Commanders tap Wes Welker to replace tight ends coach fired after DWI arrest

Wes Welker was names Commanders tight end coach.

The Commanders have a new tight ends coach, and it’s probably a name you remember well.

After the team fired its previous tight ends coach Ben Steele following a DWI arrest, Washington named the former All-Pro receiver Wes Welker to the position. 

Welker joined the Commanders staff a year ago and was elevated to an assistant this offseason. He also worked with the tight ends when Steele was initially suspended after driving while intoxicated.

Wes Welker was named Commanders tight end coach. Getty Images

Steele was pulled over at 1:15 a.m. on June 7 in Loudoun County, Virginia (where the Commanders practice), for suspicion of DWI and refused a breath and blood test. 

Steele was additionally charged with resisting and obstruction without force, and has a court date on Aug. 13. He was suspended by the Commanders for the last two voluntary spring practices and their three-day mandatory minicamp before his firing. 

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters that Welker doesn’t have an official role for his position, but that he will be in charge of the tight ends, a job pass game coordinator David Raih held the last two seasons.

Welker spent 2025 with the Commanders as a personnel analyst following his firing as the Dolphins wide receivers coach. 

He spent 2022-24 as Miami’s receivers coach, working with dynamic threats Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. 

Before that, he spent three seasons as the 49ers receivers coach and two as an offensive and special teams assistant for the Texans. 

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker. AP

But Welker is most well-known for his playing career.

Across 11 seasons with the Dolphins, Patriots, Broncos and Rams, Welker had 9,924 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns. 

Welker was a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time First Team All-Pro and led the NFL in receptions three times. 

He will work with a Commanders tight end room featuring John Bates, Ben Sinnott and Chig Okonkwo. 

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Everything you need to know as Eagles begin 2026 training camp

Everything you need to know as Eagles begin 2026 training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s finally here.

After months of waiting, the Eagles kick off training camp this week at the newly renamed Jefferson Health Training Complex.

This will be the Eagles’ 14th training camp in South Philadelphia after a run at Lehigh University that ended in Andy Reid’s last season in 2012.

We’ll be covering training camp all summer with daily practice reports, Eagle Eye podcasts and on TV with Birds Huddle.

Here are a few links to get you ready for training camp:

• 15 offensive players to watch

• 15 defensive players to watch

• 15 veterans on the roster bubble

• Pre-camp 53-man roster projection

• Some candidates to be Training Camp Darling

Key dates

July 28 — Eagles report to training camp
July 29 — First training camp practice
Aug. 15 — Preseason game No. 1 at Ravens, 7 p.m.
Aug. 19 — Joint practice with Patriots in New England
Aug. 20 — Joint practice with Patriots in New England
Aug. 22 — Preseason game No. 2 at Patriots, 7 p.m.
Aug. 25 — Public practice at Lincoln Financial Field, 6 p.m. 
Aug. 28 — Preseason game No. 3 vs. Bengals, 8 p.m.
Aug. 30 — Roster must be trimmed to 53 by 6 p.m.
Sept. 13 — Season opener vs. Commanders, 4:25 p.m. 

One public practice

The Eagles are holding just one public practice again this summer. The practice at Lincoln Financial Field is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the public practice are available on Ticketmaster.com. General admission seats are $15, while there’s a $50 VIP option that includes field access before the practice. There are no ticket limitations for the public practice and parking is free. All proceeds from the open practice ticket sales benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation. Everyone over the age of 2 will require a ticket for entry.

Key storylines

1. A bunch of changes on offense

The Eagles were far too talented last season to finish with the NFL’s No. 24-ranked offense. So after the season, they moved on from Kevin Patullo and launched an exhaustive offensive coordinator search that eventually led them to Sean Mannion. The former NFL backup quarterback has been coaching for just two seasons but the Eagles are excited about his potential with a Shanahan-style scheme he’s bringing to Philly. This offense will look very different in 2026 than what we have seen in the first five years under head coach Nick Sirianni.

2. No more A.J. Brown

As the calendar flipped to June, the Eagles finally traded A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots after months of speculation. Brown had an incredible four-year run in Philly but he desired a fresh start and the Eagles facilitated that. There’s no way around it: The Eagles are going to miss Brown’s production. But they prepared all offseason for the inevitable trade. DeVonta Smith will take the reins as the WR1 in this offense and the Eagles added Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and more this offseason.

3. What will happen with Jalen Carter?

The Eagles already picked up Jalen Carter’s fifth-year option for the 2027 season but it is a little surprising the two sides haven’t yet agreed to a long-term contract extension. The former No. 9 overall pick is already a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle with tremendous potential. Carter hasn’t been as consistent as you’d probably like to see and perhaps that’s the hesitation. This next deal for Carter is going to be a massive one that could either reset the defensive tackle market or come close. So it’s not super easy to reach a deal, but it’s usually the Eagles’ M.O. to get these things done early.

4. The defense should be elite

The Eagles lost Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship, but the defense has the chance to be elite again under Vic Fangio for the third straight season. This defense has talent at all three levels and so many of these players have been playing for Fangio for two seasons already. The Eagles are still stacked with talent, boasting a defensive roster with guys like Jalen Carter, Jonathan Greenard, Jordan Davis, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and more. The expectations for this side of the ball are understandably very high.

5. The battles

There aren’t a ton of starting jobs up for grabs in training camp but there are still plenty of battles we’ll be following closely:

Safety: Drew Mukuba returns for Year 2 as a full-time starter and Cooper DeJean is going to play safety in the Eagles’ base package. But with the loss of Reed Blankenship in free agency, the Eagles need to find their other starting safety. The frontrunner in this competition is Marcus Epps but others like Michael Carter II, Cole Wisniewski and more will be challenging him.

Receiver: We know DeVonta Smith is the Eagles’ WR1 but there’s a battle behind him for playing time and another battle for the last one or two receiver spots on the roster. Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown will be fighting each other for playing time and targets, while guys like Darius Cooper, Elijah Moore and Johnny Wilson are trying to earn a roster spot.

Backup OL: The Eagles’ starting five is set but there is a competition behind them. Fred Johnson and Markel Bell offer solid depth at tackle but Drew Kendall is now the top backup interior lineman. Guys like Myles Hinton, Cameron Williams, Micah Morris, Willie Lampkin and Michael Jordan are battling for limited roster spots.

Edge rusher: While Johnathan Greenard was added to be the Eagles’ top edge rusher, the top two incumbents, Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, will be competing for the other starting job and snaps in this defense. We’ll also see how veterans A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebiketie fit into the rotation.

Backup QB: After Jalen Hurts, the Eagles have Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton, who split QB2 reps in the spring. McKee is entering his final year under contract but the Eagles traded to bring in the veteran Dalton. The Eagles then drafted Cole Payton in the fifth round. It’s not ideal to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, so we’ll see if the Eagles end up moving either McKee or Dalton before the start of the season.

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How new veteran leaders are transforming Rams at training camp

The Rams didn’t just add star players this offseason. Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and other veteran leaders are helping build one of the NFL’s smartest teams.

The Rams won the NFL offseason.

They traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. Signed cornerback Jaylen Watson. Traded for two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Myles Garrett and drafted their future franchise quarterback in Ty Simpson.

And that doesn’t even include re-signing their own free agents.

But the Rams didn’t just spend the offseason collecting Pro-Bowlers, they assembled veteran leaders that can also help teach the next generation of young players.

Trent McDuffie is pictured during the Rams’ training camp practice July 26. MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Sunday marked the Rams’ first day of training camp at Loyola Marymount University, an opportunity for the entire team to get together and practice what football is all about: 11-on-11, the best on offense going against the best on defense. And after that first day, one theme echoed through the noise: The Rams have a bevy of veteran leaders in all three facets of the game that can help teach the younger players.

Let’s start with two-time Super Bowl Champions McDuffie and Watson.

“They’re true pros,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said of his new cornerbacks. “They bring a great perspective to the room. Leadership is influence.”

The evidence of that was already unfolding on the practice field at LMU.

Young defensive backs peppered McDuffie and Watson with questions between sessions. Veterans shared ideas instead of holding them close to the chest. Conversations flowed as naturally as the breeze off the Pacific Ocean.

“Everybody is combining their knowledge to become the best defense possible,” Shula said.

McDuffie, fresh off four seasons with the Chiefs, could have walked into camp with his two Super Bowl rings. Instead, he left his résumé at the door.

Myles Garrett is pictured during the Rams’ training camp practice July 26. Getty Images

“I’m not trying to change the culture,” McDuffie said after practice. “It’s a clean slate. Let’s come in and build with each other. I don’t think there should be one guy up there that has to talk all the time. Everybody should have a voice.”

That philosophy already existed inside the Rams’ locker room where they had a handful of veteran leaders in quarterback and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, safety Quentin Lake, linebacker Nate Landman, running back Kyren Williams, defensive end Kobie Turner, and punter Ethan Evans. All captains last season and players who coaches called “the glue” of the team and “coaches on the field.” You can now add McDuffie, Watson, and Garrett to that list.

Garrett’s arrival may be the biggest addition of them all. The seven-time Pro-Bowler and five-time All-Pro changes games with his mere presence. Last season with the Browns, Garrett set the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23 sacks, breaking the previous mark held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. Now, his influence on his teammates could become just as valuable as his pass rush.

Jaylen Watson is pictured during the Rams’ practice June 2. Getty Images

“When he’s out there you can just feel his presence,” said McDuffie of Garrett. “Everybody talks about a player’s aura, and he definitely has one. He’s gigantic. He’s a monster.”

New Rams’ special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, who coached Garrett in Cleveland, knows him better than anyone.

“When there was an opportunity to acquire him, people started asking me about his character and the kind of person he is,” said Ventrone. “Having coached him over the last three years, I can tell you he’s a great dude, a great teammate, and incredibly hard worker and just a complete freak of an athlete. Everyone is going to see it. He’s a special, special player.”

Jaylen Watson is pictured during the Rams’ practice June 2. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ventrone, who was hired in the offseason to revamp a miserable Rams’ special teams unit that was ranked among the worst in the league last season, brought on two veteran special teamers in Joe Cardona and Grant Stuard to help leadership and accountability to that unit.

“They’re two of my favorite players that I’ve ever coached,” said Ventrone of Cardona and Stuard’s NFL credibility. “They’re not only smart football players. They’re smart people. I’m grateful Les and Sean were able to bring them here.”

Snead and McVay didn’t just simply add talent this offseason, they surrounded one of the NFL’s youngest teams with veteran leaders, teachers, and extensions of the coaching staff.

If that investment pays off with another Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium next February, then they didn’t just assemble one of the most talented teams in NFL history. They may have assembled the smartest.

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YouTube Gold: Showtime In L.A.

During his playing days, Jerry West was devastated nearly every year when his Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics. He briefly coached, but given his high-strung nature, that really didn’t suit him in his post-player career.

He worked as a scout until 1982, when he took over as GM.

The Lakers had a nice base with Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, Michael Cooper, and the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but things changed enormously when L.A. drafted Magic Johnson, and Showtime was born.

Johnson was a 6-9 point guard who could play any position on the court. He had immense charisma, and his teams tended to win.

Los Angeles started to run, and while the main focus was winning, the Lakers introduced a level of entertainment that the basketball world had never seen.

When West took over as GM, he truly found his second career. He drafted James Worthy, but he was part of the decision, and he traded Norm Nixon for Byron Scott.

Later, he would draft A.C. Green, who also did very well.

The Lakers became a globally iconic franchise during the Showtime era, and a measuring stick for every team outside of the Celtics, who had their own identity.

Showtime started to wind down when Jabbar retired in 1989, and when Johnson abruptly retired in 1991, after being diagnosed with HIV, it ended.

It’s been 35 years since Showtime officially ended, and the NBA has still not found anything quite as much fun.

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Giants waive linebacker Cam Jones and defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell

The Giants opened up two spots on their 90-player roster ahead of training camp.

Linebacker Cam Jones and defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell were both waived.

Jones signed with the Giants in March but missed time during offseason workouts with what coach John Harbaugh described as an injury he suffered while moving boxes into his new home. Jones spent last season with the Jets, appearing in 10 games, and had played in all 17 games each of the two previous seasons with the Chiefs. He primarily plays on special teams.

Although there's no word on any box-moving injuries, Ravenell was waived with a Non-Football Injury designation. He previously played for Harbaugh on the Ravens in 2024, and spent 2025 on the Titans.

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Joe Flacco earns spot on the 2026 NFL All-Backup Team

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) drops back to throw in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Steelers led 10-6 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals surprised us all when they traded for Joe Flacco in the middle of the season after Joe Burrow went down last year.

The Bengals were crumbling quickly early on last season, but Flacco brought a spark the team, the fanbase, and city desperately needed.

Despite a lack of wins, Flacco was incredibly productive in Zac Taylor’s offense thanks to the help of Ja’Marr Chase and is now officially backing up Joe Burrow going into 2026.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently shared his NFL All-Backup team going into the new season, and Flacco made the roster.

“Here’s the veteran in our quarterback room. Flacco, 41, has been effective while bouncing around the league over the past three years, posting a 45.5 QBR while winning games for the Browns, Colts and Bengals. He’s going to throw some truly painful interceptions, but Flacco still has a strong arm, does a solid job of avoiding sacks and can run the offense from under center. He’s a great short-term option for us,” Barnwell wrote.

Flacco is the most experienced QB that has been behind Burrow since he was drafted in 2020 and has now shown that he can win in the NFL and win with the offense in Cincinnati, if needed.

As hard as it is to say, it is now important to have someone like Flacco behind Burrow after he went down with his third significant injury as a Bengal last year.

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Patrick Mahomes will wear a brace on his knee, "I can still move and be myself with it"

As he returns to the practice field, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will wear a brace on his surgically repaired knee. But he says he isn't sure how long he'll wear it.

Mahomes, who tore his ACL on December 14, said he could keep wearing the brace going forward, or he could choose to take it off, depending on how he feels.

"There isn't really a plan for it," Mahomes said. "I'm going start off with it just because I've worn it before and I feel comfortable with it. So that that's kind of where we will start, but it's not like I've been told I have to wear it or how long I have to wear it. It's just going to be my comfortability how I feel. But I will start with it on just because I feel like I can still move and be myself with it. I played with it in college and then we'll just see where we go from there."

Mahomes wore a brace in 2015 at Texas Tech, after he suffered a knee injury in a game against TCU, and played well with it. If he plays well with it through training camp he'll keep it on, but if he decides to ditch the brace, he's medically cleared to play without it.

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