Latest news with #SuperBowl-or-bust
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Micah Parsons trade request: 6 teams, including Lions and Bills, in the run to land Cowboys star
Micah Parsons could be leaving the Dallas Cowboys soon. The 26-year-old edge rusher requested a trade, urging Jerry Jones and co to reach a contract deal. While the franchise is yet to issue an official statement on the situation, it is being reported that the Cowboys do not want to trade Parsons. Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons speaks to reporters after training camp Tuesday(AP) 'Still, teams around the league are planning to reach out to check on his availability today,' the Athletics' Dianna Russini reported on Friday. Details are yet to be revealed, but we have a list of at least six teams, including the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, who could be interested in signing the 2021 defensive rookie of the year. Read More: Micah Parsons vs Cowboys: Here's what went wrong with contract negotiations amid trade row Meanwhile, several of Parsons' teammates have gone all out to support him. CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs are among the Cowboys stars to post about the situation. The former went on to even tweet: 'Pay him more'. Micah Parsons' potential landing spots 1. Buffalo Bills The Bills are in Super Bowl-or-bust mode. Even with Joey Bosa now on the roster, another elite pass rusher like Parsons would add a terrifying dimension to their defense. 2. Los Angeles Chargers Khalil Mack remains productive but is nearing the end of his prime. Pairing Parsons with Tuli Tuipulotu, who recorded eight sacks last season, could supercharge Jim Harbaugh's defensive unit. 3. Seattle Seahawks With veterans like Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence aging, the Seahawks could consider going all-in for Parsons, a move that aligns with their aggressive roster strategy. Read More: Micah Parsons trade row: Trevon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, 2 other Cowboys respond with 'One Last Ride' post 4. Washington Commanders Though trading within the NFC East would be highly unlikely, Washington desperately needs a dominant edge presence. Parsons could be a franchise-changing addition, if Jerry Jones is willing to take the risk. 5. Chicago Bears The Bears have talent on offense and a solid piece in Montez Sweat defensively, but the pass rush lacks depth. Parsons could instantly transform Chicago's front seven. 6. Detroit Lions With Aidan Hutchinson returning from injury and the Lions firmly in their Super Bowl window, adding Parsons could push Detroit's defense over the top.
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jonnu Smith reacts to his blockbuster trade: 'I'm great, I'm blessed, I'm a Steeler'
The Pittsburgh trade rumors are over — Pro Bowl TE Jonnu Smith is now a Steeler, and he just made his feelings on the situation known. Days after the blockbuster trade that saw the Dolphins send Smith and All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh's newest tight end shared his honest reaction with former Miami teammate OT Terron Armstead: "I didn't foresee this happening with how the season went for me, individually," Smith told Armstead in a one-on-one interview. "Obviously, I had aspirations of ending my career in Miami, with it basically being home for me, my children, my family — but I understand the business side of it, and it didn't work out. I'm grateful. I got no ill feelings toward Miami or nobody in the organization. I can't sit here and lie — say that it didn't sting, when the process was playing itself out…" After revealing his take on leaving Miami, his somber attitude took a complete 180 when discussing his new home in Pittsburgh: "But all in all bro, I'm great, I'm blessed, I'm a Steeler," Smith said. "You know what I'm saying? I'm playing for one of the most historic sports franchises in the history of sports — under a great head coach with [Mike Tomlin], back with my dog Arthur Smith, who I had a lot of success with throughout my career. So, I'm extremely blessed, bro, and I couldn't be more excited." Following the trade, Smith took to social media to post a hype video for his arrival in Pittsburgh — one that had Steelers fans ready to run through a wall. Smith has more than enough fuel in the tank for another Pro Bowl-caliber season in 2025 — which is shaping up to be a Super Bowl-or-bust year as Aaron Rodgers' retirement looms. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Baltimore steals star corner Jaire Alexander from Green Bay to shake up AFC
Image Source: Getty The Baltimore Ravens opened up the news cycle with an absolute bombshell, signing former Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million. Now, the Ravens not only add further depth to their secondary with this, but they send a message to the entire AFC as well. We are all in for a Super Bowl in 2025. Ravens' defense adds Jaire Alexander to elite secondary unit Adding Jaire Alexander makes for one of the more talented secondaries in all of football for the Ravens. They would pair him with fellow Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey, top draft pick Nate Wiggins, and star safety Kyle Hamilton. Baltimore would now boast one of the most elite and versatile defensive backfields in the league. Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowler, boasts 70 pass breakups, 12 career interceptions, and one of the best reputations as a man-to-man cover corner in the league. — accnetwork (@accnetwork) Even with him dealing with some injuries lately, the sky still has always been the limit for Alexander. His coverage grades on PFF are consistently among the best in the league when healthy. The Ravens smartly laid out the contract in terms of performance-based bonuses, thereby putting minimal risk into betting on Alexander returning to form. Baltimore's improved defense may be just the thing that gets the Ravens over the hump in the playoffs in an AFC where they want to be more pass-heavy with the quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen prolific in the league. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More Undo Lamar Jackson 's recruitment and Ravens culture influence the signing Alexander's decision to sign with Baltimore was heavily impacted by Lamar Jackson, his former teammate at Louisville. Jackson himself is said to have contacted Alexander and has reportedly even pushed the Ravens' front office to pick him up. And that familiarity, coupled with a winning culture and Super Bowl expectations, put Baltimore at the top of the market for Williams, even over other offers that included more lucrative dollar signs Also Read: Three men charged in shooting that paralyzed aspiring college football star in Brooklyn Park The Ravens keep reinforcing that this is a player-led, Super Bowl-or-bust organization. Jackson's leadership off the field is now catching up to his MVP-caliber performances on it. GM Eric DeCosta showed the Ravens can still make impactful moves by listening to his franchise quarterback and delivering what he wanted. Alexander's arrival is just the type of addition that takes a strong contender and transforms them into a legitimate favorite in the AFC. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aaron Rodgers Wins 'Hostage' Negotiations With Steelers
Aaron Rodgers Wins 'Hostage' Negotiations With Steelers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Aaron Rodgers promised all along that he wasn't holding the Pittsburgh Steelers hostage. But with Thursday's decision to sign with the team seemingly forced only be the looming deadline of next week's mandatory minicamp, it certainly feels like it. Advertisement Rodgers is finally agreeing to not only play football in 2025, but apparently to do it with the Steelers. He is reportedly signing a one-year contract that could be worth as much as $30 million. So here's the $30 million question that will hang over Pittsburgh all season: Was he worth the wait? Is late better than never? Did Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II make a mistake is selling their soul to a 41-year-old quarterback whose only Super Bowl win came 14 seasons ago? Rodgers has kept the Steeler in limbo - if not hostage - since mid-March, for three long months. He became the logical, lone quarterback option when Russell Wilson signed with the New York Giants in free agency and Justin Fields left for the New York Jets. Without him, the Steelers were left to begin OTAs with an underwhelming mix of rookie Will Howard and veteran journeymen Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. With him, they are ... Super Bowl contenders? Advertisement NFL oddsmakers reacted to the signing, modestly moving the Steelers from a 45-to-1 longshot win the championship down to 40-to-1. While the fantasy football dream of Rodgers throwing passes to new receiver DK Metcalf might re-boot Pittsburgh's fan base, he arrives with a cautionary tale. Last year at this time the Jets were also in "Super Bowl-or-bust" mode thanks to Rodgers. Then we bolted to Egypt during minicamp and played mediocre at best during a 1-4 start that got both his head coach and general manager fired. The Jets finished 5-12, let Rodgers walk with zero compensation and ... here we are. The man claiming not to be holding the Steelers hostage got what he wanted, exactly when he wanted it. Advertisement Related: Steelers Breaking News As Aaron Rodgers 'Finally' Signs One-Year Contract Related: Trump Endorses 'Handsome' QB as Steelers Starting Quarterback This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Jalen Ramsey and the current state of the Vikings at cornerback
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings brass, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, his staff and players want opposing teams to see their logo on the schedule and sense an oncoming headache. It hasn't been enough for Flores' defense to bring an all-out blitz, then fake the all-out blitz. It hasn't been enough to play one nontraditional coverage on the back end; the Vikings have introduced dozens of them. More is planned, and the next iteration remains anyone's guess. Advertisement Just listen to defensive tackle Harrison Phillips' comments Monday after another OTA practice. 'We would like to have so many different bullets in the chamber,' he said. 'Vastly different fronts, vastly different coverages. Are we going to move and bring everybody? Are we not going to move and bring everybody?' Phillips mentioned personnel additions like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. He talked about the development of Dallas Turner. You could tell how excited he was to talk about the defensive front, and still, it felt fair to wonder: But what about the secondary (specifically, the cornerback spot)? To this point, none of the Vikings' actions suggests they're concerned. They prioritized re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency and targeted Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah. Coach Kevin O'Connell even referenced Flores' rosy evaluation of Rodgers in March at the NFL league meetings. Flores and the Vikings' personnel department have not missed when identifying free-agent talent over the past couple of seasons. Still, this level of conviction in two journeyman players is notable, especially as the pool of potential contributors continues to dry up. This is the time to get ahead and take our team to another level.#Skol — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 2, 2025 One big fish is still out there, and he's down in Miami. Multiple Vikings staffers are familiar with Jalen Ramsey. O'Connell coordinated the Los Angeles Rams offense in 2021, when Ramsey last earned All-Pro honors. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, edge rushers coach Thad Bogardus, defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams spent time with Ramsey on that Rams staff. But there's some risk involved. Ramsey will turn 31 in October. Acquiring him might require trading draft capital the Vikings have wanted to accumulate after parting with several picks the last couple of seasons. Advertisement There are two other considerations. First, Ramsey's current contract could leave the Vikings in a precarious position for 2026. The amount of money Miami might be willing to absorb in a potential trade would matter. Second, bringing Ramsey into the fold would impede the path to playing time for youngsters like Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern. Minnesota is spending more than $357 million on the 2025 roster, which is the most in the NFL. This isn't a Super Bowl-or-bust situation, but the Vikings are unquestionably committed to winning in the short term. If Ramsey or any other available cornerback maximizes those chances, you can bet there has been an internal conversation about it. Then again, maybe the Vikings' key decision-makers feel the same way Blackmon does about the present state of the cornerback position. 'We got a real good room,' Blackmon said Monday. 'I see a lot of stuff on Twitter. Y'all know. A lot of people are concerned about our room. I would say we have a real good room.' Gleaning anything meaningful from organized team activities is difficult, but certain sequences stand out. One of them Monday involved Rodgers, who floated across the field with receiver Jordan Addison toward the left sideline. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy attempted a layered pass in Addison's direction, but Rodgers undercut the throw and secured the interception. Many of Rodgers' teammates hooted and hollered, and Rodgers celebrated as he raced the other way. O'Connell stepped in next to McCarthy for what appeared to be a brief teaching moment — or to compliment McCarthy for his willingness to try that type of pass in a learning setting. Whatever the case, Rodgers displayed the kind of athleticism and ball skills the Vikings coveted. They would not say it publicly if this were the case, but the Vikings staff could also think highly enough of their pass rush to skate by without further investment at cornerback. It's not just Allen and Hargrave joining the fold. It's the types of stunts and games the Vikings can implement in another season with Flores. Opposing teams got rid of the ball against the Vikings at one of the quickest rates in the league last season. Improve the pass rush, and the Vikings might view their countless zone coverages (with man changeups) as enough. Advertisement Minnesota could also try to entice teams to run the ball more often. The fewer times the ball is in the air, the fewer times its cornerbacks need to cover. Does it sound like the strategy hinges more on hope than reason? What if, you might be wondering, Murphy or Rodgers suffers an injury? Would the Vikings be OK relying on Okudah, Blackmon or McGlothern full-time? If not, wouldn't it make more sense for the Vikings to act on a player of Ramsey's caliber now, rather than wait for veteran options like they did last fall? This is the push-pull. These are questions that might be worth revisiting down the road. Get creative for Ramsey, and it would affect the team's future flexibility. Pass on a defensive back with as versatile a skill set as he has, and who's to say this won't be one of the sliding doors that shape what could have been? Any potential move will depend on whether the Vikings' decision-makers believe what Blackmon does. Nothing they've done thus far would indicate otherwise.
