Chiefs’ Robinson, Kilgore land on covid-19 list as close contactsVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs placed a pair of backups, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore, on the covid-19 list as close contacts Monday as they begin final preparations for the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay. Chiefs coach Andy said he was told of the...
Tom Brady on playing past 45: ‘I would definitely consider that’
Tom Brady keeps raising the bar about how long he could keep playing quarterback in the NFL. As the 43-year-old Brady prepares for his record 10th Super Bowl and first since joining Tampa Bay this past offseason, he said he’s already considering surpassing his previous goal and playing beyond age...
Packers planning for long-term future that includes Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur say they expect Aaron Rodgers to remain their team’s starting quarterback in 2021 and beyond. Gutekunst and LaFleur made those comments Monday during season-ending Zoom sessions with reporters. After the Packers’ 31-26 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in...
Tampa Bay makes best of Super Bowl week amid sour economy
TAMPA, Fla. — There have been four previous Super Bowls in Tampa, some amid war and economic distress, but none have faced the challenges this year’s event encounters because of the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout. Tickets for Sunday’s game are limited to about a third of the capacity of...
Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes prepare for 5th matchup after splitting 1st 4Video
There was a regular-season shootout and a playoff masterpiece the first season Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady met on a football field. Brady came out ahead in those two meetings, but Mahomes has gotten the edge the past two times they met. Now as they are set to meet on...
Styles differ, success similar for Bucs’ Bruce Arians, Chiefs’ Andy ReidVideo
From the moment he turns a news conference over to reporters with his signature “time’s yours” phrase, Andy Reid always sticks by his players. The man affectionately known as Big Red never has been a coach who publicly criticizes his guys, even when they play poorly. That hasn’t happened often...
Source: Lions trade Matt Stafford to Rams for Goff, draft picks
LOS ANGELES — The Detroit Lions are trading quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for quarterback Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a third-round pick, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday night...
Super distancing: CBS keeps season protocols for big gameVideo
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were inseparable when CBS broadcast the Super Bowl two years ago. Next week, they won’t see each other until they are in the broadcast booth a couple of hours before kickoff. “For me, this is going to be very much like what we did during...
Chiefs following patchwork O-line into Super Bowl vs. BucsVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to have a talented lineup of millionaires, each a seasoned veteran of the rough-and-tumble NFL, protecting their half-billion dollar quarterback as they defended their Super Bowl title this season. Instead, they’ll have a motley cast of late-round draft picks, journeymen...
Defense could be decisive in Super Bowl of dynamic offenses
Suggesting that defense could decide this Super Bowl might seem like heresy. With Patrick Mahomes and the explosive Kansas City offense on one side, Tom Brady and Tampa Bay’s resourceful attack on the other, expecting either D to be dominant or dangerous or definitive appears like folly. Read on, though....
NFL’s revenue dip in pandemic significant, but not crippling
New York Giants co-owner John Mara could have been speaking for all in the tight-lipped world of NFL finances by saying his club’s pandemic-induced losses in revenue have been substantial but not crippling. The biggest positive in this season of covid-19 might not be measurable: the value of finishing on...
NFL hopefuls who opted out look to shake off rust at Senior BowlVideo
MOBILE, Ala. — Former Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman hasn’t played in a game in about 400 days since first switching schools and then opting out of the 2020 season. Newman hardly is alone among the players trying to shake off the rust after long layoffs leading up to Saturday’s...
Chiefs trying for first Super Bowl repeat win in 16 yearsVideo
Do it again? Not in the NFL, at least not lately. On Feb. 7, the Kansas City Chiefs will be the latest franchise to attempt winning successive Super Bowls when they take on the Buccaneers. In Tampa, of all places. Against Tom Brady, of all people. It’s an achievement simply...
Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy misses out on head coach job againVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyreek Hill was thrilled to hear his first wide receivers coach, David Culley, was going to be an NFL head coach. He was baffled by the fact his current offensive coordinator once again will not. After interviewing for six openings, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ultimately...
Tom Brady’s parents survived covid-19, will attend Super BowlVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady said his parents are doing well after recovering from covid-19 early this season and will be among family in the stands to root for him and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in next week’s Super Bowl. “They’re doing great, so I think that’s the best part...
Chiefs, Bucs ride (mostly) covid-clear season to Super Bowl
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had a pretty good idea what kind of covid-19 protocols they would have to wade through in defense of their Super Bowl championship the moment they finally gathered for in-person training camp. One of their own helped to devise them. It was...
AP Source: QB Deshaun Watson requests trade from Houston Texans
HOUSTON — Star quarterback Deshaun Watson has requested a trade from the Houston Texans, a person familiar with the move told the Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the request and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Thursday. Watson has a no-trade...
AP sources: Michael Strahan tests positive for covid-19
Pro Football Hall of Famer and “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan tested positive for covid-19 and is self-quarantining, according to people familiar with the situation. Strahan is currently not experiencing any severe symptoms from covid-19. The people spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because of...
Buccaneers fans set to cheer inside, outside Super Bowl stadium
TAMPA, Fla. — Warren Sapp wishes fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could pack the stands for the first Super Bowl played in a host team’s home stadium. Because of coronavirus pandemic concerns, the NFL’s decision to limit capacity to 22,000 at Raymond James Stadium and soaring prices for a...
TE Jason Witten says he’s retiring again after 17th season
DALLAS — Jason Witten said he is retiring again, apparently for good this time. The longtime Dallas Cowboys tight end who spent his final season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 told ESPN on Wednesday that he was walking away “knowing that for 17 seasons I gave it my...
Retirement age? Super Bowl coaches Arians, Reid just getting startedVideo
There’s no retirement age in the NFL, and that’s a good thing for Super Bowl-bound Kansas City and Tampa Bay. Andy Reid and Bruce Arians are two of the league’s five oldest coaches. Reid is closing in on 63, and Arians turned 68 in October. They have a combined 55...
Seahawks say Chad Wheeler ‘no longer with the team’ after arrest on suspicion of felony domestic violenceVideo
SEATTLE — Chad Wheeler, a backup offensive lineman for the Seattle Seahawks for parts of the past two seasons, will not be back with the team in 2021 following an arrest over the weekend on suspicion of felony domestic violence, the team confirmed Wednesday. Wheeler was arrested early Saturday morning...
NFL picks 3 honorary captains, including Aliquippa man, for Super Bowl coin toss
NEW YORK — The NFL has selected three people who have served during the coronavirus pandemic as honorary captains for the Super Bowl along with inaugural poet Amanda Gorman for an original poem. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday that Marine veteran James Martin, educator Trimaine Davis and nurse manager Suzie...
Rams GM echoes Sean McVay’s uncertainty on Jared Goff’s future with RamsVideo
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams are openly contemplating the possibility of a near future without quarterback Jared Goff. General manager Les Snead on Tuesday echoed coach Sean McVay’s pointed uncertainty last week about the prospects of Goff, the fifth-year starter who led the Rams to the Super Bowl...
Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s patience in struggling players pays offVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mecole Hardman trudged to the sideline as the Bills trotted onto the field, then slumped onto the bench and tossed a huge Kansas City Chiefs coat over his head like a shroud as Buffalo took advantage of his fumbled punt for an easy touchdown. It was...
