Devin Hester became the first returner to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the fourth of seven former players to earn induction into Canton in a weather-delayed ceremony Saturday. “When I first exploded on the professional scene, there was a lot of negativity, because people didn’t respect the return game,” Hester said. “But eventually, it got to the point …

Aug. 3—Outcomes don’t matter in (early) August. Not when it’s the first week of full pads, with new players on both sides of the ball still learning how to go full speed. Not when only 26 of New Mexico’s 110 players have jersey numbers. And not when the Lobos are closer to the first day of camp than their opener …

Aaron Rodgers is back and, according to his head coach, as good as ever. “He looks like he never missed any time,” Robert Saleh told reporters after a Saturday scrimmage, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Rodgers, who missed almost all of 2023 with a torn Achilles tendon, led the offense for 42 plays during the practice. Per Cimini, Rodgers completed …

Aug. 3—MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s offense is going to look very familiar in 2024. There are so many returners on that side of the ball that the only reason fans will need to check their rosters when the Mountaineers have the ball this season will be to double-check a couple of new numbers. The only significant departures WVU had on …

Patrick Willis was one of the best linebackers in football when he played, but the former 49ers linebacker played only eight seasons. He didn’t know if that would be long enough to earn him a place into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But in his fifth year of eligibility, it was. Willis took his rightful place in Canton on …

Dec 28, 2019; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ESPN commentator Greg McElroy looks on before the 2019 Peach Bowl college football playoff semifinal game between the LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports The past three years, when no one else was singing the praises of Michigan football, ESPN analyst and former Alabama …

The Panthers have added a pair of defensive backs on Saturday. Carolina announced the club signed veteran corner Anthony Brown and safety Clayton Isbell. Brown, 30, spent time with three teams in 2023 after recovering from a torn Achilles suffered late in the 2022 season. While he was also with the Steelers and Jets, he appeared in two games for …

Aug. 3—PULLMAN — During a break in Washington State’s fall camp practice on Saturday, the Cougars’ fifth , defensive tackles coach Pete Kaligis approached head coach Jake Dickert. The team was practicing inside run plays when Kaligis noticed something. “Jake,” Kaligis said, “that’s the most physicality I’ve seen since we’ve been here.” “That’s a big statement,” Dickert said later, “especially …

Training camp stock watch: Osborn heats up in steamy Patriots practice originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston FOXBORO — The Patriots went at it in the heat and full pads for the second consecutive day Saturday. Our Day 9 edition of Stock Watch has the details on which players thrived (and which didn’t) in their latest on-the-field workout. Stock Up Hunter …

Auburn football recruiting continues to put an emphasis on in-state prospects. The Tigers landed a commitment Saturday from four-star edge defender Jared Smith, who is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 4 player in the state of Alabama for 2025. Auburn now has four of the top five in-state recruits pledged, as Smith joins four-star safety Anquon Fegans …

If the Jets are to go far this season, they’ll need more than a healthy Aaron Rodgers. A solid, dependable offensive line will not only protect the team’s quarterback but allow the rest of the Jets offense to hum. GM Joe Douglas and the front office picked up a couple of veteran tackles in Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses to …

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football defensive back Hunter Washington says he and his defensive teammates coined a phrase brought in by coaches in the offseason: Chew the elephant. The statement is described as taking one bite at a time — in this case, on the field. “Just taking it one day at a time,” he said. “Just focus on one …

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has missed several practices in a row due to knee and hip issues, but he should be back on the field soon. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Smith is expected to return to practice early next week. That follows a Friday report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that testing on Smith’s knee and hip did not …

Jared Smith is officially off the board. Smith, the No. 4-ranked defensive end in the Rivals250 for the 2025 recruiting cycle, declared for Auburn on Saturday. The in-state Tigers edged out Georgia, South Carolina, and Ole Miss for the four-star DE from Alabaaster (Ala.) Thompson High School in Alabama. After returning to The Plains for Big Cat Weekend last Saturday, …

He wasn’t on stage in Canton, Ohio, but former Chicago Bears star Steve McMichael was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in what was an incredibly emotional moment on Saturday afternoon. McMichael was surrounded by his wife, daughter and other members of the Bears’ 1985 defense as his bust was unveiled inside his home in the Chicago …