Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
I have no idea how it happened, but the offseason is pretty much over because football is back! I repeat, football is back. This is not a drill. There is going to be actual NFL football on TV tonight. Sure, there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to name a single player on the field in the fourth quarter, but that’s the beauty of preseason football.
If you need a reason to watch tonight’s game, don’t worry, I’m going to give you a few reasons why you should tune in tonight. With that in mind, let’s get to the rundown.
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1. Hall of Fame Game: Why you should watch Lions-Chargers
When it comes to the Hall of Fame Game, you rarely ever see any starters on the field, but I’m going to be watching anyway because it’s first NFL action of the 2025 season and I was starting to have serious withdrawals.
The game will be kicking off at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Here are a few things to know heading into tonight’s game and a few reasons why you might want to watch:
- Trey Lance will be getting the start for the Chargers. Some people might not even be aware that Lance plays for the Chargers, but he does, and he’ll be getting the start tonight. Lance was the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he fizzled out in San Francisco, and now he’s trying to save his career with the Chargers. Although most starters will be on the bench, the Chargers could be fun to watch tonight if they play their rookies. Running back Omarion Hampton and receiver Tre Harris should both see playing time.
- Who to watch on the Lions. The Lions also have two notable rookies who could see action tonight in defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (first-round pick) and offensive guard Tate Rutledge (second-round pick). At quarterback, the Lions will likely turn to Hendon Hooker. The former Tennessee star threw just nine passes during the entire 2024 season, so America will get a chance to see what Hooker can do.
- Chargers and Lions history in the Hall of Fame Game. This will mark the just the third time that the Chargers have played in the Hall of Fame Game and they have a record of 0-1-1. The last time the Chargers played in Canton came in 1994, which is notable, because they ended up making it to the Super Bowl that year. As for the Lions, this will be their fourth Hall of Fame Game after going 1-2 in their previous three matchups. The last time the Lions played in Canton came in 1991 and the extra preseason game gave them some momentum that they rode all the way to the NFC title game.
- Why the Chargers and Lions were chosen to play in the game. The two teams chosen for the Hall of Fame Game each year are generally picked based on whether they have any Hall of Famers being inducted this year. The Chargers have Antonio Gates being inducted into the Hall this weekend. Although the Lions won’t have anyone enshrined this weekend, Gates was born and raised in Detroit, so he has ties to both teams.
Breech’s pick: Lions 20-17 over Chargers (Lions cover -1.5). It’s the bottom of the Chargers roster against the bottom of the Lions roster, which means I’m going to take the team that I think has the better roster and that’s the Lions.
2. Training camp takeaways: Titans offense is looking ‘mid,’ Tua hasn’t turned the ball over
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Welcome to your daily edition of training camp takeaways. Let’s take a run around the league to see what’s gone down over the past 24 hours.
- Cameron Ward thinks the Titans offense is ‘mid’ right now. Here’s what Ward had to say about his offense after one week of training camp, “Just think we’re very mid right now,” Ward said. “Up front, to the receivers, and every position. But at the end of the day, it all starts with me. I just don’t think we’re at what we need to be, but we got a little bit of time.” In Ward’s defense, the offense is a work in progress right now. The Titans have a rookie QB who’s trying to build chemistry with his new receivers while playing in a new offense. It’s going to take time. As long as the Titans’ offense isn’t ‘mid’ when the season starts, Tennessee should be OK. — John Breech
- Tua Tagovailoa has been turnover free. Tagovailoa hasn’t thrown an interception through seven Dolphins training camp practices and has been consistent from day to day. That’s what Tagovailoa is focusing on through every practice. The result isn’t what he’s seeking, it’s more about the progress in each practice. … Not turning the football over in practice can lead to turnover-free football in a game. — Jeff Kerr
- Travis Hunter is an iron man. If Hunter has his way, he won’t be taken off the field this year. Hunter has been seeing reps on both sides of the ball in Jaguars training camp, as a wide receiver and cornerback — as Jacksonville balances his days between the offense and defense. CBS Sports senior NFL writer Pete Prisco has said Hunter is working with the defensive coaches when the team runs special teams on an offensive day and vice versa, never taking a break during practice. — Jeff Kerr
Kerr has a few more takeaways, and you can check those out here.
3. Former first-round picks who could become stars in 2025
Although Jayden Daniels made it look easy, not every first-round pick thrives during their first year in the NFL. For some players, it takes some time to adjust. Chris Trapasso took a look at a few first-round picks who could finally break through this year after struggling for most of their career.
Let’s take a look at a few names on his list:
- Colts QB Anthony Richardson (Fourth overall pick in 2023). Richardson has now had ample time to sharpen his previously raw skills as a thrower, and to learn the intricacies of defenses. Despite the accuracy issues in 2024, Richardson did have a Big-Time Throw rate of 6.8%, which had he qualified, would’ve been the fifth-highest rate in football. Now in Year 3 of Shane Steichen’s offense and an ascending skill-position group around him, I expect Richardson to beat out Daniel Jones in camp, then drift toward stardom during the regular season.
- Falcons WR Drake London (Eighth overall pick in 2022). Drake London is on the verge of becoming a household name. Even last year, with Kirk Cousins then rookie Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, the former top 10 selection with a bruising, old-school game on the outside, caught 100 passes for 1,271 yards with nine touchdowns. … With Penix, London should be able to expand his productivity down the field, where he thrives as a rebounder because of his nearly 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, and exceptionally reliable, sturdy hands.
Trapasso has high hopes for a total of five former first-rounders here and you can see his full list of names here.
4. Active NFL players who will almost certainly end up in the Hall of Fame
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With the Hall of Fame Game being played tonight, that got us wondering about which active players will eventually end up getting enshrined in Canton. Jeff Kerr came up with a list of 12 players who will likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame once they’re done with football.
Let’s check out three names on his list:
- Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback could retire now and be inducted on the first ballot when he’s eligible for the Hall of Fame.
- T.J. Watt. The Steelers star is entering the conversation of one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history. He tied Michael Strahan for the most sacks in a single season (22.5, 2021) and has 108.0 sacks in 121 career games. Watt is the first player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to lead the league in sacks three times (2020, 2021 and 2023).
- Bobby Wagner. Wagner has 100+ tackles in all 13 seasons and led the league in tackles three times. He’s one of four players with 1,800+ tackles and 35+ sacks in NFL history (Ray Lewis, Junior Seau, London Fletcher), also in the category of the same four players with 1,800+ tackles, 35+ sacks, and 10+ interceptions.
Kerr’s full list is here. And on that note, can someone please remind me to check back on his list in 15 years to see how many names he got right? That would be great. Thank you.
5. CBS Sports NFL announcer pairings revealed: JJ Watt making the move from the studio to the booth
The only thing more exciting than the Hall of Fame Game being today is the fact that we just revealed our 2025 NFL announcer pairings here at CBS Sports.
For the ninth straight year, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson will be teaming up to form the top NFL team at CBS.
The four other announcer pairings include:
- Play-by-play commentator Ian Eagle, analyst JJ Watt with sideline reporter Evan Washburn
- Kevin Harlan and Trent Green with Melanie Collins
- Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis and Jason McCourty with AJ Ross
- Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta with Aditi Kinkhabwala
Besides those four tandems, Beth Mowins and Chris Lewis will also serve as the play-by-play announcers for select games this year. Two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan will also be in the booth as an analyst for select games in 2025. On the sidelines, you’ll also see Tom McCarthy and Ross Tucker working certain games throughout the season.
One big thing you might notice is that Watt is now in the announcer’s booth. After spending the 2024 season as part of “The NFL Today” crew, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year will now be making the jump to the booth to work with Eagle on the No. 2 team.
Although Watt is no longer on “The NFL Today,” you will see several familiar faces. James Brown will once again be anchoring the show from from New York. Brown will be joined by veteran analysts Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Matt Ryan.
6. Extra points: Raiders left tackle gets massive extension
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It’s been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
- Kolton Miller gets three-year deal from Raiders. Miller has been the Raiders starting left tackle since 2018 and he’ll be sticking around a few more seasons after agreeing to a three-year, $66 million extension that includes $42.5 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN. Miller, who was drafted by the Raiders when they were still in Oakland, is the longest tenured player on the team.
- Bengals add another weapon. Former first-round pick Noah Fant is expected to sign with the Bengals. The tight end spent last season in Seattle, where he caught 48 passes for 500 yards. He’ll now be joining a pass-catching arsenal in Cincinnati that includes Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Mike Gesicki.
- John Schneider gets extension from Seahawks. The Seahawks general manager is now under contract through the 2031 season after getting an extension on Wednesday. It’s certainly a vote of confidence for a guy who has pulled off some big moves this offseason by trading away both Geno Smith and DK Metcalf.
- Xavier Worthy in concussion protocol. The Chiefs receiver is likely going to miss a few days after being placed in concussion protocol. The Chiefs’ receiving group is suddenly dealing with a rash of injuries as Skyy Moore (hamstring) and Hollywood Brown (ankle) have both missed practice time this week due to injury.
- Shannon Sharpe out at ESPN. The Pro Football Hall of Famer is no longer working at ESPN after being let go this week, according to The Athletic. Sharpe recently settled a lawsuit where he had been accused of rape and he hadn’t been on ESPN’s airwaves since April.
- Isaiah Likely could miss up to six weeks. The Ravens tight end could miss Baltimore’s season opener against the Bills. Likely is set to undergo surgery this week for a fracture in his foot and the operation is expected to sideline him for about six weeks. Despite the timeline, John Harbaugh is optimistic that Likely will be ready for Week 1. “We got a shot to get him back there right away early,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see. That’s the good news. It’s early in camp, and it’s not one of those major type of deals, but it’s something. It’s multiple weeks.” You can check out Harbaugh’s full comments here.