Happy midweek, everyone! Today’s Pick Six newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest from around the NFL.
Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from free agency buzz to international-game news.
It’s official: The Los Angeles Chargers are going to Brazil. A year after the Philadelphia Eagles opened the NFL season overseas, the AFC West contender is tabbed for a Friday night Week 1 game at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo on Sept. 5. The Chargers will be designated the “home” team for the international affair, and their opponent will be revealed in the coming months.
From now until March 4, all 32 NFL teams are permitted to apply the franchise tag to one of their pending free agents. So we’ve got you covered with a running tracker of every move. As of Wednesday morning, no players had officially been tagged, but a few can now be ruled out as possibilities, with the Minnesota Vikings adjusting the contract of cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers doing the same for wide receiver Chris Godwin; both veterans are still scheduled to become free agents in March.
Pending free agents can’t start negotiating with other teams until March 10, but free agency will be here before you know it. So Jeff Kerr took stock of all 32 clubs going into the 2025 market, identifying key free agents and most pressing needs. Meanwhile, Garrett Podell sorted through all the top defensive free agents, listing the 25 most valuable veterans on that side of the ball.
The New York Jets are set to move on from Aaron Rodgers in the near future. Where, exactly, will they turn for their next quarterback? ESPN reported recently that Justin Fields, the former Chicago Bears first-round pick, could be on their radar. Fields is open to returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Jeremy Fowler, but would also prefer a clear pathway to a starting job, which might be the case in New York.
The Eagles just dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game. But which clubs are best positioned to challenge the Birds in 2025? R.J. White collected all the major odds from immediately following Super Bowl LIX to compile rankings of the best bets for Super Bowl LX. And he’s got a certain NFC North contender as a favorite value pick for next season:
2. Green Bay Packers (+2050)
A quick playoff exit is causing the Packers to be underrated. A great coaching staff allowed this team to win games when Jordan Love missed time, and the only two games the Packers lost by more than a field goal were by five in Brazil against the eventual Super Bowl champs and by 10 to the Lions in a game where they had six drives of 50+ yards and only 14 points while holding Detroit to only three good drives. I’d love to see them land a true WR1 to take the team to the next level, but I think either way they should be favored in the NFC North and might be the second-best team in the conference despite these odds.
Hungry for a few extra headlines? We’ve got you covered:
