NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Cam Ward is officially The Chosen One for the Tennessee Titans.

As expected for weeks, the rags-to-riches quarterback was officially christened on Thursday night as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft – and new face of hope for the rebuilding of a struggling franchise.

Ward, who considered entering the draft a year ago but instead transferred to star for a single season at the University of Miami, checked all the boxes. Rocket arm. High football IQ. Leadership. The Titans pretty much settled on Ward a month ago and held firm in the decision.

Then there was that one final factor: Make them an offer they can’t refuse.

The Titans had their conviction in Ward put to the test by refusing multiple trade offers for the No. 1 pick – including a reported blockbuster overture from the New York Giants.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants offered a package of picks that included two first-round picks – the third pick this year and next year’s first-rounder – for the chance to select Ward.

No deal. The Titans wouldn’t budge.

‘I did want to listen, because I think you have to do your due diligence and listen,’ Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said. ‘I did that. But I think we came to a decision: We weren’t going to move off that pick and we wanted Cam.’

It was natural that teams would call and fitting that any temptation for the Titans – with so many needs across the board – to build additional draft capital would be part of the equation.

After all, stuff happens. The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a stunner in landing Travis Hunter, the two-way unicorn. To move up to the second slot from the fifth spot, the Jaguars swayed the Cleveland Browns with a huge bundle that included next year’s first-round pick and two other choices.

Yet in the Titans’ case, they saw no better value than to bank on Ward’s potential – he played at three schools in five seasons and passed for a Division 1-record 158 touchdown passes — to become the franchise quarterback to build with.

How much would it have taken to trade the pick?

‘If you identify a franchise quarterback, there’s really not a price you can pay for that in my mind,’ said Borgonzi, who spent 16 years rising in the ranks for the Kansas City Chiefs front office before coming to Tennessee this year. ‘That’s the most important position in sports. If you come to a consensus, and we did, that he has the potential to be that.’

Borgonzi, who brings the reference point of intimately watching Patrick Mahomes quickly develop into the NFL’s best quarterback, said it was Ward’s ability to quickly process, that won him over. Titans coach Brian Callahan hailed Ward’s leadership ability and the intangibles.

Ward, 22, himself feels the Titans were struck by his journey. He was a zero-star recruit coming out of high school. After two seasons on the FBS level at Incarnate Word, he transferred to Washington State for another two seasons. He initially entered the NFL draft pool last year but was projected as a fourth-round pick.

By the time this year’s draft process came along, Ward sensed he couldn’t have been better positioned.

Asked when he felt like the Titans settled on him as the top pick, Ward said, “I thought I was the guy all along.”

Callahan, the second-year coach, was convinced after meeting Ward at the combine, which kick-started the intense process of drilling down on the final decision. Even in a 15-minute initial interview, Callahan was impressed by Ward’s presence and football mentality.

Now Callahan, who helped develop Joe Burrow as the No.1 pick overall for the Cincinnati Bengals, can’t wait to get on with the process of grooming his new star pupil.

‘And stop pretending about all the things we’ve had to pretend about over the course of the last couple of months,” Callahan said.

Earlier in the week, during the pre-draft press conference, someone asked Borgonzi what his message would be to teams that might call with trade offers for the top pick.

“Don’t bother calling,” came the reply.

Callahan knows.

“Ultimately, we felt like Cam’s a player we weren’t going to let go anywhere else,” he said.

In other words, there was no offer they couldn’t refuse.

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NFL draft picks tracker: Analysis for every 2025 first-round selection

“A caliber of a player like Cam…priceless,” Callahan said. “There’s no price you put on that from a draft capital standpoint because if those players end up being what you think they’re capable of, those picks don’t matter when it comes to future picks.”

At least that’s the conviction for the Titans that has apparently withstood temptation.

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The Golden State Warriors may be without guard Jimmy Butler when they face the Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series.

Butler left Game 2 on Wednesday night late in the first quarter after taking a hard fall on a rebound attempt and landing on his tailbone.

An MRI on Thursday revealed Butler has a ‘pelvis and deep gluteal muscle contusion.’ He is officially questionable for Game 3, the Warriors said.

The Rockets prevailed 109-94 in Game 2 to even the series at one game apiece. The series now shifts to San Francisco for Games 3 and 4.

After Wednesday’s game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr declined to speculate on who would fill Butler’s spot in the lineup if he were unavailable for Game 3 – though he did concede, ‘If Jimmy’s out, we have to rethink everything.’

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The Memphis Grizzlies’ first-round NBA playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder has gone from bad to worse, with Ja Morant reportedly set to miss Game 4 on Saturday.

Morant suffered a left hip contusion in the Grizzlies’ 114-108 Game 3 loss to the Thunder in Memphis, where the Grizzlies surrendered a 29-point lead to drop to 0-3 in the series.

The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 63-31 in the second half without Morant. Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo said Morant’s injury and subsequent exit ‘quite drastically’ affected the Grizzlies, ‘not only the energy, but the execution.’ No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit and the odds of the Grizzlies fighting back to take the series is going to be that much harder without their superstar guard.

Here’s everything you need to know about Morant’s injury and his status ahead of Game 4:

Ja Morant injury: What happened?

The incident happened with 3:15 remaining in the second quarter as the Grizzlies led 67-40. Scotty Pippen Jr. deflected a pass from the Thunder’s Jalen Williams and completed a behind the back pass to Morant on a fast break. Morant attempted to dunk the ball, but he was undercut by Luguentz Dort and he fell hard on his side.

Morant laid on the floor at FedExForum in pain as the crowd booed the play.

Dort was called for a shooting foul. Morant missed both free throws and checked out of the game. He was later ruled out with a hip injury. Morant had 15 points and five assists in 16 minutes.

Ja Morant injury update: Will he play in Game 4?

Game 4 between the Grizzlies and Thunder is set for Saturday, but Morant will not be suiting up. The Grizzlies have internally ruled him out of Game 4 with a hip injury, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Morant was previously listed on the injury report with an ankle sprain last week, but played through the injury in the play-in tournament to secure a playoff berth for the Grizzlies.

Lu Dort: ‘I hope he’s OK’

Dort later explained that the play was inadvertent. ‘I was slipping. I tried to make a play on the ball, but we just ran into each other, and he fell down. But I hope he’s OK. I didn’t mean to hit him like that,’ Dort said postgame.

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Tiffany Saine, the mother of former Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, died shortly after her son was selected 21st overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Harmon told reporters on a media call after his selection that his mother was on life support as a result of ongoing health issues.

‘After I get off the phone with you guys, I’m going to head straight to the hospital and tell her that her son got drafted,’ Harmon said.

Saine died shortly after the news was delivered, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Harmon outlined to ESPN ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft that Saine frequently underwent brain surgeries during his youth. She had eight in total and suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side while Harmon was playing at Michigan State.

That made Harmon’s decision to transfer to Oregon from Michigan State – which was 45 minutes away from his hometown, Detroit – difficult.

‘It was probably the hardest decision I had to make,’ Harmon said. ‘I sat down with my mom, and we had a discussion. She told me every decision I made up to this point had been for her, and it’s time I made a decision for myself.’

Harmon still supported his mother from afar, using his NIL money to purchase a wheelchair and accessible van for her, as he told reporters at the 2025 Rose Bowl.

He also canceled some of his pre-draft visits to remain at his mother’s side, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.

And while Harmon was happy to be chosen by the Steelers, he acknowledged the moment was ‘bittersweet’ since his mother couldn’t be there to celebrate with him.

‘She’s the reason why I’m here,’ he told ESPN. ‘She’s the one who did everything for me to get to this point.’

Former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was arrested early Friday morning in the Minneapolis area on drunken driving charges, according to Hennepin County (Minn.) jail records.

The 40-year-old had appeared at the Vikings’ 2025 NFL draft party at U.S. Bank Stadium hours earlier as Minnesota celebrated the selection of Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson with the No. 24 pick.

Peterson’s bail was set at $4,000, which he already posted. The former NFL MVP was received into custody at 5:16 a.m local time and was released about two hours later on Friday. Peterson has a court appearance scheduled for May 9 and the DWI charge is considered a misdemeanor.

The Minnesota State Patrol told multiple outlets that Peterson was pulled over at 3:20 a.m. Friday morning when a state trooper stopped a vehicle that was speeding on a road in Richfield, Minnesota. Peterson was driving 83 mph in a 55-mph zone and blew an alcohol concentration of 0.14 during a breath test, according to law enforcement.

The Palastine, Texas native has been involved in several previous legal issues over the years related to child abuse, domestic violence and financial problems.

Peterson was the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2007 and spent 10 seasons with the team. He won NFL MVP in 2012 and led the league in rushing three times while playing in Minnesota. He last played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks during the 2021 season. He was still hoping to return to the league as recently as 2023.

Southern California high school basketball commit Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, is out of an induced coma after he was involved in a car crash on Thursday, according to a statement from his family.  

The statement says that Arenas remains intubated but was earlier able to open his eyes and write on a piece of paper.

‘The family continues to ask for the public’s prayers and support as their miracle baby fights his way back to a full recovery,’ the statement said. ‘Further updates will be shared as Alijah continues to heal.’

Arenas, a five-star guard, had been placed in an induced coma after the accident, which happened in the Los Angeles suburb of Reseda.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a Tesla Cybertruck driven by an 18-year-old driver crashed into a tree and a fire hydrant in a single-vehicle crash at 4:55 a.m.

Arenas was later identified as the occupant in that vehicle and was transported to a local hospital in serious condition.

Arenas, who was selected to participate in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game, said in January he would commit to USC after his senior campaign at Chatsworth High School after having reclassified in December

Analysts and fans alike are buffaloed by Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock.

The former Colorado QB was once slated to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but that wasn’t meant to be. Instead, Miami’s Cam Ward and Ole Miss passer Jaxson Dart were the lone quarterbacks taken in the first round on Thursday night.

Now, one of the top-ranked passers in the 2025 draft class will have to wait until Day 2 to hear his name called. While Sanders is an imperfect prospect, few could have seen the fall coming, including Sanders himself.

Entering Day 2, there are still plenty of quarterback needy teams, and plenty that are picking at or near the top of Round 2. The Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets are among teams who could target the passer if they want to roll the dice.

So, which team may be the best landing spot for Sanders? Here are some of his best fits, ranked.

Shedeur Sanders landing spots, ranked

5. New Orleans Saints

Kellen Moore has done good work with quarterbacks throughout his coaching career, but the Saints don’t currently have the infrastructure in place to develop a passer to their full potential. Plus, Derek Carr’s injury casting doubt over his 2025 availability makes for a pretty messy QB room at the moment. The Saints would be wise to wait and evaluate before taking a quarterback, potentially in 2026, rather than any of the remaining passers this year.

4. New York Jets

The Jets’ new regime opted for the safe, smart pick in right tackle Armand Membou in the first round. Should the offensive line develop, it’ll be the best one that Sanders has ever played behind. That would be a major plus for any rookie quarterback, especially one who was sacked 42 times in 2024. Sanders could also potentially learn a thing or two from journeyman passer Tyrod Taylor, the current QB2 on the Jets’ roster.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

In Geno Smith, the Raiders have a solid, veteran quarterback from which Sanders can learn. Couple that with Pete Carroll’s desire to pound the rock and you have a good situation for Sanders to thrive in – whenever he’s handed the keys to the car.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

With a pair of wide receivers in DK Metcalf and George Pickens and only Mason Rudolph as the only real (current) hurdle to the QB1 spot, the Steelers seem like a sensible landing spot for Sanders. That said, Pittsburgh did pass on Sanders with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round, so maybe the infatuation isn’t there. Still, Pittsburgh would be wise to select a passer of the future, and there’s arguably no better coach to guide Sanders into the NFL world than Mike Tomlin. The Steelers would have to get creative, though: They don’t own a second-round pick and aren’t on the clock until No. 83 overall on Friday night.

1. Cleveland Browns

This still seems like a seamless fit. With Deshaun Watson out for the duration of the 2025 season, the Browns are heading into a crucial year with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco under center. That room probably doesn’t inspire much confidence to compete for a division crown, but what it does do is offer the ability for Sanders to sit until he’s ready to start. Couple in the fact that Kevin Stefanski and Colorado OC Pat Shurmur crossed paths with the Minnesota Vikings, the Browns might be the ideal destination for Sanders.

Nobody will be happier when Shedeur Sanders comes off the board during the 2025 NFL draft than ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. Not Deion Sanders, the quarterback’s father and Pro Football Hall of Famer who has coached his son for basically his entire life. Not even Shedeur Sanders himself. 

Kiper is the frontrunner based on the longtime draft analyst’s relentless comments during a first-round broadcast that exceeded three hours. As the picks unfolded, the conversation on the ESPN set often returned to a prospect whose name wasn’t called over the first 32 selections Thursday night. 

Shortly after commissioner Roger Goodell formally put the Tennessee Titans on the clock to set up the selection of Cam Ward first overall, the lovefest for Sanders from Kiper’s mouth began. For one minute and 45 seconds, he argued why Sanders would fare better in the NFL than Ward in his opinion, continuing a months-long crusade of projecting Sanders as the best future quarterback in the class.

“(Ward) can do things Shedeur can’t do,” Kiper said. “But if Shedeur gets an offensive line in front of him – the exact same thing I said about Tom Brady when he came out as a sixth-round pick … when you look at Shedeur Sanders, everything you want an NFL quarterback to be, he has.” 

What does Kiper see in Sanders? Toughness in the pocket. An unflappable mindset. Executing in high-leverage spots. 

“This notion that he’s not that athletic is ridiculous nonsense,” Kiper said. 

The Cleveland Browns (picking fifth after the deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars) and New Orleans Saints – picking ninth and the best fit for the former Jackson State and Colorado signal-caller, according to Kiper – did not turn in draft cards with Sanders’ name on it. With the Denver Broncos on the clock at No. 20, Kiper couldn’t square that Sanders had fallen into the 20s. 

“Shedeur, I’m amazed right now that he’s still on the board, as I was with Aaron Rodgers,” Kiper said, referencing Rodgers’ slide from possible No. 1 pick in 2005 to 24th when the Green Bay Packers finally picked him up. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers, considered a potential Sanders destination, were on deck. Once they were on the clock, Kiper reared back and fired once more. 

“I’m taking Shedeur Sanders,” Kiper said. “I prefer him in New Orleans – I don’t know what the Saints were thinking, that’s their decision, I disagree with it – but if I’m Pittsburgh, Shedeur Sanders, to pass on him at this stage at pick 21, come on.” 

NFL draft winners and losers: Shedeur Sanders, Browns, Aaron Rodgers make list

That’s when Kiper compared Sanders’ “slide” – in quotes because plenty of people in the draft ecosystem, from scouts to front-office personnel to media members, had a second-round grade on Sanders – to other quarterback greats who suffered similar fates on draft day. 

Lamar Jackson. Dan Marino. Joe Montana. Drew Brees. (He also bizarrely referenced Peyton Manning, who went first overall, but only after others convinced former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian to take him over eventual bust Ryan Leaf? This all according to Kiper, of course.) 

Kiper could barely contain himself when the New York Giants traded with the Houston Texans to acquire the 25th pick, where they drafted Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart as QB2 of the draft. 

“I like Jaxson Dart,” he said, “I love Shedeur Sanders.” 

No kidding, Mel. 

Kiper noted Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s preference for a more mobile option behind center such as Dart. The hangup for Kiper, and apparently the main reason why he had Sanders ranked ahead of Dart, was the latter’s performance against top competition in the Southeastern Conference. 

“Three big spots, didn’t come up big,” Kiper said of Dart. “Shedeur consistently did despite being harassed.” 

Kiper then delivered another listicle of quarterbacks who were taken before other quarterbacks, this time bringing up Brett Favre and Geno Smith as guys who had to wait. ESPN host Mike Greenberg incessantly referenced the network’s “Draft Day Predictor” – whatever that means – to contextualize the apparent surprise of Sanders not being picked. 

Kiper wasn’t alone in his defense of Sanders. Another ex-Colorado quarterback, Joel Klatt, offered support on NFL Network’s (a former employer of Deion Sanders) broadcast. 

Kiper owns a blotchy track record when it comes to sticking up for quarterbacks who have fallen in drafts of yesteryear. He pounded the table for ex-Notre Dame quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn, neither of whom had any semblance of sustained success in the league. 

You wouldn’t know it by listening to him, but Kiper actually has Sanders ranked eighth on his “Best Available” list ahead of Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft Friday. No quarterback was taken in the second round (or third or fourth) of the 2024 draft, and only Will Levis (Titans) heard his name called in the second the year prior. 

The Browns hold two of the first four selections in Round 2 and could use one on Sanders. But if the Saints, picking 40th, pass on Sanders for a second time, somebody on the ESPN set is gonna have to check on Kiper.  

And when Sanders finally is picked, the producers should hand Kiper a cigar and Greenberg should start spraying some champagne in his direction. Then maybe we can, you know, focus on the players who were drafted with a last name that isn’t Sanders.

The Giants’ brain trust of general manager Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll pulled one of the more notable moves of the 2025 NFL Draft when they traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss passer Jaxson Dart.

The selection gives Schoen and Daboll an opportunity to find the next franchise passer after the failures of Daniel Jones. For now, it doesn’t look like Dart is going to challenge for QB1 on the depth chart.

Speaking after Round 1 of the draft, Schoen and Daboll made it clear that Russell Wilson is the starter entering the next phase of New York’s offseason program, leaving a couple of hurdles for Dart to leap to earn the starter spot.

‘Russ will be our starter, and that’s how it will be once we get started here in the spring,’ Daboll told the media following Round 1. ‘The process of developing a quarterback is just that. So we’re going to do everything we can to develop him and bring him along.’

Wilson comes to the Giants after a middling season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. New York signed the passer on a one-year, $21 million contract, joining Jameis Winston, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Giants earlier this offseason.

Daboll added that experience, play time and ‘medals on the wall’ factor into the decision and that both Winston and Wilson have ‘added value’ to the quarterback room.

The Giants head coach stopped short of using the words ‘Week 1 starter’ for Wilson, potentially leaving the door open for Dart to make inroads towards that starting quarterback job should he impress over the summer.

Dart’s draft standing was somewhat murky entering Round 1. The quarterback was seemingly jockeying for position with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders throughout the pre-draft process.

Sanders is still available as teams line up to make their picks on Day 2.

Dart finished the 2024 college season with 4,279 passing yards and 29 touchdowns to six interceptions.