NFL teams are no longer shying away from older prospects in the draft
Bo Nix has already turned 25. Michael Penix Jr. will get there in May. Both quarterbacks were first-round picks last year. They were among 56 players age 24 or older drafted in 2024. That number was up from 54 in 2023, 44 in 2022, 16 in 2021 and 19 in...
Dolphins pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen RamseyVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins are pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, general manager Chris Grier confirmed Tuesday. Ramsey did not ask for a trade, and he didn’t ask for more money, Grier clarified, but after weeks of conversations with Ramsey’s representation, both sides agreed it...
Former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck dies at age 70
Former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck, who won a Super Bowl in his nine-year career and was the father of two NFL quarterbacks, died Monday. He was 70. Hasselbeck’s son, Matt, said his father died after going into cardiac arrest at his home. “He was a great husband, father, grandfather,...
Projected top picks Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter will attend NFL DraftVideo
NEW YORK — Top prospects Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter will attend next week’s NFL Draft in person. The league announced Monday that 17 players have been confirmed to attend the draft in Green Bay, Wis. The draft will be held from April 24-26, with Ward, Hunter and...
Cam Ward among players who went from hidden gems to top NFL draft prospectsVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Quarterback Cam Ward might be the first player off this year’s NFL draft board. Five years ago, he was pretty much off everybody’s radar outside of West Columbia, Texas. Back then, Ward worked behind center in his high school’s run-heavy Wing-T offense. His roughly 12 throws per game...
3-time All-Pro, former Steelers CB Patrick Peterson retires with Cardinals
TEMPE, Ariz. — Three-time All-Pro Patrick Peterson announced his retirement on Monday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent the first 10 of his 13 NFL seasons as one of the league’s elite cornerbacks. The 34-year-old Peterson was honored at the team’s practice facility with a highlight...
Cleveland Browns’ quest for domed stadium starts NFL fight for Ohio dollars
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A political battle fit for the gridiron is underway in Ohio, where state Republican leaders are clashing over whether to single out the Cleveland Browns for help building a new suburban domed stadium or impose tax hikes to fund stadium upgrades for the Cincinnati Bengals and other...
Joe Flacco is returning to the Cleveland Browns on a 1-year deal
CLEVELAND — Joe Flacco is heading back to Cleveland. The veteran NFL quarterback agreed to terms with the Browns on a one-year deal on Friday. Flacco won the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award in 2023 after leading an inspiring late-season surge that carried the Browns to the playoffs....
Pat McAfee’s ‘Big Night Aht’ was a long night full of surprise guests
Pat McAfee may be an ex-NFL player, a wrestling commentator and host of massively popular sports talk program “The Pat McAfee Show,” but he’s still a Pittsburgher at heart. And the city loves him back, as evidenced by the 90-minute ticket sellout for his Wednesday night PPG Paints Arena show...
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, wife involved in domestic dispute, police sayVideo
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his wife were involved in a domestic dispute at their South Florida high-rise condominium, but no charges were filed, according to a police report. Sunny Isles Beach officers responded to the home Monday following a call from Hill’s...
Jets’ Justin Fields says his confidence has never wavered, used Steelers benching to change his perspective
Justin Fields went from playmaking starting quarterback to uncomfortable sideline observer. Rather than pout, Fields insisted on drawing on the positives during his one-year stint in Pittsburgh last season and use them to fuel him on the next step of what has been an up-and-down NFL journey. “Yeah, I’m a...
Rob Gronkowski returns to Woodland Hills to break in new fitness center
Rob Gronkowski remembers contending with rust on the bar when doing clean lifts 15 years ago at Woodland Hills High School. “It was dirty in here,” Gronkowski told a crowd of excited Woodland Hills student athletes Tuesday as he helped open the school’s renovated fitness center. Gronk, as the now-35-year-old...
Former Falcons great Julio Jones officially retires from the NFL
FLOWERY BRANCH — Julio Jones, perhaps the greatest wide receiver in Atlanta Falcons history, has elected to retire from the NFL. Jones, a seven-time Pro Bowler who helped the Falcons nearly win Super Bowl 51, played 13 seasons in the league after the team traded up to select him with...
Bears and veteran QB Case Keenum agree to 1-year, $3 million deal, AP source saysVideo
The Chicago Bears added a veteran quarterback to help Caleb Williams, agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with journeyman Case Keenum, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Thursday night. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal had...
Geno Smith agrees to 2-year, $75 million extension with Raiders
HENDERSON, Nev. — Quarterback Geno Smith, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders nearly a month ago, agreed to two-year, $75 million extension, ESPN reported Thursday. Smith’s new deal takes him through the 2027 season and includes $66.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. The Raiders acquired Smith for a...
Patriots trade QB Joe Milton to Cowboys, giving Dallas a new backup behind Dak Prescott
DALLAS — The New England Patriots have agreed to trade quarterback Joe Milton III to the Dallas Cowboys. Milton confirmed the trade via a social media post on Wednesday. ESPN, which first reported the deal, said that the Cowboys will receive Milton, along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for...
Paul Brown rises, Ravens drop by NFL including AAFC stats
Paul Brown just moved up a few spots on the NFL career coaching wins list. The NFL owners approved a proposal by Competition Committee on Tuesday to incorporate player, coach and team statistics from the All-America Football Conference into the official NFL records. The AAFC existed from 1946-49 with Paul...
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam admits team ‘took a big swing and miss’ in trading for Deshaun WatsonVideo
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Cleveland co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” with their 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Haslam made the comments Monday during a session with Browns reporters at the league meetings in Florida. “We thought we had the quarterback, we...
Ravens extend coach John Harbaugh by 3 years, taking him through 2028 season
OWING MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens extended coach John Harbaugh’s contract by three years, taking him through the 2028 season. The 62-year-old Harbaugh is the Ravens’ all-time winningest coach with a 172-104 record over 17 seasons, not including going 13-11 in the playoffs. He is the second-longest tenured active...
NFL competition committee proposes moving touchback to 35 and making dynamic kickoff permanent
The NFL competition committee is recommending making the dynamic kickoff rule permanent and moving touchbacks to the 35-yard line in hopes of generating even more returns. The competition committee released several potential rule changes for 2025 on Wednesday, including an expansion of instant replay that will be considered next week...
Reports: Patriots sign WR Stefon Diggs as new target for Drake MayeVideo
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have signed free-agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to multiple reports, giving quarterback Drake Maye a prime target as he heads into his second season. ESPN reported on Tuesday night that the deal is for three years and $69 million, with $26 million...
Former NFL, Michigan assistant coach Matt Weiss charged with hacking for athlete’s intimate photos
DETROIT — Former NFL and University of Michigan assistant football coach Matt Weiss hacked into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes seeking intimate photos and videos, according to an indictment filed Thursday. Weiss, who worked for the Baltimore Ravens before joining the University of Michigan in 2021, was...
Vikings committed to J.J. McCarthy as starting QB after considering Aaron Rodgers, AP source says
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings have committed to moving forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback this season after deciding not to offer Aaron Rodgers a contract, a person with knowledge of the decision said Wednesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the...
2-time Super Bowl champ Brandon Graham retires after 15 seasons with Eagles
Brandon Graham’s career in Philadelphia began with criticisms that he was a first-round bust and ended with him being one of the most beloved Eagles players of his generation. Graham retired Tuesday following a 15-year career in Philly that was highlighted by his role in the defensive play that helped...
Chase, Higgins reach extensions with Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to four-year extensions with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, assuring that Joe Burrow will have his top two targets with him for some time. A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Chase will become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history,...
