Which team will ride with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in 2025?

It certainly won’t be ‘Broncos Country,’ but there are a few intriguing landing spots for Wilson as he enters his 14th season in the NFL.

If Wilson doesn’t return to Pittsburgh, he’ll be joining his fourth career team. The 36-year-old spent his first 10 seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, where he appeared in two Super Bowls and won one, before spending two years with the Broncos and one with the Steelers.

Wilson had a late start to the 2024 season when a calf injury kept him out of Pittsburgh’s early games. After taking over as the Steelers’ starter in Week 7, he led the team to a 6-5 record with 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with a 63.7% completion rate.

The pending free agent was also named to the Pro Bowl for a 10th time as an alternate for the AFC team after last season.

Russell Wilson landing spots

After the first wave of free agency and before the new league year starts, the following teams are some of the best landing spots for Wilson:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Staying in Pittsburgh could be the best option for Wilson. He’d get a chance at a second season in the same system – head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are still around – while (in theory) remaining healthy and with (also in theory) a better offense around him. The Steelers have already traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf and have the rest of the offseason to build up the offensive line and other areas of need in free agency and the draft.

At the time of writing, Wilson’s only competition for the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh would be Skylar Thompson, whom the team signed to a reserve/future contract in January. His former competition, Justin Fields, has agreed to terms on a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets. In addition, the Steelers don’t have many other quarterback options left on the free agent market at this early stage of free agency, which makes them a clear fit for Wilson.

New York Giants

Like the Steelers, the Giants don’t currently have much competition in-house for the starting quarterback job. New York cut starter Daniel Jones last year just one and a half years into a disastrous four-year, $160 million extension, and backup Drew Lock is also a pending free agent. The team did bring back Tommy DeVito on a one-year, minimum value deal, but there’s clear positional need at the most important position in sports.

Where the Giants differ from the Steelers is in their draft position. Big Blue is in a clear position to draft their quarterback of the future – if they so choose – with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Would Wilson be fine knowing that he’s being brought in as a ‘bridge’ option that may not start the whole year? How does he feel about mentoring a guy like Miami (FL)’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders? These are questions he and the Giants would have to talk through, but it’s not hard to envision the two sides coming to a deal as things currently stand.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have a young quarterback already, but Will Levis’ performance in his second professional season left much to be desired. Tennessee currently holds the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so if it wants to take another shot at drafting a quarterback of the future, it can.

Regardless of whether the Titans plan to draft a quarterback or go another route – like, say, trading the top pick for future draft capital or taking a non-quarterback – they’re in a spot to bring in a veteran quarterback like Wilson. Either he’d provide more legit competition for Levis to earn the starting job, or he’d serve as a mentor to Levis and/or an even younger quarterback taken in this year’s draft. Tennessee may not be in the market for a veteran quarterback given its draft position, but the landing spot is clear if the team goes that route.

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland is in a very similar spot to Tennessee as things stand. The team’s gamble on paying quarterback Deshaun Watson what is still the biggest fully guaranteed contract in league history has been a disaster. The Browns have gone 9-10 in the 19 games Watson has started in three years, and the quarterback may miss the entire 2025 season after re-tearing his Achilles.

The Browns, like the Titans, hold one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft: No. 2 overall. They’ve already traded for a new backup quarterback in Kenny Pickett, but the starting job appears to remain up for grabs. Wilson could fit in as the mentor figure or bridge option for a Cleveland team that may decide to draft its next young quarterback come April. He has experience playing in the division and can take advantage of a solid offense around him, including receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman as well as running back Jerome Ford.

You can follow the latest free agency news from USA TODAY here.

NFL teams didn’t wait until the start of free agency to make dramatic moves, especially for big-name wide receivers. The Pittsburgh Steelers shipped a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for two-time Pro Bowl wideout DK Metcalf and signed him to a new contract. The Los Angeles Rams handed out a two-year, $44 million contract to three-time All-Pro Davante Adams on the eve of free agency.

On day one of free agency, longtime Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin agreed to a contract to return to Tampa Bay, taking yet another big name off the market.

One of the biggest names left on the market is longtime Rams wideout Cooper Kupp. Los Angeles was looking to trade him but are instead planning to release the Super Bowl 56 MVP at the start of the new league year.

Kupp will be 32 this upcoming season and missed 18 games over the last three seasons due to injury. But his mix of experience and production when on the field could make him a valuable piece for a contending team.

Here are five landing spots for the former All-Pro:

Cooper Kupp landing spots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh made the move to trade for Metcalf and gave him a big contract. There’s still uncertainty at quarterback but the franchise is making a push to contend in 2025. There are just four wide receivers on the active roster at time of publishing: Metcalf, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Metcalf and Pickens can stay on the outside and let Kupp work from the slot. Combined with a rising offensive line, that trio could make for a solid landing spot for a veteran or rookie quarterback.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle moving on from Metcalf and longtime wideout Tyler Lockett signals a major change on offense. This team is likely pivoting offensive philosophy under new coordinator Klint Kubiak and new quarterback Sam Darnold in 2025.

At time of publishing, the Seahawks have Jake Bobo, Dareke Young and 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba as their starting wide receivers. This is a team that went 10-7 in 2024 and missed the playoffs based on strength of schedule. Armed with five top 100 picks in the 2025 NFL draft, the Seahawks could bring Kupp in to shore up that position in a weaker wide receiver class. And it wouldn’t hurt to bring someone in with deep knowledge of division rival.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers entered free agency among the league leaders in cap space but haven’t done much with it at time of publishing. The team’s biggest moves were to bring in running back Najee Harris and cornerback Donte Jackson.

There may be some positional crossover with second-year standout Ladd McConkey but the Chargers offense needs a boost at wide receiver. The Chargers have a lot of picks in the 2025 NFL draft but have prioritized other positions before and this year’s wide receiver class is down compared to years past. Bringing Kupp in wouldn’t break the bank and could give a veteran presence to the pass-catching group.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens haven’t made any major moves in free agency besides retaining left tackle Ronnie Stanley. That deal took up most of the cap space they had left and they’re likely shopping on low-cost veteran deals at this point.

Baltimore had one of the best offenses in the NFL last year but another proven piece in the passing game could only help the team get over the hump against the likes of Buffalo and Kansas City. Kupp could operate in the slot alongside Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman to give quarterback Lamar Jackson another option in the passing game. The Ravens made a similar move by signing former Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ahead of the 2023 NFL season so this would not be an unprecedented move.

New York Giants

The Giants are in win-now mode given coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are on the hot seat following a 3-14 performance in 2024. They handed out a three-year, $36 million contract to bring wide receiver Darius Slayton back but Kupp could be good insurance in case he doesn’t work out this season. The passing game flows through Malik Nabers and adding Kupp could provide another complimentary piece for a team under pressure to win more in 2025.

Of course, Josh Allen is worth every nickel of his massive, six-year, $330 million contract extension in so many ways.

It begins with the premise that if they can back up the Brinks truck and pay it, the Buffalo Bills quarterback is certainly as deserving as anyone of a raise as the NFL opens a new league year with another record salary cap.

And boy, did he get that bump. The deal averages $55 million per year and has the biggest guarantee in NFL history at $250 million. That’s like the next-best thing to having an equity stake in the franchise.

Allen, 28, has earned it, too, given the first NFL MVP award he won a few weeks ago provided another sterling marker of his continued, multi-faceted progress. He has cut down on the turnovers that once dogged him, throwing just six picks in a season that saw him produce 40 TDs (28 passing, 12 rushes). Allen also took the Bills to another AFC title game, which fuels hope that he might eventually take them to the franchise’s first Super Bowl since their glorious 1990s. And you know how hope can sell in the NFL.

Yet on top of all that, the contract that Allen struck with the Bills on Sunday night represented a tentpole for stability.  As the new deal reflects, the Bills have some serious alignment with their franchise player, whose connection with the Bills Mafia and Western New York community is palatable.

No, Allen wasn’t going anywhere. The Bills weren’t going to let him get away. He had four years remaining on his previous contract. Four years! And the Bills tore it up for a new one.

That’s smart business from Buffalo’s brain trust, with GM Brandon Beane pushing the buttons. This marks the second big contract extension the Bills have struck with Allen that was done so early that it never even came close to any type of crisis stage.

The last time, in 2021, the Bills took care of Allen two years before his rookie deal expired, with a pact that guaranteed $150 million. Now there’s this one, which locks Allen up through the 2030 campaign, when he’ll be 34.

There are more than a few proven, marquee NFL stars – including quarterbacks – who might wish they had such low-stress contract negotiations.

Let’s take the cases of Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott.

Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens star who earned first-team All-Pro honors and was runner-up to Allen in the MVP balloting, had an elongated contract saga that consumed much energy. Jackson didn’t get his extension (5 years, $260 million) until the team used a franchise tag on him in 2023. And last year, a cloud hung over the Dallas Cowboys during the entire offseason and preseason due to Dak Prescott’s uncertain contract status. Prescott ultimately signed a 4-year, $240 million deal that tops the NFL with a $60 million average, but it wasn’t finalized until the start of the regular season.

Buffalo has undoubtedly been strategic in keeping the peace with Allen. With the biggest piece in the franchise’s puzzle secured and settled, the Bills can manage the remainder of their cap moves with the most significant player locked in.

Within the past week, the Bills re-signed several key cogs. Greg Rousseau, the top edge rusher, got a 4-year, $80 million extension. Linebacker Terrell Bernard re-upped at 4 years, $50 million. And receiver Khalil Shakir is secured for 4 years, at $60.2 million.

Now, as the market officially opens on Wednesday, the Bills can proceed with the knowledge that their star quarterback didn’t need to top Prescott’s APY to agree to his new deal. In other words, Allen left something else on the table to build pieces around him – which just might include another quality receiver.

Allen’s deal, though, might really feel like a bargain in the coming years. The Bills, like every NFL team, will see the cap continue to rise in the coming years because, well, the cap – which has gone up over $50 million the past two years to $279.2 million per team – always goes up when there’s no pandemic. And with the prospects rather bullish that the NFL will strike a new media rights deal before the end of the decade, the Bills seem perfectly situated in not having to worry about the contract status of their best player until, maybe, after the media rights deal and other business matters are recalibrated.

In the meantime, the Bills are a couple of years away from opening their new stadium, which will provide another type of windfall for team owners Terry and Kim Pegula – all while the franchise’s most valuable commodity is locked up until 2030.

Unless, of course, they wind up tearing up Allen’s new deal before then.

After all, Allen just got his new deal without winning a championship. Now imagine the leverage he will have if he can finally take the Bills to the Super Bowl.

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell

The Philadelphia Eagles have formally accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump to celebrate their recent Super Bowl victory at the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing Tuesday that Trump will welcome the team to Washington on April 28. The Eagles trounced the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, to win Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans last month.

‘We sent an invitation. They enthusiastically accepted. And you will see them here on April 28,’ Leavitt said.

The invitation − and the Eagles’ decision to accept it − had been expected over the past few weeks, as both sides had publicly indicated their willingness to move forward with the ceremonial White House visit. The team signaled on Feb. 24 that it would accept an invitation from Trump, if it received one. And Trump said the next day that ‘absolutely they’ll be extended that invitation.’

Keep up with your favorite teams: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Sports newsletter.

The Eagles’ ceremonial White House visit, which has long been a tradition for championship sports teams, had become a source of intrigue in large part because of the snafu between Trump and the Eagles after their previous Super Bowl win in 2018.

In the early part of his first term, Trump abruptly disinvited the Eagles on the eve of their planned visit following an NFL Network report that Philadelphia had planned to send a smaller contingent, of fewer than 10 players, to the ceremony. Then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders ripped the team at the time for what she said was an attempt to pull ‘a political stunt.’ The White House instead hosted a brief, awkward event the next day that it described as a celebration of America.

Trump has at times had a frosty relationship with the NFL and its players. During his first term, he repeatedly criticized players, sometimes in explicit terms, who kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial inequality. ‘Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners … say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired,’ he said at a 2017 rally.

Only one of the four teams that won a Super Bowl during Trump’s first term in office made a trip to the White House: The New England Patriots in 2017. NBA teams, whose players are also predominantly Black, either were not invited to visit the White House or declined to attend. And, in a departure from precedent, several championship teams in women’s sports did not receive invitations during Trump’s first term.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.

The Players Championship was dubbed golf’s fifth major and bestowed two-word status ‒ ‘The Players’ ‒ in clubhouses around the country long ago because of the loaded fields it annually draws, the gigantic purse available to the winner and the iconic ‘Island Green’ on the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass that gives the entire tournament an unforgettable backdrop. It’s also because of where the event annually falls on the calendar.

After a few months of build-up, the 2025 PGA Tour season is hitting its stride ahead of The Masters next month, and this year’s Players Championship got an off-course jolt when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan gave a positive update on a potential merger with LIV Golf during his pre-tournament news conference. But once Thursday’s first round tees off, the focus will be one group.

The PGA Tour will have the top three golfers in the current world rankings ‒ No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Xander Schauffele ‒ playing together during the first and second rounds of The Players Championship. Scheffler is going for an unprecedented three-peat after winning this tournament the past two years.

Here’s a look at Thursday’s tee times for the 144-golfer field, which features every member of the top 10 in the current world golf rankings, and how to watch the 2025 Players Championship:

Players Championship 2025 Thursday first-round tee times

All times Eastern

1st tee

7:40 a.m.: Chad Ramey, C.T. Pan, Vince Whaley
7:51 a.m.: Joel Dahmen, Patrick Rodgers, Chan Kim
8:02 a.m.: Beau Hossler, Mark Hubbard, Ben Silverman
8:13 a.m.: Rafael Campos, Davis Riley, Gary Woodland
8:24 a.m.: Joe Highsmith, Brian Campbell, Matt McCarty
8:35 a.m.: Patton Kizzire, Lucas Glover, Corey Conners
8:46 a.m.: Sahith Theegala, Matt Fitzpatrick, Will Zalatoris
8:57 a.m.: Davis Thompson, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Hoge
9:08 a.m.: Aaron Rai, Cam Davis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
9:19 a.m.: Robert MacIntyre, Max Homa, Sungjae Im
9:30 a.m.: Nate Lashley, Will Gordon, Rico Hoey
9:41 a.m.: Alejandro Tosti, Isaiah Salinda, Aldrich Potgieter
12:45 p.m.: Doug Ghim, Ryan Fox, Sami Valimaki
12:56 p.m.: Andrew Putnam, Charley Hoffman, Denny McCarthy
1:07 p.m.: Daniel Berger, Min Woo Lee, Rasmus Hojgaard
1:18 p.m.: Harris English, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose
1:29 p.m.: Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele
1:40 p.m.: Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood
1:51 p.m.: Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Cantlay
2:02 p.m.: Nick Dunlap, Akshay Bhatia, Tom Kim
2:13 p.m.: Harry Hall, Chris Gotterup, Si Woo Kim
2:24 p.m.: Jhonattan Vegas, Matt Kuchar, Adam Hadwin
2:35 p.m.: Sam Ryder, Greyson Sigg, Mac Meissner
2:46 p.m.: Max McGreevy, Ryan Gerard, Frankie Capan III

10th tee

7:40 a.m.: Lanto Griffin, Andrew Novak, David Lipsky
7:51 a.m.: Keith Mitchell, Justin Lower, Nicolai Hojgaard
8:02 a.m.: Michael Kim, Alex Smalley, Sam Stevens
8:13 a.m.: Maverick McNealy, Brian Harman, Tony Finau
8:24 a.m.: Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas
8:35 a.m.: Russell Henley, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland
8:46 a.m.: Wyndham Clark, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth
8:57 a.m.: Thomas Detry, Sepp Straka, Nick Taylor
9:08 a.m.: J.T. Poston, Seamus Power, Mackenzie Hughes
9:19 a.m.: Chris Kirk, Luke List, Adam Svensson
9:30 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Matti Schmid, David Skinns
9:41 a.m.: Hayden Springer, Jesper Svensson, Will Chandler
12:45 p.m.: Henrik Norlander, Victor Perez, Ben Kohles
12:56 p.m.: Eric Cole, Ben Griffin, Max Greyserman
1:07 p.m.: J.J. Spaun, Jacob Bridgeman, Chandler Phillips
1:18 p.m.: Emiliano Grillo, Byeong Hun An, Adam Schenk
1:29 p.m.: Taylor Pendrith, Peter Malnati, Kurt Kitayama
1:40 p.m.: Brice Garnett, Matthieu Pavon, Camilo Villegas
1:51 p.m.: Austin Eckroat, Jake Knapp, Taylor Moore
2:02 p.m.: Nico Echavarria, Kevin Yu, Erik van Rooyen
2:13 p.m.: Karl Vilips, Sam Burns, Cameron Young
2:24 p.m.: K.H. Lee, Carson Young, Patrick Fishburn
2:35 p.m.: Trey Mullinax, Ryo Hisatsune, Laurie Canter
2:46 p.m.: Kris Ventura, Kevin Roy, Jackson Suber

How to watch 2025 Players Championship: TV, streaming for PGA Tour

The Players Championship will be carried live on TV by Golf Channel all four days. NBC will pick up live coverage of the third and final rounds. There is streaming coverage available on ESPN+, Peacock and Fubo, which is offering a free trial

Thursday, March 13

First round

7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app

Friday, March 14

Second round

7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-7 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
1-7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app

Saturday, March 15

Third round

8 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
2-7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
2-7 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock

Sunday, March 16

Final round

7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. ET, ESPN+
1-6 p.m. ET, NBC Sports app
1-6 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock

Watch The Players Championship with Fubo

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.