The latest
Tua Tagovailoa, Micah Parsons and one player contract worth watching for every NFL team | The Athletic
Kansas City Chiefs
G Trey Smith
The Chiefs welcomed back Smith for June’s mandatory minicamp, an encouraging sign amid his push for a new contract. The Pro Bowler — already a part of two championship teams in Kansas City — skipped all of OTAs after being franchise-tagged in March. “There’s no secret we’d like to get Trey locked up,” general manager Brett Veach said earlier this year. All signs point to this getting done. For one, Smith deserves it. He allowed just 1.5 sacks last season. And secondly, the way Philadelphia wrecked Kansas City’s offensive line in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs can’t risk any more blocking issues in 2025. One teammate, defensive end Chris Jones, said he was thrilled Smith wasn’t taking a hardline stance and skipping the entire offseason — like Jones did two years ago: “It’s good Trey didn’t take my approach,” Jones said. “I think the future plans of the Chiefs is to have Trey around.” Smith will make $23.4 million this year on the tag if a deal doesn’t happen. — Zak Keefer
NFL Quarter Century: Best 25 draft picks of the last 25 years, with an obvious No. 1 | Yahoo Sports
7. Patrick Mahomes, 2017 1st round, 10th overall (Chiefs)
The legend has it that the Saints badly wanted Mahomes with the 11th pick. When they snoozed, the Chiefs traded up to the 10th pick and stole him. Considering Mahomes went well after second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky and one pick after speedy receiver John Ross, we’ll count trading up and drafting a future all-time great at No. 10 as one of the best picks of this century.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce teases potential career plans after retirement | Chiefs Wire
The Kansas City Chiefs are entering an important season with their usual high expectations and the potential of another Super Bowl run for their veterans. After considering retirement following Super Bowl LIX, Travis Kelce is all in on the upcoming season.
The ten-time Pro Bowler recently appeared on the “Bussin’ With The Boys ”podcast to hint at life after football.
“I wanna see what calling a game feels like, getting in the booth,” said Kelce, “I’ve always impersonated guys that call the games and stuff like that growing up. I don’t know; I thought it would always be fun just to jump in there. Player names is where I would get f****** ruined.”
NFL All-Quarter Century Offensive Team: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning headline list; Aaron Rodgers misses cut | CBS Sports
Tight ends (3)
Starter
Tony Gonzalez**
Reserves
Travis Kelce
Rob Gronkowski
Gonzalez helped break the tie between Kelce and Gronkowski, whose careers are nearly identical in terms of success, production and the impact both had on their teams. The Kelce-Gronkowski debate is compelling, but it’s safe to say that both take a backseat to Gonzalez, the all-time leader at the position in terms of Pro Bowls (14), All-Pros (11), receptions (1,327) and yards (15,127) who is also second in touchdown receptions (111).
A Super Bowl win was the one thing missing from Gonzalez’s glittering career. That isn’t the case for the other two tight ends on our list. Kelce has won three Super Bowls while being a key cog in Kansas City’s dynasty. Gronkowksi won three Super Bowls — three with the Patriots and a fourth after reuniting with Brady in Tampa Bay. Gronkowski was also considered a better blocker than the other two players on this list.
Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL’s top 10 defensive tackles for 2025 | ESPN
2.Chris Jones,Kansas City Chiefs
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 4
Age: 31 | Last year’s ranking: 1
After dominating the voting in 2024, Jones looked poised for an Aaron Donald-type run in the rankings.
This year, he split votes with Lawrence — and, to a lesser degree, Jalen Carter — in a close race. Jones is still tracking for the Hall of Fame, one of the very best interior rushers of the past decade. But he’s no longer in a class by himself.
For many evaluators, Jones’ size, strength, versatility and mismatch ability remain unrivaled. That combination has resulted in 40 sacks over the past four years, tops among defensive tackles since 2021.
“When it comes to the ability to overwhelm inside and win on third down and in the two-minute, he’s still the best,” an NFC scout said of Jones. “He’s been the face of a championship defense for a long time and he’s next to impossible to block one-on-one.”
Larry Brown wants to coach your team | FOX Sports
Wide receivers: Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings; Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins/Chiefs
Since entering the NFL in 2020, Jefferson leads all wideouts in receiving yards and AP All-Pro honors. He’s the league’s best receiver by production and consistency over the last half-decade. But right there is Chase, his LSU teammate who joined the league in 2021. The Bengals’ star this past season accomplished the rare receiving triple crown.
Between his time with the Chiefs and Dolphins, the speedy Hill has been one of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers over the last several years. Before 2024, he had four straight seasons of at least 1,200 receiving yards.
Tight end: Travis Kelce, Chiefs
The Niners’ George Kittle has an argument as the better all-around or blocking tight end, but Kelce’s dominance in receiving at the position sets him in a stratosphere of his own. His 12,151 receiving yards are the third-most ever for a tight end. His 2,078 receiving yards in the postseason trails only Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice for the most all-time.
Around the NFL
Kirk Cousins felt ‘misled’ after Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. | ESPN
Kirk Cousins said he might have re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason had he known the Atlanta Falcons would draft a quarterback in the first round.
For the first time publicly, the veteran opened up on his feelings about the Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft in an episode of the Netflix series “Quarterback,” which premiered Tuesday.
Cousins said he felt “a little bit misled” when the Falcons took Penix that high. The Falcons had signed Cousins to a contract worth at least $100 million guaranteed just a few weeks earlier, tabbing him as their quarterback for 2024 and beyond. Atlanta then stunned the NFL — and Cousins — by drafting Penix, because the franchise believed in him as a future franchise QB.
Ten Possible First-Time NFL Pro Bowlers in 2025 | SI
Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills
Jerry Jeudy was the second starter in the AFC last year with a 90-catch, 1,200-yard, four-touchdown season. Shakir more than doubled his target volume last season, going from 45 in 2023 to 100 in his third season. Assuming Shakir’s rise was part of the reason the Bills felt so comfortable attacking the defensive side of the ball in the draft, one would assume he’ll be heavily involved in Josh Allen’s plans for this upcoming season. Let’s say Shakir sees 20 more balls this year and catches an extra 14, he’d be right in Jeudy territory—and Bills fans are known to show out for home-grown talent on the verge of Pro Bowl consideration (although how has Christian Benford—whom I brought up in this column last year—not been a Pro Bowler yet, either?).
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Hot Takes: Kansas City’s Super Bowl window is closed.
The Chiefs’ Super Bowl window has closed.
This has been a popular take this offseason.
Imagine saying a team that has been to seven consecutive AFC Championship games now has a closed Super Bowl window.
At some point, the Chiefs’ run will come to an end, but I don’t see how anyone can say that right now. We just saw the Chiefs go 15-2 despite all the injuries they endured.
With Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown and Isiah Pacheco back in the fold, the offense could be explosive again.
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