Player Notes
Kurtenbach: The 49ers-Nick Bosa contract stalemate is an embarrassment ·
The 49ers have previously shown no reluctance in signing top players to record-setting contracts.Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Trent Williams all set the market at their positions when they signed new deals with San Francisco. All but one — I’ll let you guess — deserved it.The Niners didn’t hesitate on those deals because the front office wanted to build the reputation around the ...
Commanders star Chase Young’s status for Week 1 is uncertain ·
Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young has progressed in his recovery from a stinger he suffered in the team’s first preseason game, but he has not yet been medically cleared for full contact.The Commanders are hopeful that Young will be ready for Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10, but his status is uncertain.Stingers occur when the nerves in the neck and shoulder are stretched ...
Isaiah Simmons' tantalizing athleticism provides Giants' ultimate wild card ·
If you like wild cards, you may love Isaiah Simmons.Consider Simmons, the hybrid linebacker/safety the Giants acquired last week in a no-lose trade with the Cardinals, a chess piece.Now think of Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as Bobby Fischer, arguably the greatest chess player of all time.This Simmons thing, of course, may not work, considering how underwhelming his three years with ...
Odell Beckham approves Giants' Jalin Hyatt for taking No. 13: 'Rock out' ·
Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be a fan of Jalin Hyatt’s number change.Hyatt, the Giants’ rookie receiver, switched from No. 84 to No. 13 this week — the same number Beckham wore when he was with the Giants.“Rock out one three,” Beckham tweeted Wednesday night while tagging Hyatt.Presumably, when Hyatt makes his NFL debut for the Giants, it will be against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on Sept. ...
Vikings, T.J. Hockenson agree to contract extension ·
The Vikings settled one of their lingering contract situations Thursday by agreeing to an extension with tight end T.J. Hockenson through 2027.Hockenson was scheduled to be a free agent after the season, and the Vikings had talked with his agent about an extension for much of training camp. His deal added four years to his contract with the Vikings, and is worth up to $68.5 million. The maximum value ...
'A special soul': Son of former Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga dies at 17 years old ·
The son of former Green Bay Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga has died.Julius Poppinga was a senior at Westlake High School in California and according to the Ventura County Star, citing sources, he suffered a severe asthma attack last week that led to a collapsed lung.He was 17.Poppinga was a member of the varsity football and lacrosse teams at the school in Thousand Oaks, California. The football ...
Dallas Cowboys top Forbes’ most valuable NFL franchises for 15th consecutive year ·
The Dallas Cowboys were once again named Forbes’ most valuable NFL franchise.Jerry Jones’ empire was valued by Forbes at $9 billion when the list was released this week. That’s 13% more than the Cowboys were worth a year ago. Dallas made $1.14 billion in revenue, which was by far the most in the NFL.The 2022 season was an overall boon for the NFL. The league’s 32 teams increased in average revenue ...
Where does Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles want to see improvement from Justin Fields? Start with sacks and interceptions. ·
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles provided a checklist Wednesday afternoon of what he wants to see from quarterback Justin Fields in his second season under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.Some circles of social media conversations about Fields this preseason have reached such heights that phrases such as “MVP candidate” and “4,000 passing yards” are thrown around about his crucial third NFL ...
Carolina Panthers GM sets says this high goal for team is ‘definitely within reach’ ·
Alex Zietlow and Langston Wertz Jr. talked about what they expect from the Carolina Panthers first few games. To hear more listen to Processing Blue on your favorite podcast platforms!Scott Fitterer, the Carolina Panthers’ general manager, doesn’t think a team with a new coach, new quarterback and 24 new faces on the 53-man roster should be aiming low.In a press conference Thursday, 10 days before ...
Clayton Tune bringing right mindset to Cardinals' starting QB battle ·
TEMPE — A lot of quarterback talk surrounding the Arizona Cardinal this past week has centered firmly around newcomer Josh Dobbs and rightfully so.Added out of nowhere last Thursday in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, Dobbs comes in as the likely Week 1 starter with veteran Colt McCoy no longer on the team despite not taking a training camp or preseason snap with the team.For rookie-turned-incumbent ...
Recent Stories
NFL roster madness explained
Something always has to have a nickname.
Like “Black Monday” in the NFL, when head coaches are fired the day after the end of the regular season, it was only a matter of time before someone slapped a name on the cutdown in the NFL.
Some have called it “Black ...
CeeDee cashes in, sets stage for rookie WR class
Now that the Dallas Cowboys finally quieted the daily discussion about wide receiver CeeDeee Lamb with a massive contract, there is no doubt the trend is to covet these pass catchers second only to the almighty quarterback.
The prolific All-Pro wideout agreed ...
Must-see 2024 NFL rookie QB battles
After the first 12 picks in this year’s draft were complete, the 2024 quarterback class was destined to be forever linked to that celebrated 1983 draft, which also saw six quarterbacks, including three Hall of Famers, taken in Round 1.
With the countdown to the ...
Rookie IOLs with mettle to medal
Amid the Summer Olympics, the NFL season has officially begun with a full slate of preseason games. This is the time of year when the attention is typically on the skilled position players as fantasy football degenerates are fine-tuning their draft strategies to ...
When Life Choices Become Grave Mistakes
I'm deeply saddened to hear about the tragic "accident" that claimed the lives of three young men: Khyree Jackson (24), Isaiah Hazel (23), and Anthony Lytton Jr. (24). These childhood friends shared dreams and aspirations of becoming professional athletes. They ...
Running back: Devolution of a proud position
In this, the first in a series on the state of running backs, we discuss how a dramatic evolution has negatively impacted a once proud position. The series will look back at RBs selected in the 2024 draft, ahead to a 2025 class that seems loaded with runners and ...
Trump's forgotten charge: Killing the USFL
July 11, 2024, is already etched in history as the day former President Donald Trump will be sentenced for 34 felony convictions. Regardless of the outcome, I am reminded of July 29, 1986, when he actually won his battle in a New York court and lost the war.
Trump ...
Larry Allen: A long road to respect
Arguably the most dominant offensive lineman in football history, Larry Allen died Sunday while on vacation with his family in Mexico. He was 52.
His life story redefined perseverance. It could have been the original plot line for Straight Outta Compton, but ...
Controversy: Are punters, kickers NFL-draft worthy?
Kansas City Chiefs’ placekicker Harrison Butker made an impression in 2023 by making 33 of 35 field goals. Last week, he made quite an impression at Benedictine College, where Butker, shall we say, pushed his commencement speech wide right.
Controversy and ...
Jim Otto, the original Mr. Raider, dies at 86
The original Mr. Raider has passed.
Jim Otto, the first Raider to touch a football, died Sunday at his Auburn (CA) home, with his family at his side. He spent most of his 86 years sneering at the inevitable, enduring last rites three previous times.
Otto is survived ...
2024 Draft: A next-gen affair
As we look forward to watching the 257 draftees selected last week in the 2024 NFL Draft, we also gaze in the rear-view mirror at those relatives who preceded them and established the family name long ago.
Fathers, uncles, and brothers with names everyone ...
Calculating the 2024 Draft grades of all 257 picks
2024 DRAFT: 32 TEAMS AND 257 PLAYERS GRADED
Exhale. The 2024 NFL Draft did indeed conclude when Mr. Irrelevant, Jaylen Key (DB, Alabama) was drafted by the New York Jets with the No. 257 selection. We can break out the calculators and over analyze the selection ...