Roll The Tape: 5 Potential Title-Tilting Developments To Watch In Week 1

The 2026 NFL season is here, and I cannot wait to see how some of the trends that emerged in the spring and summer manifest on the field this fall and winter. Each week, I'll be diving into the All-22 coaches' film before offering five insights to watch. My first set of takeaways covers potential Super Bowl-shifting developments from the offseason. In 2025, the Los Angeles Rams’ success with their 13 personnel package (1 RB, 3 TE, and 1 WR) captivated offensive coordinators looking for a creative way to combat two-high shells and light boxes that limit explosive plays in the passing game. By using heavy personnel typically associated with the running game, offensive playcallers are forcing defensive coordinators to run their base package or short-yardage/goal-line personnel in normal down-and-distance situations from anywhere on the field. The clever package features three "bigs" on the perimeter with the versatility to block effectively at the point, while also flashing the route-running ability to run vertical routes down the seam or crossers at intermediate range. The individual and collective talent of the Rams’ tight ends (Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen) enabled head coach Sean McVay to dictate the terms to the defense, while creating more big-play chances for Matthew Stafford by using max protection and play-action passes to attack down the field. As a result, the league MVP completed almost 70% of his passes and produced 20 touchdowns out of the grouping last year, per ESPN. With the Rams also using an assortment of bunch and clustered formations to create an unbalanced offensive line with extra gaps to defend in the running game, and "snug" alignments to test the discipline and communication skills of linebackers and safeties who are not accustomed to dealing with the switch calls needed to handle pick and rub routes, McVay discovered a cheat code that helped his offense light up scoreboards around the league. Given the Rams’ success as the league’s trendsetter in 13 personnel deployment, teams spent the offseason studying the package and made roster decisions with run-heavy packages in mind. A whopping 22 tight ends were taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, including nine in the top 100 overall. Five teams (the Broncos, Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars, Ravens) picked multiple tight ends to give them the flexibility to dabble with "13" personnel this season. Jacksonville, which took Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Tanner Koziol in the fifth, is coached by McVay disciple Liam Coen. As more teams tap into multiple tight-end sets to create and exploit mismatches on the ground and through the air, the increased use of 13 personnel across the league is the No. 1 trend to watch early this season. The reunion between former Titans A.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel should produce fireworks in New England. The acquisition of an All-Pro with six 1,000-yard seasons, including a pair of seasons with 1,400-plus yards, gives the Patriots a legitimate No. 1 receiver to build the passing game around. Brown’s size, strength, and physicality make him a natural fit at "X," where he can overpower defenders bold enough to press him at the line of scrimmage. As one of only four players in NFL history to average 75-plus receiving yards per game and 15-plus yards per reception, per Next Gen Stats, Brown consistently whips bump-and-run coverage on the perimeter. Last season, he earned a 34.7% target rate against press coverage and a 2.6 yards-per-route average, which was fifth-highest in the league. During his Eagles career (2022-2025), he led the league with a 3.4 yards-per-route average against press, the most of any receiver with 100 such routes during that span. Interestingly, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels likened the veteran Brown to vaunted tight end Rob Gronkowski over the summer because of his superior physical dimensions and dominant playmaking ability on the perimeter. If that is any indication of how he will use Brown, we will likely see the big-bodied wideout on the backside of various 3x1 and empty formations, in turn forcing opponents to declare their coverage and telegraph possible double teams on his side. With the isolation alignment also allowing the Patriots to create and exploit potential mismatches, the presence of the three-time Pro Bowler should help third-year QB Drake Maye take his game up a notch with easier throws available on the perimeter. Considering he led the league in completion percentage and passer rating without a true WR1 at his disposal in 2025, the addition of Brown should add a dimension to an offense that sputtered in the NFL’s championship rounds (AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LX). McDaniels will enhance big-play potential by moving the veteran around within the formation to prevent teams from using simplistic schemes to minimize his impact. By putting Brown inside at slot receiver, the Pats can take advantage of his speed and quickness against nickel backs and linebackers in the passing game, while also utilizing his blocking skills to create room for runners on the edges. Given that New England's passing game also features various hot routes and sight adjustments that instruct the receiver to alter his route based on coverage, Brown becomes a valuable chess piece who can counter the aggressive pressure tactics some opponents use to disrupt the quarterback's rhythm. His route-running skills and scheme mastery will be tested, though, in Wednesday's season opener against a Seattle Seahawks defense that will challenge the outside receivers with aggressive bump-and-run tactics. A defensive player has not won the NFL’s MVP award since Lawrence Taylor took home the hardware in 1986 after a spectacular campaign in which he totaled 20.5 sacks while leading the New York Giants to a 14-2 record and eventual Super Bowl XXI win. This year, all-world edge defender Myles Garrett is well-positioned to make a run at the illustrious honor as the Rams’ new "face of the franchise" on defense. Despite the return of fellow future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, the football world is paying closer attention to how the two-time Defensive Player of the Year makes his mark on a team with "Super Bowl-or-bust" aspirations. Over the past three years with the Cleveland Browns, former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz moved Garrett around to prevent opponents from honing in on his whereabouts before the snap. The five-time All-Pro can win with basic maneuvers out of a three-point stance or get into his bag with a collection of NBA-like moves that showcase his athleticism and agility. While most teams send a second and sometimes third blocker in his direction, Garrett is playing with a group of blue-chip pass-rushers who will punish opponents for overcommitting to the NFL's all-time single-season sack holder. Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Donald are all capable of registering double-digit sacks with their respective array of one-on-one moves that will expose a blocker who lacks the talent and/or technique to win at the point of attack without help. The trio’s individual and collective dominance will force opponents to make tough decisions about when and how to double Garrett. Moreover, the group’s diverse talent will require defensive coordinator Chris Shula to create a playbook and call sheet that functions like organized chaos, with Garrett allowed to freelance without compromising the defense's overall structure. Given that Los Angeles has played a 3-4 scheme with various iterations of nickel and dime sub-packages as complements, Shula must delicately balance the desire to play to his superstar's strengths while keeping the scheme simple and consistent for the rest of the lineup. It's a nice problem to have if you're the Rams, and a potential nightmare if you're the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Kevin O’Connell is regarded as one of the NFL's quarterback whisperers due to his track record of coaxing Pro Bowl-caliber performance from the likes of Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold. And remember, the Vikings even got passable production when Nick Mullens and Josh Dobbs were rotating in and out as emergency subs under center. Although the offense sputtered under J.J. McCarthy in 2025, the acquisition of Kyler Murray gives Minnesota an electric QB1 with the potential to light up the scoreboard as a runner and thrower from the pocket. The veteran is the most talented player KOC has worked with in Minnesota and his dynamic skill set will enable the creative play designer to utilize the back pages of the playbook. Before the Vikings get to the sexy stuff with their new starter, they might initially simplify their offensive approach to allow the two-time Pro Bowler to play "pitch-and-catch" to a talented collection of receivers, including All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. By encouraging Murray to string together completions on high-percentage passes, the Vikings are hoping to build out a quick-rhythm offense that overwhelms opponents with execution and efficiency. While skeptics question whether Murray can play within a highly structured offense after spending most of his time in Arizona freelancing and big-play hunting, a basic approach better suits his skills as a pinpoint passer with outstanding accuracy and range. With Murray expected to target the entire field with an assortment of rhythm throws that would stretch the defense from sideline-to-sideline and end line to end line, defensive coordinators must decide whether to play soft, umbrella coverage with defenders paying close attention to Jefferson and Addison while leaving cracks and creases available to Murray and the running backs on scrambles and designed runs. If defensive coordinators opt to load the box or ratchet up the pressure to attack Murray, the veteran’s explosiveness as a runner and range as a passer could make it a big-play bonanza for the Vikings. In a league where explosive plays routinely decide games, Murray’s big-play potential in a carefully crafted offense could be the storyline to watch this weekend as Minnesota hosts Green Bay. If you have not been paying attention to "America’s Team" this summer, the Cowboys are quietly emerging as title contenders behind an explosive offense and retooled defense that could surprise opponents this fall. Under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio disciple who spent the past two seasons with the Eagles, the Cowboys have assembled a unit that is perfectly suited to throttle opponents forced to chase points against a high-powered offense. The 34-year-old defensive playcaller not only has a talented collection of pass-rushers with Pro Bowl experience (see: Von Miller, Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary), he has ball-hawking, high-IQ defenders in the secondary. That combination of rush and coverage should challenge the patience and discipline of passers lacking the patience to "dink-and-dunk" against a defensive backfield that will be committed to taking away deep throws and explosive plays. Additionally, the Cowboys want to stuff the run from two-high structures and light boxes that make it difficult for opponents to know where the extra defenders are coming from to plug their designated run gaps. By showing an umbrella structure before moving into airtight zones with single-high, weak-side rotations, the Cowboys want to frustrate opponents with a disciplined approach that condenses the field with a group of players who are playing fast and free in the back end. If the ultra-talented pass rush plays to its talent and potential with a mix of newcomers and veterans making key contributions, the Cowboys’ defense could grow into a suffocating unit that wins with simplicity and structure from a young coach who understands how to build a system that allows players to thrive as "see ball, get ball" defenders.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/By6Tj3G

Upon Further Review: What To Make Of New OCs, And Other Things To Know In Week 1

Tuesday, in a traditional NFL game week, is a day off. We're here to help you through that, as the last word wrapping up the weekend was and the first look at what's still ahead. Each week, we'll take you inside the league, making the extra call, researching a wild stat and introducing the names and faces that will shape the 2026 season in success and struggle. And while we're introducing things, the NFL will have 21 new offensive coordinators this season, a testament to the boom-or-bust nature of the job, where you're either hot enough to become a head coach or ordinary enough to get fired. The middle ground is a thin strip of land, such that every NFL team will play more than half its schedule against new offensive coordinators. As if starting a season in Australia weren't challenge enough, the San Francisco 49ers will play 15 of 17 games against new offensive coordinators: their first eight opponents and their final seven. The Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots have 14 such games as well, and especially early in the season, it's that much harder to prepare, not knowing exactly what an opponent's offense will actually look like. To appreciate the full range of which way a new offensive coordinator can go, consider the Seattle Seahawks. Their new offensive coordinator in 2024, Ryan Grubb, got fired and is now back in college football at Alabama. His replacement, Klint Kubiak, parlayed a Super Bowl championship into becoming head coach of the Raiders. The new offensive coordinator you're perhaps least likely to have heard of before is Seattle's Brian Fleury, a defensive assistant as recently as 2019 and the 49ers' tight ends coach the last four years. Game prep for Week 1 games can often mean pulling tape from a coach's previous stops, sometimes even in college, to better anticipate what's coming. Then you have games like Cardinals-Chargers, where Arizona has a new head coach in Mike LaFleur and a new offensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett going up against a first-time defensive coordinator in Los Angeles' Chris O'Leary, who spent 2024 as the Chargers' safety coach and was defensive coordinator at Western Michigan last year. "With a lot of new faces calling plays in the league, you approach it like early games on your schedule," O'Leary told me. "You use old film in the early parts of the year to see what they've done historically and also see what those teams have done in the past to make their current roster of players successful. "As the season goes on, you have film from earlier in the season that you put a heavier emphasis on, but still watch that old tape to have a big picture of what those playcallers like to do and their tendencies." Want an underdog to root for in 2026? Try nearly any defending division champ. Finishing in first place means a first-place schedule, and while that's only three games out of 17, it sets up a default expectation of regression for the best teams of last season. Of eight defending division champs, just one is the oddsmakers' favorite to repeat: the Philadelphia Eagles, who are still predicted to finish a game ahead of the Dallas Cowboys (via projected win totals). But four other division champs — the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers — face the third-best odds out of four teams to win their divisions, so even finishing second is seen as overachieving. If it seems like overreaction, it really isn't. Of the eight 2024 division champs, only one (Eagles) pulled off the repeat, and only two out of eight (Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams) improved on their 2024 record. Add up the win totals for the 2024 division champs, and those teams combined to win 21 fewer games in 2025, an average drop of 2.6 wins. The idea that the NFC East is the lone source of continuity is amusing in itself, in that the Eagles' repeat last year ended a run of different teams winning the division every year from 2005 to 2024. I've had international datelines as an NFL writer, but none of them across the International Date Line, as the 49ers and Rams are in Australia this week. You can get jet lag just from doing the math on what time it is there. Their game will be broadcast from Melbourne with an 8:35 p.m. ET kickoff Thursday, but will go in the history books as a Friday game because local time for kickoff is 10:35 a.m. Friday. "I feel like I'm in the future," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday, trying to understand calling home to talk to his family, which is somehow the day before. Stranger still: Even though the game will be kicked off in the morning down under, it will qualify officially as a "prime time game," according to the Elias Sports Bureau, which recognizes a prime time game as any that has its kickoff at 7 p.m. ET or later. The NFL generally avoids Friday games except for recent forays into Black Friday as an expansion of Thanksgiving games. It's the first time either the 49ers or Rams have played on a Friday in nearly 40 years, and both of their last two Friday games were against each other, with Joe Montana leading San Francisco to wins over Los Angeles in pre-Christmas regular-season finales in 1984 and 1986. Which NFL head coaches have the best record in Week 1 games? Only 11 out of 32 have a winning record as head coaches in Week 1 — another 11 have never won an opener as head coach, though six of those are guys making their debut this week. The best? The Chargers' Jim Harbaugh is 6-0 and the Eagles' Nick Sirianni is 5-0, with the Rams' Sean McVay close behind with a 7-2 record in Week 1. After those, the coach whose Week 1 record is most improved from their overall record is Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who has a .452 winning percentage for his career, but a 6-2 (.750) mark in season openers. Most curiously bad Week 1 coach? That might be the Patriots' Mike Vrabel, who has a .586 win percentage overall but is 2-5 for his career in Week 1 and has to go across the country to face the Seahawks on Wednesday. And temper your expectations for new head coaches in their first year on the job. Last year, those coaches went 1-6 in Week 1, with the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen getting the lone win. This year's rookie coaches are good for at least one win, unless the Raiders and Miami Dolphins manage to tie with Kubiak and Jeff Hafley squaring off in their first games as head coaches. Of the rest, only the Baltimore Ravens' Jesse Minter, opening against the Indianapolis Colts, is favored to win. One of the more obscure but fun streaks you can keep an eye on this week: The Bucs have gotten a touchdown from a rookie receiver in Week 1 in each of the last three seasons: Trey Palmer in 2023, Jalen McMillan in 2024 and two from Emeka Egbuka last year. Can Ted Hurst, a third-round pick from Georgia State with a promising mix of size and speed, keep that streak going this week as they face the Bengals in Cincinnati? Just remember that nobody gets touchdowns from rookie receivers in Week 1 wins like the Bucs do. Since 2023, they have four, and the rest of the NFL has ... three of them, total.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/R0TyY9h

Rams? Seahawks? Bengals? The NFL's Best Teams Heading Into Week 1

Making it to Super Bowl LX isn't enough to reserve a spot in Colin Cowherd's top 10 – the first Herd Hierarchy before Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, shared on Tuesday's edition of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," revealed as much. The New England Patriots aren't the only team missing, however: Cowherd made a point of saying that the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens were both close to making this inaugural list… but not close enough. There's plenty of season left for the teams missing from it now to play their way into the Hierarchy. But for now, here is Cowherd's actual top 10 before Week 1 kicks off – which includes Super Bowl LX's champions, at least. Cowherd’s thoughts: "One of the most improved teams, and one of the teams that I thought made real moves, the Cincinnati Bengals. They’ve won the division the two times they’ve given Joe Burrow a top-20 defense. And by adding Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Kyle Dugger, Cashius Howell and Boye Mafe, I think they’re going to have a top-20 defense. You also look in their division: old Aaron Rodgers twice, the Browns’ quarterback situation twice, I think when Burrow doesn’t have to only win by track meet, is a playoff quarterback." Cowherd’s thoughts: "Best defense in the league by a margin. Listen, they’ve won 10 of their last 11 games, I’m a fan of C.J. Stroud — though the last two years, too many mistakes — they return 10 of the 11 starters that made their defense and shut down the L.A. Rams. The Seahawks couldn’t even do that. I like the Texans a lot: Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr. are about as good as anybody in the league at their positions, and I love head coach DeMeco Ryans and their GM — they just can’t stay healthy at wide receiver." Cowherd’s thoughts: "Listen: 10-1 when they won the turnover battle. And here’s the good news: Caleb Williams doesn’t turn the ball over. He does not throw interceptions. He didn’t at USC, he doesn’t in the NFL, he didn’t in high school. And I think Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and Rome Odunze, as they now age, are going to become an elite, top of the league trio. Rome Odunze had a nice camp, he’s finally healthy. Do I worry about a lack of a consistent pass rush? Yes, that’s why I have the bears at No. 8. Cowherd’s thoughts: "I think we’re overselling the fact that they trailed in a lot of games last year. Well, adding Jaylen Waddle, there’s a chance that will rejuvenate the passing game a little bit. They gave up the fewest sacks, and for two years in a row have led the NFL in sacks. They have an elite coach and returned 41 of their 43 offensive touchdowns. Yes, their schedule’s hard, yes, it’s a great coaching division, but I think Bo Nix is — and I think a lot of people are struggling to acknowledge — pretty good! He may not be great, but he’s pretty good." Cowherd’s thoughts: "Worry about the interior O-line again, but I’m going to put the Chargers in — 11-6 last year, with the lowest-rated offensive line. They got an upgrade at offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, I think their weapons are good enough, they’ve added a rookie edge rusher with their first-round pick, Omario Hampton now healthy at running back — only team in the league top-five in third down and third down defense. Now they have the perfect coordinator for Justin Herbert." Cowherd’s thoughts: "It gets real close now. Philadelphia, Week 1, big favorites against Washington. No. 2-ranked O-line, and you know what I say about O-lines. Hard not to make the playoffs when you have  a top-5 or -6 O-line in the league. DeVonta Smith, is he a great No. 1 receiver with A.J. Brown gone? Well, they added Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown and Makai Lemon from USC (who had a spotty camp)... they’re good enough at wide receiver, great at running back, good at quarterback. Easy schedule, by NFC standards." Cowherd’s thoughts: "I think the Lions will battle for the Super Bowl. Easiest schedule in the league, they have a new offensive coordinator that’s viewed in-house as an upgrade, their skill positions — Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam Laporta and Jameson Williams are really, really electric playmakers. That matters in the long NFL season, you can’t have 13-play drives, week after week. You need some over the top home runs by Jahmyr Gibbs or Williams. Great teams get occasional easy touchdowns; not everything are perfect long drives. Cowherd’s thoughts: "I like Buffalo more than most, largest favorites to win their division. Josh Allen is 28-8 against his division — it’s got a Tom Brady feel. They traded for D.J. Moore — because he’s not flashy and not terribly demonstrative, people don’t understand how good he is. Durable, professional, open — I love D.J. Moore, a real serious No. 1 receiver. We gotta be honest about this: their rush defense was bad. But the last two years, they’ve spent more draft picks on defensive capital than any other team. I think some of those start to pay off." Cowherd’s thoughts: "The Rams are the most talented team in football. I put them No. 2 because I worry about being hunted, week after week after week. I also think if you look at their schedule, when you’re a heavy favorite it’s hard to stay motivated. They’ve also got some age in a couple of spots. Will DaVante Adams stay healthy? Will Puka Nacua always be available? I love their tight ends, running back, coach and quarterback, but he’s what, 38 years old? I have them at No. 2. Cowherd’s thoughts: "What I like about the Seahawks is all their best players are either all going into their athletic prime — Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon — or they’re in their prime. They have no egos. It’s not like the other Seahawks with Pete Carroll, where Marshawn Lynch was a star and Richard Sherman was a star and Russell Wilson was and Pete Carroll was. In his own division, Mike Macdonald is the third-most talked about head coach. Sam Darnold still has that perfect chip on his shoulder. JSN doesn’t get nearly the pub that he should. I think Seattle doesn’t have the brand stars, so they’re still sort of undervalued in the market."

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/f8FTVqK

Another New Highest-Paid CB: Patriots, Christian Gonzalez Agree To Record Extension

While Christian Gonzalez will watch Devon Witherspoon and the Seattle Seahawks celebrate their Super Bowl LX victory on Wednesday night, the New England Patriots cornerback will have something else over his counterpart in the NFL's regular-season opener. Gonzalez and the Patriots have agreed to an extension that will make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, according to multiple reports. Gonzalez will receive a four-year, $135 million deal with $102 million in guaranteed money, ESPN reported late Monday night. With a $33.75 million average annual salary, Gonzalez slightly bests the contract extension that Witherspoon signed in August that made the Seahawks star the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Witherspoon agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension ($33 million average annual value) with $101 million guaranteed. Even though Gonzalez still has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract, his contract talks were at the forefront during Patriots training camp. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in July that the team had made Gonzalez an offer that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, but Gonzalez's trainer said that the language of the contract was "kind of trash." Gonzalez didn't seem to refute his trainer's comments when he spoke with reporters when he spoke with reporters last week. "He can speak his mind. He’s got his thoughts, I’ve got mine," Gonzalez said, "but I back everything he says. He backs everything I say. That’s kind of our relationship. We talk every day. He’s going to say what he’s going to say." Gonzalez added in comments to MassLive that he was "still frustrated" that he and the Patriots had yet to reach an agreement on an extension. Now, Gonzalez and the Patriots can shift their attention to the 2026 regular season, which begins Wednesday night in Seattle. As New England was largely dominated in Super Bowl LX, Gonzalez put up an impressive performance in that game. He allowed just one catch on five targets for 16 yards, per Pro Football Focus, as Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba struggled to make an impact. That performance capped off a Pro Bowl year for Gonzalez. He didn't have an interception in the regular season, but he allowed just one touchdown and had the game-sealing interception in the Patriots' AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos. Gonzalez, 24, also earned a second-team All-Pro nod for his play in 2024. The Patriots took Gonzalez with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/yak1R67

NFL Catchup: Latest On Rams, 49ers Stars; Shedeur Sanders QB3?

Week 1 of the regular season is finally here and teams across the NFL are putting the final touches on their roster while others are dealing with last-minute injury news before the season kicks off Wednesday with the Super Bowl rematch between the Patriots and Seahawks. The Atlanta Falcons formally named Tua Tagovailoa as their Week 1 starting quarterback, while the Dallas Cowboys suffered a blow to their offensive line with All-Pro guard Tyler Smith set for thumb surgery. Down under, the Niners and Rams are preparing to play the first NFL game in Australia and one side is confirming the return of a pass rusher while the other is being more secretive about theirs. Here is the latest news from around the league on Monday. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald remained noncommittal Monday about whether he will travel, let alone suit up for the team's Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. Speaking to reporters following practice, the recently unretired veteran offered vague answers when asked if he plans to make the trip and play on Thursday. "Feeling really good. Feeling great," Donald said when asked about traveling to Australia. "Come up with a game plan and see what's going on." Donald, who ended his retirement Aug. 30 to rejoin the Rams, continues to work through a progressive conditioning ramp-up. While head coach Sean McVay previously indicated the entire roster is expected to make the flight, Donald's actual game-day snap count and active availability remain a day-to-day evaluation as kickoff approaches. Meanwhile, Myles Garrett looked like he was trying to add more power to his tackles, so the Rams' pass rush will still be plenty for opposing offenses to handle. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris told reporters Monday that star defensive end Nick Bosa will play in Thursday's season-opening matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. Bosa, who tore his right ACL in Week 3 of last season and dealt with knee tendinitis during training camp, returned to practice last week before making the flight with the team. "He’s going [to play]. We are not hiding that," Morris told reporters. Bosa's return provides a key boost to a San Francisco pass rush that finished last in the NFL in sacks last season. While the team may manage his snap volume as he continues building up his conditioning, his active status anchors the 49ers' defense for the historic kickoff in Australia. Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken told reporters Monday that sixth-round rookie quarterback Taylen Green could be active for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, potentially serving as the primary game-day option behind starter Deshaun Watson. When asked if Green could earn the gameday active spot over Shedeur Sanders to run specialized athletic packages, Monken left the door open. "Could be," Monken said. "There could be a package where we have him." Monken added that while activating three quarterbacks on game day remains possible. Green, a sixth-round pick in April's draft, made the Browns' 53-man roster as QB3 after Dillon Gabriel was placed on injured reserve due to a back injury. Monken named Watson the starting quarterback on Aug. 24 after a competition in training camp between him and Sanders. While the Dallas Cowboys' offense has undergone constant turnover in recent seasons, guard Tyler Smith has remained a steady anchor. Now, the Cowboys must survive without him after head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced Monday that Smith will be sidelined. He is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery. The surgery will force Smith to miss at least the first four games of the regular season while opening up a spot on the 53-man active roster. "Tyler Smith is going to have surgery on his thumb tomorrow morning," Schottenheimer said during his press conference. "It's something that he's just been dealing with." With Smith sidelined, offensive lineman T.J. Bass is slated to take over as the starting left guard. Bass joined the organization as an undrafted free agent and has made 10 career starts, including five last year. The Cowboys retained Bass this offseason after placing a second-round restricted free agent tender on him. The Cowboys are set to open their season on Sunday night when they travel to New York to take on the Giants on Sunday Night Football. The New York Giants officially released veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure with the organization. Selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the 29-year-old was the longest-tenured player on New York's roster before his release. Slayton had 296 catches for 4,435 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in seven seasons in New York. The decision clears roster space as the Giants finalize a receiving corps led by Malik Nabers, Odell Beckham Jr., Darnell Mooney, and rookie Malachi Fields ahead of their Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Slayton posted a farewell message on X Monday thanking the organization, officially becoming an unrestricted free agent. The Giants signed Slayton to a three-year, $36 million deal before last season. He was due $13 million this season. The move creates just over $3 million in cap space for this year. After a competitive quarterback battle, the Atlanta Falcons are naming Tua Tagovailoa as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement official on Monday morning. Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from season-ending knee surgery, though he is expected to return to the field later this year. Until he is fully cleared, Tagovailoa will take the reins as Atlanta's starter. With Penix’s return still unknown, Stefanski is expected to rock with Cooper Rush as the backup to start the season. Tagovailoa is coming off an up-and-down final season in Miami. Over 14 starts with the Dolphins, he completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, while adding 43 yards on the ground

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/X5pdEkU

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro LG Tyler Smith To Miss 4-6 Weeks Due To Thumb Surgery

The Dallas Cowboys' high-powered offense took a bit of a blow less than a week before their season-opening matchup against the New York Giants. All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith will undergo thumb surgery and is expected to be placed on injured reserve, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters Monday. The surgery will force Smith to miss at least the first four games of the regular season while opening up a spot on the 53-man active roster. "Tyler Smith is going to have surgery on his thumb tomorrow morning," Schottenheimer said during his press conference. "It's something that he's just been dealing with." With Smith sidelined, offensive lineman T.J. Bass is slated to take over as the starting left guard. Bass joined the organization as an undrafted free agent and has made 10 career starts for Dallas, including five last year. The Cowboys retained Bass this offseason after placing a second-round restricted free agent tender on him. Smith's absence leaves a noticeable void in Dallas' offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith allowed just three sacks and 26 pressures last season. Since being selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the three-time Pro Bowler has allowed only 12 sacks across four seasons and 63 career starts, per PFF. Dallas opens the regular season on Sunday night against the Giants before rolling through an opening six-game stretch that includes matchups against the Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Green Bay Packers.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/4rbvyO5

Mike McCarthy Feels The Pride — And Responsibility — Of Coaching Hometown Steelers

LATROBE, Pa. — Everyone who knows Mike McCarthy understood where his heart always belonged, even if his eyes and feet were firmly wherever else he was. Nothing against Green Bay or Dallas, two places with rich and storied football histories and traditions. Pittsburgh is just different, especially for a Pittsburgh kid. "This is where I’m from. This is the cloth that I was cut from," the new Steelers coach told me during a recent visit to camp at Saint Vincent College. "When you grow up in Western Pa., we’re all sick in the head because we’re all brainwashed as kids. It’s the greatest place on Earth." So, yes, it sure is surreal for a kid born in the Greenfield section of Pittsburgh, right across the Monongahela River from Steelers headquarters, to be coming home to that place after all these years, to run the team he bled for as a kid. It’s a bucket list item the 62-year-old never imagined could happen. He spent 23 years in Green Bay and thought he’d be there forever. He spent five years in Dallas and figured that might be his last stop too. And for almost that entire time, the Steelers had just one head coach. Heck, they had only changed coaches five times since McCarthy was born. Then, last January, the news came that Mike Tomlin was stepping down after 19 years running the Steelers — a year to the day after McCarthy was let go in Dallas. "I didn’t expect it," McCarthy told me. "I don’t think anybody did." But it was real. And it all started to feel even more real when the Steelers called and invited him in for an interview on Jan. 21 — the 11th anniversary of the day his younger brother Joe died of a heart attack while playing racquetball at a local gym. McCarthy spent most of that day meeting with Steelers owner Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan and others in the organization. But then he got to go home to have pizza dinner with his parents, Joe Sr. and Ellen, his three sisters, and everyone else he could gather from the extended McCarthy clan. "It was heavy, because it was my brother’s anniversary of his passing," McCarthy told me. "Just to have the opportunity to spend a couple extra hours at home with my family, on that day, it almost … the reality gave me the feeling that ‘Hey, there’s a chance this might happen.’" McCarthy has always been a "Yinzer" at heart. He was born and raised in what he called "inner city Pittsburgh," just five miles to the West of where the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers meet, maybe a 15-minute ride to the site of old Three Rivers Stadium, where his beloved Steelers played for most of his life. He played three sports at the now-closed Bishop Boyle High School. He spent some time when he was home from college working at his father’s local bar. Baseball and basketball were more his thing when he was growing up. He didn’t start playing football until high school. But he knew what football meant to his city. There’s nothing bigger than the Steelers to anyone from there. "I think that’s part of the beauty of the fabric of our great city," McCarthy told me. "It’s totally intertwined with the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. No disrespect to the 31 other teams, but I don’t think there’s a professional franchise in sports that’s more intertwined than we are with the city of Pittsburgh, the steel industry, the blue-collar background and how the city adjusted and grew. "Just the whole history of our surroundings is such a parallel to how we want to play the game, that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. That’s something that’s been in place for over 50 years — the black helmets and the black shirts and the way this team plays." That part is heavy, too, especially for someone who grew up seeing how the city lives and dies with how the Steelers do every Sunday in the fall. He’s taking over for a coach who wore out his welcome despite not having a losing record in any one of his 19 seasons, and who reached the playoffs five times in the last six years. The last time the Steelers had a losing season was 23 years ago. The last Steelers coach who didn’t win a Super Bowl for the franchise was Chuck Noll’s predecessor, Bill Austin, who was fired a year before the AFL and NFL were fully and officially merged. It’s a place where nothing short of a championship will ever be enough. "I’m from the old school neighborhood, so trust me, I know how this thing goes," McCarthy told me. "And I welcome that. We have an obligation to the generations before us to uphold the play style and the success that’s gone on before us. And that’s something I embrace." All the other McCarthys embraced it too. When he was introduced as the new Steelers coach, just 11 days after Tomlin’s exit, it was like a big family reunion at Acrisure Stadium, with relatives filling up the first couple of rows. There were more tears and more emotions than McCarthy thought he could ever have at once. But it just felt right, like it was always meant to happen. He met his wife and they had four of their five children during his years in Green Bay. He loved most of his time in Dallas working for the Jones family, too. But he could feel there’s just something different about finally coming home. "As you go away to college around the country — and I’ve been fortunate to be in the NFL for over 30 years — everybody knows," McCarthy told me. "We all know who we are in the NFL. If you’re from Western Pa., it’s a bond. It’s a pride component that you all root for each other, in a sense. I think that’s unique. And I think anybody that knows me from my time in other parts of the country, they know where I’m from and the pride that I have being from here." Now it’s part pride, but a lot more responsibility. Being the hometown hero will only go so far. His homecoming may be a great story, but for most of his fellow Yinzers, only bringing home the Steelers’ seventh Super Bowl trophy will do. "Well, I wouldn’t say I imagined it yet, but I’m working toward that," McCarthy told me. "That’s why I do this. And now, to be able to do this back home, trust me, it’s not lost on me how special this opportunity is. That’s what gets me up in the morning. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think I could win the Super Bowl here." He already won one, back in 2010 in Green Bay. But he knows doing it here would just be different. Because there really is no place like home.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/cb5ZByY