Skip to main contentSkip to main content

    SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The “early returns are really good” on Brock Purdy after his first throwing session since March 10 elbow surgery, according to 49ers general manager John Lynch. Purdy, with his ulnar collateral ligament repaired by an internal brace, appears slightly ahead of schedule in his comeback from an injury that led to the 49ers’ NFC Championship Game defeat in Philadelphia four ...

      When the Steelers selected inside linebacker Mark Robinson in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, they knew it was going to take some time for him to develop. Robinson played just one season of major-college football at Ole Miss, and that was the only time he ever played inside linebacker. Robinson's previous college experience was at running back at Southeast Missouri State and Presbyterian, ...

        Standing a few feet from a golf green, Deshaun Watson made a pitch for DeAndre Hopkins to join him in Cleveland. The Browns quarterback said that he has spoken to Hopkins, his close friend and former Houston teammate, and encouraged the three-time All-Pro wide receiver to consider a reunion. Hopkins is a free agent after the Arizona Cardinals released him last week. Watson said he has been in contact with Hopkins, his teammate for three seasons.

        The Southeastern Conference began four days of meetings on the Florida Gulf Coast for a second straight year, debating what to do with its football schedule. Texas and Oklahoma join the conference next year to make it a 16-team league that is abandoning divisions. The options are sticking with an eight-game slate, but shifting to one annual rivalry game instead of the current two, or going to nine games with three annual rivals.

        Daris Steen had been dating his future wife, Samantha, for months before he realized her father was Sgt. Rodney M. Davis. That they were even having dinner at his Los Angeles home all those years ago was unexpected because she had stayed away from men who served in the military. But when Steen started talking about his time in the U.S. Marine Corps and pointed to his ribbons hung on a nearby ...

        Perhaps it’s the injuries. Perhaps it’s the poor performances in nationally televised games against the Chargers and Packers last December. Perhaps it’s a case of demanding to see Tua Tagovailoa repeat his fabulous start to last season. Whatever the reason, the Dolphins quarterback continues to be disrespected on social media, even by some of his biggest advocates. The biggest slight came ...

        Late, great Hall of Famer Franco Harris was the best running back in Steelers history. As Art Rooney Sr. once said, "We never won before Franco got here. We never lost much after he did." Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis is No. 2 on that list. There have been few better team leaders in Steelers history. He willed his teammates on the road to a win in Super Bowl XL against Seattle. And No. 3 during ...

        PITTSBURGH — Bill Cowher was a Hall of Fame coach. Mike Tomlin will be a Hall of Famer soon after he retires. Pittsburgh has been lucky with terrific football coaches. The Steelers are 3 for 3 with Hall of Fame-caliber men since Chuck Noll was hired before the 1969 season. Think about that for a second. Three greats in 53 consecutive seasons. Noll was the best of the bunch. There is no ...

        CHICAGO — Eddie George had no plans to coach football. The long hours turned off the former Tennessee Titans All-Pro running back. He loved having time to invest in his golf game. He was building his wealth management business and acting in movies, TV and plays, including starring on Broadway as Billy Flynn in “Chicago.” “Trying to win a HEGOT,” George said. “That’s Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, ...

        Affiliate

        PITTSBURGH — Not surprisingly, the NFL has dusted off the third quarterback rule and brought it back in an attempt to avoid a potential repeat of what happened to the San Francisco 49ers in last season's NFC championship game. The rule, which hasn't been in effect since 2010, will have no impact on the Steelers' 53-man roster makeup because they have carried three quarterbacks since the Chuck ...

        ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Jameson Williams said he wasn’t fully aware of NFL rules against players gambling and didn’t know he did anything wrong. His confusion might be considered understandable with all the league’s ties to betting sites, except the guidelines are explicit, and ignorance of the rules isn’t a remotely acceptable excuse. Williams didn’t make any excuses when he spoke for the first ...

        Even when the NFL institutes a rule designed to reduce concussions, it can't shake the perception that it doesn't care what players and coaches think. The league took a step toward eliminating kickoffs this week by enhancing the touchback rule for a one-year trial with a priority on player safety. The receiving team will now get the ball at its own 25 with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line. Some of the league's most prominent coaches criticized the decision.

        KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes joined the “NBA on TNT” crew on Thursday before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals to talk about “The Match” golf event. Other topics were discussed, including Mahomes’ ankle. During the AFC Divisional playoff win over the Jaguars, Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain that affected him during the Super Bowl run. “It’s good,” Mahomes ...

        FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is taking charge. “He’s smart,” said Falcons wide receiver Penny Hart, who came over from the Seahawks and played with veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Geno Smith in Seattle. “Really smart. Really strong arm. He hit me in the face one time. I’m not ashamed to say it. He’s really smart, and he’s driven.” Ridder is set to take over ...

        Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

        Topics

        Breaking News

        News Alert