National Football League News and Rumors
Damn Straight Adrian Peterson Won The MVPIsaac Rauch, deadspin.com There were two potential outcomes to this season's MVP voting, the results of which were revealed tonight: The sportswriters that vote on the thing could have made a grievous error, as sportswriters so often do, and awarded Peyton Manning the MVP award … |
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Seven pro football greats were elected into the Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. SI's Jim Trotter says you can summarize the Class of 2013 with just one word: outstanding. |
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Texans defensive end J.J. Watt near-unanimous choice for 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the YearFeb 2
Brian McIntyre, yahoo.com By a nearly unanimous vote, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was named The Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Saturday night. Watt received 49 of a possible 50 votes from a nationwide panel of voters. The other vote went to … |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com NEW ORLEANS -- The Arizona Cardinals may not have a lot going for them these days, but at least they know that they have a Coach of the Year in their midst. Former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator and interim head coach Brice Arians, who accepte… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com The only NFL award that combines on-field excellence with off-field service has been given to Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. The NFL has confirmed that Witten is the winner of its Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given annually to an NFL player who… |
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Washington's Robert Griffin III beat out fellow quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to win The Associated Press 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com NEW ORLEANS -- Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in a very tough field that could have seen any one of three first-year quarterbacks as the man in the spotlight. Indianapolis Colts quarterb… |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com NEW ORLEANS -- Two defensive linemen who once didn't like each other at all were on the list of 15 semifinalists for the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame. One made the cut and one didn't, despite some interesting similarities in their careers. Each man wa… |
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Kristian Dyer, yahoo.com It is Screech’s chance to return the favor. San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh made a guest appearance 17 years ago on "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" where he played the cousin of Screech, played by Diamond. Harbaugh was then the … |
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Former NFL owners Art Modell and Edward DeBartolo Jr. have been eliminated from consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The official announcement hasn’t been made, but several of the Hall of Fame voters have disclosed via Twitter the names of the modern-era finalists who progressed from the final 15 to the final 10. Still alive after the first cut were Michael Strahan, B… |
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Frank Schwab, yahoo.com Jim Harbaugh didn't decide to change quarterbacks on a whim. A lot went into benching Alex Smith, who was playing very well before he suffered a concussion Nov. 11, and going with untested Colin Kaepernick for the rest of the season. A lot of those fact… |
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Doug Farrar, yahoo.com The Baltimore Ravens like receiver/returner Jacoby Jones for a lot of reasons. They like his ability to take it to the house when he returns a punt or kickoff (he had three total return touchdowns this season), and they certainly liked his speed when he… |
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Maggie Hendricks, yahoo.com For his last football game, Ray Lewis is going to sparkle. All of the Baltimore Ravens will wear custom cleats made by Under Armour, a company based in Baltimore, Md. But the Ravens' retiring star will wear gold Under Armour cleats with the kind of shin… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com At a time when it seemed as if the Hall of Fame voters would need more time in order to finalize the latest Hall of Fame class, they got it done. In the nick of time. Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, one of the 46 voters, has said on Twitter that … |
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Sam Eifling, deadspin.com The first time I heard a grid pool described, my father was coming home with a pocketful of bills he'd just won down at his favorite watering hole. Essentially you make a 10-by-10 grid, strip numbers vertically and horizontally, buy a square, and if the… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com As the 49ers and Ravens had their final Super Bowl practices on Saturday at the Superdome, both Harbaugh brothers allowed players and coaches to bring their friends and families along, on the theory that the most important thing at this late point is to… |
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Benjamin Hoffman, nytimes.com Andy Lee, the All-Pro punter for the 49ers, finds he has more time on his hands, thanks the team's explosive offense. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Soon-to-be free agent receiver Greg Jennings has already put his home in Wisconsin up for sale, and he said this week that he’s preparing for a change in his career, which has so far been played entirely in Green Bay. So what would that change mean? It … |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Most of the NFL’s emphasis on player safety in recent years has focused on reducing hits to the head. But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at his State of the League press conference that he’s concerned about knees as well. Specifically, Goodell me… |
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Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com The Rams, who are 22-73-1 in their last six seasons, won a battle against the city of St. Louis yesterday over the Edward Jones Dome, their home since 1995. Arbitrators ruled in favor of the Rams' plan, which would require a $700 million renovation to t… |
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Candid Chris Canty: NY Giants defensive tackle preparing to tackle a career behind the microphoneFeb 2
Chris Canty will watch Sunday’s Ravens-49ers matchup in Super Bowl XLVII with a critical eye. And it will have nothing to do with studying players he’ll go up against in the future. |
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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN.com Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw had another surgery to replace a screw in his right foot. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com During the Bengals’ playoff loss to the Texans, we noted how odd it was that Cincinnati’s offensive game plan seemed to be ignoring wide receiver A.J. Green. Unsurprisingly, Green felt the same way. Green said this week that the Bengals’ coaches tho… |
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Chris Culliver will undergo sensitivity training, work with in-crisis youth, after anti-gay remarksFeb 2
Doug Farrar, yahoo.com NEW ORLEANS -- San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver created quite the ruckus this week when he intimated that anyone with a homosexual predilection would not be welcome on his team. Now, he's doing everything he can to get past that. According … |
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver will begin sensitivity training and education immediately after the Super Bowl following his anti-gay remarks this week, then start volunteer work with at-risk homosexual youth nationwide… |
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The NFLPA Is Finally Telling The Chargers To Replace Malpracticin' David Chao As Their Team DoctorFeb 2
Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com The Medical Board of California is trying to revoke David Chao's license after he lost a malpractice suit this past summer, and, after years of evidence that Chao is regularly operates well outside the bounds of best medical practices, the loss of his l… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Former Jets QB Vinny Testaverde isn’t a fan of the team’s ongoing circus atmosphere. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the Dolphins’ defense. Bills special-teams coordinator Danny Crossman talks about his plan for improving Buffalo’s co… |
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All the Super Bowl halftime show facts, figures and history you need before Beyonce takes the stageFeb 2
Frank Schwab, yahoo.com The halftime show of the Super Bowl officially became bigger than the Super Bowl itself last year. Madonna's performance last year had a higher rating than the average rating for the game. So while Beyonce's grandiose press conference this week seemed o… |
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Isaac Rauch, deadspin.com Randy Brown has been the mayor of Evesham Township in New Jersey since 2007, and the Baltimore Ravens kicking coach since 2008. Brown was once kicking coach of the Chicago Bears, a consultant with the Eagles, and has run a kicking camp. In his tenure wi… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been saying for the past few years that he wants to play “10 more years.” At some point, however, his career could conclude on a team other than the Patriots. Brett Favre ultimately wanted to play longer than the P… |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Not to be outdone by his little brother, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is heaping praise on the practice habits of his team during Super Bowl week. On Wednesday, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said his team’s practice was perfect, and on Thursday he said that da… |
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Darren Rovell, ESPN.com The Super Bowl winners get to go to Disney World, the losers get Jell-O? |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Deer antler spray isn’t the only bizarre controversy surrounding the Ravens at the Super Bowl: A cheerleader says the team didn’t bring her to the Super Bowl because she gained weight during the season. Courtney Lenz, who has just concluded her fifth … |
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Kevin Kaduk, yahoo.com After two weeks of hype, Super Bowl XLVII is almost here. The San Francisco 49ers will be looking for a record-tying sixth Super Bowl championship while the Baltimore Ravens will be looking to send Ray Lewis into retirement with the second title in fran… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Ten months ago, Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune lamented his looming task of trying to persuade enough other Hall of Fame voters to give defensive tackle Warren Sapp a spot in Canton. “Some of those people in that room are looking for a reason to vote … |
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame, which elects new members today, wants fan suggestions on the voting process. That's good, says Jim Trotter, because that process is surely broken. |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Receiver Wes Welker is due to become a free agent, one year after the Patriots used the franchise tag to keep him in place. With the Patriots unlikely to use the tag again, which would push Welker’s guaranteed pay for 2013 above $11 million, the quest… |
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Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com After a 2012 season turned upside down by the bounty scandal, Saints coach Sean Payton is back and Saints quarterback Drew Brees sees the 2013 season as a “new era” for the franchise. Brees explained his views in that regard during a Friday appearance… |
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From Walsh to Seifert to Harbaugh, San Francisco’s Super Bowl coaches have compelling connectionsFeb 2
Doug Farrar, yahoo.com NEW ORLEANS -- They are now bonded forever, tied to a legacy nearly unmatched in professional sports. Bill Walsh, George Seifert, and Jim Harbaugh -- the three coaches who have taken the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. Of course, Walsh is the Big… |
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ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Receiver DeSean Jackson says the coaching change the Eagles made should result in at least one certainty for next season after struggling to a 4-12 finish in 2012 -- retaining the services of Michael Vick. |
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CARLTON J. CHIN and JAY P. GRANA, nytimes.com The 49ers have the edge in several key statistical categories that can help predict the winner of the Super Bowl. |
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Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com As I walked out of the Super Bowl Media Center on Friday, I cam across a mass of reporters on the sidewalk, all surrounding someone who seemed to be speaking intently. It took me a moment to figure out that it was Mitch Ross, maker of the deer antler sp… |
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Brian McIntyre, yahoo.com One more sleep until the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens square off in Super Bowl XLVII. The Saturday before the Super Bowl usually feels like it's going to last forever, but there are a few activities going on that should help the day go by a … |
