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After helping steer the Detroit Lions' offense into one of the best in the NFL, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took on a new opportunity as the Chicago Bears' new head coach. After selecting Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears wanted to give both Williams and Johnson plenty of options in 2025. Chicago not only beefed up the offensive line, but the Bears selected Michigan's All-American tight end Colston Loveland with their first-round selection.
While most people thought Penn State's Tyler Warren would be the first TE off the board, Chicago opted to grab Loveland with the 10th pick. Loveland showcased himself as the top target in the Wolverines' passing attack this past season, even with poor QB play. Loveland has the capabilities to stretch the defense, and that gives the Bears another weapon.
During ESPN's round table session , analyst Dan Orlovsky predicted Loveland to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Let's go with a tight end winning this award for a second straight year. The middle of the field and play-action should be huge areas of attack for Chicago. Loveland can replicate Sam LaPorta's rookie year production, which Bears coach Ben Johnson played a big role in scheming up while in Detroit.Dan Orlovsky
In 2024, Loveland faced an injury that allowed him to play in 10 games for Michigan, but he still led the team catching 56 passes for 582 yards and five scores. Regardless of who played QB for Michigan, they went Loveland's way. Now that the All-American will have much better QB play as he enters his rookie season, along with an offensive-minded head coach -- Loveland could be in store for a massive 2025 season.
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Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell Sends A New Eye-Opening Cryptic Message
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reshaped their running back room for the 2025 NFL season. With Najee Harris leaving in free agency and Cordarrelle Patterson released, Jaylen Warren is the lone returning back from 2024. Warren has totaled nearly 1,300 rushing yards over the past two years and is widely expected to assume the RB1 role following Harris’ departure. Competition is emerging however, as several newcomers are making strong cases for the starting job, and one running back recently sparked speculation with a cryptic post to Steelers fans on X. The Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell to a one-year deal worth $1.79 million in March. Gainwell is entering his fifth year in the NFL out of Memphis, spending his first four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles backing up Miles Sanders, De'Andre Swift, and Saquon Barkley. Gainwell has always been a serviceable backup and third-down weapon, but he wants to be more than that in Pittsburgh. Gainwell took to X on Friday morning when rumors were conveniently swirling about who will be the Steelers' RB1 when they face the New York Jets in two weeks. "They gone find out real soon!!" Gainwell said via X. It's important to remember that Gainwell could be referring to many things here. The Steelers' running game has showed promise this offseason, but many pundits would argue there's still plenty of room for improvement. Gainwell could simply be referring to the room as a whole taking the league by storm in 2025. However, it would be no surprise if he were referring to himself as being the player to look out for in the Steel City. He has shown his capability of being an impact player so far in his NFL career and has a competitive spirit. Gainwell has rushed for 1,185 yards with 12 touchdowns in his career, to go along with 102 receptions for 721 yards. During his four seasons with the Eagles, Gainwell carved out a reputation as a reliable dual-threat option. Though often used in a rotational role, Gainwell proved that he was capable of producing in high-leverage moments. Steelers fans might recall the nasty spin-move that he put on Donte Jackson during Pittsburgh's 27-13 loss at Philadelphia last December. So is Gainwell now a candidate for the Steelers' starting running back spot in 2025, that's the real question. With recent rumors swirling of Warren being in danger getting benched due to ball security issues, the idea of someone else leading the Steelers' running back room doesn't seem so unrealistic. Warren has seven fumbles in his career so far, including four in 2023 alone. In the Steelers' recent preseason win over the Panthers, Warren put the ball on the ground during Pittsburgh's opening drive. Warren might be the most talented running back that the Steelers currently have, but with turnovers being a potential issue, it might not be a terrible idea to turn elsewhere to lead the way. Even if Warren does get benched however, does Gainwell take his place? The Steelers spent a third-round draft pick on Kaleb Johnson in April, and the expectations for him are sky high. Johnson rushed for 2,779 yards in three years at Iowa, and he did show some promise during the preseason, rushing for 94 yards on 23 carries. One area of uncertainty with Johnson's game is his pass protection abilities, simply due to the fact that Iowa did not throw the ball much while Johnson was there. Pass protection is an area where Gainwell could separate himself from Johnson in terms of competition. It will be key for the Steelers to protect four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in 2025. With some uncertainty on the offensive line, the Steelers' running backs will need to be helpful in the pass protection game. Durability will also play a factor. Gainwell has remained relatively healthy throughout his career, only missing one game due to injury so far. Steelers' Gainwell Brings Experience And Success To Pittsburgh Along with pass protection and durability, Gainwell brings experience and success. The Eagles made it to two Super Bowls during Gainwell's tenure, winning one last season. The Steelers are looking to replicate the playoff success that Gainwell experienced in Philadelphia, and he could potentially help them reach that threshold.
Pat McAfee has strong reaction to Hall of Fame honor
Former punter Pat McAfee is receiving an honor that is rare for a special teams member. On Friday, West Virginia announced that McAfee was one of six players entering the program's Hall of Fame for the 2025 class. McAfee is thankful for the recognition from his former school. He used some strong language to react to WVU's reveal. "It was nice to have an opportunity to think back and reminisce about a great era of my life," McAfee posted on X. "I am so thankful for the recognition. This is normally something I would try and f------ hate.. I’d say that it’s b------- and they feel obligated to do this but; this call made my soul feel good. Thanks for the opportunity to be a Mountaineer @RealCoachRod.. it was an honor." McAfee was a highly productive specialist at West Virginia, earning First-team All-American honors in 2008. During his time with the Mountaineers, he set the school record for most games played (51), scoring (384) and extra points made (210). He held the Big East record for most extra points made, when he made 210 of 212 attempts. McAfee's success at West Virginia propelled the Indianapolis Colts to select him in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He earned All-Pro honors in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2016. He has the highest career net average in punting years with 41.1. McAfee should be proud of his achievements during his days in college and the legacy he is building with the program. The ESPN pundit even used his influence to speak with WVU athletic director Wren Baker to help with the coaching search that ultimately brought back Rich Rodriguez to the school.
Bengals' Joe Burrow puts NFL on notice amid Trey Hendrickson contract standoff
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow finished fourth in Most Valuable Player Award voting for the 2024 season after his club missed the playoffs. During a recent chat with NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Burrow put the league on notice regarding how he's feeling heading into the upcoming campaign. "I’m not sure I would say anyone is playing the position better than I am right now," Burrow remarked. "I'm pretty confident in my ability to go out and do that every Sunday. Now, it’s just showing that consistency, showing it year in and year out. I think what separates the legends is being able to do it year in, year out for five, 10 years at a time. So, trying to be able to find that consistency in my discipline and my process, doing the easy stuff in my sleep and then making the hard stuff look easy, then making a couple of great plays here and there, that’s what I am trying to do every week." Pro Football Reference stats show that Burrow ended the 2024 regular season leading the league with 460 completions, 652 pass attempts, 4,918 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns and an average of 289.3 passing yards per game. The Bengals subsequently rewarded their QB1 during the offseason by signing wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, wideout Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki to new deals. "We want to be the best offense in the NFL," Burrow told Breer. That said, Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson remains in the middle of what's become an ugly contract standoff. Hendrickson is in the final year of his existing deal, and the two sides seemingly aren't close to agreeing on the amount of guaranteed money that would be attached to an extension. Burrow has repeatedly made it known throughout the summer that he thinks the Bengals should "reward" Hendrickson with a pay raise. "...I think the more that I can explain the thoughts of the locker room, explain why doing one thing one way might affect feelings in the locker room, as opposed to doing something a different way, it’s my job as a quarterback to be able to relay information like that," Burrow said about campaigning for Hendrickson to get paid before Cincinnati opens the 2025 season at the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7. "And whatever their decisions are with that information, that’s for them to decide." On Friday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bengals at -140 odds to make the playoffs this season. Having a happy Hendrickson in the lineup would only improve Cincinnati's chances of enjoying what could become a special campaign.
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These college QBs are set to earn millions in 2025
Quarterback is the most important position in football, and the money given to top signal-callers — both in the NFL and at the collegiate level — supports that. On3's Pete Nakos detailed on Thursday what some of the top quarterbacks in college football will earn during the upcoming season. Nakos writes that at least five QBs will make roughly $3 million in the 2025 campaign, while more than 20 starting quarterbacks will command at least $1 million. It's important, for context, to note that these financial figures include direct revenue-sharing from schools and/or NIL deals from third-party collectives. Leading the way among 2025 quarterbacks is Duke's Darian Mensah. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore, from San Luis Obispo, Calif., will earn $4 million this year, part of a two-year, $8 million contract with the Blue Devils. Mensah transferred to Duke from Tulane, where in 2024 he threw for 2,723 yards with 22 touchdowns against just six interceptions. True freshman Bryce Underwood of Michigan is set to collect $3 million this season, which is a massive number for someone who has never taken an official snap in college. Still, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Underwood is a significant contender to win the Wolverines' starting QB job in 2025. The native of Belleville, Mich., was the No. 1 national prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. Redshirt senior Carson Beck transferred from Georgia to Miami in the offseason, and he will make $3 million to $3.2 million this season to start, in a deal that could be worth up to $6 million with incentives, per Nakos. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Beck, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., tallied 3,485 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024. According to the On3 article, Nebraska's Dylan Raiola will earn more than $3 million in total compensation during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore, who hails from Buford, Ga., threw for 2,819 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a true freshman. Last year, Raiola guided the Cornhuskers to a 7-6 record and a bowl-game triumph. Drew Allar will look to lead Penn State on another deep College Football Playoff run in 2025, and the senior quarterback will earn at least $3 million during the upcoming campaign. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Allar, from Medina, Ohio, threw for 3,327 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions a year ago as Penn State made the CFP semifinals. The Nittany Lions are No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press top-25 poll. Other quarterbacks who are expected to make big bucks in the 2025 season include Oklahoma's John Mateer ($2.5 million to $3 million), Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia (at least $2 million), Kansas State's Avery Johnson (at least $2 million), South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers ($1.8 million), TCU's Josh Hoover ($1.75 million) and Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby ($1.5 million to $1.7 million), among others.
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