers still have Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Savion Williams and Malik Heath in their wide receivers room, and Christian Watson expects to start practicing in Week 6 after the Packers’ off week. |
| MINNESOTAQB J.J. McCARTHY might be out four weeks with his sprained ankle. Mike Florio looks at what might be beyond this week’s QB CARSON WENTZ: With Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy reportedly out up to four weeks due to a sprained ankle, Carson Wentz becomes the next man up. At some point over the next month, will undrafted rookie Max Brosmer become the next man in? Brosmer, the only one of three backups throughout the offseason program and training camp to make it to the 53-man roster (Sam Howell and Brett Rypien are gone), played at the University of Minnesota last season. And the Vikings love him. He’s not currently ready. Wentz, with 94 career regular-season starts, is — even if hasn’t been around for very long. We saw this movie two years ago. Wentz will play unless and until he squanders the opportunity. Unless and until the Vikings add another veteran, Brosmer will be the only alternative. The season could quickly go sideways for the Vikings, after last Monday night’s thrilling win. McCarthy has had one quality quarter in two games. And while last night’s injury likely impacted his late-game play, some Vikings fans have to be wondering whether they should have kept Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones. Or signed Aaron Rodgers. Or traded for Kirk Cousins. The last part remains possible. If, when McCarthy returns, the struggles continue, the Vikings will have until the Tuesday after Week 9 to decide whether to bring Kirk home in an effort to save the 2025 campaign. Props to Ari Meirov if this indeed his stat: @MySportsUpdateCarson Wentz will start for his 6th team in 6 seasons — which is something no QB in NFL history has ever done. • 2025: Vikings• 2024: Chiefs (1 game)• 2023: Rams (1 game)• 2022: Commanders (7 games)• 2021: Colts (17 games)• 2020: Eagles (12 games) – – -With McCarthy hurt and RB AARON JONES headed to IR, the Vikings have made some moves. Alec Lewis of The Athletic: The hits keep coming for the Minnesota Vikings. A day after coach Kevin O’Connell broke the news about J.J. McCarthy’s high ankle sprain, which is expected to keep the quarterback out of Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team will place running back Aaron Jones on injured reserve, according to a league source. Jones suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The earliest he could return is in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. To cover for his absence in the running back room, the Vikings are expected to add a familiar face to the practice squad in Cam Akers, the same league source said. This is the third time over the last three seasons that the Vikings brought him in in a pinch. In September 2023, the Vikings acquired him via trade from the Los Angeles Rams, and Akers accumulated 207 combined yards (138 rushing, 70 receiving) over six games before landing on IR. After Akers signed with the Houston Texans in the summer of 2024, the Vikings again traded for him in October, and he put up 349 combined yards (297 rushing, 52 receiving) and three touchdowns. He understands O’Connell’s complex system. Minnesota’s staff trusts him. Two torn Achilles tendons have zapped some of his top-end speed, but Akers remains reliable as a pass catcher. Last year, he snatched a key reception to ice a victory over the Green Bay Packers. Jones’ injury also means Jordan Mason will become the starting running back. Mason has been a revelation. Minnesota has a 51.9 percent rushing success rate with him on the field versus a 35.7 percent success rate when Jones is running. The Vikings will have to lean further into Mason’s ability without McCarthy, who was not placed on injured reserve. Still, the Vikings are set to add free-agent quarterback Desmond Ridder as another experienced option behind Carson Wentz, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation. Ridder was previously on the Bengals’ practice squad, meaning his arrival will come with intel regarding this weekend’s opponent. Ridder also gives the Vikings another option in the event of an injury to Wentz, along with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASThe Cowboys will be without their center. Daniel Arwos of Heavy.com: The interior of the Dallas Cowboys‘ offensive line took yet another hit when the team lost starting center and 2024 third round pick, Cooper Beebe, to injured reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain. “Cowboys center Cooper Beebe,” Rapoport wrote on Monday, “a key part of their stellar O-line, is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a high-ankle sprain, sources say. He’s almost certainly headed to Injured Reserve, but should be back in the second half of the season.” As a result, Dallas will likely start Brock Hoffman in Beebe’s stead, but it still leaves the position group lacking depth behind him, with TJ Bass and Trevor Keegan – the latter of whom has never started an NFL game – as the only other current options on the active roster. So it figures that the Cowboys could look to bolster the unit, and it seems like they have very much considered doing so, as Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports that the team has worked out both Wesley French and Jacob Bayer. |
| PHILADELPHIASean McVay, who faces the Eagles this week with his Rams, has clearly worn out the ears of league officials about the way the crew of Alex Kemp allowed Philadelphia to violate the rules while executing it’s signature sneak on Sunday in Kansas City. Dave Zangaro of NBCPhiladelphia: The Tush Push is again a hot topic in the NFL. After the Eagles’ 20-17 win over the Chiefs, several Kansas City players and coaches have complained that the Eagles’ guards were false starting on the signature play. As attentions shifts to Eagles-Rams this weekend, Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Tuesday that doesn’t expect the Eagles to get a “rolling start” on Tush Pushes in Week 3. “Anytime that you see certain things you have conversations with the league office to just make sure that you’re understanding how’s it officiated, how can we coach it,” McVay said. “I did see some of those things last night and that will obviously be a big talking point because they’re such a damn good team and it’s such a successful play for them. Those are conversations with the league office. But I’m sure they’ll have the same ones and operate within the confines of not getting a little bit of a rolling start before the ball is snapped.” Against the Chiefs, the Eagles converted on 4 of 6 attempts on their signature quarterback sneak. While it obviously wasn’t the only reason they won the game — contrary to what some talking heads are saying — it is undoubtedly a productive play for the Eagles. And because of all the conversation surrounding the play this week, there’s a chance the officials on Sunday will call it a little closer. “Some games they call it close, some games they don’t,” Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said. “Defense is always lined up offsides anyways, so I mean …” It’s a good point from Patullo, who said it jokingly. While the slow motion replays clearly show the Eagles’ guards moving early, defensive linemen are also lined up in the neutral zone in an attempt to combat a play that is extremely effective. The Eagles have been great at running this play but they’ll need to make sure everything is buttoned up going forward. “I think that the one clip I saw of it was slowed down so much that I’m not sure you can see that to the naked eye,” head coach Nick Sirianni said on Monday. “I mean, it was slowed down so much, and I get how we can manipulate things and show things like that … but we understand that we have to be perfect on that play and we’ll keep working on being perfect on that play because obviously someone shared that clip with me and it’s like, but again, can you see that in the naked eye, right? Well, there’s things they do too on defense that sometimes you can’t see to the naked eye all the time, or the refs can’t see it also in that time to the naked eye. You could do that with a lot of plays on football and slow it down. “The referees have a hard job. They have to make split second decisions that are happening at this [fast] speed. You see that sometimes with pass interference too. They slow it down where it’s really slow with the remote. You’re like, well, yeah, this one you can see that it might be on this. We know we have to be perfect in that setting and we will work to get even better at the play and better with our timing. I have no doubt that we have the right guys to be able to do it and we will.” All the talk of the play makes Eagles LT Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata has had enough of the media narrative that his team won Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs because of the tush push. In an interview with 94 WIP on Philadelphia on Tuesday, Mailata said that it is “incredibly disrespectful” to the impact the Eagles’ defense and special teams had in the 20-17 victory at Kansas City. “I understand the outrage [over the tush push]. What I don’t understand is them using it as an excuse to why we won the game. I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to our defense and our special teams who balled out. And my brothers on defense and special teams who balled out that game, who had our backs when we weren’t moving the ball or weren’t doing anything,” Mailata said. “That pisses me off because we give so much to this game and to kind of base off a short-yardage play, that is a football play,” Mailata added, his voice raising. “And say that we won the game off that, but not how our defense played and not how our special teams have played, putting us in those positions. You know I think it’s bullcrap. “I just think it’s rubbish. Absolute rubbish, man. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it.” The turning point in Sunday’s game came via the defense. Early in the fourth quarter with the Chiefs trailing 13-10, tight end Travis Kelce failed to haul in Patrick Mahomes’ pass near the goal line, the ball caroming off his hands and into the possession of rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who returned it 41 yards. Jalen Hurts scored via the tush push on the ensuing possession, giving the Eagles a commanding 10-point lead. The Eagles ran the tush push six times Sunday, gaining four first downs and scoring the touchdown. Fox analyst Tom Brady and Chiefs coach Andy Reid suggested Sunday that Eagles offensive linemen were getting off the line of scrimmage before the snap but weren’t penalized. The play faced banishment this offseason, but the proposal failed by two votes. The final vote was 22-10 on the proposal, which was submitted by the Green Bay Packers, at the NFL’s annual meeting in Eagan, Minnesota, in May. The proposal needed 24 votes to pass. The Eagles have converted the play 96.6% of the time in fourth-and-1 scenarios since 2022. |
| WASHINGTONA Commanders signing from NFL.com: DE Preston Smith is signing with the Commanders, NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday, per sources. The team later announced the news. Smith, 32, played for Washington from 2015-18 after being drafted by the franchise in the second round of the ’15 draft. The veteran pass rusher spent the 2024 season in Green Bay and Pittsburgh, totaling 4.5 sacks. Over his 10-year career, Smith has tallied 70.5 sacks in 163 games played (138 starts). Smith will replace the injured Deatrich Wise in the pass rush rotation and join fellow veteran Von Miller in Washington’s front seven. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAThe Falcons surprised by doubling up on rookie pass rushers, and after holding the Vikings to six points on Sunday night, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com says so far it has worked: Jalon Walker beat his man, bent around the edge and crushed Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the second quarter for his first career sack. Walker then celebrated with a march, his arms swinging up and down loosely in over-the-top fashion. The Atlanta Falcons linebacker’s celebration was brought into popularity by UFC star Conor McGregor, who borrowed it from former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. McGregor calls it the “billionaire strut.” Walker didn’t know the name but said McGregor was the “inspiration” for it. Walker has been using it since he was one of the best defenders in the country at the University of Georgia. And he has his own moniker for it. “That’s the J Walk,” Walker said. The Falcons might be seeing much more of the J Walk over the next few years. And Walker wasn’t the only rookie celebrating after Atlanta’s 22-6 win over the Vikings on Sunday night at U.S Bank Stadium. Rookie safety Xavier Watts capped the game with his first career interception with 2:41 left and then waved goodbye to what a few hours prior was a raucous Minnesota home crowd. The Falcons’ victory was a coming-out party for all four of their rookie defenders. James Pearce Jr. had a half sack, and nickel cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. had an interception and nearly had a second. It was a remarkable performance from the quartet, all of whom earned either a starting role or significant playing time in training camp. “I can’t say enough about those young guys,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “I can’t say enough about what they’ve done. They’re learning how to play football every single day. They’re learning how to live this NFL life every single day and they’re loving it and they’re embracing it, and we got a whole team of people that helped us do it.” The Falcons’ defense struggled last year with one of the league’s worst pass rushes. Consequently, it yielded the highest opposing quarterback completion percentage in the NFL. So, the organization committed to improving that side of the ball in the offseason, specifically in the draft. Atlanta took those defenders with four of its five picks. Walker was drafted at No. 15 and then the Falcons traded back into the first round, giving up a 2026 first-round pick, to take Pearce at No. 26. Watts was a third-round pick, and Bowman was taken in the fourth round. With a lot owed to the rookies, the Falcons had six sacks and four takeaways against the Vikings for the first time since 2004. They gave up just six points, their lowest since 2020. “They don’t feel like rookies,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said last week. “A lot of times, you put two young guys in there, especially in the back end where there’s so much intricacy, there’s so much detail, there’s so much nuance, there’s so much to understand and learn, and you’re dealing with a lot of speed and it’s just, it can be nerve-wracking. I’ve never felt these guys flinch. I’ve never felt them blink.” In terms of pass rush, Pearce is fifth in the league in quarterback pressure percentage (24.1%, minimum 20 pass rushes). As a team, the Falcons are fourth in the league in quarterback pressure rate (46.3%) and fourth in sack rate (10.4%). Their seven sacks make for the third-highest total in the league. What makes the early season even more impressive is that the Falcons are pulling off something rarely done with four rookies getting this many snaps. Watts has played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps and Bowman has played 86.3% of the time. Walker (46.1%) and Pearce (38.2%) are part of a rotation at edge rusher, and their snaps could very well increase as they continue to play well. “We’re all hungry,” Watts said. According to ESPN Research, only one team has played four rookies for at least 50% of their defensive snaps since TruMedia began tracking snap-count data in 2007: the 2013 Falcons. That year Desmond Trufant played 96% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps, Paul Worrilow played 74%, Joplo Bartu played 74%, and Robert Alford played 55%. That team went 4-12 with a defense ranked 27th in the league in both points and yards. But Worrilow and Bartu were both undrafted free agents. If Walker and Pearce end up over the 50% mark this season, the 2025 Falcons will be the first team since TruMedia began tracking that data to have four drafted rookies play that percentage of snaps. In other words, the Falcons could be in for a rare season. They already believe this draft class of potent rushers and ballhawks is a special one — and there will be many more celebrations to come. Sorry, Conor McGregor. “That’s the J Walk now,” Pearce said. “[Walker] owns it.” |
| CAROLINABefore this week, the OL was not a weakness for Carolina. Then, this happened. @MySportsUpdateNot good for the #Panthers: — G Robert Hunt has a torn biceps— C Austin Corbett has a torn MCL Both are headed to IR — and it’ll be a while before either returns. |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSIf he were a player, Coach Sean McVay might be headed to IR. The AP: Sean McVay says he tore his plantar fascia while coaching the Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. McVay revealed his foot injury Monday night on his “Coach McVay Show” produced by the Rams. The youngest coach to win a Super Bowl didn’t say exactly when it happened, but he appeared to pull up awkwardly while moving to call a timeout during the 33-19 win. “Foot’s good,” said McVay. “I did tear my plantar fascia, so yeah. Well, that’s a good thing, because I guess it allows you to heal a little faster. But I was being dramatic, limping around towards the end of the game, but the MRI confirmed I did that. “Good news is I’m not playing. I’m just on the sidelines watching, so if I have a little cool limp to add some swag, then you’ll know why.” The plantar fascia is a thick tissue running along the sole of the foot. McVay didn’t say whether he would need to wear a walking boot as his injury heals. The 39-year-old McVay played wide receiver at Miami of Ohio. He has been an active, mobile coach during his nine seasons on the Rams’ sideline, often sprinting over to the referees for a conversation, or occasionally down to the end zone for a celebration with his players. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYNo one loves QB PATRICK MAHOMES more than Scott Kacsmar and he always has an interesting stat or two to support his cause: @ScottKacsmarQBs with more career starts than Mahomes: 69 With more wins: 20 Finished his 20s with a 106-29 record. Donovan McNabb, Reid’s first QB, retired 107-69-1. |
| LAS VEGASJonathan Jones of CBSSports.com: After images of Tom Brady sitting in the Las Vegas Raiders coaches’ booth went viral Monday night, the NFL league office issued a statement Tuesday afternoon affirming Brady is well within his rights as part-owner of the team to be there while also serving as a game broadcaster. “There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,” a league spokesman said in a statement to CBS Sports. “Brady was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a limited partner. “All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.” Images of Brady, wearing a headset, in the coaches’ box during the Raiders game against the Chargers sparked controversy and conversation around the league concerning questions of game integrity and competitive fairness. Brady officially became a limited partner of the Raiders when he bought a piece from Mark Davis last year, just around the time he began his career as a game broadcaster for FOX The NFL placed restrictions on Brady last year that barred him for practices and team facilities in the days leading up to games. But it did loosen the rules slightly this year to allow Brady to take part in virtual production meetings. “Tom continues to be prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings,” the league statement continued. “He may attend production meetings remotely but may not attend in person at the team facility or hotel. He may also conduct an interview off site with a player like he did last year a couple times, including for the Super Bowl. Of course, as with any production meeting with broadcast teams, it’s up to the club, coach or players to determine what they say in those sessions.” The Raiders travel this week to Washington to face the Commanders, who had Brady on the call in Week 1 for their home victory against the Giants. This week, Brady will be in Chicago to call the Cowboys-Bears game. The following Sunday, the Raiders will host the Bears. League and team executives CBS Sports contacted Tuesday had varying opinions on the latest Brady conflict. Anecdotally, teams that have the Raiders on their schedule seemed to have a bigger issue with Brady in the coaches’ booth than those who don’t play Las Vegas this season. “I don’t worry my coach will slip up in a production meeting and give up something he shouldn’t,” said an executive on a team that does not have the Raiders scheduled this season. “If you play the Raiders in a couple weeks and come across Brady, your antenna is going to be up. But (coach) Pete Carroll and (defensive coordinator) Patrick Graham aren’t dumb. They’re going to watch your film.” One source on a team scheduled to play the Raiders this season called Brady in the coaches’ booth with a headset on “egregious.” The concerns about the access Brady has to team information as a part owner of the Raiders have been present since last year. A spotlight shined on it late in the year when Brady was on the call for Lions games when his pursuit of then-Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be the next Raiders coach was well known in league circles. Brady nor Davis has been shy about Brady’s involvement with the Raiders. Davis said in December that Brady would have “a huge voice” in the direction of the team. Sources told CBS Sports that Brady was heavily involved in the GM and head coach interviews that resulted in the hires of Carroll and John Spytek. Because Brady’s position and influence within the Raiders organization has not been a secret to anyone in the league, sources essentially echoed what the league said in its statement: In production meetings, say, or don’t say, whatever you feel necessary. A PR member for one NFL team said they would advise anyone meeting with Brady who was concerned about competitive inequity to treat any discussion like a press conference. One executive on a team that doesn’t play the Raiders said they were more concerned about Brady’s influence over personnel than any strategic conflict during a game week. Richard Dietsch of The Athletic spoke with some of history’s best TV producers about the production meeting. Fred Gaudelli has produced 670 NFL games by his estimation, so when it comes to expertise on what happens in production meetings between coaches and players and the broadcasting group airing the game that week, Gaudelli rightfully can claim expert status in the same way Martin Scorsese knows a thing or two about gangster films. The topic of conflicts of interest and NFL production meetings once again became a talking point this week when ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” cameras showed Tom Brady in the coaching booth at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during the Chargers’ 20-9 win over the Raiders. If Brady were merely a Hall of Famer-to-be extending his connection with the NFL through ownership, it would be a story, but not one with implications for those watching the product. Brady is also Fox’s No. 1 NFL analyst alongside play-by-play voice Kevin Burkhardt. He is in his second year of a 10-year broadcasting deal and says he wants to complete it. For example, Brady called the Washington Commanders’ game against the New York Giants in Week 1. The Las Vegas Raiders play the Commanders this Sunday. In another example, Brady will be calling the Chicago Bears-Dallas Cowboys game this weekend. The Bears play the Raiders next weekend. Last year, due to Brady’s ownership stake with the Raiders, the NFL banned Brady from attending the information-gathering sessions between teams and broadcasters. These sessions take place in the days leading up to the games, and often key broadcast officials will conduct meetings at a home team’s facility, which allows them a first-hand view of how an organization runs things. Meetings with the visiting team usually take place via Zoom, by phone, or sometimes at a visiting team’s hotel, depending on timing. The NFL relented for last year’s Super Bowl (which Fox aired), and then this year, the NFL deemed that Brady can participate virtually when it comes to speaking with coaches and players. He is still not allowed at the home team practice facility (which most broadcasters are). “There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,” the league said on Tuesday. “Brady was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a limited partner.” It added: “Tom continues to be prohibited from going to a team facility for practices or production meetings. He may attend production meetings remotely, but may not attend in person at the team facility or hotel. He may also conduct an interview off-site with a player, like he did last year a couple times, including for the Super Bowl. Of course, as with any production meeting with broadcast teams, it’s up to the club, coach or players to determine what they say in those sessions.” Gaudelli, the executive producer of NBC’s NFL coverage and an in-game producer with seven Super Bowls on his resume (XXXVII, XL, XLIII, XLVI, XLIX, LII, and LVI), believes as long as Brady isn’t going to the home team’s facility, he isn’t going to get a big competitive advantage as an owner. “For a guy like Tom, honestly, I would imagine people in the meetings are probably picking his brain to ask him how he did things or how the Patriots did things,” Gaudelli said. “Except for the teams in his division, I would think they’re gonna be pretty open as to what they tell them.” Gaudelli recalled that John Madden would start broadcast production meetings by handing a head coach or coordinator a depth chart and then going through everything, from the starters and backups to injury concerns, to where players would line up based on down and distance. “You would get a ton of sh— just off of that, that you wouldn’t know if you did not have this meeting,” Gaudelli recalled. “That’s how the first 20 minutes would go with John, and you’d always find two or three things that would impact the game. When you go to the home team facility for meetings, you spend the better part of the day there. You go to practice, you eat lunch, you meet all the players. You get a sense of how the organization runs just being there for a day. Now, you don’t know the complete story, but you do get a sense of the vibe of the building and a sense of the teams that are on the cutting edge and sharp, or those where it’s still 1985.” So much of what broadcasters learn in the production meetings is based on how much coaches and players want to tell you. Gaudelli has been in meetings where a head coach gave his broadcast the first 20 plays of the game. He has been in meetings where coaches gave nothing. “Bill Belichick was like that with Cris (Collinsworth, NBC’s Sunday Night Football analyst),” Gaudelli said. “Bill wasn’t gonna be expansive or give away very much in the production meeting. However, he would get Chris over at practice and pretty much tell him how this game was going to go, who was gonna play, who wasn’t, how they were going to line up, all those different things.” Gaudelli said that with Madden having the football covered, it was Al Michaels who often led the goal of trying to get anecdotes. “I remember Al saying something to Belichick, something like, ‘Bill, you’ve been in the game now 40-something years. How much longer do you think you want to go?’ And Bill would say, and this is a quote, ‘I’m not going to be doing this at 73 like [George] Halas and [Don] Shula.’ Al was always going for anecdotal stuff and was great at that. He knew the football was going to be covered.” Broadcast teams can build up equity with clubs and individual players over years of meetings, and that pays off when it comes to the investment NFL stars will make with a broadcast group for the biggest games. For instance, the CBS NFL crew got close to 30 minutes last year with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen during their respective production meetings before last year’s AFC divisional playoff round. “Jim [Nantz] and Tony [Romo] really have a good relationship with both quarterbacks,” said Jim Rikhoff, the lead producer of the Nantz and Romo team. “There is mutual respect there because we’ve done so many games with them. They know we’ve never burned them from something they told us in a meeting not to be revealed before the game. We would never reveal anything early until we went on the air. I think they know our crew has a very high credibility standard there, and that builds trust and you get more information because of that.” For Fox, none of this is new. Richie Zyontz, who is Fox’s lead NFL producer and the person who produces Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi each week, said the rules placed on Brady last year “made for a good newspaper story in terms of what he could and couldn’t do,” but did not affect the broadcast at all. Zyonyz has worked in NFL broadcasting for 40 years and, like Gaudelli, was very tight with Madden. This week, I asked Zyontz why he was so definitive about his broadcast not being impacted by the restrictions on Brady. “Tom was on the field last year before games running into the same people that he couldn’t talk to on the phone,” Zyontz said. “I understand why it was put in place, but it had zero impact on the broadcast.” “All these guys that are doing games are watching so much film that they’re assessing their evaluation basically on the film that’s out there and then gathering their thoughts based on what they see in the film,” added Rich Russo, who is the director for the Brady broadcasting team. “Sometimes the meetings are maybe verification of what they see. We’re never going to these meetings and they tell us the first fifteen plays.” Zyontz confirmed what Gaudelli said: Players want to talk to Brady about his career during the virtual meetings. I told the Fox NFL producer that there is an intellectually fair argument to make that if someone is part of ownership and a broadcaster, it would stand to reason that the broadcasting part of it would include some punches being pulled, or at least being unable to be a completely independent voice. “It’s a little bit out of my lane in terms of commenting on it,” Zyontz said. “There was speculation that Tom can’t be critical of players; he can’t be critical of officials. Maybe there was a little bit of a tight rope trying to just figure out where the line really fell. But after one week this year, I could see that’s not going to be an issue.” “I know Tom loves the game and he’s honest in his assessments,” Zyontz continued. “He’s still feeling his way in terms of the broadcasting end of it, but he loves football. He wants to be an ambassador for football. The being critical part is something Troy Aikman has sort of mastered beautifully in terms of being so smooth and easy. He’s clinical, and it’s never personal. I think all of these guys have to learn that fans want to hear blunt honesty, and there’s a way of being critical that doesn’t make it personal. I fully expect Tom, as we go along, that’s all going to fall into place.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISCharles Robinson of YahooSports.com on how QB DANIEL JONES is making himself some money with Shane Stiechen, much as SAM DARNOLD did last year with Kevin O’Connell (and BAKER MAYFIELD and GENO SMITH before him): A month ago, when the Indianapolis Colts named Daniel Jones their starting quarterback, a large portion of the team’s fan base was apoplectic. How, some wondered, could you push aside 23-year-old Anthony Richardson — whose ceiling remained immense, even with his past failures — and settle on a 28-year-old ex-New York Giants washout who brought two undeniable realities to the table: He was experienced, with 69 starts under his belt … but also demonstrably limited, based on what those 69 starts actually produced over the first six years of his NFL career. So when the decision to roll with Jones was made, a large portion of the fan response was that Colts head coach Shane Steichen was just trying to save his job, or he was seeing something more in Jones that many were not. Two games into the 2025 season, it might have been both. While it’s just a two-game sample size, the former sixth overall pick from the 2019 draft has quickly showcased why the Giants once chose Jones over Saquon Barkley as the future of their franchise. Not to mention why former New York general manager Dave Gettleman once believed he had the stuff to be a franchise quarterback. But even the most hopeful Jones believers at any point in his career wouldn’t have suggested he’d help an offense to the start that Indianapolis is experiencing. The Colts are the first team in NFL history to start a season by scoring on 10 straight possessions, and the first team in the Super Bowl era to open a season without punting a single time through two games. While such perfection can’t possibly last, it certainly is the first spark in what could become a season-long conversation, dreamcasting about whether Jones might be settling into his perfect spot. By now, it’s a familiar debate about career reclamation at the quarterback position, mirroring what we’ve seen over the previous three seasons: Geno Smith getting on track with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, Baker Mayfield anchoring himself as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, and Sam Darnold jumpstarting his resurrection with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. All three found the right situation to remake themselves as NFL starters. And interestingly, all three are now slotted beside each other in their current average salaries, Mayfield at $33.3 million per season, Darnold at $33.5 and Smith at $37.5. Could Jones be the next in line? If his start (111.1 passer rating, five total touchdowns between passing and rushing, 71.4 percent completion rate and two wins) is even remotely close to where he’s headed this year, it won’t be a question. Of course, what a Jones deal could ultimately look like will depend on how the remainder of the season plays out. But Darnold’s three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks — including $55 million in guaranteed money — is now the baseline for above-average quarterbacks who are in the market to sign for a limited commitment. As it stands, Jones bet on himself with a one-year, $14 million deal, setting himself up to chase a path similar to the one Mayfield took in 2023. In that season, Mayfield signed a one-year “prove it” contract with the Buccaneers that offered him the chance to earn “up to” $8.5 million if he were to beat out Kyle Trask for the team’s starting job. Mayfield ultimately won that job and made $6.85 million. But more importantly, he convinced the Buccaneers to come to the table with a three-year, $100 million extension — cementing himself as Tampa Bay’s starter and setting himself up for another lucrative round of contract talks next offseason, before he enters the final year of his deal in 2026. Again, it’s too early to know if that’s the path Jones will remain on, but his start is mirroring Mayfield’s in 2023. Like Mayfield, Jones chose the Colts because he saw a path to the starting job through a competition with a younger, struggling player. Like Mayfield, Jones won the job in training camp. And like Mayfield, Jones has won his first two games in impressive fashion. In the process, Jones has made Steichen look good for a decision that was being panned only four weeks ago. “I think the consistency that he brings, his preparation — it’s coming to life on the field on Sundays,” Steichen said of Jones this week. “He works at it. I think he’s doing a really nice job of going through his reads. If the first read is not there, he’s getting to his second and third reads. The offensive line is doing a hell of a job for him. He’s communicating well with the receivers throughout the week [about] different looks that could come up, route adjustments and all those different things throughout the course of the week of preparation. “To see it happen on Sundays has been good, so we’ve got to continue that. … When you start playing at a high level, obviously your confidence grows and builds. Not with just Daniel, but with any player. Obviously we want to continue that trend each and every week. He’s been doing a hell of a job.” Thus far, Jones has earned $122.2 million in his career, including a four-year $160 million contract extension with the Giants that ultimately paid out a total of $82 million of that deal by the time Jones was released last November. How much more is coming? That remains to be seen. But two games in, Danny Dimes is back on a Danny Dollars track. Which is more than many expected just four weeks ago. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOAlaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com on a visor for QB JOSH ALLEN and other aftermath from his nose injury: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will “probably” wear a clear visor on his helmet to help protect his nose during the team’s “Thursday Night Football” game against the Miami Dolphins. Allen suffered a bloody nose late in the first quarter of the Bills’ 30-10 win over the New York Jets on Sunday but missed only two plays before returning to the field with gauze stuffed in his nose. He went on to play until many of the team’s starters were pulled with the game out of hand. His nose was bruised after the game, but Allen said that he could “breathe, so it’s good.” Two days later, Allen was wearing the visor at practice. He has worn other types of visors at times during practice in years past, but this will be his first time wearing a visor during an NFL game. He also wore a clear visor during his time at Wyoming. “Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll probably wear it in the game, just trying to get used to it,” Allen, with smaller bruises still on his nose, said after Tuesday’s practice. The Bills quarterback said that wearing the visor doesn’t impact much but that it is a bit warmer with the visor on. “Your voice kind of echoes off of it too,” Allen said. “So, it’s just, it’s a little bit weirder.” Allen has not been listed on the injury report this week in any capacity and said that although his nose is still a little bruised, “It’s all right.” “Yeah, his nose didn’t get any bigger, I don’t think,” coach Sean McDermott joked Monday. “It’s always looked good to me. I think it still looks good. I think we’re in a good spot.” Right tackle Spencer Brown joked Monday that Allen’s nose made him look like defensive end Joey Bosa and that it “looks cool,” while Allen quipped back that he is “the third Bosa brother in the league.” Speaking of Bosa, he says he is in the best shape of his life. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: So far, the Joey Bosa signing is paying off splendidly for the Buffalo Bills ahead of Thursday night’s showdown with the Miami Dolphins. Through two games, Bosa has a sack, an NFL-high three forced fumbles, and leads the Bills with eight QB pressures. “I think I have a lot to prove to mainly myself, because that’s all that really matters, that I still have stuff to give to this game,” Bosa told The Associated Press this week. “It’s just nice to have a fresh start with a new team and get to experience football in a different environment and a whole new situation.” Bosa, who turned 30 in July, has been plagued by injuries the past three seasons, playing in just 28 of 51 games. Now, in Buffalo, the edge rusher is feeling fresh. “It is crazy to think that I’m 30, but I have a lot of life left,” Bosa said. “And when I’m feeling good, I feel nice and young. And I’m feeling as good as I have my entire career.” The Bills inked Bosa to a one-year, $12.61 million contract, with an additional $3 million in performance incentives, in hopes he’d be the consistent force opposite Gregory Rousseau that they’ve missed since Von Miller’s injury struck in 2022. It’s only been two weeks, but Bosa’s ability to play in the backfield has paid dividends. “Mentally, maybe a little older. But physically, I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Bosa said. “Old Joey, new Joey, I think I’m just Joey. And I think when I’m healthy and I’m feeling good, I play good football.” The key for Bosa will be staying healthy for the long haul. Buffalo isn’t after September wins, it’s chasing a February Lombardi. And this: The early surprise: The Bills lead the league in rushing attempts. The verdict: Real to an extent. The offense under coordinator Joe Brady has put an emphasis on a productive run game to support quarterback Josh Allen. That will continue as the season progresses, especially behind a strong offensive line that has returned the same starting five from last year and with James Cook starting the season off on a strong note. It also helps if the Bills can build leads early in games, like in their Week 2 win over the Jets. With Allen and the passing potential, staying first in attempts seems unlikely, but emphasizing the running game will continue. — Alaina Getzenberg |
| MIAMISo far, Mike Florio doesn’t find any of the Dolphins players pointing fingers at embattled head coach Mike McDaniel: With the Dolphins sliding to 0-2 for the first time in Mike McDaniel’s four years as the team’s head coach — and with a short-week visit to Buffalo coming — McDaniel’s status has been a subject during recent press conferences involving various Miami players. On Tuesday, receiver Jaylen Waddle got what has become a common question regarding outside noise. How, Waddle was asked, has McDaniel responded? “He is not bothered,” Waddle told reporters. “Mike is going to be himself. He’s always stayed poised and always looked out for what’s in the team’s best interest inside and out. Mike’s just been Mike.” But what about fans and media saying it’s time for a coaching change? “To be honest, I don’t really see it,” Waddle said. “I’m really not too much on the Internet and stuff like that. I come from the cloth of [Alabama], we don’t listen to all of that rat poison stuff that we called it back in the day.” The subject was included in fullback Alec Ingold’s Monday session with reporters. “I think inside the building, inside the facility, a lot of that noise stops,” Ingold said. “I think that the trust and belief comes through time on task and working together and understanding the problems that we need to solve as a unit, as a group. And obviously when the results are losses, noise can be louder, but at the end of the day, the process of improvement, the process of gaining trust . . . and throughout a year for guys to respond and continue to improve and look in the mirror and not finger point and continue to find ways to get better, there’s no secret message, there’s no secret sauce and that’s the way forward. We need to make it right, and there’s no hiding from that. So no, there’s a lot of noise. It’s great, but inside the facility, it’s time on task and improvement, quick turnaround on a Thursday and a well-known opponent up there in Orchard Park and that’s what it is.” Said linebacker Chop Robinson regarding McDaniel: “Everybody in the locker room believes in him. I personally believe in him. He took a chance for me last year, so I got the most respect and love for him, but at the end of the day, it’s not him out there on the field. It’s kind of us out there playing the game, making the mistakes on the field and stuff like that. So at the end of the day, it may look bad for him, but it’s really on us. We got to get it better.” “Us as players, yes, we believe in him,” tackle Patrick Paul said. “Then with just me, I love him as a coach. He believed in me when most didn’t and he’s a great coach. He’s a players’ coach who believes in his players. He inspires us and speaks confidence into us and makes us go out there with a sense of urgency and confidence through the technique that all these coaches that he’s brought in for us. We love him.” “My belief is at an all-time high,” linebacker Tyler Dodson said. “At the end of the day a coach can put a scheme out — there is no perfect scheme, but ‘it’s all about the Jimmys and Joes, not about the Xs and Os,’ a coach once told me. . . . So we’ve got to execute better, it doesn’t matter what he calls. You can’t call a perfect call. That’s my point of view from it and that’s all I’m willing to say about that.” That all sounds good for McDaniel, but none of those players own the team. And none of them will be making the decision if/when the losses continue, and if/when owner Stephen Ross decides it’s time for a change. Ultimately, the question is whether the current course is working. And whether there’s reason to think that, with the passage of time, things will improve. If, at some point, Ross decides to make a change after the season, a persuasive argument can be made to not delay the process of commencing the search for the next coach. |
| NEW ENGLANDQB DRAKE MAYE was money when throwing downfield last week against Miami: @PFFDrake Maye when targeting past the sticks vs the Dolphins: 🎯 7/8 🎯 133 passing yards🎯 2 TDs | 0 INTs🎯 Perfect 158.3 passer rating |
