NFL

5:24 PM ET Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith said his comeback threw a “wrench” into the team’s plans and that he didn’t feel wanted by the organization this past summer. Smith, the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, told GQ Magazine that he surprised the organization by being able to play. “They didn’t see

6:00 AM ET Joe Namath went to dinner with Leon Hess and his wife early in 1977. They’d been together a dozen years and Namath, the New York Jets‘ Super Bowl-winning quarterback, needed to have a talk with the owner he cared about so deeply. It was a tough conversation, one Namath didn’t necessarily want

7:00 AM ET Don Van Natta Jr. Close ESPN Senior Writer Host and co-executive producer of the new ESPN series, “Backstory” Member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams for national, explanatory and public service journalism Author of three books, including New York Times best-selling “First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to

7:15 AM ET NFL NationESPN Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry are targets for the NFL franchise-tag designation entering the 2021 season. Prior to NFL free agency starting March 17, each of the 32 teams must evaluate whether they will place

6:00 AM ET ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The most likely scenario at quarterback for the Denver Broncos in 2021 is still Drew Lock, despite any and all calls that have been made. Doesn’t mean that won’t change if one of those calls turns into something more. And it doesn’t mean the Broncos won’t pursue a quarterback

6:00 AM ET NFL NationESPN First it was the Jan. 30 blockbuster swap between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams — Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff and draft picks. Then, on Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles traded onetime MVP candidate Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. The quarterback carousel is certainly spinning — the question

6:00 AM ET FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets: 1. QB options: With Carson Wentz reportedly on his way to the Indianapolis Colts in the latest blockbuster quarterback trade, the spotlight shifts to the Jets and Sam Darnold. Do they join the carousel by dealing Darnold or

6:00 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL: 1. Weis loves Mac: The last thing former New England offensive coordinator Charlie Weis wants to do is preach to the Patriots about what they should do at quarterback this offseason. In his trademark blunt way, he characterized

6:00 AM ET PHILADELPHIA — OK, Carson Wentz has been traded. What’s the plan at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and how does it include Jalen Hurts? The questions become the central focus of the offseason now that Wentz Watch wrapped with a deal to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round draft pick in 2021

9:14 PM ET Associated Press VISTA, Calif. — Former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II agreed Friday to accept a 14-year prison sentence for raping a homeless woman and assaulting two other women. Winslow, 37, agreed to changes to a previous guilty plea in order to avoid a potential 18-year sentence. In 2019, Winslow was

4:28 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — Receiver DeSean Jackson took to social media Friday to signal he’s been released by the Philadelphia Eagles. “Looking forward to my next chapter,” Jackson posted on Instagram Story. “Philadelphia it’s always Love. Appreciate Everything.” The Eagles acquired the 34-year-old Jackson from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, reuniting the deep-threat

4:31 PM ET GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers released a pair of veteran starters, offensive tackle Rick Wagner and linebacker Christian Kirksey, on Friday as they continued to shed salary-cap burdens. Even if the Packers weren’t over the projected cap, both players would have been strong candidates for release considering their uneven

8:26 PM ET Calling his five years with the team “an amazing journey,” quarterback Carson Wentz bid farewell to the Eagles, his former teammates and the city of Philadelphia on Friday. Wentz published a lengthy post on his Instagram account one day after league sources told ESPN he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for

6:00 AM ET PITTSBURGH — With the final cap number in flux and free agency and the NFL draft still ahead of them, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a long way from finalizing their 2021 roster. But one thing is certain: They will add another quarterback to the room. The future of Ben Roethlisberger, who will

11:02 AM ET The Carolina Panthers have informed starting safety Tre Boston on Friday that they are releasing him, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Boston, 28, was third on the Panthers with 95 tackles last season. He also had an interception, a sack and two fumble recoveries. Boston has played seven seasons with the

9:00 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — Former NFL receiver Vincent Jackson might have died in his Florida hotel room up to three days before being pronounced dead there, according to new information released by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner on Thursday. Jackson, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver, was found

7:15 AM ET Nine days before Super Bowl LV had officially put a bow on the 2020 NFL season, the calliope music already could be heard. The league’s 2021 quarterback carousel was in motion. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still had to settle the business of a championship, but the

9:53 AM ET ESPN News Services The NFL has informed teams that the salary cap for the 2021 season will be no less than $180 million, a slight increase from last year’s previous agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association. The NFL had a $198.2 million salary cap in 2020, but the league