CHICAGO — Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back D’Andre Swift left practice early Thursday with apparent injuries.

Odunze exited with a member of the training staff after coming up hobbling during an install period near the beginning of practice. He appeared to be dealing with a right leg or foot injury.

Odunze didn’t ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Former USC and NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez plans to enter a guilty plea in connection with his physical altercation with a 69-year-old truck driver in Indianapolis last October, according to online court records.

Attorneys for both sides entered a joint motion Thursday requesting that the judge "set this matter for a guilty ...Read more

Former NFL player Alphonso Smith Jr. has died, according to reports. He was 40 years old.

The former cornerback died by suicide on Wednesday in a housing community in Florida, TMZ reported, citing sources. Few other details were provided.

Just prior to his death, Smith shared an alarming post to social media on Wednesday afternoon, revealing ...Read more

FOXBORO, Mass. — Almost five months after photos of Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and former NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an adults-only resort sparked a controversy that led to Russini’s resignation from The Athletic, her former employer completed an internal review of her coverage and determined Thursday that Russini violated the outlet’s...Read more

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — I’ll be excited this season to watch Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Zeek Biggers, the versatile 2025 seventh-round pick. As a draft-and-develop guy, he symbolizes a significant arm of the Dolphins rebuild and an interesting test case in patience.

Biggers, at 6 foot 6, 315 pounds, can stuff the run from the inside as ...Read more

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It’s always a tight squeeze, trying to whittle down eight months of work — and 90-plus NFL hopefuls — into one 53-man roster to start the regular season.

For the Detroit Lions, this year’s attempt came with a new pressure point, too: Trying to overhaul a group that had fallen well short of expectations a year ago, ...Read more

RENTON, Wash. — Interviewing for another job is stressful even if you’re perfectly happy in your current role. The preparation. The questions. The waiting afterward to hear about the next steps or the final decision.

It can also be enlightening. The challenge of trying to self-scout your personal strengths and weaknesses and determine how ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Ravens changed head coaches, but the expectations remain high.

This isn’t just a command from owner Steve Bisciotti, but also from the fans.

“In Baltimore, expectations for the Ravens are always high, especially since [quarterback Lamar Jackson] has been in the league,” said Dr. Ari Elman with Maryland Oncology ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A 24-year-old man was charged with attempting to burglarize the Chester County home of Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and stealing jewelry worth nearly $800,000 from two other homes, authorities said Wednesday.

Jabir Parker, of Philadelphia, was charged with multiple felonies related to the alleged crime spree through ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Sean Murphy-Bunting isn’t returning to Tampa Bay as the same player who left and that’s kind of the point.

A second-round draft pick in 2019, Murphy-Bunting found himself as a key figure in the Buccaneers’ run to a Super Bowl 55 championship just a year later. He had an interception in each of his first three playoff games...Read more

NEW YORK — Entering the season, Gang Green’s kicking situation remains unsettled.

The team signed Blake Grupe to the active roster this week, but that didn’t stop it from working out several kickers on Wednesday.

Sources confirmed that the Jets brought eight-time All-Pro and former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker in for a workout. They also ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nick Bosa emerged happy from his first practice in a month. His surgically repaired right knee had passed a key test, complete with a couple of tense moments.

Because of that, Bosa is confident he can play in the 49ers’ season opener next week in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.

“If after every day of ...Read more

NEW YORK — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s wedding may have been held in a major sports and concert arena, but that’s what it took to achieve normalcy and make for a “magical” night, the groom said on his latest “New Heights” podcast episode with brother Jason Kelce.

The fifth season of the pro football star brothers’ joint ...Read more

Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith has been accused of taking part in a scheme that allegedly scammed $2.5 million from a Native American investment firm.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in Delaware's Court of Chancery, a tribal owned and operated economic developmental agency for the North Carolina-based Eastern Band of Cherokee ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders have officially decided on a starting quarterback.

Coach Klint Kubiak opened his Wednesday news conference by announcing Kirk Cousins would be the Week 1 starter, as expected.

“Kirk’s going to be the starting quarterback,” Kubiak said. “He’s played really good football. I’m really happy with all ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Now that it’s official — now that the Buccaneers have opted to move rookie Jalon Daniels to No. 2 on the quarterback depth chart — there are a couple of worrisome issues heading into the regular season.

No. 1, Baker Mayfield gets hurt and needs to leave a game.

No. 2, Mayfield gets hurt and refuses to leave a game.

...Read more

SEATTLE — The Los Angeles Rams don’t make excuses. Let’s all remember that.

So when coach Sean McVay bemoaned, “I’ve never quite seen anything like what happened on the two-point conversion,” after Zach Charbonnet’s instantly infamous recovery swung a 38-37 overtime loss to the Seahawks last December, it wasn’t an excuse.

And ...Read more

MIAMI — Outside of the inconsistent, if not lackluster quarterback play that has plagued the Miami Dolphins franchise, talent evaluation, player acquisition and roster development are at the core of what have kept South Florida’s NFL franchise on the mediocrity merry-go-round for two-plus decades.

This past training camp we have seen signs ...Read more