Tony Romo's loss has been J.J. Watt's gain at CBS â and now it's permanent.
Watt on Thursday was named lead analyst for the NFL on CBS in a new multi-year contract agreement. The announcement was made by David Berson, Chairman of Skydance's Global Sports Group.
Watt will continue to call the networkâs top NFL games alongside Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sportsâ lead NFL announce team, including during the 2027 season when they call Super Bowl LXII in Atlanta.
"Iâve had a front-row seat to J.J.âs growth as a top-tier broadcaster, watching him tackle this role just like he did his Hall-of-Fame playing career," Berson said in a release by the network. "Heâs insightful, entertaining, passionate, meticulous in his preparation, and the ultimate teammate. He has a unique ability to see things and communicate to fans of all levels. We are thrilled to have him leading our NFL coverage."
Watt didn't start the 2026 NFL season in his current role. That belonged to Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback.
But Romo ran afoul of his assignment when he was arrested on July 23, after a traffic stop on southbound Interstate 43 near downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He later pleaded no contest to a first-offense OWI, with the sentence including a six-month revocation of his driving privileges and an alcohol-assessment requirement.
CBS said on July 31 that Romo was on leave "until further notice," but then the network announced on Oct. 2 that it had "mutually agreed to part ways" with its long-time lead analyst.
Watt, meanwhile, was the next man up. He has served as the network's lead analyst since the start of the season and that now becomes a permanent role after what was obviously a successful trial period.
The network chose the man in the seat over other possible permanent replacements for Romo, Greg Olsen and others among them.
"I am incredibly honored and grateful to have the opportunity to represent CBS Sports and all of the fantastic people who make this place so special," Watt said in a statement. "From the brotherhood of The NFL Today to my crews calling games, I couldnât ask for better teammates alongside me on this television journey.
"I am thankful to David Berson for his leadership, vision and trust. I love this job and canât wait to see ya Sunday with Jim and Tracy and many more Sundays to come!"
Watt joined CBS Sports in 2023 as a studio analyst on The NFL Today. Last season, Watt moved to the booth to call games with Ian Eagle and Evan Washburn.
Watt was a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was honored as the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs apologized to his teammates, while also speaking with reporters for the first time since returning to the team after being removed from the commissionerâs exempt list last week.
Jacobs missed the first six weeks of the 2026 season following an offseason domestic abuse arrest in May, which landed him on the commissionerâs exempt list on Aug. 30.
The league continues to investigate Jacobsâ situation despite pleading no contest to both misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. Jacobs being removed from the list doesnât hinder the investigation, the NFL has noted, but he is allowed back with the Packers.
Ahead of his potential season debut â the Packers havenât said whether Jacobs will be playing against the Detroit Lions on Sunday â Jacobs spoke with reporters, expressing remorse for his actions.
"Excited to be back with the team, with the guys," he said during his media availability. "I want to say thank you to the organization really for supporting me throughout this whole process and how everything played out.
"With that being said, I canât really get into a lot of things, like specifics of things, but obviously Iâm remorseful, and sorry for putting this time in this situation.
"Sometimes, when you go through life, situations occur, and a four-second, three-second decision can alter your life honestly. With that being said, still a human being, man, still trying to learn, still trying to grow from the whole process. Actually learned a lot throughout this whole process, legally and just personally."
As part of Jacobsâ plea deal, he was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, attend counseling, pay restitution for property he destroyed and have no further contact with the victim. As long as he meets those conditions for one year, the property damage charge will be dismissed.
Jacobs was arrested in Wisconsin following an incident that occurred three days prior, where he allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend trying to leave his garage and threw her to the ground.
Jacobs also filed a civil suit last week calling for an injunction and protective order surrounding evidence, specifically surveillance footage of the incident, which would restrict access to records of the case. Basically, Jacobs doesnât want the footage released to the public, as it was reported the video footage of the alleged battery would corroborate the victimâs claims.
Jacobs is trying to put the situation behind him, saying that he is "just trying to be better" moving forward.
"I know for some people this might be a stain on me and my character," he added. "I feel like I donât have to really speak on my character. A lotta people that know me in this locker room, or thatâs been around me, Iâll let them do that.
"For me, man, Iâm just trying to come back in here, play ball, learn from this mistake and move forward."
Head coach Matt LaFleur also addressed Jacobs returning to his squad during his news conference on Wednesday.
"I think a lot of times you get in a situation where you might not make the right decision," he said of Jacobsâ situation. "I think people learn from their mistakes. I think heâs extremely remorseful, and I do believe he is a good person. Iâve been around him quite a bit. I believe in second chances."
With Jacobs sidelined, LaFleur has seen an abysmal run game from his depth chart, which includes MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong Jr. and Kaleb Johnson, who Green Bay traded for with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers are averaging just 59.8 yards on the ground per game, though they are top five in passing yards (269.3) with quarterback Jordan Love finding his rhythm amid a recent three-game win streak for his 4-2 squad.
LaFleur said he felt Jacobs was in a "pretty good spot" earlier this week in terms of playing against the Lions.
"Heâs been training, but heâs missed the exposure to football. [His availability] is going to be determined throughout the course of the week, see where heâs at, see how heâs feeling, and then weâll make a decision."
Last season, Jacobs rushed for 929 yards in 15 games, finishing fourth in the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 13.
During his playing days, Ryan Fitzpatrick was known as a gunslinger, unafraid to push the ball downfield and take shots. As an analyst, he appears to have that same mentality.
Sometimes Fitzpatrick made throws he wished he could take back, throwing 169 interceptions during his NFL career. As an analyst, there are some takes he wishes he could take back, too.
Fitzpatrick eviscerated Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix after the team's 17-14 win last Thursday over the Seattle Seahawks on Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" but said he regretted one remark from his rant.
"The line about being disrespectful to the quarterback position, it boiled over, and that’s the one phrase I wish I could have taken back, because I think my criticism was fair," Fitzpatrick said during a recent episode of "Fitz and Whit."
"I don’t think the effort and the competitiveness that he’s shown in the past, I don’t think he was showing that at the end of the game. That is somewhere I usually don’t go, but that’s what I felt."
The 17-year NFL veteran stood by his scathing criticism, saying Nix was not playing competitive football and that something appears to be wrong with the Broncos quarterback.
"Something’s going on with him. I don’t know what it is," Fitzpatrick said. "You watched C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence in that game at Wembley, going toe to toe, one after another. Even Aaron Rodgers and Jalon Daniels in the fourth quarter. You had Josh Allen and Kirk Cousins, and you had Jacoby Brissett, and you had Matthew Stafford just going at it. That’s the type of competitiveness that the quarterback position deserves."
Despite the Broncos defeating the Seahawks and Sam Darnold throwing two interceptions, Fitzpatrick chose to focus on Nix in his postgame analysis.
"I don’t want to talk about Sam Darnold’s two interceptions because, look, playing quarterback is hard, and there are a lot of things that you can’t control," Fitzpatrick said. "But there are things you can control, and when you decide to turn it down, maybe that’s what really bothered me."
Former Broncos star Aqib Talib defended Nix and questioned Fitzpatrick's playing credentials to discredit his criticism. Fitzpatrick playfully responded to Talib in a video Sunday but did not fully address his criticism of Nix until appearing on his podcast.
The San Francisco 49ers are red-hot to start the 2026 season, owning a perfect 6-0 record after a "Monday Night Football" victory over the Washington Commanders.
But tensions can run high even when things are going well. Just ask head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy after the latter screamed toward his leader on the sideline in a now-viral exchange in Week 6.
Purdy was heard shouting, "Hey, Kyle!" with clear frustration, and the clip quickly found its way around social media. It appeared that Purdy wasn’t happy that Shanahan didn’t have the play-call in his ear in time.
Ahead of the 49ers’ matchup with the Atlanta Falcons this week, Shanahan told a different story on the exchange.
"Yeah, it’s actually not to call a play faster," Shanahan replied when asked about it by a reporter. "It’s, ‘I need it again,’ and it gets cutoff at 15 [seconds]."
Communications within a quarterback’s helmet can sometimes cause issues with getting play calls in on the sideline in time. That seemed to be the case here.
"Sometimes no one can hear it," Shanahan added. "… I always call a play and I just walk, and think. I don’t always watch the huddle. A lot of times. Mac [Jones] or someone will say, ‘We didn’t get it, it was chopped’ or somebody yells, ‘Brock’s yelling at you,’ which I can’t always hear. But I did hear him a couple times in this game, and I look up and try to do it again as long as it’s not past 15 seconds."
Shanahan is known as one of the best offensive play-callers in the sport, but it’s not always smooth sailing on game day. The clock is always playing a major factor, but the chemistry between play-caller and quarterback is what matters most.
So, there’s no disconnect on that front, as Shanahan has seen Purdy be one of the top signal callers in the game thus far through this undefeated start.
For quarterbacks who have played through all six weeks, Purdy owns the league’s best quarterback rating (118.1) while throwing for 1,460 yards with a 69.6% completion rate, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Vice President JD Vance is a longtime Cincinnati Bengals fan to the extreme that he watched his team lose an AFC wild card game to the Pittsburgh Steelers – while he was serving in Iraq in January of 2006.
Well, on Wednesday, the Veep got a closer look of his favorite team when he visited at their training facility and watched parts of practice.
Vance toured the team's locker room, shook hands with several players, coach Zac Taylor and others, and came away with a football. It is unclear if Vance brought the ball to be autographed or the club gave it to him as a memento.
The Trump administration is making a lot of campaign stops before the November 3 midterm elections and it seems athletes from all sports have been engaged and more than happy to tag along with the President and others.
Wednesday, meanwhile, wasn't the Bengals following Vance around. It was a Bengals fan following the team he's loved since he was a boy.
The strange thing about this visit, though, was that Vance didn't interact with quarterback Joe Burrow, who is undoubtedly the biggest star on the team.
The two didn't talk at all.
"We did not," Burrow told reporters. "We did not. He came with everybody and left with swiftness and efficiency before the end of practice, so I didn't get to."
Burrow turned a question about what happened while Vance was at practice into a statement about himself.
"Yeah, a lot of people, a lot of people around, you know, that's what I love about what I do is, it brings a lot of people together, and people want to take time out of their day to come and watch what we do, watch what I do, and watch all the work that I've put in to come and watch greatness, and that's everybody in the locker room," Burrow said.
"That's why we do what we do, and whether it's on the TV, whether it's in person, whether it's on the practice field, and that's what we do."
Yes, we now understand who Burrow believes the stars are when the vice president of the country visits.
Vance arrived in a motorcade befitting a world leader – six black SUVs, some police vehicles, and some motorcycle cops.
His SUV (mini-tank?) rolled past a back gate at the Kettering Health practice fields adjacent to Paycor Stadium.
Vance is a Middletown, Ohio native. He has a home in Cincinnati’s East Walnut Hills neighborhood so he was obviously feeling quite at home when he arrived in town to deliver a speech at the FBI's Cincinnati Field Office and then hold a campaign rally at the Sharonville Convention Center.
Retired NFL linebacker Brandon Spikes has had an interesting football journey.
The former five-star prospect from Shelby, North Carolina committed to Florida out of high school and was a part of the loaded 2006 recruiting class that featured himself as well as college football legends Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.
After a decorated college career which included two All-American selections and two national championships, Spikes was drafted late in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, where he spent five of his seven seasons in the league.
The dream for every young man growing up playing football is to ultimately hear their name called by the commissioner of the NFL on draft day, but Spikes claims he had to make some personal (and financial) sacrifices before going pro.
As a guest on the popular "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, the former Patriots linebacker revealed he wasn't exactly hurting for money while in college.
While his response elicited a laugh from both Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, who were high-level college players in their own right, Spikes was mostly being tongue-in-cheek with his answer.
He did, however, reveal the numbers were a lot closer when factoring in Uncle Sam, referring to Massachusetts as "Taxachusetts" due to the high income taxes he incurred while playing for New England.
"You played in Foxborough," Spikes asked. "That check looks a little bit different when you walk up out of there."
When asked by Compton whether he cleared seven-figures while wearing orange and blue, Spikes denied it, playing it coy before adding that the university found a way to move his mom down to Florida while he was playing for the Gators.
"Those same home-cooked meals I got my whole life, I got those right there in Gainesville," he joked.
If you are one of the few fans still believing kids weren't getting paid before the advent of NIL, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but players like Spikes were living large long before it was "legal" to do so.
Let's all give Spikes a hand for being so charitable to take a cut in pay to play for the Patriots.
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Cordarrelle Patterson was arrested over the weekend on charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his wife that left her bruised.
Patterson's wife told police that the former return specialist grabbed her hair and left arm, leaving her fearing for her children's and her own safety, TMZ reported, citing an arrest warrant.
Officers came to the house and found bruising on her arm, TMZ said.
The 35-year-old was the 29th overall pick out of Tennessee in 2013 to the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent four seasons. He then spent time with the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Patterson is the all-time leader in kick returns for touchdowns with nine. He's led the NFL three times in yards per return and has been a First-team All-Pro returner four times, most recently in 2020 with the Bears.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are preparing to take a trip down I-95 and I-4 (godspeed) to play in Orlando next season while EverBank Stadium undergoes a massive, $1.4 billion renovation.
One that will include a canopy, wider concourses, and, if there's enough interest, something not usually found in NFL stadiums: a place to store your ashes after you die.
Honestly, you kids will be glad to have the space on their mantle... Do people even have mantles anymore?
According to Front Office Sports, some fans have already ponied up as much as $6,000 to be part of a new project dubbed the "904Ever Club."
This is being done in conjunction with the team's "official fan memories partner," Eternal Fan. The plan is to install a 14-by-14-foot memorial that will contain fans' personal artifacts, including their most personal artifacts: their ashes.
The top tier costs a cool $5,904, which is a lot, and it obviously begs the question: would you do this if you could have your cremains interred at your team's stadium?
I think it depends on your team. If you're a long-suffering fan of, like the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates, or, in my case, Philadelphia Flyers, do you want to spend the rest of eternity (or at least until your team moves to a new stadium or arena) being reminded of the agonizing defeats?
No... but it would still be pretty cool to tell people where you're headed before you take the ol' dirt nap.
"Yeah, when I croak you can visit my cremains at Xfinity Mobile Arena... I was hoping to have them stored at the Chickie's & Pete's across the street — big crab fries guy — but they wouldn't do it."
Considering the Jaguars already have a hefty bill to pay for these stadium renovations, one of the best parts for them is that while Eternal Fan gets the revenue from the packages sold, it's also on them to build and maintain the memorial, which includes annual fees to the team.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday that he's "leaving shortly" for France to attend the first-ever NFL game there and he's confident it will be safe to attend and play the game due in no small part to assurances he received from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which were confirmed to OutKick by Rubio himself.
"We're involved at the highest levels both in France on a global basis with our officials here, including, I had a conversation here with the Secretary of State a couple of days ago," Goodell said at the close of the Fall League Meeting in New York.
"So we're continuing to make sure we have all the available information, make sure appropriate steps are being made. We're guests in the country. We're going to be good guests. We're going to do our thing and I'm confident they're going to do theirs."
Rubio on Wednesday confirmed to OutKick and Fox News Digital that he spoke with Goodell.
"Our embassy feels the game will be fine," Rubio told OutKick and Fox News Digital. "We have no indication the game will be impacted in any way."
Rubio will not be attending the game but it has nothing to do with recent events.
"I was never planning to go anyways," Rubio said.
Goodell repeated the message the NFL has been delivering for several days about playing in France amid civil unrest and turmoil that has resulted in overturned and burned out cars, looted and burned out shops and restaurants and protests by various factions.
"Very high is my comfort level," Goodell said. "Again, we've made all the preparations. We've been in touch with all the appropriate authorities.
"Protests are not unusual in France, as you know. And that's something that we will be aware of and make sure that the appropriate arrangements are made."
Multiple media outlets in France have reported that a major protest is scheduled for Saturday – one day before the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints play at Stade de France on Sunday.
The stadium is approximately 20 miles from central Paris where some of the many protests happened over the last week.
The Saints have been in France since Monday without any reported incidents. The Steelers are scheduled to leave Western Pennsylvania on Thursday and arrive on Friday.
The New York Giants are benching Jameis Winston and starting J.J. McCarthy on Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to ESPN.
Less than a month after acquiring McCarthy in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants are turning to the 23-year-old quarterback to try to lead them to the playoffs in a weakened NFC East.
After being used in packages in the Giants’ 27-27 tie with the Washington Commanders in Week 5, McCarthy saw significant action during the fourth quarter of the Giants’ 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints and thrived.
McCarthy took over for Winston when the Giants were down 34-10 in the fourth quarter. He threw an interception on his first possession but then led a furious comeback attempt. McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown.
McCarthy led three scoring drives, the first ending with a Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to make it 34-18. He then threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely, but the two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score at 34-24. He then led a field goal drive to cut the deficit to 34-27.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft led the Giants down the field and gave them a chance to tie or win the game if coach John Harbaugh decided to go for two, but his fourth-down pass attempt from the Saints' 14-yard line sailed high.
While the comeback fell short, McCarthy impressed and made history in the process. His 243 yards are the most passing yards in the fourth quarter by any player this season and the second most by a quarterback who did not start the game over the past 25 seasons, according to NFL Network.
The Giants went 2-1-1 with Winston at quarterback, but the 32-year-old struggled against the Saints. He threw two costly interceptions as the Giants attempted to rally against his former team.
The Giants hope the more mobile McCarthy can spark a struggling running game that has faltered with Winston at quarterback. McCarthy was the team’s leading rusher with 26 yards in Sunday's loss.
Some believed an easier debut as the starter for McCarthy would come after the Giants’ bye week, which follows the Texans game, but the Giants decided otherwise.
The Giants are 3-2-1 and sit atop the NFC East, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders all struggling and battling injuries, leaving New York with an opportunity to win the division.
The first few weeks of the NFL season brought more lows than highs for the Tennessee Titans.
But Week 6 provided one of the team’s rare bright spots, as the Titans rallied for a 26-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, their first win of the season.
The celebratory mood at the Titans’ Nashville headquarters was likely short-lived, however, after the team made a surprising move involving one of its defensive linemen.
On Tuesday, the Titans announced they had released defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, citing an unspecified "incident" at the team’s facility.
Elliott played under then-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh the past two seasons before following Saleh to Tennessee, where he is now the Titans’ head coach. Elliott appeared in five games this season with the Titans, recording 11 total tackles.
In a statement, the Titans said the incident happened last Thursday.
"On Thursday, Oct. 15, there was an incident at our team facility involving Jordan Elliott. Following our review of the incident, we have made the decision to release Elliott from our roster. We will have no further comment on the matter."
Details surrounding the incident were not immediately available.
Elsewhere on the Titans’ roster, defensive back Alontae Taylor did not suit up due to what was described as a coach’s decision. Saleh also did not provide details about Taylor’s status.
Taylor played nearly every defensive snap during the Titans’ first five games of the season. He signed a three-year, $58 million contract with Tennessee in March and had recorded 19 tackles and one sack through those five matchups.
The NFL made multiple officials available to reporters Tuesday during its fall league meeting to say that it was satisfied with how the Philadelphia Eagles handled quarterback Jalen Hurts' care related to his blood clots and to criticize reports that drew incorrect conclusions about what happened.
And, ready for this?
Then the NFL Players Association released a statement on the matter on Tuesday evening saying something quite different.
That NFLPA statement criticized the league for drawing conclusions about how the situation was handled and added that the union was told by the league it would not review the care Hurts received.
That last part calls into question how the NFL can defend how the Eagles handled the matter, because how could that assessment be made lacking a thorough review?
So, rather than allaying concerns and moving on from the Jalen Hurts blood clot matter, we actually have a new mystery and more questions.
"I'll just sum it up by saying that I have complete confidence in the Eagles medical staff and their handling of this situation and what characterize their work as very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step," said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer.
Sills said that in a typical season, the league has been "in the low single digits" of players that suffered deep vein thrombosis like Hurts did over the course of the past decade and this:
"Every case gets reviewed and looked at," he said.
Sills later added that in the Hurts case, "everyone was incredibly conservative and incredibly vigilant and was very quick to make diagnoses of these conditions that might not have been diagnosed in a non-athlete.
"Quite frankly, you or I might have walked around with this condition without a diagnosis."
Sills said that all the timing and decision-making on when tests were performed and conclusions reached came with "state-of-the-art imaging that was done in London and as far as the timing and the decision-making ...
"I have great confidence in that and believe everyone acted with an abundance of caution and with a tremendous high degree of suspicion to try to identify and take care of these things as quickly as possible."
Sills then repeated that the NFL has a committee that looks at all these cases and does so with the Players Association to see what can be learned.
There's more: Jeff Miller, the NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, was asked if there was an investigation into what the Eagles did or whether the league simply trusted what the Eagles said happened.
"Both talking to the Eagles staff and making sure from people on the ground, tracking the case, talking to the independent hospital and doctors involved that we have, I think, a complete understanding of the course of events," Miller said.
Taken in total, this represents a full-throated defense of the Philadelphia Eagles, their medical staff, and the doctors in London that treated Hurts.
And that sounded convincing until the NFLPA released its statement.
"The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts," the statement provided to OutKick and Fox News Digital reads. "In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received."
Wait, what?
That contradicts what an NFL vice president and the league's top doctor said. Because, how could the NFL be so confident about the care Hurts received and the decisions that were made without a review or investigation into the facts?
But the NFLPA was not finished blowing up the league. The NFL has apparently come to a conclusion that Hurts received great, professional care and called reporting suggesting something else "considerable and uninformed speculation."
But the second part of the NFLPA's statement suggests the NFL is engaging in speculation.
"Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred," the union's statement read. "Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward."
Count Dani Watt as the lone voice in the NFL wilderness questioning the league's wisdom about playing Sunday's game in France amid civil unrest that has rocked Paris and other parts of the country.
Even as the league's march toward playing its first-ever game in France seems inexorable with no one else publicly questioning going into a riot-torn country, Watt asked one simple question on her Instagram story relating to how the game remains on schedule:
"Tell me how this one makes sense???" Watt posted.
Dani Watt is T.J. Watt's wife.
T.J. Watt is one of the Pittsburgh Steelers' best players and perhaps their best defensive player.
And as such, he's scheduled to board a charter flight with his teammates to France on Thursday in advance of the Steelers playing the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France, 20 miles or so from the center of Paris, where cars were burned and stores have been looted in recent days.
You know what else Dani Watt is?
She's the first person connected to the NFL to ask this fundamental and logical question. No one else has done that.
No one else – not any coach, player or even any politician in either Louisiana or Pennsylvania – has been so candid about what is about to happen.
And what is about to happen is that the NFL is sending two teams to a foreign country dealing with burning, looting, protesting, rioting, arrests and other violence, so the teams can play a football game within driving distance of the problems.
NFL executive vice president for Club Business, International and League Events Peter O'Reilly was asked Tuesday about the NFL's ongoing plans to play the game on Sunday.
And he went through the litany of precautions the NFL has been "vigilant" about in leading up to the game.
You know what the NFL hasn't been vigilant about? Stuff that hasn't happened. Stuff that might happen.
The situation on the ground is unpredictable because the students, communists, anarchists, anti-Israel and other protesters that have collaborated to make France a worse place to visit in recent days might do something no one expects.
The reeling Washington Commanders are going to be without one of their biggest offensive weapons.
Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin is out for the remainder of the season with a torn left patellar tendon, coach Dan Quinn announced Tuesday. McLaurin will undergo surgery to repair the injury.
"Man, he brings a lot on and off the field," Quinn said of McLaurin while speaking to reporters. "I felt him in so many unique ways this season from training camp to in-season. For him to even start the game like he did was significant."
The 31-year-old suffered the injury while running a route in the first quarter of the Commanders’ 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his left leg.
The two-time Pro Bowler has spent his entire eight-year career with the Commanders. In five games this season, he had 15 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown.
Over his career, he has 513 catches for 7,191 yards and 42 touchdowns. Before the 2025 season, McLaurin signed a three-year, $96 million contract extension after a lengthy holdout. The deal runs through the 2028 season.
Next season, he is owed $23.3 million, including $5.35 million guaranteed for injury if he isn't healthy by April 1. That provision could potentially cloud his future with the team.
In McLaurin’s absence, Stefon Diggs, rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams and tight end Chig Okonkwo could see more targets from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Commanders are 1-4-1 and sit in last place in the NFC East. They have a bye in Week 7.
The NFL reiterated Tuesday that all plans for playing its inaugural regular-season game in France remain on track and that the league is confident in its "operational and security plans," despite civil unrest that has made headlines in the country over the past week.
"[We're] obviously being very vigilant in everything we do and all of our planning on an hour-by-hour basis, working closely with our two teams," NFL executive vice president for Club Business and International Peter O'Reilly said Tuesday.
"We've got confidence in the plans both from an ops and security standpoint."
O’Reilly acknowledged that the NFL has contingency plans for every game, including moving it to another location or postponing it. However, he said discussions about those options for this particular game are nowhere near a critical stage.
"We have never been close to that point," he said. "As you know, we've always got contingency plans for every game, every single one of them. But no, we were not at that point at any point in the conversation."
So where does all this confidence come from that a gathering of roughly 81,000 fans, two full teams, politicians and others will be safe when cars have been burned and stores looted less than 20 miles away in central Paris?
"Our team's been on the ground, security team's been on the ground, and obviously, working in close partnership with Stade de France, which is a world class stadium, hosted world class events, most recently the Olympic Games," O'Reilly said.
"But not just on game day, all of our events we have going on we've got, we always have a very strong security presence, as you know, around all of those events. And that presence will be heightened with local authorities making sure that there's nothing more important from our standpoint than the team security, the fans' security, everybody involved with this game.
"So extremely vigilant as we always are. As I said, confident in all of those plans as we head towards Sunday."
It used to be that the night before Thanksgiving — Thanksgiving Eve, as it were — was for college kids to get plastered back in their hometowns and then spend the next day wearing sunglasses while suffering through a meal at thekids's table.
Not anymore. The NFL is taking it over, and they're bringing U2 with them.
The Irish band — Bono, the Edge, and two other guys who didn't get the memo on cool nicknames — will play at halftime during Netflix's Thanksgiving Eve game between the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
"There's a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: they don't just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever," Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said. "We’re thrilled that they'll bring that same magic to the NFL stage on Netflix. It’s going to be an unforgettable night for football fans and Netflix members worldwide."
I think people are generally okay with U2... unless, of course, they give everyone their new album for free, in which case the pitchforks and torches come out.
This news comes the same day that reports started making the rounds of Jay-Z picking himself to handle Super Bowl halftime show duties, something U2 happens to know a thing or two about.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers performed at Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome in New Orleans back in 2002. That was just five months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
One of the most memorable parts of the performance came when Bono showed off an American flag lining on the inside of his jacket while the names of victims were shown behind them.
This should be a good one, especially if Netflix doesn't spare any expense when it comes to producing the show. U2 was the first band to play the Sphere in Las Vegas, so they know how to go big.
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news, and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
I don't know about you, but I've got that Tuesday feeling, and it's time to dig into some Nightcaps because we've got everything from Drake Maye's obscene milkshake habit to an Air Jaws sighting to discuss.
I'm deputizing for the great Amber Harding, and it's good to get back in the saddle after I had a short week last week to celebrate the wife's birthday.
And she did it right: an Airbnb with a pool, theater, and game room that was only about 20 minutes from our regular abode, and she invited friends and family over.
Between floating in the pool and watching hockey games on the outside TV (which was slightly broken; can't win them all) and watching the Vincent Price vehicle "The Tingler" in the theater, I had to ask myself a couple of times if it was my birthday too.
A great time was had by all, but those Airbnbs aren't cheap, and that's why it's back to work for this hombre!
So, let's dig right in.
Drake Maye had a wild milkshake habit
I'm a big milkshake guy, but I like an everyman's milkshake.
The fact that he was crushing that many milkshakes and is a starting quarterback in the NFL is crazy. You'd think he'd be washing himself with a rag on a stick and having to get weighed at the zoo.
Unreal. This needs to be studied by science.
Smart to cut back, but I bet he takes the occasional late-night trip down to Steak 'N' Shake to whet his whistle when he's jonesing.
He's only human.
Just when you thought it was okay to go back in the water, some shark goes and does this.
I'm not a beach guy. That's partially because of "Jaws" and also because I don't like sand or when seaweed touches my foot.
However, I've warmed up to the beach as I've gotten older, but consider me out again after seeing this video of a Great White doing its best Shamu impression off the coast of California that went viral.
Now, I'm a veteran "Shark Week" watcher, so I was familiar with the phenomenon of sharks breaching and doing flips like it's the X-Games.
I was, however, under the impression that this was something that only happened off the coast of South Africa, which was fine by me.
Now, the cartilaginous acrobatics are hitting American shores (technically, they're still off of them, but you know what I mean).
This sort of thing never happens in pools... right?
NHL goalie goes viral for the goalie-est interviews of all time
Perhaps more so than any other position in sports, being a hockey goalie attracts a certain offbeat breed.
It makes sense. Most of us would decline if asked to put a huge chunk of the team's fate on our shoulders while fighting off 100 mph howitzers.
That's how you wind up with Ilya Bryzgalov talking about the "hu-mang-ous big" universe, or Gilles "Gratoony the Loony" Gratton believing he's a reincarnated conquistador and sitting out a game because the moon was in the wrong part of the sky.
Let's add Calgary Flames netminder Devin Cooley to this list. It's been a slow start to the season, but Cooley played well in their recent win over the Carolina Hurricanes, and followed it up with some stellar interviews off of it.
I mean, that felt more like a psych lecture than the usual "We just need to go out and get pucks deep" brand of hockey interview, and I'm all about it.
There's more where that came from, and apparently, Cooley's teammates all run to the TV when he does an interview, and I think you can see why.
Great stuff. Hockey needs more of this.
Here are some ideas for acts Jay Z could've hired over himself
I've not been a fan of his work with the Super Bowl halftime show over the last few years. Save for the one with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Dr. Dre, most have been forgettable as far as the production is concerned.
I mean, can anyone remember any specific moments from them since he started in 2019? Not really.
Nonetheless, I like some of his tunes, and I kind of respect the audacity to be like, "Alright, the best person to do this is... me."
I wish I had more of that.
Still, it wouldn't be a Super Bowl halftime show if we didn't go over some acts that would've been great to see instead.
Metallica -Whenever the idea of a rock band doing Super Bowl halftime show duties comes up, 'Tallica is always first. They like big, unusual gigs. That's why they played in Antarctica and are currently in the midst of a Sphere residency. Speaking of which, have you seen what they do when they play "The Call of Ktulu" there?
Bring that level of show to the Super Bowl.
Foo Fighters - If Metallica is busy, the next number most people call when they need a rock and/or metal band is Dave Grohl and Co., and I think they could do it. They've got plenty of hits and bring the energy as well as any band out there. Trying not to sing along with "Monkey Wrench." You can't.
Jack White - Now, I know he's got a sprinkling of TDS, but the man's repertoire speaks for itself. Plus, he played the Thanksgiving halftime show in Detroit just last year to rave reviews. Maybe he brings Meg White out for "Seven Nation Army" or something. It would be awesome.
The Muppets - Everyone would love this, and if you want to see 65,000 people weeping, just let Kermit the Frog whip out his banjo and uncork a stirring rendition of "Rainbow Connection."
Any country artist - I looked it up, and there have been some sporadic country artists over the years, like Shania Twain in 2003, and a full-fledged country-fied halftime show in the mid-1990s. But as big as country music has gotten, how has this not happened again? There are plenty who could handle it. Hell, Ella Langley has been annihilating the Billboard charts lately. Trot Chris Stapleton out there for a few songs with special guests, and I can assure you, there will be no complaints.
Still, best of luck to Jay Z, and what are the odds we get a Kanye cameo?
I'm going to guess quite low.
Yay or Nay on a possible all-indoor World Series?
I'm really looking forward to the World Series, because I'm psyched to see a new franchise win a World Series, but I'm torn on one aspect of it.
The indoors-ed-ness.
This has the potential to be the first completely indoor World Series ever.
Obviously, Tropicana Field is indoors, while American Family Field has a roof that can be opened and closed.
This is great for getting the series played on time... but it still feels wrong.
I don't like this trend we're seeing with more and more teams moving inside. Sure, I get the logistics and the financial upsides, but who doesn't get excited to see a football game in snow or a World Series game where you can see the players' breath.
I'll tell you: no one.
I hope the folks in Milwaukee come to their senses and pop the roof open if the weather is clear but cold.
Give the people what they want, and maybe a little icing on that slide will help Bernie get a little extra speed.
It's fair to say that Deebo Samuel has a history of missing games due to injury throughout his career. His style of play contributes to that, and he was inactive for Monday night's Commanders and 49ers game due to a hamstring injury.
He's expected to miss "at least a couple of weeks," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said after he hurt himself in a win over the Seahawks. But that doesn't mean San Francisco's offensive weapon isn't playing through his injury.
He most certainly is, and he's putting it all on the line as a wingman. Not just any wingman, an e-dating TikTok livestream wingman. Is there anything Deebo Samuel can't do? And no, you're not allowed to say stay healthy.
It turns out he's a sucker for romance like the rest of us who have dropped our guards and allowed ourselves to be. The role of the e-dating wingman is exactly what it sounds like.
Deebo played, through his injury it's worth pointing out again, wingman/matchmaker over the weekend. He hosted an e-dating livestream on his own TikTok account for a couple during their virtual first date.
From the looks of it, his services as the wingman may have seriously been needed. Let's just say one of them on the online date really outkicked their coverage here.
Those not as in touch with their romantic side left comments on the screenshot of his livestream like "Step away from Antonio Brown, we should be concerned."
Others with a more refined perspective understood what Deebo Samuel was up to while trying to help two people connect with one another.
If he's too hurt to take the field, playing through his injury by helping to bring a couple of people together using the power of the internet is "doing gawds work."
Best of luck to Deebo and to Bebo, for that matter. Whether a connection was made with the help of the 49ers receiver or not, Isabel is going to be just fine.
The New York Giants may still be searching for their feature back, but they appear to know who won't fill the role.
Two days after criticizing the coaching staff's game plan following a four-carry, two-yard performance, the G-Men released Najee Harris.
Harris, a training camp pickup following struggles by Tyrone Tracy, got the start on Sunday, as Cam Skattebo was all but benched after another fumble, perhaps this one the most costly, last week. Skattebo was on the field for just six snaps and did not touch the ball.
The Giants used a three-running-back rotation of Harris, Tracy and Devin Singletary, yet their top two leading rushers were quarterback JJ McCarthy (26 yards) and wide receiver Darnell Mooney (20). As John Harbaugh put it after Sunday's loss, "Nobody's really taken the bull by the horns."
Well, Harris said it was difficult for him and the other backs to get into a rhythm.
"I don't think nobody can," Harris said, via the New York Daily News. "And this is not to anything that's the coaching staff or anything. This is just personal, running backs, quarterbacks. It's hard to get in a rhythm with one or two plays.
"The first couple runs will be, 'OK, how are they playing me?' The next one is gonna be, 'OK, this is how you attack it.' But if you're getting a play here and get taken out four series, there's nothing you can do. I don't know. I've never been through this before."
Harris has 99 rushing yards on 31 carries (3.2 yards per carry), a far cry from his four straight 1,000-yard seasons to open up his NFL career, which began just five years ago.
Harris was a first-round pick out of Alabama and was the Pittsburgh Steelers' bell cow but left after four seasons. He joined the Los Angeles Chargers, but injuries kept him out for almost the entire season.
Giants running backs are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry this season, with Skattebo barely leading the way at 3.6. Out of his 294 rushing yards, 81 of them came against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. He followed up with 36, 60, 58, and 59.
Harbaugh is patiently waiting to see who will take the bull by the horns, but one thing is for certain — it won't be Harris. New York will go to Houston to take on the suddenly-hot Texans before their Week 8 bye.
Supporters of the New Orleans Saints are marching into France, and the wave began early Tuesday when an Air France charter flight carrying Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and others was expected to arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport northeast of Paris.
The Republican governor, wearing a hoodie with the Saints' trademark fleur-de-lis symbol across his chest, left Louis Armstrong Airport on Monday evening. He spoke with reporters before boarding his flight "with a bunch of folks" who would spend the week in France before Sunday's NFL game between the Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Landry seemed confident the trip's safety risk was manageable — so much so that the group carried the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV Lombardi Trophy on the trip.
"Yeah, look, we've been in contact with the State Department and talking to our partners over there," Landry told reporters. "One thing the NFL does very well is work with the FBI, to use Department of Justice, Interpol, they do a great job of securing new stadiums out there.
"And we waited to hear the comment from the NFL. They said it's safe. We're gonna go out there with a bunch of folks from Louisiana and hopefully have a good time."
The NFL on Sunday released a statement that said the game is still on. but nothing in the statement unequivocally said the situation is safe.
"Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday," the NFL statement provided to OutKick and Fox News Digital read.
"We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites."
The Saints traveled to France after their game on Sunday and some fans are obviously following. The Steelers plan to fly to France on Thursday but on Monday afternoon held a Zoom meeting with the league office about the trip. All the players, coaches and even Steelers owner Art Rooney II were on the call.
"That's part of the normal planning anytime you go abroad," Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said. "The team is excited to go over there but we're in contact with the league...
"We are aware of the situations over there, and have a lot of confidence in our plan."
New Orleans players, already in France, are off Tuesday and free to roam away from their temporary headquarters near Versailles. Some players planned to attend a Paris Saint-Germain FC soccer match in the evening.
This is against the backdrop of the French government imposing a curfew and many businesses and some famous tourist attractions shutting down amid the wave of violence that engulfed sections of Paris and other cites around the country.
Despite all this, Landry is expecting to conduct some business on behalf of the people of Louisiana while in France.
"Look, we do a lot of work and business in Europe, and so we're very excited," he said. "We got a number of meetings, a meeting with the CEO of Shell, the CEO of BP, and others."
Another meeting Landry hopes to have is with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who is scheduled to attend the game. Landry hopes to lobby Goodell to hold another Super Bowl in New Orleans.
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