NFL

7:00 AM ET In the late 1970s, Houston was booming, being country was cool and nobody was as country as the Oilers. Coached by a man named Bum and powered by a running back named Earl, both every bit a one-name Texas icon like Willie or Waylon, the NFL team and the city were simpatico.

7:58 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Ryan Switzer said his 9-month-old son is stable after undergoing surgery to stop bleeding. Switzer chronicled son Christian’s medical situation over the weekend on Twitter, prompting an outpouring of public support. Switzer’s most recent post Sunday came after the operation was completed and he

6:00 AM ET Trey Flowers sat in a Zoom town hall last summer, in the middle of a session about voting rights and voter registration, when the Detroit Lions defensive end began to speak. One of three NFL players on the call, he knew he wanted to share the story he heard tens of times

7:40 AM ET I’ve been studying the NFL draft since 1979, and I’ve seen a lot of quarterbacks. Some great, some terrible. Some first-round picks who made the Hall of Fame, and some top-10 picks who were complete busts. So when I was asked recently where Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence ranked among the highest-graded quarterbacks I’ve

12:14 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce announced that he will return for an 11th season and has restructured his contract for 2021. Kelce has been contemplating retirement the past several offseasons but has decided to play for at least another year even though the Eagles are going through a transition

3:53 PM ET Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills and safety Micah Hyde have agreed to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Friday, keeping him in Buffalo through the 2023 season. The two-year extension is worth $19.25 million, the NFL Network reported. A Pro Bowler in 2017, Hyde is among the leaders

8:09 PM ET HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have signed former Seattle Seahawks center Justin Britt to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Britt, who did not play during the 2020 season after Seattle released him in April, indicated he is Houston-bound in an Instagram post. “I’M

4:24 PM ET The Cincinnati Bengals on Friday released guard B.J. Finney, ending a year of confusion, fear and physical limitations for the former $8 million player. Finney struggled to properly train last offseason in fear of losing a $2 million signing bonus from the Seattle Seahawks due to COVID-19 restrictions on physicals, sources told

4:43 PM ET ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller will not face criminal charges after an investigation by the Parker (Colo.) Police Department earlier this year, according to the 18th Judicial District district attorney’s office. The office declined to file charges “based on our review of information that is currently available,” according to

9:59 AM ET The Washington Football Team on Friday released quarterback Alex Smith, who won the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in helping the franchise win the NFC East.   Washington, which went 7-9 in 2020, wants to upgrade at quarterback this offseason and, with Smith turning 37 years old in May and

1:13 PM ET PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger is officially back with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2021 season. The Steelers announced a new contract for the quarterback Thursday afternoon but did not disclose the terms. “It is my greatest honor to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and give my all for this organization,” Roethlisberger said in

6:00 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — There have been a few notable years in coach Bill Belichick’s two-decade tenure when the New England Patriots have spent big at the start of NFL free agency. Linebacker Rosevelt Colvin (2003), linebacker Adalius Thomas (2007) and cornerback Stephon Gilmore (2017) immediately come to mind. It wouldn’t be a

7:03 PM ET EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Wide receiver Golden Tate has been released by the New York Giants in a cost-cutting move, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday. The move creates $6 million in cap space for the Giants, $10 million if he is designated a post-June 1 cut. Tate was to

3:03 PM ET FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets, who once considered quarterback Sam Darnold an untouchable asset, are open to listening to trade offers. “I will answer the call if it’s made,” general manager Joe Douglas said Wednesday in a video conference with reporters, confirming previous reports that the Jets are willing

6:00 AM ET GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have plenty to accomplish before free agency to ensure they’ll be able to do something when they get to that point. And yes, general manager Brian Gutekunst thinks they’ll be able to do something in free agency. Between now and the start of the

6:00 AM ET J.J. Watt has touched the lives of many people in the Houston area — including the Martinez Family — and will continue to do so as he begins the next chapter of his career in Arizona. Courtesy Houston Texans J.J. Watt had been living in Houston for less than a month when he

5:57 PM ET TEMPE, Ariz. — As teams continued to court J.J. Watt during his 16-day stint as a free agent, the three-time All-Pro pass rusher said all signs kept pointing him to the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he signed a two-year deal on Tuesday. He picked the Cardinals on Monday from a group of

3:12 PM ET The Houston Texans restructured running back David Johnson‘s contract, which now will be worth up to $6 million in 2021, including $4.25 million fully guaranteed at signing, a source told ESPN. Johnson might have been a salary cap casualty if he had not restructured his contract. Johnson, who signed a three-year, $39