NFL

Jul 31, 2020 The box sat in storage for who knows how many years. Four? Five? Eight? Inside were requests from children all over the United States, of military serving overseas and families searching for gifts for husbands, children and grandchildren. All of the letters were addressed to the same man. He would have responded

6:18 PM ET Adam Schefter Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN NFL Insider Joined ESPN in 2009 Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four books Todd Archer Close ESPN Staff Writer Covered NFL since 1997, Cowboys since 2003 Previously covered Bengals and Dolphins Lives in Dallas area with his

6:00 AM ET Cam Newton‘s arrival dramatically altered the outlook for the New England Patriots‘ quarterback position, but one thing it hasn’t changed is Jarrett Stidham‘s resolve. When Tom Brady departed as a free agent in March, Stidham was prepared to step up and be the guy. When the Patriots didn’t select a quarterback in

7:00 AM ET On Aug. 11, 2015, coach Todd Bowles walked into the New York Jets‘ press room — unannounced — and went directly to the podium. Reporters were summoned for an impromptu news conference. This was supposed to be a quiet day in the world of the Jets: A light practice before their first

6:00 AM ET Brady HendersonESPN As Jamal Adams’ time with the New York Jets was nearing its end, one NFL talent evaluator made a bold prediction, saying the Seattle Seahawks would have the league’s best secondary if they were to land the All-Pro safety. Even if it isn’t the second coming of the Legion of

5:47 PM ET Running back Lamar Miller and the New England Patriots have reached agreement on a one-year contract, pending a physical, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Patriots were eyeing another option at running back after No. 1 option Sony Michel underwent offseason foot surgery and opened training camp on the active/physically

7:00 AM ET Each year around this time, I try to figure out what’s going to happen in the upcoming NFL season. Doing that in August isn’t exactly an exclusive hobby of mine, but I try to focus on using metrics and measures that have historically been good predictors of future team performance. What happened

6:00 AM ET INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard doesn’t hide his obsession with finding out who his critics are. He’ll examine articles, Twitter, Instagram or any other form of social media. “I will never shy away from it,” Leonard said. “And I will never stop trying to find it.” Leonard has been told

1:44 PM ET Having spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in what he saw as a hopeless situation with the Buffalo Bills, Sammy Watkins said he had no interest in leaving what he sees as an ideal situation with the Kansas City Chiefs. “Very important to stay,” said Watkins, the wide receiver

7:00 AM ET As NFL training camps begin to look more “normal,” with players getting on the field with their teams for the first time on Friday and pads set to come on for the first time on Aug. 17, there seems to be a natural sense of optimism around every team. Even with the

5:32 PM ET Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar is being removed from the commissioner’s exempt list, a source told ESPN, confirming an NFL Network report. The move is expected to become official Sunday. Dunbar’s removal from the exempt list allows him to re-join the Seahawks at team headquarters, which he’s expected to do as early

8:25 PM ET MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith said he will miss the 2020 NFL season due to a congenital heart condition he only discovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Smith, a fifth-round pick in 2019, announced Saturday he will have to undergo open-heart surgery to fix a bicuspid aortic valve. It’s a

7:00 AM ET PITTSBURGH — Artist Cody Sabol’s phone lit up with a FaceTime call from a number he didn’t recognize. When he answered, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush‘s face filled his screen. “Hey, Cody,” Bush said, “what are you doing tomorrow?” When the nation shut down in early March due to the coronavirus pandemic,

7:11 PM ET The Washington Football Team released running back Derrius Guice Friday night, less than two hours after he was arrested on domestic violence charges in Loudoun County. Washington wasted little time in releasing Guice, saying in a statement that it had learned of a domestic violence charge Thursday. The team alerted the league

6:00 AM ET PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger grinned and laughed as the reporter listed off elements of the Pittsburgh Steelers that should put them in contention for a title this season. An elite defense. A veteran, All-Pro line. Playmakers all over the place. A franchise quarterback. And yet, as the reporter noted, the Steelers are

7:30 AM ET Which players are opting out of the 2020 NFL season because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic? Now that the deadline has passed for players to notify their teams whether or not they are playing, we know that there are some significant players who won’t be taking the field this season. There

6:00 AM ET Cliff Harris would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, joining Dallas Cowboys teammates such as Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly, Randy White, Mel Renfro and Rayfield Wright, if not for the coronavirus pandemic causing a change in plans. Harris would carry with him a distinction his teammates did

5:15 PM ET The word of the moment in the NFL (and the world in general) is “unprecedented,” so we won’t pretend to tell you we’re sure what impact the 66 opt-outs will have on the 2020 NFL season. At this point, there’s still no way to be fully confident there will even be a