🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Belichick to the Broncos was this 🤏 close...
The latest NFL news to keep you ahead of the game, one play at a time
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest from around the league in Press Coverage, plus a rogue song choice in Get to the Post.
📰 Press Coverage
Denver Broncos
I’m not quite sure what kind of alternate universe we would have been living in had this happened, but Seth Wickersham reports that head coach Sean Payton looked into stepping down at the Broncos and becoming an assistant to Bill Belichick - so the former Patriots coach could become the all-time wins leader in the NFL.
”When Belichick and the Patriots divorced in 2024, Payton considered presenting Broncos owner Greg Penner a proposal for the ages,” Wickersham wrote. “Hire Belichick as head coach until he reached 15 wins, enough to break Don Shula’s career record of 347.
”Payton would temporarily step down to assistant head coach and run the offense, then move back after Belichick became the all-time leader.
“In the end, it was too complicated - and maybe too fanciful.”
I’ll file this one under bizarre.
Washington Commanders
Rookie Sonny Styles is taking his career in the NFL extremely seriously and is ready to go the extra mile to make sure he gets the most out of his time in the league.
“When you come in the building, just maximise your time,” Styles said. “Maximise your time, maximise your intent. It’s a certain level of focus.
“You can come in the building and just be here, but not really be here mentally. So whenever I’m coming here, I make sure I’m here fully locked in.”
And if it takes extra reps to get to the right level, it won’t stop Styles.
“I make sure I’m putting in the extra time...so that when I step on that field, I’m at my best,” Styles added. “I think that’s how you maximise it. Whatever you can do outside of the field to make sure you step on the field and you’re at your absolute best each and every day, that’s what maximising looks like.”
Meanwhile, free agent CB Rasul Douglas is planning to sign a one-year deal with the Commanders worth up to $3.8million, per multiple sources.
Dallas Cowboys
Former Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was posthumously diagnosed with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a statement released by his family says.
Kneeland died by suicide in November last year. He was just 24. Kneeland’s family, including his girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, released a statement yesterday after donating his brain for research following his death.
“While this diagnosis does not change the tragedy of his passing, it provides important context about some of the struggles he may have been facing,” the statement read. “We share this information to help people understand what NFL and other high-contact sport athletes might be struggling with. Raising awareness is important to us. We continue to remember Marshawn with compassion for the person he was, rather than defining him by the final moments of his life. One Love.”
I remember writing about Kneeland’s death late last year and the emotion around it from inside the Cowboys camp.
I’ve also spoken at length with legendary NFL agent Leigh Steinberg about CTE, which is a cause close to his heart. You can listen to some of that interview in the link below from a very early edition of the Touchdown Collective.
🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Tush Push problems
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest on the Tush Push in Press Coverage, my exclusive interview with legendary NFL agent Leigh Steinberg is the topic of a new segment In the Huddle, a slightly worrying schedule release features in Get to the Post
↔️ Read option
The NFL has released important dates for the upcoming year. You can check them out here.
The 👷♂️49ers yesterday signed DL Gracen Halton to a four-year deal, which means all eight of the team’s 2026 Draft picks are now under contract.
The 🔵Giants have claimed defensive lineman CJ Ravenell off waivers from the 🌖Titans, while cornerback Rico Payton has been waived/injured.
🔴Cardinals defensive end Darius Robinson says he “definitely made strides as the season went along” reports the Arizona Republic. That comes after Robinson said at one point last season: "I'm not who I thought I was.”
Former 🦁Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold cleared waivers earlier this week, making him a free agent who is eligible to sign elsewhere. His attorney, Harvey Steinberg, says three NFL teams have already contacted Arnold, who he says “anticipates that he will have employment with another NFL team within 30 days,” report The Detroit News.
That comes after Arnold was released by the Lions following his arrest and being subsequently charged in connection to an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping that occurred in February. Arnold denies the charges. A hearing to determine whether he will have a GPS tether fitted is scheduled for Friday.
🤠Texans corner Kamari Lassiter says Reed Blankenship has settled in well (via KPRC2). “We mesh really well, we communicate well, we play fast. He’s going to be just fine with us,” Lassiter said.
↗ Get to the Post
Impressive stuff!
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Your best Superman impression in 3, 2, 1…
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Thong Song is a wild choice…
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📩 Who am I? I’m Michael Ham, the Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express Sports Editor – and an avid NFL fan. I have over 20 years of experience in sports news journalism and I’m the writer behind The Touchdown Collective.
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