NFL running backs in new places could struggle to match the production they had with original teams - NFL (2024)

The Canadian Press - Jun 18, 2024 / 5:07 pm | Story: 493053

The Washington Commanders have settled a lawsuit with Virginia over their handling of season-ticket deposits under previous ownership, the last litigation remaining from that situation a decade ago.

The $1.3 million settlement with Virginia includes returning $600,000 to nearly 500 fans who were affected. The team settled similar suits with Maryland in 2022 and the District of Columbia in 2023.

“Our investigation found that the Commanders’ prior ownership unlawfully retained security deposits for years after they should have been returned to consumers,” Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said. "I thank the team’s current ownership for cooperating with this investigation, and for working toward rectifying the consumer harm we identified.”

Dan Snyder owned the team at the time. A group led by Josh Harris bought the Commanders last year for a North American professional sports record $6.05 billion.

“We are pleased that this settlement has been reached resolving issues that occurred under prior ownership," the Commanders said in a statement.

Along with the $600,000, the team agreed to pay $600,000 in civil penalties and another $100,000 for attorneys fees and other costs involved in the investigation, which launched in 2022.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 18, 2024 / 3:25 pm | Story: 493033

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The federal judge presiding over the class-action lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers against the NFL voiced frustrations Tuesday with the way the plaintiffs' attorneys have handled their side of the case.

Before Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took the stand Tuesday for a second day of testimony, U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez said the premise of the case was simple — who wouldn't see the frustration of a Seattle Seahawks fan living in Los Angeles not being able to see their favorite team without buying a subscription for all the Sunday afternoon out-of-market games.

“The way you have tried this case is far from simple,” Gutierrez told attorneys representing the subscribers. “This case has turned into 25 hours of depositions and gobbledygook. ... This case has gone in a direction it shouldn't have gone."

The class-action, which covers 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons, claims the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of Sunday games aired on CBS and Fox at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.

The NFL maintains it has the right to sell “Sunday Ticket” under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs say that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.

If the NFL is found liable, a jury could award $7 billion in damages, but that number could balloon to $21 billion because antitrust cases can triple damages.

Tuesday was not the first time Gutierrez has expressed frustration with the plaintiffs' side. On Monday, he admonished their attorneys for repeatedly describing past testimony, which he considered a waste of time.

Before Jones resumed his testimony, Gutierrez expressed doubts about plaintiffs' attorneys citing Jerry Jones' lawsuit against the NFL in 1995, which challenged the league's licensing and sponsorship procedures.

“I don't know what you are doing, but marketing is not media,” Gutierrez said.

Later in his testimony, Jones said he sued the NFL because the league sued him. Both sides eventually settled out of court.

Jones' filing against the NFL in 1994 said he supported the league's model for negotiating television contracts and the revenue-sharing agreements in place.

When asked Tuesday if teams should be able to sell their out-of-market television rights, Jones said no because “it would undermine the free TV model we have now.”

Retired CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus also testified, reiterating during his testimony that he was a not fan of “Sunday Ticket” or the NFL's Red Zone channel because he believes it infringes on the exclusivity CBS has in local markets.

CBS and Fox both requested in negotiations that “Sunday Ticket” be sold as a premium package. DirecTV, and not the NFL, set the prices during the class-action period.

The league has language in television contracts with CBS and Fox that the “resale packages (Sunday Ticket) are to be marketed as premium products for avid league fans that satisfy complementary demand to the offering of in-market games.”

There is additional language that prohibits the selling of individual games on a pay-per-view basis.

The NFL received a rights fee from DirecTV for the package from 1994 through 2022. Google's YouTube TV acquired “Sunday Ticket” rights for seven seasons, beginning last year.

Jamie Dyckes, a DirecTV marketing official, said during a deposition that MLB, the NBA and the NHL had a suggested retail price for their out-of-market packages and that there was revenue sharing between the leagues and the carriers, since their packages were distributed on multiple platforms.

Testimony will continue Thursday, with closing statements scheduled early next week. Gutierrez said he would consider invoking a rule where the court can find that a jury does not have sufficient evidence to rule for a party in a case.

“I'm struggling with the plaintiffs' case,” he said.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 18, 2024 / 8:26 am | Story: 492932

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The Canadian Press - Jun 17, 2024 / 2:42 pm | Story: 492829

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins signed his one-year franchise tender for the 2024 season on Monday.

However, his long-term future with the team remains in doubt.

The fifth-year wideout received the franchise tag in February and didn't participate in recent organized team workouts, including last week's three-day minicamp.

Higgins will make $21.8 million — the designated franchise tag value for receivers this upcoming season — and the Bengals will have at least one more season with Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins as one the NFL's top wideout duos, with a healthy Joe Burrow throwing to them.

If the 25-year-old Higgins and the Bengals don't come together on a long-term deal before July 15, he can become a free agent next March and be eligible to sign with any team.

“I’m excited to move forward with Tee,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He’s done a great job handling his situation, and we are happy to get him back in the fold so we can start working toward a great 2024 season. The locker room will be excited to have him back around.”

Since his second season in 2021, Higgins has played in the shadow of Chase, who is expected to get a long-term contract extension in the neighborhood of Justin Jefferson's four-year, $140 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Whenever Cincinnati adds Chase's next contract to the five-year, $275 million extension Burrow signed before the 2023 season, the team is not expected to offer a long-term deal to its No. 2 receiver.

A second-round draft pick in 2020 — Burrow was the top overall pick in that draft — Higgins has 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns, including back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and ’22. He was key part of the Bengals drive to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season.

He finished with 656 yards and five TDs last season while struggling with a rib injury.

Tyler Boyd signed with Tennessee as a free agent in May. And the Bengals are hoping 2024 third-round draft pick Jermaine Burton from Alabama will work his way into the receiver rotation, with promising youngsters Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas also in that mix.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 17, 2024 / 1:32 pm | Story: 492807

LOS ANGELES (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated during testimony in federal court Monday that the league's “Sunday Ticket” package, the subject of a class-action lawsuit, is a premium product while also defending the league's broadcast model.

Goodell was called as a witness by the NFL as the trial for the lawsuit filed by “Sunday Ticket” subscribers entered its third week and was on the stand for nearly four hours.

“We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product. Not just on pricing but quality,” Goodell said during cross-examination in a Los Angeles courtroom. “Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I'm sure there were fans who said it was too costly.”

Goodell, who has been commissioner since 2006, said he believes this is the first time he has been called to testify in federal court during his tenure.

The class-action, which covers 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses who paid for the package from 2011 through 2022, claims the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games at an inflated price. The subscribers also say the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.

The NFL maintains it has the right to sell “Sunday Ticket” under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs say that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.

If the NFL is found liable, a jury could award $7 billion in damages, but that number could balloon to $21 billion because antitrust cases can triple damages.

During the first two weeks of the trial, exhibits by the plaintiffs showed that Fox and CBS have long been concerned about how competition from a more widely distributed “Sunday Ticket” package could affect ratings for locally aired games.

Former CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said in an memo to the NFL that the network had always thought “the concept has always been that these packages are sold at a premium, thereby limiting distribution.”

Goodell said the NFL decided to put “Sunday Ticket” on DirecTV from 1994 through 2022 because it was one the few platforms available that had national distribution. He cited the fragmented nature of cable companies for why it wasn't available on cable.

Goodell also testified that the league was not happy with DirecTV during the final years of the agreement. AT&T bought the satellite company in 2015, and the league noticed that product innovation and marketing declined after that.

In a Nov. 6, 2018, email debating whether to exercise getting out of the contract after the 2019 season, league executives cited that marketing declined by 28% during the 2018 season.

The league decided, though, to stay with DirecTV for the final three seasons of the deal (2020 through 2022) because streaming had not advanced to the level that the NFL thought it could handle the demand of handling the entire package.

“Streaming was not ready for prime time,” Goodell said.

The league did eventually go streaming for the entire “Sunday Ticket” package, signing a seven-year deal with Google's YouTube TV that began with the 2023 season.

Goodell also said the league's broadcast model, where local games are available over the air for all games, is why NFL games are highly rated.

“We sing it from the mountaintops, We want to reach the broadest possible audience on free television,” he said. “I think we are very pro-consumer. Our partners have found ways to build our fan base.”

Goodell also said that one reason the league decided to sell Thursday night games that had been exclusively on NFL Network from 2006 through 2013 to other networks was because of the quality of production.

Thursday night games were shared by CBS and NBC from 2014 through 2016 before Fox aired them for the next five seasons. Amazon Prime Video took over the package in 2022.

“I had my own opinion that our production was below standards that the networks (Fox and CBS) had set. We had not met that standard,” he said.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a member of the league's media committee, was called to the stand after Goodell. Jones also defended the league's broadcast model, even though if teams could sell their out-of-market rights separately, the Cowboys would be one of the top teams to benefit.

“I am convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals,” Jones said. “I'm completely against each team doing TV deals. It is flawed.”

Jones will continue his testimony on Tuesday. McManus is also expected to be called to the stand.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 17, 2024 / 10:08 am | Story: 492762

The AFC North is ready for its closeup.

The division best known for heated rivalries and star quarterbacks will be featured on HBO's “Hard Knocks” TV series this season. It's the first time the Emmy Award-winning series has chronicled an entire division.

Last season, the AFC North's four teams — the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers — all finished with winning records.

With QB s Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow,Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, who was traded from Denver to Pittsburgh in the offseason, there are plenty of storylines in the North along with a reputation for tight, testy games.

“Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North” will debut on Dec. 3 and run through the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

Jackson is coming off a second MVP win, but came up short of a first Super Bowl trip. Burrow played just 10 games last season before undergoing wrist surgery. Watson is entering a make-or-break third season in Cleveland, and Wilson is hoping to restart his career with Justin Fields in his shadow.

The Ravens were the first team featured on the original “Hard Knocks” in 2001. The Bengals' training camp was featured in 2009 and 2013, and the Browns in 2018.

This will be the Steelers' first appearance on the popular show that takes fans deep inside the locker room, huddle and inner workings of NFL teams.

The series has expanded to highlight the league's offseason, training camp, regular season and postseason. The New York Giants' offseason will be the first chronicled, and the Chicago Bears will be featured in training camp as they try to break in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 17, 2024 / 9:41 am | Story: 492757

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The way the NFL can distribute its package of out-of-market games could be decided in federal court as the result of a class-action lawsuit.

Subscribers to the NFL's “Sunday Ticket” package are claiming the league broke antitrust laws by selling its package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games airing on CBS and Fox at what the lawsuit says was an inflated price. The subscribers also claim the league restricted competition by offering “Sunday Ticket” only on a satellite provider.

The NFL maintains it has the right to sell “Sunday Ticket” under its antitrust exemption for broadcasting. The plaintiffs say that only covers over-the-air broadcasts and not pay TV.

The case got underway on June 6 in Los Angeles.

How did this case get to trial?

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2015 by the Mucky Duck sports bar in San Francisco. On June 30, 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Beverly Reid O'Connell dismissed the lawsuit and ruled for the NFL because she said “Sunday Ticket” did not reduce output of NFL games and that even though DirecTV might have charged inflated prices, that did not “on its own, constitute harm to competition” because it had to negotiate with the NFL to carry the package. Two years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over California and eight other states, reinstated the case. On Feb. 7, 2023, U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez ruled the case could proceed as a class action. Gutierrez on Jan. 12 rejected a final attempt by the NFL to dismiss the case.

Who are the plaintiffs?

The class action applies to more than 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses, mostly bars and restaurants, that purchased “NFL Sunday Ticket” from June 17, 2011, to Feb. 7, 2023. Google's YouTube TV became the “Sunday Ticket” provider last season.

What are the chances of the NFL winning?

The NFL might be the king of American sports and one of the most powerful leagues in the world but it often loses in court, especially in Los Angeles. It was in an LA federal court in 1982 that a jury ruled the league violated antitrust rules by not allowing Al Davis to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles.

This is one of the rare times when a high-profile case where league financial matters would become public has gone to court without the NFL first settling. In 2021, the league settled with St. Louis, St. Louis County and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority for $790 million over the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles.

Why is the NFL facing long odds?

According to memos presented by attorneys for the plaintiffs, Fox and CBS have always wanted the league to charge premium prices for “Sunday Ticket” so that it doesn't eat into local ratings — the more subscribers to “Sunday Ticket,” the greater the threat to local audience numbers.

During opening statements, attorney Amanda Bonn showed a 2020 term sheet by Fox Sports demanding the NFL ensure “Sunday Ticket” would be priced above $293.96 per season.

When the “Sunday Ticket” contract was up for bid in 2022, ESPN wanted to offer the package on its streaming service for $70 per season along with offering a team-by-team product, according to an email shown by Bonn. That was rejected by the NFL.

How much could this cost the NFL?

If the NFL is found liable, a jury could award $7 billion in damages, but that number could balloon to $21 billion because antitrust cases can triple damages.

But when would the league have to show the subscribers the money?

Not for awhile, since the NFL would appeal to the 9th Circuit and possibly the Supreme Court after that.

What other ways could “Sunday Ticket” subscribers find lower prices?

The NFL could offer a team-by-team package, something done by Major League Baseball and the NBA for its out-of-market packages, and actively market a weekly package if fans didn't like games being shown in their area.

Could this impact other sports?

Since all the major leagues offer out-of-market packages, they are keeping an eye on this case since individual teams selling their out-of-market streaming rights, especially in baseball, would further separate the haves from the have nots.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 15, 2024 / 1:02 pm | Story: 492566

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Father’s Day is always a special time for Rick and Jesse Minter. Sunday, though, might be extra rewarding.

The Minters are on the same staff for the sixth time in their coaching careers, but this is the first time they have worked together in the NFL.

Jesse Minter is the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator, and Rick, his dad, is a senior defensive analyst. They were also part of Jim Harbaugh’s University of Michigan staff that won the national championship in January.

“I don’t want to say he’s winding down because he hasn’t slowed down. But as you get older and get to that point in your career to have the opportunity to win a championship together, there’s really not a better story,” Jesse Minter said. “And, just from there, it was great to stay with Coach Harbaugh, keep the band together, and move out west.”

After Chris Partridge was fired as Michigan’s linebacker coach, Rick Minter stepped in and coached the final six games. The elder Minter could not attend Michigan’s ring ceremony in April because it was the same weekend as his mom’s 90th birthday, but Jesse brought them back to Southern California and presented them to him before a staff meeting.

“It hasn’t soaked in even now that we won the national championship. We go on to the next day and the next drill. Someday, you know, I’ll look back on even more memory. I have those rings, and they last forever,” Rick Minter said.

Rick Minter, who will turn 70 on Oct. 4, has over 45 years of coaching experience in the college and pro ranks, including 10 seasons as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati.

During his time at Cincinnati, Minter had future NFL coaches John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin and Rex Ryan on his staff, as well as Jimbo Fisher. Harbaugh and Tomlin have each won a Super Bowl, and Fisher won a national title at Florida State.

Minter’s first foray into the NFL came in 2013 as a linebackers coach on Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia staff. He spent three seasons with the Eagles (2013-15) before returning to college.

Rick Minter said his original goal was to get to the NFL around age 50, which would have been after he was fired at Cincinnati.

“I finally got in the league pushing 60 years old. I was blessed to coach with a good friend in Chip Kelly. All that was good for me, and it was good to be in the league,” he said. “I’m happy to be back, but I’m happy for Jesse to be back, too. Now we can enjoy the fruits of the labor of the NFL.”

Jesse Minter was on John Harbaugh’s Baltimore staff from 2017-20. He was a defensive assistant his first three years before coaching the defensive backs in 2020.

The Minters were at Vanderbilt in 2021 — Jesse as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach while Rick was an analyst — before Jim Harbaugh called and brought them to Michigan.

“The thing that he’s always done for me ever since I got into this profession, he’s looked out for me first and himself second,” said Jesse Minter, who turned 41 on May 9. “As a son, it’s what you want in a dad. I’m able to come into work every day and run stuff by him, and he can come into my office and tell me the truth or look at things another way.

“There’s not a lot of guys that have that guy, particularly when it’s your dad. We don’t always see things the same, but we know that I have his best interest, and he has my best interests.”

Jim Harbaugh, who got to coach with his dad, Jack, at Western Kentucky, also appreciates the relationship the Minters share.

“The father-son dynamic is close to my heart,” Harbaugh said. “I love talking football with Rick Minter and seeing the interaction with him and Jesse.”

The Minters are one of at least five father/son duos on the same NFL staff.

Christian Daboll is an offensive assistant on his dad, Brian’s, staff with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan has his father, Bill, as the offensive line coach, De’Andre Pierce is an offensive assistant for Antonio Pierce at the Las Vegas Raiders, and Spencer Reid is the assistant strength and conditioning coach on Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs staff.

Antonio Pierce, who became a father at 18 when De’Andre was born, said having him on staff has been special.

“So, sophom*ore year of college, you’ve got a son, I’m chasing my career goal and there’s a lot of things I missed. There are a lot of graduations, performances, and practices I couldn’t take him to. And I didn’t want a chance that when I got older and finished playing to miss those again,” Antonio Pierce said. “The cool part about it and Father’s Day coming up and for all our coaches and all the fathers out there, there’s nothing like that relationship.”

Rick and Jesse Minter will spend Sunday together. Jesse’s older brother, Josh Minter, lives in New York and will FaceTime.

“It’s good to be called coach,” Rick Minter said before pausing a couple of seconds. “But it’s a big honor to be called Dad.”

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This story has been corrected to show that Rick Minter is Jesse’s father, not his son.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 14, 2024 / 1:43 pm | Story: 492434

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Jayden Daniels signed his rookie contract with the Washington Commanders on Friday, the next step in becoming the team's franchise quarterback.

The Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU was the second pick in the NFL draft. As a result, the contract is worth $37.75 million for four years with a $24.3 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option for the 2028 season.

Coach Dan Quinn has not named Daniels as the Commanders’ starting QB, instead saying training camp will be an open competition with veteran Marcus Mariota. But Daniels figures to win that competition and become Washington’s eighth Week 1 starter at the position in as many seasons.

“One of the things that I love about him is he’s got this demeanor about the execution, about the confidence,” Quinn said this week. “He’s got a swagger to him. He really has a very firm handle on the things that we’re doing, but he also has the humility of a young player. And so I thought, ‘What a cool combination to have this presence as an older player, but yet the humility of the new and younger player, knowing that he has a lot to prove.’”

Daniels, who threw out the first pitch before a recent Washington Nationals game, said at minicamp he knows he's “not a star yet."

“I got a long way to go,” Daniels said. “I’m a rookie.”

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The Canadian Press - Jun 14, 2024 / 12:40 pm | Story: 492419

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Veteran safety Tony Jefferson has come out of retirement to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Friday.

The 32-year-old Jefferson had a tryout during the Chargers' minicamp, which concluded Thursday.

The Chargers will be the fifth team for Jefferson. He made the Arizona Cardinals' roster as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and has also played for the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants. He joined the Ravens' front office last year as an intern as part of the NFL's Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship.

Jefferson has played in 113 regular-season games over his 10-year career and started 67 with 9 1/2 sacks, four interceptions, 24 passes defensed, eight forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Jefferson gives the Chargers depth and experience in the secondary. Derwin James and Alohi Gilman are expected to be the starting safeties.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 14, 2024 / 10:31 am | Story: 492385

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Wide-eyed, engaging and athletic, Bills rookie receiver Keon Coleman has much to offer, be it tips on when to land the best deals for winter coats to using his lean 6-foot-4 frame and long muscular arms to snatch balls thrown over his head or behind him.

It’s been that way since April, when Coleman arrived in Buffalo full of wonder and excitement in providing a glimpse into his playful personality a day after the Bills drafted the Florida State player at No. 33.

Sitting at the podium, wearing what’s now become the famous yellow winter coat he bought on sale at Macy’s in the spring, Coleman expressed his love for Buffalo wings, eyed the cookies on a nearby snack bar before sampling one, and reflected on having just filmed a promotional video inside the Bills’ stadium, where he scored three touchdowns.

Only three?

“Hey, it was 30 seconds,” Coleman said, smiling. “That’s a record. Nobody’s ever did that one yet.”

Don’t be fooled by the just-turned 21-year-old’s outgoing nature.

As much as Coleman’s arrival in western New York has captured the imagination of Bills fans, including that of a 10-year-old by wearing the youngster’s hand-made friendship bracelets, there is a serious side to the player being counted upon to fill an essential spot at a retooled receiver position in the wake of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis’ offseason departures.

“I’m aware of it,” Coleman said, referring to the buzz he’s created.

“The hype can be there all it wants. But I still have to make plays on the field,” he added in early May. “I want to help contribute to wins, so we got to win to make our fans happy. A jacket ain’t going to get that done.”

In the following weeks, Coleman has shown glimpses of his potential, following an All-ACC junior season in which he led the Seminoles with 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns. He spent his first two college seasons at Michigan State, where he totaled 65 catches for 848 yards and eight TDs.

Though not considered to have elite speed, Coleman lopes on the field to stay inbounds while catching quick outs from Josh Allen along the sideline. On Thursday, he celebrated a touchdown by happily punting the ball.

On Wednesday, lined up against cornerback Rasul Douglas, Coleman burst past the veteran starter and used his big body to shield the defender while securing a pass thrown behind him.

“He’s young. He’s still trying to learn. I think that’s the thing that helps him the best is just be a learner,” Douglas said of Coleman. “And he’s a cool guy off the field. He’s a joker. He’s funny. He’s chill.”

What Douglas might not know after he skipped Buffalo's voluntary practices is the depth of Coleman’s football acumen.

Coleman has already dug into the Bills past by befriending Hall of Fame receiver Andre Reed.

“I was taught to always respect those that stepped before you,” Coleman said.

As for football IQ, Coleman prides himself in how at college he learned to pore over game film and literally draw out plays on his own. The approach was drilled into him during his freshman season by former NFLer and Spartans receivers coach Courtney Hawkins.

“I didn’t start playing receiver until I really got to college,” said Coleman, a high school quarterback from Louisiana, who chose football over basketball. “Coach Hawkins put me in a room and was like, `This is the capability you have if you lock in and do what you’re supposed to do.? And ever since, that’s been my mindset.”

Coleman’s willingness to learn stood out to Bills general manager Brandon Beane during the pre-draft scouting process. As much as Beane enjoyed hearing Coleman’s voice pipe up at the other end of the cafeteria during the player’s visit to Buffalo, he also witnessed an intensity behind the smile.

“He’s done a good job to this point of knowing what he doesn’t know, surrounding himself with people that will tell him the truth, not what he wants to hear. And that’s a sign of a guy that knows he’s got work to do,” Beane told The Associated Press this week.

“He ain’t got it all figured out. And it ain’t all going to be perfect,” he added. “But he’s working hard. He’s competitive. And he probably thinks he should’ve been the No. 1 receiver drafted.”

Coleman was the eighth receiver selected and after Buffalo twice traded back in the order. The Bills moved back from 28th, where Kansas City selected Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, and then traded one spot back from No. 32, where Carolina chose South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette.

Beane stood pat to open the second round, with Coleman still available and receiver being Buffalo’s most pressing need.

Coleman accepts the challenge of expectations on a team that returns just one receiver — Khalil Shakir — who has caught a pass from Allen.

“I don’t think it’s anything to just fill,” Coleman said, referring to the shoes he’s being asked to replace. “I’m coming here to be myself, work for everything I’m going to get and hopefully we’re going to win some games. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Coleman's serious side eventually gives way to his outgoing nature.

“That’s just who I am,” he said. “I don’t play the game all mad and serious all the time. We got to be able to loosen up, have some fun and be yourself.”

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This story has been corrected to reflect Rasul Douglas' position being cornerback.

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The Canadian Press - Jun 13, 2024 / 9:36 pm | Story: 492325

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs showed off their glitzy new Super Bowl rings that sparkled with diamonds, rubies — and “Tom & Jerry.”

The championship-winning Chiefs gathered inside the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on Thursday night to receive the flashy jewelry that celebrates their 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas in February.

The ring features 529 diamonds and 38 rubies and totals 14.8 carats. Four marquise diamonds represent the franchise's four Lombardi Trophies, including the last two seasons. The base of the trophies are made from 19 custom-cut baguette diamonds distinguishing the Chiefs as the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 19 seasons.

And the top of the ring opens to reveal an inscription of the “Tom & Jerry” play, the nickname given to Mahomes' 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman to win the Super Bowl. The design on the ring depicts head coach Andy Reid’s handwritten sketch of the play.

Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, who also wore the team’s 2019 and 2022 Super Bowl rings before the ceremony, said this year’s version told the story of last season.

“You can think about some of the cool things that happened this year and they’ll be incorporated one way or another," Hunt said. “And like last year’s ring, it’s got some really neat surprises. And I can’t wait to see the expression on the players faces when they open the boxes.”

The inside of the ring also includes a Lombardi Trophy depending on the recipient’s time with the Chiefs. The inside band features the word “United,” which was the team’s motto last season, along with the scores of Kansas City's four playoff wins and each player’s signature.

Other clever touches include 28 diamonds that celebrate the defense for holding every opponent to fewer than 28 points in each game, 17 miniature gold leaf confetti marking the Chiefs' points scored in the AFC championship game to beat Baltimore and 16 custom-cut rubies that recognize the club’s number of division titles.

One of the challenges for the team was keeping the ring design under wraps until its unveiling at the celebration that included 400 players, coaches, team employees and their guests.

“The only thing I heard is that it's bigger than it was last time," said linebacker Nick Bolton, who wore last year's ring for only the third time. "I’ve been trying to sneak a peak for about three or four days.”

The boxes in which the rings were kept included a combination to keep anyone from seeing them too early. The code 777 was revealed in a slot machine video following Hunt’s address to the audience.

“We always try to figure out a way to get the ring in the front of every single individual during dinner,” team president Mark Donovan said. “And then make sure they don’t open it too early, because it’s a real reveal moment.”

The Chiefs completed their mandatory minicamp this week and will resume preparations for the defense of their back-to-back Super Bowl titles next month at training camp.

“Once you get through that parade, you’re kind of off and heading in the direction of the new season,” Reid said. “It’s a night — I don’t want to slight tonight — because there’s a lot that goes into that and there’s a lot of hard work that’s gone into that and this is kind of the reward for it.

“But I think the guys know that it’s going to be nice to get the ring, but they’ve moved on.”

And the Chiefs are already planning to be back for a third straight ring ceremony — which would be a first in NFL history.

“Every year in this league, you have to come in with that same mentality, you have to be hungry,” Mahomes said. “It’s hard. You saw last year, you’ve seen it every year that I’ve been here. You have to battle in order to win that Super Bowl. Guys have to have that mentality.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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