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NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Taylor Decker had shoulder surgery, Lions hope he practices after Hall of Fame game
The news that defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike will miss the season with a torn ACL was the biggest headline of head coach Dan Campbell's Sunday press conference, but he provided several other injury updates as well. Left tackle Taylor Decker was placed on the physically unable to perform list upon reporting to training camp and Campbell said that he is recovering from shoulder surgery. Campbell said that the hope is that Decker will be able to start practicing after the Lions face the Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on July 31. 'We feel like there's a good chance we can get [Decker] back after the Hall of Fame Game,' Decker said, via the team's website. 'He's good. Just cleaned up his shoulder a little bit and we're going to work him back in when he's ready to go. He's in a good place.' The wait is set to be a bit longer for defensive end Josh Paschal. Paschal is on the non-football injury list and Campbell, who did not share the nature of Paschal's injury, does not expect him to practice until September.
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL Predictions, Best Bet: Back Cardinals To Win NFC West
We are almost there, with less than two weeks until the Hall of Fame Game between the Lions and Chargers kicks off the 2025 NFL season. Well, the 2025 preseason at least. But, hey, it's football, and it's on television, so there are plenty of reasons to be excited. A division I want to take a look at is the NFC West. The 49ers are +150 favorites, with a win total of 10.5. You will hear plenty of analysts mentioning the 49ers' easy schedule between now and the start of the season. Their soft schedule, coupled with some expected better health after an injury-plagued 2024 season, is reason for optimism in 2025. However, there are also questions. Can Brock Purdy, no longer playing on a team-friendly rookie contract, now carry what is perhaps not the ultra-talented roster that almost won the championship two years ago? Deebo Samuel is now a Commander and Brandon Aiyuk is expected to start the season on the PUP list (physically unable to perform). Meanwhile, the offensive core of Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and George Kittle are all a year older and have a fairly lengthy history of injuries. On defense, key defenders Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Javon Hargrave all exited via free agency. The 49ers are still a viable contender in the NFC, but not sure +150 is worth a bet. The Rams are +195 and have a win total of 9.5. Many will point to their playoff game against the Eagles, by far the toughest playoff test the eventual champs faced, and use that as evidence the Rams can perhaps win it all this year. I'm not going to argue against picking a likely Hall of Fame quarterback and coach duo, but at +195, I'm not inspired to bet them either. As talented as they are, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is 37, has had a history of nagging injuries and will be playing a challenging first-place schedule. The Seahawks went through a total makeover this offseason, trading both their quarterback, Geno Smith, and their best wide receiver, DK Metcalf. While new quarterback Sam Darnold had a breakout year last year in Minnesota, I'm skeptical he can duplicate that success this season behind a weaker offensive line, with lesser surrounding talent on his new team. At +475 odds to win the division, with a win total of 8.5, I am not a buyer of the new-look Seahawks. The team I like is the Arizona Cardinals at +475 (a $10 bet returns $57.50). The Cardinals will bring back two-time Pro Bowl QB Kyler Murray, and an offense that was seventh offensively last year in yards per play. They went all defense in the draft, adding Walter Nolen, Will Johnson, Jordan Burch and a couple of key pieces from the Ohio State defense (Cody Simon and Denzel Burke) that just won the National Championship. That wasn't the only champion they added, as Josh Sweat, a key cog in last year's Eagles defense, now calls the desert home. With a soft early schedule, the Cardinals can get off to a hot start against the likes of the Saints, Panthers, Titans, Colts and Seahawks early on. At +475, in what is a wide-open division, look for a Cardinals team that was 6-4 at one point last year, and went 3-5 in one-score games, to improve enough to surprise in the NFC West. PICK: Arizona Cardinals (+475) To Win NFC West Will Hill, a contributor on the Bear Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jim Harbaugh: Who gets invited to the White House and doesn't go? 'Nobody'
El SEGUNDO, Calif. – Jim Harbaugh used one of his favorite phases when he was asked about his recent trip to the White House. 'Who gets invited to the White House with eight other family members and doesn't go? Nobody,' Harbaugh said. Harbaugh and his family were invited to the White House last week. 'There's a lot of gratitude there to be invited to the White House to meet the President with my family, my mom and dad. President Trump was great to my mom and dad. It meant so much. My brother John, his daughter, my two daughters, my sister and niece,' Harbaugh said. 'There were nine of us.' Harbaugh said he and President Trump discussed football in the White House. The Los Angeles Chargers head coach noted that President Trump is the seventh U.S. President he's met. Harbaugh told reporters he's met Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Trump. He also revealed he's met Pope Francis. 'Seven Presidents, Pope Francis, four first ladies and caught 22 foul balls,' Harbaugh said smiling. 'I'm really proud of that. I don't think I'll get to 22 presidents, but hopefully, God willing…maybe 15, maybe, hopefully 15 or 16.' Harbaugh and the Chargers kicked off their first day of training camp with rookies and veterans on Thursday. They are the first team in the NFL to start training camp this year. Los Angeles and the Detroit Lions get the preseason underway in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5 Chargers players who need a good training camp
As the Chargers open training camp on Thursday in preparation for the Hall of Fame Game on July 31, the questions Los Angeles has about their roster will begin to come more into focus. Here are a few players who need a good training camp to keep their future in Los Angeles this season and beyond. RB Hassan Haskins Haskins was LA's short yardage back and supplementary kick returner next to Derius Davis last season, but didn't have a particularly effective season on the ground. With 2024 sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal serving a different role as a receiving back and Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris both capable of taking short yardage opportunities, Haskins could very well find himself as RB4 and on the roster bubble by the time the preseason gets going in earnest. Jaret Patterson, who was on the Chargers practice squad last season, and highly touted UDFA Raheim Sanders loom as threats to snag that job away from the Michigan alum. WR Quentin Johnston Johnston is penciled in as Los Angeles' starter at the Z receiver position, but the Chargers may need to get creative early in camp with Mike Williams on PUP and Tre Harris yet to sign his rookie contract due to a leaguewide bottleneck regarding guarantee structure. There aren't many other candidates to practice in the X role, where Johnston played last season, but fifth-rounder KeAndre Lambert-Smith and veteran Jalen Reagor could fill in at Z. No matter where he lines up, however, Johnston will need to show continued progress after a sophomore season that was an improvement, but still below the expectation of a former first-round pick. DL/FB Scott Matlock While Matlock's utility on both sides of the ball is a nice novelty, there's going to be plenty of competition on both sides of the ball for his spots. Tight end Tucker Fisk is already part of the jumbo package as well, but the Chargers seem to be excited about what UDFA Stevo Klotz might bring when the pads come on tomorrow. On defense, Matlock is the fifth or sixth defensive lineman in the rotation at best and will be competing for time with Justin Eboigbe and Naquan Jones, with likely only a maximum of six roster spots available. CB Ja'Sir Taylor Taylor looked like he was poised to be a massive success story after winning the starting slot corner job as a sixth-round rookie two season ago, but he struggled to maintain that level of play last season. With the emergence of Tarheeb Still as a rookie last year and Derwin James playing so much time in the slot, Taylor is suddenly on the fringe of the roster and needs to rebound in training camp to fend off seventh-rounder Trikweze Bridges for the final roster spot at cornerback. S Tony Jefferson Jefferson was another nice storyline to track this time last year, as the veteran came out of retirement to come back home and compete for a spot at safety. While the Chargers started him on the practice squad last season, Jefferson ended up playing in 8 games and started 4 due to injuries to Alohi Gilman and Elijah Molden. Both are now healthy alongside James and the Chargers added sixth-rounder RJ Mickens in the draft. To keep the momentum going, Jefferson will likely need to either outduel the rookie or work his way up from the practice squad again, which would require boxing out younger options like Kendall Williamson, Emany Johnson, and Jaylen Jones.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5 questions for the Chargers offense entering training camp
The Chargers open training camp on Thursday after veterans reported to the Bolt on Wednesday, starting their preseason program a week early due to their inclusion in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31. Los Angeles hopes their offense will outperform last year's with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman at the controls again. But a few major questions about the unit remain. Let's go through them, position by position. QB: Can Justin Herbert stay healthy through the offseason? The face of the Chargers franchise has dealt with some sort of nick in each of the last two offseasons, as he was recovering from labrum surgery in 2023 and then dealing with plantar fasciitis last offseason. While Herbert has barely ever missed time with injury, his durability has been one of the only questions about his status among the league's best quarterbacks. He enters training camp healthy this season and will need to get as many reps as possible with so many new projected starters on offense. RB: When will Najee Harris be back, and will it even matter? One of those projected starters will likely not be on the field to start training camp, as general manager Joe Hortiz told the media Wednesday that running back Najee Harris will likely be placed on the non-football injury list after suffering a minor eye injury in a fireworks incident. Harris was penciled in as the Week 1 starter in the backfield, but his absence will also open the door for first-rounder Omarion Hampton to develop a stranglehold on the starting job and relegate Harris to more of a complementary role. WR: When will Tre Harris sign his rookie deal? 30 of the 32 second-round picks from this year's draft class remain unsigned, with Harris the first to take a stand by holding out largely because of the timing of the Chargers starting camp. Picks 33 (Browns LB Carson Schwesinger) and 34 (Texans WR Jayden Higgins) received fully guaranteed contracts, while Pick 65 (Giants DL Darius Alexander) received only $1.5 million guaranteed on his rookie deal. That's caused a bottleneck on both ends of the second round as they all wait for the league to blink first on the guarantees. But with Mike Williams opening training camp on PUP with a minor injury, having Harris signed and ready to go would've gotten the rookie valuable first-team reps. TE: Can Oronde Gadsden II shake up the depth chart? Los Angeles figures to play Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly the majority of the time at tight end, with jumbo package blocker Tucker Fisk working his way in as well. But Gadsden was the star of OTAs, and neither Conklin or Dissly are so good or expensive that they should block the fifth-rounder from seeing the field more frequently if the rookie continues to ascend. OL: Who's starting on the interior? The million dollar question of the offseason is who - and where - the Chargers are going to start at left guard and center in front of Herbert. OTAs seemed to suggest that it will be Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman for the second year in a row, but it still remains to be seen whether the two will switch positions (Johnson at center, Bozeman at guard) or remain the way they lined up last season. Trey Pipkins, who was the better guard last season on the right side but has been pasted over by free agent signing Mekhi Becton, could get back into the competition at left guard, but the Chargers seem more inclined to let him be the swing tackle.
