NFL — 2026-03-25#

Watch First#

The Maxx Crosby trade drama has hit a wall, and the details are staggering. The Ravens backed out of the mega-deal because of a “degenerative issue” in Crosby’s knee, a bombshell revelation that throws his long-term durability—and his remaining time in Las Vegas—into serious question.

Video Rundown#

(Note: Per your request, short-form clips and shorts have been filtered out to focus strictly on substantive, full-length analysis.)

Report: Ravens concerned with ‘degenerative issue’ in Crosby’s knee | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Trade rumor fallout. Mike Florio breaks the news that Baltimore abandoned the Maxx Crosby trade over fears of a degenerative knee issue. Giving up two first-round picks for a player whose career window might suddenly be closing was a risk the Ravens refused to take. Verdict: Must-watch.

Dallas Cowboys reportedly made three trade offers for Maxx Crosby | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Trade rumor. Before the Ravens deal materialized and subsequently collapsed, the Cowboys desperately threw three different trade packages at the Raiders for Crosby. Dallas offered packages involving Osa Odighizuwa and high draft capital, but Vegas ownership rejected every single one. Verdict: Worth a look.

Report: Teams still calling Raiders about Crosby’s availability | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Trade rumor. Despite the failed physical in Baltimore, desperate NFL teams are still blowing up the Raiders’ phones regarding Crosby. Florio notes the asking price remains sky-high, but expects Crosby to return to the field next year with a massive chip on his shoulder. Verdict: Skip.

Raiders need to TRADE the No. 1 pick? 👀 Mike Tannenbaum tells LV to PUT THE PHONE DOWN | Get Up · NFL on ESPN Draft analysis. The Get Up panel argues over whether the Raiders should auction off the No. 1 overall pick for a king’s ransom. Louis Riddick emphatically demands the Raiders hang up the phone, take Cal QB Fernando Mendoza, and build the franchise around his high floor. Verdict: Must-watch.

Mel Kiper Jr.: Fernando Mendoza is a better prospect than Ty Simpson | Dan Patrick Show · NFL on NBC Draft analysis. Mel Kiper Jr. explains exactly why he ranks Cal/Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza as his top prospect over Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Kiper contrasts Mendoza’s 35 career starts and 72% completion rate against Simpson’s risky 15-start resume and late-season fumbling issues. Verdict: Must-watch.

Talking with Ty Simpson, Kadyn Proctor, Arvell Reese & Carnell Tate at Pro Days 🎤 | NFL Draft Daily · NFL on ESPN Draft analysis. Field Yates hits the road to evaluate the pro days at Alabama and Ohio State. He praises Ty Simpson’s throwing accuracy and deep ball, while Louis Riddick drools over Ohio State LB Arvell Reese’s suddenness and elite pass-rush potential. Verdict: Worth a look.

Dan Orlovsky TOUCHSCREEN 👀 Breaking down Ty Simpson’s best play from last season 🎥 | NFL Live · NFL on ESPN Game breakdown. Dan Orlovsky hops on the touchscreen to diagram Alabama QB Ty Simpson’s elite processing on a crucial 4th-and-8 against Missouri. Orlovsky highlights how Simpson successfully manipulated the pocket and read defensive leverage to throw a perfect strike into a dead window. Verdict: Worth a look.

Chris Simms’ LB Draft Rankings | Chris Simms Unbuttoned (FULL Ep. 849) · NFL on NBC Draft analysis. Chris Simms unpacks an incredibly deep 2026 linebacker class, noting the transfer portal has essentially eliminated small-school prospects from the top tiers. He crowns Ohio State’s Arvell Reese as a positionless, generational freak at No. 1, followed closely by teammate Sonny Styles. Verdict: Must-watch. (Note: Standalone clips of Simms evaluating Reese and Styles were also published but are covered in this full episode).

What do you make of Tua Tagovailoa’s comment ‘best football is still ahead of me’ | ‘GMFB’ · NFL League news. The GMFB crew reacts to Tua Tagovailoa’s claim that his best football is in front of him after signing a minimum deal with Atlanta. The panel questions if his charismatic, laughing demeanor during Miami blowouts proves he lacks the serious leadership required to beat out Michael Penix Jr.. Verdict: Must-watch.

Tua speaks on joining the Falcons, Notre Dame pro day sights and sounds| The Insiders · NFL League news. Ian Rapoport and Steve Wyche break down the QB competition in Atlanta, noting Tua has a massive advantage since Michael Penix Jr. is still rehabbing his ACL. The show also touches on Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love’s explosive pro day and the continued silence from Aaron Rodgers regarding his future in Pittsburgh. Verdict: Worth a look.

Falcons’ Tua Tagovailoa: ‘The best football is still ahead of me’ | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC League news. Mike Florio and Chris Simms react to Tua’s first press conference as a Falcon, where he embraces the upcoming QB competition. Simms questions whether Tua can successfully operate Kevin Stefanski’s offense without the smoke-and-mirrors scheme Mike McDaniel provided him in Miami. Verdict: Worth a look.

Will Tua Tagovailoa be the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 1 starter? | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Roster battles. Florio and Simms confidently predict Tua Tagovailoa will be the Falcons’ Week 1 starter. They argue that Michael Penix Jr.’s recovery from his third ACL tear will severely limit his offseason reps, giving Tua a massive head start to build equity in the offense. Verdict: Skip.

Can Tua Tagovailoa end cold weather narrative with Atlanta Falcons? | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Roster battles. Florio and Simms debate if moving to a dome will resurrect Tua Tagovailoa’s career after his historically poor performances in cold weather. Simms notes that Tua’s concussion history has turned him into a hesitant passer who checks down prematurely, a habit he has to break to survive in Atlanta. Verdict: Skip.

Atlanta Falcons can ‘surprise people’ in 2026 | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Team analysis. Mike Florio taps the Atlanta Falcons as a dark-horse playoff contender in the NFC. The hosts agree that the roster is loaded with talent, but emphasize that their ceiling entirely depends on whether Tua can make big-time throws late in the season. Verdict: Skip.

Brian Robinson Jr. is the ‘perfect backup’ for the Atlanta Falcons | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Free agency. The Falcons sign Brian Robinson Jr. to back up superstar Bijan Robinson. Chris Simms praises the move, calling Robinson’s bruising, downhill running style the perfect physical complement to Bijan’s elite elusiveness. Verdict: Skip.

UPDATES on Patrick Mahomes & Tua’s Falcons QB1 battle + Aaron Rodgers’ future & more! | NFL Live ‘ · NFL on ESPN League news. The NFL Live crew reacts to staggering footage of Patrick Mahomes throwing just 101 days after tearing his ACL and LCL. They also discuss the Seahawks making Jackson Smith-Njigba the highest-paid WR in NFL history and debate when Aaron Rodgers will finally make a decision on his playing future. Verdict: Must-watch.

‘GMFB’ on rule proposals for 2026 season · NFL League news. The GMFB crew dissects the latest NFL rule proposals, focusing on a major shift that would allow the replay center in New York to eject players for egregious acts even without a flag on the field. They also examine a “fail-safe” rule to allow New York to overrule replacement officials in the event of a referee work stoppage. Verdict: Worth a look.

A ‘Fail Mary fail-safe’ could be coming to NFL, Mike Florio says | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC League rules. Mike Florio absolutely rips the NFL’s proposal to let the league office correct “clear and obvious misses” from the field. He warns this is a backdoor attempt to legitimize replacement officials and predicts a disaster given the league’s horrific track record with centralized replay. Verdict: Skip.

Inside NFL’s proposed rule changes to kickoffs, officiating | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC League rules. Florio and Simms take a deeper dive into the NFL’s quiet recruitment of low-level college officials to serve as scabs during a potential strike. They also criticize the ongoing, convoluted tweaks to the onside kick and kickoff rules that have made the sport unnecessarily complicated for fans. Verdict: Worth a look.

Breaking down proposed rule changes to NFL kickoffs | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC League rules. Florio breaks down the NFL’s attempt to close a loophole that incentivized kickers to boot the ball out of bounds following a 15-yard penalty. He complains that the league is over-complicating special teams and forcing fans to memorize too much disjointed minutiae. Verdict: Skip.

Lavonte David on retiring from the NFL: I’ve done enough for the game 🙌 | The Pat McAfee Show · NFL on ESPN Retirement. Lavonte David joins Pat McAfee to discuss hanging up his cleats after an incredible 14-season run. David reflects on the extreme physical discipline that kept him healthy, his fierce pride in remaining a one-helmet guy for the Buccaneers, and his immediate plans to get fat and eat at every restaurant he missed out on. Verdict: Must-watch.

Mike Florio analyzes JC Tretter’s role as NFLPA executive director | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Labor relations. Florio heavily scrutinizes the top-secret, shadowy process that led to JC Tretter’s bizarre return as the NFLPA executive director. He warns that the union’s internal dysfunction is leaving players entirely vulnerable as the NFL ruthlessly coordinates a push toward an inevitable 18-game schedule. Verdict: Worth a look.

Puka Nacua faces allegations of biting a woman multiple times | Pro Football Talk · NFL on NBC Legal issues. Rams star Puka Nacua is being sued by a woman alleging he bit her multiple times, an incident his lawyer is desperately trying to spin as “horseplay”. Florio points out the severity of the bite marks and warns that this erratic off-field behavior could cost Nacua his looming $42 million contract extension. Verdict: Worth a look.

Ron Rivera on 2015 Panthers Super Bowl Run + His Role as GM of Cal Football · NFL College football crossover. Ron Rivera sits down with Peanut Tillman to talk about his new gig as GM of Cal football, openly trashing the current state of NIL as legalized money laundering. He provides a fascinating look at navigating the chaotic transfer portal while sharing nostalgic stories about managing big personalities like Cam Newton during the Panthers’ 2015 Super Bowl run. Verdict: Must-watch.

League Pulse#

The quarterback carousel and the upcoming draft are dominating the NFL media cycle, highlighted by the fierce debate over whether Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson should be drafted first overall by the Raiders. In free agency, analysts are highly skeptical of Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to lead the Falcons, despite his insistence that his best football is ahead of him and a clear path to beating out an injured Michael Penix Jr.. Behind the scenes, tension is boiling as the NFL aggressively prepares for a potential referee strike while continuing to march toward an inevitable 18-game schedule.