NFL

9:27 AM ET Associated Press NFL players can wear social justice messages on their helmets again this season and “It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” will be stenciled in end zones for the second straight year as part of the league’s Inspire Change platform. The league will also bring back the “Say Their

6:35 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mac Jones decisively beat out Cam Newton for the New England Patriots‘ starting quarterback job. In doing so, he now has the chance to rewrite the narrative that Alabama Crimson Tide quarterbacks haven’t measured up in the NFL since the days of Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler,

8:00 AM ET EUGENE, ORE. — LET’S TALK about the haircut. Justin Herbert looks away, visibly distraught. Not because he’s embarrassed by the haircut in question — in December, he showed up at a Chargers news conference looking less like a golden-haired surfer god and more like a military school cadet, a visually awkward transformation

11:41 PM ET Brianna Williams Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis plans to build a three-story, 15,000-square-foot mansion in Henderson, Nevada. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported construction crews have already broken ground on the home, which will be on a six-acre plot in Ascaya, a private community in Clark County. Want a good comparison of

9:50 PM ET Brady HendersonESPN RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that he’s “counting on” veteran left tackle Duane Brown playing in the team’s regular-season opener. While Carroll stopped well short of declaring anything, it was the most optimism he has expressed that Brown will be on the field Sept. 12

5:11 PM ET HENDERSON, Nev. — Entering his third season as Las Vegas Raiders general manager and after 7-9 and 8-8 seasons, Mike Mayock has a specific goal in mind for 2021. “Jon [Gruden] and I will both tell you that we feel like we need to be a playoff team this year, and I

4:59 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz expressed forgiveness toward the team’s front office and emphasized his commitment to the city and the organization following a rocky offseason that involved plenty of trade talks. “Like I’ve said all along, this is the place I want to be, this is the place

6:45 PM ET INDIANAPOLIS — Colts general manager Chris Ballard reiterated Wednesday that he is a firm believer that everybody should get vaccinated for COVID-19. Ballard, in his annual media session before the start of the regular season, spent a significant amount of time answering questions about a number of his players not being vaccinated

7:18 PM ET Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN MIAMI — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Brian Flores speak “every day,” but it’s what Flores told the rest of the team during a meeting Tuesday that resonated with him. One day after Flores confirmed the Dolphins’ confidence in Tagovailoa despite rumors of the team’s interest in

5:32 PM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu has been placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list after sources told ESPN he tested positive for the coronavirus. Mathieu is vaccinated, according to a source. 1 Related To be moved off the reserve/COVID-19 list and cleared to play, Mathieu will need to

11:45 AM ET PITTSBURGH — Cornerback Joe Haden is guaranteed to play the 2021 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that, though, the Pro Bowl corner will hit the free market, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning. Haden, who approached the team about a contract extension last month, has decided

1:07 PM ET The Chicago Bears are signing wide receiver Breshad Perriman to a one-year deal, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus‬, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday. Perriman joins the Bears after he was released Monday by the Detroit Lions, who had given him $2 million guaranteed when they signed him in March. But Perriman dealt

2:05 PM ET FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — In a surprise move, the New York Jets released starting cornerback Bless Austin, their most experienced player at a position filled with rookies. The Jets made the move Wednesday, one day after keeping eight cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster. They tried to trade Austin, who started 10

12:21 PM ET The New Orleans Saints will “host” the Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field on Sunday, Sept. 12, while the city of New Orleans continues to recover from Hurricane Ida. The NFL announced Jacksonville as the alternate site for the game, which will still kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET as

11:44 AM ET Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. underwent surgery Wednesday morning to repair a meniscus injury and is likely to miss the season based on the 4-5 month recovery timetable, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Smith suffered the injury in the team’s preseason finale at Kansas City on Friday. Smith was primed

10:41 AM ET JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars released a statement Wednesday morning saying the team didn’t release any players on Tuesday because of their vaccination status, one day after head coach Urban Meyer said it was a consideration. “Availability is one of the many factors taken into account when making roster decisions,” the statement

9:01 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Cam Newton‘s vaccination status wasn’t a factor in the team’s decision to release him. “No. Look, you guys keep talking about that,” Belichick told reporters Wednesday morning. “I would just point out that I don’t know what the number is, but the

11:02 PM ET Brady HendersonESPN RENTON, Wash. — Pro Bowl free safety Quandre Diggs says he expects to play in the team’s regular-season opener and return to practice soon, once he finalizes an undisclosed personal financial matter. The 28-year-old Diggs is in a contract year. It’s believed that he and the team aren’t in negotiations