Category: NFL News

While Travis Kelce has yet to publicly comment on his NFL future, a significant indication emerged on Wednesday as the Chiefs star weighs whether or not to continue playing.

Kelce, 35, was noncommittal about his playing future after his team’s blowout loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, saying on his New Heights podcast that he would ‘take some time to figure it out.’

And while the tight end has yet to give an official word on his plans, Diana Russini believes the franchise icon is ‘leaning more’ towards playing than retirement

Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Russini said that, from conversations she’s had, there’s  ‘definitely a sense’ that Kelce will continue playing.

Russini added that the Chiefs – whom Kelce has spent his entire career with –  ‘feel pretty good that Travis has got a little bit more left in him.’

Kelce was fifth among tight ends in 2024 with 823 receiving yards, though that total was his lowest since his sophomore season in 2014.

Kelce was quiet in Super Bowl LIX as his team was trounced by the Philadelphia Eagles

The tight end also hauled in just three touchdowns this season and was quiet in Super Bowl LIX, catching four passes for 39 yards in his team’s 40-22 loss. 

More to follow 

Detroit Lions wideout Jameson Williams won’t face any suspension or fine for getting picked up with a handgun back in October, as an NFL spokesman told the Detroit Free Press the matter is now ‘closed.’

Williams, 23, previously avoided criminal charges for the gun, discovered by police during a traffic stop in October. He was a passenger in the car being driven by his brother when police pulled them over for speeding. Two guns were found, one registered to Williams and one to his brother.

He did not have a concealed pistol license to carry the gun at the time but obtained one later.

Wayne County (Michigan) prosecutors in late November declined to charge Williams.

Williams has been suspended by the league two times – for six games total – in his first three seasons in the NFL for violating gambling and performance enhancing drug policies.

He’s also been fined more than $70,000 for transgressions including taunting, an obscene gesture and, most recently, a highly sexualized touchdown celebration.

Following a touchdown in the Lions’ playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, Williams appeared to thrust his hips to the ground before teammate Amon-Ra St Brown hauled him back up to his feet in the celebrations.

Cameras quickly cut away from Williams on the broadcast but the two seconds that went out live on the air was all that was needed to ignite a controversy.

The NFL’s X account tweeted out video of his touchdown but abruptly cut the footage before the 23-year-old’s crude celebration.

His touchdown was a major moment in a wild first half between the two teams, as Lions made the score 24-21 thanks to wide receiver Williams – who somersaulted into the end zone at the end of his massive run.

Williams is coming off an impressive season in the Motor City after hauling in 58 catches for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns over 15 games (11 starts).

The St. Louis native has 10 touchdowns in 33 career games (21 starts) since the Lions selected him No. 12 overall in the 2022 draft.

He is the cousin of Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams.

Travis Kelce has revealed he wants to find more work in Hollywood – as uncertain swirls over the tight end’s future in the NFL.

Kelce teased possible retirement following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 35-year-old has enjoyed a stunning career with the Chiefs but he admitted after the game in New Orleans that the grind of life in the NFL had ‘driven him crazy’ this year.

Kelce has already started expanding his horizons beyond football, taking the first steps into TV and movies.

He was an executive producer on ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ and the tight end described working on the award-winning movie as ‘an incredible experience’.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Kelce said his ‘hope is to continue working on meaningful projects like this – stories that entertain, inspire and make a real impact.’

‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ tells the story of a female Afghanistan veteran who is in a ‘mysterious relationship with her dead best friend from the Army’. She ‘comes head to head with her Vietnam vet grandfather at the family’s ancestral lake house.’ 

Morgan Freeman, Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales and Ed Harris are among those to star in the movie.

Kelce said he was ‘proud to be a part of’ a movie which ‘tells a compelling story and shines a light on the challenges our veterans face.’ 

The 35-year-old added that the movie ‘tells a powerful story and puts two strong female characters at the forefront.’

He praised Martin-Green and Morales for bringing ‘depth and authenticity to their performances, highlighting the strength, resilience and leadership of women in the military’.

The New England Patriots did Jerod Mayo ‘dirty’ by firing the head coach after just one season, according to star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

‘I did [like Jerod Mayo as a coach],’ the second-team All-Pro told the Frat Rules Podcast. ‘I think they did him a little dirty giving him only one year. But, it’s business.’

Gonzalez clearly didn’t mean his comment as a dig against Mayo’s replacement, Mike Vrabel.

‘We gon’ see what [Mike Vrabel] do,’ Gonzalez said. ‘They damn near cleaned house.’

Gonzalez wasn’t kidding, although Vrabel is bringing some familiar faces to Foxborough.

Of the 26 members of the staff announced by New England earlier this month, 11 worked with Vrabel during his six-year tenure in Tennessee from 2018 to 2023.

The New England Patriots did Jerod Mayo (left) ‘dirty’ by firing the head coach after just one season, according to star cornerback Christian Gonzalez (right)

Patriots owner Robert Kraft poses for a photograph with Mike Vrabel and his wife Jen

Along with defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who previously served as Vrabel’s defensive line coach with the Titans, three others also are getting new titles with the Patriots.

John Streicher is the Patriots’ new vice president of football operations and strategy after serving as director of football administration in Tennessee. In addition, new inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr was Vrabel’s assistant linebackers coach and Clint McMillan, the assistant defensive line coach with the Titans, will be the top D-line coach with the Patriots.

Other former Titans assistants under Vrabel that will be part of his new staff are receivers coach Todd Downing (formerly the Titans offensive coordinator), assistant offensive line coach Jason Houghtaling, running backs coach Tony Dews, safeties coach Scott Booker, Justin Hamilton, who will serve as cornerbacks coach, was a defensive quality control coach in Tennessee in 2023, director of sports performance Frank Piraino and assistant special teams coach Tom Quinn.

There were a handful of holdovers from former coach Mayo’s coaching staff as well. Mayo’s brother and strength and conditioning coach Deron Mayo will remain in the same position. Also staying on are assistant strength coach Brian McDonough, assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler and defensive assistant Vinny DePalma. Ben McAdoo, who served as a senior offensive assistant under Mayo, will be a senior defensive assistant under Vrabel.

Former longtime Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels was previously announced as Vrabel’s offensive coordinator, along with special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer, who held the same job this past season under Mayo.

One other notable hire is tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Thomas Brown. He interviewed for the offensive coordinator position that ultimately went to McDaniels. Brown started this past season as the passing game coordinator for the Chicago Bears prior to being promoted to offensive coordinator midseason and then to interim head coach for the final six games of the season.

Vrabel said in a statement that he wanted to ‘identify loyal, trustworthy coaches who are diverse in background, ideas, experiences and systems.’

‘We will be aligned in our vision to teach and develop our players with creativity, consistency and an attention to detail with the major goal of developing relationships that stretch beyond the field and meeting rooms,’ Vrabel said.

The Patriots replaced Mayo after the former New England linebacker finished with a 4-13 record one year after replacing franchise legend Bill Belichick. Vrabel, another ex-Patriots linebacker, is one year removed from his own dismissal in Nashville after going 54-45 over six seasons.

Chantel Mayo, the wife of fired former Patriots coach Jerod, has hit out on social media

In January, Mayo’s wife Chantel went on Instagram to defend her husband, writing: ‘It never even crossed our minds to tell the truth… but I couldn’t fathom all the lies we’ve read that are being told to save face.

‘What happened to the class????? We’ve been taking the high rod and letting everyone do their thing since Sunday.

‘But playing with someone’s name won’t be tolerated. I bet the fake stories will stop before the real ones start…’

Kraft said that firing Mayo was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do in his time as the head of the franchise. 

‘I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community,’ Kraft said.

‘When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. 

‘Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hope.’

The Philadelphia Eagles have replaced Kellen Moore at offensive coordinator by promoting Kevin Patullo, the organization have announced.

Moore quit after helping the team win the Super Bowl to take over as head coach at New Orleans Saints.

Patullo was pass game coordinator and associate head coach but now steps up for a more prominent role alongside Nick Sirianni.

Moore was a central figure in the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, helping them orchestrate a 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. 

To fill the vacancy that Patullo leaves through his promotion, the Eagles are expected to hire Parks Frazier from the Miami Dolphins, who has worked in Florida as an offensive assistant. 

Patullo will now focus on making his own mark on an offense that boats two of the league’s best talents in quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley. 

MORE TO FOLLOW 

The NFL is hiking its salary cap once again thanks to another profitable season for the league.

As first reported by ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Commissioner’s Office on Wednesday informed teams the NFL salary cap will be raised to somewhere between $277.5 million to $281.5 million for the 2025 season. That’s a dramatic rise from the $255.4 million salary cap teams faced in 2024 and a $53 million increase over the last two seasons.

DailyMail.com has reached out to NFL spokespeople for confirmation. 

In its letter announcing the new salary cap, the NFL explained that a firm figure is not yet finalized because of few deferment options that are being presented to the NFL Players Association. A final figure could be worked out over the next week or so. 

Generally speaking, the league salary cap is based on a 48-percent player share of football-related income and then divided by the number of NFL teams: 32.

Several NFL teams should be celebrating the move, although none more than the Kansas City Chiefs, who were facing a number of cap casualties heading into the offseason. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to re-sign Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith this offseason

Travis Kelce remains under contract as he ponders retirement, but now the reigning AFC Champions stand a much better chance at keeping Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith regardless of the star tight end’s decision. 

Furthermore, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach could have more flexibility to address pressing needs at right and left tackle, as well as a lucrative extension offer for elite cornerback Trent McDuffie.

And it’s not just the league’s bigger fish that have reason to rejoice. 

Rebuilding NFL teams such as the New York Giants and Jets as well as the New England Patriots now have even more cap room to work with as they retool their depleted rosters. 

No team currently has more cap space than the Patriots, who have more than $120 million to spend in free agency.

The Las Vegas Raiders rank second with more than $95 million, while the resurgent Washington Commanders come in third at more than $80 million.

In addition to Smith, who is expected to be coveted by a number of teams, other top free agents include Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Staley, New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed, Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was expected to be the top prize, but is once again expected to receive the franchise tag, tying him to the Queen City for another season.

One of the most important players on the Los Angeles Chargers could be let go from the organization in order to avoid a bonus he’s due to collect next month.

After suffering injuries in previous seasons, Chargers pass rusher Joey Bosa stayed relatively healthy throughout the 2024 campaign – playing in 14 games.

However, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Los Angeles-based team could let go of the former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year before he receives a $12.36million roster bonus in March.

Last season, Bosa re-structured his deal to remain with the team in 2024 as Jim Harbaugh came back to the NFL as a head coach. The deal had a potential out for this offseason, which would leave the Chargers with over $11million in dead cap space.

But with that $12m bonus and a salary of $13m due to him next year, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Bosa will stay on his current deal.

While there is a chance for Bosa to re-structure his contract once again, if the two sides can’t come to an agreement, he might be on the move.

It could lead to an entirely new looking pass rush for the Chargers under coach Jim Harbaugh

If he does move, he joins a lengthy list of pass rushers available to teams in free agency or on the trade market.

Among free agents include his Chargers teammate Khalil Mack and Eagles Super Bowl heroes Josh Sweat and Milton Williams. 

Jets star Haason Reddick is also set to hit free agency after only agreeing a one-year deal following a prolonged holdout that lasted until the middle of the regular season.

As far as the trade market goes, Cleveland’s top player Myles Garrett has requested a move away from the Browns. Additionally, Raiders rusher Maxx Crosby’s name has been floated for a possible deal.

Essentially, despite his accolades, Bosa could only end up being a mid-tier option as the pool of candidates is very large.

Injuries have significantly hampered five of his nine NFL seasons. In 2022 and 2023, he played in a combined 14 games and only managed 30 total tackles.

The five-time Pro Bowler has 72 sacks across his career, five of which came last season.

Among rumored destinations for the 29-year-old include the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. A move to San Francisco would re-unite him with his younger brother, Nick Bosa.

Newly released images showed how one Kansas City Chiefs star tried stopping the Philadelphia Eagles’ most infamous play in Super Bowl LIX – which led to consequences for the player in the game.

Over two weeks after the Eagles knocked off the Chiefs 40-22 in an incredibly lopsided championship game, the NFL released a video of how one Kansas City star tried prevented Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts from scoring a touchdown.

The game was scoreless when Hurts and the Eagles lined up on the one-yard-line for their infamous ‘tush push’ quarterback sneak.

In an attempt to prevent this, Chiefs team captain and star pass rusher Chris Jones decided to line up in an unusual fashion.

The video from the NFL shows Jones lined up sideways with star linebacker Nick Bolton right behind him. The idea may have been to make himself wider and therefore, tougher to push through.

It did not work. Hurts was able to break the goal line with ease as the Eagles got on the board first.

Jones lined up parallel with the line of scrimmage to try and stop Jalen Hurts’ ‘tush push’ play

It didn’t work, the Eagles scored, and Jones appeared to injure his neck on the play

The unconventional way of lining up may have ended up doing more damage to the Chiefs than just giving up points.

Jones was treated for a neck issue during the game, which could have been caused by this play. He was seen getting treatment done on his neck, with the longtime veteran grimacing in pain on the sidelines.

Jones’ night ended early – however, it was due to a separate issue. The pass rusher injured his knee in the third quarter and did not return to the game.

Fans noticed the bizarre lineup after the NFL posted the video and commented on it via social media.

‘Idk what the thinking was here but that seems like the absolute worst way to stop the Tush Push,’ wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter.

Another said, ‘And he ended up getting stomped by multiple lineman [sic] and his neck nearly broke.’ A different user said, ‘Man got pushed into oblivion.’

‘Was the idea here that Jones would get his neck snapped, causing the NFL to immediately ban the tush push?,’ said another user.

In the past offseason, Jones signed a five-year contract extension that will pay him $158.75m. He will be 35 years old when his deal is set to expire in 2029.

Super Bowl champion Darius Slay Jr. enters the 2025 NFL season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. But beyond that, the 34-year-old cornerback could be eyeing a return to Detroit.

‘I got one more [year] left,’ Slay told Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on the latter’s podcast. ‘You know how that works. Whatever they want to do. I might re-sign back, hopefully. If I ain’t, then we’ll see what we’re doing. Because I got one more year for sure.’

Asked about a potential future in Detroit, Slay couldn’t help but share his ‘love’ for what he calls his ‘second home.’

‘I do a lot for the city still to this day,’ Slay continued. ‘Lotta guys that’s from Detroit that’s in the league was all hanging with me when they was little high school kids. That’s what’s the crazy part.’

Slay then mentioned Detroit natives and current NFL stars like New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis and free-agent receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, all of whom he trained with during his days with the Lions.

‘I gotta lot of love, and I went to all the high school games,’ Slay added.

St. Brown seemed eager to lure Slay back to Detroit.

‘You already won a Super Bowl n*****, just come back,’ he said.

Slay is signed through the 2025 season, for which he will make $16 million, according to Spotrac. 

A former All-Pro out of Mississippi State, Slay was a major part of the Eagles’ remarkable secondary in 2024.

Thanks to the addition of rookie nickelback Cooper DeJean and reacquisition of strong safety CJ Gardner-Johnson from the Lions, Philadelphia held opposing passers to a league-low 174.2 yards a game last season.

Slay didn’t record an interception for the first season in his 12-year NFL career, but did have 13 passes defended and 49 total tackles across 14 games.

His best years came in Detroit, where he had 19 interceptions across seven seasons.

Both the Lions and the reigning-champion Eagles enter the 2025 season as Super Bowl contenders, although Detroit allowed a whopping 244 passing yards per game in 2024 – worse than all but two teams.

Aaron Rodgers appears to have been spotted for the first time since it emerged that the New York Jets are getting rid of him and ending his two-year run as the team’s quarterback.

The 41-year-old was tagged in an image by Proactive Sports Performance, a California-based fitness program that players from across the NFL attend in the offseason.

And one other who was there at the same time as the quarterback was DeShon Elliott of the Pittsburgh Steelers who, until now, has never seemed to be a big Rodgers fan.

Only last week, he responded to social media speculation that the Steelers could be interested in a move for Rodgers in free agency by saying: ‘Leave his ass at the retirement home.’

And when Elliott was at the Detroit Lions, he accused Rodgers of disrespect in January 2023 before the Lions beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to end their hopes of making the playoffs. It ended up being Rodgers’ final game for the Packers, with him eventually getting his trade to New York.

Proactive Sports Performance shared the image of Rodgers and Elliott posing together, with Rodgers pointing at Elliott who was smiling and give two thumbs up, with the caption: ‘Who is gonna retire first?’

While it doesn’t specifically say when the picture was taken, a separate post on PSP’s Instagram account shows that Elliott was already at the facility. 

But given that Rodgers has visited PSP on multiple occasions stretching across many years, it isn’t impossible that it was taken another time.

What is certain, though, is that Rodgers is now at a big moment in his NFL career.

The Super Bowl winner is expected to play on, as long as a team with realistic postseason credentials wants him. 

And provided that the image with Elliott is recent, the fact he is working out rather than on the beach suggests he is getting in shape for another run in 2025. 

The Steelers, who made the playoffs before losing to Baltimore Ravens in the first round, could be one of those teams considering Rodgers despite Elliott’s previous comments.

Both the quarterbacks on their roster, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, are out of contract and the organization has a serious decision to make about their signal caller. 

MORE TO FOLLOW 

The Miami Dolphins’ stance on Tyreek Hill’s future has yet to be determined, despite the wide receiver’s groveling U-turn. 

Hill, who is under contract until 2026 with the Dolphins after signing a three-year, $90million restructured deal ahead of the 2024 season, dropped the bombshell that he wanted ‘out’ of Miami in a shocking Week 18 rant. 

The receiver has since performed a startling about-face, issuing public apologies to his teammates in a bid to stay in South Florida. 

Yet, the 30-year-old’s incessant groveling may not be enough to sway the Dolphins’ top brass, according to Dolphins insider Cameron Wolfe.

‘Obviously, he had a big explosion towards the end of the season, taking himself out of the game and saying he wanted out,’ Wolfe told NFL Network Tuesday. ‘He’s spent the last few weeks, including the Super Bowl on Radio Row, apologizing to teammates, saying that he wants to be a Dolphin. 

‘The Dolphins have certainly talked to him and they’re open to brining him back but I’ve not talked with anyone with the team who’s said they’re 100 percent certain they won’t trade him.

The wide receiver dropped the bombshell that he wanted ‘out’ of Miami in a shocking rant

Hill, pictured with his wife Keeta Vaccaro, has since publicly apologized to his teammates 

‘So unless we hear otherwise, that is going to be a lingering story. Do they move forward with Tyreek Hill as a key part of their team or do they try to move him and build elsewhere?’

After the Dolphins’ 32-20 loss to the New York Jets in the regular season finale, which saw Miami miss out on the playoffs, Hill referred to his spell in South Florida in the past tense, seemingly suggesting it had come to an end. 

‘I just gotta do what’s best for me and my family,’ Hill said. ‘If that’s here or wherever the case may be, I’m finna open that door for myself. I’m opening the door. I’m out, bro.

‘It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, bro, I got to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.’

Shortly after, Hill took to social media and did little to dampen the flames when he wrote: ‘Love fin nation blessing yall opened doors for the Hill family forever nothing but respect and love.’

In the days following Hill’s shocking comments, head coach Mike McDaniel and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier opened up on a productive post-season meeting with the player. 

‘Mike and I both had conversations with Tyreek here… yesterday, productive conversations, I will keep those between us,’ Grier said last month. ‘The one thing I would say is in a frustrating season he was emotional in a game where we had a chance, coming back from 2-6… and we’re playing week 18 to sneak into the playoffs.’ 

‘And I think all of that with him playing through his injuries just kind of bubble to a point and from our conversations, again we’ll keep that private, but we had productive conversations… I would say that he never asked me for a trade.’

Patrick Mahomes Sr. has reportedly admitted that his recent Bourbon Street scrap with John Rocker was staged.

The father of the Chiefs quarterback was seen arguing with his fellow ex-MLB star while in New Orleans to see his son play in Super Bowl LIX.

It soon emerged that the former baseball rivals are set to fight each other at one of Barstool Sports’ ‘Rough N’ Rowdy’ promotions on April 19.

And a few days after the Chiefs were beaten by the Eagles, Mahomes admitted it was all a setup.

That is according to TMZ, with reports claiming that officials questioned the 57-year-old, who was recently put on probation after a third DWI charge.

It’s said that court documents show that Mahomes Sr. was granted permission to go to New Orleans to watch his son between February 7 and February 10.

Ex-MLB pitchers John Rocker (L) and Pat Mahomes Sr (R) were seen in a confrontation

Mahomes Sr (seen with son Patrick Mahomes) is set to fight Rocker in a boxing match 

Mahomes Sr was arrested for driving while intoxicated back in February last year in Texas

But then the former MLB star was filmed scrapping with Rocker. He also reportedly missed a urine test on February 11.

That prompted questions from officials, who were reportedly set to reprimand Mahomes Sr for his behavior.

But then the Chiefs quarterback’s father revealed that the argument ‘was a staged altercation to get publicity for (a) celebrity boxing match that was set to take place in April 2025.’

TMZ also reports that Mahomes is set to be paid at least $85,000 for the fight but that figure could rise depending on Pay-Per-View numbers.

The 57-year-old reportedly avoided further trouble over the Bourbon Street incident but he was warned that an application to revoke his probation could be filed – should he put himself in hot water again. 

Rocker and Mahomes Sr. were members of rival teams in the 1999 and 2000 seasons – with Rocker on the Braves and Mahomes Sr. on the Mets.

The 57-year-old was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 2008, 2019 and 2024, and last year was banned from driving after being found on the roads without a valid license.

He spent 10 days in jail and is now under ‘intense supervision’ in his first year of probation. Mahomes Sr is said to have taken a urine test on February 12, with the results coming back negative.

The NFL is returning to Brazil for Week 1 of the 2025 season, despite players for eventual Super Bowl winners Philadelphia Eagles feeling worried about crime during their visit last season.

This time around, the Los Angeles Chargers the designated home team back in Sao Paulo. They don’t know who they will face yet, but are scheduled to play both the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in home games in 2025.

Last season, the Eagles played their curtain-raiser in Sao Paulo at the Corinthians Arena, beating the Green Bay Packers on the first step on the road to lifting the Lombardi trophy.

But the buildup was overshadowed when Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said he didn’t want to visit the country after being told it was unsafe by security officials before flying out.

On his podcast, ‘Big Play Slay,’ he said: ‘”Week 1 I’m looking forward to it, I can’t wait. But man, I do not want to go to Brazil.

‘You want to know why? I’m here to tell you why. They already told us not to leave the hotel. They told us we can’t do too much going on because the crime rate is crazy.

Packer star Josh Jacobs pictured at Sao Paulo airport before the Week 1 game in 2024

‘So the first thing people think is some terror can possibly happen. I told my family do not come down there because I’m not going to be nowhere to be found. I’m going to be in the hotel room chillin’.”

Slay later apologized but he wasn’t the only Eagles star to speak of concerns.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown told CBS: ‘We had a meeting and there were a whole bunch of “Don’t Do’s”.

‘So I’m just trying to go down there and win a football game, and come back home. But after hearing all this stuff, I’m probably going to be in my room.’ 

But when it came down to the game, the Eagles recorded a 34-29 win over the Packers on a season that ended earlier this month with Super Bowl glory.

Jim Harbaugh’s team will be hoping such an omen serves them as well in the new season, with the head coach going into his second campaign in 2025.

As well as the Chiefs and Eagles, divisional rivals Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are also potential opponents for the game in Brazil.

So too are the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.

Louis Rees-Zammit has revealed that he turned down offers to return to rugby and will probably never be ready to give up on his dream of making it in the NFL.

The former Wales wing was this week signed to the active roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars – just over a year after he made a shock switch from rugby.

Mail Sport revealed last month that he had an offer on the table from the Jaguars as he pondered his next move.

Before committing his future to Jacksonville ahead of the 2025 season, Rees-Zammit was linked with a return to rugby.

But the 24-year-old confirmed he ‘never thought’ about another switch of sports and is committed to succeeding in the NFL.

‘I didn’t just leave rugby just to try it for a year. People would be pretty dumb to think that I’d leave straight away. I’m not ready to give this up and I don’t think I ever will be,’ Rees-Zammit told The Times.

The former Wales wing was this week signed to the active roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars

‘I haven’t had any time off since the Rugby World Cup two years ago, so I wanted to take four weeks off to refresh my mind and body from everything before making a decision.

‘I made it pretty clear that I’m not leaving after a year and it’s my dream to be in this league. People did try reaching out (during his break) but I definitely wasn’t listening. 

‘This was always my dream and I want this to be the thing I do for the rest of my career.’

The 24-year-old came through the NFL’s International Player Pathway before joining the Kansas City Chiefs.

After being cut by the then-Super Bowl champions, Rees-Zammit spent the 2024 season on the practice squad of the Jaguars. 

Yet another media giant is clamoring for the NFL’s domestic media rights just four years after the league’s record-setting $111 billion TV deal.

Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria has announced the streaming giant’s interest in the league’s Sunday afternoon package – something that currently costs Fox and CBS a combined $4 billion per season.

Asked by Matt Belloni and John Ourand of Puck for the specific game package Netflix would be seeking, Bajaria said the streaming giant is ‘definitely’ interested in Sunday afternoon games.

Such talk might seem a bit premature, especially after the league’s record-setting media contract with CBS, Fox, ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon, not to mention the $150 million Netflix spent to stream Christmas Day games in 2024.

That historic media deal is set to last through the 2033 campaign. However, as Bajaria is well aware, the league can opt out of its individual pacts with Fox, CBS, or NBC after the 2029 season, giving Netflix a chance at snagging Sunday afternoon rights. 

NFL Network’s Kay Adams was a key component of Netflix’s first foray into live football 

Curiously, Bajaria’s tone differs from that of Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who recently called the prospect of bidding on sports media rights ‘extremely challenging.’ 

‘If there was a path where we could actually make the economics work, for both us and the leagues, we would certainly explore [it],’ Sarandos said during a fourth-quarter earnings call. ‘But right now, we believe that the live events business is where we really want to be.’

Still, Netflix has recently added WWE Raw to its menu of live entertainment and averaged 30 million viewers globally for its Christmas Day doubleheader hosted by NFL Network’s Kay Adams. 

Those NFL games benefitted from a relatively clear and stable stream for viewers – something that eluded Netflix during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight in November.

Fans on both sides of the Atlantic faced poor image quality, prolonged buffering and spotty audio throughout Friday’s undercard. 

Meanwhile, hundreds online complained of error messages, while ‘#unwatchable’ began trending on X. 

And according to Downdetector, which tracks online outages, more than 80,000 customers were experiencing issues by 10:35pm New York time on Friday.

The Ravens’ Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson react during Netflix’s Christmas Day stream  

Despite this, Netflix still declared Tyson-Paul a success as a reported 65 million households tuned into the event.

‘This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,’ Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone wrote to employees, as reported by Bloomberg.

‘We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success,’ Stone added.

What’s more, The Times recently reported Netflix could also bid for Formula 1’s US rights.

Meanwhile, as Netflix has grown more interested in live sports, the price of the service’s standard monthly membership jumped from $15.49 to $17.99 in January. The highest-priced Netflix package now sits at $24.99, while the lowest plan – albeit, one that includes advertisements – sits at $7.99.

Federal prosecutors have charged seven members of a South American crime gang that allegedly broke into the homes of Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and several other top athletes across the US. 

Top sports stars across the country have been left fearing for their safety amid a spate of burglaries, with the likes of Joe Burrow, Luka Doncic and Olivier Giroud also targeted.

On Tuesday, seven illegal immigrants purported to be from a Chilean theft group were charged with stealing valuables worth more than $2million in a series of high-profile burglaries.

In a photograph released by the Department of Justice, three of the defendants – Pablo Zuniga Cartes, 24, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, 20, and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, 27, all of Chile – can be seen posing with a safe and jewelry that authorities say was taken shortly after the burglary of NBA star Bobby Portis Jr.

The safe was said to have contained several watches, chains, cash and other personal items, totaling nearly $1.5million.

The other men charged with the burglaries are Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Orellano Morales, 23, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, 24, and Sergio Ortega Cabello, 38, and if found guilty the men each face up to 10 years in prison.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City-area properties were burglarized in October

In the complaint, released to the public on Tuesday, an FBI special agent stated: ‘Also of note is that P. Zuniga Cartes is wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt in the photo.’

He noted that he believes it is in reference to the October 2024 burglaries of Kelce and Mahomes, which made headlines across America.

The FBI has also linked the seven men to the burglary of an unnamed Tampa Bay Buccaneers player while the team played against the Baltimore Ravens, in which the thieves are alleged to have stolen $167,000 worth of of luxury goods.

Three of the defendants also face charges in Ohio in connection with the December 2024 burglary targeting Bengals quarterback Burrow.

More to follow.