LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford didn't participate in the Rams' joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on Thursday in Carson, but the team hopes he can take meaningful steps this weekend toward a return from injury.

Stafford, who has missed the entirety of training camp because of an aggravated disc in his back, is scheduled to work out ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — From the Chiefs’ perspective, there seems to be little doubt that receiver Rashee Rice will be punished by the NFL for his role in a March 2024 six-car crash on a Dallas freeway.

It’s more a matter of how long that suspension will last.

But any NFL punishment apparently won’t come for at least six weeks. ESPN’s ...Read more

NEW YORK — Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores can take his discrimination cases against the NFL, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans to an open federal court in front of a jury, a federal appeals court reaffirmed Thursday.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a March 2023 ruling by U.S. District Judge ...Read more

CHICAGO — Some big news out of Halas Hall last week was buried on a day when Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President/CEO Kevin Warren updated the stadium plans and coach Ben Johnson announced he wouldn’t play Caleb Williams or most other starters in a meaningless preseason opener.

Edward L. McCaskey was named to the seven-...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you’ve followed the Chiefs in the Andy Reid era, you know that he’s the fourth-winningest coach in NFL history because he’s a unique fusion of his compelling experiences.

He’s both a brilliant tactician and a taskmaster. Equal parts encouraging and exacting. And pragmatic with a playful side — a blend befitting...Read more

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — As Bijan Robinson starts his third season in the NFL, his position coach said what any Atlanta Falcons fan should want to hear about the star running back.

Not only does Robinson care about improving, but he is willing to dive into the mundane process of getting better at the small details that few people notice. As ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Devin White is trying to earn a starting job with the Raiders, his third team since the former No. 5 overall pick left the Bucs following the 2023 season.

In Las Vegas, White is reunited with John Spytek, a key member of Tampa Bay’s front office for nine seasons and now Raiders general manager. Spytek, a former Bucs assistant ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Long after the double air horn sounded to signal the end of joint practice with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, Jalen Hurts remained on the field.

The huddles had broken down. Players had consumed their cups of Rita’s water ice and headed back indoors. But Hurts stood on the far end of one of the practice fields in deep ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A decade ago, the languishing St. Louis Rams were ranked dead last in the NFL with a franchise valuation of $930 million.

Faced with an unappealing stadium lease and dwindling prospects in St. Louis, the Rams turned their attention westward, toward their Los Angeles roots. Quietly, they acquired two parcels of land at the former...Read more

CHICAGO — Assistant coaches were made available to the media Wednesday for the first time since the Chicago Bears opened training camp, and one thing they said they appreciate about coach Ben Johnson is how there’s a clear distinction for everything being done.

It’s black and white.

Both passing game coordinator Press Taylor and ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has withdrawn his challenge to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman’s trademark use of the No. 8.

In a decision to dismiss the case published Tuesday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player filed to withdraw the challenge Monday after originally ...Read more

NEW YORK — Last week, Breece Hall shook up social media with three cryptic words.

“Time will tell.”

During Wednesday’s press conference, Hall might have expressed what he meant when asked what has changed about the Jets offense for him from last year to this year.

“Nothing really,” Hall said. “I think people try to make a skewed...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The first question you have to ask yourself when you’re writing about a deep and unseen connection between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is what to call them after your first reference to them. Are they Swift and Kelce? That would be standard practice at a website or publication such as The Philadelphia Inquirer, a legacy ...Read more

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. touched off a major rumble and then pronounced himself ready for the regular season at the conclusion of joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.

About midway through the session, Penix tossed a touchdown pass to receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III and had words with ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The surgical viewing window and other rooms inside Arizona Equine provided Ty Robinson with an introductory course in anatomy and a baseline for his future.

“Gnarly” became normal, said Robinson, the Eagles’ 24-year-old rookie defensive tackle, who would often join his mother, Tresha, an equine veterinarian, at her ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — It was the splashiest offseason in Steelers history, at least with outside additions. Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith … there are soap operas with blander plots.

But it hasn’t just been the marquee names.

If anything, the added roster depth has been just as impressive.

Good timing, too.

Entering his ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Even before Keenan Allen returned to the Chargers last week, he was already making an impact in the receiver room.

As a rookie, Ladd McConkey studied Allen’s practice film on his team-issued iPad, trying to absorb lessons from one of the league’s best route runners — the very player whose rookie records for receptions and ...Read more

DENVER — Sean Payton is a noted stickler for details, even beyond the normal standards of an obsessive group like professional football coaches.

That has made this Broncos training camp a different kind of challenge for Denver’s head coach. The Broncos went to the Bay Area last week for a joint practice and preseason game with the San ...Read more

DENVER — After those first three drives in Santa Clara, Calif., I was ready to Nix all this Super Bowl yapping. But If Sean Payton still Bo-lieves in this Broncos roster, that’s plenty good enough for Terrell Davis.

“You don’t think Mike Shanahan wasn’t in those team meeting rooms telling us that we’re a Super Bowl team? Yes, he was...Read more

On the list of things you don’t want to hear about the 2025 San Francisco 49ers, “We’re in a similar situation to where we were last year,” might be at the top of the list.

So when Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said that on Monday after the team’s first practice of the second week of preseason, it wasn’t just a red flag — it was...Read more