NFL

6:00 AM ET Steve Bartkowski arrived in New York, went to his hotel room and waited. Intimidated not by what was going to happen in mere hours but by the city of New York, Bartkowski didn’t want to get lost or mess anything up. So he stayed put. The Cal quarterback was about to become

11:25 AM ET FRISCO, Texas — Four days before the first round of the 2021 NFL draft and it has become clearer as to who the Dallas Cowboys will select in the first round. For all of Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ infatuation with Kyle Pitts, the Florida tight end should be drafted

11:03 PM ET The Atlanta Falcons are open to hearing trade offers for wide receiver Julio Jones, general manager Terry Fontenot told FOX 5 in Atlanta on Monday night. Fontenot answered the question about possibly moving Jones broadly, but the question asked was a direct one about the team’s star receiver for a decade. “That’s

6:31 PM ET GREEN BAY, Wis. — Just because the Green Bay Packers haven’t restructured or extended Aaron Rodgers‘ contract does not mean they won’t in the coming days either before this week’s draft or in the coming months before the season starts. That’s where general manager Brian Gutekunst left things on Monday. Gutekunst and

7:21 PM ET MINNEAPOLIS — New Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson is the first player to take advantage of the NFL’s relaxed rule on jersey numbers that now permits defensive backs to wear Nos. 1-49. On his All Things Covered podcast, Peterson said he’ll be switching from the No. 21 he donned for the past

5:46 PM ET SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Three weeks after the San Francisco 49ers‘ bold trade up to the No. 3 pick in the NFL draft, coach Kyle Shanahan said the team was already comfortable enough to draft three of the top five quarterbacks but the team could “get there” with Nos. 4 and 5.

4:37 PM ET Under contract now through the 2022 season, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said Monday that his focus is on this season over signing a long-term extension with the team. “The fifth-year option just happened, so a long-term deal I think is a little bit on the back burner for me,” Mayfield said

2:32 PM ET Veteran offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, who opted out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns, announced his retirement on Monday. He made the announcement via a statement released on Twitter, saying he “will forever remain grateful for the memories, experiences, friendships and successes football has provided me.” Thank you for all

3:01 PM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If he makes the Kansas City Chiefs‘ roster to begin this season, tight end Sean Culkin will be the first NFL player to convert all of his salary to Bitcoin. Culkin, who is vying to be a backup behind starter Travis Kelce, would be paid his $920,000 salary

2:12 PM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. — New left tackle Orlando Brown said he’s ready for the pressure of protecting Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback and half-billion dollar investment. “I put a lot of pressure on myself and have very high expectations for myself and that’s keeping Pat as clean as possible, creating

12:38 PM ET FRISCO, Texas — After 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, linebacker Sean Lee has decided to retire. A second-round pick in 2010 out of Penn State, Lee was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2015, 2016) and the unquestioned leader of the defense for most of his career. “It’s been a complete honor,”

11:02 AM ET MINNEAPOLIS — Months after the conclusion of his standout rookie season, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is being immortalized beyond the NFL’s record books. The Fortnite video game will include as an emote “The Griddy,” the toe-tapping touchdown celebration Jefferson brought with him from LSU to the pros. The dance’s inclusion

9:00 AM ET David Purdum Close ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPN in 2014 Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008 Doug Kezirian Close ESPN ESPN Sports Betting Analyst Host of Daily Wager Behind The Bets podcast host The betting on the NFL draft has been going on for nearly a month and will pick up steam

7:15 AM ET Cameron Wolfe Close ESPN Staff Writer Covered the Broncos for two seasons with the Denver Post Graduate of the University of Houston A native of Jackson, Miss. NFL Nation Personnel from the NFL teams in attendance at the 2021 Senior Bowl in late January were spaced 30 feet apart inside the convention

6:00 AM ET TEMPE, Ariz. — By time the 2004 NFL draft was set to start, former Arizona Cardinals general manager Rod Graves and now-deceased head coach Dennis Green had made their decision: If he was there at No. 3, Larry Fitzgerald was going to be their pick. Fitzgerald, the star wide receiver from Pitt,

8:07 PM ET Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev. — Mike Davis, the former Raiders defensive back who made one of the most memorable interceptions in team history, has died. He was 65. The Raiders announced Davis’ death Sunday. The team gave no details on the cause of death. The former Colorado star was a second-round pick

Apr 26, 2020 For years, folks in the NFL would often openly wonder if they needed to be in Indianapolis for the entire combine. They would complain about the cold weather, saying they were counting the hours until they could hit the road, as they speed-walked through the convention center to another round of interviews.

6:00 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Intrigue starts at QB: Coach Bill Belichick might say “the hay is the barn” at this point when it comes to the 2021 NFL draft (April 29-May 1 in Cleveland, on ESPN and the ESPN App). The