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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chiefs rookie Jalen Royals is the future at WR for Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs rookie Jalen Royals is the future at WR for Patrick Mahomes Watch what Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals does to the Boise State safety on this play. Royals is a top 120 player on board for the 2025 NFL Draft. #NFLDraft #NFLDraft2025 #2025NFLDraft — Sam Teets (@Sam_Teets33) October 7, 2024 The Kansas City Chiefs landed one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NFL draft when they selected Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals at the back end of the fourth round. Royals might struggle to establish himself in a crowded wide receiver room as a rookie, but he projects as a massive part of Kansas City's future plans. Fans must remain realistic with their expectations for Royals' rookie season. He's a fourth round selection joining a room with three established playmakers and multiple fringe contributors. No one should panic if Royals turns in a quiet year because opportunities to break out loom on the horizon. Marquise Brown, Jason Brownlee, Travis Kelce, Skyy Moore, Nikko Remigio, Justyn Ross, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton are all free agents after the upcoming season. The Chiefs have the opportunity to completely reset their depth at their pass catching positions and redistribute the offense's targets. Additionally, only two years remain on Rashee Rice's cost-effective rookie contract. If the Chiefs take any inspiration from how the Pittsburgh Steelers handled George Pickens, they might offload Rice for picks or just let him walk. Either way, it seems unlikely an extension is coming for the former star rookie, considering lingering maturity concerns. All of this potential turnover clears the way for Royals to star alongside Xavier Worthy as Patrick Mahomes' top targets going into 2026 or 2027. Royals offers the athletic blend to fill multiple roles in Kansas City's offense. He's an explosive athlete with the burst to stack cornerbacks early in routes and the long speed to finish big plays in the end zone. Royals deploys some excellent route fakes and manipulates the cornerback's leverage with his route stem to create favorable space. Royals is much more than just a vertical threat. He's roughly the same size as Rice, although the rookie might not offer as much contact balance. Royals still provides excellent value on short, schemed touches. His acceleration and speed make him a threat to turn shallow crossing routes or slants into big gains. Rice received most of the offense's low-depth targets in 2024. Chiefs fans shouldn't expect splashy numbers from Royals in 2025 but should feel excited about the organization's long-term plans for the rookie.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Titans sign No. 1 pick Cam Ward to rookie deal worth $48.7 million
The Tennessee Titans announced Wednesday that they have signed quarterback Cam Ward, the 2025 NFL Draft's top pick, to his rookie contract. Ward's deal is for four years with an option for a fifth and is worth $48.7 million, per the NFL's 2025 rookie scale, according to The 6-foot-2, 219-pound former Miami star turned heads at Incarnate Word and Washington State, before grabbing the national spotlight in his lone season in South Beach. Advertisement He finished the 2024 season as the Davey O'Brien Award winner and was Miami's first Heisman Trophy finalist since 2002. He passed for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns, both Hurricanes single-season records, and led Miami (10-3) to its first 10-win season since 2017. He also broke former Houston QB Case Keenum's Division I record for career passing touchdowns (155) with 158 scores. Through much of the draft process, Ward was compared to former Colorado and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, as most pundits had them as the top two prospects at their position in this year's class. Sanders fell to the fifth round, however, and due to his draft position, Sanders' rookie deal is worth only $4.6 million, less than a tenth of what Ward is set to receive. The NFL's rookie wage scale has made the process of signing draft picks relatively routine for franchises. There are, however, still some holdouts. Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart, for example, is currently not participating in his team's offseason activities, reportedly due to issues with the language in his contract.
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward inks deal with Titans
May 21 - The Tennessee Titans on Wednesday signed quarterback Cam Ward, the top overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. The fully guaranteed contract is for four years and $48.7 million, per reporting from ESPN. "It's a blessing," Ward said. "I'm ready to get to work." Ward, 22, passed for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns, both single-season school records for the University of Miami, en route to being selected the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year last fall. The consensus All-American finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. In becoming the Division I record-holder for career touchdown passes with 158, Ward played two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word before transferring to Washington State, where he played two more seasons ahead of his final season at Miami. The Titans, 3-14 a year ago, revealed earlier this week that they would be splitting reps evenly between Ward and incumbent Will Levis, with head coach Brian Callahan noting that Ward had a lot of ground to cover this offseason. "There's so much work to be done between now and (the start of the season), particularly for him," Callahan said. "I feel good about where he's at and the work we've put in." Seven of the team's nine draft picks have been inked to deals, with linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo and wide receiver Chimere Dike yet to sign. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Here's how to get tickets to the NFL draft
What's more exciting than watching your favorite NFL team pick its next great player? How about doing it for free. That's the case for the NFL Draft 2025, where attendance will be free all weekend in Green Bay. The only catch is registration is required to get into the area called the NFL Draft Experience, which houses the main entertainment. Advertisement Registering is fairly straightforward. To do so, download the NFL OnePass app on your mobile device to register or at Once registered, you'll have access to the NFL Draft Experience. That will feature games, daily football clinics, food from what the NFL calls some of Wisconsin's best restaurants in a "taste of the town" tailgate, as well as photo ops of a replica gameday NFL locker room, a Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit with Hall of Fame busts with a Packers focus, an oversized replica of all 32 NFL team helmets, Super Bowl rings, the Vince Lombardi Trophy and more. The draft will take place at and near Lambeau Field, the Titletown District and the nearby Resch Expo. Teams will make the announcement of their picks at The Draft Theater, which is between Lambeau field and Resch Expo. It's important to know that while entry to the draft is free, that's only for standing room and general admission access. Seats at the draft are for those invited or those who bought tickets in advance — but those tickets are now sold out. Advertisement Here's a map of the draft area: NFL Draft Fan Map by Post-Crescent on Scribd David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How to get tickets to the NFL draft today
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers WR Matthew Golden Switches To No. 22 For A Heartfelt Reason
On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers revealed the jersey numbers for their 2025 NFL Draft class, with the number assigned to wide receiver Matthew Golden sparking lively discussion among fans. Golden wore the jersey with the No. 2 during his time at Texas. After being drafted, he was initially assigned No. 81 but later switched to No. 22, a less common choice for a wide receiver in the NFL. Advertisement The Packers held their rookie availability on Friday, and during his conversation with reporters, Golden explained why he decided to switch to No. 22. Matthew Golden speaks at a press conference after being selected by the Green Bay Packers with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "My grandma's favorite number growing up was 2, and she told me she wanted me to represent that number," Golden said. "I knew the last receiver drafted (by the Packers) was in 2002, so I felt like it made sense to me." According to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, Golden said he didn't ask Malik Willis for No. 2, despite wearing a No. 2 chain, because he views it as just a jersey number. A reporter then asked Golden if he ever thought on draft night that he would wear number one. Advertisement "I did," he responded. "I talked to the guy who gave me the numbers, and I asked him if I could get 22, and he said it was up for grabs." In a Thursday, April 24 interview on Andy & Ari On3 after the NFL Draft, Golden shared his plans for his money. "Definitely get my grandma a house, man," he said. "We lost our property a couple of years ago. That's somewhere I grew up when I was younger, and it would be a blessing to get that back for my family." Matthew Golden now looks to live the dream shared by countless young athletes—playing in the NFL. With that opportunity ahead, he'll aim to make his family proud and contribute in multiple ways to help the Green Bay Packers make a successful Super Bowl run. Related: Packers Rookie Can't Hide His Admiration For Aaron Rodgers Related: Packers Urged To Re-Sign Star Offensive Lineman Before 2025 Season
