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 NFL staged its first-ever game in Australia as the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams visited Melbourne to play at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Netflix exclusively streamed the game, which meant the debut of broadcast pairing Noah Eagle and Luke Kuechly.
Kuechly, a former Carolina Panthers linebacker, starred in his lead ***** yst debut. Eagle, of course, is one of the fastest rising stars in the industry. At the young age of 29, he has already had plenty of primetime ***** ignments across the NFL, college football, the NBA, and the Olympics.
But on this Netflix broadcast, there was something that may have struck all the fans back home as a bit odd coming from the younger Eagle.
His ***** unciation of Melbourne.

#netflix #debut #francisco

It was a script that not even the most optimistic Italian fans could have written. Taking a grid penalty that relegated him to the back row of the grid, championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli appeared to be strictly on a damage-limitation run. Instead, the 20-year-old Mercedes prodigy delivered the drive of his life, executing a massive number of overtakes to carve through the entire field and secure a sensational victory at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix.
With the breathtaking win, Antonelli became the first Italian driver to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti achieved the feat for Ferrari exactly 60 years ago in 1966.
Antonelli's path to the top step of the podium required slicing past 18 different cars on track, systematically hunting down the leaders before a late Virtual Safety Car gave him the tire advantage he needed to pass his teammate, George Russell.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the historic victory, the young Italian was visibly overwhelmed by the scale of his achievement. When asked if he ever imagined he could go from 19th to becoming the first Italian to win the race in six decades, Antonelli was almost speechless.
"And yeah, unbelievable. Unbelievable," Antonelli admitted. "I'm so happy, and I could have never imagined to be here today, but you know, we managed to pull it off, and I'm really, really happy."

#italian #unbelievable #first #happy

Cam Newton is calling out the commonality between Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Cris Collinsworth, Kirk Herbstreit, Tony Romo, and J.J. Watt.
After Dan Le Batard highlighted the perpetual cycle of white guys getting most NFL broadcasting jobs, especially in primetime, Newton continued the conversation on his 4th & 1 show, wondering what metric networks use to hire ******* ysts.
"Is it the position you played? Is it your resume as a player?" Newton asked. "Or is it just the likability? Because if we're talking about how did Kirk Herbstreit get that deal? We know how Tom Brady got his deal. How does Tony Romo get his deal? We know how Troy Aikman got his deal. How does Cris Collinsworth get his deal? These are all mainstream color commentators that we see. We're seeing these faces, as if to say Charles Davis is not capable…RGIII is not capable. Jonathan Vilma, is he capable? Jason McCourty, is he capable?"
Newton went on to note Louis Riddick briefly had a primetime ******* yst role on Monday Night Football until ESPN tapped him on the shoulder to say Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were taking over. Newton also cited Nate Burleson and Michael Strahan as NFL players turned media personalities who are more than qualified to be a lead ******* yst on a primetime game.
"Do you not think Ryan Clark is capable? We've seen it," Newton continued. "Brandon Marshall, he's a sharp guy. You got a guy like Emmanuel Acho, who verbally, his vernacular can hold its own with whoever. Do you always have to be a quarterback? Well, J.J. Watt's not a quarterback. Luke Kuechly is not a quarterback. So what's the metric here?"

#deal #troy #aikman #primetime

Mavericks' blockbuster Luka Doncic-Lakers trade named worst of last five years originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Mavericks made headlines for all the wrong reasons on Feb. 2, 2025.
Hours before the franchise's upcoming regular-season clash vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Mavericks left fans speechless by trading six-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in a jaw-dropping midseason deal (the full transaction sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to Los Angeles for Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick).
While one could attempt to argue that the massive trade wasn't the gut punch many believe it was, given it helped them land generational forward Cooper Flagg, Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes is a firm believer that the deal was the worst the NBA has seen in the last five years.
"The first rule of having Luka Doncic on your team is that you should not trade Luka Doncic unless Luka Doncic specifically asks you to trade him," Hughes wrote Sunday. "The second rule is that if you have Luka Doncic on your team and Luka Doncic specifically asks you to trade him, you shop around so you get the best possible deal."

#doncic #sporting #davis #hughes

At 37 years old now and on his fifth NFL team over a career entering its 16th year, linebacker Von Miller made one thing perfectly clear Tuesday at his introductory press conference at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif.
"I can still play football."
But as the eight-time Pro Bowler went on to explain, that's only part of the reason he was brought to Dallas.
"You can say what you want to say about my play on the field and what I've got left. But when it comes to being a great teammate, if there was a Hall of Fame for that, I'm going in the Hall of Fame, first ballot," Miller told reporters.
As it is, Miller is actually two full years younger than one of this year's enshrinees in the real Hall of Fame (Luke Kuechly). But the Texas native walks into the Cowboys locker room the second-oldest player on the current roster, with punter Bryan Anger beating him by just six months.

#play #calif #bowler

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Once upon a time, in the Bo Schembechler days and again in the late Jim Harbaugh era, the word out of Michigan football practice was that it was harder than the games. That seems to be returning under new head coach Kyle Whittingham.
And for the players on team 137, it's ramping up.
In the 11th practice of fall camp, Whittingham took things to another level. Now, the team is working on long drives at the end of practice -- when the team is at its most exhausted. And that's something that, along with the offseason gains made under strength coach Doug Elisaia, the team feels is going to pay dividends this fall.
"We're more conditioned, if you want me to be honest," junior running back and team captain Jordan Marshall said. "I think we're put in a position where we're gonna be able to beat teams in the third and fourth quarter, just because of how hard we're working at practice. And I know that might sound silly, but we had a long, long drive today. Which we've been doing is like 14 plays, no subs, no anything. And you just go.
"Like ****** ody cares if you're tired. You gotta fight through it, and that's preparing us for when we do have a long drive, or it is maybe there's a running back hurting. You're the only one that can go. It's preparing you for those situations. And we had it at the dead end of practice, last period -- 14 plays, ones versus ones. And that's what you're here to do. ****** ody in that stadium cares that you're tired. ****** ody cares that you're hurting. ****** ody cares. They just want to see us win. So for us to come out here and do things like that, I think it shows a lot of Coach Whitt, what he thinks. And again, I think we're gonna be better conditioned to go out here and beat teams."

#we 're #practice #think

When Luke Kuechly was still roaming the field, there was no better defender in the NFL who understood what opposing offenses were trying to do. That unparalleled schematic genius has helped the former Carolina Panthers linebacker land several ******* yst gigs in his post-football career.
According to a report by Andrew Marchand at The Athletic, the newly-enshrined Hall of Famer just got another one—replacing North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick on Peyton Manning's Monday Night Football Xs and Os preview show, The Breakdown.
Kuechly is already a game ******* yst for CBS Sports' college football coverage, and will be debuting as the top ******* yst for Netflix's NFL broadcasts this season—alongside play-by-play voice Noah Eagle.
The slate of games for Netflix in 2026 includes the Week 1 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, a Thanksgiving eve game between the Rams and the Green Bay Packers and two games on Christmas—including the Packers against the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills against the Denver Broncos.
Unfortunately, Kuechly won't be joining Manning's MNF preview show until October. The Monday night games scheduled for that month are as follows:

#analyst #carolina #preview

Two years ago, Bill Belichick was the hottest commodity in NFL media circles, lining up a series of gigs in the short period between coaching stints. One of them was The Breakdown, an ESPN film-room series where he and Peyton Manning broke down the X's and O's of upcoming Monday Night Football games.
This year, it appears that Luke Kuechly is the hottest name in NFL broadcasting, and he's moving into the seat previously occupied by Belichick.
According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee will join Manning on The Breakdown on the ESPN app, with an expected start time in October, leading into ESPN's Super Bowl broadcast.
ESPN declined comment.
A radio ****** yst for the Carolina Panthers, Kuechly's stock skyrocketed in recent weeks as Netflix named him its top NFL game ****** yst. Per Marchand, who also broke the Netflix news, Kuechly auditioned earlier in July with NBC's Noah Eagle, who is expected to be the top NFL play-by-play voice for Netflix, and the duo "showed immediate chemistry."

#espn #series

Tom Pelissero is back in the game, joining Netflix and Spotify's The Ringer in a multiyear deal after his termination from ESPN last month.
The NFL insider will serve as a sideline reporter for the streamer's future football games, as well as a co-host for The Ringer's NFL Show podcast.
His first game with Netflix will be the Rams vs. 49ers on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia, alongside Noah Eagle, Luke Kuechly and MJ Acosta-Ruiz. Pelissero is also set to cover games on Thanksgiving Eve, a doubleheader on Christmas Gameday and a Week 18 matchup to end the regular season.
The sports expert will also appear every Thursday on The Bill Simmons Podcast during football season, in addition to writing about the league for The Ringer.
Pelissero joined the NFL Network in July 2017, but was let go by ESPN in July as part of mass layoffs following its acquisition in February.

#netflix #season

On Saturday morning, Kate Douglass casually set a world record in her 50-meter freestyle heat. Saturday night, she swam the race again — and absolutely demolished her own record.
Douglass sprinted to a gold medal in the event with a mind-boggling time of 23.19 seconds, pulling away to leave a sizable gap between her and the competition. The time shaved a full three-tenths of a second off her time from that morning's heat, and left the commentators completely speechless.
Douglass had been trading the record with fellow USA teammate Gretchen Walsh throughout the summer. After Douglass set a record of 23.59 in Indianapolis on June 19, Walsh beat the record just eight days later, recording a time of 23:55.
On Saturday, Douglass took that stat back with a 23:49 — before smashing it hours later.
Walsh came in second on Saturday, picking up the silver with a time of 23:74. Australia's Meg Harris came in third with a time of 23.89.

#douglass #saturday #record #walsh

ARDMORE, Pa. — Jack Whaley of England twice lost 3-up leads Saturday in the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the championship match at Merion when he holed a nervy 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to defeat Georgia senior Carter Loflin.
Whaley, a senior at Florida State, next meets Stanford junior Jay Leng Jr., who never trailed in a match that felt like a struggle the entire day until he closed out Auburn sophomore Logan Reilly on the 17th hole.
It felt like a victory already for both finalists. They earned spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided they are still amateurs.
"I'm still speechless right now," Leng said. "It will take at least until tonight to sink in."
Leng has not trailed in his last 42 holes going into the championship match, starting with the sixth hole of his match against third-ranked Tyler Watts in the round of 16.

#next #trailed

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Jack Whaley of England twice lost 3-up leads Saturday in the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the championship match at Merion when he holed a nervy 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole to defeat Georgia senior Carter Loflin.
Whaley, a senior at Florida State, next meets Stanford junior Jay Leng Jr., who never trailed in a match that felt like a struggle the entire day until he closed out Auburn sophomore Logan Reilly on the 17th hole.
It felt like a victory already for both finalists. They earned spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach next year, provided they are still amateurs.
"I'm still speechless right now," Leng said. "It will take at least until tonight to sink in."
Leng has not trailed in his last 42 holes going into the championship match, starting with the sixth hole of his match against third-ranked Tyler Watts in the round of 16.

#match #leng #championship #senior

On Saturday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame witnessed a new class of legends entering the hallowed halls in Canton, Ohio. Among those were Luke Kuechly, Drew Brees, Roger Craig, and a former Minnesota Vikings ball boy turned wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald.
During his Hall of Fame speech, Fitzgerald discussed how his time around the Minnesota Vikings shaped him as a person and an athlete. He shared stories about Randy Moss, but a joke he threw at Cris Carter was a moment that got a considerable pop from the crowd.
Fitzgerald joked, "Uncle Cris (Carter), since we got all them pleasantries out the way, I hope we both can agree my hands have always been better than yours."
On 2,335 targets in his career, Fitzgerald is credited with dropping just 29 of them. While we don't have exact numbers for Carter, both men should smile and joke as they know they are two of the more reliable wide receivers in NFL history.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Larry Fitzgerald throws fun jab at Vikings Hall of Famer in speech

#Vikings

One of the greatest defensive players to ever touch the turf and perhaps the greatest defender in NFC South history, former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly delivered a memorable speech during this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. A former divisional foe who made a living making life miserable for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints offense, Kuechly didn't hesitate to take a subtle shot at the Saints while also sharing some genuine praise for his old rival.
As Kuechly paid his respects to the other inductees, he couldn't help but bring up Brees and former Saints head coach Sean Payton. After years of battling the Saints twice a season, Kuechly had a unique memory that had less to do with their on-field battles and more to do with the atmosphere inside the Caesars Superdome.
Kuechly spoke of a specific song that was played after Saints touchdowns that still gives him headaches to this day: "If I hear that song 'Stand Up and Get Crunk,' it ruins my mood. I can't stand it." It was a hilarious reminder of just how much the Caesars Superdome atmosphere could get under the skin of opposing players.
But Kuechly's playful jab at the Saints was quickly followed by some genuine praise for Brees, whom he considers the best player he ever faced: "Drew, you're the best player I've ever played against. Your process, your anticipation. That dang cadence that you have, I can still hear it and it's something that I'll keep with me forever."
Coming from a defender who spent his career lining up against some of the game's most talented offensive players, Kuechly's words were a tremendous compliment to Brees. Despite the rivalry and countless battles between the two, Kuechly made it clear that his respect for No. 9 went far beyond the football field.

#former #drew #caesars

Luke Kuechly was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon in Canton, Ohio, after a week full of festivities.
He joined Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, and Roger Craig, who were also inducted Saturday.
At 35, Kuechly became the second-youngest player inducted into the Hall. Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers was 34 when he was inducted in 1977.
Introduced by his father, Tom, Kuechly was inducted on the same field where he led St. Xavier High School to a state championship in 2007.
Known for his intense study habits, Kuechly was a five-time All-Pro linebacker, the 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year during his eight-year career with the Carolina Panthers. Kuechly decided to retire in part to preserve his brain health after suffering several concussions.

#inducted #saturday #defensive

Some college football programs are known as Linebacker U or Wide Receiver U for consistently producing great players at those positions.
When it comes to Miami University RedHawks football, the program is best known for the people who roam the sidelines. Hence, the "Cradle of Coaches" nickname.
That nickname and the school's decorated history of coaches are getting the documentary treatment in Cradle of Coaches, produced in conjunction with RESLV and NBCUniversal, set to premiere exclusively on Peacock on Aug. 17.
The documentary "delves into the history of remarkable leaders, their groundbreaking achievements, and the profound connections that have shaped football's greatest coaching legacy."
The who's who of notable coaches who have come through the Miami University football program includes Super Bowl winners such as Sean McVay, John Harbaugh, and Weeb Ewbank, Hall of Famers such as Paul Brown, Ara Parseghian, Woody Hayes, and Bo Schembechler, and myriad other notable leaders on the field over the decades.

#Football #known #program

LeBron James hasn't played a minute for the Philadelphia 76ers yet, but Dwyane Wade already has seen something familiar from his longtime friend and former teammate.
Wade shared a series of photos from James' offseason work on Instagram on August 8, then pointed to a habit he says has remained unchanged across more than two decades.
"For the last 24 years I've always known where to find him," Wade wrote. "His dedication for greatness can leave you speechless."
James quickly answered Wade in the comments.
"My brother ∞! Love you bro!" James wrote.

#wade

The NFL is a high budget organization which knows how to put on big events. That's why it is shocking each year when the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement rolls out around, and fans are treated to the busts of their favorite players looking nothing like the player, either presently or in his playing days.
In this technological age, it seems like this process should be more accurate. As WR Larry Fitzgerald, QB Drew Brees, LB Luke Kuechly, RB Roger Craig, and K Adam Vinatieri, are enjoying their well-deserved moments of glory and NFL immortality, fans have comments about their busts.
MORE: Eagles OC Sean Mannion reveals tush push plans for 2026 season
Class of 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrines (from left) Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Roger Craig and Drew Brees, pose for photos at the Gold Jacket Dinner at the Canton Memorial Civic Center, Aug. 8, 2026.
Adam Vinatieri

#vinatieri #drew

The Pro Football Hall of Fame officially enshrined five men — Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald and Adam Vinatieri — into its halls on Saturday.
They acknowledged their mentors and bared their souls, earning laughs and tears alike. Here were some of the most memorable moments from their induction speeches.
What he said in his induction speech: Fitzgerald retold his football story, from Vikings ballboy to NFL Hall of Famer, thanking dozens of people along the way. One of the first stops was at Martin Luther King Park in Minneapolis:
"Had my first touchdown, my first home run, first dunk, first fight. I even had my first kiss, and I almost drowned in the pool there one time."
Fitzgerald praised the Bidwill family, especially Michael for giving him "the canvas to paint my version of a masterpiece" and for the golf-trip planes.

#fitzgerald #Football #induction #fame

When it comes to the Carolina Panthers, there are four greats who stand out above all others.
Cam Newton was the best quarterback in franchise history and their only Most Valuable Player award winner. Wide receiver Steve Smith captured the hearts of fans more than any other team legend. And the quiet giant Julius Peppers performed at a high level longer than anyone else.
All that being said, the guy who played his own position better than anyone else ever did was Luke Kuechly—arguably the best off-ball linebacker of his generation.
While his career was cut short due to head injuries, Kuechly was a one-of-a-kind competitor and performer. He was so special that he drew comps not to other all-time great defenders, but to comic book characters and superheroes.
The most common was Captain America, a decent comparison for Kuechly's class act off the field. On the field, he was more of a ferocious Wolverine, though - who had a bit of psychic ability thrown in for good measure.

#carolina #panthers #newton

Luke Kuechly, at 35, became the second-youngest Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee ever on Saturday. Only Gale Sayers, who was enshrined in 1977 at 34, was younger.
Kuechly earned a bust in Canton in his second year of eligibility after playing only eight seasons.
His 14-minute speech remembered those who helped get him to Canton and the life lessons football taught him.
"This game teaches you a lot if you're willing to observe and listen," Kuechly said. "It's taught me resilience, consistency, toughness, the value of communication, how to find common ground, and most importantly, how to enjoy it along the way, because often times the best moments are the ones you are in. Ron Rivera used to beat that into our head and say, 'Be where your feet are.' Well, he didn't just mean be where your feet are when you're at the Super Bowl, playing with and against incredible players. He meant, be where your feet are all the time, and that's been great advice.
"The joy football gave me didn't come from any particular win. It came from competing, from studying, from practicing and from preparing, and joy came from the people I was with. I think about the bus rides, the plane flights, being with each other at Wofford College during training camp. You've never seen guys so happy to have a night off and eat pizza with their buddies.

#taught #didn 't

CANTON — Luke Kuechly is being enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this afternoon at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Ohio native who starred as a linebacker with the Carolina Panthers is part of the five-man Class of 2026.
They received their gold jackets Friday night and today they will unveil their bronze busts, which will be permanently displayed at the Hall of Fame.
We'll have live updates on Kuechly's speech during the Enshrinement, which begins at noon today.
His dad, Tom, will be his presenter today.

#hall #canton #LUKE #stadium

A former Nebraska running back will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Roger Craig will become the sixth former Nebraska player to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The former Husker spent 11 seasons in the NFL, nine of them with the San Fransico 49ers. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion in San Fransico with four Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro selection in 1988. The former Husker is also a member of the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team and the 49ers Hall of Fame.
Craig was also the first player to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (1985). The Davenport, Iowa, native played at Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. During his time with the Huskers, he ran for 2,446 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was a second-round selection in the 1983 draft.
The former Husker is joined in the 2026 Hall of Fame class by Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri.
Watch Roger Craig enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame live on Fubo (free trial)

#Nebraska #craig #husker #yards

Carolina Panthers legend Luke Kuechly will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Channel 9 sits down with Luke Kuechly's coaches ahead of Hall of Fame honor
The linebacker spent his entire career with the Panthers.
For the past several months, Channel 9 has sat down with those who know Kuechly best, including his family, friends, coaches and teammates.
We also spoke with his two most prolific division opponents, longtime Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Drew Brees, who faced Kuechly twice a year.

#down #Football

It won't happen officially until Saturday, but inductees Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri will be getting their Gold Jackets this weekend. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch honored Craig earlier in the week with a Hall of Fame shirt.
As for the official game, it's the Arizona Cardinals taking on the Carolina Panthers. If you've missed football, nothing like Kedon Slovis taking on Carson Beck to get you back into the swing of things. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, those two quarterbacks will play at least a half in tonight's game.
We will not see the Cardinals' top pick, Jeremiah Love. The running back has reportedly been electric in training camp, but we'll have to wait for another game to see him. There have been clips going around about Arizona so far, and they haven't been pretty.
You can't say the same about Carolina. Their first two picks in the draft were an offensive tackle and a defensive tackle, so there aren't any new players to monitor if you're looking at skill players.

#craig #arizona #taking #back

The closest thing we get to actual NFL football has arrived with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The Hall of Fame Game will kick off the Hall of Fame weekend festivities which will culminate with the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony on Saturday. Drew Brees, the greatest quarterback in New Orleans Saints history, will be the headliner of this year's class, but the Saints themselves will not be playing in this game. Former Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and former Panthers LB Luke Kuechly stands among Brees' fellow inductees this year, so the Cardinals and Panthers faithful should be in the stands for this exhibition game. It will be nice to see something that resembles NFL football after months of waiting. It may not be much, but we'll take what we can get at this point.
Here are the details for tonight's exhibition:
Location – Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium – Canton, Ohio
Weather – 63º – Partly Cloudy
Game Time – 5:00pm PST / 7:00pm CST / 8:00pm EST

#hall #fame #game #ohio

This evening football will finally return to our TV sets, as the NFL's first preseason game of the year kicks off between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals in the annual Hall of Fame game.
Later this week on Saturday afternoon the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will take place in Canton, Ohio - as the class of 2026 officially enters the hall. That includes Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig.
As for the Atlanta Falcons, there are a few potential future Hall of Famers currently on the roster, according to ESPN - where Bill Barnwell has running back Bijan Robinson alone in the "Keep it up" tier for Atlanta:
"The Hall loves its running backs, and Robinson has been among the best in the league across his three-year career. The explosive plays that had curiously been missing from Robinson's profile appeared last season, and he nearly doubled his receiving totals from 2023 and 2024 with an 820-yard campaign in 2025. If Robinson can stay at or near this level while remaining healthy, he will earn a trip to Canton."
Barnwell also has three others in the "work to do" category in order to eventually make the Hall. That includes right guard Chris Lindstrom, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.

#atlanta #barnwell

The Blue Jackets now have an ECHL affiliation, announcing Aug. 6 that a two-year agreement with the Wheeling Nailers will start with the upcoming season.
More coverage: Hockey fans, internet react to Blue Jackets radio broadcast changes
Adding the Nailers gives the Jackets a second developmental team, and being in Wheeling, West Virginia, it's a relatively short driving distance from Columbus and Cleveland, where the AHL's Monsters reside.
"Wheeling has a long tradition of both player development and organizational success, and its proximity to both Cleveland and Columbus will be advantageous on the hockey side, while providing a great opportunity to promote our organization and the game throughout the region," Blue Jackets **** istant general manager/Cleveland Monsters GM Chris Clark said in a statement.
The Nailers, who were the Pittsburgh Penguins' ECHL affiliate from 1998-2026, will compete in the ECHL's Western Conference Central Division with the Bloomington Bison, Cincinnati Cyclones, Fort Wayne Komets, Indy Fuel, Kalamazoo Wings and Toledo Walleye.

#jackets #echl #hockey

Five men — Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald and Adam Vinatieri — will be formally enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. Yahoo Sports will take a relatively short look at each legend and how he reached football immortality.
Jerry Rice far outpaces nearly any other wide receiver in NFL history statistically, and he's roundly viewed as the best ever to play the position.
But there's a strong case for Larry Fitzgerald Jr. to be in the No. 2 spot, just behind Rice. Second all time in receptions. Second in receiving yards. Sixth in TDs.
He was somehow even better in the playoffs, too. Fitzgerald averaged 104.5 receiving yards per game and scored 10 touchdowns in his nine postseason starts.
Play Yahoo's new College Fantasy Football game: Create or join a league now!

#larry #play #five