Category : Red Zone Rumors

Trey McBride’s approach to his first three NFL seasons worked out well enough for the Cardinals to make him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, so he’s not planning to change anything in Year Four. McBride signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension this week and said it was

Referee Tra Blake will no longer be a referee. FootballZebras.com reports that the NFL has reassigned Blake to umpire. Blake had spent three years in that position, after previously serving as an umpire. The reason for the move wasn’t given. Given that most officials aspire to become referees, it’s fair

The age of widespread legalized ticket reselling has not unfolded without a few potholes. Or lawsuits. Via Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, a group of 19 ticket brokers has sued the Texans over changes to the team’s season-ticket policies. The brokers have owned personal seat licenses with the

A Mississippi welfare-fraud scandal that caught national attention due in part to the involvement of Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre (who has been charged with no crimes and who has denied any wrongdoing) sparked multiple defamation lawsuits. One of them was dismissed on Friday. Via Mark Fainaru-Wada of ESPN.com,

Under coach Kyle Shanahan and G.M. John Lynch, it took the 49ers six years to find an answer at the quarterback position. Now that they have one, it feels as if they’re preparing to grossly overpay him. This isn’t an anti-Brock Purdy take. It’s a realistic assessment of the market,

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks. So hectic that I haven’t had time to direct this platform toward the effort to sell a few books. Or to give a few away. This weekend, it’s winner’s choice. Father of Mine, Son of Mine, On Our Way Home. Hard copy, signed

If Travis Hunter were still in college, he could play wherever he wanted to play. And he could condition his decision on whether his next team will let him play offense and defense. But in the sorting-hat ritual of the NFL, Hunter’s pro football position(s) won’t be determined by him.

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce has said that the tush push “sucks for the center.” He has said he used to yell, “Fuck my life” when the play was called. He has said the play is grueling. But he has never said it should be illegal. So when Kelce heard

The NFL made one change to overtime but did not make another change: The league’s 32 owners voted to require both teams to get a possession in overtime, but it voted down a proposal to extend regular-season overtime to 15 minutes, as it is in the playoffs. That could create

Ray Seals, who became notable for making it to the NFL without ever going to college, has died at the age of 59. Seals was a star football player at Henninger High School in Syracuse, but he decided not to go to college and to start working after graduating high

With quarterback Geno Smith signed to an extension, the Raiders are out of the running for a quarterback in the early rounds of the draft, right? Not necessarily. The Smith contract carries at most a two-year commitment. And if the Raiders are willing to roll the dice on Smith making

Friday’s Colorado Pro Day was not like the usual Pro Day. Beyond the presence of head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the event featured two of the top prospects in the upcoming draft. As Deion sees it, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter are the

Last year, it was Lamar Jackson vs. Troy Aikman in a copyright squabble over No. 8. This year, the Ravens quarterback has a legal issue with another pro athlete who is associated with the same number. Attorney Josh Gerben has posted an item on his firm’s website regarding an April

The teams with the top three picks in this year’s draft are well represented at the University of Colorado’s Pro Day workout on Friday. Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi, president of football operations Chad Brinker, offensive coordinator Nick Holz, and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson are all in Boulder as part

Kansas City is adding some depth to its defensive line. Janarius Robinson has agreed to a deal with the Chiefs, according to agency SportsTrust Advisors. Robinson, 25, spent the last two seasons with the Raiders. He appeared in 10 games with one start for Las Vegas in 2024, recording five

Aaron Glenn is the head coach who can finally win with the Jets, according to his old boss. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Glenn, who was Campbell’s defensive coordinator in Detroit, said that Glenn has everything it takes to be a successful NFL head coach. “As long as he’s

The NIL phenomenon is bringing NFL fixtures to the NCAA, and stirring things up for one of college football’s biggest rivalries. With Stanford putting former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck fully in charge of the program as General Manager, multiple donors to the Cal NIL collective are shutting off the free-cash

The sudden and unexpected trademark battle between Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has suddenly and unexpectedly ended. Via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Earnhardt announced on Friday that he has secured the rights to a different No. 8, and that he’ll abandon the effort to secure

Brian Daboll doesn’t go to Pro Days. Unless he does. The Giants coach showed up for the Colorado Pro Day on Friday, days after both Daboll and Giants G.M. Joe Schoen said Daboll doesn’t do Pro Days. “He doesn’t go to any pro days,” Schoen said at the annual league

Linebacker Dondrea Tillman re-signed with the Broncos on Friday, according to the NFL’s transactions wire. Tillman was one of five exclusive rights free agents the Broncos tendered. Cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, tight end Lucas Krull, defensive lineman Jordan Jackson and safety Devon Key were the others. Tillman went undrafted out of

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders did not work out at the Scouting Combine. He did throw at the school’s Pro Day on Friday. Eric Galko, director of football operations for the Shrine Bowl, reports that Sanders completed 58 of 63 passes during the workout with three of the incompletions drops by

Julio Jones has not played since 2023, but he didn’t announce his retirement until Friday. “Today I’m announcing my retirement,” Jones said in a video posted to social media. “It started when I was 8 years old, just a kid in Foley, Alabama. It was an amazing ride.” Jones, 36,

The Jets are starting their offseason program next week and one member of the team officially signed on for the 2025 season on Friday. The NFL’s daily transaction report shows that safety Tony Adams has signed his restricted free agent tender. The Jets tendered Adams at the lowest level earlier

Trey Lance won’t be heading to Canada just yet. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Lance has agreed to a contract with the Chargers for the 2025 season. The deal is reportedly worth up to $6.2 million. The full terms of the deal are not known, but approaching that number

Offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles is trying to return to the NFL and his bid will include a trip to Dallas. Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that Charles worked out for the Cowboys on Friday. Charles was a 2020 fourth-round pick in Washington and spent four seasons with the team

Former Panthers linebacker Dean Wells died Thursday morning, following a two-year battle with cancer, the team announced Friday. Wells was 54. The Seahawks selected him in the fourth round of the 1993 draft. After six seasons with the Seahawks, Wells joined the Panthers in 1999, where he played under linebackers

The Steelers are still waiting to see if Aaron Rodgers will end up signing with them for the 2025 season. But on Friday, they brought a potential quarterback of the future into their building. According to multiple reports, former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was among the team’s top 30

Word on Friday morning was that Colorado star Travis Hunter would not be doing any drills during the school’s Pro Day workout on Friday afternoon, but the Heisman Trophy winner wound up calling an audible. Hunter did not run the 40, but he did run routes and catch passes from

The 49ers confirmed this week that they plan to keep wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the roster for 2025. Now the question is whether Aiyuk will be healthy enough to play in 2025. Aiyuk is rehabbing from knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL, and after his most recent

The Cardinals have brought back one of their veteran offensive linemen. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Kelvin Beachum has re-signed with Arizona on a one-year deal. Beachum, 35, has spent the last five seasons with the Cardinals. Last year, he appeared in 16 games with 12 starts, playing 72 percent of

In the final analysis, the contract quarterback Geno Smith signed with the Raiders isn’t much better than the contract his replacement in Seattle, quarterback Sam Darnold, signed with the Seahawks. Smith presumably could have gotten that same deal, or something close to it, if he’d stayed in Seattle. However, there

The cost of new stadiums keeps going up. The value of NFL franchises keeps going up. The end result is more borrowing by NFL teams that are building new stadiums. Via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the NFL’s owners approved a pair of debt moves this week. First, the

The NFL’s long-time scheduling guru has scheduled his retirement. Via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, NFL senior V.P. of broadcasting and media operations Howard Katz will retire after the 2025 schedule is set in May. Katz, 75, is a former TV executive who has spent more than 20 years

Nearly seven years since the Supreme Court opened the floodgates for state-by-state legalized sports wagering, it’s still the Wild West. And with the federal government doing little if anything to regulate the sports-betting industry, it’s up to litigation to apply guardrails to our current BET! BET! BET! reality. The latest

Quarterback Geno Smith has gotten his extension. He didn’t get it from the team everyone thought he’d get it from. Four weeks ago today, the Seahawks abruptly struck a deal to trade Smith to the Raiders. On Thursday, news emerged of two new years being added to the one year

Former Bills G.M. Doug Whaley has joined the emerging trend of college football programs hiring General Managers. Sort of. Via Stephen Thompson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Thursday that Whaley has essentially been operating in the role of G.M. “for a couple of years.” The program

All eyes in Cincinnati are suddenly on the ticking clock toward an expiration of the Bengals’ lease at Paycor Stadium. Earlier this week, Bengals executive V.P. Katie Blackburn acknowledged the reality that, without an extension, the Bengals are technically free to play anywhere in 2026. To the extent that time

The last two seasons have been disappointing ones in Jacksonville and the hope is that a change in head coaches will move the franchise in a better direction in 2025. For Liam Coen’s arrival to have that kind of impact, the Jags will need quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s play to rebound

The best tight end in the 2025 NFL draft is likely to end up with the Jets or Colts, if the betting odds are to be believed. The Jets and Colts are co-favorites to select Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, with +180 odds at DraftKings. The next-shortest odds belong

There are a few weeks to go before the 2025 NFL Draft will be in full swing, but the Falcons are giving a hint about what direction they are going to take in Green Bay later this month. That hint came from owner Arthur Blank when he spoke to reporters

When Josh McDaniels was fired as the Broncos head coach in December 2010, it took him a little more than a month to land a new job as the Rams’ offensive coordinator. McDaniels’ second head coaching stint also ended with an in-season dismissal, but he didn’t jump right into a

Lions coach Dan Campbell says the Eagles’ tush push needs to be stopped by opposing defenses, not a change to the NFL rulebook. Campbell was asked at the league meeting if the tush push should remain legal, and he made clear that he doesn’t think it’s fair to pass a

The Buccaneers signed pass rusher Haason Reddick last month expecting him to get back to Pro Bowl form, according to coach Todd Bowles. Reddick had a strange season in 2024, getting traded from the Eagles to the Jets and then asking for the Jets to trade him before ever playing

The Dolphins signed former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson to a one-year deal last month to be Tua Tagovailoa’s backup in 2025. At the annual league meeting in Palm Beach this week, head coach Mike McDaniel called Wilson “a direct, calculated target.” “To be quite frank, it’s an inexact

The Bengals have managed to sign three of the four players specifically named by quarterback Joe Burrow during his campaign to get the team to break the piggy bank for key members of the roster. The last man standing is defensive end Trey Hendrickson. And the Bengals continue to bungle

When the Bears interviewed Eddie George for their head-coaching vacancy, only to quickly give Ben Johnson the job, questions were raised about whether the interview with George was a sham, making a mockery of the Rooney Rule. To the contrary, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren says the interview with

The Patriots will start their offseason program next week and that will give quarterback Drake Maye his first chance to work with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. McDaniels returned to New England after Mike Vrabel was hired as the head coach and he said in a Thursday press conference that he

The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since 2002, which was their last Super Bowl appearance. The only two seasons they have had a winning record since then — in 2016 and in 2021 — were the only two seasons they have made the postseason the past 22 seasons. It’s

The Cardinals have officially added an offensive lineman. Arizona announced on Thursday that the club has signed Jake Curhan to a one-year deal. Curhan, 27, spent last season with the Bears, appearing in 10 games with two starts. He was on the field for 40 percent of the offensive snaps

The financial terms of the two-year extension that quarterback Geno Smith agreed to with the Raiders were not immediately available on Thursday, but they have now been revealed. According to multiple reports, Smith stands to make $75 million over the two additional years on the contract. Smith is due $31