RAIDERS QUARTERBACK KIRK COUSINS AND MAXX CROSBY SCUFFLE LATE IN FRIDAY PRACTICE
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby got into a scuffle late in practice Friday before their teammates quickly jumped in and separated them.
Cousins, who is operating the first-team offense in training camp, remained on the field to finish the drive. Crosby, however, was sent to the sideline.
“Those are two leaders of our team going at it, so that is part of camp,” coach Klint Kubiak said. “Obviously, if you fight in a game and throw a punch in game, then you’re out of the game. So we’ve got to be smart and treat it like a game.”
Cousins appeared upset that Crosby tipped his pass, forcing an incompletion, and then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound defensive end who is three inches taller and 42 pounds heavier.
“We don’t want to be throwing punches, but I think on any padded day of camp, there’s going to be some tussles,” tight end Michael Mayer said. “That’s our starting quarterback right now, and you want him to defend your team and you want him to have some edge to him, which he does. He’s always had since the first day I met him when he came in here.
“I don’t want him getting thrown out. I don’t want him getting a flag. Nothing like that, but you’ve got to be able to defend yourself.”
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WASHINGTON-AREA NATIVE STEFON DIGGS RETURNS HOME TO THE COMMANDERS IN A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — For the first decade of his NFL career, Stefon Diggs always felt like he had something to prove when going up against Washington.
“That’s my hometown team, them and the Baltimore Ravens,” Diggs said Friday. “I always played with a chip on my shoulder, but the chip got really big when I’d go home because I felt like they passed up on me, didn’t give me a chance, and I was right in their backyard.”
Washington, and every NFL franchise, passed on Diggs multiple times in the 2015 draft before Minnesota selected him in the fifth round. After stints with the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and New England Patriots, and four Pro Bowl selections later, Diggs signed with his hometown Commanders earlier this week.
It’s a full-circle moment for Diggs, a Gaithersburg, Maryland, native who played for youth programs in the area growing up. A five-star recruit with scholarship offers practically anywhere in the country, Diggs chose to stay home and play for the University of Maryland.
“I can’t write a better story,” Diggs said. “At this point in my career, being healthy, coming off an ACL (injury), having success, going to your hometown team and wanting to shine for them. … I want to put on for my city.”
His homecoming is more than just a feel-good story. The Commanders entered training camp with a massive hole at No. 2 wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin, and Diggs figures to fill it as an instant upgrade.
Stylistically, Diggs is an excellent fit opposite McLaurin, who is a more traditional “X” receiver. Diggs has experience playing on the perimeter and in the slot and was one of the league’s best chain-movers in 2025 — 51 of his 85 receptions went for first downs.
“When you see him work inside as a slot player, he’s got great feel,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s a great competitor. … He’s somebody certainly that can move the chains, and you know how important that is — to have somebody that has the detail of option routes and specifics.”
Diggs said he didn’t have a personal relationship with McLaurin before his arrival, but admired his new teammate’s game and intensity from afar and called it “real similar to myself.” Diggs praised the rest of the Commanders’ receivers, specifically rookie Antonio Williams, who he said “can hoop a little bit.”
Quinn said the plan for Diggs was to ramp up over the next two days, but the 32-year-old arrived in great shape and participated in individual and team drills on Friday. His immediate focus is in the classroom, hoping to learn new offensive coordinator David Blough’s system quickly.
Throughout his career, Diggs has earned the reputation of helping elevate young quarterbacks. After a so-so rookie year, New England’s Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting last season with Diggs as his top target. Josh Allen took a major step forward in 2020, Diggs’ first year in Buffalo.
“Quarterbacks got a lot on their plate, so I bring it down a notch and talk to them brother to brother,” Diggs said. “With young quarterbacks, making plays for them gives them confidence. That puts a battery in their back to feel like, ‘Man, I can do anything out here.’ That’s how I try to help them: just by playing well.”
With Washington, Diggs joins Jayden Daniels, who proved himself as AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. The duo started building their chemistry on Friday.
“They got a great young quarterback,” Diggs said. “He’s a star. He’s a superstar. I’m excited for him, excited for this team.”
In Buffalo and Houston, Diggs was selected as a team captain. Quinn said the receiver’s leadership skills have already stood out in their brief time together.
For now, Diggs’ goal is to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches through his play and experience.
“I always try to push the guys around me to be the best version of themselves,” Diggs said. “At the same time, more show than tell. I can say a bunch of hoopla, but I’d rather just go out there and hoop and show you why I did what I did or communicate through the actions.”
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AT 35 AND IN 14TH SEASON, JETS’ GENO SMITH HAS FRANK REICH SEEING A QB IN HIS PRIME ‘LIKE HE’S 28′
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Frank Reich had to think for a second while raving — again — about Geno Smith, pondering the New York Jets quarterback’s age.
“I don’t know how old he is. Isn’t he past 35?,” the offensive coordinator asked Friday before being told Smith is actually 35. “It feels like he’s 28. I’m telling you, it feels like physically, I see no … like, he is in his prime, physically.”
Not bad for a quarterback entering his 14th NFL season, a journey that began as a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 2013 and has included several ups and downs on the field along the way.
“Like his arm, the way he moves, his feet in the pocket, he’s physically in his prime,” said Reich, in his first season running the Jets’ offense. “So he takes great care of himself and that’s going to help this team.”
New York certainly hopes so. The Jets acquired Smith in the offseason from Las Vegas to add a veteran quarterback to an offense that struggled mightily during a 3-14 season. The Jets ranked last or near the bottom in several offensive categories as the likes of Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook took turns calling the signals for then-coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Their 8 yards per completion was the lowest mark in the NFL, and that’s something that’s expected to improve significantly.
Smith has always been able to stretch the field, especially during three straight seasons of at least 3,500 yards passing in Seattle from 2022-24. He threw for 3,025 last year in a down season with Las Vegas that included an NFL-leading 17 interceptions.
Back with the Jets, Smith has had a mostly good training camp. And he has thoroughly impressed Reich, who said during minicamp that the quarterback has an “elite” football mind. Reich was back gushing about Smith on Friday.
“Geno’s the leader,” Reich said. “He’s the leader of the offense, make no mistake about it, in every way, shape and form. And to me, what has become crystal clear in this early time in training camp, the attribute that sticks out to me is his laser focus. This man is laser focused like people don’t understand. Like, he comes to work and he is locked in.
“And I feel like the whole offense plays off of that. That’s a really big deal.”
Reich has seen what leadership looks like from a quarterback. He was a longtime backup to Jim Kelly as a player and has coached Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan.
The offensive coordinator also knows what good quarterback play looks like. And he sees all of that in Smith, granted, still in the protected, no-contact confines of training camp.
“I remember when he was coming out (of college), I had a high grade on him,” Reich said. “His throwing mechanics, if I’m just talking pure upper-body mechanics, they’re pure. There’s only a couple guys in the league that I would say are pure. Geno’s one of them.”
Smith has also been drawing positive reviews from his teammates, who have praised his leadership since re-joining the Jets.
“Geno is a legend to guys like me,” fifth-year tight end Jelani Woods said. “He’s been in the league for a long time. You look up to him, just the professionalism he has, it’s something that you look into and he’s one of those guys that you go up to and talk to him at any time. He sits with you at the lunch table, he sits with anybody at the lunch table and you just have a simple conversation with him and just talk about life outside of football.
“And, you know, stuff like that goes a long way.”
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BILLS AGREE TO SIGN RIGHT GUARD TORRENCE TO 4-YEAR EXTENSION WITH $46M GUARANTEED, AP SOURCE SAYS
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement to sign starting right guard O’Cyrus Torrence to a four-year contract extension with $46 million in guarantees, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday.
The agreement represents the Bills’ latest major investment in keeping much of their offensive line intact for the long term.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been announced by the team.
Torrence was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft out of the University of Florida, and was entering the final season of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old has been a starter since his rookie season and part of a line that’s played a key role in protecting Josh Allen and helped James Cook to lead the NFL in yards rushing last season.
Torrence has 57 career starts, including playoffs, and was part of a line that allowed the NFL’s fewest sacks in both 2023 and 2024.
The group has been mostly together since 2024. The only change entering this season is at left guard, with Alec Anderson and Austin Corbett competing for the starting job left open following David Edwards’ free-agent departure to New Orleans in March.
Otherwise, the four returning starters, including left tackle Dion Dawkins, are now under contract through at least the 2027 season.
In March, the Bills signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52 million contract to prevent him from entering free agency.
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LIONS’ JAHMYR GIBBS RELIEVED “STRESSFUL” CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS OVER
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs finally got what he wanted.
A record-setting contract brought financial security, but for Gibbs, it also ended an anxious wait that had kept him off the practice field.
“This process has been extremely stressful,” Gibbs said Friday, one day after signing a three-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. “I just wanted to play ball. I missed being out there with my teammates and coaches and it’s just fun being out there now.”
The extension, agreed to Thursday, is worth $67.5 million over three years and could reach $75.75 million with incentives. It includes $51.5 million in guaranteed money, according to multiple reports, surpassing the deal Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson signed earlier this week.
After signing the contract, Gibbs participated only in individual drills Friday, but said the biggest relief was putting the negotiations behind him.
Three years ago, many questioned whether the Lions had reached by selecting a running back with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Gibbs said the criticism never bothered him.
“For me, I didn’t really care, because I knew what I could do, and I was confident in myself,” he said.
Three seasons into his career, Gibbs has put together one of the most productive starts by a running back in NFL history.
Despite sharing the backfield with David Montgomery, Gibbs has scored 49 total touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons, the most by any player during that span. He broke the previous record of 47 set by Hall of Famer and former Lion Barry Sanders.
Last season, Gibbs totaled 1,839 yards from scrimmage, including 1,223 rushing yards and 616 receiving yards, while scoring 18 touchdowns. He also set career highs with 77 receptions, 616 receiving yards and five touchdown catches.
Since entering the league, Gibbs has rushed for 3,580 yards — seventh-most in the NFL during that span — while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He has topped 1,200 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons and caught at least 50 passes in all three years.
Lions Associate Head Coach Scottie Montgomery said Gibbs earned the extension through both his production and his professionalism.
“He has came in from day one and did everything we asked him to do,” Montgomery said. “He is what a pro should be.”
Montgomery said Gibbs has continued to improve each season while maintaining the same approach that made him the 12th overall pick.
“I hope a lot of kids, a lot of people are watching the way that he went about the process,” Montgomery said. “Going from year one to year two to year three and continually getting better.”
Montgomery also pointed to Gibbs’ versatility as one of the reasons he has become such an important part of Detroit’s offense.
“When you got a guy like Jah, you can be a bell cow and touch it 10 times and have 200 total yards,” Montgomery said. “He can play at the receiver position. He can play at the wing position. He can play at the back.”
Gibbs said he heard from several fellow NFL running backs after agreeing to the extension, including Robinson, Montgomery, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook and De’Von Achane.
Gibbs said signing the extension also means he gets to remain in a city he has embraced since arriving in 2023.
“Before I got here, everything you hear about Detroit is negative,” Gibbs said. “Since I’ve been here, all I can say is positive things. The people, there’s a lot of good food, the culture.
“I love being here. I’m so glad I get to be here for the next five years.”
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CHIEFS’ ANDY REID: PATRICK MAHOMES UNLIKELY TO PLAY IN PRESEASON
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is unlikely to play in next week’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Friday.
Reid didn’t stop there, however. He said he’d likely shy away from playing Mahomes in the preseason as a whole.
The decision is hardly surprising, given Mahomes is working his way back after undergoing surgery to repair tears to the ACL and LCL in his left knee.
“There’s a pretty good chance I don’t play him (against the Rams) — percentages are leading that way,” Reid said. “I don’t know that I’d play him in the second or third game. … Percentages probably lean against doing that.
“We’ve got new people in those other positions behind him that need some work. The more reps they get, the better.”
Justin Fields, rookie Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun are the other quarterbacks on the roster.
Kansas City hosts the Rams on Aug. 15. The Chiefs also play preseason games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Aug. 22) and Seattle Seahawks (Aug. 28) before opening the regular season at home against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14.
Mahomes sustained the injury in the closing minutes of Kansas City’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, a result that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.
The two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP was in the midst of arguably his worst season as a pro.
Mahomes, who turns 31 on Sept. 17, completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,587 yards with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The completion percentage, passing yards and TD passes were all career-low marks since he became a regular in 2018.
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COWBOYS ROOKIE DEFENSIVE BACK CALEB DOWNS IS LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS WHILE LEARNING TWO SPOTS
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Expectations are high for Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive back Caleb Downs, the No. 11 overall draft pick who is being counted on to help overhaul their defense.
Downs’s personal goals are even more ambitious.
“That’s for me to know, and y’all to find out,” Downs said.
Downs has shown nothing so far in training camp to indicate he should set a ceiling on those aspirations, demonstrating every bit of the pedigree established during his college career at Alabama and Ohio State. That track record is one of the reasons the Cowboys have been comfortable using the 6-foot, 210-pounder in the slot and at safety.
Downs played both positions in college, but new Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker seems to be looking at him as a slot defender first, a role that has taken on greater significance as the NFL has embraced spread offenses.
Quarterback Dak Prescott cited the need for a standout nickel back to counter the use of elite wide receivers in the slot, listing off his top target in CeeDee Lamb and others around the league, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks, Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
“Those guys are moving around, and that’s what makes these offenses great, when you can move these type of guys in and out,” Prescott said. “So if you don’t have a guy that can travel with them, if you don’t have a guy that can match up and play that, you’re putting yourself in a bind. And he not only has to travel and get inside when that guy goes inside, but he also has to stop the run. And so to have a guy that can do that, to be versatile, but more importantly physical, that’s what makes great defenses great.”
Downs is already getting a sense of the position’s demands from daily battles against Lamb, who has topped 1,000 yards receiving in five straight seasons. Coach Brian Schottenheimer recalled how Lamb beat Downs on a play during organized team activities, but the rookie was ready the next time that same route concept was used.
“He’s a young player, he’s a rookie, he’s going to make mistakes,” Schottenheimer said. “But like I said in the spring, I’ll say it again, he doesn’t repeat mistakes, and that is a sign of a young man that understands X’s and O’s in football, and he’s wired the right way.”
Parker has been pleased with Downs’ willingness to learn, particularly as he navigates different positions. It stood out to the 34-year-old Parker, who had success helping young defensive backs thrive in his previous role with the Philadelphia Eagles, during the pre-draft process.
“Curiosity is one thing for young players that you really look for,” Parker said. “They want to know the why behind everything. We give them that up front, the intent behind each thing that we’re trying to do. And so, I think, with him, he has that natural spirit about him for sure.”
Downs, in turn, is able to to put those lessons to immediate use.
“Playing under Kevin Steele, coach (Nick) Saban’s defense, playing under Jim Knowles, and playing under Matt Patricia, I have a lot of defensive knowledge to bank from, and I feel like that allows me to play fast out here,” he said.
“Every day, things slow down just a little bit, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
Downs has also shown strong communication skills, which are important as Parker stresses the need to take and receive information as the foundation of a successful defense. Cornerback Cobie Durant said the slot defender serves as a valuable conduit between the linebackers and cornerbacks in relaying and adjusting coverages, putting Downs in a key role.
Those abilities allowed Downs to thrive in two of the most demanding systems in college football. He had six interceptions, a forced fumble, 16 tackles for loss, and 257 total tackles in 44 career games, earning numerous individual honors and winning a national championship after the 2024 season.
The confidence Downs carries from those experiences is what has impressed his fellow Buckeyes alum, safety Malik Hooker.
“You’ve seen Caleb day in and day out lining up against CeeDee, and he gives him his respect, obviously, it ain’t nothing like that,” Hooker said. “But every play he gets a chance to line up against him, he feels like he’s going to win that rep, and that’s the type of mentality we want on this defense. Especially coming from a guy that we’re expecting to play a lot, and not only play a lot, but to be a difference maker in our defense.”
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TITANS GUARD PETER SKORONSKI JOINS NFL’S $100M CLUB
The Tennessee Titans signed guard Peter Skoronski to a four-year, $100 million contract extension, making the 2023 first-round pick the NFL’s highest-paid player at his position.
“This is a tremendous blessing. It’s a reflection of the work, sacrifice and support that has helped me get to this point, and I don’t take any of it for granted,” Skoronski said in a statement Friday. “Thank you to (owner) Ms. Amy (Strunk), (general manager) Mike Borgonzi and (head) coach (Robert) Saleh for believing in me. From the moment I got here, this is where I wanted to be. I love this organization, I love this city, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue representing this franchise. I appreciate the faith they’ve shown in me, and now it’s my job to earn it every day. I’m excited for what’s ahead, but more than anything, I’m ready to get back to work.”
The deal includes $88 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.
Dallas’ Tyler Smith held the previous record for average annual salary. He signed an extension with the Cowboys worth $96 million ($81.2 million guaranteed) over four years last September.
“He has the work ethic to match his talent and a perpetual desire to win that we want permeating throughout our building. We’re excited to enter the season knowing he and his family will remain Titans for years to come,” Borgonzi said Friday.
Skoronski, 25, has started 47 consecutive games for the Titans and started in all 48 games he’s appeared in since the opener of the 2023 season. He was the 11th overall pick in 2023 and moved to guard after being named unanimous All-American as a left tackle for the Wildcats.
Pro Football Focus rated Skoronski as the sixth-best guard (out of 81 qualified) in the NFL in 2025. He earned a 84.5% pass-blocking grade (second amongst guards), a pass block win rate of 96% (fourth) and a 73.2 grade in run blocking (13th).
PFF ranked the Tennessee offensive line at No. 11 in the NFL entering the final week of the season. However, the 3-14 Titans allowed 56 sacks, the sixth-most in the league in 2025.
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2026 DENVER BRONCOS PREVIEW
Changes:
Offense: Head coach Sean Payton returns; promoted passing game coordinator Davis Webb to offensive coordinator. Webb received numerous head coaching interviews this offseason but ultimately remained with the franchise via the promotion.
Defense: Vance Joseph returns as defensive coordinator, his fourth season in the position.
Personnel Changes ::
Key free agent departures include DL John Franklin-Myers, S P.J. Locke, and LB Dre Greenlaw.
Acquired WR Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2026 first (No. 30 overall), third (No. 94), and fourth-round pick swap (No. 111 for No. 130).
Had a relatively quiet free agency outside of the Waddle acquisition, instead focusing on re-signing key depth pieces.
Added more depth via the draft after dealing away picks in the Waddle trade. Selected DT Tyler Onyedim in the third (No. 66 overall) and RB Jonah Coleman in the fourth (No. 108).
QB Bo Nix attempts to return from a fractured ankle suffered in their AFC Divisional Round win. There is a lot to unpack here considering Payton alluded to the fact that Nix’s injury could have been the result of a congenital condition. “It wasn’t a matter of it, it was a matter of when,” Payton told reported on 26 January. And then there’s the aftermath of that comment, which raised some potential HIPAA issues in addition to seemingly creating a rift between the quarterback and his coach. The most recent credible report came from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who asserted that Nix is still on track for the start of training camp after a “scheduled re-check and subsequent cleanup procedure” in early May.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Chiefs x 2, Raiders x 2, Chargers x 2
AFC East (4)::
Bills, Dolphins, @Jets, @Patriots
NFC West (4)::
Rams, Seahawks, @Cardinals, @49ers
Jaguars, @Steelers, @Panthers
The bulk of the roster from a 2025 season in which the team averaged 23.2 points per game returns, with the key addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle giving this team another established threat through the air. Head coach Sean Payton continually led top-five offenses during his time with the Saints and has proven to be an adept offensive mind while quarterback Bo Nix should have his most talented assortment of skill position players that he’s had in his three-year professional career. Finally, the Broncos boast one of the league’s top offensive lines and return all five starters from a season ago. In 2025, this unit blocked to the sixth most adjusted rushing yards before contact and allowed below average pressure in the pass game.
Beyond what this team has working in its favor heading into 2026, they suddenly find themselves in a wide-open division considering the coaching and scheme changes for the Chargers, the fact that Patrick Mahomes is coming off a major injury, and the complete rebuild the Raiders currently find themselves in. The path to a second consecutive divisional title is palpable in Denver.
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2026 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS PREVIEW
Changes:
Offense: Eric Bieniemy returns as the offensive coordinator after serving in the same position from 2018 through 2022. It isn’t as simple as taking what this team did the last time Bieniemy had his hand in the offense and extrapolating it forward to 2026, but it is noteworthy that the last time Mahomes and Bieniemy were together the team ranked first (2018), second (2019), sixth (2020), fourth (2021), and first (2022) in points per game. Head coach Andy Reid has already confirmed he will continue to call offensive plays. It is also noteworthy that Reid called offensive plays from 2018 through 2022.
Defense: Steve Spagnuolo retains his position as the defensive coordinator. 2026 will be his eighth season in that role.
Personnel Changes:
Signed RB Kenneth Walker via free agency. Added key defensive players with the signings of DT Khyiris Tonga, S Alohi Gilman, CB Kader Kohou, and CB Kaiir Elam.
Selected CB Mansoor Delane (pick No. 6) and DT Peter Woods (No. 29) in the first and EDGE R Mason Thomas in the second (No. 40). Added RB Emmett Johnson in the fifth (No. 161) and QB Grant Nussmeier in the seventh (No. 249).
QB Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL. The most recent update from Reid is that Mahomes has a realistic chance of being ready for Week 1.
Added QB Justin Fields as the primary backup to Mahomes.
The NFL closed the Rashee Rice disciplinary case on 3 April with no further discipline. Rice is fully cleared to play in the 2026 season.
Traded CB Trent McDuffie to the Rams and lost CB Jaylen Watson and S Bryan Cook via free agency. Other notable free agent departures include WR Hollywood Brown, LB Leo Chanel, RB Isiah Pacheco, DL Derrick Nnadi, and OT Jawaan Taylor.
Schedule ::
Divisional Games (6):
Broncos x 2, Raiders x 2, Chargers x 2
AFC East (4):
Patriots, Jets, @Bills, @Dolphins
NFC West (4):
Cardinals, 49ers, @Rams, @Seahawks
Colts, @Bengals, @Falcons
Patrick Mahomes could be ready to go by the start of the regular season, which is something initially thought to be completely impossible. Furthermore, the Chiefs’ top receiving option avoided further league discipline this offseason. Finally, the franchise significantly upgraded their run game with the addition of Kenneth Walker. It doesn’t take too much convincing before we start to see the upside case here, and that’s before we reintroduce Eric Bieniemy or any continued growth from Xavier Worthy. Sure, Travis Kelce is aged past his prime, but the offense has plenty of firepower to return to the top of the league in scoring in 2026.
On the other side of the ball, Steve Spagnuolo remains one of the top defensive coordinators in the league, but he’ll be forced to work his magic with an almost entirely new secondary moving forward. His intricate scheme and vast moving pieces require both elite athleticism and communication, something that could take this unit time to fully master. In other words, not only does the offense look good-to-elite on paper, but their defense is unlikely to start the season playing to the level we’ve grown accustomed to.
Take those two pieces together and we could have a recipe for increased tempo, quicker paths to the “oh crap” phase of games, and increased pressure on the offense to maximize scoring, all while the offensive pieces on paper have improved.
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2026 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS PREVIEW
Changes:
Offense: Klint Kubiak replaces the “doomed from the beginning” Pete Carroll as head coach, bringing along his former quarterbacks coach from Seattle, Andrew Janocko, to serve as the offensive coordinator. Janocko replaces former OC Chip Kelly while it will be Kubiak that calls offensive plays.
Defense: The organization promoted from within at defensive coordinator, moving former defensive line coach and run game coordinator Rob Leonard to the position.
Personnel Changes ::
The Raiders had one of the busier offseasons and were involved in one of the weirder storylines in recent memory with the Maxx Crosby saga. The Raiders agree in principle to send Crosby to the Ravens before signing OLB Kwity Paye, LB Quay Walker, and LB Nakobe Dean. The Ravens then backed out of the trade, citing concerns over Crosby’s surgically repaired knee, leaving the Raiders “stuck” with the free agent moves they made under the assumption that Crosby was no longer a member of their team.
Also signed WR Jalen Nailor, OG Spencer Burford, C Tyler Linderbaum, FB Connor Heyward, QB Kirk Cousins, and K Matt Gay while trading for CB Taron Johnson.
Drafted QB Fernando Mendonza with the No. 1 overall pick. Took CB Treydan Stukes in the second, OLB Keyron Crawford and OG Trey Zuhn in the third, and RB Mike Washington and CB Jermod McCoy in the fourth.
Saw K Daniel Carlson, OG Dylan Parham, S Lonnie Johnson Jr, QB Kenny Pickett, and OL Alex Cappa depart via free agency.
Have yet to re-sign DE Malcolm Koonce, LB Elandon Roberts, RB Raheem Mostert, and WR Tyler Lockett.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Chargers x 2, Chiefs x 2, Broncos x 2
AFC East (4)::
Dolphins, Bills, @Patriots, @Jets
NFC West (4)::
Rams, Seahawks, @49ers, @Cardinals
@Saints, @Browns, Titans
Going from Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly to Klint Kubiak and Andrew Janocko is about as big a change you can muster for the Raiders, particularly for the structure of their offense. Kelly’s rigid and antiquated design attempted to fit square pegs in round holes, relying too heavily on pace and tempo without being able to sustain drives. His zone read never got going with Geno Smith, Kenny Pickett, and Aidan O’Connell under center and the offense became stale and unimaginative. Enter Kubiak, whose West Coast system with significant Shanahan influence is designed to get his playmakers in space while simplifying reads for his quarterback. Expect heavy pre-snap motion and play action rates to pair with an outside zone-heavy run scheme. The beauty of the system is that all of those layers work in conjunction to exploit opposing defenses. Outside zone run schemes typically draw linebackers and safeties closer to the line of scrimmage to help off the edge and pre-snap motion typically aids the quarterback in diagnosing opposing coverages (man, zone, safety alignments, quarters, etc), with play action most dangerous when the quarterback understands the coverage and alignment with the benefit of a creeping second level. This isn’t the “spread them out horizontally and hit them in the mouth with outside zone” scheme like Kelly’s, this is the “keep the defense guessing and off balance and then hit the lapses in coverage and/or communication.” Night and day, and I expect this offense to be far more successful and explosive because of it.
This roster also experienced some major overhaul this offseason, paying particular attention to the interior defense and offensive line, and they already had two superstars in the making in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. I don’t know who will begin the season under center after the team also signed Kirk Cousins this offseason, but the ingredients for a fun and successful offense are all present here.
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2026 LA CHARGERS PREVIEW
Changes:
Offense: Out is former OC Greg Roman and in is Mike McDaniel, former head coach of the Dolphins. This offense should be structured entirely differently than what we saw last season. Roman ran an offense rooted in 11-personnel, whereas McDaniel has been near the bottom of the league in 11 usage while in Miami. Bolstering that assertion were the signings of FB Alec Ingold, who followed McDaniel to Los Angeles, TE David Njoku, who signed after the draft, and TE Charlie Kolar, who is regarded as one of the top blocking tight ends in the league.
Defense: Former DC Jesse Minter was hired away to be the head coach of the Ravens. Filling his massive shoes is Chris O’Leary, who previously served as the safeties coach for the Chargers (2024) before spending the 2025 season at the collegiate ranks, serving as the defensive coordinator for Western Michigan. It will be O’Leary calling defensive plays in the coming season.
Personnel Changes:
C Bradley Bozeman retired, OG Mekhi Becton was released, and OG Zion Johnson left via free agency, leaving the offensive line to be reshuffled. The team signed C Tyler Biadasz and OG Cole Strange and drafted OG Jake Slaughter in the second to fill those vacancies.
Other notable free agent departures include TE Will Dissly, WR Keenan Allen (presumably, has yet to sign with anyone, including the Chargers), and RB Najee Harris.
Signed FB Alec Ingold and TEs David Njoku and Charlie Kolar, as mentioned above.
Signed RB Keaton Mitchell and NT Dalvin Tomlinson.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Chiefs x 2, Raiders x 2, Broncos x 2
AFC East (4)::
Jets, Patriots, @Bills, @Dolphins
NFC West (4)::
Cardinals, 49ers, @Seahawks, @Rams
Texans, @Ravens, @Buccaneers
The Chargers really had a tale of two seasons in 2025, most of which revolved around the health of OT Joe Alt. They averaged 26.75 points per game in the four games in which Alt played a full complement of snaps, averaging 21.46 points per game in the other 13 games. It appeared, to me, that Roman struggled to piecemeal an effective game plan together through the mounting injuries a season ago. The talent on this offense was not an issue in 2025, anchored by Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton, breakout tight end Oronde Gadsden, and wide receiver Ladd McConkey, it just appeared to me that being forced to continually alter their weekly game plan, and then adjust it further during games, became a challenge that couldn’t be overcome. Now, you remove those issues with a clean bill of health, and we can return to being really excited about this bunch.
Then, enter Mike McDaniel, someone we must continue to regard as one of the top offensive minds in the sport. McDaniel did not forget how to exploit opposing defenses in 2025, but it was a similar story for the Dolphins a season ago. Both parties simply needed a change of scenery, and I think the Chargers made out like bandits in the process. The talent on this roster should not be overlooked, the talent of McDaniel calling plays should not be overlooked, and a largely “stuck in the mud” division should not be overlooked. The Chargers have a path to the division title in 2026, particularly with the level of rebuild the Raiders find themselves in and the fact that the other two teams in the division have quarterbacks coming off major injuries.
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