Dwayne Haskins named Washington’s Week 1 starting quarterbackVideo
Ron Rivera told his players Dwayne Haskins will be Washington’s starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, then he reflected on a similar declaration he made almost a decade ago. Rivera was entering his first season as an NFL head coach with the Carolina Panthers, who months after...
Alvin Kamara returns to Saints practice amid contract negotiationsVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Saints running back Alvin Kamara returned to practice Wednesday after declining to take the field in recent days because of his apparent dissatisfaction with progress on a contract extension. “It was good having him back out there,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “I thought he had a...
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes engaged to longtime girlfriend
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On the night Patrick Mahomes received his Super Bowl ring, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback gave a ring away. Mahomes and his longtime girlfriend, Brittany Matthews, became engaged Tuesday night. The 24-year-old Mahomes, who won the MVP award by leading the Chiefs past the 49ers at...
Roger Goodell: ‘The NFL stands with the Black community’
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the league’s support for players fighting for racial justice and protesting police violence. Citing a police officer shooting Jacob Blake in the back on Aug. 23 in Kenosha, Wis., Goodell said the incident has “brought forth more feelings of anger, frustration, anguish, fear for many...
Bill Belichick remains mum on QB as Patriots wind down campVideo
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots began their final week of training camp Monday, but Bill Belichick still isn’t sure when he’ll be ready to announce his starting quarterback. “I don’t know,” Belichick said when asked how close he was to revealing who would be on the field for New England’s...
Jaguars waive Leonard Fournette after failing to trade him
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have waived running back Leonard Fournette, a stunning decision that gets the team closer to purging Tom Coughlin’s tenure. The team spent months trying to trade the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. But no one expected Jacksonville to part ways with...
AP source: Jaguars trading Ngakoue to Vikings for 2 picks
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Disgruntled pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue is headed north, far away from Jacksonville. A person familiar with the trade says the Jaguars have agreed to send Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings for a second-round draft pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2022. The person spoke to The...
Pitt, Rams star Aaron Donald wants to see fans at new SoFi Stadium
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Aaron Donald thinks the NFL ought to figure out a way to get some fans into more of its massive stadiums this fall — at a proper social distance, of course. The Los Angeles Rams’ All-Pro defensive tackle participated in the team’s second fan-free scrimmage at brand-new...
Giants’ Saquon Barkley opens up about his dad being ‘mistreated’ by copsVideo
NEW YORK — The Giants players’ response to Jacob Blake’s shooting escalated publicly Thursday, and star running back Saquon Barkley was the face of their resistance and restlessness. The team continued practicing in East Rutherford, N.J., unlike several NFL clubs that temporarily canceled around the country. But Joe Judge convened...
NFL teams cancel practice in response to Blake shooting
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Empty practice fields made for loud and powerful statements at facilities across the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans and Washington Football Team all chose to not practice Thursday in response to the shooting...
Bengals cornerback Mackensie Alexander arrested while searching for missing fatherVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mackensie Alexander was jailed Wednesday on a charge of misdemeanor battery after deputies say he beat up a man shortly after returning to Florida to help search for his missing father. Alexander, 26, and another man, 28-year-old Evins Clement, were arrested by Collier...
NFL teams adjusting from 80,000 die-hards to 80 decibels
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The jokes write themselves: The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to play home games in front of a significantly reduced number of fans this season. “How’s that different than any other year?” Don’t laugh. The Jaguars — along with Atlanta, Cincinnati, Miami, Tampa Bay and others — might...
Browns rookie safety Grant Delpit out for seasonVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Grant Delpit’s 2020 season ended with the Browns before it began. And Cleveland’s first training camp under new coach Kevin Stefanski is turning more black and blue by the day. Delpit, a rookie safety from LSU, ruptured his right Achilles tendon while going through individual drills Monday,...
Lawyers for pair of ex-Steelers say NFL concussion awards discriminate against BlacksVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Dementia tests in the NFL concussion litigation allow doctors to use different baseline standards for Black and white retired players, making it more difficult for Blacks to show injury and qualify for awards, lawyers for two ex-players argued in court filings Tuesday. The settlement fund so far has...
Lions skip practice after discussing shooting of Jacob Blake
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions decided not to practice Tuesday, protesting after a Black man was shot by police in Wisconsin. “We came up with this one as a unit,” Detroit defensive end Trey Flowers said. Lions coach Matt Patricia opened the team’s morning meeting by allowing players...
Browns rookie safety Grant Delpit carted off with Achilles injury
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns defense might have taken another jarring hit. Rookie safety Grant Delpit was carted off the practice field Monday with a right Achilles injury, the latest Cleveland player to go down in what has been a tough training camp so far for the team and...
Eagles DBs building chemistry, celebrating big plays in campVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Mills intercepted a pass in the end zone, ran it out to midfield and let everyone know he just made a big play in practice. Celebrations are in midseason form at Philadelphia Eagles camp. “We’re having a lot of fun,” newcomer Nickell Robey-Coleman said Monday. “We have...
Le’Veon Bell says Jets need Sam Darnold, tells QB, ‘No bars’
NEW YORK — Le’Veon Bell likes everything he has seen from Sam Darnold since training camp started. The New York Jets running back insists the third-year quarterback has taken a significant step in becoming a better and more assertive leader. Bell also has noticed Darnold’s command of the offense, with...
First Call: Marc-Andre Fleury discusses ‘backstabbing’ tweet; Wheeling 4-year-old’s hole-in-one; Lamar Jackson’s injury
It’s a busy “First Call” for Monday morning. Former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury finds himself at the center of a controversy — thanks to his agent’s Twitter account. A West Virginia four-year-old gets a hole-in-one. Lamar Jackson is nicked up. The Cleveland Browns avoid a coronavirus scare. And Luka Doncic...
Ravens terminate contract of S Earl Thomas after fight
The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of seven-time Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas, who got involved in a fight with a teammate Friday and did not attend practice Saturday. According to a statement released Sunday by the team, Thomas was released “for personal conduct that adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens.”...
Washington coach Ron Rivera has a form of skin cancer
Washington Football coach Ron Rivera has a form of skin cancer, which the team called “very treatable and curable” because it was discovered at an early stage. A team spokesman confirmed Thursday night Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. The team said Rivera detected it in a lymph node...
Saints’ Malcolm Jenkins primed for campaigns on and off the field
METAIRIE, La. — Malcolm Jenkins sees historically significant opportunities before him with both the contending New Orleans Saints and with a racial justice movement that has gathered momentum in recent months. He also sees no reason his focus on one should necessarily come at the expense of the other, dismissing...
Packers’ Jordan Love learning from Aaron Rodgers while adapting to NFLVideo
Green Bay Packers rookie Jordan Love says he has tried not to pay attention to all the media speculation surrounding the team’s long-term quarterback plans now that they’ve drafted him as Aaron Rodgers’ potential successor. Love instead is trying to soak in as much as possible as the former Utah...
Ex-Penn State lacrosse player Chris Hogan back home with JetsVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Chris Hogan’s latest stop through the AFC East landed him back home in New Jersey. And, when the veteran wide receiver arrived at the Jets training facility earlier this week, he was met by coach Adam Gase — and a blast from the past. “He called...
Chiefs to prohibit Native American imagery at Arrowhead
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will prohibit the wearing of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at Arrowhead Stadium. They also are discussing the future of the iconic tomahawk chop as they address what many consider racist imagery associated with their franchise. The team said in...