The Denver Broncos were in a desperate situation entering the 2026 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. With starting quarterback Bo Nix injured and missing the game, the team reportedly reached out to Hall of Famer Drew Brees to see if he was interested in what could have been one of the most surreal moments in the sport's history.
The Broncos had homefield advantage, but were dealt a cruel blow with Nix breaking his ankle late in their Divisional Round overtime win against the Buffalo Bills. Backup Jarrett Stidham started the game and in blizzard-like conditions, could only muster seven points as the Patriots won 10-7 to advance to the Super Bowl.
But what if it was one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time under center for the Broncos that day?
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Broncos did indeed reach out to Drew Brees to gauge his interest in an improbable comeback. Considering that Sean Payton coaches the Broncos and the pairing is one of the most successful in NFL history while winning a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, it's easy to see why Denver made the call. Brees and Payton are the second-winningest QB/Coach combo in NFL history, only behind Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Of course, there would have been one major obstacle to overcome. Drew Brees had just turned 47 and hadn't played a competitive NFL game since January 17, 2021 in a playoff loss to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Brees wouldn't have been alone in making an incredible return as Philip Rivers had come out of five years of retirement to play three games for the injury-plagued Indianapolis Colts. While Rivers went 0-3 as a starter, he completed 63% of his passes and threw 4 TDs to 3 INTS.

#super #payton

Luke Kuechly spent his playing career making sure he never had to guess where the ball was going. But these days, the harder question is guessing which network has him next.
CBS announced Monday that the newly enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer will make his debut as a CBS game ****** yst in Week 3, calling Raiders-Saints from New Orleans alongside play-by-play voice Chris Lewis and sideline reporter Amanda Balionis.
A radio ****** yst for the Carolina Panthers, Kuechly's stock skyrocketed in recent months as he became Netflix's top NFL game ****** yst after auditioning with Noah Eagle at NBC's Stamford, Connecticut studios in early July. Eagle said Kuechly's football knowledge was never in question — that much was obvious from his playing days — but what stood out during their audition, a mock call of a game from the previous season, was how quickly he got comfortable in the chair given he'd never done the job before. Eagle told Sports Media Watch that it felt like Kuechly "could see things happening before they happen."
He justified that faith in his Week 1 debut, as Awful Announcing's Megan Armstrong wrote that he dazzled alongside Eagle in Melbourne, with the reaction across sports media running overwhelmingly positive.
The streamer is expanding its NFL package from two games to five this year, including the opening-week matchup in Australia, a Thanksgiving Eve game, and a Saturday night game in Week 18, and Kuechly is expected to anchor most of that slate. Between Netflix and his new CBS ****** ignments, he's on pace to call somewhere in the range of eight to 10 games as a game ****** yst this season, on top of his usual Sunday work as a Panthers radio ****** yst. Kuechly is also replacing Bill Belichick opposite Peyton Manning on The Breakdown.

#Football

The San Francisco 49ers came out firing on every cylinder to deliver a 27-7 beatdown Down Under of the Los Angeles Rams. From the decision to arrive early to their piling on late scoring, how well did Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan and the crew do in upsetting the Super Bowl favorites to start the season?
Offense: A-
The old guys ruled. And that Kaelon Black kid wasn't too shabby. A 30-something (Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel) accounted for their three TDs and an almost 40-something, Trent Williams, was the best of the bunch, because you and I had as many tackles, QB hits and sacks as Rams' All-Universe pass rusher Myles Garrett. Less happily, De'Zhaun Stribling and Jake Tonges were carted away in the second quarter. George Kittle was a rumor. Yet Brock Purdy didn't notice. Outside of a horrific interception, Purdy was terrific with his arm, legs and swaggy first-down celebrations. Does Christian McCaffrey finally have a caddy? Yes. Rookie Black looked excellent in a real game after resembling a third-round find in the spring and summer.
Defense: A+
Raheem Morris in 2028? The well-respected new defensive coordinator looked like Bill Belichick (the pre-2022 version) while his unit made the reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford look ordinary. Sorry, correction: not just ordinary, but awful. Having Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw (combined games played for 49ers in 2025: 9) back together did give Morris some added IQ points. The LB duo turned out the lights on the Rams when Greenlaw held up Tyler Higbee and Warner peanut-punched the ball out. The 49ers didn't have a sack, but they made Stafford unsettled. Osa Odighizuwa had four of their eight QB hits, including a pressure that led to Stafford's INT.

#greenlaw

Despite star quarterback Justin Herbert being unquestionably one of the best players in the league, he hasn't been able to lead the Chargers to the sort of playoff success that would typically come with a player of his caliber.
This offseason, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as his new offensive coordinator, guaranteeing, if nothing else, that this would be an interesting season, with the Chargers pairing two of the league's most eccentric personalities.
Eccentric as they may be, it's hard to deny that Harbaugh and McDaniel are anything other than two of the sharpest minds in football, with Fox Sports ***** yst Colin Cowherd going as far as to say that Harbaugh has a case as the greatest football coach of all time.
"If you count college and pro, I would make an argument today, the greatest coach in the history of football is not Bill Belichick or Bill Walsh or Vince Lombardi. It's Jim Harbaugh. The greatest coach ever," Cowherd said. "Think about this, he's never failed. He's five for five. At San Diego, Stanford, San Francisco 49ers, Michigan and the Chargers, he's never failed."
Now, Harbaugh is making a similarly bold statement about his quarterback.

#mcdaniel

Christian Gonzalez has agreed to a four-year, $135 million contract with the New England Patriots that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, two people with knowledge of the deal told The **** ociated Press on Tuesday.
Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't announced the contract. One of the people said Gonzalez is getting $102 million guaranteed.
Gonzalez surpassed Devon Witherspoon's new contract from the Seattle Seahawks. Witherspoon received a four-year, $132 million deal with $101 million guaranteed last month.
The Patriots and Seahawks meet in a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the NFL season on Wednesday.
A first-round pick by Bill Belichick in 2023, Gonzalez was a second-team AP All-Pro in 2024 and made the Pro Bowl in 2025.

#gonzalez #million #people #deal

Notre Dame and Ohio State remain atop the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-138 but there are dramatic changes almost across the board in our first update of the 2026 season, including notable moves from LSU, North Carolina, Clemson and Colorado.
LSU leaps 10 spots to No. 8 after a 51-10 obliteration of Clemson, forcing small drops for No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Southern California and No. 13 Texas Tech.
Clemson is one of the big fallers in this week's re-rank, going from No. 25 in our preseason 1-138 to No. 57, one spot behind Bill Belichick and North Carolina. The Tar Heels beat TCU 15-10 in a Week 0 matchup held in Ireland.
That's a 38-spot leap for UNC after a dreadful four-win debut and tumultuous offseason that seemed to point to a quick and painful end to Belichick's tenure. Also on the move: Colorado newfound physicality earned a 14-13 win against Georgia Tech and a 45-spot move to No. 59.
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#spot #rank

The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a four-year, $102 million extension with Christian Gonzalez, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
All of the speculation surrounding the star defensive back can finally end.
The Patriots have decided to invest long-term in having one of the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL for years to come. And Gonzalez, Bill Belichick's final first-round draft pick, is digging his roots in as a foundational defensive stalwart in New England's secondary.
The extension comes after the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a blockbuster deal with All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon in August. There was a belief that Gonzalez was waiting for that deal to get done to set a baseline for his negotiations with the Patriots.
It took longer than expected, but Gonzalez and Witherspoon, who share the same agent, have both now made history in less than a month apart.

#gonzalez #agreed #extension #england

Matt LaFleur's win percentage puts him in elite company. His 65.4% mark is tied for 16th all time. It's better than Bill Belichick's career mark of 64.7%.
But maybe that's not good enough for Green Bay Packers fans.
There were questions late last season if LaFleur was coaching for his job. As the Packers faltered following Micah Parsons' injury, speculation grew. That ultimately didn't matter. Despite the Packers losing their last five games, including two blown leads to the Chicago Bears, LaFleur signed a multi-year extension in January.
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Still, if the Packers fail to make the playoffs this season, would LaFleur be on the hot seat? The fact that it's even a topic says something about the lack of patience in the NFL.

#mark #green #micah

The University of North Carolina's football program has struggled, as they currently hold a losing record under head coach Bill Belichick. Amid the losses, UNC general manager Michael Lombardi has resigned after being placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. And recently, the current defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is also under investigation on suspicion of drug use while on the job. ESPN ****** yst Kevin Clark gives his take on the UNC saga as the team is only one game into their 2026 season.
On the latest episode of First Take, Clark was asked, "Should UNC already regret hiring Bill Belichick?" to which he gave a brazen response, ripping Belichick and the organization as a whole for their incompetence.
"Yeah, yes, and part of it, there's so much that goes into it; part of it is that the ceiling is eight wins, nine wins for Bill Belichick in college football. They simply don't have the resources; they don't want to put the resources towards building a playoff team. And I think that there was maybe an expectation that this was going to be old college football, and that Belichick could go into a living room and say 'look at my Super Bowl rings' and get five stars. That is no longer the case, if it ever was the case," Clark said.
"This is UNC football; it's always going to be on the back burner. So what this has done, this era in the last two years, has brought embarrassment to the university; the Michael Lombardi saga has brought more embarrassment to it, and now we have the Steve Belichick investigation; it's not gonna work from a football perspective and hasn't worked from an on-field perspective… Yes, they should regret hiring Bill Belichick, and yes, I think it will end sooner rather than later."
As the 1-0 Tar Heels try to look past the off-field turmoil, their next matchup will be a home opener against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on August 12th.

#bill

The American Pro Football Hall of Fame announced revisions to its selection process on Friday, including trimming the selection committee from 50 to 28, to combat "unintended biases."
In changes that begin with consideration of the 2027 class, the selection committee also will return to in-person annual meetings to consider candidates for enshrinement of players, coaches and contributors.
"The Hall continually reviews its bylaws to ensure the selection process reflects the highest standards of integrity," Hall president Jim Porter said. "There is no more important task at the Hall of Fame than the election of each new class."
Porter said the changes came after a review that began 2.5 years ago but they also follow last February's controversial snub of former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who won a record six Super Bowls as a head coach, in his first year of eligibility.
Porter said previous selection process bylaws left room for "unintended biases", including in the way individuals presented nominees, how selectors were ******* igned to each of the NFL's 32 clubs and issues related to players reaching the last year of eligibility in the Modern-Era Players category.

#hall #porter

With the news earlier this evening that Michael Lombardi has resigned as General Manager, WRAL has reported that UNC is still looking into a number of allegations surrounding the football program. The allegations are quite serious, and would almost certainly be enough for several more people to lose their jobs.
According to WRAL, lawyers are investigating whether defensive coordinator Steve Belichick used drugs while on the job or provided drugs to a player on the team. The younger Belichick has been on leave since over the summer for undisclosed reasons.
There is also an investigation into the existence of inappropriate relationships between recruiting staff and a player as well as ******* istant coaches and recruiting staff. WRAL notes that those questioned in the matter were asked whether or not they'd reported any issues to Bill Belichick.
If there is indeed validity to these claims, particularly if it is confirmed that Bill Belichick was made aware of what was going on within his program, it seems likely that the entire house of cards may fall. While it's clear that Lombardi was a real problem, the school is concerned enough that he was not the root of the entire problem to keep digging into what was going on in the Kenan Football Center.
Some of the allegations simply feel too big to recover from if they are proven to be true. It's a significant black eye on the program and the university that there is enough smoke to even reach this point. Almost the entire Bill Belichick Experience has been a punchline in the college football world, and all of the detractors were just given a boatload more fuel for the fire.

#wral #Football #entire

Why UNC football GM Michael Lombardi resigned less than 2 years after being hired by Bill Belichick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick has made a massive change less than two years into his coaching tenure. On Thursday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Lombardi would be resigning from his position as UNC's general manager, effective immediately.
Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave since late July and has not been with the program since. He was still away from the team during UNC's Week Zero victory over TCU, a 15-10 win in Dublin, Ireland.
Per the school, Lombardi remains the subject of two investigations.
MORE: Can Bill Belichick cool his hot seat at UNC?

#belichick

North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has resigned, ending the tenure of an immediate hire in Bill Belichick's NFL-to-college coaching transition who had been on on paid administrative leave as the subject of a school investigation.
The school announced Lombardi's resignation Thursday. It also stated it would continue its ongoing investigation and "consider all appropriate corrective actions" as needed.
The school has not released specifics of that probe, noting in its July 27 announcement that employees and athletes aren't permitted to address the topic "as is standard procedure with personnel matters." Three days later, UNC released another statement that said its Office of University Counsel was conducting an investigation, an announcement coming on the first day of preseason camp.
Two people with knowledge of the situation previously told The ***** ociated Press that a human resources complaint from a former employee was involved. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the school wasn't publicly discussing case details.
Attorney Tom Mars, who is working with Lombardi, released a statement from his client confirming the resignation Thursday.

#resignation #statement

The North Carolina Tar Heels will enjoy a week off after their impressive Week 0 win over TCU in Ireland last weekend. With the bye week due to the travel, UNC has an extra week off as they get ready to host East Tennessee State on September 12th.
It's a game that UNC will be a heavy favorite in as they look to start the year 2-0.
While we are still about 10 days from that game, North Carolina's Director of Athletic Grounds & Turf Management revealed that it could be a throwback game for the program. Ryan Anderson took to X to show off North Carolina's new midfield logo, which is a throwback to the 80's era:
Let’s throw it back for year 100 at Kenan Stadium UNCFootball Tar_Heels_Turf #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/vo1dyLvwWB
Last year, Inside Carolina reported that the Tar Heels football program had ordered throwback uniforms for the Belichick era. They did not wear the 80's uniform last season and there's no information on when they will wear them.

#north #year

Super Bowl-winning free agent OLB Kyle Van Noy is signing with the Minnesota Vikings.
The news was reported Wednesday evening by NFL insider Tom Pelissero, coming hours after it was confirmed that Van Noy was visiting with the Vikings.
He will be reunited with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, for whom he played in both New England and Miami, winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots.
Bring Me The Sports' Vikings reporter Will Ragatz says Van Noy's experience, versatility, and pass rush abilities would all provide a big boost to a Vikings defense that is lacking in proven edge defenders outside of starters Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner.
A second-round pick by the Lions in the 2014 NFL Draft, the BYU grad really came to the fore after he was traded to New England midway through his third year in the NFL, joining Bill Belichick's defense at the time Flores was the linebackers coach.

#super #kyle

To start his second year as North Carolina head coach, Bill Belichick got a signature win over TCU. The matchup in Ireland also brought strong TV ratings to kick off the 2026 college football season, ESPN announced.
UNC's victory in Dublin averaged 4.9 million viewers on ESPN, the network said Tuesday evening. That includes a peak audience of 5.8 million viewers to make it the second most-watched Week 0 game since 2019. It's important to note last year's Dublin game, which averaged 3.2 million, was just before Nielsen implemented its Big Data + Panel metric to measure viewership.
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Still, Saturday's game was the most-watched game of the week, ESPN said. Full viewership data for Week 0 was not yet available at the time of publication, but the network also had a strong showing in the afternoon slot.
UNC and TCU sat tied at 10-10 after the first quarter on a rainy day in Ireland. It turned into a grind-it-out affair, which the Tar Heels held on to win 15-10 for a big-time win under Belichick. Billy Edwards Jr. went 16 of 28 for 232 yards in the effort and Jelani Thurman hauled in four catches for 94 yards to lead UNC.

#espn #million

One of college football's growing icons is Pat McAfee. He has completely taken over ESPN after becoming a superstar addition to College GameDay.
However, after a reported $60 million salary, multiple layoffs at ESPN, and rumored plans to expand McAfee's presence, fans are starting to notice. They are also asking a simple question: Are we getting too much McAfee? Well, if you're ESPN, the answer appears to be no.
Now, another prediction has fans buzzing and feeling the McAfee mania.
MORE: Stephen A. Smith defends Bill Belichick after Week 0 win
Awful Announcing made a prediction that McAfee's music could soon take over the network, starting with College GameDay. The prediction was heavily covered by ESPN ******* ysts and the network.

#gameday

From everyone freaking out about attendance, to a brilliant coaching mind doing what he does best, to a brilliant football program doing what it does best, here's what mattered about Week 0.
Week 0 Takeaways
5. Week 0 Winners & Losers
4. Virginia Might Be Better
3. USC is fine, but Florida State …
2. Now in the FBS, NDSU is NDSU
1. Bill Belichick Is a Good Coach
– CFN Week 1 Rankings From 1 to 138
Week 0 was about the ACC – Florida State was blah, North Carolina beat TCU, and Virginia looked amazing.
In the Group of Six chase for the College Football Playoff, Hawaii had Stanford in big trouble, and lost. North Dakota State threw its hat into the ring with a dominant performance over Jacksonville State.
Bill Belichick's North Carolina team did its job against TCU.

#state

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick led his squad to a 15-10 victory over TCU in their season opener in Dublin, Ireland. The hard-fought win allowed the Tar Heels to avenge last year's blowout loss against the Horned Frogs.
ESPN **** yst Kirk Herbstreit praised the program following the impressive performance on both sides of the ball. He pointed out the immediate turnarounds Belichick brought to North Carolina this season.
Kirk Herbstreit praised Bill Belichick and North Carolina after the Tar Heels beat TCU in Dublin, Ireland. The win came after a rough start to his North Carolina career.
Herbstreit pointed to the team's improvement on both sides of the ball. He noted the difference from last season's struggles. The Tar Heels finished 4-8 in Belichick's first year, which left many fans unsure about the program's direction.
Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN **** yst Kirk Herbstreit before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

#dublin #espn

Bill Belichick came to Ireland looking to change the narrative around his second UNC season, and he left with a different kind of headline.
North Carolina opened its season against TCU, the same team that handed the Tar Heels a lopsided 48-14 defeat last September. This time the storyline shifted before the final whistle. A new moment involving Belichick and a sideline reporter has fans talking for reasons that go beyond the scoreboard.
As North Carolina Tar Heels and TCU headed toward their locker rooms at halftime inside Dublin's Aviva Stadium, an ESPN reporter stepped into Belichick's path with a microphone, hoping for his read on the first two quarters. The 74-year-old coach did not slow down.
He kept walking toward the tunnel while she matched his pace beside him, and neither one raised their voice. There was no shove and no shouting match, just a coach who chose silence over a sound bite.
Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; TV ****** yst Bill Belichick watches the Miami Hurricanes play the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

#toward

Bill Belichick needed this one.
That the 74-year-old Belichick came into his second year at North Carolina on one of the hottest seats in college football was a signal that the six-time Super Bowl winner had officially lost his fastball after a dismal end to his run with the New England Patriots.
A full accounting of how far Belichick and UNC have come since last season won't be complete until deeper into one of the toughest schedules in the Bowl Subdivision. But the Tar Heels' often ugly 15-10 win against TCU in Ireland rights the ship for Belichick and gives his tenure a must-have boost after another drama-filled offseason.
The Tar Heels were swamped at home by TCU in last year's opener, scoring the game's first points before giving up 41 in a row and losing 48-14.
This TCU team has clear quarterback issues after losing multiple-year starter Josh Hoover to Indiana. Combined with a lack of elite skill talent, the Horned Frogs might struggle to reach bowl eligibility.

#year

By week 0 standards, it was a pretty fun Saturday on the soft opening of college football season. It's the final week 0 we'll ever see, with the NCAA moving to eliminate schedule oddity starting next year. So what did we learn? Let's dive in.
Bill Belichick kicked off the college football season with an ugly, gutty win over TCU in Ireland. It was easily the best win so far of his college career, doing it with mostly underclassmen on his young roster. Through all the noise and the drama, Belichick did what he's done so many times — win.
That win was much more about the hapless TCU team that North Carolina played though. TCU's new pro-style offense looked good to start, but North Carolina overwhelmed them physically in the second half. Harvard transfer Jaden Craig couldn't get anything going through the air after receiving plenty of hype this offseason.
TCU was missing their top receiver, but it sure looks like the Horned Frogs are in for a long, long season in the Big 12.
From the jump in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon, NC State was simply overmatched. It was a physical beatdown coming from the Cavaliers, as Beau Pribula operated Tony Elliott's power run game from the quarterback position to perfection. Pribula also hit a couple of passes down the field to step on the throat of the Wolfpack.

#carolina #pribula

TCU's post-Josh Hoover era has shaky start in loss to North Carolina, Belichick as passing game struggles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
TCU still has plenty of work ahead in its effort to replace star quarterback Josh Hoover.
The Horned Frogs passed for just 175 yards in a 15-10 loss to North Carolina on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland.
Jaden Craig completed 20 of 32 passes for TCU, but he couldn't convert at critical times. Worse yet, the Horned Frogs were held scoreless after the first quarter, wasting a solid defensive effort. TCU held North Carolina to 322 yards and kept the Tar Heels out of the end zone after the first quarter.
Craig was under the microscope. Hoover passed for 3,472 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season before transferring to Indiana, where he is considered a strong Heisman candidate for the top team in the Sporting News rankings.

#hoover #horned

A trip to Dublin, Ireland, was all it took to get Bill Belichick's second season as North Carolina coach off to a great start.
The Tar Heels faced TCU on Saturday and came in as an underdog. That didn't matter as they thwarted the Horned Frogs, 15-10.
Belichick was 4-8 in his first season in Chapel Hill, causing a ton of criticism and people scoffing at his decision to take on a college job.
In the 2026 season opener, Billy Edwards threw for 232 yards in the victory. The win was sealed when TCU jumped offsides late in the game.
A year ago, the Horned Frogs came into Chapel Hill and ruined Belichick's debut, 48-14.

#chapel #dublin #north

Bill Belichick receives a lot of attention after leaving the NFL, but he's not one of the highest-paid college football head coaches.
In fact, the New England Patriots legend isn't even among the top 10 after making his NFL exit a few years back. However, a host of Big Ten and SEC coaches are firmly in the highest-paid discussion with winning games at a premium.
Notable names like Curt Cignetti and Ryan Day are receiving the most of the country's college football attention based on recent success. Meanwhile, veterans like Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart aren't going anywhere with their programs earning the spotlight.
Week 0 kicks off the collegiate football season, and while many top programs won't be playing their seasons are just another week away.
MORE: 4 under-the-radar college football stars playing Week 0

#Football #highest #like

Week 0 is here, and the first game of the day will feature North Carolina vs. TCU in Dublin, Ireland. Both programs will be down a few players, while the Tar Heels are without defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.
But the Horned Frogs will be without their star playmaker. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, WR Jordan Dwyer made the trip to Dublin, but he will be inactive for the game against the Tar Heels.
Dwyer, a former Idaho standout, transferred to TCU ahead of the 2025 season. With Josh Hoover throwing the football, who is now at Indiana, Dwyer was the No. 2 WR on TCU last season. He caught 54 passes for 730 yards and seven touchdowns.
MORE: Ranking every Week 0 college football game by watchability
Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; TCU quarterback Jaden Craig speaks with reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#dwyer #credit #imagn #images

Two NFL seasons have transpired without should-be Hall of Fame head coach Bill Belichick, who had spent half of a century in pro football.
Today at noon ET, he embarks on his second season at the college level, with North Carolina.
Like last year, the season commenced with a game against TCU. (It started well, before imploding.) Unlike last year, the game will be played not in Chapel Hill but in Dublin, Ireland.
UNC won't have defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who remains on medical leave. And the Tar Heels haven't had the services of G.M. Michael Lombardi, who was placed on paid administrative leave last month while the school conducts an internal investigation of him.
The bigger question is the quality of the roster that Belichick and Lombardi have compiled for the coming season. They opted to go heavy on high-school recruits for 2026, with less of an emphasis on the transfer portal.

#last #year #school #hall

We are so back.
The 2026 college football season begins in earnest on Saturday with eight FBS games as part of the Week 0 slate. Headlining that schedule is the highly anticipated rematch between UNC and TCU as Bill Belichick's second season in Chapel Hill begins. He'll hope it starts better than the first, when the Horned Frogs dominated the Tar Heels on their home field.
That's only the tip of the iceberg, though. Saturday's Week 0 slate also features an early ACC showdown between NC State and Virginia, North Dakota State's first FBS game against a top Conference USA contender in Jacksonville State and a nightcap that could prove to be one of the most impactful games in the Group of Six all season as two CFP hopefuls, UNLV and Memphis, face off in Sin City.
Here at College Sports Wire, we'll keep you apprised of all the news, highlights and wild moments from Week 0 of the college football season.
Check back later for live updates from Saturday's Week 0 games.

#games #state #slate #first

By any reputable measurement, Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches in the history of professional football.
As an **** istant coach, he helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls thanks to his ferocious, unrelenting defenses. In 24 seasons as the head coach of the New England Patriots, he radically transformed what had been a woebegone franchise for much of its existence, teaming up with Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls.
In his brief time at the college level, though, he's been much closer to a laughingstock than a legend.
REQUIRED READING: Inside Bill Belichick's 'first of its kind' escape hatch in North Carolina contract
In his first season as the head coach at North Carolina — and after his general manager boasted that the Tar Heels were the 33rd NFL team — his squad went just 4-8. It suffered a series of humiliating defeats, losing 48-14 to TCU, 34-9 to Central Florida, 38-10 to Clemson and 42-19 to North Carolina State. Its offense managed just 19.3 points per game, ranking it 120th among 136 FBS teams.

#head #much #first

Where is Steve Belichick? What we know about UNC's 'coach in waiting' during leave originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
College football's Week Zero kicks off on Saturday, headlined by Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels taking on the TCU Horned Frogs in Dublin.
But as North Carolina looks to improve from its 4-8 finish last season, Coach Belichick will start Week 1 without his defensive coordinator, his son, Steve Belichick. The Tar Heels have been practicing without the younger Belichick since early August, and they will take on TCU in Ireland without their defensive coordinator.
Let's take a look at why UNC is without Steve Belichick and who will be coaching the defense against the Horned Frogs.

MORE: SN's 2026 Preseason All-America team| All-America teams by decade
Steve Belichick has been away from the team since Aug. 6, as UNC and his father announced that he was leaving the team on "indefinite medical leave."

#without #team #week #carolina