CHICAGO — It was with a hearty smile on his face that Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos suggested tight end Cole Kmet deserved an award after Sunday’s 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

Kmet filled in as the long snapper after Scott Daly suffered a left knee injury while covering the team’s second — and final — ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The same as ever, quarterback-driven discussions have framed this football season in Western Pennsylvania — Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, the emergence of Eli Holstein at Pitt and Penn State's Drew Allar taking an important next step.

Football fans around here also derive serious satisfaction from defense. But might it be ...Read more

NEW YORK — Aaron Rodgers was clearly agitated when he came to the podium after Monday night’s 23-20 loss to the Bills.

But the quarterback likely feels more optimistic after the Jets acquired his old friend Davante Adams in a trade with the Raiders on Tuesday.

Gang Green sent Las Vegas a conditional third-round pick in next year’s draft ...Read more

DENVER — Sean Payton has a story for just about everything.

He uses them to make a point or teach a lesson. Flash some charm or establish control.

Reminisce about good times past or forecast the future.

He has one he likes about Drew Brees on the night they played their first game together at the Superdome in New Orleans, late September ...Read more

MIAMI — The one-third mark of the NFL regular season is a time to reconnoiter and perhaps to recalibrate expectations. Within the AFC East, these are times of hope and consternation.

The Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and New England Patriots have fed fans new reasons for hope.

The Miami Dolphins, alas, sent a message this week that was ...Read more

GREG COTE’S NFL WEEK 7 THURSDAY PICK

BRONCOS (3-3) at SAINTS (2-4)

Line: DEN by 2 1/2.

Cote’s pick: DEN, 20-17.

TV: 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Prime Video.

If you had Bo Nix vs. Spencer Rattler before the season as your Week 7 QB matchup, congrats. You’re alone, globally. Nix, yeah. But Rattler as an emergency deployment on account of Derek ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Viewers may never know whether Tom Brady is a transcendent football analyst or an unlistenable bore because he's chosen to handcuff himself by becoming a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The NFL placed restrictions on Brady in August when his purchase of a 10% stake in the Raiders was pending approval. League owners ...Read more

The San Francisco 49ers look to break a four-game losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs since coach Kyle Shanahan took over as head coach in 2017.

A look at those four losses and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes with the 49ers hosting Kansas City Sunday at Levi’s Stadium:

— Week 3, Sept. 23, 2018: Chiefs 38, 49ers 27

Site: ...Read more

SEATTLE — We’ve got the sports. NFL, MLB, NHL, Big Ten football and basketball, MLS, WNBA, NWSL — they’re all here.

We’ve got success stories. A Super Bowl, a national football championship, four WNBA titles, two MLS Cups to start. We might not be Boston or L.A., but we’re a long way from Buffalo.

What we don’t have, however, are...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In June, just after a Carolina Panthers practice had wrapped up, head coach Dave Canales gave the longest locker room pep talk of his life.

It took five hours.

No one immediately won or lost after this speech, however. Canales was filming a commercial.

The NFL asked Canales, the NFL’s only head coach of Hispanic or ...Read more

ATLANTA — With a lot less acrimony in the process than in the past, the NFL ownership group awarded Atlanta the fourth Super Bowl in the city’s history — the latest in a string of major sporting events set for Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“We want to officially say congratulations to the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta community for hosting ...Read more

Ricky Pearsall’s return to the field is the exact boost the 49ers need right now.

And that’s not strictly on an emotional level, either.

Yes, seeing the Niners’ first-round pick, who was shot on Aug. 31 in an attempted robbery in San Francisco’s Union Square, cheating death and playing again is worthy of celebration and all the good ...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions continue to lock up their guys early and often.

After signing running back David Montgomery to a two-year contract extension on Saturday, the Lions signed defensive tackle Alim McNeill to a four-year extension on Tuesday, according to his agent, Mike McCartney.

The deal is worth $97 million, including $55 million ...Read more

Somewhere over the long football weekend in which Bill Belichick made fun of the New York Jets and Buffalo’s Josh Allen maintained control of the AFC East, a tremor of new went through the division.

The Buffalo Bills won again, then traded for Amari Cooper.

The Jets showed some life, then traded for Davante Adams.

Even the Patriots took a ...Read more

CHICAGO — Justin Fields could be headed to the bench for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but even if that happens this week, the Chicago Bears are in decent position to receive a fourth-round draft pick for their former quarterback.

Russell Wilson, now fully recovered from a calf injury that sidelined him before the season began, will get first-team...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — For the second year in a row, the Vikings are bringing in running back Cam Akers as a midseason addition.

They acquired Akers in a trade with the Texans, on condition of him passing a physical exam, adding depth to their backfield in a low-cost move.

The Vikings are sending a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to Houston in ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jerry Jones just celebrated his 82nd birthday and he opened the door to speculation that “he’s losing it.”

He’s not, but he is 82. He is “a senior.” He’s going to have a few “moments.”

He had one on Tuesday morning. On Tuesday, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys crossed a line that, in retrospect, it’s ...Read more

RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks’ run defense has been something of an all-or-nothing proposition lately.

That’s the way coach Mike Macdonald sees it anyway, noting that for most of their recent games the run defense hasn’t been too bad.

The issue is that on those plays when it’s been bad, it’s been really bad.

“We’re ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Davante Adams wanted out. The Raiders obliged.

And made out well in trading him to the Jets.

It had come to the point of no return for Adams and the Raiders. The star wide receiver asked for a trade two weeks ago and his wish was granted Tuesday.

You can make the argument it should have happened sooner. That the team should have...Read more

CHICAGO — Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears will capture the attention of much of the country when they play again.

The NFL on Tuesday shifted the Week 8 schedule, moving the Bears’ Oct. 27 road game against the Washington Commanders from a noon kickoff to a 3:25 p.m. start. It will be the marquee late afternoon game for CBS, which will ...Read more