Category: Football

Deion Sanders mostly stayed quiet while his son took the hits — through the noise of last year’s draft cycle and the early skepticism that followed him into his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns. The public criticism around Shedeur Sanders never really let up, even as he worked through a chaotic transition from blue-chip prospect to an NFL quarterback learning on the fly.

Now, Deion is finally pulling back the curtain. He’s detailing the kind of draft slide that turned an expected early-round selection into a Day 3 reality — and the storm that came with it. What followed was

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The NFL has unveiled the full 2026 regular season schedule. While everyone immediately leaps into all of those upcoming matchups, the release of the preseason schedule (which also came out on Thursday) oftentimes falls under the radar. It’s understandable given that those are merely exhibitions to prepare organizations for the real thing come September, but it is a critical piece of the NFL calendar. It’s where roster spots can be earned or lost, and rookies and veterans alike lay the foundation for the upcoming year. 

Of course, we’ll get it all started with the Pro Football

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Matt Miller

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Matt Miller

NFL draft analystMatt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. Prior to joining ESPN, Matt spent 11 years as a senior draft analyst at Bleacher Report. and 

Jeremy Fowler

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Jeremy Fowler

senior NFL national reporterJeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida

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Rich CiminiApr 22, 2026, 12:15 PM ET

CloseRich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.Open Extended Reactions

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — This offseason, the New York Jets spent most of their free agent money on defense, and now they’re expected to use their first pick (No. 2 overall) in the 2026 NFL

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Todd ArcherApr 22, 2026, 01:39 PM ET

CloseTodd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010.Open Extended Reactions

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will not hold contract talks regarding a long-term deal with their franchise-tagged wide receiver George Pickens, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones.

The Cowboys informed Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta, of their decision last week, hoping to put to rest the questions of an extension that would need to be completed by July 15.

The Cowboys

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PITTSBURGH — NFL teams received a letter today about the progress of former Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks as he recovers from a surgically repaired bone in his left foot.

The letter states that Banks underwent a CT scan on Tuesday and is “on pace to be fully cleared for full football activities in early June,” sources told ESPN.

The letter and timeline come after Dr. Norman Waldrop, a foot and ankle specialist with the Andrews Clinic, looked at Banks’ scan. He had surgery on March 9 on a fractured fourth metatarsal of his left foot.

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The Las Vegas Raiders are nearly on the clock at No. 1 to kick off the 2026 NFL draft. It will be the first of 257 total selections across seven rounds starting Thursday and wrapping up Saturday.

To prepare you for the draft, here is our cheat sheet for everything you need to know — top prospects, rankings, mock drafts, key nuggets, bold predictions, buzz and more. How does quarterback Fernando Mendoza stack up among recent top picks? What are the best team fits in Round 1? Which sleeper prospects could rise up the board?

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Ryan McFaddenApr 22, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

CloseRyan McFadden covers the Las Vegas Raiders for ESPN’s NFL Nation. Prior to ESPN, McFadden was a Denver Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post. McFadden also wrote about the Baltimore Ravens and University of Maryland athletics for The Baltimore Sun.Open Extended Reactions

HENDERSON, Nev. — For the Las Vegas Raiders, the luxury of having the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NFL draft means they can spend less energy on hypotheticals. They can set the tone for the draft by taking exactly who they want on Thursday night instead of hoping

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Jordan RaananApr 22, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

CloseJordan Raanan covers the New York Giants for ESPN and can be heard hosting on ESPN Radio. Raanan joined ESPN in 2016.Open Extended Reactions

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Caution: Beware of the red-hot roller.

For four years straight, the top player on my most likely Giants draft pick list has been selected by the team, starting with Evan Neal in 2022, followed by Deonte Banks, Malik Nabers and then Abdul Carter. For good measure, I hit on Jaxson Dart when New York traded back into the

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Peter Schrager

Apr 22, 2026, 06:25 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions

We’re now about 36 hours out from the 2026 NFL draft … and things are going to get wild. As I put together my final mock draft of Round 1, my biggest takeaway is this year is particularly wide open. I take a lot of pride in being as accurate as possible, but I also sort of love that no one has the firmest grasp on what is going to happen Thursday. It means we’re going to see surprises. And who doesn’t love surprises on draft night? It’s reality TV at its

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