TAMPA, Fla. — Shame about Mike Evans, wasn’t it?

You thought he’d go straight from a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform to a gold Hall of Fame sports coat in Canton. But, hey, not every story ends happily when money is involved.

Concerning about Baker Mayfield, isn’t it?

He seems to appreciate Tampa Bay and Bucs fans certainly love him in ...Read more

DENVER — If Wellesley Bush were Sean Payton, she’d have zero tolerance for 0 in orange.

“My opinion is that no, I don’t think he should go to training camp,” Bush told me Monday when I asked about Broncos pass-rusher Jonathon Cooper. “I think he should be suspended, pending the outcome of his trial.”

Broncos veterans reported to...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — There are coaches in the NFL who carry with them a bizarre reputation.

They’re called whisperers.

And, frankly, no one really knows what that means.

Players that you coach at a position consistently perform, perhaps even above public expectation? Congrats, now you’re now a whisperer. Put it on the top of your ...Read more

CHICAGO — Ben Johnson is open to the idea that this year will be different. In fact, the Chicago Bears’ second-year coach is more than open to it.

He’s embracing it.

“This is our chance to forge our identity,” Johnson said. “A lot of coaches come up and say, ‘We’re going to be this,’ and, ‘We’re going to be that.’ And ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Three days ago, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert commented on a sexy selfie that pop singer Madison Beer posted on Instagram: "That's my girlfriend!!"

On Tuesday morning, Beer posted several photos of the two of them together, along with a caption that provided a significant relationship status update.

"Meet my fiancé," ...Read more

NEW YORK — Throughout the offseason, Geno Smith was in the news for all the wrong reasons.

The Jets quarterback was accused of battery in Florida by a woman claiming to be his ex-girlfriend.

The Davie Police Department conducted an investigation and later decided not to charge Smith. He was also pulled over by police multiple times for ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are continuing to invest in the defensive trenches this offseason, agreeing to terms with Jalen Carter on a four-year extension to keep him under contract through 2031, the team announced on Tuesday.

The deal is worth $152 million, with $106 million guaranteed, NFL sources told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — When the Las Vegas Raiders start practicing Wednesday at Intermountain Health Performance Center, Kirk Cousins will take the reigns as their starting quarterback.

Unquestionably.

“He’s the guy,” coach Klint Kubiak said Tuesday morning at their headquarters. “He’s going to get a ton of reps and he deserves it.”

The ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — An emotional Kyle Shanahan admitted fault Tuesday for a July 14 crash in Palo Alto that left him battling a concussion and other injuries, which are keeping him from coaching as normal at the start of training camp.

Shanahan, with fresh scars above his right eye and fractured nose, met with reporters in his 49ers office ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield has built his career by betting on himself — from walking on at Texas Tech and later Oklahoma, to winning the Heisman Trophy, becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft and rebuilding his career in Tampa Bay.

Now he’s willing to roll the dice again.

The Bucs quarterback will play the 2026 season ...Read more

Too often a car crash involves collateral damage to other vehicles or bystanders. Yet the car crash involving San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan generated a firestorm far from the Palo Alto street where he collided with an SUV on July 14.

Shanahan, 46, was immediately hospitalized. According to reports, he suffered a severe concussion, ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — I won’t bury the lede. You all read the headline, so let’s get right to it.

The 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers enter this season as the most boring team in the NFL.

I know this won’t be a popular opinion among our readers. I get it — but I also don’t care. My job is to write what I feel, to tell it like it is. And right now,...Read more

MIAMI — Training camps blossom across the NFL landscape this week as American football takes the handoff, and the headlines, from the football World Cup. Thirty-two teams bring 32 degrees of expectations, but no team kicks off the 2026 season with hopes at once higher, and lower, than the Miami Dolphins.

Hopes are high in South Florida with ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — A day before Minnesota Vikings veterans report to training camp, the team added another experienced defender from new general manager Nolan Teasley’s past.

The Vikings agreed to terms with Jamal Adams, the three-time Pro Bowler who came to Seattle in a trade from the New York Jets in 2020 and converted to linebacker last ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla.— Prior to last season, when discussing players Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans will be talking about 50 years from now, Todd Bowles said that Vita Vea is the one player on defense he could not replace.

“There’s nobody like him,” Bowles said.

But the Bucs head coach may have no choice but to find another starting defensive tackle ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot Sunday night at their home in Virginia, sources confirmed to The Kansas City Star.

Elijah Bieniemy, the son of Eric and Mia, has been arrested and charged in the shooting. He is being held without bond, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s ...Read more

The Indianapolis Colts took a flyer on an impressive athlete from Kenya 13 years ago, but a story that began with an inspirational backdrop has taken an increasingly familiar turn: Daniel Adongo was deported from the United States last month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed.

According to ICE, Adongo, 37, overstayed his visa ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings begin training camp Wednesday, with the first session open to fans Aug. 1.

If you’re just catching up for the first time since last season — when the Vikings finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs — before making the trip to TCO Performance Center for some sun and practice viewing, we’ve got you ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — When he retired in March 2024, I thought: That makes sense, the only person who could possibly stop Aaron Donald would be Aaron Donald.

Now I'm not so sure.

Because it's starting to look like even Aaron Donald might not be able to stop Aaron Donald.

The defensive lineman could be back terrorizing the NFL this season.

Do it, ...Read more

SEATTLE — It's a little difficult to type these words when Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon and Ernest Jones IV are flying around out there on defense.

This statement comes with reluctance when Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed are lining up on the other side of the ball.

Almost all of the Seattle Seahawks key figures ...Read more