NFL

Moss went undrafted this year and signed with the Dolphins as a UDFA. He broke out at Texas A&M in 2024 with 765 yards and 10 scores on the ground, but a multi-ligament knee injury cut his season short. Then, in 2025, he missed six games with an ankle issue, cratering his draft stock. His departure will leave the Dolphins with Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright competing for the RB2 gig once again.

Shockingly and inexplicably the second running back off the draft board in the 2026 NFL Draft, Black out of Indiana appears to be a solid-enough blocker who might earn snaps behind Christian McCaffrey this season. Jordan James, Barrow added, remains the likely RB2 behind McCaffrey. Black’s blocking ability “won’t make him popular in fantasy football circles, but it’s something a rookie needs to prove before he gets meaningful snaps.” In 32 pass-blocking opportunities in 2025, Black did not allow a quarterback hit while giving up two QB pressures. If he proves himself a reliable blocker in training camp, Black could see significant snaps in the 49ers offense.

Barrow said Stribling, taken with the 33rd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is "[Jajuan] Jennings-like” in his willingness to block for ball carriers down the field. Shanahan has said the team’s explosive rush rate dropped in 2025 because they lacked solid wideout blocking with Jennings — now with the Vikings — missing much of the season. “Stribling doesn’t have Jennings’ size or length, and he must build the kind of receiver-quarterback chemistry Jennings had with Brock Purdy in recent years,” Barrow said. “Still, Stribling is faster and offers big-play ability the 49ers were missing last season.” The rookie is not expected to get heavy playing time to begin the 2026 season, and it appears the Niners drafted him for his intangibles and willingness to block for Christian McCaffrey. Stribling, 23, had a 38th percentile college target share at Ole Miss.

“They are re-uploading their own methods and fundamentals and mechanics,” Pryor said, adding that McCarthy and the team’s QBs coach were “very intentional” with Allar during rookie minicamp, focusing on footwork and basic throwing mechanics. McCarthy is hoping to get Allar to widen his stance and get off of his toes in the pocket. “That’s something that will help him process even more and just move faster as he gets acclimated to the NFL,” Pryor said. A third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft who threw 49 touchdowns over the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Penn State, Allar could see significant playing time this season if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t show up this summer. Even if Rodgers eventually decides to report to the Steelers, a lost season for Pittsburgh could put Allar under center down the final stretch of the regular season.

Bryce Young and the Panthers will total 8,740 air miles during the regular season, by far the lowest mark in the league. The 49ers are slated to lead the NFL with more than 38,000 air miles thanks to east coast trips and an international game. Though Carolina found their way into the postseason last year, they struggled through much of the season, finishing 24th in point differential, below the Falcons and Steelers, among other teams. The team continues to “talk through” a potential extension for Young, who over the past two seasons ranks 33rd out of 43 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per drop back.

The Kyler Murray experiment should be well underway by late November as Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings look to recover from their failed dalliance with J.J. McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback. Murray will lead a quietly loaded Minnesota offense against Kyle Shanahan’s EPA-maximizing Niners offense. The last time Brock Purdy faced the Vikings defense he threw for 319 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a Week 2 2024 loss. Purdy took a season-high six sacks in that game.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will take on the Jaguars in Jacksonville’s annual trip to London, where they are 7-7 since the 2013 regular season. Hurts, facing internal criticism this offseason following a difficult 2025 campaign, will look to get back on track in the run-heavy Philly offense that last season ranked 13th in EPA per rush, behind the Commanders and Giants. The Jaguars will look to build off a strong 2025 season, Liam Coen’s first as the team’s head coach. The Jags had the fourth best point differential last season, trailing only the Seahawks, Patriots, and Rams.

It’s a matchup of two potentially high-powered offenses for the NFL’s annual Munich matchup. This will mark the Pats’ second trip to Munich — they played in the first-ever Munich regular season game — and the organization’s sixth overall international game. Drake Maye will look to continue his hyper-efficient ways in 2026 while Jared Goff and the Lions look to bounce back from a down 2025 campaign in which the team ranked ninth in EPA per play and 12th in success rate, just behind the Bengals and Bears.

Penix is nearly six months removed from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 11 of the 2025 season. The team was uncertain of his status heading into camp, but the good news for Penix is that he “is participating in Phase 2 of the Falcons’ offseason program”, a team spokesperson told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. Per NFL rules, this means Penix can participate in “individual and group instruction and drills but not a full-fledged practice with 11-on-11s or 7-on-7s.” The 26-year-old has now suffered three torn ACLs over his college and pro career and may be competing with Tua Tagovailoa for the Falcons’ starting job. Participation in parts of the Falcons’ offseason program is a good sign for Penix while he ramps back up to full health.

The Saints will host the Steelers in a Paris matchup, the inaugural Paris game for the NFL at the Stade de France. The Saints did not play an international game in 2025 while the Steelers will play overseas for the second straight year, defeating the Vikings in Ireland last season. The game will be during Week 7 of the 2026 season, potentially meaning a bye for both teams before or after the game.