Saquon Barkley ‘had an epiphany’ before signing deal, rejoining Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Star running back Saquon Barkley followed his heart in signing his franchise tag and joining the New York Giants for the start of training camp. Speaking for the first time since signing a one-year, $11 contract earlier Tuesday, Barkley said he wanted to play the game...
Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey to undergo knee surgery and miss start of season
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey will undergo surgery Friday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to reports. Ramsey was injured, and he was carted off the field at the end of Miami’s practice on Thursday. The severity of Ramsey’s injury will be...
Geno Smith starts training camp as the QB in charge for SeahawksVideo
RENTON, Wash. — At this time a year ago, every snap Geno Smith took, every pass he made during the Seattle Seahawks training camp was being charted and analyzed and compared. He was under a microscope because of his past performance and in the midst of a quarterback competition. To...
Chargers’ Austin Ekeler on plight of running backs: ‘We’re not just numbers on a page’Video
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Austin Ekeler has the most scrimmage touchdowns in the past two years and became the fifth running back in NFL history last season to have at least 100 catches in a season. It isn’t Ekeler’s on-field accomplishments, though, that gained attention throughout the offseason and leading...
Mayfield, Trask competing to become Buccaneers starter, hoping to make one another betterVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield entered the interview tent at Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp just as coach Todd Bowles exited and playfully lobbed the first question of the quarterback’s news conference. “Are you the starter, Baker?” Bowles asked, smiling as he continued walking away. Mayfield grinned, too, though he...
Bengals QB Joe Burrow carted off practice field after calf injuryVideo
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was carted off the practice field after he came up hobbling from a scramble Thursday. The 26-year-old franchise quarterback hobbled on one leg and then went to the ground after the play near the end of the afternoon practice. Coach Zac Taylor later...
Jets set to meet with free-agent RB Dalvin Cook this weekendVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Dalvin Cook is heading to New York to meet with the new-look Jets this weekend. The free-agent running back, who turns 28 next month, could join a revamped Jets offense led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. “We’ll never say no to a great...
Bills receiver Stefon Diggs says any lingering concerns are water under the bridgeVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Reiterating his desire to retire as a member of the Buffalo Bills, Stefon Diggs was largely reassuring but short on specifics over any lingering concerns from last season, saying he and the team were back on the same page as training camp opened Wednesday. Diggs said whatever...
Aaron Rodgers agrees to new 2-year, $75M contract with JetsVideo
Aaron Rodgers has a new deal with the New York Jets — and he’s taking a pay cut to try to help deliver a Super Bowl to the winning-starved franchise. Rodgers agreed to a reworked two-year, $75 million guaranteed contract with the Jets on Wednesday, according to a person familiar...
Rashod Bateman, J.K. Dobbins still on PUP list as Ravens begin training campVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson was on the field to start training camp, his knee injury and contract uncertainty behind him. Now the Baltimore Ravens are waiting on a couple of other key parts of their offense. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman and running back J.K. Dobbins remained on the...
Apologetic Vikings rookie Jordan Addison starts with plenty to prove after speeding citationVideo
EAGAN, Minn. — Jordan Addison already faced a steep challenge for his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings, carrying the expectations of a first-round pick into a complex offense after an injury kept the wide receiver off the field for most of the spring practices. Then he got pulled over...
With a deal in the works, Bengals QB Joe Burrow says new contract ‘gets done when it gets done’Video
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow dodged questions about a new contract after the first day of training camp Wednesday, telling reporters that “it gets done when it gets done.” The team had hoped to reach a long-term deal with the franchise quarterback that could make him one of the NFL’s highest...
Panthers name No. 1 pick Bryce Young team’s Week 1 starting QBVideo
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Carolina Panthers have their QB1. Coach Frank Reich wasted no time naming rookie Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the team’s starting quarterback for the Sept. 10 opener against the Atlanta Falcons. “When we decided to pick Bryce we imagined and...
Giants’ Saquon Barkley returns to the field a day after signing a 1-year dealVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A day after signing an $11 million, one-year contract, Saquon Barkley was on the field as the New York Giants opened training camp. It seemed like any other July practice. Barkley, a Penn State product, smiled a lot Wednesday, glad-handed teammates he had not been on...
Mark Madden: Pro sports are driven by money, but these contracts are rife with stupidity
Money always has made sports stupid. New examples crop up every day. It took the Saudis less than two years to buy golf. Now they have their sights set on purchasing soccer. The Saudis want to lure French star Kylian Mbappe to the Saudi Pro League via a deal worth...
Mike Vrabel, Derrick Henry helped lure WR DeAndre Hopkins to TitansVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — DeAndre Hopkins has had a good relationship with Mike Vrabel since their Houston days, a man who was one of the first to congratulate the three-time All-Pro receiver on being traded to Arizona and also the first to call him out for not making a catch for...
Browns CB Greg Newsome II hopes number change leads to big interception numbersVideo
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Greg Newsome II is zeroed in this summer — literally. The Browns’ third-year cornerback has switched jersey numbers, shedding No. 20 for No. 0, which is how many interceptions the former first-round pick has recorded in two seasons for Cleveland. “I kind of wanted a...
Chargers, QB Justin Herbert agree to 5-year extension worth $262.5MVideo
Justin Herbert is set to become the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback by annual salary, agreeing to a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday. The extension came as the Chargers reported for training camp earlier in the day. Their first practice will be Wednesday. Herbert’s total value...
Cowboys, Trevon Diggs agree on $97M; guard Zack Martin becomes camp holdoutVideo
There’s a new No. 1 on the to-do list at training camp as the Dallas Cowboys once again start their pursuit of the playoff breakthrough that has eluded them for 27 years. Owner/general manager Jerry Jones and company did manage to scratch one thing off the list Tuesday. Dallas and...
Judge says she won’t change ruling letting NFL coach Flores’ racial discrimination claims proceed to trial
NEW YORK — A federal judge said Tuesday that she’s not changing her decision to let NFL Coach Brian Flores put the league and three of its teams on trial over his claims that he and other Black coaches face discrimination. Judge Valerie Caproni’s written ruling in Manhattan federal court...
Dog emergency led to ticket for going 140 mph, Vikings’ 1st-round pick Jordan Addison says
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings first-round draft pick Jordan Addison told the state trooper who clocked him going 140 mph in a 55 mph zone last week that he was speeding because of an emergency involving his dog. The Associated Press on Monday obtained an updated copy of the...
Bengals owner Mike Brown stays mum on the state of contract negotiations with QB Joe Burrow
CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow reported to training camp without a long-term contract extension, and Cincinnati Bengals executives on Monday refused to discuss the state of the negotiations with the franchise quarterback. Signing the 2022 Pro Bowler and 2021 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year to an extension was a...
Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam optimistic about season, but not putting playoff pressure on team
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The pressure to win is intense and the expectations are heightened for the Cleveland Browns. Failure is not an option. They’re in win-now mode. With a talented roster and quarterback Deshaun Watson available for his first full season with the team following an 11-game NFL...
Saquon Barkley, Giants settle on 1-year deal worth up to $11 million, AP source says
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants settled on a contract for the star running back just in time for training camp, with him signing a one-year contract worth up to $11 million, a person close to the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The...
Contract disputes steal the spotlight from start of NFL training campVideo
NFL camps open this week with most of the focus on players who aren’t showing up. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones skipped Sunday’s first workout with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs over a contract dispute. Veterans with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are scheduled...
