He wore spandex sleeves, highlights in his hair and a diamond stud in his ear. He once called himself “the best kicker in history” and had the numbers to back it up. Before games, he used to slip a dollar bill under his wristband. “Because I was money,” Mike Vanderjagt says. He’d chirp at coaches…
The NFL playoffs are in full swing. The wild-card round came and went this past weekend, and on tap is the divisional round, which features four games between eight teams. Having lost in recent days, the Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings find themselves in…
As I put finishing grades on prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, I find myself wishing it were as strong of a class as the 2024 version. Based on the rookie film, last year’s draft class certainly hasn’t disappointed in the NFL. Here is a look at The Athletic’s All-Rookie team: Quarterback Jayden Daniels, Washington…
EAGAN, Minn. — The embrace was emphatic, a ground-shaking symbol of the Minnesota Vikings’ unlikely emergence as a Super Bowl contender. Late last month, just inside the visitors’ locker room at Lumen Field, two brash, muscular, headstrong men wrapped up each other in the wake of the Vikings’ 27-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, provoking…
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers headline the list of first timers for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, which the league announced Thursday. The Baltimore Ravens lead all teams with nine Pro Bowl selections, while the Detroit Lions (seven players), Minnesota Vikings (six),…
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson revealed Wednesday that he’s been dealing with a lower back issue that “might be chronic.” The second-year pro was ruled out for last week’s game against the New York Giants due to back and foot injuries, though it’s his back that’s the main problem. Richardson recently underwent an MRI that…
There aren’t many ideal times to be desperate for a franchise quarterback, but the upcoming offseason is shaping up to be trickier than most in that regard. The 2025 NFL Draft class is spotty, with a couple of team executives recently telling The Athletic there isn’t a quarterback coming out who’d be ranked ahead of…
It looks like Josh Allen is going to run away with the NFL MVP award (which might be unfair to two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, who is playing so well that he also deserves consideration), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more players who deserve a little attention as the season comes to a close. The…
Russell Wilson playing for a new contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers ranks among the top quarterback storylines heading into the 2024 NFL season’s final weeks. There are many others of interest, which makes this a good time to check in on all 32 quarterback situations. As I usually do this time of year, I’ve grouped…
The NFL coaching carousel looks like it will do good business this offseason. Two head coaches already have been fired, and one of them somehow is not Doug Pederson (yet), and 10 or 11 more might before the start of the 2025 season, including a couple you may not believe The Week 12 Power Rankings…