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Jason Mackey: Mason Rudolph has been enjoying the comforts of home with his Steelers return. Should that include starting?
PITTSBURGH — Comfort food comes by its name honestly. Who doesn't love a gigantic plate of their favorite fare?
Along those lines, it didn't take long for Mason Rudolph to return one of his favorite spots, DiAnoia's Eatery on Penn Ave., after re-signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in mid-March.
"It's a great Italian meal," Rudolph said ...Read more

Ed Graney: Raiders excited to learn what Bowers can do for an encore
LAS VEGAS — How does one improve on history?
It’s a question you can ask regarding Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, whose spectacular rookie season was one for the ages.
But now it’s about taking the next step in his development. In seeing where this NFL career might take him. In wondering how terrific a player he might ultimately become....Read more

Once a weakness, the Jets offensive line could be a strength in 2025
NEW YORK — Two seasons ago, the Jets’ offensive line was one of the team’s biggest concerns.
But now, at least on paper, it could be one of their biggest strength entering the 2025 season.
“Obviously, you try not to pay attention to the outside noise, but me personally, I think we can be one of the better groups in the NFL,” Jets ...Read more

Raiders, Cole agree to extension to make him NFL's highest-paid punter
LAS VEGAS — AJ Cole has come to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders on a contract extension that will make him the highest-paid punter in the NFL, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Cole, 29, has been one of the league’s top punters since making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of N.C. State. The three-time Pro ...Read more

It screeches like an eagle, has a replica Lombardi Trophy, and is the most sought-after ride in Philly. Unless you're a Cowboys fan.
PHILADELPHIA — When Mucha Nama drives his white minivan up and down Broad Street, he gets some interesting reactions. Most people hear his car before they actually see it. The Ethiopian rideshare driver has a speaker affixed to the top that plays one of two tracks: “Fly, Eagles Fly” or a 10-minute YouTube compilation of “Eagle Sound ...Read more

Chris Perkins: Ricky Williams has one regret about his Dolphins career
MIAMI — A measly 301 yards.
That’s all that separates astrologer Ricky Williams, who is No. 2 on the Miami Dolphins all-time rushing list, from Hall of Fame running back Larry Csonka, who is No. 1.
A mere 301 yards.
Csonka has 6,737 yards, Williams has 6,436.
That bothers Williams a bit.
Does that news surprise you?
Well, it’s true. ...Read more

Troy Renck: Bo Nix behind Drake Maye, Bryce Young? Broncos QB will prove a lot of people wrong in Year 2.
DENVER — Bo-gus for Bo Nix.
The Denver Broncos quarterback continues to create suspicion about his rookie season. It traces back to his draft status, his skillset and that last season in Auburn that some people cannot seem to forget.
With training camp two months away, social media feeds populate with rankings. While respecting the work ...Read more

Mike Vorel: The NFL's tush push was almost banned. Here's why it had to live.
SEATTLE — Of course the tush push deserved to die.
I’m happy it didn’t.
On Wednesday, a proposed ban of the play — in which players line up behind the quarterback to provide a push on an unstoppable sneak — failed to receive the 24 needed votes at the NFL’s owners meeting. According to ESPN, 22 teams voted to ban the tactical ...Read more

Dieter Kurtenbach: Brock Purdy's new 49ers contract isn't just reasonable. It's a steal.
Remember recently, when it was first reported that the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy had agreed to a five-year, $265 million contract? On the heels of that news, there was a loud and angry chorus from near and far, all singing the same three-syllable word:
“O-Ver-Paid.”
Those people look awfully silly now that the details...Read more

Vahe Gregorian: With Chiefs' 3-peat hopes dashed, 'bad taste' fuels Mahomes' quest for redemption
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just for the record, Patrick Mahomes didn’t get his iconic mohawk sheared off to purge that 40-22 drubbing by the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
“I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but it was kind of one of those superstitions,” Mahomes said in a Zoom call with local media as the Chiefs began the first phase of offseason ...Read more

Paul Sullivan: George Wendt's 'Super Fans' character endures in a long tradition of on-screen Chicago sports nuts
CHICAGO — George Wendt didn’t just play a rabid Chicago sports fan on TV.
He was one, albeit not nearly as deluded as his “Saturday Night Live” character, Bob Swerski, of the “Super Fans” sketches.
Wendt, who died Tuesday at age 76, gained fame for the iconic role of Norm Peterson on the 1982-93 sitcom “Cheers,” before his ...Read more

Omar Kelly: Mike McDaniel's steadying presence could stabilize Dolphins
MIAMI — The one thing the world should know about Mike McDaniel is that he marches to the beat of his own drum.
His hip style ... tap, tap, tap.
His quirky sense of humor ... rim shot.
That relatable approach is unique, and sets him apart from most individuals in the world, and that includes all NFL head coaches.
So anyone expecting the ...Read more

Lions' Aidan Hutchinson 'fully cleared' and ready to go: 'I'm pumped'
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Aidan Hutchinson was on pace to run away with the Defensive Player of the Year award before a gruesome leg injury against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6 ended his 2024 campaign.
Hutchinson spoke Thursday with local media for the first time since suffering a broken tibia and fibula in Detroit's 47-9 win at Dallas. Now "fully ...Read more

David Murphy: What makes the Eagles' Nick Sirianni such a good coach? It's there if you are willing to look.
PHILADELPHIA — The latest signs of Nick Sirianni‘s maturation as an NFL coach came a little before 1 p.m. on Tuesday, when he walked into the auditorium to field questions about his new contract extension.
He did not flex into the camera and yell, “Hey, I don’t hear any [expletive] anymore!”
He did not pace up and down the aisle ...Read more

Vahe Gregorian: Chiefs GM Brett Veach knew Steve Spagnuolo would do this. Here's what it means.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Since Brett Veach began his NFL career in earnest as Andy Reid’s personal assistant in Philadelphia, he’s naturally been steeped in Reid’s ways and means and long shared a wavelength with him.
Simply put, the Chiefs general manager gets Reid and what he’s seeking to do. That keen anticipation and understanding of ...Read more

Omar Kelly: Dolphins hoping to get even more from Jonnu Smith
MIAMI — Jon Embree has coached greats of the game, legendary tight ends such as Tony Gonzalez and George Kittle, talents who are either in, or going to gain entry in the Hall of Fame.
He has coached two of the best ever at the position. We’re talking first-ballot Hall of Famers.
So the Miami Dolphins tight end coach knows what it’s ...Read more

A healthy Brock Purdy talks about his record-setting contract from 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Of course Brock Purdy did not make a grand entrance with dollar bills raining from the ceiling and E-40’s “Niner Gang” anthem bumping as walk-up music.
Instead, Purdy shuffled into Levi’s Stadium auditorium with a red 49ers’ hoodie complemented by black sweatpants and white sneakers from Adidas, his loyal brand...Read more

Brad Biggs: If Chicago is 'the place quarterbacks go to die,' Bears coach Ben Johnson embraces flipping that script
CHICAGO — In the introductory episode of “Forged in Foxborough,” a team-produced, behind-the-scenes look at the New England Patriots, new coach Mike Vrabel expressed in clear terms he’s not interested in how the once-proud organization spiraled into consecutive last-place finishes in the AFC East.
“Why the (bleep) would I care about ...Read more

Meet the Chargers content team winning the schedule release 'Super Bowl'
LOS ANGELES — Reposts flood in. Likes climb faster than administrators can count.
Each spring, the Chargers know how to run up this score.
When it comes to what senior director of production Tyler Pino calls the "content Super Bowl," the Chargers are multi-time season NFL schedule release champions. They broke the internet with popular anime...Read more

Who's No. 1? Colts take themselves out of the running for best schedule-release videos.
LOS ANGELES — Some make us laugh.
Some make us scratch our heads in bewilderment.
Some make us feel good about ourselves for picking up on a timely pop culture reference that only the most hip members of our society would recognize and that may be irrelevant in weeks.
All of them, however, make us ready for some football ... in about four ...Read more
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