Hello football friends, and welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
It doesn't seem possibles, but the regular season is just one month away. Actually, it's less than a month away because the opening game of the season will be coming on Sept. 9 when the Seahawks face the Patriots in the Wednesday night opener.
The first game of the season is usually played on a Thursday night but the NFL threw a wrench into that tradition this year. There will still be a game on Thursday in Week 1, but it will be the one in Australia (Rams vs. 49ers), which will actually be played on a Friday due to the time difference.
Basically, you have one month to prepare for the start of the season, but you have zero time to prepare for the start of today's newsletter because we're diving into it now.
As always, here's your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let's get to the rundown.
1. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Recapping the enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2026
The Pro Football Hall of Fame officially has five new members following an enshrinement ceremony over the weekend that saw Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri all get inducted. Kuechly became the second-youngest player to ever be inducted while Vinatieri became just the third kicker ever to get a bust in Canton.
There were plenty of memorable and emotional moments during the ceremony. Here are a few that stood out, including an unfortunate announcement from Roger Craig:
- Craig announces that he's been diagnosed with dementia. During a pre-recorded acceptance speech, the 66-year-old revealed that he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. "My doctors believe it may be related, at least in part, to the concussions I experienced during my career," Craig said. "The changes were gradual. At first, they were easy to dismiss as normal aging. Over time, my family noticed it too, and it ultimately led us to seek answers from my doctor." Craig won three Super Bowls with the 49ers during an 11-year career that saw him play for three different teams.
- Adam Vinatieri turns his acceptance speech into a roast. No one was safe from Adam Vinatieri. During his acceptance speech, he made fun of anyone and everyone that he ever crossed paths with during his NFL career, including Bill Belichick. The former Patriots coach didn't attend Saturday's event and Vinatieri made note of that. "I thought it was because training camp had already started," Vinatieri said of Belichick's no-show. "But in truth it's because he is judging his girlfriend's cheerleading competition." The NFL's all-time leading scorer also took shots at Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, among others (You can see his full speech here).
- Larry Fitzgerald learned from watching Hall of Famers. The former Cardinals receiver actually got his first taste of the NFL when he served as a ball boy for the Vikings and while doing that job, he was surrounded by star players. "When Coach [Dennis] Green hired me as a ball boy, I grew up watching legends being built right in front of me," Fitzgerald said. "Hall of Fame players like John Randle, Chris Doleman, Randall McDaniel and Warren Moon, who taught me what it means to demand more of yourself than anyone else ever would. Plus, they saw me."
For all of the highlights from Canton, be sure to check out our full summary of the enshrinement ceremony here.
2. Predicting the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2027
With this year's class officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, now seems like a good time to go ahead and take a look at who might be in the class of 2027.
CBSSports.com's Bryan DeArdo decided to make a prediction on who's going to get in next year and he sees six people getting enshrined:
- Adrian Peterson (first year of eligibility)
- Rob Gronkowski (first year of eligibility)
- Frank Gore
- Terrell Suggs
- Ben Roethlisberger (first year of eligibility)
- Bill Belichick
After getting snubbed this year, Belichick feels like a lock for 2027 and it would be fitting if he were to go in with Gronkowski.
Peterson, Big Ben and Gronk headline a long list of players who will be eligible for the first time next year. Here are a few more names who will be on the ballot for the first time:
- Alex Mack
- Richard Sherman
- Eric Weddle
- Antonio Brown
- Cam Newton
- Gerald McCoy
- Andrew Whitworth
- Joe Haden
- Ryan Kerrigan
- Malcolm Jenkins
- Brandon Brooks
- Dont'a Hightower
- Le'Veon Bell
DeArdo has a full breakdown of his HOF prediction and you can check that out here.
3. Aaron Donald's return decision could be coming this week: Three things to know
After two months of waiting, it appears that Aaron Donald is finally going to make his decision about whether he's actually going to make a return to the NFL after two years in retirement. According to Pro Football Talk, Donald's decision is expected to come this week.
And let me just say, that's not a surprise at all. Earlier this month, I was asked to make a prediction about whether Donald would return, and if so, when it would happen. My prediction was that he would make the announcement between Aug. 9 and Aug. 16. If you look at everything that's happened with Donald in the month of August, all signs are pointing to a return.
Let's do a quick rehash of everything that has happened on the Donald front this month:
- Aug. 5: The NFL transaction wire gives a surprising Donald update. It's not clear how many times Donald has been at the Rams' facility this summer, but he was definitely there on Aug. 5 and we know that thanks to the NFL transaction wire. Donald was there because he wanted to work out in a football helmet and he ended up going to the Rams' facility to use their equipment. Due to that fact, the Rams had to report the visit to the NFL and it was listed as a "tryout." Doing a formal workout with the team feels like one of the final steps both sides would want to take before a return is announced.
- Aug. 7: A group of kids spot Donald working out at UCLA. Two days after his "tryout" with the Rams, Donald was spotted on the practice field at UCLA doing another workout, and he was actually wearing a Rams helmet. In a video that was posted to social media, a young fan asks Donald if he will be "unretiring" and "going back to the Rams" and although Donald said "I don't know yet," he was smiling when he said it, so feel free to read into that however you want.
- Aug 9: Donald actually works out at the Rams' facility. Just yesterday, Donald was at the Rams' facility doing sprints with Rams defensive end Braden Fiske (You can see the video here). Donald's wife, Erica, also shared video of her husband working out on Sunday. That's two workouts in one day. No one is doing two workouts in one day unless they're planning an NFL comeback.
If Donald does return, the Rams will have to quickly get his contract situation figured out. Donald is already under contract with the Rams, and after he makes the decision to return, his old deal will instantly become reactivated. At that point, the Rams will be on the hook for about $30 million to Donald in 2026, so the team might have to restructure his deal so that it can fit under the salary cap.
4. Predicting the MVP for each NFC team (Non-QB edition)
There's only one MVP in the NFL each year and we'll be making our predictions on that at some point down the road, but today, we're going to focus on a different type of MVP. Jared Dubin is here to predict who will be the MVP for each NFC team this year, but with one twist: He can't pick a quarterback.
So who are the most important non-quarterbacks for each NFC team? Let's check out what Dubin had to say for three different teams in the conference:
- Cowboys: DT Quinnen Williams. If all goes according to plan for the Cowboys this year, their defense will show significant improvement. Williams is the key to making that happen, wrecking games from the interior of the defensive line.
- Bears: TE Colston Loveland. Loveland showed during his rookie season that he was well worth the No. 10 pick in the draft. He finished the year with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. With D.J. Moore no longer in town, he figures to be the focus of the passing attack for Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, and he has the skill set to be a star at the position.
- 49ers: LT Trent Williams. There may not be a single non-quarterback whose team experiences a bigger drop-off at his position when he's out of the lineup than Williams. The 49ers don't have much depth at tackle and are already dealing with injuries at the skill positions. They desperately need Williams to stay upright all year.
If you want to see the other 13 MVPs in the NFC, Dubin has them here.
5. Five teams we're not talking about enough
With the start of NFL season less than one month away, it seems like the Rams are getting all they hype and although it's well deserved, there are plenty of other good teams out there, even if we aren't talking about them as much as we should.
With that in mind, Zach Pereles decided to take a look at five teams that we're not talking about enough.
1. Seahawks. At +1100, the Seahawks are tied for the longest odds to win the Super Bowl by any reigning champ in the last eight seasons. With the exception of them being on "Hard Knocks," they're not getting much buzz. That's a mistake. Last year wasn't just some lucky run. The Seahawks went 14-3, winning not only the competitive NFC West, but earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Their three losses were by a combined nine points. They bulldozed two of their three playoff opponents, including the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
2. Packers. It seems like it's said every year, but perhaps this is actually the year the offense becomes one of the league's best. Jordan Love has three talented, young receivers: Christian Watson and Jayden Reed both got extensions this offseason, and Matthew Golden is a strong second-year breakout candidate. Parsons is anticipating an early- or mid-season return. Green Bay made several additions on defense during the offseason -- including coordinator Jonathan Gannon -- and has a relatively friendly early-season schedule, when they'll be without Parsons.
3. Broncos. They have longer odds than the Lions and the same odds as the Bengals to win the Super Bowl. Neither team even made the postseason last year. The Broncos were likely a freak injury to Bo Nix away from the Super Bowl. The Broncos are behind not only the Chiefs but also the Chargers in the AFC West odds. Even Denver's 9.5 win total seems low; it won 14 games last year and 10 the year before, when Nix was a rookie.
Zach has two more teams on his list and you can check out who else is being disrespected here.
6. Extra points: Commanders take huge hit on the offensive line
It's been a busy few days around the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything, I put together a quick roundup for you.
- Laremy Tunsil out indefinitely with torn triceps. The Commanders starting left tackle is expected to miss a substantial amount of time after tearing his triceps during Saturday's practice. Brandon Coleman is expected to step in while Tunsil is out, but it's going to be tough for him to fill the shoes of the five-time Pro Bowler. We've got the full details on Tunsil's injury here.
- Hunter Henry gets two-year extension from the Patriots. The tight end will be sticking around New England until at least 2028 after landing a two-year, $16 million extension that's worth up to $20 million, according to ESPN. Henry's contract was set to expire after the 2026 season, but the Patriots decided to keep him around after watching him average 63 catches for 721 yards in his two seasons with Drake Maye (2024-25).
- Teddy Bridgewater retires again. For the second time in three years, Bridgewater has decided to retire. This time around, Lions coach Dan Campbell thinks that Bridgewater is retired for good. "I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it's at for sure right now," Campbell said, via ESPN. With Bridgewater gone, the Lions suddenly had an opening at backup QB and they filled that by signing Josh Dobbs to a one-year, $1.425 million deal. Besides Teddy, the Lions were also hit with another loss over the weekend: Cade Mays fractured his wrist. The team's starting center is expected to be out for 8 to 10 weeks, according to ESPN. It's a massive loss at a position the Lions have been trying to figure out since the retirement of Frank Ragnow after the 2024 season.
- Kyle Shanahan likely to coach in the preseason. The 49ers coach had a two-word answer when asked if he'll be coaching the team's first preseason game on Thursday against the Titans. "Oh yea." The 49ers coach, who was involved in a car crash on July 14, has been letting his assistants coach the team since the incident, but it appears he's finally ready to get back on the saddle. During an interview over the weekend, Shanahan also offered some new details about his crash. The 46-year-old said his Tesla was on autopilot at the time of the crash and he's still not sure whether the autopilot malfunctioned or whether he accidentally turned it off.
