PITTSBURGH — Let's start with what should be a fairly obvious disclaimer: Justin Fields remains the smartest and most desirable option at quarterback for the Steelers.

Prior to the NFL's legal tampering period beginning March 10 at noon, the Steelers would be best-served by explaining to Fields how he'll be used, presenting a plan for how ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The best college football athletes in the world convened in Indianapolis for the past week, where the NFL Scouting Combine put them through a series of tests designed to direct their futures.

Over four days, one of the most impressive feats came when a guy clocked the 157th fastest 40-yard dash.

Why? Well, that player just...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — What’s the best thing a general manager can do after signing Saquon Barkley and winning a Super Bowl?

Sign him again, obviously.

The Eagles really outdid themselves this time. Here all of us were, wondering what Howie Roseman possibly could do to top last year’s offseason while the answer was staring us in the face the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Reaction to Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter's two-sentence response to a question about two-way players has been decidedly one-sided. Few agree with him.

Even fellow football players ridiculed Hunter's assertion that playing offense and defense in the NFL would be more difficult than hitting and pitching a baseball at Shohei...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles’ decision to release Darius Slay on Monday should be neither surprising nor alarming. Slay’s career arc and contract suggested that this move was likely, even a formality, and no one should panic about it.

Those circumstances have nothing to do with the quality of his performance over his five years with the ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

The Eagles are signing the star running back to a two-year contract extension, a league source confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday, on the heels of a standout season in which he set the single-season franchise record for rushing yards.

According to ESPN, the ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Jets’ receiver room will look very different in 2025 following a disappointing 5-12 record last season.

Gang Green will officially release Davante Adams, according to a source. The team is also preparing to move on from Allen Lazard after two seasons.

Over the weekend, the Jets gave Adams permission to speak with other clubs...Read more

CHICAGO — Less than a week before the NFL’s free-agent negotiating window opens, the Chicago Bears got out ahead of the game with a trade they hope can bolster their offensive line.

The Bears will acquire sixth-year interior lineman Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, a league ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — If the Minnesota Vikings plan to bring Sam Darnold back for the 2025 season, they’ll have to agree to a new contract with him, likely before the start of free agency next week.

Otherwise, they’ll have a new starting quarterback for the third consecutive year.

The Vikings passed on the most automatic path to Darnold’s ...Read more

MIAMI — The one thing Chris Grier’s history has taught us is that the Miami Dolphins’ general manager should have learned his lesson about drafting for need.

Let’s hope that’s the case.

Grier’s best picks have happened when he’s selecting the highest-rated player on the draft board, despite what the Dolphins’ depth chart looks ...Read more

SEATTLE — Most of us follow the ball.

That pigskin is the primary source of entertainment, and its movements are what drive the multibillion-dollar business that is the NFL.

It’s what head coaches do, too. At least during the game. Ask an HC about interior players after a contest, and he’ll usually say “I gotta watch the film.”

But ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Star quarterback Matthew Stafford is back in the fold. Star receiver Cooper Kupp remains a potential trade asset.

With one week before the start of NFL free agency, Rams coach Sean McVay is resting, if not resting easy, knowing Stafford will be leading his team for a fifth season.

“I’ve been sleeping better these last ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — More than three decades after first making the jump from the NFL sideline to a TV studio, Jimmy Johnson is retiring from his longtime role as an analyst on "Fox NFL Sunday."

The 81-year-old Johnson made the announcement Monday morning during an appearance on "The Herd With Colin Cowherd."

"The most fun I ever had in my career, ...Read more

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy will take his first snaps of the season in six months and look to show why he, presumably, will have signed the richest contract ever by a San Francisco 49ers quarterback.

Purdy no longer must force throws to Deebo Samuel, who will be traded to the Washington Commanders once the NFL’s new fiscal year ...Read more

There’s no roadmap from a blackboard in the Arkansas football office where this all started for Jimmy Johnson six decades ago — no roadmap through six decades of games and teams and various jobs to the phone call he made a few days ago to Fox Sports executives.

But there he was having decided his second, or maybe third or fourth, football ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are releasing Darius Slay, league sources confirmed Monday to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Slay, 34, had one year remaining on his contract that was set to carry a $13.8 million salary-cap hit in 2025, according to Over The Cap. A league source also confirmed that Slay’s release will be designated as a post-June 1 ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Time will tell.

The early feedback on the mushrooming bond between Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson is positive. Poles is convinced he barreled up this latest big swing on reviving the team, and Johnson has injected Halas Hall with a booster shot of energy over the past month.

Poles is most ...Read more

The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl for various reasons, one of which was that they drafted exceptionally well.

And for a few seasons, it seemed as if they took Georgia players nearly every pick.

It’s a smart pipeline — UGA was the dominant force in college football then, and no one put together a better defense than Kirby Smart.

...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — It’s a time-worn Philadelphia tradition: fretting over the future rather than relishing the moment.

As the city wrings its hands over the fate of its latest Super Bowl champion, few seem to appreciate that, less than three weeks ago, the best season any Eagles team ever had ended with a blowout win in Super Bowl LIX over Andy...Read more

Deebo Samuel produced the 11th-most receiving yards in San Francisco 49ers history over six seasons, not to mention eye-opening chunks as a tackle-breaking rusher whose dual talents often came through in the clutch.

Rather than return for a seventh season and his final one under contract, Samuel is getting traded to the Washington Commanders ...Read more