Player Notes

Baker Mayfield runs angry but Bucs may need to protect him from himself ·

TAMPA — Baker Mayfield took off running with the football, planting his left hand into the sternum of Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy. It was first down on the Minnesota 33-yard line in the fourth quarter with the game knotted at 17-all.The blow sent the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Murphy flying. Popping up off the ground, Mayfield then landed something that hurt more than that stiff-arm Sunday.“Get that ...

Tackle is a problem: Jason Peters, 41, from his Texas couch to Seahawks starter Sunday? ·

Jason Peters was putting on his shoulder pads for his first Seahawks practice. It was another, countless practice of his seemingly endless football life.A new locker neighbor came over to the 41-year-old former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro and Super Bowl champion.“Hi, I’m Noah Fant. I play tight end,” Peters’ new teammate and neighbor on Seattle’s offensive line said. “Nice to meet you.”Then the 41-year-old ...

Kawakami: The 49ers’ big ambitions, $42 million in cap space and some potential trade opportunities ·

Keep an eye on the ambitious, free-spending Super Bowl contender that just created the most 2023 cap space in the league, is known for splashy midseason moves and has one or two obvious positions that could use significant improvement.Or put another way: Never discount Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch and Jed York’s enthusiasm for keeping all of their personnel options open, especially the expensive and creative ...

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk named NFC’s offensive player of Week 1 ·

SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk joined Jerry Rice and Anquan Boldin as the only 49ers wide receivers to win an NFC Player of the Week award via a season-opening showcase.Aiyuk drew that career-first honor Wednesday for his spectacular showing in the 49ers’ 30-7 win Sunday at Pittsburgh.“It was definitely cool,” Aiyuk said. “Do I get something for that?”Nothing other than a line on a growing resume. For ...

49ers’ Fred Warner leads defense into rivalry week against Rams ·

SANTA CLARA — Tackle No. 699 of Fred Warner’s career was unlike any other. It came with speed, power, force and a season-opening message.“That was the one you dream of, to set the tone,” Warner said of slamming Najee Harris for a 2-yard loss early in Sunday’s 30-7 win in Pittsburgh.With all due respect to the 49ers’ overall dominance, and without diminishing Drake Jackson’s three-sack outburst in Nick ...

Jalen Hurts is blowing up: Eagles QB lands on TIME100 Next list, nabs another major endorsement ·

It’s been a whirlwind seven months for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts since his team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in February.Hurts, who was the runner-up for the NFL MVP award, has gone from promoting a drink called Lemon Perfect to representing the Jordan Brand — and, as of Wednesday, Beats by Dre. He also went from earning a master’s degree to earning a Sports Illustrated cover. ...

Giants' Amani Oruwariye leaves practice facility in ambulance ·

Giants cornerback Amani Oruwariye left the practice facility in an ambulance on Wednesday after suffering a neck injury.The 27-year-old practice squad member was placed on a backboard and carted off the field after a special teams kickoff drill, according to The Post’s Paul Schwartz.Oruwariye had movement in all his extremities and was taken to Hackensack Medical Center for further evaluation.Giants ...

Giants playoff, Super Bowl odds drop after ugly Week 1 loss ·

Week 1 wasn’t pretty for the New York Football Giants.Brian Daboll’s team was blown out of the water by the Dallas Cowboys, losing 40-0 on “Sunday Night Football.”They gave up two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter and three largely garbage-time rushing touchdowns in a game that was all but over before halftime.The Giants went into the game as 3.5-point underdogs, so a win wasn’t exactly expected, ...

Jordan Addison spoke his ‘wildest dreams’ into existence. It led him to the Vikings. ·

Jordan Addison was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh when he first met Brennan Marion. At the time, Addison was a rising star with the Panthers, and Marion had recently been hired as the program’s receivers coach. As they got to know each other, the conversation veered toward what Addison hoped to accomplish in the future.“He gave me some average goals,” Marion said. “I told him to come back ...

Bears QB Justin Fields: ‘I was a little bit too conservative’ vs. Packers ·

Justin Fields needs to let it fly.He knows it and his coaches do, too. That’s what the Bears quarterback, head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy talked about when they debriefed after Sunday’s 38-20 shellacking by the rival Packers.“I felt like I was a little bit too conservative at times during the game,” Fields said before Wednesday’s practice.Why?“I’m not sure,” he said.He ...

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 ...