7:00 AM ET Football fans got quite a treat this week. As the NFL moved into the final stages of its preparations for the 2022 draft, two new spring leagues began a long anticipated joust for attention. The USFL will debut Saturday night, reviving a long-lost brand and team names first established four decades ago.
NFL
6:00 AM ET NFL NationESPN The balance of power in the NFC North hung in the balance following the 2021 season as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers pondered his future: Would he return to Green Bay, retire or try to force a trade? Without Rodgers, the Minnesota Vikings likely would have entered the season
12:17 AM ET Police want to speak with Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph in connection with a shooting death last month in the Lower Greenville section of Dallas, sources said Thursday. Cameron Ray, 20, was fatally shot after a March 18 altercation with a group of individuals that appeared to include Joseph, a second-round pick
10:09 PM ET Dan HajduckyESPN Close Hajducky is a reporter/researcher for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men’s soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities. The $518,000 sale of the game ball used in the now-unretired Tom Brady‘s “final” touchdown pass has been voided
3:36 PM ET The Arizona Cardinals are bringing back veteran wide receiver A.J. Green on a one-year deal, it was announced Thursday. Contract terms were not available. Last season, Green came as close as he has been to a 1,000-yard season since his most recent, in 2017. He finished 2021 with 848 yards and three
4:34 PM ET The Indianapolis Colts have signed veteran free-agent safety Rodney McLeod, it was announced Thursday. McLeod, who missed the first three games of the 2021 season while recovering from a left ACL tear suffered the previous season, made pivotal interceptions in the final two regular-season games to help lift the Philadelphia Eagles into
2:39 PM ET The Green Bay Packers are finally adding to their receiver room by signing veteran Sammy Watkins. It’s a one-year deal worth up to $4 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Packers have lost three of their top receivers this offseason, headed by All Pro Davante Adams in a trade to
7:00 AM ET NFL NationESPN The 2022 NFL draft is just two weeks away (Round 1 begins April 28 at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ABC) and there are still many questions about how all 32 teams will approach the draft. And no wonder why. This year’s wild free agency filled holes for some teams
7:00 AM ET The San Francisco 49ers entered this offseason with a clear roster deficiency: the cornerback position. So after years of nibbling at it in free agency, the 49ers did what many NFL teams feel compelled to do. They took a big swing at a veteran player with a limited résumé, signing free-agent Charvarius
7:00 AM ET BEFORE 2014, GEORGE KARLAFTIS never had football on his radar. Growing up in Athens, Greece, his sporting plate overflowed with swimming, soccer, tennis, basketball, track and field, judo and water polo, in which Karlaftis fast-tracked as a young teen. Karlaftis fit in every arena. He has a confluence of gifts — size,
5:09 PM ET HENDERSON, Nev. — A tried and true, dynamic playcaller to help fix those red zone woes? Check. A trusted playmaker who might be the best receiver in the NFL? No doubt. A contract extension that makes sure you are paid at market value and gives you comfort and commitment? You better believe
3:40 PM ET FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys became the first NFL team to add a digital currency platform as a sponsor Wednesday, agreeing to a long-term deal with Blockchain.com. While fans will not yet be allowed to use cryptocurrency at AT&T Stadium, they will have the opportunity to earn exclusive fan experiences that
10:49 AM ET ESPN News Services The Houston Texans are getting a starting cornerback before the NFL draft. They’re signing Steven Nelson to a two-year, $10 million deal, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Nelson joins cornerbacks Desmond King and Lonnie Johnson on the roster. King moved outside last season for the first time in
1:53 PM ET Baker Mayfield says he feels “disrespected” by the Cleveland Browns after they traded for Deshaun Watson last month, effectively ending Mayfield’s tenure after four seasons as the team’s starting quarterback. “One-hundred percent,” Mayfield said on the YNK podcast released Wednesday. “I was told one thing and they completely did another.” Mayfield covered
12:44 PM ET PITTSBURGH — A memorial service for Dwayne Haskins, who was killed this past Saturday when he was hit by a dump truck, will be held April 22 in Pittsburgh. The service will be held at the Allegheny Center Alliance Church from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a visitation preceding the memorial
11:09 AM ET Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $121.5 million, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Carr received a no-trade clause as part of the deal, the source told Fowler. The deal, which was first reported Wednesday by NFL Network, keeps Carr under contract with
10:31 AM ET The XFL has finalized the hiring of all eight head coaches for its 2023 return to the field, owners Dany Garcia and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced Wednesday on ESPN’s Get Up! The list includes former NFL head coaches Wade Phillips and Jim Haslett, as well as longtime Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob
6:00 AM ET PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles‘ offseason can be most accurately viewed through the prism of the Honey Badger. There’s been mutual interest between the Eagles and safety Tyrann Mathieu. They hosted him on a virtual visit last week, a league source confirmed an NFL Network report, and have been in communication with him