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NFL: Opening Day Preview

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New England Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Week 1 | Game Preview

The New England Patriots kick off their 2025 NFL season against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, September 7, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. This Week 1 clash, airing at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, promises an intriguing matchup as both teams look to set the tone for the season. With the Patriots favored by 2.5 points and an over/under set at 42.5 points, here’s a breakdown of what to expect.

Team Overviews

New England Patriots (0-0)

The Patriots enter 2025 under the leadership of new head coach Mike Vrabel, who replaced Jerod Mayo after a turbulent offseason. Vrabel, a former Patriots player with three Super Bowl rings, brings a hard-nosed approach to a team looking to rebound from a lackluster 2024 campaign. Quarterback Drake Maye, now in his second year, showed promise last season with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while completing 66.6% of his passes. The Patriots’ offense, coordinated by former Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, aims to capitalize on Maye’s development and a revamped receiving corps. However, their 2024 receiving yards total of 3,343 was the lowest in the NFL, indicating a need for improvement in the passing game.

Defensively, the Patriots return key players like Christian Gonzalez and Jabrill Peppers, who anchor a unit that allowed 211.5 passing yards and 131.4 rushing yards per game last season. With no active injuries reported, New England is poised to lean on its defense to keep games close while the offense finds its rhythm.

Las Vegas Raiders (0-0)

The Raiders, led by head coach Pete Carroll, the NFL’s oldest active coach, are looking to make a statement on the road. Their 2024 season was marred by inefficiencies, particularly in goal-to-go situations, where they amassed just 49 yards, the fewest in the NFL. Quarterback Geno Smith, who threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024, remains a dual-threat with 272 rushing yards and two scores. Tight end Brock Bowers, coming off a stellar rookie season with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards, and wideout Jakobi Meyers (1,027 yards) give the Raiders a potent passing attack.

On defense, the Raiders feature playmakers like Divine Deablo (1.0 sack, 3.0 TFL) and Trevon Moehrig (26 tackles, one interception in 2024). With no active injuries, Las Vegas is healthy but faces challenges against a Patriots defense that could exploit their 2024 offensive struggles, including a -7.4 point differential and 216.2 passing yards allowed per game.

Key Matchups

  1. Drake Maye vs. Raiders Secondary: Maye’s ability to exploit the Raiders’ pass defense, which allowed 216.2 yards per game in 2024, will be critical. If he can connect with his receivers early, the Patriots could control the game’s tempo. However, Las Vegas’s secondary, led by Moehrig, will look to force turnovers.

  2. Raiders’ Passing Attack vs. Patriots’ Secondary: Geno Smith, Bowers, and Meyers form a dangerous trio, but they’ll face a Patriots defense bolstered by Gonzalez and Peppers. New England’s ability to contain Bowers, who was a top-10 receiver in 2024, could limit the Raiders’ offensive output.

  3. Coaching Chess Match: Vrabel and Carroll, both seasoned coaches, bring contrasting styles. Vrabel’s defensive-minded approach will test Carroll’s offensive creativity, while McDaniels’ familiarity with the Raiders could give the Patriots an edge in play-calling.

Stats to Watch

  • Patriots’ Passing Game: New England’s 176.2 passing yards per game in 2024 ranked among the league’s worst. Improvement from Maye and the departure of Kendrick Bourne signal a shift toward younger playmakers like rookie Will Campbell.

  • Raiders’ Red Zone Struggles: Las Vegas’s 49 yards in goal-to-go situations last season highlight a critical weakness. If the Patriots’ defense holds firm inside the 20, they could force field goals and keep the game within reach.

  • Turnover Battle: Both teams had modest turnover differentials in 2024 (Raiders: +1, Patriots: +0.6). The team that wins the turnover battle could dictate the outcome in a game projected to be close.

Predictions

Analysts give the Patriots a slight edge, with a 60% win probability compared to the Raiders’ 40%, per simulations. The Patriots’ home-field advantage at Gillette Stadium, where they’ll celebrate the induction of Julian Edelman and Bill Parcells into the Patriots Hall of Fame, could provide an emotional boost. Expect Vrabel’s defense to pressure Smith, while Maye makes enough plays to secure a narrow victory.

Score Prediction: Patriots 24, Raiders 20

How to Watch

  • Time: 1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 7, 2025

  • Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

  • TV: CBS

  • Streaming: FUBO

  • Tickets: Available on StubHub, starting at $233

NFL: Eagles Prep for New Banner

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – The Philadelphia Eagles have the Lombardi Trophy, while the Dallas Cowboys once again own the headlines — for better or worse.

The 2025 NFL season kick offs Thursday when the host Eagles raise their Super Bowl LIX banner before entertaining their NFC East foes, currently the subject of derision for trading away one of the best defenders in the game.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and his locker-room leaders refuse to discuss the possibility of a repeat.

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“We’re not talking anything about a title or anything. We’re talking about the Dallas Cowboys,” Sirianni said. “How do we put ourselves in the best position to win this football game … and how do you continue to get better as the year goes on? That’s your habits. That’s all we’re thinking about.”

Yet the Week 1 spotlight will shine less on the champs and more on their opponents.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones ended a contract standoff with sack master Micah Parsons by trading him to the Green Bay Packers a week before the season opener. The Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Kenny Clark and the Packers’ next two first-round draft picks, but they surrendered an All-Pro pass-rusher entering his prime.

Jones defended his decision, envisioning a world in which Parsons nets future stars for Dallas the same way the Herschel Walker trade did early in Jones’ tenure.

“Our fans, as well as my mirror, are saying, ‘Come on, let’s change something up. Let’s do something a little different here,’” Jones said.

But those draft picks won’t help this season, and fans in fact were incensed that Parsons was traded. Not even franchise quarterback Dak Prescott tried to spin the move too positively.

“I’m not going to say we’re better,” Prescott said. “We’ve got to go out there and prove it. We’d have to prove it even if (Parsons) was on this team, so I’m not going to say that by any means.”

The Cowboys’ defense already was behind the 8-ball after allowing 27.5 points per game last year, second-worst in the league (at 17.8 ppg, the Eagles were second-best). Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku will join Clark and journeymen Dante Fowler Jr. and Solomon Thomas in a remade defensive front.

Dallas traded for mercurial receiver George Pickens to line up opposite CeeDee Lamb, but the run game will be another question mark. Rico Dowdle left in free agency after a 1,000-yard season, and the Cowboys will balance vets Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders and rookie Jaydon Blue out of the backfield.

They’ll all have to come together under a new coach in Brian Schottenheimer after the team moved on from Mike McCarthy. Promoted from offensive coordinator, the career assistant gets his first crack as a head coach.

“Nothing’s changed. My goals haven’t changed. Our team goals haven’t changed,” Schottenheimer said after the Parsons trade. “I hit the players on that … after I talked about the tough couple of days for all the guys. It doesn’t change. The standard is the standard.”

The Eagles won’t look much different from the team that routed the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February. Saquon Barkley will try to replicate the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in league history, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith still lead the receiving corps and the defense remains chock-full of former Georgia Bulldogs.

Whatever his critics say, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts can call himself a Super Bowl champion as well. He threw for just 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns in 15 starts last year, but had his fourth straight year with double-digit rushing touchdowns (14). No one will benefit more from the owners voting down attempts to ban the “tush push” play last spring.

Hurts’ relationship with Sirianni, which appeared strained 12 months ago, has grown “day by day,” per the quarterback.

“We obviously, both of us, love to work, love hard work, have a ton of grit to ourselves,” Hurts said this week. “We’re passionate about that. We express that through our work. So I think it’s been able to grow and evolve.”

The Eagles may not have three-time Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson (back) for the opener as he missed practice Monday. Backup quarterback Tanner McKee (right thumb) also missed practice, while linebacker Joshua Uche (groin) and rookie safety Andrew Mukuba (hamstring) were limited.

The only Dallas player to miss practice Monday was defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (back). Star cornerback Trevon Diggs and left tackle Tyler Guyton, both dealing with knee injuries, were full participants.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Waive Two, Claim Two

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FOXBORO – (Staff Report from Official Team News Release) – The New England Patriots announced that they have released WR Javon Baker and WR Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots also claimed and were awarded QB Tommy DeVito from the New York Giants and CB Charles Woods from the Los Angeles Rams.

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In addition, the Patriots announced that they have signed 16 players to the practice squad: CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott Jr., LB Bradyn Swinson and WR Jeremiah Webb. All of those players were released by the team on August 26.

Baker, 23, was drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of UCF. The 6-foot-1, 202-pounder, played in 11 games with one start and finished with 1 reception for 12 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 79 yards.

Bourne, 30, has spent the last four seasons with New England after signing with the team as an unrestricted free agent from San Francisco on March 19, 2021. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with San Francisco on May 5, 2017, out of Eastern Washington. Bourne has played in 111 games with 34 starts and has registered 292 receptions for 3,714 yards with 22 touchdowns. In addition, he has played in four postseason games and has 13 receptions for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had his best NFL season in 2021 with New England with 55 receptions for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. Last season, Bourne was limited to 12 games with nine starts and had 28 receptions for 305 yards with 1 touchdown.

DeVito, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Giants on May 5, 2023, out of Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, began his career on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Oct. 31, 2023. In two seasons with the Giants, DeVito played in 12 games with eight starts and completed 145-of-222 attempts for 1,358 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was released by the Giants on Aug. 26, 2025.

Woods, 25, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Rams on May 2, 2024, out of Southern Methodist. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, spent the majority of the season on the 53-man roster before finishing the year on the practice squad. He played in 12 games and finished with 1 tackle on defense and 1 special teams tackle. He was released by the Rams on Aug. 26, 2025.

NFL: Pain in the Game

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FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – Pain is part of the game, but the emotional toll of NFL roster cuts warrants its own classification on the injury scale.

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All 32 teams face a 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday to reduce their training camp rosters from 90 to the regular-season limit of 53. That’s a total of 1,184 players receiving a public rejection notice and going from the doorstep of a pro football paycheck to the enormous queue of roster fodder fighting for a chance to stick around in one of the 16 practice-squad spots available to every team.

“It’s tough when you’re in the position of having to tell a guy who worked his entire life, it’s been his dream since childhood to make an NFL roster and be an impact player,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “But to be able to tell him no is difficult for me, still. It never gets easy.”

For players in backup roles who survive the initial roster cut to 53 on Aug. 26, the stress is far from over.

Unless a player is waived with an injury designation and reverted back to the team’s injured reserve list, non-vested veterans (less than four accrued seasons in the NFL) will be subject to waivers with no control over where they could wind up by this time next week.

If a player is claimed via waivers, he is automatically placed on that team’s 53-man roster. The claiming team must execute a corresponding move, which can involve injured lists — injured reserve, physically unable to perform, non-football injury — or necessitate cutting a player who made the initial 53-man roster only to be kicked to the curb before the start of the regular season.

For the first three weeks of the regular season, the Tennessee Titans are No. 1 in the waiver order, which follows the original draft order from the prior season with no regard to trades. That means the Jacksonville Jaguars are not No. 2 in line despite trading up for Travis Hunter. That spot still belongs to the Cleveland Browns, followed by the New York Giants.

Titans coach Brian Callahan and first-time general manager Mike Borgonzi are planning to be selective working the wire next week, but neither is hiding from the idea of finding talent capable of helping the franchise rebuild.

“You don’t just claim a player to claim one,” Callahan said. “You’ve got to feel like it’s a real talent upgrade for an opportunity to help your team. And you don’t just dismiss guys because we’ve also poured a lot of work into these players that have been here for the better part of six months.

“… So that’s the fine line you walk at this time of year. And again, having the No. 1 waiver claim allows us to be aggressive if we choose to be.”

Established veterans aren’t immune to being cut. They’re typically more expensive and contracts become fully guaranteed for vested veterans on the roster Week 1.

The Kansas City Chiefs have never been afraid to part with a vested veteran. They cut wide receiver Kadarius Toney last August and the Minnesota Vikings cut another former first-round pick, safety Lewis Cine, without an injury designation. Quarterback Desmond Ridder was cut by the Cardinals in the late-August roster culling in 2024 after being acquired in a trade from the Falcons.

Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has seen almost everything in his NFL career. Only a year ago, about two weeks separated Smith-Schuster being released by the Patriots (Aug. 9) and signed by the Chiefs (Aug. 26) as Toney was sent packing. This summer, coaches are applauding his approach to mentoring younger receivers and helping players who might wind up with his paycheck on the finer points of being a pro.

“Make the most of your opportunities,” Smith-Schuster said of what advice he shared with younger players. “For a lot of them, what they put on tape, they’re all getting evaluated (by 31 other teams).”

Smith-Schuster, 28, said being released by the Patriots turned out to be a blessing because he feels at home in Kansas City. The long view is part of the reason he spent an hour after training camp practices working with backup receivers, and the end result was a message he wants younger players to hear.

“I think naturally I’m a people person. I like helping out the guys. For me, I remember when I was a rookie. Some of the veteran guys took time out of their day, guys with families,” he said. “This is their livelihood. They’ve been playing football since they were kids. For them the more they can get out of a veteran — I know it goes a long way not only for them but the future.”

Ryans doesn’t necessarily have time for the long view.

He and Texans personnel boss Nick Caserio have already begun shaping what the final 53 will look like entering the preseason finale at Detroit on Saturday. From there he’ll be facing what he said is the worst time of the year as a head coach, collecting playbooks and erasing roster numbers.

“But the players do a great job of handling that by wanting to know, ‘Hey, what can I do to get better? What are the steps for me to make a team? Where do you see I need to improve?’ I have a lot of guys who ask that question. And I’m happy to give them the advice that I think can help them out,” Ryans said. “In my role, my biggest aim for all of our guys is: How do I help and assist players to make the NFL? It may not be our 53-man roster here with the Texans, but there are 31 other teams. Can I help those guys in any way make their dreams a reality?”

–Field Level Media

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White Named to NFL Players’ Post

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – Less than three weeks after NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned amid numerous allegations of impropriety, the union elected David White as it interim executive director.

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White is the chief executive officer of consulting firm 3CG Ventures and the former national executive director and chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). He was a finalist for the NFLPA post when a the board of 32 player representatives elected Howell in June 2023, according to multiple media reports.

NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin said in a statement regarding the move by the Board of Player Representatives to appoint White, “This decision is the result of a comprehensive, player-led process. We understood the urgency to fill this role and did our due diligence to identify the right person to lead our union in this moment.

“We have full faith in David to take the union forward and operate in the best interests of our membership. David has spent much of his career fighting for collectively bargained rights in the labor movement and is committed to putting players first in all the union does. We are confident that he will inspire solidarity and provide the necessary stability during this period of transition.”

White added in a statement, “I am grateful to the NFLPA’s player leadership for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility to guide their union as interim executive director. It’s a duty I do not take lightly, and I’m committed to reestablishing trust and ensuring the union is serving its members best. I look forward to working with the entire NFLPA team to protect players’ health and safety, secure their financial well-being, and further strengthen their voice to shape their futures.”

Howell stepped down on July 17 to no longer be a “distraction” for the NFLPA. During his tenure, he allegedly reached a confidentiality agreement with the NFL over a collusion case, worked for a private equity firm approved to pursue NFL minority ownership stakes and made inappropriate charges to the union, include a strip club visit.

Commanders Get Their New Home

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WASH DC – (Wire Service Report) – After nearly three decades of playing in Maryland, the Washington Commanders have the green light to build a new $3.7 billion stadium in D.C. that should bring them back to the nation’s capital by 2030.

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The D.C. Council voted 9-3 on Friday to ratify the deal between the city and the NFL team. The site of the new 174-acre complex will be the same as RFK Stadium, which remains in place even though the team moved out prior to the 1997 season.

“This is a historic moment,” Commanders managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement. “This project is about more than delivering a world-class stadium worthy of our players, fans and the region. It’s about revitalizing a critical part of our city, creating thousands of jobs and unlocking long-term economic benefits for the District. We look forward to working with our fans, residents, community leaders and elected officials to deliver on this vision.”

The franchise enjoyed its finest years at the RFK site, which opened in 1961 as District of Columbia Stadium. During the team’s 36 seasons at RFK, it won Super Bowls VII, XXII and XXVI while appearing in two more and earning eight other playoff appearances.

Since former owner Dan Snyder moved the team to now-Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., in 1997, Washington has amassed just seven playoff appearances in 28 years. Last season’s run to the NFC title game was the Commanders’ first push past the divisional round since 1991.

Snyder’s decision to sell his team in 2022 – a move encouraged by the NFL – helped pave the way for the franchise’s return to D.C. In addition, Harris indicated his willingness to foot more of the bill than most owners.

According to details of the deal, the Commanders are expected to handle $2.7 billion of the stadium’s cost along with any overruns. The District of Columbia will pay $1 billion, but much of that is expected to be recouped over the long haul in taxes and other revenue streams.

–Field Level Media

NFL Training Camp Dates

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NEW YORK – The 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching, and nothing signifies the return of football like training camp.

The NFL announced training camp reporting dates and locations for all 32 teams.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, who will kickoff the Hall of Fame game on July 31, will be the first two teams to have rookies and veterans report. Chargers veterans report on July 16, while Lions veterans report on July 19.

Here’s a team-by-team look at every camp location and key date for the 2025 season:

Arizona Cardinals
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Atlanta Falcons
Location: IBM Performance Field, Flowery Branch, Ga.
Rookie Report Date: July 23
Veteran Report Date: July 23

Baltimore Ravens
Location: Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, Md.
Rookie Report Date: July 15
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Buffalo Bills
Location: St. John Fisher University, Rochester, N.Y.
Rookie Report Date: July 15
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Carolina Panthers
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Chicago Bears
Location: Halas Hall, Lake Forest, Ill.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Cincinnati Bengals
Location: Kettering Health Practice Fields, Cincinnati, Ohio
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Cleveland Browns
Location: CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, Berea, Ohio
Rookie Report Date: July 18
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Dallas Cowboys
Location: Staybridge Suites, Oxnard, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 21

Denver Broncos
Location: Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit, Englewood, Colo.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Detroit Lions
Location: Detroit Lions Training Facility, Allen Park, Mich.
Rookie Report Date: July 16
Veteran Report Date: July 19

Green Bay Packers
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.
Rookie Report Date: July 18
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Houston Texans
Location: Houston Methodist Training Center, Houston, Texas
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Indianapolis Colts
Location: Grand Park, Westfield, Ind.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Jacksonville Jaguars
Location: Miller Electric Center, Jacksonville, Fla.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Kansas City Chiefs
Location: Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, Mo.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 21

Las Vegas Raiders
Location: Intermountain Health Performance Center, Henderson, Nev.
Rookie Report Date: July 17
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Los Angeles Chargers
Location: The Bolt, El Segundo, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 12
Veteran Report Date: July 16

Los Angeles Rams
Location: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Miami Dolphins
Location: Baptist Health Training Complex, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Rookie Report Date: July 15
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Minnesota Vikings
Location: TCO Performance Center, Eagan, Minn.
Rookie Report Date: July 20
Veteran Report Date: July 22

New England Patriots
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 22

New Orleans Saints
Location: Ochsner Sports Performance Center, Metairie, La.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 22

New York Giants
Location: Quest Diagnostics Training Facility, East Rutherford, N.J.
Rookie Report Date: July 15
Veteran Report Date: July 22

New York Jets
Location: Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park, N.J.
Rookie Report Date: July 19
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Philadelphia Eagles
Location: NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia, Pa.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Pittsburgh Steelers
Location: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa.
Rookie Report Date: July 23
Veteran Report Date: July 23

San Francisco 49ers
Location: SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, Calif.
Rookie Report Date: July 15
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Seattle Seahawks
Location: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, Wash.
Rookie Report Date: July 15
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Location: AdventHealth Training Center, Tampa, Fla.
Rookie Report Date: July 21
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Tennessee Titans
Location: Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, Nashville, Tenn.
Rookie Report Date: July 22
Veteran Report Date: July 22

Washington Commanders
Location: OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park, Ashburn, Va.
Rookie Report Date: July 18
Veteran Report Date: July 22

NFLPA’s Lloyd Howell Jr. Steps Down

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – Lloyd Howell Jr. stepped down as executive director of the NFL Players Association on Thursday night following weeks of scrutiny for multiple blunders, including a reported conflict of interest and a decision to hide key parts of an arbitration ruling from the players

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“It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,” Howell said in a statement. “For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players effective immediately. I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.

“I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish at the NFLPA over the past two years. I will be rooting for the players from the sidelines as loud as ever, and I know the NFLPA will continue to ensure that players remain firmly at the center of football’s future.”

Last week, ESPN reported that Howell held a part-time role as a consultant for The Carlyle Group, one of a small handful of private equity firms that the NFL has approved to pursue minority ownership in franchises.

ESPN’s reporting included a former lead outside counsel for the NFLPA, Jim Quinn, calling it “an outrageous conflict for the head of a labor union to have an interest in a third party that is aligned with the NFL.”

It was not the first blow to Howell’s reputation this offseason. In June, the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast published an arbitrator’s report from January, when the NFLPA and the league were at odds over potential collusion by team owners to tamp down the growth of quarterback contracts.

The arbitrator, Christopher Droney, ruled that there wasn’t sufficient evidence of collusion between owners — but he went on to say that “by a clear preponderance of the evidence,” commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL’s general counsel encouraged owners to restrict guaranteed money in player contracts.

Howell and the union reportedly had a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to keep the full report from getting out. Howell briefed the players but didn’t provide them copies of the report, according to ESPN.

Furthermore, Howell sits on the board of OneTeam Partners, a group licensing firm that is under investigation by the FBI.

Sports TV Biz: ESPN Extends Orlovsky

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BRISTOL – (Wire Service Report) – Dan Orlovsky, who has served as an NFL analyst with ESPN since 2018, has agreed to terms on a long-term contract, Front Office Sports reported.

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Per the report, the former NFL quarterback will remain as a game analyst for the second-string team on “Monday Night Football” with Chris Fowler, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge. Orlovsky, 41, will also continue to appear on “NFL Live,” “SportsCenter,” “Get Up” and “First Take.”

Orlovsky’s new contract is not final but he is apparently “at the 1-yard line” with the network, per the report.

Before the holiday weekend, the former Detroit Lions QB posted a picture on social media toasting himself and on his Instagram story, he wrote, “Here’s to what’s next.”

He wrote on his X account on Monday: “Gotta keep working. Gotta keep proving yourself. Gotta stay hungry. It’s always the journey.”

Orlovsky, whose NFL career began in 2005 and lasted until 2017, is a popular figure at ESPN who has apparently shown interest in becoming a coach in the NFL.

“Dan’s been talking to some teams and seeing if there’s something that interests him and is worthwhile for him,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter told Pat McAfee in an interview.

In February, Front Office Sports reported that Orlovsky was “exploring his options” regarding potential free agency. Last month, it was reported by The Athletic that Orlovsky would likely return to ESPN.

ESPN declined to comment on Monday’s report.

–Field Level Media

Patriots: Diggs Stays Mumm

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FOXBOROUGH – At the final practice of Patriots mandatory minicamp in Massachusetts on Tuesday, newly acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs spoke with reporters but did not address a viral video that has inspired speculation about his future with the team.

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In the video, posted to social media, Diggs is seen enjoying himself on a boat with three bikini-clad women that included top-selling rapper Cardi B, but he’s also seen brandishing a plastic bag filled with a mysterious pink substance.

The 31-year-old Diggs has refrained from speaking about the incident, and did so again Tuesday despite some observers wondering if the four-time Pro Bowler could be in hot water with either his new team or the NFL at large.

First-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel spoke recently on the importance of players making “good decisions.”

“I kind of keep my personal life personal,” Diggs said. “I had a conversation with Vrabel, obviously, and I’m going to echo everything that he said. Hope everyone makes good decisions. I had some conversations with people in the building as well. So, everything else is everything else, and the particulars are all internal.”

A First-Team All-Pro in 2020, Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots in March.

He has described his rapport with Vrabel as being positive and expressed admiration for Vrabel’s championship pedigree.

“I’m a huge fan of him,” Diggs said. “I can’t wait to play for him. He’s got that itch that you want to run through a wall for him. I look forward to it. Me and him go back and forth in practice, and I’m not even participating.”

A year ago, Diggs played in just eight games for the Houston Texans due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, breaking a string of six straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. He has amassed 857 receptions for 10,491 yards and 70 touchdowns during his 10-year career split among the Minnesota Vikings (2015-19), Buffalo Bills (2020-23) and Texans (2024).

–Field Level Media