AP NFL draft grades: Bears earned highest mark after landing Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze
Some teams see an immediate impact from an NFL Draft class. Others have to wait on a return. The Houston Texans went from worst to first in their division last season after selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge Will Anderson Jr. back-to-back with the second and third overall picks. The...
NFL Draft attendance record set with more than 700,000 fans attending in Detroit
DETROIT — The NFL draft has a new attendance record after more than 700,000 fans flooded downtown Detroit for the three-day event. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer broke the news Saturday at Campus Martius Park. “We have shown the world what the Motor City is all about,” Whitmer said. While it...
Jets trade defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to Broncos
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets traded defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos on Saturday for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. Franklin-Myers was due to count about $16.4 million on the Jets’ salary...
Michael Penix hears from Kirk Cousins, Michael Vick after landing with Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr., the biggest surprise of the NFL Draft’s first round, received a congratulatory call from Kirk Cousins on Thursday night even as Cousins’ agent was second-guessing the Atlanta Falcons adding depth to their quarterback spot. Penix described the chat with Cousins as “a very...
NFL to allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers during games
NEW YORK — The NFL announced Friday it will allow players to wear protective soft-shell helmet covers known as Guardian caps during games next season if they choose. The league is also expanding the use of the devices during practices. Defensive backs and receivers have joined the position groups now...
Caleb Williams breaks Caitlin Clark’s draft-night record for jersey sales
Fans of the Chicago Bears seem pretty excited to have former USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams on the team. How excited? Based on draft-night jersey sales data, possibly more excited than any fanbase of any sports team has ever been about any draft pick. The Bears selected...
Jayden Daniels is Washington’s latest quarterback of the future
ASHBURN, Va. — Jayden Daniels is confident he can start in the NFL. Just not this minute. “Man, I don’t know the playbook, so I’m not prepared right now,” he said. Give it time, learn the playbook and Daniels might be Washington’s quarterback of the future. That’s certainly what ownership,...
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it 4 NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3Video
DETROIT — Caleb Williams swiftly walked on stage, looked out and screamed “Woooo! Yeah!” Long-suffering Chicago Bears fans felt his joy. Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades. “My goal is to get into as far as February as...
Watch: 2024 NFL Draft with live analysis
The 2024 NFL Draft will kick off at 8 p.m. Thursday night from Detroit. The Chicago Bears hold the first pick. While the Steelers have seven overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, starting with the 20th overall in the first round. STN video will broadcast a live stream starting...
Man who shot ex-Saints star Will Smith receives 25-year prison sentence for manslaughter
NEW ORLEANS — The man who fatally shot retired NFL star Will Smith during a confrontation following a car crash in 2016 received a 25-year prison sentence Thursday in a New Orleans courtroom. It was the second time Cardell Hayes, 36, had faced sentencing in Smith’s death. He was convicted...
Bears on Caleb Williams fitting in: ‘He’s all ball, wants to work’Video
CHICAGO — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles gave a sly smile as he provided the answer he knew would satisfy nobody. After months of courting Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams at the NFL Combine, his pro day and his top-30 visit to Halas Hall … after Williams’ private dinner...
1st-round picks likely on move in Day 1 of the NFL Draft
The No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft already has traded hands, with Carolina sending it more than a year ago to Chicago in a trade to move up to take Bryce Young first overall in 2023. Based on recent history, plenty more first-round picks should change hands Thursday night...
Lions extend Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell for $200M
DETROIT — The Detroit Lions have invested heavily in their future, keeping a pair of All-Pro players under contract for the next five seasons. The Lions and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown agreed to a four-year contract extension worth more than $120 million with $77 million in guarantees, and they...
It’s no longer a red flag for prospects to play for multiple schools on their way to the NFL draftVideo
DENVER — Playing for multiple schools no longer raises a red flag for NFL talent evaluators in this day and age of the ever busier transfer portal and financial windfalls available to college football players before they’re even old enough to buy a round of drinks. That’s a good thing...
NFL draft has been on tour for a decade and the next stop is Detroit, giving it a shot in spotlight
DETROIT — The NFL draft has taken the show on the road for a decade, giving cities around the country a chance to be in the spotlight. Detroit is on the clock. The Motor City, which was once one of the nation’s largest and most powerful cities, has bounced back...
49ers GM hopes to get Brandon Aiyuk contract extension done sooner rather than later
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brandon Aiyuk is staying away from the San Francisco 49ers facility at the start of the offseason program as he seeks a lucrative long-term contract. That doesn’t mean the 49ers don’t believe he will be part of the team when the season starts. General manager John...
No ‘magic pill’ when it comes to hitting on QB in NFL Draft
The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback in this draft. That much is easy to see. The hard part is picking the right one — and determining what it’s worth to get him. With this top-flight class — featuring Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy — the Vikings...
Matt Ryan calls it a career. The quarterback officially announces his retirementVideo
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — On the first pass of his first NFL minicamp, Matt Ryan delivered a wobbly throw that left his new Atlanta Falcons teammates shaking their heads. They couldn’t help but wonder if the team made a huge mistake drafting this skinny kid out of Boston College with...
Jets trade quarterback Zach Wilson to Broncos, AP source says
The New York Jets traded quarterback Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The Jets are sending Wilson and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL draft to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder, the person said. The person spoke...
Bills’ Josh Allen credits Stefon Diggs for development in 1st comments since trade
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Impersonal as it might seem to have their dynamic on-field relationship end with an exchange of phone texts, Bills quarterback Josh Allen made it clear Thursday how much receiver Stefon Diggs meant to him during their four seasons together in Buffalo. Allen made no mention of...
Ex-Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins signs with Chargers
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Running back J.K. Dobbins signed a one-year contract with the Chargers on Thursday, continuing the run of former Baltimore Ravens coming to Los Angeles. Dobbins is the fourth former Ravens player signed by general manager Joe Hortiz, who joined the Chargers in February after a long...
NFL draft has potential to set a record for most players on offense selected in the 1st round
The NFL Draft will be offensive. We’re not talking about hurt feelings. This draft has the potential to set a record for most offensive players selected in the first round. No draft has had more than 19 players on offense chosen in the first round. That happened three times, most...
AP mock draft: Steelers to take Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu
The NFL Draft madness begins early in the final edition of the AP’s 2024 mock draft. Eight trades in the first round. Two swaps in the top five. One team moves down and back up. Another makes three trades, going down twice before a move up to snatch a quarterback....
Browns’ Deshaun Watson throwing full speed after shoulder surgery; timetable unclear
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson is pleased with the velocity on his passes. At least there’s one aspect of his recovery from shoulder surgery with some speed. The Browns quarterback said Tuesday that he’s following a conservative rehab plan set up by his doctor and the team’s training staff as...
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice, along with fellow driver, sued for $10M in recent lawsuit
Two Dallas County residents are suing Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice and fellow driver Teddy Knox for damages of at least $10 million, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Dallas County, Texas. On March 30, Edvard Potrovskiy and Irina Gromova were traveling in their 2022 Lexus 350 SUV, according to...
