Can the Patriots follow the Bengals’ team-building blueprint? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston The New England Patriots are in the midst of a rebuild after two decades of dominance. As they prepare for what’s likely to be a long season in Foxboro, they can find inspiration in their Week 1 opponent — the Cincinnati Bengals. There were dark days …

Throughout the offseason, our NFL staff has been rolling our annual position rankings. We’ve covered the top off-ball linebackers, cornerbacks, edge rushers, running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks. Now, it’s time to dive into the top players, regardless of position.  Members of the FOX Sports NFL staff listed their 10 best in order heading into the 2024 season. A first-place …

Tune into this Saturday’s game between the Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes, and at the end of the first quarter, you’ll witness one of the best traditions in college football. During the Hawkeye Wave, fans in Kinnick Stadium will turn and show support to kids in the nearby children’s hospital. The Hawkeye Wave has quickly become one of the …

Getty Images The Philadelphia Eagles are slated to take on the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Friday, and Eagles cornerback Darius Slay made it clear he wasn’t happy about having to play there. Slay criticized the NFL for having the Eagles and Packers play in Sao Paulo due to the fact that the crime rate is very …

Vincent Allen and Chris Hicks, former standout football players at Indiana State, are planning a reunion of ISU’s teams from the 1970s. The upcoming event is aimed at bringing together players, coaches, managers, and athletic trainers for a celebration to honor the achievements and teamwork of those Sycamore teams from more than four decades ago. With a “Togetherness and Bond” …

The Baltimore Ravens will try to exert revenge for a stunning 17-10 AFC Championship Game loss in January when they meet the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Thursday’s 2024 NFL Kickoff Game. Kansas City went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 25-22 in overtime, in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs (11-6), who have won eight of their …

Hours before their 2024 NFL season opener, the Kansas City Chiefs and tight end Noah Gray agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract extension. The deal includes a $10.1 million signing bonus, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Gray, going into his fourth season, caught 28 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns as the backup to Travis Kelce last season. He …

No. 14 Tennessee and No. 24 NC State opened the season against SEC opponents but enter Week 2 with much different vibes. The two AP Top 25-ranked teams and College Football Playoff hopefuls meet Saturday in Charlotte for a crucial early season showdown between the SEC and ACC. If you missed it, NC State struggled against FCS Western Carolina in a 38-21 …

Getty Images Already facing the challenge of playing a game in a different country, the Green Bay Packers have another hurdle ahead of Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.  The Eagles, being the home team in this game, have a hotel that’s in close proximity to Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. Conversely, the “visiting” Packers will have a …

Getty Images Lamar Jackson seemed off in January’s AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. It appears, based on Jackson’s recent comments, that there was a reason why the Ravens quarterback and two-time league MVP wasn’t himself that day.  Jackson apparently had physical limitations that day, preventing him from being his typical dual-threat self. While he still managed to run …

A federal judge has sentenced the Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “ChiefsAholic” to more than 17 years in prison for a string of 11 bank robberies across seven states where he stole nearly $850,000 to finance his social media stardom. Xavier Babudar, 30, learned his fate Thursday — the same day his beloved Chiefs were gearing up for their …

Former Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith gushed about football coach Ryan Day in a written evaluation this past spring, according to a copy of the 2023-24 performance review obtained by The Dispatch through a public records request on Thursday. He signed the evaluation of Day on May 11, a month and a half before his retirement took effect with …

Pro football makes its long-awaited return with the Week 1 NFL schedule, which features a plethora of mouthwatering matchups from Thursday to Monday. Green Bay and Philadelphia will meet in Brazil on Friday, marking the league’s first game in South America. The Eagles are 2.5-point favorites in the Week 1 NFL odds, even though they failed to cover the spread …

Eagles get their 1st glimpse of Corinthians Arena in São Paulo originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia SÃO PAULO — At 1:30 p.m. local time, the lower bowl at Corinthians Arena was cleared of workers and the Eagles took the field for their walkthrough a day before they’ll play host for the first-ever NFL game in South America. The stadium …

Twenty-one days of fall camp and preseason practices has led to this moment: the University of West Florida football team’s season-opener on Thursday at Pen Air Field. The Argos host McKendree University out of Lebanon, Illinois, for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Bearcats, out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference – with teams from Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa – …