Tag: Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Date Spots Taylor & Travis Should Know All Too Well

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I’m just gonna say it: I’m team #Traylor. Taylor Swift has come to Kansas City to watch Travis Kelce do whatever footballers do, not one, not two, but three times. They say third time’s the charm, right? But if football stadiums aren’t your thing, what are some Kansas City date spots you might see Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at? Spotted hand-in-hand and kissing after the Chiefs game, I think it’s safe to say Taylor’s not bidding adieu to Kansas City quite yet.

As a Kansas City native, nothing makes me happier than knowing Taylor has a legitimate reason to frequent my city more. Homegirl is putting Kansas City on the map! Maybe now New Yorkers will stop sticking their nose up, saying things like, Kansas City? Where is that, somewhere in the middle? Newsflash to them: life outside of the coasts does exist. I digress.

So, if #Traylor’s going steady, where might fans spot them next, and more importantly, where should they actually go? Allow moi to be your tour guide for Kansas City’s best date night spots and date night ideas, a.k.a. where I think Taylor and Travis might eat, sip, and play.

Where to Eat in Kansas City

Andy’s Frozen Custard

Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? Travis might give Taylor a taste test of the one he created for Andy’s Frozen Custard back in 2018, the 87 Concrete. (Taylor should know the number 87 all too well, given she now has a friendship bracelet with it.) It’s a blend of Oreos, cookie dough, melted chocolate chips, and crème caramel. Plus, 87 cents of every concrete sold was previously donated to 87 & Running, Travis’ mentorship foundation for underserved youth.

Q39

IMAGE: Q39

Thanks to his personal chef, we know Travis is a simple Midwest dude who loves steak, chops, and chicken—but most importantly, filets. Perhaps he fancies Q39? Their private dining experience is far from reach of the paps. #Traylor can drool over their award-winning smoked meats and wood-fired grilled plates in peace.

Chef J

IMAGE: CHEF J

For a taste of some KC BBQ, Travis should introduce Taylor to Chef J’s BBQ. Not only is it ranked as the top spot for best barbeque in Kansas City by Kansas City Magazine, but it’s so good they’re serving ‘que at Chiefs games now! Catch ‘em at the kiosk in section 107 on the home sideline.

Chick-in-waffle

IMAGE: CHICK-IN-WAFFLE

We all know Taylor Swift has heart eyes for chicken tenders—and if Travis did his research, he’d know she told Vogue in her game of “73 Questions” they’re her fave too. Chick-in-waffle has the best chicken tenders in Kansas City with eight signature sauces to choose from. Don’t trust my word for it? Check out all the reviews on Yelp.

Vivalore

Known for its enchanting courtyard and delicate decor, Taylor might have her eyes set on booking a reservation at the elegant Vivalore. This whimsical, one-of-a-kind dining experience is bejeweled with a fine art gallery and charming antiques, so it looks like a scene ripped from one of Taylor’s music videos.

Where to Drink in Kansas City

Power & Light District

Sporty Taylor isn’t new. Remember when she played tennis in “The Man” music video? You might spot the couple getting out of an Escalade (or, in my wildest dreams, the Kansas City streetcar) to catch a game at a local sports bar like No Other Pub by Sporting KC in KC’s Power & Light District.

Clinton’s Soda Fountain

Taylor might not have been cheer captain, but her current relationship is giving homecoming-queen-meets-jock-and-hangs-at-the-town-soda-shop-after-school. For that reason, I could totally see them drinking a Polly’s Pop at Clinton’s Soda Fountain on the Independence Square for some old-school lovin’ vibes.

Prime Social

Who doesn’t love a rooftop moment? Prime Social is a rooftop cocktail lounge on Kansas City’s historic Country Club Plaza with gorgeous panoramic views KC. Taylor and Travis could be found cozied up by a fire pit, planning their next KC outing over a glass of wine.

Sugar Kittens Cat Cafe & Cattery

IMAGE: SUGAR KITTENS CAT CAFE

I wouldn’t put it past Taylor to fly Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button out to Kansas City, but I understand if they’re not the best travelers. If Taylor needs a feline fix, only two cat cafes in the Kansas City metropolitan area can save her. Sugar Kittens Cat Cafe & Cattery is located in a nearby KC suburb, which might have fewer eyes from the public, but a second option is Whiskers Cat Cafe & Coffeehouse in downtown KC. Who knows, maybe she’ll adopt a fourth fur baby?

Where to Play in Kansas City

IMAGE: BAR K

Bar K

As a proud dog dad to his goldendoogle Rambo and pomeranian-husky mix Chauncey, Travis knows Bar K quite well. This picture is the cutest! I’m calling it now: on a weekend when Taylor’s in town, Travis rents the whole place out, invites all his friends and their pets out, and surprises Taylor with a furry, fun hangout. Nothing’s impossible, so stroll down Berkley Parkway every once in a while.

Kansas City Union Station

IMAGE: KAILI JIMEI

Host of the 2023 NFL draft and end spot for Super Bowl parades, Union Station should sound familiar to NFL fans. Travis might want to show Taylor his old stomping ground. Locals love showing out-of-towners the beautiful train station’s indoor planetarium and city theater. Private showing of The Eras Tour film for two?

The Majestic

Jazz, anyone? The Majestic is a local steakhouse by day and jazz club by night, built inside the historic Fitzpatrick Saloon building. I don’t think Taylor and Travis would mind swapping Chiefs Stadium roars for the best local and national jazz talent.

Bierman’s Christmas Tree Farm

Alexa, play “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift. I’m not sure how long #Traylor will last, but if they stick to the cuffing season calendar, they’re on track to make it through the holidays. Bierman’s Christmas Tree Farm is the cutest place for lovers to chop down a tree together to take home.

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October 27, 2023
Travis Kelce goes viral for bizarre game behavior

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Travis Kelce is known for his high-energy personality and it’s safe to say it doesn’t go away while he’s on the field.

Now a video of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end barking at a player during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers has gone viral—and fans are divided over the footage.

Kelce finished with 12 catches and a season-high 179 yards in a 31-17 win over the Chargers on Sunday afternoon, as Taylor Swift celebrated in a luxury box with Patrick Mahomes’ wife Brittany Mahomes. It’s the third straight Chiefs home game that Swift has attended amid all-but-confirmed rumors that she and Kelce are dating.

The Chiefs decided to mic up Kelce during the game and now a video reposted by X user, formerly known as Twitter, @reputacult has been viewed 1 million times at the time of writing. It has also received 12,000 likes and 1,100 saves.

Newsweek reached out to Kelce’s representatives for comment over email on Thursday.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs before kick-off against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023. A video of his recent game day behavior has gone viral.
Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The highlight of the clip is the mic catching Kelve standing over Chiefs player Derwin James and barking like a dog as Chiefs and Chargers players piled up.

“Ruf, ruf, ruf, ruf,” he yelled.

At the beginning of the video, Kelce was tackled by James and the duo proceeded to engage in light trash talk.

“Boy, I’m working,” Kelce said.

“They got me or you?” he then asked, referring to a penalty flag. “They got one of us on it.”

When the two players later lined up against each other, James tried to get Kelce to reveal whether he was going to run or pass.

“It’s a run ain’t it, Kelce? It’s a run, ain’t it?” James said.

“Come on now, you know me,” Kelce responded.

A moment later, he managed to block James as he faked a move outside, cut inside and blocked James. Following this, Kelce started barking.

The bizarre action has resulted in a variety of responses from people online, with some being confused by his barking and others slamming the move altogether.

“Gross,” one person simply put.

“Why is he barking? See, this is why men do nothing for me,” said another.

“He’s a gross cringey clown. He belongs on FBoy Island,” another wrote.

Not everyone is deterred by his unusual on-field behavior, however, as some people have said his barking was “adorable.”

Others think the players being mic’d up makes the sport more entertaining, with some wishing it was a regular occurrence.

“Omg this is so funny. I’ve always wondered what the on field banter was like,” one person wrote.

“So funny! I wish he was mic’d up all the time,” said another.

“Them having little conversations on the field is kinda cute,” wrote another.

Of course, he barks. I can’t stop watching this video. He’s so amusingly adorable. No wonder she’s smitten. Way to go, Travis. Taylor, where do you get this boyfriend of yours? I want one.

— ᴅᵢ𝓭ᵢₐᵣᵧ ʚїɞ (@greenraindream) October 25, 2023

Someone else added: “I’m so happy for [Taylor] and also if football was filmed like this I’d actually watch it.”

Another X user took the comments to explain that the barking was Kelce’s way of complimenting his teammate who just completed the catch and run.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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October 27, 2023
NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Chiefs, Eagles are 1-2, plus one question for each team

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The Power Rankings have a new No. 1.

And also some questions — 32 questions to be precise, one for each team. Some of these are big questions that affect the long-term future of the teams, and some are more specific. Either way, we’re hoping the final 11 weeks of the season will give us some answers.

As for our new No. 1, they’ll feel pretty familiar.

(Last week: 5)

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 31-17

One question: Is the defense for real?

Kansas City won the Super Bowl last season with a defense that ranked 14th in success rate (58.3 percent). This year’s group ranks fifth (61.6). The offense seems fully engaged now. Travis Kelce caught 12 passes for 179 yards Sunday, and Patrick Mahomes had his fifth career game with 400-plus yards and four or more touchdowns. Plus, Mahomes and Kelce connected for their 50th career touchdown, the fourth-most by a quarterback-tight end duo in NFL history. If this defense is for real, the Chiefs will stay in this spot for a while.

Up next: at Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 4)

Sunday: Beat Miami Dolphins 31-17

One question: Should the Tush Push be outlawed?

The Eagles converted two fourth-and-1 plays on their decisive drive against Miami on Sunday night using their signature scrum play. There’s a growing sentiment that the NFL’s competition committee is going to ban the play in the offseason, but why? What is more of a football play than your big guys pushing their big guys back a yard, or two or three in the Eagles’ case? There should be a benefit to getting to third- and fourth-and-short plays. In case it’s not clear, our answer to this question is, “No!”

Up next: at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 12)

Sunday: Beat Detroit Lions 38-6

One question: Can we give Lamar Jackson his due?

The Ravens quarterback won his 50th career game in his 68th career start Sunday. Only Ken Stabler, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Roger Staubach got to 50 wins in fewer starts. And Jackson did it in style, becoming the fourth player in league history to have at least 350 passing yards, three touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and a passer rating above 150 in a game. After seven games in new coordinator Todd Monken’s offense, Jackson is third in the league in passer rating (101.9) and fifth in yards per game (281.9), according to TruMedia.

Up next: at Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

4. Miami Dolphins (5-2)

(Last week: 1)

Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 31-17

One question: Are the Dolphins for real?

This is the point where some of the devoted Power Rankings commenters can (and probably will) say, “We told you so.” The five teams Miami has beaten are a combined 8-25. None of them is even within two games of .500. Yes, Miami’s offensive line injuries are piling up, but the two winning teams the Dolphins have played have beaten them by an average of 21 points. We may not have an answer to this question for a while. They play only one team with a winning record (the Chiefs) between now and their game against the Cowboys on Christmas Eve.

Up next: vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 2)

Monday: Lost to Minnesota Vikings 22-17

One question: Just how valuable is Trent Williams?

Say what you will about Deebo Samuel being sidelined, but the 49ers’ biggest absence (literally and figuratively) Monday night was left tackle Trent Williams. With the 6-foot-5, 320-pounder on the sideline because of an ankle injury, San Francisco rushed for a season-low 65 yards and had a season-worst minus-4.95 in rush EPA, according to TruMedia. Williams was limited for much of last week’s game against Cleveland by the injury, and the Browns had a pressure percentage of 50 percent.

Up next: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 3)

Sunday: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 38-6

One question: How will they bounce back?

After being the league’s feel-good story through the first third of the season, Detroit got pummeled Sunday. Baltimore had 503 yards and averaged 9.1 yards per play, the most by any team not named the Dolphins in a game this season. Jared Goff had a quarterback rating of 68.4. The Lions were third in the league in yards (383.7) and fourth in points (28) through six weeks but fell behind 35-0 Sunday. Coach Dan Campbell said he thinks the game will “re-center” his team, but they don’t have a lot of institutional confidence to fall back on.

Up next: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

(Last week: 7)

Sunday: Beat Indianapolis Colts 39-38

One question: What’s the deal with Deshaun Watson?

After missing Weeks 4, 5 and 6 with a bruised shoulder, Watson returned Sunday but threw only five passes (completing one to each team) before leaving after a big hit. He cleared an in-game concussion evaluation but did not return to the game, which continues a pattern of the Browns saying Watson is uninjured but not playing him. Coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that Watson will start this week against Seattle, but is that good news or not? Since joining the team in Week 13 last year, he has a passer rating of 81.3, which ranks 36th among qualifying quarterbacks in that time, according to TruMedia.

Up next: at Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk and the Jaguars are in the driver’s seat in the AFC South. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

(Last week: 8)

Thursday: Beat New Orleans Saints 31-24

One question: Is Trevor Lawrence elite?

The Jaguars’ third-year quarterback has been good. He’s 11th in the league in passer rating (92.8), and he was a just-fine 20-for-29 for 204 yards and one touchdown (and led Jacksonville in rushing with 59 yards) in beating the Saints this week, but Lawrence was drafted No. 1 in 2021 because he was supposed to be great. Granted, he’s the only thing saving a 2021 quarterback class that also included Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones in the first 15 picks, but he still misses throws and makes reckless decisions. If Lawrence can be one of the true dudes in the league, it changes Jacksonville’s outlook this year and into the future.

Up next: at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

9. Dallas Cowboys (4-2)

(Last week: 9)

Sunday: Bye

One question: Where are we on Dak Prescott?

In the last two weeks, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star edge rusher Micah Parsons have felt the need to come to the defense of their eighth-year quarterback. It feels like a lot of angst about a quarterback who is 14th in the league in passer rating (91) and leading a team in the top 10 of these rankings. Are there quibbles? Sure. Prescott’s yards per attempt (7) are the second-lowest of his career, his air yards per attempt (6.9) are the lowest, and he’s throwing to wide receivers at the lowest rate of his career (58.1 percent). But that all seems like a product of Mike McCarthy’s offense, not Prescott’s play.

Up next: vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 6)

Sunday: Lost to New England Patriots 29-25

One question: Where do they fit in the AFC East?

Buffalo has now beaten division leader Miami and lost to bottom dwellers New York and New England. The Bills have totaled 10 points in their last three first halves and have lost two of those games. They have the seventh-hardest remaining schedule in the league, according to Tankathon. This team is still fourth in the league in yards per play (5.9) so it’s probably fine, but it can’t afford to give away games to bad teams like it did Sunday.

Up next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

(Last week: 10)

Sunday: Bye

One question: Is the running game OK?

Joe Burrow seems fixed. Now about that run game. The division-winning Bengals teams of the last two seasons didn’t lean on the run, but they could run the ball. Cincinnati was eighth in the league in rushing success rate in 2022 (41.1 percent) and 23rd in 2021 (37.3). This year, the Bengals sit 30th at 30.9 percent, and Joe Mixon is the only back with more than five carries this season.

Up next: at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

12. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)

(Last week: 11)

Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 20-10

One question: Is Devon Witherspoon going to hurt somebody?

The Seahawks rookie cornerback already is one of the most exciting players in the league. He doesn’t have a gaudy stat line — he had an interception and a sack wiped out by penalty Sunday — but he’s been one of the impactful defenders in the league already. And he’s one of the feistiest. He knocked Arizona’s Rondale Moore for a loop Sunday.

Up next: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

Hello, Devon Witherspoon pic.twitter.com/lKSlDdtFo7

— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) October 22, 2023

(Last week: 13)

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Rams 24-17

One question: Who will win defensive player of the year?

We ask this question in the Steelers section because T.J. Watt is at or near the top of the list. Watt still is on pace to break his own single-season sacks record of 22 1/2 despite not having a sack for the first time Sunday. He did grab his first interception of the season, though, to keep the Steelers in the game. Watt is tied for fifth in the league with 22 defensive splash plays, according to TruMedia, which is three more than Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, Watt’s main competition.

Up next: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

14. New York Jets (3-3)

(Last week: 14)

Sunday: Bye

One question: Could Aaron Rodgers return?

As soon as Rodgers was seen throwing a football, albeit gingerly, last week before the Jets’ game, earnest speculation began about whether he could return this season from Achilles surgery. Coach Robert Saleh says Rodgers is “manifesting” himself toward a speedy recovery and hasn’t counted out his starting quarterback’s return. Marty Jaramillo, described by CBS Sports HQ as an “injury expert,” says Rodgers is “moving almost three times as fast” as a normal player through the recovery process. If Rodgers can return, these Jets become a real contender. The only certain thing, though, is that Rodgers is going to play out the drama on this question as long as he can.

Up next: at New York Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 23)

Sunday: Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13

One question: Will Desmond Ridder keep his job?

Probably, but the second-year quarterback has turned the ball over six times in the last two weeks. Ridder fumbled three times inside the Tampa Bay 11-yard line Sunday, including twice at the 1. His final fumble came just as he was about to score a rushing touchdown that likely would have put the game away. Instead, Atlanta needed a 51-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo at the buzzer. The Falcons are in first place in the NFC South after the win, and Ridder has the support of coach Arthur Smith at least for now, but until he cleans up the turnovers, this question will remain.

Up next: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

16. Minnesota Vikings (3-4)

(Last week: 26)

Monday: Beat San Francisco 49ers 22-17

One question: Who designs the Vikings’ turnover celebrations?

Whoever it is should get a raise. Minnesota forced three turnovers Monday night against the 49ers but got to do four celebrations because one was called back when Brock Purdy was ruled down by contact. On the first, the Vikings defenders did a limbo line using 198-pound cornerback Akayleb Evans as the limbo pole. On the second, the defenders all sat in a circle in the end zone and played duck, duck, goose. On the third one, Camryn Bynum and teammates did the worm in the end zone. On the fourth, Bynum and friends celebrated finishing off the upset.

Up next: at Green Bay Packers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

limbo limbo limbo pic.twitter.com/oilKoJ4S1f

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2023

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3)

(Last week: 15)

Sunday: Lost to Atlanta Falcons 16-13

One question: Is this the real Tampa Bay?

After a surprising 2-0 start, the Buccaneers are 1-3 in their last four games, averaging 14 points per game in that span. Baker Mayfield is 23rd in the league in passer rating (81.5), his off-target percentage (15.4) is the fourth-worst in that stretch, according to TruMedia, and the running game is not helping him. Tampa Bay is last in the league, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, and has only five rushing touchdowns, the fewest in the league.

Up next: at Buffalo Bills, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua continues to produce, even with Cooper Kupp back in the lineup. (Harry How / Getty Images)

(Last week: 16)

Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 24-17

One question: Can Puka Nacua lead the NFL in catches?

The Rams rookie receiver has gone well past feel-good story. He still fits that description with the most catches by any player in his first seven NFL games (58), but it’s time to start looking at him as a really good player. Nacua, who had eight catches Sunday, leads the NFL in receptions and is on pace to have the fourth-most catches in a single season in league history. His 752 receiving yards trail only Tyreek Hill.

Up next: at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 17)

Sunday: Bye

One question: Is this a playoff team?

The Texans are one game back in the AFC South (with a win against division leader Jacksonville) and have the 30th-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon. Houston’s .500 record is not smoke and mirrors. The Texans are 11th in offensive EPA and 21st in defensive EPA, according to TruMedia, and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud looks the part. Stroud is fourth in the league in passing yards per game (276.7) and has the 10th-best passer rating (96.4).

Up next: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 18)

Sunday: Lost to Cleveland Browns 39-38

One question: Should Shane Steichen be coach of the year?

He won’t win the award because this team probably will finish with a losing record, but he deserves some recognition. In his first season as Colts head coach, Steichen has had to juggle quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Gardner Minshew because of Richardson’s injuries, which have now ended the promising rookie’s season. Plus, the Colts didn’t have running back Jonathan Taylor for the first month of the season, and they just put up 38 points on a Browns defense that held the 49ers to 17 a week earlier.

Up next: vs. New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

21. New Orleans Saints (3-4)

(Last week: 19)

Thursday: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 34-21

One question: When is the reboot coming?

New Orleans is a projected $83.7 million over the 2024 salary cap (that’s twice as much as any other team), according to Over the Cap, and for what? The Saints’ only wins this year have come against the Titans, Panthers and Patriots, and the $60 million they guaranteed to quarterback Derek Carr in the offseason is looking like a bad investment. Carr is 27th in the league in yards per attempt (6.3) and 20th in passer rating (82.8) and seems to be blaming everyone but himself on the sideline. The Saints might be stuck with him through next season because it would be $52 million in dead money to cut him before June 1, 2024, and $35.7 million after June 1.

Up next: at Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

22. Tennessee Titans (2-4)

(Last week: 20)

Sunday: Bye

One question: What’s the plan at quarterback?

Eleven-year veteran Ryan Tannehill has the lowest winning percentage (.333), passer rating (71.9, 31st in NFL) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (2-6) of his career. Malik Willis, the Titans’ 2022 third-round pick, hasn’t looked like the answer in limited fill-in duty, and Will Levis, the 2023 second-round pick, can’t even get on the field. Tennessee looks like it will be bad enough to draft the No. 3 quarterback in this upcoming class (whoever that turns out to be), but how much capital do the Titans have to invest to get the position figured out?

Up next: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 21)

Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 31-17

One question: Are the Chargers really a bad team?

Hear us out. The Chargers have lost to only one team with a losing record. Three of their four losses came against the Dolphins, Cowboys and Chiefs, and only Sunday’s loss came by more than three points. Justin Herbert is getting a lot of heat lately, but he’s ninth in the league in passer rating (97.1) and sixth in yards per attempt (7.5). We haven’t given up on the Chargers just yet.

Up next: vs. Chicago Bears, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

(Last week: 24)

Sunday: Lost to Chicago Bears 30-12

One question: Why is Josh McDaniels still the coach?

Maybe “Why was he ever?” is the real question. McDaniels was 11-17 in two years as Denver’s coach. He’s now 9-15 in Las Vegas after losing Sunday to a Bears team led by backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, a rookie out of Division II. McDaniels’ offense is fine. The Raiders are eighth in the league in points per drive (2.17), but the defense is 22nd in points per drive allowed (2.22), according to TruMedia. It might be that McDaniels is better suited to be an offensive coordinator.

Up next: at Detroit Lions, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

(Last week: 22)

Sunday: Lost to New York Giants 14-7

One question: Is this team in the chase for a top-two pick?

The Commanders would be picking 14th if the season ended right now, so they’ve got work to do, but there’s plenty of time. Washington has the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon, and it needs a quarterback. Sam Howell had a rating of 60.5 and was sacked six more times on Sunday. Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen has clearly had enough (see below). You know new owner Josh Harris would love a shot to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.

Up next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Jonathan Allen expressed his frustration with his team’s lack of success in recent years following a 14-7 loss to the Giants on Sunday….@BenStandig shares details ⤵️https://t.co/RxqvqoS7PK pic.twitter.com/eKl1BkVADq

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 22, 2023

26. Denver Broncos (2-5)

(Last week: 31)

Sunday: Beat Green Bay Packers 19-17

One question: How many points will the Chiefs score?

The Broncos defense is not good despite the Packers only scoring 17 points against them Sunday. Denver is giving up the most rushing yards (167.3) and the third-most passing yards (257.4) this season. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, who visit Denver on Sunday, are starting to click on all cylinders. On a positive note, Russell Wilson is seventh in the NFL in passer rating (99) and has 13 touchdown passes versus four interceptions.

Up next: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

27. Green Bay Packers (2-4)

(Last week: 25)

Sunday: Lost to Denver Broncos 19-17

One question: What happened to Jordan Love?

The Packers quarterback looked like he was growing into the starting job early in the season, but since Week 3, he is 33rd in the league in passer rating (64.9) and completion percentage (58.2). Nobody has thrown more than Love’s seven interceptions in that time period, and his 14.2 percent off-target percentage is the fifth highest. On Sunday, Love was 21-for-31 for 180 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against a Denver defense that is last in the league, giving up 424.7 yards per game.

Up next: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 30)

Sunday: Beat Washington Commanders 14-7

One question: Is Tyrod Taylor better than Daniel Jones?

This year he is. Taylor, who has started the last two weeks, has a passer rating of 95.4 this season. Jones has a passer rating of 71.7, and after Sunday they have the same amount of wins as New York’s starter. This is your weekly reminder that Jones signed a four-year contract in the offseason with $81 million of guaranteed money. Jones missed Sunday’s game because of a neck injury, and the Giants may let him take his time rehabbing it.

Up next: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

29. New England Patriots (2-5)

(Last week: 28)

Sunday: Beat the Buffalo Bills 29-25

One question: Will Bill Belichick catch Don Shula?

Belichick, whom NFL Network reported on Sunday signed a multiyear extension in the offseason, became the third coach in NFL history with 300 regular-season wins, joining Don Shula and George Halas. Belichick is up to 331 wins, including the playoffs, leaving him 16 short of tying Shula for the all-time record of 347. That doesn’t seem like a big deficit, but at the pace the Patriots are on this season, it could take a while, and Belichick is 71 years old.

Up next: at Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

30. Chicago Bears (2-5)

(Last week: 29)

Sunday: Beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-12

One question: Who is Tyson Bagent?

Bagent completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a win Sunday. In his previous start, he threw for 165 yards for Shepherd University in a 44-13 loss to the Colorado School of Mines in the Division II playoffs. The Bears added him as an undrafted free agent after this year’s draft, and he won the backup job in the preseason. He now has as many wins for the Bears as Justin Fields in the last calendar year.

Up next: at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

31. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)

(Last week: 27)

Sunday: Lost to Seattle Seahawks 20-10

One question: What will they do with Kyler Murray?

The prospect of drafting either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye got even closer Sunday, as the Cardinals would pick second if the season ended today. Arizona opened the window for Murray to return from injured reserve last week, but there’s no firm timetable on when or even if he’ll return. The quarterback, who tore his ACL in December, has an up-and-down history with the organization. Murray’s talent is undeniable, and the word is he’s getting along OK with the new coaching staff, but committing to Murray and the five years and $182 million he has left on his deal might not be a good move for a franchise that could turn the page with a coveted quarterback on a rookie deal.

Up next: vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

32. Carolina Panthers (0-6)

(Last week: 32)

Sunday: Bye

One question: Is Bryce Young a bust?

You’re right, Panthers fans, this is not a fair question in Week 8 of Young’s rookie year, but it has to be asked. Young’s 5.3 yards per attempt are on pace to be the 10th-lowest total in the NFL since at least 2000. His passer rating (78.7) ranks 29th in the league. Carolina, which traded receiver DJ Moore, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Chicago for the right to the first pick in the draft, is going to be patient with Young. It has to be, but Panthers fans have to be worried.

Up next: vs. Houston Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Top photo of Patrick Mahomes: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now. Order it here.

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October 24, 2023
The Eagles’ ‘tush push’ play is taking over the NFL. But is it working?

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On Thursday night in Kansas City, the Chiefs field goal unit lined up for an attempt. Kicker Harrison Butker assumed his regular position. Everything seemed normal, but just before the snap, the holder, Tommy Townsend, ran up to the line of scrimmage, and as he ran forward, tight end Noah Gray and offensive lineman Wanya Morris ran in from the wings.

Gray took the snap and Morris and Townsend smushed together and pushed him forward with the ferocity of a jaguar heaving a gazelle up a tree trunk. It was a fake field goal tush push, the latest iteration of a play that has swept the NFL since Philadelphia’s offense introduced it and ran it at a record-setting pace last season. When I wrote about the play last January, it didn’t yet have a name. And not many teams aside from Philadelphia had tried the maneuver. Now it has multiple names. The Brotherly Shove, the rugby sneak, “Organized Mass” as the Kelce brothers refer to it, and most commonly and cutely, the tush push.

There have been some really pitiful showings this season, such as the Giants putting two backup offensive linemen in the pusher positions, failing to gain a yard, and injuring two of their starting offensive linemen in the process. Or the time the Chargers inexplicably ran the play with a quarterback who only had one good hand with which to carry the ball.

From 2000 to 2022, the league averaged 53 sneaks through six weeks of games. This year, that number is nearly double — up to 104 sneaks through six weeks of games, the most in that 24 season timespan. It might be the most ever, but since NFL play-by-play records were first kept in 2000, totals from seasons before that are difficult to check. Sneaks have been on the rise since 2021, when the season total of 233 was the highest in our dataset since 2000. The next season’s 274 sneaks smashed that record. Now the pace of sneaks is headed toward a new record for the third straight year. (We define a QB sneak as a designed rush by a quarterback under center with 2 yards or fewer to convert, though we are including one Eagles attempt from three yards out in this season’s total because it was a true push sneak.)

NFL teams have called a QB sneak on third- or fourth-and-2 or shorter on 13.4 percent of opportunities so far this season, which is the highest rate of any season this century.

Good or bad, love it or hate it, the tush push is taking over as coaches around the NFL wake up and smell the efficiency of the play.

There’s essentially three variations of sneaks, true QB sneaks that don’t feature the pushing maul (often the QB will try to leap over the pile), non-traditional sneaks (with another position taking the snap, could include a pusher or two) and the rugby sneak/tush push, which is that instantly recognizable tight formation with several players surrounding the quarterback (or whoever is taking the direct snap) to shove them forward into the heart of the conflict, and both the offensive and defensive line fighting to get the lowest pad level to win the battle.

I went through and watched every sneak from the 11 teams that are perfect on sneaks this season, and there was a good variety of the three types of sneaks. Buffalo ran exclusively tush push while Denver mixed a variety of looks into its three sneaks on the season.

The Eagles still lead the league in tush pushes, with 17 this year. Only one has been stopped for no gain. Their 93.3 percent success rate is just shy of their 93.5 percent success rate last season, and that’s only because they don’t have the volume yet at this point in the year.

Philadelphia ran the tush push 43 times last season, including six times for two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. And this year, the Eagles have run it six times in one game again, at the Rams, including on third-and-3 in the final two minutes of game time. They gained a yard to set up for a fourth-and-2, where you guessed it, they ran another tush push.

The rise in sneaks overall this year makes it clear that the Eagles near-automatic success rate, which is one of the reasons the play was seriously scrutinized by the competition committee over the offseason, has inspired other NFL offenses to see if they can also exploit the same advantage. When you take Philadelphia out of the equation, the rest of the NFL averages a 77.8 percent success rate on sneaks this season.

The Chicago Bears with Justin Fields have run the play second-most this season, with eight sneaks. But that number moves to 10 if one counts the version they ran with tight end Cole Kmet taking the direct snap and Fields doing some of the pushing and another with Kmet that wasn’t a rugby sneak.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields gets a little push from his teammates against the Packers. (Brandon Sloter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Chicago dominated Washington with three tush pushes in one game, and then scored the following week on a tush push with backup quarterback Tyson Bagent after Fields left the game with a dislocated thumb. The Bears have only missed on two sneaks this year, and neither were a tush push.

Only six teams haven’t run any sneaks with a quarterback this season. Not surprisingly, that list includes the Chiefs, the Dolphins and the Bengals. Patrick Mahomes was injured on a sneak four years ago and coach Andy Reid has sworn off it ever since, though he has explored different types of sneaks in fun settings. Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow have recent injury histories that explain why their coaches might be extra protective over their quarterbacks.

Not all of the sneaks in this season’s total are the true rugby-style tush pushes. Some are regular QB sneaks and some have one player in the backfield who runs up behind to push at the very end, but that low to the ground, snarling pile is something different. You just know when you see it, and TruMedia doesn’t have a filter to classify the rugby sneak from other variations of sneaks without watching every play to judge it, so these season totals are all-inclusive sneaks.

There have been some really good rugby sneak attempts, like the Arizona Cardinals gaining 3 yards on two attempts against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. (In their defense, no pun intended, Dallas later stopped a New England tush push on fourth-and-1). Or Buffalo, perfect in three tush pushes this season with the very physical Josh Allen.

Buffalo leads the league in third- and fourth-and-short (fewer than 2 yards) chances, but Allen has lined up in the shotgun on 23 of those 28 plays. Three of the five times that Allen has lined up under center on third- and fourth-and-short, they ran the tush push. Maybe the Bills and coach Sean McDermott are spooked after Allen’s extremely unfortunate fumble at the goal line last season on a sneak?

Bears quarterback coach Andrew Janocko said that they really like the tush push play, and they know they are good at it, but to run it at the rate of the Eagles would require Chicago to be more efficient on first and second down, instead of getting stuck in third-and-longs.

The Bears have averaged 7.3 yards to go on third down this season (23rd in the NFL) and their 2.5 plays per game on third-and-2 or shorter is 19th in NFL. When they get into fourth-and short, the Bears have been one of the more aggressive teams in going for it, doing so on five of eight chances, a 62.5 percent go-for-it rate (11th in NFL). On those five fourth-and-short plays in which the Bears have gone for it, three were sneaks (two converted) and two were non-sneaks (one converted). Perhaps Chicago should really tush push it to the limit.

Bears left guard Teven Jenkins helped Chicago convert three of three at Washington, and he said he sees the effort in the pushing as 50 percent offensive line, 30 percent quarterback, and 20 percent pushers. On many attempts of this play, the pushers don’t appear to be doing much, but as Jenkins says, “If we get stonewalled, they’re pushing Justin over.”

Defenses haven’t looked nearly as hopeless in halting the inertia of the organized mass this season, and Jenkins said he’s noticed some interesting tactics from Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. “He’s like laying down on the ground,” Jenkins said. “He’s literally on the ground.”

Upon further review of Bears and Eagles film, I found that Allen — and sometimes teammate Chase Young — angles his body nearly horizontal to the wall of offensive linemen surging towards him and then sprawls sideways into the contact. In theory, it is so that he can push back against multiple offensive linemen at once, instead of taking on just the one in front of him if he were facing straight forward. The innovative technique didn’t work against Chicago, or against the Eagles, but it’s a better strategy than the many defensive players who choose to jump over the top of the pile and completely whiff on making any contact at all.

“Defenses are doing a much better job at defending this play than they have done since I have been in the league,” said Eagles center and the premier spokesman for the tush push, Jason Kelce, on his podcast “New Heights.” “There is an emphasis being made. We have always got QB sneaks, if I am being honest, against the Commanders. The Commanders came out with a much better attempt at stopping this play than I have ever had.”

Kelce also said on his podcast that Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne was actually putting his hand under the football, which would be a neutral zone infraction. “Whatever, everybody is going to be jockeying for position,” Kelce said.

“Technique goes out the window,” said Broncos defensive end Zach Allen, who stopped one of the Eagles attempts last season when he played for Arizona and they ran the tush push three times in a row at the goal line (they eventually scored on it). “It’s just more of an attitude thing and a pride thing to stop it.”

The evidence that other offenses are figuring out how to win on the tush push, and that defenses are adjusting for it, should only help save the play from permanent banishment. The Eagles are still leaps above the rest, but teams such as Buffalo, Chicago and Arizona are also finding consistent success with the play.

GO DEEPER

Eagles’ push sneak unchallenged by competition committee

The biggest threat to the future of the rugby sneak will be any injury data that could prove it isn’t safe. Last season there wasn’t any injury data to review, but this year, the Giants contributed the first two data points. In the meantime, offenses will keep organizing the mass and crossing their fingers that the play survives its second offseason under the competition committee’s microscope. At the league meetings in New York Tuesday, competition committee chairman Rich McKay said that he can’t predict the future of the play, but he knows that the committee will discuss it again this offseason.

“I really hope” it’s not outlawed, Bears guard Nate Davis said. “It is definitely something that works for offenses. I don’t think it’s anything illegal.”

(Top photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

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The New York Times

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October 18, 2023
Brian Burns, Jerry Jeudy and potential trade candidates for every NFL team

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The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching, and teams are browsing the league in hopes of finding the one missing piece that could help elevate their rosters.

Last year, we saw a plethora of moves before the deadline that involved big-name players. The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a blockbuster deal for superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. We also saw Bradley Chubb get traded to the Miami Dolphins, Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens and T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings. Could this year offer similar activity?

With the NFL trade deadline set for Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. ET, our writers at The Athletic list one candidate from each of their respective teams who has the potential to be shipped elsewhere.

It’s not a production issue. Through five games, Brown leads the Cardinals in receptions (25), receiving yards (300) and receiving touchdowns (3). He’s Arizona’s top target and has developed decent chemistry with quarterback Joshua Dobbs. But the 1-4 Cardinals are rebuilding, and if they don’t start turning close losses into wins, general manager Monti Ossenfort likely will start making moves.

Brown is in the final year of his rookie deal and makes for a good trade candidate. The Cardinals likely won’t get the first-round pick previous general manager Steve Keim gave up to acquire Brown, but there should be a decent market for a proven playmaker. A potential hurdle: Brown is close with Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray. — Doug Haller

The Falcons’ defense is much deeper than it has been in recent years, but not so deep that it can afford to get rid of good players. Except at safety. Hawkins has started 22 games in his four-year career, including 16 a season ago, but he was forced into a backup role by Atlanta’s offseason signing of Jessie Bates III. Hawkins, who has four career interceptions, responded with the best training camp performance of his career, but he’s still having trouble getting on the field. He’s only playing about 10 percent of the defensive snaps, and rookie DeMarcco Hellams is coming up strong behind him. — Josh Kendall

The Ravens figure to add rather than subtract, but moving on from Duvernay would create a little cap flexibility, which would make bringing in another veteran a bit easier. A two-time Pro Bowl special teams player, Duvernay remains a dangerous return man. However, he’s gotten pushed down the wide receiver depth chart after the offseason additions of Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor. Duvernay has just two receptions for eight yards and three carries for 15 yards, and he’s playing just more than 25 percent of Baltimore’s offensive snaps.

If a team is looking for a quality return man and another all-purpose threat, Duvernay would be a nice addition. — Jeff Zrebiec

It’s been a rough start to the 2022 first-round pick’s sophomore season. Elam finished as a distant third in the starting cornerback battle and began the season as a healthy scratch over the first four weeks. Then in his first appearance, a start against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the opponents targeted him relentlessly when he covered receiver Calvin Ridley.

The Bills likely don’t want to give up on him for nothing. However, if there’s a way for them to improve at linebacker, cornerback or somewhere else at the deadline, and Elam gets put in a deal like Zack Moss was in the Nyheim Hines trade with Indianapolis last year, that’s something general manager Brandon Beane could consider. — Joe Buscaglia

Kaiir Elam (24), a 2022 first-round pick, was a healthy scratch in the Bills’ first four games this season. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

General manager Scott Fitterer held on to the Pro Bowl edge rusher at the deadline last year, turning down an offer from the Los Angeles Rams that included two first-round picks (2024 and 2025) and a future third. The thinking was an elite edge rusher would be more difficult to replace than a running back or receiver, even ones as talented as McCaffrey and DJ Moore.

But after failing to get a long-term deal done with Burns and the Panthers as the NFL’s only winless team, Fitterer might take a different tack. The problem: Given Burns’ unresolved contract situation, the offers don’t figure to match the Rams’ from 2022. — Joe Person

The Bears don’t want to trade Johnson. But they didn’t want to trade Roquan Smith at first, either. Smith eventually forced the Bears’ hand. Johnson isn’t doing that. He’s on the record saying he wants to remain in Chicago. But Johnson is still in the last year of his contract — and the Bears have drafted three cornerbacks in the last two years: Kyler Gordon (2022, No. 39), Tyrique Stevenson (2023, No. 56) and Terell Smith (2023, No. 165). If the Bears don’t see a contract extension in Johnson’s future, it makes sense to trade him. Didn’t the Bills just lose their best cornerback? — Adam Jahns

The Bengals are philosophically opposed to trading players at the deadline. Specifically to a team they expect to battle attrition deep into January. That said, for the sake of this conversation, would another team have interest in tight end Irv Smith Jr.? The free-agent signee has not proven a great fit and battled a hamstring injury through five games. Meanwhile, his replacement off the practice squad, Tanner Hudson, looked much better filling the role. Maybe a transition to Hudson could happen, which would mean moving on from Smith Jr. if a team is seeking tight end depth. — Paul Dehner Jr.

Cleveland is dealing with injury uncertainty at multiple offensive positions, starting with the most important one. Also, the Browns are much more likely to be buyers than sellers at any position given the importance of the season and how they’ve constructed this roster.

But if things don’t improve quickly with the Browns’ passing game and a receiver-needy team comes calling, Peoples-Jones might be available. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal, and Cleveland drafted his likely replacement in Cedric Tillman in April. This Browns’ regime loves collecting late-round picks and could speed up what seems to be an inevitable transition. — Zac Jackson

The Cowboys really don’t have a player who makes much sense to be traded, but because of their defensive line depth, Golston could fit that criteria. He has one year remaining on his rookie contract after being drafted in the third round in 2021. He has averaged 19 defensive snaps and nine special teams snaps per game this season, totaling one sack, a forced fumble and one quarterback hit.

But Dallas needs to be active in trading for players to bolster its roster much more than it needs to be moving any talent out of the building. — Jon Machota

At 1-5 and 0-3 at home, things will likely get worse before they get better in Denver. The Broncos already traded their highest-paid edge rusher, Randy Gregory, and more dealing could be on the way. The Broncos dangled Jeudy in trade talks during the offseason, but they couldn’t find a satisfactory deal.

Jeudy, the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has averaged 6.9 receptions and 73.1 yards across his last 10 regular-season games. He could help a contender lacking at the position, and Denver needs more draft capital as head coach Sean Payton goes about the business of reshaping a talent-deficient roster. — Nick Kosmider

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For the first time in a long time, the Lions are positioned to add — not sell — at the deadline. Given the wave of injuries we’ve already seen, they probably aren’t likely to move key reserves. But with the pass rush getting healthier, perhaps a sack-needy team should look to add a player like Okwara. He’s just now getting back into action after starting the year on injured reserve, so teams will have a few weeks to evaluate him.

Again, the Lions are probably buyers this year, but they do have some depth at edge, and Okwara is in the last year of his rookie deal. — Colton Pouncy

The 30-year-old outside linebacker doesn’t flash much for a team that isn’t anywhere near a contender. If the Packers lose another game or two before the trade deadline, it might be time to ship off a veteran and continue with the offseason’s theme of getting younger.

Green Bay has first- or second-year players in Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox Jr. behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, and it might be worth giving them an extended look as general manager Brian Gutekunst builds for the future. — Matt Schneidman

The emergence of younger players caused Hughes to lose his starting job this season, despite his nine sacks in 2022. That was the highest total in eight seasons for the 2010 first-round pick. Hughes, 35, just restructured his deal to give the Texans more cap flexibility, but the lower cap number also could make him more attractive to teams in need of a rotational pass rusher. — Mike Jones

Veteran pass rusher Jerry Hughes is coming off a nine-sack season in 2022. (Logan Riely / Getty Images)

The Colts are in a weird spot where they’re better than expected at 3-2, but their best trade asset, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, probably isn’t available since promising rookie Anthony Richardson just landed on injured reserve with an AC joint sprain.

Beyond Minshew, there are slim pickings among Indianapolis’ next trade candidates. But one player who could potentially be moved for a late-round pick is Alie-Cox. He has one year left on his contract, and with Andrew Ogletree and Kylen Granson stepping up, perhaps Indianapolis would shop Alie-Cox to teams looking for tight end depth. — James Boyd

Jacksonville Jaguars: Devin Lloyd, LB

I don’t believe the Jaguars are looking to trade anyone, and moving on from Lloyd doesn’t actually make much sense. However, Jacksonville has linebacker depth, and the 2022 first-round pick would have nice trade value if an NFC contender such as the Lions, Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles were looking for an athletic presence in the middle of their defense.

Again, the Jaguars don’t have anyone with a big contract who is worth trading, and there’s no way they’d move on from their best pass rusher, Josh Allen, because of his expiring deal. So if the Jaguars were desperate to fill another hole and don’t want to give up a future draft asset, Lloyd has the trade value to get something done. — Jeff Howe

This year, the Chiefs don’t have an ideal candidate who could be traded. Their roster is young around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. This exercise, though, makes you look at the roster and wonder if Kansas City could get a low-round pick in exchange for a player who is not likely to be a part of the team next season.

A year ago, cornerback Rashad Fenton was in the final year of his rookie contract and was sent to the Falcons just before the deadline. A similar player this season could be Edwards-Helaire, who is in the final year of his rookie contract while starter Isiah Pacheco and veteran Jerick McKinnon have been more effective contributors. — Nate Taylor

Renfrow signed a two-year extension last offseason coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2021, and it hasn’t panned out the way anyone expected. The slot receiver missed seven games because of injury last season and didn’t play well even when healthy.

And this year, the Raiders just flat out aren’t using Renfrow. The 27-year-old has only six catches for 59 yards on nine targets in five games, and he’s been losing playing time to rookie Tre Tucker. The Raiders have already paid Renfrow a big chunk of his 2023 salary in a roster bonus, but they might as well move him and get something in return at this point. — Tashan Reed

Raiders wideout Hunter Renfrow has just six receptions for 59 yards through five games this season. (Gregory Fisher / USA Today)

The Chargers already made one of the biggest trades of the season when they dealt cornerback J.C. Jackson to the New England Patriots for a late-round pick swap. They don’t really have any other expendable pieces on the roster at the moment. Especially considering the stakes of this season, it’s hard to see a scenario in which the Chargers are sellers. Even if the season unravels before the deadline, would ownership really allow this brain trust of general manager Tom Telesco and coach Brandon Staley to make any significant moves for the long-term future?

I think the Chargers are going to do everything they can to contend until they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. One position they could add to is at tight end, particularly a run blocker. If the Chargers do make a move to bolster that group, McKitty could be the odd man out. He has not developed the way the Chargers hoped when they drafted him in the third round in 2021. — Daniel Popper

My initial pick was receiver Van Jefferson, who found himself the odd man out of the Rams’ predominantly three-receiver offense behind rookie Puka Nacua, third-year receiver Tutu Atwell and the return of veteran star Cooper Kupp. Outside of trading Jefferson to the Falcons, the Rams have extra offensive linemen at a couple of spots (left tackle and right guard), but would they move a player such as Noteboom? They aren’t far removed from their catastrophic injury situation along the offensive line in 2022, so they may not be active at this position out of caution. But if a team called, they would listen. If traded, the Rams would incur $5 million in dead money off of Noteboom’s contract in 2023. Sean McVay suggested Wednesday that the Rams won’t be very active at the trade deadline, saying, “you kind of have to have resources … for those to be options.” — Jourdan Rodrigue

The 4-1 Dolphins won’t be moving any pieces that can help them win a championship. That takes a lot of players out of this particular equation. And rookie running back De’Von Achane’s knee injury could take Ahmed out of that equation, too. Achane was placed on IR and will miss at least four games. However, if that’s all he is expected to miss, Miami could consider moving on from Ahmed following its Oct. 29 game against New England — two days before the deadline.

Assuming Raheem Mostert remains healthy and Jeff Wilson Jr. returns soon, Ahmed could quickly become expendable. He’s only 24 years old and has been productive in spurts (4.0 yards per carry or better in two of his three seasons entering 2023) throughout his career. A running back-needy team could seek him out for some depth, while Miami would probably be happy to replenish some draft stock. — Jim Ayello

The Vikings are teetering toward sell mode, and the most realistic premium option is Hunter. The three-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year contract before the season worth $17 million guaranteed and is tied for second in the NFL with six sacks. His pressure rate and pass-rush win rates are less rosy, but they’re affected by the team’s tendency to give up quick completions. Hunter is the one high-end impact player on Minnesota’s defense and is a fan favorite.

That said, if the Vikings are beginning to turn the page toward the future, prioritizing premium draft position and overall draft capital, Hunter makes sense as an obvious trade candidate. — Alec Lewis

Vikings three-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter is currently tied for second in the NFL with six sacks. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)

If the Patriots continue playing like they have, they’ll have a lot of players to offer to contending teams. Left tackle Trent Brown, right guard Mike Onwenu, edge rusher Josh Uche and safety Kyle Dugger all come to mind. But the return for those players would have to be meaningful since the Patriots would likely get a compensatory draft pick if any of them sign elsewhere next offseason.

That may not be the case for Bourne, which could make him easier to acquire. Teams probably only view Bourne as a depth receiver, maybe a No. 3 or 4 option, but for a contending team dealing with some injuries, he could be an acceptable replacement. — Chad Graff

The Saints don’t have too many obvious tradeable candidates. You could mention guys such as quarterback Jameis Winston, guard Andrus Peat or Baun — all of whom could hit the free-agency market in the 2024 offseason.

But Winston probably would have been gone by now if a team like the New York Jets wanted him as a fill-in. Peat has been pushed to a reserve role. Baun has never really fit within the Saints’ defense as a traditional linebacker (listed as a strongside LB), and maybe a team might want to use him in more pass-rush situations. Baun’s price tag isn’t high at all, so absorbing his contract wouldn’t be problematic. Trading him might be a reach since he’s basically a special teams player with spot duty on defense. — Larry Holder

If the Giants’ dismal start to the season continues, you can make the argument for a few players, including cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who could make an impact for contenders. But we settled on McKinney here, given that the 24-year-old’s future with the organization remains up in the air. Playing in the final year of his rookie contract, the 2020 second-round pick had been looking for a new deal, but general manager Joe Schoen has said they will wait until after the season to talk about extensions. If the Giants decide he’s not part of their future core, they could try to cash in now. Plenty of teams chasing a title could use some help in the secondary. — Charlotte Carroll

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Amid grim start, Giants can find hope in players who’ve been part of historic turnarounds

Wide receiver Mecole Hardman is already reportedly being shopped, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Lawson was on the block, too. The Jets signed the 28-year-old to a $45 million deal in 2021 with high hopes. He was a healthy scratch against the Broncos after playing sparingly in the first four weeks. Lawson missed the 2021 season with a torn Achilles but came back last year and played well (seven sacks, 24 quarterback hits) while still not healthy. Seemingly ready for a big 2023, he hurt his lower back early in training camp and missed the entire preseason. Lawson took a pay cut this offseason, so he wouldn’t cost an acquiring team much money. — Zack Rosenblatt

The Eagles have used the 2017 first-round pick sparingly, yet have resisted Barnett’s trade requests because they like the depth he offers. Barnett, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 1 of last season, believes he can now effectively contribute more than the dozen or so snaps a game he’s getting from Philadelphia. If a team in need of pass-rushing help is willing to give up draft picks for the 27-year-old, maybe the Eagles should make the move. — Mike Jones

Honestly, there is nobody currently on the roster who needs to be moved or, frankly, good enough to be in demand. Wide receiver/kick returner Gunner Olszewski could spark interest as a punt return specialist, but after two fumble-happy years with the Steelers, a team would have to be desperate to come calling.

Rudolph is interesting because he’s an expendable veteran third-string quarterback who is playing out a minimum deal he signed in the spring. With Kenny Pickett suffering a pair of concussions and a knee injury during his 17 career starts, the Steelers aren’t likely to be actively seeking to move Rudolph, who is also behind Mitch Trubisky. But if the right deal is offered, general manager Omar Khan has proven not to hesitate. — Mark Kaboly

The 49ers, who already acquired Gregory, probably remain importers, not exporters, in the trade market. But they do have an abundance of running backs. Even with Elijah Mitchell out of action recently with a knee injury, Davis-Price has had trouble seeing the field. His first carries of the season came at the end of Sunday’s blowout win over the Cowboys.

The 49ers like Davis-Price and think he’s a talented runner. The issue is he’s been leapfrogged for the No. 3 role by Jordan Mason, who went undrafted the same year Davis-Price was a third-round pick. Mason is good on special teams and actually led all rushers Sunday with 69 yards on 10 carries. — Matt Barrows

GO DEEPER

‘I understand what’s at stake’: Randy Gregory eager to put hand in dirt for 49ers

The Seahawks aren’t in position to be sellers, but one spot they could feel good about making a move is inside linebacker. Seattle has a surplus of talent at tight end and cornerback, though a trade at the former wouldn’t be worth it — and the cornerback room is too banged up to dump anyone right now.

At inside linebacker, Seattle has Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks playing at a high level, making Bush, who has played well in his limited opportunity, an expendable player. He’d immediately help a team in need of a coverage linebacker. — Michael-Shawn Dugar

The truth is the Bucs are too good to be in fire sale mode. They won’t be looking to dump veterans for draft picks, barring the unforeseen. Even if they lose their next three, they still will be 3-4 and probably in the thick of contention in the NFC South. But White is in the last year of his contract and requested a trade in the offseason before saying he realized the request was selfish. There is precedent for a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker like White with an expiring contract being dealt near the deadline, as the Bears traded Roquan Smith to the Ravens last year for second- and fifth-round picks. — Dan Pompei

Devin White is in the last year of his contract and requested a trade from the Bucs in the offseason. (David Berding / Getty Images)

Fulton was called out by Mike Vrabel after last season for being a “repeat offender” in terms of soft-tissue injuries, then the 2020 second-round pick didn’t get offered an extension entering the final year of his deal. And his fourth season has seen perhaps more brutal mistakes than his first three combined. Is he pressing? Is he thinking too much about what’s next? Is he acclimating poorly to new defensive backs coach Chris Harris?

Whatever it is, Fulton is much better than he has played. He’s the Titans’ most talented corner, which means a move is only considered if they’re clearly out of it at the deadline. But he needs a change of scenery, and this team needs draft capital. — Joe Rexrode

I know picking two names is cheating, but they are intertwined in several ways. Namely, both play the coveted edge rusher position and are 2024 free agents. They also should provide a decent-to-strong trade return if the Commanders go that route. (They probably have to lose the next three games for fire sale consideration, and there are several notable upcoming free agents to consider.) Regardless, it’s highly unlikely Washington would seek to retain Sweat and Young depending on who in the organization makes such future calls.

The Commanders are 2-3 amid a three-game skid that included the recent 20-point home loss to the Bears. If the slide continues and there’s a decision to prep for the future by the deadline, choose whether Sweat (4.5 sacks) or Young (tied for third in the NFL with 27 quarterback pressures) gets the contract extension offer and let the other one know there are no hard feelings upon trading him. Washington is also deep enough on the line to maintain a strong level while adding long-term help. — Ben Standig

(Top photo of Preston Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Brian Burns: Stu Forster, Dan Mullan, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

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October 14, 2023
Taylor Swift cheers on Travis Kelce again as

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Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film premiere

Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film premiere breaks records, giving new hope to movie industry

04:12

Taylor Swift traded her movie premiere’s red carpet for red Kansas City Chiefs gear Thursday night as the singer-songwriter cheered on tight end Travis Kelce and the defending Super Bowl champions once again.

Swift was seen rooting for Kansas City from a suite at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce’s mother Donna Kelce and Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In Los Angeles the night before, Swift attended the premiere of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” bringing her wildly successful concert tour to movie theater audiences nationwide this weekend.

Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce look on before the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Lyndsay Bell, Brittany Mahomes and Taylor Swift celebrate during the first half of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Thursday night’s matchup between the Chiefs and the visiting Denver Broncos was Swift’s second time at Arrowhead for an NFL game this season after she was in attendance for Kansas City’s win over the Chicago Bears last month at Kelce’s invitation. Some Swifties were also among the Arrowhead crowd: A young fan in a Chiefs jersey was photographed holding a sign saying, “Here 4 Tay Tay.”

A young Taylor Swift fan holds a sign that says, “Here 4 Tay Tay,” before an AFC West matchup between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 12, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 11-year NFL veteran invited the superstar to Arrowhead after he couldn’t give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number when she performed at the stadium over the summer. The two were seen after the Bears game, and Swift went to New Jersey to watch the Chiefs defeat the New York Jets the following week, fueling speculation that the two stars are dating.

Last week, Kelce said he felt “even more on top of the world” than after winning the Super Bowl. On Thursday night, he said he was embracing the “chaos” from all the attention.

Taylor Swift looks on before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

“Knowing that everybody is looking at the Kansas City Chiefs and then you add the madness that’s going on out here in the world, it’s a whole lot of fun for me right now,” Kelce told Thursday Night Football broadcaster Amazon Prime, according to the Reuters news agency.

The Chiefs defeated the Broncos 19-8, improving their record to 5-1.

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Alex Sundby

Alex Sundby is a senior editor for CBSNews.com.

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October 13, 2023
NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Lions, Jaguars on the rise, plus rookie check-in

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It’s already Week 6 in the NFL. Some things are clear. The San Francisco 49ers are very good. The Miami Dolphins are very fast (and probably very good). And some things are not clear. Two of the most highly respected coaches in the league in the last two decades find themselves near the bottom of this week’s Power Rankings. And the Kansas City Chiefs look out of sorts on offense despite winning.

In the “Becoming Clear” category is how each team’s additions are affecting outcomes this year. For that reason, we’re doing a rookie check-in this week, although we’ve taken the liberty of expanding the category to “notable new guy” when warranted.

(Last week: 1)

Sunday: Beat Dallas Cowboys 42-10

Should we do Sam Darnold here? San Francisco beat Dallas so badly Sunday night that Darnold got into the game, but no, this section is just going to be a 49ers appreciation post since the Niners don’t have any newcomers making a significant impact. Being the best team in the NFL in mid-October is not the goal, but Brock Purdy’s 123.1 passer rating would be the highest for any quarterback in a season since at least 2000, according to TruMedia, and there’s no indication San Francisco will slow down.

Up next: at Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 2)

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Rams 23-14

After coming within four points of a Super Bowl, the Eagles added two of the most productive new guys in the offseason. Defensive lineman Jalen Carter, the No. 9 pick, is tied for seventh in the league with 23 QB pressures. D’Andre Swift, acquired in an offseason trade from Detroit, has 361 rushing yards in the last three weeks. Save the arguments about whether the Tush Push is a football play. Dominating the lines of scrimmage is the essence of football, and that’s what Philly is doing.

Up next: at New York Jets, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 4)

Sunday: Beat New York Giants 31-16

Miami might have missed on second-round cornerback Cam Smith, but the Dolphins made up for it with third-round pick De’Von Achane. After totaling 5 yards in the first two games of the season, the rookie running back leads the NFL with 455 rushing yards in the last three weeks. He’s averaging 12.3 yards per carry in that time and has two of the three fastest speeds in the NFL this year (21.93 mph and 21.76 mph), according to NextGen Stats.

Up next: vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 7)

Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 42-24

Second-round tight end Sam LaPorta is one of the best rookies in the league and a big reason the Lions are fourth in the league in scoring (29.6). LaPorta leads all tight ends with 25 catches for 289 yards. Throw in the fact that running back Jahmyr Gibbs has shown flashes and second-round safety Brian Branch might be a star, and Detroit is in the running for the best draft of 2023, not to mention the third-best team in the NFC.

Up next: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 5)

Sunday: Beat Minnesota Vikings 27-20

It seems weird to say, but the Chiefs, who are a surprising ninth in the league in scoring (25.6 ppg), could use some help, and they aren’t getting much of it from this draft class. Second-round pick Rashee Rice is second on the team in catches with 17 but has only 173 yards. First-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah has four quarterback hurries and half a sack.

Up next: vs. Denver Broncos, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

Do the Patriots have a future with Bill Belichick, or without? Sando’s Pick Six

(Last week: 3)

Sunday: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 25-20

Tight end Dalton Kincaid, selected 25th, hasn’t exactly transformed the Buffalo offense. Kincaid has been on the field for more than 60 percent of the Bills’ snaps but has barely topped 100 receiving yards for the season (17 catches, 118 yards). Buffalo isn’t getting much out of the rest of its six-man draft class either. The Bills are getting a pass this week for losing in London to a team that spent the week there, but they need a bounce-back game quickly.

Up next: vs. New York Giants, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

(Last week: 6)

Sunday: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 42-10

Saying anything bad feels like piling on after Sunday night, after which Dallas has to turn in its contender card, but this year’s draft class doesn’t suggest there’s help on the way. First-round pick Mazi Smith has played only about 25 percent of the snaps and has four tackles on the defensive line. Second-round tight end Luke Schoonmaker has one catch for 1 yard.

Up next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Monday. 8:15 p.m. ET

Rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon has lived up to his draft position so far for the Seahawks. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

(Last week: 9)

Sunday: Bye

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a surprise at No. 5 in the draft. Guess we should have given Pete Carroll the benefit of the doubt about drafting defensive backs. Witherspoon was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 4, has one interception, two sacks and a nasty attitude the Seahawks love. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 20th, is off to a slow start due in part — but only in part — to a wrist injury. He has 12 catches for 62 yards.

Up next: at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 10)

Sunday: Bye

The 2023 draft class has been fine, and second-round offensive tackle Cody Mauch is starting, but the best addition by far has been quarterback Baker Mayfield. The former No. 1 pick looked destined to end his career as a backup. Now he’s top 10 in the league in passer rating (101.9) with seven touchdowns versus two interceptions, and the Bucs are infatuated. Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht called him “a dude” on Peter Schrager’s podcast last week. Crushes on Mayfield have flamed out fast in the past, but the Buccaneers lead the division at the moment.

Up next: vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, 4:25 ET

GO DEEPER

What we learned in NFL Week 5: Lions legitimately good, Patriots worst team in football?

(Last week: 16)

Sunday: Beat Buffalo Bills 25-20

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley (22 catches, 333 yards) has helped after being acquired in a trade with the Falcons, but the draft class hasn’t provided much. Jacksonville drafted 13 players in the offseason. First-rounder Anton Harrison is starting at right tackle, but second-round tight end Brenton Strange (two catches, 7 yards) and third-round running back Tank Bigsby (41 yards on 15 carries) haven’t blossomed yet.

Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 8)

Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10

Wide receiver Zay Flowers, the No. 22 pick, is third among all rookies with 317 receiving yards, and he’s carrying a huge chunk of the Ravens’ passing game. He’s 11th in the league in team target percentage (28.6 percent), according to TruMedia. In the “new guy” category, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has a lot fewer catches (seven) than he had offseason headlines during his free agency.

Up next: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday in London, 9:30 a.m. ET

(Last week: 19)

Sunday: Beat New England Patriots 34-0

The Saints took two defensive players in the top 40, but defensive linemen Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey have combined for only 15 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. Neither has played more than half of New Orleans’ snaps. But how about the old guy? Wide receiver Michael Thomas, who hasn’t had more than 450 receiving yards in a season since 2019, is New Orleans’ leading receiver with 284 yards already.

Up next: at Houston Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 11)

Sunday: Bye

If (when?) Brandon Staley gets fired, this draft class will be thrown into the list of reasons. Not high, but it’ll be there. First-round wide receiver Quentin Johnston, 4.49 speed at 6-foot-4, has six catches for 44 yards. Fourth-round receiver Derius Davis, 4.36 speed, has four catches for 24 yards. Second-round defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu is the only rookie contributing.

Up next: vs. Dallas Cowboys, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

(Last week: 12)

Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 23-14

Wide receiver Puka Nacua is the King of All Rookies. After being taken with pick No. 177 out of BYU, Nacua is second in the league with 572 receiving yards. Davante Adams and A.J. Brown are the only players in the league who have a higher team target percentage than Nacua’s 32.5, according to TruMedia. He had more catches and yards in his first four games than any player in NFL history, and he had seven catches for 71 yards Sunday with Cooper Kupp back in the lineup.

Up next: vs. Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

NFL Week 5 takeaways: Patriots, Mac Jones unravel again; Eagles stay perfect with imperfect win

(Last week: 13)

Sunday: Beat Tennessee Titans 23-16

Quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick, has been great. When he has been on the field. He’s averaging 6.9 yards per attempt and has three touchdowns versus one interception. He’s also second on the team in rushing (25 carries, 136 yards). The problem is he left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and now hasn’t finished three of his four starts because of injury. Early reports say he could miss a month. Third-round wide receiver Josh Downs has quietly been good. He had six catches for 97 yards Sunday and has 23 for 255 this season.

Up next: at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, 1 p.m.

I think we’ve seen enough from Anthony Richardson as a passer to believe IND can take the training wells (heavy option attack) off to a dregree. Of course, they can still run them but he has to really make it a point to avoid hits. He’ll take his lumps as more of a pure dropback…

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) October 8, 2023

(Last week: 15)

Sunday: Bye

The downside (or let’s say one of the downsides) of trading away almost everything for Deshaun Watson is the Browns didn’t pick until the third round this year. Still, they got some value. Fifth-round quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was competent in fill-in duty for the injured Watson in Week 4, and fourth-rounder Dawand Jones is starting at tackle.

Up next: vs. San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 22)

Sunday: Beat Houston Texans 21-19

Running back Bijan Robinson, the No. 8 pick, has made Atlanta’s offense better and more fun. Robinson is the second-leading rookie rusher (364 yards on 67 carries) and is tied for the team lead in receptions (21). He also leads the NFC in plays that make you want to rewind your television. He had another one Sunday when he caught a touchdown pass behind his back. Second-round pick Matthew Bergeron has been the Day 1 starter at left guard.

Up next: vs. Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

This overhead angle @Bijan5Robinson‘s one-handed catch and touchdown is WILD.

(via @AtlantaFalcons) pic.twitter.com/jC1LAbRifD

— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2023

(Last week: 14)

Sunday: Lost to Atlanta Falcons 21-19

Remember how much trouble Lovie Smith caused last year when he led Houston to a Week 18 victory and cost the team the No. 1 pick? Turns out he did the Texans a favor. If Houston had the first pick, it might have taken the wrong quarterback. Picking No. 2, it got the right one. C.J. Stroud set the NFL record for attempts to start a career without an interception (186) on Sunday, and he’s third in the league in passing yards (1,461) and has seven touchdown passes. Throw in linebacker Will Anderson and wide receiver Tank Dell (who suffered a concussion Sunday), and the Texans are on the rise despite Sunday’s loss.

Up next: vs. New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 26)

Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 34-20

Second-round cornerback DJ Turner is the only member of the rookie class who is contributing much, but nobody in Cincinnati cares after the way Joe Burrow looked Sunday. The Bengals quarterback was 36-for-46 for 317 yards and three touchdowns, all of which went to Ja’Marr Chase, who had 15 catches. Combine this result with Pittsburgh knocking off Baltimore, and Cincinnati believes it has survived an early swoon.

Up next: vs. Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 1 p.m.

(Last week: 23)

Sunday: Beat Baltimore Ravens 17-10

None of the Steelers’ seven draft picks has played more than half the snaps this season. The closest is mammoth tight end Darnell Washington, but he’s basically been a sixth offensive lineman. Washington has only one catch this season. Sunday’s win against Baltimore, which came on the strength of second-year George Pickens’ 130 receiving yards, might have saved the season.

Up next: Bye

Rookie receiver Jordan Addison has given the Vikings a solid second option behind Justin Jefferson. (David Berding / Getty Images)

(Last week: 17)

Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 27-20

Wide receiver Jordan Addison has been what the Vikings drafted him to be, a solid second option behind Justin Jefferson. Addison has 19 catches for 249 yards. Third-round cornerback Mekhi Blackmon is starting to show some flashes. He’s had nine tackles in the last two games he’s played and was active against the Chiefs on Sunday.

Up next: at Chicago Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 25)

Monday: Beat Green Bay Packers 17-13

The bad news for the Raiders, beyond being 2-3, is that No. 7 pick Tyree Wilson and No. 35 pick Michael Mayer have made little impact on the team. Wilson has only five tackles and no sacks, and Mayer has three catches for 41 yards. The good news is Las Vegas may have salvaged something from the draft with a pair of fourth-rounders in cornerback Jakorian Bennett and quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Bennett was playing more than 80 percent of the defensive snaps before being inactive Monday night with a hamstring injury. O’Connell was 24-for-39 for 238 yards in fill-in duty for Jimmy Garoppolo against the Chargers on Oct. 1.

Up next: vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

(Last week: 18)

Monday: Lost to Las Vegas Raiders 17-13

First-round pick Lukas Van Ness has started slowly (eight tackles and one sack), but there’s plenty of depth in the Green Bay draft class. Second-rounders Luke Musgrave (tight end) and Jayden Reed (wide receiver) have combined for 31 catches and 369 yards, and fifth-round wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks has added seven catches for 95 yards.

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 20)

Sunday: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 23-16

The splashiest addition of the offseason, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (who was added through free agency) is 15th in the NFL with 356 yards on 26 catches. First-round pick Peter Skoronski won the starting left guard job in Week 1, but he missed three games after an emergency appendectomy before returning Sunday. Third-round running back Tyjae Spears has 156 yards on 27 carries, but second-round quarterback Will Levis has been a disappointment thus far, failing to push Ryan Tannehill for the starting job and slipping to third team at times.

Up next: vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sunday in London, 9:30 a.m. ET

(Last week: 24)

Sunday: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 34-20

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, acquired in a “who cares?” trade from the Browns on Aug. 24, has six touchdowns versus two interceptions and is 17th in the NFL in passer rating (90.8), which is better than Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford among others. Throw in the fact that No. 6 pick Paris Johnson has played every snap at tackle and that Arizona has six picks in the first three rounds next year, and the Cardinals are in good shape for the future.

Up next: at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 28)

Sunday: Beat Denver Broncos 31-21

The new guy of the day in New York is first-year offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was made a team captain before the game and given a game ball after the game Sunday because the Jets got some measure of revenge against Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who belittled Hackett in the offseason. The whole thing was proof that New York will come up with anything to find a reason to smile. A reason to frown? First-round pick Will McDonald (No. 15) has played fewer than 15 percent of the snaps on the defensive line.

Up next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

The Jets beat the Broncos for Nathaniel Hackett. He can thank Breece Hall

(Last week: 32)

Thursday: Beat Washington Commanders 40-20

There’s DJ Moore. The wide receiver Chicago got as part of the package for the No. 1 pick that became Bryce Young for Carolina had eight catches for 230 yards Thursday against Washington. He had 300 in the first four games of the season. Not coincidentally, Justin Fields had four touchdown passes and a 125.3 passer rating. The two best single-game passer ratings of Fields’ career have come in the last two weeks. Rookie first-round offensive tackle Darnell Wright has played every snap and showed some promise.

Up next: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 21)

Thursday: Lost to Chicago Bears 40-20

With the season starting to go south, new Washington owner Josh Harris surely is starting to think about cleaning house in the Commanders football offices. Coach Ron Rivera entered the season on shaky ground, and the 2023 draft class isn’t doing general manager Martin Mayhew any favors. First-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes was benched Thursday night after being torched by DJ Moore, and no one else in the class has made much impact.

Up next: at Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m.

(Last week: 29)

Sunday: Lost to Miami Dolphins 31-16

The Giants lost again, but if you’re looking for a bright spot, at least they are remembering that Darren Waller is on the team. The tight end signed a three-year, $51 million deal in the offseason but has been conspicuously absent from the passing game at times. Sunday, he had a season-high eight catches for 86 yards, and he’s now the only Giant with more than 200 scrimmage yards this season (23 catches, 239 yards).

Up next: at Buffalo Bills, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

(Last week: 27)

Sunday: Lost to New Orleans Saints 34-0

It’s not New England’s fault that Christian Gonzalez got hurt. The No. 17 pick at cornerback was the real deal before his shoulder injury. The rest of this mess is the Patriots’ fault. New England’s minus-76 point differential is the second worst in the league, and talk of Bill Belichick being pushed out the door suddenly doesn’t seem crazy.

Up next: at Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

(Last week: 31)

Sunday: Lost to New York Jets 31-21

The Broncos used their first pick of the 2023 draft on Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims (No. 63), so why aren’t they using him more? Mims, who had one catch for 4 yards on Sunday, is playing only about one-third of the offensive snaps, but he’s second in the NFL in yards per target (20.5), according to TruMedia. Maybe he should have more than 12 targets this season?

Up next: at Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

(Last week: 30)

Sunday: Lost to Detroit Lions 42-20

It’s not fair to be worried about Bryce Young’s long-term future, but here we are. Young is last among qualifying quarterbacks in yards per attempt (5.2) and has almost as many interceptions (four) as touchdowns (five). His passer rating (77) ranks 29th in the league, and the Panthers look headed for the worst record in the NFL. The problem is they sent next year’s first-round pick to Chicago as part of the trade that allowed them to draft Young.

Up next: at Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Top photo of Lions tight end Sam LaPorta: Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)

The Football 100, the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Pre-order it here.

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October 11, 2023
Travis Kelce’s Mom, Donna, Shares Thoughts About Taylor Swift On Social Media

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It looks like Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce, is well on her way to becoming a Swiftie.

After Donna was spotted hanging out and cheering on her son alongside Taylor Swift for two weeks in a row at Kansas City Chiefs games, the NFL mom is singing the pop star’s praises on social media.

Donna’s seeming stamp of approval for Swift comes amid increasingly inescapable rumors that the 12-time Grammy winner is dating Travis, a tight end for the Chiefs.

On Monday, Donna posted a cozy clip on Instagram of her embracing the “Cruel Summer” singer during the Chiefs’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday night.

“Travis Kelce’s biggest fans [heart emoji],” read the caption of the Instagram post, which was also shared by NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” page.

Swift’s recent enthusiastic support for the Chiefs player has prompted a wave of “Traylor” memes and tweets on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Donna joined in on the fun of one particular meme that’s had the internet in a chokehold.

Fans will recall that after Swift was seen eating chicken tenders at the Chiefs’ Sept. 24 game, a fan site amusingly described her choice of dipping sauces as “ketchup and seemingly ranch.”

The innocuous condiment choice turned into an entire social media movement by way of endless tweets, with Heinz even announcing plans to release a limited edition of “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch” sauce.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are rumored to be dating.

On Sunday, Donna Kelce nodded to the meme while cheering on her older son Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, at Lincoln Financial Field, E! News reports.

Sharing a picture of herself with a basket of chicken fingers and ketchup on her Instagram Stories, she captioned the post: “No ‘Seemingly Ranch’ Here at the Linc.”

Things between Swift and Donna seem to be going swimmingly. In a story published Monday, an unidentified source told People that “Donna likes Taylor and thinks she’s very sweet and down to earth.”

Last month, buzz about the pair’s possible romance ignited after Page Six reported that Swift and the two-time Super Bowl champ had been “quietly hanging out” for weeks.

The gossip took further flight after the “Bad Blood” singer was seen walking and smiling with Travis after the Chiefs’ win. She allegedly left the game with him.

Though neither party has publicly confirmed their relationship, the star athlete appeared tickled pink over Swift and her support of him during a recent episode of his podcast “New Heights.”

“That was pretty ballsy,” Travis told his brother Jason, referring to Swift “pulling up” to his game against the Chicago Bears last month.

He added: “I just thought it was awesome how everybody in the suite had nothing but great things to say about her ― the friends and family.”

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October 3, 2023
Taylor Swift Went To Another Chiefs Game — And Some NFL Fans Seem Big Mad About It

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Taylor Swift is getting her girl cooties all over the NFL.

The pop superstar’s flavor of the moment seems to be Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, which has prompted Swift to attend two of his games.

The first was on Sept. 24, when the Chiefs trounced the Chicago Bears. Swift’s attendance seemed to support rumors that she was dating Kelce, although neither party has publicly confirmed their relationship. Nonetheless, her mere presence at the game eclipsed the sporting event itself.

So on Sunday, when Swift attended the Chiefs’ game against the New York Jets with a few celebrity friends in tow, including Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, all eyes — and cameras — were on Swift.

Fully aware of Swift’s PR power, the NFL even used three photos of the “You Belong with Me” singer’s reactions during the game as its background image on its X account on Monday.

Screenshot of the NFL’s X account as of Monday.

Screenshot @NFL via X/Twitter.

And although Swift’s apparent romance with a beloved Super Bowl champ does reek a bit of a publicity stunt (perhaps to distract from her previous romantic entanglement with a racist) — some of the backlash she’s received from NFL fans also reeks of sexism and far-right values.

Media Matters found that dozens of conservative pundits have attacked Kelce for appearances in Pfzier and Bud Light ads that they interpret as a sign of his support for COVID-19 vaccines and LGBTQ+ rights. Swift’s left-leaning politics, meanwhile, have encouraged some on the right to resort to grade-school insults, flat-out criticizing her appearance and labeling Kelce a less-dominant “beta” male.

Yet the bulk of the attacks seem to come from people who just seem annoyed that Swift is distracting from the brutal and hyper-masculine sport of football. When the Chiefs played the Jets on Sunday, the hashtag “Enough Taylor Swift” began to trend on X.

Some social media users have even gone as far as suggesting the NFL rigged the Chiefs vs. Jets game in the Chiefs’ favor to appease Swift’s fans and boost ratings.

You would think Taylor Swift was the quarterback the way they cannot stop saying her name.

— king crissle (@crissles) October 2, 2023

Interestingly enough, right-wing commentator Tomi Lahren chimed in on X about all the “Traylor” coverage, even though she admits in the same post that she’s not even a football fan.

The wall-to-wall coverage of Taylor Swift at this game is annoying AF. I don’t even like football and I agree it’s destroying football. Just enough.

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) October 2, 2023

Yet other social media users are calling out the right-leaning nonsense and defending Swift.

so cool how taylor swift is uplifting this sports org called the NFL. they’re gonna totally blow up soon i can feel it

— trash jones (@jzux) October 2, 2023

I had never even heard of Travis Kelce until he started dating Taylor Swift but I’m sure you bros are right and she’s just doing this to boost her popularity.

— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) October 2, 2023

Hey, NBC, enough already with all the shots of the attention-seeking diva who doesn’t even play football.

No more Aaron Rodgers. Show us Taylor Swift.

— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) October 2, 2023

It’s actually fun to see the same MAGA lunatics who often criticize others for being “triggered” get super triggered over Taylor Swift attending a football game with friends just to see her boyfriend play as well as her getting thousands of young people to register to vote.

— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) October 2, 2023

Personally, I think every Republican presidential candidate needs to be courageous enough to call out Taylor Swift during tomorrow night’s debate.

— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) September 26, 2023

And if you happen to be someone who is on the fence about Swift’s attendance at NFL games, there does seem to be one huge benefit:

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October 2, 2023
Fox News Contributor Isn’t So ‘Enchanted’ By Taylor Swift’s Game Day Language

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Concha, a columnist for The Messenger, railed about the “Karma” singer appearing to shout “let’s fucking go” while cheering on her rumored love interest after the star tight end scored to push his team to a 40-0 lead last weekend.

“Here you have Taylor Swift, probably just met Travis Kelce’s mom for the first time, they’re at the game last week and she’s going ‘let’s effin’ go,′ right in front of her,’” Concha remarked on Friday’s edition of “Fox & Friends First.”

Fox News’ Carley Shimkus interjected and noted that Kelce’s family found Swift to be “lovely” before Concha dismissed the argument.

“Lovely. I’m sorry, if I heard that and my son was dating a girl who has a mouth like a Teamster, that’s it. Either way, this couple’s already more annoying.”

The comments arrived after Concha, earlier in the program, declared that he would double down on his criticism where he called the singer “trash” in an appearance on “The Annie Frey Show” this past week.

Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) brushed off Concha’s take on the pair and joked that he should listen to Kelce speak.

Swift is reportedly set to be in the crowd to watch Kelce’s Chiefs take on the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium this weekend in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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September 30, 2023
When Taylor Swift showed up to the Chiefs’ game, Fox’s TV crew had itself a challenge

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Cover 7 | Friday A daily NFL destination that provides in-depth analysis of football’s biggest stories. Each Friday, Richard Deitsch examines some of the biggest storylines in the NFL media world.

Richie Zyontz got his foot in the door of sports broadcasting in an almost unheard-of way today: He took a full-time security job at CBS’ headquarters on West 52nd Street in New York in the late 1970s and eventually made his way into the research department for CBS Sports. He would be the first person to tell you that he is old school.

For five decades Zyontz has produced pro football at the highest level, including the last 21 years as the lead producer on Fox’s top NFL broadcast. He has served as the lead television producer for seven Super Bowls, an assignment maybe two dozen or so people on earth can say they’ve done.

Between Zyontz and Fox lead NFL director Rich Russo, they have been part of 29 Super Bowls, including time at Fox and CBS Sports. Last year’s Super Bowl was Russo’s fifth as lead director.

Zyontz produced John Madden for many years and texted the legendary broadcaster daily before his death. The two were so interconnected that Madden introduced Zyontz to his wife, June, in 1986 and was the best man at Zyontz’s 1990 wedding, which took place at Madden’s old house.

“I’m thankful John isn’t around to hear that we’re talking to a reporter about Taylor Swift because I would not have gotten off easy,” Zyontz said, laughing.

But here we are. This site has done a lot of Taylor Swift this week. You may be sick of it, and I can understand that. I’m not here to tell you that the haters can’t hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. But as a column designed to give you a little background on the intersection of the NFL and the media, I was curious how the behind-the-scenes people for Fox’s broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs’ game against the Chicago Bears last week approached a broadcast where one of the most famous people on the planet was at Arrowhead Stadium sitting in a suite next to the mother of one of the best tight ends in NFL history.

Zyontz said that his Fox crew had no official word from the NFL or the Chiefs that Swift would be in attendance. They were aware of the Travis Kelce and Swift connection because they live on Planet Earth. During pregame warmups, sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi independently learned Swift was expected at the game. (Zyontz wrote a blog for Fox Sports’ website after we talked that offers additional background here.)

“In the pregame, Erin and (analyst) Greg Olsen were on the field and Greg called Kelce over and asked what was going on and he sort of unofficially confirmed that she’d be there,” Zyontz said. “Up until that point, we didn’t really have anything firm. Just rumors. No one from the league or team gave us a heads up.”

A couple of hours before kickoff, Russo informed his camera operators of the possibility of Swift showing up because it’s an obvious shot for a broadcast crew in the same way sports telecasts will almost always show well-known people at a game. Rinaldi’s daughter was monitoring social media and passed along updates to her father who passed them along to the production truck. Russo told his camera operators to pan the corporate suites.

“I’m thinking she’s not going to be on the field during pregame, but I mean, what the hell do I really know?” Russo said, laughing. “Players left the field at about 3 p.m. local time and there was no sign of her. So before the game, I had certain cameras just kind of look in those respective suites.”

Russo said about five minutes before player introductions, one of his camera operators identified Swift in the back of Kelce’s suite. Andrews also recognized her from her vantage point.

Identifying where Swift was just one part of the equation. Next came the real issue of how a broadcast should navigate this. It would be editorial dereliction not to show Swift at some point during the game. But at the same time, you don’t want the broadcast to become “Access Hollywood.”

Taylor Swift is HERE for the Chiefs game 👀 pic.twitter.com/46SW4gEodz

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 24, 2023

“In a situation like this, the broadcast crew, in this case (play-by-play broadcaster) Kevin (Burkhardt) and (Olsen), would follow our lead with the pictures,” Zyontz said. “It was sort of up to us to kind of captain this during the day. Russo and I have been through this type of thing before. Celebrities at a game is nothing new for us, but usually just to show them once. This celebrity had a vested interest in the game. It required a little more restraint on our part. Whether we succeeded or not is probably not for us to judge. But I think once the game got going and it was an awful game, those circumstances maybe helped us because we weren’t really missing much. It was a terrible game, but it also kind of had a joyful feel throughout because the times we did show her, she was reacting. It wasn’t gratuitously showing her throughout the course of the day. When there was a picture to be had, I think we showed it.”

The fact that the game was such a blowout — the final score was 41-10, and Fox moved some of its audience off the game because it was noncompetitive —made showing Swift, at least from my perspective, a character in the broadcast rather than an over-the-top distraction. She gave Burkhardt and Olsen some fun content in a game that was a viewing slog.

“Once the game starts, we are there to cover the game, but there is that balance as to how often we show her and when we show her,” Russo said. “Kelce had seven receptions and we’re not going to go to a shot of Taylor Swift after every catch. Or if Kevin and Greg mention Taylor Swift, we are not going to automatically go to a Taylor Swift shot because then I think it looks like we really are overdoing it. Like Richie said, I think the fact that it was such a blowout, especially in the second half, probably helped us in the sense where maybe we can show a little more than maybe normal.”

Russo said he assigned a low end zone camera operator, Andy Mitchell, to keep an eye on the suite, anticipating the possibility that Kelce might catch a touchdown pass. The reason Russo chose that camera position was because Swift was looking in that direction from the suite.

“Lo and behold, he scored a touchdown, and that was a hell of a great picture,” Russo said. “That came with a little forethought. Sometimes when people are in suites, there can be glare, there can be sun, the glass can be down. It’s not necessarily guaranteed that you are going to get shots of those people based on where the suite is in relation to the sun. So we were fortunate that she was visible during the course of the game.

Zyontz and Russo found all the Swift stuff amusing, especially their small piece in it.

“Listen, I have a daughter who is a huge Taylor Swift fan,” Russo said. “When I’m in the car driving with her, she’s playing Taylor Swift music all the time. So I was aware of what we were getting into. You don’t think about it during the course of the game, but obviously, I know we’re talking about one of the biggest entertainers in the world right now.”

“I would say I was pretty much shocked by the aftermath,” Zyontz said. “I didn’t really understand the impact of what this global icon means to people. This is like a merging of different worlds, right? You don’t often see grizzled cigar-smoking Bears fans watching a football game along with a whole generation of young people just to see a cutaway shot of their hero. It caught me a little off guard. Hopefully this week we can get back to football.”

The Chiefs-Bears game went to 67 percent of the country (33 percent had the Dallas Cowboys against the Arizona Cardinals) in Fox’s late-afternoon window. The window averaged 24.322 million viewers, which far exceeded the next most-watched NFL game (Pittsburgh Steelers–Las Vegas Raiders on “Sunday Night Football,” which averaged 20.6 million viewers). The game was down from the same Week 3 time slot last year, when 24.4 million watched Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in a Green Bay Packers–Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup.

Amazon Prime Video is off to an excellent start with its “Thursday Night Football” package. The New York Giants–San Francisco 49ers game on Sept. 21 averaged 13.92 million viewers while the Minnesota Vikings–Philadelphia Eagles game averaged 15.05 million the prior week. Those two games are the two largest audiences for “Thursday Night Football” since the package moved to Amazon.

(Photo of a Kansas City Chiefs fan cheering during Sunday’s game: David Eulitt / Getty Images)

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September 29, 2023
Taylor Swift attends Kansas City Chiefs game, boosting sales of Travis Kelce jerseys 400%

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Taylor Swift isn’t just sending Eras Tour merchandise flying off shelves, she’s now boosting sales of NFL apparel, too.

Swift attended a Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears Sunday to show her support for NFL star, Travis Kelce, amid speculation that the two are dating, PEOPLE reported. The pop princess’ appearance at the game sent sales of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s No. 87 jersey soaring roughly 400%.

Taylor Swift is seen next to Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, during Sunday’s game between the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

/ Getty Images

“Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com,” a Fanatics spokesperson told the publication.

Swift, a long-time Philadelphia Eagles fan, watched the Chiefs face off against the Bears from Kelce’s suite at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The pop princess donned a Chiefs windbreaker and cheered on her rumored beau alongside his mother, Donna Kelce. Later, Swift and the two-time Super Bowl champion were spotted leaving the stadium together.

Swift’s Midas touch

Taylor Swift’s Eras World Tour, which kicked off in March, is on track to become one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. The concert tour’s North American ticket sales alone could gross $2.2 billion, according to survey data from research firm QuestionPro that CNN cited. A movie of the tour, which will premiere in October, is expected to rake in $75 million during its opening at the box office in the U.S., data from The National Research Group shows.

But the pop pilgrimage isn’t just making Swift rich. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Swift’s Eras Tour boosted travel and tourism in the region, with the city’s hotels recording higher revenue during the month of Swift’s Philadelphia performances than during any other month since the onset of the pandemic. Swift’s visit even pushed up some hotel room’s prices to more than $400 per night, one local news outlets reported.

This isn’t the first time a pop star has lifted prices. In May, Beyonce single-handedly bumped up Sweden’s inflation 0.2% by playing two shows there, an economist told the Financial Times.

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September 26, 2023
9/25: CBS Evening News

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9/25: CBS Evening News – CBS News

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Writers and studios reach tentative agreement; Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game with Travis Kelce’s family

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September 25, 2023
Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game with Travis Kelce’s family

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Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game with Travis Kelce’s family – CBS News

Watch CBS News

Perhaps the biggest story from the NFL on Sunday wasn’t any of the scores, but the fact that Taylor Swift attended the Kansas City Chiefs game with the family of tight end Travis Kelce. Jo Ling Kent has more.

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September 25, 2023
Introducing The American Royal Couple: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce

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Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Taylor Swift, after almost a decade, is dating someone born in the United States of America. And it’s none other than star Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce.

Rumors about the pairing been circulating for a few weeks. They started when Travis Kelce went on his podcast —
New Heights, with his brother Jason of the Philadelphia Eagles — and said he made Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it at her concert, but could never get it to her.

Normally, you’d think the story ends there. Tough luck for Travis, but no.
Then, Jason Kelce went on Philadelphia sports radio WIP and confirmed the two were definitely an item. And finally, Taylor Swift broke the internet when she was spotted at the Chiefs-Chicago Bears game in Kansas City this weekend, next to Travis’s mother, Donna Kelce.

I’ve been wondering for years how to get women into football…it turns out all you need to do is get Taylor Swift to date one of the players. Easy enough, now Swifties all over my socials are musing what a “tight end” is (he is supposed to both block and score points) and why scoring looks so easy (it isn’t, he’s just that good).

Who is Travis Kelce?

Born in 1989 (I’m sure Taylor is aware of the number), Kelce is widely acknowledged as one of the best tight ends of all time — even surpassing former New England Patriot, and Tom Brady’s right-hand-man, Rob Gronkowski.

Drafted into the NFL in 2013, Travis credits his brother Jason for saving his football career. Travis, on scholarship at the University of Cincinnati, tested positive for marijuana and was kicked off the team before Jason got him back on track and playing football after a one-year suspension.

Now, Travis plays alongside arguably the new GOAT quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, in Kansas City. The duo have won two Super Bowls together, most recently in 2023 against Jason Kelce and the Philadelphia Eagles…the only brother duo to ever play in the Super Bowl.

He confirmed that he asked Taylor to come see him by saying he saw how she rocked Arrowhead, and wanted to know if she wanted to come see how he rocks it. Travis scored a touchdown in her honor.

Travis is known for his style, always pulling up in a lavish gameday fit. Yesterday was a blue and white jacket set that fits Taylor’s upcoming
1989 (Taylor’s Version) theme…so much so that the Kid Super renamed the set to “1989 Bedroom Painting Set” after spotting Travis wearing it.

Are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Actually Dating?

All signs are pointing to yes as Taylor and Travis were seen leaving Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 (12 years on the day that Taylor performed there for
Speak Now) in Kelce’s convertible last night. It’s one of Taylor’s more public dates in the past, but we are here for America’s princess dating football royalty.

Apparently, Travis even rented out the restaurant for the Chiefs afterparty and their date! While we wait for more, shop styles similar to the
New Era jacket T-Swift was wearing here.

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Jai Phillips

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September 25, 2023
Taylor Swift roots for Travis Kelce alongside Donna Kelce at Kansas City Chiefs game

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Is it a love story? Taylor Swift returned to a packed Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, but this time, to root on Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce.

During the Fox broadcast of the Chiefs’ win over the Chicago Bears, the superstar singer-songwriter was seen in a suite sitting next to Kelce’s mother, Donna, weariing her son’s jersey. Cameras even caught Swift, 33, enthusiastically jumping and celebrating when Kelce, also 33, scored a touchdown in the third quarter.

Taylor Swift watches from a suite inside Arrowhead Stadium during a game between the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs.

Ed Zurga / AP

Chiefs quarterback and Kelce’s teammate, Patrick Mahomes, joked with Fox’s Erin Andrews that he felt “a little bit of pressure” from Swifties to pass the ball to Kelce.

“I heard she was in the house… so I knew I had to get it to Trav,” he said. “And of course, it’s on a route that Travis – he does his own thing. He just makes up a route and I throw it to him. I think he wanted to get in the end zone just as much as the Swifties wanted him to.”

“I heard she was in the house… so I knew I had to get the ball to Travis.” @PatrickMahomes joined @ErinAndrews after the @Chiefs blow out win with Taylor Swift in the building 💪 #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/skZ98xVRCO

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 24, 2023

Swift and Kelce later walked out of the stadium together, further fueling the speculation that they are dating. Her appearance at the game comes after Kelce said on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week that he invited her to watch the Chiefs at Arrowhead, where Swift performed back in July.

“I told her that I’ve seen her rock a stage in Arrowhead and she might have to come see me rock the stage at Arrowhead,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the near future.”

Kelce had previously mentioned on the “New Heights” podcast, which he hosts with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, that he was “disappointed” he couldn’t give her his friendship bracelet with his phone number during her Eras tour stop in Kansas City. Since then, dating rumors have swirled, but neither has confirmed anything.

Mahomes said on Sunday that he would like to meet Swift if she and Kelce date.

“I guess if she ends up being with Travis then I’ll probably get to meet her at some point. So she seems like a good person. So hopefully I get to meet her one day,” he said.

The Kelce-Swift speculation even prompted New England Patriots Bill Belichick to chime in.

“Travis Kelce has had a lot of big catches in his career,” Belichick said Monday. “This would be the biggest.”

Christopher Brito

Christopher Brito is a social media manager and trending content writer for CBS News.

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September 25, 2023
NFL Week 3 takeaways: Jets, Zach Wilson struggle again; Dolphins explode for 70 vs. Broncos

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Cover 7 | Sunday A daily NFL destination that provides in-depth analysis of football’s biggest stories. Each Sunday, three of The Athletic’s NFL writers react to the biggest news, plays and performances from the day’s games.

Week 3 is still early in the NFL season, but some teams are already facing some harsh realities.

The New York Jets are now 0-2 in Zach Wilson’s starts after falling to the New England Patriots 15-10 on Sunday. What’s worse, the Jets have only scored 20 points in those games, leaving plenty wondering: Is it time to make a change at quarterback? And what about the Chicago Bears? It’s hard to have a worse week than they did, so let’s call their 41-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs the cherry on top. Where do they go from here?

Speaking of embarrassing defeats, the Denver Broncos just lost by 50, 70-20 to the high-flying Miami Dolphins. Are the Broncos, now 0-3, in for another long season?

The Athletic NFL writers Dan Pompei, Mike Jones and Ted Nguyen share their takeaways on the day’s top storylines.

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NFL’s best and worst Week 3 coaching decisions: Matt LaFleur wisely opts for two

After a tumultuous week, to say the least, the Bears were blown out by the Chiefs and dropped to 0-3. Given all they’ve gone through already this year, what’s the end game now? What do their fans have to hope for?

Pompei: The end game is Caleb Williams! The Bears have their first round pick and the Panthers’ first round pick. If they stay on course, they will have a chance at the first pick. But the coaches and players won’t be thinking about that now. They have to focus on incremental improvement — survival, really. The Bears have more talent than they showed Sunday. They have been out of sync offensively and overmatched defensively. The development of Justin Fields clearly has stalled, which is their most significant problem. Their next biggest problem might be their lack of depth. When they have injuries, which they do now, the dropoff is considerable. However many games the Bears can win this season won’t be enough for this to be considered a successful season.

TIP ➡️ PICK@JustinqReid x @M__Edwards7 pic.twitter.com/A4h7D1qOQV

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 24, 2023

Jones: The end game is another reset. The Bears were really aggressive in acquiring talent, but it feels like none of the ingredients match, and that the cooks don’t know how to use them either. I’m looking at their schedule, and I don’t know where their first win will come from. Like Dan said, the first pick of the draft may be within their reach, but no way I’m entrusting Caleb Williams to this coaching staff.

Nguyen: I know Bears fans won’t want to hear this but the evaluation of Fields has to keep going. What choice do they have? They like undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent, but there’s no point in subjecting him to that environment yet. Hopefully, they can generate some offense if the line ever gets healthy? The end game in Chicago right now is the Bears staff fighting to keep their jobs for as long as they can. As far as what Bears fans are hoping for: high draft picks. This thing needs another hard reset.

The Jets have given Zach Wilson their full-throated support since Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury. After Sunday’s pitiful performance against the Patriots, can they afford to allow him to lead them the rest of the way?

Pompei: They can’t give up on him yet. They have said repeatedly they believe in Wilson, and think they can develop him. That means allowing him to play through some difficulties. In defense of Wilson, the Jets have had a lot of Jet-ish things going on that would have made things difficult for the offense even if Rodgers was playing. What the Jets can do, however, is sign a veteran who could be an eventual replacement for Wilson if he doesn’t show improvement as the season goes on. If Matt Ryan is interested in the Jets, as Jay Glazer of Fox reported, he should be on a plane to New York this week.

Jones: He’s still the best option they have. Despite his imperfections, he kept on gunning and did give his team a shot at a comeback victory. The Jets’ problems aren’t at all limited to quarterback. Their offensive line is bad. I don’t care who you put out there, he’s going to struggle behind that shoddy pass protection. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett also needs to do a better job of finding ways to ease pressure on his young quarterback. The run game has to become more of a focal point for the Jets.

Yes, @man_dammn ✌️

📺 on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/wIAFx5CxCW

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 24, 2023

Nguyen: Wilson has seen a buzzsaw of top-tier defenses with the Bills, Cowboys and Patriots. It won’t get much easier with the Chiefs coming next week. Not a good recipe with a severely injured offensive line. Also, the Jets don’t have many weapons outside of Garrett Wilson. Rodgers could have made this offense above average, which is probably all they would have needed to be a contender. Wilson is nowhere near good enough to elevate this offense. I don’t see Ryan doing much better, but maybe he can at least avoid the killer mistakes. The only quarterback that could move the needle that MIGHT be available later if the Colts lose too many games — and Anthony Richardson (concussion) comes back — is Gardner Minshew. But that would be a stretch. In other words, the Jets don’t have many good options here, and their season is in jeopardy.

Seventy points?! The Dolphins (3-0) hung 70 on the Broncos today (just two short of the NFL record) and have scored 130 points this season already. Can anyone, including the Buffalo Bills next week, stop this offense?

Pompei: What leads me to believe the Dolphins could continue to produce as they have is the depth of their playmakers. They beat up the Broncos without Jaylen Waddle, who would be the No. 1 wide receiver on most NFL teams. Through three games, Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert are playing at All-Pro levels. And now here comes rookie running back De’Von Achane. The key though, as always, is the quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa, now in his second-year coach Mike McDaniel’s offense, took a big step last season and looks like he may be taking another one this season. The scheme and speed are a problem for defenses.

TUA TO TYREEK. 54-YARD TOUCHDOWN.

📺: #DENvsMIA on CBS⁰
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UQdQ05hqXN pic.twitter.com/xF87UGLgZ1

— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2023

Jones: The Dolphins have so many weapons and such great depth. They scored 70 points despite not being at full strength. Hats off to GM Chris Grier and McDaniel for how they have constructed this team and for the offensive wizardry we’re seeing from McDaniel. The second-year head coach does such a great job of scheming up ways to accentuate his unit’s strengths, help his quarterback find a rhythm and capitalize on opponents’ weaknesses. Miami will be a problem for just about every defense out there. The Bills have rebounded after their troubling performance in the season opener. But the Dolphins are still the best team in the AFC East. It should be a great matchup between those two teams next week — and a great chess match between McDaniel and the defensive-minded Sean McDermott.

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OC Frank Smith won’t be Dolphins’ best-kept secret much longer. He’ll be an NFL head coach

Nguyen: The Patriots had a good game plan against them — taking away the middle of the field and limiting Hill — but they just ran the ball and still put up 24 points. They just absolutely shredded the Broncos and were still scoring long touchdowns with their backups in. McDaniel might have taken the title for best play designer/caller in the league. Their only weakness is their pass protection, but their skill players get open so quickly, and Tagovailoa is throwing with anticipation better than any quarterback in the league right now, so it’s hard for the pass rush to affect him. The Bills were impressive against an explosive Commanders passing game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them come out with a similar game plan as the Patriots, but it’ll be up to their front six to stop the Dolphins’ run game with a light box. I don’t think the Dolphins will put up 70 against them, but is holding them to 30 a success?

DEVON ACHANE 67-YARD TD

THE DOLPHINS HAVE 70 POINTS.

📺: #DENvsMIA on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UQdQ05hqXN pic.twitter.com/bZOSLxVaoa

— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2023

Sean Payton’s Broncos have fallen to 0-3. He was probably never going to turn things around there immediately, but a 50-point loss begs the question: Is Denver in for another long season?

Pompei: This won’t be a popular opinion at the moment, but the Broncos have the potential to improve as the season goes on. Their defense hasn’t been good, but what happened Sunday was probably a blip. Missing All-Pro safety Justin Simmons, one of the best players on the team, obviously contributed. But the bigger picture is this is a new coaching staff that still is learning about their players’ strengths and weaknesses. The players still are figuring out what the coaches want. It’s a solid coaching staff, and the personnel is better than some. Russell Wilson obviously needs to pick it up — pick the whole team up, actually.

Jones: Payton is being forced to choke down a big ol’ slice of humble pie as his team has stumbled out of the gates in such embarrassing fashion. This team is probably in worse shape than he realized, but there is indeed hope for improvement. It might not be a dramatic improvement — no season-saving turnaround that results in a playoff appearance. But the Broncos can get better. It looks like Payton and his coaches are still figuring out how to use their players and how to mask deficiencies, and the Broncos don’t look very comfortable out there. So, comfort will come with time as they keep working, and hopefully, for their sake, that leads to improved consistency.

GO DEEPER

Kosmider: If Sean Payton thought the Broncos would be a quick fix, it’s time to adjust

Nguyen: Wilson hasn’t been the Broncos’ biggest problem. He can at least have stretches of strong play which is an improvement from last season. The defense has taken a serious step back from last year, though. Losing Simmons hurts, but he doesn’t make a 50-point difference. They won’t play Miami every week, but they also gave up 35 points last week to the Commanders. This defense doesn’t look anything close to the unit we saw last season. Giving up a lot of points combined with a streaky quarterback is not a great combo. Yeah, I think it’ll be a long season.

The 0-2 Los Angeles Chargers vs. the 0-2 Minnesota Vikings, two playoff teams from 2022, was billed as the Desperation Bowl. What was your biggest takeaway from the Chargers’ nail-biting 28-24 victory? Are the Vikings toast? Are the Chargers ready to go on a run?

Pompei: The Vikings have lost three close games. Good teams don’t lose three close games. They don’t lose to 0-2 teams at home. And they don’t lose after 10 days of rest. They find ways to win. It’s funny, because there are some things to like about the Vikings. But it’s not clicking, not the way it was clicking in 2022. And two of their next four are against the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Since 2002, only one out of 99 teams that have started 0-3 has made the playoffs. The Vikings are not likely to be the second.

Jones: My biggest takeaway is that Chargers coach Brandon Staley got very lucky that his decision to go for it on fourth-down from his own 24 with the game on the line didn’t come back to bite him like it could have. That Kenneth Murray Jr. interception may have wound up saving Staley’s job. The Chargers still have a tough road ahead. They should beat the Raiders, but they’ll struggle against the Chiefs and Cowboys. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and this victory was much-needed.

As for the Vikings, 0-3 is hard to come back from. But they’re in a division that remains wide open. A year after every late-game ball seemed to bounce their way, we’re seeing the Vikings repeatedly fall short. It’s troubling that ball security remains such an issue for this team. But despite the plentiful turnovers, they do still find themselves in games late. So, if they can get rid of the butterfingers and tighten things up on defense, they should be able to turn things around.

K9 CAME UP CLUUTTCCHHHHH pic.twitter.com/SemU9gDfu8

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 24, 2023

Nguyen: Luck regression has hit the Vikings like a speeding train. All the turnover luck and breaks they got in close games last year are going in the other direction. Their offensive line is beat up, and they have a bottom-tier defensive roster. They’ll be an interesting watch because of Cousins and the weapons they have, but I don’t see them coming back from an 0-3 hole.

The Chargers offense has been very good while still in the beginning stages of learning offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s new offense. Their defense has let them down in their two losses. Herbert had been much more aggressive than he ever had in his career. He’s averaging 8.2 air yards per target. He has six touchdown passes without a pick. I think their defense can improve to not-absolutely-terrible which is enough for them to make a run.

Kudos to the Arizona Cardinals, but what happened to the Dallas Cowboys today? Losing 28-16 to a team that seemed destined to be picking in the top five next season was not part of the plan.

Pompei: Hardly anyone expected the Cowboys to go 17-0, but hardly anyone expected them to lose to the Cardinals. The hype train was a little out of control for Dallas. This is a really good team, but not flawless. And the Cowboys aren’t as good today as they were a week ago when Trevon Diggs was in the lineup. The Cowboys can rebound from this awful loss, but they will have to play better defensively. Assuming they beat the Patriots next week, the measuring stick for the Cowboys will be in two weeks against a familiar measuring stick for this team — the 49ers.

Jones: Don’t underestimate familiarity. Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon knows this Cowboys offense very well from his time as defensive coordinator in Philadelphia. He faced Dallas twice a year, so he had a pretty good idea of how to game plan for Mike McCarthy’s crew. Also, the Cardinals players are beginning to find some comfort within Arizona’s system, which helped them finally start showing some signs of improvement.

Nguyen: They got physically handled up front, and the Cardinals ran the ball at will against them, gaining 222 yards rushing. They looked lost when receiver Rondale Moore lined up in the backfield and gave up a 45-yard touchdown run. On the backend, they blew coverages, and Stephon Gilmore has looked bad for the second week in a row. The Diggs injury could be more impactful than I thought. It’s hard for the pass rush to be effective when guys are getting open quickly. It isn’t all doom and gloom, but the Cardinals exposed some problems the Cowboys will have to shore up quickly. As for the Cardinals, they are playing hard, they’re physical, and quarterback Josh Dobbs is doing a good job of managing games. Their proving to be a tough out, which is always a good sign in the first year of a rebuild.

GO DEEPER

NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Dolphins, 49ers are 1-2, plus QB confidence ratings

(Top photo of Zach Wilson: Robert Deutsch / USA Today)

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September 25, 2023
How Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert mastered the art of the backup

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It is Blaine Gabbert’s first OTA practice with the Kansas City Chiefs after joining the team in April. Coach Andy Reid is empowering Patrick Mahomes, telling him to push limits and see what he can get away with on this day. Mahomes is smiling, laughing and talking smack.

Seeing Mahomes having a blast is making Gabbert have a blast.

Now Gabbert is smiling and laughing.

“Super fun,” Gabbert says. “Super fun for me to be out there and for me to be in that room. This great game gives us a lot of happiness.”

Others who have traveled similar paths did not feel what Gabbert feels. They felt bitterness, anger and disillusionment. Some wanted to cut ties and start a new life in anonymity.

The first pass Gabbert ever threw in organized football was a touchdown. He was a fifth grader in Ballwin, Mo., playing on Parkway West’s sixth-grade team.

He killed it in high school, and Rivals ranked him the No. 1 quarterback in the country, ahead of Andrew Luck. He could have gone to almost any college. He chose Missouri, where he led an upset of No. 1 Oklahoma in 2010.

NFL teams saw a quarterback who was big (6-foot-4, 234 pounds), athletic, fast (he ran a 4.66 40-yard dash) and smart (he scored a 42 on the Wonderlic), who could throw a football through drywall. Analysts called him the potential first pick in the 2011 draft. Many scouts rated him ahead of Cam Newton, who was chosen first.

“The pieces for long-term success are there,” one general manager said before the draft.

Gabbert was chosen 10th. Six years later, Mahomes was chosen 10th.

In an alternate universe, Gabbert would have walked into a situation like Mahomes did, and Gabbert’s career would have played out in another manner altogether.

In this universe, he’s a 33-year-old with 13 career wins as a starter.

He has been a backup to Luke McCown, Chad Henne, Colin Kaepernick, Carson Palmer, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Tom Brady and now Mahomes.

So where does Blaine Gabbert get off having so much fun?

Once a blue-chip prospect, Blaine Gabbert is more than content to back up the stars of the game, including Tom Brady and now Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. (David Eulitt / Getty Images)

The Chiefs installed a Hail Mary pass recently. To illustrate, coaches showed the play run by the Jacksonville Jaguars 12 years ago. It was Gabbert throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to Mike Thomas as the first half expired — one of the few pleasant memories from Gabbert’s rookie season.

Without a collective bargaining agreement, NFL teams had locked out players in the 2011 offseason. When the lockout ended on July 25, Gabbert had not had a single day of professional coaching, and the situation he walked into couldn’t have been more dysfunctional.

Head coach Jack Del Rio later said he had no idea general manager Gene Smith planned to trade up from 16 to select Gabbert. And he wasn’t on board with the choice. “He wasn’t a first-rounder,” Del Rio said.

David Garrard was supposed to be the starting quarterback and the plan was for Gabbert to sit and learn, but the team cut Garrard just before the start of the season. McCown struggled through the first two games, and then it was Gabbert’s turn.

“He was the kind of guy that, because of his college experience, probably needed to sit and watch and really get comfortable with things at the beginning of his career,” McCown says of Gabbert, a college starter for two seasons who played almost exclusively in the shotgun at Missouri. “It was an unfortunate circumstance for him to have to play at that time.”

Gabbert’s primary receivers were Thomas and Jarrett Dillard, neither of whom lasted two more years in the league. In Gabbert’s fifth career start, his grit was questioned on national television by then-“Monday Night Football” analyst Jon Gruden.

At 22, Gabbert became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start 14 games. He lost 11 of them. His passer rating of 65.4 was the worst in the league. On one December day, Del Rio was fired and Wayne Weaver sold the team.

“Yeah, it was a sh– show to be completely honest,” Gabbert says charitably.

It didn’t get much better in subsequent seasons. Six games into Year 2, he tore the labrum in his non-throwing left shoulder. Gabbert tried to play for four games before acquiescing to season-ending surgery.

By early October of his third season, he had a broken thumb, a lacerated hand that required 15 stitches and a hamstring injury. Gabbert was benched and didn’t play the final 11 games. He endured four head coaches in three years in Jacksonville, then was traded to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick.

In his second season with the 49ers, Gabbert was given the starting job by coach Jim Tomsula after Kaepernick slumped. There were scrapbook memories from that season, including a 26-20 victory against the Chicago Bears in which Gabbert ran for a 44-yard touchdown with 1:42 remaining and threw a 71-yard touchdown pass in overtime to win the game.

The following year, coach Chip Kelly named Gabbert the opening-day starter but benched him after a 1-4 start. From there, it was one year with the Arizona Cardinals and another with the Tennessee Titans.

By the time he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, Gabbert had played in eight offenses in eight seasons. His beginnings in Tampa were promising, but a dislocated shoulder in a preseason game necessitated surgery and prevented him from playing that season. Of all the low points in Gabbert’s career, that was the lowest.

Gabbert has done much to make his father, Chuck, proud. He has become the kind of husband to Behkah and father to Leyton that Chuck hoped he would be.

Last December, Blaine and his brothers, Tyler and Brett, were riding two jet skis about a mile off the south end of Davis Island in Tampa, where Blaine lives, when he heard something that sounded like a pop in the distance. He saw the rotor of a helicopter sticking out of the water.

They motored to the area where they came upon an oil slick and hydraulic fluid in the water and four people — the pilot, a father, a mother and their son — covered in oil, shivering and trying to stay afloat.

Some would have feared an explosion — reasonably so — and turned around. Blaine and his brothers motored to the crash scene, helped the survivors onto their jet skis and probably saved their lives.

Chuck is proud of Blaine, Brett and Tyler for the way they responded. But he’s also proud — really proud — of Blaine’s resolve and the way he has built a career from the ashes.

“He’s always approached things positively and given it 110 percent,” Chuck says. “It’s how he’s persevered through the good times and challenging times.”

For every Alex Smith who stumbles out of the gate but eventually finds his stride, 10 first-round quarterbacks fall and never get up — players such as Jake Locker, Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Rick Mirer, Joey Harrington, Tim Couch, Cade McNown, Matt Leinart, Josh Freeman and Johnny Manziel.

The NFL had told Gabbert repeatedly he wasn’t as good as he was supposed to be.

He should have believed it.

He should have lost the sometimes unreasonable self-assurance that convinces quarterback heroes to zip laser passes into tight windows with games, seasons, contracts and careers on the line.

He should have been scarred.

Back to that rookie year — that awful rookie year, that vital rookie year.

Gabbert is the starter, but McCown isn’t coasting.

In the Jaguars’ weight room, Gabbert takes a medicine ball between his legs, then throws it behind him and over his head against a wall. Then McCown does it. It’s a “Granny Toss” competition to see who can throw the ball higher.

Then, on the field, they compete in an accuracy contest to make throws through a target with a net attached to it from different spots on the field.

Finally, they race from sideline to sideline.

McCown was competing with Gabbert because it was enjoyable. But he also wanted to show him how a backup could maintain his edge.

McCown worked and prepared as if he were the starter even though he wasn’t.

“Luke showed me early on you can never really let your mind slip into the mentality of, ‘I’m just a backup and that’s all my role is,’” Gabbert says.

Blaine Gabbert credits Luke McCown for teaching him how to be the ideal backup quarterback during their time together in Jacksonville. (Brian A. Westerholt / Getty Images)

Fortunately for Gabbert, McCown was a better teacher than a quarterback. By the time they came together, McCown had been a No. 2 for the Browns, Bucs and Jaguars and was the ideal blend of wisdom and kindness.

Many have struggled with the incongruity of being forced into a game after only running the scout team in practice. McCown showed Gabbert how to benefit from practices even when he wasn’t getting reps with the offense. McCown would stand behind the starter and think about what he would do in each situation. Then, when he ran the scout team, he used his own offense’s verbiage to describe the opponent’s plays.

McCown helped prepare Gabbert for the rough waters to come, making him understand it’s easier to swim with the tide even if you prefer to go in another direction.

“Luke told me that year that if you play this game long enough, you’re going to be cut, traded, released, put on IR,” Gabbert says. “Things will happen you wish didn’t happen. But it’s how you keep pushing forward and maintain confidence in yourself. That’s how you get through those tough times.”

One day, Gabbert may tell his grandchildren about sharing a meeting room with Mahomes and Brady. And he also will tell them about McCown because no teammate was more critical to his development, really to his career.

Through McCown, Gabbert came to understand the art of the backup.

The backup, McCown taught Gabbert, must live in the space between confidence and humility, between competitiveness and acceptance, between contribution and sacrifice.

The bookend to Gabbert’s quarterback education came in Tampa. It’s where, with help from Brady, everything Gabbert had learned from McCown was reinforced and validated.

Brady was on a plane above everyone, but two days before every game, Gabbert had a chance to prove what he was about in competitions that were “epic,” according to then-Bucs quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen. They started with tests of accuracy, in which Christensen graded every throw. There would be a bonus round, maybe throws at a blocking dummy on a golf cart flashing across the back of the end zone.

The weekly winner took possession of a gaudy red belt with the inscription “Top Gun Champion” and featured a photo of Tom Cruise.

Gabbert often got the better of Brady, who was well into his 40s by then. The younger pushed the older in agility and speed drills as well.

And then there were meetings and tape sessions.

“What do you think of this play’s chances?” Gabbert would ask him.

“Why don’t you like this?”

“Why is this better?”

“What is our plan if this happens?”

Gabbert was helping Brady. And there is no question Brady was helping Gabbert.

Brady, more than any other quarterback Gabbert had known, prepared purposefully. From watching and listening to him, Gabbert learned to do everything on the practice field with intention, discipline and detail.

When Brady was about 31 — the same age Gabbert was when they were together — he altered his training methods with an eye on preservation. Through long conversations and demonstrations, he shared his approach, which Gabbert adopted. Now Gabbert is a disciple of TB12, wholly bought into the body work, massages, pliability and muscle activation that helped Brady go longer better than anyone ever.

Brady worked and worked, and Gabbert was by his side almost always, absorbing and elevating. Their time together was mostly about football, but there was more — they hit the golf course, the beach and a pool. Gabbert says he spent more time with Brady over three years than anyone else, including his wife, and still considers Brady his dear friend.

The high point of all these NFL years for Gabbert was winning Super Bowl LV as Brady’s backup and knowing he played a role. Before the Bucs began practicing for the Chiefs, Gabbert, Brady and practice squad quarterback Ryan Griffin watched tape at Brady’s and came up with plays to recommend to the coaches.

What they suggested was implemented, and what was implemented worked.

The chemistry between Brady — the sixth-round pick who exceeded expectations — and Gabbert — the 10th pick of the draft who failed to meet expectations — was sublime.

It wasn’t because Gabbert was resigned. It was because he was determined.

“You know, I think Blaine Gabbert believes that if somehow he had to play 17 games this year, they’d still win the Super Bowl,” Christensen says. “He would have that kind of confidence. And he should. I think he could have been a really good starter in the league. He has that kind of talent. He’s athletic, as tough as could be, and he works.”

The result is what Christensen calls an “elite” backup. And an elite backup, he will tell you, is rare.

“Sometimes you get a backup and he doesn’t get it,” says Christensen, who has coached offense for the better part of 43 years. “He talks too much. He talks at the wrong time. He says the wrong thing. He doesn’t know when to just be quiet and let things be. You know, you can get a backup who’s undercutting everything. Blaine has a feel.”

What Gabbert did on his jet ski last December was selfless. What he did for the Bucs was selfless.

Reid recognized an elite backup when he saw one.

In the offseason, Reid identified the free agent as the ideal successor to the retiring Chad Henne.

The Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders also expressed interest. The Chiefs, money aside, had more to offer — one of the NFL’s most talented rosters, proximity to family and the opportunity to work with a coach and quarterback well on their way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Gabbert has lasting affection for many of his head coaches, especially Mike Mularkey, Jim Harbaugh, Tomsula, Bruce Arians, Mike Vrabel and Todd Bowles.

And now there is Reid. He has been impressed with Reid’s warmth and style, to say nothing of his resume.

“He loves the input from the quarterback,” Gabbert says of his 10th NFL head coach. “He lets you play free, lets you play your game. And that’s ultimately what quarterbacks love. He’s just a rock star.”

Mahomes reminds him of Brady because both are meticulous about how they want plays run.

“There are a lot of similarities between him and Tom when you’re dealing with the timing of man breaks, route depths, where he wants guys to be in certain coverages, things like that,” Gabbert says.

Mahomes asks him questions about what Brady thought or what he would have done in certain circumstances. Chiefs teammates treat Gabbert with reverence and call him “O.G.” as in Original Gangster. He is recognized now as someone who has lived many quarterback lifetimes.

It is a new role for him, big brother instead of little.

Gabbert might have had better opportunities to play if he had signed with other teams. But in Kansas City, he has an opportunity to enhance Mahomes.

He doesn’t need this — doesn’t need the pressure of running onto the field to replace an injured starter in a desperate moment as hope drains from a sideline, doesn’t need the stress of watching a hungry, no-name quarterback cheered as he attempts to take his job, doesn’t need to be playing in the third quarter of a preseason game, doesn’t need to risk his mobility and his mind.

In addition to a Super Bowl ring, Gabbert has earned nearly $30 million in his career. A house on the water and a life without clocks is waiting.

But there is this. “I love the game of football,” Gabbert says.

Maybe a completely different story would have been written if Gabbert had been drafted by a model organization with a Hall of Fame head coach and a lineup filled with playmakers.

Maybe he would have turned patience and stability into touchdowns and playoff wins.

The well-meaning will often ask if he’s disappointed by how his career has gone.

“That’s almost an insult,” he says. “I’m going into Year 13 in the National Football League. I think that’s pretty f—— awesome. There have been a lot of ups and downs and arounds, and I don’t think some people would have persevered the way I did. There always are things you wish you could have changed. But I sleep damn well at night knowing I tried to put my best foot forward every day. And you know, everything happens for a reason. If things didn’t happen the way they did, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Gabbert is in Kansas City.

He’s an elite backup and the O.G.

And he’s having a blast.

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; photos: David Eulitt and Norm Hall / Getty Images)

“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Preorder it here.

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September 22, 2023
Travis Kelce estimates 80 percent of NFL players smoke marijuana – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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If you were wondering how many NFL players are smoking marijuana, two-time Super Bowl Champion Travis Kelce has an answer for you.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end estimated that anywhere from 50-80 percent of NFL players use marijuana, he told Vanity Fair.

As marijuana usage has become legal or decriminalized in an increasing number of states, the league amended its drug testing policy in 2021 to refrain from testing players for THC during the offseason.

That has made it easier for players to continue to smoke pot, Kelce said.

“If you just stop in the middle of July, you’re fine,” Kelce said in the article. “A lot of guys stop a week before and they still pass because everybody’s working out in the heat and sweating their tail off.

“Nobody’s really getting hit for it anymore.”

In May, free agent running back Le’Veon Bell told the “Steel Here” podcast that he smoked marijuana before NFL games.

Travis Kelce said many NFL players use marijuana.
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“Looking back on this, that’s what I did,” Bell said, according to ESPN. “When I was playing football, I smoked, bro. Even before the games, I’d smoke and I’d go out there and run for 150, two [touchdowns].”

While marijuana is still illegal under federal law, 23 states have legalized recreational use of the drug.

It’s a dramatic shift from when Kelce was suspended in college for the entire 2010 season at the University…

Original Author Link click here to read complete story..

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June 29, 2023
Raiders’ Davante Adams assault charge for shoving photographer dismissed

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Prosecutors have dropped a misdemeanor assault charge filed last October against Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams after he shoved a photographer to the ground as he left the field following a road loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The case filed in Kansas City municipal court was dismissed on June 5, the Kansas City Star reported.

Adams shoved photographer Ryan Zebley to the ground in an “intentional, overt act” that inflicted “bodily injury,” while walking off the field following the team’s 30-29 loss against the Chiefs, according to court documents filed by prosecutors at the time the charge was filed,

Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 10, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Cooper Neill / Getty Images

CBS Sports reported Zebley, was a freelance cameraman who was working for ESPN during “Monday Night Football.” He claimed to have suffered whiplash, headaches and a possible concussion.

Adams apologized through the media and on social media following the push, which was caught on camera. He tried to reach out to the photographer on Twitter.

— Christopher Brito contributed to this report.

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