BREAKING NEWS Chiefs strike historic deal with Trey Smith as Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes ally agrees to stay
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Smith's new deal includes $70m guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid guard in NFL history.
The 26-year-old is also set to earn the highest-average annual salary and most guaranteed money ever handed to a guard.
With both Smith and Creed Humphrey in their ranks, Kansas City now has the highest-paid guard and center in the NFL after agreeing a record deal with the former.
Humphrey, meanwhile, signed a four-year extension of his own worth $72m with $50m guaranteed in August 2024.
The Chiefs had until 4pm Tuesday to reach an agreement with Smith after using their franchise tag on the two-time Super Bowl champion, thereby giving themselves of another year of control over him.
More to follow.
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The Herald Scotland
25 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
NFL teams that could be more explosive: Chiefs, Bears up in 2025?
Still, summer in the NFL is all about examining untapped upside, and there are more than a few groups that have significant potential for becoming more dynamic. Here are five teams that are shaping up to be more explosive this season than they were last year: Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes had a clear statement of purpose for the Chiefs' offense in offseason workouts. "Our job is to test the defenses down the field and we have to get back to doing that if we want to open up other guys underneath," Mahomes said in June. "Coach (Andy) Reid has challenged me this offseason to push the ball down the field, let guys have chances to make plays and then once we get that back to where we want to be in our standard that we believe we should have, then we can come back to the underneath stuff." The sentiment, however, is almost exactly the same as what he put forward a year ago as the team looked to rediscover its freewheeling ways. And last season's outcome serves as a reminder of how quickly even the most dedicated effort can fall apart. With Rashee Rice and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown lost for the majority of the season by September, Kansas City quickly reverted to the more laborious method it has pivoted to in recent years. Two years after leading the NFL with 73 completions of 20-plus yards, the Chiefs had the sixth fewest in 2024 with just 42. With the deep game disintegrated and the field compressed, Mahomes' average air yards per attempt sagged to a career-low 6.3, according to Next Gen Stats. As in past years, part of the problem stems from the preponderance of two-high shells the team has continued to face as opposing defenses deny Mahomes anything deep and instead force him to be more patient and discerning. But much of the disappearance of the downfield game also traces back to the injury-ravaged receiving corps that failed to find consistent separation and an offensive line that came undone in critical stretches. Getting back Rice, who could be facing a suspension after being sentenced for his role in a high-speed crash last year, and Brown no doubt will be a boon, with the former able to do plenty of heavy lifting as a go-to target underneath. But while Xavier Worthy showed promise once his role shifted after Rice's season-ending knee injury, the first-rounder still has a long way to go to be the downfield burner the team envisioned him as when it selected him in the first round last April. But if the 40-yard dash record setter can improve on his 10.8 yards per catch average, it could have a significant ripple effect for the rest of the unit. Meanwhile, a trimmer Travis Kelce could be more dynamic after averaging a career-low 8.5 yards per catch last fall. A more pressing concern than the pass-catching crew, however, could be the offensive front. The Chiefs made sizable investments at left tackle - a two-year, $30 million contract for Jaylon Moore and a first-round pick used on Josh Simmons - after Mahomes' blindside protection quickly proved insufficient last fall. And with Joe Thuney sent to Chicago, Kansas City is counting on either Mike Caliendo or Kingsley Suamataia, who began last year as the starting left tackle before being benched, to hold down the left guard spot. Affording Mahomes sufficient time to take chances could be the difference between an offensive rebirth and yet again having to repeatedly scrape by on third and fourth downs. But if given the window, there's little question that the Chiefs will be looking to take their shot whenever they can. Ben Johnson's explanation this offseason of his stance on the Tush Push, the Philadelphia Eagles' signature variation on the quarterback sneak, served as a window into the first-year Bears coach's offensive philosophy. "Man, I tell you what, does it become an explosive play ever? Have you ever seen a Tush Push become an explosive play? I like explosive plays," Johnson said in May. "I like big plays. "So I'm not a big Tush Push guy myself." Of course, Johnson's mindset would have been readily evident to anyone familiar with his work orchestrating the Detroit Lions' offense for the previous three years. His units ranked in the top five for both yards and points every season during that span. The peak came in 2024, when the Lions led the NFL in scoring and tied a league record by reaching at least 40 points in six games. Detroit also had the most touchdowns of at least 20 yards with 18. It's little wonder, then, that Johnson was such a draw to a team that finished last in yards per game (284.6) amid heightened expectations for quarterback Caleb Williams' debut campaign. Johnson has said that while he'll carry over his aggressiveness and focus on taxing defenses in a variety of manners, he'll cater to the Bears' specific personnel landscape. And despite the systemic breakdown that dragged down all parties in 2024, there's a clear sense of big-play potential brewing thanks to Williams' singular creativity, an overhauled offensive line and a receiving corps that could be on the verge of a breakout. Who will crash NFL's postseason party? Ranking 18 non-playoff teams' shot at joining field Still, there's a clear walk-before-you-run element for a Chicago team that was derailed by incessant pressure last season. With Johnson having declared how highly he prizes expected points added in the passing game, his tolerance for drive-killing sacks will be low. The complete remaking of the interior offensive line might go a long way toward resolving the front's most pressing shortcoming, but larger changes are no doubt due after Williams took a league-high 68 sacks. While there's been plenty of questioning about how Williams would jibe with Johnson in a system that calls for the quarterback to stay on schedule, expect the signal-caller to get rid of the ball more quickly and significantly boost his checkdown rate after posting the lowest figure in the league in 2024 at 7.1%, according to Pro Football Focus. Once the attack reaches a level of overall functionality, however, the big plays could come in waves. Johnson excels at throwing defenses off balance to create big gains both through the air and on the ground, and the Bears' skill-position talent could easily capitalize on the run-after-catch opportunities that are sure to come. Tampa Bay Buccaneers It's difficult to find much fault with one of last year's most efficient attacks. The Buccaneers ranked fourth in scoring (29.5 points per game) and fifth in expected points added per play. And with a league-best 50.9% conversion-rate on third downs, Tampa Bay was difficult to stop in its tracks. What, then, could first-year coordinator Josh Grizzard and the offense be setting their sights on as an area for growth this fall? For one: deep shots. "We're trying to get some more explosive (plays) in," quarterback Baker Mayfield told reporters in June. "Obviously, when you look at the stats - I'm not a big stats guy, but we weren't as much down-the-field explosive. We were creating a lot of open, in the middle, and guys getting some YAC." Mayfield and the aerial attack, which Grizzard helmed last year as pass game coordinator, did prove to be particularly deadly operating in the underneath area. Despite losing slot target Chris Godwin to a season-ending dislocated ankle in Week 7, the Buccaneers ranked second in yards after catch with 3,830. Mayfield set career highs with a 71.4% completion rate and 106.8 passer rating along with 4,500 yards and 41 touchdown passes. But the downfield game never quite took off for Tampa Bay, which ranked 29th in average air yards per attempt (6.8). The compressed attack was reflected by the contributions of Mike Evans, a perennial deep threat throughout his career who saw his yards per reception (13.6) and average depth of target (11.58) sink to all-time lows. Even then, his overall efficiency didn't wane, as he tied for sixth in the NFL with 2.8 yards per route run. Still, with Godwin back and first-round receiver Emeka Egbuka in the fold, the Buccaneers will have a better shot at utilizing the full field. As he turns 32 in August, Evans might not be the same field-stretching threat as he once was, though his 91 open score in ESPN's receiver metrics was tied for the league's best mark. But his ability to threaten defenses vertically hardly hinges entirely on speed, as hauling in contested catches down the sideline has long been his calling card. With Godwin and Egbuka holding down the short-to-intermediate area, Evans could benefit with a return to a heavier proportion of his work coming deep downfield. One potential hiccup: All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs' expected early-season absence due to a knee injury could threaten the superlative protection Mayfield has enjoyed. Atlanta Falcons Coaching staffs often look to rein in a young quarterback's aggressiveness. The Falcons want to harness their second-year signal-caller's attacking approach, though striking the right balance could be a season-long project. When Atlanta benched Kirk Cousins for the final three games of last season, it didn't take long for Michael Penix Jr. to strike a stylistic contrast from his veteran predecessor. The rookie averaged 10.2 air yards per attempt during his three-game run, which placed him only behind the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson among starting quarterbacks on the season. But the shift produced a much higher variance from a passing game that still ranked fifth in yards per game despite Cousins' limitations on his mobility and velocity. Penix completed just 58.1% of his passes on the season while struggling with erratic ball placement. "He's an aggressive player with an aggressive arm, but sometimes you got to be able to dial it back a little bit," Falcons quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates said of Penix in May, according to the team's official site. "He has great field vision. He has the ability to manipulate underneath defenders with his eyes. And sometimes he might not need to do that all the time, but it's one of his greatest assets, so we don't want to over-coach or out-coach some of those things out of his system. It's just the process of learning the quarterback and learning how to coach him, and him learning the offense and rolling through those things." Even if Penix does rein in his tendencies a bit, Atlanta no doubt will be looking to embrace a new outlook. Raheem Morris admitted late last season the team had "neglected" the play-action portion of its playbook, and the team should be able to engineer more favorable downfield looks. Penix's deep-ball prowess could also bring out the best in Drake London, who connected with the quarterback for 22 catches for 349 yards and two touchdowns in the final three games last season. With the 6-4 London and speedster Darnell Mooney Jr. both offering a proven track record threatening defenses vertically, Penix could unlock a component of the passing attack that Cousins struggled to access. And while Bijan Robinson picked up rushing yards in bunches after finishing fourth in the NFL with 1,887, the third-year back has drilled down on how to create more long runs after again failing to produce one of 40 yards or more. "I work on it every single day," Robinson said in June. "Obviously, the explosives, we always want them. We've added so many things to this offense so we can create more explosives. And, for me, sometimes it's that one defender, but now that's all. That's what I've been working on all offseason, just seeing that free hitter and making moves off him." The story of the Raiders' offensive downfall was one of compounding problems, with an untenable quarterback situation worsened by a rock-bottom run game and a receiving corps left listless after the Davante Adams trade. It only made sense, then, for Las Vegas to take a multi-pronged approach toward a repair. Bringing aboard Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly provided stability to a franchise that hasn't enjoyed much in the way of consistency since moving to Las Vegas. Another major boost came with Geno Smith settling the longstanding quarterback question. The two-time Pro Bowler has been one of the league's best deep passers in recent years, though having to compensate for a Seattle Seahawks line that struggled to stave off interior pressure somewhat obscured the full extent of his abilities. That experience should prove handy, however, as Smith takes on a heavy load in jolting one of the more inert passing attacks. Do the Silver and Black have enough juice in the receiving corps to give Smith proper help? Brock Bowers is more than capable of serving as the focal point of the attack after his record-setting rookie season. But the Raiders might need Dont'e Thornton, a 6-5, 205-pound fourth-round pick out of Tennessee who ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash and averaged 25.4 yards per catch last year, to create the deep connections that might not otherwise be readily available to other targets. "We want to be efficient. That's the main thing," Smith said in May. "We want to do well in the situations, the third downs, the red zones. But also we want to be explosive. When teams come up and play us in man-to-man (coverage), we have guys that are going to win those matchups. I really feel good about where we are. We're still in work in progress but we're in a good spot and we've just to keep working hard to get better." The Raiders also should see a radical shift in their run game. No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty brings an immediate big-play threat to the backfield after notching 12 runs of 50-plus yards in his final year at Boise State. Las Vegas' longest rush of the season, meanwhile, went for just 40 yards.
The Herald Scotland
25 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Washington Commanders must fight Trump in nickname controversy
Go ahead, Josh Harris. C'mon, Roger Goodell. With a new NFL season kicking off as training camps open - and even more notably, with the Commander-in-Chief wrapping his roll back the clock nonsense with a threat to thwart efforts to build a new stadium for Washington's cherished football team - it's a perfect time to double down on values. So, Donald Trump wants the NFL franchise to reinstate the racial slur as its name? Somebody - and especially Harris, the franchise's owner, and Goodell, the league's commissioner - needs to set the record straight. Publicly. Again. Just because. More: DC locals on Trump's attempt to force Commanders' name change: Stay in your 'own lane' If you're proud to be called the Washington Commanders and dedicated to moving forward with the name that was instituted in 2022, just say so. Instead, as of Monday afternoon, the NFL and Commanders have given us crickets. What a shame. When contacted on Monday by USA TODAY Sports, the Commanders had no comment or statement regarding the remarks Trump posted on social media. The NFL did not respond to a request for a response. Trump also suggested that the Cleveland Guardians go back to their former name and quite nobly, the team had a quick response and reiterated how excited it is to continue building its brand as the Guardians. No confusion there. By contrast, the Commanders (and the NFL) have dropped the ball by hiding in silence. Sure, the issue has played out over decades and Harris, who purchased the franchise from Dan Snyder in 2023 for a record price of $6.05 billion, has repeatedly stated that the old name - the "R-word" - isn't coming back. And no, every time an individual or group demands that they revert back, there's no need to respond. This, however, is a different circumstance that begs for a statement from a franchise that has reinvigorated its fan base with the promise of quality football on top of a new generation of leadership. The don't-dignify-the-insult-with-a-response option doesn't cut it here, given the grandstand that reignited the topic. Never mind that it's highly questionable, if not doubtful, that Trump could block efforts by the team and D.C. City Council to seal the deal for the proposed $4 billion stadium on the grounds of RFK Stadium. He declared, "I may put a restriction on them if they don't change the name back." Perception: You've been punked by the playground bully. Given the journey of the Commanders and the NFL to change from the previous name and previous ownership regime to restore the value of a signature franchise, there's something to be said for standing their ground on principle. In other words, letting it slide looks rather weak. More: Commanders, Guardians name changes were years in the making: Timeline of key events The team deserves for the preseason buzz to focus on expectations attached to the second NFL season with phenomenal quarterback Jayden Daniels, not on whether Trump will try to muck up a deal for a new stadium based on an issue that has come and gone. Oh, the stench of politics. The Commanders and the NFL are better off with Trump in their corner, with the league's tentpole draft coming to D.C. in 2027 fueling momentum for a new stadium that projects for a 2030 completion. By not responding publicly to Trump on the name-change issue, though, the Commanders and NFL have seemingly chosen to try not ticking off the bully who has chosen to scream in your face. Sad. Then again, this line-in-the-sand stuff from Trump was destined to happen at some point for the NFL. During his last term, Trump disparaged the league - including its owners and players - over the national anthem protests. His venom appealed to his base, predictably, yet also forced the NFL to react. This doesn't compare to the anthem protests, but some of the same racial insensitivity exists. And it's no surprise that in targeting the NFL again, Trump is stooping so low to dangle the bait. Which is exactly why, as a matter of principle. the Commanders and the NFL need to double down on their convictions. Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: On X: @JarrettBell On Bluesky:
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Venus Williams, 45, becomes oldest WTA match winner since Navratilova
Venus Williams wanted to send a message – to herself and to others – about coming back from a long layoff, about competing in a sport at age 45, about never giving up. Yes, there was something special about just being back on a tennis court Tuesday night. There also was this: She really, really wanted to win. And Williams did just that, becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, delivering some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns – 22 years her junior – by a 6-3, 6-4 score at the DC Open. 'Each week that I was training, I was, like, 'Oh, my God, I don't know if I'm good enough yet.' And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward. And there would be two weeks where I was, like, 'Oh, God, it's not happening.' Even the week leading up, (I thought), 'Oh, my gosh, I need to improve so much more.' So it's all a head game,' Williams said after her first singles match in more than a year and first singles victory in nearly two. The only older woman to win a tour-level singles match was Martina Navratilova, whose last triumph came at 47 in 2004. The former No 1-ranked Williams had not played singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids. She hadn't won in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as 'inactive'. 'I'm just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health,' Williams said. 'A lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level (and) to play healthy.' Backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and support, her at the hard-court tournament in the nation's capital, Williams showed glimpses of the talent she possesses and the skills she displayed while earning all of her Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in women's doubles – all alongside younger sister Serena – and two in mixed doubles. 'I wanted to play a good match,' Williams told the fans, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: 'and win the match.' In Tuesday's second game, Williams smacked a return winner to get things started, then delivered a couple of other big responses to break Stearns, a 23-year-old who won singles and team NCAA titles at the University of Texas and is currently ranked 35th. In the next game, Williams sprinted forward to reach a drop shot and replied with a forehand winner. The first chorus of cheers arrived when Williams walked out into the main stadium at the DC Open, a 7,000-seat arena that's more than twice as large as where she was for her doubles victory a day earlier. Another came when she strode from the sideline to the center of the court for the coin toss. The noise reached a crescendo when Williams began hitting aces – at 110mph and faster – the way she used to. Keep in mind: Williams won four Grand Slam trophies before Stearns was born. Venus Williams hit big serves and groundstrokes just like she always did 'She played some ball tonight,' Stearns said. 'She was moving really well, which I wasn't expecting too much, honestly. Her serves were just on fire.' There also were moments where Williams – whose fiance was in the stands – looked as if it had been just as long as it actually has since she competed, including in the opening game, when she got broken at love this way: forehand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long, backhand long. At the end, it took Williams a bit of extra effort to close things out. She kept holding match points and kept failing to convert them. But eventually, on her sixth chance, Williams powered in a 112mph serve that Stearns returned into the net. That was it: Williams smiled wide as can be, raised a fist and jogged to the net to shake hands, then performed her customary post-win pirouette-and-wave. 'It's not easy. It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here,' said Williams, who next faces No 5 seed Magdalena Frech, who's 27. 'So I know I'll have to fight for every match. But I'm up for that.'
