Sports
Rams look to continue recent run of hits in 2025 NFL draft
Matthew Stafford does not play a role in the Rams’ draft process. But “every once in a while,” the veteran quarterback said, the team might ask for his opinion about a prospect.
Stafford, however, does not dig very deep, confident that the Rams’ brain trust will make the right picks.
“I’m excited that I’m not in the green room again,” said Stafford, the top pick in the 2009 draft. “I just get to sit back, relax and see who’s going to be a big, integral part of what we’re doing this year.”
The Rams are entering the draft on a roll. In the last two drafts they selected players such as star receiver Puka Nacua, defensive tackle Kobie Turner, edge rusher Jared Verse and defensive lineman Braden Fiske. All were finalists for the league’s offensive or defensive rookie-of-the-year awards, with Verse winning last year.
Those four and numerous other young players, with a veteran base led by Stafford, have helped position the Rams for a possible Super Bowl run.
“We’ve hit the mark on special human beings that are wired the right way,” coach Sean McVay said, “and then have physical traits that allow them to reach and realize their highest potential when you put them in an environment that we hope to create and cultivate on a daily basis.”
McVay, general manager Les Snead and the Rams’ scouting and personnel staff aim to extend their streak when the draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, Wisc.
As a salute to first responders, the Rams will conduct the draft from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Air Operations headquarters in Van Nuys.
The Rams already added free-agent receiver Davante Adams, center Coleman Shelton and defensive lineman Poona Ford to a roster that helped them advance to the NFC divisional round. But cornerback, tight end, receiver, offensive line and, perhaps, quarterback are positions Snead could target when he oversees his 14th draft.
The Rams go into the three-day draft with eight picks, including No. 26 in the first round. They do not have a second-round pick — a situation that could inspire Snead to trade back — but have two picks in the third round (Nos. 90 and 101), one in the fourth (No. 127) and four in the sixth (Nos. 190, 195, 201 and 202).
If Snead selects a player in the first round it will mark the first time since 2015 and 2016 that he did so in consecutive years.
After trading up to select Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016, and subsequently trading first-round picks for players such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the Rams went seven years without making a pick on the first day of the draft.
Last year in the wake of future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s retirement, the choice was seemingly obvious: The Rams needed pass rushers. They selected Verse with the 19th pick and then traded up to select Fiske, Verse’s Florida State teammate, in the second round.
Cornerbacks Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon are 32 and 30, respectively, and Cobie Durant is in the final year of his rookie contract. So defensive coordinator Chris Shula could use some reinforcements.
Along with Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who is expected to be among the first players chosen, Jahdae Barron of Texas, Will Johnson of Michigan and Trey Amos of Mississippi are among the top cornerback prospects, according to Pro Football Focus.
Last year the Rams reportedly attempted to trade up to select tight end Brock Bowers, who was picked 13th by the Las Vegas Raiders. Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee recovered from knee and shoulder injuries to play late last season but is at the end of his career. So McVay could be in the market for another weapon.
Tyler Warren of Penn State and Colston Loveland of Michigan are among the top tight end prospects.
Despite adding Adams to a receiver corps that includes Nacua and speedy Tutu Atwell, the Rams could seek another dynamic receiver.
The wild card is whether the Rams have identified a quarterback who could succeed Stafford if the 16-year veteran retires in the next few years. In 2023 the Rams drafted Stetson Bennett in the fourth round, but the third-year pro is not regarded as the heir apparent.
So how does Snead evaluate this year’s quarterback prospects? The group includes Cam Ward of Miami, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, Jalen Milroe of Alabama, Will Howard of Ohio State and Jaxson Dart of Mississippi.
“I don’t think I could truly answer that honestly,” Snead said, “so I’ll keep that internal, how we view it.”
Stafford will be watching.
Sports
Eli Manning fires back amid debate comparing ex-Giants star to Falcons great Matt Ryan
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Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.
“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)
Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.
“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.
Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.
NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.
Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.
The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.
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Sports
Rams coach Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is ‘doing really well’ after rehab stint
Star receiver Puka Nacua will fully participate in voluntary offseason workouts, the Rams are getting closer to another contract adjustment with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead hope backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo decides to put off retirement and return for a third season and possible Super Bowl run.
McVay and Snead addressed those topics and the NFL draft on Tuesday during a videoconference with reporters.
Nacua led the NFL in receptions last season but also was involved in a string of off-the-field incidents the last few months, including an alleged biting incident that led to a civil lawsuit. Those situations put the brakes on any immediate discussion between the Rams and Nacua about a massive extension for the fourth-year pro.
In March, Nacua began a rehabilitation program in Malibu, but he was present for the first day of workouts on Monday.
Nacua, 24, “looks great” and is “doing really well,” McVay said. McVay declined to detail discussions he’s had with the All-Pro, who was a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year.
“He and I have a great relationship,” McVay said. “Feel really good about kind of the direction we’re going.”
Stafford, 38, led the Rams to the NFC championship game last season and is the reigning NFL most valuable player. According to overthecap.com, he is due to carry a salary-cap number of $48.3 million this season.
But Stafford has no doubt demanded, and will receive, a raise and a possible additional year in a deal that the Rams acknowledged two years ago is essentially a year-to-year situation.
“Progress has been made,” Snead said of negotiations.
There is no timeline, Snead said, “but don’t expect any drama, per se.”
Garoppolo, 34, has backed up Stafford for two seasons, and he has been invaluable.
Last year, with Stafford sidelined for training camp because of a back issue, Garoppolo ran the offense and prepped the defense with a skillset honed during a 12-year career that included a Super Bowl appearance. Stafford joined workouts before the season and remained healthy throughout, but Garoppolo was perhaps the most valuable insurance policy in the NFL.
Last season, Garoppolo played on a one-year contract and earned $4.5 million, according to overthecap.com.
McVay expressed confidence in fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett, but said he was hopeful that “when the time is right,” Garoppolo will “change his mind,” and return.
“You leave the door open,” McVay said when asked if there was a point that Rams would press Garoppolo to return. “I don’t think you want to press. What you don’t want to do is ever force a guy to play if in his mind he’s ready to move on.
“But you don’t want to minimize that, ‘Hey, if you do decide you want to play, let’s make sure it’s here with us.”
The Rams have the 13th pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday in Pittsburgh. They have one pick in the second and third rounds, one in the sixth round and three in the seventh.
Receiver, offensive line and edge rusher are among the positions the Rams could address with their first top-15 pick since they selected quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016.
“There’s a lot of possibilities,” McVay said. “We don’t control what happens in those 12 picks before, and so what we’ve done is a lot of contingency planning and a lot of conversations, and feel really good about that.”
Sports
PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
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The PGA Tour has announced that it will not be hosting an event in Hawaii during the 2027 season, ending a 56-year run of holding a tournament in The Aloha State. The change comes as the Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp have consistently teased a revamped schedule beginning next year.
The Tour was forced to cancel The Sentry at the start of the 2026 campaign due to the dying grass on the Plantation Course at Kapalua amid a local dispute with the company responsible for delivering water to the area.
An aerial view of the golf course from over the ocean prior to The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on December 31, 2023 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
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With The Sentry being canceled, the Sony Open at Waialae Country on Oahu served as the Tour’s season opener in ‘26, which was won by Chris Gotterup. The event was in the final year of its sponsorship, although the Tour has shared that it is working toward making the event the opening event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
Chris Gotterup of the United States celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after his winning round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at Waialae Country Club on January 18, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
The Tour’s removal of The Sentry and the Sony Open wipes out what has now turned into a traditional two-week stretch on the island to begin a new season.
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The PGA Tour did not share further details about the 2027 schedule upon its announcement about leaving Hawaii, but with Sentry reportedly being an event title-sponsor through 2035, it will need to find a new landing spot on the calendar. The logical stop would be Torrey Pines in San Diego, which checks the West Coast and great weather boxes, but the venue is also looking for a new sponsor, as its deal with Farmers Insurance ended in 2026.
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View of the 18th hole is seen during the final round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
The Tour’s decision not to begin next season in Hawaii makes sense, as there are plenty of venues in the lower 48 states that are much easier to operate from, but the departure will have a tremendous financial impact on the state.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that The Sentry is estimated to have a $50 million annual impact on the community, while the Sony Open directly generates an estimated $100 million in revenue per year, plus another $1 million per year to Friends of Hawaii charities.
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