Week 1 of the regular season is finally here and teams across the NFL are putting the final touches on their roster while others are dealing with last-minute injury news before the season kicks off Wednesday with the Super Bowl rematch between the Patriots and Seahawks.

The Atlanta Falcons formally named Tua Tagovailoa as their Week 1 starting quarterback, while the Dallas Cowboys suffered a blow to their offensive line with All-Pro guard Tyler Smith set for thumb surgery. 

Down under, the Niners and Rams are preparing to play the first NFL game in Australia and one side is confirming the return of a pass rusher while the other is being more secretive about theirs.

Here is the latest news from around the league on Monday.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald remained noncommittal Monday about whether he will travel, let alone suit up for the team’s Week 1 opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. 

Speaking to reporters following practice, the recently unretired veteran offered vague answers when asked if he plans to make the trip and play on Thursday.

“Feeling really good. Feeling great,” Donald said when asked about traveling to Australia. “Come up with a game plan and see what’s going on.”

Donald, who ended his retirement Aug. 30 to rejoin the Rams, continues to work through a progressive conditioning ramp-up. 

While head coach Sean McVay previously indicated the entire roster is expected to make the flight, Donald’s actual game-day snap count and active availability remain a day-to-day evaluation as kickoff approaches.

Meanwhile, Myles Garrett looked like he was trying to add more power to his tackles, so the Rams’ pass rush will still be plenty for opposing offenses to handle.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris told reporters Monday that star defensive end Nick Bosa will play in Thursday’s season-opening matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. 

Bosa, who tore his right ACL in Week 3 of last season and dealt with knee tendinitis during training camp, returned to practice last week before making the flight with the team.

“He’s going [to play]. We are not hiding that,” Morris told reporters.

Bosa’s return provides a key boost to a San Francisco pass rush that finished last in the NFL in sacks last season. While the team may manage his snap volume as he continues building up his conditioning, his active status anchors the 49ers’ defense for the historic kickoff in Australia.

Browns’ Todd Monken Hints Taylen Green Could Be QB2

 

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken told reporters Monday that sixth-round rookie quarterback Taylen Green could be active for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, potentially serving as the primary game-day option behind starter Deshaun Watson. 

When asked if Green could earn the gameday active spot over Shedeur Sanders to run specialized athletic packages, Monken left the door open. 

“Could be,” Monken said. “There could be a package where we have him.” Monken added that while activating three quarterbacks on game day remains possible. Green, a sixth-round pick in April’s draft, made the Browns’ 53-man roster as QB3 after Dillon Gabriel was placed on injured reserve due to a back injury.

Monken named Watson the starting quarterback on Aug. 24 after a competition in training camp between him and Sanders.

While the Dallas Cowboys’ offense has undergone constant turnover in recent seasons, guard Tyler Smith has remained a steady anchor. 

Now, the Cowboys must survive without him after head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced Monday that Smith will be sidelined. He is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery. 

The surgery will force Smith to miss at least the first four games of the regular season while opening up a spot on the 53-man active roster.

“Tyler Smith is going to have surgery on his thumb tomorrow morning,” Schottenheimer said during his press conference. “It’s something that he’s just been dealing with.”

With Smith sidelined, offensive lineman T.J. Bass is slated to take over as the starting left guard. 

Bass joined the organization as an undrafted free agent and has made 10 career starts, including five last year. The Cowboys retained Bass this offseason after placing a second-round restricted free agent tender on him.

The Cowboys are set to open their season on Sunday night when they travel to New York to take on the Giants on Sunday Night Football.

The New York Giants officially released veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure with the organization. 

Selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the 29-year-old was the longest-tenured player on New York’s roster before his release. Slayton had 296 catches for 4,435 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in seven seasons in New York.

The decision clears roster space as the Giants finalize a receiving corps led by Malik Nabers, Odell Beckham Jr., Darnell Mooney, and rookie Malachi Fields ahead of their Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys. 

Slayton posted a farewell message on X Monday thanking the organization, officially becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The Giants signed Slayton to a three-year, $36 million deal before last season. He was due $13 million this season.

The move creates just over $3 million in cap space for this year.

After a competitive quarterback battle, the Atlanta Falcons are naming Tua Tagovailoa as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement official on Monday morning.

Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from season-ending knee surgery, though he is expected to return to the field later this year. Until he is fully cleared, Tagovailoa will take the reins as Atlanta’s starter.

With Penix’s return still unknown, Stefanski is expected to rock with Cooper Rush as the backup to start the season.

Tagovailoa is coming off an up-and-down final season in Miami. Over 14 starts with the Dolphins, he completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, while adding 43 yards on the ground

• Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales remains optimistic running back Jonathon Brooks will suit up for Sunday’s opener against the Chicago Bears despite missing his third consecutive practice due to general soreness.
• Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur expressed optimism Monday that first-round rookie running back Jeremiyah Love would play in Sunday’s opener against the Los Angeles Chargers as he completes his recovery from a preseason high ankle sprain.
• Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is expected to play in Thursday’s Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia after being held out during August practice sessions while recovering from a psoas injury.
• Six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith agreed to terms on a new deal with the Minnesota Vikings, officially returning to the franchise for his 15th NFL season after contemplating retirement during the offseason.
• The New York Giants agreed to a two-year, $13 million extension with veteran backup quarterback Jameis Winston, keeping him under contract through 2028.

From the moment they arrive at school, Dos Pueblos High seniors Ruby Streatfeild and Brooklyn Hedricks are practically inseparable.

Whether in class, at lunch or in practice, the two spend so much of their time together they can finish each other’s sentences, and that synergy is one reason the Chargers are in the hunt for a CIF flag football championship. Their competitiveness is another.

“Me and Brooklyn are besties,” Streatfeild said. ”The biggest thing we have in common is we both want to win.”

Streatfeild began the season as a receiver but transitioned to quarterback when Ava Taiji sustained a tricep strain at the Chargers Invitational. She has flourished in her new role, passing for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns.

“It’s a lot harder, but I like it,” said Streatfeild, who has also rushed for 248 yards and five touchdowns. “I like getting the ball every play and being able to make more plays. It’s taught me to be a leader. It’s not just about being vocal, it’s about the energy you bring to the field and not letting a loss bring you down.”

The Chargers are 10-2 entering Tuesday night games and have shut out five opponents. Their only defeats came within hours of each other at the Chargers Invitational, to reigning Southern Section Division I champion JSerra and Bonita Vista, the second-ranked team in the San Diego Section. They have won seven straight, giving up only 25 points in the process.

Naturally, Hedricks is Streatfeild’s favorite target.

“Brooklyn has the best hands and really good speed,” Streatfeild said. “If I throw her the ball, it’ll be caught.”

Hedricks, a receiver on offense and a linebacker on defense, has mutual trust in her quarterback. She already has 27 receptions for 355 yards and eight touchdowns.

“I know when Ruby throws it, it’s going to get there,” she said.

Both grew up playing soccer and their AYSO teams were once matched against each other at a tournament in Bakersfield when they were 12, although neither knew it at the time.

“My family figured it out later,” said Streatfeild, who ended the first drive of last week’s nonleague game at Santa Barbara by rolling to her left and zipping a perfect pass to Hedricks in the corner of the end zone. Hedricks later scored on a 40-yard interception return in the team’s 31-0 victory.

“Ruby and Brooklyn have been with us since Day 1, they’re both three-sport athletes and both have sisters who also play,” said Dos Pueblos coach Doug Caines, who started the program in 2023. “It’s incredible for Ruby to be clicking this fast at a new position. As for Brooklyn, she’s so gifted at reading the quarterback. She had two pick-sixes at the Ventura Showcase.”

In the winter, the two play on the varsity soccer team (Hedricks plays forward; Streatfeild left back) under the guidance of Hedricks’ father George, who is also the head baseball coach.

“I don’t think we’ve ever assisted each other in soccer,” said Hedricks, who tallied six goals and three assists last season.

Asked which is more exhilarating — scoring a goal or a touchdown — the two looked at each other and said in unison: “A touchdown!”

Hedricks plays outfield in softball and will move from right field to center in the spring.

“I got a promotion,” she joked.

Hedricks had 30 hits, 23 RBIs and 20 runs with 26 putouts in 26 chances last season as Dos Pueblos advanced to the Division 3 semifinals.

Streatfeild’s spring activity is track and field, where she competes in the 100-meter dash, long jump and both relays. She ran the anchor leg as the Chargers set a school record in the 4×100 meters with a time of 48.66 seconds at the Division 2 prelims last year.

However, both consider flag football their primary sport and have received offers to play in college.

“My dad encouraged me to try out and I loved it from the start,” said Hedricks, who is the school’s all-time leader in interceptions with 45. “I’ve never struggled learning plays.”

Hedricks’ sister Reagan is a freshman linebacker and punter on the junior varsity team.

Streatfeild’s inspiration was her sister Sterling, who was a tailback and free safety and now attends Vanderbilt. Last June, the sisters helped the Conquer Chargers’ U17 team win the inaugural Roma Bowl in Italy after Sterling’s graduation. Ruby was named the tournament MVP.

“She was in ninth grade and came to watch her older sister try out and after that first day she said ‘I want to do that,’” Caines said of Ruby, who caught a team-best 104 passes for 1,101 yards and 18 touchdowns last fall.

Ruby Streatfeild has thrown for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns since switching from receiver to quarterback early in the season.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Streatfeild and Hedricks’ bond grew even stronger as teammates on the Conquer Chargers, which won the high school girls division at the NFL Flag championships in July in Westfield, Ind. That roster also featured Kacey Hurley, who quarterbacked Dos Pueblos to the Southern Section semifinals last fall and is now a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“We tried out in November and were with the team for eight months prior to nationals,” Hedricks said. “We trained once or twice a week in Camarillo and some days we carpooled.”

“It was fun experience but that was five-on-five not seven-on-seven, which is a whole different format,” added Streatfeild, who was thrilled to learn the next morning that a play she made — diving to catch the ball before it hit the ground — was No. 1 on the ESPN “SportsCenter Top 10.” She also made the list for her 60-yard touchdown catch in the playoffs last season against Edison.

“That just shows what a game-changer Ruby is,” Caines said. “I mean, to make an ESPN highlight not once but twice? Amazing!”

While they do not socialize much off campus, the hours they spend together on it have forged a close friendship.

“It’s harder to hang out after school because of where we both live,” said Hedricks, who has a 45-minute commute from Lompoc to Goleta. “Not a big deal — I’m used to it by now.”

Caines is grateful for the attention his stars have brought to Dos Pueblos, located in the foothills across the 101 Freeway from UC Santa Barbara.

Dos Pueblos’ Brooklyn Hedricks, left, celebrates with teammate Kindah Ahmad-Reda after returning an interception for a touchdown against Santa Barbara.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“We’re not in Orange County or San Diego, we’re the northernmost school in the Southern Section and we don’t get as much exposure but we’re fighting for relevancy,” he said. “It was so cool seeing 805 [area code] girls beat more established club teams from Texas and Florida. It shows we have good teams up here.”

Dos Pueblos finished 24-3 last season and played even with JSerra for almost three quarters before losing 20-0 in the Division 1 semifinals. This year’s goal is to make it to the finals.

“We’ve had a different quarterback every season, so this is nothing new,” Streatfeild said. “We’re still progressing but beating Westlake was huge. We have the best coach, so I think we can make the top division. We’re going to give it our all.”

Is the Big Ten or the SEC the best conference in college football?

Urban Meyer has coached and won national championships in both conferences. And when it comes to which one is better, he has a pretty definitive answer.

“For close to 20 years, the SEC, we all knew it, dominated the country and the Big Ten Conference,” Meyer said on Week 1’s edition of “Big Noon Kickoff” when asked about the Big Ten vs. SEC debate. “They won 13 of 17 national championships. You know what? That all changed three years ago when the Michigan Wolverines, then the Ohio State Buckeyes, and then the Indiana Hoosiers won the national title.

“It’s not just at the top of the league. Yes, the Big Ten is 4-0 against the SEC in College Football Playoff games, but they’ve also won four of five in the non-College Football Playoff bowls. So, as of now, it is the best conference.”

That debate goes beyond results on the field. 

“The SEC has dominated the NFL Draft for so many years,” Meyer added. “You know what happened last year? The Big Ten had more first-round picks than the SEC. The Big Ten Conference is the strongest conference in college football. That was last year. We’ll see [what happens] this year.”

The Big Ten sent four teams to the 2024 College Football Playoff, which was the first year of the 12-team format. Then, last season (2025), it sent three teams to the playoff, with Indiana and Ohio State each earning first-round byes as the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively. The Big Ten also had two teams reach the semifinal round: eventual-champion Indiana and the Oregon Ducks.

As for the NFL Draft, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 pick, marking the first time a Big Ten player was selected with the top overall pick since Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long was taken by the Miami Dolphins in 2008. Even more, four of the top-10 selections in the draft were players from the Big Ten: Mendoza, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate (No. 4) and Ohio State linebackers Arvell Reese (No. 5) and Sonny Styles (No. 7).

Before 2023, a Big Ten team hadn’t won the national championship since Ohio State captured the title in 2014 with Meyer as head coach, his third season in Columbus. Over Meyer’s seven seasons at Ohio State (2012-18), the Buckeyes went a combined 83-9, winning at least 10 games in every season.

Meyer’s SEC coaching stint came at Florida, where he served as head coach from 2005-10. Across six seasons in Gainesville, Meyer went 65-15, won two SEC titles and captured two national championships, in 2006 and 2008.

Entering Week 1 of the 2026 season, the Big Ten has three teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25 and eight teams in the Top 25 altogether: Ohio State (one), Oregon (two), Indiana (six), USC (T-14), Michigan (16), Washington (17), Penn State (18) and Iowa (22).