JETS QUARTERBACK JUSTIN FIELDS DISLOCATES TOE, TEAM EVALUATING INJURY DAY-TO-DAY
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields has a dislocated toe on his right foot and will be evaluated by the team on a daily basis.
The team announced the diagnosis a few hours after Fields limped off the practice field Thursday morning and was carted into the facility. It eased some initial concerns that the quarterback, in his first season with the Jets, could miss significant practice time.
Fields threw an incomplete pass to Jeremy Ruckert on his fifth play of team drills when he went down. The quarterback sat on the grass for a few moments before getting up and limping to the sideline while helped by a trainer.
“I know it was a quick throw, so I’m assuming someone stepped on his toe,” coach Aaron Glenn said after the Jets’ second practice of training camp. “It had to be because of the nature of the call that we had as far as offensive play call. I want to look at the tape and be sure.”
Fields spent a few minutes in the injury tent on the sideline as trainers examined him before a cart came out to transport him into the facility. Fields sat in the passenger seat next to the driver in the cart and then got up under his own power before stepping inside to be further evaluated.
Glenn stopped the team period after Fields was hurt and the Jets ran special teams drills.
“When anybody goes down, there’s a lump in my throat,” Glenn said. “Listen, I hate injuries for any player, but the thing is I want to make sure that I understand exactly what the injury is before I move forward on my thought process.”
Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract as a free agent in March after playing last season in Pittsburgh and is expected to be New York’s starter this season. Veteran Tyrod Taylor, the team’s oldest player who turns 36 next month, is the backup and replaced Fields in team drills.
“I think the most important part is, if anything does happen to Justin, I don’t think there’s any drop-off as far as what we want to do when it comes to play calls,” Glenn said. “Very similar when you talk about skill set, so that was like enticing for us. And then the leadership ability … you could just tell the players really gravitate to him. When he says something, everybody really listens, even the coaching staff. He’s been around this league a long time. He knows what it takes to win, and he’s a really good person. So, we’re all excited to have that guy here.
“Listen, Justin is who he is and if something happens to him, we’ve got Tyrod and we’re ready to go.”
New York also has Adrian Martinez, the 2024 United Football League MVP, and rookie Brady Cook on its roster, but neither has thrown a pass in an NFL game. Glenn noted that Martinez was in camp with the Lions in 2023, so he has some familiarity with the offense that the Jets are running with Tanner Engstrand, Detroit’s former passing game coordinator.
The news of Fields’ injury sent Jets fans into a frenzy on social media, with many recalling how Aaron Rodgers’ torn Achilles tendon in the team’s opening game in 2023 sunk their Super Bowl hopes and how Zach Wilson missed time early in the 2022 season with a knee injury.
Glenn urged fans to remain calm because “I’ve been there and done that” — referring to how he adjusted to various injuries in Detroit last season as the Lions’ defensive coordinator — and it’s still early in training camp.
“I understand how this league is and I understand how social media starts to take over and everybody starts to panic,” Glenn said. “The one thing I would say is, listen, we have a number of men in that locker room that want to win. And we have a number of men in the locker room that’s learning how to win and it’s my job to make sure that I push that over the edge. And that’s my plan.”
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DETROIT LIONS OFFENSIVE LINE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS A YEAR AFTER BEING AMONG NFL’S BEST
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions had one of the NFL’s best offensive lines last season.
This year is more of a work in progress.
Center Frank Ragnow’s retirement and the loss of right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency have opened up competition for at least two new starters. Graham Glasgow, who started at left guard last season and has experience at center, along with rookie Tate Ratledge are getting reps at center through four days of training camp.
And then there’s the banged-up veteran Taylor Decker at left tackle.
“It’s been great. Tate, I thought, was doing a good job. Graham was in there today and I’ve been comfortable with Graham for quite some time,’’ Lions quarterback Jared Goff said on Thursday. “Whoever it ends up being I’ll be good with.’’
After Ratledge saw the bulk of center reps the first three days of camp, Glasgow took the center snaps Thursday.
Ratledge played only guard at Georgia except for a few practice snaps at center. So he’s adjusting to the NFL game and to playing a new position.
“I think just the speed of everything happening. At guard you have a little bit of a delay being off the ball and then, of course, you get up here and you’re going against quicker guys,’’ Ratledge said.
He has no preference for guard or center.
“I enjoy football, it doesn’t matter where I am on the field,’’ said Ratledge, a second-round pick who sports a John Wayne tattoo on his left bicep.
Coach Dan Campbell said earlier in the week that he will keep his eye on the offensive line.
”(Ratledge is) getting it all at once. It’s everything, it is. It’s the mental and it’s the technique of it. So, yeah, look we’re putting a lot on him,’’ Campbell said. “He’s drinking out of a fire hose right now. But there are things that we saw with him in college at Georgia that we felt like, ‘You know what? We think this guy can play center.’’
Decker remains sidelined while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, but is expected to join the team after the Hall of Fame game on July 31. He’s been on the sidelines at camp daily.
“The standard is the standard. We’re expected to be one of the top offensive lines in the league,’’ Decker said. “You lose big pieces, but we’ve put those expectations on ourselves and put ourselves in a position where we’re expected to perform a certain way and it doesn’t matter.’’
Pro Bowl right tackle Penei Sewell is healthy and practicing daily.
Christian Mahogany has been a sort of utility lineman for the Lions the past couple of years. He played in seven games in 2024 and started two, including a playoff game. Kayode Awosika, who started 11 games at guard in 2024, will also contend for a starting guard spot.
NOTES: Lions LB Alex Anzalone, who has not participated in camp, was on the sidelines again Thursday in street clothes. He told reporters earlier in the week that he is disappointed the Lions have not signed him to a contract extension.
INJURIES: LB Derrick Barnes (hand) and CB Terrion Arnold (leg) left practice early to be evaluated further for their injuries. … CB Ennis Rakestraw (chest) was working on the sidelines but has not practiced since he was injured on Sunday. He’s expected to return within days.
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PENIX BRINGS MORE CONFIDENCE INTO 1ST FULL SEASON AS FALCONS STARTER FOLLOWING 3-GAME 2024 AUDITION
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons may be better positioned for a winning season with second-year coach Raheem Morris because the offense will be led by a quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., who won’t feel like a first-year starter.
Penix said after Thursday’s opening practice of training camp he feels more confident entering his second season because he was given his first three starts to close the 2024 season after Kirk Cousins was benched.
“Yeah, it’s very important,” Penix said. “Just knowing, just being able to go out there and get those games with full-speed reps. It instills confidence, knowing I can go out there and do the same thing that you saw in college and all my life. So, you know, just I would say biggest thing is confidence.”
The Falcons were 1-2 with Penix as the starter to finish 8-9 for their seventh consecutive losing season. Though the switch to the rookie didn’t produce a playoff berth, Penix said the experience was important for his 2025 outlook and his chemistry with the offense.
“So Week 1 this year won’t be the first time I’m on the field with the starters in a game-time situation,” Penix said. “I feel like that was good as well. So the guys around me as well know what they’re going to get out of me.”
Penix spoke with confidence when he was asked about the potential for an offense that returns running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and an experienced offensive line.
“We should be the best in the league with the guys we’ve got around us,” Penix said. “We should be unstoppable. So that’s that’s our goal. We want to be No. 1 in all categories.”
Penix spent extra time throwing to Pitts and London this offseason and had Pitts on his mind when he spoke with reporters Thursday.
“You see we got KP the ball today,” Penix said to open the interview session. “There’s going to be a lot of that.”
Penix has the confidence of his teammates as the new leader of the offense.
“He’s just that guy and he goes out there and he does the same thing every day and that’s work hard,” London said, adding Penix “has a cannon” as a passer.
Old news
Cousins returns in a backup role after disclosing on the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback” that he played through pain in his right arm in the second half of the season, in part to avoid losing his job to Penix. Cousins threw eight interceptions with no touchdowns in a stretch of four straight losses following a 6-3 start and insisted through the streak he was healthy.
Morris said Thursday the comment by Cousins in the Netflix show was “kind of old news” and added “we addressed that when it was happening. … Nothing was a shocker.”
Cousins, 36, signed a four-year, $180 million contract last March that included $100 million guaranteed. General manager Terry Fontenot has said the team is comfortable with Cousins as the backup to Penix. Morris said in the offseason “we won’t hold him back if the opportunity presents himself” to be traded to a team looking for a starter.
Morris finds 2nd year more settling
Morris said “it feels more settling, more at ease” as he begins his second season as coach.
“I think it feels even more familiar than it had felt before,” he said. “Being back the second time, being back with the same people … I’ll come back with the entire offensive staff coming back.”
Health update
Morris said all players reported on Wednesday and all are on schedule to be available for the season. Some players, including linebacker Troy Anderson (knee), won’t be exposed to all contact at the start of camp. The team’s first practice in pads will be on Tuesday.
Right tackle Kaleb McGary showed off a new short haircut and said he is “all good” after having bone spurs removed from his ankle in an arthroscopic procedure.
Fans fire up Morris
Fans were invited to the opening practice, producing a long line at the gate surrounding the practice facility an hour before the session.
Morris said he is “really fired up about this team, really fired up about this organization, really fired up about the fan base.”
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Giants’ busy offseason got stamps of approval from standout young receiver Malik Nabers
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Like what the New York Giants did this offseason? Thank Malik Nabers.
No, the wide receiver coming off an impressive rookie year didn’t add co-general manager with Joe Schoen to his responsibilities. But Nabers did give coach Brian Daboll some input during a busy spring that included signing quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, trading up to take Jaxson Dart late in the first round and also drafting running back Cam Skattebo.
“I think Dabes did a great job of asking me questions about making moves, and me and him were in contact about moves to be made,” Nabers said. “That was a great job of him reaching out to the players about things that we were missing that we want.”
On defense, New York got a potential difference maker in edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick and filled some holes in the secondary in free agency by signing cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland. Daboll mentioned Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence among the other players he talks to about additions.
Nabers did not have much to say for the other side of the ball. Offensively, where the Giants ranked third-worst in the league last season, he was happy to share his thoughts.
“He was really telling me: ‘How do you like this decision? How do you like this decision?’” Nabers said. “He was able to ask me questions like that because he knew I was going to give great feedback. Having that as a head coach to come to a rookie player to decide on what decisions to be made with the team next year, I feel like it shows the confidence that he has in me, the confidence that the organization has in me and I’m hoping that we made some of the great decisions to be made.”
While Nabers turns 22 next week and is just one season into his professional career, having Daboll’s ear did not happen by accident. The two started building a relationship at their first training camp together last year when Nabers wasn’t shy about speaking up despite his lack of experience.
“He’s a smart player,” Daboll said. “I’m close with him. And I think those relationships with all your players are important — and particularly ones that play like Malik.”
Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns — from four different quarterbacks — as a rookie. Only one (now fourth-stringer Tommy DeVito) is back, with Wilson opening as the starter, Dart waiting in the wings and Winston around as a reliable backup.
After unsuccessful QB roulette played a role in a 3-14 season, receiver Darius Slayton said Wilson brings a measure of clarity to the Giants.
“He’s been playing football for a long time, so he knows what’s worked for him in his career,” said Slayton, who along with defensive tackle Lawrence are New York’s longest-tenured players dating to their arrival in 2019. “He knows what he likes, what he doesn’t like and that makes it really simple on all of us just to be able to get on the same page as him.”
More for Lawrence
The Giants rewarded Lawrence on Thursday by adding $3 million in incentives to his contract for this season, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the reworked deal had not been announced.
Lawrence at a salary of $17 million was the ninth-highest-paid player at his position. After the first practice of camp Wednesday, he brushed off wanting to get paid more.
“I’m just going handle my business,” Lawrence said. “I do what I do. It is going to take care of itself. Right now, I just want to win. I know if I do that and I keep being who I know I am, it is all going to take care of itself and that’s all I can do.”
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WHICH TEAM HAS THE BEST CHANCE TO GO FROM WORST TO FIRST IN NFL IN 2025?
A team going from worst to first in the division is nearly an annual occurrence in the NFL.
With last-place teams getting advantages like favorable schedules and higher draft picks, there have been 25 teams since the 2002 realignment that followed up a last-place finish with a division title the following year.
While no team pulled off the trick last season, it had happened least once in each of the previous four seasons. Perhaps no team is better positioned to do it this season than the San Francisco 49ers, who followed up a Super Bowl loss in the 2023 season with a 6-11 last-place finish in 2024.
The Niners were done in by a string of injuries to key players and now head into the 2025 season with the weakest projected schedule thanks in part to three games against fellow last-place teams Chicago, the New York Giants and Cleveland.
Here’s a look at the contenders based on their odds to finish first from BetMGM Sportsbook:
San Francisco 49ers
BetMGM odds to win division: +165.
Reason for optimism: The 49ers still have star power with players like Fred Warner, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams and one of the top offensive coaches in the game in Kyle Shanahan. With the last-place schedule and a rotation that includes eight games against the weaker South divisions, the Niners are favored to win the NFC West.
Reason for pessimism: San Francisco let several defensive starters leave in the offseason as part of a movement to get cheaper and younger. But if their rookie class can’t step in and contribute immediately, the defense could have some holes even with the return of coordinator Robert Saleh.
New England Patriots
BetMGM odds to win division: +475.
Reason for optimism: QB Drake Maye showed flashes as a rookie and should get a boost in Year 2 with a better coaching staff led by Mike Vrabel and coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Reason for pessimism: Maye still has very little support even after the offseason acquisitions of rookie lineman Will Campbell and veteran receiver Stefon Diggs.
Chicago Bears
BetMGM odds to win division: +550.
Reason for optimism: The Bears brought in the most highly sought after coaching candidate when Ben Johnson was hired after a strong run as offensive coordinator in Detroit. They also upgraded the interior of the offensive line by acquiring Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson in the offseason to help second-year QB Caleb Williams.
Reason for pessimism: Chicago is in a division with three returning playoff teams and has one of the more difficult schedules in the NFL. If Williams’ struggles as a rookie were more about holding onto the ball too long instead of the surrounding environment, the upgrades might not be enough.
Tennessee Titans
BetMGM odds to win division: +800.
Reason for optimism: Last year’s struggles delivered Tennessee the No. 1 overall pick. QB Cam Ward brings his playmaking ability to Tennessee and should be helped by an improved offensive line following the additions of Dan Moore and Kevin Zeitler and anticipated improvement from recent first-rounders JC Latham and Peter Skoronski.
Reason for pessimism: Ward doesn’t have a strong group of pass catchers even after the signing of veteran Tyler Lockett and Tennessee hasn’t done much to upgrade a defense that allowed 27.1 points per game last season.
New Orleans Saints
BetMGM odds to win division: +1,300.
Reason for optimism: The offense could get a boost if first-round tackle Kelvin Banks can step in immediately and receivers Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed are healthy.
Reason for pessimism: New Orleans has uncertainty at quarterback after Derek Carr’s retirement and is counting on either second-round rookie Tyler Shough or 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler to perform at a high enough level to compete.
Las Vegas Raiders
BetMGM odds to win division: +1,500.
Reason for optimism: Perhaps no team upgraded at quarterback and head coach as much as the Raiders with Pete Carroll replacing Antonio Pierce at coach and Geno Smith coming in at quarterback after a platoon of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. The offense under new coordinator Chip Kelly could be intriguing with record-setting second-year tight end Brock Bowers and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
Reason for pessimism: Las Vegas is in a division that had three playoff teams last season, making it a difficult proposition to climb too high in the standings. There are major questions in the secondary that could prove fatal in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix.
New York Giants
BetMGM odds to win division: +2,800.
Reason for optimism: The Giants should have one of the top defensive lines with No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter joining Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The return of left tackle Andrew Thomas after he missed 11 games last season should help boost the offense under new quarterback Russell Wilson.
Reason for pessimism: While Wilson may be an upgrade at quarterback, his play has fallen significantly since leaving Seattle following the 2021 season. New York traded up to draft Jaxson Dart in the first round but he might not be ready to take over as a rookie on a team that still has many holes on offense.
Cleveland Browns
BetMGM odds to win division: +3,000.
Reason for optimism: The Browns feature one of the game’s top defensive players in four-time All-Pro Myles Garrett after he got a new contract last season and Kevin Stefanski has won AP Coach of the Year twice in five seasons with Cleveland.
Reason for pessimism: Cleveland is still searching for a QB three years after trading for Deshaun Watson. Veteran Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are all in the mix but none provide immediate hope for success.
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THERE ARE 5 FIRST-TIME NFL HEAD COACHES THIS SEASON AND THEY EACH FACE DISTINCT CHALLENGES
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn has been mapping out exactly how he wants to lead an NFL team for a few years.
Before he was hired as the New York Jets’ head coach in January, Glenn spent four seasons as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator and was empowered by coach Dan Campbell to make some crucial calls for the team off the field.
“He allowed me to actually act in the position of being the head coach,” Glenn said. “To be able to do the calendar for the offseason, plan training camp out, be able to make decisions that he was supposed to make.
“But he allowed me to make those decisions to get me ready to be in this position.”
Glenn, a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback during a 15-year playing career, is charged with trying to turn around the fortunes of a Jets franchise that has the NFL’s longest playoff drought at 14 seasons.
He opened training camp this week as one of five first-time head coaches in the league, joining Jacksonville’s Liam Coen, Chicago’s Ben Johnson, New Orleans’ Kellen Moore and Dallas’ Brian Schottenheimer.
All five are long-time assistants who now each face distinct challenges and must balance the responsibilities of managing an entire roster and staff instead of focusing on one particular side of the football.
Aaron Glenn, Jets
Age: 53
Background: Jets’ first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in 1994 out of Texas A&M. Played eight seasons for New York before three with Houston, two with Dallas and one each with Jacksonville and New Orleans. After retiring from playing, Glenn served as the general manager of the Houston Stallions of the indoor Texas Lone Star Football League in 2012 before being hired as a personnel scout with the Jets later that year. He then had stints as an assistant with Cleveland, New Orleans and Detroit.
Task: He and new GM Darren Mougey focused on making the Jets’ roster younger, parting ways with veterans such as QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams, LB C.J. Mosley, K Greg Zuerlein and P Thomas Morstead. Glenn, who considers his former coach Bill Parcells a mentor, spoke often during the offseason about changing the Jets’ culture. Ending their long postseason drought will help and there’s key foundational talent — WR Garrett Wilson, CB Sauce Gardner, RB Breece Hall, DT Quinnen Williams, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson — but the youth movement could temper some first-year expectations.
Liam Coen, Jaguars
Age: 39
Background: Played quarterback at UMass. Spent last season as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator before being hired by Jacksonville in January to replace the fired Doug Pederson. Coen had two stints with the Los Angeles Rams, including serving as Sean McVay’s offensive coordinator in 2022. He also had college stops as an assistant at Brown, Rhode Island, UMass, Maine and Kentucky.
Task: His awkward Jaguars intro — “Duuuval” — went viral, but Coen was hired for his offensive prowess after he helped Baker Mayfield to the best season of his career with the Buccaneers. Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, has not yet fully lived up to expectations and that will be the focus for Coen, who’ll call the plays, and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. Adding versatile No. 2 pick Travis Hunter to the offense (and defense) should help Lawrence and a franchise that has just one playoff appearance in the past seven seasons.
Ben Johnson, Bears
Age: 39
Background: A former backup QB at North Carolina, Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator the past three years and helped Jared Goff and the Lions lead the league in scoring last season. Johnson’s path to the NFL began as an assistant at Boston College before seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He joined the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach and was retained by Campbell when he took over as coach in 2020, serving as the tight ends coach and then passing game coordinator before becoming the OC in 2022.
Task: The Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft and Chicago is hoping Johnson will be able to develop the quarterback into a playmaking star. Williams showed promise while starting all 17 games, throwing for a franchise rookie-record 3,541 yard with 20 touchdown passes and six interceptions, but his 68 sacks led the league. Getting Williams to get rid of the ball faster and improve on his accuracy should help, so should GM Ryan Poles’ trade acquisitions of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to bolster the offensive line.
Kellen Moore, Saints
Age: 37
Background: A former backup quarterback with Detroit and Dallas over six NFL seasons, Moore was long considered a head coaching candidate during his stops as an offensive coordinator with the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles. In his only season in Philadelphia, he guided a high-scoring offense that powered the Eagles to the Super Bowl behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.
Task: Moore doesn’t have the talent-rich roster he had last season. He also isn’t quite sure who his quarterback will be after Derek Carr unexpectedly retired in May with a shoulder injury. The Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round and also have Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, who each started games last season. The offense has some talent with WR Chris Olave and RB Alvin Kamara, but the defense needs to improve after allowing the second-most yards rushing in the NFL.
Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys
Age: 51
Background: The son of the late Marty Schottenheimer was a bit of a surprise pick by Jerry Jones to replace Mike McCarthy as Dallas’ coach. But the younger Schottenheimer has a lengthy resume in both the pros and at the college level, with stints as an offensive coordinator with the Cowboys, Seahawks, Rams and Jets among them.
Task: Schottenheimer will need to build an even better rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott, who played in only eight games last season because of a hamstring injury. The coach also made some headlines during the offseason when he said Prescott is still “in the developmental phase” of his career and the team is tweaking some things with him. With Philadelphia still among the NFL’s elite teams and Washington one of the league’s most promising squads, Schottenheimer and the Cowboys will have a tough road to make the playoffs out of the NFC East. That’s despite Jones saying he’s ”excited about our team’s ability to compete right now.”
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DOLPHINS’ MATOS IN STABLE CONDITION, REMAINS IN HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION AFTER TRAINING CAMP INJURY
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos remained under observation at the Ryder Trauma Care Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, one day after he was transported there by helicopter from training camp with an undisclosed injury.
The Dolphins said in a statement that Matos “has movement in all extremities and is in stable condition,” but they did not provide any other details of his injury. The team also did not say how long Matos would be under the care of doctors.
“It’s a really heartbreaking part of the game,” fellow Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson said of the injury, which occurred in the final minutes of Day 1 of training camp. “Very tough.”
The 24-year-old Matos was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and played his college football at New Mexico and South Florida. He was undrafted in 2024 and signed with the Dolphins as a free agent through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, an initiative that gives athletes from countries outside the U.S. a chance to play in the league.
Matos, who signed a reserve/future contract in January, had spent time with Miami’s practice squad over the past year.
Matos only started playing football a few years ago. He grew up playing baseball and basketball, and after moving to Tennessee for high school, popped up on the radar of hoops coaches. Matos wound up redshirting and playing one season for New Mexico before transferring to South Florida, where he continued playing basketball and walked onto the football team.
The 6-foot-7, 334-pound Matos started off as a defensive lineman and special teams player before switching to offensive line.
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CHARGERS RAVE ABOUT WIDEOUT MCCONKEY, WITH HARBAUGH SAYING HE’S ‘UNCOVERABLE’ 1 ON 1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Wide receiver Ladd McConkey is making such an impression with the Los Angeles Chargers that coach Jim Harbaugh says he’s “uncoverable” one on one and linebacker Daiyan Henley is still arguing about a catch the second-year pro made in workouts a month ago.
McConkey is coming off a sensational season in which he set team rookie records with 82 catches and 1,149 yards receiving, while scoring seven touchdowns.
Everyone is expecting more from McConkey — except for maybe Henley during their friendly practice rivalry — as he and quarterback Justin Herbert continue to develop the chemistry that has made them one of the NFL’s top pass-and-catch duos.
Harbaugh, who brought the Chargers to their former hometown for two days of training camp practices this week, said fellow receiver Quentin Johnston and Ladd are “playing at an elite level.”
Then he added about McConkey: “Ladd, he’s even better than he was last year. It’s not like hyperbole. It’s not. He’s uncoverable right now by one guy. That’s awesome.”
McConkey let out a little chuckle when asked about Harbaugh’s comment.
“I don’t know about that,” McConkey said Wednesday at the University of San Diego, where Harbaugh began his head coaching career in 2004. “Obviously, as receivers, like yeah, we’re striving for that. But other guys, they’re getting paid on the other side of the ball, too. You’re going to win some and lose some. Hopefully I win more than I lose.
“It’s obviously a great feeling knowing he has confidence in me,” said McConkey, a second-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2024. “You go out there and make plays, he believes in me, go out and show him what I’m about.”
After completing 332 of 504 passes for 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns last year, Herbert has the most completions (1,945) and yards passing (21,093) by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
Herbert said McConkey is “the perfect combination of athleticism and intelligence. The way he understands the game of football and how he sees defenses, I think that’s what makes him like that. he’s just got a great understanding of how people are going to try to guard him and where the leverage is and just the way to break it. He’s done such a great job with the quarterbacks, just being friendly and always being in the right spot, so it’s been huge to see.”
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said the Chargers are “hoping for a long, long fruitful career for Ladd,” and his relationship with Herbert will be a big part of it.
“I think we’re seeing that right now. It takes two to tango and those guys getting more time on task together, more chemistry, ‘Hey, if you see this, I want you to hook up here and I’ll put it on your inside shoulder,’ those types of things, those next-level type things,” Roman said.
The coordinator said there were a few times during the first four games last year where McConkey “wasn’t perfect at all. We had to correct some things, a couple plays in particular. He learned from it and it never happened again. He got that and he moved on and he kept climbing the ladder and you saw that chemistry grow.”
McConkey said there’s plenty to work on despite his success last year, including running better routes.
“When I go back and watch games, I want to just eat myself up over it because there are so many plays we left out there last year that we’ve been working on throughout this offseason,” he said. “There’s so much more to gain and we’re going to continue to try and build on that and hopefully it takes off as the season goes.”
During workouts last month at the team’s base in El Segundo, McConkey did a quick curl route in the end zone. Herbert threw it low and Henley, heading into his third year, went down with the receiver. Harbaugh signaled touchdown, but Henley still disputes that.
Henley was asked about a sack during practice on Wednesday and immediately pivoted to last month’s disputed pass play.
“I watched the playback. I hope you watched the playback. The ball hit the ground. OK, well I’ve got the tape. You know how you guys are, offense, offense, offense.”
Asked about the rivalry with Henley, McConkey said: “He hasn’t come over there for one-on-ones yet, so still waiting on that one. It’s all fun and games. Obviously, Daiyan’s a heck of a player. but if we line up one on one, I like my chances.”
The Chargers played in San Diego for 56 seasons before moving to Los Angeles in 2017 after failing to secure a deal for a new stadium. They pay $1 a year to play at SoFi Stadium, built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke.
The Chargers were 11-6 last year before losing at Houston in the wild card round.
Tickets for Tuesday’s practice were distributed to active-duty military and veterans, and Wednesday’s tickets went to season ticket holders. Neither day’s crowds came close to filling 6,500-seat Torero Stadium.
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SEEKING TO LEARN, PUKA NACUA ASKS DAVANTE ADAMS TO LEAD THE LA RAMS’ RECEIVING DRILLS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Puka Nacua is one of the NFL’s top receivers as he heads into his third season with the Los Angeles Rams, he thinks he still has plenty to learn from the new teammate wearing his old uniform number.
Nacua was full of praise and admiration for Davante Adams after just one practice in training camp at Loyola Marymount University on Wednesday. Nacua is determined to soak up the techniques and teachings of the six-time Pro Bowl selection who joined the Rams as a replacement for Cooper Kupp in the spring.
“I’ve asked Davante to lead our position group drills,” Nacua said. “There was respect from him coming in, saying, ‘I don’t want to push you out of the way, or to try to take your spot,’ or that I should be up there No. 1, but it’s something (where) I have a huge amount of respect for his game, and I’m blessed to be around people like Coop, and to have Davante come in.”
There’s also a practical reason for Nacua’s invitation to Adams: “When I was in the front, I’m trying to sprint as fast as I can so I can turn around and watch him. So I was like, ‘Hey, I think it would make my job a little easier if you go first.’”
Nacua’s respect for Adams has been obvious from the day Adams signed. Nacua willingly ceded the No. 17 jersey he had worn for two seasons in Los Angeles, switching to the No. 12 he wore in college.
Adams got the ball frequently during the Rams’ opening workout, impressing the fans in the stands while catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo. Matthew Stafford is starting training camp on the sidelines as he recovers from back soreness, leaving Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett in the pocket for the first week.
Nacua was observing Adams with admiration, watching everything from his famous release skills at the line of scrimmage to his ball concentration in traffic.
“His illusion of speed and lateral quickness is something I’m trying to add to my game in the way that it fits my skill set,” Nacua said. “I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of people that can replicate some of the things that he can do, but I try to understand the movement so I can add it to my game.”
But Adams also recognizes the remarkable ascent of Nacua, the former fifth-round pick. Nacua’s average of 88.4 yards receiving per game is the second-best in NFL history among non-scab players, trailing only Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson (96.5).
Nacua has 184 catches for 2,476 yards in just 28 regular-season games for the Rams, but he could be even more dangerous with Adams as his counterpart. Defenses will be unable to focus primarily on Nacua, as they did at times in his first two seasons when Kupp was injured or ineffective, likely allowing Nacua to get into more advantageous matchups for Stafford.
The big picture looks good for Nacua, but he’s also concentrating on learning the small details from Adams, whose skills he can list in encyclopedic detail.
“I’d say his body control, and obviously his elusiveness at the line of scrimmage,” Nacua said. “But then his awareness, the rotation of defenders and how to attack leverage on anyone, everything down the field, and then to have the illusion of going the opposite direction of where you want to go. He does a great job, and he explains it so well in the meeting room, so it makes it fun to watch tape and to be like, ‘OK, how can I add some of these things to my toolbox?’”
Nacua is one year away from the chance to sign a contract extension, but he isn’t thinking much about the massive looming payday if he produces another prolific season with Stafford and Adams.
“A little bit, but I try my best to stay completely present where my feet are,” Nacua said. “It’s exciting to see guys push the envelope for the wide receiver game.”
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GENO SMITH AIMS TO BRING STABILITY AND FIREPOWER TO RAIDERS’ STRUGGLING OFFENSE
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Raiders have been searching at quarterback since a messy divorce late in the 2022 season ended Derek Carr’s nine-year reign.
And even Carr’s tenure came up short of expectations with the team making the playoffs just twice.
Now the Raiders are counting on veteran Geno Smith to provide much-needed stability and add punch to an offense among the NFL’s worst last season. But, he isn’t expected to do it by himself in Las Vegas.
He has two potentially dynamic offensive weapons in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, as well as wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who comes off his first 1,000-yard season. All three are 28 and younger, and Smith is closing in on 35 as he enters his 12th season.
“In this league, every day you got to prove yourself, not only to your guys but to the rest of the league,” Smith said. “So for me, when you’re coming to a new team, you got to set the standard, set the example, and it’s through hard work. I wanted to make sure that my guys know that I was going to be here 100% of the time, going to put all the work in, going to maximize our resources and just really put our best foot forward.
“I’m not a big talker. I just want guys to kind of follow me through example, and I just try to push myself, push the guys and let the rest handle itself.”
It may be a new city and a new group of teammates for Smith, but there is a sense of familiarity as he goes back to work for coach Pete Carroll. His career was in limbo when Carroll signed him in 2019 to join Seattle.
He became the starter in 2022 and led the NFL that season by completing 69.8% of his passes while throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year, and the Seahawks had winning records in all three seasons with Smith at the controls.
Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season, but he failed to reach an agreement to stay in Seattle. The Raiders acquired him in a March 7 trade in which they sent back a third-round draft pick.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback then signed a two-year, $75 million extension that takes him through the 2027 season. Smith said at his introductory news conference that he had “unfinished business,” given the way his time ended in Seattle.
“He’s such an all-in guy that there’s no question what his commitment is and his conviction, and so that just helps the message (get) embedded even more so,” Carroll said. “It’s why he’s so valuable to us.”
Smith is a major reason why the Raiders have genuine hope they can improve an offense that last season ranked 29th in scoring and 27th in yardage.
Having Bowers and Jeanty in the lineup are two other notable reasons for such optimism.
Bowers was second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season to Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels. Bowers set an NFL rookie record with 112 catches for a first-year mark for a tight end with 1,194 yards receiving and was named to the AP All-Pro team.
“He’s one of the better tight ends in the NFL,” Smith said. “I can’t give him the ball enough. I feel bad every time I don’t throw him the ball. So I’m just trying to make sure that I’m maximizing his ability, his talent, because that’s going to help our team.”
Jeanty is expected to be the Raiders’ next Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, and in fact is the favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Las Vegas took him sixth in this year’s draft after Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
“Ashton is a smooth running back out of the backfield,” Smith said. “We’ve seen what he can do against contact and breaking tackles. The thing that’s really impressing me is his ability to catch out of the backfield. He’s a real natural in that aspect.”
The NFL, in the end, is a quarterback-driven league, and the onus ultimately will be on Smith to make all the pieces work in Chip Kelly’s offense.
The Raiders have been searching for such a quarterback. Maybe Smith is the answer.
“Geno is a hell of a quarterback,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “He’s another guy that gets slept on for some reason, but Geno can play and he’s super competitive. Getting to see him and go against him every single day has been an awesome experience so far.”
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PACKERS TURN BACK TO 1923 FOR CLASSIC ALTERNATE UNIFORM IN 2025
The Green Bay Packers have joined a host of teams introducing new uniforms for the 2025 season.
On Thursday, the club debuted its “1923 Classic” uniform, highlighted by a leather-look, hand-painted helmet.
Harkening back to the roaring ’20s, the uniform features navy jerseys with dark gold numbers and stripes, tan pants and navy socks.
The 1923 season marked a turning point for the Packers. That year followed the first Green Bay stock sale, a pioneering move that made the team publicly owned. This financial boost enabled the club, which had previously relied on players buying their own gear, to issue matching navy-blue jerseys for the first time.
For the first time in NFL history, a team will don a hand-painted helmet designed to emulate the vintage leather look of bygone years. Per the club, the helmets feature realistic distressing and hand-decorated leather strap and stitching effects, with a navy face mask completing the look. The team has yet to announce the dates that Green Bay will wear the navy jerseys.
