Football Wiretap

Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons acknowledged Wednesday that his initial hope of returning within the first month of the 2026 season was never realistic, revealing his ACL surgery also included a meniscus procedure and that he will not be cleared for practice until the nine-month mark.

That timeline places his earliest possible return to practice in late September, with game action likely several weeks beyond that. Parsons is expected to open the season on the physically unable to perform list, which would automatically cost him at least the first four games. The Packers open the season September 13 at the Minnesota Vikings.

Parsons sustained the left knee injury December 14 against Denver and had surgery December 29.

"The goal for me is to complete the season, not no relapse, and playoffs and pushing towards a championship," Parsons said. "The goal isn't for me to go out there and re-hurt myself trying to force myself to get back the first few games. The goal has always been playoffs, and I think we're all on the same page."

Parsons cited the organization's own data in explaining the conservative approach.

"We have a pretty good strong nine-month rule," he said. "Through the research and the data, there's no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up."

If placed on the PUP list to open the season, Parsons would be eligible to return to practice ahead of the Week 5 game against the Chicago Bears, with a three-week practice window before he could be activated to the roster. The Packers face the Dallas Cowboys, Parsons' former team, in Week 6 on October 18.

Parsons said he has remained in close contact with general manager Brian Gutekunst, coach Matt LaFleur, and head athletic trainer Nate Weir throughout his recovery and has recently added anti-gravity treadmill work to his rehabilitation program.

"I don't think Gutey or Nate or Matt wants me to go out there if I'm not at 100% and risk reinjury and lose me for the year," Parsons said. "Everything is about playoffs and winning football games deep into the season."

The Packers, who surrendered Kenny Clark and two first-round picks to acquire Parsons last August, went 9-3-1 before his injury before losing their final four regular season games and falling to the Bears in the first round of the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams have emerged as outright Super Bowl favorites on Polymarket, jumping from approximately 10 percent to 17 percent following Monday's trade for Myles Garrett, separating themselves from co-favorite Seattle Seahawks after the two teams spent most of the offseason trading the top spot.

Seattle dropped to eight percent in the wake of the deal, just ahead of the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, each sitting at seven percent.

The Rams are set to host next season's Super Bowl, giving the franchise a direct financial and competitive incentive to maximize this roster window.

Garrett, 30, has won Defensive Player of the Year twice in the past three seasons and arrives as the most disruptive edge rusher in football. Over the past three years he leads the NFL in sack rate at 3.7 percent and ranks second in quick pressure rate at 9.0 percent behind Micah Parsons, accomplishing both while drawing chips or double teams at a higher rate than any other edge rusher in the league.

The acquisition mirrors the foundation of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI title, when Aaron Donald anchored the defense opposite Matthew Stafford in Sean McVay's offense. That parallel is not lost on the organization, which now has Stafford still under center and Garrett replacing Donald as the defense's gravitational force.

The ripple effects could extend well beyond Garrett himself. His presence with the Cleveland Browns last season elevated the production of role players around him. The Rams' existing pass rushers are now positioned for similar breakout seasons with a dominant double-team magnet occupying blockers on every snap.

Garrett also brings value as a run defender, which figures to allow Los Angeles to play lighter boxes and expand their already league-leading usage of dime packages even further.

The Rams and Seahawks finished essentially equal in DVOA last season. The Garrett trade represents Los Angeles' attempt to decisively break that tie.

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The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office issued a warrant for the arrest of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on a misdemeanor charge of exhibition of speeding.

The warrant is in reference to a video Aiyuk posted to YouTube in December, in which he appears to tape himself from the driver's seat going well over the posted 40 miles per hour speed limit on a road that runs past Levi's Stadium, the DA's office confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

A few days after posting the video, Aiyuk apologized for sharing the video of himself driving a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing on Tasman Drive, just outside of the Niners' home field.

EA Sports has named Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27. Williams becomes the first member of the Bears to appear on the game's cover in its multi-decade history.

Williams, 24, is heading into his third NFL season. Last year he threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdown passes, guiding Chicago to an NFC North title and the franchise's first playoff win in 15 years.

Known as "Iceman" for his composure in high-pressure situations, Williams led the Bears to seven comeback wins when trailing inside the final five minutes. His signature moments included a 58-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland with 17 seconds left in a 47-42 win at the Cincinnati Bengals, and a 46-yard overtime strike to wide receiver DJ Moore in a 22-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Williams also delivered a 25-yard go-ahead touchdown to Moore late in the Bears' playoff win over the Packers, a game Chicago trailed by 18 points in the second half. He capped the postseason with a memorable 14-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet with 18 seconds remaining in a divisional-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Recent Madden cover athletes include Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.

Madden NFL 27 is scheduled for release in mid-August and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.

Myles Garrett said the opportunity to compete for a championship immediately made waiving his no-trade clause an easy decision despite his affection for Cleveland, speaking Tuesday at his introductory news conference with the Los Angeles Rams following Monday's blockbuster trade.

Garrett said he learned the deal was "even a possibility" roughly a week ago and described the news as a "surprise." The two-time Defensive Player of the Year, who set the single-season sack record with 23 last season, said he needed to sleep on the decision before agreeing to the move.

"I don't take my time in Cleveland for granted," Garrett said. "I did love being there. It tears at you to leave and to break away, but that's just a part of the things you learn and have to adjust to as you grow up and learn you have to move on."

Garrett framed the decision around his desire to win.

"Since the very beginning, it's always been about winning," he said. "The opportunity to come here, have an immediate and profound impact on this team, was something I just had to move forward with."

Sean McVay likened the acquisition to the 2021 trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford, emphasizing the rarity of such opportunities.

"We feel really fortunate that this feels very similar when we were fortunate enough to be able to acquire a player like Matthew Stafford," McVay said. "Things like this don't present themselves and we wanted to be aggressive."

McVay also addressed speculation about defensive tackle Aaron Donald emerging from retirement to play alongside Garrett. ESPN's Pat McAfee said Tuesday that Donald responded to a text about the possibility by saying it "for sure got me thinking." Donald retired in 2024 after 10 seasons.

"If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip," McVay said.

Rams general manager Les Snead confirmed the team initially attempted to acquire Garrett using only draft picks before Cleveland insisted on including pass rusher Jared Verse in the package. McVay called parting with Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, the "hardest part" of the deal.

Garrett will wear No. 95 with the Rams following a conversation with former occupant Poona Ford. His availability for organized team activities remains unclear.

The Atlanta Falcons have signed wide receiver Drake London to a four-year extension worth $141 million, with up to $150 million in total value and $100 million guaranteed, making the 24-year-old one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, according to a league source with knowledge of the deal.

Atlanta selected London with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft and he has led the team's receivers in yards in each of his four seasons. He was set to play the 2026 season on a fifth-year option valued at $16.8 million before the extension was finalized.

Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham had flagged a London extension as a priority as recently as March's league meetings.

"I think you have to take into account the player, the value, the position, maybe the marketplace," Cunningham said at the time.

London ranks 15th in the NFL in receiving yards since his rookie season with 3,961, according to TruMedia. Over the past two seasons he places among the top 10 in the league in receiving touchdowns with 16, receiving yards per game at 75.5, targets with 270, and team target share at 25.5 percent.

Beyond his production, London has developed into one of the more respected voices in Atlanta's locker room. The Falcons placed rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch's locker next to London's when Branch joined the team in April, a signal of the organization's regard for the California native as a leadership presence.

"Drake is one of the more competitive people I have ever been around," left tackle Jake Matthews said. "He hates to lose, hates to let his teammates down. He's just a stud. He's going to be the last one to take credit, too, which I have always admired about him. One of my favorite teammates to be around."

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension including $42 million guaranteed on Tuesday, hours after sitting out individual drills during the team's mandatory minicamp, sources told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Herbig, 24, was entering the final year of his rookie contract coming off a career-high 7.5-sack season in 2025. His new deal averages $25 million per year, a figure that reflects his production despite never having served as a full-time starter. He posted the NFL's highest pass rush win rate last season at 26.3 percent, according to ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats, while adding an interception, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a career-high 18 quarterback hits.

Before the deal was finalized, Herbig addressed reporters and pushed back on any characterization of his role with the club.

"I wouldn't call myself not a starter," he said. "I'm a team guy. If you need me to play off the ball, on the ball, need me to run down on punt, I'm a Steeler. There's no starters and backups. I'm a Steeler."

Herbig's extension adds to an already costly pass rush corps in Pittsburgh. T.J. Watt's contract averages $41 million per year and Alex Highsmith's checks in at $17 million annually.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., a fellow 2023 draft classmate, also sat out individual drills Tuesday and remains without an extension. Porter, who has recorded an interception in each of his three professional seasons and posted a career-high 14 passes defensed in 2025, said he believes he has earned elite-level compensation.

"I feel like I've been an elite guy since I've been in this league, and I'm happy that I'm getting the respect that I feel like I'm owed," Porter said.

Porter has attended voluntary OTAs under new head coach Mike McCarthy and said Tuesday that being present during the franchise's transition following Mike Tomlin's resignation was a priority.

The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a three-year extension with linebacker Derick Hall worth $42 million and carrying $21 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports, keeping the 2023 second-round pick under contract through the 2029 season.

The deal secures Hall before he could play out the final year of his rookie contract and comes off a Super Bowl LX performance in which he recorded two sacks and a forced fumble in Seattle's 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots.

Hall's path to a significant extension has not been linear. Selected 37th overall in 2023, he played just 26 percent of defensive snaps as a rookie while contributing primarily on special teams. His role expanded considerably in 2024, when he started 14 games, recorded eight sacks and 20 quarterback hits, and forced two fumbles.

His snap count dipped again in 2025 to 46 percent after Seattle signed DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency, limiting Hall to three starts. His Super Bowl showing, however, reinforced his value to the organization at a critical moment.

The path ahead suggests a larger role for Hall moving forward. Seattle lost edge rusher Boye Mafe in free agency this offseason, and Lawrence, now 34, is entering the second year of a three-year deal. Both factors could open the door for Hall to reassume a more prominent position in the Seahawks' defensive rotation over the life of his new contract.

Hall ranked 37th amongst edge defenders in 2025, according to ProFootballFocus.

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman addressed reporters Monday afternoon to explain the reasoning behind the A.J. Brown trade, framing the decision as a response to circumstances rather than a proactive roster move and insisting the 2028 first-round pick received from the New England Patriots was central to making the deal work.

Roseman said Brown expressed a desire to play elsewhere following the season. Their conversations, he described, were candid and constructive, ultimately leading both sides to conclude a trade served their respective interests.

"You can have a really good run with somebody, and just feel like, 'Hey, the next stage of my career, I feel like it will be better served, kind of starting fresh,'" Roseman said. "The conversations with him overall were positive and just honest conversations, and I think it just kind of got to a point where it made some sense from both sides."

Once a trade became the realistic path forward, Roseman said his focus shifted entirely to securing first-round compensation, which he described as non-negotiable.

The Eagles also waited until after June 1 to complete the deal, allowing Philadelphia to spread Brown's dead money across two salary cap years rather than absorbing it entirely in 2026. Roseman acknowledged a 2026 first-round pick, which would have been 31st overall from the Patriots, carried less appeal given both the cap consequences of an earlier trade and the limited upside of a late selection.

"For us to take a 2026 pick, and that's a late first-round pick, and obviously also have to deal with the cap consequences that come with making a trade prior to June 1, it made some sense for us to look at future picks," Roseman said. "We've always been in the mindset a pick is a pick — a first-round pick is a first-round pick. Doesn't matter."

Philadelphia now holds two first-round picks in the 2028 draft. Roseman called that pairing a significant asset as the organization manages a roster with several young players approaching contract extensions.

"There's no doubt that A.J. Brown was a huge, huge part of our football team, a great player for us," Roseman said. "That loss will have to be picked up by more than just one player."

The Los Angeles Rams' surprising selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in April's NFL Draft was not made in isolation. It was directly informed by the team's confidence that a trade for Myles Garrett would get done, multiple team and league sources told The Athletic.

By the time the draft arrived, the Rams and Cleveland Browns had been in substantive talks for weeks. That shared confidence that the Garrett deal would be completed in large part drove Los Angeles to use a top-15 pick on a quarterback few analysts expected to go that early in the first round, sources said.

The reasoning was strategic. With reigning MVP Matthew Stafford now 38 years old and backup Jimmy Garoppolo contemplating retirement, the Rams had already identified a need to develop a longer-term solution at quarterback. Securing that position allowed them to deploy other future first-round picks on a transformative defensive acquisition.

"If you're gonna trade future first-round picks for a player, you had better know who your quarterback is gonna be," a high-ranking team source said.

Sources said McVay had privately praised Simpson for weeks before the draft and believed the organization could develop him into a legitimate starter, with Stafford providing a cushion of time for that transition. McVay's muted public response after the pick, which generated speculation at the time, was attributed to a desire to show deference to Stafford, who had not yet agreed to a new contract, and to a personal matter that arose immediately before his post-draft news conference.

The broader vision mirrors the formula that produced the Rams' Super Bowl LVI title, with one deliberate adjustment. That championship team was built around Stafford, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Cooper Kupp. This version centers on Garrett, cornerback Trent McDuffie, receiver Puka Nacua, and Stafford again. The key difference is what comes after.

"Built better," in the words of one team source, with a cost-controlled quarterback already in place on the other side of a potential title run.