FALCONS, G MATTHEW BERGERON AGREE TO 4-YEAR EXTENSION
The Atlanta Falcons and left guard Matthew Bergeron have agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2030 season.
The team announced the deal on Saturday but didn’t provide any financial terms. ESPN and NFL Network said the contract is worth $96 million, with $60 million fully guaranteed.
“Matthew is the type of player you build around,” Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said. “He’s establishing himself as one of the top young guards in the NFL, and his toughness, consistency and leadership have made him a cornerstone of our offensive line and the culture we’re building in Atlanta.
“Extending players like Matthew reflects our commitment to investing in the trenches and building a strong foundation for the future.”
Bergeron, 26, is a native of Montreal who played in college at Syracuse. The Falcons selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and Bergeron has played in 49 of 51 possible games — all starts.
With Bergeron teaming with left tackle Jake Matthews, the Falcons led the league in 2025 with 61 first downs from that side of the line. Matthews enters his 13th season as a starting offensive lineman for the team.
Bergeron told AtlantaFalcons.com that staying in Atlanta with the new contract “means the world” to him.
“I’m from Canada, and the second I got to Atlanta everybody welcomed me with open arms,” he said. “Atlanta is a special place for me and my family. And now, I have the resources to give back to a community that has given me so much and changed my life.”
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BEARS CORNERBACK JAYLON JOHNSON HEALTHY AND LOOKING TO REGAIN PRO BOWL LEVEL
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson knows the stakes are higher for veteran players even when they still have a full two seasons left on their contracts.
It’s especially high when they’re trying to come back from a disappointing season brought on by injury, such as Johnson suffered through last year.
The good news for Johnson is he’s feeling good and practicing well.
“Night and day, night and day,” Johnson said, comparing his health last year to this year. “Like I said, I needed a full offseason to get my legs back under me, to get some scar tissue and things like that out. Really just working and pushing my body.
“I feel really good. I feel good with my speed. I feel with good with where I’m at laterally, change of direction and all of that. I just gotta keep stacking days. Really, it’s just working on my technique and getting consistent and back to just being dominant.”
Bears coach Ben Johnson has seen his top cornerback standing out even when quarterback Caleb Williams was dominating the secondary earlier in camp, but the defense has started to assert itself now and that means Jaylon Johnson making plays.
“I think it’s a really good start,” Ben Johnson said. “I’m happy with how he’s approaching his work right now. He’s highly motivated to garner the respect that certainly I had for him when I came into the building because he felt like last year was a disappointment. And so he wants to get back to being on the upper echelon of cover corners in this league. So, you kind of see that approach.”
Johnson’s contract expires after 2027, but because of the way next year’s contract is structured the team could trade or cut him after 2026 for salary cap savings. As a result, this season becomes critical.
“I’m not a dummy,” Johnson said. “We all know that and I’ve structured my deal a certain way to put myself back at the table at the age of 27. For me, it was always for this point to get here, and then show how I do what I do and be healthy and be out there doing what I do best and that’s covering, that’s making plays, being a difference-maker. From there, wherever that contract talk goes, it goes.”
Johnson put it all out on the table.
“This definitely a contract year,” he said. “We all know with the cap hit and all that stuff. It’s definitely a contract year for me. At the end of the day, whether that’s here, somewhere else, I’ve gotta put it on tape that I’m still a top guy in this league.”
His better health makes it possible. Last year a groin injury in offseason training, then another when he came off the injured list in Week 2 at Detroit nearly ended his season early.
Instead, Johnson fought back after surgery. He said during last season he was nowhere near 100% after coming back in a hurry from surgery for a Black Friday win at Philadelphia, before finishing out the season and playoffs in the lineup.
“I easily could have sat on my (rear) and not played and just watch it be what it was, but for me I felt like what I had to give was enough to contribute to the team,” Johnson said. “Of course, it wasn’t nowhere near who I could be. I feel like people know that. For me it was just going out there competing, just wanting to be there.”
For now, Johnson is part of a new-look secondary with new starters Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman at safety and with several players sharing slot cornerback while Kyler Gordon recovers from a calf injury. They went through a few issues early trying to stop the offense at practice, a year after they led the NFL in takeaways with 33.
“I mean, for me on defense we’re not different,” Johnson said. “Outside of takeaways we finished, if I’m not mistaken, bottom 10, bottom five in a lot of categories.
“So, for me we ain’t done a damn thing. There’s a lot for us to prove on defense.”
They’re not planning to lean on Caleb Williams and the offense.
“Of course, the offense is rolling, but that’s not something we can rely on,” Johnson said. “OK, the offense go put up 40 and we’ll hold them to 35.
“To me, that’s unacceptable. We’ve still got a lot to work on. We’ve still got a lot to do and to prove.”
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TITANS’ WILL LEVIS: ‘THERE ARE NOT 32 QUARTERBACKS IN THIS LEAGUE BETTER THAN ME’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Go ahead and call Will Levis cocky.
The Tennessee Titans quarterback currently fighting for the backup job here, or somewhere else, isn’t worried about winning anyone’s approval.
He wants to play.
“There are not 32 quarterbacks in this league better than me,” Levis said Saturday. “I know that for sure.”
Levis’ confidence has not wavered one bit from his arrival as the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft. The general manager who drafted him was fired in January 2025, and Levis now has to earn more playing time with his third different coach for a franchise that drafted a quarterback No. 1 overall in 2025.
His biggest goal for this training camp? Be the best version of himself.
“When I get the opportunities, I know I’m gonna make the most of it and I’m going to shine,” Levis said.
On paper, Levis is a prototypical quarterback at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds with all the physical tools. He is 5-16 as a starting quarterback having completed 61% of his career passes for 3,899 yards with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
The other side? Levis threw four pick-6s in 2024, the most for this franchise in a season since the then-Oilers relocated to Tennessee in 1997. He lost five of eight fumbles and had only one more TD pass (13) than interceptions (12) that season.
He missed three games and much of a fourth with a sprained AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder.
Levis appeared ready to back up Ward until sharing a photo of the U-shaped dip in his shoulder on social media, announcing he was having season-ending surgery the day before the Titans reported to training camp.
That left no competition for Cam Ward, and the Titans went 3-14 with Brian Callahan fired early in his second season.
The Titans then hired Robert Saleh as coach who brought in offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Tennessee also signed veteran Mitchell Trubisky, the second overall pick in 2017, to a two-year contract hoping to tap into both his experience with Daboll and backing up a young quarterback in Buffalo.
That leaves Levis competing with Trubisky to back up Ward. The Titans could keep Levis as the third quarterback for depth or trade him if Levis plays well enough this preseason to attract an offer.
That’s what Tennessee did with Malik Willis in 2024. Now Willis has a starting gig with Miami.
“I know I put the tape out there already that I’m a dang good quarterback in this league,” Levis said. “And I’m even better than I ever have been.”
Saleh talked with Levis this offseason and told him to be ready to just compete.
“I think he’s doing a really nice job,” Saleh said. “He’s competing his butt off, he’s asking the right questions in meetings. … He’s trending in the right direction.”
Levis said he’s also matured after feeling like a kid when he first got to the NFL. He’s 27 and recently received a letter from the NFL Players Association telling him he’s now vested for union benefits going into his fourth season.
“I’ve definitely turned into a man, and there’s still a lot of growing that I need to do,” Levis said.
Fans in the stands for first time in camp
Saturday was the first of seven practices open to fans this training camp. The Titans put up a pair of covered grandstands at the back of their practice fields and had mascot T-Rac and a DJ on hand along with a food truck.
Fans had to request tickets in advance, and 1,300 were distributed for Saturday.
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CHIEFS HIT BY 2 TRAINING CAMP INJURIES AS WIDE RECEIVERS XAVIER WORTHY, CYRUS ALLEN LEAVE PRACTICE
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Cyrus Allen left training camp with injuries on Saturday, depleting a position group that was disappointing last season and that Kansas City needs to be significantly improved this season.
The Chiefs said after the workout that Worthy had left early because of a shoulder injury. The third-year pro missed time last season with another shoulder injury he sustained when he collided with tight end Travis Kelce in the season opener against the Chargers.
Worthy returned to play in 13 more games and catch 42 passes for 532 yards and a touchdown.
Allen, a fifth-round draft pick, had turned heads early in camp and drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff. He collided with Kaiir Elam during a special teams drill and remained on the turf until a cart came and took him from the practice field.
The exact nature and severity of his injury was not immediately available.
“I hate to see somebody get hurt, especially on a special teams drill,” Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “He’s really doing well on offense and he’s doing well for me, too. He’s at gunner and returner and he’s doing a real good job, putting himself in a good position to be a guy that’s going to help us this year.”
One of the big reasons that the Kansas City offense struggled amid a frustrating 6-11 finish last season was the wide receivers, who were unable to provide Patrick Mahomes much help. Rashee Rice was their leader at the position, but he only played in eight games because of injuries and suspension, catching 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns.
Marquise Brown, their No. 2 wide receiver a year ago, signed with the Eagles in free agency.
The Chiefs are off Sunday before they resume Monday with their first padded practice of training camp.
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BILLS S C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON CARTED OFF PRACTICE FIELD
Buffalo Bills veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson sustained an injury to his lower right leg on Saturday and was carted off the practice field.
The severity of the injury was not immediately known for Gardner-Johnson.
Gardner-Johnson, 28, won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 season before he was traded to the Houston Texans on March 11, 2025.
He played just three games with the Texans before catching on with Chicago and playing seven more contests with the Bears. He totaled 66 tackles and three sacks and two interceptions in 2025.
Gardner-Johnson has 20 interceptions, 370 tackles and seven sacks in 87 career games (71 starts) with the New Orleans Saints (2019-21), Eagles (2022, 2024), Detroit Lions (2023), Texans and Bears.
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SACK-HAPPY NO. 2 OVERALL PICK DAVID BAILEY ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT FOR JETS EARLY IN TRAINING CAMP
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — David Bailey is already making his presence felt only three training camp practices into his NFL career.
Just ask the edge rusher’s impressed New York Jets teammates and coaches.
“I see him in the backfield all the time,” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said with a laugh Saturday. “I mean, oh my gosh.”
The No. 2 overall pick out of Texas Tech in April is off to a fast start this summer. During the Jets’ second practice of camp on Thursday, he was credited with three “sacks” — there’s no contact on quarterbacks, of course — with one during which he bull-rushed right tackle Armand Membou and buzzed past running back Breece Hall to get to Geno Smith.
“Oh, he’s gonna be phenomenal,” defensive lineman Kingsley Enagbare gushed. “He’s going to have a long, long career. The sky’s the limit for that dude. He can literally do it all: He can stop the run, he can rush the passer.”
That’s a talent-filled package the Jets fell in love with leading to the draft.
And Bailey understands that, along with the responsibility that comes with being such a high selection.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I feel pressure,” Bailey said. “It’s in the back of your mind. Like, you know you’re the No. 2 pick, you know there’s high expectations just from the fans and also from teammates and the staff and everything. But I try to like not let that get to me. I try to say really nothing has changed, honestly.
“Like in terms of if I want to be the best, I’ve got certain things that I need to do.”
On that list: getting a deep understanding of Aaron Glenn’s playbook on defense, studying videos, taking care of his body as a pro and watching other pass rushers he’s trying to emulate.
Bailey said Von Miller is the first player he thoroughly studied, especially since the 6-foot-3, 251-pound rookie has a similar physical makeup. But he has also focused on players such as Aidan Hutchinson and Myles Garrett.
“I realize that I have my own personal game,” Bailey said. “So it’s kind of like it’s a process in selecting what you think that you can add to your bag, but then also maybe make certain tweaks in terms of how you’re going to run it on the field.”
Bailey was the highest-selected defensive player taken in the NFL draft in Jets history and considered by many the most pro-ready edge rusher. After transferring to Texas Tech, he had 14 1/2 sacks last season — his combined total in three seasons at Stanford — with 52 tackles, 19 1/2 tackles and three forced fumbles, all on strip sacks.
“Bro, it’s the best feeling in the world,” a smiling Bailey said of getting sacks.
With the Jets, Bailey is expected to be used as an outside linebacker in the base defense and at defensive end in other situations. And he has enough overall talent and athleticism to be moved around in pass rushing situations.
“Obviously they selected me for my pass rushing ability, but also I just want to be able to bring a lot of energy to the team,” he said. “Being kind of a younger guy, man, I feel like it’s my responsibility to bring a lot of juice and to also rely on the understanding of the older guys and just being there and helping them in any way possible.”
Bailey is already taking snaps with the starters, and more than holding his own. He wasn’t as disruptive during practice Saturday as he was Thursday, with Membou — the Jets’ first-round pick last year — mostly keeping him at bay.
“He’s been getting me better,” Bailey said. “And I hope I’ve been getting him better.”
The Jets are off Sunday, but return to practice Monday — the first session during which the players will wear full pads. That’ll be the next step in the team’s evaluation of Bailey, who’ll be able to show off the physical side of his game.
“Yeah, he’s everything that we expect him to be and it’ll be real exciting once we get the pads on,” Glenn said. “I think we all understand through these acclamation days, we’re still in shorts. But just to be able to see the energy and the speed and the quickness off the edge and the ability to hold a strong edge and the way that he wants to play the run game, it’s everything that I imagined from that player.”
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49ERS WR RICKY PEARSALL TO UNDERGO SEASON-ENDING KNEE SURGERY
San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall will have season-ending surgery on his injured right knee in the latest setback for the 2024 first-round pick.
General manager John Lynch announced the decision on Saturday for Pearsall to undergo surgery to repair his posterior cruciate ligament. Pearsall initially injured the knee last season and came back to play late in the season. But he was shut down after two practices in training camp because of swelling in the knee.
The Niners announced that former All-Pro Deebo Samuel had returned to the team on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million to take Pearsall’s place on the roster. Samuel took part in practice on Saturday as he returned to the place where he played for his first six seasons in the NFL.
“I wouldn’t say it was different. It kind of felt like I didn’t even go nowhere to be honest,” he said. “When I got back, I was just like, ‘Well, I know what’s going on. I know the people here, staff still the same.’ It’s kind of like the same.”
Pearsall has flashed when he is healthy, but has struggled to stay on the field since being drafted with the 31st overall pick in 2024. He missed most of training camp as a rookie with a shoulder injury and then was shot in a robbery attempt just before the start of that season. Pearsall returned to make 31 catches for 400 yards and three TDs in 11 games.
Pearsall was slowed early last summer by a hamstring injury, but got off to a fast start to the season with 20 catches for 327 yards in his first four games before going down with a knee injury in Week 4.
He missed the next six games and had only five catches for 20 yards in his first three games back. Pearsall then had six catches for 96 yards the following game against Tennessee before reaggravating the knee injury. He missed two of the final three regular-season games and the playoff opener before being a nonfactor in a divisional round loss to Seattle.
Pearsall has 67 catches for 928 yards and three TDs in 20 games over two seasons. Pearsall’s lack of playing time makes it unlikely the team would put up his fifth-year option for 2028 next spring.
The 49ers bolstered the receiver room by signing free agent Mike Evans in March and drafting De’Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of the second round in April. Now they are also bringing back Samuel after he spent last season in Washington. Stribling missed practice Saturday with hamstring tightness but has been impressive early in camp.
Samuel spent his first six seasons with the 49ers after being drafted in the second round in 2019, helping the team reach the Super Bowl twice and earning All-Pro honors in 2021 when he had 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns.
Samuel was traded to Washington in 2025 for a fifth-round draft pick and had 72 catches for 727 yards and five TDs for the Commanders last season. He became a free agent in March and now will join the Niners to provide reinforcement with Pearsall out.
“I’ve hated him so long, and it’s so nice to have him back in a friendly atmosphere,” said defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who went up against Samuel when he ran the Rams defense from 2021-23.
“He’s the ultimate piece that can move around and you have to game plan around because his ability to run the football, his ability line up at receiver, his ability take screens, his ability do a bunch of different things on special teams, whether it be return man or whatever the case may be.”
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JAQUAN BRISKER CAME HOME TO PITTSBURGH NOT BECAUSE OF HIS FAMILY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE FIT
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — The layup answer was right there for Jaquan Brisker, but the Pittsburgh Steelers safety refused take it.
Asked if the chance to come home enticed the Pittsburgh native to sign a one-year deal with the Steelers in the offseason, Brisker — while standing near dozens of people wearing yellow T-shirts with Brisker’s No. 3 on it after practice at Saint Vincent College on Saturday — shook his head.
“To be honest, I did not think about my family,” Brisker said. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be shady to them, but I didn’t.”
He wasn’t laughing. Maybe because, as special as the chance to look up into the stands at Chuck Noll Field and see 150 or so friends and family members sitting together in a roped off section was, it was more of just a happy coincidence than anything.
“I thought about the football aspect of it and, the best fit I had and, really the organization,” he said. “And this was a great fit.”
One that came at a relatively affordable price for the Steelers. Brisker signed for $5.5 million, with around $4.3 million of it guaranteed. It’s a price Pittsburgh thinks could be a steal for a versatile, rangy player who had four picks and seven sacks during his four seasons in Chicago.
Yet the Bears opted to let Brisker walk even after a pair of eye-raising performances in the playoffs last season. Brisker had nine tackles in a first-round win over Green Bay and his No. 9 was all over the field against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, getting 14 tackles, a sack and two passes defensed while playing all 78 snaps in an overtime loss.
Brisker joins an experienced group that includes Jalen Ramsey — whom defensive coordinator Patrick Graham described as more of a “chess piece” than a pure safety — and Deshon Elliott, who is recovering from knee and hamstring injuries, that cost him the final two-plus months of 2025.
Where and how Brisker fits exactly remains uncertain, though the energy he has brought to the field during the opening days of what has been a relatively subdued start to head coach Mike McCarthy’s training camp has been noticeable.
That’s just the way Brisker prefers it.
“I’ve been loving this since I was four,” he said. “And being a Pittsburgh guy, all I breathe is football.”
Even if that love until this summer never led Brisker into making the hour-long pilgrimage from the Wilkinsburg neighborhood to Saint Vincent.
Brisker had never set foot on campus until he arrived with the rest of his new teammates earlier this week. The lush setting made an immediate impression.
“Like, I could live here,” he said.
While that won’t be necessary, for a day anyway it sure felt as if Brisker owned the place.
He spent 10 minutes after the final non-padded practice of camp posing for pictures, signing T-shirts and hugging it out with an entourage that took over a considerable chunk of the bleachers.
Terry Smith, who coached Brisker at Gateway High School before the two were reunited at Penn State, made an appearance. So did many others who helped Brisker along a football journey that is having a full-circle moment.
How long it lasts will likely depend on what Brisker does with the opportunity provided he can stay healthy. He’s been diagnosed with three concussions during his career, which may have played a factor in Chicago’s decision not to re-sign him.
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THE LIONS ARE LEAD CANDIDATES TO BECOME LATEST NFL TEAM TO GO FROM WORST TO FIRST IN THE DIVISION
Going from last place to first in the division is far from an oddity in the NFL.
With last-place teams getting advantages like favorable schedules and higher draft picks, there have been 27 teams since the 2002 realignment that followed up a last-place finish with a division title the following year.
The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears both pulled off the trick last season, making it the fifth time in the last six seasons that at least one team has done it. Perhaps no team is better positioned to do it this season than the Detroit Lions, who came in fourth in the NFC North with a 9-8 record last season and still have many of the key pieces that helped the team earn the top seed in the NFC playoffs in 2024.
The Lions were hurt by injuries on defense and the struggle to replace offensive play-caller Ben Johnson. Drew Petzig was hired in the offseason to take over as offensive coordinator after John Morton was stripped of play-calling duties midway through the season. The Lions benefit from a last-place schedule that features nine of their 11 games outside the division against teams that finished with losing records last season.
Here’s a look at the contenders based on their odds to finish first from BetMGM Sportsbook:
Detroit Lions
Odds to win division: +175.
Reason for optimism: The Lions have the best odds of any team in the NFC North to win the division after all four teams in the ultracompetitive division finished with winning records last season. Petzig takes over an offense that could be one of the most potent with stars like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta.
Reason for pessimism: The offensive line that had been the strength of the team in recent years has several questions. Sewell is moving from right tackle to left tackle and the other four spots are manned by unproven players, including first-round right tackle Blake Miller. The secondary is a major concern with safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph hobbled by injuries that might linger into the season.
New Orleans Saints
Odds to win division: +260.
Reason for optimism: Quarterback Tyler Shough showed promise in nine starts as a rookie, with the Saints getting five of their six wins with him at the helm. New Orleans has a solid offensive line, playmakers Chris Olave and rookie Jordan Tyson at receiver, and a defense that was much improved under coordinator Brandon Staley. With no team in the NFC South finishing with a winning record last season, the gap between last place and first is narrow.
Reason for pessimism: Olave played 16 games last season but has a history of concussions that could be a concern for a team that has few proven stars on offense. The pass rush got 10 1/2 sacks from Cameron Jordan last season but he might need more help as he turned 37 this offseason. If Shough regresses, the Saints could be looking at a sixth straight season out of the playoffs.
New York Giants
Odds to win division: +550.
Reason for optimism: New coach John Harbaugh brings a proven track record to a franchise that needed a big jolt. Jaxson Dart showed flashes as a rookie with 15 touchdown passes and nine TD runs and could be better if WR Malik Nabers is healthy. Brian Burns and Abdul Carter give New York a potential strong one-two punch at pass rusher and rookie Arvell Reese could make an immediate impact.
Reason for pessimism: The Giants had one of the league’s worst run defenses last season and traded away defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence in the offseason. That leaves a potentially big hole on the interior defensive line. If Nabers doesn’t get back to his rookie form from 2024, the offense lacks playmakers on the outside.
Tennessee Titans
Odds to win division: +850.
Reason for optimism: If Cam Ward takes a big step in year two after some rookie struggles as the No. 1 overall pick and new coach Robert Saleh can improve the defense, the Titans could make a big jump after back-to-back three-win seasons. Star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons anchors the defense and rookie receiver Carnell Tate should provide a big boost to Ward on the outside.
Reason for pessimism: The offensive line remains one of the worst in the league and could hamper Ward’s progress. The defense underwent a major overhaul in the offseason but might take more than one season to get back to being competitive.
Cleveland Browns
Odds to win division: +2,000.
Reason for optimism: The Browns got major contributions from last year’s draft class led by Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, prolific tight end Harold Fannin Jr., running back Quinshon Judkins and defensive tackle Mason Graham. With four picks in the first two rounds in April, the Browns are hoping they added more building blocks.
Reason for pessimism: Not much matters until the Browns find their quarterback. Deshaun Watson is returning from an Achilles injury that sidelined him all last season but he hasn’t been an effective quarterback since 2020. Shedeur Sanders made seven starts as a rookie but showed no signs of being a franchise quarterback. The offensive line remains a major problem and the defense must replace Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett after he was traded to the Rams.
New York Jets
Odds to win division: +2,000.
Reason for optimism: A reworked staff under coach Aaron Glenn will lead to improvement and new QB Geno Smith will look more like the passer he was in Seattle than last season with the Raiders thanks to a much better offensive line.
Reason for pessimism: The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL at 15 seasons and need lots of work to get back to contention. Smith was one of the worst QBs in the league last season.
Las Vegas Raiders
Odds to win division: +2,200.
Reason for optimism: There’s nowhere to go but up after last season’s three-win campaign under Pete Carroll. New coach Klint Kubiak takes over after helping Seattle win the Super Bowl last season as offensive coordinator and will develop an offense around No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. The offensive line should be improved with free agent acquisition Tyler Linderbaum and a healthy Kolton Miller, and the team has young playmakers in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
Reason for pessimism: The Raiders are in a tough division with returning playoff teams Denver and the Chargers, along with Kansas City. The issues that plagued Las Vegas last season will likely take more than a year to fix. The defense lacks stars outside of Maxx Crosby, the wide receivers are weak and there are questions at three spots on the offensive line.
Arizona Cardinals
Odds to win division: +10,000.
Reason for optimism: Arizona is hoping new coach Mike LaFleur can help spark an offense that features playmakers like All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love at running back, 1,000-yard receiver Michael Wilson and former No. 4-overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. also at wideout.
Reason for pessimism: The Cardinals play in one of the toughest divisions with defending champion Seattle, the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco all coming off playoff seasons. Journeyman Jacoby Brissett begins the season as QB with third-round rookie Carson Beck in reserve.
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LIONS SIGN VETERAN LB DEVIN WHITE AFTER BOUNCE-BACK 2025 SEASON
Devin White has found a home for his eighth NFL season.
The veteran linebacker and one-time Pro Bowler signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions on Saturday, the team announced.
A 2019 first-round pick of the Buccaneers, White has bounced around the NFL in his last two seasons, spending time in Philadelphia, Houston and Las Vegas. White’s lack of playing time with the Eagles and Texans in 2024 suggested he was nearing the end of his NFL career, but he found new life with the Raiders last season, starting all 17 games and piling up 174 tackles — the third most in the entire league — 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
The raw production earned the 28-year-old White another late-arriving opportunity, this time with a team that has serious playoff aspirations. White joins a linebacking corps that includes Jack Campbell, one of two defenders to rank ahead of White in tackles in 2025, as part of a defense that has learned the value of depth over the last two seasons.
White will hop on board with the goal of earning a roster spot and carving out a role in Detroit, where he’ll encounter a fresh opportunity to chase success in a new uniform.
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BRONCOS’ J.K. DOBBINS PROMISES TO LEAD NFL IN RUSHING IN 2026, AVOID INJURIES LIKE ‘ELASTI-BOY’
J.K. Dobbins has heard the criticisms and knows folks don’t believe he can stay healthy long enough to make a season-long difference.
He’s done with that reputation. One goal is on the Broncos running back’s list above all else: Lead the NFL in rushing. It’s a lofty aspiration and one that’s realistically only possible by playing in all 17 games, something he’s yet to accomplish in six years (five seasons) in the NFL. But Dobbins is intent on making it happen in 2026.
“I know a lot of people always say, ‘Oh, he’s good for the first 10 weeks.’ Like, I’ll be in the top three (in rushing) for the first 10 weeks, right? And they’ll be like, ‘Dude, he does this every time,'” Dobbins said Friday, via the Denver Post. “Well, this year, forget a top three. I’ll keep saying it. People think I’m crazy — but I’m going to be No. 1. And I’m going to keep it there for the whole year, 17 games.”
Training camp is the prime window for players to set the most ambitious goals, but Dobbins’ seems especially astronomical, given the fact he’s never played a full season in his career.
Dobbins missed a game as a rookie after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, then experienced a string of devastating injuries over the next three seasons that included a torn ACL suffered in the final week of the 2021 preseason, another less severe knee injury that cost him nearly two months in 2022, and a torn Achilles in 2023. Two more promising campaigns ended prematurely in 2024 and 2025 due to an MCL sprain and Lisfranc injury, with the latter coming as a result of a hip-drop tackle.
Five seasons. Three significant injuries. It’s almost as if Dobbins’ pro career is cursed.
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BROWNS’ QB COMPETITION BETWEEN SANDERS AND WATSON STILL IN EARLY STAGES
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Shedeur Sanders knows he is battling for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job with Deshaun Watson.
However, he does not want to discuss how it is going.
“I answered this question a thousand times. We focus on ourselves and what we do and what we need to do to get better every day. So that’s just something y’all think about, and y’all care about,” said Sanders on Saturday when asked if he is viewing each practice as a battle between him and Watson.
The competition for QB1 is not expected to be settled until at least after the second exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22. Coach Todd Monken said both are doing fine, though evaluations will not ramp up until the offense is fully installed.
Saturday marked the halfway point of eight days of installations. The Browns will be off Sunday before six straight days of practice, including the first day in pads on Monday.
“I don’t think you’re really going to know until you get through all the installs because we’re not game planning against our defense,” Monken said. “One day you go with the ones, the other day you go with the twos. Certainly that matchup’s going to be different in terms of who you’re going against. I think the most important thing is from a process standpoint: how are we operating at the line of scrimmage? Where are their eyes? Are they taking command of one, the huddle, and then cadence and then understanding the concepts? All of our players are working through mistakes and fighting like hell to get better.”
After being buried on the depth chart during last year’s training camp, Sanders is splitting snaps with Watson on the first team, alternating days. One day, Watson throws to veterans Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman; the next, to rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
Watson said it can be difficult switching between different units because it is hard to build a rhythm, but it is the quarterback’s job to adapt.
“You’ve got to be a leader out there, and you’ve got to bring everybody to that standard, and you all have to play that way,” he said. “So regardless of what group you’re in or who you’re in there with, you’ve got to make sure you execute at a high level. It’s definitely challenging, but at the same time, you can’t make that an excuse.”
Sanders noted he has improved most in recognizing things pre-snap and post-snap, and feels more consistent in his approach.
After falling to the fifth round and 144th pick in the 2025 draft, Sanders started the final seven games of his rookie season, going 3-4 with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
“He’s definitely improved; he’s grown a lot. You can see it within his fundamentals, his reads, being able to execute, call the plays,” Watson said about Sanders. “You can tell he’s a lot more comfortable, and that he’s been putting in the work to be able to be where he is right now.”
Watson is looking forward to playing in the preseason games, which begin on Aug. 15 at Chicago. He has played in only 19 games since being acquired by the Browns from the Houston Texans in 2022 for three first-round picks.
In 2022, Watson missed the first 11 games because of a league suspension resulting from his alleged sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. He made six starts in 2023 before a season-ending shoulder injury and started seven in 2024 before the first of two Achilles tendon injuries.
“I’ve just got to continue to build that football shape. I think that’s the biggest thing I’m working on through this process each day, just trying to build that endurance because it’s been a while since I’ve really been on the field with 11-on-11,” said Watson, who is 9-10 with the Browns with 19 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. “I feel very comfortable, very strong, fluent. Now it’s just building trust within the receivers, because everyone runs different routes and we have different types of guys.”
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