Connect with us

Sports

Chargers draft pick Joe Alt following in his father's NFL footsteps

Published

on

Chargers draft pick Joe Alt following in his father's NFL footsteps

They were both first-round picks, this father and son, but the boy now will forever hold an advantage over the old man.

Joe Alt was taken fifth overall by the Chargers on Thursday, four decades after John went 21st overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We’re a little competitive in our family,” John said, smiling. “So that will be one of the ‘gotchas,’ I’m sure.”

The Chargers introduced their latest first-rounder Friday afternoon at their training facility in Costa Mesa, Joe Alt explaining that he felt gratitude and “straight excitement” for the opportunity before him.

Listed by the NFL at 6-foot-9, 321 pounds, he’s expected to add a significant presence for the Chargers at right tackle on offense.

Advertisement

The addition of Alt marked another step in coach Jim Harbaugh’s expressed desire to transform the Chargers into a more powerful, line-of-scrimmage force.

Alt, 21, sounded ready for the assignment when he was asked what he liked best about playing offensive line.

“Being able to hit someone every single play,” he answered. “You don’t have a play off. You’re going to be throwing your head in there whether it’s a pass or a run.”

As a Charger, Alt said he would wear No. 76, the same number he had at Notre Dame and the one his father wore for 13 years as an offensive tackle for the Chiefs beginning in 1984.

Chargers draft pick Joe Alt arrives to be introduced at a news conference in Costa Mesa on Friday.

Advertisement

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

John Alt, listed at 6-8, 298 pounds, was a two-time Pro Bowl player who started 149 NFL games after coming out of the University of Iowa.

Both Alts reached the pros in part because of the athleticism they possessed inside their large frames.

Explaining that he “might have been a little better athlete,” John said he ran a 4.96-second 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process compared to 5.05 for his son. He also said his vertical jump was eight inches superior.

Advertisement

“We’ve been competing a little bit,” John said, smiling again. “You know how is it. You remember things the way you want them sometimes.”

Alt was in the second grade when his father began coaching him, a tutelage that continued through Alt’s time at Totino-Grace High School, near Minneapolis.

Knowing his son had a similar body type, John said he always figured Alt was destined to play offensive line. But for much of the time he was growing up, Alt was a quarterback before moving to tight end for his junior year of high school.

Chargers draft pick Joe Alt, left, poses with his parents, Carolyn, center, and John.

Chargers draft pick Joe Alt, left, poses with his parents, Carolyn, center, and John during a news conference in Costa Mesa on Friday.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Advertisement

“I just wanted to give him a chance to play some other positions and learn the game,” John said. “I think that’s a great experience for anybody.”

Said Alt of his dad: “He was there. He allowed me to really learn what football was and [gain] an appreciation for the game and what it did for me and my family.”

All along, the two worked on offensive line-type drills, John emphasizing footwork and agility, particularly after Alt experienced a five-inch growth spurt, reaching 6-7 midway through high school.

John said he realized that if his son could maintain his coordination “through that period of growth, he’d come out the other end with what he wanted.”

Still, Alt was not highly recruited, with Iowa and Minnesota being the only Big Ten schools to pursue him. But the idea of reaching the NFL remained a constant driving influence, Alt explained.

Advertisement

“Football’s all I can remember growing up,” he said. “Walking into the basement, my dad’s jersey was hung up at the bottom of the steps. It was a dream for me for my entire life.”

Alt’s brother, Mark, is a professional hockey player and spent a brief time with the Kings in 2020-21. Alt said he gave up hockey in the second grade because “I got a little heavy for it.”

Now, he finds himself as a weighty addition in the rebuilding of the Chargers, a team Harbaugh and his assistants have touted as an ideal destination for offensive linemen.

“Being wanted is one of the best feelings in the world,” Alt said. “Being [at] a position that the coaches and people feel matters just makes you want to do it that much more and do it for them because they care so much about it.”

Advertisement

Sports

Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’

Published

on

Russell Wilson not thinking about retirement, plans to play in 2026: ‘I know what I’m capable of’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Russell Wilson went from starting quarterback of the New York Giants to third string just a few weeks into the 2025 season, leaving many to question if the 10-time Pro Bowler decides to play next season.

Wilson, 37, doesn’t sound like he’s mulling over his decision. He wants to play in 2026.

“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said, per SNY. “I know [what] I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again, you know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Advertisement

New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

Wilson signed a one-year, veteran minimum deal with the Giants this past offseason worth $10.5 million, which had tons of incentives if he were to play the entire season.

That same offseason, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss, and he proved during training camp to have NFL-ready chops under center.

GIANTS STICK WITH GM JOE SCHOEN DESPITE ANOTHER LOSING SEASON, CITING NEED FOR ‘CONTINUITY AND STABILITY’

Still, then-head coach Brian Daboll was steadfast in his decision to start Wilson despite Dart’s success. But, after just three games, where the Giants went 0-3, a change was made.

Advertisement

Daboll went with Dart in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers at home, and the rookie defeated Justin Herbert and company to not only get his first career win, but cement himself as the team’s starter moving forward.

Even then, Wilson remained positive, saying in interviews after practice that he understands the direction of the team and wanted to help Dart develop and grow in his new role.

New York Giants’ Russell Wilson, left, and Jaxson Dart, right, talk on the bench in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.  (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

In his three starts for the Giants, Wilson threw for 831 yards with three touchdowns to three interceptions, though all of those touchdowns came in a Week 2 overtime heartbreaker for New York. Over half of Wilson’s passing yards also came in that game, throwing for 450 in the 40-37 loss.

Wilson also said that he tore his hamstring during that game against the Cowboys.

Advertisement

“I played that game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice – the last play of practice. And I had a Grade 2 (tear). I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what,” Wilson explained.

“I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And you know, just kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like… I got to play this game.”

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scans the field at the line against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)

It will be interesting to see if Wilson will land anywhere, and better yet, if a team is willing to try him out as a starter again.

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?

Published

on

Can Ravens’ Tyler Loop rebound from missed kick better than Scott Norwood or Mike Vanderjagt?

Those who snub Father Time like to say that 50 is the new 30. A different Father — Benedictine priest Maximilian Maxwell— sprinkled holy water in the end zone before his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with the AFC North title on the line.

Fifty is the new 30 also applies to field goals. More than 70% of kicks over 50 yards are successful these days, a dramatic increase in accuracy from only five years ago. Excuse Maxwell for thinking divine intervention might be necessary should a last-second missed kick determine the outcome.

A 44-yarder is a chip shot for most NFL kickers, including Ravens rookie Tyler Loop, who had made 90% of his attempts — including eight of eight from 40-49 yards — when the ball was snapped with three seconds to play and Baltimore trailing 26-24.

Two words coined when Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt that cost the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXV in 1991 once again were screamed on a television broadcast: “Wide right!”

Another memorable miss came from a kicker regarded as the best in the NFL 20-some years ago. Brash, outspoken Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts led the league in scoring in 1999 and four years later became the first kicker in history to make every kick in a full season: 83 of 83 on field goals and extra points.

Advertisement

Yet he botched a boot with 21 seconds to play during a playoff game in 2006, enabling the Steelers to upset the Colts. Pittsburgh went on to win the Super Bowl and Vanderjagt was replaced by Adam Vinatieri. He never regained his form.

Here’s hoping Loop rebounds better than Vanderjagt or Norwood, who was released a year after the historic miss and never played again. Loop was All Pac-12 in 2023 at Arizona, where he holds records for longest field goal (62 yards) and success rate (83.75%). He was the Wildcats’ GOAT before becoming the Ravens’ goat.

Loop, 24, didn’t duck the media, leaving the impression that he won’t let this failure define him.

“Just want to say I’m super grateful to Baltimore, the organization and the city, just how they embraced me this year has been incredible,” he said. “Just for it to end like that, sucks, and I want to do better.

“Unfortunately, the nature of the job is you have makes, and those are awesome, and unfortunately, you have misses, and for that to happen tonight sucks.”

Advertisement

The specialized nature of kickers can place them on the periphery of team bonding, but Loop’s teammates and coaches were supportive in the aftermath of the season-ending loss.

Coach John Harbaugh walked alongside Loop from the field to the locker room, with his arm around his back comforting him. Quarterback Lamar Jackson downplayed the impact, telling reporters, “He’s a rookie, you know. It’s all good. Just leave it in the past.”

Only time will tell whether Loop can do just that.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season

Published

on

Raiders dismiss longtime NFL head coach Pete Carroll after one season

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Longtime NFL head coach and Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll was fired after just one season with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team announced Monday. 

The 74-year-old coach said after Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs that he “of course” would want to return for another season. But owner Mark Davis had different plans for the former Seattle Seahawks coach. 

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll jogs on the field during a timeout in the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach. We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best,” Davis said in a statement provided by the team. 

Advertisement

“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach. Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”

The move marks a period of instability for the Raiders organization as they begin their third straight year on the hunt for a new coach. 

Carroll, who won the Super Bowl with then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in 2014, was brought in with the hopes of bringing that same playoff magic to the Raiders after the team dismissed Antonio Pierce. 

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll watches his team warm up before an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Advertisement

BROWNS FIRE HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI AFTER SIX SEASONS

Pierce was also fired after just one season – he served as the interim head coach in 2023, after Josh McDaniels was fired midseason. 

But Carroll wasn’t able to live up to those expectations.  

The Raiders went on a 10-game losing streak, Geno Smith finished with a league-high 17 interceptions and for the second season, the Raiders finished at the bottom of the AFC West with a 3-14 record.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was played in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Advertisement

Carroll was animated after the team closed out the season with a 14-12 win over the Chiefs, but was immediately met in his postgame presser with questions about wanting to come back the following season and reports of retirement. 

“Nobody’s talking to me about that,” he dismissed at the time.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

 The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending