Sports Al Dente

Although it was challenging for Damar Hamlin to face his many fears last year while working to return to football after a near-death experience, the Buffalo Bills safety wouldn’t change anything now.

Hamlin believes that each step in his journey—his first practice, his first tackle, his first game—was crucial in reaching a new milestone in his comeback, being named a starter for the season opener.

Coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Hamlin will start alongside Taylor Rapp when the Bills play against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. “Truly a blessing,” Hamlin said.

“I reflect back on the whole process and me not knowing if I would even be able to play again,” he added. “Last season was primarily just about healing and making myself do the hard stuff, thrusting myself into things that were uncomfortable, that made me fearful or gave me anxiety.

But I was doing the hard stuff last year to make it easier this year.” Hamlin was wearing a green pullover with “Don’t Quit” written on it during his interview. “It aligns with who I am,” he said.

In just 20 months, Hamlin has gone from suffering cardiac arrest and needing resuscitation on the field during a prime-time game in Cincinnati to earning a starting position in a completely revamped secondary.

Both starting spots became available after Buffalo’s seven-year starting duo was broken up in the offseason, with Jordan Poyer released and Micah Hyde still unsigned and considering retirement.

Hamlin, however, wasn’t guaranteed a starting role after Buffalo signed Mike Edwards, a fifth-year player, in free agency and drafted Cole Bishop with a second-round pick.

Edwards and Bishop have missed a lot of time due to injuries, and McDermott praised Hamlin for being consistent and developing a strong connection with Rapp on the field.

“What else can’t this young man do?” McDermott said proudly about Hamlin, who was a sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh.

“It’s one thing to come back from an ACL or a broken bone. It’s another thing to come back from what he went through, right, let alone just decide to play contact football. … I mean, it’s incredible,” he added.

“We’re just extremely proud and full of gratitude to watch him go through what he’s been through and where he is now.”

It was a tough journey for Hamlin, but he finds it rewarding and often reflects on his experience.

“I think about it all the time. As much as the world experienced it, it happened to me,” Hamlin said. “I enjoy that part of it because it allows me to stay connected with the reason why I’m here … and I have a second chance at doing things the right way in all areas of my life.”

Hamlin was in a medically induced coma for two days before waking up surrounded by his family.

Doctors found that his heart stopped due to commotio cordis, which occurs when a direct hit at a precise moment in the heartbeat causes cardiac arrest. Cleared to practice and told by specialists that the chances of it happening again were low, Hamlin was slowly brought back into football.

Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II had a significant day, becoming the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history and earning his first captain title as a professional on Wednesday.

“Signed, sealed, delivered,” Surtain said with a smile after finalizing his four-year contract extension worth $96 million, including $77.5 million in guarantees.

Surtain described the contract extension as “a huge burden off my shoulders.”

“I’m honestly just very relieved. Just to be able to sign and seal that deal is a blessing,” Surtain said. “(And) being a captain for this team means a lot. It shows how much this organization believes in me, this team believes in me and I don’t take that for granted.”

With an average of $24 million per year, Surtain surpasses Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. ($21.025 million) and Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander ($21 million) to become the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.

“It means a lot,” Surtain said. “But at the end of the day, I just focus on doing the best I can do on the field, being the best version of myself each and every day.”

His approach has led him to record 187 tackles, seven interceptions, and 36 pass breakups in his three seasons with the Broncos, who picked him ninth overall from Alabama in the 2021 NFL draft.

Earlier this year, the Broncos picked up their fifth-year option on Surtain, guaranteeing him $19.802 million for 2025. He is set to earn about $3.5 million this season.

The new contract will start in 2026 and keep Surtain with the Broncos through the 2029 season.

The Broncos, who are starting a $175 million renovation of their suburban headquarters this week, could have waited another year to secure Surtain’s services but decided to act now as he enters his fourth season.

“I think both sides felt really good about the timing,” coach Sean Payton said. “We went ahead and did it. It’s securing a real young talented player that is at a position that’s hard to find.”

Keeping rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels safe is a top priority for the Washington Commanders, especially starting this weekend during his NFL debut at Tampa Bay and throughout the season.

To achieve this, they’ve focused on rebuilding the offensive line. This includes adding three new starters: rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman and two veteran free agents, left guard Nick Allegretti and center Tyler Biadasz.

Right guard Sam Cosmi and right tackle Andrew Wylie are the only returning players from the line that allowed Sam Howell to be sacked a league-high 65 times last season.

Cosmi was the most reliable lineman and showed improvement with each game. On Wednesday, he received a four-year extension that keeps him with the team through 2028.

“I think we got a special dude that I’ve got to protect — very talented — and that makes me excited to be here, hopefully for the next five years,” Cosmi said. “I’m happy it’s done.

I just wanted to focus on beating Tampa Bay and get this out of the back of my head and go out there and play free. A huge blessing to be able to do that now.”

The extension is valued at $74 million with $45 million guaranteed, according to someone familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity since the details weren’t officially released.

“He is a pillar of our offensive line, and we believe that Sam’s best playing days are ahead,” general manager Adam Peters said. “Sam is a great leader and teammate, and we’re excited that he will be a member of our team for years to come.”

Drafted in the second round out of Texas in 2021, Cosmi is one of only 12 draft picks from Ron Rivera’s four years as head coach who are still on the 53-man roster. Originally drafted as a tackle, Cosmi was moved to guard, where he has excelled in the NFL.

Patrick Queen knows well about the labels people give him. These labels show up whenever the Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker searches his name on social media.

There are many labels—Queen thinks there are at least 100. They cover a range of criticisms, such as his supposed inability to do certain things and issues with communication. This is surprising given that Queen is known for talking a lot, both during games and off the field.

The label that bothers him the most is the idea that his impressive performance with the Baltimore Ravens was just because he played next to All-Pro Roquan Smith.

Queen, who just signed the biggest free-agent deal in Steelers history, wants to change this perception. He acknowledges that Smith is “a hell of a player and a hell of a teammate, a hell of a leader” and the best in their position, but he disagrees with the notion that his own success was merely due to opponents focusing on Smith.

Queen doesn’t buy into the idea that his career-high 133 tackles last year were just because opponents were planning to stop Smith and left him free to make plays. He is determined to show what he can do on his own.

The Steelers are counting on him to prove himself. Since a spinal injury ended rising star Ryan Shazier’s career in 2017, the inside linebacker position has seen many players come and go.

If Queen dislikes the comments about him online, they are nothing compared to the challenges faced by Jon Bostic, Mark Barron, Joe Schobert, Devin Bush, and Myles Jack, who all had relatively short tenures with the Steelers while trying to fill Shazier’s role with mixed results.

The team hopes it has finally found someone to fill Shazier’s spot, and so does Queen, who grew up in Louisiana dreaming of playing for the Steelers.

“It felt like I was destined to be here,” he said.

This strong sense of destiny is one reason Queen has embraced his role in Pittsburgh. He’s not the first player to switch from one AFC North rival to another, but he is definitely the loudest.

“He’s got a lot of juice, energy, bringing it every day,” outside linebacker Nick Herbig said. “And he’s out there just talking (smack), you know?”

This energetic personality is useful for a player who needs to pass on the defensive calls from coordinator Teryl Austin to the other players on the field.

The interesting part is that, despite Queen’s confident and talkative nature, the Steelers believe having a reliable three-down linebacker like him will benefit their defense, which will need to step up while a new offense led by Russell Wilson gets settled.

In recent years, Austin had to shift the responsibility for calling plays or have an assistant do it from the sideline because there wasn’t a linebacker versatile enough to stay on the field in every situation.

Now, with Queen in place, there’s hope that having a consistent person calling the plays will be reassuring for the defense.

“It can get a little erratic sometimes with who’s calling and who’s got it,” Austin said. “There’s been times we had different guys doing it. So, I think you have that one steady person. I think that’s really calming for the defense.”

It might be the only time you’ll see “calm” and Queen mentioned together in the same sentence. Before the snap, he is 6-feet and 232 pounds of constant movement.

If he’s not directing the defensive line to shift positions, he’s signaling to the secondary about coverage. Or he’s talking to fellow inside linebacker Elandon Roberts as they split their responsibilities for a play.

Austin described Queen as a player the Steelers “can build around.” Despite his confidence, Queen understands his place on a defense that features a top pass-rush duo with All-Pro T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

“If I do my job to the best of my ability to give them guys the second to get back to the quarterback, they’ll get there,” Queen said.

Queen might also get a chance to sack the quarterback himself. He has 13 1/2 sacks in four seasons and might have more chances to make plays in Pittsburgh, a place known for its aggressive defense.

Queen is ready to do whatever is needed because he believes he can handle it. He doesn’t care about the labels given to him elsewhere. His goal is much bigger.

“I want to be great,” he said. “I want to be ‘The Guy.’ My whole mindset coming here was just ‘Trying to be the best that came through here’ and etch a name for myself.”

Caelen Carson is set to step up for the Dallas Cowboys in the third straight season where they have to replace an injured cornerback. If you don’t know his name yet, you might hear more about him soon.

In 2022, the Cowboys were missing nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis for most of the season, and rookie DaRon Bland took his place. Bland went on to have a record-breaking 2023 season after Trevon Diggs was injured.

Carson is expected to start the first game of the season at Cleveland on Sunday. He’s a rookie fifth-round pick, filling in for Bland, who is out for at least the first four games due to foot surgery for a stress fracture.

Bland, also a rookie fifth-round pick, led Dallas with five interceptions two years ago.

“We’ve seen guys step in and become, I don’t want to say household names, because we don’t care about that,” safety Malik Hooker said. “There’s guys that built their confidence up, not only within themselves but with the organization and our team, with going out there and stepping in there and making plays.”

Since 2021, the Cowboys lead the NFL with 59 interceptions. Diggs had a standout season with 11 interceptions, tying a franchise record, and Dallas has made the playoffs each year with a 12-5 record.

Diggs was in his second year when he led the NFL in interceptions, and Bland did the same last season with nine interceptions.

It’s unusual to see such high numbers in back-to-back seasons with starting cornerbacks missing at least 10 games due to injuries.

“I don’t even think it’s circle the wagons,” Lewis said. “I feel like the production is still there regardless of whoever’s out. Trevon was out, (Bland) stepped up. We’re always going to turn the ball over. I feel like that’s a staple of what we do.”

Lewis had a complex foot injury two years ago that raised doubts about his return. It turned out to be fortunate that he did come back when Diggs tore a knee ligament in practice after just two games last season.

Bland had been feeling discomfort during training camp this summer, and the team announced his injury on the day of the preseason finale. By then, Carson had already made a name for himself with his work during the offseason and in California.

“He has a quiet confidence about himself,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “Since he’s arrived here, I haven’t seen him really take a step backward. He competes, very instinctive, very aware.”

Bland joined the Cowboys from Fresno State, which added to the interest since he was nearing an NFL record without the same college background as many teammates, including Diggs from Alabama.

Carson’s situation is similar; he played all four years at Wake Forest, despite the transfer portal being popular.

“I just feel like nothing changes,” Carson said. “More people, and it’s on television. But at the end of the day, you’ve been doing this since you were 5 years old.”

Before Bland’s injury, the Cowboys traded for Andrew Booth from Minnesota, swapping him for Nahshon Wright in a cornerback exchange. Booth, a third-year player, hadn’t lived up to expectations for the Vikings as a second-round pick in 2022.

Dallas also has fourth-year player Israel Mukuamu, who began his NFL career as a safety. Hooker recalls Mukuamu stepping in effectively at cornerback, which is his current position.

The rise of Bland made Wright, a third-round pick in 2021, unnecessary, and kept Mukuamu in a backup role. The Cowboys can use Bland’s experience to teach Carson and others.

“I think it’s definitely something you can point to,” McCarthy said. “And I think anytime you have a situation that occurs and you can point internally to how you’ve handled it, that’s part of that five-year growth that I’m talking about.”

A week after the New York Giants brought back the No. 1 jersey for impressive rookie receiver Malik Nabers, they did it again on Wednesday.

This time, they gave the No. 1 jersey to Rai Benjamin, an Olympic track star and lifelong Giants fan. Benjamin, from Mount Vernon, New York, won gold in the 400-meter hurdles and then, 12 hours later, helped the United States 4×400 relay team win another gold at the Paris Olympics.

Benjamin enjoyed his time with the Giants as they get ready for their season opener on Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I said just give me a one-day contract,” said Benjamin, who received the jersey from general manager Joe Schoen.

Nabers had to get permission from the family of Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty, a receiver, to wear the number this season.

When the Giants retired No. 1 in 1935, it was the first number retired in professional football.

While talking to the media, Schoen came out of the team headquarters, saw the 27-year-old wearing the new jersey, and talking with reporters. He asked Benjamin if he wanted a helmet and cleats as well.

“Don’t tease me,” Benjamin replied with a laugh, and joked that he had earlier offered a trainer $20 to get him a pair of cleats.

On a serious note, Benjamin said he couldn’t do what NFL players do. Although he played receiver and safety in high school, he said he would never go over the middle to catch a pass.

“These guys train their entire lives for this and I run in a circle,” said Benjamin, who also won a silver medal in the 400 hurdles at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Benjamin mentioned that several players wanted to race him and laughed when told that former Southern California track teammate Adoree Jackson might still think he can run faster.

Deshaun Watson is ready for a big comeback and needs to stay focused on the future.

“It’s a new year. It’s a new season,” Watson said on Wednesday. “No matter if you won MVP or didn’t play last year, it’s a new year. If you’re thinking about last year, you’re going to fall behind.”

Watson is heading into what might be the most crucial season of his career—college or pro—with huge expectations and a lot of pressure. He has only started 12 games in his first two years with Cleveland, and his 2023 season ended because of a right shoulder injury that needed surgery and several months of tough rehab.

Watson worked hard and thinks he’s ready. Now, the real challenge begins.

On Sunday, he will play in a game for the first time since November 12. The Browns, who made it to the playoffs without him last season, will play against the Dallas Cowboys. For Watson, just being back on the field is a win.

It was uncertain when he’d be able to play again after breaking the glenoid bone in his throwing shoulder. But Watson achieved all the goals set by his doctors and the Browns’ medical team to return to play.

Watson realized during mini-camp practices in the spring that he would be ready for the fall.

“When we first had the surgery back in November, no one knew exactly where it was going to lead to,” he said before practice. “It could have been now as we’re sitting here today or it could have been a whole year, which would’ve been in November.

“So it was very broad, but I challenged myself to get back to this moment right now.”

There have been challenges for Watson. He didn’t play at all during the preseason and was limited in practice two weeks ago due to what coach Kevin Stefanski called “general arm soreness.”

Watson, however, says he could have continued throwing.

“It was a medical decision where they just told me any type of soreness or anything you’re feeling, we’re going to take the high road and not try to push anything further,” he said. “The key is to play 17-plus games, not finish training camp and try to be a superhero.”

Watson also mentioned there have “never been any limitations” on his arm.

The Browns hope that there won’t be any limits on his performance this season. They invested $230 million in Watson and haven’t seen the results they expected.

After missing 11 games in 2023 due to an NFL suspension, Watson showed some of his old skill last season before a shoulder injury, which was not fully known until he completed 14 of 14 passes in a second-half comeback to beat Baltimore.

But aside from that game, there have been too many average performances with too many turnovers and excuses.

Watson said the injury made him go “back to basics” and that he and his personal coach, Quincy Avery, rebuilt his throwing mechanics “from scratch.” He has improved his diet and, with help from doctors and trainers, remade himself.

“We sat down together, we put out a plan and we followed that plan,” he said. “I feel really, really well, feel very explosive, locked in on my tasks, on the game, endurance, everything. So I’m excited to go out there and show what I got on Sunday and with all the hard work that I put in.”

A three-time Pro Bowler in four seasons with Houston (he missed 2021 due to a contract dispute), Watson has not been the same game-changing quarterback with Cleveland for clear reasons. Statistically, he is among the lower half of quarterbacks in the AFC.

Louis Rees-Zammit always imagined himself as an NFL receiver.

Last week, the Welsh rugby star switched teams from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Jacksonville Jaguars and also changed his position. He spent five months working as a running back with the Chiefs, who have won the Super Bowl twice in a row.

Now, he’s excited about his new position, which he believes suits him better.

“I think I’m much better off playing receiver with my size and strength,” Rees-Zammit said after practice on Wednesday. “I think that’s probably a position that suits me a lot more. It was a good experiment to try running back out at the Chiefs, but I think we all realized that I would probably be a receiver eventually.

“And here we are today. I’m loving training at receiver and I’m loving learning the role and am going to continue to improve.”

The Chiefs released Rees-Zammit in the final roster cuts last week after he had six carries for 22 yards and one catch for 3 yards during the preseason. He quickly joined the Jacksonville practice squad.

NFL teams can have up to 16 players on their practice squad. They also have an extra spot for a player from the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which helps players from other countries get a chance.

Practice squad players work just as hard as the 53-man roster players but earn less and need to be promoted to the active roster to play in games.

For Rees-Zammit, this is an opportunity to keep practicing with the team while waiting for a chance to play if an injury opens up a spot. It also gives him a chance to catch up.

At 23, he has been one of the top wingers in rugby for years and is now working towards his dream of playing American football in the NFL.

“I’d say it’s pretty challenging,” he said. “The first game of American football I ever played was a month ago. It’s very challenging. I can feel that, but at the same time, this is my dream. I’m very determined to make this dream a reality and try and break into this team.

“That’s everyone’s goal: to try to get into the 53, and I’ll continue to learn the playbook. I think that’s probably the most important thing right now since changing teams and changing playbooks. I need to try to learn it as quick as possible to have a chance.”

Caleb Williams knows he needs to learn quickly. To help with this, the highly-touted rookie will rely on his past experiences.

The Chicago Bears are set to play the Tennessee Titans in their first game of the season on Sunday, and the attention on the quarterback picked first in the draft will be even greater now.

“The ability to learn fast, I think that has grown over time,” Williams said on Wednesday. “Obviously being in a bunch of different games, seeing a bunch of different films and things like that, I think that has helped. … In high school I was a little bit more under center, I had a few more play-actions from under center and things like that.

In college, I was a little bit more spread throwing the ball around a lot more and seeing a bunch of different concepts of space and all these different things.

So I’ve gotten a bunch of different types of playing throughout my years, and I think that has helped me tremendously to be able to learn this offense.” Now, it’s time to see how everything comes together.

The Bears have been looking forward to this moment ever since they traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. This move allowed them to draft Williams, who won the 2022 Heisman Trophy from Southern California.

No rookie quarterback in Chicago has faced this much excitement. The Bears haven’t drafted a player with the No. 1 overall pick since 1947, when George Halas chose Oklahoma A&M halfback Bob Fenimore despite a knee injury that ended his senior season.

Fenimore, an All-American, lasted only one year in the NFL. Chicago’s only other No. 1 pick was Michigan halfback Tom Harmon in 1941, another Heisman Trophy winner.

In recent years, under former general manager Ryan Pace, Chicago drafted Mitchell Trubisky and Fields with high picks. Both were seen more as projects rather than ready players, and neither developed as the Bears had hoped.

With Williams, things seem different. At least, that’s how it looks.

From the very beginning, Williams has impressed the Bears not just with his strong arm and his ability to throw while moving, but also with his overall attitude and cheerful personality. He has done everything right, to the point that his teammates selected him as one of eight team captains.

“I’m extremely grateful,” Williams said. “I can’t really think of how many rookies are captains, especially with a team so talented like this. With a lot of, I guess you can say vet guys.

We’re a pretty young team but we obviously have a good amount of vets on this team, so to be named a captain by my peers and colleagues, my teammates and my friends and brothers I’m extremely grateful, extremely happy.”

Williams threw for 93 touchdowns and 14 interceptions over three seasons at Oklahoma and USC. He had impressive numbers the last two years with the Trojans, with 72 TD passes and 10 INTs.

Williams knows that his passing opportunities won’t last as long in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Bears are hoping for a long period of success with him as their quarterback.

Chicago has a combined record of 10-24 in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But after winning seven games last season, the Bears are aiming higher.

Williams has plenty of targets, including six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and No. 9 pick Rome Odunze, who join DJ Moore at wide receiver. The Bears also have two tight ends who can catch passes, Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett.

“I wouldn’t rather be with another guy right now than Caleb,” said Allen, who was traded from the Los Angeles Chargers. “He’s gotten better ever since we started. The confidence is through the roof.”

He mentioned that Williams is ahead of where Justin Herbert was when he started with the Chargers in 2020, where Herbert threw for over 4,300 yards as a rookie.

The Bears are the only team that hasn’t had a quarterback pass for 4,000 yards. Williams will be aiming to change that.

On Sunday, Williams will begin this challenge with all eyes on him.

“Well, when feet touch the grass it’s going to be business as usual,” Williams said. “But I normally like to, when I run out the stadium, kind of do a little spin in the tunnel, when I’m coming out the tunnel, just kind of see the stadium, take it all in and feel the energy, the vibe, and get going from there. Once I do my spin and get down to the sideline, it’s gone time.”

Mike Morris only had the chance to play one game during his rookie season because of an injury, so he didn’t have much time to make an impact on his teammates.

When news came out that Mike Macdonald was going to be the new coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Morris’ phone was flooded with messages, making him possibly the most popular player in the locker room.

“It was like, ‘Mike, did he coach you in college?’ And I was like, ‘yeah.’ I got a bunch of those text messages,” Morris remembered. “My mom and dad called me and were like, ‘How do you feel about it?’ I said, ‘I’m really excited.’”

Morris isn’t the only one thrilled about Macdonald and what might happen in his first season as the Seahawks head coach.

The team that had Pete Carroll for 14 seasons and had the oldest head coach in the league last year went in a new direction by hiring Macdonald, who is the youngest head coach in the league at 37 and has no previous head coaching experience.

Macdonald is a football expert in the best way. He made a big impact as a defensive coordinator at Michigan—where he coached Morris—before going back to Baltimore, where he started his NFL career.

There, he turned the Ravens’ defense into one of the most effective and challenging to understand in the league over the past two seasons.

“Yeah, he’s smart. He doesn’t know how smart he is,” Seattle linebacker Tyrel Dodson said. “That guy is just so smart. I thought I was smart. He blows me out of the water.”

Running a team is quite different from running a defense. Even though Macdonald is relatively new to being a head coach, those around him in Seattle have been impressed with how he has adapted to the role so far.

“I just think Mike’s a great listener. He really is, he can take that information in and make decisions,” Seattle general manager John Schneider said. “It’s been really impressive to watch. Like I said, he’s a very direct communicator.”

He’s going to give me the information, I understand it, then I’ll take it, discuss it, and we’ll move forward.”

Macdonald will start his head coaching career on Sunday when the Seahawks play their first game at home against the Denver Broncos. He is now the face of the team, even though he doesn’t like the attention that comes with being the youngest coach in the league.

He prefers spending time in a film room or on the practice field, “chasing edges”—a term he uses to describe what he aims to achieve with the Seahawks.

“We’re always trying to push the envelope. We want people chasing us,” Macdonald said. “So to kind of get to the mentality of we’re not copying anybody it’s going to be our style of play, it’s going to be our team, our way of doing things, never satisfied with where we’re at, no complacency.

Kind of a relentless pursuit of creating the vision that we want to create. I think that kind of paints a nice picture.”

Although Macdonald is now more visible as a head coach, his defensive expertise was what caught the attention of teams looking for a new leader this past offseason.

The Ravens led the league last season in fewest points allowed and sacks, and were tied for the lead in takeaways. They held six teams to 10 points or fewer during the regular season, including a 37-3 win over the Seahawks.

Creating confusion and disguising plays were key to Baltimore’s success, and Macdonald is trying to bring the same approach to a Seahawks defense that struggled in almost every category last season.

The system isn’t too complicated, but it requires a high level of communication and understanding of each player’s role to make the coverage disguises work. Seattle used a very basic defense during the preseason. The first real test of how effective it could be comes on Sunday.

“I enjoy this defense because I think it’s fun,” Seattle safety Julian Love said. “It’s not monotonous, you’re not just getting to the post. You’re doing different things. The flip side of that is you have to be on top of your game.”

Mike McDaniel has already noticed progress in Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as they enter their third year together.

McDaniel is particularly impressed by how Tagovailoa has become more comfortable taking on a leadership role.

“There’s certain guys that have an ‘it’ factor,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “You know when a team believes in their quarterback, quite honestly. And the appreciation for what his skills were (before), I think were strong, but nothing compared to the respect and regard his teammates have (now).”

Even if others haven’t always noticed, Tagovailoa said he’s always had it in him.

“I’ve had the ‘it’ factor,” Tagovailoa said ahead of Miami’s season opener. “I’ve had the ‘it’ factor since I was in high school and (going) into college and coming here. That’s how I’ve always viewed myself — as going out and competing, very nice, very cool, calm, and collected.

But like inside, just very competitive. So a lot of the guys know how I am, I guess it’s just only now showing that I’m becoming a little more vocal.”

His teammates noticed his increased willingness to speak up during the offseason. They appreciate following his lead, especially as he aims to lead Miami to its first playoff win in 24 years.

His leadership has been evident in practice, where he ensures even walkthroughs are conducted properly and clearly communicates his expectations.

“Tua has done a great job of over-communicating exactly what he wants as far as details and routes,” receiver Tyreek Hill said. “And Mike, our head coach, he has given him the keys to the car which is even more of a beautiful thing.”

Tagovailoa said he didn’t enter his fourth NFL season with the aim of being more vocal, but it naturally resulted from showing more of his personality.

“Finding himself as a person, that’s been front and center with the team,” McDaniel said, “and so he’s being him.”

The NFL is good at setting up interesting matchups, especially for the start of the season.

Brian Callahan will begin his role as the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans this Sunday, facing off against the Bears in Chicago—his hometown team that he grew up supporting along with other local sports teams.

“It’s a great place, and it’s a great sports town too on top of it,” Callahan said Wednesday. “So cool moment to be able to go open up my head coaching career in Chicago. Fitting.”

Callahan’s father, Bill, who grew up on the South Side, took him to White Sox games at the old Comiskey Park and is still a devoted fan. His mother is from the North Side, and her sister still lives in Chicago. Callahan described his family as a “tried and true” Chicago family.

On Sunday, there will be no difficulty in deciding who to cheer for. His father is now coaching the Titans’ offensive line as part of the team helping Callahan make his mark in the NFL. With the break between the third preseason game, Callahan has had time to focus on preparing for this game.

“I’ve had a blast,” Callahan said. “There’s been a lot of enthusiasm, I think, from everybody in our building, getting ready for the game. But that part’s been … I feel comfortable, back at home, game-planning again. So that’s exciting.”

Callahan was hired in January to take over from Mike Vrabel after five years as the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.

He has been applying everything he learned while working with Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor. He has also had the entire offseason, training camp, walkthroughs, and three preseason games to get ready for what will be different on game day.

Instead of being in the coaching box, Callahan will be on the field and relying on his assistants upstairs to help him call plays.

It has been an adjustment.

“I’ve been on the field probably four or five times in 15 years,” Callahan said. “So, it’s different. I get scared of the gunners. Those are the ones I got to make sure I’m … paying attention.

That’s the new thing for me, is that I can’t turn my back to the field or walk. So, I’m always very alert on punts. But yeah, it’s been an adjustment for me. It’s gone well and been smooth. But, seeing the defense on the field is different, much different than the box.”

Callahan was hired to improve one of the NFL’s least effective offenses in 2023. The Titans were 28th in total yards per game and 29th with 180.4 passing yards per game. His general manager brought in a lot of talent to help quarterback Will Levis, who was the 33rd pick overall from Kentucky in 2023.

Levis went 3-6 as a rookie, starting on October 29 when Ryan Tannehill got hurt. He threw for 1,808 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions while being sacked 28 times.

It’s challenging for a young quarterback to learn a new offense, but Callahan’s system is similar to what Levis used in college. They have also developed a strong connection.

“I understand how he wants to call the plays and what tempo and what we’re just trying to get done from a play-calling standpoint yeah. And his voice is pretty soothing. So it’s good to hear it in the ear,” Levis said with a smile.

Callahan’s reputation helped attract veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd to Tennessee. Boyd saw Callahan work with Jake Browning after Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury last year and is excited to see what the Titans do with Callahan in charge.

“I think him doing that just showed the league that he could kind of do that with any quarterback,” Boyd said.