the-nfl Page 6 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Diversity in hiring is working for the 49ers, and other NFL teams don't like it
The rules in the NFL apply to all 32 teams. The compensatory draft pick rules are not exclusive to the San Francisco 49ers. They have received extra selections because they assembled a staff and front office that is not exclusively white men. ...

If Chicago can’t exploit Washington’s obvious desire for Caleb Williams, somebody needs to be fired
There are enough patsies in need of a quarterback that Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles would be foolish to not take the many godfather offers that will come his way before the NFL Draft on April 25. Chief among them are the Washington Commanders, who have a new owner, new GM and new coach desperately tr...

There are no more excuses for Justin Herbert
The AFC West got a little more interesting a couple of weeks ago when the Los Angeles Chargers added Jim Harbaugh to the fold, replacing Brandon Staley as head coach. That’s not just from a personality standpoint: The Chargers are expected to look much different on the field, especially on offense, ...

The ESPN-Fox-Warner streaming deal will destroy all middle men, even their own
The new joint venture between ESPN, Fox and Warner is something sports fans have been craving since the streaming wars started. Instead of flipping back and forth between apps, illegal streams and cable, all while juggling borrowed passwords and other people’s logins, we’ll be able to stay on one se...

Why would the UFL release its schedule during Super Bowl week?
There’s strength in numbers, but bad planning can weaken anything. When the XFL and USFL officially announced their merger as the UFL in December, it was to expand pro football in a country that’s obsessed over the game....
![So much for Saquon Barkley being a 'Giant for life' [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/f3c6d802297990b5c4a9b9cb3e1da6ba.jpg)
So much for Saquon Barkley being a 'Giant for life' [Update]
It’s official. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the New York Giants will not give running back Saquon Barkley the franchise tag. He will hit the open market for the first time since entering the league in 2018. ...

Here's what it will take to win Super Bowl LVIII
Football fans across the globe, be sure to enjoy the build-up to Super Bowl LVII, San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs. Another NFL game of significance will not be played until Sept. 5. That Thursday evening will be in the midst of an American presidential election campaign, and we should all...

A lack of relationships curbed the NFL’s enthusiasm for Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick’s offseason job search ended in pitiful fashion last week. For unknown reasons, a bevy of general managers vying to keep their jobs in a highly competitive industry opted to hitch their wagons to young, unproven coaches they’ve had prior relationships with rather than an eight-time Su...

The NFL's multi-billion dollar empire has a lawn-care problem
If there is one aspect of sports in which the NFL should have an unquestioned expertise, it should be in the maintenance of its playing surfaces. If the NBA and NHL can share stadiums and puzzle piece courts together over ice, then the NFL should be able to have the grass in pristine condition at th...

Let's take a look at how well Madden simulations have predicted the Super Bowl
Super Bowl LVIII week is upon us, as we’re merely days away from the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. For a couple of decades now, we’ve had Super Bowl simulations played out via EA Sports’ John Madden Football video game. It’s been a crapshoot, in large part, with so...

This week’s Las Vegas Super Bowl is one giant ad for sports betting
Of all the pop culture to come out of Las Vegas, very little of it has been flattering. From Nicky Santoro killing a guy with a ballpoint pen to Clark gambling away the Griswald family savings, and the Sin City graphic novels in between, it’s very difficult to overlook the city’s unsavory history — ...

Roger Goodell gets exposed again at the Super Bowl
They got rid of Jim Trotter. They moved the Commissioner’s annual Super Bowl press conference to Monday — and made it invite-only. They thought they did everything they could to protect Roger Goodell. They thought wrong. ...

Chris Russo was out of line when he called Dan Orlovsky 'a scrub'
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is largely a loveable relic from the sports radio past. He’s strident, over the top, and plays into this character that he created 40 years ago. While doing his “What are you Mad about,” segment on ESPN’s First Take, Russo has admitted that it’s stupid and his antics are ridicu...

Kawhi Leonard has entered the chat in the NBA MVP conversation
For fans who tend to skip over much of the NBA regular season, you’ve probably missed the recent uprising in talk about Kawhi Leonard having a claim in the MVP conversation. Most years, Leonard’s numbers are great. But since he blossomed into a star toward the end of his run in San Antonio, “The Cla...

Eric Bieniemy should be preparing for the Super Bowl. Instead, he’s out of a job (Updated)
Updated 3:15 p.m EST: ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has said Bieniemy will not return to Washington’s staff....

A week in Las Vegas: Godspeed to those embarking upon that journey for Super Bowl week
The best Las Vegas experience is usually one that is a whirlwind. A couple of days of cards, dice, shows, and booze that goes by so fast the most vivid memory of the trip might be time spent at Harry Reid International Airport. Vegas at warp speed is the best way to go, but that does not work for th...

It’s time to face reality — Bill Belichick is likely done coaching in the NFL
We’ve heard the phrase, “end of an era” quite a bit in the football world lately. Nick Saban retired in Alabama, Bill Belichick was “ushered” out of New England, and Pete Carroll was moved into an advisor’s role in Seattle. All championship coaches who many feel the game has passed by. Initially, it...

Eric Bieniemy passed by again; Zach Wilson's Aaron Rodgers delusion; Patrick Mahomes' dad-bod saga
(UPDATE, 11:20 am, Feb. 1): ESPN is reporting that Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been named Commanders head coach.)...

Former Raider, <i>Rocky</i> star Carl Weathers dead at 76
Carl Weathers, the actor who starred in the Rocky franchise, Predator, and The Mandalorian, died on Feb. 1, according to Variety. He was 76. ...

Jaguars want FanDuel to reimburse stolen $20M: report
The Jacksonville Jaguars want FanDuel to reimburse them for some or all of the roughly $20 million that former employee Amit Patel stole and used on the site, but the gambling company is refusing, according to ESPN. ...