Kickoffs will look different in the NFL this season, with the league temporarily implementing fair-catch rules first seen in college football. They could look even more exotic down the road, with league officials privately considering the XFL’s kickoff rules as a future model, according to NBC Sports.
Currently, NFL teams kick off from their own 35-yard line, and kicking-team players can begin running from that line only after the ball has been kicked. In the revived XFL, however, kickoffs occur at the 30-yard line, with players other than the kicker lined up at the receiving team’s 35. Only the kicker and returner, meanwhile, can move before the ball is touched by the returner.
“The NFL is exploring XFL data regarding the play,” Mike Florio reported Wednesday. “The overriding goal is to reduce the potential for concussions … by shrinking the distance between opposing players. The XFL rule leaves only 5 yards of space for players to cover before contact, keeping them from getting to top speed.”
It’s unclear when the NFL might attempt to enact such a change. Such a proposal has never officially surfaced in discussions among NFL owners, though many believe the league would ultimately prefer to reduce, significantly modify or even eliminate the kickoff in the future. Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this offseason that NFL executives anticipated pushback to kickoff rule changes but is confident that data from the NCAA’s own implementation of fair-catch rules enhances player safety.
Of all the players on the Steelers roster, there was probably no one happier to put on pads Tuesday than rookie tight end Darnell Washington.
Washington practiced last week, but he didn’t necessarily stand out, which is understandable. Washington without pads is like Superman without his cape. All of that changed on Tuesday, however, when the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Washington took part in his first padded practice.
His first challenge? A one-on-one matchup against T.J. Watt.
Washington more than held his own against the former Defensive Player of Year. He wasn’t as fortunate, however, during his matchups with Alex Highsmith and fellow rookie Nick Herbig. Such is life for rookies who all eventually learn that, in the NFL, things can change on a dime.
Washington’s physicality is his calling card, but he’s also a pretty good pass catcher. He displayed that element of his game later in practice when he caught a jump ball over defensive back James Pierre for a score. Washington’s work in camp has gotten the attention of Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is looking forward to getting more reps down the road with his big tight end.
“He’s done a great job,” Pickett said, via Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now. “You know, he’s working hard and I’m sure his mind is going one hundred miles per hour. It will slow down for him but I’m just excited how he’s showing up and working. He’s mentally locked in, and everything else will come.”
CBS Sports caught up with Washington following a recent practice. Washington touched on a number of topics that included similarities between the Steelers and Georgia, his long-term goals in the NFL and what it’s like to practice in front of Steeler Nation.
How has camp gone so far?
DW: “There’s still way more room to adjust. I feel like the deeper and the most time I spend as a pro, the more I’ve got to learn. Really just taking it step by step. Still learning the ropes from the reps and the players on the team.”
What have been the biggest challenges so far?
DW: “I’d say a little bit of everything. The game speed’s different, so adjusting to that. And then it’s a new playbook, at least for me, so just adjusting to that as well. It’s really just a little bit of everything. Every little thing adds up.”
Are there similarities between the Steelers and Georgia?
DW: “One-hundred percent. When it comes to the work ethic, and each teammate here just wants to grind better and work on their craft.”
You played in a lot of championship games at Georgia. Can you take that experience and apply it at all here?
DW: “I’d really just say the tunnel vision part. Playing in the natty twice, each game is loud. Everybody wants to win. There’s lots of fans. You’ve just got to lock in, have that tunnel vision, block out that noise, things like that.”
Any personal goals this season?
DW: “Really just want to contribute to the offense … not even offense, just any aspect of the team, whether that’s special teams or offense in any way. Whether that’s moving the chains or momentum plays on special teams.”
George Pickens recently said that you have the potential to be the greatest tight end of all time. What would success be for you?
DW: “Really, just playing in the league as long as possible. Giving it my all, leaving no regrets on the field, if that’s practice or in the games. Just finding a rhythm and continue on that rhythm and continue to put in that work and make plays or whatever it may be.”
What do you think of the offense so far and its potential?
DW: “I would say through the roof, but I don’t have a roof over me. It’s through the sky.”
What’s it like practicing in front of these fans? The Steelers have a notoriously passionate fan base.
DW: “For me, it’s still crazy. Still soaking it all in. Having the best fan base in the National Football League. They’re treating me right, treating me like family. You’ve got to be one to experience it. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a good feeling to be here.”
Kenny Pickett’s rookie stat line is nothing short of puzzling, and it’s led some to wonder whether or not the Steelers have actually found Ben Roethlisberger’s long-term successor.
Pickett’s supporters point to his 7-6 record as a starting quarterback (that included a 4-0 finish) and his four game-winning drives. His detractors counter with his seven touchdowns against just nine interceptions and his pedestrian 63 percent completion percentage. Just one of those picks, however, occurred during Pickett’s final eight starts, a drop-off Pickett attributes to getting more reps with the first-team offense after replacing Mitch Trubisky in Week 4.
“I think just seeing it and being able to play a little bit,” Pickett recently told NBC Sports’ Peter King from training camp. “Being on the practice team the first couple weeks, I wasn’t able to play in our system. I was just running other people’s stuff. So all of my reps in our system was really mental reps.
“So I think after the bye week — and I was able to play the previous three weeks — I had a chance to get a good practice week in with the guys. Things started to slow down for me and the system felt more comfortable. I had a lot of reps, I got to see things, and I felt like the game slowed down for me a little bit. That’s something that I want to continue to do; take a lot of reps out there and see different looks. It just helps in being able to play fast on Sundays.”
ASHBURN, Va. — Ignore, for a moment, the fact that it’s Sam Howell — he of one career start — and not two-time MVP and two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, and there are some similarities. At least in warmups. The tosses to get his arm loose are followed by little underhand flips and side-arm flicks and run-pass options and other movements that have been a big part of making Mahomes the league’s best. Heck, there’s even Eric Bieniemy whispering in his ear one moment and then yelling loud enough for all to hear the next.
Howell isn’t Mahomes. He won’t be Mahomes. But that’s not the point. Bieniemy and Howell are in new roles — the former a full-time play-caller, the latter an NFL starting quarterback — tasked with jumpstarting a Commanders offense that has been mostly dormant under head coach Ron Rivera and now-former offensive coordinator Scott Turner.
Bieniemy’s new system will surely include the gadgets and gizmos and trickery that existed in Kansas City. It’s a system that Howell said he entered training camp with “full command.” But perhaps the biggest difference will be the short passing game. The Chiefs have done it better than anyone else. The Commanders have not.
“The past system, we didn’t have much of a quick passing game,” tight end Logan Thomas said. “This system… I mean, you gotta have a quick passing game, because if not, everybody’s just gonna drop out, everybody’s gonna be underneath everything. Then you call the deep pass, and they’re ready to step up because they’re tired of giving up 7 (yards), they’re tired of giving up 5, they’re tired of giving up 6. And then you get 25 over the top, and if you look at Kansas City, that’s exactly what they did, too.”
Passes Thrown At or Behind Line of Scrimmage in 2022, with NFL Rank
Chiefs Commanders Yards 914 (1st) 439 (22nd) Yards per attempt 6.0 (2nd) 3.6 (29th) Completion percentage 84.9 (1st) 71.3% (24th) Expected points added per dropback 0.25 (1st) -0.35 (25th) Touchdowns 12 (1st) 0 (T-last) It’s the last column in particular that stands out. The Chiefs’ 12 touchdowns on throws at or behind the line of scrimmage last year were not only more than double the next-closest team but the most by any team since tracking began in 2006. The Commanders, meanwhile, were one of only two teams without a single touchdown on those plays last year along with the Seahawks, who had a much more productive downfield passing attack.
And that wasn’t just a feature of last year’s Tyreek Hill-less attack in Kansas City. The 2020 Chiefs had the second-most touchdowns on throws at or behind the line of scrimmage since 2006 (10). Tied for third most? The 2018 Chiefs with eight. It’s been a staple of Kansas City’s wildly successful offense, of which Bieniemy helped create.
Of those 12 touchdowns last year, six went to running backs, four went to wide receivers and two went to tight ends.
That’s why running back Antonio Gibson says “It’s super exciting — not just to talk about the running backs — what they do with everybody and, you know, what [Bieniemy] got in store for everybody.”
That’s why Rivera has stressed getting balls into playmakers’ hands early and often. On Wednesday, the first four plays of the first series of 11-on-11 work featured exclusively quick throws from Howell: a completion to running back Brian Robinson Jr., a miss to Terry McLaurin, then completions to Curtis Samuel and Dax Milne before scrambling before a check down to Gibson.
“One of the things that we talked about in bringing Eric Bieniemy here was getting the ball to our playmakers in space,” Rivera said. “There’s been several balls that have gone quicker to Terry, to Jahan [Dotson], to Curtis, with the occasional shot going vertical.
“Getting the ball in the tight ends’ hands, utilizing them even more, expanding their role, and then also not just handing the ball off to the running backs. … But also using them as a receiving weapon, getting the ball in their hands in space, whether it was coming out of the backfield or running their swing pattern.”
Samuel could be a particularly intriguing chess piece for Bieniemy to deploy. Last year, Samuel was one of three players — and the only wide receiver — with at least 650 receiving yards and 150 rushing yards.
“I think it fits him very well,” Rivera said. “Go back and get an opportunity to look at the stuff they did in Kansas City and look at how creative and inventive they’ve been over the years with the receivers that they’ve had.”
Of course the short passing game isn’t always a “quick” passing game. A major part of the Chiefs’ success was on screens, a throw behind the line of scrimmage that can take time to develop.
“A lot of it is you’re making the defense believe something is happening, and then it’s just a misdirection making something [else] happen,” said offensive tackle Andrew Wylie, a two-time champion with Kansas City who got a three-year deal with Washington this offseason. “All 11 players need to be dialed into the details. There’s a ton of different screens in this offense, and they are a big part of it.”
Unsurprisingly, the Chiefs were excellent on screens last year, ranking first in the league in passer rating (113.9), second in expected points added per dropback (0.20) and third on yards per attempt (6.6) on those plays. The Commanders, meanwhile, ranked 30th, 22nd, and 20th in those respective metrics.
While the quick passing game depends almost entirely on quarterback and receiver, the screen game relies upon athletic offensive linemen as well. Last year, veteran guards Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner struggled in that aspect. This year, Washington turns to Sam Cosmi at right guard and Saahdiq Charles at left guard, hoping for an infusion of youth and athleticism.
Cosmi in particular has looked sharp after moving from tackle to guard, garnering praise from Pro-Bowl defensive tackle Daron Payne.
“He’s one of those guys that’s pretty quick and agile,” Payne said. “It’s hard to do kind of some of the things that I like to do against him.”
He’s not alone.
“Just an incredible athlete,” Wylie said of Cosmi. “And the fact that they moved him down to guard and I get to play next to a guard of that athletic capability is just awesome to have. He truly brings it to practice every day. … It’s awesome playing next to Sam.”
Cosmi blew the 2021 NFL Combine out of the water, registered a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score (with 10.00 being the max) and posting “elite” measurements in both speed and agility. Normally pretty stoic when doing interviews, Cosmi couldn’t help but smile just a bit when envisioning leading the way on screens.
“I think it’s a really good package,” Cosmi said. “I think it’s going to be very beneficial for us in the season and opening up drives and doing that type of stuff. I’m a big fan of screens. Hearing that, knowing that, it’s big time.”
Success on the small throws may be the biggest step in improving Washington’s offense. With Howell, Bieniemy, an overhauled offensive line and plenty of capable weapons, they hope the right formula is finally in place.
If there’s been a buzzkill during an otherwise positive opening week of Steelers training camp, it’s been the injuries to Pittsburgh’s secondary. Multiple Steelers defensive backs have suffered injuries over the past week, with one potentially serious injury.
Rookie cornerback Cory Trice Jr. got carted off the field on Wednesday after suffering an injury to his lower right leg, according to the Tribune-Review. He placed placed on the team’s injured reserve list on Wednesday, thus ending his rookie season. In a corresponding move, the Steelers signed cornerback Isaiah Dunn along with safety Trenton Thompson. Pittsburgh also waived/injured running back Alfonzo Graham, who suffered a season-ending injury during the first week of camp.
Earlier in camp, safety Damontae Kazee suffered an ankle injury that has kept him from participating in practice. Pittsburgh’s secondary has also been without All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has been excused from practice for personal reasons. With Fitzpatrick out, fellow safety Kenny Robinson has taken advantage of his extra practice reps. Robinson, a local product who played college football at West Virginia, received first-team reps on Tuesday after having two interceptions during Sunday’s practice.
A seventh-round pick, Trice has enjoyed a solid start to his first NFL training camp. He made two big plays at the start of Saturday’s practice to help the defense win Seven Shots, a seven-play drill between the offense and defense from the two-yard-line. Trice, with several veterans getting a rest day on Sunday, received extensive reps going up against starting wideout George Pickens.
“I love it,” Trice recently told CBS Sports when asked about the challenge of facing Pittsburgh’s deep receiving corps. “All those guys are good at what they’re good at. Everyone’s got different tools. I’m seeing everything. I love going against those guys and seeing different things.”
Yannick Ngakoue has finally found his next NFL home. The former Pro Bowl pass rusher is signing a one-year, $10.5 million deal that includes $10 million guaranteed, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. ESPN reported the signing Thursday night.
Ngakoue, 28, broke into the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2017 after leading the NFL with six forced fumbles. He was part of a Jaguars defense that season that spearheaded the team’s run to the AFC title game.
Ngakoue played for four teams from 2020-22. He spent parts of the 2020 season with the Vikings and Ravens before recording 10 sacks during his lone season with the Ravens. As a member of the Cotls last season, Ngakoue tallied 9.5 sacks in 15 games.
New Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers brought a lot of former Green Bay Packers — seven — with him in order for the longest-tenured Packer (18 seasons in Green Bay) to feel at home in New York: wide receivers Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Malik Taylor, offensive tackle Billy Turner, quarterback Tim Boyle, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, and safety Adrian Amos. One player Rodgers couldn’t bring with him was three-time All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, the player who has caught more touchdowns from Rodgers (68) than anyone else in the four-time NFL MVP’s storied career. Fortunately for Rodgers, he sees plenty of similarities between Adams and the Jets’ No. 1 wide receiver, 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson.
“Yeah,” Rodgers said on July 20 when asked if Garrett Wilson reminds him of Davante Adams. “Look, I love Davante. I saw him this summer. Davante is in a category by himself still, but that 17 [Wilson] reminds me of the other 17 [Adams] as far as his [Wilson’s] ability to get in and out of breaks and his quick twitch at the line of scrimmage, for sure.”
The four-time NFL MVP doubled down on his praise for Wilson by once again comparing him to Adams during a sideline interview in the third quarter of the Hall of Fame Game between his Jets and the Cleveland Browns.
“Man Garrett, what an amazing kid,” Rodgers said Thursday during the Hall of Fame in an interview with NBC Sports announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth. “I have so much love and respect for Davante [Adams], he’s the best receiver in the league. I don’t say this lightly, but there are definitely traits that this 17 [Wilson] has that special 17 [Adams] has as well. I’m not going to put him in that category yet because Davante is in a category by himself, but Garrett really has the potential to be special. … He has great talent, incredible work ethic, and he’s a freaking great kid. He’s a good human being. He cares about it and carries himself the right way, like a seasoned vet.”
With Aaron Rodgers now the starting quarterback for the New York Jets after a trade this offseason, the Green Bay Packers will have a new starting quarterback in Week 1 — 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love — after 15 seasons of Rodgers. Teammate and Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones described Love as “a true leader” ahead of Packers training camp opening this week. Love sat behind Rodgers for three seasons, observing Rodgers win NFL MVPs in two of them. Yet, Rodgers went out of his way to praise Love, calling him a “great one” during Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game.
“I always felt like it was a part of the job to help those young guys out, and get them ready to play,” Rodgers said Thursday during the Hall of Fame in an interview with NBC Sports announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth. “There was a great one behind me in Green Bay [Jordan Love.”
Following Love’s first training camp practice as THE GUY on July 26, he revealed Rodgers, the Packers’ longtime leader, contacted him Tuesday to encourage his Green and Gold successor and wish him well.
“Aaron reached out to me last night and that’s exactly what he said. … He said ‘just be yourself, have fun, enjoy it, that it’s obviously my time now and to enjoy it.'”
Even future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 475 — now suiting up for the New York Jets in 2023 — has helped ensure Gang Green would have a cheesy vibe in 2023.
Eight former Packers are now a part of the Jets: Rodgers, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, wide receiver Allen Lazard, wide receiver Randall Cobb, wide receiver Malik Taylor, offensive tackle Billy Turner, quarterback Tim Boyle and safety Adrian Amos. Rodgers’ new Jets head coach Robert Saleh even provides Rodgers a connection to his former Packers head coach Matt LaFleur: Saleh and LaFleur came up in the NFL together, and LaFleur was the best man at Saleh’s wedding.
When asked if he would be keeping up with Rodgers and the Jets in HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and throughout the 2023 season by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, he interrupted Pelissero to nickname the 2023 Jets “Green Bay East.” However, LaFleur then seriously answered the question by talking about having his hands full with his young Packers offense that is set to break in new starting quarterback Jordan Love.
— CheeseheadTV 🧀 (@cheeseheadtv) August 3, 2023 “I think we have enough to worry about with the Green Bay Packers, but certainly a lot people I care about in that organization and on that staff,” LaFleur said Thursday, via NFL Network. “You always take account of what other teams are doing, especially guys you are close to in this league.”
Once football’s glamour position, running back is currently under attack by a system that has diminished their monetary value. Austin Ekeler — with his and his peers’ livelihoods being challenged — has offered a temporarily solution that could lead to better days for him and the league’s other top-tier running backs.
The solution was formed during a private meeting between organized by Ekeler that included some of the league’s top backs, including Ekeler, Tennessee’s Derrick Henry, San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, Cleveland’s Nick Chubb, New York’s Saquon Barkley, Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs and Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris. The issue at hand was the financial hit that the running back position has taken recently, as many of the league’s best backs are playing well below their market value.
“All the running backs out there, what we can do in the short term is to continue to make an impact,” Ekeler said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “I’m going to go out there and try to score as many touchdowns as I can, play my game, be consistent, make a big impact. And also, when we get asked about it, have some type of narrative. For us, we need to have some consistent messaging when it comes to that. … That’s why we had to have those calls. Things like that are things we can do in the short term to help ourselves out.”
Ekeler is among the league’s top backs who are grossly underpaid. While his current market value is $12.82 million per season (via Spotrac), Ekeler’s 2023 salary includes a $6.5 million base salary and a $1.5 million signing bonus. He requested a trade this offseason over his salary before accepting the Chargers’ offer of an extra $1.75 million in incentives for what is his final year under his current contract.
