| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYThe Packers have signed not one, not two, but three veteran offensive linemen. They all have draft pedigrees – but were on the street. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com: Another day, another former first-round draft pick signing for the Packers on the offensive line. The latest is Kevin Zeitler, a veteran guard who is signing a one-year deal with Green Bay on Wednesday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Zeitler, 36, was the No. 27 pick in the 2012 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and has appeared in 214 games in his career. He is a native of Wisconsin, having grown up in the Milwaukee area and playing collegiately at the University of Wisconsin. This comes after the Packers signed guard Laken Tomlinson (No. 28 pick in 2015) off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad Saturday and added Mekhi Becton (No. 11 pick in 2020) to their practice squad. How the Packers (1-2) use the trio remains to be seen, but after their early-season struggles, they have undergone an in-season revamping at a position like never seen before under general manager Brian Gutekunst. Green Bay ranks last in the NFL in rushing yards per game (48.7), and its 146 total rushing yards is the team’s lowest through three games in a season since at least 1933. The Packers’ 16% pass block win rate is the worst through the first three games of a season since ESPN began tracking it in 2017. Zeitler has played most of his career at right guard, where first-year Packers starter Jacob Monk has struggled. Tomlinson has played mostly at left guard, where the Packers have started three different players in as many games. Becton has played on both sides and at both guard and tackle. The Packers lost right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele to a season-ending knee injury in the season opener. When asked Tuesday whether the new linemen — not including Zeitler, who had yet to sign — could play this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich did not rule it out. “Yeah, I think anything’s a possibility, for sure, so we’re going to do whatever we can to put the best guys out there,” said Stenavich, who coached Tomlinson with the 49ers earlier in his career. “We’ve got to see where they’re at and just where they’re at with the playbook and the calls and everything like that, with the game plan. But yeah, everything’s a possibility, and we’re going to try and explore all avenues.” Zeitler played last season for the Tennessee Titans, for whom he promptly took over as their starting right guard. Entering the 2025 season, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi described Zeitler as “one of the best guards in football.” He was a steadying presence next to JC Latham, who switched to right tackle from the left side in only his second NFL season. Zeitler started 16 games last season and played 864 (92%) of the Titans’ offensive snaps. Zeitler suffered a quadriceps injury during the Titans’ Week 18 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also dealt with groin and biceps injuries that cut into his playing time in 2025. He finished with a 92.2 pass block win rate. He allowed 10 sacks last season. As for run blocking, Zeitler won 70% of his reps. |
| MINNESOTAAlec Lewis of The Athletic with a post-mortem of how the Vikings failed to make QB J.J. McCARTHY into their franchise QB: For days, members of the Minnesota Vikings organization wondered what would happen. It was March 2025, and head coach Kevin O’Connell had spoken on the phone several times with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “It’s still undecided from what I understand,” one Vikings staffer said at the time. “As we go through other quarterback options, it’s just scary.” Once again, this organization had found itself in the NFL’s version of the Bermuda Triangle: the state of uncertainty at quarterback. O’Connell and then-general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decided not to commit to veteran Sam Darnold for the long haul. He signed with the Seahawks. They also overestimated Daniel Jones’ willingness to return after he signed with the team’s practice squad the previous November. Jones left to compete for the Colts’ starting job. Even the Jaguars’ plucking of Vikings backup Nick Mullens caught the team by surprise. Those departures left the team with few reliable quarterback candidates to pair with young J.J. McCarthy, a player many Vikings football operations employees believed needed more seasoning and development before shouldering the starting responsibility for a team with playoff goals. “This organization went from the ultimate professional in Kirk (Cousins) to an experienced veteran who is buttoned up in Sam (Darnold),” the same Vikings staffer said. “J.J. (McCarthy) is still so young.” Knowing what they knew about McCarthy’s frame of mind in the aftermath of his torn meniscus the previous summer, before his rookie season, even key members of the team championed the idea of signing Rodgers. In the end, though, the Vikings stuck with McCarthy, believing their ardent support would give him the best long-term chance to succeed and reach his potential. This decision set up a pivotal 2025 season. It also set the Vikings and McCarthy on a chaotic journey that culminated in Monday’s difficult conclusion. Following months of speculation, the team traded the 23-year-old to the Giants for a fifth-round draft pick. The move punctuates the latest miss in the franchise’s decades-long pursuit of an elite quarterback. It also spotlights O’Connell’s line from several years ago — “organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations” — with a real-time example of how difficult it is to separate the responsibility between the young quarterback and the organization. And it leaves the Vikings in a familiar spot. Until they spin the wheel again, they are left to ruminate over another path that led to a dead end. The Athletic spoke with sources in the Vikings building and around the NFL who requested anonymity so they could share details about the McCarthy situation without facing repercussions from their teams. What became clear is that the relationship between McCarthy and the team quickly became strained given his need for further development and the franchise’s urgency to win. Even before Monday’s blockbuster deal, NFL scouts, coaches and front-office officials had a lot to say about McCarthy’s potential — or lack of it. As a rookie, McCarthy debuted in the 2024 preseason against the Raiders. Afterward, one NFC scout said he thought McCarthy looked confident, decisive and clean. He had thrown an interception, but not even that turnover overshadowed a performance that this evaluator deemed worthy of genuine optimism. “I’m surprised how intrigued I am after watching that,” the scout said, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak honestly about another team’s player. Around the league, pre-draft opinions on McCarthy ranged. One AFC executive explained that he didn’t view McCarthy as a first-round pick. An NFC scout shared that he had graded middle-round prospect Spencer Rattler ahead of him. Another NFC evaluator said he liked McCarthy but “saw more talent than polish” and was concerned about McCarthy’s relative inexperience and the lack of adversity he faced in college at Michigan. Even the Vikings preferred one of the top three consensus quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye), according to multiple team sources. O’Connell himself designed the evaluation process, following ownership’s preference for a young quarterback — but with the expectation that the Vikings would not blow things up and rebuild. The goal was to remain competitive each season. When Williams, Daniels and Maye were drafted with the top three picks, all of the Vikings’ primary decision-makers signed off on McCarthy. They felt he offered a higher upside than Bo Nix, the Broncos’ current starter. They traded up to take him with the 10th pick. In the immediate aftermath of the draft, several team sources acknowledged that McCarthy had work to do. He would have to eliminate his overstriding on throws and develop better touch. But it seemed he had improved in training camp and versus the Raiders. So much so, in fact, that the Vikings planned to give McCarthy a significant number of reps the next week during joint practices with the Browns. McCarthy’s torn meniscus shattered those plans. It also marked a major turning point in an otherwise positive trajectory. For the first time since the pandemic, McCarthy couldn’t play the game he loved. As he recovered from surgery, the Vikings locker room rallied around Darnold, who led the team to a 14-win regular season that became the talk of the NFL. (They would eventually lose to the Rams in the wild-card round of the playoffs as Darnold suffered nine sacks.) This confluence of events — along with the lofty expectations for McCarthy before his injury — produced what team sources and even those close to McCarthy acknowledge was a challenging couple of months. The team committed to providing him as much mental health support as possible. In March of 2025 at the league’s annual meetings, Vikings owner Mark Wilf reiterated his faith in McCarthy. “We, as an ownership and a franchise, are going to make sure that all the resources are in place to maximize his potential,” Wilf told reporters. Facing pressure after the first-round playoff exit, the Vikings sought to insure themselves at quarterback if McCarthy needed more time to recover. Neither Adofo-Mensah nor O’Connell unilaterally vouched to sign Darnold to a long-term contract, according to team and league sources. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s decision-makers believed Jones would value the Vikings’ advantageous quarterback environment, misjudging his desire to start. Jones’ departure opened the door to Rodgers. The team mulled the idea for days after Rodgers pledged to play for a minuscule amount of money, and many endorsed the move. But concerns with Rodgers’ potential fit and the possibility of McCarthy’s camp requesting a trade contributed to the Vikings’ dice roll that McCarthy could be a franchise quarterback for the long term. The Vikings moved forward into the spring and summer hoping that an intentional structure could accelerate McCarthy’s growth. They thought their system and personnel would establish a distinct floor. It would not..J.J. McCarthy showed promise during the summer as a rookie. But a torn meniscus would sideline him for the season and start him on a less auspicious path.David Berding / Getty ImagesEven after McCarthy’s heroics in Week 1 of the 2025 season, an emotional comeback against Chicago at Soldier Field, one Vikings staffer questioned how sustainable his roller-coaster performances were. “You know the truth of how it’s been all camp,” he said. For the most part, the Vikings offense had not looked great during spring and summer practices. O’Connell even spent a portion of one early training camp news conference looking upward and saying, “The sky has not fallen. So, all good.” Unless McCarthy ripped passes with velocity to areas near the seams, the Minnesota passing game looked disjointed. McCarthy’s accuracy wavered on downfield throws. The offensive staff attempted to chisel away concepts that yielded tipped passes and potential interceptions. Many of these issues surfaced in Week 2 against the Falcons, an abysmal 22-6 loss at home. A McCarthy injury added insult to the performance. The next day, O’Connell informed reporters that McCarthy’s ankle was “very, very sore.” The quarterback had already missed practice for the birth of his son, Rome, and now he would be absent for another substantial period. McCarthy’s comments regarding his “Nine” alter ego — a reference to his jersey number — earned several internal eye-rolls. He similarly baffled members of the organization when he told reporters that he bucked his coaches’ advice by dancing the “Griddy” before he reached the end zone against the Cowboys in Week 15. These bouts of youth and defiance, evident both in front of the cameras and away from them inside the TCO Performance Center, were troubling for Vikings executives and coaches. More concerning, though, was McCarthy’s inability to stay healthy or play with consistency. He returned from an ankle injury in Week 9 and played well in a win against the Lions. Then, three weeks later, after a Week 12 loss to the Packers, McCarthy reported concussion symptoms that kept him out of the Week 13 game against the Seahawks. He returned the ensuing week, played well against the Commanders and Cowboys, then exited the Week 16 game against the Giants with a hand injury. Few scenes captured the commotion of McCarthy’s season more thoroughly than that afternoon. McCarthy, who had injured his thumb in Week 2 and bruised his hand in Week 10, walked to the sideline after the first play of the second half. O’Connell, VP of player health and performance Tyler Williams and trainer Connor Whicker assessed his hand, and McCarthy squirmed. Afterward, O’Connell told reporters that he didn’t know when McCarthy’s injury occurred. McCarthy missed Week 17 but returned in Week 18. By then, even though the defense’s dominance and a renewed commitment to the run game led the team to five wins to close the season — and made some in the building wonder how McCarthy would have fared with this type of offensive philosophy all season — one Vikings staffer summed it up: “I knew this was going to be up and down when we made that choice this spring (to move forward with McCarthy as the starter), but it has just been brutal.” J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings runs for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.There were some positive moments for McCarthy in 2025, like the gritty Week 1 win over the Bears, but there was no consistency to his play.Michael Reaves / Getty ImagesOnce the calendar flipped to 2026, two factors ran parallel for the Vikings. On one hand, they understood that McCarthy, who had started only 10 professional games, needed more time to become the player they’d drafted him to be. On the other hand, they understood the urgency to win. The franchise did not think it could take superstar receiver Justin Jefferson’s patience for granted. He navigated the 2025 season and quarterback carousel with deftness despite posting a career-low 1,048 receiving yards. He didn’t pout. He didn’t pop off. Jefferson internalized his frustration as the team went 9-8 and missed the playoffs, but team sources knew they couldn’t expect him to do so forever. Additionally, O’Connell was entering his fifth season without a playoff win. As Adofo-Mensah’s ouster proved, a 43-25 record over four seasons only keeps you in good graces for so long. These layers served as the backdrop to the signings of Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Even though O’Connell framed the quarterback dynamic as a competition, and even before another strange injury back-and-forth with McCarthy after the team’s third preseason game, league executives and members of the organization believed the writing was on the wall. Because Minnesota liked Max Brosmer, and because McCarthy had only one year remaining on his rookie quarterback contract, league sources suspected the team would entertain a trade. It was going to take a team desperate enough to pull the trigger on a player making backup-caliber money ($3.7 million) in 2027. The Giants proved to be that team. “A lot of the decisions we make we have to make in an instant and a moment in time instead of hypotheticals,” Vikings GM Nolan Teasley said Monday. “This decision, we think, is the best decision for the Minnesota Vikings right now.” Detaching from McCarthy now opens Pandora’s box regarding the franchise’s future at the position. Minnesota is 3-0 this season. Murray, though, is still acclimating to O’Connell’s offensive system. Future contractual situations with players like Jordan Addison, Dallas Turner and Jalen Redmond could complicate the path to paying a premium at quarterback. Interestingly, quarterback evaluations became a central subject in the Vikings’ interview process for a new general manager, according to those familiar with the discussions. O’Connell cited the strength of the front-office setup Monday when asked if the experience with McCarthy will scare the team off from drafting a quarterback in the future. These last three years offer ample room for collective blame and regret, as well as lessons to adopt whichever route the Vikings take from here. Progress at the quarterback position is not linear because, in the end, there are human beings on both sides of the formula. Patience is easier to talk about than to apply in an ecosystem where the present matters most. And hope, even with a player’s best interests in mind, is rarely the most optimal strategy |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASBrian Schottenheimer can’t defend how the Cowboys handled the final minutes in Rio, saying he agrees totally with the criticism of owner/GM Jerry Jones. Todd Archer with the postmortem: – Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones did not mask disappointment with the decisions made in the final 28 seconds of Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro. Jones and coach Brian Schottenheimer went through the end-of-game decisions, from the playcalling after the Cowboys faced first-and-goal from the 2, to Dak Prescott’s third-down throwaway that led to a tying field goal, to how the subsequent kickoff and seven seconds were handled, allowing the Ravens to kick a winning field goal with a second to play. “There is no explanation you’re satisfied with. None,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday morning. “Let’s be sure that we all understand that. [The coaches] don’t have one that they’re satisfied with. … But there’s an evaluation of how not to make the same mistakes again. You can’t get that back. [There’s] no way to get it back. What you can do is use it … to get better. That’s what’s being done.” Schottenheimer accepted responsibility with Jones and publicly in his first comments after the team’s return from Brazil. “I’m man enough to take mistakes. I make a lot of mistakes. I’m certainly not perfect,” Schottenheimer said. “And I know one thing, Jerry and I had a very good conversation about it. I explained it. He understands. He understands that there was a mistake that was made, and he was terrific. Great, sound advice. I value him. He’s been around the game a long time, just like I have, and he’s seen a lot of stuff. “And so to me, that shows that he and I are aligned very closely. This will make me better. I’ll be better. And again, I’m looking forward to lining up and playing this week against the Texans.” Schottenheimer added, “I hurt our chance to win that game and I’ll be better. And I’m better than that. I’m better than I performed in the last 28 seconds.” After the game, Schottenheimer said he “overcoached” Prescott on the third-down pass to George Pickens that was a throwaway. “I trust Dak Prescott completely, so it was the word that I chose, which I’m not going to give away,” Schottenheimer said. “The words that we say have meaning, and when I said the word, it put him into a mindset that he doesn’t play with. He doesn’t play that way. He doesn’t play the game that way. And so that’s what I would change.” After Brandon Aubrey tied the score with a 23-yard field goal, the Cowboys had him kick the ball through the end zone for a touchback. The Ravens took over at their own 35, and quarterback Lamar Jackson hit receiver Zay Flowers for a 27-yard completion to set up the 56-yard kick from Tyler Loop with one second left. In retrospect, Aubrey’s kickoff should have been short to burn time off the clock. Schottenheimer said his emotions of the third-down call affected the kickoff decision, adding that the communication between special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen and game management coordinator Ryan Feder was not good enough either. “My dad had a rule — one play at a time,” he said, referring to former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer. “He talked a lot about it, because it happened to him. He made a decision on a play, it didn’t go good, he was pissed off about it and it affected another decision. I think that’s kind of what happened to me. So I’ll take accountability for it. It’s football and life. It’s what happens.” As he did after the game, Schottenheimer did not express regret over defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s call that allowed the completion to Flowers. “I think the coverage was OK,” he said. “We played way too tight, and there was an error on that play where we should have made the ball go to the low underneath guy, not the deep one.” Schottenheimer has been a head coach for only 20 games, although he is in his 25th year in the NFL. Parker, 34, is a first-time coordinator. So far, the defense has not performed consistently, but Jones said he remained confident in what his team could accomplish this season. Injuries have hit the defense with safety Jalen Thompson (hamstring) probably headed to injured reserve with a designation to return. Schottenheimer said defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard could sit out a couple of weeks because of a calf strain. The Cowboys could see safety Malik Hooker (forearm) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown return this week against Houston, but the team worked out five players, including former Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas and Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt. The Cowboys’ next three opponents — the Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers — have one win combined this season. The New York Giants lost quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season to a knee injury, and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is out because of an elbow injury sustained against Dallas. “We are very much in the hunt, and I say that principally based upon the way I feel about our team, as much or more than what’s happening with the other teams,” Jones told The Fan on Tuesday. “Philadelphia has things that they want to work on just as the Giants do, just as we do. It makes you see how health is a factor. Availability is a factor. And we’re just getting started.” |
| NEW YORK GIANTSWR ODELL BECKHAM, Jr. has been told to hit the road. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: The full scope of the moves the Giants made on Tuesday made their point clear. They could no longer justify giving a roster spot to veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham is gone, and receivers Braxton Berrios and Charlie Jones have joined the 53-man roster. It’s simple; Berrios and Jones play special teams. Beckham doesn’t. And it’s not a simple shuffling between the roster and the practice squad. Via Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Giants aren’t expected to sign Beckham to the practice squad “at this time.” The reunion with Beckham provided the Giants with a feel-good story, one the fans embraced. Reality has since settled in. With starting quarterback Jaxson Dart lost due to a knee injury, the Giants need to get the most out of every player on the team. Beckham wasn’t doing enough. It was time for him to go. Whether he lands elsewhere remains to be seen. Other teams, like the Rams and 49ers, have needs. More injuries are inevitable. Last year, Beckham didn’t play at all. It remains to be seen whether that will be the case for the balance of 2026. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOThe 49ers are clicking because of great performance from the offensive line and QB BROCK PURDY’s quick reads. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has started three games this season, thrown 83 passes, and still not been sacked. That’s a rare achievement: The 49ers are just the fourth team since 1990 to allow zero sacks through three games of a season, joining Andy Dalton with the 2014 Bengals, and Peyton Manning with the Colts in 1999 and again in 2005. Purdy has done an excellent job this season of recognizing where the pass rush is coming from and getting rid of the ball quickly, and he has also taken off running when pressured. On 10 carries this season, Purdy has 93 rushing yards and eight first downs. Purdy is leading the league with nine touchdown passes and a 133.1 passer rating and has moved up to No. 2 in the MVP odds. Up next for the 49ers is a game against the Broncos, who led the NFL in sacks last year and are tied for seventh in the league in sacks this year. Continuing to avoid the pass rush will be a key to Purdy’s attempt to lead the 49ers to a 4-0 start. |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASDoug Clawson on Twitter says that the upcoming schedule spells D-O-O-M for the now 3-0 Raiders. @doug_clawsonIt was fun while it lasted Raiders They have the hardest SOS in the next 8 weeks vs Chiefsat Patriotsvs Billsvs Ramsat Jetsat 49ersvs Seahawksat Broncos The DB sees the Patriots and the Jets, so that’s two possible wins. So if they were to go 1-5 in other six – they would be 6-5 heading down the home stretch. And the Browns, Chargers, Titans and Cardinals are in the final six games. Not saying they are going 10-7, but it’s doable. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREThe Ravens have lost their starting center for an extended period. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com: – Baltimore Ravens starting center Jovaughn Gwyn is expected to miss two to three months with a fractured fibula that will likely require surgery, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday. Gwyn was carted off the field during the Ravens’ 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro. With backup center Ethan Pocic (knee) also injured, Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Monday that rookie first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane is preparing to make his first start at center for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. Ioane, the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft, has started the first three games of the season at right guard. The Ravens have started to look for offensive line help, working out centers Graham Glasgow and Kingsley Eguakun along with guard Kyle Hergel on Tuesday. Gwyn, 27, was a starter for the first time in his four-year career when he beat out Pocic for the job in training camp. A seventh-round pick in 2023, he had played his first three seasons as a reserve with the Atlanta Falcons. Gwyn’s injury is the latest setback for the Ravens in their attempt to replace Tyler Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowler who became the NFL’s highest-paid center when he signed a three-year, $81 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March. Danny Pinter suffered a season-ending knee injury in August after it appeared he was going to win Baltimore’s starting center job. |
| CLEVELANDThis from Andrew Siciliano, the Voice of the Browns: AndrewSicilianoDeshaun Watson is the first Browns QB to throw a go-ahead, game-winning, TD pass in the final 4 minutes of regulation in consecutive games since Brian Sipe in Weeks 7-8, 1980. 🫡 @JohnToddNFL at @NFL Research @NFLPlus |
| PITTSBURGHAn omen? @SteelersdepotThe Steelers are 0-9 in Thursday regular season road games against divisional opponents in the Super Bowl era. Last win was in 1950 against the Chicago Cardinals, per @Stathead . #Steelers #NFL |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOWith DE MYLES GARRETT of the Rams injured, their suddenly is room at the top for candidates for Defensive Player of the Year. DE GREG ROUSSEAU of the Bills has staked an early claim for consideration per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: While Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the leading candidate to be league MVP, his teammate linebacker Greg Rousseau is making an early case for Defensive Player of the Year. Rousseau has two sacks in each of the Bills’ three games, making him just the third player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have multiple sacks in the first three games of a season. The others were Mark Gastineau with the 1984 Jets and Kevin Greene with the 1998 Panthers. Greene had multiple sacks in each of the 1998 Panthers’ first four games, so Rousseau can tie Greene’s record with two sacks on Sunday against the Patriots, and break the record with two sacks in each of the next two games. Rousseau’s six sacks are the most of any player in the NFL this season, and he also leads the league with eight tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He’s currently sixth in Defensive Player of the Year odds at +1500, behind Houston’s Will Anderson at +300, Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson at +750, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt at +900, Las Vegas’s Maxx Crosby at +1200 and Minnesota’s Dallas Turner at +1300. |
| NEW ENGLANDOne year after a season with few injuries, the Patriots continue to take hits in 2026. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com: Infrastructure around struggling quarterback Drake Maye took another hit Tuesday when the New England Patriots placed veteran guard Greg Van Roten on injured reserve — another reminder that the team’s run of good health contributing to its surprising run to Super Bowl LX hasn’t carried into 2026. Van Roten, who started in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Jaguars in place of opening-day starter Mike Onwenu (broken ankle), is the 17th player the Patriots have placed on injured reserve and/or reached an injury settlement with this season. Last season, New England placed 16 players on injured reserve all season. Among the 17 players the team has placed on injured reserve are Onwenu, No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown, No. 2 tight end Julian Hill, top backup safety Dell Pettus, top backup offensive tackle Marcus Bryant and punter Bryce Baringer. Van Roten, 36, was knocked out of Sunday’s game in the second quarter with a thigh injury, according to the team. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| BUCK, AIKMAN – AND HERBSTREITThis time, Joe Buck re-upped with ESPN without a commitment that longtime partner Troy Aikman would follow suit. Mike Florio: Joe Buck recently re-upped with ESPN. His long-time partner, Troy Aikman, is still waiting. Buck recently said he hopes Aikman will stick around. Appearing on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, via Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing, Buck made it clear that he doesn’t want to call games without Aikman in the booth. “I’m pretty well on record, having begged out of my last years at Fox to follow him to ESPN, where I stand on all that,” Buck said. “I legitimately love the guy like a brother. We’re basically the same age; I’m 57, he’s 59. We’ve both been through divorce. We’re both girl dads. Twenty-five years, you’re sharing a lot of life together. Forget games and in the booth and all that stuff. “So, I hope so. I mean, both of us were up. It wasn’t like we were doing some national signing day where we walk in arm-in-arm and then sign contracts at the same time. We’ve always kind of kept that stuff separate. I’m obviously hopeful, to say the least, that something gets done. But that’s kind of his world, and ESPN’s world, and I’ve got to kind of mind my own yard in that stuff. I think that’s the best way to be.” At one point, it appeared that Buck and Aikman were a package deal. That changed, when Buck signed and Aikman didn’t. ESPN is rolling the dice by waiting. Aikman could end up at CBS or Amazon. Of course, ESPN would also have the flexibility to put the Mannings or Pat McAfee in the booth with Buck. Then there’s the white whale known as Travis Kelce. He was already sniffing around Amazon last year. He’ll be able to pick his spot — and name his price — if he retires from playing after 2026. It’s also impossible to overlook the reality that Aikman’s desire to double dip by working for the Dolphins and ESPN could make him less attractive. Aikman can’t enter team facilities, and he can’t attend practice. Others who don’t work for an NFL team (or who don’t partially own the team) face no such restrictions. Aikman recently “called bullshit” on the notion that other broadcasters don’t have conflicts of interest. Sorry, Troy, but you’re missing the point. You work for the Dolphins, and you’ve said it was smart for them to take advantage of the things you learn while covering other teams. There’s a very real difference between navigating friendships and owing a duty as a paid employee to a team that expects you to leverage your access to that team’s benefit. If ESPN has other options, why keep a guy who has one hand tied behind his back because he sees no issue with covering all 32 teams while working for one of them? Aikman is good, but he’s not John Madden (then again, no one is). ESPN could throw money at a bigger name than Aikman, and ESPN wouldn’t have to worry about the new hire having a side hustle in the form of employment by a team. One place Aikman will not be in 2027 is now Prime Video as Kirk Herbstreit gets an extension. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic: Amazon Prime Video has agreed to an extension with Kirk Herbstreit to remain as its NFL game analyst on “Thursday Night Football.” But the terms give Amazon flexibility to move on if one of its top targets, like Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, becomes available, according to sources briefed on the decision who were not authorized to speak publicly. The 57-year-old Herbstreit, who never played in the NFL and rose to prominence on ESPN’s college football coverage, is in the final season of his initial five-year deal with Prime Video, where he teams with Al Michaels. Herbstreit’s new deal is shorter than his first contract, though the exact length was unconfirmed. Herbstreit’s ESPN deal, which includes being the network’s top college football game analyst and a starring role on “College GameDay,” is also up at the end of the season. ESPN’s current stance is not to address Herbstreit’s contract situation until after the college football season, the sources said. After Amazon initially inked Michaels to a three-year deal, the legendary play-by-play caller has agreed to year-to-year contracts. Michaels, 81, has repeatedly said he will know when it is time to retire. Herbstreit’s new contract, which includes the aforementioned outs for Amazon, is for multiple seasons and eight figures per year, the sources said. Both Amazon Prime Video and ESPN declined comment. Herbstreit did not return a message seeking comment. Prime Video tried to recruit McVay before signing Herbstreit five years ago. After winning the Super Bowl in 2022, top Prime Video sports executives prepared an offer in the neighborhood of $20 million per year for McVay, but he re-signed to coach the Rams. It was part of a transformative NFL TV offseason that culminated in Fox’s signing of Tom Brady to a $375 million contract. The top NFL announcer booths are again in flux. Tony Romo — who still has four years and $72 million remaining on his $180 million contract — is on indefinite leave from the top spot at CBS following his July OWI arrest. J.J. Watt has teamed with Jim Nantz on the network’s No. 1 team in Romo’s absence. The Athletic recently reported that Joe Buck signed a new six-year, $108 million deal with ESPN. ESPN plans to take a similar tack with Troy Aikman as it has with Herbstreit, waiting until after February’s Super Bowl, which Aikman will call with Buck. There is nothing preventing ESPN from audibling and striking deals with Herbstreit or Aikman earlier. Fox’s No. 2 game analyst, Greg Olsen, is in the final year of his contract. If Aikman does not re-sign with ESPN, Olsen could become a top target to replace him. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce would pique networks’ interest if he were to retire from playing. Buck attended Kelce and Taylor Swift’s wedding this summer. Is it really possible that Prime Video is in its 5th year of NFL football on Thursday? |
