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Panthers bring back Renfrow, place Coker on IR

  • David NewtonAug 30, 2025, 01:09 PM ET

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      David Newton is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Carolina Panthers. Newton began covering Carolina in 1995 and came to ESPN in 2006 as a NASCAR reporter before joining NFL Nation in 2013.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers on Saturday announced plans to re-sign Hunter Renfrow less than a week after releasing the 2021 Pro Bowl wide receiver.

It’s a one-year deal, a league source told ESPN.

Renfrow will fill the roster spot of Jalen Coker, who was placed on injured reserve with a quad injury suffered in Thursday’s practice. Coker, who is expected to miss the first four to six games, had been tabbed to replace veteran Adam Thielen, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.

Renfrow missed the 2024 season after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders following a 2023 season in which his production dropped significantly while he dealt with ulcerative colitis.

There were times while dealing with the disease that Renfrow suffered through seven straight days of fever of 103 degrees. He wondered if he would play football again after disappointing 2022 and 2023 seasons.

“I felt so bad those two years, and I felt like I let my teammates down so much,” Renfrow said when he began his comeback with Carolina in the spring. “Because I had expectations. I just signed a new contract [in 2022]. I had a new coaching staff that I was going to be perfect for. And I was just a dud.

“I was like, ‘Man, I know I don’t feel well, but I do not want to play football again. Like, I do not want to let people down. I just want to go over here in my corner, do what I do, get into business.'”

The Panthers kept in constant contact with Renfrow after releasing him, initially hoping to sign him to the practice squad while he got back to 100% after a hamstring injury during training camp slowed his comeback.

Coach Dave Canales said Wednesday that he didn’t think Renfrow was quite back to the form he showed early in training camp when explaining the decision to cut him. But both Canales and general manager Dan Morgan repeatedly told Renfrow they wanted him to be a part of the organization.

Coker’s injury sped up the process.

“He’s got some freaky lateral quickness,” offensive coordinator Brad Idzik recently said of Coker. “And then when he opens up, he’s like big strides, a powerful first four steps, which simulates, ‘I’m going full-tilt vertical.’

“He simulates that every single time, and then he eats up whatever leverage you give him.”

NFL

Goals 'haven't changed,' says Cowboys coach

  • Todd ArcherAug 29, 2025, 05:42 PM ET

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      Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010.

FRISCO, Texas — There was a mix of shock and surprise in the Dallas Cowboys locker room when they were informed Thursday night that edge rusher Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Parsons broke the news to his fellow defensive linemen in a group chat. Other players found out through their own positions’ group chats or social media.

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“We’ve got to win with who we have,” special teams ace and one of the veteran leaders,

Soon after the trade, coach Brian Schottenheimer said he called 12-14 players just so they could hear his voice. Quarterback Dak Prescott was one of the players. So was Trevon Diggs, who was perhaps Parsons’ closest friend on the team.

“I did want those guys to feel like they had a chance to talk to me,” Schottenheimer said. “I said, ‘You guys can say anything you want to me. Here’s why we made the decision. Here’s what went into it.’ Again, those conversations were powerful but also will stay between me and them.”

On Friday, Schottenheimer addressed the full team with a message.

“Nothing’s changed. My goals haven’t changed, Our team goals haven’t changed,” Schottenheimer said. “I hit the players on that today after I talked about just the tough couple days for all the guys, and it doesn’t change. The standard is the standard. I said that. With all the new pieces and people we had in there, I needed to hit the goal, which is to win a world’s championship. I needed to hit that we also want to build one of the greatest professional sports cultures in the world. That’s part of the deal when you add new pieces, you have to make sure they understand your vision.”

The team also acknowledged Parson’s departure on Friday with a “thank you” message on X.

Aside from the strangeness of not seeing Parsons on the practice field or in the locker room, the focus of the day was their first practice in preparation for the Eagles.

“The positive thing about [the timing of the trade] is we’re into a regular seven-day cycle with Philadelphia,” the coach said, “and it’s one of those things that now we get to focus on Philly.”

Replacing Parsons and his 52.5 sacks will be difficult. Two of the players the Cowboys will look to are their second-round picks the past two seasons: Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku.

“Whether he was here or not, it is going to be important for all of us to really go out there and produce,” Kneeland said. “That’s just what this is going to have to be, anyway. So now we all really get to show what we can do.”

Ezeiruaku said Parsons reached out to him immediately after the draft and has helped him throughout the summer.

“We’ve always been hungry to go get it and hit the quarterback,” Ezeiruaku said. “At the same time, we understand it’s a big piece of the pie that’s missing, that’s not here anymore. We’ve got to fill that and we’re going to do exactly that.”

For Clark, his day started with an early morning flight from Green Bay to Dallas with his family and a physical. He did not practice with the team, but he made an impression by introducing himself to every player on the team.

He was aware of the Parsons’ contract saga but never thought he would be part of a deal. In fact, he was at the store with his daughter getting some ice cream following practice when he was told by the Packers of the trade.

“I’m here to play ball, man,” Clark said. “Whether it’s nose tackle, 3-tech, I’m just here to be the best defensive tackle I can be.”

Clark, 29, is signed for three more years and is a three-time Pro Bowl pick. Schottenheimer said he is not sure a deal would have been concluded if Clark was not part of the package in return. Schottenheimer said Clark will play against the Eagles.

“He’s been playing in similar systems and has exposure to [defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’] system,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s a pro. He’ll have no problem getting up to speed, so you should expect to see him out there.”

Clark played against the Eagles twice last year, including the season opener and divisional round of the playoffs.

“This franchise,” Clark said, “will get everything I got.”

NFL

Broncos get 'good news' on Mims' groin injury

  • Jeff LegwoldAug 28, 2025, 02:57 PM ET

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      Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday that the team got “good news” on wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.’s groin injury and that the third-year veteran should be on track to play in the Sept. 7 season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

Mims left Wednesday’s practice with the injury, walking off the field with the Broncos’ medical staff about halfway through the team’s on-field work. Mims was taken for an MRI as well as some additional tests.

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“On Marvin, good news, he’ll be back to practice,” Payton said Thursday. “We have a bonus practice Monday, and he’ll be at work Monday. So, we’re fortunate.”

Mims has spent much of training camp and the preseason among the starters on offense, as he, Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin have spent the most snaps at receiver with quarterback Bo Nix. Mims, who lined up at running back at times last season, finished with 39 receptions for 503 yards and six touchdowns.

He also made his second consecutive Pro Bowl as a returner, leading the league at 15.7 yards per punt return.

Payton has consistently talked about trying to get more snaps for Mims in the offense because of his ability to create explosive plays after the catch. He had eight catches for 103 yards, including an acrobatic touchdown catch that sent the game to overtime in the Broncos’ Dec. 28 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mims said earlier during this training camp that he hoped “that game, maybe, opened the coaches’ eyes a little bit, or made them feel more comfortable; I can do more. I want to do more, I want to earn those opportunities.”

Mims was the Broncos’ second-round pick in the 2023 draft.

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?Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift reveal engagement

  • Tory BarronAug 26, 2025, 08:43 PM ET

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      Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are “End Game.”

The pop superstar and the three-time Super Bowl champion took to social media to reveal they are engaged to be married.

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” the duo captioned a series of photos in a joint Instagram post, which garnered 1.2 million likes in its first 10 minutes.

Travis’ father, Ed, told News 5 Cleveland on Tuesday that his son proposed to Swift at a garden in Lee’s Summit, Missouri almost two weeks ago. He knew about Travis’ plan months in advance and expected him to propose during the 2024 NFL season.

“Travis actually did the proposal, oh, maybe two weeks, not quite two weeks ago,” Ed said. “He was going to put it off till this week. I think she was getting maybe a little antsy, but he was going to put her off till this week, to, you know, make some grand thing, to make it a big special event. And I told him repeatedly, you know, you could do it on the side of the road, do it any place that makes it a special event … when you get down on one knee and ask her to marry you.”

Ed said the couple were about to go to dinner when Travis asked if she wanted to get a glass of wine to set up the moment. They then FaceTimed Ed, who was at a public Philadelphia Eagles practice, to deliver the news. Ed also shared that he hasn’t seen Travis happier than he is with his now fiancé.

The couple’s engagement comes on the heels of a romance that captivated football and pop culture fans alike since Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season.

In Dec. 2023, Swift reflected on the origin of her oft-dissected relationship with Kelce in an article for Time Magazine Person of the Year.

“This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” Swift told Time.

“We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other. By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

Announcing your engagement to your 14-time Grammy Award-winning girlfriend two weeks after she revealed her new album on your podcast and the week before football season officially commences? So high school, indeed.

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