Latest news with #JoeBurrow
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Fanatics Sportsbook Promo: Grab up to $300 in Bonus Bets for NFL Hall of Fame Game, More
Beginning with Thursday's Hall of Fame game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, there are 192 days of football until two teams meet in Santa Clara, Calif., for Super Bowl 60. To get your NFL season off to a fantastic start, jump on the Fanatics Sportsbook promo that hands you a ton of bonus bets or No Sweat Bets. Here's what we mean: If you're a new bettor playing in Michigan, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, you're guaranteed $300 in bonus bets just for playing $30 in bonus bets over a three-day span. If you're going to play in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia, place a $10 first bet for five straight days. In return, you'll receive $250 in bonus bets plus all winnings on those first bets. New bettors in all states (except New York) can choose the flagship Fanatics Sportsbook promo offer than can mean as much as $1,000 in No Sweat Bets over a 10-day stretch. As for new bettors playing in New York? They get to play one 100% profit-boost token each day for 10 straight days. If you've been missing pads popping and national broadcasters' jaws flapping and all the other pageantry that's pure NFL, then Thursday's Hall of Fame game should be a nice taste of what's to come over the next six months. Visit the Fanatics Sportsbook app — one of the nation's best sports betting apps — to see how to play on the Chargers and Lions. But don't stop there because Fanatics Sportsbook can answer nearly all your NFL queries. Who's the Super Bowl favorite? The Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles. Who's the MVP favorite? Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Jr. Who's projected to throw the most touchdown passes? Cincinnati's Joe Burrow. Clearly, there are a ton of NFL bets that need to be made. If you want to use one of the industry's most lucrative sportsbook promos to fulfill this mission, tap any BET NOW button you see. Use the Fanatics Sportsbook promo to trigger the process that generates all these bonus bets or No Sweat Bets or profit-boost tokens. Fanatics Sportsbook Promo: Score Up to $300 Bonus or $1000 in No Sweat Bets While the NFL is just getting started, Major League Baseball is really heating up. Thursday's trade deadline has every general manager's feet to the fire to determine their team's direction. There's plenty to learn from each game, but today's biggest play is the Chicago Cubs-Milwaukee Brewers clash that affects the top of the National League Central standings. Hit the MLB tab to see all the opportunities on tonight's schedule. The WNBA is only a week removed from its All-Star Game weekend that generated so much talk, but it's already time for the stretch run. While you're checking the latest WNBA odds, make sure to check the latest injury reports to see when Caitlin Clark might return from her groin injury. Ready to play on the NFL, MLB, WNBA or any of the many soccer matches happening all over the globe? Then take just two minutes to tap the BET NOW button and answer a few basic questions. You'll be all set with the Fanatics Sportsbook promo that leads to a slew of bonus bets, No Sweat Bets or 100% profit-boost tokens. How to Unlock the Fanatic Sports Promo Welcome Offers In just a few simple steps you can lock in your Fanatics Sportsbook promo. The Fanatics Sportsbook promo bet-and-get offers require a $10 qualifying bet on odds of -500 or better. In MI, NJ and PA, that qualifying bet returns $100 in bonus bets each day for three days. In AZ, CO, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, NC, OH, TN, VA and WV, the $10 qualifying wager earns $50 in bonus bets each day for five days. If you choose either of these options, you will be automatically opted-in on Day 1 but you must opt-in manually on the subsequent days. Those in DC, IA, KS, KY, VT and WY, plus those in the above listed states, can get the No Sweat Bets offer instead of the bet-and-get offer can chose any bet at -500 odds or better to be your No Sweat Bet for up to $100 daily over a 10-day period. If that wager settles as a loss, Fanatics will provide a bonus-bet refund. Bettors in New York get a 100% profit boost daily for 10 days. Bonus bets provided by any of the Fanatics Sportsbook promo offers will be deposited within 72 hours of placing your qualifying bet. Divide up your bonus bets however you choose but use them within seven days of being deposited before they expire.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Want to simplify your fantasy football draft? Target stars on these 6 NFL teams
One of my adult strategies has been to cultivate a life lived off-peak. Let's get to the grocery store when it's not overly crowded. Let's have a late lunch or an early dinner. Let's be smart about traffic, avoid gridlock. Better flow, happier life. Fantasy managers understand these goals. Every season, we're trying to find offenses that employ narrow usage trees — the teams that don't spread the ball around too much. Let's lean on just a few players. It's nice to be confident in secure knowledge of who commands the ball. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Today's assignment is to identify a few narrow-usage teams for 2025. You can consider them yourself and season them to taste. Maybe there's another 2014 Chicago Bears, waiting to be uncovered. Cincinnati Bengals We love the Cincinnati setup for the carnival potential — the Bengals have an elite passing game and a suspect defense, which leads to a high-scoring pinball game more often than not. But the narrowness of the usage here also makes fantasy managers happy. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will command high target shares and Chase Brown is one of those backs who never seems to come off the field. Andrei Iosivas stole six touchdowns last year, but that was mostly a function of Higgins missing time — I doubt Iosivas is close to that number if this season has a normal runout. Burrow threw three-quarters of his touchdown passes to Chase, Higgins or Brown last year. I'm going to draft Cincinnati players aggressively all summer. Miami Dolphins The Miami offense comes with obvious caveats. Can Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy? Can Mike McDaniel scheme up big plays again? Will Tyreek Hill be happy all year? But the Dolphins were a concentrated offense last year, and now target-gobbling tight end Jonnu Smith is gone. Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De'Von Achane should get all the volume they can handle. When Tagovailoa is your quarterback, there really isn't any floor. But there's still plausible upside here, and a concentrated offense for touches. Los Angeles Chargers This one might sneak up on you, because fantasy managers are focused on how the backfield might play out between Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris. But last year, the Chargers only had two receivers get past two touchdowns — Ladd McConkey scored seven times, and Quentin Johnston spiked on eight occasions. It took McConkey some time to figure out the pro game, but he was cooking down the stretch — he posted a 45-657-3 line over his final seven games (that's 109 catches and about 1,600 yards in a full season) and then had a 9-197-1 smash in the playoff loss to Houston. Even if the narrowness of the LAC tree only brings you to McConkey and Hampton (the latter's case is helped by Harris currently being unavailable), I've done my job here. Dallas Cowboys Maybe I'm wishcasting this one a bit but we'll shoehorn the Cowboys into this room. We know new OC Brian Schottenheimer generally wants to establish the run, but do the Cowboys have the right personnel to do that effectively? Meanwhile, the passing game is controlled by two overlord targets — CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Dak Prescott is good enough to run a carnival offense if it comes to it (I don't trust the Dallas defense, either), and Jake Ferguson is a useful tight end. Here's hoping Schottenheimer works talent-to-scheme, not the other way around. Tennessee Titans The Titans won just three games last year and were 27th in scoring, so it wasn't a fantasy bonanza. But we have to acknowledge that Calvin Ridley was the only player on the club to surpass 500 receiving yards, while Tony Pollard was ninth in the league in touches. Head coach Brian Callahan likes to feature his best skill players, and Ridley and Pollard have a better chance at success if rookie QB Cam Ward is the real deal. I recognize we try to be realistic with what we expect from rookie quarterbacks (Caleb Williams and Bryce Young wave hello), but it's also notable how C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels outkicked expectations in their first seasons. It's not likely that Ward is that level of an immediate smash, but perhaps he's more NFL-ready than the market recognizes. Ridley and Pollard both look like solid ADP values. Arizona Cardinals I'm still reconciling how I feel about this offense because I don't have complete faith in QB Kyler Murray. His substandard height leads to problems at times — the Cardinals couldn't get Marvin Harrison Jr. going in the short areas of the field last year, and Trey McBride has never been much of a touchdown scorer since turning pro (this is a Murray tweet). But you can't blame the Cardinals for trying to utilize their best players — about 60% of Arizona's completions last year went to Harrison, McBride or James Conner. If Murray's play takes a step forward — and part of this is on the play-calling, of course — we know who will primarily benefit.
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Joe Burrow Turns Clock Back As Star QB Will Play In Preseason
Joe Burrow wants to play in the preseason for the Bengals. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Joe Burrow is a fan of the old school. While the modern gameplan in the NFL is to swaddle nearly every team's stars in bubble wrap during the preseason in order to avoid serious injuries, Burrow wants to play in the summer. The reason: he wants the Bengals get off to a good start for the first time since the 2021 season. Cincinnati lost its first three games last year and the team's 1-4 start was one of the primary reasons this talented group missed the playoffs. It wasn't much better in 2023 when the Bengals started with three losses in their first four games and they were 2-3 at the start of the 2022 season. Burrow has almost never played during the preseason and he believes that his lack of play during the preseason is a big reason why. He has been pushing head coach Zac Taylor for playing time in this year's preseason so he can be ready to start the season in prime form when the Bengals start the season on the road against the Cleveland Browns in Week One. Burrow has had multiple injuries in the past – ACL, calf and wrist along with an appendectomy – but the slow Cincinnati starts have worn on him mentally. He wants to see his team get back to elite status after missing the playoffs two years in a row, and he believes this means playing in the preseason. 'Coaches know how I've felt about that, and how I've always thought that that would benefit me,' Burrow said. 'I think other positions, you have to be a little careful, because how physical that those positions are, but for me, those reps are valuable.' Burrow believes the multiple rule changes over the years have given quarterbacks protection from the kind of hits that would result in a disastrous preseason injury, and he has apparently convinced Taylor to let him play in the three-game preseason. While injuries could scuttle plans, Burrow could see action in two preseason games this summer. Perhaps the first quarter in Cincinnati's second preseason game against the Washington Commanders and the first half in the third game against the Indianapolis Colts. QB battle unfolds in Indy Anthony Richardson (5) and Daniel Jones (17) are battling for the Colts starting QB job. (Photo by ... More Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The Colts have a legitimate quarterback battle on their hands this summer where former Giant Daniel Jones will try to take the starter's job from oft-injured and inaccurate Anthony Richardson. Give Jones the inside track on the job until Richardson can prove he can throw the ball accurately. Richardson is a brilliant athlete who can run the ball with authority when he decides to carry it himself. However, sitting in the pocket, surveying the field and delivering the ball to a receiver who has a step on the defender is a major weakness. He has a career completion percentage of 50.6 percent, a figure that was common in the 1960s and is simply no longer acceptable. It will be very hard for Richardson to prove himself, but Jones does not have a brilliant NFL track record either. He is more accurate than Richardson, so unless he falls apart in the preseason, he is likely to start the season opener against the Miami Dolphins. Wilson named as Giants' QB1 Russell Wilson has been named as the Giants' starting quarteback. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty ... More Images) New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has already tapped veteran Russell Wilson as the team's starter even though he has failed to distinguish himself since the 2021 season when he made the Pro Bowl as the Seattle Seahawks QB1. He had a 25-6 touchdown to interception ratio that season, which was his last in the Pacific Northwest. The 36-year-old Wilson has had unimpressive stints with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers since, and this go-round with the Giants would seemingly serve as his last opportunity to start in the NFL. While it sounds like Daboll has made his decision, what happens if rookie Jaxson Dart actually has an excellent showing during the preseason? It sounds like the head coach wants Dart to have something of a redshirt season in his rookie year, but general manager Joe Schoen appears to have left the door open for the rookie from Ole Miss to play. 'I think there's some real benefits from sitting and learning, specifically from some of the guys in the room that have the experience that they have,' Schoen said. 'But if the coaching staff at some point feels it's right and (Dart's) ready, then I'll leave that up to them.' Veteran Jameis Winston is Wilson's backup and he could fill in for a game or two if Daboll needs to make a quarterback change at one point, but the 10-year veteran threw a league-worst 30 interceptions in 2019, the last time he was an NFL starter. The decision to start Wilson looks like a shaky one for a team that was 3-14 a year ago and has had just one postseason appearance in the last eight years.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bengals training camp takeaways: Four things that mattered from Week 1
CINCINNATI — With Shemar Stewart finally signed and only haggling over guaranteed money remaining between the Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson, the conversation thankfully returned to the field this week. In many ways, this team was pretty boring through three days. That's kind of been the point, though. The distractions and sideshows of last year had to go. They needed to be replaced by competitiveness and an all-encompassing emphasis on starting the season faster. Advertisement The Bengals were business-like through three practices. The defense enjoyed moments. Joe Burrow and the offense had more than their fair share, and kicker Evan McPherson didn't miss a field goal. Coach Zac Taylor stated during the offseason program that he wanted July and August to be about this team focusing on itself, about building the cohesion and chemistry that lacked in the 2024 disappointment. That's why there are no joint practices on the schedule, increased competitive environments on and off the field and more players taking the lead at team meetings. Despite all the chatter on the outside, inside the ropes of the Bengals' training camp launch this week, there was just solid work. That's a welcome step in the right direction. One more step — bringing the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year back to the building — the momentum would start to build. Here are thoughts on what developments and observations mattered this week. Was that worth it? Everybody happy? The Bengals got their default language through, and Stewart's camp got a portion of the signing bonus earlier. Cool. Throughout this entire process of public mud-slinging — from agent to team and front office back the other direction — over next to nothing, only one thought kept coming back to me (besides this being maybe the dumbest storyline I've ever covered): I feel bad for Shemar Stewart. In many ways, he's a victim here. That word caught some blowback when I posted it on social media following the signing Friday night. Inevitably, yes, he could have ended this at any point. He could have signed the practice waiver in the offseason program — which was his actual biggest mistake in this entire process. He could have told his agent, Zac Hiller, to end the charade weeks ago. He could have chosen to stay quiet and not take shots at the organization in the process. That's all true. Advertisement Yet, Stewart is 21 years old. He's entering a world he has no true understanding of and learning how everything should operate on the fly. He's a raw, perhaps immature, prospect, which is what you expect from a 21-year-old. He relies on those who are supposed to be looking out for his best interests to steer him in the best direction for his career. That is Hiller, and that is the Bengals' front office. Neither did. They got caught up in this war of words that escalated in an unimaginable way over what's typically a rubber-stamp contract. Now, Stewart, already not a fan-favorite selection at No. 17, must start his Bengals career in a tough spot, with a fan base holding high expectations, desperate for Stewart to bring new life to this pass rush. Teammates might not say so publicly, but there's an undeniable human element of wondering how much he cares about the team, considering what unfolded since draft day. Consider the exact opposite approach that was taken by second-round pick Demetrius Knight, a 25-year-old, mature father of two, who signed the practice waiver like every other unsigned draft pick. 'I wanted to show my teammates that I care,' Knight said. 'It's about more than the money for me. I have a family that I am providing for, and I know that in the long run, this is where I want my family to be for my entire career. It's important to establish and show the people upstairs that I know that we will get to an agreement, and until then, I am going to continue to go to work regardless of if there is a contract or not.' Knight's already being talked about as a leader, starter and future captain by his teammates. Stewart no longer has the benefit of the doubt and has to earn it back. His career arc was already going to require patience; now that patience is largely lost. He starts his career with one strike against him before he's ever put on the striped helmet. Yeah, you can say he needed to grow up and make a decision earlier, but he's not grown up yet. Being young might be an excuse, but it's valid context. The grown-ups around him were supposed to protect him. Thankfully, that's over now. Everyone can finally start evaluating what Stewart can actually do on the field for a team that badly needs him to make an impact. A quietly significant storyline of camp has been the need for McPherson to reconnect with the kicker who became a fan favorite and earned a lucrative contract extension over the first three years of his career. With McPherson entering his fifth season, just one year removed from that extension, it's fair to wonder how long the leash will be if he struggles out of the gate. He was 6 of 12 from 40-plus yards last season, a far cry from the weapon he was from deep early in his career. Advertisement McPherson opened up about changes he's made to rediscover his original form, returning to the technique he used during that time. The 26-year-old grew up and entered the league with an approach, using the spacing between his plant foot and the ball, that produced a soft draw. He mastered the technique and hit the ball as far as anyone in the NFL. Yet, seeking more consistency, he altered his approach after his rookie year, trying to hit a ball that went straight as an arrow. It could take wind out of the equation in certain circumstances and, theoretically, make for a more consistent strike, limiting volatility. McPherson admitted the change did work in 2023, when he didn't miss a single kick inside 50 yards. Yet, the power numbers fell off, and last year, the entire process fell apart. This offseason, he accepted that the change didn't work, and it was time to go back to what he knew best. 'I feel more comfortable in my technique now, and I can focus on the kick and not really focus on my steps,' McPherson said. 'As a professional athlete, you are always looking for perfection, but you have to realize you are never going to get it. I was looking for the straighter ball flight and more consistent ball flight rather than hitting the draw. I found it in a certain technique, but I wasn't as consistent. 'I am going back to how I grew up learning how to kick. So all I need to focus on is my target line, and my body just kind of does the rest.' McPherson hit all 12 of his field goals this week. That included a 52-yard field goal at the end of practice, made to be worth one point in a camp-long competition, surrounded by the entire defense trying to distract him. So far, so good. 5. After a disappointing year, Evan McPherson has made all 12 of his FG attempts.'After my rookie year, I went on a deep dive to figure out how I could be more consistent,' Evan said. 'It sent me the other way. This past off-season, I kind of went back to what I grew up doing.' — Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) July 25, 2025 The resurrection of Burton's Bengals career from the ashes continued this week. The 2024 third-round pick appeared destined for one-and-done in Cincinnati and entered this year with as short a leash as possible following a disastrous rookie year that included evictions, missed practices, being left off team trips and a calamitous breach of trust with coaches and teammates. Advertisement Yet, he did all the right things through the offseason program. Which is to say, he was showing up and growing more diligent in knowing the playbook. 'He was where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there,' offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said, which drew a soft laugh among the media for the double meaning. 'You guys chuckle, but it's in all aspects, and I'm saying that first and foremost with him on the field — he got lined up, he did his assignment, you could tell he put the work in to be prepared to go do what we asked him to do. That includes being where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be there. 'That's a prerequisite, right? That doesn't mean you're gonna be a successful pro. That gives you a chance to be a successful pro. He's making the right steps in that direction.' This week, Burton repeatedly showed up in the notebook with highlight plays. He outran DJ Turner on a crossing route for a big gain. He caught a touchdown pass on a 50-50 ball over safety Tycen Anderson (confidently flipping the ball to the safety after the play) and shook cornerback Nate Brooks by 5 yards for a score in a low red zone drill. Burton has been far from perfect, and there's a way to go before he's hitting the level of detail that will land him in critical spots when the regular season begins. He has not screwed it up, though. And he's let his considerable talent, rather than erratic behavior, fill the notebook. Don't ever evaluate a positional battle on the line of scrimmage until the pads come on. So, discussing the competition at both guard spots here isn't declarative, but merely speculative. All eyes are on third-round rookie Dylan Fairchild at left guard. He's gotten every snap with the starters. All reports are solid, with the asterisk of no pads. Advertisement At right guard, Cody Ford has served as the starter every day. Veteran competition Lucas Patrick was filling in as a backup center, with second-year center Matt Lee banged up for the moment. Then Patrick hurt his lower right leg and had to leave Friday's practice early. Ford found fans on this coaching staff last year for how he handled himself when kicking outside following the injury to Orlando Brown Jr. It left them all wanting to see him in a more natural position inside at guard. He's showing it, and he currently sits at the front of the conversation to start on opening day. The competition is extremely wide open, but the arrow shifted up on Ford after the first week. (Photos of Shemar Stewart, left, and Jermaine Burton: Phil Didion / The Enquirer via Imagn Images, Jeff Dean / Associated Press)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shemar Stewart and Bengals reach agreement on rookie contract
The NFL's only unsigned first-round draft pick has agreed to a deal. The Bengals and 17th overall pick Shemar Stewart have agreed to his rookie contract. Stewart had been refusing to sign because the Bengals had been insisting on language that could void his future guarantees. A league source tells PFT that the agreement reached today involved Stewart accepting the language in exchange for the Bengals adjusting his signing bonus payout, paying him $500,000 more of his signing bonus now. A defensive end out of Texas A&M, Stewart has the talent to be an elite pass rusher, and the Bengals hope that he'll make an immediate impact as a rookie on a team that needs more from its defense after missing the playoffs last season despite great years from quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. There is now only one 2025 NFL draft pick who has not yet signed his rookie contract: Browns second-round pick Quinshon Judkins, who is facing a domestic violence charge and is not expected to sign soon.
