2026 NFL Win Totals Report: 'Not Normally What You See With The Chiefs'

For several years, the public betting masses took the Over on the Chiefs in NFL season win totals. And why not, with Patrick Mahomes at the helm and Kansas City a constant Super Bowl contender? However, Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 15 last season. And that has bettors skeptical of taking Over 10.5 wins this year, even with Mahomes expected back in Week 1. "The number has stayed at 10.5, but there’s far more action on the Under," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. "That’s not normally what you see with the Chiefs." Feazel serves up his insights on 2026 NFL win totals, highlighting the most notable Over and Under action. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Going Over-Board For a third straight season, the Vikings will have a new starting quarterback. Two years ago, Sam Darnold had a breakout campaign, then left for the Seahawks. Last year, J.J. McCarthy ascended to starter. Then this past offseason, Minnesota nabbed ex-Cardinals QB Kyler Murray in free agency. Murray subsequently beat out McCarthy to become the starter. Bettors engaging in NFL season win totals seemed to like that outcome. "The Vikings are one team that has been trending positive the entire offseason. Bettors are expecting Kyler Murray to be a difference maker," Feazel said. "We’ve gone from 7.5 wins to 8.5 wins, and they’re still betting the Over." In fact, Over 8.5 is now a -140 favorite, with Under 8.5 at +115. "The Vikings action is the most surprising to me. There was a good portion of months where it was extraordinary Over action," Feazel said. The Cowboys are always popular with the betting public, and that’s again the case this year, with Dallas trending much like Minnesota. "It’s the same thing with the Cowboys. We’ve gone from 8.5 to 9.5, and they’re still betting the Over," Feazel said. Dallas Over 9.5 is a slight favorite at -115, with Under 9.5 at -105. The Rams are the favorite in Super Bowl odds, at Caesars and everywhere else. So Los Angeles is drawing Over bets, as well. "There’s a lot of action for the Rams to win the Super Bowl. There’s not as much [with] in-season wins, but we still went from 10.5 to 11.5," Feazel said. "And they’re still betting the Over." Indeed, the Rams are the only team favored to surpass 11.5 wins. Caesars has Over 11.5 at -140 and Under 11.5 at +118. The Ravens are also at 11.5 wins, but Under is -160 and Over +120. Overwhelming Under Action As noted above, the Chiefs are projected to reach double-digit wins. But getting 11 or more is another story. Kansas City Under 10.5 wins is a -150 favorite at Caesars, with Over 10.5 a +120 underdog. And as Feazel said, the heavier action is on the Under. Ditto for another perennial contender, the 49ers. San Francisco went 12-5 in the regular season last year but continued to be plagued by injuries. This year, Caesars has San Francisco at 10.5 in NFL regular-season win totals, with the Under a substantial -160 favorite and Over at +130. Early bettors just aren’t seeing 11 wins from San Fran. "The 49ers seem to struggle with injuries year in and year out," Feazel said. "But the 49ers are always popular in [Super Bowl] futures, so it’s a little surprising to see Under money there." Less surprising is seeing the Dolphins take Under action. Miami is in full rebuild mode, with new coach Jeff Hafley and new QB Malik Willis, among other notable changes. The Dolphins opened at 4.5 wins, and as of Wednesday afternoon, the Under was a hefty -180 favorite, with the Over at +150. By Friday morning, Caesars dropped the Dolphins’ win total to 3.5, with Over -150 and Under +126. "There’s an expectation that this team is not going to be good at all," Feazel said. "It’s been all one-way traffic toward the Under." Bettors also aren’t expecting the Buccaneers to surpass 8.5 wins, with the Under now -145 and the Over +122. "The Bucs have some problems, with Baker Mayfield negotiations and with losing Mike Evans," Feazel said, alluding to the star wideout leaving to join the 49ers. "So Tampa is another team that they’re betting to the Under."

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SEC And Big Ten Are Considering Self-Governance, But LSU Is The Test Case

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey started with the high points, winding his way through his usual football media days state-of-the-union address. He pointed to the league winning a record 13 team national championships; that it was putting in additional programming to fight the growing influence of sports gambling; that its live viewership hours during football season accounted for 40% of those consumed by the Power Four leagues. And then, the questions began. "How real are the conversations within the SEC about potentially breaking away from the college structure as we know it?" a reporter queried. "They're real," Sankey answered flatly. "People have talked about that. They've opined about the frustrations that bring them to the point of saying we should look at something significantly different. I do not believe that is a leverage point. I think that's just honest communication." The threats of a "breakaway" are, in fact, quite real. Angst from administrators and presidents has pushed the SEC and, to a lesser degree, the Big Ten to a point where each has explored what self-governance at the conference level might look like — sentiments that have been broadcast more publicly over the past six months. Stakeholders have fundamentally taken issue with the lack of actual enforcement of rules laid out in the House settlement and by the College Sports Commission and NCAA. The solution, at least to some, is to take on more regulation at the conference-level and allow leagues to set their own rules around eligibility, revenue-sharing caps and other pieces to college sports’ ever-evolving jigsaw puzzle of a future structure. But as eligibility lawsuits litter the news cycle, the SEC, in particular, is providing an early test case for how feasible regulating anything at the league level in this new era ultimately is. And it’s a fight brewing on the bayou that has everyone paying attention. "I can’t speak for the entirety," one league source told me, "but I would say [the SEC’s] charge is to defend the rules that everyone voted on as members." There are certain places that are almost too good, too cliché, too Spielbergian to be the setting for the stories they tell. Louisiana, college sports and a good old-fashioned power struggle are certainly that. These are complicated times in Baton Rouge; times wrought with regime changes and political interference — albeit that can often be the norm around these parts. Gov. Jeff Landry was squarely involved in running off athletics director Scott Woodward and football coach Brian Kelly in October 2025. Then in March, Gov. Landry pushed to get men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon fired and to bring controversial castoff Will Wade back to town as McMahon’s successor. There was also the live mascot debacle of 2024 — another Landry-driven agenda item intended to return a living, breathing tiger to the sidelines in Death Valley. Even earlier this month, the governor’s residence played host to a meeting of LSU boosters to discuss a new-look equity approach to fundraising for the school's athletic programs. So, of course, it was in a Baton Rouge courtroom last week when a Louisiana state judge granted a handful of athletes an additional year of eligibility, including several players who had recently signed NFL contracts. To little surprise, two of those athletes — tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, formerly of the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, respectively — were expected to head to LSU and play for Lane Kiffin, their former head coach at Ole Miss. These reprieves were matched in gravity and wide-ranging condemnation via a separate ruling from a different Louisiana judge on Tuesday that granted an additional year of eligibility to former All-American basketball player RJ Luis Jr. After starring for St. John's, Luis went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz and played in three NBA preseason games. "These athletes generated value under the prior framework and should not be denied the additional year the NCAA itself created for others," attorney Darren Heitner, who represents Wright, told me. "Roster and portal management gets messy for schools, but that is a problem of the NCAA’s own making." Exiting the courtroom on Monday, a smile crested on Luis’ face in a moment captured by a local reporter. It was there in the lobby of this place of law and order that his past and future collided. Adorning a purple polo and thrusting his arms wide, Wade, the Tigers’ second-term head coach, offered Luis a full embrace with a smirk to match. No consternation here. LSU got its star. "Because of these rulings, they're either going to play for you or they're going to play for someone else around the country," Kiffin said at a press conference on Monday. "So we've made the decision to recruit [Harris and Wright] like probably most people are." That those in Baton Rouge are flashing smiles can’t be said for the rest of College Sports, Inc. The Big Ten was the first league to pass a sweeping ban on professional athletes returning to college sports. The SEC, Big 12 and ACC have since followed suit, while conversations persist elsewhere across the FBS. The SEC pulled together a call among its presidents and chancellors on Monday ahead of two days of pre-scheduled meetings between that group and the league’s athletics directors. It closed the evening by pushing out a statement condemning the situation. "Fundamentally, everybody needs to move on," a second Power Four source told me. "If you're going to support and believe in NCAA rules, then you better start playing by them yourself." These are not new issues, of course. It’s only six months past that Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako was brought back from professional basketball, granted an injunction and swiftly dismissed again. It was that action that prompted the usually buttoned-up and generally savvy Sankey to sign an affidavit supporting the NCAA against the Crimson Tide hooper. That this issue is bubbling up on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River once more, however, isn’t so much about LSU or two football players or even the omnipresent college sports villains that are Kiffin and Wade. No, this is about grander aspirations and efforts to control an ecosystem that has proved to be ungovernable as it currently exists. "We’ve got a simple choice to make: Do we want to be governed or not?," Texas A&M athletics director Trev Alberts posited during SEC spring meetings in May. "We are sending a very strong message that college athletics refuses to be governed. That's all I can say." The Big Ten and SEC have been embroiled in conversations about how to best operate within an uncontrollable world for months. Their hopes for order currently reside on Capitol Hill, where the Protect College Sports Act remains in limbo until the Senate returns from its recess on Sept. 14. That has its own challenges. Where the buck stops in the lingering eligibility lawsuits ought to provide at least some clarity around leagues’ longer-term ambitions and whether regulation at the conference level is possible. "‘Breakaway’ is a word that creates a lot of emotion," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said from the pulpit at his own football media days last month. "I've never heard that anybody doesn't want to play anybody else. We want to schedule more good games that our fans expect. "We’ve just got to get to a system that allows us to do that." Buried in the jargon of the SEC’s wider ban on professional athletes on Tuesday night was a note that Sankey is "authorized to enforce this expectation with penalties against member institutions." A shot across the bow, perhaps. The league’s bylaws include language that prevents players from transferring intra-conference outside the portal window. LSU’s additions of Wright and Harris would run directly counter to that edict. As would former Kentucky basketball player Mark Mitchell’s move to Missouri, which comes after he won his own eligibility lawsuit granting him an extra year two weeks ago. The SEC itself has also now been thrust into the legal proceedings. Attorneys amended their complaint in Louisiana state court on Thursday evening to include both the league and Sankey. So the standoff has started — and whether the SEC can actually enforce its own rules is where this story really begins. Laissez les bons temps rouler. Let the good times roll.

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Unproven & Unfazed Malik Willis Works To Assure Dolphins He's QB Of The Future

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — In terms of career NFL starts, the Miami Dolphins' Malik Willis will likely be the least experienced Week 1 starting quarterback in the league. Willis is 27, with four years of NFL experience under his belt. But starts? He has only six, fewer than all of last year's notable rookies — fewer than the Tennessee Titans' Cam Ward, fewer than the New York Giants' Jaxson Dart and fewer than the New York Saints' Tyler Shough. He's thrown all of 155 career passes, which is fewer than both Cleveland Browns rookie quarterbacks last year in Shedeur Sanders (212) and Dillon Gabriel (185). And yet Willis is the quarterback the Dolphins will build around this season, having signed him to a three-year, $67 million contract that includes $45 million guaranteed. It's a low number by today's gaudy quarterback contract standards, but it represents a significant investment as Miami begins a franchise rebuild with a new general manager and new head coach. That coach, Jeff Hafley, spent the last two years with Willis in Green Bay, seeing him in practice every day and seeing the potential of a former third-round draft pick who learned on the sidelines, under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee before going to the Packers. "He's become very confident, more consistent," Hafley said before a joint practice with the Giants last week. "He's taking care of the football. He's getting rid of the ball on time. He's playing in the pocket, but now, what he's starting to do is, as it gets closer, he's starting to use his legs not just to run the ball, but to step up, escape, make some throws down the field, or take off or extend plays." Hafley wanted to test his quarterback in practice one day last week, surprising him with pressure in a walkthrough, just to see how he'd handle it without warning. "I thought we had him," Hafley said. "I was like, 'All right, we got him.' They're not going to block him. And it was really cool. For the first time, I saw him; he kind of baited it, because it was to his blindside. He kind of baited him, saw him and then spun out and ran and threw a touchdown. And I was angry, because I'm the one who made the call. But I was really happy because I looked at him and kind of smirked. I was like, 'I've got no answer for that.' So he's starting to play the game a little bit, more rather than just practice." Being a starting quarterback carries an expectation of leadership, and that is new for Willis, long accustomed to being a backup and needing an injury or illness to get on the field. How do you command authority from a locker room full of new teammates who have yet to take the field with you in a real game? You go to work every day and show them how you prepare yourself. "He has been amazing," veteran Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler said. "Just coming in here, hitting full stride, the energy, the great attitude he brings to the facility, the respect towards everyone in the building. The players cling to that and roll with that. Everyone's just firing on all cylinders. Seeing us grow as a team, seeing him grow as a quarterback to get more and more comfortable each day, it's been incredible." It could be a long year ahead for Willis and certainly for the Dolphins. The oddsmakers have their season win total at 4.5 wins — only the Arizona Cardinals have lower expectations — and Miami went 7-10 last year, so some kind of regression is a foregone conclusion. With that in mind, Willis' challenge in his first full year as an NFL starter is to show enough to convince the Dolphins that they don't need to use a high first-round pick on a quarterback from a deep and talented group of 2027 prospects. If Willis can sell Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan that the quarterback of their present should be the quarterback of their future, then that same high draft pick could be used on a player to help him, like Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was born in Miami Gardens and went to high school down the road in Hollywood. In his first few months in Miami, Willis has shown good instincts as a quarterback. He led voluntary workouts with receivers during downtime to build chemistry with them, and he's using a helmet-mounted GoPro camera in practice to show where he's looking and how he's progressing through his reads during a play, reviewing reps from his own perspective in addition to normal cutups. A starting quarterback gets the largest share of practice reps, so he's savoring the chance to develop and grow faster than at any point in his career. A joint practice with the New York Giants last week, facing one of the league's most athletic front sevens, was a chance for the Dolphins to test themselves against outside competition, even if it was humbling at times. "Playing football is still fun. It's still awesome to go out there and compete and see different looks and get to play against guys you haven't been going against every day," Willis said. "We got lucky enough to get a few different style defenses. Obviously, there's different style defenses throughout the league and we hit more than our share of different types and we can see how we want to try to attack that when we get into the season. I think that was awesome." Miami has as anonymous a receiving corps as you'll find in the NFL, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle gone and replaced by the likes of Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert. The group became even more anonymous when the Dolphins traded Tutu Atwell to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. Part of Willis' job is improving the people around him, and first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has been most pleased by how well he's taken to that aspect of quarterbacking. "He's been great on the field, and he's just consistently gotten better in everything that we're doing," Slowik said. "And really there's a lot that goes along with the quarterback position. You've got to handle yourself, you've got to handle the huddle, you've got to handle the guys around you, you've got to make sure that you're on your stuff, to make sure they're on their stuff. You've got to help guys out post-huddle. There's just a lot of things that naturally come with the position that he handles with ease really. So that's been pretty awesome to see. And just to see his continued improvement every day within what we're doing has been fun." There were glimpses of promise with Willis last year. He came off the bench to replace an injured Jordan Love and held his own against the Bears, going 9 of 11 for 121 yards and a touchdown and taking the game to overtime before Chicago prevailed. His lone start a week later was a loss to the Ravens, but he went 18 of 21 for 288 yards and one touchdown, rushing for another 60 yards and two more scores. It's a small sample, but he's completed 79% of his passes in the last two years. Nobody else with at least 50 passes is higher than 72%. Willis will have a chance to prove himself on a much larger scale this season, trying to find success leading a team expected to have very little of that. Hafley sees steady growth in his quarterback, with the hopes that will continue throughout the season. "Can he take another step?" Hafley said of his expectations in preseason. "Can he take another step with the playbook? Can he take another step with the execution? Can he take another step as the leader of the offense? And then can he start to become a leader of the entire team? ... I think he's a guy that has gotten better every single day, and he's just been unfazed. He's the same person. You can't rattle him, I'm pleased with where he's at. I think it will be a work in progress for the rest of camp, but I'm excited where he's at."

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Could The Cowboys Miss The Postseason? Predicting Every NFC Division Winner

Will the Seattle Seahawks be able to fend off the Los Angeles Rams and win the NFC West again? Who will win the tight battle for the NFC North? With the regular season quickly approaching, Colin Cowherd provided his division predictions and projected playoff field for the NFC on Wednesday's edition of The Herd. Highlighting a mix of returning contenders and rising rosters, Cowherd forecasted three new playoff teams across the conference while breaking down all four divisions. "I've got three new playoff teams in the NFC: the Lions, the Saints, and the Giants," Cowherd said. Here's how Cowherd predicts the placement of all four divisions in the NFC. Starting with the NFC East, Cowherd picked the Philadelphia Eagles to retain the division crown, pointing to roster continuity along the offensive line and past success under Jalen Hurts. "Jalen Hurts, since he became a full-time starter, has the winningest record in the NFL. I'm just going with this very, very well-run organization," Cowherd said. Despite losing A.J. Brown, Philadelphia added Dontayvion Wicks and drafted USC receiver Makai Lemon, returning all five offensive line starters with the seventh-easiest schedule in the league. Behind Philadelphia, Cowherd projected the New York Giants to finish ahead of the Dallas Cowboys for second place, should Jaxson Dart stay healthy. "They were one and seven last year in those one-score games, worst in the league," Cowherd said about the Giants. "And in fact, they blew five games in which they had a fourth-quarter lead. That is going to, even if it evens out, even if it doesn't totally flip, it will even out. If Jackson Dart can stay out of the blue tent, I think it's a playoff team." Following a tough year in close games in 2025, Cowherd thinks the scales will balance out for the Giants in 2026. Cowherd pointed to a trend from last season as the reason why he thinks the Cowboys could hold themselves back. "Here's the other thing, which has become a disturbing trend for the Cowboys. They were the most penalized team in the NFL last year. They did some big things well, like scoring. They did a lot of little things poorly. I have the Cowboys better, but not a playoff team." Washington was placed fourth in the division, pointing to roster turnover at key positions like left tackle and overall roster age as major obstacles for their prospects. "Washington just doesn't have enough talent. They lost Laremy Tunsil, their left tackle, who's a beast. Second-oldest roster in the NFL. I just don't like Washington right now going forward," Cowherd said. Moving to the NFC North, Cowherd went with the Detroit Lions to win the division, citing offensive firepower and draft adjustments. "I think the Lions have a combination of the best roster in the division and the easiest schedule in the entire league this year," Cowherd said. "I would argue quarterback, running back, tight end, wide receivers, they have the best group in the NFL." Cowherd added last year was considered a down year for Detroit and the offense still wound up amongst the league's best. "They were the only team to have a top-five scoring offense in the last four years. Even last year, when they struggled, it was top five." Last year's NFC North champions, the Chicago Bears, were picked to finish second in 2026 by Cowherd. "They were a great fourth quarter team last year. They probably can't quite equal that magic, but when they won the turnover battle, and nobody talks about this one, Chicago, they were 10-1 when they won the turnover battle," Cowherd said. Cowherd also pointed to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who does not have a history of turning the ball over. "Caleb Williams doesn't turn the ball over. He didn't in high school. He didn't in college. Even in the Eberflus year, 20 touchdowns, six picks. He is not a turnover quarterback. I have them for second." The Green Bay Packers were picked by Cowherd to finish third in the division, despite the number of key pieces they have slated to return, ahead of the Minnesota Vikings. "Not only do they get Michael Parsons back in October, but they also get Tucker Kraft back, who looks to be a star young tight end in the NFL for years to come. Christian Watson got hurt. Jaden Reed got hurt," Cowherd said. Cowherd also suggested the Packers may have reached their ceiling. "They've not been a great September team, but they've been a wild card team in the last three seasons," Cowherd said. Minnesota landed in fourth place in Cowherd's prediction, but he said this shouldn't discredit what the Vikings are capable of. "Minnesota is going to be the best fourth-place team in the NFL," Cowherd said. "Christian Darrisaw is back at left tackle. I love the coach and the defensive coordinator. There's not a lot here I don't like, but Kyler Murray's backup is either J.J. McCarthy or Carson Wentz. I don't trust either." Despite an established coaching staff and offensive line talent, backup quarterback depth creates vulnerability behind starter Kyler Murray. Cowherd also pointed out how prone to turnovers and the injury history of all three quarterbacks on the roster. The NFC South featured a surprise pick from Cowherd, with the New Orleans Saints taking first place behind quarterback Tyler Shough, thanks in part to a favorable schedule. "Second easiest schedule in football is the Saints," Cowherd said. "I thought they played very well at the end of last year. Tyler Shough, nobody paid attention, but they won four of their last five games." Cowherd added that the NFC South is usually unpredictable most seasons. "This is a division where you see teams go from last to first on a regular basis." The Carolina Panthers were picked for second place, highlighting leadership under Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan alongside offensive line stability for Bryce Young. "I think Carolina has the coach and the general manager for the future. Dave Canales and Dan Morgan are excellent. I think they've given Bryce Young a lot to work with." Cowherd also pointed out the inconsistencies on the offensive line last year. "They had 11 different starting O-line combinations last year, so it was a bit of a mess in front of Bryce Young. I think they'll get that corrected," Cowherd said. Tampa Bay was picked to finish third by Cowherd, who pointed to recent offensive slumps, defensive regressions, and coaching pressure following late-season struggles. "You got a coach on the hot seat. You got a new offensive coordinator, 20th-ranked defense last year. No Mike Evans. Lost seven of the nine games down the stretch," Cowherd said. "So they were a bit of a mess offensively, and they weren't great defensively." Atlanta rounded out the division in fourth place, with Cowherd citing early road schedule challenges and unanswered questions at quarterback. "I like the coach, like the owner. I think the GM is pretty sharp. There's a couple of players like Drake London, a Bijan Robinson I love, but who's the quarterback? We don't know," Cowherd said. "Cross my fingers with Michael Penix, but they start with three of their first four games on the road." In the NFC West, Cowherd selected the Seattle Seahawks to claim the division title over the Los Angeles Rams, praising Seattle's performance in road games and young core talent. "Here's what I love about Seattle: the last two years best road team in the league, and I mean a fantastic road team, 15 and two," Cowherd said. "They're returning all their best players. All of them are in their prime." Cowherd went on to highlight the Seahawks' ability to win away from home and performance against other playoff teams as key factors. Cowherd placed the Rams second as Super Bowl contenders, acknowledging both Seattle and Los Angeles rank among the top teams in the league. "They return all 11 offensive starters. There's no reason to debate this. They could win the Super Bowl. I think these two teams, in my opinion, are the best two teams in the NFL: Seahawks, Rams, one and two in my book," Cowherd said. However, the hype surrounding the Rams is not enough to convince Cowherd. "I'll take Seattle to win over the Rams. Everybody in the world's telling me the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl. The team is hearing that. You know what?" Cowherd said. "They're going to be a really really good team and win 11 games. I think Seattle could win 12." San Francisco was picked to finish third by Cowherd, pointing to an aging roster coming off major surgical recoveries and defensive pass rush struggles. "They were 20th ranked in defense. They struggled to get to the quarterback. They have the oldest roster," Cowherd said. "They are highly reliant at left tackle, running back, edge rusher, linebacker on veteran players who are coming off injuries." Arizona was projected to finish fourth in the division as the team undergoes a rebuild while playing in arguably the toughest division in football. "Arizona, bit of a mess. 0-6 against the division last year," Cowherd said. "They're playing like the Jets for next year's draft. Arizona at fourth place."

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NFL Eliminates Pro Bowl Game, Reportedly Will Keep Player Honors

The Pro Bowl is no more. After decades of format tweaks and noncompetitive play, the NFL is officially ending the Pro Bowl as a standalone event, according to The Athletic. On Wednesday, league executives presented a new vision to team owners that folds the festivities directly into Super Bowl week. Under the new format, 88 players will receive Pro Bowl honors without any replacement alternates. All physical competitions, which included tackle football, flag football and skills challenges, will be completely eliminated, leaving only the official honor itself. Instead of the traditional game, Pro Bowl selections will be invited to Los Angeles for an in-person celebration in February. The selection process remains unchanged as fans, players and coaches' votes are weighted equally to determine the 88-player roster across both conferences. The NFL's first All-Star Game was played at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles in 1939. Decades later, the Pro Bowl ended its long-standing tradition of being held in Hawaii, moving to mainland venues across the country. Over time, the event shifted from a physical contest into a friendly, non-competitive flag football game. Following years of skepticism from fans and players around the league, the tradition has officially come to an end. The game will always be remembered as one of the sport's premier annual events. However, the Pro Bowl game’s cancellation felt almost inevitable and that long-feared possibility has finally become a reality on Wednesday afternoon.

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If (Or When) The NFL Goes International, Which 5 Cities Seem Most Likely To Land A Team?

The NFL's global footprint continues to expand every year, and what was once a novelty is now up to nine games played outside the United States on four different continents. The 2026 lineup hosting NFL games — London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City — is just another step as the league envisions a 16-game international lineup that has every team playing a game every year. So it's no surprise that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, during an interview with a German television station last week, said he has "no doubt" the league will eventually have teams entirely based in other countries. "At some point, there will be NFL teams outside the USA," Goodell said. "I have no doubt that this will happen one day." Having an international game in that 9:30 a.m. ET window — an afternoon kickoff in Europe — makes for an entire day of live football, allowing fans to go from that to the afternoon slots to prime time, with literally 14 hours of nonstop football if you want. The logistics of travel have been ironed out well enough that an overseas game isn't the scheduling hurdle it used to be, and teams playing an international game don't always choose a bye week afterward, able to recover and be back for a regular Sunday the next week. So if the NFL were to import a team to another country full-time, where might it be? The league is in a good place at 32 teams, with a proven scheduling model and playoff structure and teams in all the U.S. markets they want. At some point, it could even expand to have an international division — with four teams, visiting opponents could be scheduled for back-to-back games overseas to lessen the impact of long travel. There's talk that aviation technology will soon reduce the time required for trans-Atlantic flight, making it even less of an obstacle for teams during the season. Here are five potential landing spots for the NFL's first international team, with one clear and obvious favorite ... 5. Toronto The Buffalo Bills have played games in Toronto, which is just 100 miles or so from Buffalo, and played regular-season games there every year from 2008-13. So, if you wanted a half-measure to officially expand the United States without the travel headaches of crossing the Atlantic, the NFL could look at Toronto, which has supported MLB and NBA franchises for decades. The last Bills games there weren't at full capacity in the Rogers Centre, and the Toronto Argonauts had the lowest attendance in the CFL for the ninth straight year in 2025, averaging about 15,000 fans. Mexico City has hosted games in the past, but that too would be an unlikely spot for a full-time team. 4. Madrid Spain joined the NFL's global family last year when the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins drew a crowd of 78,610, earning a return trip this year for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons in November. The league also agreed to a multi-year partnership with the City of Madrid in February, signaling that there will continue to be games held in Spain's capital in the coming years. The World League of American Football and NFL Europe had teams in Barcelona, but Madrid is twice as large as Barcelona and the more likely host if the league were to look at a new home in Spain. Bernabéu Stadium, home to soccer's FC Madrid, is a natural home for such a major event. 3. Paris Metropolitan Paris has about 13 million people, so in terms of filling a stadium on a consistent basis, it's not far from London or New York, though the NFL in Paris is a fairly new development. The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers will play at Stade de France in October with a capacity of 80,000-plus, so a successful debut there should put them in the annual rotation and open up a new country to the NFL's future plans. The Saints, with their fleur-de-lis logo and French Quarter, have a natural connection to Paris, but it's too early to know how well the city would support the NFL on a more regular or even permanent basis. 2. Munich Frankly, we could've also picked Berlin as the city to represent Germany on this list. But a German city should be pretty high up here. Germany will host an NFL game for the fifth straight season in 2026, when the New England Patriots take on the Detroit Lions in Munich. It'll be the third game played in Munich, and there's another one scheduled at Allianz Arena for 2028. Berlin hosted its first game in 2025 and it's scheduled to host two more games in the coming seasons, while Frankfurt has hosted two NFL games. But Germany has a history with the NFL dating back to 1990. There's a strong, passionate backing for the NFL in Germany — you'll hear the crowd singing "Sweet Caroline" and "Country Roads" during a game and knowing every single word in a language most of them don't speak. Could an NFL team exist in Germany and split home games between multiple cities, supporting it as a nation rather than one single locale? If the league ever expanded to have a full four-team European division, this would make sense. A full-time team would almost need to be in Europe, logistically. The league adds Melbourne this year and could eventually have games in Tokyo, but the travel demands are much greater there — a direct flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne is 15 hours, compared to eight hours for New York to London or Berlin. 1. London London has a long head start on most other international options — this goes back to the American Bowl in the 1980s, when preseason games were the NFL's first outreach to expand their fanbase globally. Wembley Stadium was a regular host for these games and still does so 40 years later, so fans in London have been supporting NFL football in person for all of their lives in many cases. London's hosting expanded from Wembley to include other venues like what was then Twickenham Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, rugby and soccer stadiums adjusted for NFL football. In theory, a full-time NFL team could build a new football-focused venue as a new home, subletting it to soccer during the rest of the year instead of the other way around. London has no language barrier, easy and direct flights from major U.S. cities and a built-in base of fans that have filled stadiums for multiple NFL games a year, something no other city can boast. The time difference is an hour less than most of Europe's major cities, and the longstanding relationship with the NFL makes London a heavy favorite for any international expansion.

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49ers Owner Jed York Texted Undercover Officer Prior To His Arrest

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York used an alias when he sent text messages over two days to a woman he believed to be a prostitute before he was arrested in a sting operation in Ohio, according to a police incident report obtained Tuesday. The report from the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force had more than two pages redacted but provided more details about what led to York's arrest and ultimately to him pleading no contest Monday to two misdemeanors. York initially responded to an advertisement placed by police on a known prostitution website on Saturday, according to the report, sending two messages that went unanswered and saying his name was "Joe" and that he wanted to visit the woman. York texted again Sunday morning and said he wanted to see the woman. He said he was staying nearby and asked for her address. He asked how much the woman charged and was told it was $160 for "full service sexual activity," the report said. York took a rental car to a mobile home park in East Palestine, Ohio, where he was given a fictitious lot number. He texted when he arrived at the mobile home park. He was then directed back to the main road, where he was stopped by marked police units. Police found York had $160 that was seized and they sent a text to his phone to determine it was the same one used to arrange the meeting. He was booked into jail and was released after posting a $5,000 bond. York was initially charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct. He pleaded no contest Monday to that charge and to possessing criminal tools for using his phone to respond to the ad. He was sentenced to one day in jail for both offenses to be served concurrently and was credited with one day served when he pleaded no contest. He also was fined $1,150. The $160 that was seized from him was given to the human trafficking task force as part of the plea. York also completed an online course. York has been in Ohio, where he grew up near Youngstown, for most of the summer. He had filed for divorce from his wife, Danielle, in May, according to court records. The NFL issued a statement saying the league is aware of the arrest and will review it under the personal conduct policy. Owners are subject to possible fines or suspensions for violating the policy. The team said that the "legal matter" had been resolved and that it would have no additional comment. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he has talked to York the past two days and doesn't believe the arrest will have any impact on the team. "Obviously, it’s a very tough situation," Shanahan said. "The views for the organization going forward are the same as usual. There won’t be any difference in that. But I know it’s extremely fresh. I think it’s a very, very personal situation. I got a lot of respect for Jed. I got lot of respect for Danielle. The family does mean a lot to me. With it being this personal, I’m trying as hard as I can to keep it that way." Shanahan said he doesn't expect any change in York's involvement with the team, saying he has always allowed Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to make the football decisions. Shanahan said he doesn't feel the need to address the situation with his players. Star linebacker Fred Warner said the players were aware of it but that he didn't believe it would be a distraction. "We all have social media, so we see things," he said. "But at the same time, I got a lot of love, a lot respect for Jed, and don’t feel the need to comment on the situation. I think the team is kind of the same way. It really wasn’t a conversation being had in the locker room. Of course, yeah, you notice it, but at the time, we were so hyper-focused in this building of trying to prepare for Week 1. A lot of guys are on the bubble trying to make the team. So we’re just trying to get better as a football team and that's a personal situation, and letting it stay personal with him." Reporting By The Associated Press.

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