PETE CARROLL, AARON RODGERS HEAD A LIST OF FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES THIS NFL SEASON
Aaron Rodgers joined Pittsburgh. Davante Adams went to Hollywood. Cooper Kupp is in Seattle. Russell Wilson’s latest stop is the Big Apple.
But the most veteran face in a new place this NFL season is 73-year-old Pete Carroll on the sideline in Las Vegas. Carroll is leading the Raiders after a one-year hiatus from coaching following 14 years with the Seahawks.
Rodgers and Wilson are the most notable quarterbacks who changed teams. Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston also found new homes.
Several star wide receivers joined Adams and Kupp on the move, including DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs and George Pickens.
On the defensive side, Super Bowl standouts Josh Sweat and Milton Williams cashed in after helping the Philadelphia Eagles dominate Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Teammate Darius Slay also moved on. Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick swapped teams. Jonathan Allen, Grady Jarrett, Joey Bosa, Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw are wearing new uniforms.
Here are 25 of the top players on new teams:
Aaron Rodgers
The four-time NFL MVP chose to extend his career with the Steelers after two disappointing seasons with the New York Jets. The 41-year-old Rodgers had the worst record of his career last season, going 5-12. But he still threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 90.5 passer rating. The Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin are hoping Rodgers has one more run in him to help them overcome their recent playoff failures.
Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston
The 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback is on his fourth team in five seasons. Wilson started 6-1 in Pittsburgh last year but the team lost five straight games to end the season. Wilson had 2,482 yards passing, 16 TDs, five picks and a 95.6 passer rating in 11 games in the regular season. He signed with the New York Giants, who also added Winston and then drafted QB Jaxson Dart in the first round.
Geno Smith
Carroll reunited with Smith in Las Vegas following a trade with the Seahawks. Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who rejuvenated his career in Seattle after replacing Wilson, gives the Raiders stability at QB.
Sam Darnold
After a breakout year in Minnesota, Darnold cashed in with the Seahawks in free agency. He threw for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs, 12 picks and a 102.5 passer rating while going 14-4 with the Vikings.
Justin Fields
The No. 11 overall pick in 2021 by Chicago showed promise in Pittsburgh, going 4-2 in six starts. He’ll get an opportunity to prove himself with the New York Jets.
Davante Adams
The three-time All-Pro went from Las Vegas to New York during last season and back to the West Coast with the Los Angeles Rams. Adams had 85 catches for 1,083 yards and eight TDs last season.
Cooper Kupp
The Seahawks traded Metcalf and signed Kupp, the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. Kupp hasn’t played a full season since ’21 but had 67 receptions for 710 yards and six TDs in 12 games in 2024.
DK Metcalf
Before Rodgers officially signed with the Steelers, they gave him a No. 1 receiver. The two-time Pro Bowl pick had 66 catches for 992 yards and five TDs in 15 games last season for Seattle.
Deebo Samuel
The Washington Commanders gave Jayden Daniels another playmaker, acquiring Samuel from San Francisco.
Stefon Diggs
Coming off a torn ACL, the four-time Pro Bowl wideout headed to New England to give Drake Maye a top option.
George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys acquired the mercurial Pickens from Pittsburgh to team with CeeDee Lamb and bolster Dak Prescott’s options.
Laremy Tunsil
The Commanders got the five-time Pro Bowl left tackle from Houston to protect Daniels’ blind side.
Joe Thuney
A two-time All-Pro guard, Thuney was dealt from Kansas City to Chicago, which revamped its offensive line to better protect Caleb Williams.
Josh Sweat
Sweat turned 2 1/2 sacks in the Super Bowl into a $76.4 million deal from the Cardinals.
Milton Williams
After getting two sacks in the Super Bowl, Williams received a $104 million deal from the Patriots.
Darius Slay
The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback stayed in Pennsylvania, going from the Eagles to the Steelers.
Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jonnu Smith
Pittsburgh also boosted its coverage unit by trading for Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro cornerback. The Steelers sent Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro safety, to Miami in the trade that also brought tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh.
Jonathan Allen
After two Pro Bowl seasons in eight years in Washington, Allen signed with the Vikings to boost the interior of their defensive line.
Grady Jarrett
The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle joined Chicago after 10 seasons in Atlanta.
Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw
An All-Pro safety in 2022, Hufanga left San Francisco for Denver. So did Greenlaw, the veteran linebacker.
Joey Bosa
The five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher signed with the Buffalo Bills after nine seasons with the Chargers.
CHIEFS LOSE SAFETY DEON BUSH FOR SEASON; CORNERBACK JAYLEN WATSON IN CONCUSSION PROTOCOL
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs starting cornerback Jaylen Watson was placed in the concussion protocol and backup safety Deon Bush lost for the season to a ruptured Achilles tendon in what proved to be a costly first preseason game for the Kansas City defensive backfield.
Watson missed most of the 2024 regular season after breaking his tibia and fibula in a Week 7 win at San Francisco. But after undergoing surgery, the fourth-year pro managed to make it back in time to help the Chiefs on their playoff run.
Bush has appeared in 24 games over the past three seasons in Kansas City. He spent his first six years in the NFL in Chicago.
In other injury news, defensive end Janarius Robinson — who’d been having a good camp as he tried to make the roster — broke his foot during the preseason opener. Wide receiver Marquise Brown remained out of practice with a foot and ankle issue, while backup offensive lineman Ethan Driskell was absent Monday following an appendectomy.
The Chiefs have two more practices at Missouri Western this week before breaking camp. They play their second preseason game Friday night in Seattle, then return to their practice facility in Kansas City for the remainder of the preseason.
Brown left practice in a cart after hurting his right ankle July 29. At the time, the injury appeared to be minor, but “Hollywood” Brown only recently started to run again. That has thrown into question whether Brown — who missed nearly all of last season to a shoulder injury — will be ready when Kansas City opens the regular season against the Chargers on Sept. 5 in Brazil.
“It’s not really a high-ankle sprain. It’s more the ankle-foot area,” Reid said Monday. “He’s making great progress, though. He’s up and running now a little bit. That’s a positive. I don’t think he’s too far off but we’ll see. He’s doing good.”
His status could be important for the Chiefs should fellow wide receiver Rashee Rice get suspended to start the season.
Rice pleaded guilty in July to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors said, Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail, along with paying victims’ out-of-pocket medical expenses totaling about $115,000.
Once the case was settled, the NFL began its investigation into the incident. It could mete out its punishment at any time.
The one positive for Kansas City is that wide receiver is one of the deepest positions on the team. Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie Jalen Royals are locks to make the roster alongside Brown and Rice, while Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio, Skyy Moore, Jason Brownlee and Elijah Badger are in a tight competition for the last few roster spots.
“Listen, we’ll have a tough decision to make,” Reid admitted. “There’s some good players there. We’ll just see how it sorts out. We have a few more games, a few more practices. We’ll see how it shakes out before we make those cuts. But I’m pleased with what we have there. Some of the young guys are going out and producing.”
RAMS QB MATTHEW STAFFORD (BACK) STILL UNABLE TO PRACTICE
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford missed Monday’s practice in an unexpected development as he continues to nurse a back injury.
Los Angeles coach Sean McVay declared over the weekend that the 37-year-old signal-caller would participate in his first training camp practice on Monday.
Instead, Stafford was dressed in street clothes and reporters observed him stepping into an Airstream-type trailer known as an Ammortal chamber at the team’s training complex in Woodland Hills, Calif.
The Ammortal chamber is advertised as a “wellness device that aims to optimize human performance and promote holistic health through a combination of non-invasive technologies.”
Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc in his back, which has limited his preparation as he heads into his 17th season.
In his absence, Stetson Bennett IV threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 31-21 preseason win against the Dallas Cowboys in Inglewood, Calif.
The Rams open the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 7, with a visit from the Houston Texans.
Stafford completed 340 of 517 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season while starting all 16 games in which he appeared.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Stafford has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 59,809 yards, 377 TDs and 188 interceptions in 222 regular-season games (all starts) with the Detroit Lions (2009-20) and Rams. He ranks 10th all-time in touchdown passes and passing yardage — and second to Aaron Rodgers among active quarterbacks. The Lions selected him with the first overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Georgia.
Stafford led the Rams to a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
BROWNS: SHEDEUR SANDERS TO PLAY, MIGHT START, THIS WEEK AT EAGLES
Kevin Stefanski is holding off on naming a starter for the Browns’ preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles this week while rookie Dillon Gabriel and veteran Kenny Pickett inch closer to rejoining the competition to be Cleveland’s QB1.
Fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders generated significant buzz with a two-TD performance in the preseason opener.
Gabriel, a third-round pick out of Oregon, and former first-round pick Pickett are limited by hamstring injuries. Gabriel was able to participate in some 11-on-11 drills on Monday, Stefanski said, but Pickett is a bit behind health-wise.
Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards against the Carolina Panthers in a 30-10 win Friday and is in the mix to start this week at Philadelphia.
“I’m not there yet,” Stefanski said Monday of when he’s planning to make the call on this week’s starter.
The Browns did commit to getting Sanders reps in this week’s game, but he could play in the second half depending on which players are available.
As for who will enter the 2025 season as Cleveland’s QB1, Stefanski said he plans to make the determination before the third preseason game on Aug. 23 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Veteran Joe Flacco is considered the most likely starter for the Browns when the regular season begins Sept. 7. Cleveland opens the 2025 season against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.
Flacco did not play in the preseason opener.
FLURRY OF BROWNS’ MOVES INCLUDES WAIVING WR LUKE FLORIEA
The Cleveland Browns made a flurry of roster moves Monday that included waiving wide receiver Luke Floriea, who injured a hamstring in Friday’s preseason opener.
Floriea was waived with an injury designation after getting hurt in the 30-10 road win against the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Kevin Stefanski called the injury “serious.”
Should Floriea clear waivers, the Browns could place him on injured reserve. If the injury is not season-ending, the team could re-sign him to the practice squad.
Floriea, 23, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State, where he caught 100 passes for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns in 48 games from 2020-24.
The Browns also signed cornerbacks Christian Holmes and Darius Rush.
Holmes, 27, was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by Washington, where he played in 30 career games (two starts) with the Commanders and tallied 20 tackles and two fumble recoveries.
Rush, 25, was a fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. He recorded three tackles and one pass defensed in five games (no starts) with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2023-24.
The Browns also waived tackle Roy Mbaeteka and designated tackle Kilian Zierer as the team’s international player.
REPORT: RB JAMAAL WILLIAMS WORKING OUT WITH DOLPHINS
Free agent running back Jamaal Williams is working out with the Miami Dolphins, ESPN reported Monday.
Williams, 30, was released by New Orleans in March. He had signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Saints after having a career season with the Detroit Lions in 2022, when he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns.
But his production was meager in 27 games (five starts) with New Orleans. Williams had just 470 rushing yards and two touchdowns and caught 27 passes for 119 yards.
Last season, Williams had 164 yards and one TD on the ground and nine receptions for 57 yards in 14 games (one start).
In 2022, Williams rushed for 1,066 yards and an NFL-high 17 rushing touchdowns with the Lions before becoming a free agent.
Williams has rushed for 4,122 yards and 32 touchdowns and caught 187 passes for 1,310 yards and eight TDs in 117 games (45 starts) with the Green Bay Packers (2017-20), Lions (2021-22) and Saints.
BUCCANEERS RB RACHAAD WHITE (GROIN) MISSES PRACTICE
Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is dealing with a groin injury sustained in Saturday’s preseason opener.
White, 26, did not practice on Monday and was labeled day-to-day by Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles.
He left Saturday’s 29-7 win against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter after rushing six times for 28 yards.
White had 1,006 yards from scrimmage (613 rushing, 393 receiving) with nine touchdowns in 16 games in 2024.
The 2022 third-round pick has rushed for 2,084 yards and 10 TDs and caught 165 passes for 1,232 yards and 11 TDs in 50 career games (40 starts).
The Bucs continue the preseason Saturday at Pittsburgh. They kick off the regular season at Atlanta on Sept. 7.
REPORT: EAGLES G LANDON DICKERSON TO HAVE MRI ON KNEE
Philadelphia Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson will have an MRI on his right knee, ESPN reported Monday.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection sustained an undisclosed injury to his right leg during Sunday night’s open practice.
Dickerson, 26, went down while blocking on a pass play and remained on the field for several minutes.
A second-round pick in 2021, Dickerson has started 62 of 63 regular-season games played for the Eagles. He also has started nine playoff games, including all four last season as Philadelphia won Super Bowl LIX
He has established himself as an elite interior offensive lineman. He earned a 79.2 overall Pro Football Focus grade last season, ranking 13th among 136 qualifying guards.
Philadelphia’s initial depth chart listed Kenyon Green as Dickerson’s backup.
The Eagles continue the preseason Saturday at home against the Cleveland Browns. They open the regular season against the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4.
BROWNS DE MYLES GARRETT CITED FOR 100 MPH IN A 60 MPH ZONE
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was cited for travelling 100 mph in a 60 mph zone on Saturday night.
Garrett, 29, was stopped by Strongsville Police Saturday at 2:01 a.m. after the Browns had just landed at 1:30 a.m. following a 30-10 preseason win in Carolina. He was driving his gray 2014 Ferrari.
Garrett was issued a $250 ticket and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, but can pay the fine to avoid attending court.
The incident comes three years after Garrett flipped his Porsche 911 Turbo S multiple times. He was traveling 65 mph in a 45 mph zone before driving off the side of the road, striking a ditch and fire hydrant.
It’s the eighth time Garrett has been cited for speeding since being drafted first overall in 2017 out of Texas A&M.
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year has been a force since entering the league.
In eight seasons with the Brown, Garrett is a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time First Team All-Pro. He has 352 tackles and 102.5 sacks in 117 games (114 starts).
Garrett signed a four-year contract extension with the Browns, which includes $123.5 million guaranteed, earlier this year.
The Brown have not commented on the incident. They are scheduled to travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday for two joint practices and a preseason game.
Another high-profile member of the Browns, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, was also pulled over twice for speeding prior to training camp.
JON GRUDEN WINS LEGAL ROUND IN CASE AGAINST NFL
Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden registered a victory over the NFL in court on Monday.
The Nevada Supreme Court, in a 5-2 ruling, decided that Gruden’s lawsuit against the league can proceed in civil court rather than being settled in an arbitration hearing to which the NFL could designate the arbitrator.
The decision backed the assertion by Gruden’s legal team that the NFL’s arbitration process didn’t apply to Gruden because he wasn’t a league employee at the time he wrote emails that are central to his lawsuit.
Gruden also contended that commissioner Roger Goodell should not be allowed to select an arbitrator when he is a party to the dispute.
Gruden’s attorney, Adam Hosmer-Henner, said in a statement, “We’re very pleased with the Nevada Supreme Court’s decision, not just for Coach Gruden but for all employees facing an employer’s unfair arbitration process. This victory further vindicates Coach Gruden’s reputation, and it clears the way to swiftly bringing him full justice and holding the NFL accountable.”
The NFL, which could appeal the Nevada Supreme Court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, did not publicly reply to the Monday ruling, multiple media outlets reported.
Gruden’s lawsuit alleges that the NFL leaked emails from him that included homophobic and misogynistic wording. The emails were sent during the 2010s when Gruden was working as an ESPN analyst and not employed by an NFL team.
The leaks occurred after the NFL found the emails as part of a separate investigation in the Washington Football Team in 2021, when Gruden was coaching the Raiders. Once the emails were made public, Gruden resigned as Las Vegas’ coach on Oct. 11, 2021.
He sued the league a month later, maintaining that “through a malicious and orchestrated campaign … the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell sought to destroy the career and reputation of Jon Gruden, the former head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.”
STEELERS DT CAMERON HEYWARD WILLING TO MISS GAMES IN CONTRACT DISPUTE
Pittsburgh Steelers star defensive tackle Cameron Heyward insinuated Monday that he is willing to sit out some regular-season games to get a better contract.
The disgruntled Heyward has been with the team in training camp but recently began sitting out practice sessions amid a hold-in.
“My goal is to be out here, and I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Heyward told reporters on Monday. “I’ve had to be honest with myself to be ready for every option. And has it gone the way I wanted to go? No.
“If it did, I would be out there playing and practicing, but I’d like to put this in the rearview mirror and worry about ball and worry about the New York Jets (in) Week 1.”
Heyward, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, signed a two-year, $29 million extension with the Steelers last September. It keeps him with the team through the 2026 season.
Defensive player salaries have spiked upwards and Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt received a three-year, $123 million deal in the offseason with $108 million guaranteed. The $41 million annual average set a record for defensive players.
The 36-year-old Heyward wants his piece of the financial pie.
“I’m looking to be valued,” Heyward said. “… I know what I bring to this team and what I’m capable of on and off the field, so it’s hard for me, after the year I’ve had (in 2024), to really justify playing at the number I’m playing at.
“I understand. I signed a contract last year, but to be completely honest with you, when I signed that, I told him when I have an All-Pro year expecting me to come back and you can look at the contract and see what it was. But I think everybody kind of giggled a little bit, but in my head, I used it as motivation to go out there and prove it.”
Heyward earned first-team All-Pro honors last season for the fourth time in a career that began with the Steelers in 2011. He had 71 tackles, eight sacks and a career-high 11 pass breakups last season.
Heyward has 88.5 career sacks in 211 games (176 starts). He will likely warrant heavy Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration after his career ends.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin isn’t overly concerned with the stalemate between Heyward and club management.
“It’s just a component of big business,” Tomlin told reporters. “It’s not exclusive to us or to Cam. It’s going on in a lot of locations.
“The great thing about it is we’ve had good relations with Cam since he’s been here. He’s been a heck of a Steeler. We communicate formally and informally. I imagine it’ll remain the same, and we’ll find a way to see our way through these things.”
49ERS PLACE RB AMEER ABDULLAH ON IR, SIGN RB JEFF WILSON JR., DL TREVIS GIPSON
Ameer Abdullah’s stay on the San Francisco 49ers’ active roster was brief as the veteran running back was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Monday after a rib issue sustained in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.
The 49ers, who signed Abdullah on July 31, inked running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and defensive lineman Trevis Gipson to one-year contracts on Monday. The team cut quarterback Tanner Mordecai and activated offensive lineman Andre Dillard from the physically unable to perform list.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins is expected to be out about a month due to a high ankle sprain and that former starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) is estimated to return around Week 6 of the regular season, though the situation could change. Watkins, 23, was a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Aiyuk, 27, is battling back from a serious right knee injury that included tears to the ACL and MCL. He was injured in Week 7 of last season and went on injured reserve, and he was placed on the PUP list on July 18.
Abdullah, 32, played in 16 games (three starts) for the Las Vegas Raiders last season and rushed 66 times for 311 yards and two touchdowns, while catching 40 passes for 261 yards and three scores. He took 410 offensive snaps (38 percent) and 192 on special teams (43 percent).
For his career, Abdullah has rushed for 1,994 yards and eight TDs and caught 203 passes for 1,468 yards and 11 scores in 141 regular-season games (26 starts) for the Detroit Lions (2015-18), Minnesota Vikings (2018-21), Carolina Panthers (2021) and Raiders (2022-24). The Lions selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft.
Gipson, 28, has played in 53 career games (19 starts) for the Chicago Bears (2020-22), Tennessee Titans (2023) and Seattle Seahawks (2024). His best season was in 2021 when he started nine of 16 games for the Bears as an outside linebacker and had career highs with seven sacks, 39 tackles, five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Chicago picked him in the fifth round of the 2020 draft.
Wilson, 29, played the first four-plus years of his NFL career in San Francisco before spending the past three seasons in Miami.
The 2018 undrafted free agent rushed for 1,733 yards and 15 touchdowns with San Francisco, which traded the running back to Miami midway through the 2022 season.
Wilson ran for just 637 yards and three scores in Miami, appearing in only 19 games (no starts) over the past two years.
Mordecai, 25, spent last season on the 49ers’ practice squad.
Dillard, 29, was a first-round pick (22nd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. He played in 69 games (19 starts) for the Eagles (2019, 2021-22), Titans (2023) and Green Bay Packers (2024) before signing with the 49ers in May. He went on the active/PUP list on July 18 for an undisclosed injury.
