Colts place non-exclusive franchise tag on WR Michael Pittman Jr.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on starting receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on Tuesday. The move was announced less than an hour before the league’s deadline and less than a week after general manager Chris Ballard promised Pittman would be a Colt next fall. The two...
Bears place franchise tag on Pro Bowl CB Jaylon Johnson
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears placed the franchise tag on cornerback Jaylon Johnson on Tuesday after he made his first Pro Bowl in the final season of his rookie contract. Johnson would earn $19.8 million in 2024 if he doesn’t agree to a multiyear deal before the July 15 deadline....
Jaguars place franchise tag on standout pass rusher Josh Allen
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars used their franchise tag on standout pass rusher Josh Allen on Tuesday, essentially guaranteeing he will play at least another year in Jacksonville. Allen, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, set a single-season franchise record with 17½ sacks in the final year of...
Ravens put franchise tag on DT Justin Madubuike after career-high 13 sacks
The Baltimore Ravens put the franchise tag on Justin Madubuike on Tuesday after the defensive tackle finished his rookie contract with a breakout season in 2023. The franchise tag for defensive tackles comes with a one-year cost of just over $22 million, although Madubuike and the Ravens can continue negotiating...
AP mock NFL draft: Bears keep the No. 1 pick, take USC star QB Caleb WilliamsVideo
The Chicago Bears passed up C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young last year because they had Justin Fields. Now, they’ve got a shot at Caleb Williams. They can’t miss another chance at a franchise quarterback. The Bears traded away the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft to the Carolina...
Decisions made by Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr. could impact future NFL combinesVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL scouting combine’s evolution from hidden gem into the league’s second-most anticipated offseason event has come with all sorts of twists. The question is whether this year’s new ones could affect future combines. All-American receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. skipped media interviews, while Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams...
Chiefs use franchise tag on CB L’Jarius Sneed as work on Chris Jones deal continues
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs placed the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed on Monday, though it is uncertain whether that means one of the top cornerbacks due to hit free agency will remain with the Super Bowl champions next season. The Chiefs entered the offseason with Sneed...
Former Browns WR Braylon Edwards saves life in YMCA assault
DETROIT — Former NFL player Braylon Edwards stepped in and saved the life of an 80-year-old man who was being attacked in the locker room at a suburban Detroit YMCA, police said Monday. “If it wasn’t for that intervention, we could very easily be talking about someone’s death,” said Jeff...
Denver Broncos inform QB Russell Wilson they’ll release him when new league year beginsVideo
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos told Russell Wilson on Monday that they’re going to release him next week, just 18 months after signing the Super Bowl-winning quarterback to a five-year, $242 million contract extension. The Broncos still owe Wilson his $39 million salary for 2024 minus whatever he’d sign...
Jaguars release veteran DT Foley Fatukasi on his 29th birthday to save $3.5M against the cap
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars cut veteran defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi on his 29th birthday. The Jaguars made the move Monday a few hours after wishing Fatukasi a happy birthday on social media. Releasing him will save the Jaguars roughly $3.5 million against the 2024 salary cap. Fatukasi will...
Mike Evans agrees to 2-year, $52M deal with Buccaneers
TAMPA, Fla. — There’s still a chance Mike Evans could play his entire career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead of testing his worth in free agency this winter, the team’s career receiving leader agreed to a two-year, $52 million contract to remain with the club that drafted him seventh...
Eagles center Jason Kelce retires after 13 NFL seasons and 1 Super Bowl ring
PHILADELPHIA — Jason Kelce has retired after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 36-year-old Kelce officially called it quits Monday at the Eagles’ NovaCare Complex, ending a career in which he became not only one of the great centers of his era who played a key role in the...
Family ties link group of NFL Combine invitees to famous fathers
INDIANAPOLIS — Joe Alt had the perfect role model. He grew up in Minnesota, became a big-time recruit and joined a major college football program. He made the same seamless transition from tight end to dominant left tackle. And now, he could be eight weeks away from becoming a first-round...
Chris Mortensen, an award-winning reporter who covered the NFL, dies at 72
Chris Mortensen, the award-winning journalist who covered the NFL for close to four decades, including 32 as a senior analyst at ESPN, died Sunday morning. He was 72. ESPN confirmed Mortensen’s death on Sunday. There was no immediate word on the cause or place of death. “Mort was widely respected...
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., QBs Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels vie for top spot
INDIANAPOLIS — Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels arrived in Indianapolis as Heisman Trophy winners. Drake Maye is seeking to add to his family’s impressive athletic legacy. And the only player who might prevent those three talented quarterbacks from going 1-2-3 in this year’s NFL Draft appears to be All-America receiver...
FedEx ends naming rights agreement for the Washington Commanders stadium long known as FedEx Field
FedEx has ended its naming rights agreement to the Washington Commanders stadium in Landover, Maryland, a venue that had been known as FedEx Field since 1999. The move confirmed Wednesday comes two years prior to the expiration of the current agreement scheduled for 2026, and as the NFL club under...
NFL-worst Carolina Panthers increasing overall ticket prices by more than 4% for 2024 season
CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers are raising overall ticket prices by slightly more than 4% in 2024 following a season in which they finished with an NFL-worst 2-15 record and were shutout in the final two games. The lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will see the most...
Chiefs mulling whether to use franchise tag on Chris Jones or L’Jarius Sneed as deadline nears
The Kansas City Chiefs are weighing whether to use the franchise tag on All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones or star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, though general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday he is hopeful both will be back next season. The two stalwarts of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning defense would otherwise...
Sean Payton hints at moving on from Russell Wilson, says Broncos have to hit on ‘the next one’ at QB
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sean Payton isn’t providing anything definitive on Russell Wilson’s time in Denver but he did hint at the Broncos moving on from him when he suggested the team cannot afford to miss on “the next one” at quarterback. Payton met with the media at the NFL scouting...
Russell Wilson reiterates he’d like to stay in Denver, rehashes benching in podcast
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — With his coach and general manager set to address reporters — and likely his employment situation — at the NFL scouting combine Tuesday, Russell Wilson reiterated over the weekend that he hopes to return to the Denver Broncos in 2024. Wilson said he still aims to win...
Bengals place franchise tag on receiver Tee Higgins
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on receiver Tee Higgins, which likely will keep him with the team at least one more season, the team said Monday. If the Bengals can’t reach a long-term agreement with the 25-year-old Higgins before July 15, he’ll play the 2024 season...
Cam Newton involved in scuffle at youth football tournament
A video surfaced Sunday that appeared to show 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton being involved in a scuffle at a 7-on-7 youth football tournament in Atlanta. The video shows Newton, wearing one of his custom-made hats, being shoved by three people near the top of a set of...
After 3 seasons in NFL, Monroeville’s Robert Hainsey continues rise with Tampa Bay
Robert Hainsey spent some time outside the U.S. earlier this month vacationing with family and friends. It was a welcomed time of relaxation for the Monroeville native who had just completed his third NFL season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “It was very nice,” said Hainsey, a former Gateway lineman...
Police: Former NFL star Richard Sherman arrested on suspicion of DUI
SEATTLE — Former NFL star Richard Sherman was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Washington State Patrol. No other details about the arrest were immediately available, said Trooper Rick Johnson, a patrol spokesperson. A spokesperson for the King County Prosecutor’s Office said nothing...
NFL’s salary cap skyrockets to $255.4 million, up a record $30.6 millionVideo
NEW YORK — The NFL’s salary cap for 2024 will be $255.4 million, up a record $30.6 million from last year. The cap number has gone from $198.2 million in 2020 to $182.5 million in 2021 following the covid-19 pandemic. It increased to $208.2 million in 2022 and $224.8 million...
