Blog

A.J. Brown is joining the team he grew up rooting for and couldn’t be happier about it.

“My reaction was super excited to play for my childhood team,” Brown said Tuesday after landing with the Patriots via trade this week.

The long-anticipated trade from the Eagles to New England was consummated shortly after 4 p.m. ET on Monday, at which point Philadelphia could lessen some of the dead money involved as a post-June 1 transaction. But for Brown, this has been an even longer time coming.

“Obviously I know this ain’t heaven,” Brown said, “but it’s close to it.”

Brown grew up in Mississippi but became a Patriots fan as a kid who wanted to mimic his older cousin, who was a big Patriots fan. During the 2019 draft, Brown thought there was a good chance the Patriots might select him at the end of Round 1. Instead, they selected another receiver, N’Keal Harry, who last played in the NFL in 2023.

Brown was crushed. He imagined himself playing with Tom Brady and was devastated when the Patriots passed on him, saying he needed to escape his draft party and go “in the closet to try to gather myself because I was just disappointed.” The Titans selected Brown in Round 2 that year, 51st overall.

“It was a tough night. It was a tough night. I joked about it earlier, (the) Patriots (have) been breaking my heart over the years,” Brown said. “Obviously, I wanted to play with Tom. That didn’t happen, but everything happens for a reason.”

Brown leaves the Eagles after tensions boiled over last season. He appeared frustrated with his role on a struggling offense and didn’t appear to have as close a relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension with the Eagles in 2024 and helped the team to a Super Bowl LIX victory, but the relationship eroded to the point where a trade was deemed necessary — with the Eagles needing to wait until June 1 to avoid a massive salary-cap hit — for all parties.

The Patriots won’t face the Eagles this season but are scheduled to play them in Philadelphia in 2027 (the teams will also hold two days of joint practices this August). The Titans are slated to play in Foxborough that same season.

Brown told New England media that he didn’t want to get into the details of his Philly drama and that “none of that stuff matters” now that he’s a Patriot. But earlier, he noted to NBC’s Maria Taylor that he and Hurts were “not as close as we once were,” although he added that “there’s no bad blood” between them.

“There’s actually still a lot of love,” Brown told Taylor. “I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish. I didn’t truly understand why our friendship became the center of everybody’s attention when it came to football.

“Nothing happened. Nothing happened. People just grow apart.”

Brown might not have wanted to get into further detail about his relationship with Hurts, but he sounded more than happy to talk about his new quarterback, Drake Maye.

“He can make any throw. He’s very poised,” Brown said, noting how Maye commanded a team meeting earlier on Tuesday. “It says so much for a young guy to know what he’s talking about, No. 1, and to lead and to be the voice of this team.

“When I heard that, I was like, ‘Wow that was impressive.’ Obviously, I heard great things about him. But that part alone tells me a lot about him and how much he loves his job, about how he studies and everything.”

Brown also cherishes his relationship with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, even if it didn’t begin so well when he first entered the NFL in 2019.

“My first impression? Oh, I did not like (Vrabel). I can say that,” Brown said. “But what it’s grown into? He’s a great guy. He’s a great guy and he coaches hard. He holds his guys accountable. I’m not saying that lightly. He really does. He leads this group, leads the team, and honestly I believe that he’s daring somebody to challenge him. He still thinks he can play.”

Although Brown is less familiar with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the two have already spoken, with Brown saying that McDaniels has “given me a whole bunch of ideas.”

Asked what kind of role in the offense Brown would need to feel fulfilled, he said: “I’m fulfilled now.”

Brown is even turning back the clock on his uniform number, going from No. 11 in Tennessee and Philly to No. 1 in New England — the number he wore at Ole Miss and previously. Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman gave Brown his blessing to wear his No. 11, but Brown was feeling nostalgic.

“Just getting back to my roots, you know? … It’s a match made in heaven going back to my roots and it feels good,” Brown said.

Brown’s arrival in New England happened more than six years after he first envisioned it. It was longer than either he or Patriots fans wanted to wait, and even June 1 took a while to arrive. But now that it’s here and Brown is settled in New England, he’s ready to go.

“To the fans, it’s time. Better late than never. We right on time,” he said. “I’m excited, and I can’t wait to get out there in Gillette Stadium and hear the crowd and make plays and have fun.”

Nate Herbig’s ascension has netted him a lucrative new deal.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the linebacker have agreed on a four-year, $100 million contract extension that includes $42 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday.

Herbig, a fourth-round pick entering the final year of his rookie contract, cashes in with a long-term deal after tallying a career-high 7.5 sacks while producing 30 tackles (13 for loss), three forced fumbles, three passes defensed and his first career interception. With Herbig’s contract year approaching and Pittsburgh carrying playoff expectations into 2026, general manager Omar Khan made sure there were no questions regarding the pass rusher’s future, locking up Herbig at a rate that places him just outside the top 15 annual average salaries for edge rushers in the NFL.

As has been the case for the last decade, edge rusher is a priority position for personnel executives, a reality that is especially true in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers invested heavily in franchise legend T.J. Watt last year, handing him a three-year, $123 million extension, and have already dedicated four years and $68 million to Alex Highsmith in a deal signed in 2023. With Herbig’s $25 million per year salary now included, the Steelers have dedicated $83 million per year to the three rushers, the second-highest total at the position across the NFL, trailing only Houston’s top-heavy deals given to Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

Herbig’s contract is as much a reward as it is a forward-thinking move. At 24 years old, Herbig has proven himself as a quality running mate for Watt, who at 31 years old has already worn plenty of tread off his tires while carrying the Steelers’ rushing unit and has also encountered minor injury hurdles in recent years. By signing Herbig now, the Steelers are securing his services beyond the length of Watt’s contract, ensuring they have one rising rusher in their future plans.

Herbig’s career-best season in sacks came alongside 45 QB pressures — tying with Highsmith in the category — and a QB pressure rate of 13.7% while flashing an average get-off of 0.84 seconds. As he enters the prime of his explosive career, Herbig can proceed confidently knowing his financial future is secure.

While those in Cincinnati and likely the remainder of the AFC North were celebrating Myles Garrett’s departure from the Cleveland Browns, those in the NFC West are hardly going to unfurl a welcome mat.

Likely one of the first to field questions about Garrett joining the rival Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Arizona Cardinals All-Pro tight end Trey McBride faced the reality of the talent-rich squad getting richer.

“I was really shocked,” McBride told NFL Network’s Judy Battista and Ian Rapoport on Monday’s The Insiders. “I was really trying to figure out how they were gonna get this done, how they were gonna get the cap, the salary, all the above. But honestly, [he’s] a tremendous player. You know, Jared Verse is also a tremendous player. So, it’s kind of like one out, one in, and Myles Garrett’s been doing it at a high level for a long time. So, you know, I’m excited to go against one of the best in the league, you know, twice a year, every year.”

Having gone to Pro Bowls in back-to-back seasons, McBride’s 2025 All-Pro campaign was one in which he tallied career bests of 126 receptions (an NFL tight end single-season record), 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns.

While he’s unlikely to have the five-time All-Pro Garrett dropping back to cover him, the pass rusher’s addition to the Rams will undoubtedly alter the tight end’s performances twice a year.

“With such an elite edge rusher like that, he’s a guy that you have to slow down,” McBride said. “You have to chip him, you have to know exactly where he is at all times. And he’s gonna be a main focus for us when we play those, you know, the Rams that week. And hopefully we can slow him down and, you know, be able to slow him down as much as we can. So, we can get the ball out fast, because he’s a problem when he gets going.”

For a Cardinals squad looking to resurrect itself from four straight losing seasons, including last year’s dreadful 3-14 showing, the comeback road has no doubt grown more arduous.

Rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, the former Rams offensive coordinator, is going to continue worrying about his team, though. Presumably at least until the Cardinals play the Rams in Week 6 and Week 10.

“You’re not really concerned about that right now,” LaFleur told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s not what kept me up at night yesterday. What kept me up was, ‘Hey, we got two really good team periods, we got a two-minute, let’s see how that two-minute goes and then we’ll go from there. Like all great players, whether it be offense or defense, you gotta adjust, you gotta game plan for those guys, but not my concern.”

One more urgent concern is quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the presumed starter, who’s missed all voluntary workouts as he seeks a new contract.

McBride understands the absence, but he’s hopeful he’ll see the QB that helped him to so much success last season.

“I would love to have Jacoby here, you know, he was the guy who got me all those yards and catches, whatever, last year,” McBride said. “So, I would love to have him here but, you know, he’s dealing with something right now. Gardner (Minshew)’s been here just as much, so, I’ve been working with him, getting reps with him. And for all of us, we’re all learning the offense. We’re trying to figure this thing out together, and it’s been a learning curve for everybody. So, we’ve been rolling as much as we can, and it’s been a lot of fun, but we would love to get Jacoby back as soon as possible.”

Indeed, the Rams are putting everything into their 2026 Super Bowl aspirations, while LaFleur and McBride are installing a new offense and aiming to build a winner from the ground up.

As the Cardinals continue to wait for the return of their quarterback, they’re all drinking in the reality that the Rams added one of the greatest quarterback hunters of all time.

After being passed up for the Cleveland Browns head coaching gig in favor of Todd Monken, former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz declined the chance to stay with the organization.

Following months of silence, Schwartz discussed his decision with Ryan Ripkin.

“It sort of is what it was,” Schwartz said. “We had a lot of success on defense and the Browns made a change at head coach, and they passed over me with all the success that we had and the ability to develop players, our best players had their best years, all those different things. And that was a decision they made. They wanted to go with an offensive guy. They chose Todd. I’m fine with that. They can make decisions that they want to make, but they can’t expect me to stay on board for that. Anybody that’s in any business, you get passed over for a promotion when you’ve done a really, really good job in your job and you think you were in line for that promotion. It’s time to go.”

Schwartz, who was the DC in Cleveland for the past three seasons, reiterated that he didn’t want to stick around in shotgun-wedding fashion.

“Todd deserved his own guy. A forced marriage isn’t going to work in the NFL,” he said. “Having command of the players and having command of the locker room, all those things are extremely important, and I didn’t feel like I could do my job after getting passed over for the head coaching job. It sort of put me in a tough position. ‘Hey, we want you to listen to this guy, but we didn’t want to make him the head coach.’

“So, I made the decision to resign, and I have to sit out this year as a result. But I think anybody that’s been in any business, when you’ve done a good job, when you mention those numbers, we weren’t one of the best defenses in three years, we were the best defense in three years. The decision they made, that’s their decision, but to expect me to stay and for me to be on board with that, that’s just a tough situation. It wouldn’t have been good for me and it wouldn’t have been good for Todd. It was best for him to get his own guy in there and to move forward with him as opposed to just having an arranged marriage and having me there and maybe having some players more loyal to me than him. It can just be a bad situation. 33 years in the NFL, I’ve never been around that before. That all went into the decision.”

Schwartz is correct, that could have been awkward, particularly for defensive players who might have been more devoted to the DC than the head coach. The current question is whether Myles Garrett would have wanted to stay in Cleveland if Schwartz were the head coach — not that it changes the fact that the compensation in the Browns’ trade was the right move for the club at this time.

With the Browns able to block his path to another coordinator gig, Schwartz, 60, will have to sit out a season. The bluntness with which he’s approaching the situation will serve him well in his next round of interviews.

“I wasn’t upset about it,” he said. “I was disappointed about it. I wasn’t upset about it; I wasn’t mad about it, but it’s just my experience told me that wasn’t going to be a situation that was going to work.”

Myles Garrett’s next chapter began Tuesday in Woodland Hills, California, Garrett’s new football home for the foreseeable future following Monday’s seismic trade that sent him west.

He’s aware of the opportunity with the Rams, but isn’t going to let a chance to chase a ring change who he is. After all, he’s a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, viewed by most as the best edge rusher in football, and should have a place reserved for him in Canton.

“That’s always been my role since I’ve stepped foot into the NFL,” Garrett said during his introductory news conference. “So, nothing changes for me. I don’t feel any pressure to be anything else or be anything different. As long I’m myself and I come in here to work every day and I’m a leader, the success will follow.”

Garrett has long been a player who leads by example, and the examples are quite strong. Seven Pro Bowl nods. Five first-team All-Pro selections. The single-season sack record (23) and 125.5 career sacks.

That resume is why the Rams were willing to give up not only three draft picks — including their 2027 first-round selection — but also 2024 first-rounder Jared Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year whose production is on track to establish him as one of the greats of his era.

It all comes down to one goal: Win a Super Bowl in 2026, in their home of SoFi Stadium, much like they did in 2021. In that run, general manager Les Snead went all-in on the pursuit, mortgaging the future to load up on star players (additions such as Von Miller, Odell Beckhamand Allen Robinson) and chase the ring.

That title was won with future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald at the center of their defensive identity. This time around, Garrett will occupy that role.

“I see a position to solidify myself here, as well, among the very greats,” Garrett, 30, said. “I still have plenty of great years in front of me and being able to cement that legacy, not only as a football city here in L.A., but as an individual and winning DPOY and a Super Bowl or more. Those things are definitely pressing on my mind, and I have a definite bit of urgency to do it and do it right away.”

Fortunately, Garrett’s sense of urgency matches that of Snead and coach Sean McVay. After falling painfully short of the Super Bowl last season thanks to a four-point NFC Championship Game loss to the Seattle Seahawks, they’re more motivated than ever to ensure they get there in 2026. That’s what the trade for Garrett signals, a message Garrett happily received when he agreed to waive his no-trade clause — a mild concern of Snead’s — and join the Rams.

“Since the very beginning, it’s always been about winning. It just breaks down to the timing of everything,” Garrett said. “What does it realistically look like to be a winner now? And to have an opportunity to do that immediately, that was an opportunity that was too difficult to pass up. I always have love in my heart for Cleveland, the city and the community, all the players and everything else. But the opportunity to come here and have an immediate and profound impact on this team, it was something I just had to move forward with.”

After spending the last two seasons in Cleveland on rosters that combined for just eight victories, Garrett is joining a roster that is ready to win now. Snead and McVay attacked their greatest weakness — their secondary — by trading for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and handing him an extension. They also signed McDuffie’s former and current teammate, Jaylen Watson, reinforcing the back end before reeling in the biggest fish of all in Garrett.

Blending that unit with an explosive offense that scores early and often means Garrett will likely find himself with more opportunities to hunt the quarterback than he had in Cleveland in the last two years. Fresh off a record-setting 23-sack season, Garrett knows he might have an even greater opportunity to make history amid the Rams’ title chase in 2026.

“I mean that did play into the decision as well,” Garrett said. “Knowing I have the ability, you know, late game to pin my ears back, not just because we need a play to be made but because we have the lead and it’s an obvious passing down. Being able to make those game-changing plays to win the game for us. Those are things that appeal to me, I’m sure appeal to all of us as D-linemen. That’s something I really look forward to.”

Now, it’s about acting on those intentions, with Garrett dressed in his new colors: Rams royal and sol.

“On paper, I’m sure things look great. But we’ve got to go out there and put the work in,” Garrett said. “It starts on the field, it starts in the classroom. We’re not going to take a single day for granted, we’re not going to be looking at any odds or favorites.

“We’re going win each game day by day.”

New Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel isn’t just overhauling the scheme, but he’s tweaking quarterback Justin Herbert’s mechanics to fit the new plan.

Herbert spent Tuesday’s OTA session not throwing passes but rather using a weighted bright green ball to work on his throwing motion and footwork. The two-time Pro Bowler said he expects to spend one day per week over the rest of the pre-training camp sessions focusing on footwork rather than throwing.

“Mechanically, it’s a little different timing, making sure you’re timed up with the routes,” Herbert said via the team’s official website. “It doesn’t take too long because in years past, I’ve been feet parallel with each other, right foot forward, left foot forward.

“Basically, just understanding how [McDaniel] wants the drops timed up with the routes and he wants the ball out early,” Herbert added. “We feel like that is going to help get the ball out quicker.”

The quick routes were a staple of McDaniel’s offense, as were creative motions and an excelling rushing attack, allowing wideouts to find open grass. It helps when you have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle catching those quick throws, but the timing from the quarterback is key regardless of who is on the other end.

“That’s kind of his big emphasis in getting the ball out and getting the ball in the receivers’ hands at a time where they can go up field and make something happen,” Herbert said. “We turned on the tape of Miami the last few years and how many plays they had with YAC, guys catching the ball and breaking for a touchdown.

“The better I can do at getting the ball quicker in their hands and into a position they can run with it, I think the better our offense will be.”

Adding more quick-game to the offense could not only improve Herbert’s efficiency but also keep him upright more often. The QB was battered behind a banged-up offensive line, taking a career-high 54 regular-season sacks, then was taken down six times in the Wild Card loss to New England.

“I think getting the ball out quick and the emphasis of getting the ball out before the receivers are even looking for it, that’s the new part,” Herbert said. “In years past, you rely on your arm strength to put the ball exactly where you needed to instead of trusting and throwing it to a spot and letting them go and get it, I think that part is different.”

Different enough that Herbert is spending an entire day during the offseason program tweaking his mechanics to get used to it.

Drake London has hauled in his biggest catch yet.

The standout wide receiver and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms on a four-year, $141 million contract extension that includes $100 million guaranteed and can be worth up to $150 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday.

London’s annual average salary of $35.25 million per year places him third among the league’s highest-paid WRs, just above the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, according to Over the Cap.

With questions going into the season as to who will get the bulk of the starts at quarterback in 2026 — Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. — new team president Matt Ryan and new general manager Ian Cunningham have rewarded Atlanta’s top target regardless of who’s going to be throwing him the ball.

Since landing London with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Atlanta has found the USC product to be a reliable playmaker.

Across his four NFL seasons, London is averaging 77.3 receptions for 990.3 yards and 5.5 touchdowns per year, having led the Falcons in receptions and receiving yards in his first three campaigns before missing time due to injury in 2025.

What London has been able to put on the field has been all the more impressive considering he’s had four different Week 1 starting quarterbacks throwing to him in as many years: Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Kirk Cousins and Penix. With Penix coming back from a knee injury, it’s quite likely Tagovailoa could continue the Week 1 starter merry go-round.

Though London has his second contract, he’s still looking for his first Pro Bowl nod, a snub most eye-opening when considering his all-star 2024 showing in which he had career bests of 100 receptions, 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns.

Hip and knee ailments prevented London, 24, from bettering those numbers last season, as he sat five games after missing just one in his career previously.

As Atlanta enters a new era with Ryan running the show as team president and a new GM in the front office and new head coach (Kevin Stefanski) on the sideline, London and running back extraordinaire Bijan Robinson will continue to be offensive focal points going forward.

With a new age taking shape for the Falcons, it’s been made clear that London is one of the pillars for the present and future.

The Rams rocked the NFL offseason by swinging a trade for two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett on Monday.

Could there be even more thunder headed toward Los Angeles?

Rumors and internet speculation started since the trade that Aaron Donald could consider coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams this season. Even with Donald two seasons removed from his last NFL game, the idea of a Donald-Garrett pairing could be a shocking pairing for opponents.

Asked on Tuesday about the possibility of Donald returning, Rams head coach Sean McVay didn’t exactly pour cold water on the idea.

“Listen, if he’s interested,” McVay said during Garrett’s introductory news conference. “Here’s what I’ll say: You talk to Aaron and you see what he’s saying about that.”

Rams general manager Les Snead, who orchestrated the Garrett trade over the past several days, had trouble hiding a smirk on his face while the question about Donald was being asked. McVay admitted that he spoke with Donald about the Garrett addition.

“Here’s what I would tell you guys overall, too: Aaron is a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” McVay said. “Talked to him about the opportunity to bring him on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust ’em off at the age of 35, I bet you he can still do it at a pretty high clip.”

Former teammate Michael Brockers started the Donald speculation when he hinted on Monday on the Rams Squad Show podcast that the Garrett trade could spur Donald out of retirement — and that No. 99 has been getting in shape, just in case. ESPN’s Pat McAfee reached out to Donald on Tuesday, saying that “sources” indicated that Donald was interested but that he needed to see if he could stoke the fire again at age 35.

Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, racking up 111 sacks, 176 tackles for loss and 24 forced fumbles in 154 career games. He last appeared in the Rams’ playoff loss at Detroit in the 2023 postseason on Jan. 14, 2024.

If Donald returns, it will have been nearly a thousand days since his last NFL game when the Rams hit the field in Australia for the Week 1 opener versus the 49ers, and it would restart his clock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, for which he’s a first-ballot favorite. But it also potentially could give the Rams one of the best rush units in recent memory, with Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Ty Hamilton and Donald inside and Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson and Garrett outside.

The Rams already made two massive offseason additions to their defense with cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Adding Garrett this week has raised the expectations higher, even as the division-rival Seahawks are reigning Super Bowl champs. But if Donald were to rejoin his former team, the Rams might be the preseason favorites to win Super Bowl LXI.

Donald apparently hasn’t said no yet, and McVay didn’t quash the idea of him returning. That alone should have Rams fans dreaming even bigger.