Player Notes

The best tennis in town is not being played at the U.S. Open.It is the volleying back and forth between Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Giants linebacker Jihad Ward.It was Rodgers’ turn to return serve Thursday and he responded to Ward’s accusation that he and Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb were laughing after Cobb’s illegal block gave Giants safety Bobby McCain a concussion.“So he thought we were ...

Derek Carr is a competitor.He is a hands-on field general. He is cool under pressure. He is extremely relatable with his teammates.The New Orleans Saints have had nearly six months to get to know their new franchise quarterback. The time that has passed since New Orleans and Carr agreed to a massive $150 million contract has only reinforced the reasons why the Saints felt Carr would be a good fit for ...

Football is fun again for Saints QB Derek Carr. Now comes the hard part: Keeping it that way.His nose was so close to the grindstone, Derek Carr did not notice the subtle but meaningful part of his transition to this new life.Maybe it's because there was so much newness — new city, new franchise, new teammates, new coaches, new offense, new verbiage, new climate, new, new, new, new. His job is too ...

Justin Jefferson has been setting records and terrifying defenses since the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.The All-Pro wide receiver already broke four franchise records, including surpassing Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Randy Moss for receptions and yards in a single season. He not only holds the NFL record for most 100-yard receiving games (24) in a player's ...

The Rams will have a kicker for Week 1 of the regular season, but will they have their top offensive threat?Coach Sean McVay shared after Thursday’s practice that receiver Cooper Kupp, whose historic 2021 season was capped by Super Bowl MVP honors, sustained a “setback” in his recovery from a hamstring injury.Last season, Kupp’s campaign was ended prematurely by an ankle injury that required surgery. ...

Cooper Kupp’s injury woes continue.Kupp, coming off a season-ending ankle injury, was sidelined most of training camp and the preseason because of a hamstring injury. He practiced three times last week, including two joint workouts with the Denver Broncos.But Thursday, Kupp did not practice after suffering what coach Sean McVay described as a muscle strain. McVay said it was accurate to call it a setback ...

8/31/2023Miles Boykin didn’t even need to hear the end of the question.He didn’t want to hear the numbers or metrics or any “fancy stats,” either.“I don’t need analytics to tell me that ‘Tae’ can get open,” the veteran receiver said of Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Diontae Johnson earlier this week. “I can see it with my own eyes.”For decades, eyes were all anyone had when evaluating a pass catcher’s ...

9/1/2023As Aaron Rodgers prepares to enter then next phase of his first season with the Jets — the one that counts — he reiterated Thursday how much he has loved being a part of his new team.“I told a friend this has felt like waking up inside of a dream, this whole experience — a beautiful dream,” Rodgers said. “So many times you have a great dream and you wake up and you’re like, ‘I just want to ...

8/31/2023In previous seasons, you wouldn’t dare mention the Jets and playoffs in the same breath.But this is not your father’s Gang Green squad. The expectations around the organization changed the moment Aaron Rodgers was traded to the team in April.Jets general manager Joe Douglas constructed this team as he’s fully embracing the team’s lofty expectations.“I’ve said it earlier we are not running ...

Updated August 31, 2023, 3:44 p.m.For two days, the Titans had no kickers on their roster.At some point during those two days, Bill Belichick called Nick Folk, who had kicked the last four seasons for the Patriots, to tell him the Titans were interested.Not long after that, Folk was on a plane to Tennessee, and Titans coach Mike Vrabel named Folk the Week 1 starter on Thursday.“Nick is our kicker,” ...