2026 NFL Season Thread


Interesting read on the Vikings. Sounds like Kwesi was a weak figure in the building, and weak figures in a business like this invited insubordination.
i got a completely different picture from that article. it sounds like he totally blew his first draft and from that point forward koc had a bit too much control in the draft. koc is the one who wanted jj and kwesi was forced to go along. i guess from that stance, he could be perceived as "weak", but i think what it all boils down to is kwesi was not very successful with his drafts from the very beginning and was not providing the kind of roster depth that the team needed. interesting article. written so that you can take it whatever way you want. to me the situation sounds similar to gute in that his drafting was unconventional in the way that he focused more on analytics than performance and was not very successful in his picks and koc and others forced him out. depending upon what you meant by "weak", i guess maybe we are saying the same thing.
 
@MySportsUpdate
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44m


Just in: Government regulators have approved ESPN’s billion-dollar blockbuster acquisition of top NFL Media assets — giving ESPN access to NFL RedZone, NFL Network, more regular-season games, fantasy football rights, and more — in exchange for a 10% equity in ESPN, per
@AndrewMarchand
.The deal is officially done.

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Justin Jefferson pretty much says yeah JJ McCarthy sucks we screwed up and kept the wrong QB.

“Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, how we were dealt it,” Jefferson said. “But having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys, I definitely feel like we would have done better. But it is what it is, it’s on to newer and better things. But I’m definitely happy and proud of him that he is able to reach it this year.”
 
NFL employees will officially become part of ESPN in April. Starting next season, ESPN will hold the linear rights to the RedZone Channel. ESPN will also broadcast 28 regular-season games per year — the most in the network’s history.

ESPN is valued at $25-30 billion so the league sold out for $2.5-3 billion of equity in ESPN.
 
Justin Jefferson pretty much says yeah JJ McCarthy sucks we screwed up and kept the wrong QB.

“Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, how we were dealt it,” Jefferson said. “But having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys, I definitely feel like we would have done better. But it is what it is, it’s on to newer and better things. But I’m definitely happy and proud of him that he is able to reach it this year.”
I always thought Darnold was a guy who would spit the bit in big games, up until this year when he hasn't. That said, I thought last year they were nuts to let Darnold go. They should've signed him to a deal that gave them an out after two seasons. Let JJ sit for three years until he's ready, especially considering his first season was a wash due to injury. Developing a QB requires some degree of patience.
 
According to Google AI...

As part of a ~\$3 billion agreement announced in August 2025, NFL Fantasy Football will merge with ESPN Fantasy Football, making ESPN the official season-long fantasy game of the NFL. This integration, expected by the 2026 season, will likely combine NFL.com's data with ESPN’s platform for a "best-in-class" experience.
Key Changes to NFL Fantasy Football:
  • Platform Integration: The dedicated NFL Fantasy platform will be absorbed into ESPN Fantasy, creating a single, consolidated platform for users.
  • Enhanced Content: The merged platform will feature, and likely prioritize, deeper integration of video highlights, analysis, and data from the newly acquired NFL Network and RedZone.
  • "Official" Status: ESPN becomes the exclusive, official home for NFL-branded season-long fantasy games, aiming for broader global reach.
  • Timeline: While the deal was announced in 2025, the full merger is expected for the 2026 season, with existing NFL Fantasy users potentially facing a transition.
  • Direct-to-Consumer (DTC): The fantasy experience will be tied into ESPN's new DTC streaming service, potentially allowing for seamless, in-app viewing of highlights.
The merger aims to create a superior, all-in-one product, but it also reduces competition in the fantasy market, potentially shifting how the game is managed and monetized.
 
According to Google AI...

As part of a ~\$3 billion agreement announced in August 2025, NFL Fantasy Football will merge with ESPN Fantasy Football, making ESPN the official season-long fantasy game of the NFL. This integration, expected by the 2026 season, will likely combine NFL.com's data with ESPN’s platform for a "best-in-class" experience.
Key Changes to NFL Fantasy Football:
  • Platform Integration: The dedicated NFL Fantasy platform will be absorbed into ESPN Fantasy, creating a single, consolidated platform for users.
  • Enhanced Content: The merged platform will feature, and likely prioritize, deeper integration of video highlights, analysis, and data from the newly acquired NFL Network and RedZone.
  • "Official" Status: ESPN becomes the exclusive, official home for NFL-branded season-long fantasy games, aiming for broader global reach.
  • Timeline: While the deal was announced in 2025, the full merger is expected for the 2026 season, with existing NFL Fantasy users potentially facing a transition.
  • Direct-to-Consumer (DTC): The fantasy experience will be tied into ESPN's new DTC streaming service, potentially allowing for seamless, in-app viewing of highlights.
The merger aims to create a superior, all-in-one product, but it also reduces competition in the fantasy market, potentially shifting how the game is managed and monetized.
great. now disney will put a new spin on what the word "fantasy" means.
 
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