SEATTLE — With the Seahawks not sniffing the postseason, it's fair to ask who Washington's football team is right now.

And the answer is simple: Washington.

No, not those Dawgs donning purple and gold. It's those Commanders in our nation's capital.

It's understandable if folks in our state want to sit out the NFL playoffs because of the ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jerry Jones calling Deion Sanders to gather his thoughts about becoming the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys is why JJ is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

News of the phone call generated the attention that PT Jerry craves. The call checked a critical box off the list in the immediate stages of a coaching search ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Diontae Johnson told local reporters in December the issues that plagued his short stint in Baltimore would be left in the past and his new chapter in Houston would be a fresh start.

That didn’t last long.

Johnson, 28, was reportedly placed on waivers ahead of Houston’s AFC divisional round matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs...Read more

PITTSBURGH — In his final news conference of the season, Mike Tomlin was noncommittal about who will be playing quarterback for the Steelers next season.

All three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, including starter Russell Wilson, are not under contract for the 2025 season. Tomlin did not endorse Wilson nor backup Justin Fields for the job ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There’s not a lot of Carolina Panther representation left in these NFL playoffs.

The Panthers, themselves, of course, missed the postseason for the seventh year in a row. In the just-concluded first round of the playoffs, the two most high-profile former Panthers both lost — Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold and Tampa ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Eat a Tastykake.

Whistle the opening bars of “Gonna Fly Now.”

Ride a unicycle in two complete circles.

These are some of the things that Jalen Hurts had enough time and space to do before throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson a minute and a half into the Eagles’ 22-10 wild-card win over the Green Bay ...Read more

MIAMI — As a developer and CEO of one of America’s biggest real estate companies Steve Ross should be knowledgeable about hidden costs.

Hopefully the Miami Dolphins owner is accounting for the hidden cost of keeping things status quo with South Florida’s NFL franchise.

While general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel each ...Read more

ATLANTA — Falcons coach Raheem Morris has a second chance to get his defensive coordinator hire right. He needs to go after someone with more job-specific experience than his first hire had.

Which is to say, anyone who has held an NFL defensive coordinator job for at least one day.

Morris gambled by hiring Jimmy Lake to run his defense. Lake...Read more

PITTSBURGH — One of the most quoted lines from the classic movie "The Shawshank Redemption" is when Morgan Freeman's character is pondering what life after a long incarceration looks like and he says, "Get busy living or get busy dying."

In this context, Freeman's character had the choice to either stay stuck in a mundane life at a dead-end ...Read more

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Now that’s what you call making yourself right at home, even if it was nearly 400 miles away.

Because of safety concerns caused by wildfires in Southern California, the NFL moved the Rams’ NFC wild-card game against the Minnesota Vikings from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium.

But the Rams — on a mission to win and ...Read more

GLENDALE, Ariz. — In re-creating their home environment for Monday night’s playoff game, the Los Angeles Rams made sure to bring a signature element from SoFi Stadium.

The voice.

If you’ve been to a Rams home game, you likely know Sam Lagana. He’s the in-stadium announcer who fires up the crowd by bellowing, “Whose house?” ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — As the Eagles move on to the divisional round of the playoffs, Nakobe Dean is out for the rest of the postseason.

The 24-year-old inside linebacker suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in the Eagles’ wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, a league source confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The NFL...Read more

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Offensive line has been one of the New England Patriots’ biggest problem areas for the last several seasons. Repairing it will be a top priority for new head coach Mike Vrabel.

Asked Monday about additions he’d like to make to New England’s roster, Vrabel immediately pointed to the team’s deficiencies up front. It ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NFL will break new ground Monday, a heart-wrenching kind of history the league never wanted to make.

The first-round playoff game between the Rams and Minnesota Vikings, originally planned for SoFi Stadium, has been relocated to Arizona because of the Los Angeles wildfires. It marks the first time a natural disaster has ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The NFL’s softest schedule awaits. Upgrades are coming to a still star-laden roster. Year 9 is officially loading for San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

Go ahead, dare to envision that sixth Lombardi Trophy. The 49ers are absolutely aiming for Super Bowl LX, held at Levi’s Stadium...Read more

MIAMI — Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier had quite the self-assured take on the offensive line play to start the 2024 NFL season.

Coach Mike McDaniel “and I were talking about this the other day with the offensive line how every year, you guys are like, ‘not good enough, not good enough’ but then, offensively we’re a pretty ...Read more

BALTIMORE — As some Steelers players showered, changed and walked toward the team bus late Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium, others remained in the visitors' dressing room, soaking in the silence.

Najee Harris wore a pair of headphones that definitely weren't necessary. A fan whirred overtop George Pickens' locker stall.

For a season ...Read more

CHICAGO — One thing is for certain as the Chicago Bears continue through this high-stakes search for their next head coach: They have lost the benefit of the doubt.

That is among Bears fans, naturally, who have seen their team flounder under the oversight of Chairman George McCaskey and have taken note that, since McCaskey took charge in 2011...Read more