Sports
NFL broadcasters are getting more access to teams: Here’s how they’re using it
It is not an accident that you are seeing more in-uniform interviews from NFL players this season. Here’s why: Last May, the NFL broadcasting department sent out a memo on the topic to the league’s chief executives, club presidents, general managers, head coaches and public relations directors. The memo outlined access changes for the NFL’s television partners after a review between the league and its media rights holders. The shared goal? To enhance the game content that we see as NFL viewers.
The key additions, as per the memo:
• In-game coach interviews for all games;
• Pregame player interviews for all games;
• Network pregame locker room coverage;
• Preseason player interviews;
• Coaches’ booth network cameras.
I’ll give you an example of how this has manifested itself for viewers so far. During the opening-week broadcast between the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots, CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn interviewed Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow right before kickoff. Home clubs must make a high-profile player available for pre-kick interviews in full uniform as part of the new broadcast access rules. (There are limits to the amount of interviews each player does with a network during the season, so it’s not one player doing it each week.)
“It always hits differently when you hear a player tell you things in his own voice,” said CBS Sports producer Ken Mack, who produces the CBS NFL team of Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Washburn. “When Joe Burrow told Evan Washburn about how he ‘got a little emotional yesterday’ in the moments before the Bengals opener, it felt like it brought the audience closer to the player.”
“Got a little emotional yesterday, but I’m ready to go. Excited for it.”
Our @EvanWashburn caught up with @Bengals QB Joe Burrow before his first game in nearly 10 months pic.twitter.com/urkhZwGGpQ
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 8, 2024
The new access policy says clubs must make the head coach or either offensive or defensive coordinator available for in-game, on-camera interviews. The time slots are agreed upon between each club and the televising network prior to game day, and the home team has the first choice of interview timing between the end of first quarter, halftime, or the end of the third quarter. There are limits to the number of questions each coach can get (two) and where they take place.
NBC “Sunday Night Football” lead producer Rob Hyland said his broadcast has taken advantage of the new access initiatives. Through the first three games of the season, SNF has interviewed Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud prior to kickoff.
“We’ve also connected with each head coach, either at the start or end of halftime,” Hyland said. “One of Sunday Night Football’s stated goals is to take the viewer somewhere they have never been. Having the opportunity to speak with a player moments before kickoff or a head coach at halftime provides an additional layer of access for our audience that we believe adds to the overall viewer experience. Fans want to be as close to the stars of the game as possible.”
Jim Harbaugh handed out blue-collar shirts to his @chargers team to send a message.
Our @tracywolfson caught up with Derwin James about it just before kickoff. pic.twitter.com/j4nIYplKA1
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 8, 2024
You might have also noticed footage from the locker room coverage prior to the game. That’s part of the new access deal too. Per the memo: “When requested by televising network, clubs must record and share at least 20 seconds of pregame locker room footage or content with televising network each game. Recording must occur between conclusion of pregame warmups and 15 minutes prior to kickoff, with the Club having final approval on footage to be aired on broadcast.”
There are many NFL game days where you will see viewer complaints on social media about in-game interviews. The criticism usually revolves around the idea that coaches or players don’t provide insight or little is gleaned from the responses. Sure, sometimes that is valid criticism. But there are moments when viewers do get the occasional gem and insight. It’s why the networks will always support this: There is value in showing your viewers that you have unique access to the main people competing in the event.
“When a coach gives your reporter (and by extension your audience) insight into the team’s mindset at a crucial point in the game, that can be illuminating,” Mack said. “During that same Week 1 broadcast, Evan talked to (New England coach) Jerod Mayo at the start of the second quarter when the Patriots faced a third-and-goal from the Cincinnati 4-yard line. The conversation pushed the game’s storyline forward. Mayo’s forecast of continued aggressive play was borne out on the next play when the Patriots scored a touchdown to take the lead.”
Added Hyland: “Why wouldn’t you want fresh information from the individuals directly impacting the game? Hearing from the coaches and players in-game is something we will continue to showcase. On the rare occasion where some might think there isn’t much information gleaned, body language and non-verbal cues during the interview can be very telling and add to the story of what’s happening in the game.”
(Photo of Amazon “Thursday Night Football” sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung interviewing Buffalo Bills cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram (left) and running back James Cook after their game last week: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
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The New Orleans Saints have reportedly made an addition to their quarterback room.
The team signed Zach Wilson to a one-year contract, according to multiple reports.
Wilson, 26, spent last season with the Miami Dolphins and will serve as the backup quarterback to Tyler Shough.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Zach Wilson looks to throw a pass against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)
The Saints will be Wilson’s fourth team in four seasons. He spent the first three years of his career with the New York Jets after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
After three disappointing seasons with the Jets, they traded him to the Denver Broncos in April 2024. The Broncos declined Wilson’s fifth-year option, and after the season he signed with the Dolphins.
Wilson has seen little game action over the last two seasons, not playing at all with the Broncos in 2024. With the Dolphins last season, he appeared in four games, completing 6 of 11 passes for 32 yards.
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Miami Dolphins quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Tua Tagovailoa talk on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
With the Jets, Wilson started 33 games, going 12-21 while completing 57% of his passes for 6,293 yards with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Wilson will join Shough and 2024 fourth-round pick Spencer Rattler in the quarterback room.
Shough impressed in his nine starts last season. The Saints went 5-4 in his starts while Shough completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns with six interceptions, while rushing for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Zach Wilson looks to throw a pass against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)
However, Shough battled numerous injuries throughout his college career. He sustained a broken left collarbone in 2021, re-injured that same collarbone in 2022, and broke his fibula in 2023.
The Saints hope he remains healthy as they look to win the NFC South next season and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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Jeff Webb, known as the “founder of modern cheerleading” for his role in turning the activity into a competitive sport, died Thursday following “a tragic accident,” a family spokesperson said Tuesday. He was 76.
A former yell leader for the University of Oklahoma cheerleading squad, Webb went on to form several organizations — including Varsity Spirit, the Universal Cheerleaders Assn. and the International Cheer Union — that helped him reshape what was once largely a sideline activity into an International Olympic Committee-recognized sport that features elements of gymnastics, stunts and dance.
Cheer Daily reports that an email sent by Varsity Spirit president Bill Seely to the company’s community said that Webb fell while playing pickleball earlier this month and suffered a severe head injury.
Webb was buried in a private ceremony for family on Sunday. A larger celebration of life will be held at a later date.
“Our father was, at his core, a man of inexhaustible energy, and he poured that energy into everything he did, from revolutionizing cheerleading to his never-ending — and constantly growing — list of activities,” Webb’s children said in a statement.
An avid outdoorsman, Webb managed a farm and hunting lodge and enjoyed offshore fishing and boating. He was also a pilot, author, publisher and guitar player.
“He brought that same spirit of dedication and encouragement to being a father and grandfather,” his children added. “To most people he is a legendary entrepreneur — to us, he was our soccer coach and on-demand comedian, our mentor and father-daughter dance partner, our solace and our source of strength.
“He taught us by example that a life well lived contains balance, that seriousness and silliness are not in fact opposites, that focus and discipline do not and should not preclude care and kindness.”
Through his organizations, Webb established hundreds of cheerleading competitions — including national championships that have been broadcast on ESPN for decades — and training camps. He was a pioneer in the manufacturing and marketing of cheerleading apparel and equipment and also played a role in establishing safety guidelines for the sport.
“The founder of modern cheerleading, [Webb] spent his life building the sport he loved and advocating for young people everywhere,” the International Cheer Union wrote on Facebook. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire global cheer community.
Varsity Spirit wrote on Instagram: “Join us in honoring the life and legacy of Jeff Webb, founder of Varsity Spirit and modern cheerleading. His impact has built a community that will continue to inspire generations to come.”
The Varsity Spirit post included a tribute video that featured an audio clip of Webb discussing the instant he realized just how much of an impact his efforts had on the sport.
“I was at UCA High School Nationals, and I looked out there — everybody had a smile on their face,” Webb said. “People think this is a little corny, but I had this almost epiphany experience. And it was just this emotion that came over me. It was, how lucky am I? How fortunate have I been to be able to have this idea and to build on it and have fabulous people kind of hook their star to my vision and for us together to build this great thing?”
Webb is survived by his wife, Gina, and his children, Jeffery and Caroline, and two grandchildren.
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Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua has reportedly been accused of biting a woman and making anti-Semitic comments, according to TMZ.
The woman made the allegations in a rejected application for a temporary restraining order after an alleged incident on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles.
Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, said, according to TMZ, that “the whole claim is nothing more than a shakedown attempt” and that the bite “left nothing more than a temporary mark.”
NFL Network reporter Jamie Erdahl interviews Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) after the game against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 28, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
A hearing is scheduled for April 14.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Nacua’s agent and the Rams for comment.
Nacua previously apologized for performing an “antisemitic” act on a YouTube stream in December.
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Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams reacts during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Nacua discussed touchdown celebrations on YouTuber Adin Ross’ stream, as Nacua’s Rams are set for a Thursday night affair in Seattle against the Seahawks.
Many, however, believed the celebration perpetuated a harmful anti-Jewish stereotype.
In the video, Ross instructed Nacua to spike the ball, flex and then rub his hands together. Ross, who is Jewish, has referred to the movement as his own “dance” or “emote.”
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua reacts following an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. The Rams won 44-42. (Eric Thayer/AP Photo)
Nacua received overwhelming pushback and issued an apology Thursday, hours before his Rams took on the Seattle Seahawks.
“When I appeared the other day on a social media livestream, it was suggested to me to perform a specific movement as part of my next touchdown celebration. At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people,” Nacua said in a “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” graphic. “I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”
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