Month: April 2026

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Makai Lemon is selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number 20 pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Report: Eagles sign first-round WR Makai Lemon

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Wide receiver Makai Lemon reportedly became the initial first-round pick of the 2026 NFL Draft class to sign his rookie contract.

NFL Network reported on Thursday that Lemon signed his four-year rookie deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lemon, the 20th overall pick of the draft out of Southern California, will receive just over $20.81 million in fully guaranteed money that includes an $11.5 million signing bonus. The deal also includes a fifth-year team option.

He received the Biletnikoff Award in 2025 as the nation’s top receiver, becoming just the second Trojan to win it after Marqise Lee in 2012.

Lemon finished with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season with Southern California.

Lemon, 21, will be looked upon to contribute right away with star wideout A.J. Brown’s departure seemingly an inevitability. DeVonta Smith likely will assume the top spot among wideouts for the Eagles, who signed both Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Elijah Moore.

–Field Level Media

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook looks on before Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Report: Apple’s Cook, Meta’s Zuckerberg among Seahawks suitors

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Tech titans Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook are among the parties interested in buying the Seattle Seahawks, Front Office Sports reported Thursday.

The Seahawks have been up for sale by the estate of late owner Paul Allen since shortly after winning Super Bowl LX in February.

Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who purchased the team in 1997 for $194 million, died in 2018. The team’s most recent valuation by Forbes was $6.7 billion.

The investment bank Allen & Co., which is handling the sale, declined to comment on the FOS report.

Meta founder Zuckerberg has a net worth of more than $206 billion, according to Forbes.

Cook recently announced that he is stepping down as Apple’s CEO to become the executive chairman of its board of directors. Forbes listed Cook’s net worth at nearly $3 billion.

The FOS report said there are at least two other potential bidders for the Seahawks.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) wraps up Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.

Bengals decline Myles Murphy’s fifth-year option

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Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy remains in the plans for Cincinnati’s rebuilt defense, but the franchise passed on the fifth-year option in his contract for the 2027 season.

Murphy would have been guaranteed $14.5 million under terms of the option structure. The decision was made ahead of the Friday deadline for teams to exercise the standard fifth-year option for 2023 first-round picks.

Vice president of personnel Duke Tobin said after the draft that the Bengals see a future for Murphy despite adding defensive help at multiple positions via trade, free agency and the draft.

“By the end of the year, he was a problem for teams. He’s a guy that we believe in,” Tobin said of Murphy.

Murphy was the 28th overall pick in 2023 out of Clemson. He turned 24 in January and had 5.5 sacks last season but only 8.5 in 47 games in the NFL.

Cincinnati spent its top pick in 2025 and 2026 on defensive ends. Shemar Stewart was the 17th overall pick in 2025 and the Bengals took another Texas A&M edge rusher with the No. 41 pick last week.

The Bengals traded their first-round pick, the 10th overall selection, for Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence prior to the draft.

–Field Level Media

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (18) breaks a tackle attempt by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Corey Ballentine (36) before getting a Big Blue first down, Sunday, January 4, 2026, in East Rutherford.

Giants WR Darius Slayton (core surgery) to miss offseason program

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Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton underwent core muscle surgery after the 2025 season and won’t participate in the majority of the offseason program.

The Giants expect him to be fully cleared for training camp and could still have interest in signing veteran free agent Odell Beckham Jr., the New York Post reported Thursday.

Slayton and fellow wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) are both recovering from surgeries. Nabers went down with a season-ending right knee injury. He had surgery to repair his torn ACL in a September win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Free agent Wan’Dale Robinson signed with the Tennessee Titans. He led the Giants with 92 receptions for 1,014 yards, more than double the next closest wide receiver’s production (Slayton) in 2025 with Nabers on injured reserve most of the season.

The Giants drafted jumbo wide receiver Malachi Fields (6-foor-4, 200 pounds) in the third round of the 2026 draft, signed free agents Darnell Mooney (Falcons, Bears) and Calvin Austin III (Steelers) and currently list 13 wide receivers on their 90-man offseason roster.

Slayton, 29, had 37 receptions for 538 yards and one touchdown in 2025. He was a fifth-round pick of the Giants in 2019 and has 296 career receptions for 4,435 yards with 22 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Oct 24, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell (93) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

Report: Calais Campbell, 39, to sign 1-year deal with Ravens

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Six-time Pro-Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell is returning to Baltimore to sign a one-year contract with the Ravens, ESPN reported Thursday.

Campbell, who turns 40 on Sept. 1, previously played in Baltimore from 2020-22. He will suit up for his 19th NFL season in 2026.

Campbell has appeared in 278 regular-season games (259 starts). The league record for a defensive lineman is 282 games, set by Minnesota Vikings great Jim Marshall from 1960-79.

Campbell had 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 17 games (all starts) last season with the Arizona Cardinals.

He has totaled 960 tackles and 117 sacks since being selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played with Arizona (2008-16, 2025) as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-19), Ravens, Atlanta Falcons (2023) and Miami Dolphins (2024).

Campbell was a first-team All-Pro in 2017 and was named the 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on after being sacked during the first half of the NFL Wild Card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on January 12, 2026.

Report: Steelers expect Aaron Rodgers decision in ‘a few weeks’

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Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan are comfortable playing the waiting game with Aaron Rodgers. At least a little while longer.

Owner Art Rooney II said before the 2026 NFL Draft the timeline for Rodgers to inform the Steelers of his plans was no longer “before the draft,” as initially understood when former coach Mike Tomlin resigned and McCarthy took the helm in Pittsburgh.

Rooney said in an NFL Network interview on Wednesday the franchise is expecting to hear a verdict on the 2026 season plans for Rodgers, 42, in May.

“Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks,” Rooney said.

Rodgers played for McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers and has a deep and detailed understanding of his offensive system and coaching philosophy. McCarthy said that’s part of the reason he’s not even slightly worried about Rodgers missing the remedial installation periods of the offense and team plans during offseason workouts and voluntary minicamp.

The Steelers have insurance, albeit in the form of unproven NFL starters, under contract.

McCarthy has been highly complimentary of second-year quarterback Will Howard, and Pittsburgh used the 76th overall pick in the 2026 draft to select Penn State’s Drew Allar last week. Holdover Mason Rudolph split first-team reports with Howard during McCarthy’s first minicamp.

Initial timelines from the front office suggested Rodgers could be signed by mid-March amid the first wave of free agency.

At least publicly, the Steelers appear confident Rodgers is not plotting a QB sneak to sign with another team. However, ESPN reported on Wednesday that Pittsburgh exercised a tender that grants the Steelers the opportunity to match any offer Rodgers receives from another team. The tender guarantees him a one-year deal at a 10 percent increase over his 2025 salary.

“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Rooney said. “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans, and even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”

–Field Level Media

Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Carnell Tate embraces NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he is selected by the Tennessee Titans as the number four pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL draft ratings dip 12%, still third-most watched ever

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Viewership of the 2026 NFL Draft dropped 12% year-over-year with an average of 6.6 million viewers across all networks for the three-day event, according to Front Office Sports.

Despite the drop from 2025’s three-day average of 7.5 million viewers, the 2026 version was the third-most-watched draft since 2010 when the league adopted a three-day format. The 2026 draft was broadcast on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network as well as on streaming services.

The 2020 draft, held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, has the record with 8.4 million viewers.

Ratings for the first round of the draft last Thursday were down 3% from 2025, with 13.2 million fans tuning in compared to 13.6 million last year.

While fewer people watched on TV, the event set a record for in-person attendance with a three-day total of 805,000 people on hand to watch in Pittsburgh. The previous in-person record was 775,000 set in Detroit in 2024.

–Field Level Media

Feb 2, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens during NFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cowboys WR George Pickens signs franchise tag, will make $27.3M in 2026

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens officially signed the franchise tag on Wednesday, locking him in for the 2026 season with a guaranteed salary of $27.3 million.

Pickens, 25, is coming off his first Pro Bowl season in 2025, when he caught 93 passes on 137 targets for 1,429 yards with nine touchdowns — all career bests — in 17 games (15 starts) in his first year with Dallas.

The Cowboys’ front office has said the team is not interested in negotiating a long-term deal with Pickens at this time, nor is it looking to trade him. Pickens, who was set to be a free agent, and Dallas have until the July 15 league deadline to work out a contract extension if the team changes its stance.

“We have no intention of moving George,” Cowboys chief operating officer and co-owner Stephen Jones said in the press conference following Day 1 of the NFL draft last week. “We’re fired up about him signing his (tag), because it means he’s ready to come in here and get to work. … We have zero intention of moving (him).”

Dallas placed the franchise tag on Pickens on Feb. 27, the first time the team had done so since 2022 with tight end Dalton Schultz.

The Steelers selected Pickens in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia and he played his first three seasons in Pittsburgh. Pickens has produced 267 receptions, 4,270 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in 65 games (55 starts).

Pittsburgh traded him to Dallas on May 7, 2025, with a 2027 sixth-round pick for a 2026 third-round pick (76th overall, quarterback Drew Allar) and a 2027 fifth-round selection.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through a drill during spring football practice, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the Womble Football Center.

Report: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby placed over 10k wagers since 2022

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Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has placed more than 10,000 sports betting wagers since 2022, according to a report from On3.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, announced Monday he is entering a treatment program for a gambling addiction, taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team.

Per On3, he was averaging as many as 20 bets per day on a variety of different sportsbook apps across multiple states.

This reportedly included betting on Indiana games when he was redshirting as a member of the team in 2022. ESPN reported Monday that all of the bets were on Indiana to win and none were on games he played in.

However, NCAA rules forbid collegiate athletes from betting on any sport (collegiate or professional) for which the NCAA sponsors a championship. Sorsby reportedly bet on college football and MLB games.

This could lead to him being deemed ineligible for the 2026 season, pending the NCAA’s active investigation.

Sorsby, ESPN’s No. 1-ranked transfer in this year’s class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons for the Bearcats. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

–Field Level Media

A general view during the South Bend Riley-South Bend Washington high school football game on Friday, September 23, 2022, at TCU School Field in South Bend, Indiana. South Bend Riley Vs South Bend Washington

Two-way Florida football player ranked No. 1 in 2028 class by 247Sports

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A’mir Sears, a rising high school junior being compared to two-way NFL player Travis Hunter, is the No. 1 player in the Class of 2028, according to 247Sports, which released its first rankings for the group on Wednesday.

He also received the first — and only, for now — 5-star ranking in the class.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 178 pounds, Sears was a wide receiver and defensive back at West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines, Fla., last fall, leading the school to its first appearance in the state championship game in the 6A division. According to 247Sports, he had 61 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups on defense as a sophomore. On the other side of the ball, he caught 49 passes for 942 yards with 11 touchdowns.

After the conclusion of the 2025 season, Sears announced he would be playing his final two high school seasons at sports powerhouse Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. Most recently, that’s the school that sent basketball players Cameron and Cayden Boozer to Duke, and where Fernando Mendoza laid the foundation for winning the Heisman Trophy and being selected No. 1 in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Here are the top 10 players, as ranked by 247Sports. College coaches and recruiters already know these names well, and fans will learn them over the next two high school seasons.

1. A’mir Sears, athlete, Christopher Columbus (Miami)
2. Jayden Wade, quarterback, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). Committed to Georgia.
3. Kameron McGee, edge, Brother Rice (Chicago)
4. Brysen Wright, wide receiver, Mandarin (Jacksonville, Fla.)
5. Christopher Vargas, quarterback, St. John’s Prep (Danvers, Mass.)
6. Asher Ghioto, edge, The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.)
7. Darieon Prescott, edge, Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, Ill.)
8. Maui Tonata, offensive tackle, Orem (Orem, Utah)
9. Tyzon Swann, defensive lineman, Henry E. Lackey (Indian Head, Md.)
10. Casey Barner, safety, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)

–Field Level Media