Dan Orlovsky ranks Matthew Stafford in top 10 of these 3 quarterback traits
ESPN analyst and ex-NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky (who was also a one-time Rams quarterback and teammate of Matthew Stafford on the Detroit Lions) made his own top 10 rankings before the season, but with his twist: He looked at top 10 starting NFL quarterbacks through the lens of seven traits: arm strength, ball placement, mechanics, decision-making, pocket presence, rushing ability and second-reaction creativity.
Each trait got its own top-10 list. Some were similar, some were different.
Stafford made the top 10 in four of those seven: arm strength, ball placement, mechanics and decision-making. He ranked fifth in arm strength, sixth in ball placement, third in mechanics and sixth in decision-making. Stafford didn't make the top 10 in second-reaction, rushing or pocket presence.
While Stafford didn't make the top 10 for all seven traits, he was among the seven quarterbacks to be in at least four of the lists. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson made all seven, while Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes made six. Stafford tied Justin Herbert with four top 10 traits.
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Greg Olsen finds common ground with Tom Brady through youth sports
Greg Olsen says we can look at his relationship with Tom Brady like two young players on a football field. The association begins as they clash with one another on the field, but it develops into a friendship. "It's very similar to how we were with so many guys in the locker room, right?" Olsen tells USA TODAY Sports, "whether they're guys at your position group that you're competing with for time or guys on the offensive side of the ball that you're competing with for opportunities and targets and catches and plays in the game plan. "Competition is at the center of everything at a high level. And anything that is competitive and anything that's worth doing is going to come with that level of competitive spirit." When he retired after a 14-year NFL career as a three-time Pro Bowl tight end, Olsen, 40, quickly rose to Fox's No. 1 color commentator during games and worked Super Bowl 57 with Kevin Burkhardt between the Chiefs and Eagles on Feb. 12, 2023. He was replaced by Brady, as the network's top analyst to start the 2024 season. It stung but, Olsen says, the demotion didn't get in the way of the two learning more about each other when Brady arrived at the network. "No different than some of my best friends that were teammates," Olsen says. "Yes, we were on the same team, but the better I do, I'm going to take more balls away from you and I'm going to get more playing time from you and you're trying to do the same thing to me, but that doesn't mean I want you to drop every pass and run the wrong route. That's a complete opposite of the nature of team that everyone's trying to build in this profession. "Tom and I have had a really good both professional and now a personal relationship and prior to the last year, we didn't have a real deep personal (one) – we obviously, had played against each other a lot and had a ton of respect – but just getting to know him as a person, as a dad, as just a friend, we both have young teenage daughters, and we kind of share and laugh over stories about that, and then we're also both raising teenage sons, which is a whole different world." When he retired, Olsen found himself like many of us with kids who play sports: Confused and even overwhelmed, He created the Youth Inc. podcast. He brought in famous athletes and coaches as well medical experts and noted commentators in the youth sports space. On Aug. 12, Olsen and his partners are launched Youth Inc. , as a digital content and commerce platform built for youth sports families, coaches, and teams. It debuts with a Brady interview, in which the two directly address their relationship publicly for the first time. "As long as I'm cool with you, I know that's all that matters," Brady tells Olsen in the interview. "I'll be here for you for anything because you've been available to me." USA TODAY Sports spoke with Olsen and co-founder Ryan Baise about Youth Inc.'s launch. What is Youth Inc.? Youth Inc. started in 2022 as a series of podcasts in which Olsen took his easygoing style and analytic football mind that breaks down complex schemes into simpler terms. "I've been the first to say this podcast is not for us to tell everybody else how much we know and you need to do things the way we do it," Olsen says. "Listen, I'm along this journey and this learning process right alongside our listeners. I don't pretend to have all the answers." With the help of a $4.5 million seed funding, the platform has expanded offerings, marketing itself as a one-stop shop for media content, merchandise and business services. "The focus for us has not really been X's and O's content or coaching drills or things like that. We felt like there's good resources out there if you're going to look for that type of content," says Baise, who leads the organization's e-commerce initiative. "There's pros and cons in this youth sports world and the way that it's evolving, but fundamentally, at its core, we believe that there's nothing better than youth's sports for a child, as a parent, for society when done right." COACH STEVE: 'Work of the devil'? Two noted authors, dads, test limits of travel sports How has Youth Inc. changed? While Youth Inc. will still offer podcasts – Malcolm Gladwell, Ryan Day, Bryce Young and Clayton Kershaw are part of the new season – it now offers an array of digital content. This author contributed to it earlier this year in an interview with Coach RAC, of Savannah Bananas fame, and his parents. Coach RAC, who distills complicated baseball drills into friendly bite-sized social media nuggets for kids, is part of the spirit of the new movement. "We have three pillars of the content: Information, inspiration, and then entertainment," Baise says. Tim Murphy, a third founder who has worked at Audacy and The New York Times, has helped acquire content and expertise for the website. You can search by sport and topic (training and nutrition, mental health, parenting, coaching, tryouts etc.) to find written, audio and visual content. "I spend a lot of time coaching and parenting and in the world of youth sports, running practices and games and managing teams and all that, and I still get a lot of the things wrong," Olsen says. "I still do things where I look back at the end of the day, of the week and I say I probably should have done that better or different or whatever the case may be. So I'm right along with our viewers and there's a curiosity that I have." Baise, who worked for Fanatics, has brought in a fanwear space primarily for high schools and travel clubs. COACH STEVE: How can kids, parents get the most out of youth sports? 10 tips from Coach RAC What did Tom Brady tell Greg Olsen's middle school team When Brady was starting out as a broadcaster, Olsen offered him advice on the profession. Brady provided an inspirational message for Olsen's team this season. Olsen coaches his two sons – Tate, 14, and T.J., 12 – for a Charlotte, North Carolina middle school. He also has a daughter, Talbot, who is TJ's twin. "His message was that this is the highlight of your life," Olsen says. "Like these are the moments that you're gonna always remember playing football with your buddies for your school, with your parents and the town and your friends in the stands, playing the team from across town that you grew up playing. It's just the moments of playing for your school, in all sports, playing for your school is the best. It is just, it is so much more special than all the other travel ball and super teams and showcases where everybody's just a rent-a- player. Like, this is sports at its purest form." What is Olsen's message to youth athletes and their parents We know from his chat with Brady that the future Hall of Famer was a backup quarterback who didn't know how to put his pads on correctly. Nothing came easy, but he was always prepared because he says he knew how to compete. It was an area of common ground the two found they shared. "Continue to take a long-term approach," Olsen says. "And I think in today's day and age, it's so easy to be creatures of the moment and get caught up in the moment in time. And it's a snapshot of a really long journey. And I think for young kids, mine being in this group, they all view themselves where they are right now. Like, everyone is so worried about comparing to your peers in this moment in time, and especially for the young kids, what they don't realize is it's not a level playing field. Maturity and development and all of that stuff happens at very different paces for different kids, boys, girls, and then obviously within all of those divisions and age. So if everyone can just keep the idea is to get better. "Everyone's doing whatever they can to make that given all-star, that showcase, that Instagram reel, whatever that moment in time of success or failure becomes it becomes almost an indictment of labeling these kids of who they're going to be the rest of their life. And what we know is it's not a race to 12. It's not a race to who's the best sixth grader. It's just not the way sports works, even though at times it feels like it does.' What are Olsen's future broadcasting plans? Olsen will work games for Fox this season with the goal of getting back to a Super Bowl. "I'm sure that's not unique to me," he says. "I'm sure every guy who gets a microphone at Fox, CBS, NBC, everybody wants to elevate to that next level. "I didn't know a lot of things that I know now, and that was no different than when I was a player. That was no different when I was a broadcaster. And I'm sure Tom would say the same thing. His first year as a quarterback, he probably wasn't nearly as good as he was in year 20. "Him being good doesn't make me bad. Me being good, doesn't make him bad. It doesn't work like that. It's independent. We can both pursue excellence at our given career." Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons' baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here. Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greg Olsen, Tom Brady find common ground through youth sports
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NFL training camp live updates: At what point should we worry about Malik Nabers' availability?
[NFL preseason Week 1 schedule | Top camp stories | NFL team feeds | NFL training camp/preseason live blog] One full week of NFL preseason action is in the books, and there's plenty to talk about. Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Tuesday Malik Nabers won't practice yet again, this time in joint sessions with the Jets, and this is becoming a bigger thing by the day. Nabers hasn't practiced since leaving practice on Aug. 6, which he said at the time was part of "the process." What's more, Daboll wouldn't answer questions Tuesday about whether Nabers requires additional tests on his toe at this point. Nabers has dealt with a lingering toe injury since college, which he's acknowledged might ultimately require surgery, but said earlier in camp the Giants have a "great" day-to-day management plan for it. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] This is all about his availability for the regular season, so while fans (and Nabers himself) may have been looking forward to potential matchups vs. All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner in joint practices with the Jets, the Giants aren't going to risk it if they don't have to. Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in just 15 games last season as a rookie, and this was with suspect quarterback play. So it's pretty clear that when healthy, the Giants hit a home run on this pick. But Nabers is pretty much the focal point of their offense. The more time he misses with a yearslong lingering injury, the more eyebrows it's going to raise. Top NFL training camp stories Shedeur Sanders still fourth on Browns' depth chart: It's an unofficial depth chart, so take it with a grain of salt. But even after his solid NFL preseason debut against the Panthers, fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders was still listed fourth on the Browns' depth chart Monday, behind presumptive QB1 Joe Flacco, veteran Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Flacco and Pickett reportedly won't play in Saturday's second preseason game against the Eagles. So will Sanders start that one? "I'm not there on the game itself," head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. Patriots might have gotten a steal in TreVeyon Henderson: In a quiet moment before the second day of the 2025 NFL Draft, Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf sat down to review his three favorite players still on the board. He pulled up a reel of 100 or so carries Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson had attempted against what Wolf considered 'good' teams. Wolf didn't make it through all 100. 'I watched 15 runs and I was like, 'What am I doing? This is the guy,'' Wolf told Yahoo Sports on Sunday. 'We have way bigger needs than running back and still do. But it was just an opportunity to get a weapon potentially there in the second round.' Then, in Friday's preseason opener, Henderson took the opening kickoff back 100 yards for a touchdown. Steelers' Cam Heyward talks hold-in: A standoff between the Steelers and their star defensive tackle is brewing. On Monday, All-Pro tackle Cam Heyward confirmed reports of a hold-in, telling reporters that he was looking for a restructured deal that better represented his 2024 season. The 36-year-old tackle signed a three-year extension with Pittsburgh last September. But Heyward told reporters on Monday that he had told the Steelers at the time to expect him back at the table this year if he was named All-Pro in 2024. Heyward said that he is also weighing longer-term options to get his deal, and might be willing to miss some regular-season games in order to get Pittsburgh to renegotiate. "I think there are definitely options out there that could reflect that," Heyward said, NFL team feeds AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks NFL training camp/preseason live blog Follow along below as Yahoo Sports tracks all the news, rumors and updates from NFL training camps:
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NFL joint practices live: The latest news, injury updates and highlights
We're talking about practice. Joint practices are all the rage in the NFL now, with teams weathering the heat and the doldrums of August training camps to work things out with one another on the practice field. These practices can highlight a lot of issues for a team that's used to facing off against teammates during scrimmages, 7-on-7, 11-on-11 and more, while also getting one another prepped for forthcoming preseason showdowns. Starting Aug. 12, joint practices continue with 20 teams facing off against one another this week: The Tennessee Titans travel to the Atlanta Falcons practice facility, while the New York Jets and New York Giants look to establish early New York football supremacy. The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers were scheduled to meet up in a regional get-together on Wednesday, but canceled due to injury concerns. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns travel to the Philadelphia Eagles' turf to square off ahead of their preseason Week 2 matchup. USA TODAY Sports will provide updates from joint practices below, including news, highlights, injury updates and maybe even the occasional scuffle. All times are Eastern. NFL joint practice live updates Malik Nabers not practicing for Giants Per Art Stapleton, the Giants wideout is one of several Giants not practicing today: Darnell Mooney injury update The Falcons wideout injured his shoulder during the Falcons first practice of training camp on July 25. His timeline for return hasn't been clarified, with coach Raheem Morris saying "I don't know" when it comes to his return date. NFL training camp joint practice schedule The NFL announced the full schedule of joint practice sessions for this year's preseason in mid-June. Below is the complete joint practice schedule: Aug. 5: Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens Aug. 5: Los Angeles Rams @ Dallas Cowboys Aug. 6: Cleveland Browns @ Carolina Panthers Aug. 6: Washington Commanders @ New England Patriots Aug. 7: Denver Broncos @ San Francisco 49ers Aug. 7: Tennessee Titans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Aug. 8: Miami Dolphins @ Chicago Bears Aug. 12: New York Giants @ New York Jets Aug. 12: Tennessee Titans @ Atlanta Falcons Aug. 13: Cleveland Browns @ Philadelphia Eagles Aug. 13: Miami Dolphins @ Detroit Lions Aug. 13: New York Jets @ New York Giants Aug. 13: New England Patriots @ Minnesota Vikings Aug. 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Pittsburgh Steelers Aug. 14: Arizona Cardinals @ Denver Broncos Aug. 14: Carolina Panthers @ Houston Texans Aug. 14: Green Bay Packers @ Indianapolis Colts Aug. 14: San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders Aug. 15: Buffalo Bills @ Chicago Bears Aug. 21: Baltimore Ravens @ Washington Commanders Aug. 21: Houston Texans @ Detroit Lions Aug. 21: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Miami Dolphins Aug. 21: Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL joint practices live: Updates, injury news, highlights
