NFL life, March 30, 2020: THE DRAFT The other day, I was told that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could kick off the 2020 NFL Draft in 24 days from a remote-controlled camera in his home in Bronxville, N.Y., a village 15 miles north of NFL headquarters in Manhattan. But, a source with knowledge of draft-logistics [more]
Sean Payton, coronavirus patient, self-quarantined in his house in New Orleans on Sunday night, ordered a cheesesteak for delivery from a favorite eatery. “I am blessed for many reasons,” the Saints coach said over the phone just after the food arrived. He sounded chipper. “Unfortunately, this disease hasn’t cost me my appetite.” The delivery people [more]
A week or so after the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks in 2001, New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani appealed to those who lived in the area to come back into New York to support the caving local economy. Go to Broadway shows, go to ballgames, eat in Manhattan restaurants. Live, people. Live! I lived in [more]
Something profound for football’s future will happen this week. The league’s 2,500 players (anyone who had a contract with any team for any part of the 2019 season is eligible to vote) will decide whether a controversial Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and owners will pass muster. • If it’s approved, the league will [more]
INDIANAPOLIS — Four days in hallways, bars, restaurants, hotel rooms, hotel lobbies, Lucas Oil Stadium (and did I mention bars?) at the NFL Convention, also known as the NFL Scouting Combine, yielded 30 tidbits. Topics include: • The most impressive player in Indy • The best quote of the combine • Three guys who caught [more]
Too much happening for the last week of February. • The new-look, prime-time 2020 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in Indianapolis. Will Joe throw? Won’t be surprised if Mr. Burrow doesn’t. • While prime college quarterbacks and receivers, and most NFL coaches and GMs, are meeting the press Tuesday in Indy, 32 NFL player reps [more]
The 2020 offseason is setting up to be a memorable one because of all the marquee quarterback movement. Peter King opens his Football Morning in America column by making 10 educated guesses on where some of the game’s biggest names will end up. Also in the column:
• Philip Rivers to the Colts? Several reasons why this could be a perfect match.
• Teddy Bridgewater to Tampa? This move makes sense if Bucs move on from Jameis Winston.
• Some new wrinkles to the NFL Scouting Combine, and our annual opportunity to mingle over beers and talk football in Indy
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on a Minnesota defender who could be on the move; a roadmap for how teams get multi-pick value out of one first-rounder;.the latest in the Mason Rudolph-Myles Garrett drama
• Plus 10 things, factoids, coffeenerdness, a travel note and a few thoughts on the Astros cheating and the fallout. [more]
Patrick Mahomes stunk for three quarters of the Super Bowl, and into the fourth. What changed? Peter King opens his Football Morning in America column eight days after LIV by talking to the Chiefs quarterback about what sparked the turnaround. Also in the column:
• The elder Pat Mahomes on always focusing on the next pitch, and bestowing that wisdom on his son at a young age.
• Twelve final thoughts on the Super Bowl, including the best players on the field for both teams.
• What’s next for Taysom Hill and the Saints, and saying goodbye to the retiring Eric Weddle.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on the Jaguars heading to London twice in 2020, an interesting free-agent possibility and more talk of a 17-game season.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, a travel note and a Red Sox fan’s thoughts on the trade of Mookie Betts. [more]
A third straight come-from-behind win gave the Chiefs the franchise’s second Super Bowl, so Peter King opens his Football Morning in America column with a look at the play that kicked off the comeback against the 49ers. Also in the column:
• The backstory of 2-3 Jet Chip Wasp—the long 3rd-and-15 completion to Tyreek Hill—and how Patrick Mahomes helped call the tide-turning play.
• Andy Reid, on finally being a champion and why a post-game Uber ride instead of the team bus would have been just fine with him.
• The Super Bowl LIV awards, including a player on the 49ers being perhaps the best player on the field in Miami.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting, including a look at one voter’s ballot, the players who got in, the players who got left out and who might be in good position for 2021.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, a travel note, beernerdness and the unreal story of a Vietnam War prisoner and his life as a Chiefs fan. [more]
A sobering day in sports, so Peter King opens his Football Morning in America column with an NFL-related anecdote about the late Kobe Bryant before turning attention to Miami and Super Bowl LIV. Also in the column:
• A 3 a.m. ride to work with Andy Reid, where the Chiefs coach talks about serving meatballs to Hollywood’s elite, the Michael Vick chapter in Philadelphia and how K.C. employed a CIA strategy to land Patrick Mahomes.
• The San Francisco storylines in LIV, from the Jimmy Garoppolo factor to the under-the-radar secret to the Niners’ recent success in the run game.
• A look at Kyle Shanahan, the son of a coach and the man who will lead San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on the retirement of Dean Pees; the Hall of Fame chances of Eli Manning; Tom Brady on Troy Polamalu.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, numbers game, beernerdness and an invite to join me and Gardner Minshew in Miami for a couple cold ones. [more]
Super Bowl LIV is set. Peter King opens Football Morning in America in Kansas City, where “the complete package” Patrick Mahomes ran the Chiefs past the Titans, setting up a championship matchup against the 49ers. Also in the column:
• Mahomes recaps his second-quarter, tightrope, tip-toe touchdown that broke the spirit of Tennessee and ended the five-decade Super Bowl appearance drought in Kansas City.
• Raheem Mostert, motivated by numerous teams cutting him, ran the 49ers past the Packers and into Miami.
• The uniter-in-chief, Steve Gleason, and the day in D.C. where cats and dogs lived together and a hero was given his just due.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on the retirement of Luke Kuechly; the absurdity of a 17-game schedule; the disappointment of the Hall of Fame class; the latest chapter in the Antonio Brown.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, coffeenerdness, beernerdness, a travel note and an interesting potential landing spot for Tua Tagovailoa. [more]
And then there were four. Peter King opens “Football Morning in America, Divisional Weekend” in Green Bay where the Packers joined the Niners, Titans and Chiefs as the championship weekend guests of honor. Also in the column:
• Aaron Rodgers, 36 years old, still has the deft touch, and has Green Bay one win away from another Super Bowl appearance.
• Derrick Henry might not care about stats, but the numbers he’s putting up have never been seen before.
• Tyrann Mathieu tries to make sense of the Chiefs’ really weird win over the Texans.
• A quick look at all the two Championship Sunday games—Tennessee at Kansas City, and Green Bay at San Francisco.
• A tick-tock through the 40 hours that changed the futures of the Panthers and Giants, and the lives of Matt Rhule and Joe Judge, including the importance of knowing which Penn Station is the right one.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on the Rooney Rule mess, and how to fix it; the importance of process in Carolina; the Rhule contract; the Kevin Stefanski hire.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, beernerdness, a travel note and a wild thought on Andy Dalton becoming a Patriot in 2020. [more]
Wild-card weekend is over, and whoa, what a start with four thrilling games. Peter King opens Football Morning in America in Foxboro where the NFL world witnessed a momentous event. Also in the column:
• Tom Brady, “not crushingly disappointed” by the loss to the Titans, talks about being a free man for the first time in 20 years. And Robert Kraft breaks his silence on Brady’s future and what’s in store next in New England.
• A review of the four wild-card winners, and the players—Deshaun Watson, Derrick Henry, Kirk Cousins, DK Metcalf—that propelled their teams.
• A quick look at all four divisional weekend games—Minnesota-San Francisco, Tennessee-Baltimore, Houston-Kansas City and Seattle-Green Bay.
• Memories of Sam Wyche, the influential coach who passed away last week at age 74.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on the AP all-pro team; the Kyle Rudolph no-call; college coaches in the NFL; the most interesting team to watch this offseason.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, coffeenerdness, beernerdness and things learned on a train ride to Providence. [more]
The NFL playoffs are finally here, but not before a fun finish to the regular season. Peter King opens Football Morning in America Week 17 with a look at the thrilling ending to Game 256, San Francisco at Seattle. Also in the column:
• Unpacking all of the crazy things that happened in the final seconds of the 49ers’ No. 1-seed clinching win over the Seahawks in Seattle.
• A quick look at all four wild-card weekend games—Buffalo-Houston, Tennessee-New England, Minnesota-New Orleans and Seattle-Philadelphia.
• Dark Gray Monday is here, with a slightly less dark outlook than previous coaching doomsdays of the past. Plus a look at names to watch with teams looking to fill vacancies quickly.
• An exit interview with Kyler Murray, looking back at the No. 1 pick’s promising first season in the NFL.
• The Week 17 awards, including strong performances from Derrick Henry, Shaq Barrett and more.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on 12 football men who departed in 2019; what’s next for Philip Rivers and the Chargers; the hard numbers behind AFC North success; Larry Fitzgerald’s future.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, coffeenerdness, beernerdness and things learned during a holiday week in San Francisco. (Sorry not sorry, Airbnb.) [more]
Don’t look now, but the Eagles—with a healthy Carson Wentz—are a factor as the playoffs draw near. Peter King opens Football Morning in America Week 16 with the Philly resurgence, and the man leading the way. Also in the column:
• The Raiders, at 7-8, have a path to the playoff that doesn’t seem all that unrealistic.
• The Seahawks are heading the wrong direction, and quickly.
• The Joe Burrow feel-good Christmas story of how a Heisman speech turned into a half-million dollars for those in need.
• The Week 16 awards, including strong performances from Michael Thomas, Chandler Jones, Nyheim Hines and more.
• More thoughts, notes and opinions on that great Saturday tripleheader of football; the 2020 NFL draft order; how New England will have to win in the postseason; what to watch for in Monday Night Football.
• Plus 10 things, factoids, coffeenerdness, beernerdness and remembering three decisions that reshaped the New Orleans Saints. [more]