Interesting potential comp for recent Mahomes: 1980s Joe Montana, who was one-and-done in playoffs 3 years in a row, and beat up Then won next two MVPs and Super Bowls High bar for anyone to clear but voters feel Mahomes will be just fine

Our 2026 NFL Quarterback Tiers results are here. The panel this year consisted of 21 execs and 29 coaches overall. Each voter placed 35 veteran QBs into five tiers, from best (Tier 1) to worst (Tier 5). nyti.ms/4yYcfln

2026 QB Tiers drops Tuesday 8/4 *50 coaches/execs weigh in on the one position everyone watches See how high Caleb Williams, Drake Maye & Bo Nix climb See how Tier 1 has changed 🤔 Gonna be a fun rest of the week!

Favorite offseason moves for all 32 #NFL teams No sub needed www.nytimes.com/athletic/730...

My favorite offseason move by every NFL team: Bengals swing big, Chiefs add juice (Gift Article)

The Bengals, Broncos and Rams made win-now trades, and the Chiefs added a much-needed boost to their run game.

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Love your unfiltered articles after the draft & appreciate you getting insight from scouts/GMs opinions. More interested in their thoughts after the draft when lying season is pretty much over, hopefully getting a truer sense of what they really think. Keep up the amazing work!

Did #Bills make wise use of all those picks (10) after trading down? Was #Browns' draft as good as the analysts suggested? Do the #Texans care what anyone thinks? Does anyone have anything good to say about #Jaguars GM? Is it OK to feel good about #Jets? www.nytimes.com/athletic/724...

Execs unfiltered on NFL Draft for every AFC team: Are things looking up for Jets, Raiders?

Is it really OK to feel good about the Jets? Meanwhile, reviews were mixed on the Bills', Jaguars' and Texans' draft classes.

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Today we run through all 16 NFC teams' drafts with thoughts from #NFL insiders ... including range of opinions on #Rams, #Giants, #49ers and more www.nytimes.com/athletic/724...

Execs unfiltered on every NFC team's draft: Did the Rams get it right with Ty Simpson?

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Yeah, a really top talent who seemed to have a hard time conforming within the system as it was set up then.

Fred Hager@hagerfred.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Duane Thomas is another one of those great "what if's" in NFL history. Guy could have been in play for being a top ten all-time back, but... Carl Garrett was AFL Rookie of the year in 1969 (over OJ Simpson). Bears acquired him in 1974 and was the starter prior to Payton being drafted in '75.

Was the Maxx Crosby trade simply a fallback in case the #Ravens could not sign Trey Hendrickson? That and much more in this analysis with @jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

The Maxx Crosby trade fiasco, the Ravens’ motivations and how the NFL world reacted

Agents, executives and coaches have been buzzing about circumstances of and the fallout from a blockbuster trade that wasn't.

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Also in Pick Six: #patriots were outlier among outliers this season What does it mean for future?

Mike Sando@sandonfl.bsky.social · 6mo ago

What do the last two Super Bowl winners have in common? Final Pick Six column of the season marks #seahawks SB win by tracing evolution of the modern GM Schneider & Roseman out front 👇👇👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

In his Super Bowl “Pick Six”, @sandonfl.bsky.social on John Schneider setting himself apart, HOF voting, Patriots comps, awards season, Sonny Jurgensen and so much more

Seahawks’ title underscores how to win in the modern NFL. There’s no going back: Pick Six

Great QBs have ruled the NFL for decades, but increasingly, even they are living in a league driven by the active, opportunistic GM.

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What do the last two Super Bowl winners have in common? Final Pick Six column of the season marks #seahawks SB win by tracing evolution of the modern GM Schneider & Roseman out front 👇👇👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

My annual pre-Super Bowl column asking #NFL coaches to pick the winner. Every one picked #seahawks to win, but they also saw paths for #patriots to pull the upset. www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

NFL coaches pick the Super Bowl: Seahawks clear favorite, but Patriots have paths to victory

Five coaches broke down the matchup, and while all favored the Seahawks, they also see how the Patriots could pull the upset.

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"Breaking In with Kevin Fishbain" episode 44 Guest: @sandonfl.bsky.social Learn how Sando got his start in sports media, and we go through some of the stories he wrote at his first Super Bowl, 27 years ago. Sponsor: www.playbyplaycamps.com

Episode 44: Mike Sando, senior NFL writer at The Athletic

YouTube video by Breaking In With Kevin Fishbain

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How do you find a unique story at an event covered like the Super Bowl? Great advice from @sandonfl.bsky.social

Nice recovery with that 2026 HOF class: •Brees = #2 all-time pass yds •Fitzgerald = #2 all-time receiving yds •Vinatieri = #1 all-time scoring leader •Kuechly = DPOY, 5x All-Pro •Craig = one-of-a-kind RB Yes, Belichick should have gotten in. Short of that, this is good recovery.

Was working on this before we knew Belichick missed www.nytimes.com/athletic/vid...

Why is it harder than ever to become a Hall of Famer?

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This conversation picked up momentum as we went So much #NFL stuff going on from hiring to Super Bowl to HOF and more vimeo.com/1161289844

Jim Rome Show - Mike Sando - 2/2/26

This is "Jim Rome Show - Mike Sando - 2/2/26" by Sammy Steinlight on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

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@sandonfl.bsky.social is, as usual, thorough and well-spoken. It's a complicated process, and far less personal than many would like to believe. The Hall asks that we not disclose our ballots, though I'd be happy to provide mine.

Bryan Knowles@brykno.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Mike Sando's got a post on X about just why Belichick may not have made it, and he points out a lot of the strategic voting that the new Hall rules from last year created are a significant factor. We all expected them to change back eventually; this may make eventually now. x.com/SandoNFL/sta...

Lots of opinions on Bill Belichick reportedly missing the HOF on first year of eligibility. My fears over the new (since 2025) voting mechanics have come to life. www.nytimes.com/athletic/vid...

Why Bill Belichick might have been snubbed: HOF voting process explained

Senior NFL writer Mike Sando, who is on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee, explains why Bill Belichick probably got snubbed.

nytimes.com

Pick Six column leads with #bills, also contrasts #ravens from other teams looking for coaches. Big gap! www.nytimes.com/athletic/697...

Bills fallout, the real officiating issue and more divisional-playoff madness: Pick Six

Bills coach Sean McDermott was fired Monday, two days after an officiating controversy involving Buffalo underscored a decades-old issue.

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Sean McDermott leaned into the officiating angle after the Buffalo Bills' loss in the divisional round. But when your superstar QB is responsible for four turnovers, officiating makes for a more inviting topic, writes @sandonfl.bsky.social. McDermott has now been relieved of his duties.

A defensive coach to @sandonfl.bsky.social on Caleb to Cole: "This is like Aaron Rodgers in his prime. Patrick Mahomes. It is really hard to throw that ball 7 yards deep in the end zone over someone's head that is standing 2 yards in front of the guy. Miraculous." Sando's weekly Pick Six

Bills fallout, the real officiating issue and more divisional-playoff madness: Pick Six

Bills coach Sean McDermott was fired Monday, two days after an officiating controversy involving Buffalo underscored a decades-old issue.

nytimes.com

How culpable was Matt LaFleur for the #packers blowing a 15-point lead and losing at Chicago? Pick Six column does not pile on, but does not go easy either--put together a point and counterpoint focusing on a strange 4-minute drive featuring bombs away www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...

Matt LaFleur’s culpability for Packers’ collapse, and more from wild-card weekend: Pick Six

Another debacle finish in Chicago has put the spotlight on LaFleur's future in Green Bay, with the final year of his contract looming.

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When is it time to move on from a long-tenured Super Bowl winning head coach? #ravens asked that question regarding John Harbaugh and decided it was now Recent video reveals what the data says 👇👇👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/vid...

When should an NFL team part with its long-time coach?

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“This is a great year for a wild-card team. You win one game in the AFC, you have a chance.” No offense, Denver or any other team. You’ve all got a shot, especially in the AFC (well, maybe not you, Pittsburgh). Pick Six column is live www.nytimes.com/athletic/692...

Seahawks the Super Bowl favorite? Who wins wide-open AFC playoff race? Pick Six

The stage is set for the most unpredictable playoffs in years, especially in the AFC. Coaches and execs helped us break down the field.

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When is it time to move on from a long-tenured Super Bowl-winning head coach? #seahawks made that move a couple years ago. #steelers & #ravens make for interesting case studies entering their Week 18 loser-out game More here 👇👇👇 www.nytimes.com/athletic/vid...

When should an NFL team part with its long-time coach?

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What do Luca Doncic and Lamar Jackson have in common? Pick Six column asks that question and many more Also: MVP comp between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford www.nytimes.com/athletic/690...

Especially proud to weave Philip Rivers, Steve DeBerg and a Hooters halftime show into one item www.nytimes.com/athletic/688...

A Chiefs dynasty on pause, and the inspirational Philip Rivers: Pick Six

Patrick Mahomes' injury extinguished the Chiefs' final hope (and raised major questions), while Rivers gave Indy slim hope, even in defeat.

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#chiefs are one of four true dynasties of Super Bowl era … and are at crossroads with Mahomes hurt. Can high draft choice save them? Also in Pick Six: Philip Rivers!! www.nytimes.com/athletic/688...