RENTON, Wash. — Sam Darnold no longer must deal with the one big question that hovered ominously this time a year ago — could he really lead an NFL team to the promised land?

The Seahawks' convincing run to a Super Bowl title and Darnold’s role in two thrilling, comeback wins over the Rams that proved pivotal along the way provided an ...Read more

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The most prominent on-field development of this Chiefs training camp stepped to a microphone before he actually stepped onto the field. The next 12 minutes could be summed up in two words.

He’s back.

The fact that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes received medical clearance two days before the team convened in St. Joseph...Read more

SEATTLE — Oops, they’ve done it again.

It seems that winning the Super Bowl isn’t enough to make it into the top-10 overall rankings of “Madden NFL 27.” And before you try to say that the Seahawks are in the No. 10 spot, you are mistaken.

That would the “Seattle Seawhawks.”

It’s not the first time that the team has been ...Read more

OXNARD, Calif. — At this time last year, the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in Southern California wasn’t about football.

Sure, there was a first-year head coach implementing his style of football over the course of a dozen-plus practices and there was a lot happening there, but it was completely overshadowed by the contractual hold-in of ...Read more

DENVER — For 20 full minutes Thursday, Sean Payton lost himself in the sands of time.

It is common, on summer and fall afternoons in Dove Valley, for the Broncos’ head coach to walk to a podium and dip into the past to discuss the present. The 62-year-old Payton’s mind rarely works linearly, his thoughts akin to a script from a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — NFL analyst Tony Romo has been placed on indefinite leave by CBS Sports and will be replaced in the booth by J.J. Watt, the network announced Friday.

Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, will work alongside Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson as CBS' lead team during Romo's absence.

Romo was arrested ...Read more

FOXBORO, Mass. — The last two days of practice have proven that it was way, way, way too early to panic about any lack of connection between Drake Maye and A.J. Brown early in Patriots training camp.

Maye hit Brown on 4 of 4 targets during Friday’s nearly two-hour padded practice. That came one day after Maye hit Brown on 4 of 5 targets ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The first move is always the most important. That was when Baker Mayfield stutter-stepped past Joel.

From there, he stiff-armed Bryan and then beat Avram to the edge. At that point, it was just a matter of outrunning Darcie and Ed.

Yup, three-plus years into the Mayfield experiment, the Glazer siblings found out what it’s ...Read more

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — On the first day of his 14th and likely final training camp, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce broke downfield into a corner route rather well-covered by linebackers Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill.

“Deep to short,” Bolton described their alignment around him, to “make it a little bit contested.”

But the ever-aware Kelce...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Carter plodded off the dais late Wednesday morning with a look of relief on his face, as if he were a student who feared public speaking and had just delivered an oral presentation for class. The Eagles’ first practice of training camp, at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, had ended minutes before. It was humid, and...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley has long been an admirer of the wide zone run scheme. He’d study film of running backs like Todd Gurley — who thrived with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay — and think about what he might look like in an offense like that.

Now he doesn’t have to daydream.

The Eagles held their first training camp ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s time for Deebo 2.0.

The 49ers are re-signing wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a one-year, $7 million deal, a league source confirmed. Last year, the 49ers traded Samuel for a fifth-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders, the franchise that Brandon Aiyuk has unsuccessfully angled to join since walking out on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Do you think the Rams have a tracker at their headquarters for how many days it's been since Puka Nacua's last embarrassing incident?

They might. Because we all remember how frequently the self-inflicted damages were occurring during that bizarre and jarring stretch starting late last year.

We had the biting incident and ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Roger Craig played until he was 33, eight years after he became the NFL’s first player to produce 1,000 yards both as a rusher and receiver. That 1985 milestone eventually led to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction next weekend.

“To rush for 1,000 yards and catch for 1,000 yards in that era is different from now,...Read more

DENVER — Jonathon Cooper put himself and a woman in a dangerous situation last month. And the Broncos’ owners officially decided Wednesday that it was worth risking their reputations to support him.

At 10:31 a.m., Cooper became obvious to onlookers as he went through stretching with 86 other teammates on the first day of an acclimation ...Read more

CHICAGO — Rome Odunze’s foot is not an issue.

The third-year Chicago Bears wide receiver wanted to make that clear after practice Thursday at Halas Hall. Odunze, 24, had said in the spring he was adjusting to his “new normal” after a foot injury kept him out for five games last year.

Upon reflection, Odunze said Thursday he didn’t ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield said he feels “disrespected” and “undervalued” by the Bucs ownership after failing to reach a contract extension by his self-imposed deadline of the start of training camp Tuesday.

The Bucs quarterback is in the final season of a three-year, $100 million deal and was hoping to make Tampa Bay his forever ...Read more

RENTON, Wash. — There are two worlds atop the NFC West.

One has the attention.

The other has the title.

Come September (or December), something’s got to give.

For now, though, consider the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams — utter opposites. In Los Angeles, coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have built a solar system of...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Vita Vea showed up to training camp Wednesday. He wore his No. 50 red jersey, carried a blocking dummy and spent time talking with head coach Todd Bowles and linebackers coach Larry Foote. What he didn’t do was practice.

After requesting a trade amid a contract standoff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Vea was sidelined by what ...Read more