PITTSBURGH — Eli Heidenreich grew up a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and has watched many games from the seats inside Acrisure Stadium.

As a matter of fact, he was one of the 65,400 fans in attendance on Jan. 4, when the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC North division title and clinch a playoff berth.

On Thursday night, after ...Read more

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — As he stressed out waiting to get selected in the 2024 NFL draft, BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia had something of a premonition and suddenly felt like he “could start breathing again.”

“I told my mom … I think I’m about to get a call,” he said later that night. “And then two seconds later I get a call.”

As he’...Read more

DENVER — We now know the cause of the Broncos’ comical run of preseason soft-tissue injuries: Theater seating.

True story: Sunshine Sean Payton sanctioned an actual team movie night during the dog days of training camp. The Broncos loaded up the buses last Thursday and took the guys to see “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in the multiplex. ...Read more

The sports calendar has its own collection of unofficial holidays.

Opening Day in baseball. The first Sunday of the NFL season.

That glorious first Thursday of March Madness tipping off while half the country is technically at work and spiritually sitting in a sportsbook.

And then comes fantasy football’s version of the groundhog emerging ...Read more

SEATTLE — Denzel Boston slipped into the second round.

That’s a blessing for both Boston and the Cleveland Browns.

Because we know how Boston digests doubt. Before he became the talk of NFL training camps, Boston was a supposedly unremarkable three-star recruit. At Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Wash., Boston caught 36 passes for ...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant had surgery on his injured left knee Friday and will miss four to six months, coach Ben Johnson announced Tuesday.

Initial reports indicated Bryant would avoid surgery and be out eight to 10 weeks, but Johnson had not given an official timeline before Tuesday. The prognosis is worse than initially ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — There is no timetable for NFL analyst Tony Romo's return to CBS Sports, the division's president David Berson said Tuesday.

Romo was placed on leave by CBS after he was arrested in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated on July 23. JJ Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, will work ...Read more

NEW YORK — Jets cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers exited Tuesday’s joint practice with the Buccaneers in an ambulance.

Following 11-on-11 drills between the two teams, Jets players gathered around the special teams ace who was down on the field for around 10 minutes. The scary scene brought practice to a complete stop.

An IV was administered ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Christian Darrisaw was wearing something strange following a recent Minnesota Vikings practice.

A smile.

It prompted the following question:

“Did you have any fun last year?”

“At times, yes,” he said. “At times, no.”

The Vikings left tackle missed seven games. Of the 10 he played, he left five early. Many times, ...Read more

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Every now and then you meet a player who gets your attention because of their outlook on football and life. Ex-Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Kendall Lamm was one of those guys. It was the same for current Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks.

And now there’s linebacker Jackson Woodard, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound second-...Read more

BALTIMORE — Toward the end of the Baltimore Ravens' practice Sunday, I reached for my phone to type another note and discovered it had overheated.

The heat index had climbed into the 90s, and the device had spent more than two hours baking under the late-morning sun. My scorching work phone tapped out before the Ravens did.

Players pushed ...Read more

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks hosted free-agent cornerback Terrion Arnold for a visit Sunday, The Seattle Times confirmed.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report first reported news of the visit Sunday afternoon.

Arnold, the 24th overall pick of the 2024 draft out of Alabama, was waived by the Detroit Lions on June 29 after being ...Read more

DENVER — Sean Payton should drive Jonah Coleman like he stole him. Because, by golly, did he ever.

Fourth round? $885,000 base salary? $1.19 millon cap hit? For the guy who’s been arguably the Denver Broncos’ best runnner in camp since they put pads on?

Bargain of the draft.

With soft-tissue injuries mounting, it’s not a stretch to ...Read more

OXNARD, Calif. — The Dallas Cowboys and star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams have agreed on a three-year contract extension worth $105.9 million in a deal that locks him in with the team through the 2030 season, sources confirm to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. NFL Network was the first to report the deal.

The extension officially kicks in ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The encouragement and hugs started as Eric Bieniemy made his way to the field at Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western. Two weeks after leaving the team to deal with a family tragedy, the team’s offensive coordinator was back on the turf.

“The energy that he brings onto the practice field,” Chiefs tight end Jake ...Read more

ALLEN Park, Mich. — The Detroit Lions’ biggest investment during the 2026 offseason is set to miss significant time this season.

Lions coach Dan Campbell on Monday announced that center Cade Mays, who inked a three-year deal in free agency with Detroit in March, suffered a wrist injury in Sunday’s practice and is set to miss a “...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver room might as well be the infirmary.

With Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and Jacob Cowing nursing ailments on the sideline, and with Ricky Pearsall already out for the season, what might have been the deepest position on the team coming into training camp is suddenly feeling more than a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A few hours after their season-ending defeat in the NFC championship game last January, the Los Angeles Rams boarded a plane for their flight home from Seattle.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was seated a row in front of veteran receiver Davante Adams, who once again had fallen just short of finally reaching the Super Bowl.

"He's...Read more