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As the Atlanta Falcons arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the beginning of the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris made one thing clear: they are looking for a new quarterback.
Morris went as far as to say that he wouldn't be the Falcons coach if it weren't for the struggles of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke last season. After a third-straight 7-10 season with a roster that now has three first-round playmakers offensively, the Falcons know just how important finding their next quarterback is.
“We’ve got to get it right, and that’s real clear. We haven’t shied away from that,” Fontenot said during Tuesday's press conference. “We know that’s critical to get that position right, but it doesn’t stop there. We have to get the right quarterback in, and we have to improve this entire roster and get ready to roll this season.”
It seems like a good time for the Falcons to be looking for a quarterback. Not only will the Falcons potentially have a chance at finding one in a draft, where Fontenot said himself possesses a "strong" group of signal-callers, but they also have more experienced options.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields has been the hot name surrounding the Falcons lately. Due to the Bears having the No. 1 overall pick and Fields not having developed into the franchise quarterback they were hoping for, his status is seemingly up in the air.
Then there are free-agent options like current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins or Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield. So, how do the Falcons go about selecting their next franchise guy?
It's everything you do. The scouts work really hard. We have a great scouting staff, and they're in the schools; they are talking to everybody, ..." Fontenot said. "It's what you see on the film. It's us spending time with them. ... So you gather as much information as you can, and you put everything together. But it's not a perfect science."
It is not a "perfect science," as Fontenot said, which is probably shown by the Falcons being in this position in the first place.
The Falcons will use the combine to judge this class of prospective quarterbacks further while simultaneously evaluating the veteran options that are also available. So, while it is unclear who will be the starting quarterback for the Falcons next season, it does seem clear that neither Ridder nor Heinicke will be the guy in Atlanta.
More must-reads:
- Myles Garrett reveals bold goal for 2025 Browns amid four-way QB competition
- Steelers' T.J. Watt addresses viral social post during contract negotiations
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Tua Tagovailoa addresses relationship with Tyreek Hill after controversial comments
Shortly after Miami Dolphins players reported for training camp on Tuesday, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill suggested he wants to be "better as a leader" after he controversially subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale this past January and then told reporters he was "out." While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the Hill-sized elephant in the room. "I think there’s a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek," Tagovailoa explained, as shared by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s conversating a lot more with the guys, not just about football, but about things off the field, being vulnerable about some of the things people know about his personal life and things of that nature. I think that’s the first step toward him building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there." Following Hill's "out" comment, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier revealed that the 31-year-old speedster never requested a trade. While publicly apologizing to his teammates during a Super Bowl week interview, Hill directly said that Tagovailoa is his "guy." Hill also insisted at the time that he loves Tagovailoa. "Everybody makes mistakes," Tagovailoa added about Hill. "It’s just, some people, they’re in the spotlight, and their deals get pushed out more than some others. So you’ve just got to cut him some grace. That’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, I think if you get to know him, you’ll love him too." Hill and Tagovailoa likely will need to be on the same page if they want to prevent the Dolphins from going through a franchise reset next offseason. At least head coach Mike McDaniel is reportedly on the hot seat this summer, while Tagovailoa's status beyond the upcoming campaign is up in the air after he suffered a third reported concussion since the fall of 2022 last season. "You guys aren’t the only people that heard that," Tagovailoa said about Hill's "out" statement. "...So when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, 'Hey, my bad.' You’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody. But like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, so I commend him for doing that." As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 2024 Dolphins at -275 betting odds to miss the playoffs. Those who believe the relationship between Tagovailoa and Hill is on shaky ground following Wednesday's developments may want to take a flier on such a wager before the odds change later this year.
Penn State QB Drew Allar gets candid about team's struggles against top opponents
It is no secret that Penn State has struggled to win big games under head coach James Franklin. While the Nittany Lions have finished with double-digit wins in six of the past nine seasons, including a 13-3 season in 2024 that culminated with a loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals, they have struggled to beat quality opponents. Quarterback Drew Allar, who enters the 2025 season with the fifth-shortest odds (+1600) to win the Heisman Trophy, per FanDuel, was honest about Penn State's lack of success during his appearance at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday. "We definitely need to get over the hump," Allar said, per ESPN's Jake Trotter. "There's no question about it." Penn State is only 4-20 against top-10 opponents under Franklin, although the three losses last season were all by one score. Allar is 23-6 as a starter, but threw a costly interception against Notre Dame that ultimately led to the game-winning field goal from the Fighting Irish. With experience on its side and lofty expectations entering the season as the No. 1-ranked team in ESPN's offseason poll, Allar pointed to better execution as a key to Penn State's success. "We definitely need to find different ways to come out with different results in those games," Allar said. "We haven't really been blown out of the water by any team. ... it's just about execution. ... finding those areas to make one or two more plays throughout those games. ... That's going to be our focus." One key for Penn State is the return of its two leading rushers from last season, Kaytron Allen (1,108 yards) and Nicholas Singleton (1,099 yards), who combined for 20 TDs. That experience, along with Allar's improved accuracy (66.5%) and career-high 3,327 passing yards from 2024, gives the Nittany Lions a lot of upside going into 2025. Allar did have an uptick in interceptions (eight) and was sacked 19 times last season, which are two concerning areas, especially against top-ranked opponents. That must improve for Penn State to reverse course and finally win meaningful games. For now, the focus is on its lack of success in those games under Franklin. If Penn State can execute and not beat itself, perhaps one of those games will eventually go its way. Until then, it will face the same questions as it looks to put its past struggles in big games behind it.
'If He Gets In, Take Me Out' – Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Catches Wild HOF Stray From Shaquille O’Neal
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert still has a huge hater in Shaquille O’Neal, as the latter believes that the four-time Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame someday. O’Neal has called out Gobert for years, and the four-time NBA champion went so far as to request that he be removed from the Hall of Fame if the committee inducts Gobert. “If he gets in, take me out,” O’Neal said about Gobert on his YouTube channel. “Go in there and just rip my jersey out. I f***ing hate Rudy Gobert. Because f***ing making 250 (million dollars), he doesn’t deserve it. F**k that. I don’t care.” “As the President of the Big Man Alliance, you’re making big money, play like a f***ing big man, that’s it,” he continued. “Play like a f***ing big man. Throw some bows, knock some people out. Don’t be letting little white dudes from Denver dunk on you and then talk s**t to you. Then you’re going to grab them by the neck at the last second. Come on bro.” Minnesota Timberwolves News: Rudy Gobert plans to sit out the upcoming EuroBasket Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert will not play for the French national team in the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket, as he plans to recharge his batteries ahead of the 2025-26 NBA campaign. “I’ve had busy summers in recent years, and it’s taken a toll. People don’t always realize how intense the EuroBasket is,” Gobert said to L’Aisne. “It finishes just before the NBA resumes, and it’s a big responsibility. I had said I’d wait until the end of the season to decide, and now I have. This summer, I’m focusing on myself, my family, and my son,” he added.
Eagles' Jalen Hurts explains why he hasn't been spotted wearing Super Bowl ring
Pictures from the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl LIX championship ring ceremony that took place on July 18 showed that quarterback and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Jalen Hurts elected not to wear his new piece of jewelry during the event. While speaking with reporters at training camp on Wednesday, Hurts was asked why he wasn't spotted wearing his ring during the celebration. "I’ve moved on to the new year," Hurts responded, as shared by Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal. "It’s as simple as that." For a piece published earlier on Wednesday morning, Brooks Kubena of The Athletic noted how Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni "avoids the word 'repeat'" while discussing the club's goals for the 2025 season. According to Kubena, Sirianni instead is repeating a mantra from a portion of a book that stresses "how marathon runners 'run the mile they’re in.'" It appears Hurts and others on the Eagles roster have embraced Sirianni's messages. "It was honestly surreal to see it in person," Hurts said about receiving the first Super Bowl ring of his career. "Almost, not nostalgic, but to see something that you’ve earned and have a moment to appreciate it one last time. It's kind of overdue in terms of when it was supposed to be initially. But it was a moment, and now that moment is behind us." It almost feels as if it were a lifetime ago when reports emerged last summer suggesting that Sirianni was on the hot seat, in part because his relationship with Hurts was allegedly "fractured" after the 2023 Eagles suffered a brutal late-season collapse. Sirianni deservedly received a contract extension this past spring, and it appears he's on the same page as his players early into training camp. "I came there only for the ring," Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown added about the ceremony. "I didn’t eat. I didn’t do anything. The whole ceremony was great. It was good to see some of our old teammates and talk to them, but that ring was speechless. I really enjoyed it. Trying to find a place, or something, to do with it." As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Eagles third among the betting favorites at +700 odds to win Super Bowl LX. One wonders how Sirianni and Hurts would feel about the "repeat" word if the Eagles are once again the last team standing in February 2026.
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