Longtime Jets Player Has Passed Away

The NFL has lost another player.

According to NFL insider Jonathan Jones, New York Jets legend Nick Mangold has passed away.

Per Jones, the retired center died due to complications from a kidney disease.

Longtime Jets center Nick Mangold has passed away at the age of 41, the Jets announce. Mangold, a 2006 1st round pick from Ohio State, played his entire 11-year career with the Jets. 2 weeks ago he revealed he was battling chronic kidney disease and needed a transplant. RIP.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 26, 2025

He was just 41 years old.

This news comes less than two weeks after Mangold made a public appeal for a kidney transplant.

He announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that forced him to undergo kidney dialysis since 2006.

Prior to his passing, he was selected as one of the 52 modern-era candidates to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Following a stellar career with the Ohio State Buckeyes, he entered the league as a first-round selection in 2006, and he became instrumental in their playoff appearances in 2006, 2009, and 2010.

A born leader on and off the field, he was one of the most popular centers in the game.

He was a two-time first-team All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowler.

That’s why the Jets inducted him into their Ring of Honor back in 2022.

Mangold played for the Jets for 11 seasons before ultimately being released.

He chose to retire as a Jet despite interest from other teams, walking away from the game with 164 starts.

Then, he became an assistant football coach for Delbarton School in Morristown.

The Jets will hit the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals and look for their first win of the season.

Hopefully, they will find a way to honor their franchise legend with a strong outing.

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Julian Edelman Raves About Drake Maye

The New England Patriots may have found their guy.

At least, that’s how Julian Edelman feels right now.

Talking on FOX, the former Super Bowl champion gushed about Drake Maye, stating that he’s playing at an elite level.

"Drake Maye has been playing elite."@Edelman11 says the Patriots are "for real" this season pic.twitter.com/zQUdOOpfPf

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 26, 2025

Truth be told, it’s hard to disagree with that assessment.

And, coming from someone who dominated next to Tom Brady and was so crucial in winning several titles, that’s a lot to say.

Maye showed glimpses of greatness in his rookie season, but he was clearly still a work in progress.

Fast forward to today, and it’s clear that it wasn’t the case.

If anything, Maye has taken a huge leap in his first full year as a starter, and he’s looking far ahead of schedule in his development right now.

The Patriots did an outstanding job of improving their offensive line and adding more weapons, and it’s paying off.

Of course, hiring a winning head coach to finally straighten the ship’s course has also worked wonders for him.

Playing quarterback for the New England Patriots will always be tied to Tom Brady’s shadow.

Maye doesn’t need to be the second coming of Tom Brady, and it wouldn’t be fair or accurate to put that type of weight on his shoulders.

Still, even if he’s not the next Tom Brady, being the first Drake Maye doesn’t sound too bad right now.

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Key Falcons Player Ruled Out For Dolphins Game

The Miami Dolphins are desperate for a win.

They’ve lost all but one of their games this season, and that one triumph was against the winless New York Jets.

Fortunately for them, they might catch a break on Sunday.

As reported by Ari Meirov on X, the Atlanta Falcons won’t have star wide receiver Drake London in Week 8.

London is currently dealing with a hip injury.

If that wasn’t enough, they will also be without starting QB Michael Penix Jr., who’s out with a knee injury.

The #Falcons have ruled out WR Drake London (hip) for today's game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

QB Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is also out, so Kirk Cousins starts. pic.twitter.com/seRjWYJPo6

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2025

The Falcons will roll with veteran Kirk Cousins instead.

Cousins didn’t look good at all last season.

Raheem Morris’ team didn’t build the offense around his skills, and he ultimately lost his starting job to a rookie.

As such, he should be extremely motivated to prove that he still has plenty left in the tank, especially considering that the trade deadline is just a little over a week away.

Cousins could certainly be of help for several struggling teams, although it’s hard to believe someone will be willing to meet his steep salary demands at this point in the campaign.

As things stand now, the Falcons are seven-point home favorites.

That might be a little too much, given that most of the Dolphins’ losses have come in one-possession scores, and much more without two of their best players.

Even so, given the way they’ve fared and all the stories surrounding the team, it might take a lot for them to finally get back on track.

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Analyst Shuts Down ‘Overrated’ Narrative About Packers Star

The Green Bay Packers have more weapons than the average team.

They have a myriad of young stars, a strong defense, and an up-and-coming head coach.

However, for years, their quarterback has been a subject of debate.

While some believe Jordan Love has already shown more than enough to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback, others aren’t that convinced.

With that in mind, Joel Moran took to X to dismiss that narrative:

“Jordan Love is on par with two hall of famers yet people still think he’s ‘overrated’ — without a WR1 btw,” Moran posted on X.

Green Bay Packers QB Comparison through 39 Starts:

Jordan Love:
64.3% CMP / 2.72 TD-INT Ratio / 97.3 RTG

Aaron Rodgers:
64.1% CMP / 2.41 TD-INT Ratio / 96.8 RTG

Brett Favre:
62.3% CMP / 1.14 TD-INT Ratio / 79.8 RTG

Jordan Love is on par with two hall of famers yet people… pic.twitter.com/IKpDifTX4f

— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) October 25, 2025

The Packers trusted Jordan Love to take the reins of the offense once Aaron Rodgers wasn’t there, and that speaks volumes about the way they feel about him.

He patiently waited for his time, continued to work on his game, and the hard work has clearly paid off.

He’s gotten better every single year, and he’s currently playing the best football of his career.

Love has finally started taking better care of the football, and with him not putting the ball in harm’s way, there’s not much to complain about.

Still, it feels like not even his head coach trusts him at times.

As good a coach as Matt LaFleur is, he’s been way too conservative with Love sometimes.

Love has shown that he can make every throw in the book, and he’s at his best when he’s slinging the pigskin and taking big shots down the field.

Numbers don’t lie, and regardless of how some people might feel about Jordan Love, his numbers show that he’s one of the best in the league right now.

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Chad Johnson Gets Honest About Packers’ WR Corps

The Green Bay Packers are about to get another weapon.

Jordan Love will now have Christian Watson roaming on the open field.

That’s why former NFL star Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson had some big words of praise for this team:

“Packers literally have a 4×1 relay team as a receiving corps,” Johnson posted on X.

Packers literally have a 4×1 relay team as a receiving corps….

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) October 25, 2025

Truth be told, it’s hard to disagree with that statement.

The Packers have Romeo Doubs, who has already proven that he can be trusted and that, despite some issues with drops in the past, they should keep him around for the long run with a contract extension.

They have a star rookie in Matthew Golden, who has the potential to be one of the biggest burners in the game once he gets used to the speed of the game.

And now, they also have Watson, who has always been on the outside looking in as a potential star at the position.

If that wasn’t enough, they also have a budding star in Tucker Kraft, a hard-hitting tight end who’s a master of picking up yards after the catch.

This Packers team has all the weapons to be one of the best passing teams in the game.

Of course, that also depends on head coach Matt LaFleur, who needs to give Jordan Love more freedom.

This conservative play-calling has held the offense back multiple times, and they need to be more aggressive.

The Packers entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, and with Watson joining the party, it will be even harder not to like their chances against anybody they face.

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Tucker Kraft Is On Pace For Big Season

The Green Bay Packers took a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft for the first time in more than two decades.

As such, expectations were quite high for rookie WR Matthew Golden.

There has also been a lot of talk about Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson and whether they can take another step forward and prove that they can be a WR1.

Nevertheless, as much as that wide receiver corps is worth talking about, we can’t ignore Tucker Kraft.

As pointed out by Sleeper NFL on X, the third-year tight end is in the midst of a breakout season, and he’s projected to have a strong finish to the campaign.

As things stand now, he’s on pace to finish the year with 65 receptions for 923 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

That would be good for 190 fantasy points in most leagues, which would’ve been third in the league last season behind only Brock Bowers and George Kittle.

Tucker Kraft’s 2025 Pace:

65 Receptions
923 Receiving Yards
11 Touchdowns

His 190 FPTS pace would have been the TE3 last season behind Bowers/Kittle.

DAWG. pic.twitter.com/bkrRXmv9FA

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) October 24, 2025

Needless to say, being on the same list as those two speaks volumes about his ranking in the position.

Kraft has become one of Jordan Love’s favorite and most reliable targets.

He’s a perennial mismatch in the end zone, and he’s a master of picking up yards after the catch once he’s roaming free on the open field.

The Packers have found a true star at the tight end position.

And while he may not get as much credit as he deserves, he’s been instrumental to their offensive success this season.

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NFL Issues Fine To Packers Defender For Week 7 Incident

The Green Bay Packers‘ defense looked to make a statement last Sunday.

Jeff Hafley’s unit was quite physical down the stretch, constantly getting to Jacoby Brissett.

As a result, one of their guys will have lighter pockets going forward.

As pointed out by Zach Kruse on X, LB Quay Walker was fined after the game:

Packers DE Micah Parsons wasn't fined for his hip drop tackle on Jacoby Brissett last week, but LB Quay Walker was fined $17,389 for hitting Brissett in the head on his roughing the passer penalty in the first quarter.

— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) October 26, 2025

That’s the current state of the game, as the league has put an emphasis on protecting the quarterback, and they know to hit the players where it hurts them the most.

Of course, one can argue whether some of those roughing the passer calls should be called or not, but that’s an entirely different conversation.

The fact of the matter is that this Packers’ pass rush is proving to be among the best in the game.

Adding Micah Parsons to that unit has worked wonders for Jeff Hafley’s defense, and he’s getting dangerously comfortable at Lambeau Field.

He had just the best game of his career in the win over the Arizona Cardinals, logging a career-high 3.0 sacks and running away with Defensive Player of the Week honors.

That game positioned him as the odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year honors, even though he’s not leading the league in sacks and there’s still plenty of football to be played.

Now, Parsons and the Packers’ defense will be in for a tougher challenge, as they’ll stay on the road to try to contain Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on national television.

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Jonathan Taylor Is On Pace For Historic Season

The Indianapolis Colts have the best offense in the league right now.

A lot has been said of Daniel Jones’ resurgence, and rightfully so.

People have also praised head coach Shane Steichen, who should be one of the leading candidates to win Coach of the Year honors this season.

Nevertheless, as valid as all of that is, they also need to give Jonathan Taylor his flowers.

As shown by ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Colts’ star running back is having a season for the ages:

“Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor has 11 touchdowns this season — five more than the entire Titans team that the Colts are playing today. Taylor also is on pace to lead the NFL in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns – a running back’s Triple Crown, a feat he also accomplished in 2021. Taylor would be the first player to win multiple rushing Triple Crowns outright since Jim Brown did it in 1958-’59 and 1965,” Schefter posted on X.

Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor has 11 touchdowns this season — five more than the entire Titans team that the Colts are playing today. Taylor also is on pace to lead the NFL in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns – a running back’s Triple Crown, a feat he also… pic.twitter.com/aBapGkgSTS

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 26, 2025

Of course, no one argues that Taylor is one of the best players in his position in the entire league.

Then again, it still feels like he’s somewhat overlooked or underrated.

Taylor has been doing this for years now, yet you rarely hear his name being mentioned when people talk about the best in the game.

He’s been better and more consistent than Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry this season, just to name a few.

People will always rave about the quarterback, and watching Daniel Jones play at this level after being so bad for so long is obviously remarkable and worth mentioning.

But that’s another example of how a system and a supporting cast can uplift a player.

Jones had a very good running back by his side for most of his tenure with the New York Giants.

But as good as Barkley was, he didn’t do what Jonathan Taylor is doing this season, and he’s making a strong case for a Hall of Fame induction.

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Colts Are Turning Heads With Record-Breaking Offense

For years, the Indianapolis Colts seemed to be a quarterback away from being a playoff contender.

They struggled mightily to find someone to fill in for Andrew Luck after his sudden retirement, and their revolving door of veteran signal callers was one disappointment after another.

That’s why the fans have been so thrilled with Daniel Jones.

He was just what Shane Steichen needed to finally show his offense, and so far, they’ve been the best offensive team in the entire league.

Considering that, Trey Wingo shared a wild stat about that unit:

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Aaron Rodgers Could Notch Rare NFL Feat Against Packers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a pleasant surprise this season.

They’ve been much better than some people expected, and it all starts with the quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers has turned back the clock, and he’s proving that he wasn’t the problem with the New York Jets.

Now, he will take the field for one of the most important games of his career.

This won’t be just another regular-season contest.

He’ll play his former team, the Green Bay Packers, and there will be much more at stake.

As pointed out by Sunday Night Football on X, he could join the very short list of quarterbacks who have beaten all 32 teams in the league with a win.

Aaron Rodgers can complete the task this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/nsRo3AyFJ5

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 25, 2025

Ironically, he’ll do so while playing for the very same team he beat to win his only Super Bowl.

Rodgers’ days at Lambeau Field didn’t end on a good note.

He didn’t see eye-to-eye with the front office, and he felt betrayed when they kept him off the loop about their decision to take Jordan Love, his heir apparent, in the first round of the NFL Draft.

As such, he should be extremely motivated to remind them of what they had and lost.

As good as Jordan Love is, and as much as Rodgers took him under his wing, he will look to outplay him and prove why he’s the master, not the pupil.

This might be his only shot at getting back at his former team, and he certainly won’t want to waste it.

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