NFL

2:57 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — Tempers flared on Day 2 of joint practices between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans in Tampa, resulting in five altercations that had to be broken up despite both Bucs coach Bruce Arians and Titans coach Mike Vrabel expressing zero tolerance for fighting before the practices. “A lot

1:39 PM ET New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson, the team’s biggest free-agent signing from the offseason, was carted off the field Thursday with an apparent left-leg injury. It happened during a red-zone period in a joint practice between the Jets and Green Bay Packers at the Packers’ facility. Several players took knees and

11:11 AM ET Jeff Dickerson Close ESPN Staff Writer Dickerson covers the Chicago Bears for ESPN’s NFL Nation. He is the co-host of “Dickerson & Hood” on the ESPN Radio national network, and is heard in Chicago on ESPN 1000. Marcel Louis-Jacques LAKE FOREST, Ill. — A minor injury scare will not prevent Chicago Bears

7:23 AM ET NFL NationESPN Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson, Los Angeles Rams corner Jalen Ramsey and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith are among the many NFL stars who have switched this season to numbers that are nontraditional for their positions. The league relaxed its restrictions on positional numbering earlier this year, opening the door

7:26 AM ET NFL NationESPN The second full week of preseason kicks off Thursday, one of five straight days with NFL action. With only two more games before the regular-season opener, expect more starters and names you know to be playing this week. Things start off Thursday with the New England Patriots traveling to play

6:25 PM ET PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington didn’t deny making a trade request when he spoke with the media Wednesday, his first public comments since he reportedly asked the organization for a trade. “That’s a private conversation,” he said. “As far as me being happy in Pittsburgh, I love it here.

8:50 PM ET Minnesota Vikings backup linebacker Cameron Smith, who underwent open heart surgery last year, has “made the difficult decision to retire from the NFL,” he wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday night. Smith, 24, had surgery to repair an enlarged heart last August, after a false positive COVID-19 test led to the diagnosis

4:35 PM ET ESPN staff While there has been no shortage of talk during 2021 NFL training camp season about whether veteran Andy Dalton or rookie Justin Fields should start for the Chicago Bears in Week 1 (click “More” below to see what Dalton had to say about that today), both quarterbacks felt a big

4:25 PM ET GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers and the “beautiful mystery” tour will continue this season, whether or not it’s his last with the Packers. After an offseason in which he stayed away while he tried to get the Packers to acquiesce to how he believes he should be involved — resulting in

4:49 PM ET New York Jets rookie Zach Wilson, who grew up idolizing Aaron Rodgers, was admittedly starstruck upon meeting the Green Bay Packers‘ quarterback for the first time at a joint practice Wednesday in Green Bay. So, too, was Jets second-year quarterback James Morgan, who played high-school ball in Green Bay. “James is a

1:38 PM ET ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Tyrann Mathieu may be the next safety in line for a big contract but he may have to wait. General manager Brett Veach said that while the Kansas City Chiefs would like to extend Mathieu’s contract beyond its end this season, the timing isn’t right for it to

12:38 PM ET FRISCO, Texas — The likelihood of Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott seeing any live action in the preseason before the Sept. 9 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is growing dimmer and dimmer. “There’s a good chance he probably won’t play. Yes, that’s fair,” coach Mike McCarthy said. On Monday, McCarthy said

12:13 PM ET New York Jets guard Alex Lewis, who walked off the practice field Aug. 5 with an apparent head injury, has decided to retire from the NFL, a source told ESPN on Wednesday. By rule, Lewis, 29, was eliminated from playing for any team in 2021 when he was placed last week on

12:36 PM ET HOUSTON — The allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson are being investigated by the FBI, Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said Wednesday. Hardin also said that Watson spoke to the FBI about allegations of extortion regarding one of the 23 lawsuits filed against the quarterback, of which

10:28 AM ET Chicago Bears rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins will undergo back surgery on Wednesday, head coach Matt Nagy announced. Nagy said he hopes Jenkins, whom the Bears traded up to draft 39th overall in the second round, will be able to return this season. “It’s a common procedure,” Nagy said. “It’s gonna be

7:00 AM ET FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur used to be called “Mikey,” the little squirt forced to relinquish the TV remote and prime couch space when his big brother and brother’s best friend came barging into the house seeking entertainment, nourishment and an occasional dip in the pool.

6:55 AM ET Jeff Jarrett is a WWE Hall of Famer and third-generation wrestling promoter whom ESPN approached in the run-up to WWE SummerSlam on Saturday for his thoughts on pro football players who had success crossing over into pro wrestling. That’s right, it’s me. Good ol’ Double J. That’s J-E-double F, J-A-double R-E-double T,

12:13 AM ET FRISCO, Texas — Second-year wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been the on-field star of training camp for the Dallas Cowboys. He has made play after play in Oxnard, California, and in his first practice inside Ford Center on Monday, he caught a touchdown pass on a diving fade to the corner of