Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was rewarded in August with a three-year, $67.5 million contract extension, a deal that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history as he enters his fourth season. He is one of the core pieces on this offense for the Lions.
Gibbs is primed for a huge season after the Lions traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in March. As the featured three-down back, it is quite possible that Gibbs can carry the ball more than 300 times in the 2026 NFL season.
Candace Pedraza of Side Lion Report listed five winners and three losers from the offseason as Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season approaches. Gibbs landed on the winners side alongside the rookie class, Aidan Hutchinson, Isaac TeSlaa and the team's undrafted free agents. Pedraza wrote:
"Gibbs has an excellent shot at winning OPOY or MVP, or both, this season. He's not only about to see a major uptick in carries this season with the trade of Montgomery going down this offseason, but the Lions' "light" schedule should make his ability to break some rushing records fairly simple. That's all ****** uming, of course, that the Lions' offensive line makes his life this easy.
But, coming off a historic extension and getting handed the keys to the ground game should be extra motivation for a competitor like Gibbs this season."

#season #running #montgomery #pedraza

Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso will reportedly make a trio of changes to his starting lineup when they host Genoa on Sunday, including two compulsory ones.
The Biancocelesti began their Serie A campaign with an away victory in Bologna thanks to Davide Frattesi's solitary strike. The Italian midfielder came off the bench to replace the injured Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. The manager also had to make another compulsory change during the match, bring in Romano Floriani Mussolini for Adam Marusic.
With both players expected to remain on the sidelines for at least 20 days, Frattesi and Floriani Mussolini will be making their first starts of the season. The Inter Milan loanee will join Kenneth Taylor and Nicolo in the midfield trio, while Floriani Mussolini will slot in at right-back, with the rest of the defence remaining intact with Danilo Doekhi, Oliver Provstgaard, and Alfonso Pedraza.
In attack, Sky Sport Italia and La Lazio Siamo Noi expect a third change to take place, with Gustav Isaksen dropping Matteo Cancellieri to the bench. The Dane missed the entire pre-season while recovering from groin surgery, but made his return in the second half at the Renato Dall'Ara and was considered an upgrade on his Italian teammate.
Gustav Isaksen (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

#floriani #italian #gustav

Lazio are facing an uphill challenge in their quest to sign Juventus winger Edon Zhegrova, as Matteo Cancellieri has reportedly rejected his most keen admirers.
Earlier this week, the Kosovar international emerged as a target for the Biancocelesti, who would like to bolster their flanks after sorting out other departments by signing Alfonso Pedraza, Danilho Doekhi, Davide Frattesi, Josip Sutalo, and most recently Andrea Pinamonti.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Lazio are hoping to acquire Zhegrova on loan with an option to buy from Juventus. The 27-year-old's current net salary is €2.5 million per year, so the Biancocelesti should be able to cover it. However, the pink newspaper insists that the arrival of the former LOSC Lille player would only be plausible if Cancellieri were to leave.
Over the past few days, the Roman winger has been linked with several Serie A clubs, with Genoa making the most concrete offer. But according to Italian journalist Damiano Er Faina, Cancellieri is refusing to join Daniele De Rossi's team.
The 24-year-old might be holding out for a more prestigious destination, like Fiorentina or Bologna, who have more ambitious projects and are aiming to fight for European slots. Perhaps he would end up reconsidering his decision if no other offers arrive, as he risks spending his campaign on the bench, since Gustav Isaksen is reportedly ahead of him in Gennaro Gattuso's pecking order.

#lazio #year #zhegrova #biancocelesti

After earning a cameo in the Coppa Italia defeat to Mantova, Davide Frattesi is expected to make his full Lazio debut against Bologna.
The Biancocelesti travelled to Emilia-Romagna for their first match of the Serie A campaign. The contest will take place on Monday, 18:30 local time. Gennaro Gattuso's squad has been boosted by the returns of Alessio Romagnoli, Gustav Isaksen, and Nuno Tavares, while Danilo Cataldi, Samuel Gigot, Patric, and new signing Josip Sutalo are unavailable.
According to the most reliable sources in the Italian media, Frattesi will earn his first start, dropping Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to the bench. The Nigerian was arguably the best of a poor bunch against Mantova, but he will be the one to make way, as Gattuso is unlikely to chop Kenneth Taylor at this early stage of the season, despite his unconvincing summer displays.
Nicolo Rovella is the only natural option for the Regista role, while the backline should remain intact, with Adam Marusic, Danilho Doekhi, Oliver Provstgaard, and Alfonso Pedraza starting in front of Christos Mandas.
According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, Matteo Cancellieri will keep his place in the attacking trident alongside Boulaye Dia and Mattia Zaccagni. On the other hand, Sky Sport Italia believes Tijjani Noslin will replace the Italian winger on the right flank.

#mantova #according #italian

Lazio full-back Nuno Tavares stirred some controversy with his latest social media move, while Porto are obeserving his situation closely.
The 26-year-old has been playing his football in Rome since making the move from ****** nal in the summer of 2024. The Portuguese international enjoyed a stellar start to his Lazio stint, before being hampered by injuries. Last season, he was omitted from Maurizio Sarri's starting lineup after making costly blunders, only to be restored later in the campaign.
This summer, the Biancocelesti acquired the services of Alfonso Pedraza on a free transfer. The 30-year-old Spaniard has done enough in pre-season to convince Gennaro Gattuso to grant him a starting role, especially with Tavares struggling with another muscle injury. Therefore, many feel this is the right time for the club to cash in on the Lisbon native.
As noted by several sources, including La Lazio Siamo Noi, Tavares has deleted every post related to Lazio on his Instagram account. Many observers believe this could be a sign of dissatisfaction with his status at the club, or a come-and-get-me plea to his suitors.
As it happens, Italian football journalist Matteo Moretto is reporting Porto's interest in the wantaway full-back. The Portuguese giants have already been linked with the player on a few occasions earlier in the summer. Moreover, recent rumours claimed Lazio could swap him with AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori, but the two clubs have yet to embark on serious talks.

#tavares #portuguese #many

Alfonso Pedraza held his first press conference as a Lazio player, insisting that the club should aim to return to European competitions.
The 30-year-old is a left-back who had been on Villarreal's books since the start of his career, before opting to see out his contract and embark on a new experience. The Spaniard has been betrothed to Lazio since February, when he signed a pre-contract agreement.
Although he's been training alongside his new teammates over the past 10 days, the Biancocelesti have finally unveiled their first summer signing to the press on Thursday. Pedraza began by expressing his delight at joining the Biancocelesti, ensuring that the transition has been rather smooth (via La Lazio Siamo Noi).
I'm very happy to join the Lazio family. From the very beginning, it was clear to me that this was the right choice. I'm delighted to be here and can't wait to get started.
The squad has welcomed me really well. I've found a great group of people. Italy and Spain are very similar, so settling in has been quite straightforward.

#since

Lazio left-back Luca Pellegrini could end up in the Premier League, with Hull City and Ipswich Town among his suitors.
The 27-year-old is a childhood Lazio supporter who realized his dream by joining his beloved club in January 2023. This season, he finally had a run in the starting lineup, with Maurizio Sarri dropping Nuno Tavares to the bench. However, the Portuguese ended up recovering his place in the starting XI towards the end of the season, so Pellegrini found himself on the bench again.
With only one year left on his contract, the Roman is expected to be sold this summer, especially following the arrival of Alfonso Pedraza, who completed a free transfer from Villarreal.
According to La Repubblica (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Pellegrini has several admirers on the market, especially outside Italy. The newspaper reveals interest from the newly promoted Premier League duo of Hull City and Ipswich Town. In Spain, the left-back is well-liked by Espanyol and Celta Vigo.
Pellegrini was previously linked with Serie A sides, but Como had already signed a new left-back in Kaiki, while others would struggle to match his salary (circa €1.5 million per year). The Italian full-back made 90 appearances for Lazio in total, producing seven **** ists and only two goals, but he arguably scored the club’s best goal of the previous campaign