Offseason? What offseason? XFL kickoff, NFL free agency and draft loom ahead
Super Bowl LIV and the NFL's 100th season might be in the rearview, but there's plenty of football to look forward to in the days, weeks and months ahead.
NFL free agency is a little more than a month away, the NFL scouting combine is later this month and the NFL draft takes place in late April in Las Vegas.
However, however!, there is more real, live-action professional football ready to grace our televisions (or mobile devices) as the reincarnation of the XFL kicks off Saturday.
Here's what you need to know about the XFL (because we know you'll be watching):
- XFL preview: Here's a look at the coaches, QBs, key players, betting odds and everything else you need to know about the XFL's eight teams.
- 10 key players to watch: From a former star QB at Ohio State to an up-and-coming wide receiver, these are top XFL players to watch.
- Ranking all eight coaches: Bob Stoops, Jim Zorn, Marc Trestman and Pep Hamilton are among the familiar names on XFL sidelines this spring.
- How XFL rules will differ from NFL: The rules for XFL include several departures from the NFL game, including a chance at a 9-point TD and a shootout-style OT.
- 'More action, less idle time': A running clock and 25-second play clock should make XFL games fast-paced hyperactive encounters.
- 'Oh, it was awful': Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is happy to be back coaching in the XFL after retiring in June 2017.
- Four players, four unique paths: From former college stars to players simply trying to get their football careers back on track, the XFL represents opportunity.
- Ranking every XFL team's home and away uniforms: Here's a look at the best and worst uniforms for the start-up football league.
XFL Week 1 schedule
(All times Eastern)
Saturday
Seattle Dragons at DC Defenders, 2 p.m. (ABC)
Los Angeles Wildcats at Houston Roughnecks, 5 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday
Tampa Bay Vipers at New York Guardians, 2 p.m. (FOX)
St. Louis BattleHawks at Dallas Renegades, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
#ICYMI: Chiefs are Super Bowl champs
- Can Chiefs be next NFL dynasty? The last part of the NFL’s first century was defined by Tom Brady and the Patriots. The first part of the second century will belong to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, writes Nancy Armour.
- Mahomes poised to make history: No offseason concern for the Chiefs is bigger than the looming contract extension talks involving Patrick Mahomes.
- How can 49ers rebound from Super Bowl loss? If the 49ers want to return to the models of dominance and consistency that it achieved in the 1980s and '90s, it will have to navigate a few issues this offseason.
- Ranking every Super Bowl game: Where does the Chiefs-49ers showdown in Super Bowl LIV rate among the previous 53 Super Bowls?
- Andy Reid tells parade-goers Chiefs will win Super Bowl again: Reid told the hundreds of thousands of Chiefs fans who braved sub-freezing wind chills to celebrate the team's first Super Bowl victory in 50 years exactly what they wanted to hear.
- Photos: Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade: Team members and fans gathered at a victory parade to celebrate the Chiefs' Super Bowl win.
Looking ahead to the offseason
- Top 20 (plus) players who are currently unsigned: This should be one of the most compelling offseasons in recent memory.
- Biggest offseason questions: From Tom Brady's big decision to the draft, there are plenty of looming questions.
- QB carousel could create craziest offseason in years: The NFL's QB landscape could be headed for a seismic shift.
- Mock draft: With less than three months to the NFL draft, the top picks are taking shape.
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