NFL

6:50 AM ET The Kansas City Chiefs are still on top. Several long months after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, Kansas City enters the 2020 NFL season as both the best team in the league and the Super Bowl favorite, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI). FPI is our prediction

9:52 PM ET NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, in an interview with NBC Sports, acknowledged that the league “failed miserably” in its implementation of pass interference replay reviews last season and that such failure would serve as a cautionary tale for the NFL to not rush rule changes in the future.

1:45 PM ET Mike Tomlin likes the discussion around an incentivized minority hiring process in the NFL. On “Coffee with Cal,” hosted by Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari, on Monday morning, the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach said he likes the idea of a change to the Rooney Rule that rewards teams for hiring minority

7:20 AM ET Leaps into swimming pools. Emotional moments of jubilation. Tears of joy. Fifteen words delivered by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell — “With the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select Tua Tagovailoa” — elicited all that plus a belief the moment will change the Dolphins’ franchise forever. Over the

9:25 PM ET Prior to The Match: Champions for Charity, which raised $20 million for coronavirus relief, against Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson, former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning came prepared with the jokes and trash talk, before teeing off with his partner, Tiger Woods. Peyton when asked

6:00 AM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Nine months ago, Patrick Queen wasn’t thinking about taking over the spot once manned by Ray Lewis. He was wondering whether he would ever get on the field in LSU’s season opener. Queen barely played in a 55-3 rout of Georgia Southern, the tough reality of losing the

6:00 AM ET A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets: 1. Darnold & Wise Men: In addition to a revamped offensive line and a couple of new wide receivers, quarterback Sam Darnold received a new set of encyclopedias this offseason — quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Frank Gore. We’re talking about

1:52 PM ET Eli Manning creatively announced that he is joining Twitter by paying homage to the movie “Hoosiers” on Saturday, and Tom Brady chimed in with a humorous touch. To paraphrase Jimmy Chitwood, “I don’t know if it’ll make any change, but I figure it’s time for me to start playing social media.” pic.twitter.com/Af8IFMOiEQ

6:12 PM ET The Seattle Seahawks and running back Carlos Hyde have reached an agreement on a one-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday. Hyde, who turns 30 in September, scored six touchdowns and ran for a career-best 1,070 yards on 245 carries for the Houston Texans last season and played in

8:00 AM ET Kimberley A. Martin A farm. A field. A canyon. A pool. Even a driveway. As NFL players wait for a return to normalcy before the 2020 regular season begins, they have had to get creative with how and where they train. The ripple effects of these unprecedented times — nationwide social distancing

7:00 AM ET As the wait for quarterback Dak Prescott‘s upcoming contract with the Dallas Cowboys extends into a second decade … wait, has it not been that long? It sure seems that way. The Cowboys placed the exclusive franchise tag on Prescott in March, which means he will make at least $31.4 million in

6:00 AM ET There have been many theories laid out as to why the Dallas Cowboys haven’t committed to a long-term deal with quarterback Dak Prescott. Below, we identify and evaluate a few. Ezekiel Elliott, not Prescott, drives the Cowboys’ offense Over his career, Prescott has a higher Total QBR on plays with Elliott off

11:50 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht isn’t concerned the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady will put too much pressure on his young roster to produce. Appearing on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Thursday night, Licht was asked if he was concerned that “urgency could becoming crippling” for

10:50 PM ET Bidding for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl LI championship ring closed at $1.025 million Thursday night, making it one of the most expensive items in the All In Challenge, which aims to be the largest virtual fundraiser in history. Its mission is to feed those in need. In addition

5:36 PM ET Lindsey ThiryESPN Close Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times Previously covered the Falcons Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball As the NFL and other sports leagues weigh options to safely return to action amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald said he

4:09 PM ET Dallas Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith has been granted conditional reinstatement by the NFL from an indefinite suspension for violation of the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The move will allow Smith to take part in meetings with Cowboys coaches and teammates in the virtual

12:47 PM ET An unnamed NFL player is suing United Airlines, alleging he was sexually harassed, assaulted and violated by a female passenger on a February flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, and that the airline failed to properly respond to complaints. The civil suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on

7:00 AM ET The Houston Texans saw this coming in October 2017, when then-rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson took the league by storm, throwing 16 touchdowns in a four-game span. In his next two seasons, he led the Texans to consecutive division titles. Entering his fourth year, Watson is eligible to be paid like a long-term