Sports
By Luke Essig, Guest Writer
Week one of the National Football League (NFL) has passed, and teams saw major upsets, new rookies took to the field for their first games and drama and money negotiations happened behind the scenes.
Rookie Debuts
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had a strong start to the season for the Washington Commanders, but the team fell short in a 20-37 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rookie quarterbacks were in full effect this weekend, with first, second and eleventh overall picks Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) and Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) all making their debuts. Of the three, Daniels was the best performer, running 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Williams and Daniels won the 2022 and 2023 Heisman trophies with University of Southern California and Louisiana State University respectively, while Bo Nix was nominated in 2023 while playing for the University of Oregon.
The wide receivers were nothing but underwhelming. Marvin Harrison Jr., son of legendary Colts receiver Marvin Harrison, caught one pass for four yards from Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Giants sixth-overall pick Malik Nabers from LSU put up five catches and 66 yards. Nabers’ teammate at LSU, Brian Thomas Jr., scored a touchdown for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rome Odunze, ninth overall pick to the Chicago Bears out of Washington, caught one of his four targets for 11 yards.
Xavier Worthy, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash in NFL history at the combine back in March, scored two touchdowns for the Chiefs in the season opener on Thursday. Other rookie receivers to score touchdowns were Chargers’ Ladd McConkey and Buccaneers’ Jalen McMillan. Brock Bowers, the highest drafted tight end this season, caught six passes for 58 yards in his debut for the Raiders.
Dolphin in a Cage?
On his way to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill – voted best player in the NFL – was arrested and soon after released by police for a traffic violation. Hill was still available to play in the game, in which he caught seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, which went for 80 yards. He celebrated by being fake handcuffed by teammate receiver Jaylen Waddle after he scored. Defensive lineman Calais Campbell was also fake handcuffed after trying to diffuse the situation. The officer who placed Hill in handcuffs has since been placed on administrative leave.
Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott signed a four year $240 million contract extension, making him the highest paid player in the NFL.
(240) Million Dollar Baby
Hours before kickoff between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns, the Cowboys team and quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a four-year $240 million contract extension, which makes him the highest paid player in NFL history, netting him $60 million per year before taxes. This comes less than two weeks after his teammate, Ceedee Lamb, signed a four-year $136 million contract extension. Many fans don’t believe Prescott is worth that much money, since his final stat line was 19/32, 179 yards and a touchdown this past Sunday.
The biggest concern remains that the Cowboys do not have the cost cap space to re-sign one of the most impressive defensive players in the entire NFL, Micah Parsons. Many believed it was between Prescott and Parsons, and with Prescott’s new deal, it looks more likely that Parsons will enter free agency or be traded for less than his value.
New Form of Football Hits Brazil
The Green Bay Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL’s first ever game held in South America, played in Corinthians Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil. This comes with major controversy as reports emerged that prevalent gang culture in the city prohibited people from wearing the color green. The Packers wore green anyways and no violence or issues arose.
