All-Pro defensive tackle Zach Allen agrees to 4-year, $102M extension with Denver Broncos By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press ENGLEWOOD, Colo.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Like teammate Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen didn't skip any days of training camp while his agent argued for a new contract.
Unlike Micah Parsons in Dallas , Trey Hendrickson in Cincinnati and Terry McLaurin in Washington , things never got contentious with the front office in Denver.
“This is my happy place,” Allen said Saturday after signing a four-year, $102 million extension with the Broncos that includes nearly $70 million in guarantees and makes him one of the NFL's highest-paid interior defensive linemen in average annual salary.
Allen said the way both sides “handled this was just awesome."
“The fact that we were able to go about this the way we have compared to probably some other things around the league is a testament to what we're building,” he said.
“It’s a business but it never got contentious,” Allen said. “And I think that was a cool thing was just the way that everybody handled it."
Allen said he told his agent, Tommy Condon, “I want to obviously get the best deal possible ... but I care about these people, I care about this place, and I don’t want it to get ugly. The way he went about it, the way the team went about it was awesome.”
Allen's extension came less than a week after Sutton signed a four-year, $92 million deal that features $41 million in guaranteed money. Sutton also thanked the Broncos' ownership group and general manager George Paton for the tenor of talks as he continued to take the field during training camp content in knowing a deal was at hand.
In many ways Allen has served as the fulcrum of Denver's dominant defense the last two seasons, applying pressure up the middle to augment the Broncos' premier pass rush and stellar secondary.
A third-round pick by Arizona out of Boston College in 2019, Allen joined the Broncos two years ago, following defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to Denver. He had five sacks in his first season in Denver and a career-best 8 1/2 sacks last season when he earned second-team All-Pro honors and the Broncos set a franchise record with a league-best 63 sacks.
Allen, who turns 28 this month, also set career bests last year with 15 tackles for loss and 40 quarterback hits while playing nearly 90% of Denver's defensive snaps and moving between end and tackle. He also led the league’s defensive tackles with 67 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats.
Allen is due $12.74 million this season, the final year of his three-year, $45.75 million deal he signed with Denver in 2023.
With deals in place now for Sutton and Allen, the Broncos' biggest contractual concern is rising star edge rusher Nik Bonitto, who is entering the final year of his rookie contrac. He also was named a second-team All-Pro last season when he led the team with 13 1/2 sacks.
Before camp began, Bonitto said he realized a deal might not get done until sometime during the season but knows he'll cash in eventually.
“Yeah, I mean, the edge market is kind of crazy right now knowing that everybody’s getting these big deals and it’s only getting bigger and bigger,” Bonitto said last month. “Luckily for me, I’m in a good position right now where the market’s kind of in my favor.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Dan Quinn says he's glad Terry McLaurin remains a presence at Commanders camp amid contract dispute The Associated Press ASHBURN, Va.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Saturday that wide receiver Terry McLaurin told him directly about his request to be traded amid a contract dispute but the coach has not addressed the matter with the other players as the team continues to prepare for the season.
“The players today, they’re more aware of contracts and things than they used to be,” Quinn said before practice. “And they recognize that business part happens as well. So, for the team, we’re just rocking and going and throwing some great practices. For Terry and the trade requests, man, that’s part of normal business that’s happening around the NFL.”
The 2024 All-Pro has been holding in at training camp. He reported to camp Sunday after skipping the first four practices and parts of the offseason program. He remains on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury while contract talks continue.
He remain a presence at camp though he hasn't been on the field.
“I’m really glad he’s here,” Quinn said. “I love coaching him, but the business side, that’s kind of where it’s at. Somebody asked me, is it a distraction? It is not.”
McLaurin, entering the final year of a three-year extension signed in 2022, is seeking a new deal that would make him among the league’s highest-paid receivers. He had 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns last season, helping Washington reach the NFC Championship game.
“We love Terry. I’m really glad he is here and hopefully he is out practicing soon,” Quinn said. “And we also understand there’s the business side of these things that (general manager) Adam (Peters) and his side and Terry and his reps are working through.”
Meanwhile, McLaurin is working with the training staff to strengthen his ankle, Quinn said. McLaurin watches afternoon walkthroughs and hears the play calls while Quinn keeps everyone’s focus on the work.
“It’s a really cool place to come work and play football,” Quinn said. “And we work hard at that, too, the environment. And so, (Terry is) definitely part of that … Even though he’s not participating, there’s still plenty to do.”
Without McLaurin, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end Zach Ertz are the top passing options for quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.
“I know that time will come,” Daniels said this week on McLaurin eventually rejoining the offense. “Till then, if that’s us getting in the film room and just talking ... we always talk. We talk ball. We talk life. So nothing’s changed at all.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Aaron Glenn gets emotional as the reality of being the Jets' head coach 'hit me pretty hard' By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The reality of the situation finally hit Aaron Glenn.
More than seven months after being hired by the New York Jets , the first-time NFL head coach got surprisingly emotional Saturday. And it had nothing to do with the 12 penalties called on his team during practice.
“I'm sure this is going to hit at some point, but I told the players this: The first time since I became head coach, today was the first day it really hit me,” Glenn said to open his post-practice news conference . "And it hit me once I heard the fans give the ‘J-E-T-S’ chant.
“And I don't know why, but it just hit me.”
The 53-year-old Glenn was drafted by the Jets in the first round in 1994 and played for the franchise for eight of his 15 NFL seasons. The three-time Pro Bowl cornerback was also a personnel scout for New York for two seasons and a longtime assistant coach, most recently as Detroit's defensive coordinator for four seasons, before getting the chance to lead his former team .
“It hit me pretty hard,” Glenn said, his voice cracking slightly. "Man, I am so thankful. I'm thankful for this organization that gave me a shot. I'm thankful for this organization that gave me my second shot at becoming a coach.
“I don't know why, fellas. But it hit me and hit me pretty hard, and, man, I just feel grateful. Grateful to be in this position.”
Glenn, along with new general manager Darren Mougey, faces the task of turning around the fortunes of a franchise that has the NFL's longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons.
He has talked several times since being hired in January about changing the culture around the Jets and building them into a consistent winner by stressing fundamentals and competition. But with the team practicing in front of packed stands for its annual scrimmage at the facility, Glenn couldn't shake his emotions — especially when he heard the fans.
“Yeah, I was,” Glenn said when asked if he was surprised he felt that way. “I thought it had already hit me.”
One thing Glenn has focused on during training camp is cutting down on penalties after the Jets were called for the most in the league in each of the past two seasons. He has officials at every practice to try to get players to understand how plays will be called. But it didn't seem to help much Saturday.
The Jets had 12 penalties called on them during what Glenn called a “pseudo scrimmage,” including several holding calls.
“There are a lot of things we've got to clean up and the one thing I'm sure everybody saw is the penalties,” the coach said. “I'm glad we had the refs out there because that's one thing we want to hit — we want to make sure we hit those hard. And I want them to ref it just like it was a game and I thought they did a good job of that.”
It made for a sloppy practice as Justin Fields and the rest of offense, including the backups, struggled throughout the session. Some calls even had the fans booing.
“There's no excuses,” Glenn said. “Our players understand that. We know penalties, they're discipline issues and we've got to make sure we are more disciplined in aspects on both sides of the ball. We will get those cleaned up, I promise you that. But there's a lot of work to do.”
Injuries
Cornerback ace Kris Boyd left the field on a cart after injuring a shoulder during special teams drills. He went down on the sideline and was writhing in pain while he was looked at by trainers. Glenn had no immediate word on his condition.
Glenn said wide receiver Xavier Gipson also injured a shoulder on the final play of practice when he tried to catch a pass in the end zone.
Safety Jaylin Simpson was waived/injured after he injured a hamstring during practice Saturday. The Jets claimed defensive back Mario Goodrich off waivers from Denver to take Simpson's roster spot.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Chargers LB Denzel Perryman arrested on weapons charges and remains in jail By FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press The Associated Press
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman was arrested on weapons charges during a traffic stop for vehicle code violations and remained in jail on Saturday, law enforcement officials said.
During the traffic stop on Friday evening, Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies discovered five firearms, including two assault weapons, in Perryman's vehicle, the agency said in a statement. Perryman, 32, was cooperative with deputies during the traffic stop, the report said.
Perryman was booked on felony charges and is being held without bond at the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station, according to the sheriff's department.
Agent Ron Butler confirmed that his client has not been released from jail.
Perryman is scheduled to appear at Inglewood Court on Tuesday, the sheriff's department said.
“We are aware of a matter involving Denzel and are gathering information,” the Charges said in a statement.
Perryman, an 11-year NFL veteran, has also played for the Houston Texans and the Las Vegas Raiders.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Florida QB DJ Lagway practices for the 1st time in camp while recovering from a calf injury By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer The Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway practiced Saturday for the first time since camp opened, a sign of progress for the highly touted and oft-injured sophomore.
Lagway is dealing with a strained calf and was expected to take limited practice reps. He wore a sleeve on his left leg, the same one that caused him to miss a game and a half last season. He strained a hamstring against rival Georgia and missed the following week's game at Texas.
Coach Billy Napier has offered no timetable on his star player’s return. It’s the latest injury issue for Lagway, who missed spring practice with a shoulder injury after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
The Gators opened training camp Wednesday. Napier, unlike in previous years, closed viewing periods to media for the first three days.
Lagway, who went 6-1 in seven starts as a freshman in 2024, is widely considered a Heisman Trophy contender heading into this season. But he’s barely been on the field at a time when he could be making significant strides.
He was limited during spring practice because of the right shoulder injury that could eventually need surgery. He resumed throwing in late April and said earlier this month at Southeastern Conference media days he would fully participate in camp.
But then he strained a calf muscle while running with the team last week.
Lagway completed 60% of his passes for 1,915 yards, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2024. He took over the starting role after Graham Mertz tore a knee ligament at Tennessee in October.
Behind Lagway are journeyman Harrison Bailey and sophomore Aidan Warner. Bailey played at Tennessee, UNLV and Louisville before transferring to Florida earlier this year. Warner subbed for Lagway last year and was mostly ineffective.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Chiefs' Rashee Rice says he has 'completely changed' after causing dangerous crash on Dallas highway By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The Associated Press ST. JOSEPH, Mo.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has “completely changed” after causing a chain-reaction crash last year on a Dallas highway that left multiple people injured, cost him more than $1 million in a settlement to victims, and resulted in a 30-day jail sentence that he will have to fulfill at some point in the future.
Rice spoke Saturday for the first time in training camp, and the first time since the 25-year-old playmaker tore a ligament in his right knee in Week 4 — an injury that wound up requiring season-ending surgery.
“I’ve completely changed. You have to learn from things like that,” Rice said of the March 2024 accident , when prosecutors said he was driving nearly 120 mph on the North Central Expressway and made “multiple aggressive maneuvers” before striking the other vehicles.
“I've learned," Rice continued, "and taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.”
Rice pleaded guilty in July to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors said, Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation and 30 days in jail, along with paying victims’ out-of-pocket medical expenses totaling about $115,000.
He separately agreed to settle a civil case for $1,086,000, which included prejudgment interest and attorneys’ fees.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are bracing for Rice to serve an NFL suspension, though the length and time remains uncertain. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement recently that the case "remains under review.”
“My legal team is handling all that,” Rice said. “All I can focus on is what I can control right now and that's me doing what I do.”
So far, the knee injury that robbed him of most of last season hasn't held him back.
After a standout rookie season, Rice caught 24 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns through his first three games last season. But in Week 4, after Patrick Mahomes had thrown an interception, the quarterback accidentally dived into Rice’s leg as they were trying to make the tackle, tearing the lateral collateral ligament in the wide receiver's knee.
Rice had surgery and was back for summer workouts, and he's been full-go throughout training camp.
“I feel 100%. I'm excited to be back out here with the guys,” Rice said. “Just kind of basically where I left off at. The only thing is get back on the field and continue to have fun doing what I do.”
The Chiefs had hoped that Rice would be a focal point of the offense last season in a wide receiver corps that included Marquise Brown and then-rookie Xavier Worthy. But that triumvirate never materialized, because “Hollywood” Brown was hurt on the first play of the preseason — he didn't return until the playoffs — and Rice ultimately joined him on injured reserve.
Now, the Chiefs have all three of them healthy, Worthy has a year of experience under him, and fourth-round draft pick Jalen Royals has turned some heads in training camp. Throw in veteran Juju Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton, who appears to be taking advantage of a fresh start in Kansas City, and the Chiefs are confident in their depth at the position.
Especially if Rice must serve a suspension during the upcoming season.
“I'm locked in. This is what I do,” Rice said. “This is my job. This is what I love to do. So even when I'm not able to be with the team, I'm going to be working hard to get back with them as soon as possible.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Bengals' cornerback competition heats up with multiple players vying for first-team spots By CHARLIE GOLDSMITH Associated Press The Associated Press CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI (AP) — At Bengals training camp, no position has had more players rotating through with the first-team unit than the cornerback spot.
“I wouldn’t read anything these first couple of weeks into who’s lining up with who, because oftentimes it’s so fluid with us at 9:52 a.m. before a 10 o’clock practice,” coach Zac Taylor said. “That’s just part of training camp. There’s plenty of time for a bunch of these battles to shake out.”
Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hill and DJ Turner were the starters for most of last season. With Taylor-Britt being managed a bit for precautionary reasons, Hill coming back from a torn ACL and Turner coming off of a subpar 2024 season, first-team snaps have been up for grabs.
Josh Newton is making a strong push for the starting slot cornerback spot, and DJ Ivey has impressed while getting regular reps with the first-team defense.
Taylor-Britt has been a starter for the Bengals since the middle of the 2022 season. While 2024 was the worst season of his career, he’s simplifying his approach entering 2025 and has a fresh start with new defensive coordinator Al Golden.
Taylor-Britt went back to the drawing board during the offseason. He watched all of his bad plays.
“You can see my eyes,” Taylor-Britt said. “You can see why the ball was caught. It was bad eyes. It wasn’t technique or anything. I have to slow down at the line and be myself. Stay confident. Stay the same guy no matter what’s going on.”
Hill moved from safety to cornerback entering the 2024 season, and he immediately impressed at his new position. But the former first-round pick tore his ACL in Week 5.
This year, he’s a candidate to start at outside cornerback or in the slot, and he’s the Bengals’ most versatile defensive back.
“It’s good for everyone to know different spots,” Hill said. “At corner, it’s a lot of mental. Knowing your matchup. Knowing the offense, that’s the biggest thing at corner. Week-to-week at corner, there’s a different mindset you have to go into the game with.”
Turner had been struggling in camp, running with the second-team defense and regularly allowing receptions until last Thursday. Then during that practice, he astoundingly recorded five pass breakups, including highlight plays against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Turner has always shown great athleticism and the ability to track receivers down the field. The next step for him is making more plays on the ball when quarterbacks challenge him down the field.
“It’s just football,” Turner said. “There are big names here. Joe Burrow. Ja’Marr. Trey. Big names. You have to look at it as normal people and just play football. You’re here for a reason, too. It’s just the mental aspect of going against people you watched growing up.”
Newton, the Bengals’ fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, made six starts last year after Turner's season-ending shoulder injury. His intensity, tackling ability and physicality in coverage have really been on display during a very strong training camp for him. He’s consistently running with the first-team defense.
“We have the biggest question mark (in the secondary),” Newton said. “It’s an honor to have that question mark because we have a pencil ready to answer it.”
Ivey was one of the best tight end stoppers in the NFL last season and regularly played on third downs. He has great size for the cornerback position and has been getting plenty of opportunities to develop as a true outside cornerback with the first-team defense.
“I think growth is a good word (for him),” Taylor said. “DJ continues to ascend in a lot of areas on defense and special teams, and I’m excited to watch him continue to compete in training camp. He’s a guy who is a joy to be around. I like what he’s about.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Ricky Pearsall's journey from gunshot wound to 49ers' key receiver By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Ricky Pearsall's rookie season for the San Francisco 49ers never really got off the ground.
Nagging injuries kept him out of almost all of training camp and then he was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt by a 17-year-old in San Francisco about a week before the start of the season
Pearsall survived the shooting and made it back on the field for the final 11 games, but wasn't able to truly show why he was picked in the first round by the Niners.
“I just felt like I was behind the eight ball,” Pearsall said. “I like to say that I rolled out of bed and started running routes because I damn near did. You can’t really rehab a gunshot wound. So I basically rolled out of bed and started running routes in Week 7. ... From that Week 7 and on, that was my training camp. Those practices in between, before the games, that was my training camp, for me.”
Pearsall made an immediate impact after getting back on the field and had a 46-yard TD catch in a Week 9 win at Tampa Bay. He then caught only two passes over the next five games as he struggled to become a consistent part of the offense.
Pearsall thought he was still getting open during that stretch yet just didn't get the ball that way, but it isn't so simple in San Francisco's complex offense based so heavily on timing.
Sometimes he would make an extra move to get off press coverage at the line or take an extra step to open down the field, but it was too late for quarterback Brock Purdy.
“We had a couple of those moments and there were times where he took it a little deeper and then broke open.” Purdy said. "He was like, ‘dude I was open.’ I said in the timing of the play, I needed it quicker. So, we had moments like that, and that’s part of getting to the NFL. ... I think toward the end of the last season, you saw Ricky come out his shell, he was playing within our system and timing."
That was evident in the final two games when Pearsall had 14 catches for 210 yards and two TDs in a confidence-building finish to an otherwise difficult rookie season.
Pearsall's late-season surge provided a rare bright spot at the end of a disappointing six-win season for the 49ers. His role is much more important in 2025 with Deebo Samuel having been traded to Washington in the offseason and Brandon Aiyuk expected to miss the start of the season recovering from knee surgery.
San Francisco has few proven options at receiver with free agent acquisition Demarcus Robinson facing a possible suspension for a DUI arrest. Last year's leading wideout Jauan Jennings' status also is unknown as he is currently sidelined by a calf injury.
Pearsall has carried over that performance to training camp where he has been San Francisco's best receiver since he returned from a hamstring injury.
“To be honest, I’m approaching it the same exact way," Pearsall said. "Whether those guys are in the room or not, that’s just how I look at myself. I just got to be able to step in that role. That’s just how I look at it. I look at myself as being able to be a guy that goes out there and makes plays. Whether they’re there or not, that’s how I look at myself.”
The aftermath of the shooting is something that Pearsall is still dealing with 11 months later even if physically he is healthy once again. He has expressed an interest in talking to the 17-year-old charged in his shooting, but is focused first on getting himself right.
"Unfortunately, I revisit that every single night I go to bed,” he said. “I kind of just carry that with me. Now it’s not as much as avoiding it and whether or revisiting it or not revisiting it. It’s more about how I deal with it and the light I put on it. It’s more a positive light and things I can get out of that, to try to inspire other people. As far as my own personal stuff, I’ve been doing a better job dealing with it, myself.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dismisses Micah Parsons' trade request as negotiation talk By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press The Associated Press OXNARD, Calif.
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones does not intend to trade Micah Parsons after the star defensive end said he wants to leave the team amid a breakdown in negotiating a contract extension.
“Surely you guys have been around this stuff and know how to recognize negotiation talk, that type of thing. And so that’s where I put that,” Jones said after practice Saturday, one day after Parsons posted on social media to request a trade .
No stranger to public and prolonged disputes with standout players, Jones insisted the standoff with Parsons is no different than past situations ranging from alternating approaches by quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb last year to the 1993 in-season holdout by running back Emmitt Smith.
“Well, it’s just that you’ve seen it so often, and you’ve seen it with other clubs. You go through the process. It’s a highly sensitive time when you’re guaranteeing somebody almost $200 million, that’s sensitive stuff,” Jones said.
Parsons remains at training camp, where he has yet to practice because of a back injury. He did not speak to reporters, leaving the field at the same time as Jones was fielding questions for more than 15 minutes.
Parsons is going into the final season of his five-year rookie contract and is seeking a new deal that would almost certainly make him the highest-paid defender in NFL history. He could be franchise tagged in 2026 without a contract extension.
A first-round draft pick in 2021, Parsons has at least 12 sacks in each of his four seasons with the Cowboys and 52 1/2 for his career.
The crux of the disagreement between Parsons and the Cowboys seems to be over the specific nature of talks with Jones during the spring that Parsons did not consider formal negotiations. Jones disagrees, believing they had come together on a deal.
“The key is that we’ve got an agreement,” Jones said. “Let’s really do understand that we’ve got an agreement now.”
Parsons wrote in his statement that the Cowboys have refused to engage his agent David Mulugheta in the process, which along with remarks by Jones during a July 21 press conference , contributed to his decision to publicly request a trade.
Asked if what was discussed in March was still on the table, Jones said, “Micah took it off. He took it off.”
Jones said that he expects Parsons to work off the framework established during the disputed spring talks.
“Now, if we’re going to adjust an agreement, then he’s a must and I’m a must,” Jones said of Parsons' involvement in future negotiations.
Multiple Cowboys players have posted their support for Parsons on social media, with Lamb writing, “ Just pay the man .” Fans shouted their support for Parsons when Jones walked on the field midway through practice, and there was a sustained chant of “Let's pay Micah!” at the end of Saturday's workout.
Jones did not answer directly when asked if he expects Parsons will be on the Cowboys for their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4. He later expressed his belief that the current hostility with Parsons will be resolved in a satisfactory manner for all involved.
“I enjoy Micah, but as always, in any relationship, there’s different moods at different times of your relationship,” Jones said. “That’s what it is. Don’t lose any sleep over it. That’s the one thing I would say to our fans, don’t lose any sleep over it.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Raiders optimistic Chip Kelly will revive offense and end rotating door at OC By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fact so many Raiders offensive players have talked up Chip Kelly as their new coordinator is not surprising.
It's training camp, after all, and optimism abounds throughout NFL camps.
But when someone from the other side of the ball notices what's going on with the new schemes and game plans, that's more of an attention-grabber.
“We really don’t know ever what he’s about to throw at us, so it keeps us on our toes," defensive tackle Jonah Laulu said. "Then when we attack them, they come back the next day with something new. It’s a great formula for success.”
Las Vegas is under its fifth offensive coordinator in four years due to a rotating door at head coach. The last time the Raiders had any semblance of stability at OC was when Greg Olson ran the offense from 2018-21.
First-year Raiders coach Pete Carroll hired Olson to be the team's quarterbacks coach right after he made the splashy move to bring in Kelly .
The 61-year-old Kelly last year was the offensive coordinator of Ohio State's national championship team .
He came to national prominence as the innovative head coach at Oregon from 2009-12, leading the Ducks to a 46-7 record and title-game appearance in the 2010 season.
Kelly then had a mixed bag of results in NFL stops at Philadelphia and San Francisco and back in college at UCLA before going back to being a play-caller and guiding the Buckeyes' offense.
Now he's doing the same in Las Vegas.
“This is such a good group to coach,” Kelly said. “They want to be coached. They’re thirsty for knowledge. When you go into the meeting room, there’s a little buzz and there’s an excitement. It’s not like, ‘Oh, God, we’re in camp. What we do here?’ It’s special when you get an opportunity to be on (an) NFL roster, and I think these guys are really taking advantage of it.”
Offensive lineman Thayer Munford said Kelly is willing to make changes if something doesn't work, that he isn't stuck trying to force a system onto the players.
“We’re not pointing fingers at each other," Munford said. "We’re here to bring each other up and push each other forward. Not every team’s like this, either. I’ve been on a couple teams that you point at them, and they get down in the dumps and the next day they go to crap. This coach is different.”
Kelly has the demanding task of improving an offense that was fourth worst last season with 303.2 yards per game and last in rushing with a 79.8-yard average. The Raiders traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith and drafted running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall to put some much-needed life into the offense.
“I think Chip has done a great job with implementing his style of play,” Smith said. “We want to be tough, we want to be physical, we want to attack the line of scrimmage. ... We got a lot of great weapons on offense, so he’s putting the guys in positions to make plays.”
Will Kelly get it done?
There is valid reason to believe Las Vegas' offense will be better, but whether it can take a big enough step to actually compete for a playoff spot in an AFC West in which the Raiders' three rivals made the postseason last year is another matter.
But no games have been played, so optimism prevails for the Raiders.
“I played (Ohio State) my last college game in the first round of playoffs, and they beat us bad,” said rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton, a fourth-round pick from Tennessee. "So being able to play in this offense, I see why they did that.”
Smith shines in mock game
Smith threw touchdown passes on all four drives he quarterbacked in Saturday's mock game at Allegiant Stadium that the Raiders said drew about 18,000 fans. He completed TD passes of 8 and 11 yards to tight end Brock Bowers, 19 yards to Thornton and 50 to Phillip Dorsett in leading the Raiders’ starting offense against their backup defense. Smith also ran for a two-point conversion.
Maxx Crosby returned a strip sack of Aidan O'Connell 70 yards for a touchdown.
Tom Brady, who owns a minority stake in the Raiders, watched from the sideline. He also attended Friday’s practice at the team’s Henderson, Nevada, facility.
Raiders lose safety to ‘significant’ injury
Safety Lonnie Johnson was carted off with an injury to his lower right leg.
“I don't know all the details, but it's significant,” Carroll said.
Johnson has worked mostly with the second team this training camp, but was in with the starters in the mock game as part of a three-safety look.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl