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ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler feels the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are two candidates to continue adding to their wide receiver rooms this offseason.
“A lot of free agent receivers available. You’ve got Keenan Allen, you’ve got Stefon Diggs, you’ve got Tyreek Hill, and you have a lot of teams that need help,” Fowler said Saturday on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “Kansas City Chiefs are a little
thin at receiver. Baltimore Ravens a little thin.”
Fowler concluded, “So teams are sort of seeing what they have at OTAs and minicamp, if they have enough from their young players, they could go and try to make a move.”
Jim Nantz on CBS losing Chiefs-Bills to NBC: ‘I kind of had a sinking feeling’ | Awful Announcing
“That’s the rivalry of its time,” Nantz told Traina. “But, you know, you’re not gonna get it every year. So, I’m O.K. with it. I have faith we’re going to get a very good schedule. I kind of had a sinking feeling that one of these years, somebody else was gonna get the chance to have that great matchup. It’s O.K.”
The CBS broadcast team has been as intertwined with that rivalry as any crew in football. Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson have called nine of the 10 meetings between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen since 2020, including all four playoff games. Last October, ahead of the eighth installment, Nantz told the Kansas City Star that the rivalry was the defining matchup of its generation, comparing it to the Brady-Manning era he covered earlier in his career.
“To me, it’s the rivalry of this time. And I don’t even think it’s close,” Nantz said. “Patrick just turned 30 in September. Josh is 29 years old. I saw Peyton and Tom clash into their 40s. So I’m going to take another decade of this, that’s for sure.”
Kansas City Chiefs 2026 schedule: Does K.C. have toughest 3-game stretch in NFL? | The Athletic
One game the Chiefs can’t afford to lose: vs. Chargers, Week 6
The AFC West projects to be competitive among the top three contenders, so the Chiefs likely can’t afford to get swept by either the Broncos or Chargers and still hope to win the division. That makes this early matchup, coming off the bye, against the Chargers at Arrowhead so vital. K.C. should be a slight favorite in this one, but if it can’t come away with the win, it would likely enter a difficult second half of the schedule while needing to make up some ground.
2026 NFL rookie quarterbacks: Team fits, roles, projections | ESPN
Garrett Nussmeier, Kansas City Chiefs (Round 7, No. 249)
Why he fits in Kansas City: Nussmeier’s fall was one of the draft’s biggest surprises, as there were scouts who thought he could be this year’s QB3. Nussmeier is a daring anticipatory passer who plays in rhythm and makes a lot of jaw-dropping throws when protected. That type of mentality translates well into an Andy Reid offense that will require him to make downfield throws and squeeze passes consistently over the middle of the field. — Reid
What will be his role? Nussmeier should consider this his redshirt rookie season. The Chiefs see plenty of potential in him as the future long-term backup to Patrick Mahomes. But with Justin Fields on the roster this season, Nussmeier’s role is one where he should listen to Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Mahomes and Fields and take notes for 2027 and beyond. Those lessons, and a yearlong plan to improve his skills and strengthen his body, should allow Nussmeier to be in the mix to be Mahomes’ backup in 2027. — Nate Taylor
Around the NFL
NFL says it’s following fan interest with midweek games | ESPN
Increased ratings and the league’s focus on holiday seasons might well lead to more games on nontraditional days in the future, NFL officials said Friday.
In addition to the Sept. 9 opener that features a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, there will be a Wednesday night Thanksgiving Eve matchup with the Green Bay Packers visiting the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 25.
“Giving more football to NFL fans is only a good thing,” NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder said.
The NFL enjoyed a 10% jump in ratings last season, with the 18.7 million viewers per game representing the second-highest average since the data began being tracked in 1988. That has emboldened the NFL to push the limits of traditional scheduling.
“Every one of our [broadcast] partners was up,” Schroeder said of the 2025 season. “So I think as we look at balancing the collective distribution of our games, we think there’s opportunities to build on that in a selective way. And we’ve seen when we do that, our fans tune in and watch it.”
Arrest is made in shooting of Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy | Pro Football Talk
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy was shot on Sunday at an outdoor concert in Mississippi. On Thursday, an arrest was made.
Via the Associated Press, 20-year-old Rashodrick Harris was detained in Paducah, Kentucky. As of Friday afternoon, he was awaiting extradition to Mississippi.
Hardy underwent surgery after the shooting. He returned to Missouri on Wednesday.
Per the report, three other persons of interest were taken into custody. They were released without any charges being filed.
Harris was identified as a suspect by surveillance video. His arrest warrant was issued based on information from a witness.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
3 things the NFL schedule makers got wrong for the Chiefs
2. Delaying a must-see quarterback duel
The Cincinnati Bengals, behind star quarterback Joe Burrow, are the last AFC team to defeat the Chiefs in the postseason. For all the hype we see when Mahomes plays against Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills or Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, head-to-head games against Burrow feel a different level of personal because of the playoff history.
Pairings between Mahomes and Burrow also feel more special because they have not happened as frequently as the other AFC rivalries. This is partially due to Burrow’s injury history, which has seen him miss significant portions of the season three times in his six-year career.
The NFL is taking a gamble by scheduling the Chiefs’ visit to Cincinnati for Week 14. The last time the two teams met was in December 2023, when Mahomes faced off against career backup passer Jake Browning.
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