11:15 AM ET CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The decision to fire coach Matt Rhule on Monday came down to an inability to “get over the hump,” according to Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper. “It’s winning. It’s winning,” Tepper said. “Winning more this year than you did last year. Looking like you’re going to win more than

7:30 PM ET Lindsey ThiryESPN Close Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times Previously covered the Falcons Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball COSTA MESA, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley on Monday expressed no second thoughts regarding his late-game, fourth-down decision a day earlier that nearly proved

7:55 PM ET Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN MIAMI — It’s too early to tell whether or not Miami Dolphins rookie Skylar Thompson will start this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday. With quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater both in concussion protocol with no firm timeline to return, the Dolphins may turn to

5:23 PM ET ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said he had no regrets about trading for quarterback Carson Wentz, adding that now they need to keep building around him. Rivera said the difference between his 1-4 Commanders and the rest of the NFC East teams, who are all 4-1 or better, came

3:36 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens will be without their top free agent addition for an extended period. Free safety Marcus Williams will go on injured reserve with a dislocated wrist and miss “a significant amount of time,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. Harbaugh added that it’s not a season-ending

1:29 PM ET CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield will be out “at least a couple of weeks” with a high ankle sprain, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mayfield suffered the injury late in the first half of Sunday’s 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The first pick of the

5:11 PM ET LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears activated wide receiver N’Keal Harry off injured reserve Monday. Harry returned to practice Wednesday, which began a 21-day activation window for the Bears to add him to the active roster. Chicago now has 53 players on the active roster. 1 Related Harry suffered a high

12:58 PM ET Brady HendersonESPN Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny suffered a broken fibula and injured the tibia in his left leg on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season, coach Pete Carroll said Monday. Penny’s injury will require surgery. “It’s going to be a haul for him. This is what they

8:30 AM ET It hasn’t even been two years since the NFC East was the laughingstock of the NFL. During the final game of the 2020 regular season, a fading 4-10-1 Philadelphia team benched quarterback Jalen Hurts in the middle of a game in which he had a 25.4 passer rating against 6-9 Washington, which

12:24 PM ET David Newton Close ESPN Staff Writer Covered Panthers, NFL for 11 years More than 25 years experience covering NFL, college football and NASCAR Joined ESPN in 2006 Jeremy Fowler Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN staff writer Previously a college football reporter for CBSSports.com University of Florida graduate The Carolina Panthers fired coach