Football Page 12 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Raiders draft new centerpiece QB Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday, confident the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion just keeps winning.,The 22-year-old becomes the centerpiece of a franchise rebuild following his own meteoric rise, cul...

Photos from '20 show Mike Vrabel, Dianna Russini kissing
Newly surfaced photos appear to show Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini kissing in a New York City bar back in 2020.,The New York Post's Page Six published the photos Thursday, one day after the New England Patriots head coach announced that he will miss Day 3 of the NFL draft on Saturday to attend coun...

Chiefs DBs coach Dave Merritt arrested, charged with domestic battery
Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery on Wednesday night.,Merritt, 54, was arrested on Wednesday night and booked into the Johnson County jail, the Kansas City Star reported. ,Per the report, the Johnson County District Attor...

Photos from '20 show Mike Vrabel, Diana Russini kissing
Newly surfaced photos appear to show Mike Vrabel and Diana Russini kissing in a New York City bar back in 2020.,The New York Post's Page Six published the photos Thursday, one day after the New England Patriots head coach announced that he will miss Day 3 of the NFL draft on Saturday to attend couns...

Falcons' James Pearce Jr. has path to dropped charges
Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. will have all charges dismissed if he completes an intervention program that includes therapy sessions and staying out of trouble for six months.,Attorney Yale Sanford told ESPN on Thursday that his client also agreed to stay away from ex-girlfriend Rickea...

Reports: Ravens give WR Zay Flowers 5th-year, $27.3M extension
The Baltimore Ravens picked up wide receiver Zay Flowers' option for his fifth NFL season, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,He will play the 2026 season on the final season of his four-year, $14 million rookie contract, with the $27.3 million option covering the 2027 season.,The two sides still a...
Mike Vrabel Won’t Attend Day 3 of NFL Draft With Patriots Due To Counseling
Mike Vrabel will miss part of the NFL Draft amid controversy. Here’s what we know and the reaction....

Pats coach Mike Vrabel will get counseling, miss end of draft
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, amid a controversy over his visit to an Arizona resort with then-Athletic reporter Dianna Russini, is headed for counseling that will keep him away from the team for the final day of the NFL draft.,Vrabel will be with the club when it makes its first selection...

Who's No. 2? Books shifting from Arvell Reese to David Bailey for Jets
The New York Jets continue to hold their cards close to the vest when it comes to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.,But the most popular online sportsbooks think they see a tell: Texas A&M pass rusher David Bailey has passed Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as the favorite...
Why Mike Tomlin Will Be Perfect Television Fit for NBC
Mike Tomlin is heading to NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Here’s why his personality makes him a perfect fit for TV....

Raiders back at No. 1, Jets comb best of Buckeyes
Time is shorter and the wait is longer when the 2026 NFL Draft takes the stage in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. ,The vagabond event marks a return to the home of the Steelers for the first time since 1948. Across three days, seven rounds and 257 total picks at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium, ...

Top draft needs for all 32 teams
Wily general managers attempt to sell their plan to select the "best player available" prior to every draft. But front-office personnel of teams drafting at the top are not fortunate enough to ignore roster needs if they'd like to stick around for next year's draft. ,With free agency all but in the ...

Cowboys: No long-term deal for WR George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys will make wide receiver George Pickens play the 2026 season under the franchise tag, chief operating officer Stephen Jones said Wednesday.,"We've made a decision," Jones told reporters in a pre-draft press conference. "... There won't be negotiations on a long-term deal.",The Cowb...

Projecting the top 32 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft
For the third time in four years, a Heisman Trophy winner is going No. 1 in the NFL draft. ,Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and national championship, is headed to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top overall pick. Traveling the route last taken by LSU's Joe Bu...

Steelers owner has Ravens' fan seating moved at Pittsburgh draft
Brotherly love is not in the air in Pittsburgh, where Steelers owner Art Rooney II ceases to give the franchise rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens a day off. ,Rooney surveyed the stage and draft layout ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in his home city and was surprised to find the chart called for Ravens ...

Texans confirm contract extension for All-Pro DE Will Anderson Jr.
The Houston Texans announced they have signed All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. to a contract extension on Tuesday.,Terms of the deal weren't disclosed by the team, but the contract extension was first reported last Friday as being for three years and $150 million ($134 million guaranteed).,An...

Field Level Media's Top 100
Field Level Media Top 100 rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft:,1. QB Fernando Mendoza Indiana (6-5, 225),2. RB Jeremiyah Love Notre Dame (6-0, 210),3. TE Kenyon Sadiq Oregon (6-3, 245),4. WR Carnell Tate Ohio State (6-3, 195),5. OT Spencer Fano Utah (6-4, 300),6. LB Arvell Reese Ohio ...

Mike McCarthy: Steelers 'comfortable' giving Aaron Rodgers space to make decision
Mike McCarthy knows Aaron Rodgers can speak the so-called new language he's teaching the Pittsburgh Steelers, which dims the focus on the absence of the unsigned 42-year-old quarterback as team workouts begin. ,McCarthy still sounds confident the door is nowhere near closed for Rodgers to play a sec...

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel chides own decisions in addressing Russini fallout
Mike Vrabel admitted "difficult conversations with people I care about" were necessary to address photos were published of the Patriots head coach and a former Athletic reporter.,Vrabel's comments to reporters Tuesday come approximately two weeks after the New York Post published pictures of Vrabel ...

Report: Ravens' Nnamdi Madubuike could return in '26
The Baltimore Ravens are optimistic that standout defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike could return this season from what was considered a career-threatening neck injury he suffered in Week 2 of the 2025 season, ESPN reported Tuesday.,Per the report, Madubuike underwent neck surgery last week, with doc...