TAMPA, Fla. — Their first training camp practice was July 26. The first regular-season game was Sept. 10.

But, come on, we all know the 2023 season begins this Sunday for the Bucs and their fans.

When you play in the NFL’s remedial division there is no other way to look at it. Of course, every game on the schedule matters but outlasting ...Read more

Wouldn’t it be much easier and cheaper if the politicians in Jacksonville just gave the NFL’s Jaguars what they want now instead of going through the ceremonial and useless dog and pony show that will inevitably end up with them getting exactly what they wanted in the first place?

The longer Jacksonville waits to commit at least half of the...Read more

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jerome Baker had no idea the Miami Dolphins were playing the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. Honestly.

I discovered this in the Dolphins’ postgame locker room not long after their amazing 70-20 victory over the Denver Broncos.

I was chatting with Baker, the Dolphins’ seventh-year linebacker, and I told him that the 50-...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nick Bosa’s preseason-long holdout ended on a Wednesday. The following Sunday, he played more than half of the Niners’ defensive snaps against the Steelers.

One Sunday later, he played 79 percent of the Niners’ snaps. Four days after that, another 78 percent.

That’s a lot of snaps to play after coming in cold.

...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields didn’t stir up any drama this time at his weekly news conference Wednesday at Halas Hall.

A week after his comments to reporters became social media and talk show fodder, Fields was guarded — and at times short — with his explanations about his mindset and where the Bears offense goes ...Read more

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It’s fair for the Patriots to blame their dearth of play-action passes and surplus of deep shots on the situations they’ve found themselves in through three games, but game script doesn’t tell the whole story of why the team has shied away from a potential strength and leaned into a weakness early in the 2023 season. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday is the last one that Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp is mandated to sit out because he is on injured reserve.

But there is no guarantee that Kupp will return from his hamstring injury for the Oct. 8 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Coach Sean McVay said Wednesday it is "the ...Read more

Carolina rookie quarterback Bryce Young returned to practice Wednesday after having to sit out all last week due to an ankle injury.

Barring a setback, Young — who missed the Panthers’ previous game against Seattle — is expected to start Carolina’s 1 p.m. home game Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Young was listed as a full ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — SoFi Stadium is one of the safer NFL venues both inside and in the surrounding neighborhoods, a conclusion drawn from a study of crime statistics and a poll of more than 3,000 fans by Sportsbook Review.

Crimes in and around stadiums occur all too often, however. In the study, 39.2% of respondents reported having witnessed or ...Read more

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are cooking up something to honor Ezekiel Elliott when he returns to AT&T Stadium Sunday with the New England Patriots.

Owner Jerry Jones declined to say what the Cowboys were going to do for the two-time NFL rushing champion who the team released in March for salary cap reasons and the running back’s ...Read more

NEW YORK — Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is tired of addressing his alleged hit between the legs of Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.

The quarterback declined to re-engage Wednesday about Gardner’s claim that Jones struck him in the “private parts” during the Patriots’ win Sunday, which Jones has denied doing.

“Just ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Colin Kaepernick has been passed over yet again.

Rapper J. Cole posted on Instagram to share a letter he said Kaepernick sent to New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas. In the letter, dated Sept. 21, Kaepernick asks for the opportunity to join the team's practice squad as a "risk-free contingency plan" behind starting ...Read more

Travis Kelce finally broke his silence about connecting with Taylor Swift, days after the "Cruel Summer" singer was seen cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs star and his team from a luxury box at Arrowhead Stadium over the weekend.

In the latest episode of the "New Heights" podcast, Travis and brother Jason Kelce addressed the unexpected ...Read more

Maybe I’m not buying the whole 17-0 regular season thing, but it’s pretty clear through three weeks the 49ers are the class of the NFC and at worst co-favorites to play in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

They’ve scored 30 points in three consecutive games and are a little miffed it hasn’t been more. Their stars, of which there...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A few years back, I spent some time with Andy Reid reflecting on his fleeting aspirations to a sportswriting career when he was a senior football player at Brigham Young and writing a weekly column for the Provo Daily Herald. Somehow we got talking about how he would have covered these Chiefs teams.

“They’d be fun ...Read more

NEW YORK — Aaron Rodgers believes the Jets have some growing up to do.

The injured quarterback was critical of teammates having “heated conversations” on the sideline, saying Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the Jets need to stick together through adversity.

“There’s been too many little side conversations, and we just need ...Read more