Recently, former NFL defensive end and former ESPN and Fox Sports on-air personality Marcellus Wiley was accused of sexual assault by four individuals. The claims, which were addressed in an item on Awful Announcing, were first reported by Rolling Stone on April 29.
On Tuesday morning, Wiley responded publicly to the new accusations on his YouTube show.
“Pick a date, pick the encounter, pick the allegation,” Wiley said. “For every one of them, I either saw, communicated — through email, text, phone — was invited by these individuals after these dates to engage, to be intimate, or all the above. After the dates that are in question, OK? So this matters. Why does it matter? . . . Because it directly contradicts the narrative that they’re trying to present publicly.”
He posed a simple question to the accusers. “Why did you continue to see or maintain friendly communication at minimum that can be verified — will be verified — with someone that you’re accusing after the alleged incidents?”
Wiley compared his situation to the Stefon Diggs criminal trial, which at the time had not yet ended. (On Tuesday, Diggs was acquitted of strangulation and assault charges.)
Unlike Diggs, Wiley faces accusations from multiple persons. Unlike Diggs, Wiley has not faced criminal charges.
Wiley has vowed to defend his name, especially since his son carries that same name.
“To you, it’s about money,” Wiley said. “To me, it’s about my son’s name that he will one day Google and think that this is about him, but he’s gonna know it’s about his dad. And how dare you stain the brain of my child and his hero.”
Wiley did not address any of the details in the allegations. And that’s smart. Anything he says can be used against him in court by the persons who have made the accusations.
On Tuesday night, Wiley posted on Twitter court documents showing that three prior allegations have been dismissed.
Columbia University also has been named in the new lawsuit, which seeks certification of a class action against Wiley and Columbia. Via Rolling Stone, a hearing regarding potential certification of a class action will be held on May 12.
Wiley will have the right to fully and aggressively defend himself against the allegations. And, again, he has faced no criminal charges at any time in connection with any of the claims.
Where the litigation goes from here remains to be seen. Wiley’s initial response makes it clear that he intends to aggressively fight all of the allegations.
Wiley spent 10 years in the NFL, playing for the Bills, Chargers, Cowboys, and Jaguars. He worked for ESPN through 2018, and he then worked at Fox Sports until 2022.
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Former NFL defensive end and Fox Sports and ESPN on-air personality Marcellus Wiley is facing four claims of sexual assault, according to Drew Lerner of Awful Announcing.
The allegations appear in court filings made last month. Per the report, the four new claimants are in addition to three existing claims of sexual assault against Wiley. He previously dubbed the prior claims “B.S.,” and his lawyer formally denied the allegations in court papers.
As explained by Lerner, one of the new claims was made by an ESPN production assistant who claims that Wiley assaulted her in his hotel room. Another claim, per the report, was made by a woman who contends that Wiley raped her on her 18th birthday, after allegedly “grooming” her since she was 13.
Wiley left Fox Sports in 2022. He has produced podcast content independently since then.
A second-round pick out of Columbia in 1997, Wiley spent four years with the Bills, three with the Chargers, one with the Cowboys, and two with the Jaguars. He was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro in 2001.
UPDATE 5/6/2026 10:00 a.m. ET: On Tuesday, Wiley strongly denied the new allegations. He also posted documents on Twitter showing that three prior claims were dismissed.
One of the top unsigned veteran free agents in the league has lined up a visit for early next week.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that tight end David Njoku is scheduled to visit the Chargers on Monday. Njoku was No. 76 on PFT’s list of this year’s top free agents and is one of a handful of players on the list who has yet to find a home for 2026.
Njoku, who also visited the Ravens last month, has spent his entire nine-year career with the Browns. He had 33 catches for 293 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games last season and has 384 catches for 4,062 yards and 34 touchdowns for his career.
The Chargers currently have Oronde Gadsden and Charlie Kolar as the top tight ends on their depth chart.
Free agent running back Austin Ekeler is medically cleared for all football activities, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports.
Ekeler, who turns 31 next week, plans to play in 2026.
The nine-year veteran tore his Achilles in Week 2 last season. He had 19 touches for 81 yards in his second season in Washington after seven seasons with the Chargers.
Ekeler appeared in 12 games for Washington in 2024, rushing for 367 yards and four touchdowns on 77 carries, catching 35 passes for 366 yards and averaging 31.3 yards on 19 kickoff returns.
In his career, Ekeler has 1,561 touches for 9,053 yards and 73 touchdowns.
Now that the NFL draft has come and gone, there’s one key date left on the league’s offseason schedule. Even if we don’t know what that date will be.
The schedule release is coming. In May. When in May, we don’t know.
Last year, the full regular-season schedule was released on Wednesday, May 14. In the preceding days, a handful of games were announced by the various broadcast partners.
That makes the week of May 11 the most likely target for the 2026 schedule release, as to the entire slate of 272 regular-season games.
Like every year, the “who” and the “where” of every game became known the moment the prior regular season ended. The formula is tied to division membership (six games), the AFC-NFC full-division rotation (as to eight games), and final finish in each team’s given division (three games). But the “when” remains a mystery, for all but two games.
To date, the league has announced that the Rams will “host” the 49ers in Melbourne on Thursday, September 10 (Friday, September 11 at the site of the game) and that the Cowboys will “host” the Ravens in Brazil on Sunday, September 27. As to the other 270 games, nothing has been announced.
The act of adding the “where” to the “who” and the “when” will be a major sports story, overshadowing the other major sports that are, you know, playing games. It’s another tangible example of the extent to which the NFL stands out in the American sports landscape.
We’ve suggested in the past that the league could, and perhaps should, make it a multi-day exercise, with the prime-time games unveiled on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of schedule-release week and the rest of the games announced on Thursday. Why not commandeer the full week, instead of taking over only one day?
The experience has now been supplemented by a competition among the teams to come up with the best and most creative schedule-release videos. Some teams do it better than others, with the Chargers typically having the most edgy and humorous offering. As a result, some teams have arguably pushed the limits, to the point where it makes sense for the league office to sign off on any videos that could become problematic once they debut.
That could be a particularly good idea this year, for any team that has the Patriots on the schedule. Especially the Chargers, who are indeed slated to host New England in 2026.
The Chargers have made a call on the fifth-year option on Quentin Johnston’s contract. The team announced Tuesday that it will exercise it.
It fully guarantees the wide receiver $18 million for 2027.
The Chargers made Johnston a first-round pick in 2023. He led the team in touchdowns the past two seasons and posted a career-high 735 receiving yards in 14 games last season.
Johnston has 144 catches for 1,877 yards and 18 touchdowns since entering the league.
The Chargers have a deep wide receivers room with Ladd McConkey, Johnston, Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
The Chargers paid Teair Tart a total of $6.225 million the past two seasons. They signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal in February, with $20 million guaranteed.
The defensive lineman insists the money won’t change him.
“No, it actually builds on it. Same me,” Tart said Monday, via Eric Smith of the team website. “I always got something to prove. I know I play with a chip on my shoulder, always got something to prove, always want to find ways to get better each and every season.
“I got a new contract, but it don’t change the goals. It don’t change the ambition I got for myself and this team.”
Tart, 29, has played for the Titans and Texans and spent the 2024 offseason and part of that training camp with the Dolphins. The Chargers signed Tart following his release from the Dolphins.
Now, he’s under contract for three more years.
“I think it was great. I love being here. The staff knows that. Everybody in the building knows that,” Tart said. “I’m extremely appreciative. I feel like over the years, it’s been a long journey. I’ve been busting my ass day-in and day-out, always trying to prove my worth to the staff, to my teammates, trying to prove myself each and every day. It’s much appreciated, and honestly I thank God. I feel blessed.”
Tart has totaled 61 tackles, one sack, one interception and six quarterback hits in his two seasons in Los Angeles.
The Chargers have added 18 undrafted rookie free agents to their roster, including one who will be reunited with defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary.
O’Leary was hired after running the defense at Western Michigan last season and edge rusher Nadame Tucker thrived in that system. Tucker had 14.5 sacks for the Broncos, which tied No. 2 overall pick David Bailey for the most in the nation.
Tucker’s big season came after he played sparingly during three seasons at Houston and NFL teams obviously weren’t blown away by his numbers in the MAC, but he’ll get a chance to show that he has something to offer the Chargers.
The Chargers also signed Utah State safety Noah Avinger, Utah linebacker Lander Barton, Kansas State tight end Jerand Bradley, Colorado wide receiver Sincere Brown, Virginia defensive lineman Jahmeer Carter, Memphis running back Gregory Desrosiers, Syracuse safety Devin Grant, LSU defensive lineman Jacobian Guillory, San Diego State linebacker Niles King, Penn State wide receiver Devonte Ross, Georgia Tech cornerback Rodney Shelley, Toledo cornerback Avery Smith, Fresno State center Jacob Spomer, Wyoming tight end Evan Svoboda, SMU defensive lineman Terry Webb, Florida State cornerback Jeremiah Wilson, and Oregon tackle Isaiah World.
There’s now another set of brothers in the NFL.
The Saints selected receiver Bryce Lance — quarterback Trey Lance’s younger brother — with the No. 136 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 draft.
Bryce Lance also played his college ball at North Dakota State, winning a pair of FCS national championships.
He was a two-year starter at NDSU, garnering first-team All-MVFC recognition in 2024 and 2025. He recorded 75 receptions for 1,071 yards with 17 touchdowns in 2024 and 51 catches for 1,079 yards with eight TDs in 2025.
Now he will be in the pros with his brother, Trey, who is currently the Chargers’ backup QB.
The Chargers added some juice to the edges of their defense in the first round on Thursday night.
They made Ahkeem Mesidor the 22nd overall pick. Mesidor’s Miami teammate Rueben Bain was the No. 15 pick to Tampa, so both Hurricane edge rushers are now off the board.
Offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa was selected 10th by the Giants, so three Miami players have now gone in the first round.
Mesidor had 12.5 sacks for Miami last season and spent six years in college overall, so he’s older than many of the other players being picked on Thursday night. That could limit his growth potential, but it could also make him likelier to contribute right off the bat as a complement to Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu in Los Angeles.
