ST JOSEPH, MISSOURI – JULY 28: Wide receiver Mecole Hardman #17 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a pass against defensive back Deandre Baker #30, during training camp at Missouri Western State University on July 28, 2021 in St Joseph, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
Which Kansas City Chiefs players will be fighting for their jobs in training camp?
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off of yet another playoff appearance (their seventh in a row and eighth in the last nine years) and another first-place finish in the AFC West.
The team won the 2019 Super Bowl, lost it in 2020 and was eliminated in a heartbreaking AFC Championship defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat the Chiefs 27-24 in overtime.
Kansas City will also be without otherworldly receiver Tyreek Hill who they traded to the Miami Dolphins in March for five draft picks. He will suit up for another organization for the first time in his professional career after making six consecutive Pro Bowls with the Chiefs.
In the upcoming season, the Chiefs will once again have their offense led by a deadly combination of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce with their defense led by Chris Jones.
Who are three players that will be fight for their jobs come training camp?
3. CB DeAndre Baker
The Chiefs’ front office wasted no time in this year’s draft when they took cornerbacks in the first, fourth and seventh round, only to trade for another corner in Lonnie Johnson after the draft.
One could make the assumption this corner-heavy approach means the Chiefs’ brass isn’t satisfied with their current group of cornerbacks. The addition of Johnson, a player with three years of NFL experience under his belt already, could signal the end for DeAndre Baker, who as of now has not really performed all that well for Kansas City.
Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera divulges on the trade rumors surrounding star Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
As soon as the news broke that Terry McLaurin was holding out from mandatory minicamp to negotiate a new contract, NFL trade rumors began swirling around the league. McLaurin was imagined as an asset in Kansas City and Green Bay, but it turns out the jersey swaps were a little premature: the Commanders have no interest in shipping off their star receiver.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera explicitly stated that the team isn’t trading Terry McLaurin.
Ron Rivera on Terry McLaurin: “We’re not trading Terry…we’re trying to get this done…We believe in who Terry is for us and what he can bring to the table”
“We’re trying to get this done…We believe in who Terry is for us and what he can bring to the table,” Rivera said.
Ron Rivera: Washington Commanders want Terry McLaurin amid trade rumors
Ron Rivera clearly wants to factor McLaurin into his 2022 gameplan, but that doesn’t guarantee that general manager Martin Mayhew will heed Rivera’s words.
That being said, improving McLaurin’s contract isn’t much of a stretch: the wideout in top 10 WR conversations has been paid about $3 million for his first three NFL seasons, and he doesn’t stand to break $6 million on his current deal. Getting McLaurin more money shouldn’t be difficult, but the question is how much McLaurin wants on the table.
Going by the top 10 active wide receiver contracts in the NFL, recent Jacksonville Jaguars acquisition Christian Kirk is set to make $72 million over four years, but that’s been widely regarded as an overinflated price for a wideout who quietly played in Arizona before his massive deal.
While McLaurin likely won’t break $20 million a year, the fact that he’s earning a fraction of what rookie Jahan Dotson is set to make — $15 million over 4 years — means that McLaurin is severely underpaid for what he brings to the team. In fact, McLaurin ranks No. 4 in pay among Commanders wide receivers, lagging behind Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson and Dyami Brown.
By holding out of minicamp, McLaurin is showing the Commanders exactly what they’re missing if he does leave — even though he hardly makes a dent in their cap space, his presence would leave a gaping hole on their offense.
It makes sense that Rivera is working hard to keep McLaurin, but the multifaceted wideout can’t be blamed for liking posts about playing for Reggie Wayne in Indianapolis.
The Steelers are a team which relies heavily on their defense. Especially without Ben Roethlisberger moving forward, Pittsburgh will be forced to hold other teams to reasonable point margins if they are to succeed, and contest for a playoff spot. Mitch Trubisky remains Mitch Trubisky, even if he’s improved slightly. Kenny Pickett needs time to improve. And Mason Rudolph…let’s just shut that door now.
But Fitzpatrick is among the best defensive players in football at his best. He can patrol one side of the secondary on his lonesome. Plus, the Steelers gave up a first-round pick to land him in the first place. Signing him, whatever the cost, was a no-brainer.
Minkah Fitzpatrick contract: Steelers make history
Fitzpatrick’s new deal will pay him $18.4 million over the four years of the deal. It does make him the highest-paid safety in NFL history for now.
Steelers and All-Pro S Minkah Fitzpatrick reached agreement on a massive four-year contract extension worth over $18.4 million per year, with $36M gtd at signing, per source. The deal, negotiated and confirmed by @WME_Sports, makes Fitzpatrick the highest paid S in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/Rnb0jJWGoM
Given Roethlisberger is now off the books, Pittsburgh had money to spend this offseason. While they brought in Trubisky, the majority of those funds have gone in-house, to keep their key contributors — especially on defense — happy.
Fitzpatrick and Watt are the makeup of this team. Whether it’s possible to still claim the phrase ‘defense wins championships’ in 2022 remains to be seen, but expect the Steelers to test the theory, at the very least.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — It didn’t take much time after the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI for the front office trio of general manager Les Snead, COO Kevin Demoff and VP of football and business administration Tony Pastoors to turn to the task ahead: Keeping as much of this championship roster together as possible.
The first big move was to sign quarterback Matthew Stafford to a contract extension in March, tying him to the franchise through the 2026 season. And then last week, the Rams reworked defensive tackle Aaron Donald‘s contract to give him a big raise and signed wide receiver Cooper Kupp to a three-year contract extension that pairs him with Stafford for five more seasons.
After the Donald and Kupp deals, the Rams still have $7.6 million of cap space, according to Over the Cap.
And while those are the three long-term deals the Rams have done this offseason, there is plenty of talent alongside them. The Rams are now the only team in the NFL with two players — Stafford and Donald — who have an average salary at least $30 million per year in their current contracts. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who signed a five-year, $100 million contract extension in 2020, has a cap hit of $23.2 million this season. Wide receiver Allen Robinson II signed a three-year, $46.5 million contract this offseason.
So, how did they do it?
With a top-heavy roster containing so many star players, the Rams have to rely on their draft picks to add cheaper talent. For this to work, they have had to find young talent to fill in around the headliners. The Rams have managed despite not having a first-round draft pick since 2016. The Rams have 11 projected starters they’ve picked on the second or third day of the draft since 2017, led by Kupp (a third-rounder in 2017).
The recent contract extensions also helped the Rams’ cap space for this season. Kupp’s cap number for this season went down with the extension, from $18.3 to $17.8 million, according to OTC.
Extending Stafford in March also gave the Rams some cap flexibility this year.
While Stafford’s contract averages $40 million per season, his cap hit for 2022 is $13.5 million, which is 6.71% of the Rams’ salary cap and a sizable reduction from the $23 million cap hit he would have had before the extension. Stafford’s deal does jump to $20 million in 2023 and then $49.5 million the following season, which is when many people around the league are expecting the cap to explode with the potential of huge TV deals.
According to OTC, the Rams are currently $2.5 million over the projected cap for 2023 and $7.8 million under for 2024, but those cap numbers won’t be set until after each preceding season and could drastically change.
One player the Rams did not retain was outside linebacker Von Miller, who signed a six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills in free agency. The Rams also have not re-signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who tore the ACL in his left knee during the Super Bowl.
The Rams could re-sign Beckham, who attended head coach Sean McVay’s wedding earlier this month. McVay joked that Beckham knew the expectation was, “You come to the wedding, you’ve got to sign with the Rams.”
After he signed his contract, Donald said it was not his top priority to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Instead, he said, one of the “most important things for me was feeling that the pieces that we brought in were going to still be here.”
With the core tied together for at least the next three seasons, the Rams were able to extend their Super Bowl window.
Fresh off of winning a Super Bowl with the Rams, Von Miller decided to embrace a new challenge by signing with the Bills.
Von Miller didn’t just sign with the Bills this year looking for a payday. He’s got his eyes on history.
The two-time Super Bowl winner is looking for a third and he thinks Buffalo is the team to help him do it.
Of course, he could have also stuck it out with the Rams in hopes of winning another ring in Los Angeles, but there was more to his decision than that.
Von Miller explains why he left the Rams for the Bills
Von Miller: “I could have just stayed in LA and just rode off into the sunset and just rushed with Aaron Donald and piled up sacks but I wasn’t content…this is a special team, they’re right on the edge and I just wanted to be that last drop to overflow these guys.” pic.twitter.com/4qrAiODT7C
“I could have just stayed in LA and just rode off into the sunset and just rushed with Aaron Donald and piled up sacks but I wasn’t content. I wasn’t content where I was at. I still wanted more,” Miller explained. “To come here selfishly and be the only guy to ever win three Super Bowls with three different teams, selfishly that’s what I want.”
If Miller wins a Super Bowl with the Bills, he will become the only player in NFL history to win three rings with three different teams. Many have done it with two different franchises, but never with a third.
So Miller obviously wants to make history, but there were 29 teams he could have chosen to do that. Why the Bills specifically?
“This is a special team, they’re right on the edge and I just wanted to be that last drop to overflow these guys,” Miller said.
Buffalo is close indeed. They went to the AFC Championship Game in 2021 and were seconds away from going again before suffering a freak loss to the Chiefs in overtime earlier this year. Miller may really be the piece that puts them over the top.
During a press conference on June 14, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said that politicians need to figure out gun reform in America.
Recently, the United States has gone through multiple tragedies that involved gun violence. On May 14, an 18-year-old entered a Buffalo supermarket, shooting and killing 10 Black people in an attack that is being investigated as a hate crime. On May 24 of this year, an 18-year-old entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas with an AR-15-style rifle and killed 19 students and two teachers. With these senseless tragedies taking place, there has been pressure placed on politicians to pass gun reform laws.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the most recent athlete to push for gun reform. During a press conference on June 14, Burrow expressed his belief that if everything is not going to be outlawed, then “you’ve gotta at least make it harder to get those crazy guns that everybody’s using.”
You can listen to Burrow’s comments in the tweet below, courtesy of ESPN’s Ben Baby.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow, on gun reform: “If you’re not going to outlaw everything, you’ve gotta at least make it harder to get those crazy guns that everybody’s using.” Here’s his full response, via @bengals: pic.twitter.com/xJo1dOWsBA
In the sports world, athletes have used their platforms to push for gun reform in the United States. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made an impassioned plea for the Senate to do something to bring in an end to gun violence ahead of his team’s Western Conference Finals game against the Dallas Mavericks. The game was in Texas on the same day as the shooting in Uvalde.
Atlana Hawks star Trae Young backed Kerr’s plea, tweeting out “enough is enough.”
Teams have also taken a stand to push for common sense gun laws. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays social media teams opted against tweeting out updates of their game on May 26, instead raising awareness about gun violence.
On June 12, a group of 20 U.S. Senators (10 Democrats and 10 Republicans) announced that they had reached a bipartisan agreement on gun safety legislation. The framework includes increased background checks on gun buyers under the age of 21, funding for red-flag laws that would temporarily take away guns from those deemed too dangerous, and funds that would bolster safety and mental health programs at schools. The agreement does not include universal background checks or an assault weapons ban.
Burrow is now the latest member of the sports world to raise awareness and push for gun reform in the United States. He says that although he is a quarterback, he hopes that politicians can figure this issue out.
Four years after New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley stunned the NFL with his quads, Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon is coming for the title.
Ever since his NFL debut, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has been heralded for an unmatched trait: his legs are built like tree trunks.
Barkley started trending once again last fall when his “SaQuads” were on full display during a Thursday Night Football game, but there’s another NFL running back making a case for Saquon’s distinctive title.
During offseason training, Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon showed up and showed the world that he also refuses to skip leg day.
The Packers have dubbed the third-year running back “Quadzilla”, and Dillon appreciates the team embracing the nickname.
In addition to featuring his quads in his Twitter profile picture, Dillon boasted that he went “2-2” and rounded home plate twice during a charity softball game.
Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari went beyond giving Dillon a nickname, saying that Dillon embodies the dictionary definition of “Short-E-Thiccc.”
With Dillon’s quads making the rounds throughout the NFL, there’s now a question of who is the NFL’s true quad king: Saquon Barkley or A.J. Dillon?
A.J. Dillon reminds the NFL world that he’s coming for Saquon Barkley’s title
This “news” isn’t exactly news: A.J. Dillon has been making headlines for his enormous legs ever since he was drafted with the No. 62 pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Packers head coach Matt Lafleur marveled at his legs back in August 2020 — and that’s coming from someone who once coached Tennessee Titans bulldozer Derrick Henry.
Matt LaFleur was Derrick Henry’s offensive coordinator just two years ago, but even he’s amazed at AJ Dillon. pic.twitter.com/7AfpZVLZep
Last June, Dillon clarified that he’s named each of his quads: one is “Quadzilla”, and the other is “The Quadfather.” Dillon also proclaimed that he wields the best legs in the league.
AJ Dillon clarifies one of his legs is named Quadzilla and the other is named The Quadfather. He’s adamant his legs are bigger than the other backs in the league.
PFF cruelly compared Dillon to starting Packers running back Aaron Jones during last year’s offseason training — but of course, Jones’ success proves that muscle size isn’t integral to being skilled at the running back position.
Still, Dillon’s quads certainly propel him as he develops behind Jones on the roster, and Packers fans can expect to see more of Dillon and his monstrous quads this season. In Dillon’s second year, he played in all 17 games, racking up 803 yards on 187 carries for five touchdowns. Like Jones, Dillon is also an effective pass-catcher, catching 34 of 37 targets for 313 yards.
Dillon has proven in his time with the Packers that it’s not just his quads that are unmatched: his catch rate of 92 percent makes him one of the most formidable and versatile players they could employ in their backfield.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants‘ offense trotted onto the field for the first play of 11-on-11 drills at mandatory minicamp last week. Flanking quarterback Daniel Jones were wide receivers C.J. Board and David Sills V. Richie James was in the slot.
Running back Saquon Barkley was in the backfield, but the projected top three receivers — Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay (unspecified injuries) and Sterling Shepard (Achilles recovery) — were in red non-contact jerseys. And receiver Darius Slayton, working with the second-team offense, dropped a potential long touchdown for the second time in two weeks as his spring struggles continued.
The more things change for the Giants, who have a new head coach (Brian Daboll) and general manager (Joe Schoen), the more they stay the same. Every Giants starter at the offensive skill positions missed at least two games because of injury last season, and this spring hasn’t provided much reassurance things will change.
“You would love for everybody to be out here, particularly the skill guys to get reps with the quarterback, but that doesn’t happen usually in most places,” Daboll said. “There is always some guy dinged up or you’re giving them an off day. We’ll get plenty in the summer here.”
Toney, Golladay and Shepard were in attendance doing what they could during most of the voluntary offseason program. They were able to learn much of the offense even if they didn’t run any routes for Jones.
“They’ve thrown with Daniel before. They’ve done a good job,” Daboll said. “Again, you can learn different ways, and we’re just teaching them how we got to teach them right now.”
Veterans missing spring reps can be brushed off in many cases, but all three of New York’s top three receivers fit the injury-prone label.
Toney, picked No. 20 overall in the 2021 NFL draft, dealt with various injuries as a rookie — hamstring, ankle, quad and oblique among them. He also missed time because of positive COVID-19 tests and ill-fitting cleats. He appeared in 10 games, finishing with 39 catches and no touchdowns.
Golladay, who signed a four-year deal for $72 million last offseason, also was hampered by injuries (hip, hamstring and knee) that limited him to 37 receptions and no touchdowns last year. He has played 19 games over the past two seasons, totaling 57 catches for 859 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Shepard, who ruptured his left Achilles late last season, has played in 16 games once in the past five years.
Daboll has said on multiple occasions he expects all three to be ready for training camp next month, and Golladay participated in some drills during minicamp, so there is optimism for a group that struggled badly last season.
“There’s a time to be smart and there’s a time to make sure you’re pushing through things the best you can. You have to balance those,” Daboll said. “You push guys through in training camp — maybe it’s the same exact thing and they don’t have a red jersey on. … All we’re trying to do is try to be as healthy as we can be when training camp gets here.”
Jones had his ups and downs at OTAs and minicamp while often surrounded by reserves. If that sounds familiar, it should. It continues a trend of Jones dealing with difficult circumstances, something the Giants have been desperately trying to stop.
Part of the contingency plan at receiver is rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, drafted in the second round this year. He had a strong spring that included a diving grab on a deep pass from Jones over cornerback Aaron Robinson in the back of the end zone during OTAs.
“He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s explosive,” Slayton said of the rookie. “I would say he is as advertised.”
Slayton, in the final year of his rookie contract, had 26 catches last season and led New York’s wide receivers with two touchdown receptions. He was curiously running behind the likes of Sills and Travis Toivonen at times this spring. It doesn’t bode well for his future under the new regime.
However, Barkley, another playmaker who had a disappointing 2021 season impacted by injuries (torn ACL in his right knee), was perhaps the biggest standout of the spring. It appears he might be used more as a receiver in the scheme run by Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
Barkley was used all over the field — out wide, in the slot, in motion, out of the backfield — throughout OTAs and minicamp.
“It’s helpful, not only for myself but opening up other things for the offense,” he said. “[I] haven’t really moved like this since college. Kind of went back and watched a little bit of my college stuff to see stuff that I was able to do there and transition.”
The No. 2 overall pick from 2018 looks healthy and explosive after missing at least three games in each of the past three seasons.
“He’s frickin’ huge. He’s over here squatting what linemen are squatting, and one day he was yelling about [Cleveland Browns running back] Nick Chubb putting his squat video up. He’s like, ‘I got to beat that [675 pounds],'” center Jon Feliciano said of Barkley. “It’s good to see … him having the motivation, him not staying stagnant and being a great player that he is.”
If the spring foreshadows anything about the coming season, it could be a big one for Barkley. The future is cloudier for the Giants’ other playmakers.
A weatherman delivered the most devastating burn to the Dallas Cowboys about their recent struggles during his 10-day weather forecast.
The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl in more than two decades. They’ve won just four playoff games in that span and haven’t gone to a single NFC Championship game.
They’ve failed to live up to expectations in every way since the glory days, despite being one of the most popular franchises in the NFL.
For Cowboys fans, that hurts. For every other brand of fan in the NFL, it’s an opening to take digs at “America’s Team.”
That’s what a weatherman for WJHL in Tennessee did during his forecast. And he hit them hard.
Weatherman takes merciless shot at Cowboys during 10-day forecast
“Now we look at our 10-day forecast. It’s looking a little bit like those Dallas Cowboys, peaking in the 90s,” the weatherman said.
Dallas won Super Bowls in 1992, 1993 and 1995. They certainly dominated the early 90s. That’s a fact. That they haven’t accomplished much of anything since is also a fact.
Weatherman 1, Cowboys 0.
How much longer will people be able to rib Dallas over their lack of recent trophies?
That’s a question head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott will have to answer over the next few years. The 2021 squad went 12-5 but were knocked out of the playoffs by the 49ers. The 2022 squad has high expectations again.
If they can’t get it done this year or down the line, then it’ll fall to the next head coach or quarterback who comes along.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins were prepared to offer Sean Payton a massive contract to be their head coach.
The Miami Dolphins needed a new head coach after they fired Brian Flores. While they did hire Mike McDaniel, reports indicated that the team was interested in Sean Payton, who retired as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. But just how serious were they in trying to land Payton?
That’s right, they were ready to pay the former Super Bowl-winning head coach $20 million a year.
Dolphins were prepared to offer Sean Payton a nine-figure contract to be their head coach
It has been reported that Miami had a grand plan to help put their team over the top this offseason. It would be bringing in Payton to be their head coach, and Tom Brady as their quarterback.
Obviously, that never came to fruition, as Payton is still retired and Brady came out of his one-month-long retirement to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Dolphins hired McDaniel, the former offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, to be their next sideline boss. That, and Miami is sticking with Tua Tagovailoa under center for the 2022 campaign, as they gave him a ton of help in terms of personnel (wide receiver Tyreek Hill, offensive tackle Terron Armstead).
While Payton is not coaching in 2022, you best believe that teams in need of a head coach will call him next offseason to gauge his interest. But would they be willing to offer a nine-figure contract like the Dolphins were reportedly set to do? That remains to be seen.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
