Sidelined since tearing his ACL in a jet ski accident two years ago, running back Nyheim Hines made it known earlier this week that he would like to be with a team for training camp.
Now, in an interview with Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer, Hines says he’s getting back into the form that helped make him a key contributor for both the Colts and Bills.
“I’m far from done, and the story is in my hand,” Hines told Kaye. “I put myself in this position, but as athletes, we’re in an unfortunate situation in a job ... that we can’t control everything, but the pen is always in our hand, based on our performance. So, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to grab that pen and write whatever story I want.
“I could have died,” Hines added. “So many things could have been worse. So, I’m thankful that I’m here to tell this story and be an example of what you don’t need to do.”
Hines, 28, spent part of last season with the Browns, who did not activate him after the running back exhausted his 21-day practice window. Cleveland released Hines in February. But as he was attempting to return to play, Hines’ mother’s health declined in her battle with muscular dystrophy. She was on and off a ventilator before she was finally able to return home.
“Knowing my mom has fought for this extra time to watch me play this year has been the most humbling and best feeling of why I would [play again],” Hines said.
Hines, who played his college ball at NC State, has been working out in the Charlotte area to get ready for the coming season. Hines has been a solid punt and kick returner throughout his career — including a pair of kick returns against the Patriots in Week 18 of the 2023 season. That’s where he envisions his role as he makes his comeback.
“I think I can go out there today and help a team win,” Hines said. “It doesn’t take much of a playbook to catch a punt or catch a kickoff, and trust your blocks, and have great vision to do what you have to do. But like I’ve always said, I’ve always been an elite returner, but I feel like I’m an offensive player with elite return abilities.
“When I’ve had opportunities [on offense], I’ve had great success. ... Obviously, I want to go on Day 1 and be a return guy — if it’s kick or punt return. If you ask me to be a gunner or ask me to be a personal protector on special teams, then I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do. And then, hopefully, I learn the playbook and help a team out there [on offense], because I know I’m still a mismatch out there. I’m still fast, I’m still quick, and I’m ready to go.”
Kemoko Turay, a second-round pick of the Colts in 2018, has been suspended by the CFL.
Turay received a one-game suspension for his role in a post-game brawl following the B.C. Lions’ 21-20 win over the Montreal Alouettes.
Three other players were fined for the melee. Turay was suspended for inciting the altercation.
“Non-football acts negatively impact the reputation and professional standing of the CFL and they will not be tolerated,” CFL Commissioner Stewart Johnston said in a statement. “These actions do not reflect the values of our league.
“The post-game altercation in Montreal became an unnecessary focal point, taking away from an incredibly entertaining game won on the final play.”
Turay spent four seasons in Indianapolis and one with the 49ers. He last played in the NFL in 2022. This is his first season in the CFL.
Nyheim Hines would like another shot.
Via ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hines is looking to find a team for training camp this summer — nearly two years after suffering a torn ACL during a jet ski accident.
Hines, 28, was an effective dual-threat running back for the Colts for several years before he was traded to the Bills midway through the 2022 season. He memorably returned two kicks for touchdowns in Buffalo’s Week 18 victory over New England — a week after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field against Cincinnati.
But Hines missed all of the 2023 season due to his torn ACL and signed with the Browns in March of last year. While Cleveland started Hines’ 21-day practice window, the club elected not to activate him off of the physically unable to perform list.
Cleveland then released Hines in February.
According to Schefter, Hines now feels his knee is finally ready for a return to action.
Hines has 1,832 return yards and four touchdowns in his career. He’s also recorded 1,205 rushing yards, 1,725 receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns from scrimmage since the Colts made him a fourth-round pick in 2018.
Saturday night’s game between the CFL’s B.C. Lions and Montreal Alouettes ended with a walk-off field goal. Followed by an all-out brawl.
Former Colts second-rounder Kemoko Turay was at the heart of the fracas. Now with the Lions, Turay and Alouettes defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund began arguing. And then it got physical, with Turay landing a punch to the face of someone from the Alouettes who was not in uniform.
3DownNation.com has the full story, along with a link to the video of the brouhaha.
Drafted in 2018, Turay spent four seasons in Indianapolis and one with the 49ers. He last played in the NFL in 2022. This is his first season in the CFL.
The Lions won the game, 21-20.
We’ve recently taken a look at the coaches on the hot seat for 2025. This week, a reader asked the same question as it relates to quarterbacks.
Plenty of them are feeling the heat, or should be, this season. Let’s take a look at each spot, based on the loose arrangement of the conferences and divisions that has been tattooed onto my brain.
Justin Fields, Jets: His contract has $10 million in guarantees that spill into 2026. That’s not enough to guarantee him two years as the starter. He needs to do enough in 2025 to earn 2026 — and beyond.
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: His contract guarantees his pay through 2026. If the Dolphins fall flat and change coaches, the next coach likely will want a fresh start at quarterback. While the cap charges will complicate a split before 2027, every high-end quarterback contract eventually leads to a big cap charge when the relationship ends. The next coach (and the next G.M., if owner Stephen Ross cleans house) may want to rip the Band-Aid off in one motion.
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers: He says he’s pretty sure this is his last year. If he doesn’t play well enough for the Steelers in 2025 and if he wants to keep playing in 2026, the Steelers may give him the same cold shoulder that Russell Wilson got after 2024.
All Browns quarterbacks: With Jacksonville’s first-round pick in their back pocket, the Browns could be in position to get a future franchise quarterback in next year’s draft. That raises the stakes for every quarterback currently on the Cleveland roster. Because there’s a chance none of them will be the starter in 2026.
Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson, Colts: It already feels like Jones will be the Week 1 starter. He’ll then have a chance to lock the revolving door the Colts have had since Andrew Luck retired. If he doesn’t, the Colts will be looking elsewhere in 2026. As to Richardson, his best play is to play better than he ever has, if and when he gets the chance.
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: Every new coach wants his own quarterback, except when the coach inherits a true franchise quarterback. But Tony Dungy landing with Peyton Manning doesn’t happen very often. And it’s not clear whether Lawrence is a short-list franchise quarterback. He was on track to be one as of 2022. The past two years haven’t been good enough, long-term contract notwithstanding. What do coach Liam Coen and G.M. James Gladstone want? If Lawrence doesn’t play better in 2025 than he did in 2024, Lawrence and everyone else may find out in 2026.
Geno Smith, Raiders: He’s being mentioned simply to say he’s not on the hot seat. He has $18.5 million in guarantees for 2026, and his close ties to Pete Carroll will keep Smith around for at least two years. (Unless, of course, a certain minority owner decides otherwise.)
Dak Prescott, Cowboys: He’s probably not on the hot seat, because his $60 million per year contract would wreak havoc on the salary cap if the Cowboys were to cut or trade him (yes, he has a no-trade clause, but he can waive it) in 2026. The complication for the Cowboys is that his $45 million salary for 2027 becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. They’re basically stuck — all because they waited too long to give him his second contract, and then waited too long to give him his third contract.
Russell Wilson, Giants: If he’s the Week 1 starter (if Jaxson Dart lives up to his first-round draft stock, Wilson shouldn’t be), the clock will be ticking. Immediately. In 2004, the Giants benched Kurt Warner after nine games for Eli Manning, even though the Giants were 5-4 at the time. When Dart is ready, Dart will play. Even if Wilson makes it through 2025 without getting benched, he’ll have to do plenty to keep Dart on the sideline for 2026.
Jordan Love, Packers: He’s not on the hot seat per se, but he needs to play better in 2025 than he did in 2024. If not, he will be on the hot seat in 2026. The wild card in Green Bay is new CEO Ed Policy, who operates as the de facto owner of the team.
J.J. McCarthy, Vikings: He’s getting his shot to play, after a knee injury wiped out his rookie season. Anything other than an outright disaster will ensure his status for 2026. At worst, he’d have to compete with a more established veteran next year.
Tyler Shough, Saints: He’ll need to do enough in 2025 to earn the chance to do well enough in 2026 to get the Saints to not pursue the grandson of Archie Manning in 2027. (And, yes, I think Arch Manning will spend two years as a college starter before entering the draft.)
Bryce Young, Panthers: In year three, he needs to continue the growth he showed late in the 2024 season, in order to secure a fourth season, the fifth-year option, and ideally (for him) a second contract.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals: His contract gives him two more years of financial security. But this is the team that drafted Murray a year after using the 10th overall pick on Josh Rosen (not Lamar Jackson). So who knows what the Cardinals will do if Murray doesn’t propel the team into contention this year?
Sam Darnold, Seahawks: He has a one-year deal, as a practical matter. And the Seahawks seem to really like rookie Jalen Milroe. Darnold will need to play very well to secure his status for 2026.
Matthew Stafford, Rams: It’s not the “hot seat” as much as it’s a mutual understanding that player and team are taking things one year at a time. After the season, both sides will have to recommit. Whether the Rams will want to do that depends on how Stafford plays in 2025, and on their other options for staffing the position in 2026.
That’s a lot of names. But it’s no surprise. There aren’t many true, unquestioned, year-after-year franchise quarterbacks. And the teams that don’t have one are always hoping to find one.
It has created more quarterback movement in recent years than ever before. Plenty of the names listed above will be on the move in 2026.
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning watched his nephew, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, at the recent Manning Passing Academy and came away impressed — and also impressed by some of the other college quarterbacks on the field.
Manning told Pat McAfee that both Arch Manning and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier showed off elite arms at the Manning camp.
“I’m excited to watch Arch play,” Manning said. “He threw the ball really well at the camp. He and Garrett Nussmeier at our three throwing expeditions really threw the ball well — all the quarterbacks throw the ball well. It’s impressive. They make throws that I can’t even think about making. Arch made a throw the other day that I’d have to hit the cutoff man to get the ball to the actual receiver.”
Peyton Manning also mentioned South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers as a standout at the Manning Passing Academy. Arch Manning is currently the betting favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, followed by Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, then Nussmeier, then Sellers.
Colts receiver Alec Pierce was one of the most explosive players in the league in 2024, finishing with the NFL lead of 22.3 yards per reception.
Having completed his third season, the 2022 second-round pick is eligible for an extension. But according to Stephen Holder of ESPN, the Colts and Pierce’s representation are not currently engaged in contract talks.
Pierce recently noted he’s not focused on a potential new deal.
“I like to take a very day-to-day approach with things,” Pierce said, via Holder. “I don’t really think too far in advance.
“That’s why I’ve got agents,” Pierce added. “They focus on that type of stuff and what’s coming up in the short term.”
Pierce has not been helped by Indianapolis’ inconsistent quarterback play over the course of his career. He played with the combination of Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, and Nick Foles in his rookie season. Then he had Anthony Richardson’s injury-shortened rookie year, with Gardner Minshew taking the vast majority of starts. Last year, Richardson started 11 games with Joe Flacco starting the remaining six.
Pierce isn’t likely to be Indianapolis’ No. 1 option this season, with Michael Pittman continuing in that role. He also could see his share of targets go down given No. 14 overall pick Tyler Warren’s presence as a tight end.
But Pierce has displayed his ability to be explosive. Whether it’s with the Colts or as a free agent in 2026, he’s primed to cash in with a solid payday if he continues to play well in 2025.
The death of longtime Colts owner Jim Irsay had an impact in the locker room, and defensive captain Zaire Franklin says he and his teammates want to honor Irsay with their play.
Franklin said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that Irsay’s death put the Colts’ purpose for 2025 into focus: They want to play in a way that would make Irsay proud.
“I would really just say we’re a team with a purpose,” Franklin said. “With the passing of Jim Irsay, a great man who’s done not only so much for the city, but the state of Indiana, this season, and just honoring his legacy and continuing to bring his dream to fruition, is definitely extreme motivation. It’s one of those things that gets everybody on the same page where everybody is fighting and pulling in the same direction, for the same purpose.”
The Colts finished 8-9 last season, but Franklin looks at that team as a couple plays away from being a playoff team. And he says this year’s team should be better. And playing with some extra motivation.
During Thursday’s episode of #PFTPM, someone asked for a list of the coaches on the hot seat.
I started to rattle off names before deciding to take the issue under advisement, Wapner-style, until Friday’s episode. And then I nearly forgot to do it.
During my extensive prep (i.e., none whatsoever) for Friday’s show, I came up with a list of five and counted them down. Or up. If I simply wanted to push you to the attached video, I’d say, “They’re in the attached video.” But that’s not my style. Especially when I need to type enough words to justify a full post.
So here they are, from No. 5 to No. 1. And this is my own assessment of the broader, 32-team situation. I’m not reporting anything. I’m identifying the guys whom I believe are under the biggest cloud of uncertainty as the season approaches.
5. Panthers coach Dave Canales.
There’s a glass-half-full vibe around the Panthers, given that they finished relatively strong in 2024 after a disastrous start. If that comes to fruition for the 2025 Panthers, all will be well.
If the wheels come off, it could spell doom for Canales, who enters his second season on the job.
The key becomes owner David Tepper. Will the hard-charging, results-demanding, drink-throwing (at least once) owner tolerate, say, a 4-13 finish?
It won’t be easy for Canales, if that happens. Mainly because of the guy who signs the checks, and who issues the pink slips.
[Editor’s note: In a prior version of this story, I said Canales is entering his third season. I had my head up my ass. Sorry. It’s year two. Which doesn’t matter for an owner who fired his last coach, Frank Reich, during year one.]
4. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The key to knowing Schottenheimer’s job security is to know whether and to what extent he has guaranteed money beyond 2025.
Usually, head coaches enjoy at least three years of guarantees. But there’s nothing usual about the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer.
He was on exactly zero teams’ short lists during the latest hiring cycle. For the Cowboys, who wanted to have offensive continuity for quarterback Dak Prescott, it was either Schottenheimer or Eagles offensive coordinator (new Saints coach) Kellen Moore. Schottenheimer came cheaper.
How cheap? So cheap that there would be no buyout if he’s fired after one year?
If so, Schottenheimer could need to do enough in 2025 to earn his employment for 2026.
3. Colts coach Shane Steichen.
Through two seasons, Steichen is 17-17 with no playoff appearances. His non-interim predecessor, Frank Reich, went 40-33-1 with a pair of playoff berths and was abruptly fired.
The swing and miss (so far) on quarterback Anthony Richardson is on Steichen’s record. The failure to develop Richardson is on Steichen’s resume.
As the 2024 season ended, there was a haze of confusion as to whether big changes would be made in Indianapolis. Now that an ownership change has happened following the passing of Jim Irsay, it remains to be seen how Carlie Irsay-Gordon will run the team.
And, most importantly, whether she’ll want to hire a coach of her own after her first season in charge.
How the team performs in 2025 becomes a massive factor in resolving what currently is a major unknown. Which puts pressure on Steichen to win enough games to make the answer an obvious “yes.”
2. Giants coach Brian Daboll.
On one day, Giants co-owner John Mara said he’d be sticking with G.M. Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll. Then, Mara said he’s running out of patience.
It’s a mixed message to Daboll as to the potential impact of the upcoming season, and it necessarily puts him on the hot seat.
It shouldn’t. The Giants are in a difficult division. They need plenty of help from a talent standpoint. Mara should give his current regime more time.
And not just a commitment that ultimately feels temporary. That’s precisely how it feels in New York.
1. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
Even at a time when everyone is 0-0 and all teams have plausible hope, it feels like the window has closed for a Dolphins team that could end up flying straight into the glass in 2025.
There’s dysfunction. There’s turmoil. There’s an unsettled situation with a star player who received a market-level contract in September 2024, and another star player who has said he wants out and who may feel the same way all over again if the 2025 season starts poorly.
It all comes back to Tua Tagovailoa. Can he play well? Can he stay healthy enough to play well?
Can the Dolphins win enough games to make it to the playoffs?
Along the way, can they shed the narrative (as confirmed by linebacker Jordyn Brooks) that they go soft as the weather turns cold?
Ultimately, it comes down to whether Stephen Ross will demand a major change if 2025 ends up being another disappointing season.
Thirty years ago, the late Jets owner Leon Hess fired Pete Carroll after one season by saying this, “I’m 80 years old. I want results now.”
Stephen Ross is five years older than Hess was when he said that.
The video mentions a few others who didn’t make the top five. I’ll defer to it for those. Mainly because I got to 800 words without having to do that.
Anthony Richardson offered a positive update on his sore shoulder.
The Colts quarterback said over the weekend that he is ready to participate in the start of training camp.
The team reports July 22.
“I’m all good,” Richardson told Zach Goodall of 247 Sports while at community events in Gainesville, Florida. “Not really even a bump in the road. I feel like I tripped. I fell. Just got back up and hit the ground running again.”
Earlier this month, Colts coach Shane Steichen would not provide a firm timetable for Richardson’s return after the quarterback’s right shoulder kept him sidelined for organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp.
Richardson underwent surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder his rookie season. He experienced soreness in the throwing shoulder during the offseason program and traveled to Los Angeles to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Richardson’s surgery in 2023.
Rest was prescribed for Richardson’s recovery.
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in 2023, is competing with Daniel Jones for the starting job.
