PITTSBURGH — One year after he signed a three-year contract, Steelers defensive end and team captain Cam Heyward wants a new deal and appears to be "holding in" to get one, sources have told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Heyward has been in uniform at training camp at Saint Vincent College, but he has been a limited participant, sometimes ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been sidelined because of a back issue, will work out for the first time Saturday before the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium, coach Sean McVay said Thursday.

Stafford, 37, is dealing with an aggravated disc, and recently received an epidural for the condition, McVay said, ...Read more

NEW YORK — Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is eager to make his NFL preseason debut Saturday at the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y.

“There’s no light that’s too bright to play in,” Dart, 22, said after Thursday’s final practice before his first game. “I’m not scared. When I go out there, I’m gonna play the game I ...Read more

NEW YORK — In an era when starters haven’t regularly played in preseason games, Jets coach Aaron Glenn is taking a different approach.

The Jets will play their preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at Lambeau Field, and Glenn said the team’s starters will be on the field.

“We’re playing, we’re playing, Glenn ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — "They're the best defense I've ever seen." — DK Metcalf

"I feel like I'm one of the better cover linebackers in the world, to be honest." — Payton Wilson

"I think we can be a top-five defense in this league — maybe number one." — DeShon Elliott

"We can match up and play man to man versus anyone." — Mike Tomlin.

"I ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Don’t you want to be in Dallas?

Well, no. You probably don’t. And you probably don’t want to be in Oxnard, Calif., either, where the Cowboys hold training camp. You’re probably an Eagles fan, and you probably don’t want anything to do with Dallas or the Cowboys, other than chuckling at them and not hiding the laughter...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy broke into a grin and let out a chuckle before saying yes, he is excited to go against a defense that is not the Vikings’ own this weekend.

“It’s gonna be a lot of fun,” McCarthy said Wednesday after practice. “It’s gonna be a good test for us.”

It’s been a bumpy road at times ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — With every corner Teddy Bridgewater turns at One Buc Place, a piece of his past collides with the present.

If it’s not his former Louisville head coach, Charlie Strong, doing bed checks at the Buccaneers team hotel Tuesday night, then he’s bumping into Randy Shannon, who once got him to commit to the University of Miami. Or ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Ben Skowronek doesn't even knock anymore. And really, that's the way Aaron Rodgers wants it.

Every night after practice, he has an open-door policy to his suite at Saint Vincent College. Any player or coach can walk in and make suggestions, get clarifications on plays or how routes should be run or just shoot the breeze.

"I ...Read more

DENVER — Like the Grinch at Christmas, Sean Payton’s heart grew three sizes Monday.

“I would tell you, knowing him as long as I’ve known him, he really believes it more than he’s saying it,” Curtis Johnson told me Monday by phone after the Broncos wrapped up a shorts/shells practice at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit.

“...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Sorry Kyle, but this is for the best.

You’re a sharp guy, so you probably understand that. When a Super Bowl is visible in distant headlights, no team wants to pull out of the driveway without first purchasing a proven insurance policy at quarterback.

That’s all Teddy Bridgewater is. He’s not a savior. He’s not a long-...Read more

DENVER — The road to a Super Bowl has to start at 17th and Stadium Circle.

“You want that home game in January, where people have to come to Mile High,” Former Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey told me by phone Tuesday. “It gives you an advantage. That’s what they need to focus on.”

Bailey’s done the map in his head a million times...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — At about 9:20 a.m. Monday, Mucha Nama drove his Eagles-themed minivan into the parking lot adjacent to the NovaCare Complex. His little brother, Siino, was in the front seat.

They got some curious looks, which Siino and Mucha are used to at this point. Mucha has been driving for Uber and Lyft since 2016, but his car doesn’t ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Chargers are reuniting with a former franchise star to bolster their receivers unit.

Keenan Allen, who racked up more than 10,000 receiving yards during an 11-season stint with the Chargers before being traded away in a salary-cap move, agreed to a deal with the team Tuesday.

The one-year deal is worth $8..52 million, ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Pete Carroll’s first game as the Raiders’ coach will be in familiar territory.

The Raiders open the preseason Thursday in Seattle, a place Carroll called home for 14 years and won a Super Bowl.

He tried to downplay his trip back to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday and the significance of his first game with the Raiders at ...Read more

MIAMI — The Dallas Cowboys’ best player, defensive end Micah Parsons, is upset to the point of asking for a trade, and this seems just fine with Jerry Jones, the NFL and all of professional sports’ most famous and in some ways infamous team owner.

“I’m not losing any sleep over it,” Jones said of Parsons’ dissatisfaction.

We have...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Although the Steelers offense had one of its better practices of training camp Tuesday, the defense has still been fairly far ahead, much like pitchers compared to hitters at this stage in a baseball season.

But what if the pitching is just … good?

T.J. Watt first drew a baseball parallel when talking about his speed game ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NFL has reached a deal to take a 10% ownership stake in the Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN, the league and Disney announced Tuesday evening, a move that is expected to solidify the sports media outlet's relationship with the league for years to come.

In return for the equity stake valued at more than $2 billion based on recent ...Read more