Why the Patriots and superstar Christian Gonzalez are embroiled in a contract impasse

Conventional wisdom suggested there would be a quick resolution with cornerback Christian Gonzalez’s contract once the Seattle Seahawks signed Devon Witherspoon to a market-topping deal on Aug. 16. Witherspoon received a four-year, $132 million contract extension, averaging $33 million per year with $101,255,702 in guarantees where $59,255,702 is fully guaranteed, which are both record marks for a cornerback.

That’s what happened in the running back market this preseason. Bijan Robinson’s three-year, $66.75 million extension, averaging $22.5 million per year and worth a maximum of $75 million through salary escalators, with the Atlanta Falcons served as a blueprint for the Detroit Lions giving Jahmyr Gibbs a three-year, $67.5 million extension, averaging $22.5 million worth up to $75.75 million thanks to salary escalators, within a matter of days.

It’s been over two weeks since Witherspoon signed. Gonzalez still hasn’t gotten a new deal. Both players are represented by Reggie Johnson. It’s only natural that Johnson would find Witherspoon’s new deal particularly relevant given he negotiated it and the players, who were selected 12 picks apart in 2023’s first round, have both become two of the game’s best young cornerbacks.

Gonzalez has two years left on his rookie contract for $20,928,482. He is scheduled to make $2,809,452 this year and $18.119 million in 2027, which is his fully guaranteed fifth-year option.

Johnson is attempting to hold New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s feet to the fire because he announced at the start of training camp in late July that Gonzalez had been offered a deal that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. Gonzalez was dismayed at Kraft negotiating through the media as he preferred to keep the contract discussions private.

At the time of Kraft’s proclamation, the distinction belonged to Trent McDuffie. He signed a four-year, $124 million extension, averaging $31 million per year, in connection with his March trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams.

The general proposition with Kraft’s offer should continue to hold true despite changing cornerback market conditions. Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said that still is the case last week with the most recent offer. It conflicts with reporting from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, who indicated the two sides weren’t close to reaching an agreement.

Christian “Flight” White, who is Gonzalez’s longtime trainer, confirmed Wolf’s characterization of the offer in an interview with Boston radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mazz on Monday. He also expressed optimism that a deal would get done before the Super Bowl LX rematch against the Seattle Seahawks in the regular-season opener on Sept. 9.

Making Gonzalez the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback is the first obstacle that must be overcome to reach an agreement. The holdup is likely more structurally related than anything else.

Witherspoon has phenomenal cash flow in his deal. The deal is front-loaded. Witherspoon is getting 25% of his new money before playing any of his new contract years, which start in 2028. He has 37.88% of his new money through his first new contract year in 2028. In a neutral four-year extension that’s neither front-loaded or back-loaded, there would be 25% of the new money through the first new contract year, 50% of the new money through the second new contract year and 75% of the new money through the third new contract year.

There are two other players in recent years that have become the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback with four-year extensions while having two years remaining on a rookie contract: Patrick Surtain II in 2024 and Sauce Gardner in 2025. The Patriots would probably like the cash flow for Gonzalez to be closer to their respective deals than Witherspoon’s.

The chart below compares the cash-flow percentages of the three players after each year of their contracts.

The Patriots may find setting new benchmarks for both total guarantees and money fully guaranteed at signing problematic as well. Witherspoon is the only one of the three to do both with these salary-guarantee metrics. Gardner and Surtain each got record-setting overall guarantees but did not rank among the top five for cornerbacks with fully guaranteed money when their deals were done.

It should be noted that Derek Stingley Jr. established new cornerback benchmarks for these two contract metrics when he became the NFL’s first $30 million-per-year defensive back in March 2025 with a three-year, $90 million extension from the Houston Texans. Just like Gardner, Surtain and Witherspoon, Stingley had two years left on his rookie contract before signing his extension.

The first two years are fully guaranteed in each of these contracts. Gardner, Stingley and Surtain’s third- and fourth-year salary guarantees vest a year early. For example, Stingley’s injury-guaranteed 2027 base salary became fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year, which was March 15.

Witherspoon’s guarantees after his second contract year don’t work the same way. The Seahawks have a policy against this type of early vesting for guarantees. Witherspoon’s injury-guaranteed 2028 and 2029 salaries become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the waiver period in each respective year. The fifth day of the waiver period is five days after the completion of the Super Bowl putting the date in the middle of February (i.e., February 2028 for the 2028 contract year). Witherspoon’s player-friendly cash flow is probably the trade-off Seattle makes in order to have a more team-friendly guarantee vesting schedule.

The Patriots have a favorable guarantee vesting schedule in defensive tackle Milton Williams’ four-year, $104 million contract. The $12 million of Williams’ $21 million 2027 base salary that’s guaranteed for injury at signing doesn’t become fully guaranteed until next March 13 of the third day of the 2027 league year. An easy concession the Patriots can make is having Gonzalez’s guarantee vesting mirror Gardner’s, Stingley’s, and Surtain’s.

Another structural sticking point could be New England’s recent insistence on massive per-game roster bonuses in veteran contracts. The primary benefit of the roster bonuses is they provide the Patriots some financial relief with injuries. The per-game amount is only payable if the player is on the active list for that particular game.

Williams was New England’s highest-paid player at $26 million per year before wide receiver A.J. Brown was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in June. His four-year deal has $8.5 million of per-game roster bonuses, including $2.55 million each ($150,000 for each game active) in 2027 and 2028.

The Patriots already have the largest per-game roster bonuses in cornerback contracts. The three-year, $54 million deal Carlton Davis signed in 2025 has $1.275 million ($75,000 for each game active) annually.

The largest amount of per-game roster bonuses among the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks is the $850,000 ($50,000 for each game active) annually beginning next year in Witherspoon’s contract. Gardner has $750,000 in the extension years of his contract (2027 through 2030). McDuffie has $680,000 in 2027, 2028 and 2029. Surtain’s contract only has $510,000 in each of the last two years of his deal, 2028 and 2029. Stingley’s contract contains $500,000 annually starting in 2026.

It wouldn’t be surprising for the Patriots to insist that Gonzalez’s contract has significantly larger per-game roster bonuses than Witherspoon’s. Once teams have established structural conventions with contracts, they do not like to deviate from them.

The Patriots will contend that the exorbitant per-game roster bonuses are necessary because of durability concerns. Gonzalez missed the final 13 games of his rookie season in 2023 because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery. He also missed the first three games of the 2025 regular season with a hamstring injury.

Stingley has the smallest annual amount among these highly paid cornerbacks despite playing the fewest games in their first three NFL seasons. He missed 14 games collectively during his rookie and second seasons primarily because of hamstring injuries before playing every game as a third-year player.

A record 10 first-round picks have had contracts extended after playing three seasons in 2026. This dates to 2014 when the initial first-round draft class under the rookie wage implemented in 2011 became eligible to sign new deals. The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks reset the wide receiver market with 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s four-year, $168.6 million extension, averaging $42.15 million per year, in March in addition to Witherspoon’s contract.

It would be quite a contrast in the season opener with Seattle having two 2023 first-round picks signed long term and Gonzalez playing his fourth year under his rookie contract. A more eyebrow-raising look would be Gonzalez borrowing a page from seven-time original ballot Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s playbook with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 season when Ramsey was trying to force a trade, where a mysterious “injury” prevents him from playing until there’s a resolution to his satisfaction.

Five reasons the explosive NFL passing game has plummeted over the past decade and will it ever return?

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen is in one of those coach modes, animated, lively, talking offensive football, his passion for the NFL game on full display as he goes from diagramming plays on the white board in his office to using the clicker in his hand to show a play on the big screen across from his desk.

He is a mad scientist at work, trying to help me answer a question that has bothered me in a big way the past few years:

What in the hell has happened to the NFL passing game?

This was a league that once saw 5,000-yard passers, big downfield numbers, quarterbacks who let it fly, and coaches who weren’t afraid to let them do it. But last year, the average passing yards per game for NFL teams was the lowest since 2008.

The days of three yards and a cloud of dust aren’t quite back, but the bloated passing numbers of a decade ago are gone.

In trying to find the answer, I spoke with a variety of offense-minded coaches and quarterbacks to understand why passing-game numbers have dropped over the past 10 years. Think about this: NFL teams averaged just 209.7 passing yards per game last season, and just 10 years prior to that, teams averaged 243.8 yards per game. That’s a significant drop. In 2015, the league averaged 10.8 yards per catch. Last season, it was 10.2.

“There are a lot of reasons,” Coen said. “Teams aren’t letting you just drop back and get the big plays. Look at the Super Bowl teams that have won it the last two years, both Philly and Seattle. Those two teams play the highest amount of shell coverage, but what can they do? They can rush the passer, right? So they can rush with four and play soft zone coverage. They play deep to short and don’t let anything get over their heads. They limit the big plays.”

That is spreading throughout the league. Make offenses be patient and make them drive the field. Fans love the big plays. Offensive coaches and players do, too, but getting them now almost means yards after catch rather than the ball in the air.

There are reasons for it. Lots of them. In this story, I will explore five reasons why the beloved passing game isn’t what it used to be.

The five reasons are: The Vic Fangio impact, the offensive lines regressing compared to the defensive lines improving, the exotic looks on defense, the quarterback intellect and coaches playing it safe or, as I like to say, playing scared.

Let’s take a look at each of these reasons.

The Vic Fangio effect
Fangio, the Philadelphia Eagles veteran defensive coordinator, is credited by many as the man responsible for changing the NFL passing game. His two-deep structured defense is designed to prevent big plays.

The more prevalent use of his scheme, which many have copied, followed the trend of offenses figuring out ways to beat the single-high safety looks that the Seattle Seahawks used to dominate on defense in their Legion of Boom days. That style spread with Seattle’s success, as more teams adopted it before offenses eventually got the better of it, which led to the Fangio-style taking over.

“It kind of started in ’18 and trended ’20 ’21 and ’22,” Coen said. “Fangio started playing a lot of shell, so cover four, cover two, versions of cover four and cover two mix, so cover six, which is quarter, quarter, half. We got quarters on one side, half on the other, half on this side, quarters on this side. And he was doing it in both base defense and nickel defense. What he’s saying is, ‘I’m going to be light in the box, but I’m going to be sound in the pass game. We’re going to be deeper, play everything deep to short, and we’re not going to let the ball get thrown over our heads. That’s why people started to copy that system. They don’t want to give up explosives.”

“You see it more and more,” Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “They stay in shell and make you drive the field, stay on top of the deep stuff and make you be patient. They will give up the short check downs. As a a quarterback, you can get frustrated throwing check downs all game. And then you get antsy and want to throw it down the field. Then, like against Carolina last year, I am forcing it into triple coverage because we haven’t taken any shots.”

The key to being good in a defensive style is stopping the run without committing more bodies. If the defense doesn’t have to drop a player to stop the run, it can use all those off-coverage looks to limit the passing game.

If the defense can limit the run and still play off coverage, it creates a big-time challenge for the quarterback and the passing game to get big plays. That’s why completion percentages are up in the league, and yards-per-pass play are down.

“That Fangio family tree has had a huge effect,” Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “It’s hard to face that when you get all those combo coverages and the things they do. They don’t make it easy to get big plays. You are not just throwing crap up and getting guys open for big plays. They make it hard.”

“That has been a big factor,” Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. “And that tree of coaches is growing. So more people are doing it. That philosophy has grown.”

So what’s the answer?

Run it, the coaches and quarterbacks all said.

“If you can run the ball, just keep doing it,” Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. “That’s the thing that is going to get people out of all these rotations and stuff. Go ahead and rotate. I am handing the ball off to James Cook. Good luck.”

“You have to be able to run the football,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Make them pay for playing off. That will change things.”

One counter for offenses will be using more 13 personnel, one back and three tight ends. The Rams used it a lot last year to help the run game, but it also helped the passing game. Expect more and more teams to try to copy that this year.

“We can take our time and we can run jumbo,” Allen said. “It’s a different mindset. I think they’ve gotten faster on defense, but smaller. You don’t see any 240- 250-pound linebackers. You see hybrid players who go side to side. If you run it in 13 personnel, that can switch their mindset to get bigger guys.”

Bills first-year coach Joe Brady agrees.

“The game of football is cyclical,” Brady said. “Five years ago people were throwing for 5,000 yards. Now they make them earn it. Defenses have changed. That’s what teams do. We’re not just going to bang our head against the wall against it. If we get favorable looks in the run game, we will run it and get them back in the box.”

That, in turn, will also help take the pressure off the offensive line in protection. That leads to our second major issue, hurting the passing game.

Offensive line play
It’s easy to see with the naked eye that the defensive linemen in the NFL have improved, especially from a speed standpoint, while the offensive lines have not. That’s a challenge of trying to hit big plays in the passing game.

Your quarterback can’t throw on his back.

“The pass rushers are so (expletive) good,” LaFleur said. “They are so athletic now. That’s a challenge for all offensive lines.”

“The rushers are getting better and better and better,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said. “The truncation of practice time has also made it a lot tougher for the offensive lines.”

It doesn’t help that offensive line play takes time for a unit to grow. It takes reps, padded reps. But with limited days in pads in camp and during the season, it makes it a real challenge to get a five-man group that can hold up consistently in protection.

“Protection is No. 1,” Mayfield said. “We are lucky we have a good offensive line.”

“What drives us nuts as coordinators when it comes to the game plan is what play-action protections are good,” said Bucs coordinator Zac Robinson. “Maybe they have one guy who can really rush on the outside, but then it might be one on the outside and one on the inside. Or two on the inside. The rushers have really gotten so good. So as a play caller, can you get enough eligibles down the field to flush coverage to open up a window. Or do we have to protect the edge with two players, which means only two verticals out. That’s where the defensive line has helped gain the advantage.”

If a line can protect with five, it would make life so much easier. But the tricky part now with that is all the exotic looks teams throw up front as they rush. It’s not just line up and go. The line has to be working in unison to pick up stunts and movements. With those doing the moving being so much more athletic, it presents a real challenge for the offensive line.

“You look at Brian Flores in Minnesota, and you look at some of the stuff they’re doing,” Coen said. “They have guys dropping and blitzing from everywhere, and so it’s no longer like back in the day when linebackers only did this, D-linemen only did this, safeties only did this, corners only did that job. Now it’s all just Xs. Anybody can play anywhere is kind of how Flores trains his defense, and it’s creative. And they do a lot of things to rush the passer. It makes it tough on those guys up front.”

“The defenses really do a good job of attacking your protection,” Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken said. “That limits the deep ball to some degree.”

The creativity up front has also led to a lot of it on the back end, which takes me to the next thing impacting the passing game.

Exotic looks
Sitting in a room outside the Green Bay Packers locker room in early August, Love was talking about how he sometimes goes back and watches film from 10-15 years ago.

“It was simple Cover-2 looks and you kind of knew what they were going to do,” Love said. “Now it’s so much more complicated. There are so many crazy coverages, so much disguise. It’s not as easy just to say I see Cover-2 or man coverage and just go.”

It used to be static on defense. Then again, the offenses were also much more static. Now there is so much movement just before the snap on both sides, but the defensive rotations and movement really make it challenging for passers. Quarterbacks who don’t put the work in can be in big trouble.

Detailed film study is a must.

“I was talking to (offensive coordinator) Pete Carmichael about some of the things we used to see back in 2017 when we were in New Orleans,” Brady said. “At the time, it was as hard as can be. I look back on it now, and it wasn’t that hard compared to what they do today.”

“You look at tape from 2017 to now and it looks like a different game in some ways,” Udinski said. “The coverages are the same. I am not saying guys invented new football. But the creativity within packages and personnel is different even five years ago. And you have guys who are more specialized in their roles.”

Teams show one thing pre-snap, which makes that a read in itself for a quarterback, but then it becomes even tougher with all the post-snap movement.

“They teach the movement at the shot clock,” Coen said. “They will say at this second, at this time, they will hold the shell until a certain point if they can, then, boom, they move. They try and hold as long as they can and then they rotate at a certain point. That is challenging for a quarterback. Post snap is the toughest. They show a quarter shell for as long as humanely possible then roll to play two or three, maybe both safeties coming down and corners going deep. It’s no longer a safety is a safety, a corner is a corner. They’re all just Xs and Os.”

That’s why player versatility is so important on defense. It’s why a player like Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton is such a big part of the Ravens’ defense. He can play up near the line, be a good tackler in the run game or a blitzer, or he can play deep and help out with the coverage. Teams are craving players who can be chess pieces on defense.

“Defenses are doing a much better job of being multiple in terms of their complexities,” LaFleur said. “It puts so more on the players. They have to be dialed in to every call. But also us in our game planning.”

Think about the life of a quarterback. You get a long play call from the coordinator or coach. Then you have to repeat it. Then you break the huddle. Then you look across at the defense to get a pre-snap look. Or at least one you think you are getting.

The play clock is running down. The look isn’t what you want. So you call the play. Then they rotate at the snap. Is the play good? What if it isn’t? What if you have a man-beater called, and they play zone?

“You have to have all-purpose plays that distribute the field and find completions,” Robinson said. “Plays that have answers vs man, single-high zone, two-deep, quarters. And move the football that way. I’ve been coaching seven years and you’ve seen it get more and more complex in that short time.”

It used to be that if a man went in motion on offense and a defender went with him, that was a man indicator. Not anymore.

“They all throw false tells at you now,” Robinson said. “Then they drop into zone.”

Said Allen: “It’s a marriage between man and zone. The hardest for me is when teams show they are playing zone and play man out of it. It really messes with your indicators. There are ways around it, but it’s tough.”

Young quarterbacks can get eaten alive by the defensive complexities. They get fooled. But guys like Matthew Stafford with the Rams have been around for so long that they can overcome being fooled, according to the coaches who have worked with him. Experience matters.

“I would say they’re probably more complex, but I didn’t quite understand it to the full degree as I do now.” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawerence said. “So you learn a lot from playing, but they’re changing a lot too.I mean, it’s all designed to stop the pass now. The late movement and all that stuff is a challenge. So you really try and use cadence, try to use motions that look like the ball’s going to be snapped to show them something and get them to adjust. I think that’s what offenses are moving to now.”

That brings us to the next issue facing the passing game:

Quarterback decision-making
Several of the coaches and personnel men I spoke with for this story say the college game isn’t preparing quarterbacks for the NFL like it used to. They play in the spread, and many rarely under center. They play calls come from the coach on the sideline at the line in some instances. The reads are more pure progression — 1-2-3-4 — rather than reading the coverages.

That’s why it’s so challenging for young quarterbacks now. They are learning how to play under center, while also reading all the complicated exotic looks coming their way.

“It can be a lot for a young quarterback,” Mayfield said. “It’s even more complicated now for a guy coming in than when I was a rookie. It’s a challenge.”

That can limit what an offense can do. That’s why good quarterbacks usually grow from Year 1 to Year 2 and Year 2 to Year 3. By the time they are veterans, they’ve seen it all.

Or at least they used to think they did.

“What they are doing now is so much different and it can mess with a young player,” Mayfield said. “You have to be patient. It’s not just throwing it up and getting guys open. This is hard.”

The last big component, in my mind, in the regression of the passing game is coaches doing something I hate, which is playing not to lose.

Coaches playing scared
If you ever want to see offensive-minded coaches squirm, tell them as a group they have become passive, gun-shy, scared.

To a man, they have the same reply.

“Not me.”

But let’s be real. The feeling from the way the game is played now is that coaches would rather have their quarterbacks throw for 210 yards, one touchdown and no picks than, like in the old days, 350 yards, three touchdowns and two picks.

Playing it safe seems to be the norm much more than it used to be.

The numbers say so. Interception numbers are down, but those completion percentages are up. Consider this: Of the top-18 all-time single-season completion percentages, nine have occurred in the past six seasons and eight in the past five. The league average for completion percentage was under 60% every year until 2007, and it hasn’t come close to being that low since. It just keeps going up. Last season, the league completion percentage was 64.3%.

It used to be “touchdown-checkdown” in the NFL. Now it’s “checkdown-checkdown” as teams protect the football.

“You can’t turn it over,” Brady said.

“The first thing we talk about is taking care of the ball,” Robinson said.

“I think that in the quarterback room it’s always pushed to us to take are of the ball,” Love said. ‘It comes down to the trust with the play caller and the quarterback coach understanding I will take care of the ball. But I am still going to push the envelope. I don’t want to throw checkdowns all game. You can go in with that mindset, but not be able to push it down the field and make explosive plays. It’s not going to be what you want. I want to go down the field and put the pressure on defense. Explosive plays is how you win games.”

Thus lies the fine line between pushing the ball and playing it safe. Coaches make a lot of money now. Turning the ball over can lead to losses and lost jobs.

But I still believe that taking chances and maybe making mistakes is better than playing it safe. You can’t play not to lose.

The big question now is whether the passing game can come back. Can the deep ball come back?

Telling offensive coaches that the defense is ahead was met with frowns and grimaces. None of them liked to hear that.

“I would say they caught up,” LaFleur said. “Not ahead. We will adjust.”

“I am not going to say they are ahead,” Udinski said. “I won’t say that.”

“Things will change,” Brady said. “They always do.”

The quarterbacks are convinced it will change.

“We are going to get it back,” Mayfield said.

“It can come back,” Love said. “You just have to be patient and then take your shots. The passing game will be back.”

Expect teams to do what the Rams did last year by using more 13 personnel with three tight ends on the field. That will help counter some of the exotic looks defenses are using these days, which, in turn, could lead to more big plays.

“Everybody’s going to go to so much more heavy personnel, 13, to try and copy that stuff,” Coen said. “Teams are going to over-rotate in that direction.”

That, though, makes your offense slower. The tight ends are good these days, but they don’t run like receivers. That seems like an advantage for the defense yet again.

The days of the long 50-yard go ball might be waning. The big plays now come on deep in-cuts and throws that have a lot of run-after-catch ability.

“When we say a go ball, unless you have Calvin Johnson or somebody that’s just a freak in one-on-one, the percentages of the go ball are very small,” Coen said. “If I am going to throw the ball 40-45 yards down the field one-on-one, my quarterback has to put it in a perfect spot. That’s hard to come by. So find different ways to create explosives.”

With that, Coen went back to the TV in his office to show a 20-plus completion from Lawrence to Brian Thomas Jr. from a game last season.

“Watch all the shell coverage on this tape, and this is just a reel of our dagger concept, the in break, the deep in break,” Coen said as he used ran the play over and over. “It’s like a 20-yard in cut, so you bet your ass this is an explosive play now. Look at the defense. They are just sinking with no vertical threat. So if you want to throw a go-ball here, you can’t. So you attack the middle of the field as they get width. You take advantage of what you can win with and what I took away from our self scout was our quarterback’s good at throwing seams and ins, and he’s really good at it. He’s better at throwing seams than he is go balls outside. So you can get the big plays. You just have to get them a different way.”

Let’s hope so for the sake of the passing game. Nobody, and I mean nobody, loves the checkdown.

It’s time for the passing game to come back.

How the Rams built a salary-cap super team around Matthew Stafford

A 31-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game was considered by the Los Angeles Rams as a missed opportunity because their NFC West divisional rival dominated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LX. Once 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford quickly decided to return for an 18th season, the Rams swung for the fences to capitalize.

The only unrestricted free agent of consequence was safety Kam Curl. He was retained on a three-year, $36 million contract, with up to $39 million in salary escalators.

Cornerback, the most glaring roster weakness, was upgraded in a trade and through free agency. Trent McDuffie, who was entering a contract year, was acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in March. He signed a four-year, $124 million contract extension in connection with the trade, making him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback at the time. Jaylen Watson, McDuffie’s cornerback counterpart in Kansas City, received a three-year, $51 million deal as an unrestricted free agent.

Another order of business was adjusting Stafford’s contract. As the 2025 NFL MVP, Stafford was still underpaid despite renegotiating the final two years of the four-year, $160 million extension he signed in 2022, which had $58 million remaining, into a two-year, $84 million deal last year. Stafford received a one-year extension for $55 million running through the 2027 season. Incentives make Stafford’s extension worth up to $60 million.

A persistent pursuit of edge rusher Myles Garrett, which began in 2022, finally paid dividends in June. The Cleveland Browns dealt the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the Rams for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, a 2029 third-round pick and edge rusher Jared Verse, who was 2024’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The Garrett acquisition had an unexpected major consequence. His addition inspired defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who was on track to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2029, to unretire.

After winning the offseason, the Rams are heavy favorites to be Super Bowl LXI champions at 5-to-1, according to SportsLine. The Buffalo Bills have the next best odds at 10-to-1, followed by the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

How the Rams assembled their Super Bowl-or-bust roster
The Rams assembled a team more reminiscent of a previous era before the salary cap was implemented in 1994. The NFL salary cap is $301.2 million for the 2026 league year. Each team’s actual salary cap (known as adjusted salary cap) is typically different from the NFL’s set amount because unused cap room can be carried over from one year to the next year and other adjustments can further increase or decrease cap space.

The Rams have an adjusted salary cap of $313.324 million. The league-wide average is $317.822 million according to NFLPA data. The New England Patriots have the NFL’s highest adjusted salary cap at $352.979 million, largely thanks to carrying over $47.27 million of cap room, which is easily the most in the league. The Bills have the lowest at $301.58 million, which is only $380,000 above the league-wide number.

The Rams constructed a roster that is top-heavy, salary-cap-wise. Stafford has the 2026 largest cap number at $48,267,348. The only other 2026 cap number above $45 million belongs to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert with $46.35 million.

Wide receiver Davante Adams and left tackle Alaric Jackson’sJackson have the 25th- and 35th-highest cap numbers in the NFL for 2026. Adams has the third-highest wide receiver figure at $28 million. Jackson’s $25.4 million is fifth among offensive linemen (fourth for an offensive tackle).

Four other Rams have 2026 cap numbers that rank among the 10 highest at their respective positions. Kyren Williams, who signed a three-year, $33 million extension last July, has the third-biggest running back cap number at $11.7 million. Coleman Shelton’s $9.5 million is fourth for a center. Kevin Dotson’s $17.4 million is the seventh-largest offensive guard cap hit. Colby Parkinson has the ninth-highest tight end cap figure ($9.1 million).

The collective $48 million average yearly salary of McDuffie and Watson for the upgrade at cornerback is the NFL’s second-highest, behind only the Indianapolis Colts tandem of Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward at $48.1 million. McDuffie’s and Watson’s combined $17.8 million 2026 cap hit is smaller than Ward’s alone ($19.9 million). Their cap figures will jump significantly in 2027. McDuffie’s will be a cornerback, high $30.8 million, while Watson’s $22.7 million ranks 10th.

Garrett had five years worth $179 million remaining on his contract when acquired. His contract was almost immediately reworked. Instead of making $31.5 million in 2026, his salary was raised to $37 million, with $35.7 million converted into a signing bonus that would be prorated at $7.14 million annually against the salary cap from 2026 through 2030. His 2026 cap number is $8,840,680.

Garrett’s 2027 compensation drops from $42.7 million to $32 million, while his 2028 money increases to $30 million from $24.8 million. His compensation for 2029 and 2030 remains at $40 million in each year.

There are two separate option bonuses, each for $15 million in 2027, to pick up dummy/voiding 2031 and 2032 contract years. Because this $30.145 million is being prorated on the salary cap from 2027 through 2031 at $6.029 million annually, Garrett’s 2027 cap hit is $15.024 million. Given the market for elite pass rushers has changed dramatically since Garrett became the NFL’s first $40 million per year non-quarterback in March 2025, it wouldn’t be surprising for his deal to be renegotiated as early as next year.

The Rams had more than $15 million in existing cap space, according to NFLPA data, when Donald decided to come out of retirement on August 30. The Rams had retained his contractual rights when he retired after the 2023 season by placing him on the reserve/retired list. The remaining year left on his contract tolled or was frozen.

Because of some creative salary cap maneuvering when Donald retired in 2024, the Rams easily handled his contract upon reinstatement without anymore salary cap gymnastics. Donald’s 2026 salary was just his league minimum $1.3 million before he and the Rams agreed on a one-year, $20 million deal worth a maximum of $30 million through incentives.

The $20 million is composed of a fully guaranteed $10 million base salary and $10 million in per-game roster bonuses, with $666,666.67 for each game on the 53-man roster, capped at 15 games. The $10 million in incentives is primarily tied to Donald’s playtime and the Rams’ postseason success. Donald gets $2.5 million if he has at least 15% of the defensive snaps in the regular season and the Rams make the playoffs. There’s $1.25 million on the Rams’ active roster for the wild card game or if a bye is earned for that playoff round. Being on the active roster for a divisional playoff game is worth another $1.25 million. Donald gets $2.5 million each for an NFC Championship Game win and a Super Bowl win, provided his regular-season defensive playtime reached 15% and he took at least 20% of the defensive snaps in the requisite game.

Technically, Donald is under contract for 2027 at his $1.345 million league minimum salary, and there are dummy/voiding 2028 through 2030 contract years. Donald has a $5.826 million 2026 cap number because his low 2027 salary triggered an obscure salary cap rule, the 50% Down Rule. Since Donald’s second-year salary in 2027 is less than half of his first-year salary in 2026, the difference between the two salaries, including the $3.75 million of Donald’s incentives classified as likely to be earned, is being treated as a signing bonus and prorated over these five years. As a result, Donald’s 2026 cap number consists of $1.3 million categorized as base salary and $4.481 million as bonus proration. The $4.481 million of bonus proration applies to 2027 as well as each of the dummy/voiding 2028 through 2030 contract years.

Why Los Angeles must create more space soon
The NFLPA lists the Rams as having $10.43 million of 2026 cap space under offseason accounting rules, where only the top 51 salaries (i.e., salary cap numbers) matter. The cap room is illusory because salary cap accounting switches on September 9 where every player under contract including those on the reserve list and the practice squad counts. The Rams are tracking to be $1.715 million over the salary cap by NFLPA calculations when the offseason accounting expires.

Stafford and Adams, who are in contract years, are the most logical contract restructure candidates to free up 2026 cap space because of their respective $16 million and $18 million 2026 base salaries. The Rams may want to leave Adams’ contract alone, although as much as $13.36 million of cap room could be created, provided dummy/voiding years running through 2030 are added in the process. The Rams would have $17.36 million in dead money, a salary cap charge for a player no longer on the team’s roster, for Adams in 2027, considering there is already $4 million of bonus proration in Adams’ existing dummy/voiding 2027 contract year.

Doing the salary conversion with Stafford instead would generate up to $11.76 million of 2026 cap room. Stafford’s 2027 cap number would increase by $2.94 million from $31.6 million to $34.54 million, given the number of dummy/voiding years existing in his contract.

The Rams had a stellar 2023 draft class. Unfortunately, offensive guard Steve Avila, wide receiver Puka Nacua, defensive tackle Kobie Turner, and edge rusher Byron Young, who have respective $4.6 million, $5.8 million, $4.2 million, and $6 million 2026 cap numbers, are probably going to play out their rookie contracts because of salary cap constraints.

Stafford’s succession and the decisions looming in 2027
Anything less than hosting the Lombardi Trophy will be a disappointment for the Rams this season with the infusion of talent. The Rams should be positioned to make another championship run in 2027, regardless of how this season turns out. The NFLPA has the Rams with the fifth-fewest 2027 cap commitments at $235.303 million, where 35 players are under contract. The league average, according to the NFLPA, is $288.812 million with 41 players (rounded to the nearest whole number) under contract.

Re-signing choices will likely need to be made with the 2023 draft class. Nacua is a prime franchise tag candidate. Next year’s wide receiver tag should be in the neighborhood of $29 million, depending on where the 2027 salary cap is set. Without off-the-field issues, Nacua would probably already be the league’s highest-paid wide receiver ahead of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who received a four-year, $168.6 million contract averaging $42.15 million per year from the Seahawks in March.

Things should get interesting for the Rams in 2028. That’s the logical time for Stafford to hang up his football cleats, given how his contract is structured. Stafford has an unsecured $100 million 2029 base salary that becomes fully guaranteed without an offset in March 2028 on the 10th of the 2028 league year. The Rams will be contending with $57 million in dead money by parting ways with Stafford before the $100 million becomes secured. The dead money would be taken over two years with $21.6 million in 2028 and $35.4 million in 2029 with use of the post-June 1 designation.

The Rams were criticized for selecting quarterback Ty Simpson with the 2026 13th overall pick, partly due to a Super Bowl-or-bust mentality this season. There’s a school of thought that the best time to draft a quarterback is when one isn’t desperately needed. Simpson will be entering his third NFL season in 2028 with a $6,930,588 cap number. If Simpson demonstrates he can be the successor to Stafford, the Rams will be able to extend a championship window open since he will have a modest cap number in 2029, the fourth year of his rookie contract, and the first couple of years of any contract extension he signs.

Why he might be sent home and why they made the move

The only thing worse than getting cut by an NFL team is getting cut after flying 16 hours to Australia, and that’s exactly what happened to 49ers tight end Brayden Willis on Saturday.

Willis was released to make room for long snapper Jon Weeks, who was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad.

Weeks is the only long snapper on the team, but he wasn’t on the active roster going into the weekend because the 49ers had to do some roster gymnastics before the cut deadline on Aug. 30. He ended up being released just before the deadline, which left the 49ers with exactly zero long snappers on their roster. Weeks was eventually added to the practice squad, and now, he’s back on the active roster as the 49ers get ready to prepare for their opener against the Rams in Melbourne.

Although Weeks is the one being added to the roster, let’s not forget about Willis, who might have to fly 16 hours home just days after landing in Australia. Willis has been in the NFL since 2023, when the 49ers made him a seventh-round pick, and with less than four years of NFL experience, he’s now going to hit the waiver wire. If he gets claimed by another team, he’ll immediately leave Australia to join his new team.

Of course, this might be the one situation where a player is hoping NOT to be claimed by anyone. As several 49ers beat writers noted on Saturday, if Weeks goes unclaimed, then he’ll likely sign with San Francisco’s practice squad, and if that happens, then he’ll be able to stay in Australia with the 49ers

SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE (9/6/26): Willis signed with the 49ers practice squad after going unclaimed on waivers, so he gets to STAY in Australia.

What the Willis move might mean for George Kittle
From a roster standpoint, the 49ers’ decision to cut Willis is definitely an interesting one. Since Willis is a tight end, the move could signal that the team is extremely confident in George Kittle’s chances of playing on Thursday night — Friday morning in Melbourne — against the Rams.

Kittle, who tore his Achilles tendon in January, made the trip to Australia, and it’s increasingly looking like he’ll be able to play.

That being said, now that Willis is on the practice squad, the 49ers could still promote him to the active roster on game day if they feel like Kittle isn’t quite ready, so it will certainly be interesting to see how Kittle is listed when the 49ers release their first injury report of the year on Monday.

The 49ers also made one other roster move this week, and that was the signing of Khalid Kareem away from the Falcons’ practice squad. The move means Kareem will have to make the roughly 21-hour trip from Atlanta to Melbourne to join the 49ers for the start of practice this week.

As you can see, there are many logistical issues with playing in Australia. If you cut a player, there’s a chance they might have to turn around and fly home immediately (if a player is released or waived while on an international trip, the franchise remains fully responsible for their return transportation, logistics, and getting them back to the United States), and if you sign a player, that person has to quickly figure out how to travel halfway around the world in a very short time.

Final record for all 32 teams, Super Bowl LXI pick, playoff matchups and MVP winner

Welcome to football’s greatest Labor Day tradition: The release of my annual NFL predictions.

After spending the past three days locked in a windowless room trying to figure out who’s going to win the Super Bowl this year, I am ready to share my predictions with the world. Will you hate them? Probably. Will you hate me? Maybe.

If I’ve noticed one thing over the years, it’s that people love to throw the wrong predictions back in my face at the end of the year, but that won’t be an issue this year, because I don’t plan on getting anything wrong.

That being said, if I do end up getting some (or all) of my predictions wrong, feel free to rub it in my face on social media (You can send hate messages to me on X, and I also started a TikTok because my Gen Z nephews told me that no one uses X anymore, so feel free to make fun of me there).

Anyway, before we get to my predictions, let me explain how things will work here: I’ll go through each division and predict each team’s final record. After that, I’ll be making one bold prediction for each division.

Once you roll through the divisional portion of these predictions, you’ll see my playoff picks and eventually the team I’m picking to win the Super Bowl. In two of the past 10 years, my preseason Super Bowl pick has ended up winning it all, so if you want to skip everything and scroll straight down to my Super Bowl pick to see if I’m taking your team, I won’t be offended.

Finally, if you’re wondering how I did last season, I predicted the exact record for 13 different teams or came within one game of it. According to the guys at Stadium Rant, I had the second-most accurate preseason predictions among the media members they tracked. Does that mean I was good, or does it mean that I was just less worse than everyone else? I’m still trying to figure that out.

Even though my predictions were pretty solid for most teams, there was one team that I absolutely whiffed on last year, and that was the Seahawks. I had them missing the playoffs, and if you watched any football in 2025, then you already know that the Seahawks did NOT miss the playoffs.

The largest and most technologically advanced Super Bowl ring ever created for the SBLX Champions. pic.twitter.com/2M2ANGEBgT

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 12, 2026
That ring is worth more than my car, and the irony is that I could have bought a new car if I had picked the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl last year and made a big bet on it. I definitely will not be underestimating the Seahawks this year. Does that mean I’ll be picking them to pull off a Super Bowl repeat?

Let’s get to the 2026 predictions and find out.

AFC East

1. *Bills: 11-6
2. Patriots: 9-8
3. Jets: 6-11
4. Dolphins: 2-15

AFC East bold prediction: Patriots miss the playoffs

Before I explain myself here, I would like to start by saying that my AFC East bold prediction for 2025 was that the Patriots would win double-digit games and that Mike Vrabel would win Coach of the Year. Well, check and check. I also predicted that the Patriots would win the AFC title game by exactly three points over Denver and that they’d lose by two touchdowns to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

OK, now that we’ve established that I’m never wrong about the Patriots, we can get to this year and why I think they’ll miss the playoffs. On defense, I’m worried about New England’s pass-rush. Their sack leader from last year, Harold Landry, is going to miss at least the first four games of the season, and they don’t really have any proven stars behind him. On the other side of the ball, I’m concerned about the offensive line. On paper, it’s certainly better than it was last year — and Will Campbell will be fully healthy — but I’ll believe they’re better when I actually see it. This group is going to get two stiff tests in the first two weeks (The Seahawks defense in Week 1 and T.J. Watt in Week 2), and if they pass those, I’ll probably be regretting this bold prediction by Week 3.

And let’s not forget about the schedule. Last year, the Patriots took advantage of one of the easiest schedules in NFL history. This year, they have an absolute gauntlet coming out of the gate. Their first four opponents have a combined strength-of-schedule of .721, the highest SOS any team has faced in the first four weeks in 40 years. To make things worse, the Patriots will have to play three of their first four games on the road. They might start 1-3, and if that happens, I could see things getting ugly from there, but not too ugly, because I do have them finishing over .500.

AFC North

1. *Ravens: 12-5
2. *Bengals: 11-6
3. *Steelers: 9-8
4. Browns: 5-12

AFC North bold prediction: Bengals second-round pick wins Defensive Rookie of the Year

Two years ago, I correctly predicted that Jared Verse would win defensive rookie of the year, and this year, I’m jumping on the Cashius Howell bandwagon. A front-seven player has won this award in eight of the past 10 years, and Howell will keep that trend going.

The easiest way for a defensive player to win this award is to rack up sacks, and Howell is in the perfect position to do it. With Dexter Lawrence now on the team, you can pretty much bet that every offense the Bengals play this year will be worried about slowing down Lawrence. That likely means Lawrence will regularly see double teams, which should open the door for someone on the defensive line to shine, and I think that someone will be Howell, who was taken with the 41st overall pick back in April.

And let’s not forget, Howell is in a very sack-friendly division. He gets to face Aaron Rodgers, who has been sacked more times than any other QB in NFL history. He also gets to face a Browns offense that surrendered 51 sacks last season, which was the seventh-most in the NFL. As a matter of fact, there were only eight teams last year that gave up 49 sacks or more, and the Bengals will get to play four games against those eight teams, so Howell will be in a position to put up some impressive numbers.

AFC South

1. *Texans: 11-6
2. Jaguars: 8-9
3. Colts: 7-10
4. Titans: 3-14

AFC South bold prediction: Trevor Lawrence leads the NFL in interceptions

The Jaguars won the AFC South last year, and they did that despite the fact that Lawrence threw 12 interceptions, which was tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. Lawrence’s biggest struggles came early in the season with three interceptions in his first four games. The early season could be another struggle for Lawrence this year, and that’s because the Jags will be facing two of the best defenses in the NFL in the first two weeks: The Browns (Week 1) and Broncos (Week 2). There were only three teams in the NFL that recorded more than 50 sacks last season, and those were two of them. Basically, Lawrence is likely going to be under a lot of pressure, which could lead to three or four interceptions in the first two weeks. And things won’t be getting any easier after that.

Here’s what the Jags schedule looks like from Week 2 through their Week 7 bye:

Week 2: at Broncos
Week 3: Patriots
Week 4: at Bengals
Week 5: vs. Eagles (in London)
Week 6: vs. Texans (in London)

That’s brutal. Lawrence threw at least one interception in nine of Jacksonville’s 17 games last season, and he did that even though he had Travis Etienne in his backfield, a player who was so good that he took a lot of pressure off the passing game. The Jags won’t have Etienne this year, and although they do have two solid running backs in Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez, I don’t think they’ll be quite as good as Etienne. With the running game taking a step back, I think Lawrence will be asked to do more, which will lead to more interceptions.

AFC West

1. *Broncos: 12-5
2. *Chiefs: 10-7
3. Chargers: 9-8
4. Raiders: 5-12

AFC West bold prediction: Broncos repeat as AFC West champs and win the division by multiple games

The Broncos won the AFC West last year, but somehow, they still can’t get any respect. Going into the 2026 season, the Broncos have the third-best odds to win the division. They are somehow behind both the Chiefs and the Chargers.

Let’s take a look at the odds (via DraftKings):

Chiefs: +170
Chargers: +190
Broncos: +210
Raiders: +2000
Yes, the Chiefs are getting Patrick Mahomes back, but they had him for 14 games last year, and they went 6-8. Also, the Chiefs have a huge question mark on defense in the form of a secondary that lost both starting corners (Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie) and a starting safety (Bryan Cook) during the offseason. As for the Chargers, they have one of the most difficult eight-week stretches that any team has ever faced in NFL history.

The Chargers have the hardest 8 game stretch in NFL history dude LMAO pic.twitter.com/Pqcm0Nu1Z4

— garrett (@jalenreagors) September 1, 2026
I’m not sure they’re going to make it out of that alive.

And then you have the Broncos. From top to bottom, I think you could argue that Denver has the best roster in the AFC. If they had one weakness on offense, it was the lack of a home run threat, but they now have one with Jaylen Waddle. This team is being slept on, but I don’t sleep because I live with a 2-year-old, so it’s impossible for me to sleep on anyone. The prediction here is that the Broncos will repeat as division champs for the first time since 2011-15, when they won five in a row.

NFC East

1. *Cowboys: 10-7
2. Eagles: 9-8
3. Giants: 8-9
4. Commanders: 7-10

NFC East bold prediction: Eagles miss the playoffs

Nick Sirianni has been the Eagles’ head coach for five seasons, and he’s led Philadelphia to the playoffs in every single one of those seasons, but I think the run finally ends this year. The Eagles just hired their fifth offensive coordinator in Sirianni’s five seasons, and if you combine that with A.J. Brown no longer being in town, I think we could see the offense struggle some this year. The Eagles still have Devonta Smith, but behind him, their receiving room essentially consists of a rookie (Makai Lemon) and a bunch of guys they added this offseason, like Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore. I don’t think we’re going to see a huge collapse in Philadelphia — I still have them finishing above .500 — but I do think this will be the year where their run atop the division comes to an end.

NFC North

1. *Lions: 12-5
2. *Packers: 11-6
3. *Bears: 10-7
4. Vikings: 10-7

NFC North bold prediction: Jared Goff wins MVP

At first, I wasn’t sure if this prediction qualified as bold, but it definitely does, because Goff isn’t even among the top 10 favorites to win MVP this year. His odds of winning MVP are currently +2500, which is the 13th-best overall.

So why do I like Goff? Glad you asked. The criteria for winning MVP has basically become two-fold: You have to be a quarterback and you have to play for one of the best teams in the NFL. Well, Goff is a quarterback, and I think the Lions are going to be one of the best teams in the NFL this year, which I think will put him in the MVP conversation.

I actually picked Goff to win the MVP in 2024, and although the prediction didn’t pan out, he led the Lions to an NFL-best 15-2 record and finished fifth in the MVP vote. I felt good about that prediction back then, and I feel even better about this one.

One other thing I like about Goff is that the Lions have a friendly schedule this year. They get to play 12 of their 17 games in a dome and they’ll likely only have to deal with two cold-weather games all season, and fittingly, those two games — Week 17 at Green Bay and Week 18 at Chicago — will likely go a long way in determining whether Goff wins the MVP.

And if you’re wondering why I like the Lions to win the division. A lot of it comes down to their three non-common games. Every team in the NFC North plays 14 similar games and three non-common ones:

DET: at Cardinals, Giants, Titans
CHI: at Seahawks, Eagles, Jaguars
GB: at Rams, Cowboys, Texans
MIN: at 49ers, Commanders, Colts
I feel like the Lions will go 3-0 with their slate, but I can’t see any other NFC North team pulling that off with their trio of games.

NFC South

1. *Saints: 8-9
2. Buccaneers: 7-10
3. Falcons: 6-11
4. Panthers: 6-11

NFC South bold prediction: Kellen Moore wins Coach of the Year with a losing record

Winning the Coach of the Year award in a season where your team finishes with a losing record is almost impossible. Over the past 40 years, it’s only happened once, in 1990, when Jimmy Johnson was voted Coach of the Year after leading the Cowboys to a 7-9 record (the Cowboys went 1-15 the year before, which is why everyone was so impressed with Johnson).

The Saints haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, so if Moore can get the ship turned around and lead them to the postseason, that will certainly put him in the conversation for Coach of the Year. The Saints have an emerging quarterback in Tyler Shough, and they put some serious talent around him this offseason by signing Travis Etienne and guard David Edwards. If Shough takes a big step forward, Moore will deservedly get a lot of the credit, and if the Saints win the division on top of that, that might be enough for Moore to win the award.

NFC West

1. *Rams: 14-3
2. *Seahawks: 12-5
3. 49ers: 10-7
4. Cardinals: 3-14

NFC West bold prediction: 49ers second-round pick wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

I was going to make Daejon Love my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but it turns out that he’s not a real NFL player, so I’m going to go with the guy who recently made the switch to Love’s number: De’Zhaun Stribling.

De’Zhaun Stribling has switched his jersey number to 7, per @mattbarrows.

The last 49ers WR to wear 7? Daejon Love pic.twitter.com/y6oYMrdL9G

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) August 31, 2026
Based on what I know, Stribling IS a real NFL player, and I fully expect the rookie receiver to put up some big numbers in San Francisco this year. The biggest advantage for Stribling is that not only does he play in a 49ers offense that produces a lot of yardage, but he actually might end up being the healthiest pass-catcher on the roster when the season starts.

George Kittle is coming back from a torn Achilles, Mike Evans is banged up, Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, and Deebo Samuel is on the backend of his career, which leaves Stribling as an intriguing option in the 49ers’ offense.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year award has gone to either a receiver or a quarterback in each of the past FIVE straight years, and I don’t think we’re going to see a QB win the award this year, so I’m rolling with a receiver.

NFC playoffs
Teams: 1. Rams 2. Lions 3. Cowboys 4. Saints 5. Seahawks 6. Packers 7. Bears

Wild card

(5) Seahawks 30-17 over (4) Saints
(2) Lions 27-24 over (7) Bears
(3) Cowboys 34-27 over (6) Packers

Divisional

(3) Cowboys 30-27 over (2) Lions
(1) Rams 23-20 over (5) Seahawks

NFC Championship

(3) Cowboys 31-24 over (1) Rams

AFC playoffs
Teams: 1. Broncos 2. Ravens 3. Texans 4. Bills 5. Bengals 6. Chiefs 7. Steelers

Wild card

(5) Bengals 34-31 over (4) Bills
(6) Chiefs 23-20 over (3) Texans
(2) Ravens 20-17 over (7) Steelers

Divisional

(5) Bengals 27-23 over (2) Ravens
(1) Broncos 26-20 over (6) Chiefs

AFC Championship

(5) Bengals 22-19 over (1) Broncos

Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium
Playoffs bold prediction: Bengals finally get their first Super Bowl win in franchise history

That’s right, I’m picking a team that has never won the Super Bowl before (Bengals) to face a team that hasn’t made it past the divisional round in 30 years (Cowboys). This is either going to go down as the greatest preseason Super Bowl prediction of all-time, or it’s going to blow up in my face. There’s no in-between.

Pete Prisco also has the Cowboys going to the Super Bowl, and I have to say, that was almost enough to get me to change my pick, but I’m STICKING with it.

When I started making these predictions more than a decade ago, I promised myself I would never pick the Cowboys to go to the Super Bowl because they’re always overhyped and underdeliver, but here I am. I have the Cowboys in the Super Bowl.

And then we have the Bengals, a team that hasn’t even made the playoffs in three straight seasons.

To me, these two teams are almost mirror images of each other: Both teams are returning essentially every starter on offense, and both hope they did enough on defense this offseason to improve on last year. If you don’t remember what happened last year with these two teams, here’s a quick refresher: The Bengals defense gave up the second-most yards in the NFL, and the Cowboys gave up the third-most.

Both teams also have an aging hands-on owner who is desperate to win it all. At 83 years old, Jerry Jones wants to see one more Super Bowl win in his lifetime. At 91, Mike Brown would definitely like to see his franchise win a Super Bowl for the first time.

Both owners apparently sent the same memo to their front office this year, and that memo was: Make the defense better.

The Cowboys added some fresh faces on defense with guys like Rashan Gary, Dee Winters, Caleb Downs and Cobie Durant. That group will be joining a defense that will get a full season with Quinnen Williams for the first time, and I think this unit could be really good.

Not to be outdone, the Bengals made one of the biggest trades of the offseason when they sent the 10th overall pick to New York to acquire Dexter Lawrence from the Giants. They also signed Jonathan Allen and Boyd Mafe, along with two-time Super Bowl winner Bryan Cook. This might sound crazy, but I think the Bengals could have a top-10 defense this year, and that’s notable, because 11 of the 13 Super Bowl winners since 2013 have had a top-10 defense.

The other reason I like the Bengals is that I’m pretty sure Joe Burrow has brainwashed me into thinking they can win it all. Over the past few months, Burrow has been doing his best to manifest a Super Bowl win into existence by talking about it nonstop.

“We’re gonna go win a lot of games this year, play great, and win a super bowl.”

Joe Burrow was as nonchalant as humanly possible — when he casually said the Bengals will win the Super Bowl this season.

“Everything that comes with that, comes with that.”#Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/ewMy3wSnuy

— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) May 20, 2026
I’ve never heard a QB sound so confident before the season, and Burrow doesn’t usually talk like this. The QB has compared this year’s Bengals to his 2019 LSU team, which won the national title. Some quarterbacks will say the team’s “goal” is to win a Super Bowl, but Burrow is actually saying they’re going to win it.

As long as Burrow can stay healthy, the Bengals should be a serious threat to win the Super Bowl, and I think they pull it off by winning the NFL’s first-ever Valentine’s Day Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LXI prediction: Bengals 27-23 over Cowboys
When it comes to this year’s Super Bowl, a lot of people are picking the Rams to win it all, and I almost did the same thing, but I ended up going with Dallas. My only problem with the Rams is that if NFL history has shown us one thing, it’s that the expectations can sometimes overwhelm you when you’re a heavy favorite.

The Rams are the 21st team over the past 30 years to have Super Bowl odds of +500 or shorter, which is notable because the previous 20 teams have gone 0-20 when it comes to winning the Super Bowl.

View this post on Instagram
The hype train always seems to go off the track. I like the Rams and think they could certainly win it all, but I won’t be surprised if they get tripped up in the playoffs.

Finally, if my season predictions all pan out — and I’m sure they will — here’s what the top of the NFL Draft order will look like next April.

Cowboys road favorites vs. Giants, while Panthers in familiar position vs. Bears

After what feels like a blink of an eye and two decades all jumbled up into one, the NFL is finally back. In just a couple of days, the 2026 regular season will kick off in Seattle, where we’ll see a rematch of Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks. From there, we’re off to the races and heading down to Australia for an early international matchup as the 49ers and Rams will kick off from Melbourne Cricket Ground. It’ll be all gas, no brakes, until we get to Los Angeles for Super Bowl LXI.

As we shake off the rust and prepare to wager on the opening slate of the NFL season, let’s remember that this is one of the trickiest times to bet on the league calendar. Need a refresher? Let’s take a quick look back at the start of the 2025 season, where Week 1 offers a clear-cut example of its obscurity. Last year, the Raiders went into Foxborough and defeated the Patriots, 20-13, in the season opener. After that, New England went on to win the AFC and reach the Super Bowl, while Las Vegas earned the No. 1 overall pick following a league-worst 3-14 record.

With that in mind, it’s important to have your head on a swivel in Week 1 because some funky results are bound to occur. Below, we’ll take an early look at the Week 1 odds, highlighting the spread, total, and moneyline as we gear up for the new season.

Notable movement, trends
Patriots at Seahawks (Wednesday)
The defending champion Seahawks come into Week 1 after not only hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, but also covering a league-best 75% of their games in 2025 (including playoffs). However, they are a bit of a different club than the one that found itself in the winner’s circle a year ago, most notably losing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III. They were also 6-4 ATS (60%) at Lumen Field last year. As for New England, they were quite stellar against the spread as well, notching a 13-7-1 ATS record over the course of the regular season and playoffs. That included a 7-2 ATS road record. This offseason, they added the likes of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs on offense. One X-factor for this game that could certainly swing these odds is the status of All-Pro corner Christian Gonzalez, who is in the midst of a contract dispute with the team, raising questions about his availability for the opener.

49ers at Rams (Thursday, in Australia))
We’re heading Down Under for the second game of the 2026 season, as the Niners and Rams will duke it out from Melbourne. What’s fascinating about this matchup (beyond it being a key NFC West head-to-head) is how both clubs are dealing with international travel. San Francisco has already flown down to Australia, giving itself a week to best acclimate to the 17-hour time difference. As for L.A., they’ll be in Australia for just over 24 hours, opting to arrive the day before the game. This aligns with how the Rams have handled international travel in the past, and it seems to have worked quite well for them. Under McVay, Los Angeles is a perfect 3-0 (SU and ATS) in international games, while outscoring their opponents 92-17.

Browns at Jaguars
Jacksonville was one of the best teams to back in 2025, owning a 12-6 ATS record (regular season and postseason). That included an NFL-best 7-2 ATS record at home, where they boasted a 13.7-point average margin of victory. Meanwhile, the Browns — who will start Deshaun Watson after the veteran beat out Shedeur Sanders this summer for the Week 1 job — are looking to improve a dreadful road record in 2025. Last year, they were 2-6 (SU and ATS) on the road and lost by an average of 12.5 points.

Ravens at Colts
The Colts enter 2025 with Daniel Jones back under center as he looks to return to his first-half form from last year before going down with a torn Achilles. Even after their free fall down the stretch, Indy was still 8-7-2 ATS last year. The offense will look a bit different, however, with Michael Pittman Jr. traded to Pittsburgh this offseason, meaning Jones will need to lean on the likes of Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Keenan Allen in the passing game at receiver. As for the Ravens, they are beginning the Jessie Minter era after the former Chargers defensive coordinator was hired as head coach this offseason. Minter will look to get Baltimore’s defense back into shape. If he does, they’ll certainly improve upon the 6-11 ATS record from 2025, which was tied for the second-lowest in the NFL.

Bills at Texans
Both of these teams made the playoffs a season ago but are looking to take another step towards contention. They were roughly in the same tier in terms of the gambling sphere in 2025, with the Texans going 10-9 ATS (including playoffs) and the Bills going 9-10 ATS. This will be an opportunity for new Buffalo head coach Joe Brady to flex his offensive prowess against a top-flight Texans defense, and for the Josh Allen-D.J. Moore connection to take shape. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on C.J. Stroud as the Texans’ QB looks to rebound from a disastrous playoff run. Last year, the Texans were 5-4 ATS at home, while the Bills were 5-5 ATS on the road.

Jets at Titans
Who doesn’t love a little revenge narrative? Robert Saleh will begin his head coaching tenure with the Titans when he hosts his former Jets squad in the opener. Neither Tennessee nor New York is expected to make much of a splash this season, so this is an opportunity for Saleh to start on a strong note, and he will do so as a slim 1.5-point favorite. Under the previous regime, Tennessee was 4-5 ATS at home in 2025. Meanwhile, the Jets still have Aaron Glenn pulling the strings as head coach, but they do have a new quarterback in Geno Smith. With Smith under center, New York will try to improve on the 3-4-1 ATS road record from last season.

Bears at Panthers
Both of these NFC squads are coming off a 2025 season that saw them each reach the playoffs, but it’ll be an uphill climb for them to get back there in 2026. Each faces a difficult schedule, but Chicago may be better equipped to handle it and come into this matchup as a 2.5-point road favorite. In their lone game as a road favorite in 2025, the Bears covered. As for the Panthers, this is a position they are quite comfortable being in. Last year, Carolina was an underdog at home eight times. They covered six of those games and won five of them outright.

Falcons at Steelers
At long last, the Falcons have named their starting quarterback. In Week 1, it’ll be Tua Tagovailoa, who gets the nod from head coach Kevin Stefanski, but it comes after a less-than-inspiring showing this summer. Given that it seemed like Tagovailoa was earmarked for the job over Michael Penix Jr., the line appears to have baked in this result as it continues to sit at Steelers -3.5. In 2025, Atlanta was 4-4 ATS on the road. Looking at the Steelers, they are beginning the Mike McCarthy era after he was hired as the head coach this offseason. Of course, McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have a long history together from their days in Green Bay, so this should be pretty seamless for the duo. McCarthy will try to get the Steelers playing better ball in Pittsburgh, where they were 5-4 ATS in 2025.

Buccaneers at Bengals
If you’re looking for a shootout, this might be your best bet, with this matchup between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati having the highest total on the board in Week 1. Before jumping in on the Over, however, it’d be wise to monitor the status of Bucs wideout Emeka Egbuka. The second-year receiver — who is expected to take over as the No. 1 option following Mike Evans’ departure in free agency — has been battling a toe injury that has had him sidelined for portions of the summer. If he can’t go, that’d drastically cap Tampa Bay’s offense. Last season, the Buccaneers were 4-5 ATS on the road, while Cincinnati was 4-5 ATS at home, so something will need to give here as they embark on the new year.

Saints at Lions
Both of these teams are garnering a lot of preseason buzz. For New Orleans, that optimism is thanks to Tyler Shough elevating to the full-time starter at quarterback after flashing down the stretch in 2025. Meanwhile, the Lions have a loaded offense and are eyed as one of the rebound teams of 2026 after going 9-8 and finishing last in the NFC North last year. New Orleans was one of the better road teams to bet on in 2025, owning a 6-3 ATS record. Amid the down year, the Lions were 4-4 ATS at Ford Field.

Cardinals at Chargers
Los Angeles is the biggest favorite on the board in Week 1, laying 10.5 points against the Cardinals. The Chargers are expected to have a high-flying offense in 2026 after hiring former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new OC. His arrival, coupled with the return of starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, has L.A. as a sleeper to come out of the conference. Looking at the Cardinals, the oddsmakers aren’t looking too kindly on them, as they are among the teams favored to finish with the worst record in the league at the end of 2026. This lopsided spread is just the latest example of how the books feel about both clubs. As we noted in the intro, however, stranger things have happened. Last year, L.A. was 4-3-1 ATS at home, while Arizona was 5-4 ATS on the road.

Packers at Vikings
Minnesota will open up the 2026 season with a new starting quarterback — Kyler Murray. The former Cardinals quarterback, who signed a one-year deal with the Vikings this offseason, beat out J.J. McCarthy for the Week 1 job, and the franchise hopes he can be the second coming of Sam Darnold from 2024. If so, they may turn the division odds upside down, beginning with this opening matchup against Green Bay. The Packers come into the opener a bit depleted on both sides of the ball. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons has begun the year on IR as he continues to recover from his ACL tear, while running back Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner’s exempt list after being charged with two misdemeanors. Their absences could loom large in a game with a 1.5-point spread in favor of Minnesota. Last year, Green Bay was 3-7 ATS on the road, while the Vikings (albeit with a different quarterback) were 3-5 ATS at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Dolphins at Raiders
Both Miami and Las Vegas are ushering in first-time head coaches in the opener. The Dolphins hired former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, while the Raiders brought in former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. On top of that, they’ll each have new quarterbacks under center, with Malik Willis signing with the Dolphins and Kirk Cousins coming in this offseason as the veteran presence atop the depth chart, while No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza continues to develop behind the scenes. Neither one of these teams is expected to do much damage in 2026 as they are still in their rebuilds, but Las Vegas is getting the edge, laying 3.5 points.

Commanders at Eagles
The Eagles are a 5.5-point favorite against their NFC East rival, following an offseason that saw significant changes to the offense. A.J. Brown was traded, Makai Lemon was drafted in the first round to help replace him on the receiver depth chart, and Sean Mannion was hired as the new OC. How all that comes together in Week 1 is a question, but they do face a Commanders defense that struggled mightily last season. Washington is hoping for better play on that side of the ball this season and a healthier season out of Jayden Daniels. Last season, the Eagles were 10-8 ATS (regular season and playoffs), while Washington was 7-10 ATS.

Cowboys at Giants
The first Sunday of the new season takes us to MetLife Stadium and another NFC East showdown between the Cowboys and Giants. Both of these teams saw big changes occur this offseason. In Dallas, they added a boatload to the defense, most notably spending two first-round picks on safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malakai Lawrence. As for the Giants, they hired John Harbaugh as head coach, and he’ll look to usher in a Year 2 leap from Jaxson Dart, who may have his top wideout, Malik Nabers, ready for this matchup. Even with the new leadership and the home-field advantage, New York is a home underdog as the Cowboys are laying 2.5 points. Last season, Dallas went 1-4 ATS as a road favorite, while the Giants were 4-3 ATS as a home dog (three outright wins).

Broncos at Chiefs (Monday)
We conclude Week 1 of the 2026 season at Arrowhead Stadium, where Patrick Mahomes is likely to make his return after suffering a season-ending ACL and LCL tear late last year. How he looks against one of the best defenses in the NFL will certainly be the top story. However, the oddsmakers do expect an immediate bounce-back as K.C. is a 3-point favorite over Denver. Last season, the Chiefs were 6-10-1 ATS, but were 5-3-1 ATS at home. As for the Broncos, who will have Bo Nix ready to go after he suffered an ankle injury that cut his playoffs short last year, they were 2-4-1 ATS on the road in 2025.

Breech’s final record prediction for all 32 NFL teams, plus Falcons finally name starting QB for Week 1

Hello football friends, and welcome to the Labor Day edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

We officially have a new Labor Day tradition here at CBS Sports and that tradition is me releasing my full predictions for the NFL season. As a salute to Labor Day, I spent my entire weekend laboring over my predictions for the upcoming season. I haven’t slept in three days, my blood smells like coffee and I’ve eaten nothing but Funyons for the past 72 hours, but I have to say, it was all worth it because my predictions are now done.

Who’s going to make the playoffs? Who’s going to win the Super Bowl? Who’s going to finish with the worst record in the NFL? We’re going to answer all of that today.

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let’s get to the rundown.

1. Full AFC predictions for 2026: Broncos earn the top seed in the conference
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   As I just mentioned at the top, I spent my entire Labor Day weekend going through all 272 regular-season games on the NFL schedule, and after 71.5 straight hours of contemplating the 2026 season, my picks are finally in.

Here’s my final record prediction for each team in the AFC:

*make playoffs

AFC East

1. *Bills: 11-6
2. Patriots: 9-8
3. Jets: 6-11
4. Dolphins: 2-15

AFC North

1. *Ravens: 12-5
2. *Bengals: 11-6
3. *Steelers: 9-8
4. Browns: 5-12

AFC South

1. *Texans: 11-6
2. Jaguars: 8-9
3. Colts: 7-10
4. Titans: 3-14

AFC West

1. *Broncos: 12-5
2. *Chiefs: 10-7
3. Chargers: 9-8
4. Raiders: 5-12

AFC playoffs: 1. Broncos 2. Ravens 3. Texans 4. Bills 5. Bengals 6. Chiefs 7. Steelers

If you want to know who my AFC Super Bowl team is, you’ll have to read my full predictions here. If you want to tell at me on social media about my picks, you can do that here.

2. Full NFC predictions for 2026: Cowboys end Eagles’ reign at top of NFC East
   In the NFC, I have the Cowboys winning the NFC East. The Cowboys are always overhyped and they almost always seem to underdeliver, but I don’t care, I’m rolling with them anyway.

Here’s my final record prediction for each team in the NFC:

*make playoffs

NFC East

1. *Cowboys: 10-7
2. Eagles: 9-8
3. Giants: 8-9
4. Commanders: 7-10

NFC North

1. *Lions: 12-5
2. *Packers: 11-6
3. *Bears: 10-7
4. Vikings: 10-7

NFC South

1. *Saints: 8-9
2. Buccaneers: 7-10
3. Falcons: 6-11
4. Panthers: 6-11

NFC West

1. *Rams: 14-3
2. *Seahawks: 12-5
3. 49ers: 10-7
4. Cardinals: 3-14

NFC playoffs: 1. Rams 2. Lions 3. Cowboys 4. Saints 5. Seahawks 6. Packers 7. Bears

I would like everyone to know that I absolutely love the Rams, but I DON’T have them winning the Super Bowl. I actually don’t even have them making the Super Bowl. If you want to know who I do have getting to the Super Bowl out of the NFC, you’ll have to read my full story here.

If you do read my full story, not only will you get my Super Bowl prediction, but you’ll also get to see the nine bold predictions I made about the 2026 NFL season, including a dark horse MVP winner.

3. Falcons finally name a starter for Week 1: Tua Tagovailoa gets job to start the season
   The QB battle in Atlanta is finally over. The Falcons announced Monday that Tua Tagovailoa will be the starter for the team’s opener in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. This might have been the first QB battle in NFL history where someone really only had to battle himself, and even then, Tua still almost lost.

Here’s what you need to know about the Falcons’ QB situation:

Why Tua might not be on the job for long. Tua didn’t have a great training camp, but the Falcons almost had no choice but to go with him for Week 1. His main competition for the QB job was Michael Penix Jr., who tore his ACL back in November. Penix wasn’t even cleared to participate in 11-on-11 drills until Aug. 22, so this felt like a situation where he never really had a realistic chance of starting in Week 1 (The Falcons have already announced that Penix won’t even be active for the game). At this point, I’m assuming Tua will keep the job as long as he plays well, but he if struggles, Penix could end up replacing him sooner rather than later.
Why Tua COULD succeed in Atlanta. Tua definitely struggled in Miami last year, but he has proven throughout his career that he can put up big numbers if he has some weapons around him and the Falcons definitely have some weapons. In 2023, Tua led the NFL in passing yards while playing in a Dolphins offense that included Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. This year, he’ll have Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Robinson is arguably the most electrifying player in the NFL and opposing defenses always have to account for him when he’s on the field. With Robinson in the backfield, that should take a lot or pressure off Tua, who could potentially thrive in the Falcons’ loaded offense.
Falcons QB carousel continues. Tua will be the SIXTH different Week 1 starting QB that the Falcons have had over the past six years. Here’s a look a the full list: Matt Ryan (2021), Marcus Mariota (2022), Desmond Ridder (2023), Kirk Cousins (2024), Michael Penix Jr. (2025) and Tua Tagovailoa (2026). If Tua and Penix both struggle this year, there’s a very real chance that the Falcons could be starting their seventh new QB by the time we get to Week 1 in 2027. The Falcons have been in QB purgatory ever since March 2022 when they tried to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Texans, so Watson has now taken down two franchises.
If you want the full details on Tua being named the Week 1 starter, we have those here.

If Tua is going to have one advantage going into Week 1, it’s that new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski is very familiar with Atlanta’s opponent. Stefanski, who was fired by the Browns after the 2025 season, went 3-2 against the Steelers in his past five meetings against them. As a matter of fact, one of Stefanski’s final games as the head coach in Cleveland was a shocking win over the Steelers last December. In Week 17, the Steelers desperately needed a win against the 3-12 Browns, but Cleveland ended up stunning Pittsburgh, 13-6.

4. NFL best bets: Looking at our top Over/Under picks for the 2026 season
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   The NFL season is kicking off on Wednesday and since this is our final newsletter before that happens, we’re going to cram as many predictions as possible in here. Not only do we have my season predictions, but we also have some best bets coming from our NFL staff.

Tyler Sullivan rounded up nine of our NFL writers here at CBS Sports, and we all offered our two best Over/Under bets for the 2026 season. My two Over/Under bets last season and went 2-0, and I also went 2-0 in 2024, so I’m basically printing out free money with my picks. Let’s check out a few of the bets that our NFL experts like:

John Breech: Seahawks OVER 10.5 (-115). I have never seen a situation where everyone seems to be sleeping on the defending champs, but that feels like what we’re seeing with the Seahawks. Everyone is all in on the Rams, and although I do think they’ll be good, I also think the Seahawks will go toe to toe with them for the NFC West title.
Emory Hunt: Bears OVER 9.5 (+105). Offensively, the Bears have what travels well late in the season: a strong running game. Defensively, being opportunistic is a mentality, not luck. They’re still the most complete team in the division.
Tyler Sullivan: Falcons UNDER 7.5 (-140). It’s hard to have much optimism after the summer that Atlanta just had. At the time I’m writing this, Kevin Stefanski had STILL not named a starting quarterback, but on Monday he finally named Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa didn’t do much to endear himself to lock up the job, while Michael Penix Jr. is just starting to take competitive reps. This team feels destined to play multiple quarterbacks throughout the year, which is the last place you want to be.
Jared Dubin: Bills OVER 10.5 (-120). The Bills have won at least 11 games every season since 2020. This feels like stealing.
Jordan Dajani: Texans OVER 9.5 (-146). The Texans have the best defense in the NFL, a good wide receiving corps and an upgrade at running back with David Montgomery. Imagine if the quarterback starts playing well again. The Texans could win the Super Bowl! Houston has won double-digit games in each season where C.J. Stroud has been the QB. I have him bouncing back and winning the division.
You can check out all 18 of our best bets here.

5. Hall of Fame changes voting process after Bill Belichick snub
   The Pro Football Hall of Fame decided to turn its selection process upside down over the weekend by making some massive changes that aren’t necessarily for the better.

After Bill Belichick was snubbed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year as an eligible candidate last February, there were questions about whether the Hall needed to start thinking about changing its selection process, and that’s exactly what has happened.

The most notable change is probably the elimination of the seniors category. Another big change is that the selection committee will be trimmed from 50 members to just 28.

Here are some of the notable bylaw changes that will be implemented starting with the Class of 2027:

Committee size and structure will change: The selection committee will be reduced from 50 members to 28. Their voting status (25 voting, three nonvoting participants) will be determined annually. Under the old structure, there was one voter representing each NFL team (32 total), 17 at-large selectors and one Pro Football Writers of America representative. Under the new structure, there will be 27 at-large selectors and one PFWA representative.
No more seniors category: The seniors category will essentially be eliminated, with everyone now going into a single pool of all eligible candidates following the mandatory five-year retirement period.
No more Carryover candidates: Under the old rule, if a player was a finalist for the Hall of Fame, he would automatically return as a finalist the following year, but that will no longer be the case.
On the surface, these changes seem catastrophic for senior candidates, who are going to have a tough time getting in with the elimination of the seniors category.

The Hall of Fame made a total of seven changes to the selection by-laws and you can see the full list here.

6. Extra points: NFL gives Roger Goodell a contract extension
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   It’s been a busy few days around the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything, I put together a quick roundup for you.

NFL gives Roger Goodell a four-year extension. Roger Goodell has been the NFL commissioner since 2006 and he’s now going to be on the job through at least March 2031 after agreeing to a four-year deal on Sunday. Goodell’s contract was set to expire in March 2027, so he only had six months left on it before agreeing to the new deal. Goodell’s salary is no longer public information, but it’s believed that he made $63.9 million as recently as the 2021 season.
Harrison Smith returns to the Vikings. The 37-year-old, who spent the past few months contemplating retirement, is officially returning for a 15th season. Smith has spent his entire career in Minnesota, and now, he’ll be spending at least one more season for the Vikings. Getting the six-time Pro Bowler back in the secondary is a huge boost for Vikings defensive coordiantor Brian Flores.
Jameis Winston gets two-year extension with the Giants. Apparently, Jameis Winston is completely content being the backup QB in New York. The former No. 1 overall pick has agreed to a two-year, $13 million extension, according to ESPN. Giants guard Jon Runyan also inked a two-year extension, and both players are now signed through the 2028 season.
49ers players gets cut after making 16-hour flight to Australia. Brayden Willis is going to have a wild story to tell after this week’s game in Australia. The 49ers tight end got CUT over the weekend, and after that happened, he immediately hit the waiver wire. If Willis had been claimed on waivers, he would have had to leave Australia after just two days to join his new team, but in the end, he didn’t get claimed. At that point, he was eligible to re-sign with the 49ers and the team ended up adding him to the practice squad, so he got to stay in Australia, but not before sweating it out for 24 hours wondering if he would have to leave. If you want the full details on this crazy situation, we’ve got those here.

Week 1 kickoff times, matchups, TV, live streaming, plus rest of slate

The 2026 NFL season is finally here! In just a few days, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will face the defending AFC champs, the New England Patriots, to kick off the 2026 season, in a rematch of the big game played in February. That’s just for starters; the schedule, as always, is full of some very interesting matchups.

The league will also have a record nine international games, with contests being held in Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.

Go ahead and cancel those holiday plans because this season will also feature a game on Thanksgiving Eve, a game on Christmas Eve, and a tripleheader on Christmas.

Here is the complete week-by-week 2026 NFL schedule (all games on CBS will be streaming on Paramount+, NFL Network, Fox, NBC, ABC, and ESPN will be streaming on fubo:

Week 1
Wednesday, Sept. 9

Patriots at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Thursday, Sept. 10

49ers vs. Rams, 8:35 p.m. ET (Netflix) — Melbourne, Australia
Sunday, Sept. 13

Bears at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Falcons at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cardinals at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Packers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Raiders, 4:25 p.m ET (Fox)
Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cowboys at Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 14

Broncos at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 2
Thursday, Sept. 17

Lions at Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Sept. 20

Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Eagles at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at NY Jets, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Panthers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Steelers at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Washington at Dallas, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seattle at Arizona, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Miami at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Colts at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 21

Giants at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 3
Thursday, Sept. 24

Falcons at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Sept. 27

Chiefs at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Titans at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Patriots at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Panthers at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seahawks at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Vikings at Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Cardinals at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Ravens vs. Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+) — Rio De Janeiro
Raiders at Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Rams at Broncos, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 28

Eagles at Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 4
Thursday, Oct. 1

Steelers at Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 4

Colts vs. Commanders, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — London
Titans at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cardinals at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Patriots at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cowboys at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Dolphins at Vikings, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Broncos at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chargers at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chiefs at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Lions at Panthers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 5

Falcons at Saints, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 5
Thursday, Oct. 8

Buccaneers at Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 11

Eagles vs. Jaguars, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — London
Raiders at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Vikings at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Broncos at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bears at Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Lions at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
49ers at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Falcons, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 12

Bills at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Carolina, Kansas City

Week 6
Thursday, Oct. 15

Seahawks at Broncos, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 18

Texans vs. Jaguars, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — London
Jets at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Steelers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Panthers at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bears at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cardinals at Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bills at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cowboys at Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 19

Commanders at 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami, Minnesota

Week 7
Thursday, Oct. 22

Patriots at Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 25

Steelers vs. Saints, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — Paris
Browns at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Giants at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
49ers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Broncos at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Rams at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Lions, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chiefs at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 26

Cowboys at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Buffalo, Jacksonville, LA Chargers, Washington

Week 8
Thursday, Oct. 29

Panthers at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 1

Titans at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Ravens at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Falcons at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Vikings at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cardinals at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chiefs at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Patirots at Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Eagles at Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 2

Bears at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Houston, New Orleans, NY Giants, San Francisco

Week 9
Thursday, Nov. 5

Jaguars at Ravens, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 8

Bengals vs. Falcons, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — Madrid
Jets at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Broncos at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cowboys at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Lions at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cardinals at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Bears, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 9

Bills at Vikings, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Pittsburgh, Tennessee

Week 10
Thursday, Nov. 12

Commanders at Giants, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 15

Patriots vs. Lions, 9:30 a.m. ET (Fox) — Munich, Germany
Bills at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chiefs at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vikings at Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jaguars at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Texans at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Panthers at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Seahawks at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
49ers at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Steelers at Bengals, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 16

Chargers at Ravens, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

Week 11
Thursday, Nov. 19

Colts at Texans, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 22

Cardinals at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Buccaneers at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Steelers at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Raiders at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vikings vs. 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) — Mexico City
Monday, Nov. 23

Bengals at Commanders, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Atlanta, Cleveland, Green Bay, LA Rams, New England, Seattle

Week 12
Wednesday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Eve)

Packers at Rams, 8 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving)

Bears at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
Eagles at Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chiefs at Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Friday, Nov. 27 (Black Friday)

Broncos at Steelers, 3 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 29

Ravens at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jets at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Falcons at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Jaguars, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Commanders at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seahawks at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Patriots at Chargers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 30

Panthers at Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 13
Thursday, Dec. 3

Chiefs at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Dec. 6

Lions at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chargers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Commanders at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
49ers at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jaguars at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Eagles at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Dolphins at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Panthers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bills at Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Steelers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 7

Cowboys at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Ravens, Colts, Raiders, Jets

Week 14
Thursday, Dec. 10

Vikings at Patriots, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Dec. 13

Broncos at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Falcons at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bears at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chiefs at Bengals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Bills at Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 14

Steelers at Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Arizona, Dallas

Week 15
Thursday, Dec. 17

49ers at Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Saturday, Dec. 19

Seahawks at Eagles, 5 p.m. ET (Fox)
Bears at Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
Sunday, Dec. 20

Jaguars at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Ravens at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Bengals at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Falcons at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cowboys at Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Broncos at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Lions at Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 21

Patriots at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 16
Thursday, Dec. 24

Texans at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Friday, Dec. 25

Packers at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Bills at Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Rams at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saturday, Dec. 26

TBD, 4:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
TBD, 8 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Sunday, Dec. 27

Buccaneers at Falcons, TBD
Commanders at Vikings, TBD
Panthers at Steelers, TBD
Bengals at Colts, TBD
Patriots at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chargers at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cardinals at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
49ers at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 28

Giants at Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 17
Thursday, Dec. 31

Ravens at Bengals, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Saturday, Jan. 2

TBA at TBA, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
TBA at TBA, 8 p.m. ET (Peacock exclusive)
Sunday, Jan. 3

Rams at Buccaneers, TBD
Broncos at Patriots, TBD
Chiefs at Chargers, TBD
Commanders at Jaguars, TBD
Bills at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Steelers at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vikings at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seahawks at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Colts at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Lions at Bears, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Eagles at 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Jan. 4

Texans at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Week 18
Saturday, Jan. 9

TBA at TBA, 1 p.m. ET (Netflix)
TBA at TBA, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC)
TBA at TBA, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC)
Sunday, Jan. 10

NY Jets at Bills, TBD
Jaguars at Colts, TBD
Raiders at Chiefs, TBD
Titans at Texans, TBD
Chargers at Broncos, TBD
Dolphins at Patriots, TBD
Browns at Bengals, TBD
Steelers at Ravens, TBD
Bears at Vikings, TBD
Lions at Packers, TBD
Cowboys at Commanders, TBD
Buccaneers at Saints, TBD
Eagles at Giants, TBD
Seahawks at Rams, TBD
Falcons at Panthers, TBD
49ers at Cardinals, TBD
TBA at TBA, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Note: The teams playing in the Saturday tripleheader and the Sunday primetime game in Week 18 won’t be announced until January.

Cowboys three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Smith to undergo thumb surgery, out 4-6 weeks

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will be without three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith for the next four to six weeks. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced on Monday that Smith will undergo surgery on his left thumb on Tuesday, which will result in his placement on injured reserve, designated to return. That comes with a four- to six-week return period. Dr. Steven Shin will perform Smith’s surgery.

“At the end of the day, I felt like he couldn’t do the things that he had to do at a high level,” Schottenheimer said Monday. “This is a long season, and it’s unfortunate. But that’s why we coveted T.J. Bass. … I think he’s played a lot of really good football for us, and we expect he’ll continue to do so.”

Schottenheimer said the left thumb had been bothering Smith all of training camp, but he couldn’t pinpoint a specific moment where the injury occurred.

“It’s just one of those deals that at the end of the day, we made the decision that we all did, that the best thing is to get in front of this thing. It’s a long season, let’s go get it fixed,” Schottenheimer said. “I think at the end of the day, you always see if you can play through these things. He’s done things like that, like a lot of guys out there do. Unfortunately, when you’re an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important. We know he’s a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed. He’ll be back before too long.”

Smith will be replaced by fourth-year, undrafted veteran T.J. Bass, 27 years old, as the starting left guard. Bass has played in 48 games since 2023 with 10 starts, 5 of which came in 2025. Dallas valued him so highly that they placed a second-round tender on him in restricted free agency. He’s allowed just two sacks and 15 quarterback pressures on 568 career pass-blocking snaps.

“Ton of confidence. Tyler Smith is a great player, but we feel really confident in T.J.,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s put great film on here. He’s played next to [center] Cooper Beebe, played next to [left tackle Tyler] Guyton. That’s nothing new, the communication and all that stuff. We tendered him because we trust this guy as a football player, and he’s a damn good football player.”

Depending on how quickly Smith heals from his left thumb surgical procedure on Tuesday, he could return for “Thursday Night Football” against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 or at the Green Bay Packers on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 6.

Possible landing spots for veteran receiver

In a surprising move, the New York Giants have released veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton less than a week before their season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Slayton, 29, was the Giants’ longest-tenured player and was slated to make $13 million this season. A fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Slayton caught 296 of 522 targets for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns during his time with Big Blue.

While he never became a star in New York, Slayton was nonetheless a solid and consistent player, especially for a former late-round pick. He’s had four seasons with at least 700 receiving yards and averaged an impressive 15 yards per catch during his time in New York.

Slayton is coming off his least productive season to date. In 14 games, he caught 37 of 63 targets for 538 yards and a score. He had just one game with over 50 receiving yards during his final six games of the 2025 season.

Despite last year’s numbers, Slayton will probably be picked up by another NFL team sooner rather than later. A former team captain, Slayton has a proven track record and, over the years, has displayed the ability to execute his role as a complementary player without needing more of the spotlight.

Here’s a rundown of some of Slayton’s possible landing spots.

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Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were the first team that came to mind following the news of Slayton’s release. The Colts still have Alec Pierce, but they lost Michael Pittman when they traded him to the Steelers during the offseason. The Colts recently signed veteran Keenan Allen, who was arrested late last month for suspected DUI.

At the least, signing Slayton would give the Colts some added depth at receiver, which is something they desperately need.

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New York Jets
The Big Apple’s other team also quickly came to mind upon hearing the news of Slayton’s release. Like the Colts, the Jets could also use some added depth at receiver to help complement their top receiver, Garrett Wilson.

Signing Slayton would also potentially take some of the pressure off of Omar Cooper Jr., the 30th overall pick in April’s draft. Slayton’s veteran leadership and experience could aid Cooper as he transitions from college to the NFL.

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New Orleans Saints
The Saints’ receiving corps recently took a hit when rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a right hamstring injury during a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyson is expected to be out for about two months.

With Tyson out, rookie fourth-round pick Bryce Lance is slated to start alongside veteran Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele. While Slayton probably wouldn’t take his spot (at least right away), he could nonetheless take some of the pressure off of Lance while giving second-year quarterback Tyler Shough another viable option in the passing game.

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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers signed Buccaneers legend Mike Evans and re-signed Deebo Samuel after losing Jauan Jennings to the Vikings in free agency and amid the continuous absence of Brandon Aiyuk, who appears to have played his final down with San Francisco, if not in the NFL.

San Francisco could still use some reinforcements at the position after former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. Slayton would give the 49ers much-needed depth while complementing the rest of the team’s skill players.

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New England Patriots
The defending AFC champions make sense for multiple reasons, starting with Mike Vrabel’s recent acknowledgment that his team isn’t very deep. Signing Slayton would help the Patriots make up for the recent departure of Kayshon Boutte, who was traded to the Houston Texans. Slayton could also help take some of the attention off of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs while giving Drake Maye another proven pass-catcher.

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Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys already have CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but another proven receiver would likely be welcome in Dallas’ pass-heavy offense. The Cowboys — who play the Giants in Week 1 — could also sign Slayton for intel purposes. Slayton could give Dallas some insight into new Giants coach John Harbaugh’s offense.

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Tennessee Titans
Tennessee makes sense for two reasons. The Titans need some help at receiver, and, in Nashville, Slayton would be reunited with Tennessee offensive coordinator and former Giants coach Brian Daboll. Two of Slayton’s best seasons were during Daboll’s time as Giants coach.