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NFL Flex Scheduling, Explained: When Your Game Can Actually Move
The league can move a Sunday afternoon game into prime time on as little as six days' notice. The windows are public, and they are narrower than most fans assume.
Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM ET
Questionable, Doubtful, Out: What NFL Injury Designations Actually Mean
The league's own definitions are vaguer than fans think, and one of the three was deleted for being useless. Here is what each label commits a team to.
Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM ET
Injured Reserve and the 21-Day Window, Explained
Going on IR no longer ends a season. But the four-game minimum, the practice window and the cap on returns decide whether a player comes back at all.
Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM ET
NFL Playoff Tiebreakers, Explained: The Order That Decides January
Head-to-head first, then division record, then common games. The order is published, strictly applied, and it runs twelve steps deep before it reaches a coin toss.
Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM ET
The NFL Trade Deadline, Explained: November 10 and What Changes After
Trading ends at 4:00 p.m. New York time. The day after is the part nobody talks about, and it quietly reshapes what a contender can still add.
Sep 25, 2026, 2:10 PM ET
In January, Kelvin Sheppard Said His Defense Did Not Need Drastic Change. It Is Now One of the Worst Starts on Record.
Detroit's coordinator argued the system was sound and the execution was not. Albert Breer says a couple more performances like this put him on the spot.
Sep 25, 2026, 9:40 AM ET
Lynn Dickey Says Green Bay's Penalties Are Coaching. The Beat Writer Answered His Own Question Both Ways.
A former Packers quarterback called Matt LaFleur's approach passive. Bill Huber opened by concluding yes, this team is undisciplined, and closed by saying no — then Green Bay lost 35-14 and fell to 1-2.
Sep 25, 2026, 9:40 AM ET
Bill Barnwell Named the Two Games That Would Test Chicago's Offense. The First One Produced Three Points.
After the opener, ESPN's Barnwell flagged unsustainable rates and pointed at the Vikings and Eagles. Minnesota held the Bears to three, and Ben Johnson blamed the penalties.
Sep 25, 2026, 9:40 AM ET
Jerry Jones Says This Defense Is Better Than the Last Two. His Own Coordinator Named the Test.
The owner made a falsifiable claim after a 37-20 win. Christian Parker, hired to fix the unit, said in February exactly which two things would measure it.
Sep 25, 2026, 9:40 AM ET
A Columnist Called Washington's Collapse a Mirage Because the Quarterback Barely Played. The Same Elbow Has Gone Again.
Rob Woodfork argued the 5-12 season was an availability illusion, not a decline. Jayden Daniels has now dislocated the same elbow for a second straight year.
Sep 25, 2026, 9:40 AM ET
Aaron Rodgers Is 0-for-9 Throwing Deep. He and Mike McCarthy Do Not Agree on Why.
The quarterback says the playcalls need to change. The head coach says he needs better platforms to throw from. Both were speaking about the same two games.
Sep 24, 2026, 10:30 AM ET
Richard Sherman Says He Will Not Believe in the Ravens Until the Defense Changes
Baltimore was outscored 15-0 in the fourth quarter of a home loss. One former All-Pro says the defense disqualifies them; three writers at The Athletic each name a different flaw and still expect the Ravens to contend.
Sep 24, 2026, 10:30 AM ET
Three Analysts Watched the Same Drake Maye Tape and Reached Three Different Conclusions
One touchdown, four interceptions. Dan Orlovsky starts with the playcalling, Adam Archuleta with a loss of confidence, and Mike Vrabel with the footwork.
Sep 24, 2026, 10:30 AM ET
Buffalo Is 2-0 and Its Own Defensive Coordinator Says That Is Not Okay Long-Term
Jim Leonhard promised his new system would free Ed Oliver. Two games in, without Oliver, he is describing his own unit as three-and-out or touchdown.
Sep 24, 2026, 10:30 AM ET
Joe Burrow Called Himself 'Incredibly Average' After a Win. Cincinnati Is 2-0 Anyway.
A franchise built on out-scoring people is 2-0 because of a defense that has four straight games with four or more sacks. The question is which unit corrects first.
Sep 24, 2026, 10:30 AM ET
Jim Harbaugh Predicted Justin Herbert Would Be the Best Ever. Mike Florio Says That Is Hurting Him.
The Chargers are 0-2 and Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs. One argument says the coach is backing his quarterback; the other says he is loading him.
Sep 24, 2026, 11:10 AM ET
A Hall of Famer Who Works in the Building Says the Mood Is Not Great. Todd Bowles Says It Is Two Games.
Ronde Barber described a Buccaneers team with no defining characteristic and no urgency. His head coach argued that 0-2 determines nothing about the other 15.
Sep 24, 2026, 11:10 AM ET
The Raiders Took Fernando Mendoza First Overall. He Has Not Played a Snap, and They Are 2-0.
Kirk Cousins has thrown three touchdowns in each of his first two starts. Every week he keeps doing it pushes the No. 1 pick's debut further away.
Sep 24, 2026, 11:10 AM ET
Houston's Defense Sacked Joe Burrow Five Times. The Texans Scored Six Points.
Dominique Foxworth says no quarterback could function behind this line. DeMeco Ryans says the coaching is the problem, starting with his own.
Sep 24, 2026, 11:10 AM ET
Colin Cowherd Spent Three Years Calling Brock Purdy a System Quarterback. This Week He Changed His Mind.
Purdy leads the NFL in completion percentage. His most persistent critic now says he is playing as well as anyone in football — while still naming the system twice.
Sep 24, 2026, 11:10 AM ET
ESPN Says the Rams Missing the Playoffs Is 'Not an Overreaction.' Their Own Beat Writer Disagrees.
Dan Graziano put the Rams third in their division after one game. Blaine Grisak, who covers them daily, answered plainly: one game doesn't make a season.
Sep 15, 2026, 3:40 PM ET
ESPN Thinks Lamar Jackson Can Get $70 Million a Year. The Current Record Is $64 Million.
Dan Graziano called a $70 million annual contract for Jackson 'not an overreaction' after Week 1. That would break Patrick Mahomes' mark by six million a season.
Sep 15, 2026, 3:40 PM ET
One Column Says the Bears Will Break the Scoring Record. Another Says Slow Down. Their Coach Says He's Trying To.
Fifty-nine points in Week 1 extrapolates to 1,003 across a 17-game season. ESPN called the record talk reasonable. Ben Johnson had already said out loud that it was the goal.
Sep 15, 2026, 3:40 PM ET
Bears Put 59 on Carolina, Their Most in 46 Years, and Ben Johnson Says That Was Always the Target
Chicago's 59-37 win over the Panthers was the franchise's highest-scoring game since the 1980 season, and Caleb Williams became the first Bear ever to post his particular line.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:20 AM ET
Packers Led by 12 in the Third and Lost by 17: Minnesota Scored 29 Straight to Flip the Opener
Green Bay controlled the game into the second half and then did not score again. Carson Wentz, pressed into duty by a first-quarter concussion, led four consecutive touchdown drives.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:20 AM ET
Cardinals Stun the Chargers 26-14, and Mike LaFleur Becomes the First Arizona Coach to Win His Debut Since 1973
Arizona was nobody's pick against Jim Harbaugh's Chargers. Fifty-three years after Don Coryell, the Cardinals have a head coach who won his first game.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:20 AM ET
Derrick Henry Runs Into Third Place on the All-Time Rushing Touchdown List as Baltimore Buries Indianapolis 41-23
Three more scores took Henry past Marcus Allen to 125 career rushing touchdowns, behind only Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson, in Jesse Minter's first game as Ravens head coach.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:20 AM ET
Bills Beat the Texans 36-31 for Joe Brady's First Win as a Head Coach, and Josh Allen Made Sure Everyone Knew Whose It Was
Buffalo put up 409 yards and 8.0 per play against the defense that led the league in efficiency last season. Brady's summary: there is no such thing as an ugly win.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:20 AM ET
Ravens Rule Out Nnamdi Madubuike for Opener at Indianapolis — but Say He's ‘Really, Really Close’
Baltimore will start Jesse Minter's head-coaching era without its most disruptive interior defender, though the team's own language suggests the absence is measured in games, not months.
Sep 12, 2026, 2:59 PM
Colts Enter Week 1 With Nobody Ruled Out — and a Ravens Defense Nobody Has Film On
Indianapolis gets a clean injury report for the opener, but Shane Steichen's bigger problem is preparing for a Baltimore scheme that has never played a snap.
Sep 12, 2026, 2:59 PM
Eagles Will Open Without Their $100 Million Edge Rusher as Jonathan Greenard Is Ruled Out
Philadelphia holds back its biggest defensive addition for Week 1 against Washington, with Greenard himself making the case for patience.
Sep 12, 2026, 2:59 PM
Ashton Jeanty Is Cleared for the Raiders' Opener — but Las Vegas Loses Brock Bowers
Vegas gets its franchise running back back with no injury designation, and loses its best pass-catching weapon in the same week.
Sep 12, 2026, 2:59 PM
Buccaneers Get Emeka Egbuka Back for Cincinnati, but Jalen McMillan Is Doubtful
Tampa Bay heads to the Bengals with its top receiver cleared and its WR2 unlikely to play, after a camp that left both in question.
Sep 12, 2026, 2:59 PM
Falcons Down to Third-String QB Cooper Rush as Both Tua and Penix Ruled Out
Atlanta enters Sunday's opener at Pittsburgh with neither of its top two quarterbacks available, handing the job to a veteran journeyman with an undrafted rookie as his only backup.
Sep 11, 2026, 7:15 PM
Myles Garrett Admits His Knee Is Worse Than He Let On After Zero-Stat Rams Debut
The blockbuster trade acquisition finished with zero tackles and zero sacks in the Rams' 27-7 loss to San Francisco, then gave a franker account of his health than the one Sean McVay offered.
Sep 11, 2026, 6:47 AM
Fred Warner's Statement Game Powers 49ers to 27-7 Rout of Rams in Historic Australia Opener
Returning from the ankle injury that ended his 2025 season, Warner forced a game-sealing fumble as San Francisco dominated Los Angeles in the NFL's first-ever regular-season game outside North America.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:50 PM
Puka Nacua Clears Injury Report, Set to Start Rams' Opener Against 49ers
The Rams' star receiver dealt with a deep core muscle injury for nearly a month, but Sean McVay confirms he's fully cleared for Thursday's opener in Melbourne.
Sep 10, 2026, 7:15 PM
Mike Evans Makes 49ers Debut After Emotional End to 12 Years in Tampa
The Buccaneers' all-time leading receiver signed with San Francisco this offseason, calling it the right football move even as he called leaving genuinely hard.
Sep 10, 2026, 6:41 PM
Nick Bosa and George Kittle Both Return From Major Injuries in Same Opener
The 49ers get both All-Pros back from a torn ACL and a torn Achilles at the same time, though Kyle Shanahan says the team will manage their snaps carefully.
Sep 10, 2026, 6:41 PM
Deebo Samuel Sr. Chases 6,000 Career Yards in Real Homecoming Opener
Back in San Francisco after a year in Washington, Samuel enters Thursday's opener needing just 65 yards for a real franchise milestone.
Sep 10, 2026, 6:41 PM
Aaron Donald Ruled Out for Rams' Season Opener Despite Retirement Return
The legendary defensive tackle's much-anticipated comeback will have to wait past the Melbourne opener against the 49ers.
Sep 10, 2026, 6:41 PM
Myles Garrett Cleared to Play in Rams Debut After Real Knee Scare
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year missed most of camp with knee swelling, but Sean McVay confirms he's ready to go in Melbourne.
Sep 10, 2026, 6:41 PM
Tua Tagovailoa Goes Down With Back Injury in Practice Days Before Falcons' Opener
A real oblique scare puts Atlanta's plan to start Tua over a recovering Michael Penix Jr. in question just three days before kickoff against the Steelers.
Sep 10, 2026, 3:45 PM
Rams' 24-Hour Australia Gamble Puts McVay's Travel Bet on the Line Against the 49ers
The NFL's first-ever regular-season game Down Under is also a real experiment in long-haul travel strategy, with San Francisco and Los Angeles taking opposite approaches days before kickoff.
Sep 10, 2026, 12:44 PM
Romeo Doubs Goes Catchless in $68M Patriots Debut, Owns the Drop That Sank New England
Zero catches on three targets, a tipped interception, and a drop that set up the game's final turnover — New England's big free-agent addition took full blame after the loss to Seattle.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:44 AM
Raiders All-Pro TE Brock Bowers Out for Opener After Meniscus Trim, Michael Mayer Steps In
A real procedure this week costs Las Vegas its best pass-catcher for at least the Dolphins opener, and puts a 2023 second-round pick under the brightest lights of his career.
Sep 10, 2026, 8:05 AM
Dianna Russini Says She'll ‘Tell Her Side’ of the Mike Vrabel Story as Patriots Coach Faces New Scrutiny
A controversy that cost one reporter her job is coming back into the spotlight, just as New England's season opener went sideways of its own.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:27 PM
Vikings Name Kyler Murray Starting Quarterback Over J.J. McCarthy Ahead of Home Opener vs. Packers
Six months after Arizona released him, Kyler Murray has won a genuine quarterback competition in Minnesota.
Sep 8, 2026, 10:11 AM
Titans LB Cedric Gray in Concussion Protocol After UTV Accident Before Opener
Nashville deals with a real injury scare days before Robert Saleh faces his former team in his Titans debut.
Sep 7, 2026, 9:47 PM
Texans Believe They Stole a Trade for Kayshon Boutte Ahead of Bills Opener
Houston bolsters its receiver room via trade while working through a season-ending QB injury at home vs. Buffalo.
Sep 10, 2026, 8:52 PM
Steelers Get DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr. Back Ahead of Week 1
Both receivers return to practice as Pittsburgh preps for Atlanta, with a Sunday deadline looming on a Joey Porter Jr. extension.
Sep 7, 2026, 6:29 PM
Sam Darnold's Hip Injury Opens the Door for Drew Lock's Signature Seahawks Moment
A season-opening injury looked like the worst possible start — until the backup quarterback made it Seattle's biggest storyline of the night instead.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:58 PM
Super Bowl Rematch Opens the Season: Seahawks Host Patriots in NFL Kickoff
Seattle beat New England 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. Seven months later, the two teams open the season against each other.
Sep 5, 2026, 12:05 PM
Saints Hand Tyler Shough the Starting Job for Road Opener at Detroit
New Orleans' new QB1 debuts alongside praised offseason addition Travis Etienne Jr.
Sep 10, 2026, 8:52 PM
Patriots Rookie Eli Raridon Scores the NFL's First Touchdown of the 2026 Season
In a game defined by a fourth-quarter meltdown, a rookie's two-yard catch was the one moment New England will want to remember.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:57 PM
Ravens Enter Jesse Minter Era as Derrick Henry Chases NFL Rushing History Ahead of Week 1 at Indianapolis
Derrick Henry sits 10th all-time in rushing yards as Baltimore opens a new coaching era at Indianapolis.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:59 PM
Rams Open Season in Australia With Puka Nacua Facing Possible NFL Discipline
Los Angeles kicks off 2026 on the other side of the world against San Francisco, with a receiver's status in question.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:26 PM
Raiders Name Kirk Cousins Starter Over No. 1 Pick Fernando Mendoza
Las Vegas goes with its veteran quarterback for the opener against Miami as a rookie running back trends toward playing.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:24 PM
Pegula Faces Fernandez in a Real US Open Test
No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula came back from a set down to beat Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the US Open, answering real recent-form questions.
Sep 4, 2026, 2:12 PM
Drake Maye's Three Fourth-Quarter Interceptions Sink Patriots in Seahawks Rematch
A quarterback with a real chance to steal a signature win instead threw it away three times in the fourth quarter alone.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:24 PM
Patriots Debut A.J. Brown in Historic Wednesday Opener vs. Seahawks
New England's newly-acquired receiver debuts in a Super Bowl rematch — the franchise's first-ever Wednesday game.
Sep 7, 2026, 1:52 PM
Panthers Open Title Defense at Home With RB Committee Against Bears
Carolina's reigning NFC South champs lean on a Hubbard-Brooks committee for their Week 1 home opener.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:25 PM
Jordan Love Enters MVP Conversation as Packers Prep to Open Season at Rival Minnesota
Real MVP buzz around Jordan Love as the Packers open on the road at rival Minnesota.
Sep 7, 2026, 9:38 AM
Breece Hall Trending Toward Playing as Jets Open Under Aaron Glenn
New York's run game gets a lift heading into Nashville, with Geno Smith and a rookie backup leading the offense.
Sep 6, 2026, 8:16 PM
Aidan Hutchinson Enters Week 1 With a Franchise Sack Record and All-Pro Momentum
Detroit's star edge rusher heads into the Saints opener off his most dominant training camp yet.
Sep 10, 2026, 8:52 PM
Jaguars Name 8 Permanent Captains Ahead of Home Opener vs. Browns
Trevor Lawrence and Josh Hines-Allen headline Jacksonville's leadership group as a rookie guard earns a starting job.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:28 PM
Christian Gonzalez Tops Devon Witherspoon's Deal: The Cornerback Market Just Reset Twice in a Week
Two star corners reset the position's pay ceiling twice in 72 hours, days before their teams play each other.
Sep 8, 2026, 10:18 PM
John Harbaugh's Giants Era Begins With Jaxson Dart's First Career Start Against the Cowboys
A rookie quarterback's first career start, a new head coach, and the Cowboys on opening night.
Sep 11, 2026, 6:34 PM
Shay Whitcomb's First Career Walk-Off Ends an 11-Inning Battle Between Giants and Cardinals
San Francisco beat St. Louis 5-4 after the Cardinals rallied late to force extra innings.
Sep 8, 2026, 11:52 PM
No. 19 SMU Visits Tallahassee as Mike Norvell's Florida State Opens ACC Play
A ranked SMU team brought its unbeaten record into Doak Campbell Stadium for a game that carries real stakes for Norvell.
Sep 6, 2026, 3:23 PM
Tua Tagovailoa Named Falcons' Week 1 Starter Over Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta hands its offense to a quarterback Miami released this offseason for a road opener at Pittsburgh.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:25 PM
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to Retire After 2026 Season
A tenure of real business growth alongside real player-relations friction closes out.
Sep 4, 2026, 2:53 PM
Dolphins Name Six Captains for 2026 as Jeff Hafley's New Era Heads Into Week 1 at Las Vegas
Malik Willis, De'Von Achane, and Patrick Paul earned their first captaincies as Miami's locker room reshapes itself under a new head coach and a roster that's two-thirds turned over since last season.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:28 PM
Eagles Trade A.J. Brown to Patriots Days Before Season Opener
Philadelphia turns to DeVonta Smith and rookie Makai Lemon after moving on from Brown for two draft picks, including a 2028 first-rounder.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:24 PM
Cowboys Waive Joe Milton, Lose Tyler Smith for Weeks as Banged-Up Dallas Preps for Giants Opener
A cleared quarterback room and a banged-up offensive line — Dallas heads into a prime-time road opener at the Giants.
Sep 6, 2026, 8:47 AM
Jayden Daniels Makes First Start Since Elbow Injury as Commanders Open at Philly
Washington's quarterback returns from a severe elbow dislocation for a road test against the defending NFC East champs.
Sep 10, 2026, 10:02 PM
Colts Will Play Keenan Allen Week 1 Despite DUI Arrest, Ballard Confirms
Indianapolis clears its receiver to play against Baltimore as Alec Pierce also returns from offseason surgery.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:28 PM
Mahomes Confirmed to Start Chiefs' Opener After ACL, LCL Recovery
Nine months removed from a torn ACL and LCL, Mahomes gets the green light for Kansas City's Monday-night home opener against Denver.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:25 PM
Reds Put Chase Burns on an Innings Limit — He Answered With 3 Hitless Innings at Dodger Stadium
The 23-year-old righty began a new workload restriction against the powerhouse Dodgers and didn't allow a hit.
Sep 5, 2026, 9:04 PM
Cardinals Lock Up Michael Wilson With $75 Million Extension Ahead of Week 1 Opener vs. Chargers
A $75 million receiver extension arrives right before Arizona's new-look offense debuts against the Chargers.
Sep 10, 2026, 10:00 PM
Chargers Host Cardinals for First Time Ever, Riding Back-to-Back 11-Win Seasons
Los Angeles opens at home under Jim Harbaugh with a rookie center starting his first NFL game.
Sep 10, 2026, 10:01 PM
Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. Starts Week 1 as Bucs Get Good Injury News vs. Bengals
Tampa Bay's first-round pick debuts as a starter while two starting receivers clear the injury report.
Sep 10, 2026, 10:04 PM
Deshaun Watson Named Browns' Starter for Season Opener at Jacksonville
Cleveland names its Week 1 quarterback, though the team may not rule out a multi-QB rotation this season.
Sep 10, 2026, 10:04 PM
Pat Surtain II: Broncos 'Right on Track' Ahead of MNF Road Test at Arrowhead
Denver heads into a Monday-night season opener at Kansas City off an encouraging 2-1 preseason.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:26 PM
Bills Open Joe Brady Era on the Road Against the Texans
Buffalo's new head coach debuts in Houston with Josh Allen, James Cook, and DJ Moore leading a projected-set starting lineup.
Sep 10, 2026, 10:03 PM
Chase and Higgins Clear Injury Scares Ahead of Bengals' Orange-Out Opener
Cincinnati's two star receivers are full-go for a home Week 1 matchup against the Buccaneers.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:26 PM
Caleb Williams Named Bears Captain for Third Straight Year as Chicago's Leadership Group Resets Before Week 1
Five captains, one new face, five days before Chicago opens its season at Carolina.
Sep 5, 2026, 7:32 PM
A.J. Brown's Patriots Debut Cut Short by Ankle Injury Against Seahawks
The receiver New England traded for to fix its offense didn't make it out of the third quarter of his own debut.
Sep 10, 2026, 9:23 PM
Nick Bosa Gives Encouraging ACL Update Ahead of 49ers' Australia Opener
San Francisco's star pass rusher says he feels 'explosive' heading into a season-opening trip to Melbourne.
Sep 10, 2026, 8:52 PM