NFL News, Los Angeles, CA (2025)

01/15/2025

Malik Nabers revels in former LSU teammate Jayden Daniels’ Wild Card win

Just like old times.

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers and Jaguars wideout Brian Thomas supported Jayden Daniels at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday for the Commanders QB’s first-career playoff win.

Nabers, Thomas and Daniels were teammates at LSU before all three were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and they each went on to set records in their rookie season.

Nabers and Thomas, whose teams did not make the playoffs, celebrated Washington’s 23-20 last-second victory over the Buccaneers from the stands of the NFC wild card game.

Daniels finished 24 of 35 for 268 passing yards and two touchdowns in his playoff debut. He added 36 rushing yards and two first downs.

Nabers filmed his reaction in an Instagram Live video after Daniels drove the team down the field and kicker Zane Gonzalez cleared a 37-yard field goal to beat the Bucs.

Giants fans weren’t happy with his level of excitement.

“Roll em 5’s out!” said Nabers, who was wearing diamond grills in his mouth and black tinted sunglasses.

Daniels posted a photo of the former college teammates together after the game and added an infinity emoji and a blue heart emoji.

Nabers re-shared it and wrote, “Big den football.”

The former Tigers were treated to a brilliant performance by Daniels during the Commanders’ final two drives, which gave them the lead.

He accounted for 61 of his team’s final 74 yards, completing all six pass attempts for 57 yards and a touchdown.

It was the Commanders’ first playoff win since the 2005-06 season.

“It means a lot, man,” Daniels told reporters. “You could just see all the fans over here, man, they’re waiting for us. They’ve waited a long time for this moment and this feeling, so I’m just so happy for them.”

The Commanders (13-5) will face the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions (15-2) in the divisional round on Saturday.

01/15/2025

Bill Belichick’s lack of staff hires is ‘making people nervous’ at North Carolina

Could Bill Belchick’s tenure as North Carolina football coach be over before it truly gets started?

That is exactly what the folks at Chapel Hill are becoming concerned about based on the staff hires Belichick has made – as well as the ones he hasn’t since taking the job a month ago, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

So far the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach has retained former Browns coach Freddie Kitchens as offensive coordinator and hired son Steve Belichick as defensive coordinator.

He has also brought in general manager Mike Lombardi’s son Matt as an offensive assistant, former CFL coach Chris Jones as a defensive assistant and Billy Miller as a general position assistant.

Belichick tapped Moses Cabrera as the strength and conditioning coach after the two worked together with the Patriots.

With a reported $10 million staff budget and a number of position coach openings to fill, that certainly seems light.

Noticeably absent are any branches of Belichick’s coaching tree such as Matt Patricia or Joe Judge, the former Lions and Giants head coaches, respectively.

The situation is “making people nervous” at North Carolina, per Florio, including the athletic director and ACC president, concerned that Belichick could be biding time to see if an offer to return to the NFL shows up later in the game after there was little interest in the 72-year-old so far, according to Florio.

If so, there is a $10 million buyout in Belichick’s contract – that actually drops to the low price of $1 million in Year 2.

It all makes for a situation that could lead to the former Patriots coach’s time with the Tar Heels being a short one as he is close to breaking Don Shula’s all-time NFL wins mark.

NFL Network reported last week that the Raiders and new part owner Tom Brady spoke “recently” to Belichick about a potential coaching return in Las Vegas. But that quickly cooled off.

The job in Dallas is also now open after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy decided to part ways on Monday.

For now, Belichick is set to embark on his first collegiate season after landing UConn star defensive lineman Pryce Yates as a transfer

01/15/2025

Troy Aikman destroys Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy coaching decision

Troy Aikman didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, not bringing back Mike McCarthy as head coach.

Aikman, while appearing on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” before calling the NFC wild-card clash between the Rams and Vikings, said he was caught off guard by contract negotiations between a coach of McCarthy’s caliber and the Cowboys falling apart on Monday.

“I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today that he’s not going to be,” Aikman said. “It suggests that there’s not a real plan, the fact that they haven’t had the opportunity to maybe interview a Ben Johnson (of the Lions), some of these others, Aaron Glenn.

“What (Adam) Schefter said as far as (Eagles offensive coordinator) Kellen Moore being a candidate, that seems logical to me. A guy who has familiarity with the building, with the Cowboys, with Jerry Jones — they know each other very well. Beyond that, it’s hard to imagine.”

Aikman, who won three Super Bowls in Dallas, then questioned if the Cowboys are still a desired destination by top coaching candidates – even with it being “America’s Team.”

“As far as a coveted job, I don’t know that that’s accurate,” Aikman said. “I do think the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team. Whoever is head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention. I think most football people that take over as a head coach, they want to do it on their terms. That’s hard to do. If you take a Dan Campbell (from the Lions), for instance — is Dan Campbell Dan Campbell if he’s with the Dallas Cowboys? It’s hard to imagine that he is. It’s hard to imagine that a lot of these coaches might be.

“I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them well. But to say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I necessarily would agree with that.”

Jones’ omnipresence and role as the general manager make the Cowboys a very unique situation, one McCarthy seemed to navigate during his five-year tenure that ended Monday.

“Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team,” Jones said in a statement.

“These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover. Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here. We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

McCarthy went 49-35 with the Cowboys, reaching the playoffs in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but they won just one postseason game in that span. Dallas went 7-10 this season after losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to injury in Week 9.

The Cowboys may be left to play catch-up on the coaching search as the Jets, Bears, Jaguars, Raiders and Saints have already begun the interview process. The Patriots also recently hired Mike Vrabel to fill their vacancy.

However, Fox insider Jordan Schultz reported Monday that Dallas has reached out to Colorado coach and former Cowboy Deion Sanders about their coaching vacancy.

Whoever gets the job will walk into a situation Aikman would like to see improve.

“I think Mike McCarthy is an outstanding football coach. He’s proven that in this league,” Aikman said. “But you also have to empower that head coach. And that’s been what has been missing in Dallas since Jimmy Johnson walked out the door.”

01/15/2025

Andrew Whitworth delivers inspiring speech before Rams’ playoff game after LA wildfires

Former Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth gave an emotional speech directed toward the Los Angeles community — devastated by wildfires — before the NFC wild-card game between the Rams and Vikings at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on Monday.

“We are strong,” Whitworth said. “We will not be defined by this devastation. We will rebuild LA, hand-in-hand, together. For as long as it takes and whatever it takes, we will build it together. Los Angeles, I love you. We love you. And we are with you.”

Numerous wildfires have torn through parts of California, destroying entire communities, forcing more than 150,000 people to evacuate and producing harrowing footage as high winds combined with the flames to expedite the spread.

AccuWeather estimated Monday that the fires have caused more than $250 billion in damage, and the death toll had reached at least 24 as of Monday, according to the Washington Post.

The three active wildfires — the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst infernos — were at 14, 33 and 97 percent contained by Monday evening, according to CalFire.

As the Rams’ playoff game neared, the NFL moved the game to Arizona — labeled the alternate venue ahead of time — after the NHL and NBA both postponed contests for the Kings and Lakers, respectively.

Whitworth, a former All-Pro who now works for Amazon Prime’s pregame and postgame show, delivered his message from the field while holding a microphone.

He spent the final five years of his NFL career with the Rams, made the Pro Bowl while with the team in 2017 and contributed to their Super Bowl win during the final year of his career.

“For the past week, our Los Angeles region has been ravaged by catastrophic wildfires,” Whitworth said to start his speech. “Over 150,000 people have been evacuated. Our friends and our neighbors have lost homes, and entire communities have been devastated. There’s still more work to do. The courage and bravery of our firefighters and our first responders proved that real-life heroes live among us. But I believe in the people of Los Angeles.”

With the field changed to resemble the SoFi Stadium as much as possible, the Rams went on to win 27-9 as Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold struggled.

01/14/2025

Sam Darnold implodes as Rams tie NFL playoff sack record in wild-card rout of Vikings

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Sam Darnold tried to step up in the pocket to find a receiver but there was nowhere to go. The blue and yellow wall that was the Los Angeles Rams’ defense closed too fast.

Akhello Witherspoon got there first, knocking the Minnesota quarterback to the ground as the ball popped loose. Jared Verse scooped it up and the Rams faithful roared their approval in their adopted home of State Farm Stadium as the rookie ran untouched for a 57-yard touchdown.

Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was right there with them.

“Our defense,” he said, “just went crazy.”

Los Angeles — the football team, but especially the city — has had a tough week as wildfires have decimated large portions of the metropolitan area. The Rams channeled all that sorrow and uncertainty into a dominant defensive performance, sacking Darnold an NFL playoff record-tying nine times to win 27-9 Monday night in an NFC wild-card game that was moved from Southern California to Arizona.

Stafford threw two touchdown passes and the Rams (11-7) looked comfortable from the first snap. LA drove for a touchdown on the opening drive and built a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.

“I thought they epitomized and represented the city the right way,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “You talk about sports offering a platform for people to come together and offer a little temporary relief — I thought the way our team competed tonight was what that looked like.”

The game was moved to the Phoenix suburbs, nearly 400 miles east of the Rams’ home in Inglewood, California, in part because public safety resources were needed to address the wildfires. LA’s next game will be on the East Coast against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Verse’s touchdown with 4:35 left in the second quarter gave the Rams a 17-3 lead. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linebacker somersaulted into the end zone at the end of the game-changing play.

“I was going to dunk on the field goal post, but I was too tired,” Verse said, laughing.

The fumble return sent Rams fans into a frenzy — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said some 45,000 of them made the trek from California for the game, and the 63,400-seat stadium appeared full.

It was the lowlight of a brutal first half for Darnold, who was making his first NFL playoff appearance. He was sacked five times before the break and threw an interception when Cobie Durant picked off a pass intended for Jordan Addison.

Minnesota (14-4) had a chance to earn the NFC’s top seed in the final game of the regular season, but Darnold struggled in a loss at Detroit. His poor finish raises questions about his long-term future with the Vikings after he played this season on a one-year deal.

“You’ve got to play to a certain standard,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And we didn’t do that.”

The Rams took a 24-3 lead when Stafford hit tight end Davis Allen for a 13-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. Stafford finished with 209 yards passing and completed his first 10 passes, including all six on the opening touchdown drive.

“This time of year, it doesn’t really reward you to be timid,” Stafford said. “You’ve got to go out there and make plays. Gotta go win games in the playoffs, not just hope that things fall your way.”

Joshua Karty’s 44-yard field goal made it 27-3 on the opening drive of the second half. Kobie Turner finished with two sacks for the Rams.

LA caught a break early in the second quarter when a potentially game-changing fumble was overturned by replay. Stafford was being pulled to the turf by Minnesota linebacker Jonathan Greenard when the quarterback shoveled the ball forward just before he hit the ground.

Minnesota’s Blake Cashman grabbed the ball on the bounce and ran 26 yards to the end zone. Officials called it a fumble on the field, but it was ruled an incomplete pass after a replay review.

“It hurt to get that called back,” Cashman said. “But it was early in the game. We’ve got to continue to grind, play the tough downs and find a way to put us in a position to win.”

The Vikings never threatened again.

Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, but lost 82 yards on the nine sacks. The Vikings managed 269 total yards and many of those came when the game was already out of hand.

“They were just better than us today,” Darnold said. “I left a couple throws out there that I could be better on, especially early in the game. … Just too many mistakes.”

Los Angeles learned on Thursday that its playoff game would be in Glendale, which is home to the division rival Arizona Cardinals. The Rams traveled to Phoenix on Friday and practiced on Saturday at the Cardinals’ facility.

01/14/2025

Deion Sanders intrigued by Cowboys’ coaching job after Jerry Jones phone call

Deion Sanders confirmed to ESPN that he spoke with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about their head-coaching vacancy and called it an “intriguing” scenario Monday night.

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders, Colorado’s head coach, told ESPN. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

Sanders’ comment to ESPN followed a report earlier in the night that he and Jones talked about the job, which officially opened Monday after Mike McCarthy and Dallas parted ways just before the longtime coach was set to become a free agent — and other teams, including the Saints and the Bears, could pounce.

But with the hiring cycle already underway and teams already completing interviews with top coordinators before the divisional round of the playoffs begin, the Cowboys are behind the other six teams — the Jets, Bears, Saints, Raiders and Jaguars — still with openings.

Previously, despite rumors and speculation that he could bolt to the NFL, Sanders remained committed to a Colorado program he revived after taking over in 2023.

He said last week that the only scenario he’d leave for is the chance to coach both of his sons.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Sanders had “very strong interest” in the Raiders’ opening, but The Athletic later added that the team had “zero interest” in pursuing him to become their Antonio Pierce replacement.

During Sanders’ two years leading the Buffaloes, they have gone 13-12 and earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl this season.

Sanders’ youngest son, Shedeur, starred as their quarterback and is expected to become one of the top picks in April’s NFL draft, too.

During his lengthy playing career that eventually led to the Hall of Fame, Sanders spent five seasons — and earned one of his two Super Bowl titles — as a Cowboys defensive back and receiver.

And until the Cowboys officially hire their next coach, the Sanders variable will continue to loom — especially after Monday’s phone call with Jones.

01/14/2025

Jerry Jones speaks out about Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy breakup

Jerry Jones praised now-former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy while explaining why the Dallas owner felt it was time for the two to go their separate ways.

News broke on Monday that McCarthy would not be returning to coach the Cowboys after the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a new contract.

Jones, in his statement, reiterated his praise for the job McCarthy did while leading the Cowboys and said he had “great respect for Mike,” before explaining that a “joint review” led to the realization that it was time to move on.

“Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team,” Jones said.

“These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover. Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here. We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

McCarthy has yet to publicly comment on the decision.

McCarthy went 49-35 during his five seasons with the Cowboys and helped get the franchise to the playoffs in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but they won just one postseason game in that span.

This past season, the Cowboys finished with a 7-10 record in 2024 while dealing with an injury to starting quarterback Dak Prescott. It led to speculation running rampant over whether McCarthy would be back next season.

He also received interest in coaching jobs elsewhere, with the Bears making an official request to speak with him which was denied by the Cowboys.

The Bears and Saints are both expected to be interested in McCarthy now that he is a coaching free agent.

01/14/2025

With Cowboys in mix, Jets’ head coaching vacancy is even less desirable

On the NFL coaching carousel, when one door closed, another opened.

One day after the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, the Cowboys joined the five other teams still searching for a new head coach by parting ways with Mike McCarthy more than a week into the interview process for top candidates.

Will Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn — the only candidate to be interviewed by all of the Jets, Saints, Raiders, Jaguars and Bears — eventually get a sixth interview request from the Cowboys?

Will Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — who is being selective in taking interviews — have a new attractive option to consider?

Could McCarthy — who interviewed with the Jets in 2019 before Adam Gase was hired and is on the Saints’ and Bears’ radar — quickly pivot elsewhere before the Cowboys can replace him?

Here is how the NFL’s six vacancies compare in four major categories. On the six-point scale, the higher the score, the better.

1. Cowboys
Quarterback situation: 5

Ownership: 5

Non-QB assets: 5

Path to success: 4

Total: 19

The biggest challenge is managing win-now expectations: The last two coaches were let go despite winning percentages of .559 (Jason Garrett in 10 seasons) and .583 (Mike McCarthy in five seasons).

But Jerry Jones isn’t the quick-trigger owner he was in the 1990s, letting both Garrett and McCarthy leave on expired contracts rather than firings. He still creates occasional headaches by speaking out regularly on how the team is run.

The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat champion since 2004, so it’s up for grabs. But the rising Commanders have elevated into making it a three-team race with the Eagles.

QB Dak Prescott, 31, is only one year removed from a second-place finish in the MVP vote and is signed through 2028.

The roster is in danger of getting too top-heavy with WR CeeDee Lamb, CB Trevon Diggs and RT Terence Steele signed to big deals and EDGE Micah Parsons due for a top-market extension.

2. Jaguars
Quarterback situation: 4

Ownership: 4

Non-QB assets: 4

Path to success: 6

Total: 18

Even if Trevor Lawrence, 25, isn’t the can’t-miss prospect or $50 million-per-year stud he was advertised to be, he has the tools that the right quarterback-minded coach can unlock.

If Lawrence clicks, everything falls into place for an offense with homegrown young pieces at WR (Brian Thomas Jr.), RB (Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby) and OT (Walker Little and Anton Harrison). The defense could be very good with EDGEs Josh Allen-Hines and Travon Walker, LB Devin Lloyd and a No. 1 CB in Tyson Campbell.

The AFC South — maybe the NFL’s worst division — is built for quick turnarounds, as the Texans showed. The Jaguars have the second-best 2025 weighted draft capital of all teams (five top-105 picks), per Tankathon.com.

Owner Shad Khan kept embattled GM Trent Baalke but sounded open to empowering the head coach with personnel input. He will write the big checks necessary to lure free agents to one of the NFL’s smallest markets.

3. Saints
Quarterback situation: 2

Ownership: 6

Non-QB assets: 2

Path to success: 5

Total: 15

Owner Gayle Benson’s reputation is to provide support from afar, leaving the franchise in the hands of trusted longtime GM Mickey Loomis.

The Saints could be a couple smart moves from competing atop the mediocre NFC South, especially as the Falcons lick their wounds from the Kirk Cousins mistake and head coach Todd Bowles holds back the Buccaneers.

The drawbacks begin with the roster: Most of the Saints’ most productive players (RB Alvin Kamara, EDGE Cam Jordan, LB Demario Davis) are near the finish line. The makings of a good offensive line — Taliese Fuaga, Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz — are a starting point. But the best young playmaker, WR Chris Olave, is coming off a two-concussion season.

The two-year Derek Carr experiment hasn’t worked, but moving on will cost a $50.1 million dead-cap charge and neither recent mid-round pick (Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener) has staked a claim to be next. The Saints’ kick-the-can salary-cap-management style is a risk.

T-4. Bears
Quarterback situation: 6

Ownership: 3

Non-QB assets: 3

Path to success: 1

Total: 13

For the amount that QB Caleb Williams was criticized, you’d expect a much worse statistical rookie season than completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in making all 17 starts. He is the Bears’ No. 1 draw.

The McCaskeys represent ownership stability, but their track record of ill-timed firings creating GM-coach-quarterback misalignment is alarming. George McCaskey actually just said, “I don’t believe that’s a key factor” when asked about alignment.

If you believe in positional value, the Bears have building blocks in key places: Williams, EDGE Montez Sweat, LT Darnell Wright, CB Jaylon Johnson and WRs D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze.

But the path to the top of the NFC North is (forgive the pun) a bear. The Packers are one of the NFL’s youngest teams, the Lions draft well every year and the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell (34-17) is a quarterback-minded rising star in coaching.

T-4. Jets
Quarterback situation: 3

Ownership: 1

Non-QB assets: 6

Path to success: 3

Total: 13

Even if the Jets opt for a full rebuild and part with QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams, LB C.J. Mosley, CB D.J. Reed and other veterans, CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson, RB Breece Hall, LT Olu Fashanu, RG Alijah Vera-Tucker, DT Quinnen Williams and EDGEs Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson provide a winning nucleus. There is strength in the trenches.

Rodgers’ future looms over the whole organization. The new GM and coach must decide their timeline and how a still-can-play 41-year-old with a divisive personality fits compared to the other (less than appealing) replacement options.

The Bills are a powerhouse, but there is no obstacle to annual second-place finishes when starting from a similar place as the Patriots, and the Dolphins could be a house of cards with a quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) whose health is a constant concern.

Owner Woody Johnson’s desired input into football decisions is a complicating factor. Recent reports of his teenage sons’ involvement, and some of his uncomfortable suggestions, such as benching Rodgers after Week 5 of this season, raised red flags.

6. Raiders
Quarterback situation: 1

Ownership: 2

Non-QB assets: 1

Path to success: 2

Total: 6

What’s the selling point here? Come work under minority owner Tom Brady because Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter proved that GOATs on the field make winning decision-makers? Sense the sarcasm.

Majority owner Mark Davis isn’t as meddlesome as his father was. On the other hand, the Raiders have ranked No. 23 or worse in cash spending in three of the past four seasons despite the revenue from spectacular Allegiant Stadium.

The risk for criticism is high when matching wits six times a year against the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh and Broncos’ Sean Payton when quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and even rookie Bo Nix provide a clear advantage when you have no obvious path to acquiring a long-term upgrade over incumbents Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.

EDGE Maxx Crosby sounds open to a trade after supporting fired head coach Antonio Pierce. All-Pro rookie TE Brock Bowers only counts for so much.

01/14/2025

Hanna Cavinder hypes boyfriend Carson Beck’s Miami transfer in new video

Hanna Cavinder welcomed boyfriend Carson Beck to Miami in a very playful way.

Days after announcing his plans to enter the transfer portal and play for the Hurricanes in 2025, the now-former Georgia quarterback appeared in a TikTok video over the weekend with Cavinder — a guard on Miami’s women’s basketball team who boasts 4.5 million followers on the video platform — with the duo smiling together as they each held up a hand to form a “U,” a nod to the university.

“It’s a great day to be a miami hurricane,” Cavinder wrote Friday in a separate post on X.

Beck revealed his decision to enter the transfer portal on Thursday, reversing course on his 2025 NFL Draft decision.

“Go Canes,” he posted on Instagram.

A two-year starter for the Bulldogs, Beck, 23, impressed in his first season at the helm in 2023, throwing for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Although he threw more touchdowns this season (28), Beck’s interceptions doubled to 12.

His 2024 campaign was cut short during the SEC Championship game in December when he sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder and underwent surgery.

Before the year came to a close, Beck declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, a move that was met with criticism by college analysts, particularly Todd McShay.

“Carson Beck made a bad decision to leave early,” McShay said on his self-titled podcast in late December, as covered by Awful Announcing. “I texted a bunch of guys in the league, GMs former GMs, scouts. One scout wrote back to me, a one-word answer: foolish. I thought he got better late in the season as I said, but I don’t think he’s there yet. Played great in certain moments, I thought he played better late in the season, but he never this year played to the level that we, that many of us, expected him to play to.”

Beck is expected to be handsomely rewarded for his draft reversal, with reports suggesting he could receive $3 million to $4 million in NIL money by heading to Miami, which saw the departure of Cam Ward for this year’s NFL draft.

Cavinder, a 23-year-old social media sensation along with twin sister Haley, is in her second year at Miami.

She was part of the Hurricanes’ Elite Eight run during the 2023 NCAA Tournament before stepping away from basketball that same year.

Cavinder announced her return to the Hurricanes in April 2024.

Beck confirmed his relationship with Cavinder during an interview with ESPN last summer.

01/14/2025

Saquon Barkley shares sweet family moment before first Eagles playoff game

When Saquon Barkley took the field at the Linc on Sunday for his first playoff game as an Eagle, his biggest fans were cheering him on nearby.

In the lead-up to Philadelphia’s wild-card game at home against the Packers, the former Giants running back shared a heartfelt moment with longtime girlfriend Anna Congdon and their two young children, daughter Jada and son Saquon Jr., as seen in a video shared on social media.

Barkley, who joined the Eagles last offseason on a three-year, $37.75 million deal, held his two children near the endzone before doing a special handshake with Jada. He and Congdon then shared a kiss.

The Eagles got off to an explosive start Sunday, recovering a Packers fumble on the opening kickoff before the offense took over and scored a touchdown on their first drive.

Philadelphia led Green Bay at the end of the first quarter, 10-0.

The Eagles rested several key starters last week in their regular-season finale against the Giants, including Barkley, who was chasing Eric Dickerson’s rushing record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.

Entering the Week 18 matchup — ultimately a 20-13 Eagles win — Barkley had tallied 2,005 rushing yards for 2024.

Barkley, 27, told reporters he was fine with whatever coach Nick Sirianni decided before the game.

“He’s the head coach for a reason. He makes those decisions, and whatever decision he wanted to make, I let him know if you let me play, I’m going to go out there and make sure I get it. And if I don’t, I am OK with that, too,” he said at the time.

Sunday’s wild-card clash marks Barkley’s third-ever postseason outing.

He first reached the playoffs with the Giants during the 2022 season. The team toppled the Vikings in the wild-card round before being blanked by the Eagles in the divisional round.

Barkley’s family supported him throughout his Giants tenure, which began in 2018 when the team drafted him No. 2 overall.

He and Congdon began dating during their college days at Penn State.

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