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Lionel Messi and Patrick Mahomes star in new Adidas commerical together
Ranking 10 Worst Contracts in NFL Ahead of 2025 Season | Bleacher Report
9. L’Jarius Sneed, CB, Tennessee Titans
Contract Terms: four years, $76.4 million with $51.5 million guaranteed
It’s easy to understand the rationale behind the Tennessee Titans’ 2024 trade to acquire cornerback L’Jairus Sneed. Good cornerbacks are hard to find, and Sneed had excelled in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Still, it was odd to see Tennessee immediately give a 27-year-old corner who had never been to a Pro Bowl a deal worth $19.1 million annually—which has him as the league’s 11th-highest-paid cornerback a year later.
Players surrounded by talent in a championship-caliber defense don’t always replicate their success in a new home, and that’s how things are trending with Sneed. Pro Football Focus graded him 212th overall among 222 cornerbacks for the 2024 season, a campaign that was cut short after five games by a quad injury. He’s missed time this offseason with a knee injury.
“We’re waiting for him to show us the player that he’s been,” head coach Brian Callahan told reporters at the start of mandatory minicamp. “He hasn’t reached that level of play for us.”
If Sneed is unable to bounce back this season, Tennessee can cut him in 2026 and save $11.9 million in cap space, though it would have to eat $20.1 million in dead money to do so.
1 Roster Flaw That Can Derail the 2025 Season for Each NFL Super Bowl Contender | Bleacher Report
Kansas City Chiefs: Left Side of the Offensive Line
Super Bowl odds: +750
In Super Bowls LV and LIX, the Kansas City Chiefs, particularly Patrick Mahomes, struggled mightily against dominant defenses, resulting in blowout losses.
Even the league’s best quarterback performs poorly when his offensive line crumbles under pressure.
The Chiefs could open the season with two inexperienced starters on Mahomes’ blind side, which isn’t ideal for a strong start to the campaign.
Kansas City traded two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears, which created a vacancy at left guard and stripped them of an emergency plan at left tackle.
Last season, Wanya Morris struggled at left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed five sacks and committed 11 penalties. The Chiefs can insert career backup Jaylon Moore or rookie first-rounder Josh Simmons into that spot.
In four years, Moore has started in 12 games. Simmons, though he has a ton of potential, is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon.
Kingsley Suamataia, who opened the previous season at left tackle, will transition to guard. He didn’t line up on the interior in college. At BYU, he made 22 starts at tackle.
If the Chiefs swing and miss again at left tackle, with a project on the same side of the line, Mahomes will face a ton of pressure all season.
Around the NFL
NFLPA renews call for grass fields | NBC Sports
The World Club Cup Group Stage (whatever that means) happens this weekend at MetLife Stadium. Grass has been installed at the home of the Giants and Jets for the event.
Via Alex Schiffer of FrontOfficeSports.com, the NFL Players Association noticed the photo and reacted.
“Looks nice,” the union tweeted, along with this hashtag: “#SaferFields.”
It’s not a new position for the union. Former NFLPA president JC Tretter has made the case for grass over turf. The league has said that the issue is more complicated.
In our view, it’s simple. It’s about cost. If having a well-maintained grass field cost the same as having a synthetic field, every NFL stadium would have grass.
The issue will become more pronounced next year, when multiple NFL stadiums install grass for the FIFA World Cup. Including MetLife Stadium, where the final will be held.
Ex-WR Antonio Brown sought on attempted murder charge, report says | ESPN
Law enforcement in Miami-Dade County is seeking to arrest former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown on a charge of attempted murder, according to a warrant reviewed by The Washington Post.
The charge stems from a shooting Brown was allegedly involved in during a celebrity boxing event in Miami last month. The warrant shows a charge of attempted murder with a firearm; it also instructs Brown to post a $10,000 bond and remain on house arrest until trial, according to The Post.
Brown was detained by police after gunshots were fired at the boxing event, which was hosted by online streamer Adin Ross. Brown was seen fighting with several people on a video posted to social media, and gunshots could clearly be heard after the altercation.
Police released Brown after a few hours, and he posted an explanation to social media the following day.
“I was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me,” he wrote on his X account. “Contrary to some video circulating, Police temporarily detained me until they received my side of the story and then released me. I WENT HOME THAT NIGHT AND WAS NOT ARRESTED. I will be talking to my legal council and attorneys on pressing charges on the individuals that jumped me.”
Christian McCaffrey says he feels ‘great’ at 49ers minicamp as he returns from injury-plagued 2024 season | CBS Sports
McCaffrey, who led the league in rushing (1,459 yards), yards from scrimmage (2,023) and total touchdowns (21) in 2023, detailed to reporters on Wednesday the work he has put into getting healthy by the time OTAs started.
“I think this offseason I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base, starting from scratch,” McCaffrey said. “So a lot of it was rehab, and I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn’t miss a day of OTAs and I could practice, play football again, be healthy and not miss a day. And I did that, and now we can kind of kick back up the training again. But I feel great.”
Patriots to unveil Tom Brady statue on Aug. 8 | ESPN
The team announced the details on Thursday, since June 12 is known as “Tom Brady Day” in Patriots territory, and the date also can be written as 6/12. That represents the number of Super Bowl championships Brady won with the team (six) and his jersey number (12).
Plans for a 12-foot bronze statue were originally announced in June 2024 when Brady was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame.
“[The statue] will stand alone in the plaza outside of the Hall of Fame to symbolize his position, not as the greatest in franchise history, but as the greatest in all of NFL history,” team owner Robert Kraft said at the time.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Roster: Andy Reid likes what he’s seeing in rookie Josh Simmons
Last week marked the first time local media members had seen the team’s first-round draft pick Josh Simmons on the field with his teammates. He was back out there on Thursday — and head coach Andy Reid is happy with what he’s been seeing from the former Ohio State left tackle, who has been working his way back from a patellar tendon injury he suffered last October.
“He’s doing a nice job,” said Reid after practice. “We weren’t sure quite how much we were going to be able to get out of him, but he looks strong. He’s been jumping in and taking the team reps now — he was just doing the individual stuff before — and you can definitely see the talent. He’s gotta keep learning the stuff that [offensive line coach] Andy [Heck’s] teaching him — fundamentally [and] technique-wise — but he sure has a good attitude about it.”
Reid acknowledged that the team had been taking it slow with Simmons.
“We’ve done that with him,” he admitted, “and he’s asked for more. We’ve kind of kept backing him up here and easing him into it. But you could tell that he rehabbed — [and] did a nice job with it. Obviously the people that did the surgery did a nice job, so it looks like he’s in good shape.”
