Brett Favre repaying $1.1M for no-show speeches, auditor saysVideo
JACKSON, Miss. — Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is repaying $1.1 million in welfare money that he received for multiple speeches where he did not show up, the Mississippi state auditor said Wednesday. Auditor Shad White said his office received $500,000 from Favre on Wednesday, plus a commitment Favre will...
Tagovailoa will wear No. 1 for the Dolphins, said he wouldn’t ask for Marino’s 13 to be unretired
Miami Dolphins fans eager to know what jersey number rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will wear in upcoming seasons finally have their answer. The Dolphins tweeted out a series of numbers for the team’s crop of rookies and free agents, and it disclosed the former Alabama standout Miami selected with the...
Drew Lock excited for John Elway’s endorsementVideo
At least in one sense it’s been an ideal offseason for Drew Lock. Denver Broncos GM John Elway declared the second-year passer his established starter. Then, he went out and added old hands and fast feet in the kind of offensive makeover quarterbacks ordinarily only can dream about. “I’m super...
Tight end contracts could be next to see significant riseVideo
Several tight ends in the NFL are centerpieces of the offense. Now, it’s time they get paid like it. Guys such as George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz and Rob Gronkowski — before he sat out a year — are more productive than many wide receivers but make far less...
Will Patriots’ Bill Belichick overtake Don Shula for most NFL coaching wins?Video
MIAMI — The use of the adjective “winningest” in sports dates at least to the 1930s, when Don Shula was a toddler. The word came along at the right time as a superlative made for Shula, and it described him in headlines after his death Monday at age 90. Among...
Brett Favre allegedly got $1.1M in fraudulent welfare moneyVideo
JACKSON, Miss. — A nonprofit group caught up in an embezzlement scheme in Mississippi used federal welfare money to pay former NFL quarterback Brett Favre $1.1 million for multiple speaking engagements but Favre did not show up for the events, the state auditor said Monday. Details about payments to Favre...
Ravens focus on fortifying O-line after Yanda’s retirementVideo
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In their quest to keep quarterback Lamar Jackson upright and running, the Baltimore Ravens put a priority on fortifying their offensive line after the retirement of eight-time Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda. It is unlikely anyone will step in at right guard with the skill, experience...
Agent: Jets, ageless Gore agree to terms on 1-year deal
NEW YORK — Running back Frank Gore has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the New York Jets, agent Drew Rosenhaus announced. Gore, who turns 37 next Thursday, will join a Jets backfield that also includes Le’Veon Bell and fourth-round draft pick La’Mical Perine. Gore is third on...
Why are the Jets already trying to ‘lessen the load’ for Le’Veon Bell?
Should this be a concern regarding former Steeler Le’Veon Bell in New York? After just one season? The Jets are already talking about “lessening the load” for their $52.5 million running back. This despite the fact that Bell was the featured signing in New York prior to the 2019 season....
Tim Benz: Ideas for ESPN’s next docuseries after ‘The Last Dance.’ Cast your vote.
ESPN’s “The Last Dance” has been quite a hit. The 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Bulls of the 1990s is generating an incredible buzz. Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer joined me for our usual “Breakfast With Benz” hockey podcast, and we spun the conversation into...
Colts decide not to exercise 5th-year option on New Castle native Malik HookerVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have decided not to exercise their fifth-year option on starting safety Malik Hooker, which could make the New Castle native an unrestricted free agent after next season. Team officials faced a Monday afternoon deadline to extend the deal but opted against it. Hooker was Indy’s...
Carson Wentz supports Eagles drafting Jalen HurtsVideo
When Carson Wentz spoke with reporters Monday for the first time since the NFL Draft — really, the first time since he suffered a concussion in the Philadelphia Eagles’ wild-card playoff loss to Seattle, nearly three months ago — the first several questions involved the team’s decision to take quarterback...
Cowboys sign Andy Dalton, waive backup QB Cooper Rush
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys signed quarterback Andy Dalton on Monday and waived Cooper Rush, who had been the backup to Dak Prescott since the middle of the 2017 season. Dalton is guaranteed at least $3 million on the one-year deal that could be worth up to $7 million...
NFL moving London, Mexico City games back to U.S. stadiums
The NFL is moving its five games scheduled for London and Mexico City this season back to U.S. stadiums because of the coronavirus pandemic. All five regular-season games will be played at the stadiums of the host teams. Scheduled were two home games for the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium...
Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame coach Don Shula dies at 90
Measuring Don Shula by wins and losses, no NFL coach had a better year. Or career. He looked the part, thanks to a jutting jaw and glare that would intimidate 150-pound sports writers and 300-pound linemen alike. He led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history,...
First Call: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson keeps connecting with Antonio Brown
Over the weekend, Antonio Brown didn’t hide his desire to become a Baltimore Raven. He posted a picture of himself photoshopped in purple and black. Antonio Brown to the Ravens?(Via his Snapchat) pic.twitter.com/HwsF1HrXGj— Matthew Travis (@Mjtrav627) May 2, 2020 In early April, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson posted a photo of...
Browns 4th-rounder Jacob Phillips ‘going to be a starter’Video
Draft analysts and scouts expressed doubts former LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips, whom the Cleveland Browns drafted in the fourth round of last week’s draft with the No. 97 overall selection, would be a starter in the NFL. His former defensive coordinator and current Baylor coach Dave Aranda swatted those observations...
Antonio Brown shares photoshop of himself in Ravens uniformVideo
The Baltimore Ravens don’t appear to be considering signing controversial free-agent wide receiver Antonio Brown. But Brown’s willing to show what his offseason addition might look like. On his Snapchat account Saturday, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star shared a photoshopped photo of himself in a Ravens uniform. Brown worked out...
Reports: Cowboys add ex-Bengals QB Andy Dalton as backupVideo
Andy Dalton is coming home to Texas as Dak Prescott’s backup with the Dallas Cowboys. Dalton and the Cowboys agreed to a one-year deal that guarantees the former Cincinnati starter $3 million and could be worth up to $7 million, two people with direct knowledge of the deal told the...
Bears decline to pick up 5th-year option on QB TrubiskyVideo
The Chicago Bears have declined their fifth-year option for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for the 2021 season, a person familiar with the situation said Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced. NFL Network first reported the decision. The move is hardly a surprise...
NFL rookies, teams face similar problems as in 2011 lockoutVideo
Joe Burrow should be getting ready to report to rookie minicamp this month, then joining the veterans on the Cincinnati Bengals for the rest of the offseason program. But like everyone else around the NFL, Burrow is left on his own to prepare for the season with facilities shut down...
Troy Vincent: New NFL CBA a ‘life changer’ for former playersVideo
NOTE: Troy Vincent is the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations. Opinions expressed in this story are his own. On my office wall hangs a framed NFL jersey. It is dark brown with white and orange stripes on the sleeves, and the broad white number 32. It is signed...
Green Bay Packers sign defensive lineman Treyvon Hester
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have signed defensive lineman Treyvon Hester, who is set to play for his fourth NFL team in as many seasons. Hester, 27, played 15 games for the Washington Redskins last year. The 2017 seventh-round draft pick from Toledo spent his rookie year...
Big changes in AFC East, but Bill Belichick the constant for PatriotsVideo
NEW YORK — This could be the year. You know, when Buffalo, Miami or the New York Jets (finally) step up and (finally) overtake New England for supremacy in the AFC East — something the Patriots have had for most of the last two decades. Tom Brady brought his six...
‘Gift from God’: Deep dive on how Tua Tagovailoa became phenomVideo
Tua Tagovailoa is the quarterback of Miami Dolphins fans’ dreams, which is fitting, because his greatness and fame came to his grandfather in a vision back when Tua was just a tot. Long before the ukulele-strummin’, beach-vibin’, record-breakin’ icon became the biggest college football star since Tim Tebow and probably...
