Back with Falcons, Kirk Cousins talks ‘reality' of being second-string QB
Speaking for the first time since a 2024 season that saw him lose his job as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins said he accepted the 'reality' of his current backup role while acknowledging he would 'love' to start for an NFL team.
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in free agency last year, but Atlanta made a surprise move in the draft by using the eighth overall pick to select highly touted quarterback prospect Michael Penix Jr. Coming off a torn Achilles' tendon, Cousins made 14 starts for the Falcons, but a stretch of poor play resulted in the promotion of Penix, who was named the starter 'moving forward' by Coach Raheem Morris.
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New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Denver Broncos' Vance Joseph raising bar for top-ranked defense: ‘Let's start over again'
When the dust settled on Vance Joseph's second season as the defensive coordinator in Denver, the Broncos had set a record with 63 sacks. They finished first in defensive efficiency, according to TruMedia's expected points added metric. They boasted the NFL's defensive player of the year in cornerback Pat Surtain II and two other All-Pro selections in outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive end Zach Allen. Advertisement However, the victory lap for Joseph and the Broncos' braintrust was brief — if it existed at all. A 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs shoved the Broncos back to the drawing board. 'We watched every clip from last year, and once you watch it all, you get a clear idea of how teams attacked you,' Joseph said Wednesday during his lone meeting with the media before training camp. 'It was obvious. I won't share that, but it was obvious how teams attacked us. You have to go to work to try to prevent some of that stuff. That's what you do in the offseason, and that's every year. You have to change and adjust.' Another day of minicamp in the 📚 — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 11, 2025 What followed was an offseason of major additions for an already talented defense. The Broncos signed a pair of former San Francisco 49ers standouts in safety Talanoa Hufanga and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw. They then used their first-round pick on versatile defensive back Jahdae Barron, who was coached by Joseph's cousin, Terry Joseph, for three seasons at Texas. The additions provided a window into how the Broncos viewed their shortcomings last season defensively. Despite Surtain's lockdown brilliance, the Broncos had too many breakdowns in the secondary, particularly during late-season losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. They struggled at times to cover running backs. Denver opponents produced a 122.1 passer rating when targeting the position last season. Only the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans yielded a higher opponent rating. Hufanga and Greenlaw — physical, experienced players brought in to fortify the spine of the defense — are expected to help with those issues. But the addition of those players goes beyond the schematic adjustments the Broncos are trying to make. Joseph noted that Denver still has a relatively young defense. The playoff game in Buffalo was the first taste of the postseason for the bulk of Denver's defensive starters, and it showed. Hufanga and Greenlaw, meanwhile, have played in 17 combined playoff games. Greenlaw has played in two Super Bowls. Advertisement 'Both guys bring experience of being in big games and being on dominant defenses,' Joseph said. 'That's an attitude in practice and in meetings every day. You see it with those guys. Those guys love football. To add them to our mix has been tremendous. We're looking forward to the fall.' Greenlaw has not participated in the on-field portion of Denver's offseason program, which concludes Thursday with the final practice of mandatory minicamp. He suffered a quad injury while training on his own before the NFL Draft and is expected to be cleared for team activity by the time training camp begins. In the meantime, Greenlaw has been a constant presence on the sidelines at practices and in meetings. Hufanga, who intercepted Broncos quarterback Bo Nix at the end of last week's OTA practice attended by the media, has been part of a new soundtrack for Denver's defense. He has provided a vocal presence in the back end of the defense that has already been apparent. 'You are going to see how special they are,' said nose tackle D.J. Jones, who played with both players in San Francisco before signing with the Broncos in 2022. 'You're going to see why they brought them here.' First look at @TalanoaHufanga 👀 — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 29, 2025 The additions of Greenlaw, Hufanga and Barron, whom Joseph called a 'can't-miss prospect for us,' have helped create massive expectations for a defense that was one of the league's best last season. There is a certain microscope on a unit that is suddenly loaded with top-level talent. But head coach Sean Payton provided a reminder about the calendar on Tuesday. The Broncos, he said, 'have a chance to be a real good defense,' but this is a different group that is still in the building stages. Joseph has conveyed the same message. Advertisement 'We had a great defense. That was last year,' Joseph said. 'This year is totally different. My entire sell this entire offseason has been, 'Let's start over again. Let's keep improving.' Last year counts, but it doesn't matter moving forward. We have to continue to improve.' Here are some other takeaways from sessions with the Broncos coordinators and their newest player, running back JK Dobbins: Payton answered questions about Dobbins after a third straight practice. The running back officially signed a one-year deal with the Broncos after initially visiting the team's headquarters last week. On Wednesday, it was time to hear from the man himself about his decision to join the Broncos nearly four months after his free-agent process began. 'It felt amazing,' Dobbins said about his first day as a member of the Broncos, which mostly included work on a side field as he got acclimated to his new surroundings. 'It's a true blessing to me. I'm so happy to be here. We're going to do some great things this year.' Dobbins rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns during his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, a breakout that came after he missed all but nine games across the previous three seasons due to multiple significant injuries. The Chargers placed a seldom-used unrestricted free agent tender on Dobbins in April, which would have given them exclusive negotiating rights with Dobbins had he not joined a team by the start of training camp. That made for a unique free agency as Dobbins weighed his options before and after the draft, one Dobbins called 'stressful' at times. With a smile plastered to his face following his first Broncos practice, it was clear Dobbins was glad to have the process behind him. 'I'm a pretty patient person, and I was just feeling it out,' he said. '(I was) letting everything play out how it's supposed to be. It was a little stressful with some things that happened in there, but I knew I was going to get to where I needed to be. I am where I need to be.' JK Dobbins: 'It's a true blessing. I'm so glad to be here. We're going to do some great things this year.' — Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) June 11, 2025 Payton has made it clear there is not yet a defined pecking order in Denver's backfield, which also includes rookie second-round pick RJ Harvey and returning players Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estimé and Tyler Badie. 'Don't try to figure out the club right now,' Payton said. 'It's way too early.' But Dobbins, who has been in the NFL since joining the Baltimore Ravens as a second-round pick in 2020, brings an experienced veteran presence the Broncos didn't have in the room. That was an important part of the equation for Denver as it works to find the right mix at a position that must be more productive in 2025. Advertisement 'That is a guy who's had a lot of success in his career,' offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. 'It's someone we've always had a lot of respect for. It adds talent and competition to that room. Obviously, he's been a very productive runner and he's a good pass protector. I think it will help the competition in that room and help the team.' Darren Rizzi hoped to be named the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints after serving as the team's interim coach for the second half of the 2024 season. The job went instead to Kellen Moore, leaving Rizzi in search of the next opportunity. Not that there was a lot of suspense about where the veteran coach would end up. With Payton having an opening for a special teams coordinator after firing Ben Kotwica, a reunion with Rizzi, who previously served the same role for Payton in New Orleans, was not a challenging dot to connect. 'I just think it was an easy match,' Rizzi said Wednesday. 'Obviously, having worked for Sean for three years and having been under him and learned, we're on the same page with a lot of things. He mentioned the word compatibility. I would say the three years I was with Sean, it was definitely that. Even when, obviously, he left the Saints, he still had a big stamp on that organization, so we continued to do a lot of the same things that he did when he was there. Just familiar with the coach, familiar with the person. We always got along great off the field as well, so for me it was an easy choice.' Rizzi has already had a noticeable imprint on the Broncos. Denver signed two potential special teams stalwarts during free agency in wide receiver Trent Sherfield Jr. and safety Sam Franklin. The Broncos used their fourth-round pick on Que Robinson, an outside linebacker who was a prolific special teams player at Alabama. They were also the only team to draft a punter, using their sixth-round selection on Florida's Jeremy Crawshaw, who has already made a strong impression on his new coach. 'Here's a guy that came from Australia, went to an SEC school, a top-level college program, had a ton of success,' Rizzi said. 'His maturity level, he's kind of beyond his years. When we were kind of evaluating all the punters in this draft, his name came up. I really feel like his intangibles, his off-the-field stuff, was A-plus. Now, his talent level is tremendous as well. I really believe that at that position, at a specialist position, your demeanor might be just as important as your ability because it's a one-play-and-done (job). You have to have the mentality of kind of a batter in baseball, if you will, or a golfer. You have to go on to the next swing. I really like his level-headedness.'
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
The college sports employment case that looms as the NCAA's next pivotal court battle
The final settlement of the House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit is a huge relief to college sports. It's the start of a new economic model and a chance for college sports leaders to show legislators and the public they are capable of change. Here is what it is not: The end of their legal troubles. Throughout the final stretch of this case, many involved have pointed to the next big one coming down the pike. Johnson vs. NCAA, which has been moving through the courts for almost six years now, gets into one of the thorniest issues in college sports: employment. It could be a clarifying win for the NCAA, or it could be the case that hastens the big changes many have predicted — football breaking away from the rest of college sports, and a football Super League. Advertisement In February 2019, Ralph 'Trey' Johnson, a former running back at Villanova, sued the NCAA and nearly a dozen schools, claiming that athletes should be recognized as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The case has slowly wound through the system, growing to include other former athletes while NCAA efforts to have the case dismissed have been swatted away. Essentially, the Johnson side argues that the NCAA and its schools have gotten away for decades — and continue to do so, even in the age of name, image and likeness payments and revenue sharing — with having athletes take part in a relationship that has all the appearances of employment, without paying them an hourly wage. 'Athletes should have the same, limited student employee status as classmates selling popcorn at NCAA games,' said Paul McDonald, the lead lawyer for the Johnson side. The NCAA argues that the arrangement has worked for decades, benefits athletes and still works for them, especially with NIL, revenue sharing and cost-of-attendance payments added to the pile. But the organization also seems to acknowledge this as another challenge to the system, and hopes it can be solved through federal legislation rather than the courts. 'The NCAA is making changes to deliver more financial benefits to student-athletes but there are issues such as employment that can only be addressed by Congress,' the NCAA said in a statement to The Athletic this spring. 'The Association looks forward to working with student-athletes and lawmakers to set a stable, and sustainable future for all 500,000 student-athletes.' The case could go to trial as early as next year. There's always a chance the NCAA and the plaintiffs will settle, as in the House case, which leads to new rules and perhaps collective bargaining. But for now, both sides seem dug in. McDonald sees this as a civil rights and fairness issue, and asks why athletes aren't treated the same as student concession stand workers, teaching assistants or any student who does work for the university and is considered an employee. Those students are usually paid hourly, often minimum wage, because they are performing a job. McDonald argues athletes should have the same 'equal treatment' to classmates in work-study student employment, some of whom are also on academic scholarships that don't preclude them from earning a wage. Advertisement 'This would be easy to implement using NCAA-mandated timesheets, and affordable on hourly, minimum wage scales — particularly if colleges stop overpaying some coaches,' McDonald said. 'Colleges have never explained why they oppose this easy and equitable solution.' Johnson filed his case before the NIL and revenue sharing eras began, but McDonald argues that should have no impact: While NIL payments are based on an individual's popularity and revenue sharing rewards a sport's popularity, all athletes should be deemed employees because they are performing a job. For several reasons, colleges and universities are very much against employment. There's the culture of college athletics, the idea that these are students seeking a degree and also playing sports, rather than paid athletes. Some cynics say there's a measure of control involved too, especially with the coach-player dynamic. And of course, there's the money. Every employee has a salary and other costs attached, and paying them all hourly wages would wreck budgets. The SEC and a group of education associations filed an amicus brief in the Johnson case, warning that only 2 percent of NCAA member schools generate enough revenue to cover operating costs. 'If colleges and universities are forced to pay their student-athletes (as employees) it is inevitable that many schools will simply eliminate athletics teams, with non-revenue sports teams the most likely to be on the chopping block,' the brief read. The other possible result: The richest schools pulling away from the rest of the NCAA, as the disparity between the haves and have-nots widens. Every school, even the big brands, is adjusting costs and chasing more revenue to pay for revenue sharing. Employment for athletes could prompt another wave of cost-adjusting and revenue-chasing. Advertisement Preventing athletes from being employees has been a central focus of the NCAA in federal legislation, and the House of Representatives' Education and Workforce committee plans to work to codify that restriction as part of a set of bills in the works from three House committees this week. Of course, any federal law could still be challenged in the courts, which is why outside observers think this will still be settled there. What constitutes employment can be a complicated issue, including various tests. Does the employer have the right to hire and fire the employee? Does the employer set rules and working hours? How much day-to-day supervision is involved? There have been court cases before on employment status, but none quite like this. 'In the employment law world, you have employees and you have non-employees. There's only two buckets,' said Josh Nadreau, an employment lawyer in Massachusetts who has advised some schools on employment issues. 'And I think with respect to looking at student athletes, to try to put them into this two-bucket paradigm is complicated.' There could be a lesson in what the Third Circuit said last year when it denied the NCAA's attempt to dismiss the case. The circuit court judges devised a test to determine whether athletes are employees, which could lead to different conclusions about athletes in revenue versus non-revenue sports. 'They're not subject to the same pressures, they're not subject to the same economic forces,' Nadreau said. 'I think at some point we'll start drawing circles around different groups, some will be employees and some will not.' For many, that's the clean solution, but McDonald is not distinguishing between sports in his arguments. Field hockey players, though their sport is not a revenue driver, also work hard and compete for their school, serving essentially as brand ambassadors, and have expectations from their coaches. Meanwhile, the NCAA has expressed no interest in granting hourly wages to any athletes, even those in football and basketball, hoping the House settlement's revenue-sharing structure shows that athletes are now being sufficiently paid. One final caveat: Expecting this to play out the same way as the House case ignores that it has a different lawyer and is also starting on the opposite coast. The House case, led by Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler, went before the same federal judge, Claude Wilken, in California, who oversaw the Alston case (also led by Berman and Kessler) that eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously against the NCAA's ability to cap education-related benefits. The Johnson case was filed in Pennsylvania, which the Third Circuit oversees, so it could proceed predominantly on the East Coast. Advertisement But unless and until the case makes it to the Supreme Court — or gets settled — there could still be more lawsuits and differing rulings. The result could be a mish-mash of laws, with athletes' employment statuses depending on where you live. 'The question of common sense comes down to who's deciding,' Nadreau said. 'What some people might say is common sense might be different than the rest of the country.'
NBC Sports
40 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Khalil Mack: Staying with Chargers was less about finances than about winning games
Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack says looking for the most lucrative contract offer wasn't his top priority as free agency approached in March. Mack, who stayed with the Chargers on a one-year, $18 million deal, said he thinks there's more he can accomplish with the Chargers and wants to be part of what they're building. 'I had to be fair in the approach to things and not making it about just finances and all the different things,' Mack said, via ESPN. 'I tried to make it more so just about winning ball games.' The Chargers went 11-6 last season in Jim Harbaugh's first year as head coach, and that has Mack thinking about a bright future in Los Angeles. 'Just not wanting to give up on that goal and that ambition that I have ever since I stepped into the league,' Mack said. 'I knew I wanted to play in important games and win a Super Bowl.' For all that he has accomplished in his NFL career, Mack has never experienced winning a playoff game. That's something he thinks he can do with the Chargers, and is one of the reasons he's back for another year.
