The NFL appears keen on spotlighting Jayden Daniels and the Commanders after their stunning run to the NFC title game last season. Daniels will lead the hyper-efficient Washington offense into Madrid for the last of the seven 2025 international regular season games. It could be an exciting back-and-forth affair between a high-powered Commanders offense — now with Deebo Samuel — and a Miami offense led by Tua Tagovailoa, De’Von Achane, and Tyreek Hill.

They will be the first team to play back-to-back weeks in different countries outside the United States. The Vikings will face off against the Steelers in the first-ever NFL regular season game in Dublin on Stepember 28, then play the Browns in London the following weekend. It could be a tough travel schedule for the Vikings, though the Jaguars have played back-to-back international games in recent years. Those games were in the same country, however. The Vikings-Steelers game could be intriguing if Aaron Rodgers is under center for Pittsburgh after trying and failing to generate interest for his services in Minnesota this offseason.

Pickens, who was traded from the Steelers to the Cowboys last week in exchange for draft pick compensation, won’t function as the primary wideout in Dallas. Pickens’ ability to challenge secondaries deep is something the Cowboys have “sorely missed” in recent seasons, Nguyen said. “You would expect teams to continue doubling Lamb, which means Pickens could see a huge uptick in one-on-one coverage.” More single coverage could mean more explosive plays for the new Cowboys WR2. In the Steelers’ run-first scheme last season, Pickens was third in targets of more than 20 yards downfield and second in receiving yards on downfield receptions. Pickens had just one drop on 30 downfield looks in 2024.

The meeting comes after the Packers selected a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002 in this year’s draft. Schefter added that the team emphasized Reed’s status as the top option at wide receiver after the selection of Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. “Green Bay’s top receiver” means far less for fantasy than it does in other places around the league considering Reed led the team with just 62.6 percent of the team’s offensive snaps played in 2024. Reed in 2024 accounted for 16 percent of the Packers’ targets and 16 percent of the team’s air yards. He was targeted on just 19 percent of his pass routes after seeing a target on 23.4 percent of his routes in 2023. Still, he will likely be involved enough to remain a WR3/WR4 for fantasy purposes.

Hendrickson continues to search for a long-term extension from the Bengals ahead of this season. “The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating,” Hendrickson continued. While we won’t rule out something still getting done, it may take a training camp holdout or an outright trade for Hendrickson to secure the extension he’s looking for. Last season, Hendrickson totaled 17.5 sacks and has racked up 35 sacks over the last two seasons for the Bengals.

The game is set for Thursday, September 4, and will be carried on NBC and Peacock, our favorite network and streaming app. The defending Super Bowl champions will play host to the division rival Cowboys on a national stage that will also feature newly minted head coach Brian Schottenheimer. It’s a classic matchup that features two popular NFC East teams who could be headed in starkly different directions this season. While the Eagles will begin their title defense, Schottenheimer’s Cowboys are hoping to rebound from a 7-10 season with a roster that still has a lot of question marks heading into training camp.

The Saints selected rookie Tyler Shough in the second round of this year’s draft and still have holdovers Jake Heaner and Spencer Rattler on the roster. Both Haener and Rattler received extended looks last season following Carr’s injury, so it would stand to reason that Shough will be given every chance to earn the starting gig under center for the Saints. That said, Moore mentioned today that “there’s a blank slate there,” indicating the team will be patient with their decision and let it play out through OTAs, camp, and the preseason. On if the team would consider adding a veteran quarterback, Moore stated, “we’ll certainly have awareness to it.” Stay tuned.

The electric rookie tight end underwent offseason shoulder surgery and has not yet been cleared to participate in rookie minicamp. Loveland was not only present but was seen with a helmet on while warming up to the side on Friday, indicating he may be close to a return to the practice field. He should immediately be considered a TE1 in fantasy circles after being selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by offensive guru Ben Johnson.

Wow, to put it mildly. The news was announced by the team itself. Saints insider Nick Underhill reports Carr “tried all his options to get back on the field and ultimately decided against having another surgery and will retire.” He also reports the Saints will “recoup the money from this offseason’s restructure and will get cap relief.” In a statement, the team said Carr was dealing with a “labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff,” and that surgery would not guarantee a return to full effectiveness. It’s a sad end for a player who spent most of his career overachieving, though perhaps not surprising. Carr, who almost never missed time before last season, had grown increasingly prone to playing through injury. It apparently was no longer sustainable. Carr never won a playoff game but qualified for four Pro Bowls. He was ultimately a high-floor, limited-ceiling player who maximized every ounce of his talent to start over a decade in the league. Carr’s retirement means rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough will now begin the season as Saints starter barring something truly surprising happening in training camp.