Projecting the Steelers' 53-man roster as training camp ends and after preseason Week 1

The Steelers broke training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe this week and have one preseason win against the Green Bay Packers in the books. 

Roster cut down day is still a couple of weeks away, and two preseason games remain against the New York Jets (Aug. 21) and Buffalo Bills (Aug. 27.) Much can happen to change the equation between now and then – including unforeseen injuries. 

For now, though, here’s USA TODAY's look at where we think the roster stands with the heaviest practice schedules of the year now in the books. 

Required reading: Steelers running out of time for new deal with top CB Joey Porter Jr.

Quarterbacks (3) - Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard, Drew Allar

Mason Rudolph is the steady veteran backup for Rodgers, and that may be enough to land a roster spot if the Steelers decide to play it safe. In that case, Howard is likely the odd man out as a low draft pick selected by the former coaching regime. With the way both young QBs played against the Packers, though, the risk of carrying both behind Rodgers just increasingly feels like it could be worth the potential reward of a camp battle between them in 2027. 

Running backs (3) - Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Travis Homer 

Dowdle and Warren will get the overwhelming share of the touches when healthy, which makes a fourth body at this spot feel unnecessary for now. Lew Nichols got more touches than the starter Homer in the opener, which may signal interest in keeping him around. Beyond that, 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson appears to have completely fallen out of favor. He barely saw the field against the Packers. And native son Eli Heidenreich will have to earn his way into the conversation with special teams contributions. 

Receivers (6) - DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, Roman Wilson, Kaden Wetjen, Ben Skwronek

Metcalf and Pittman are locked in as a tall duo of starters on the outside, assuming they both pull through injuries that have held them out of training camp. Bernard and Wilson will likely fight it out for slot duties all season, though Wilson could be in some jeopardy if he becomes invisible like he did for wide swaths of 2025. Skowronek is a special teams ace who should be relatively safe for that reason. Wetjen was perceived exclusively as kick returner upon being selected as the team’s fourth-round choice, but his two catches for 79 yards and a touchdown against the Packers may be changing how he’s viewed. 

Tight ends (4) - Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Riley Nowakowski, Robot Tonyan

Freiermuth is the top pass-catching option while Washington is the team’s best blocker at this spot. Nowakowski appears poised for the H-back/fullback role vacated by Connor Heyward. And Tonyan is a versatile veteran who proved useful in the first exhibition with four catches for 61 yards. 

Offensive line (9): Max Iheanachor, Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook (T), Zach Frazier, Brock Hoffman (C), Gennings Dunker, Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson (G)

Despite a lackluster preseason debut, Fautanu is the team’s most proven commodity on the outside and a former first-round pick. It would take a lot to push him out of his starting spot on the left. The other three could all realistically start on the right side, depending upon how the rest of the preseason unfolds. The team is most invested in Iheanachor and most confident in Cook, the listed starter, at the moment. Jones would have to blow them away. Frazier and McCormick are locked in at their interior spots, leaving Hoffman, Anderson and Dunker to fight it out for the remaining guard spot. Dunker, a 2026 third-round pick, will be the fan favorite with that flowing red mane, but Anderson won’t be easy to push out.

Defensive line (6) - Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Yahya Black, Dean Lowry, Sebastian Joseph-Day

Heyward and now Benton are the big-money guys after the latter got a lucrative extension last week. Harmon is coming off a strong rookie season in which he quickly established himself as a run stuffer. And Black showed flashes that have given the staff confidence in him to start at the nose. Lowry and Joseph-Day are known commodities as depth. We’ll give them the edge for now over Logan Lee, who can’t seem to stay healthy, and Gabe Rubio, the off-the-radar sixth-round pick who’s nevertheless impressed early on. He had four tackles against the Packers and could push for a roster spot if the staff likes his upside compared to Lowry and Joseph-Day. 

Outside linebackers (4) - T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer

Watt, Highsmith and Herbig are the unshakable trio locked into lucrative long-term deals. Sawyer is being groomed to take over for one of them if there’s a move in the next year with Watt or Highsmith to re-allocate payroll to other positions. Jamin Davis had two sacks in against the Packers to put himself on the radar if there are injury or trade developments before Week 1.

Inside linebacker (5) - Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Carson Bruener

Queen and Wilson are your starters, but the former has no deal for 2027 and was the source of a lot of trade rumor smoke in the offseason. We’d speculate about the potential he could be dealt if there was an obvious potential successor, but there isn’t at the moment. Holcomb and Roberts are excellent run stuffers but can be liabilities against the pass. And Bruener is more of a special teams ace than potential starter as a former seventh-round pick. Malik Harrison was a contributor last year and is under contract for 2026, but the signing of Roberts would seem to signal some doubt there.

Cornerback (6) - Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Daylen Everette, Bradin Echols

Porter and Dean will start on the outside and could be the most dynamic duo the Steelers have had there in some time. Ramsey will be a proverbial chess piece who could get a lot of safety reps for DC Patrick Graham, but also has utility in the slot. Beyond them, Samuel has been a buzzy camp commodity following his return to the NFL from spinal fusion surgery last year. Everette is a 2026 third-round pick the team would like to develop. And Echols has been a fairly reliable backstop. 

Safety (4) - DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker, Rayshawn Jenkins, Robert Spears-Jennings

Elliott and Brisker will start and Ramsey will probably mix in a fair amount. For that reason, this may be a spot the front office is willing to cut from to keep an extra running back, lineman or even a QB. Especially because we’ve seen the Steelers churn through depth safeties at a pretty high rate under Khan. They’ll probably want to give Spears-Jennings a shot because of his speed, though. The 2026 seventh-round pick ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. 

Specialists (3) - Chris Boswell (K), Cameron Johnston (P) and Christian Kuntz (LS)

Boswell is back under a big contract. Johnston still puts up good numbers. And Kuntz? His podcast might make him the most well-known guy at his position in the league. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Projecting the Steelers' 53-man roster as training camp ends and after preseason Week 1

from https://ift.tt/hDdPZ8n

The rise and fall of Tony Romo: what comes next for CBS’s $180m NFL analyst?

Tony Romo, pictured at the Super Bowl in 2024, has become one of the NFL’s most prominent broadcasters. Photograph: CBS Photo Archive/CBS/Getty Images

After Tony Romo’s arrest last month, TMZ published a 31-minute “extended cut” of the body-camera footage from the Wisconsin police officer who arrested CBS Sports’ star NFL analyst on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence.

It’s an uncanny watch. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback’s familiar goofy geniality collides with the gravity and stilted formality of an encounter with law enforcement. The video of a disoriented Romo struggling to answer basic questions and failing a field sobriety test, and his rictus-grinning, disheveled, head-askew mug-shot, form a glaring contrast with his smart-suited look a year earlier: beaming as he posed in the spotlight with his play-by-play partner, Jim Nantz, at the network’s preseason media preview.

Romo initially told the officer he had not been drinking before saying he had had a single Corona. He has not issued a public statement on the incident since.

Related: CBS Sports chief says ‘no timetable’ on Tony Romo’s future after OWI arrest

The arrest and the attention mean that one of the best-known television personalities in American sport will start the season as a color commentator in a grey area. Romo was scheduled to be in Minnesota on 13 September to call the game between the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers on the first Sunday of the season. Instead he is on indefinite leave and former Houston Texans star JJ Watt has been promoted from CBS’s second-tier crew to call the game with Nantz.

Every week matters given the NFL’s short season but it’s unlikely that CBS will determine Romo’s future before his court date on 21 September. Unusually among US states, Wisconsin typically treats a first-offense DUI as a civil rather than a criminal offense. This is an important distinction in law, and perhaps in Romo’s employment contract, but less relevant in the court of public opinion.

The incident is another strike against a 46-year-old broadcaster who has lately drawn scrutiny for a questionable work ethic, according to the Athletic, as well as occasional on-air gaffes and apparently waning skills. While Tom Brady has grown into his Fox Sports role after a wooden start, Romo’s analytical talent arguably diminished as seasons passed, rosters refreshed and his first-hand knowledge of the league’s teams, players and coaches became outdated.

Born in California and raised in Wisconsin, Romo spent all 13 years of his NFL career with the Cowboys and rose from relative obscurity to become one of the league’s biggest names. He was a star at the NCAA second-tier Eastern Illinois University yet went unselected in the 2003 draft. Still, he signed for Dallas as a free agent. Initially a raw third-stringer, he spent three-and-a-half seasons as a back-up before seizing his chance in 2006 when the struggling veteran Drew Bledsoe squandered the starting job. Although his career never reached Hall of Fame levels, he remains the franchise’s leader in career passing touchdowns, a remarkable achievement for an undrafted player from a small school.

CBS hired Romo immediately after he retired in 2017. Eyebrows were elevated by the network’s then-rare decision to slot an untested broadcaster into a lead position but the gamble quickly paid off. Though Romo never reached a Super Bowl and had a record of two wins and four losses in the playoffs, he turned out to be a fresh and telegenic character who delivered insights and highly accurate in-game play predictions that drew rave reviews.

In 2020 CBS handed Romo a then-record 10-year, $180m contract: about $53m more than he earned during his playing career. It was evidence of his appeal as well as the network’s desire to keep him away from rivals such as ESPN. The former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman signed a five-year, $90m contract with ESPN in 2022. But the $18m-a-year benchmark did not last long: that year Brady, a singular figure who was still playing, agreed to a 10-year, $375m deal to talk for Fox Sports once he retired.

These amounts may seem extravagant – because they are – but are comprehensible in the context of the NFL’s importance to the networks and the broader sums at stake. CBS shells out $2.1bn a year to air games. Even this isn’t enough for the league, which has reportedly been seeking a 50% increase in rights payments.

“Everyone thinks they can do this job. Trust me, it’s harder than it looks. A lot harder than it looks. There’s 17 people screaming in your ear while you’re talking,” says Patrick Crakes, a media consultant who tested contenders in his former role as a Fox Sports executive. “When Romo’s at his best, he understands the game, he sees it and he can articulate it quickly and lots of times he narrows down the possibilities to two or three, he picks one and he’s right a lot.”

Predicting his fate now is far from easy. Discussing the fall of Romo on 11 August, the CBS Sports president David Berson told reporters there is “no timetable” to decide his future. “We had to consider the impact on our image and on our brand. That’s very important to us. Whether the games, marketing, PR, social, the focus should and needs to be on our presentation and not on any other factors,” he said.

Aside from issues of morality, loyalty and reputation, a ruthlessly pragmatic calculation could also enter the picture: if Watt proves a success, perhaps the network will conclude it makes sense to cut a fading Romo and potentially save $72m if the rest of his contract can be voided on the basis that the drunk-driving charge damaged the network’s reputation. Another possibility is that Romo returns to air with CBS at some point this season or next, but on the “B” team, calling less attractive match-ups.

Industry standards have undeniably evolved. Though Howard Cosell’s drinking – said to occur before, after and even during broadcasts – was an open secret, the great ABC sportscaster’s consumption did not preclude him from a long and storied career, nor was it widely publicized until a former ABC executive wrote a book in 1988 that alleged Cosell threw up on his co-commentator’s cowboy boots in the booth after imbibing too much vodka before a Monday Night Football broadcast in 1970. (Cosell, who left the stadium at half-time, claimed he was sick with a virus.)

Will Romo’s troubles dissuade networks from giving out lavish contracts in the future? Crakes doubts that executives will be rushing to offer more decade-long deals – not because of Romo’s personal travails but since today’s media landscape is so turbulent, making future rights deals and negotiating leverage hard to predict. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, wants to acquire Warner Bros Discovery in a potential $110bn deal that could see CBS Sports merge with TNT Sports.

CBS was the most-watched NFL broadcaster last season according to Nielsen ratings, with an average of 25.8 million viewers for its late Sunday afternoon games. Its Thanksgiving clash between the Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs attracted an average of 57.2 million viewers – the largest-ever audience for an NFL regular-season contest.

Such huge figures, especially remarkable at a time when traditional broadcast television is in decline, underline the value of the NFL to the legacy networks. They explain why charismatic personalities such as Romo who can elucidate a complex sport for mainstream audiences are able to command vast salaries. Constant scrutiny and high expectations are part of the bargain. “You’re really carrying the brand flag for your network, for your sport and for the league and that’s why those guys make so much money. There’s a lot of trust that goes into that,” Crakes says.

If a commentator becomes divisive and derided, that’s a problem. “Football in the United States is the most general market product that we have any more. It’s the closest thing to going to blockbuster movies that you can find,” Crakes adds. “It’s the closest thing we’ve got any more in the United States to talking to everybody.”

from https://ift.tt/PIwSV8t

Daily Dawg Chow: QB competition update, Za’Darius Smith returning? Bills schedule

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 15: Kc Concepcion #1 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates scoring a touchdown with teammate Deshaun Watson #4 during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Cleveland Browns return to the practice field on Monday, following a day off after losing to the Chicago Bears in Todd Monken’s debut as an NFL head coach. Nothing was really decided against the Bears, but this week versus the Buffalo Bills could be a big one.

Browns coverage from DBN:

• Browns schedule for Bills joint practice week, preseason Game 2 (Jared Mueller): “The Cleveland Browns host the Buffalo Bills for joint practice this week before preseason game #2”
• A Za’Darius Smith return to the Browns? Free agent update seems to surprise edge rusher(Jared Mueller): “Za’Darius Smith’s NFL free agency has not ended with the Cleveland Browns signing yet, despite a report.“
• ESPN reporter updates Browns QB battle between Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders (Jared Mueller): “Cleveland Browns QB competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders is far from over, but Jeremy Fowler updates us.”

You too can join DBN’s Feed with your thoughts, analysis, questions, and more. Just click here!

Cleveland Browns news from around the internet

• Cleveland Browns Set to Sign 3x Pro Bowl Pass-Rusher (Yahoo!): “Yet, the Browns are now expected to add another sack master to their front seven, and it could happen as soon as Sunday.”
• The Browns’ QB competition is messier and more fascinating than anyone expected it to be (Cleveland.com): “Nobody said the Browns’ quarterback competition was going to be clean. And after Saturday’s preseason opener against the Bears, the Orange and Brown Talk crew made one thing very clear: it isn’t over, it isn’t simple and Shedeur Sanders is the reason for both of those things.“
• Shedeur Sanders’ Postgame Comments Say Plenty About His Browns Progress (Sports Illustrated): “The box score told one story, but Shedeur’s’ postgame comments revealed much more.”
• How Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and the rest of the Browns offense graded vs. the Bears (Cleveland.com) – Subscription needed to read the PFF grades compiled there
• Updated Cleveland Browns’ 53-Man Roster Projection After Preseason Opener (Sports Illustrated): “Cleveland’s backups were thoroughly dominated by their counterparts from Chicago during the second half.”

Join the Chow Community in the comment section below

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

• Fewer ads
• Create community posts
• Comment on articles, community posts
• Rec comments, community posts
• New, improved notifications system!

from https://ift.tt/Oq0PVD9

Sunday Bengals News and Discussion (8/16)

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 04: B.J. Hill #92 of the Cincinnati Bengals walks across the field during an OTA offseason workout at the Kettering Health Bengals Practice Fields on June 04, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Cincinnati is gearing up for their next preseason game against the Chicago Bears, which should showcase the most playing time from starters in the summer exhibition series. While the Bengals were victorious in their preseason opener, they have more work to do to be revved up for the regular season opener.

In the preseason opener, many backups made notable plays. In fact, rookies and new faces were among the majority of the guys showing up on the highlight reel.

Who stood out to you the most? Who are you wanting to make more plays in the next two games?

Bengals News

Five Observations from Day 11 of Bengals Training Camp

B.J. Hill practiced for the first time after rehabbing an ankle injury for several months.

Here’s why Myles Murphy left Bengals practice early on a cart

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy was carted off the field during practice on Aug. 15 to receive an IV for muscle cramps.

Zac Taylor Explains Why Bengals Rookie Ceyair Wright Left the Team

The Bengals suddenly lost cornerback Ceyair Wright after the young quarterback left the team.

Bengals Player Profile: Evan McPherson looks to build off his bounce back season

The Cincinnati Bengals managed nine wins during Evan McPherson’s worst year as a pro.

Bengals quarterback room shares a unique piece of NFL history

Joe Burrow is the headliner, but Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson make Cincinnati’s QB trio truly extraordinary.

1 unexpected Bengals rookie already flashing long-term starter upside

The Cincinnati Bengals have some really solid early contributions from the rookie class this year. 

NFL News

Rams rookie QB Ty Simpson shines with two touchdown passes in preseason debut vs. Chiefs

There were a whole bunch of raised eyebrows when the Los Angeles Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round in April.

2026 NFL preseason Week 1: Game takeaways, analysis

The first week of the 2026 NFL preseason kicked off Thursday, giving us our first look at rookies and players making debuts with new teams.

Giants’ Jaxson Dart irritated over latest trip to NFL’s blue medical tent

Dart visited the blue tent after taking a big hit during Saturday’s preseason game, but came back in to throw TD

Ja’Kobi Lane has TD catch on promising night for Ravens rookie receivers in 24-7 win over Eagles

Rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane keeps turning heads. On Saturday night, so did his recently drafted teammates.

Deshaun Watson: I don’t doubt myself in any way

Browns coach Todd Monken said it was “cool” and “awesome” to watch Deshaun Watson play on Saturday.

from https://ift.tt/2uXcCfx

What NFL games are on today? Preseason Week 1 TV channels, Saturday schedule

The 2026 NFL preseason has already provided plenty of excitement, and the Saturday, Aug. 15, action will add another layer of intrigue to the fold.

\n

A total of seven games are set to be played on Saturday. None will captivate NFL fans quite as much as the Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears matchup, during which viewers will get a first glimpse at the quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders in new coach Todd Monken's offense.

\n

Another quarterback battle will be on display simultaneously. While Kyler Murray has already been named the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy will look to prove he deserves another chance and play well enough to put heat on the veteran in the early stages of the 2026 NFL season.

\n

Elsewhere, Ty Simpson is set to make his debut for the Los Angeles Rams. The 13th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft will play behind Stetson Bennett IV but will nonetheless get a chance to show what he can do and compare his first outing to his fellow first-round rookie quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.

\n

Here's what to know about the slate of games on Saturday as the first full week of NFL preseason action comes to a close.

\n

What NFL games are on today?

\n

A total of seven preseason games will be played throughout the day on Saturday. Here's the full slate:

\n

• Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
• Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
• New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
• Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4 p.m. ET
• New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4 p.m. ET
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m. ET
• Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8 p.m. ET

\n

Watch preseason NFL games with Fubo (free trial)

\n

NFL preseason Week 1: TV channels for Saturday games

\n

Three of Saturday's seven NFL games will air nationally on NFL Network, while three more will air on ESPN Unlimited. All seven contests will be available to watch on NFL+ and locally in each team's market.

\n

Below is a full look at the TV channels for each matchup:

\n

• Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns
  • Local: Fox32 Chicago (Chicago) | WEWS News 5 (Cleveland)
  • National: NFL Network
• Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers
  • Local: WIVB (Buffalo) | WSOC (Carolina)
• New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings
  • Local: KMSP (Minneapolis) | WNBC (New York)
  • National: ESPN Unlimited
• Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams
  • Local: CBS LA (Los Angeles) | KSHB 41 (Kansas City)
  • National: NFL Network
• New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Local: WVUE (New Orleans) | WFOX and WJAX (Jacksonville)
  • National: ESPN Unlimited
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles
  • Local: WBAL (Baltimore) | WCAU (Philadelphia)
  • National: ESPN Unlimited
• Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
  • Local: King 5 (Seattle) | CBS Texas (Dallas)
  • National: NFL Network

\n

Odds for every NFL preseason game today

\n

Odds from BetMGM as of Friday.

\n

• Bears (+155) vs. Browns (-190)
  • CLE (-3); O/U 40.5
• Bills (-160) vs. Panthers (+135)
  • BUF (-3); O/U 38.5
• Giants (+115) vs. Vikings (-135)
  • MIN (-2.5); O/U 42.5
• Chiefs (-135) vs. Rams (+110)
  • KC (-1.5); O/U 35.5
• Saints (-145) vs. Jaguars (+120)
  • NO (-2.5); O/U 36
• Ravens (+165) vs. Eagles (-200)
  • PHI (-3.5); O/U 36.5
• Seahawks (-160) vs. Cowboys (+130)
  • SEA (-3); O/U 38

\n

NFL preseason Week 1 schedule

\n

Thursday, Aug. 13

\n

• Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions, 7 p.m. ET
• Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers, 7 p.m. ET
• New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET
• Las Vegas Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET
• San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans, 9 p.m. ET

\n

Friday, Aug. 14

\n

• Atlanta Falcons vs. Denver Broncos, 7 p.m. ET
• New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m. ET
• Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m. ET

\n

Saturday, Aug. 15

\n

• Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
• Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
• New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
• Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4 p.m. ET
• New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4 p.m. ET
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m. ET
• Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8 p.m. ET

\n

Watch NFL preseason action with Fubo (free trial)

\n

How to watch NFL preseason games

\n

• TV channel (national): NFL Network
• TV channel (local): By market
• Live stream: NFL+ (for all games) | ESPN Unlimited | Fubo (for national games)

\n

The NFL Network will broadcast a number of nationally televised games throughout the preseason. Most games will air in local markets on CBS, NBC, and others.

\n

For cord-cutters looking to broadcast the game, NFL+ Premium will broadcast every preseason game. Fubo – which carries NFL Network, as well as CBS, NBC, Fox and the ESPN family of networks – will also have select games available.

\n

ESPN Unlimited will also carry several games.

\n

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.

\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What NFL games are on today? Preseason Week 1 TV channels, Saturday schedule

from https://ift.tt/3HoSJnW

Colts coach gets knocked down by own player in painful sideline moment

A Colts coach gets knocked down by his own player in a painful sideline moment.

There’s always a risk of injury during the preseason, but usually that is for the players and not the coaches. 

Nevertheless, that wasn’t the case on Thursday night during the Colts’ tie against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. 

Indianapolis special teams coordinator Brian Mason appeared to get hurt on the final play of the 13-13 tie when Colts quarterback Riley Leonard attempted a Hail Mary pass and the Indy assistant coach got taken out along the sideline. 

Not good: #Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason got taken out on the very final play of tonight’s preseason game and was in significant pain.

(@BCampbell__87) pic.twitter.com/t87ZXVZWp3

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 14, 2026

Brian Mason went down in pain on the sideline during the Colts’ Aug. 13, 2026. NFL

The broadcast captured the moment a pair of players — one being a Colts player and the other being a member of the Patriots — made contact with Mason and sent him to the ground. 

Mason could be seen in immediate pain when the broadcast showed a replay of the play. 

The special teams coordinator appeared to be yelling in pain and rolled on the ground. 

It wasn’t immediately clear what the Colts coach had hurt. 

Indianapolis special team coordinator Brian Mason of the Indianapolis Colts looks on prior to the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Getty Images

Mason is going into his fourth season as the Colts’ special teams coordinator and has coached across various levels of football during his career. 

Among his other stops were Ohio State, where he was a graduate assistant for two years, Cincinnati, where he was first named director of recruiting and then eventually promoted to special teams coordinator, and Notre Dame.

from https://ift.tt/TDWroLY

The Denver Broncos recently worked out safety Tyler Rapp

TAMPA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 23: Taylor Rapp #9 of the Buffalo Bills runs onto the field prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, Broncos Country.

The Denver Broncos tout one of the best secondaries in the league. The star power and depth at cornerback is evident, and the team has an underrated starting duo at safety with Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga. However, the Broncos might be interested in adding some experienced depth at safety.

According to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post, the Broncos recently worked out veteran safety Tyler Rapp. A second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFL Draft, Rapp has played in 93 games with 72 starts. Over seven seasons, he has notched 488 tackles, 12 interceptions, and 31 passes defended. He has been a productive player, though several hip and knee injuries have impacted his availability throughout his career.

After Jones and Hufanga, five players are battling it out in training camp for depth spots on the backend of their secondary. Those players are JL Skinner, Devon Key, Tycen Anderson, Miles Scott, and Parker Robertson. Skinner, Key, and Anderson have all been top-notch special teams’ players during their time in the NFL. Scott and Robertson are both rookies this season.

With P.J. Locke’s departure to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency, Denver may be looking for a more experienced player to assume his role with the team. None of the five players vying for a backup role have any significant in-game snaps. For perspective, Locke had over 1,800 defensive snaps during his time with the Broncos as a reserve and pinch-starter. Rapp has over 4,800 defensive snaps in his career.

Maybe it means nothing, but maybe it means something. In the event either Jones or Hufanga missed time, it could be wise to have a veteran player who has a lot of starting experience as one of their depth players. What do you think, Broncos Country? Would you be interested in the Broncos signing Rapp? Let me know in the comments section.

As always, thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.

from https://ift.tt/2zlajZq