NFC East winners. NFC conference champions. Super Bowl champions. Add one more accolade to the list for the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles: best team.

The NFL’s latest title-winning squad was named the ‘Best Team’ at the 2025 ESPYS Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The final award of the night went to the team that went 14-3 in the regular season and rattled off four wins to take home the franchise’s second title in eight seasons.

Multiple Eagles players and coach Nick Sirianni were in attendance to accept the award for their incredible season.

‘On behalf of the Philadelphia Eagles organization, thank you,’ Sirianni said. ‘What an honor it is to be associated with all of the great teams that were up for this award. Thank you to the fans who voted for us and thank you to the best fans in the world back home in Philly.’

Left tackle Jordan Mailata added some fun comments after Sirianni spoke.

‘If you made it this far into the program, give yourselves a pat on the back,’ Mailata said. ‘It’s been a long night. I also want to give a thanks to our sixth offensive lineman, (ESPYS host) Shane Gillis. Training camp starts on Tuesday so if you want to give it a run, let us know.’

Mailata turned more serious after that quip to thank other members of the team.

‘I also want to give thanks to the many people who don’t get the light shined on them,’ Mailata said. ‘Our trainers, our strength and conditioning trainers, our athletic trainers, our chefs. But then you look deeper than that and it’s our families, our rock, the people who get us to work every day, and our wives. So thank you to everyone who supported us.’

It was a big night for the Eagles and their players. Star running back Saquon Barkley won the ‘Best Play’ award for his iconic hurdle and ‘Best NFL player’ award.

Miss anything from the ESPYS? Catch up with the winners and highlights.

The 153rd Open Championship will begin at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

Irish golfer Shane Lowry is among the favorites as the tournament returns to the course for the first time since his win in 2019.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, who make up the top two golfers in the world, respectively, will also be among the field.

Scheffler earned his first PGA Championship in May, five strokes ahead of fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English and Davis Riley.

McIlroy, a Northern Irishman, is coming off a successful start to the year, winning the Masters, the Players Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. A 16-year-old McIlroy shot a 61, setting a course record, at the golf club back in 2005 during the North of Ireland Championship. He also had his struggles at the venue, missing the cut in 2019 when the Open tournament was last held there.

USA TODAY Sports will have complete Round 1 coverage from Royal Portrush, so make sure to check back for live updates.

Open Championship 2025 leaderboard

You can get the latest leaderboard updates and tee times here.

Where to watch The Open: TV Channel, streaming Thursday

Live coverage of this year’s Open Championship will be provided by NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel and Peacock. Live streaming is also available via Fubo, which is offering a free trial for new subscribers.

All times Eastern

Thursday, July 17 – Friday, July 18

Rounds 1 and 2
1:30-4 a.m.: Stream on Peacock
4 a.m-3:30 p.m.: Watch on USA Network, NBC Sports app, Peacock, Fubo
3:30-6 p.m.: Golf Channel live from The Open

Watch the 2025 Open Championship with Fubo

The Open tee times today: British Open pairings

For a full list of tee times, you can find Thursday’s starts here.

All times Eastern; (a) amateur

1:35 a.m. — Padraig Harrington, Nicolai Hojgaard, Tom McKibbin
1:46 a.m. — Louis Oosthuizen, Guido Migliozzi, K.J. Choi
1:57 a.m. — Cameron Smith, Marco Penge, Justin Hastings (a)
2:08 a.m. — Jason Day, Taylor Pendrith, Jacob Skov Olesen
2:19 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Daniel van Tonder, Ryan Peake
2:30 a.m. — Max Greyserman, Byeong Hun An, Niklas Norgaard
2:41 a.m. — Jordan Smith, Haotong Li, Dustin Johnson
2:52 a.m. — Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert
3:03 a.m. — Kevin Yu, Julien Guerrier, Mikiya Akutsu
3:14 a.m. — Thomas Detry, Chris Gotterup, Lee Westwood
3:25 a.m. — Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Young, Mackenzie Hughes
3:36 a.m. — Thorbjorn Olesen, Matthew Jordan, Filip Jakubcik (a)
3:47 a.m. — Henrik Stenson, Stephan Jaeger, Sebastian Soderberg
4:03 a.m. — Kristoffer Reitan, Martin Couvra, Adrien Saddier
4:14 a.m. — Takumi Kanaya, Justin Walters, Bryan Newman (a)
4:25 a.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Matt Fitzpatrick
4:36 a.m. — Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Akshay Bhatia
4:47 a.m. — Sam Burns, Aldrich Potgieter, Brooks Koepka
4:58 a.m. — Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Jon Rahm
5:09 a.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa
5:20 a.m. — Corey Conners, Wyndham Clark, Tom Hoge
5:31 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Nico Echavarria, Patrick Reed
5:42 a.m. — Matt Schmid, Ryggs Johnston, Richard Teder (a)
5:53 a.m. — Dylan Naidoo, Darren Fichardt, John Axelsen
6:04 a.m. — Justin Suh, Oliver Lindell, Jesper Sandborg
6:15 a.m. — Sadom Kaewkanjana, Riki Kawamoto, Sampson Zheng
6:26 a.m. — Stewart Cink, Matteo Manassero, Marc Leishman
6:47 a.m. — Francesco Molinari, Jesper Svensson, Connor Graham (a)
6:58 a.m. — Zach Johnson, Daniel Hillier, Daniel Brown
7:09 a.m. — Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Ethan Fang (a)
7:20 a.m. — Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie, Sergio Garcia
7:31 a.m. — Andrew Novak, Matthieu Pavin, Matt Wallace
7:42 a.m. — Davis Thompson, Dean Burmester, Rikuya Hoshino
7:53 a.m. — Si Woo Kim, Shugo Imahira, Sebastian Cave (a)
8:04 a.m. — Michael Kim, Bud Cauley, John Parry
8:15 a.m. — Matt McCarty, Shaun Norris, Angel Hidalgo
8:26 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im, Daniel Berger
8:37 a.m. — Rasmus Hojgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Romain Langasque
8:48 a.m. — Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala, Harry Hall
9:04 a.m. — Justin Leonard, Thriston Lawrence, Antoine Rozner
9:15 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Chris Kirk, Carlos Ortiz
9:26 a.m. — Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, Joaquin Niemann
9:37 a.m. — Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee
9:48 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
9:59 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
10:10 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
10:21 a.m. — Harris English, Nick Taylor, Tony Finau
10:32 a.m. — Lucas Glover, Jhonattan Vegas, Tom Kim
10:43 a.m. — Brian Campbell, John Catlin, Frazer Jones (a)
10:54 a.m. — Nathan Kimsey, Jason Kokrak, Cameron Adam (a)
11:04 a.m. — Daniel Young, Curtis Luck, Curtis Knipes
11:16 a.m. — Younghan Song, George Bloor, OJ Farrell

2025 Open Championship odds

British Open odds according to BetMGM, as of afternoon of Wednesday, July 16:

Scottie Scheffler: +550
Rory McIlroy: +750
Jon Rahm: +1200
Bryson DeChambeau: +2200
Xander Schauffele: +2200
Ludvig Aberg: +2500
Tommy Fleetwood: +2500
Tyrrell Hatton: +2500
Shane Lowry: +2800

2025 Open Championship predictions

Golf.com: Rahm to have a top-7 finish

Brady Kannon writes: ‘Rahm played tremendous golf from tee-to-green at Oakmont — one of the very best in the entire field — but his putting was awful. He finally found a hot putter on the final day, shot a 67 and finished seventh. Not only am I looking for the top players and good current form, but I also want golfers who are well-versed in links-style golf. Rahm fits the bill as he has finished top-7 at the Open Championship in three of the past four years and has won the Irish Open three times.’

Golf Digest: Rory McIlroy

Alex Myers writes: ‘If you had said before the season that McIlroy would be coming back to his home country with three wins and a major under his belt in 2025, you’d have made him a clear favorite.’

BetMGM: Sepp Straka

Nick Hennion writes: ‘For Straka, his distance won’t be punished at the Open like it would at the Masters and PGA. That should allow his two best attributes – iron play and putting – to shine.  Amongst all PGA Tour players this season, Straka ranks second in SG: APP, first in greens in regulation percentage and 16th in SG: Putting.  Based on those factors, the price alone is worth it for Straka to claim his first major title.’

It was one of the most memorable plays of the 2024 NFL season. It left Pro Bowl wide receivers and a Super Bowl-winning coach in awe. It will grace the cover of the newest Madden NFL video game.

The annual sports awards show gave Barkley’s incredible feat against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 of last season the ‘Best Play’ award.

The Philadelphia Eagles running back flew like an eagle on the play, reverse hurdling over Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones to convert a third-and-six in the second quarter.

Philadelphia ended up winning the game 28-23 thanks in no small part to Barkley’s 199 total yards (159 rushing, 40 receiving) and two touchdowns.

It was one of his six games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns but that play stood out to his teammates and coach.

‘It was the best play I’ve ever seen,’ Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. ‘What I think is so cool, there’s going to be kids all over the country and all over Philadelphia trying to make that play and talking about that play and simulating that play as they play backyard football or peewee football. They ain’t going to be able to make it – I believe he’s the only one in the world that can do that. I’m speechless. It was unbelievable.’

‘Crazy,’ Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith said. ‘I ain’t never seen nothing like it.’

The ESPYS certainly agreed.

It was an iconic play in an incredible season for the former No. 2 overall pick. Barkley signed with the Super Bowl champion Eagles last offseason following six years with the New York Giants. He led the league in carries (345) and rushing yards (2,005) and tallied 15 total touchdowns. That was good enough for first-team All-Pro and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

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The running back cleaned up during the 2024 NFL season, receiving just about every award or honor a player could possibly ask for. He is a Super Bowl champion, an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, MVP finalist, the Offensive Player of the Year and even the Madden NFL 26 cover athlete.

On July 16, Barkley learned that he would be making room for one more thing on the mantel – the ESPYS’ ‘Best NFL Player’ award.

Barkley received the award over fellow nominees Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Surtain II.

It’s a continued run of success for the Eagles’ running back, dating back to a big decision he made last offseason.

Barkley famously traded in New York Giants’ blue for Philadelphia Eagles’ green. This offseason, Barkley was rewarded for his work in the City of Brotherly Love, inking a two-year, $41.2 million extension to remain with the Birds.

Barkley rushed for a record 2,504 yards over the regular season and postseason and led the way for the Super Bowl 59 champions, who crushed the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game.

It will be hard to top Barkley’s 2024 season. While the awards keep rolling in, the Eagles’ star is tasked with giving an encore performance as the 2025 season nears.

For now, there is still a little time to bask in the glory before it’s back to work.

It’s not a great sign for President Trump’s potential involvement in college sports when people who work in college sports are caught off-guard after word of a forthcoming executive order leaks out of the White House. 

And yet that was the case Wednesday after CBS reported the night before that Trump intended to sign one “establishing national standards for the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness program” in the coming days. 

What does that mean exactly? People who are generally informed on the interplay between college sports and the federal government didn’t seem to know an executive order was imminent or what exactly would be in it – even folks with a direct line to Trump and who have engaged with about potential federal action that would bail college sports out of its current dysfunction. 

So now we wait. For something – or maybe nothing. With the Trump Administration, you can never quite tell. 

What we do know, however, is that the White House has, in fact, been working on something in the form of a likely executive order since Trump met with former Alabama coach Nick Saban at the school’s graduation ceremony in May. 

Regardless of what’s ultimately in it, however, coaches and administrators should resist the temptation to get excited about the possibility of Trump saving the day for a few simple, but important reasons. 

An executive order isn’t a law. College sports and the NCAA do not operate under the purview of the executive branch of the federal government, thus any executive order compelling them to do anything would be legally questionable at best. And finally, any so-called “fix” for college sports made with the stroke of one man’s pen can be undone by the next one who occupies that office.

UNWANTED TALK: Nick Saban rumor is last thing Alabama needs

Sorry, college sports executives. You’re going to have to actually do the work on this one. 

We know that’s not easy, which makes the temptation to rely on Trump more tempting. It’s been nearly six years since the NCAA pivoted toward begging Congress for relief from its never-ending string of lawsuits, and so far they’ve gotten no reward for their effort. Unless, of course, you consider it a reward to be dragged into more committee hearings to answer ridiculous, superficial questions from legislators who know as much about college sports as they do about the Finnish language. 

Oh sure, there’s another bill on the way. And this one apparently has bipartisan support in the House. But then there’s the Senate, where the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., last week called it “the National Championship of all heists” because it is too favorable to the NCAA’s interests. Remember, any bill must get 60 votes due to filibuster rules in the Senate, which means a minimum of seven Democrats will need to sign off on it. That’s not going to be easy, especially if it puts hard caps on how much college athletes can earn and eliminates the potential to bargain collectively for their rights in the future.

Purely from a political standpoint, I’m not sure why Senate Democrats would cooperate at all here. If a bill finally passes that fixes some issues with the NCAA, they won’t get credit – because Trump will take it. And he’ll play it to the hilt, which doesn’t seem particularly helpful to their electoral goals heading into the midterms next year.

That’s just how stuff works in Washington, and both parties play that game on issues far more serious and important than the NCAA’s ability to regulate the transfer portal. It’s part of why the NCAA’s “let Congress fix our mess” strategy has been a complete failure thus far and may never pay off. At the end of the day, there’s a lot more upside for Congress to use college sports as a political plaything than to make a law that will only impact a relatively small number of people and isn’t an urgent matter of national interest. 

But a “let Trump fix it” strategy could be worse, particularly right now as institutions are scrambling to implement terms of the House vs. NCAA settlement that allow athletic departments to pay their athletes directly. 

At the moment, the House settlement and the College Sports Commission – a regulatory body created by the power conferences to enforce the settlement rules – hold the key to how college sports will operate over the next several years. 

Will the CSC get sued by athletes and booster collectives whose deals get denied because they aren’t considered true NIL? Of course, but they already knew that. Unless Congress quickly grants college sports some type of antitrust exemption, the CSC will have to go in front of a judge and show that it follows the law to continue having regulatory power over college athletes’ paychecks.  

That’s really the only issue worth talking about right now, regardless of what Trump may write in an executive order. And what can he possibly do anyway? Maybe he can decree that college athletes can’t be made employees through some type of National Labor Relations Board policy — but they already aren’t.

So unless the NCAA is going to become a federal agency, where the president would have significant legal authority to regulate it, anything in an executive order is mostly going to be performative. And anything that touches actual NCAA business like the transfer portal or limiting how athletes earn money stands on far shakier legal ground than the guardrails that were already installed through the House settlement.

Regardless of which direction a president wants to take college sports – any president, for the record – the fundamental problem will not change no matter who’s in the office or how many executive orders they write. 

By refusing to engage in a true collective bargaining effort that mimics the relationship between the NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB and their respective players associations, the college sports industry left itself in a vulnerable position where any attempt to enforce its rules will face legal scrutiny. 

For better or worse, that’s the American Way. And at this point, the focus of college sports should be long-term stability through the appropriate legal and legislative means instead of a flimsy proclamation. 

Colleges need to be especially careful right now. We’ve seen how the Trump Administration strongarms schools it has ideological disagreements with: Withholding federal grants, deporting international students, pressuring university presidents to resign. His involvement in college sports issues on behalf of the NCAA’s immediate interests is going to inevitably create the appearance of long-term leverage.

As frustrated as college sports executives might be with Jeffrey Kessler and other sports attorneys who keep them in court, creating space for tussles with this White House might not be the best tradeoff.

Keep all that in mind when Trump issues his mysterious executive order. Because at the end of the day, only the people in charge of college sports can truly save it – no matter how much a president is itching to claim credit for doing so. 

You have to feel for Joe Douglas. Unless you think Joe Douglas deserved this. He almost certainly deserved better … and yet he made his bed.

Such is the enigma wrapped in a riddle that general managers of the New York Jets – or former ones in Douglas’ case – must try to decipher.

Up now? Rookie GM Darren Mougey, who’s joined at the hip with rookie head coach Aaron Glenn – a tandem already providing significant indicators that they’re learning from the mistakes of Douglas and his predecessors (and peers) while reaping the fruits of his more productive labor.

Mougey spent the past three seasons as the assistant general manager of the Denver Broncos, possessing a front-row seat to the disastrous trade and extension for Russell Wilson and then the near-instant overhaul under coach Sean Payton, who had the team in the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix last season. Glenn? He came to Detroit with kneecap-biting rookie coach Dan Campbell in 2021 and helped him build an ascendent powerhouse by imbuing a culture that players invested into while identifying and rewarding those who emerged as franchise cornerstones or potential ones.

And what are we seeing from the Jets now? Things atypical of the New York Jets.

Just this week, they extended the contracts of wideout Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, arguably the club’s hardest-working, most marketable and (go figure) most talented players. And they did so not at the last minute but as soon as the duo – each won Rookie of the Year honors on their respective sides of the ball in 2022, when they were drafted by Douglas – became extension-eligible this year.

The significance extends to numerous levels.

Paying players obviously trending toward superstardom early is a Lions-type move, not a Jets-type move. Heck, it’s a Howie Roseman-level move, and it’s fair to say that the Philadelphia Eagles’ mastermind architect is currently the league’s top executive. And, sure, Gardner is now atop the financial pyramid for corners with a four-year, $120.4 million pact, but only incrementally so after it was quickly beginning to escalate in the aftermath of deals signed by Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley II. Wilson (4 years, $130 million) is a veritable bargain at $32.5 million per year once his extension, like Gardner’s, takes effect in 2027 – especially given how the receiver market has exploded, Ja’Marr Chase becoming the first to reel in a deal averaging more than $40 million in March.

It’s also indicative of the foundation that’s taking shape when a pair of rising stars, both about to turn 25, fully buy into it before Glenn has coached a game and want to be linchpins of a long-hapless franchise that’s sorely lacked them for most of the past 14 seasons – which coincides with the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.

“Yup, Jets green has been running through me since the day they drafted me. Despite the ups and downs, the faith is mutual,” Wilson posted to his X account Tuesday. “(That) means the world to me. Excited to start a new version of the chase next week.”

The best football teams are typically helmed by players who work the hardest and are extraordinarily talented. When they’re also young and willing to lead, a Lombardi jackpot just might follow.

Furthermore, the deals for Gardner and Wilson not only tie them to the Jets for the next six seasons but will also provide Mougey the financial flexibility to continue augmenting the roster in the future. And there should be a lot of runway to draft, develop and sign players and/or make targeted forays into free agency. Aside from Wilson and Gardner, Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is the only other first-rounder the Jets have taken in the last 13 years who’s signed a second contract with the team. Pass rusher Jermaine Johnson and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, also Round 1 choices by Douglas, could be next if they can stay healthy while regularly providing the top-tier abilities they’ve flashed in past seasons.

(One other nod to Douglas. He had the foresight to trade safety Jamal Adams, whom he didn’t draft, in 2020 and somehow got two first-round picks in return from the Seattle Seahawks, selections that basically brought Vera-Tucker and Wilson into the building.)

But, as we know, Douglas, fired last November in the midst of a bitterly disappointing 2024 campaign, didn’t prove to be the guy to end a championship drought that extends back to the legendary 1968 team. Part of that was due to circumstances beyond his control, collateral damage typical of the New York market – and longtime owner Woody Johnson’s club specifically – even if Douglas was never one who provided much grist for the notorious media mill.

However Glenn, a first-round pick of the Jets in 1994 and a topflight corner for them for eight years, understands his environs. Seemingly the anti-Rex Ryan, he’s been all bite and no bark so far, largely eliminating the leaks and headlines that tend to swirl around this organization – something that former quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whom Glenn wasted little time firing (per Rodgers himself), claimed was an important objective in Florham Park … even if the four-time league MVP hardly practiced what he preached.

Ah, yes, Rodgers. And Zach Wilson. And Sam Darnold. All reminders of Douglas’ fatal flaw: failure to identify and obtain the savior quarterback this franchise has been seeking five decades on from Hall of Famer Joe Namath’s heyday.

Douglas, who inherited Darnold when he was hired in 2019, should have immediately put the players, coaches and infrastructure around an obviously talented player rather than maroon him on a talent- and support-devoid island, not to be confused with Revis Island. Douglas should have provided Darnold with immediate reinforcements by drafting Chase or offensive tackle Penei Sewell – ironically, he became a mainstay of the Lions’ rebuild with Glenn – in 2021 rather than falling in love with Zach Wilson. (And make no mistake, I wrote the same thing with foresight, not hindsight, that year.)

Instead, Douglas went for Zach Wilson, who put on a show at his BYU pro day four years ago but couldn’t beat Coastal Carolina when it counted nor do much of anything right in the NFL – despite having better players and coaches around him than did Darnold, whom Douglas exported to the Carolina Panthers. Then, after two years of the Zach Wilson Experience – naturally, the headlines he generated off the field created a bigger stir than anything he did on it – Douglas was compelled, whether by choice or decree, to trade for Rodgers in 2023.

You know the rest.

Again, the Jets don’t play a game that counts for another 53 days. But the 53-man roster seems to be shaping up nicely as Mougey and Glenn reinvest in Douglas’ wins while seemingly accruing some of their own after crafting a draft class that was almost universally praised in April. That followed the fairly high-reward, low-risk signing of quarterback Justin Fields in March. He’s said and done all the right things since, on and off the field, while being reunited with Garrett Wilson, his teammate at Ohio State.

“I think I can be great, and that’s been the goal for me my whole life, my whole career,” Fields, who often gave Glenn fits as a member of the Chicago Bears, said during Jets OTAs in May. “I think the sky’s the limit for this team, for this offense.

“I mean, we have all the guys we need, we have all the talent. So it’s really just going to come down to discipline and execution when the games come.”

And they’re certainly coming. That’s when Fields must prove the eye-popping talent he frequently displayed with the Bears – with whom he had Darnold-level help – and in an aborted opportunity last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers can be consistently reproduced under first-year offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand.

At minimum, Fields is already feeding into the mentality Glenn wants from his team.

“This guy is just a workaholic. He comes in early, he’s here late, and he’s trying to digest everything and download all the information and do things the right way,” Engstrand said of Fields during June’s minicamp.

“He’s trying to do things that we’re asking, and I think he’s really put the next foot forward every day, just trying to stack days, and it’s been really good.”

Even if Fields doesn’t blossom into the franchise quarterback many thought he might be when he was drafted by Chicago, nine spots after Zach Wilson, in 2021, it wouldn’t result in the kind of calamitous mistake that can set a franchise back years. Best case, Fields becomes the Jets’ version of Detroit’s Jared Goff, something of a reclamation project who simply needed a change of scenery. Worst case? The Jets seem increasingly well positioned to take another whack (or two) at their quarterback conundrum, the 2026 draft potentially a target-rich environment from that perspective.

For now, things aren’t necessarily quiet around the Jets as training camp approaches and the new money flies around while Glenn and Mougey literally take care of business.

But, as Douglas could surely tell you, that’s hardly business as usual in these parts.

Josh Allen’s been busy in 2025.

The Buffalo Bills quarterback came within one game of reaching his first career Super Bowl before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game. But less than two weeks later, he won the 2024 Most Valuable Player award. Then he tied the knot with singer and actress Hailee Steinfeld on May 31.

Allen caught up with USA TODAY Sports on July 14 through his partnership with sleep-aid brand Natrol but also touched on his extension, the recent quarterback rankings from league personnel canvassed by ESPN, how he cut down on turnovers in 2024, and why his acting chops have improved.

Josh Allen’s contract extension not record breaking but ‘still a big number’

Allen and the Bills agreed to a six-year, $330 million extension that replaced the existing four years and $129.5 million still left on the books. The $250 million guaranteed is less than what Dak Prescott received from the Dallas Cowboys.

But Allen doesn’t see it as taking a discount.  

“It’s kind of hard to say, but it’s still a big number,” Allen said.

Josh Allen found out about Bills’ ‘Hard Knocks’ appearance on 29th birthday: ‘A surprise’

Nobody asks him about why he signed the deal. Instead, Allen thinks of it as a way to capitalize on what he sees as a fortunate situation in Buffalo.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane approached his camp in March and wanted to do right by him, Allen said.

“They took a chance on me going back to my draft year eight years ago now,” he said. “I’m just trying to play the best football I can play.”

Now entering his eighth season, Allen said he sometimes feels like a player still on his first rookie deal and not someone who is a veteran.

“It’s happened in the blink of an eye. I feel like I’m going into year three or four right now,” Allen said.

When people ask him about certain games or plays, the details are starting to become jumbled.

“I’ll have to go back and watch for film of that certain game to understand what they’re talking about,” he said.

Josh Allen explains reasons for less turnovers in 2024

In 2023, Allen threw a career-worst 18 interceptions. That gave him 49 total in the span of three regular seasons (50 starts).

Last season, however, Allen threw six interceptions – a 66% decrease. A lot of factors played into that drop, Allen said.

The offensive line took its game to another level, in Allen’s mind. Running back James Cook turned in another Pro-Bowl season and scored 16 rushing touchdowns. Allen also credited offensive coordinator Joe Brady for putting in concepts and plays that provide answers for what defenses present.

Looking inward, Allen said, it was about making better decisions with the football and letting the game come to him.

There is also a luck factor at play. Sometimes quarterbacks throw a ball off a receiver’s hands and it’s picked off. Other times, they errantly fire one right at a defender who drops it.

“They all kind of even themselves out,” Allen said.

Taking care of the football is a priority entering training camp, Allen said, so he can hit the ground running like in 2024.

“Making sure, again, that I’m just being smart with the football, understanding the concepts, trusting my eyes, trusting my arm and trusting my feet if it’s not there,” Allen said.  

Josh Allen reacts to ESPN’s QB ratings

Allen hadn’t seen the rankings but didn’t appear surprised.

“Any time you play one of those three guys, you know you have to perform your best to keep up with them,” Allen said. “We have a lot of quarterback talent in the league, especially in the AFC right now. Just a lot of guys that, again, they show up each and every game. And in order to beat them you got to play better than them, which is very hard to do.”

Josh Allen hopes sleep, Natrol partnership take game to next level

Last season, Allen became serious about changing his diet and felt better as a result. Sleep is the next aspect of his health he wants to conquer. That is one aspect of his health Allen feels he’s neglected throughout the first part of his career and is why he partnered with Natrol.

“I think going into training camp, getting restorative sleep is the number one thing,” Allen said.

During camp, Allen likes to settle down earlier than usual. The Bills have a 10:30 p.m. curfew, but he might duck into his room 30 minutes earlier, turn the lights off and the air conditioning up. Waking up early and working out so he doesn’t have to do it after practice makes camp that much easier, he said.

“But I’m very excited to see how Natrol Sleep and Restore is going to unlock the next thing in my game.”

Allen used the product while flying back from Europe in March. Typically, he has a hard time sleeping on planes. But on this occasion he passed out for 10 hours – most of the flight.

“I just thought that was the coolest thing,” Allen said.

For Natrol, Allen shot a 30-second commercial that portrays how sleep makes him the best version of himself in all parts of his life.

“I truly believe in the product,” Allen said. “I think it’ll help me be a better football player, a better leader and a better, overall, morning person and just waking up refreshed and ready to go and bringing that energy.

“Because as a quarterback people look at you and look to you. Sometimes I have to provide the energy throughout the day and that starts with me. So making sure that I’m doing everything necessary to be the best leader and the best teammate I can be. And sleep can help me do that.”

At the start of his career, Allen was hesitant about the concept of acting and promoting products. But as he does more of the like and his star continues to rise, it’s becoming more second nature. Being in front of the camera helps him tap into his competitive juices, too.

“I do appreciate the challenge,” Allen said. “That was a pretty challenging shoot, I think. There (were) rigs, there were dollies, there was stuff getting pulled off me, I was ripping clothes off and jumping over people. I do enjoy that more than sitting there and holding the product.”

Bills’ new stadium, Bills Hallmark movie … and more movies

The 2025 season will be the Bills’ final in their current Highmark Stadium. The new Highmark Stadium will open in 2026 across the street.

Allen toured the new digs a month ago. The construction happened quickly and he saw that throughout last year.

“To go out for practice and be like ‘Holy cow, they already put this steel beam up,’” Allen said. “Hopefully we can end this season at Highmark with a bang and open the new one the right way.”

Some of Allen’s teammates will be going from Highmark to Hallmark this holiday season, with the Bills being featured in “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.” Head coach Sean McDermott, left tackle Dion Dawkins and safety Damar Hamlin will appear. Allen said a few guys were a bit nervous.

Movies are an important part of Allen’s daily life.

“If I have one superpower, it’s remembering movies and movie quotes,” he said. “The more I watch, the more I retain. It’s like my own language. I’m constantly thinking through them. It’s a cool little skill that I have.

“’The Other Guys’” is probably the top-quoted film. ‘Stepbrothers’ is a classic. And ‘Holes’ has been receiving some shine lately.’

Day 3 of SEC football media days rolled on in Atlanta, with four coaches speaking in the penultimate day of the college football event in Atlanta.

Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, Florida’s Billy Napier and Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby — as well as their respective players — all spoke on the expectations they will face this season, and how they intend to rise up and meet them.

DeBoer and Alabama, particularly, will face scrutiny in 2025 following a 9-4 season in 2024 — the first season after the legendary Nick Saban retired, and the program’s first sub-10-win season since Saban went 7-6 in 2007. Moreover, DeBoer will have a new-look offense with a trio of quarterbacks battling to replace Jalen Milroe in Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and heralded freshman Keelon Russell.

Watch SEC Media Days live with Fubo (free trial)

Elsewhere, Venables will look to improve on a 6-7 season in 2024, which marked his second sub.-500 season in three seasons in Norman. The Sooners boast Washington State transfer John Mateer, one of the top transfer quarterbacks, to lead the offense and improve the team’s outlook in 2025.

With that, here are the highlights from Day 3 of SEC media days:

DJ Lagway talks about potential for Florida football

Despite winning four straight to end the season, Florida had an up-and-down season in 2024 as the Gators finished 8-5 overall and 4-4 in SEC play. In a side breakout session with the media at SEC media days, Florida football quarterback DJ Lagway talked about the potential the Gators can have in 2025.

‘At the end of the day it’s what we do,’ Lagway said. ‘If we go out and play the Florida brand of football (where) we tough, resilient and have a heck of an effort, we’re going to take care of it itself.’

Brent Venables on expectations after disappointing season

Oklahoma finished a disappointing 6-7 in 2024, two seasons after Venables also finished 6-7 in his first year as head coach. He feels the Sooners have what it takes to rebound in 2025, however.

‘I believe they have what it takes to claw our way back to where I believe Oklahoma belongs,’ Venables said. ‘The expectations here and in the locker room are to win at the very highest level and to compete for a championship. That’s always been the way it is here at the University of Oklahoma, and we embrace those standards and expectations of excellence.’

Brent Venables says Danny Okoye might be best athlete on roster

Venables gave some strong praise for redshirt freshman defensive end Danny Okoye, who appeared in two games last season and didn’t register a tackle.

The former four-star recruit is listed at 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, and Venables said he might be the best pound-for-pound athlete on the team. Venables also said he expects Okoye to be a key contributor in 2025.

Brent Venables says Jackson Arnold was put in tough situation in 2024

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables says former quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn in the offseason, was put in a tough spot last season in his first year as the Sooners’ starter.

‘Jackson Arnold and Mike Hawkins, both of those guys, put in a really tough spot as first-year players,’ Venables said at the podium. ‘The supporting cast, they can’t play quarterback by themselves. And put them in a really tough position based on what happened. Both of them are going to be incredibly successful in the future.’

Venables later added on Arnold: ‘He had no chance in some ways, given the circumstances.’

Billy Napier says Florida has confidence back

After ending the season on a high note in 2024, Florida coach Billy Napier says he can see the confidence regaining in his program.

‘There’s a confidence that they can play with anybody,’ Napier said on ‘SEC Now.’ ‘I think that’s the biggest difference is are process is working for them. They’re observing players get better. They’re observing people achieve at a high level.’

The Gators won their last four games of the season and went 6-1 in games started by returning quarterback DJ Lagway.

DJ Lagway says he had no offseason procedure on shoulder

Lagway, who was limited throughout the spring while battling a shoulder injury that lingered after the 2024 season, said he didn’t have an offseason cleanup procedure and will be ready for the season.

It’s good news for the Gators, as the former five-star quarterback only played five snaps in Florida’s annual spring game.

Billy Napier says Florida is on the right track

Florida and coach Billy Napier won its last four games last season, which included wins over LSU, Ole Miss and Tulane. With dynamic quarterback DJ Lagway returning, Napier thinks the Gators are on the right path heading into 2025.

‘At the end of last year, you could argue we were playing as good as anyone in the country,’ he said. ‘Our development process is working. The organization as a whole is working as well as long as I’ve been a head coach.’

John Mateer talks transfer decision to Oklahoma

John Mateer, a first-year Oklahoma transfer from Washington State, talks his decision to transfer to the Sooners after finishing the 2024 season tied-for first nationally in touchdowns (44).

‘There was a lot that went into it,’ Mateer said on ‘SEC Now.’ ‘I know (offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle) and it’s closer to home, wanted my family to be closer and get to the games, because they couldn’t get to a lot of games in Pullman. It’s also the SEC.

‘I’m here at SEC media days. Who doesn’t want to play in the SEC? Being with Buck and staying in the same offense and the same coaching that I know. They know me, I know them, and they know what I need to play at the highest level. It’s the SEC. It’s Oklahoma. Who doesn’t want to play for Oklahoma.’

Jeff Lebby expresses confidence in Brent Venables

Lebby, who was formerly the offensive coordinator under Brent Venables at Oklahoma, expresses confidence in Venables turning things back around with the Sooners. OU has finished 6-7 in two of his three seasons so far.

‘He is the same man every single day, not letting the result dictate who’s gonna show up in the building every day,’ Lebby said at the podium. ‘Those are the things that are going to create stability and help them down the road.’

Jeff Lebby not backing down from strength of schedule

Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby, speaking at the podium, was asked about the Bulldogs’ strength of schedule for 2025. The second-year coach said it’s ‘all about opportunity.’

‘For me, we understand what the gauntlet looks like. And that’s exciting.’

Mississippi State has the sixth-toughest schedule for 2025, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Bulldogs will play Arizona State in Power Four nonconference game before taking on Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and Ole Miss at home. They travel to take on Texas A&M, Florida, Arkansas and Missouri.

Kalen DeBoer talks expectations for Ty Simpson

Speaking on ‘SEC Now,’ DeBoer reiterated that Simpson would be Alabama’s starting quarterback if the season started today. He added Simpson has done a good job ‘growing himself’ under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan.

He specified that all the quarterbacks should know they don’t have to be ‘world-beaters,’ but added that they’re expected to do more than distribute the ball, adding that comes with trust in his supporting cast.

Kalen DeBoer on limiting big plays on defense

DeBoer, speaking on ‘SEC Now,’ said Alabama has greater depth that should help limit big plays on the defensive side of the ball.

‘We’re much deeper and a more experienced group than we were a year ago,’ DeBoer said. ‘There were some times … where we went through a week of practice and we hardly had anyone to be able to put out there in the middle of the season.’

Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor owns 170 bottles of cologne

Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, speaking at SEC media days, says he owns 170 bottles of cologne. Speaking on why he owns so many, he said, ‘If you’re a big guy, you can’t stink. … The narrative is that a big guy stinks.’

Alabama’s Deontae Lawson addresses Thomas Castellanos

Speaking on ‘SEC this Morning,’ Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson addressed Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos saying Saban wasn’t around to ‘save’ the Crimson Tide this season (via Mike Rodak of 247):

‘It definitely ignites us a little bit. We can’t really think too much on that. It’s gonna come down to what we do and how we prepare that week. I think all disrespect will be addressed accordingly.’

Kalen DeBoer says Ty Simpson would be starter today

Asked about his quarterback situation, DeBoer said Simpson would be Alabama’s starting quarterback if the season started today. ‘Ty throws a catchable ball, he’s smart.’

DeBoer also has 6-foot-6 Mack and Russell, the No. 2 overall player in the 247Sports Composite rankings, to battle it out in the QB room.

SEC media days Day 3 speakers

Here’s a look at the schedule for Day 3 speakers at SEC media days:

All times Eastern

9:05 a.m.: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer | Tim Keenan III (DL) | Deontae Lawson (LB) | Kadyn Proctor (OL)
10:50 a.m.: Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby | Blake Shapen (QB) | Isaac Smith (S) | Brenen Thompson (WR)
1 p.m.: Coach Billy Napier | Caleb Banks (DL) | Jake Slaughter (OL) | DJ Lagway (QB)
2:45 p.m.: Oklahoma coach Brent Venables | John Mateer (QB) | Robert Spears-Jennings (DB| R Mason Thomas (DL)

Where are SEC media days in 2025?

Location: College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park (Atlanta)

What channel are SEC media days on?

TV channel: SEC Network | ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

All four days of SEC media days will air live on the SEC Network. ESPN2 will air one hour of the proceedings, from 8 p.m. ET until 9 p.m. ET.

Streaming options include the ESPN app (requires a TV provider login) and ESPN+, which requires a subscription. Another option is Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to potential subscribers

One would think that after meeting head-to-head four times, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney would know LSU football coach Brian Kelly rather well.

That, however, is now in question after a vacation that Swinney took this offseason. And for that, when the two veteran coaches meet up pregame at the 50-yard line in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, they will have an all-time laugh.

In a media availability on July 15, the 18th-year Tigers head coach shared a story of a hilarious mix-up with the head coach of his Week 1 opponent with a country music artist that has the same name while on vacation with his wife, Kathleen, his brother and sister-in-law in Grayton Beach, Florida.

‘My sister-in-law, she’s saying, ‘Hey, Brian Kelly has a place. His wife has a gift shop right on the corner there in Grayton Beach.’ I’m like, ‘Oh really? That’s pretty cool.’ I had no idea,’ Swinney said July 15 during a media availability. ‘… Me and Kath walk into the store and Kath buys something because she’s trying to support Mrs. Kelly or whatever we’re doing.’

The Swinneys would then continue walking around the store and headed outside to a backyard concert stage, where the two-time national championship coach took photos around/on the stage that had a sign of ‘Brian Kelley performing today’ and sent them to the LSU coach.

That was until his brother’s friend broke the news to Swinney’s wife on the side that it wasn’t the Brian Kelly that Dabo Swinney went 3-1 against while Kelly was at Notre Dame.

‘… So now Kath goes, ‘Babe! Brian Kelley’s a singer for Florida Georgia Line. And I went, ‘What?! I’ve been firing all these pictures off to Brian Kelly.’ He’s over there probably going, ‘What the hell?! This is an idiot. What’s this dude doing?”

So, how did the actual Brian Kelly respond to Swinney’s texts? Perhaps exactly like you’d expect he would.

‘He sends me a text and is like, ‘Yeah, you just can’t get away from Brian Kelly,’ or something like that,’ Swinney said. ‘And I’m sure he was like, ‘I have no idea what the context of this is,’ but anyway, then I realize that it wasn’t him and I’m like, ‘Oh my god. We’ll have a laugh over that.”

Swinney and Kelly are set to meet up in Week 1 on Saturday, Aug. 30 when Clemson welcomes in LSU to Memorial Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff in ‘Death Valley.’

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