Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 7, 2024, 07:36 AM ET CloseESPN staff writerJoined ESPN in 2011Graduated from Central Michigan Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers at the time, and wide receiver Ed McCaffrey celebrated their first Lombardi Trophy together in a 49-26 Super Bowl XXIX victory over the San Diego Chargers. The two would win three Super …

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from becoming the NFL’s second dynasty since the turn of the century, five years removed from the New England Patriots’ final Super Bowl win. You could argue that the Chiefs are already a dynasty after capturing a fourth AFC title in five years. But when looking at history, three Super Bowl …

Alabama football commit Ryan Williams is set to sign with the Crimson Tide, marking the next five-star receiver addition to Tuscaloosa. Williams, the No. 4-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class per 247Sports’ Composite rankings, briefly decommitted from Alabama on Jan. 10 following the retirement of former Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. However, Williams gave his pledge again on Jan. …

The NFL may be in its Taylor Swift era now, but Long Story Short, we’ve been here since the original lyrics to “Picture to Burn.” The girl on the bleachers, meanwhile, is busier than ever, heading to the Grammys on Sunday (live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET), where Swift is up for six nominations, including …

NFL fans will be calling into work sick after the Chiefs and 49ers play in the Super Bowl this Sunday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Businesses across the United States are bracing for an outbreak of ‘Super flu’ next Monday when over 16m Americans are expected to phone in sick after watching the San Francisco 49ers and …

New Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was Patrick Mahomes’ coach at Texas Tech, and Mahomes still speaks highly of his college coach. “It’s someone who’s taught me a ton,” Mahomes said, via USA Today. “He got me, kind of out of high school, where I was a baseball player trying to play football. Basically, trying to be on my own. …

Ever since the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs faced off in 1967 for Super Bowl I, thousands of football players have taken part in one of the sport world’s biggest games. Several of those players have become household names by virtue of their performance in the big game. Tom Brady, Joe Montana and many others etched their name in …

For every outstanding NFL player whose career is defined by Super Bowl glory, there is at least one all-time great who came up short in their quest to win the big game.  The list is endless, and it will continue to be added to. Bills fans, who have already had to watch several of their iconic players retire without a …

The USC Trojans are trying to change how they go about their business. They were too dependent on offense the past two seasons. A lot of people thought Lincoln Riley would never make a big change in his overall approach. When he said USC would focus a lot more on defense, many were skeptical. That was very reasonable. Yet, Riley …

Gone are the days of gathering around small electronics to watch announcements, or the crossing of fingers as a fax may or may not come in on the first Wednesday in February from a highly regarded high school prospect. When Gatlin Bair spurned U-M for a second time after he de-committed from Boise State only to choose Oregon late last …

Today’s guest columnist is Lloyd W. Howell Jr., executive director of the NFL Players Association. When the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives elected me in late June, it may have come as a surprise to, well, everyone in the NFL world, but not to me or our player leadership. I presented a fresh approach for the future of the NFL …

Jonathan Smith’s second signing day as Michigan State football’s new head coach arrives Wednesday. That’s two more than Mel Tucker had when he was hired in 2020 after Mark Dantonio’s sudden retirement the day before the official period opened in February that year. Four years later, Tucker — despite his firing last year — has set Smith up with several …

The reason Jarrin Alley was so good this season is because he was so good last year. Alley was the backup quarterback at Bloomington South as a junior but didn’t act like it. He prepared like crazy, like he was the starter. And he was good enough to start, but the Panthers went with the senior, Zach David but also …

Missouri State football will add a few players to its 2024 signing class on Wednesday during the traditional February National Signing Day date. Most of the players the Bears will add to the 2024 roster were signed in December with a few more to be sprinkled out throughout the spring. Highlights of the National Signing Day class include a backup …

The Florida football roster will undergo more significant transition entering the 2024 season. The Florida Gators, coming off a 5-7 season in year two under head coach Billy Napier, has signed a 2024 class that includes 19 high school players and 11 transfers. The 30 new scholarship players account for a turnover of 35.3 percent on UF’s 85-man scholarship roster. …