WR Tee Higgins relishing chance to be back with BengalsVideo
CINCINNATI — For the first time in three years, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins enters the season without his contract situation on his mind. In 2023 and 2024, he wasn’t able to work out a contract extension with the Bengals leading up to the start of the season. He...
Eagles’ Jalen Carter ejected for spitting on Cowboys’ Dak PrescottVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected moments after a pregame Super Bowl championship celebration for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. Carter was tossed six seconds into Thursday night’s NFL season opener for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Eagles were hit with a 15-yard penalty before the first...
Myles Garrett’s status for Browns’ opener uncertain after missing practiceVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett did not practice Thursday because of a hip injury, leaving his status for Cleveland’s season opener Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals questionable. Garrett was not listed on Wednesday’s injury report. His status for the game could become clearer Friday when the...
Jets’ Garrett Wilson appreciative of Aaron Rodgers, but they haven’t talked since he leftVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Garrett Wilson and Aaron Rodgers were able to connect quite a few times during games with the New York Jets. There were also plenty of lengthy conversations off the field during their two seasons together. “Obviously, I got the opportunity to play with a living legend...
Just 1 question remains for Lamar Jackson doubters
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — For a second straight year, Lamar Jackson is completing the same cycle. A spectacular season ends with an agonizing playoff loss. Then months later, Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are given a chance to avenge that defeat when they face the same opponent again in Week...
NFL Draft retention rates reveal best, worst teams at keeping picks
Building a team through the draft is a consistent mantra from almost every NFL team because getting cost-controlled young players in a salary-capped league is crucial to success. Pulling that off isn’t as easy with the draft often looking like a crapshoot, with some widely heralded prospects taken in the...
Veteran WR Amari Cooper retires 9 days after signing with RaidersVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper retired Thursday, a little more than a week after signing a one-year contract to return to the Las Vegas Raiders. Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said Cooper called coach Pete Carroll on Thursday morning and gave him the news. “It’s...
Bengals QB Joe Burrow feels stronger this year going into opener at ClevelandVideo
CINCINNATI — For the first time in his NFL career, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed a training camp that wasn’t impacted by any injury or pandemic. That gives him more confidence entering his sixth NFL season. “I think I’m in a good spot,” Burrow said. “I think I’ve been...
Cam Ward era debuts for the Titans in their season opener at Denver
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have done everything possible so rookie quarterback Cam Ward is as ready as possible to start the season opener against the Denver Broncos. Time’s up Sunday. “All that’s left to do is to go do it and prove it, and I’m looking forward to...
Joe Flacco to start for Browns at age 40, joining unique group of NFL QBs
BEREA, Ohio — Joe Flacco is already part of an esteemed group as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. On Sunday, he will join another club when he takes the field for the Cleveland Browns against the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco, who turned 40 on Jan. 16, spent last season with the Colts....
Russell Wilson brings leadership and quarterback stability to the New York Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Russell Wilson is known for his “moon ball” deep throws and brings Super Bowl-winning experience to the New York Giants, who know all about what the veteran quarterback can do on the field. That’s why they signed him. Since he arrived, Wilson has shown something off...
What Super Bowl ceremony? Eagles insist championship is behind them going into opener against Dallas
PHILADELPHIA — Nick Sirianni is the son of a high school football coach, using what he learned from his dad into his own successful coaching career, first in college, then eventually in the NFL. Sirianni is a bit of a coaching lifer, and knows intricate details about the game. So...
NFLPA interim boss David White says 18-game regular season is ‘not inevitable’
An 18-game NFL season that once seemed inevitable is no longer a certainty. David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, told The Associated Press he hasn’t had any conversations with the league about expanding the length of the regular season, which increased to 17 games in...
Jets offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker faces injury setback before season opener vs. Steelers, AP source says
New York Jets right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has an injury that could sideline him for the season opener and perhaps longer, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The news came just four days before the Jets open their season against Aaron Rodgers and...
Saquon Barkley rated No. 1 player in the NFL by his peers after dominant debut season with Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley’s historic 2024 season, his first with the Eagles, saw him rush for an NFL record 2,504 yards between the regular and postseasons. Barkley broke off long touchdown runs, hurdled backward over a defender, and ran the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl while winning...
Depreciating value of NFL running back contracts dismays Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas
Thurman Thomas’ voice rose with a bubbling intensity, expressing dismay over how the running back position has depreciated in value in today’s NFL. It’s bad enough for the Hall of Famer to see how disposable the game’s top running backs have become, with Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry...
Al Golden prepares for regular-season debut as Bengals defensive coordinator
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden has been in coaching for 30 years. When Cincinnati opens its season Sunday at the Cleveland Browns, Golden will call defensive plays in the NFL for the first time. “I’m excited,” Golden said. “Ready to go. It’s been a collaborative effort on...
Cowboys sign NFL pick-6 record-holder DaRon Bland to $92 million, 4-year extension
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys signed cornerback DaRon Bland to a $92 million, four-year contract extension on Sunday, four days before the NFL opener at defending champ and NFC East rival Philadelphia. Bland set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns in 2023, when he also led...
Former Steeler, current Jet Justin Fields looks to become NFL’s next late-blooming QBVideo
Justin Fields would seem to have the numbers — and odds — stacked against him. The New York Jets quarterback is on his third team in as many years, learning his third offensive system in that span and being coached by a fourth coordinator during an NFL career entering only...
Schottenheimer takes Parsons trade in stride and Cowboys newcomer Clark says watch his film
FRISCO, Texas — Brian Schottenheimer will make his head coaching debut with the Dallas Cowboys a week after losing elite pass rusher Micah Parsons, probably his best player, in a trade with Green Bay. The longtime NFL assistant and son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, a 200-game winner in the...
New England Patriots’ roster shuffle continues with release of safety Jabrill Peppers
The New England Patriots released safety Jabrill Peppers on Friday, marking the latest shakeup of the team’s roster under new coach Mike Vrabel. The 29-year-old Peppers, who was entering his fourth year in New England, made the Patriots’ initial 53-man roster and was expected to start alongside Kyle Dugger in...
From Pittsburgh to Las Vegas: Kenny Pickett’s journey to prove himself under Pete Carroll
HENDERSON, Nev. — Coach Pete Carroll’s first Raiders roster is made up of players, he said, who have something to prove, who carry the proverbial chips on their shoulders. One of the newest Las Vegas players, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, is the epitome of that kind of attitude. “Well, anybody...
At U.S. Open, Billie Jean King always has answers
NEW YORK — Life on the professional tennis tour can be challenging. Billie Jean King knows a thing or two about that — and she’s happy to share. Two days before the start of singles competition the U.S. Open, King sat around a table in Arthur Ashe Stadium with 16...
Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Green Bay Packers
Micah Parsons is headed to the Green Bay Packers after a blockbuster trade Thursday, leaving the Dallas Cowboys after a lengthy contract dispute. The two-time All-Pro edge rusher confirmed the deal in a text to the Associated Press. A person with knowledge of the details said Parsons and the Packers...
Chargers’ Najee Harris returns to practice after July 4 fireworks mishap and could play in opener
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Najee Harris practiced Wednesday for the first time since the Los Angeles Chargers running back injured his eye in a July 4 fireworks mishap. The team activated him from the non-football injury/illness list, making him eligible to play in the Chargers’ season-opening game against Kansas City...
