The NFL is making a significant change to the offseason calendar for the 2027 season.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the free agent negotiating window will open on March 9 next year. That is the same date that the two-day window opened this year, but the change comes in how close it will be to the end of the Scouting Combine.
NFL teams will wrap up their examinations and interrogations of incoming prospects on March 8 in 2027, which moves the league away from having a week or so between the two events as they have in past years.
Under that setup, the Combine has always been rife with table-setting for free agency as agents and team executives are all in the same place with their minds on the same things. With that gap eliminated, there will likely be even more of that work being done in Indianapolis so that teams are ready to make moves right from the starting gun.
Chargers Clips
In the wake of Saturday’s arrest of former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley, his wife has pursued two separate legal avenues.
Via TMZ, Annemarie Wiley (who appeared on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) has filed for divorce, and she has submitted a request for a restraining order that would require Wiley to remain at least 100 yards away from her.
She claims that she has been subjected to a “continuing and escalating pattern of physical violence, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, financial control and intimidation.”
While she makes the general claim that, “[b]ecause of the trauma associated with many of these events, there are gaps in my memory, as I have blocked out much of what Marcellus has done to me,” specific allegations include (per TMZ) that he punched her in the face in 2014, threw a Coke bottle at her head in 2012 when she was nine months pregnant, and allegedly raped her while she was intoxicated in 2012.
More recently, he allegedly struck her in the face with his shoes in 2025. She also contends that, in January 2026, he dragged her out of bed, berated her and hit her on the head, and “then raped me, telling me that I was his property and that I had to do what he said.” She claims he raped her again that same day, and that he raped her another time two days later.
She seeks custody of their three children and exclusive use of their home in Los Angeles.
On Monday, Marcellus Wiley issued a broad denial of “these allegations” without mentioning any specific claim.
Wiley played 10 years in the NFL for the Chargers, Bills Cowboys, and Jaguars. After retiring, he worked for ESPN and Fox.
Former NFL defensive end and ESPN/Fox employee Marcellus Wiley has addressed the allegation of domestic battery that resulted in his arrest on July 4.
Wiley posted a statement on Twitter denying the accusation.
“I completely and unequivocally deny these allegations, and I’m certain the truth will prevail,” Wiley said. “As you know, I’m usually the first to break down the truth and separate facts from fiction. But because this is now a legal matter — and because my greatest responsibility is protecting my babies, who have already been impacted — I have to handle this differently. When I can speak freely, I absolutely will. Until then, thank you for your patience, your prayers, and for continuing to stand with me.”
Wiley’s wife claims that, on July 3, he “used one finger to sternly and intentionally poke her in the cheek.” She also claimed he threatened to kill her.
Wiley denied the allegation when interviewed by deputies. He was released from custody on $1,000 cash bond on Sunday night.
A second-round pick of the Bills in 1997, Wiley spent a decade in the NFL. He played for the Bills, Chargers, Cowboys, and Jaguars.
On Sunday morning, TMZ reported that former NFL defensive end and ESPN and Fox employee Marcellus Wiley was arrested on July 4 for alleged domestic battery.
Per the Public Information Office of the Orange County (Florida) Corrections Department, Wiley was released from custody at 8:43 p.m. ET on Sunday, after posting a cash bond of $1,000.
PFT has obtained the Arrest Affidavit, which reveals that deputies responded to the World Marriott in Orlando on July 4 at 4:47 p.m. ET.
The alleged victim is Wiley’s wife. She asked deputies to “remove her husband from their shared hotel room due to her being afraid of him.” She said that Wiley “told [her] he was going to kill her and [she] was afraid of his behavior.”
Asked to elaborate, she said “on the previous morning Marcellus had put his hands on her,” by using “one finger to sternly and intentionally poke her in the cheek,” and that their seven-year-old daughter witnessed the incident. (Their daughter told deputies she did not see Marcellus touch her mother but did hear them arguing.)
The deputy who prepared the affidavit noticed no “visible injuries” and Wiley’s wife did not request medical attention.
Wiley’s wife said that Wiley “had an unreported history of violence toward her and she was planning to divorce him when they returned home to California.”
When interviewed by deputies, Wiley denied any physical altercation with his wife. He said he believes she made the report “due to her intention to divorce him.”
The deputies concluded that Wiley “did intentionally touch [his wife] against her will,” and that probable cause exists to charge [Wiley] with battery (domestic violence).”
The law regarding criminal battery is very broad. Florida law, like the law of many states, provides that "[t]he offense of battery occurs when a person . . . [a]ctually and intentionally touches or strikes another person against the will of the other.”
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.
When we last mentioned Marcellus Wiley, he was angrily denying allegations of sexual assault, given the potential impact it will have when his son Googles his name.
Via TMZ, Wiley has been arrested for alleged domestic battery in Florida. Per the report, Wiley was booked into the Orange County jail on July 4.
He was still in custody when the TMZ item was posted at 8:58 a.m. ET on Sunday. Records show, per the report, that Wiley is being held for now without bond.
Details regarding the incident that led to the arrest are not yet available.
Obviously, Wiley is innocent until proven guilty. He’s entitled to all of the various Constitutional protections. Regardless, something happened to result in his arrest. He’ll surely have a response to the charge — unless his lawyer tells him to say nothing about it.
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.
Cornerback Donte Jackson has nine interceptions and 20 passes defensed over the past two seasons. His 2024 season with the Steelers got him a two-year, $13 million deal with the Chargers.
His 2025 season with the Chargers has him wanting even more in 2026.
“Just to keep the foot on the pedal,” Jackson said, via Omar Navarro of the team website. “I feel like the last two seasons I’ve emerged, to me personally, as one of the top corners in the league. That’s just kind of how I feel, so just adding to that.”
Jackson, 30, had a Pro Bowl-caliber season even if he wasn’t rewarded with a first-all-star honor. He had a team-best 12 passes defensed last season and tied for the team lead with four interceptions.
Pro Football Focus had him with only 24 receptions, the second-fewest among cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps.
Jackson, who played his first six seasons with the Panthers, insists he isn’t looking for personal accolades.
“I’m team first, so I don’t have a personal agenda,” Jackson said. “I don’t have any personal goals but to be the best teammate I could be. Just blessed to have a group of guys that share that same mindset. Nobody is selfish. Nobody has selfish goals.”
The Chargers will be back in San Diego for a couple of days this summer.
The team announced that they will hold practices open to the public at the University of San Diego on August 4 and 5. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was the school’s head coach from 2004-2006 and the team also practiced there last summer.
Outside of those practices, the Chargers will hold training camp at their facility in El Segundo. The team will report to camp on July 28 and they will hold their first practice the next day.
That practice will be open to the public. Fans will also be welcome on July 30-31, August 1, August 3, August 6, August 8-10, and August 15-17. There will also be practices for season ticket holders on August 11 and 18.
The U.S. men’s soccer team returns to World Cup action tonight in a match that is ultimately meaningless to their prospects in the knockout round.
That’s not making it any cheaper to get a ticket to watch the contest at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the Rams and Chargers. Via Sports Business Journal, the get-in price is currently $1,594.
That figure is up 69 percent from the start of the tournament, but down 22 percent from a week ago.
A victory would become the first time the U.S. men’s team has ever won all three games of group play in a World Cup.
The match begins at 10:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night. Coach Mauricio Pochettino will not start four players who have received yellow cards in prior group matches. This means midfielder Tyler Adams, forward Folarin Balogun, defender Chris Richards, and outside back Antonee Robinson will likely get the entire night off.
A second yellow card in group play would result in a suspension for the first match of the knockout round. Pending yellow cards are expunged after group play.
The U.S. currently is expected to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32. Given the cost of seeing a group match that doesn’t mean anything, get ready to dig very deep if you’re interested in attending the next one — which is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
A bill that would have revamped workers’ compensation laws in California to the detriment of professional athletes has died.
The NFL Players Association has informed registered contract advisors that the effort to turn the proposed legislation into law has ended.
“California SB 795, a bill that would have significantly restricted professional athletes’ access to workers’ compensation benefits, has been pulled from consideration and will not move forward for a vote,” the NFLPA said in an email to agents, a copy of which PFT has obtained. “This is a meaningful win for your clients and helps keep critical protections in place for injuries sustained during their careers. Protecting the health, safety and legal rights of active and former players remains a top priority, and we will continue to fight against efforts that threaten those protections.”
Earlier this month, the NFLPA made it clear that it “strongly opposes” the effort.
“As employees in a high-risk profession, NFL players rely on workers’ compensation as a critical protection,” the union said at the time. “In fact, the cost of these benefits is already paid by our players out of their collectively bargained share of league revenue. By advancing this latest anti-player legislation, California’s professional sports teams are seeking to evade that system for financial gain, denying injured athletes the care they are owed.”
The three NFL teams headquartered in California — the 49ers, Chargers, and Rams — supported the bill.
It doesn’t end the effort for good. An effort has been made in the past to revise the workers’ compensation laws regarding professional athletes. It likely will happen again.
49ers defensive end Nick Bosa cast doubt on his older brother Joey playing in the NFL in 2026 in May when he said that his brother is not “thinking too much about football” while working on his golf game.
Adam Schefter of ESPN provided more reason to think that the elder Bosa will not be signing with any team before Week 1. During his podcast, Schefter was asked about the prospect of the two brothers playing together and said that there’s a better chance of Joey Bosa playing for no one.
“It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down,” Schefter said. “Now, again, could a situation like the 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely. We saw it happen last year with Philip Rivers, so you never know when a player is fully done and when he’s not done. But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already. I think if Joey Bosa wanted to play football, it probably would have happened already.”
Bosa had 72 sacks in nine seasons with the Chargers and had five sacks with the Bills during the 2025 season.
