The Official 2025 NFL Preseason Discussion Thread

[O-Blaze]

The Vikings play in the first 3 Games at Bears, vs the Falcons, vs the Bengals. I can totally see them going 1-2 after those 3 Games.

who's the team you see them beating

 

[Kairi HoHo]

who's the team you see them beating

The Bears. I don't trust Caleb at all Blaze.

 

[O-Blaze]

The Bears. I don't trust Caleb at all Blaze.

Oh that's fine. I just was making sure it wasn't my Falcons

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Preseason starts for my Eagles tomorrow vs the Bengals. I'm looking forward to who is gonna take that WR 3 spot, and who is gonna be starting in that Secondary especially alongside Q, and Reed at Safety.

 

[Loochblade]

...can't believe it's already been 10 years since

 

[Wolverine]

ESPN acquiring NFL Network, RedZone from NFL

ESPN is acquiring the NFL Network and other NFL media assets, including the linear rights to the league's popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network, it was announced.

www.espn.com

ESPN is acquiring the NFL Network and other National Football League media assets, including the linear rights to the league's popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network, it was announced Tuesday night.

ESPN will also acquire the NFL's fantasy product and merge it into its existing platform, making ESPN Fantasy Football the official game of the NFL. In a separate deal, the NFL also agreed to license to ESPN other NFL content and intellectual property that will appear on the NFL Network and other assets.

The NFL Network will be owned and operated by ESPN, which will control the network's linear and digital rights. The NFL Network will be integrated into ESPN's upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming product, and it will continue to be available on traditional pay TV providers.

"By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN's reach and innovation, we're creating a premier destination for football fans," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game -- anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN's digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service."

ESPN platforms will also license three additional NFL games per season, giving it a total of 28. NFL Network will continue to show seven games per season, with some games shifting to NFL Network from ESPN's original schedule. Dates and games were not announced. All of the ESPN-owned games will air on linear and ESPN's direct-to-consumer platform.

According to a joint statement, ESPN will own broad rights to RedZone, including the trademark, and continue to distribute the channel to pay TV operators. The NFL will continue to own, operate and produce the RedZone channel and will keep the rights to distribute it digitally.

The league will also continue to own and operate some of its media businesses, including NFL Films and NFL.com.

"Today's announcement paves the way for the world's leading sports media brand and America's most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can," Robert A. Iger, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. "Commissioner Goodell and the NFL have built outstanding media assets, and these transactions will add to consumer choice, provide viewers with even greater convenience and quality, and expand the breadth and value proposition of Disney's streaming ecosystem."

"Since its launch in 2003, NFL Network has provided millions of fans unprecedented access to the sport they love," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Whether it was debuting Thursday Night Football, televising the Combine, or telling incredible football stories through original shows and breaking news, NFL Network has delivered. The Network's sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways."

Also of note:

Beginning with the 2026 draft, Disney+ and Hulu will stream ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes' trio of draft presentations. All offerings will be available on the DTC service.

ESPN and ABC will each produce telecasts for Rounds 1-3 on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, ESPN will continue to air Rounds 4-7, with ABC simulcasting the network's coverage. Also, ESPN can add other alternate telecasts across streaming platforms for Rounds 1-7.


College GameDay and NFL Live will continue to be on-site from the draft, while ESPN Radio will continue its live broadcast of the draft.

In May, ESPN announced its streaming service would launch in early fall with a $29.99 per month price point and will keep the linear network's name -- ESPN.

The direct-to-consumer service, launching on August 21, will allow users to get all seven of ESPN's domestic linear networks in addition to ESPN on ABC and several other streaming options.

ESPN is 80% owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, and 20% by Hearst.

The agreements between ESPN and the NFL are subject to approval from NFL owners and government regulators.

 

[Wolverine]

Lions' Norris stable after injury ends game early

A preseason game between the Lions and Falcons was suspended in the fourth quarter after Detroit safety Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance.

www.espn.com

The preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was suspended in the fourth quarter Friday night after Lions safety Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance with what appeared to be a head or neck injury.

Norris seemed to take an inadvertent knee to the head while attempting to make a tackle on a running play by Atlanta's Nathan Carter with 14:50 to go. The Lions said he was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

"He's breathing, he's talking," Lions coach Dan Campbell said to open his postgame news conference. "It's good. He's got some movement. Now, they'll just run more tests."

Norris was attended to for about 20 minutes on the field as players from both teams joined hands in unison. An ambulance drove onto the field and Norris was loaded into it on a stretcher.

When play resumed, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a snap and then held the ball as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage and the clock continued to run.

Finally, with 6:31 left, an official announced the game had been suspended "per New York." The Lions led 17-10 when played was stopped.

Campbell said it was the coaches' decision.

"Raheem Morris is the ultimate class act," he said. "We agreed it wasn't right to complete that game."

Lions quarterback Kyle Allen said he was praying for Norris, adding, "It's a terrible game sometimes."

"I don't think anyone on that sideline wanted to play," Allen said. "We weren't part of that decision, but you could just look in everyone's eyes and see it wasn't worth it."

Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington said it was clear that he and his Atlanta teammates didn't want to carry on with the rest of the exhibition, either.

"That's somebody's life and that's bigger than football," Washington said.

Norris, 24, originally joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2024 out of Fresno State. He spent time on Detroit's practice squad before joining the active roster last season. He was re-signed to the squad in January after appearing in two games last year.

Campbell said Norris' mother Francina Pleasant is with him in the hospital.

"It's an eye-opener. It hits a little different," Campbell said. "It puts things in perspective. And I'll tell you what, man, it's a violent game and we love it. And when something like this happens, the silver lining is ... the brotherhood. I mean, to see all those guys from that team, our team kind of come together and everybody's thinking about another player just means a lot."

Morris said he spoke with his players after the game about what happened.

"You look in their eyes and you saw it and you get an opportunity to address the team and talk about your prayers and your thoughts for Mo and his family," the Falcons coach said. "And you talk about [the players] and their families and their well-being and all the things that we've been a part of together. It was pretty simple to talk about those things with those guys."

ESPN's Eric Woodyard and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Good decision to suspend the game.

I'm hoping that his injury isn't serious.

 

[Wolverine]

Dammit. Post already made, My bad.

 

[R-Troop]

10 PLAYS, 79 YARDS, FIELDS TD to open the season....

LET US DO THIS A LOT DURING THE REGULAR SEASON

 

[Colt Magnum]

@Chris

 

[Wolverine]

On Saturday, Myles Garrett was cited for driving 100 in a 60 mph zone

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was cited on Saturday morning for driving 100 miles per hour in a 60 mph zone.

www.nbcsports.com

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was cited on Saturday morning for driving 100 miles per hour in a 60 mph zone.

Via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, it was Garrett’s eighth citation for speeding since arriving in Cleveland as the first pick in the 2017 draft.

Three years ago, Garrett flipped a Porsche 911 three times while speeding and swerving to avoid an animal.

Said Garrett after the 2022 accident: “This will be definitely a wake-up call for me, just try to be smart overall with driving. Don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful that I’m still able to be here and just take my time.”

Garrett received a $250 ticket for the latest incident, which he can pay without appearing in court. As Cabot notes, Garrett presumably was driving home after the team returned from a preseason game in Carolina in Friday night.

Earlier this year, Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was cited twice in quick succession for speeding. It prompted G.M. Andrew Berry to explain that the team wants to avoid such incidents “because we don’t want some type of catastrophic accident.”

 

[Kairi HoHo]

8th??!! Man if someone like me would or racked up that many they would of had me in Prison for a couple of Months.

Please Myles stop speeding.

 

[O-Blaze]

 

[Wolverine]

View attachment 92169

Easy decision to make Flacco starter over Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders. And honestly, I would choose him too because of experience, so good decision by the Browns organization.

 

[Wolverine]

Sources: Commanders trading Robinson to 49ers

The Commanders are trading running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

www.espn.com

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders are trading running back Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Robinson did not play in Washington's preseason game Monday vs. Cincinnati, signaling the end of his relationship with the franchise. The Commanders had planned to release him if they could not find a trade partner.

Washington had been seeking to trade Robinson since earlier this month, in part because of the depth coaches say the team has at running back.

The Commanders will save $3.3 million in salary cap space thanks to this move.

In adding Robinson, the 49ers add much-needed depth at a position that has been hit hard by injury.

San Francisco has been without rookie Jordan James for most of camp, placed Patrick Taylor Jr. on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and just got backup Isaac Guerendo back from a shoulder injury of his own.

Starter Christian McCaffrey has made it through camp without issue, but Robinson should provide a power element the Niners' backfield otherwise lacks.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury boasted of their improved depth at running back this summer, signaling the potential for parting ways with Robinson.

Their intentions became clear when Robinson did not play in -- nor did he attend -- Monday's preseason game vs. Cincinnati.

Washington could end up using a running back by committee approach. The Commanders' top two backs Monday were Chris Rodriguez and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Both managed long runs vs. the Bengals vs. the starting defense -- Rodriguez gained 40 yards on one run; Croskey-Merritt scored from 27 yards out to cap the second series. They combined for 17 carries and 108 yards.

The Commanders also have veteran third-down back Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols. "Going into training camp, we really thought this was a deep room," Quinn said Monday night. "There would be real competition. We knew this was one of our strengths going into training camp."

Robinson's journey in the NFL started with a difficult situation. The third-round pick in the 2022 draft was shot on Aug. 28, 2022, in an attempted robbery in Washington, D.C. Despite undergoing surgery on his knee because of the shooting, he returned to play 12 games and rushed for 797 yards and two touchdowns.

Robinson, 26, has rushed for 2,329 yards in 41 games with Washington since being drafted by the organization. He rushed for a career-high 799 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

He has averaged 4.1 yards per carry in his career, which ranks 40th among running backs since he entered the league. He ranked 29th in yards after first contact, and his percentage of 10-yard runs (9.8) ranked 86th. But he was 17th in rushing yards per game (56.8).

Information from ESPN's Nick Wagoner was used in this report.