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Drake Maye: “I’ll Be Just Fine”

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SAN JOSE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Drake Maye is concern-free as Super Bowl LX approaches. That goes for his throwing arm, too.

The New England Patriots’ second-year quarterback said his tender right shoulder feels fine and there’s no reason for worry entering the Sunday clash with the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara.

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“I threw a good bit (today),” Maye said Monday during the Super Bowl Opening Night festivities. “I threw as much as I would in a practice, and it felt great.”

In other words, no worries.

“I feel good. I’ll be just fine,” Maye said.

Maye missed practice on Friday, but not due to the shoulder. Coach Mike Vrabel said Maye was out with an illness.

Vrabel said Monday he’s not concerned about Maye’s shoulder.

“We’ll work through these things through the week, just like everybody else does,” Vrabel said. “But we’re confident that the preparation that’s required for each position on our football team will be there by the end of the week, and everybody will be available.”

Sunday will mark the second time Maye has been inside Levi’s Stadium for a Super Bowl.

His dad took him to Super Bowl 50 when Maye’s favorite boyhood team, the Carolina Panthers, lost to the Denver Broncos.

And, yes, there’s a little bit of pinching involved to believe it’s truly his turn.

 

 

No Ghosts in Darnold’s Closet

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SAN JOSE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It was during a 2019 Monday night game against the New England Patriots that a young Sam Darnold was caught on the telecast telling his coaches on the sideline he was “seeing ghosts.”

It was a comment that haunted Darnold for years.

Of course, it wasn’t that surprising.

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The New York Jets, who selected Darnold with the No. 3 overall draft pick a year earlier out of Southern California, were getting pummeled 24-0 en route to losing 33-0. Darnold completed 11 of 32 passes that night for 86 yards and four interceptions and also lost a fumble.

Since then, Darnold played for the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings before signing with the Seattle Seahawks last March.

On Sunday, Darnold will lead the NFC champion Seahawks into Super Bowl LX against the Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif.

Darnold retraced his unlikely path to the title game Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night.

“I take every experience as its own, no matter what happens,” he said. “I was really blessed to get drafted to the Jets and obviously things didn’t work out the way I wanted to there and then went to the Carolina Panthers, where I made a lot of really great friends and learned some great football as well. Just part of my journey.

“Then went to San Francisco and was able to be a backup there for a great player in Brock Purdy, learned under a great coach in Kyle Shanahan, Brian Griese, the Kubiaks obviously, then went to Minnesota and was with some really great coaches and really great players as well. Everything I do, I just take one day at a time and I think that’s the mantra for myself and what I’ve been able to do over the past couple of years.”

One thing that has helped Darnold win 14-plus games each of the past two seasons — he is the only quarterback in NFL history to do so in consecutive years with different teams — has been a dependable running game.

Aaron Jones rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the Vikings last season and Kenneth Walker III did the same for the Seahawks this year. Darnold never had a back accomplish that feat while with the Jets or the Panthers.

NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson, who won a Super Bowl as a fullback with the Seahawks, suggested Darnold has his own “Ghostbuster” in Walker.

Darnold also praised the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense that led the league in fewest points allowed during the regular season.

“Having a really good defense helps a lot,” he said. “It makes those decisions down in the red zone or when you’re in field-goal range a lot easier. I never feel like I have to force the ball.”

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in 2024, got to know Darnold at the Pro Bowl last season.

Maye admires Darnold’s perseverance.

“What a career he’s had,” Maye said on Monday. “… He’s made them pay ever since (other teams moved on).”

–Field Level Media

“Nothing Beats Playing in the NFL”

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SAN JOSE – New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel will be in an exclusive club if he can steer the Patriots to a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday. In fact, Vrabel will be the club’s only member.

A New England win would make Vrabel the only person to win a Super Bowl as a player and as a head coach for the same franchise.

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Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as a linebacker, is in his first season as New England’s head coach. Gary Kubiak is the only other person who reached the Super Bowl with the same team as both a coach and a player; he directed Denver to a 24-10 victory over Carolina in Super Bowl 50, but was winless in three trips to the Super Bowl as a player for the Broncos.

Tom Flores, Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Doug Pederson each won a Super Bowl as both a player and a head coach, but none did so with the same team.

To Vrabel, there are just as many similarities as there are obvious differences between playing and coaching in the Super Bowl.

“You have to be focused,” he said. “You have to be locked in and be prepared, and be able to be in a state of mind to do your job and help the football team whether you’re a player or you’re a coach.”

Vrabel is the eighth head coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his first season with a team. That group includes Kubiak, Jim Caldwell, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, George Seifert, Red Miller and Don McCafferty.

The Patriots went 4-13 in each of the last two seasons, but Vrabel guided them to a 14-3 record and an AFC East title in Year 1. That stellar regular season tied the largest single-season improvement by an NFL team (10 games), matching the feat accomplished by the 1999 Colts and 2008 Dolphins.

Adding New England’s three playoff wins to the equation makes it the single greatest turnaround year over year in league history.

“(Vrabel’s) just got a great sense of what’s needed,” Patriots center Garrett Bradbury said earlier this week. “He played, obviously, and at a high level, so he knows the players’ perspective, but he’s not just strictly, like, ‘player’s coach’ because there’s never any doubt who’s in charge. I think the way he’s been all year has just prepared us all to meet this moment, because you can see the vision and the belief, and you know he has your back.”

Vrabel was the Tennessee Titans’ head coach from 2018 to 2023, but was fired after the 2023 season. He worked as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns last season.

“I would tell you that the thing I learned most about last year is that there’s nothing that I want to do more than to coach this football team — that’s what I learned,” Vrabel said. “Being around players is so critical and the connections that you make, and you can’t lose sight of that. No matter how long you’ve been a head coach, finding a way to make connections with players is important.”

The Patriots failed to qualify for the playoffs in four of the last five seasons before this Super Bowl run. A victory Sunday would earn New England its seventh Super Bowl title, which would break a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFL record.

“I’m a little bit more reserved here in this role,” Vrabel said. “A lot more to focus on I think, and think about. Make sure everybody’s moving in the right direction, being where we’re supposed to be. But it’s certainly a unique feeling. I’ve always told our players to play as long as you can. Then you have to get a real job. There’s nothing that beats playing in the National Football League, but this is pretty close.”

–Field Level Media

Oh ‘fer Two at the Hall

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CANTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – “It’s not you, it’s me,” must be the saying in Foxboro. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not receive enough votes for selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ESPN reported Tuesday. Last week, there were confirmed reports that former head coach Bill Belichick, who led the Patriots to nine Super Bowls and six championships over 24 seasons, also is not part of the Class of 2026 to be enshrined in this tiny Ohio town, this summer.

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The new Hall of Fame class will be revealed Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco.

Belichick and Kraft were among the five finalists competing in the same category — contributors, coaches and senior players who last played in 2000 or earlier. Kraft qualified as the contributor finalist and Belichick as the coach.

Former players Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood filled out the list of finalists and none, one, two or all three can have their names called Thursday. To be selected, a finalist needs 40 of the 50 possible votes. If no one reaches that benchmark, the highest vote-getter becomes a Hall of Fame member.

When news spread of Belichick’s failure to reach the voting minimum, Kraft was among those in the football community who expressed disbelief that Belichick was not selected.

“As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer,” Kraft said in a statement.

Kraft, 84, purchased the team and its old stadium for $172 million on Jan. 31, 1994. His purchase kept the franchise from being sold and relocated.

Before his ownership, the team had been to the playoffs six times since its founding as the Boston Patriots of the American Football League in 1960. That includes their 46-10 drubbing by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX after an 11-5 regular season in 1985.

With Kraft and Belichick in charge, the Patriots won the Super Bowls following the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons.

Kraft’s investment in the Patriots was a wise one. In 2025, he sold 8% of the shares in the team for $720 million, giving the team a $9 billion valuation.

Kraft’s Patriots will appear in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday in Santa Clara.  A win would give New England a record seventh NFL title in the Super Bowl era, breaking a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

–Field Level Media

Oh là là New Orleans

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NFL will play its first regular-season game in Paris next season with the New Orleans Saints named Monday as one of the participants.

The game will take place at the 80,000-seat Stade de France, France’s national stadium which served as the host site for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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“Bringing a regular season game to Paris in 2026 marks an exciting next step in the continued expansion of the league’s global footprint,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “Paris is one of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural cities with tremendous success in hosting global events that unite fans on the biggest stages. Playing our first-ever regular-season game at the impressive Stade de France, together with the New Orleans Saints, underlines our continued global growth ambitions and we look forward to bringing the NFL to our passionate fans in France.”

The Saints have international marketing rights in France, where the NFL claims to have more than 14 million fans.

“This moment is special not only because of the strong cultural connection between Louisiana and France, but also because we will compete before a growing Saints fan base in Paris,” said Saints team owner Gayle Benson.

Also Monday, the NFL announced it is returning to Madrid in 2026 with a new multi-year agreement.

The league staged its first game in Spain during the 2025 season when the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime on Nov. 16.

The game drew 78,610 fans to Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium, which will once again serve as the venue under Monday’s deal.

“It is an honor and a privilege for Real Madrid to host the NFL once again at the Bernabeu stadium,” said Real Madrid director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueno. “We experienced a historic first NFL Madrid game a few months ago, and this new agreement will allow the alliance between our club, the Community of Madrid, the City Council and the NFL to continue, strengthening the image of our capital and the Spanish brand around the world.”

The Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Dolphins have marketing rights in Spain, where the NFL counts 11 million fans.

In addition to Paris and Madrid, the NFL in 2026 will play its first-ever game in Australia in Melbourne with the Los Angeles Rams as one of the participants. There will also be three games in London and one each in Munich, Germany, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Feb. 1st

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Bill Belichick as depicted on his unauthorized book cover (by Ian O’Connor)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, hands-down the greatest coach in pro football history, was snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters and will not be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

Football aficionados everywhere were stunned at the news of Belichick falling short of the necessary 40 of 50 votes to become a first-ballot, no-brainer selection to the Hall. The news leaked to multiple media outlets on Tuesday, January 27th or about nine days before the NFL Honors show plans to announce the Canton Class of ‘26 on February 5 – in the lead-up to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California.

The voting outcome, apparently broken to Belichick on January 23, casts a pall on the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The only comparisons might be snubs to the likes of Red Auerbach (Celtics) and John Wooden (UCLA) in basketball, Scotty Bowman (Montreal Canadians) in ice hockey, Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) in soccer, or, maybe to the likes of the NFL’s Vince Lombardi.

According to an early ESPN report the coach was “puzzled” and “disappointed” by his inability to secure enough support to be “on to Canton.”

“Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” Belichick reportedly asked an associate, referring to the NFL Super Bowl championships he won as head coach of the New England Patriots. He also won two more Super Bowl rings as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. To another associate, he said, “What does a guy have to do?”

The coach is right.

This snub is an all-timer.

For the record, Belichick has:

  • 333 career victories, including playoffs, second only to Don Shula’s 347
  • 12 Super Bowl appearances and eight wins, six as a head coach of New England and two as a New York Giants assistant coach

Not having Belichick in the Hall this year is like the great actress, Katharine Hepburn, never winning an Oscar, or like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola never being recognized as great film directors by the Academy. Or, maybe like The Beatles or the Rolling Stones being snubbed at the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland?

Not inviting Bill Belichick to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is like not inviting Santa to Christmas. It’s like not naming Jack Nicklaus, Arnie Palmer and Tiger Woods to the foursome you’d love to play a round with at Augusta. It’s like telling Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to await a call from Springfield, or telling Larry Bird and Magic Johnson they should’ve played hopscotch instead of NBA basketball.

“Sorry,” Coach Dean Smith (Carolina) and Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), you might’ve tried a different profession, “there’s no room for you at the Inn.”

To NASCAR driver and all-time great Richard Petty? “Hey, “take another lap at the Daytona 500 before you expect anything close to gaining immortality.”

To Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Bobby Orr, or Pele – go take a powder.

To John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Shepard, Jim Lovell or Sally Ride, “try another profession, maybe try to stay grounded.”

To Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III, “Go take a dip in the Hudson before you come calling in Canton.”

To Jack Nicholson? “Sorry, you can’t handle the truth.”

Yes, snubbing Bill Belichick really took balls, fully inflated balls.

If Bill Belichick was on Secretariat at The Belmont, they would’ve told him to go race another mile at Aqueduct.

If Belichick were hitting home runs in Japanese baseball, they would’ve said, “Sadaharu Oh – No.”

If Belichick was Rodney Dangerfield, in his prime? “Hey, we hope you can take a joke.”

“Eh, no more Tonight Shows for you, Rodney, and by the way, your wife – yeah, your wife was fat and ugly. “In fact, she was so fat, when she went dancing in high heels, she struck oil. And, when we took her to the MACYs Thanksgiving Day parade, she was wearing ropes.”

Bill Belichick just “Don’t get no respect.”

That lack of R-E-S-P-E-C-T prompts the question: Is there another side to this strange Super Bowl coin? Is there a reason Bill Belichick wasn’t invited to pro football’s prom? Did Indianapolis’ Bill Polian have something to do with tainting the vote, making Belichick wait – doing a year penance from alleged high NFL crimes and misdemeanors – namely SpyGate and DeflateGate?

He claims he did not.

“As a Hall of Fame member and selector, I realize the import of what we do,’’ Polian said during his Wednesday appearance on SiriusXM Radio. “I’ve always tried as a selector to make these difficult choices with the utmost objectivity.

“I’ve said on SiriusXM Radio and numerous other media outlets that I believe Coach Belichick to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. My vote confirms that.’’

Pretty strong statement, but in my first hand experience of dealing with the various NBA postseason awards, it wasn’t uncommon to have voters write one thing, say another thing, then vote a third way.

Were their co-conspirators in the January 13th psuedo-meeting of Pro Football Hall voters? It was reported that meeting attendees gave-up Polian as the one who brought up the Patriots’ scandalous ways, and maybe Polian and his Colts’ coach Tony Dungy had their say?

No one wants to go on the record, and Polian denied the accusation of tipping the vote in the meeting.

Lastly, where does Patriots’ franchise owner Robert Kraft stand in this messy mix? Kraft is up for Pro Football Hall induction this year, too. At the time of the reports, it was not known whether Kraft had enough support or if he, too, would be left in NFL limbo. Would he dare go to Canton side-by-side with Big Bill (and Jordan)?

Regardless, they’ll be saying, “Wait ‘til Next Year,” to BB.

Instead of being enshrined at Canton, Belichick will need to wait in the Red Zone – somewhere near Akron, maybe?

Yeah, next year? What do you think Bill Belichick will do next year?

He just might tell them to “Go to Hall”

red blue and green heart shaped decor

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As long as the subject of lack of respect to Bill Belichick has come up so prominently, it might be time to look at some others who “Don’t Get No Respect.” There are a few to highlight.

  • Winter Olympics Ice Hockey: The event is right on our doorsteps, ice hockey at the Winter Olympic Games – it gets no respect. Clearly, TEAM Canada gets a load of respect from our neighbors to ‘da North, but in the USA, casual sports fans more of less say, ‘let me know when they can win a gold medal.’ And, it’s the same way for the women. Ever since Cammi Granato took the gold with TEAM USA in ‘98 at Nagano, there’s been a general lack of interest in the US, and that includes 2002 when the USA took home silver in a 3-2 loss to Canada. (See below).
  • The Preakness: Yes, “the Preakness “don’t” get no respect. Pimlico Race Course is only 6.5 miles from Inner Harbor Baltimore but the downtrodden horse racing venue gets little to no attention other than one day a year. The Preakness, held at Pimlico every May, is the second leg of a potential Triple Crown in horse racing, but as of late, some thoroughbred horse owners do some load management and don’t even enter the Preakness, thus avoiding the heat, humidity and only a two week break from the first race of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby.
  • The French Open: The Australian Open serves up the new tennis season, Wimbledon highlights the summer grand slam schedule and the U.S. Open crowns the champions of the season. Lost in the shuffle is the French Open – more often called Roland Garros – as the venue and tournament itself (not to mention the tournament logo) are named after a French aviator. It’s a great tennis tournament, the ultimate competition on clay surface, but it’s lost in the shuffle.
  • The Athletics, the Clippers, the Nets and the Raiders: The Swingin’ A’s were once World Champions, the Raiders had the NFL in the palm of their hands – both teams well established in Oakland. Nowadays, forget it. Lost franchises they are. The Nets were once high and mighty with Julius “Dr. J” Erving leading the club to ABA titles. The Clippers? Perennial also-rans toiling next to the LA Lakers. The Clippers? They Don’t Get No Respect.
  • Aqueduct Racetrack: Aqueduct Racetrack, a thoroughbred horse racing facility in South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, NY (near JFK Airport), is a dump. Built in 1894, and 11 years senior of Belmont Park (1905), Aqueduct is the ultimate hang for low life gamblers. You gotta love it, but Aqueduct Don’t Get No Respect.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Wednesday in Prince Spaghetti Day, but Monday, this Monday is Red Sox Truck Day! The departure of the Red Sox equipment truck for the club’s Spring Training home at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, is scheduled for Monday, February 2. The truck will be loaded at 7:00am and is scheduled to leave Fenway Park for the 1,480-mile trip from Fenway to Fort Myers between 11:00am and 12:00 Noon. The famed equipment truck, which will depart from Fenway Park on the Van Ness Street side of the ballpark, will be led by a flat-bed truck carrying Wally the Green Monster, his sister Tessie, and Fenway Ambassadors who will be tossing soft Red Sox baseballs to fans. As always, the truck will carry an assortment of baseball equipment and supplies, including:

  • 20,400 baseballs
  • 1,100 baseball bats
  • 200 batting gloves
  • 200 batting helmets
  • 320 batting practice tops
  • 160 white game uniform jerseys
  • 300 pairs of uniform pants
  • 400 t-shirts
  • 400 pairs of socks
  • 20 cases of bubble gum
  • 60 cases of sunflower seeds

The celebration of Truck Day has been a Red Sox tradition since 2003, signaling the unofficial start of Spring Training.

Former EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas (file)

HEADING OUT: While EuroLeague Basketball is at the crossroads once again, the league’s Board has decided to move on from their third CEO in recent memory. Gone are Jordi Bertomeau and his interim replacement in longtime EuroLeague consultant Marshall Glickman of American descent. Now, it’s bye-bye to the CEO who guided EuroLeague over the last three years.

“After consideration by the ECA Board, my duties as CEO of Euroleague Basketball come to an end, wrote now departing CEO Paulius Motiejunas of Lithuania in a statement. “While this may sound like sad news, my overwhelming feeling today is one of pride and gratitude.

“The last three years have been incredibly intense, demanding, and deeply rewarding. I have learned immensely, and together with an outstanding management team, clubs, and partners, we have made meaningful and measurable progress.

“During my tenure, we achieved milestones that speak to both growth and sustainability – always with the long-term interests of European basketball in mind. Among them:

  • 44% growth in overall revenues
  • 50% growth in team economic distributions
  • 50% growth in sponsorship revenues over the last two years
  • 3x-5x increase in Final Four value compared to the previous most successful edition
  • 3x growth in content views, reaching more than 1.1 billion
  • 4x growth in ELTV revenues
  • Unlocked the Middle East market, expanding the league’s footprint and exporting the European game to an entirely new region
  • Launched the new FFP Competitive Balance Standards, a first in European sports
  • And perhaps most importantly, built a revamped front-office structure – fit for purpose, resilient, and ready to take the league to the next level, regardless of who sits in the CEO seat.

“None of this progress was ever about one individual. It belongs to the fans – the ones who fill the arenas, stay up late, argue, celebrate, and pass the love for this game from one generation to the next. They are the soul of European basketball. Alongside them, the Euroleague Basketball team, the clubs, and our commercial and strategic partners work relentlessly behind the scenes to strengthen the league.

“European basketball today stands at a crossroads. Its growth and increasing value naturally attract external interest. The responsibility is to ensure this growth remains rooted in our culture, traditions, and collective model, rather than becoming a tool for external control or short-term financial gains that do not revert into further investment in European basketball. Protecting European basketball is not about resisting change; it is about shaping it wisely, from within, and with unity.

“From the sidelines, I will continue to support the success of European basketball and of Euroleague Basketball, confident in the strong foundations that have been built and in the people who will carry this work forward. Thank you for the journey. The mission continues,” concluded Motiejunas.

Deal or No Deal?

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – The NFL said Sunday that the Seattle Seahawks were not fined for failing to comply with league ownership requirements to sell the team, contrary to a report of a $5 million penalty in the Wall Street Journal.

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“As we told the WSJ yesterday on the record, the team was not fined,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Pro Football Talk on Sunday. The Wall Street Journal article on Saturday included the league’s denial as well as the team — through a spokesman for Vulcan, Inc., the late Paul Allen’s company that manages the Seahawks — declining to comment on the fine.

The league and other owners are putting pressure on the trust that has controlled the franchise since owner Allen died in 2018, to sell the Seahawks, according to the article. League rules require controlling ownership be an individual, not a larger entity such as a trust, according to the Wall Street Journal report.

Allen, a Microsoft co-founder who also owned the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, made the stated intention that the teams eventually be sold, with proceeds going to charity. His sister, Jody Allen, is executor of the trust.

Multiple reports on Friday said the Seahawks are up for sale immediately after Super Bowl LX next Sunday, when Seattle faces the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif.

“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” the Paul G. Allen Estate said in a statement on Friday. “We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”

The Trail Blazers went on sale in September 2025 and reportedly are being sold for more than $4 billion to a group of investors led by Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.

Paul Allen’s estate does not include a hard deadline to sell the Seahawks, but one term expired in 2024 that would have required 10% of the proceeds to go to the state of Washington.

Per Sportico last summer, the Seahawks were valued at $6.59 billion, in the middle of the pack for NFL teams. Forbes’ December 2024 list of worldwide sports franchise values put the Seahawks in a tie for 24th place with the Los Angeles Dodgers at $5.45 billion.

The latest purchase of an NFL club was the $6.05 billion sale of the Washington Commanders in 2023. ESPN cited an anonymous team executive saying the Seahawks could be sold for $7 billion to $8 billion.

The highest-valued sports franchise is the Dallas Cowboys, listed by Sportico at $12.8 billion and by Forbes a year earlier at $10.1 billion.

Paul Allen spent $200 million in 1997 to buy the Seahawks from Ken Behring at a time when there was talk of the team relocating.

–Field Level Media

NFL Network, RedZone Channel – SOLD!

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Will the ghost of John Facenda please report to the SportsCenter set in Bristol?

You’ve been sold.

Government regulators approved ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network, linear rights to the NFL RedZone Channel and other league media assets in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN, the NFL and ESPN announced late Saturday night.

The blockbuster deal was formally announced last August pending reviews by the Justice Department and other non-US antitrust authorities, which are now complete.

“With the closing, we will begin integrating NFL employees into ESPN in the months ahead,” ESPN and the NFL said in a joint statement. “As we look to the future, NFL fans can look forward to expanded NFL programming, greater access to NFL Network, innovative Fantasy experiences and unparalleled coverage of America’s most popular sport.”

The deal will bring major NFL media properties under the Disney-owned network and expand ESPN’s football offerings across both traditional and streaming platforms.

The National Football League gave up 100% ownership of the NFL Network for 10% of ESPN, which is valued in billions of dollars.

Under the agreement, NFL Network and RedZone will be integrated into ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service while remaining available via cable and satellite. The RedZone brand could translate to a similar offering in other sports to which ESPN has broadcast rights.

NFL Fantasy will merge with ESPN Fantasy, creating the official season-long fantasy platform of the league.

As part of a second agreement between the sides, ESPN will also gain rights to license three additional NFL games per season for 28 total. Seven of those games will be broadcast on NFL Network — these three new ones and four that will shift from ESPN to NFL Network. The NFL doubleheaders on Monday nights will cease, while NFL Network again will have four international games for a total of seven games each season.

The merger does not impact coverage of Super Bowl LX next week, with viewers unlikely to see changes until April at the earliest, when NFL Media employees become part of ESPN.

The NFL will retain ownership of key properties including NFL Films, NFL+, NFL.com and the NFL Podcast Network, and will continue producing and distributing the digital version of RedZone independently

–Field Level Media

NFL Salary Cap to $301.2 Million

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – NFL teams were informed on Friday that the 2026 salary cap is projected to increase from 2025’s record ceiling to between $301.2 million and $305.7 million. The new NFL numbers were first reported by the NFL Network, seemingly, a credible source.

This season, clubs each had a limit of $279.2 million, a $23.8 million increase from 2024. The projected number for next season is a boost of more than $20 million and almost $100 million more than the cap of $208.2 million in 2022, when it first crossed the $200 million barrier.

The league’s rise in prosperity and popularity has been reflected in TV rights deals with its broadcast partners and impacted the annual salary cap, which was $120.37 million in 2011.

The cap has risen yearly since 2011, except for 2021 when the league prioritized recovery from the pandemic, including loss of live attendance gate and concessions profits.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

Maye Day! Maye Day!

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report)New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye missed practice Friday due to illness, coach Mike Vrabel announced.

“He would have been at practice today if not for the illness,” Vrabel said of Maye, who also has been limited by a sore right shoulder.

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The team is preparing for Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara. Maye was listed as a limited participant because of the shoulder issue during an estimated practice on Wednesday as well as Thursday’s session.

Vrabel was asked how Maye’s shoulder responded to limited participation on Thursday.

“I would say favorably, he’s fine,” Vrabel said on Friday. “However you label limited, that’s how much he practiced. It wasn’t full. So if it’s not full, it has to be down as limited.”

Maye talked to reporters after Thursday’s session and said he “felt good.” The second-year player said he threw during practice in the Patriots’ field house and didn’t think he would be limited for the Super Bowl.

“That’s why you spend time; that’s why you have trainers,” Maye said. “I think it’s just been one of those things where it’s been a long season and sometimes things show up. I’ll do whatever I can to feel 100%, and I’m sure I’ll get if not there, as close as you can — 99, or do whatever I can to make sure I’m throwing and do whatever I can to help the team win.”

Maye, 23, landed on his right shoulder during a 13-yard run in the third quarter of New England’s 10-7 win over the host Denver Broncos last Sunday in the AFC title game.

Maye has started every game this season for New England, including playoff victories over the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Broncos.

He led the NFL with a 72.0% completion rate and 113.5 passer rating while throwing for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Maye has four TD passes and two interceptions in the postseason.

With a victory over the Seahawks, Maye will be the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

The Patriots also continue to practice this week without linebackers Harold Landry III (knee) and Robert Spillane (ankle) and offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee/illness). Spillane was injured during the AFC Championship Game, a contest that Landry missed.

-Field Level Media