7:00 AM ET ESPN Stats & Information The benchmark for a great season depends on era. Being a 4,000-yard passer meant something quite different in 1980, 2000 and 2020. The meaning of our standard benchmarks — like a 1,000-yard rusher or, in fantasy football, a 300-point quarterback — have shifted over time, but they’re also
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8:11 PM ET Brady HendersonESPN RENTON, Wash. — Duane Brown‘s hold-in is over. And so is any uncertainty as to whether the Seattle Seahawks will have their Pro Bowl left tackle in Sunday’s regular-season opener. “He’s ready to go,” coach Pete Carroll said Monday before confirming that Brown will play against the Indianapolis Colts. “And
10:14 PM ET The New Orleans Saints have turned to a longtime former rival to add some much-needed experience at the cornerback position. They agreed to a deal with former Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl defensive back Desmond Trufant after he worked out on Monday, a source confirmed to ESPN. Trufant, 30, spent his first seven
6:00 PM ET NFL NationESPN The 2021 NFL season is nearly here, with teams taking on a 17-week slate of games for the first time in history. The season opener is Thursday night, when the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys. Our NFL Nation reporters have you covered with intel
8:16 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens signed tight end Mark Andrews to a four-year extension on Monday, the team announced. A source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the deal is worth $56 million. At $14 million per season, that makes Andrews the third-highest-paid tight end in the league, trailing only George
5:26 PM ET CINCINNATI — Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase didn’t shy away from one of the team’s biggest preseason storylines. Throughout the offseason, training camp and in the preseason games, this year’s fifth overall draft pick has struggled with repeated drops. In his first news conference since the issue became more pronounced, Chase
3:15 PM ET FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets remain hopeful that wide receiver Jamison Crowder, who tested positive last week for COVID-19, will play in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Crowder has virus-related symptoms, coach Robert Saleh said Monday, but NFL protocols allow him to return to the team before Sunday
5:52 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens lost their second running back to a season-ending injury in a five-day span, when Justice Hill suffered a lower leg injury at Thursday’s practice, a source said Monday. NFL Network reported that Hill tore an Achilles tendon. Hill, Baltimore’s No. 3 running back, was hurt
1:48 PM ET SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In search of more secondary depth heading toward the season opener, the San Francisco 49ers are bringing in former All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman. Norman signed a one-year deal with the Niners on Monday, the team announced. To make room for him on the roster, San Francisco released veteran
2:17 PM ET EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley cleared yet another hurdle when he came through his first contact at practice late last week with no issues, multiple sources told ESPN. If all goes well in Wednesday’s padded practice, Barkley is expected to be on the field Sunday in
12:04 PM ET HOUSTON — Tyrod Taylor was officially named the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans and will make his debut for the franchise on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. “Tyrod Taylor will start for us at quarterback, for sure,” head coach David Culley said Monday. The announcement was not a surprise, but Culley
10:13 AM ET Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins placed offensive lineman Austin Jackson and tight end Adam Shaheen on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, sources told ESPN’s Field Yates, potentially leaving them short-handed as the team prepares for its Week 1 game against the New England Patriots. The Dolphins confirmed the moves Monday and
10:58 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick clarified his remarks on vaccinations Monday, saying even though the team would be better off if everyone was vaccinated, it wouldn’t solve all problems. Belichick’s comments came five days after he said quarterback Cam Newton‘s vaccination status wasn’t a factor in his release.
6:45 AM ET Mike Tannenbaum With only a few days to go before the start of the 2021 NFL season, we’re taking an early look at how the new 17-game schedule will play out, projecting stats leaders and making predictions. Which quarterback will lead the league in touchdown passes? What about interceptions? Which rookie wide
7:15 AM ET Heading into the 2021 NFL season, ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) simulated the entire 285-game slate 20,000 times to create our projections. Having a sample size that large allows us to have the most accurate projections possible, which is, of course, what we want most of the time. But today, we’re only
4:19 PM ET Brady HendersonESPN RENTON, Wash. — Continuing their reshuffling at cornerback, the Seattle Seahawks are expected to sign former New York Jets starter Bless Austin, a source confirmed to ESPN on Sunday. The Jets waived the 25-year-old Austin on Wednesday, a surprise move given that he was projected to remain one of their
12:35 PM ET Dallas Cowboys Pro-Bowl guard Zack Martin has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the virus and is out for Thursday night’s regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coach Mike McCarthy said. Connor McGovern will replace Martin in the starting lineup at right guard. Tackle Brandon Knight also
7:00 AM ET Do protective shells worn over helmets, like the ones used here by Miami Dolphins offensive linemen Matt Skura (62) and Tyler Gauthier (75), actually reduce the risk of head injuries? Mark Brown/Getty Images CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers center Matt Paradis was among about 100 NFL players who arrived for the first padded