KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The contact initially arrived about half a yard behind the line of scrimmage on a must-have-it play, and make no mistake, Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt instigated it.

He didn’t have much of a choice — on fourth-and-1, his running lane disappeared before his quarterback even gave him the football.

That’s the ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — It’s pretty obvious why the Jaguars are sniffing around Liam Coen.

He’s young, he’s personable and he just engineered one of the more impressive offensive turnarounds the NFL has seen in recent years. For a team such as Jacksonville with a young quarterback and a lot of empty seats in the bleachers, Coen can fill out an ...Read more

BOSTON — The Patriots are expecting to hire Josh McDaniels as their new offensive coordinator, sources confirmed to the Boston Herald.

McDaniels should return for his third stint as offensive coordinator, having served in that role from 2006-08 and then 2012-21. He has been out of football since being fired as the Raiders’ head coach midway...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings completed one major item on their offseason to-do list Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a multiyear extension with coach Kevin O’Connell.

The team announced the deal eight days after the end of the Vikings’ season, locking up the 39-year-old coach whose contract was set to expire after the 2025 season. Owner Mark ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Is Chiefs vs. Bills the best rivalry in the NFL these days?

One could make that argument, because the AFC championship game marks the fourth time in five seasons that the Chiefs and Bills will meet in the postseason.

That’s historic in one sense. The Associated Press’ Josh Dubow noted that Patrick Mahomes and Josh ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Someone is betting big on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Really big.

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas said a bettor has placed a $1.3 million wager on the Chiefs beating the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The potential payout on the bet: $1 million, according to Caesars ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of the hot topics on social media and the sports talk shows Tuesday was the continued chatter about the Chiefs getting special treatment from game officials.

Two roughing calls against the Houston Texans for hits on quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Saturday’s AFC divisional game infuriated fans, although the NFL said ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — All eyes are on Jalen Hurts’ health going into the week of preparation ahead of the NFC championship game against the Washington Commanders, especially Kellen Moore’s.

The Eagles offensive coordinator is putting together the game plan with the same “formula” he would use with any player recovering from an injury, he ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears have made it official, announcing Ben Johnson as their head coach Tuesday and scheduling an introductory news conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Halas Hall.

The team issued its formal news release a day after news broke that the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator had agreed to join the Bears and was finalizing a ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — After watching the divisional round playoff games over the weekend, and knowing what is expected to be available in free agency, the Steelers might have already decided who will be their quarterback in 2025.

Mike Tomlin, who has been enamored with mobile quarterbacks and the problems they present for opposing defenses, was likely...Read more

MIAMI — A position-by-position series breaking down each of the Miami Dolphins’ units, assessing where the team stands heading into the 2025 offseason, and examining what could possibly be done through free agency and the NFL draft.

Receiver

— The Praise: The Miami Dolphins have one of the NFL’s most expensive duos in Tyreek Hill and ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — For a moment, it sounded as if Nick Sirianni was talking out of both sides of his mouth. Not that you could blame him. Barely an hour had passed since the 43-year-old head coach had clinched his second NFC championship berth in three seasons and, well, there was a lot to process.

The Eagles’ 28-22 win over the Los Angeles ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles punched their ticket to the NFC championship game for a second time in three seasons, holding off a late charge from the Los Angeles Rams for a 28-22 victory in the snow.

A third and final meeting with the Washington Commanders with a Super Bowl berth on the line looms this weekend, but there’s plenty to unpack ...Read more

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The devastation lingers. But now, the defiance grows.

The Detroit Lions are gone from the playoffs sooner than expected, sooner than their fans dreamed (or nightmared). If you’re still numb, you’re not alone.

Dan Campbell is over being numb, and almost over the anger, and fully ready for the rebound. Sometimes, when a...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Cooper Kupp established himself as an important part of the Rams' offense from the day general manager Les Snead selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

But the receiver who won NFL offensive player of the year and Super Bowl most valuable player awards began the offseason on Monday with his future with the Rams ...Read more

CHICAGO — Just spitballing here, but perhaps there’s a joint therapy session opportunity suddenly sitting right here on the table. For Chicago Bears fans. And for their prospective new head coach Ben Johnson. Find the largest theater available — IMAX maybe? — cue up some Detroit Lions game film and roll through every one of the 72 ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Ravens have gotten too good at this routine, looking shell-shocked as they clean out their lockers less than 24 hours after their own errors doomed them to final defeat.

With majestic quarterback Lamar Jackson leading the most efficient offense in team history, they were good enough to win the Super Bowl this year. But they’...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren boldly proclaimed seven weeks ago the organization would have the most attractive situation of any team searching for a new head coach — and it appears that proved true.

The club is finalizing a deal to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was hotly pursued by the Las ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that the Chicago Bears were among the teams who recently called the Steelers about trading for Mike Tomlin. Schefter also reported that Tomlin has a no-trade clause and that the Steelers immediately "rebuffed" the Bears.

What a shame, I'd say, because that phone call presented the Steelers, ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — They paid attention to the Bucs offense, which averaged nearly 30 points per game this season. They were impressed by the 40-plus touchdown passes and how a former No. 1 pick at quarterback led his team to another NFC South title.

It was no surprise the Jaguars wanted to interview the Bucs offensive coordinator, who is ...Read more