PITTSBURGH — There was another twist in the Joey Porter Jr. contract saga Wednesday when the Pittsburgh Steelers ruled out their star cornerback for Thursday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns — once again with a back injury.

The Steelers held a practice Wednesday afternoon before they bussed to Cleveland. Porter was listed as a ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Before Derrick Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent in 2024, his former team, the Tennessee Titans, never offered to keep him.

Henry said Wednesday that he already knew the relationship was nearing its end.

“I think it was bittersweet,” Henry, 32, said. “I knew the writing was on that wall throughout that ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Not every quarterback is a Hall of Famer.

Not every coordinator is a genius, not every receiver is a beast, not every line is impenetrable.

You’ve seen enough football to know that precious few offenses are good enough to be considered elite. So, no, you don’t need fireworks. You don’t need records, innovations or viral ...Read more

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was livid.

Chicago Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson had just delivered a hard hit on Jalen Hurts as the Eagles star quarterback was running out of bounds. Hurts had to leave the game under the NFL's concussion protocol.

So Sirianni decided to let Jackson know exactly how he felt about him. ESPN's "Monday...Read more

NEW YORK — The fans wanted Odell Beckham Jr. more involved in the offense. The New York Giants released him instead.

John Harbaugh cut the former Giants great from the roster on Tuesday, sources confirmed to the New York Daily News, just two days after the MetLife Stadium crowd chanted OBJ’s name looking for his first catch of the season ...Read more

MIAMI — Plenty of this week’s focus will be placed on who fills De’Von Achane’s massive shoes, picking up the slack created by the Miami Dolphins losing its Pro Bowler tailback to a season-ending ACL injury.

I would recommend the Dolphins focus — at least offensively — be placed on getting more out of quarterback Malik Willis, whose...Read more

CHICAGO — Case Keenum took the snap and dived toward the goal line. The 38-year-old quarterback slipped between a pair of Philadelphia Eagles defenders for an easy touchdown to cap the evening.

It was a fitting ending to a remarkable night for the Chicago Bears third-string quarterback. Keenum finished with two touchdown passes and one ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A controversial pass-interference call cost the Rams dearly in their defeat by the Denver Broncos, but coach Sean McVay said Monday that neither he nor the team would play the victim card.

With just over a minute left in the game, Rams cornerback Josh Wallace battled with Broncos receiver Pat Bryant before intercepting a Bo Nix ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NFL confirmed Monday that it has asked the Department of Homeland Security to remove a video featuring hard-hitting highlights of Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins from a social media post in reference to a report about a caravan of immigrants approaching the U.S. border.

On Sunday afternoon, the verified X account of the ...Read more

CHICAGO — The stunning part of the Chicago Bears’ thumping of the Philadelphia Eagles last season on Black Friday wasn’t some kind of X’s and O’s clinic with up-and-coming play caller Ben Johnson outmaneuvering crafty defensive czar Vic Fangio.

Had that been the case, it probably would have been easier for Fangio and the Eagles to ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Drake Maye was almost the NFL's MVP last year.

The New England Patriots quarterback finished second in the Associated Press poll of national media members, with 23 first-place votes and 361 total points. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford edged him out with 24 first-place votes and 366 overall points.

Chances are, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Twins owner Jim Pohlad once witnessed his team’s futility to start a season and gave a sobering assessment. He called it a “total system failure.”

Sorry, Jim. I’m going to borrow that line and apply it to the J.J. McCarthy “era” as a Vikings quarterback.

It was a total system failure.

Everyone ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Two years after he became the highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history, J.J. McCarthy no longer plays for the Minnesota Vikings.

The team traded McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft, to the New York Giants on Monday for a fifth-round pick, ending the 23-year-old’s time in Minnesota after just 10 starts ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings got “good news” on star wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s ankle injury, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.

Jefferson, who suffered an ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, avoided a long-term injury, O’Connell said. The team will see how Jefferson progresses the rest of the ...Read more

MIAMI — Miami Dolphins star running back De’Von Achane suffered a torn ACL on Sunday vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

Achane will be out for the season, a source confirmed to the Miami Herald.

“My heart breaks for the guy,” coach Jeff Hafley said. “You talk about him as a great player but as I’ve gotten to know him, watching him grow ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the best possible news Monday about Baker Mayfield’s right thumb injury, but the quarterback still will miss a minimum of three weeks.

There was no fracture and no tendon or ligament damage to Mayfield’s thumb, coach Todd Bowles confirmed. The team will prepare to play undrafted rookie Jalon ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It never stops.

Football is a game with a 100% injury rate, a true contest of attrition.

But no one does attrition quite like the San Francisco 49ers. The injuries continue to pile up — in all the wrong places, mind you — at a near-comical rate.

And yet so do the wins.

That’s what happens when you have a great ...Read more

DENVER — Mile sigh.

The Rams came here aiming to put together a second consecutive impressive prime-time performance.

And for the first half against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, it looked like the Rams would do just that.

But the Rams’ 16-0 halftime lead literally vanished into thin air.

After rallying briefly, the Rams could not...Read more

Even an inch can provide high drama.

Bo Nix reached high over the top of a scrum on third-and-goal from well inside the 1-yard line and the Denver defense survived a final push by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on Sunday night, delivering the Broncos a dramatic, 30-26 primetime victory over the Rams.

It took Nix and the Denver ...Read more