Titans have top pick in 2025 NFL draft, fire general manager
The Tennessee Titans wrapped up the number one overall pick in April’s NFL draft after losing to the Houston Texans on the final day of the regular season. They fired General Manager Ran Carthon 48 hours later, who likely would have made that pick.
Carthon lost his job after posting a 9-25 record over his two seasons in charge.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement, “I’ve loved the time I’ve spent with Ran –– he’s a talented football mind, a great man, and friend to everyone along his path. It’s impossible to ignore that our football team hasn’t improved over the past two years. I am deeply disappointed in our poor win-loss record during this period, of course, but my decision also speaks to my concern about our long-term future should we stay the course. I love this team more than you can imagine. To our fans: We know this level of performance isn’t acceptable. We’re humbled by your support as we continue to work towards building the team you expect and deserve.”
The draft order from pick 18 to 32 will be decided by 14 teams in the playoffs, with the Super Bowl champion making the 32nd pick in the first round.
Several teams that finished near the .500 mark for the season will look to retool after many of the top picks are off the board.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said they’ll immediately get to work preparing for the draft.
“The silver lining of being in this situation and the opportunity that you’re presented is that you do have a head start on the rest of the league to a certain extent. So this is something we really have to take advantage of. This is a position we don’t want to be in ever again, so hopefully, make the most of it and springboarding into creating those opportunities,” Macdonald said.
In Las Vegas, one day after the Raiders let interim head coach Antonio Pierce speak to the media about the season and the state of the team, they fired him. Six teams are now looking for new head coaches, and two teams are looking for new general managers.
NFL’s ‘Black Monday’ brings coaching changes and some surprises
This “Black Monday” in the NFL may be known more for those who weren’t fired than those who were. For instance, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, teams with a combined seven wins this season, will stay the course.
In New Jersey on Monday, Jan. 6, Giants Team President John Mara justified his decision to keep General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll after what he termed a “pretty lousy season.” Daboll, in particular, was thought to be on his way out after the team finished with a 3-14 record.
“Listen I’m at practice all the time, I go to team meetings, I watch the players, how they react. I still think he’s the right guy to lead us. If I’m sitting here a year from now and you’re asking me these questions, I’ll take the heat,” Mara said.
However, there’s a fine line between success and failure. After giving his staff a second lease on life, Mara was asked how long they have to turn things around. “It better not take too long because I’ve just about run out of patience,” he said.
Head Coach Antonio Pierce’s job in Las Vegas seems safe after a four-win season. On Monday, he said he had not heard anything from the team’s ownership.
The Raiders were hit hard by injuries, leading to a 10-game losing streak during the season, but Pierce was proud of the progress they made in the final month.
“Win, lose or draw, those guys competed, there’s improvement there. Some young players really stepped up and that’s what I think this last month was for us. We won two games in a row and lost last night but I thought you saw some things where you could say, ‘man, they were working on it,’” he said.
As expected in Jacksonville, Team Owner Shad Khan fired Head Coach Doug Pederson Monday but did retain General Manager Trent Baalke. “This decision doesn’t erase the fact that Doug did a lot of good things here in Jacksonville,” Khan said. “I have a lot of respect for Doug and will always be grateful for his effort.”
In New England, the Patriots didn’t even wait until “Black Monday” before firing first-year coach Jerod Mayo. He was let go after the team beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Jan. 5, earning just their fourth win of the season. Owner Robert Kraft took the blame, saying he put Mayo in an “untenable position.”
“It was very hard because of the personal relationship I have with Jerod and the kind of human being that he is. I felt guilty I put him in that position, but we’re moving on.” Kraft said.
Former Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel, a Patriots Hall of Famer, is rumored to be a top candidate in New England.
The Jets, Saints and Bears are also still searching for their next coach. Reports indicate that the Bears have asked to interview Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract expires Jan. 14.
Coaches brace for change as NFL’s ‘Black Monday’ approaches
The day after the NFL’s regular season ends is known as “Black Monday,” when struggling teams inform coaches their services are no longer needed. This year, it falls on Monday, Jan. 6, and there is plenty of speculation surrounding what could be more than half a dozen moves.
Three job searches are already underway, as the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints fired their coaches during the season.
Current NFL job openings
Chicago Bears –– Thomas Brown (interim)
New York Jets –– Jeff Ulbricht (interim)
New Orleans Saints –– Darren Rizzi (interim)
Those teams currently have interim head coaches, all of whom will reportedly interview for the head job with their respective teams. But there will also be multiple outside candidates brought in.
Three teams have made it clear they will give their coaches at least one more season in charge. New England’s first-year coach, Jerod Mayo, is the shakiest on this list; he has posted a 3-14 record. Right now, the Patriots are in line for the number one pick in April’s draft.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan has seen good and bad reports concerning his tenure.
“I don’t really pay much attention to those reports. I just try to come in and do my job as best I can and do it as long as they allow me to do it,” said Callahan. “If for some reason, and hopefully it’s years from now, they say your services are no longer needed, then that’s how it goes.”
Coaches in the ‘hot seat’
Las Vegas Raiders –– Antonio Pierce
Jacksonville Jaguars –– Doug Pederson
New York Giants –– Brian Daboll
Indianapolis Colts –– Shane Steichen
Dallas Cowboys –– Mike McCarthy
Although it’s pure guesswork, these five coaches are most mentioned in the debate about whether the teams need a change.
For those like Doug Pederson and Brian Daboll, it would not be a surprise if they were let go Monday.
For Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys, the jury truly is still out. He has heard both praise and criticism from team owner Jerry Jones. On New Year’s Eve, Jones talked about the possibility of retaining McCarthy on a local Dallas radio station, saying he’s been thinking about the issue for weeks.
“What I’m not gonna do this morning is get into any indication one way or the other that I’m not interested in having Mike back. I don’t want that to be the case at all,” Jones said.
Not exactly a vote of confidence. In any case, McCarthy is in a different situation. His contract expires Jan. 14, so he‘ll be free to sign with any team –– whether he’s officially fired or not. There are also reports that other teams could be interested in McCarthy.
Record-setting performances, big DC surprise highlight NFL’s week 17
Week 17 in the National Football League (NFL) produced several record-setting performances. To cap off a jam-packed weekend, there was also one massive surprise in Washington, D.C.
Barkley breaks 2,000-yard barrier
The excitement began with Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. He rushed for 165 yards in a blowout win against the Cowboys as the Eagles clinched the NFC East division. In the process, Barkley became the 9th player in league history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
“Just being a fan of the running back position, to reach this milestone and put myself up there with 8 other backs that I respect and some of them I grew up watching definitely means a lot but at the same time I wouldn’t be able to do it without this team”, Barkley said after the game.
Barkley now has 2,005 total yards and needs just 101 against the New York Giants during Week 18 to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. Dickerson set his record during a 16-game schedule, and it has stood for 40 years. However, Barkley and the Eagles will have to decide whether he’ll play, and potentially risk injury. The team already clinched the No. 2 spot in the playoffs, making the next game meaningless for the playoff picture.
Bowers breaks rookie record
Speaking of meaningless games, The New Orleans Saints andLas Vegas Raiders are both out of the playoff picture, but Raiders tight end Brock Bowers caught seven passes for 77 yards, giving him 1,144 yards on the season. That mark breaks the 63-year-old rookie record held by Hall of Famer Mike Ditka. Bowers is only the third tight end in history to go over 1,000 yards in a season.
“I mean it’s pretty awesome, it’s always been a childhood goal to play in the NFL obviously. then to come in here and catch as many balls as I have and as many yards, it’s shocking to me I guess, it’s pretty cool,” Bowers said.
Garrett sets new sack mark
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had two sacks in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. Garrett became the first player in NFL history with at least 14 sacks in four straight seasons.
The future-Hall of Famer is a free agent after the 2025 season, but he could force a trade out of Cleveland in Spring 2025.
Commanders win on and off the field
To wrap up the week on the night of Sunday, Dec. 29, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels passed Robert Griffin, III with the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in a season with 864. He ran for a season-high 127 yards against the Atlanta Falcons. He also threw three touchdown passes including the game winner in overtime, putting the Commanders in the playoffs with their 11th win of the season.
Daniel’s play may not have been the most exciting part of the game. The best play may have come after the game when Commander’s safety Jeremy Reaves went to the stands, helped his longtime girlfriend over the railing and down to the field, then he dropped to one knee and proposed. It didn’t take long for her to say yes.
As the final week of the regular season begins, there are still two playoff spots up for grabs, one in each conference. There is also a big game happening in New England. If the Patriots lose to the Buffalo Bills, the team will finish with the worst record in the league and have the top pick in the NFL Draft come April 2025.
Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears
With less than three weeks until the presidential election, the candidates are blitzing battleground states and the airwaves with town halls. And in a possible blow to small businesses hoping to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one federal agency is running out of money. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears
With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, the candidates fielded questions on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in two different town hall settings.
Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris took part in a town hall in Detroit hosted by radio personality Charlamagne tha God as she looks to reach Black voters. During the town hall, the vice president said she believes slavery reparations should be studied.
Harris said while she is running for “president for everyone” she is “clear-eyed about the history and the disparities that exist for specific communities.”
The vice president also urged Black Americans not to sit out on Election Day.
Vice President Harris: Ask Donald Trump what his plan is for Black America. I'll tell you what it is. Project 2025 wants to implement stop-and-frisk. It wants to make it more difficult for workers to receive overtime pay. He wants to terminate the Constitution, which includes… pic.twitter.com/ZAQNgRkRyq
“The solutions that we all want are not going to happen in totality because of one election but here’s the thing: the things that we want and are prepared to fight for won’t happen if we’re not active and if we don’t participate,” she said. “We cannot allow circumstances to take us out the game because then basically what we’re saying is all those people who are obstructionist, who are standing in the way of change, they’re winning because they are convincing people that it can’t be done so take yourself out, don’t participate. Look at that circle, look at that vicious circle, then so let’s not fall for it.”
Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump participated in a Fox News town hall in Georgia moderated by host Harris Faulkner.
The town hall had an all-female audience, with the women posing questions to Trump on issues such as the economy, immigration, and abortion. According to reports of the event, which will air later Wednesday, Oct. 16 on Fox News, Trump said some states are “too tough” when it comes to restrictions on abortion and those laws “are going to be redone.”
“The African American community and the Hispanic community are being devastated with the jobs, the numbers are down 6, 7, 8, 9%. They are going to work, and they’re saying, ‘I’m sorry, we’re not going to take you any more.’ People that have worked there and worked there well for years are now being told that they no longer have a job because they have illegal immigrants coming in and taking their job,” Trump said. “Any African American or Hispanic, and you know how well I’m doing there, that votes for Kamala, you got to have your head examined, because they are really screwing you.”
Early voting begins in Georgia with record turnout
Early voting has begun in the battleground state of Georgia and it’s already seeing a record turnout. Voting for the Nov. 5 presidential election started Tuesday and by the late afternoon, at least 252,000 voters had already cast ballots at early voting sites.
That’s nearly double the 136,000 who voted on the first day of early voting in the 2020 election, according to a top Georgia election official.
Also Tuesday, a judge blocked a new rule requiring Georgia Election Day ballots to be counted by hand after the close of voting. That ruling came just a day after the same judge ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law.
Small Business Administration runs out of disaster relief funding
The Small Business administration has run out of funding for its disaster assistance loans right after the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. That means much-needed financial assistance will be delayed for people applying for help right now.
After a disaster, the SBA provides loans to businesses and people who need them. The organization had warned it expected to run out of money by the end of the month.
Congress can approve more funding, but lawmakers are not set to reconvene until Nov. 12. The SBA administrator said in the meantime, people that need them should keep applying for the loans.
HURRICANE #MILTON SURVIVORS: Business owners and residents in declared disaster areas can now apply for SBA assistance.
Israel strikes Beirut despite U.S. opposition; vows to avoid nuclear sites in Iran
At least one Israeli air strike rocked a Beirut, Lebanon suburb early Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 people according to the Associated Press. The strike came just hours after a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. told its key ally it opposed the bombing campaign there in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office called for an investigation into an Israeli air strike that happened on Monday which killed at least 21 people in northern Lebanon, saying it posed “real concerns” because it may have violated international laws governing war.
This comes as a Biden administration official said Israel has assured the U.S. it will not hit nuclear or oil sites when it retaliates against Iran for its missile barrage earlier this month.
However, that does not mean Israel will keep its word. In the past, the country’s track record of sticking to what it tells the U.S. has been mixed.
Just last month, U.S. officials were told by their Israeli counterparts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would welcome a U.S.- and French-led temporary cease-fire initiative in Lebanon, only for Israel to launch a massive airstrike that killed a Hezbollah leader two days later.
Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $15M in baby powder cancer case
A jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who says he developed a rare form of cancer after using the company’s baby powder for decades. The man says he contracted mesothelioma from inhaling the talc powder.
The jury also said Johnson & Johnson should pay additional punitive damages, which will be determined later by the judge overseeing the case.
After the ruling, Johnson & Johnson’s vice president of litigation said the company will be appealing the decision, saying “erroneous” rulings by the judge kept the jury from hearing critical facts about the case.
Tom Brady approved to become minority owner of Raiders
Tom Brady has been called many names: the GOAT, Super Bowl champion, and NFL commentator, to name a few. Now, he can add team owner to that list.
On Tuesday, NFL team owners voted to approve Brady’s purchase of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The former NFL quarterback said in a statement he is eager to contribute to the Raiders organization in any way.
Because of his new title, Brady faces some restrictions in his other role as a Fox broadcaster, including being barred from weekly production meetings with the players and coaches in the games he will cover.
Family of boy accused of blackface at Chiefs game sues for defamation
The family of a 9-year-old Chiefs fan is suing the sports blog Deadspin for defamation after the boy was accused of wearing blackface at a Nov. 26 game. According to the suit, the boy’s family wants an apology from Deadspin and for the article to be retracted.
The original headline referred to the boy, Holden Armenta, as a “Kansas City Chief’s fan in blackface, Native headdress.” Stating later in the article that he “found a way to hate Black people and Native Americans at the same time,” according to senior writer Carron Phillips.
Holden’s parents said Deadspin intentionally chose a photo that didn’t show the other side of their son’s face, which was painted red — the Chiefs’ primary color.
In the lawsuit, Holden’s parents called the article an “attack” to fit the writer’s “own race-drenched political agenda.”
Deadspin amended the story, removing the image of Holden and adding an editor’s note saying the attention wasn’t meant to be on the child, but rather the NFL for allowing fans to paint their faces and wear Native headdresses.
The headline now reads “The NFL Must Ban Native Headdress And Culturally Insensitive Face Paint in the Stands (UPDATED).”
The photo was taken at the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium. The Chiefs’ Arrow Head Stadium bans fans from wearing Native headdresses and face paint. The rules were enacted after the Chiefs’ staff received input from Native American tribes in 2014.
NFL playoff hosts 49ers, Ravens fail to score financial boost for games
There are a lot of advantages to hosting an NFL playoff game but money isn’t one of them. In fact, making the playoffs can be a financial drain on a team.
The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens are gearing up to host their second straight home playoff game on Sunday, Jan. 28, with Super Bowl dreams on the line. But as the home team’s fans fill the seats, the ticket sales go straight to the league.
Unlike other professional sports leagues, individual NFL teams do not pocket a dime of their playoff gate receipts up front. The NFL pools all of the money together and evenly distributes it amongst the 32 teams. That means there is no financial difference between the team bringing in all the revenue and the team sitting it out.
So how do teams pay for the playoff environment? The league gives stipends to home teams to pay for stadium operations and travel money to visiting teams.
Home teams do get to pocket concessions and parking, but that tends to be a drop in the bucket. It’s a $1 million to $2 million drop in the bucket, but still. Playoff teams can actually lose money over the whole ordeal when factoring into the equation coach and player playoff incentives.
So no, hosting its first home playoff games in 30 years was not a financial winner for the Detroit Lions this season, even with playoff tickets going for as high as $17,000. But teams like the Lions can parlay playoff success into long-term revenue growth.
Enjoying a game at Detroit’s Ford Field is one of the cheapest experiences in the league. But after clinching the division for the first time in three decades, fans found out season ticket prices are going up an average of 30% next season. And yes, teams do get to pocket a large portion of regular-season receipts.
In the 2022 season, the San Francisco 49ers scored the highest net ticket revenue in the league at $136 million, according to a Sportico report. The Las Vegas Raiders were second after topping the chart in 2021.