
Pete Carroll, Aaron Rodgers head a list of familiar faces in new places this NFL season
But the oldest face in a new place this NFL season is 73-year-old Pete Carroll on the sideline in Las Vegas. Carroll is leading the Raiders after a one-year hiatus from coaching following 14 years with the Seahawks.
Rodgers and Wilson are the most notable quarterbacks who changed teams. Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston also found new homes.
Several star wide receivers joined Adams and Kupp on the move, including DK Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs and George Pickens.
On the defensive side, Super Bowl standouts Josh Sweat and Milton Williams cashed in after helping the Philadelphia Eagles dominate Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Teammate Darius Slay also moved on. Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick swapped teams. Jonathan Allen, Grady Jarrett, Joey Bosa, Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw are wearing new uniforms.
Here are 25 of the top players on new teams:
Aaron Rodgers
The four-time NFL MVP chose to extend his career with the Steelers after two disappointing seasons with the New York Jets. The 41-year-old Rodgers had the worst record of his career last season, going 5-12. But he still threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 90.5 passer rating. The Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin are hoping Rodgers has one more run to help them overcome their recent playoff failures.
Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston
The 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback is on his fourth team in five seasons. He started 6-1 in Pittsburgh last year but the team lost five straight games to end the season. Wilson had 2,482 yards passing, 16 TDs, five picks and a 95.6 passer rating in 11 games in the regular season. He signed with the New York Giants, who also added Winston and then drafted QB Jaxson Dart in the first round.
Geno Smith
Carroll reunited with Smith in Las Vegas following a trade with the Seahawks. Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who rejuvenated his career in Seattle after replacing Wilson, gives the Raiders stability at QB.
Sam Darnold
After a breakout year in Minnesota, Darnold cashed in with the Seahawks in free agency. He threw for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs, 12 picks and a 102.5 passer rating while going 14-4 with the Vikings.
Justin Fields
The No. 11 overall pick in 2021 by Chicago showed promise in Pittsburgh, going 4-2 in six starts. He'll get an opportunity to prove himself with the New York Jets.
Davante Adams
The three-time All-Pro went from Las Vegas to New York during last season and back to the West Coast with the Los Angeles Rams. Adams had 85 catches for 1,083 yards and eight TDs last season.
Cooper Kupp
The Seahawks traded Metcalf and signed Kupp, the 2021 AP Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. Kupp hasn't played a full season since '21 but had 67 receptions for 710 yards and six TDs in 12 games in 2024.
DK Metcalf
Before Rodgers officially signed with the Steelers, they gave him a No. 1 receiver. The two-time Pro Bowl pick had 66 catches for 992 yards and five TDs in 15 games last season for Seattle.
Deebo Samuel
The Washington Commanders gave Jayden Daniels another playmaker, acquiring Samuel from San Francisco.
Stefon Diggs
Coming off a torn ACL, the four-time Pro Bowl wideout headed to New England to give Drake Maye a top option.
George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys acquired the mercurial Pickens from Pittsburgh to team with CeeDee Lamb and bolster Dak Prescott's options.
Laremy Tunsil
The Commanders got the five-time Pro Bowl left tackle from Houston to protect Daniels' blind side.
Joe Thuney
A two-time All-Pro guard, Thuney was dealt from Kansas City to Chicago, which revamped its offensive line to better protect Caleb Williams.
Josh Sweat
Sweat turned 2 1/2 sacks in the Super Bowl into a $76.4 million deal from the Cardinals.
Milton Williams
After getting two sacks in the Super Bowl, Williams received a $104 million deal from the Patriots.
Darius Slay
The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback stayed in Pennsylvania, going from the Eagles to the Steelers.
Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jonnu Smith
Pittsburgh also boosted its coverage unit by trading for Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro cornerback. The Steelers sent Fitzpatrick, a three-time All-Pro safety, to Miami in the trade that also brought tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh.
Jonathan Allen
After two Pro Bowl seasons in eight years in Washington, Allen signed with the Vikings to boost the interior of their defensive line.
Grady Jarrett
The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle joined Chicago after 10 seasons in Atlanta.
Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw
An All-Pro safety in 2022, Hufanga left San Francisco for Denver. So did Greenlaw, the veteran linebacker.
Joey Bosa
The five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher signed with the Buffalo Bills after nine seasons with the Chargers.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
41 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers eager for helmet switch: ‘It looks like a spaceship'
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is still feeling things out in Pittsburgh, in more ways than one. The NFL's oldest player, who wrapped up his initial (and likely only) training camp with the Steelers at Saint Vincent College on Tuesday, is still searching for the right helmet. The league banned the helmet Rodgers has long preferred because it didn't meet certain safety standards. He's not exactly enthralled with the replacement he's been using. 'I'm trying to change (it),' Rodgers told reporters. 'We're in the process still. It looks like a damn spaceship out there. We've got to change it.' The 41-year-old pointed out that the facemask he has used in the past, which he's still trying to use now, doesn't fit. 'It an old facemask, just like I'm old,' Rodgers said. 'But we're trying to find the right helmet now.' Rodgers will have to get comfortable being a little uncomfortable until the team figures out a solution. He — and his current helmet — could get meaningful reps against another club for the first time on Thursday when the Steelers and Tampa Bay hold a joint practice ahead of the Buccaneers' visit to Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. While it's unclear whether Rodgers will play in either of Pittsburgh's two remaining preseason games, he is eager to get behind center against Tampa Bay. 'It's good to go against a different team (because) … you get a chance to go against not-vanilla defenses,' he said. 'So hopefully (Tampa Bay coach) Todd (Bowles), he probably won't show everything, but he'll do some stuff to stress our protection and give us a chance to get some film to work on.' Pittsburgh's offense — without Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf or running back Jaylen Warren — put up 31 points last weekend in an exhibition victory over Jacksonville. Rodgers praised the efficiency of backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. He also got a feel for what the 'operation' might look like when he gets on the field. Rodgers also did his best to be what he called 'the voice of reason' on the headset. 'Sometimes people freak out on there and start yelling and screaming,' the four-time NFL MVP said, with more than a hint of his dry humor. 'Or other times, people are talking that shouldn't be talking. But I'm more of the comic relief on there.' All kidding aside, Rodgers believes the offense has made some progress since the rocky opening days of camp. Perhaps just as importantly, he's made it a point to try and get to know his new teammates, some of whom were toddlers (if that) when Rodgers entered the league 20 years ago. That includes popping up in different spots when the team goes out to stretch before practice, which allows him to chat informally Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'So many times I feel like the expectation is that leaders have got to be at the front of line,' Rodgers said. 'But you know, sometimes to lead properly you have to serve and serving sometimes involves you being at the back.' It also provides him with a different and welcome perspective on what the vibe might be like on a given day. 'I don't need to be out front the entire time when I'm here,' he said. 'I want to make connections with the guys, and sometimes those guys hanging in the back are hanging in back for a reason. So those are the conversations I want to have.' ___ AP NFL:


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
NFL appeals Nevada Supreme Court ruling allowing Jon Gruden's lawsuit to proceed
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NFL will appeal the Nevada Supreme Court's ruling Monday that former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden can proceed with his lawsuit and not go through the league for arbitration. The league will request a rehearing from the same court that overturned a prior Nevada Supreme Court panel ruling in May 2024 that the matter could go to arbitration. But in October, Gruden was granted a hearing by the full court. Gruden filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging that a 'malicious and orchestrated campaign' to destroy his career by leaking old emails he sent that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments that pressured the Raiders to fire him. Gruden resigned from the Raiders in October 2021 and sued the league a month later. In 2022, the NFL appealed to Nevada's high court after a judge in Las Vegas rejected league bids to dismiss Gruden's claim outright or to order out-of-court talks through an arbitration process that could be overseen by Goodell. The Nevada Supreme Court, in a 5-2 ruling, said that 'the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution is unconscionable and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.' Gruden was an on-air analyst at ESPN from 2011-18 when the emails were sent. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. He was the Raiders' coach when the team moved in 2020 to Las Vegas from Oakland, California. He's seeking monetary damages, saying that selective disclosure of the emails and their publication by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times ruined his career and endorsement contracts. Gruden coached the Raiders in Oakland from 1998 to 2001, then led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven years, winning a Super Bowl title in 2003. He spent several years as a TV analyst for ESPN before being hired by the Raiders again in 2018. He later consulted for the New Orleans Saints in 2023. He is now a part-owner and consultant for the Nashville Kats, a team in the Arena Football One league. ___ AP NFL:


Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
From NFL stars to HBCU head coaches: Vick and Jackson on same path as they briefly reunite in Philly
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Vick tossed the ball to DeSean Jackson at much shorter distances than, say, the time the former Eagles connected on an 88-yard touchdown pass in 2010. Wearing a green polo shirt and cap, Vick still had some zip on the left arm. Jackson laughed as he made a few short runs before he had to change out of a white T-shirt and into a sports coat. The kind of outfit needed at a news conference for a head coach. Vick and Jackson haven't played for the Eagles in more than a decade but the two franchise greats felt every bit at home Tuesday at their old stomping ground at the team's complex. The duo have now graduated into becoming rookie head coaches at HBCU schools; Vick at Norfolk State and Jackson at Delaware State out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They are the kind of football programs and a conference that would never have such a major platform in the regular season as the one they will boast when Vick and Jackson go head-to-head (well, the teams will) on Oct. 30 at Lincoln Financial Field — the home of the Super Bowl champs. 'The Linc gets crazy already,' Jackson said. 'Now you've got two legends. It's going to be hype.' Vick, who played quarterback, and Jackson, who was a receiver, each hope to add one more signature moment as coaches in Philadelphia after a career full of them during successful tenures with the Eagles (as well as other stops in the NFL). 'There are a lot of things we could be doing,' Vick said. 'But we chose to go down this route.' Neither Vick nor Jackson have coaching experience but they are just the latest former NFL stars who had not coached before taking the helm at an HBCU program, a club that includes Deion Sanders and Eddie George. Norfolk State has made only one playoff appearance since moving to FCS in 1997. The last five Spartan head coaches have had losing records, including Dawson Odoms, who was fired in November after going 15-30 in four seasons. Jackson replaced Lee Hull after the Hornets went 1-11 last season. Sanders eventually jumped from an HBCU program to a Big 12 team in Colorado. He led Colorado to a 9-4 record last season and earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl. 'Without Deion's success, our success would never be presented to us,' Jackson said. 'When I had an opportunity to be in this role, in this seat, I reached out to him. I never thought I would be a coach. I'm just going to be real. All those years I played, I seen how much time the coaches spent in the building. After practice, meetings.' Vick actually approached Jackson about joining his coaching staff at Norfolk State. Jackson considered the opportunity but jumped at his own chance to run a program. 'The kids and the youth are something that we really pour into,' Jackson said. 'To have all the information and the knowledge we have, it would be selfish for us not to give back to these young men that are trying to get somewhere in life.' Vick said he always wanted to coach and spent most of the last few years coaching his daughter's flag football team. Vick — who earned a second chance in Philadelphia after his NFL career with Atlanta was derailed by his conviction in 2007 for his involvement in a dogfighting ring — had run football camps since he was a rookie with the Falcons. 'Every time I have a camp, I feel bad when I leave, I feel bad when the kid goes on to get other coaching,' Vick said. 'It was always in me to be with a group of young men, to develop them, see how they transition over a three-month period, a six-month period, a 12-month period.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The good friends (each called the other a brother) now get a chance to measure their own coaching careers over those same time frames, and beyond. Just maybe if the wins come, they'll get a call to a Power Four program like Sanders. 'Hopefully, I won't say hopefully,' Vick said, 'it will be a success.' ___ AP NFL: