SANTA CLARA, Calif. — George Kittle was at his first Pro Bowl in 2018 when he shared a seat next to wide receiver Mike Evans on their bus ride through Orlando, Fla.

That was the start of a friendship that paid off this week for the 49ers, who officially signed Evans to a three-year contract on Thursday, three days after agreeing to a deal ...Read more

CHICAGO — Four years ago, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was reflecting on the timing of the NFL’s free-agent negotiating window and the emotions required to renege on a three-year, $40.5 million agreement with defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

“I almost feel like the process is flawed a little bit where I wish we could have some...Read more

NEW YORK — What’s old is new again.

Since 2013, the New YorkJets have had 13 different starting quarterbacks.

But all veteran bridge options brought them back to Geno Smith. Nearly a decade after his departure, the Jets brought Smith back on Tuesday after agreeing to a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The biggest question many are asking...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ inability to draft and develop corners has been well-documented over the years. Until they selected Joey Porter Jr. in the second round of the 2023 draft, their handling of the position left a lot to be desired.

Draft misses forced the Steelers to try to find their starters in free agency or in trades. ...Read more

There were plenty of reasons for Miami Dolphins fans to wish each other a “Happy New Year” on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year.

So far, it’s been a good offseason for the Dolphins.

There’s a long, long way to go in this rebuild, obviously.

And I don’t agree with every move that’s been made.

But the Dolphins are ...Read more

NEW YORK — Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, treasurer Jonathan Tisch and board director Laurie Tisch have asked the NFL’s finance committee to approve a transfer of their remaining interest in the organization to their children’s trusts.

A league memo obtained by the New York Daily News says Steve, Jonathan and Laurie Tisch “propose to ...Read more

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins added a measure of pass-rushing depth Wednesday by signing former Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Uche, the 2020 second-round pick by the New England Patriots who has 21 1/2 career sacks in six seasons.

Later in the day, the Dolphins watched one of their former edge rushers, Bradley Chubb, sign with division ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys didn’t let their storied NFC rivalry keep them from executing another trade, though it’s not of the 1992 Charles Haley trophy-seizing proportions, nor of the 2023 Trey Lance yard sale.

Rather than wait until next month’s draft to recharge their defensive front, the ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta stood behind a microphone inside the team’s fieldhouse in Owings Mills, Md., hands tucked into the back pockets of his faded blue jeans, dressed in a gray sweatshirt, his eyes betraying a night deprived of sleep, and answered questions for 18 minutes early Wednesday evening.

The news...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders are again listening to offers for star defensive end Maxx Crosby.

It’s a market that is expected to be different from a week ago when the Raiders fetched two first-round picks, including one in the top half of the first round of this year’s draft, for a 28-year-old coming off his eighth surgery in seven ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders are once again listening to offers for star defensive end Maxx Crosby.

It’s a market that is expected to be quite a bit different than it was a week ago when the Raiders managed to fetch a pair of first-round picks, including one in the top half of the first round of this year’s draft, for a 28-year-old ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Maxx Crosby out, Trey Hendrickson in.

Less than 24 hours after the Ravens backed out of their agreement to send two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Crosby over a failed physical, they reached an agreement on Wednesday morning with the Cincinnati Bengals’ free agent star pass rusher, a source with...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Ravens are looking like a desperate team without direction.

One day after nixing a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for defensive end Maxx Crosby because of a failed physical, the Ravens have agreed to a four-year, $112 million deal with free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, according to a source with direct knowledge of the...Read more

PITTSBURGH — When Mike McCarthy beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, he had Aaron Rodgers in his prime and a quartet of receivers who each had 500 or more yards receiving. There were no future Hall of Famers in the group, just a group of talented players who complemented each other.

Greg Jennings was the Packers’ only 1,000-yard ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even in the twilight of his career, the return of megastar Travis Kelce is an obvious cause for celebration for the Chiefs and their fans. The charismatic and intense Kelce embodies and even animates the culture of the Andy Reid-era Chiefs, particularly as the sole remaining player from Reid’s 2013 inaugural team in Kansas...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Ravens’ blockbuster trade for Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby is stunningly off.

Baltimore backed out of the deal, according to Las Vegas, which announced the news in a statement Tuesday evening. “We will have no further comment at this time,” the statement also read.

Crosby, who turns 29 in August, reportedly ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The date was March 18, 1997, and the Baltimore Ravens made a bold announcement. They had agreed to a four-year deal with Dallas Cowboys safety Brock Marion, a move that was expected to bolster the defense.

Two days later, after a CT scan in Baltimore revealed that Marion’s left scapula had not fully healed, then-owner Art Modell...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Ravens’ blockbuster trade for Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby is stunningly off.

Baltimore backed out of the deal, according to Las Vegas, which announced the news in a statement Tuesday evening. “We will have no further comment at this time,” the statement also read.

Crosby reportedly failed his physical. All NFL ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Here’s what The Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the Ravens backed out of a blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby that included two first-round draft picks:

Sam Cohn, reporter

When you first read that, did you assume it was fake? Maybe the notification popped up, but you still figured that it was a dupe, or that the...Read more