NFL

By and large, we know who the projected stars are for every NFL team. But which players — bigger names and those under the radar — will have an outsized impact on their club’s success with a productive year? Here’s my X-factor for every AFC team in 2026 (stay tuned for the NFC edition on Thursday): AFC East Free-agent acquisition Bradley Chubb is the Bills’ new No. 1 pass rusher, which […]

The Brendan Sorsby saga has taken another unprecedented turn. After being declared ineligible by the NCAA for wagering on college sports and then receiving a temporary injunction that made him eligible to play for Texas Tech this fall, the star quarterback has reportedly applied for entry in the NFL Supplemental Draft. Sorsby, scandal aside, is regarded as one of the more talented QB prospects in the country, bringing great attention […]

Aldon Smith, the troubled but talented pass rusher whose promising career was derailed by legal problems, has died at age 36. The San Francisco 49ers announced Smith's death on Saturday night. The team did not disclose a cause of death. "We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith," the 49ers said in a statement. "Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display […]

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made it through the team's offseason program just months after surgery to repair two ligaments in his left knee, and coach Andy Reid is optimistic that the two-time MVP will be ready for training camp next month. Mahomes was excused Thursday from the traditional running test that Reid uses to wrap up his mandatory minicamps. But even that conditioning test, Reid said, Mahomes "probably […]

Deshaun Watson knows he can’t change the public perception of him or the results of his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. That’s why the embattled 10-year veteran quarterback is focusing on winning back the Browns' starting job, something that seemed unfathomable a year ago, when Watson was recovering from tearing Achilles tendon twice and it appeared he would never play for Cleveland again. "At the end of the […]

J.J. McCarthy didn't seem to fully establish himself as the Minnesota Vikings' QB1 in his first year as a starter in 2025, leading the team to sign Kyler Murray this offseason. However, that move didn't convince McCarthy to pursue a trade this offseason. McCarthy spoke to the media and made his intentions known on whether he was interested in exploring other teams this offseason. "I think I made it very […]

The Kansas City Chiefs are taking steps to ensure franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes spends his entire NFL career in Kansas City. To ensure that, the Chiefs are adding two years to Mahomes' contract in a reworked contract that ties him to Kansas City through the 2033 season, the team announced Wednesday. While the Chiefs didn't disclose how much Mahomes will make, the extension will increase the total value of his […]

Disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk called the San Francisco 49ers "stupid" and said the team is mad at him because of how much money he got in his latest contract. Aiyuk is currently on the reserve/left squad list after he stopped showing up late last season as he rehabilitates a knee injury that has sidelined him since October 2024. He wants to be released and join a new team, but the […]

Outside of signing a record-setting contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks in March, plenty has gone right for Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2026. A month before Smith-Njigba signed a four-year, $168.8-million deal, with $120 million guaranteed, which makes the 24-year-old the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, he was a key cog on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning team. Shortly before Super Bowl 60, Smith-Njigba was named AP NFL Offensive Player […]