Packers’ Josh Jacobs says hands-behind-back TD celebration was not mocking recent arrest

30 October 2026 at 15:22

Green Bay RB claims gesture was an ode to gospel song
Jacobs pleaded no contest to battery charges last month

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs says he was paying homage to a gospel song rather than making light of his recent arrest when he briefly had his hands behind his back while celebrating a touchdown Thursday night.

This was Jacobs’s second game of the season after coming off the commissioner’s exempt list. He was placed on that list after charges were filed against him in August stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground.

Packers beat Panthers as Green Bay’s Christian Watson returns after mid-game hospital visit

The Guardian

By: Guardian sport and agencies

30 October 2026 at 06:53

Carolina Panthers 19-27 Green Bay Packers
Packers WR has 113 receiving yards despite injury

Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes, Josh Jacobs scored twice and the Green Bay Packers withstood three turnovers to beat the Carolina Panthers 27-19 on Thursday night.

Love went 30 of 41 for 288 yards with touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft, Matthew Golden and Jacobs plus an interception. Although he rushed for only 39 yards on 21 carries against the NFL’s lowest-ranked run defense, Jacobs scored on a four-yard catch and one-yard run for the Packers (5-3).

Bears swing big and trade two first-round picks for star Titans DT Jeffery Simmons

The Guardian

By: Associated Press

29 October 2026 at 19:22

Struggling Tennessee get haul of picks for tackle
Chicago are chasing first Super Bowl title since 1985

The Chicago Bears have acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The Bears sent their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a fourth-rounder in next year’s draft, to the Titans for Simmons and a fifth-round selection in 2028.

The NFL has a host of Hall of Fame caliber receivers. But which one is the best?

The Guardian

By: Graham Searles

29 October 2026 at 12:00

Quarterbacks in 2026 have a series of dazzling weapons at their disposal. We rank the best of the receivers in the NFL at the moment

NB: We have restricted the list below to players in their prime years, so excellent, older receivers such as Mike Evans and Davante Adams have been left out.

New study estimates 75% of deceased ex-NFL players had brain disease CTE

The Guardian

By: Marina Dunbar

28 October 2026 at 21:04

Research looked at prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 2,362 players who died in 2008-2023

A new study published on Wednesday estimates that about 75% of former NFL players who died over a 15-year period had evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The research, published in Jama Network Open and conducted by a Boston-based team, examined the estimated prevalence of the degenerative brain disease among NFL players who died from 2008 through 2023. Researchers found that the estimated rate of CTE among these players was substantially higher than the rates observed in brain samples collected from the general population.

New study estimates 75% of deceased ex-NFL players had brain disease CTE

World news | The Guardian

By: Marina Dunbar

28 October 2026 at 21:04

Research looked at prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 2,362 players who died in 2008-2023

A new study published on Wednesday estimates that about 75% of former NFL players who died over a 15-year period had evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The research, published in Jama Network Open and conducted by a Boston-based team, examined the estimated prevalence of the degenerative brain disease among NFL players who died from 2008 through 2023. Researchers found that the estimated rate of CTE among these players was substantially higher than the rates observed in brain samples collected from the general population.

Chiefs sign Justin Tucker in wake of sexual misconduct allegations as Butker struggles

The Guardian

By: Guardian sport

28 October 2026 at 17:30

Tucker was banned under NFL’s conduct policy
Butker has missed five of 16 FG attempts this season

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed the former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad after Harrison Butker’s poor start to the season.

Tucker was widely considered one of the best kickers in NFL history until the Ravens released him in May 2025. The Ravens said his departure was a “football decision” after a slump in form, but the move came months after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. Tucker denied the allegations and never faced criminal charges but he served a 10-game NFL ban for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

‘You have to believe’: Qwan’tez Stiggers, the New York Jets player who went from delivery driver to the NFL

The Guardian

By: Gavin Willacy

28 October 2026 at 16:00

When Stiggers’ father died, he dropped out of college to help his mother and 12 siblings. He thought his football dream had ended but made it in the end

Qwan’tez Stiggers had only been in college for a few days when his world fell apart. Seven months after the car crash that put him in a coma, Stiggers’ father died. Stiggers quit college and returned home to support his mother, Kwanna, and 12 siblings. It was a huge blow to the 18-year-old. His partner, Cheyenne, was also processing a tragedy after her teenage sister had been killed by a stray bullet. Over the last six years, Cheyenne and Qwan’tez have helped each other off the bottom of an emotional well.

Working as a delivery driver and washing trucks while his old teammates progressed in their football careers could have driven him off the rails. “I wouldn’t necessarily say I was envious but I wanted better for myself,” says Stiggers. “I had a child, was living with my wife – my girlfriend at the time – and got those late-night delivery jobs to pay the bills.

Jay-Z is the perfect Super Bowl shill for a league of billionaires

The Guardian

By: Lee Escobedo

28 October 2026 at 12:15

The rapper lends the NFL a veneer of credibility but is unlikely to push back on the establishment figures who run the league

On Monday the NFL named Jay-Z as the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl half-time show. His company, Roc Nation, produces the show under a 2019 deal reportedly worth $5m a year, and the agreement was extended for another five years in 2024. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said his one request when the partnership began was that Jay-Z “take the stage himself one day“.

Goodell’s wish makes total sense: Jay-Z is the perfect choice for the half-time show, and that’s not a compliment. The NFL wants a shill who can still pass for a rebel, and nobody in American music plays that part better than Jay-Z.

NFL welcomes a review of how Eagles handled Jalen Hurts' blood clots, Roger Goodell says

PBS News Hour - The Latest

By: Stephen Whyno · Associated Press

22 October 2026 at 00:49

The NFL welcomes an investigation into the Philadelphia Eagles' handling of Jalen Hurts' blood clots after the players' union asked for one, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday.

AP source: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts expected to miss rest of season after blood clots found in lungs and leg

PBS News Hour - The Latest

By: Dan Gelston · Associated Press

19 October 2026 at 22:42

Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and a bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning a clot has traveled from his legs to his lungs.

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