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31 August 2025 The Dallas Cowboys made one of the most important moves of the summer period by securing the services of cornerback DaRon Bland for the next four years. The new contract is worth $92 million with $46 million guaranteed. Record salary jump The 26-year-old defender has joined the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL thanks to his new contract. An average annual income exceeding $23 million represents a dramatic increase from the current year, when he was set to earn just over $5 million in the final year of his rookie contract. "Honestly, it's still hard to believe for me. It means enormous trust and I want to repay it on the field," Bland said after signing the contract. Historic breakthrough in 2023 Bland captured the attention of the entire football world in the 2023 season with a record performance of nine interceptions, five of which he converted into touchdowns. This broke the previous league record and established him as one of the bi...

31 August 2025 No NFL team is universally perfect. Some teams excel at one position more than another, reflecting how organizations allocate resources within salary cap and roster spot constraints. Evaluation methodology Unit rankings were compiled based on teams' expected depth charts and 2024 player ELO ratings. The analysis covers six categories: pass catching, pass defending, pass rushing, pass protecting, run blocking, and run stopping. Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead in pass catching (ELO: 0.93) The Buccaneers don't have the top player at any single position, but their overall collection surpasses the San Francisco 49ers. Tampa Bay features a trio of quality receivers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and rookie Emeka Egbuka, two solid running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, plus good tight end Cade Otton. Only three teams have at least five starting-caliber players with a minimum 92% catch rate. The Bucs and Eagles are the only ones with at least three players having th...

  Can a team be the best in franchise history even without winning the Super Bowl? In the NFL, the answer is yes. Unlike MLB or the NBA, there are no seven-game series, so even elite teams can fall in single-elimination situations. TRACR Methodology Historical TRACR (Team Rating Adjusted for Competition and Roster) normalizes performance across eras and enables comparison of teams from different periods. It measures how many points per 10 drives teams are better or worse than the league average in a given season, including playoffs. Top 5 Best Teams Since 1991 1. New England Patriots 2007 (20.6 TRACR) The highest TRACR since 1991 belongs to the Patriots with Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker. The historic undefeated 16-0 regular season ended with a surprising 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. 2. Green Bay Packers 1996 (16.5 TRACR) During Brett Favre's peak, the Packers won their final eight games by an average of 21.2 points. Favre won his second MVP ...

Before the start of the new NFL season comes time to evaluate all 32 teams according to their realistic Super Bowl chances. After months of preparations, drafts and roster changes, the moment of truth approaches. Title contenders (1-5) 1. Philadelphia Eagles - The offensive line remains the engine of the team and with a complete roster they represent the biggest threat. Questions in secondary positions won't resolve their ambitions. 2. Baltimore Ravens - Lamar Jackson and excellent management work make the Ravens a rising team. The only problem remains the receiving corps, where DeAndre Hopkins should bring improvement. 3. Buffalo Bills - Josh Allen after his first MVP season and an impressive offensive line give Buffalo a real chance for breakthrough. High expectations are justified. 4. Kansas City Chiefs - Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid create a combination that cannot be underestimated. Every year they manage to surprise critics and reach at least the AFC Championship. ...

The Indianapolis Colts are moving into the spotlight as one of the main contenders for a blockbuster trade in the NFL. According to insider Jordan Schultz, they are among the teams pursuing All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals. Contract dispute escalates The 30-year-old defender, returning as NFL First-Team All-Pro and current sack king with 17.5 total sacks in 2024, finds himself in a stalemate with Bengals management. Despite reporting to training camp, he refuses to participate in practices due to an unresolved contract dispute. Hendrickson enters the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $18.67 million and is demanding a multi-year lucrative extension. When negotiations stalled, he reportedly requested a trade early in the season. Perfect connection with Colts The Colts' interest is not coincidental. A four-year collaboration exists between Hendrickson and Indianapolis' new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo from Cincinnati, where th...

16-19 August 2025 The second week of NFL preseason brings four days of packed schedule, with all 32 teams entering action. From Friday's Tennessee Titans vs Atlanta Falcons clash to Monday's Cincinnati Bengals vs Washington Commanders encounter, fans can expect a full portion of American football. Stars rest, rookies shine While stars like Patrick Mahomes will likely watch most of the action from the sidelines, the second week of preseason traditionally brings more playing time for key players. The biggest attention focuses on rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the overall first pick of this year's draft, who should start for the Tennessee Titans in their home environment. On the Seattle Seahawks side, Tory Horton, former Colorado State star, has impressed at training camp. Despite being drafted only in the 5th round, he has entered the rotation with the first team after leading the Seahawks in receiving in the first game with three catches for 31 yards and one touchdown. R...

  The NFL will use a HawkEye system to measure first downs in 2025. State-of-the-art technology replaced the famous 'chain gang' that had been wandering the sidelines for decades in the Hall of Fame Game - and fans weren't happy. MODERN TECHNOLOGY REPLACES TRADITIONAL CHAINS Modern supporters have grown accustomed to the padded bright orange poles separated by a thin chain. But back in the early 70s, the markers were solid steel poles with spikes on the end that were rammed into the ground to pin the chains down. Disaster struck in 1972 when star Baltimore Colts defensive end Bubba Smith suffered a catastrophic leg injury in a preseason contest. BUBBA SMITH'S FATEFUL INJURY After the Colts picked off legendary Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, Smith went to set up a block near the sideline and got his leg caught up in the chain. He blew up his knee ligaments and missed the entire season after undergoing surgery. Smith was a 6ft 7in, 265lb pass-rushe...

  The NFL rewards players at its most prestigious position with fame, endorsements, and lots of money. It seems like a new quarterback contract with nine figures of guaranteed money is coming out each week. And as the revenue for the league continues to increase, the numbers in these contracts are just going to keep getting higher. While most of the top contracts in history have come at the quarterback position, some players at other positions have done well for themselves too. Below, we take a look at the top earners in NFL history. Top 10 Highest-Paid NFL Players 1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (10 years, $450 Million) Signing Year: 2020; AAV: $45,000,000; Signing Age: 24 Mahomes laps the field in these rankings with the enormous 10-year pact he signed with the Chiefs prior to the 2020-21 season. It was the perfect confluence of events for Mahomes - he was the consensus best quarterback in the league at age 24 coming off a monster season that ended in a championsh...