National Football League News and Rumors
Arians hires Moore, Bowles, Goodwin as top aidesPHOENIX (AP) -- New Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has brought in Tom Moore and Harold Goodwin to help him overhaul the worst offense in the NFL. |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Soon-to-be free-agent receiver Wes Welker likely can remove the Ravens from his list of potential destinations. Welker’s wife launched a Facebook tirade against Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis after Sunday’s AFC title game, in which Mrs. Welker criticizes… |
|
ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has been added to the NFC roster for the Pro Bowl after Atlanta's Matt Ryan withdrew due to an injury. |
|
|
Curtis Crabtree, profootballtalk.com The list of changes to the San Diego Chargers coaching staff continues. According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers will not retain strength and conditioning coach Jeff Hurd and assistant strength coach Vernon Stephens. Hea… |
|
It's reasonable to suggest that since he has returned from injury this season, Ray Lewis has provided motivation for the Ravens’ run to Super Bowl 47. That’s what his teammates say. The linebacker has also provided another service. |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com A decade ago, the Raiders’ fate in Super Bowl XXXVII presumably was sealed by the weekend disappearance of center Barret Robbins. Hall of Fame finalist Tim Brown believes that the blame for the 48-21 loss to the Buccaneers should go to Oakland’s hea… |
|
Can Chip Make The Switch?Jan 21
As the Eagles' new coach, Chip Kelly faces more challenges than simply finding a quarterback. The biggest one? Adjusting to the NFL game's many differences, says Andy Staples. |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com New Eagles coach Chip Kelly knows he’s going to have to change some things, but he has a very distinct requirement for his defensive coordinator. Speaking to reporters at Senior Bowl practices, Kelly said his main criteria for determining his next coord… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com With Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanting to transform his team into the Lakers of the NFL, Dolphins fans now have reason to fret about Ross moving his team to the Lakers’ neighborhood. According to Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ross has m… |
|
|
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Russell Wilson isn’t the only rookie quarterback going to the Pro Bowl. The Colts have announced that rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has been selected to play in Sunday’s Pro Bowl in place of Tom Brady, who is out with an injury. There’s no word on … |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The fact that the Ravens and 49ers are coached by the Harbaugh brothers promises to be one of the most discussed angles to Super Bowl XLVII and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh had his first chance to address the topic on Monday. Harbaugh said that he hopes to … |
|
|
Former LSU star Tyrann "Honey Badger'' Mathieu is at the Senior Bowl attempting to repair his image and convince NFL teams that he has changed his ways. |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com When the season ended, Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garçon was unsure whether or not he’d have surgery to repair a torn plantar plate on his right foot. Garçon still hasn’t made a final decision, although a report from Zac Boyer of the Fredricksbu… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Bus Cook has another reason to not ask the Seahawks for a new contract for Russell Wilson. Robert Griffin III, not Wilson, was the rookie quarterback named to the NFC Pro Bowl team. But it’s Wilson, not Griffin, who’ll play in the game. Griffin is r… |
|
|
Associated Press, ESPN.com Jim Caldwell will remain the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator next season. |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com The Jive Turkey Gobbler is sticking with the Jive Turkey Wobbler. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that embattled kicker David Akers would keep that job for the Super Bowl. Akers missed a 38-yarder yester… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Between the injured players from the conference finalists who lost and the Pro Bowlers from the teams that won, replacements will be needed for the Pro Bowl. The latest is Dolphins defensive lineman Randy Starks, who is replacing Patriots defensive tack… |
|
NBC Sports, yahoo.com Could Tom Brady be in for the same fate as Drew Bledsoe? After taking over for Bledsoe mid-way through 2001, Brady never surrendered the Patriots' starting job. Mike Florio isn't proposing a question of retirement, but rather, if Brady will want to cont… |
|
|
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com After the Patriots lost in the AFC Championship Game, coach Bill Belichick was ripped on the postgame show for declining to give an interview to CBS. That wasn’t the first time that happened. Six years ago, Belichick was curt with CBS’s Solomon Wilcot… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com It’s a good thing we have two weeks until the Super Bowl because we’re going to need a while to process everything from Sunday’s conference title games. Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Network will spend an hour doing just that on Monday. Erik Kusel… |
|
Benjamin Hoffman, nytimes.com Among franchises with more than two Super Bowl victories, San Francisco has the only untarnished record. |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com That goofy Ray Lewis retirement party countdown billboard apparently had an impact on Lewis and the Ravens. There are new billboards in Baltimore that likely won’t impact the looming 2013 rematch between the two teams. According to the Ravens’ offic… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com After last night’s AFC title game, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs told the Patriots to have fun at the Pro Bowl. Two them won’t. Guard Logan Mankins and receiver Wes Welker won’t be going to the Pro Bowl, because they are injured. They’ll be re… |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Prior to firing coach Mike Mularkey or bringing in his replacement Gus Bradley, the Jaguars opened the door for all their assistants to seek other jobs. But Bradley has invited two of them back in, deciding to retain wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan … |
|
|
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Lions coach Jim Schwartz says he has no plans to change the alignment he uses on Detroit’s defensive line. And he says people who attribute the Lions’ rough season to that alignment are ignorant. Schwartz told reporters today that he will not consider… |
|
|
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com The NFL’s dominance over the American television landscape continues. The Super Bowl is always America’s most-watched television show of the year by a huge margin, but in recent years the AFC and NFC Championship Games have become the second- and thir… |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com At this point, the 49ers almost have no choice but to stick with kicker David Akers. But if they did decide to bring in another one, their first choice is off the table. Billy Cundiff, who was signed to light a fire under Akers’ seat earlier this month,… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael’s contract is set to expire soon, but he isn’t planning on going anywhere. Carmichael got nibbles from other teams about jumping to run their offenses this month, overtures that he turned down without ever … |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The man known for his “hello, friends” greeting has a very different message for the enemies of new Browns V.P. of player personnel Mike Lombardi. Jim Nantz of CBS has launched an assault against those in the Cleveland media who are criticizing the te… |
|
Tom Ley, deadspin.com OK, before we go any further, we have to address Michael Phelps's new look. Apparently, Phelps has been hanging out in a lot of coffee shops and going to a lot of Japandroids concerts since the summer Olympics. Or perhaps he's just a really big fan of t… |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib said Monday he loved being a Patriot, but he’s far from knowing whether he’s going to stay a Patriot. The cornerback who was acquired in exchange for a fourth-round pick is headed to unrestricted free agency, and he said… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Thanks to a broken leg, the Packers haven’t gotten much out of Derek Sherrod in the two years since they made him a first-round pick. Sherrod broke his leg in Week 15 of the 2011 season and never made it off the PUP list this season, leaving the Packers… |
|
|
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Today’s the day when NFL draft prospects get weighed and measured at the Senior Bowl, and as always there are some cases when players’ actual heights and weights don’t mesh with what their listed heights and weights in college. In the case of Alabam… |
|
|
Rich Cimini, ESPN.com The perception of the New York Jets' trade for Tim Tebow has been that it was the brainchild of owner Woody Johnson, but that's not how it was presented to at least one general manager candidate in his interview with the team. |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The Ravens reversed the result from last season and outlasted the Patriots on the road Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl. Monday’s PFT Live will be devoted to talking about that game from both angles. J. Michael of CSN Baltimore will join Mike Florio … |
|
|
New coaches bring along hope, but not necessarily success. So, who picked wisely in switching sideline bosses and who didn't? Chris Burke grades the eight moves. |
|
|
Mike Rodak and Field Yates, ESPN.com The morning after his season ended with a "crash landing" in the AFC Championship Game, Bill Belichick confirmed that he will be returning for a 14th season as coach of the New England Patriots. |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Last year, when Randy Moss was retired and opted to take to the Internet to declare out of the blue (moon) his desire to return to football, the notion that Moss would be competing once again for his first Super Bowl ring would have been unfathomable. B… |
|
|
ESPN.com news services, ESPN.com Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said Sunday's loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game was "probably" his last NFL game, echoing his thoughts throughout the season that he was 95 percent sure he would retire after this season. |
|
|
Timothy Burke, deadspin.com The only bigger waste of time than watching insipid and moronic NFL pre-game shows is watching their post-game counterparts, in which washed-up former stars mumble vacuous platitudes and chickenscratch X's and O's. We noticed something curious last nigh… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Over the weekend, reports indicated that Giants linebackers coach Jim Herrmann would interview with the Eagles for their defensive coordinator job. Herrmann did interview for the job, but he won’t be getting the position. Tom Rock of Newsday reports tha… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com The next two weeks are going to be filled with plenty of storylines. There’s the brothers Harbaugh squaring off in the Super Bowl, Colin Kaepernick’s stunning rise and Ray Lewis‘ farewell tour, for starters. There’s also going to be a lot of “Is… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com Oprah is slipping. At a time when the Manti Te’o imbroglio has begun to feel like it was all an anchovy-and-Anheuser-induced dream, we’re reminded that the story of a fake dead girlfriend has yet to die, thanks to Katie Couric. Katie, not Oprah (who p… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com When Chip Kelly was introduced as head coach of the Eagles last week, he made a point of emphasizing that his decision about his coaching future came down to staying at Oregon or heading to Philadelphia. He never mentioned the Browns as a team that was … |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com After watching Seahawks tight end Zach Miller tee off on the Falcons last week, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis couldn’t put the remote down. Miller caught eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons the week before, the kind of performa… |
|
|
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com Back when the Pro Bowl rosters were announced in December, Packers center Jeff Saturday said that he wished he could give his spot on the NFC team to teammate Josh Sitton. Such things aren’t permitted, even in the case of picks like Saturday that were m… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com As the NFL and its teams embark on an effort to inject some (any) diversity into the hiring process, the focal point will be the Rooney Rule. Some think another rule should receive equal scrutiny. Several years ago, the NFL decided to allow teams to blo… |
|
|
Toni Monkovic, nytimes.com Patriots Coach Bill Belichick was criticized for being too conservative, for not talking to CBS and for everything else under the sun after a loss in the A.F.C. title game. |
|
|
Monday morning one-linersJan 21
Josh Alper, profootballtalk.com A look at how the Bills scout the Senior Bowl. Members of the Dolphins shared their thoughts on the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Patriots WR Wes Welker was left to lament missed opportunities after Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. Jets NT Sione Pouha is … |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The AFC title game changed dramatically when, after the Ravens opened an eight-point lead on the first snap of the fourth quarter, a run by Pats running back Stevan Ridley resulted in a helmet-to-helmet hit that seemed to knock him out on his feet, caus… |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh might have ended up in Hawaii anyway, but it became official last night when the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl. Suh will replace Justin Smith of the 49ers in the Pro Bowl. Even if Atlanta had won, Smith’s partiall… |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com The Falcons fan who was stabbed in a fight after last night’s NFC Championship Game has been hospitalized and is in stable condition, while police continue to look for his attacker. According to Atlanta’s WSB-TV, the unnamed Falcons fan was stabbed in… |
|
|
Andy Benoit, nytimes.com San Francisco used its bruising ground game, and Baltimore relied on its rugged defense, to advance to the Super Bowl. |
|
|
Darin Gantt, profootballtalk.com The notion that Jets owner Woddy Johnson was driving the Tim Tebow train has become widely accepted, partly through the words that have fallen out of Johnson’s own mouth But that’s not what Johnson told at least one of his general manager candidates, … |
|
|
John on HarBowl hypeJan 21
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh reacts to having to face his brother Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com When the AFC and NFC representatives arrive in Hawaii, one of the guys they regard as one of the dirtiest players in the game will come rolling in to the pristine pool party, hopefully with his clothes in a green garbage bag, a stream of profanity, and … |
|
|
SI.com caught up with Ravens LB Terrell Suggs after Baltimore defeated the New England Patriots 28-13 in the AFC Championship. |
|
|
Toni Monkovic, nytimes.com The Ravens are the first underdog of more than a touchdown to win both the division and championship playoff rounds. |
|
|
Michael David Smith, profootballtalk.com Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t talk to CBS immediately after Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, but he did talk to the media afterward, and he continued emphasizing the same things: He was disappointed in losing, and he didn’t think the loss could b… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com On Friday, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith took a subtle jab at the NFL Coaches Association and executive director David Cornwell for remaining silent in the wake of a proof-in-the-pudding 0-for-15 failure by NFL teams to hire a single minority… |
|
|
Mike Florio, profootballtalk.com The Baltimore Ravens stopped trying to work out a new contract with quarterback Joe Flacco before the 2012 season began. In hindsight, Flacco should be very happy about that. After a regular season that at times raised questions about whether the Raven… |
|
|
George Bretherton, nytimes.com New England and Atlanta, high-scoring offenses in the regular season, were each shut out in the second half. |
|
|
The battle of brothers in Super Bowl XLVII is a great story, but don't overlook the ascent of Joe Flacco. It's his time, Peter King writes as he wraps the conference title games. |
|
|
Bill Belichick was morose and speaking in three-word sentences, which is usually how expansive he gets after the Patriots season ends without a Super Bowl trophy, which has been happening an awful lot lately – the last eight seasons. |
|
|
Niners safety Donte Whitner recalls that no one said a negative word in the locker room after San Francisco lost to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game last year. |
|
|
Championship Sunday LVPs: Tom Brady finishes season with a heartbreaking playoff loss … againJan 21
Frank Schwab, yahoo.com Tom Brady's legacy: A quarterback's win-loss record, especially in a relatively small amount of playoff games, is nowhere near an accurate measure of a player's career. We all know that, right? Good. Still, we see Patriots quarterback Tom Brady trudging… |
|
My friend Garrett, of Boston, has been calling Ravens QB Joe Flacco "FlaccoLOL" all year. Every one of those Bad Joe Flacco Games this season, with th... |
|
|
On any given Sunday (or Monday or Thursday), your NFL Run & Shootaround crew will be gathered around multiple televisions, making inappropriate jokes ... |
|
|
In case you were busy writing the first part of a gritty 3-D trilogy reimagining the story of Humpty Dumpty called "HD Volume One: Sitting on a Wall,"... |
