6:00 AM ET CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers believe their time is now. New Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen recently took that a step further on the Pat McAfee show, saying Carolina has a “real chance to win a Super Bowl’’ after he signed a three-year deal. Much will depend on which quarterback the

6:00 AM ET PHOENIX — Ron Rivera hadn’t coached a game with the Washington Commanders before everything changed. The team went through a name change, followed by a scandal over allegations of a toxic workplace culture, followed by Rivera being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. That’s why dealing with a pending sale isn’t about to

6:00 AM ET Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN MIAMI — Braxton Berrios has at least one clearly defined role with the Miami Dolphins: He will be their return man in 2023, unless he cedes the job to someone else. Since entering the league in 2019, the Dolphins’ recent signee has the seventh-most total return yards in the NFL,

3:44 PM ET Turron DavenportESPN Close Covered Eagles for USA Today Covered the Ravens for Baltimore Times Played college football at Cheyney University NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans and defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons have agreed in principle to a four-year contract extension, sources told ESPN on Friday. The deal worth $94 million has $66

6:32 PM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs added to their depth at wide receiver by agreeing to contract terms with wide receiver Richie James, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network. Editor’s Picks 2 Related James, 27, caught 57 passes and scored four touchdowns last season for the

5:51 PM ET Brianna Williams Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce threw out the first pitch alongside his mom, Donna, before the Cleveland Guardians faced the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Kelce — a Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native — might want to stick to spiking footballs. The two-time Super Bowl champion’s pitch met the grass

1:13 PM ET CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police on Friday have resubmitted a misdemeanor aggravated menacing charge against Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon stemming from an alleged incident in January. Mixon allegedly pointed a gun at a woman on Jan. 21, the day the Bengals traveled to face the Buffalo Bills. The initial charge was

2:10 PM ET FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets added a former Green Bay Packers quarterback Thursday, but not the one everyone has been expecting. While continuing trade talks for Aaron Rodgers, the Jets signed one of his former backups, Tim Boyle, to a one-year contract. Boyle, 28, who finished last season on

2:53 PM ET ESPN News Services Defensive lineman Corey Peters announced his retirement Thursday after 12 NFL seasons. Peters, 34, played in 12 games (three starts) with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. “Sincerely, I never imagined that I would continue playing football professionally for this long,” Peters posted to Instagram. “I’ll always be appreciative of

6:00 AM ET The draft industrial complex has caught on to an important fact: The Minnesota Vikings don’t have a quarterback under contract beyond the 2023 season. So as starter Kirk Cousins and backup Nick Mullens approach the expiration of their deals, it hasn’t been surprising to see prominent NFL draft analysts connect the Vikings