AI-assisted summary
• Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne revealed he voted for Georgia Tech over Colorado for the 1990 national championship.
• Osborne cited Colorado’s controversial fifth-down win against Missouri and Georgia Tech’s more decisive victory over his own team as reasons for his vote.
• The two teams will face each other for the first time in the 2025 season opener.

Nearly 35 years later, former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne finally is willing to talk about which team he voted to win the national championship for the 1990 college football season.

Did he select Big Eight Conference rival Colorado as the nation’s No. 1 team after the Buffaloes beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1991?

Or did he instead coronate Georgia Tech, which beat his Nebraska team that same day in the Citrus Bowl?

Osborne, 88, discussed it by phone with USA TODAY Sports as Colorado and coach Deion Sanders prepare to face Georgia Tech in a season-opening game in Boulder on Friday, Aug. 29. It will be the first meeting of Colorado and Georgia Tech despite forever being linked by what happened in the voting for that national championship.

“If you wanted to know how I voted, I did vote for Georgia Tech,” Osborne said.

Osborne was seen as an important vote because his team was the only one that played both teams in the 1990 season. He previously has declined to talk about it publicly, even though many speculated he voted Georgia Tech No. 1, perhaps even to deny league foe Colorado of a national championship prize that he had had yet to win.

Osborne denies he did it to spite Colorado. “I would never do that,” he said.

He had other reasons.

What happened with the Coaches Poll voting?

There was no College Football Playoff back then. The national championship instead was decided by voters in two main polls after teams played their postseason bowl games.

Their link to a shared national title serves as a reminder of how controversy and conflicts of interest could shape the sport back then in an age before replay review and rules to prevent such conflicts.

Something seemed especially strange about the Coaches Poll then because the balloting was secret and the winning margin in that poll was only one point (847-846), including a 30-27 margin in first-place votes for Georgia Tech.

The coaches’ voting then was tabulated by Jeff Shain, then the sports editor of United Press International (UPI), which sponsored the poll. Shain told USA TODAY Sports recently that after 58 ballots were counted in the final Coaches Poll on Jan. 2, 1991, Colorado and Georgia Tech were tied at No. 1 with one vote left to be tracked down. That 59^th and final coach then voted for Georgia Tech to break the tie.

“That coach, unbeknownst to him, essentially swung the national title,” Shain said. “All 59 votes count the same, but because he was last, it was the determining ballot.”

Who was the final vote in the Coaches Poll?

Shain said it wasn’t Osborne. But because the margin was only one point, any coach who voted Georgia Tech No. 1 could have changed the result had he voted for Colorado instead.

Shain declined to say who cast the final vote, citing a confidentiality agreement with the coaches’ association back then.

He confirmed the ballots were required to be kept secret and then thrown away.

“Our procedure was to tally them and toss them,” Shain said.

By contrast, the final Associated Press poll wasn’t as close or controversial: It was 39-20 in first-place voting for Colorado over Georgia Tech. That poll of voters in the news media also had consistently kept Colorado No. 1 since November 1990 as the Buffaloes navigated one of the nation’s toughest schedules.

Swing in final voting for Georgia Tech

In a big shift, the Coaches Poll moved Georgia Tech into the No. 1 spot even though Colorado was in first in the previous poll in December 1990 and the Buffaloes beat No. 5 Notre Dame the day before, 10-9. It was the first time in that poll’s history that a No. 1 team fell out of the top spot after winning a bowl game. 

This flipflop stunned then-Colorado coach Bill McCartney, who learned the results of the final UPI Coaches Poll after landing at the airport in Denver after the Orange Bowl, according to University of Colorado athletics historian Dave Plati

“That’s not right,” McCartney said then. “You call UPI back and tell them to have the coaches vote again.’ 

McCartney, who died in January,  long suspected Osborne had ranked Georgia Tech No. 1. Plati said he never got confirmation of Osborne’s ballot.

“He would never come out and say where he voted us,” Plati said recently.

Why did Tom Osborne vote for Georgia Tech?

Coaches weren’t required to reveal their ballots in the final poll, unlike now in the US LBM Coaches Poll, administered by USA TODAY Sports. 

The secrecy of the ballots and lack of confirmation from Osborne led to decades of rumors about how he voted and why.

Osborne told USA TODAY Sports he doesn’t remember where he voted Colorado on his final ballot or final regular-season ballot. He cited two big factors for his final vote.  One was that Colorado had received an illegal fifth down to beat Missouri that season on the final play of the game, 33-31.  Another was that Georgia Tech beat his Nebraska team more soundly than Colorado did (45-21 by Georgia Tech, 27-12 by Colorado).

“They were both good teams, and I think the distinguishing factor was Colorado ended up having five downs in one of their wins and Georgia Tech didn’t have any somewhat questionable finishes,” Osborne told USA TODAY Sports. “So I voted for Georgia Tech, and of course we played them both. I thought Georgia Tech at the end of the year was pretty good.”

Why was the Colorado fifth-down game an issue?

Colorado started the year 1-1-1, including a loss at Illinois and a tie against Tennessee in Anaheim, California, before finishing with 10 consecutive wins. But one of those wins came on that fifth down at Missouri.

It wasn’t Colorado’s fault, but the Buffs won on a final play that shouldn’t have been allowed.

The officiating crew and scoreboard indicated it was third down when quarterback Charles S. Johnson spiked the ball to stop the clock. It was really fourth down after Colorado had run three previous plays from the Missouri 3-yard line, including another spiked ball to stop the clock on first down. Missouri was set to win, 31-27, if the game ended there.

But if the quarterback had known it was really fourth down instead of third, he wouldn’t have spiked the ball to surrender the game on downs. He instead would have tried to win as he did on the next play − a 1-yard touchdown run on “fifth down” as time expired.

The confusion stemmed from when game officials had failed to change the down marker from “2” to “3” after 2-yard gain on second down.

Then-Missouri coach Bob Stull was a voter in the final poll back then, too. He told USA TODAY Sports he doesn’t remember how he voted. The Tigers were also Big Eight members with Nebraska and Colorado.

“I wasn’t bitter on the (fifth-down) thing, so I don’t know if it carried at all,” Stull said. “You’ve got your conference you’re trying to vote for too, you know. I can’t tell you how I did, but that wouldn’t have come into play for me.”

Major voting change in final Coaches Poll

In previous voting to end the regular season in December 1990, the Coaches Poll had Colorado ranked No. 1 by a margin of 38-7 over Georgia Tech in first-place votes – 45 points total out a panel of 59 coaches. That means 14 coaches didn’t vote in that previous poll.

But then in the final poll on Jan. 2, 1991, all 59 coaches voted, including 30 first-place votes for Georgia Tech, 27 for Colorado and two for Miami (Fla.).

Shain said sometimes some coaches were simply hard to track down for their ballots because they were on the road recruiting and didn’t have cell phones then.

“Voting is not high on their priority list,” he said.

Why did Colorado lose support in that poll?

Many coaches who voted back then have died or said they don’t remember how they voted. McCartney of Colorado voted his team No. 1 and Georgia Tech No. 2, according to Plati. Then-Georgia Tech coach Bobby Ross told USA TODAY Sports recently he also voted his own team No. 1.

In Colorado’s case, there were other issues – the fifth-down win and a controversial clipping penalty against Notre Dame that nullified a last-minute punt return for a touchdown in the Orange Bowl by the Fighting Irish. Add them both together and coaches might have felt Colorado didn’t deserve it.

Georgia Tech looked good in comparison. The Yellow Jackets finished the season undefeated with one tie against North Carolina, including wins against then-No. 1 Virginia and then-No. 13 Nebraska

Ross also brought up the fifth-down win by Colorado but said he didn’t remember where he voted the Buffs.

“Colorado won one game on a fifth down that was given to them,” Ross told USA TODAY Sports. “That was, to me, was another thing that would have worked against them.  I know they were an outstanding team. I think we were too at that time.”

Poll conflicts and loyalty tests

In today’s game, members of the committee that vote for the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff are required to recuse themselves from voting if there is a conflict of interest, including if they work for the school in question.

But back then, these coaches decided part of the national title. And they not only voted for their own teams but also could possibly penalize others to their advantage in their secret balloting.

What was to stop Ross from putting Colorado a little further down his list than where he thought they belonged?

“I would have Colorado where I think they should have been,” Ross said.

We don’t know if Ross or any coach sought to influence the final result this way. We do know that at least one coach or possibly two voted Georgia Tech multiple places behind Colorado because the Yellow Jackets finished with three more first-place votes but only a one-point margin.

Others had reason to vote for teams in their own conference to enhance their league media exposure. Ironically, then-Nebraska athletic director Bob Devaney raised a stink about some Big Eight coaches voting Virginia No. 1 earlier in the 1990 season instead of Nebraska.

Osborne ultimately didn’t follow Devaney’s Big Eight loyalty beliefs, nor was he required to do so.

“Georgia Tech beat us by a bigger margin than Colorado, and then there was that little bit of a controversial thing with Colorado,” Osborne said. “So I thought I Georgia Tech deserved at that point to be No. 1. You make a judgment. That’s the basis of my judgment.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

When the clock starts ticking during fantasy football drafts, it’s best to move forward with caution.

While much of the focus is on finding the best sleepers, it’s also prudent to be aware of potential busts.

Tight ends aren’t often considered a highly valued position. In 2025, only three players are being selected inside the top 50 of fantasy drafts, according to FantasyPros’ average draft position (ADP). That said, these three tight ends are being drafted as starters in the majority of leagues, but could fail to meet expectations.

2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL SLEEPERS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K

2025 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST | Overall

TE busts to fade in fantasy football 2025

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

The veteran tight end has been a staple in fantasy lineups for over a decade, but it’s time to start fading him at his current ADP. He had declining production in 2024 and still managed to finish as TE6 in PPR points per game. He was the third-most targeted tight end in the NFL with 133 targets and led the position in red-zone targets (26). So why fade the soon-to-be 36-year-old in 2025?

It’s not a complete fade but it’s probably better to treat Kelce as a borderline TE1 than a sure-fire stud at this stage. Only one tight end in NFL history has finished with more than 90 catches at the age of 36 or older (Tony Gonzalez, 2012).

Kelce’s yards per route run and yards after the catch both declined in each of the last three seasons. The biggest question mark surrounding Kelce heading into 2025 is the availability of wide receiver Rashee Rice. With Rice healthy, Kelce averaged just four targets per game. However, following Rice’s season-ending knee injury, Kelce averaged over nine targets per game. There’s a chance Rice could miss half of the season due to a suspension, but there’s also a chance Rice only misses a couple of games. Kelce’s usage hinges largely on Rice’s presence and the risk at taking him as the TE5 outweighs the production at this stage.

Evan Engram, Denver Broncos

This potential bust could backfire if Engram were to surprise and lead his new team in targets in 2025. However, the likelihood of that happening is slim because he is coming off his worst season and a torn labrum, which required surgery.

Engram joined the Broncos in free agency, and some are excited about his potential in Sean Payton’s offense. But Payton – who has been a head coach for 18 NFL seasons – has only had a tight end finish inside the top 10 in PPR five times. Those being seasons from Jimmy Graham (2011, 2013, 2014), Ben Watson (2015) and Jared Cook (2019).

The soon-to-be 31-year-old has relied heavily on volume more than explosiveness and touchdowns. He has failed to find the end zone more than four times in a season since 2017. He’ll play second fiddle to Courtland Sutton. Engram could even potentially finish third on the team in targets behind third-year breakout candidate Marvin Mims Jr. Expectations should be tempered for Engram at his current TE8 ADP.

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

It’s challenging to fall in love with Loveland and trust him to finish inside fantasy football’s top 15 tight ends in 2025.

The rookie is a terrific prospect in a Bears offense that is expected to improve. New head coach Ben Johnson is calling the shots and he was the offensive coordinator in Detroit when Sam LaPorta finished as TE1 overall as a rookie in 2023. The issue for Loveland is that there are plenty of mouths to feed as Chicago loaded up on offense in the offseason. The presence of wide receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, along with veteran tight end Cole Kmet will likely keep the rookie from Michigan in deep TE2 range all season.

It’s unlikely Loveland can make a significant mark in such a crowded room but he’s still a worthwhile pick in dynasty leagues. He has top-10 draft capital and will likely grow in the Bears offense in the coming years, but don’t expect him to be elite in 2025.

• The NFL’s roster cutdown deadline is at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
• Teams aren’t waiting until the last minute, however, with several already taking action over the weekend.
• Several backup quarterbacks and former high draft picks could be on thin ice for their respective teams’ final roster spots.

For many NFL teams, Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline marks perhaps the biggest hurdle remaining before preparation for the regular season begins in earnest. For hundreds of players, however, the paring down can mark a painful end of the line.

Established starters and early draft picks typically have nothing to fear as teams set their initial 53-man rosters, but the culmination of the preseason schedule necessarily leads to some disappointment and difficult decisions. Some long shot bids will officially come to an end. But those who set out to scrape for a spot at the end of the roster are signing up for a transient lifestyle, and this might just be the first – or latest – in a series of setbacks. But hope remains, as any notion of finality with the cutdowns is quickly dispelled by additional waiver moves, trades and practice squad transactions in the coming days, weeks and months.

Here’s a look back at all of the notable moves from Monday:

Broncos roster cuts: Backfield reshuffling continues

The Denver Broncos continue to reshape their running back rotation.

The team plans to waive backup Audric Estime, according to multiple reports.

Estime, a fifth-round pick last April out of Notre Dame, ranked fourth on the team in rushing yards with 310 as a rookie. But with veteran J.K. Dobbins and second-round rookie RJ Harvey coming aboard to pace the ground game and backup Jaleel McLoughlin returning a change-of-pace option, Estime became the odd man out in Sean Payton’s attack.

Buccaneers roster cuts: Kyle Trask out, Teddy Bridgewater in as QB2

Baker Mayfield has a new backup.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan to release quarterback Kyle Trask, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.

Trask was the Buccaneers’ second-round pick in 2021, which was Tom Brady’s penultimate season with the team. But the former Florida standout couldn’t beat out Baker Mayfield in the 2023 preseason after Tom Brady retired, and Trask has attempted just 11 passes in his career to date.

Tampa Bay then signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater on Aug. 5 and seemed to quickly favor him for the backup role. Bridgewater started the second preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and threw two touchdown passes. He was held out of the finale with an illness.

Raiders roster cuts: Familiar figures not sticking around

The Las Vegas Raiders’ initial round of cuts didn’t feature any surprises, but some recognizable names won’t be on the 53-man roster.

Wide receivers Marquez Callaway, Phillip Dorsett II and Collin Johnson were all released Monday, as was linebacker Jaylon Smith.

The three veteran wideouts provided depth in camp, but Las Vegas looked to other options in its receiving corps, with multiple reports indicating Monday that five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper is heading back to the franchise that selected him No. 4 overall in 2015. Meanwhile, fourth-rounder Dont’e Thornton Jr. could potentially play a sizable role as a rookie while second-rounder Jack Bech and sixth-rounder Tommy Mellott wait for their turns as backups. Meanwhile, leading wideout Jakobi Meyers is seeking a trade amid a contract standoff, per reports.

Smith was signed in May after a tryout at rookie minicamp, but the former Dallas Cowboys standout will have to look elsewhere as he tries to find his first game action since 2023.

Commanders roster cuts: Michael Gallup’s comeback hits a roadblock

A bevy of former Dallas Cowboys players have followed Dan Quinn to Washington. Michael Gallup, however, won’t be among those joining the Commanders’ roster to start 2025.

The wide receiver was among six players released by the team on Monday.

Gallup, 29, was attempting to make his comeback with the team after announcing his retirement last summer. He broke out by recording 1,107 receiving yards for the Cowboys in 2019, but a 2021 anterior cruciate ligament tear proved to be a sizable setback. The former third-round pick signed with the Las Vegas Raiders last year but stepped away from football last June.

Washington, meanwhile, appears to have its receiving corps set with Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel Sr., Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey and rookie Jaylin Lane.

Buccaneers roster cuts: Desmond Watson’s trial run is up

The Buccaneers are waiving the undrafted free agent defensive tackle from Florida, according to multiple reports.

Watson, who was listed by the team at 449 pounds, had remained on the non-football illness list throughout the summer as the team pushed him to cut weight. Unable to do so, he was released outright rather than moved to the reserve-NFI list, suggesting that a return to Tampa Bay’s practice squad is unlikely.

Lions roster cuts: Hendon Hooker’s time is up

The Detroit Lions are cutting bait on the Hendon Hooker project.

The team is releasing the quarterback, according to multiple reports, in a move that could position journeyman Kyle Allen to secure the backup spot behind Jared Goff.

Hooker, 27, was a third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2023 and sat out his entire rookie season while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered late in his final collegiate season. In 2024, however, he played in just four games, and Detroit signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater late in the campaign to hold down the backup role.

Hooker struggled throughout the preseason, and Lions coach Dan Campbell seemed to suggest after the game that both sides might be best off moving on.

“How much development do you believe there is?’ Campbell said. ‘We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?”

Buccaneers roster cuts: Another key undrafted rookie dismissed

Shilo Sanders isn’t the only notable undrafted rookie whom the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t be keeping on their 53-man roster.

The team decided to release linebacker Nick Jackson, according to multiple reports.

Jackson, who finished his college career at Iowa after transferring from Virginia, was a preseason standout who led the team in tackles (14) while adding two sacks and an interception. But even with the team parting with Anthony Walker Jr., who was recovering a lower left leg injury, Tampa Bay saw fit to turn to other options at inside linebacker. Jackson, however, could be a candidate for the practice squad if he goes unclaimed.

Titans roster cuts: 16 players sent packing

On Monday, the team parted ways with 16 players. Those who were waived included: WR Jha’Quan Jackson, WR TJ Sheffield, DT Josiah Bronson, DT TJ Smith, OLB Desmond Evans, ILB Amari Burney, CB Jalen Kimber, CB Clarence Lewis, CB Jermari Harris, CB Davion Ross, S Julius Wood, S Joshuah Bledsoe. Tennessee also released DE Joe Gaziano, G Arlington Hambright and C Sam Mustipher and waived WR Matt Landers with an injury designation.

Saints roster cuts: Cam Akers among 14 players dropped early

Cam Akers’ stint with the New Orleans Saints was a short one.

The running back was released Monday, Saints coach Kellen Moore confirmed. The team also waived 13 other players: punter James Burnip, wide receivers Roderick Daniels Jr. and Moochie Dixon, defensive ends Jasheen Davis, Jeremiah Martin and Omari Thomas, offensive tackles Josiah Ezirim and Jonathan Mendoza, tight ends Seth Green and Michael Jacobson, offensive guards Kyle Hergel and Mike Panasiuk, and linebacker Tyreem Powell.

Akers, 26, signed a one-year deal with the Saints in June after a minicamp tryout. But with New Orleans having sufficient depth behind Alvin Kamara with Kendre Miller, sixth-round rookie Devin Neal and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the team opted to move on.

Eagles roster cuts: Former first-round pick waived

Kenyon Green won’t be a part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ adjusted offensive line after all.

The offensive guard was waived Monday, according to CBS Sports, just five months after he was traded to the team by the Houston Texans in exchange for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Green, 24, was the No. 15 overall pick by the Texans in the 2022 NFL draft out of Texas A&M, but the 6-4, 323-pound blocker struggled throughout his tenure in Houston.

Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman was busy over the weekend reshuffling the backups for his offensive front, sending offensive guard Darian Kinnard to the Green Bay Packers while also acquiring offensive tackle Fred Johnson in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dolphins roster cuts: CB Mike Hilton released

The team is releasing Mike Hilton, the cornerback’s agents told ESPN.

Hilton, 31, was signed to boost depth in the slot after Kader Kohou, the lone returning starter in the secondary, suffered a torn Anterior cruciate ligament. A longtime standout for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, he collected 13 interceptions in the last eight years, during which he also started 56 games.

Fifth-round rookie Jason Marshall Jr. now could be in line to take over the nickel role.

Offensive tackle Jalen McKenzie was also waived, according to ESPN.

Lions roster cuts: QB clarity coming?

Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes don’t expect to keep any Detroit Lions players twisting in the wind, as the team plans to make the bulk of its cuts by end of day Monday.

‘There could be a couple that we don’t get to, maybe last minute tomorrow,’ Campbell said Monday. ‘But that is what it is and it’s – there’s nothing easy about it and it’s worse on them than it is us. I mean, it’s hard on us but there’s no woe-is-me here. I feel sorry for those guys, but at the same token, what I would tell them, man, use this as fuel and move onto the next step of this.’

The spot most closely monitored for Detroit is at backup quarterback, where journeyman Kyle Allen appears to have taken a lead on Hendon Hooker, the 2023 third-round draft pick who has played sparingly and struggled this summer. After the preseason finale, Campbell appeared to leave the door open to the team moving on from Hooker in some form.

“How much development do you believe there is?’ Campbell said. ‘We’re talking about Hooker right now, how much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes, does the player need a change of scenery?”

Cowboys roster cuts: A surprise in store?

First-year Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer created the kind of stir that bossman Jerry Jones would appreciate when he suggested last week that the team could throw a curveball or two come cutdown time.

‘We’ll sit down after we play Friday and we’ll make some decisions about the entire roster,’ Schottenheimer said last Monday. ‘There will probably be some surprises from some of the mock things that are out there in terms of, ‘Hey, I thought for sure this guy was gonna make it.”

There don’t appear to be many mysteries for a team that sat a huge number of starters and key contributors in the finale, though embattled 2023 first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith among those still in action. Schottenheimer said Saturday that the positions giving Dallas’ decision-makers the most trouble were cornerback, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive end.

No surprise here, though: Offensive tackle La’el Collins, a former linchpin of the offensive line who signed with the team just this month, was cut Sunday, per multiple reports.

Eagles roster cuts: Dorian Thompson-Robinson out as QB shuffle continues

Howie Roseman is never one to stand pat at a key moment for roster building. That aggressive mentality was on full display this weekend, as the executive vice president and general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles executed a slew of moves.

The most notable decision might be the reworking of his quarterback room. With backup Tanner McKee still sidelined by a finger injury, Roseman swung a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire Sam Howell. That led Sunday to the official ouster of Thompson-Robinson, who was acquired in the Kenny Pickett trade but looked unlikely to stick around after battling sixth-round rookie Kyle McCord for the presumed No. 3 job. McCord, however, was also released on Monday, per reports.

Buccaneers roster cuts: Shilo Sanders gets the boot, but could he return?

Shilo Sanders went down fighting – literally – in Tampa. The Buccaneers on Sunday waived the undrafted rookie free agent safety from Colorado, just one day after Sanders was ejected from Saturday’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills for throwing a punch against tight end Zach Davidson.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles made his stance clear on Sanders’ action, calling it ‘inexcusable’ in his postgame remarks. But Bowles has been largely complementary of the young defensive back, leaving open the question of whether he could land back on the Bucs’ practice squad if he goes unclaimed.

‘Shilo is very aggressive, very young, and very hungry,’ Bowles said last week. ‘He can make plays in the box and run down to give us 100% on special teams.’

Browns roster cuts: Tyler Huntley out, but four-QB approach seems to be a go

The Cleveland Browns are never short on quarterback news.

On Sunday, the team announced it had released Tyler Huntley, along with three other veterans and 17 players who were waived.

Yet things appear to be clear for the Browns to keep their quartet of quarterbacks – starter Joe Flacco, veteran Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – on the 53-man roster, with general manager Andrew Berry indicating as much during his team’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.

‘Honestly, it’s not much of a decision for us,’ Berry told Chris Rose and Joe Thomas on the Browns’ broadcast, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jets roster cuts: Former first-rounder dropped

Linebacker Jamin Davis’ attempt to revive his NFL career has hit another snag. The 2021 first-round pick of the Washington Commanders was released by the Jets on Sunday.

Davis, who re-signed with New York in March after being claimed on waivers by the team last December, wasn’t able to latch on with Aaron Glenn and Co. despite some promising flashes over the summer.

The Jets also waived six other players on Sunday: QB Adrian Martinez, DE Michael Fletcher, OT Liam Forandel, TE Zack Kuntz, DB Tanner McCalister and RB Lawrance Toafili. Six more were waived Saturday: CB Mario Goodrich, OT Samuel Jackson, TE Neal Johnson, WR Dymere Miller, DT Fatorma Mullbah and WR Ontaria ‘Pokey’ Wilson.

Falcons roster cuts: Atlanta moves on from DL Morgan Fox five months after deal

The Atlanta Falcons are parting ways with 12 players, including one who might come as a surprise to many.

Defensive lineman Morgan Fox was released Saturday despite having $3 million guaranteed in the two-year deal he signed with the team this offseason.

Rams roster cuts: Eleven players sent packing

Count the Los Angeles Rams among the teams not waiting until Tuesday to get started making cuts.

The team on Sunday announced it was releasing linebacker Tony Fields II and waiving 10 others.

When is the NFL roster cut deadline?

By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 26, all 32 teams must reduce their active rosters to 53 players. Official word for some teams’ moves, however, might not come until slightly later.

What happens once the NFL roster deadline passes?

NFL teams have until noon ET on Wednesday, Aug. 27, to claim players who are waived as part of league-wide roster reductions. Once those claims are resolved, clubs will begin filling out their practice squads.

The US Open takes center stage as the final Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 tennis season gets underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

All the big stars in men’s and women’s tennis are on hand, hoping to win one of the biggest prizes in sports at the end of the two-week tournament.

The women’s draw features a bevy of stars, including No. 1 seed and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion who reached the US Open mixed doubles final last week. Five American women are seeded in the top 10, including No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, the reigning French Open champion; No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula, who reached the final of the US Open last year; and No. 6 seed Madison Keys, who won the 2025 Australian Open in January.

The competition is just as fierce on the men’s side, headlined by the top two players in the world: No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner, the defending US Open champion, and No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz, who won the title in 2022. No. 7 seed Novak Djokovic aims for his fifth US Open title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam championship. American men also figure to be among the biggest contenders, including No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz, the 2024 US Open runner-up, and No. 6 seed Ben Shelton.

Here are the current odds to win the men’s and women’s singles title and how to watch 2025 US Open (as of Sunday, Aug. 24, according to BetMGM):

How to watch 2025 US Open: Dates, TV, streaming

• Dates: Sunday, Aug. 24-Sunday, Sept. 7
• Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York)
• TV channels: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (Spanish language)
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo (free trial)

Odds to win 2025 US Open women’s singles title

(via BetMGM as of Sunday, Aug. 24)

• Iga Swiatek +250
• Aryna Sabalenka +300
• Coco Gauff +900
• Elena Rybakina +1000
• Mirra Andreeva +1200
• Madison Keys +1800
• Victoria Mboko +2000
• Naomi Osaka +2000
• Emma Raducanu +2500
• Amanda Anisimova +2500
• Jessica Pegula +3300
• Jasmine Paolini +4000

Odds to win 2025 US Open men’s singles title

(via BetMGM as of Sunday, Aug. 24)

• Jannik Sinner +110
• Carlos Alcaraz +170
• Novak Djokovic +1200
• Alexander Zverev +1800
• Ben Shelton +1800
• Jack Draper +2000
• Taylor Fritz +2800
• Daniil Medvedev +4000
• Alex de Minaur +6600
• Holger Rune +6600

AI-assisted summary
• Men’s and women’s singles action at the 2025 US Open kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 24.
• Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Arnya Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula were among the top stars to play first-round matches on opening day.

Novak Djokovic continues his quest for another US Open title following an opening night victory over 19-year-old American Learner Tien on Sunday, Aug. 24.

Djokovic, who is the No. 7 seed in the tournament, appeared to be in some pain during the match. As he was being looked at by an athletic trainer during a break between sets, ESPN’s camera zoomed in during the broadcast on what appeared to be a blister on his toe.

Djokovic improved to 19-0 in first-round matches at the event. He won the event on four different occasions, with the latest coming in 2023. Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles in his legendary career, and another championship in New York would set the all-time tennis record for men or women.

Djokovic will take on Zachary Svajda of the United States in the second round on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Svajda earned a convincing victory over Zsombor Piros.

American Ben Shelton also cruised on to the second round after picking up a victory over Ignacio Buse.

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka swept Rebeka Masarova in the first round of women’s singles. She will play Polina Kudermetova on Wednesday. Kudermetova beat Nuria Parrizas Diaz in what ended up being a quick first-round match. Parrizas-Diaz pulled out of the match after she fell and twisted her ankle.

USA TODAY has everything you need to know about the US Open Day 1 action and a look ahead at the Day 2 order of play for Monday, Aug. 25:

2025 US Open Day 1 results for Sunday

Men’s singles

• No. 7 Novak Djokovic def. Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
• No. 30 Brandon Nakashima def. Jesper De Jong 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-7)
• Marcos Giron def. Mariano Navone 6-0, 7-5, 4-6, 5-7, 6-4
• Benjamin Bonzi def. No. 13 Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 0-6, 6-4
• No. 4 Taylor Fritz def. Emilio Nava 7-5, 6-2, 6-3
• No. 6 Ben Shelton def. Ignacio Buse 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
• No. 16 Jakub Mensik def. Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4
• No. 18 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina def. Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
• No. 20 Jiri Lehecka def. Borna Coric 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
• No. 21 Tomas Machac def. Luca Nardi 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
• Adrian Mannarino def. No. 29 Tallon Griekspoor 7-5, 6-4, 6-0
• No. 32 Luciano Darderi def. Rinky Hijikata 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
• Jordan Thompson def. Corentin Moutet 6-2, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry def. Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-0
• Pablo Carreno Busta def. Pablo Llamas Ruiz 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-2
• Jerome Kym def. Ethan Quinn 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5)
• Zachary Svajda def. Zsombor Piros 6-4, 6-2, 7-5
• Eliot Spizzirri def. Stefan Dostanic 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
• Ugo Blanchet def. Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
• Arthur Rinderknech def. Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6 (7-2), 7-5, 4-6, 6-2

Women’s singles

• No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka def. Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 6-1
• No. 4 Jessica Pegula def. Mayar Sherif 6-0, 6-4
• No. 7 Jamine Paolini def. Destanee Aiava 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
• No. 10 Emma Navarro def. Wang Yafan 7-6 (11-9), 6-3
• Alexandra Eala def. No. 14 Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11)
• No. 16 Belinda Bencic def. Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-3
• Janice Tjen def. No. 24 Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
• No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko def. Wang Xiyu 6-4, 6-3
• No. 31 Leylah Fernandez def. Rebecca Marino 6-2, 6-1
• No. 32 McCartney Kessler def. Magda Linette 7-5, 7-5
• Anna Blinkova def. Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 6-1
• Anastasia Potapova def. Zhu Lin 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
• Lulu Sun def. Camila Osorio 6-4, 2-6, 6-0
• Catherine McNally def. Jil Teichmann 6-2, 6-2
• Moyuka Uchijima def. Olga Danilovic 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 7-6 (11-9)
• Marketa Vondrousova def. Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
• Emma Raducanu def. Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2
• Polina Kudermetova def. Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 2-2 (retired)
• Tereza Valentova def. Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
• Victoria Azarenka def. Hina Inoue 7-6 (7-0), 6-4

US Open Day 2 schedule: Ranked players in action Monday

* All Times Eastern

Women’s singles

• No. 5 Mirra Andreeva vs. Alycia Parks, 7 p.m.
• No. 6 Madison Keys vs. Renata Zarazua, 11:30 a.m.
• No. 9 Elena Rybakina vs. Julieta Pareja, 11 a.m.
• No. 11 Karolina Muchova vs. Venus Williams, 7 p.m.
• No. 12 Elina Svitolina vs. Anna Bondar, TBA
• No. 15 Daria Kasatkina vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse, TBA
• No. 17 Liudmila Samsonova vs. Yue Yuan, 11 a.m.
• No. 19 Elise Mertens vs. Alyssa Ahn, 11 a.m.
• No. 22 Victoria Mboko vs. Barbora Krejcikova, 11 a.m.
• No. 28 Magdalena Frech vs. Talia Gibson, TBA
•  No. 29 Anna Kalinskaya vs. Clervie Ngounoue, 11 a.m.
• No. 30 Dayana Yastremska vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 11 a.m.

Men’s singles

• No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. Reilly Opelka 7 p.m.
• No. 5 Jack Draper vs. Federico Agustin Gomez, 11 a.m.
• No. 9 Karen Khachanov vs. Nishesh Basavareddy, TBA
• No. 11 Holger Rune vs. Botic van de Zandschulp, TBA
• No. 12 Casper Ruud vs. Sebastian Ofner, 7 p.m.
• No. 15 Andrey Rublev vs. Dino Prizmic, TBA
• No. 17 Frances Tiafoe vs. Yoshihito Nishioka, 11:30 a.m.
• No. 22 Ugo Humbert vs. Adam Walton, 11 a.m.
• No. 24 Flavio Coblli vs. Francesco Passaro, TBA
• No. 28 Alex Michelsen vs. Francisco Comesana, 11 a.m.
• No. 31 Gabriel Diallo vs. Damir Dzumhur, TBA

How to watch 2025 US Open: Dates, TV, streaming

• Dates: Sunday, Aug. 24-Sunday, Sept. 7
• Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York)
• TV channels: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (Spanish language)
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Fubo (free trial)

2025 US Open key dates

• Men’s and women’s singles competition: Monday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 7
• Doubles and mixed doubles competition: Begins Monday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Sept. 6
• Mixed doubles final: Wednesday, Aug. 20
• Women’s doubles final: Friday, Sept. 5
• Men’s doubles final: Saturday, Sept. 6
• Women’s singles final: Saturday, Sept. 6
• Men’s singles final: Sunday, Sept. 7

For the second time this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles have traded for another quarterback with NFL starting experience.

In March, the Eagles received Dorian Thompson-Robinson in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. On Sunday, Philadelphia is acquiring Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Sam Howell – as well as a 2026 sixth-round pick – in a trade.

The Vikings will receive a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick in return.

Howell played in each of Minnesota’s first two preseason games but spent the Vikings’ preseason finale on the bench. He finished the preseason 12-of-18 (66.7%) on pass attempts for 118 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception.

The news of the trade for Howell came minutes before reports that the Vikings had agreed to terms with free agent quarterback – and former Eagle – Carson Wentz.

The former Washington Commanders starter now joins an Eagles quarterbacks room that already includes Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Thompson-Robinson and rookie Kyle McCord.

Sam Howell trade details: Full returns for Eagles, Vikings

• Eagles receive: QB Sam Howell, 2026 sixth-round pick
• Vikings receive: 2026 fifth-round pick, 2027 seventh-round pick

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman swung a trade for another backup quarterback Sunday morning. McKee, Philadelphia’s current backup, was held out of his team’s final two preseason games with a finger injury and could miss Week 1.

Howell provides extra insurance behind Hurts and in front of McCord, who appears to have won the No. 3 spot on the depth chart over Thompson-Robinson.

In return, the Vikings received some improved draft capital, essentially swapping a sixth-rounder next year for a fifth. Rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer had performed well enough to earn consideration as the team’s No. 3 quarterback, and Minnesota’s signing of Wentz made Howell expendable.

Minnesota has been looking to add help at the wide receiver position, according to reports, including the possibility of a reunion with veteran receiver Adam Thielen in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings’ acquisition of a higher draft pick in the Howell trade could present a better bargaining chip for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to work with.

Sam Howell stats

Howell is entering his fourth NFL season in 2025. He began his career with the Commanders and started all 17 games for the team in 2023 before playing out the 2024 season as a backup for the Seattle Seahawks.

Here’s how his career looks so far, by the numbers:

• Record (as starter): 5-13
• Completion rate: 399-of-631 (63.2%)
• Passing yards: 4,139
• Touchdowns: 22
• Interceptions: 23
• Passer rating: 77.5
• Rushing: 300 yards on 54 attempts (5.6 yards per carry)

Howell’s 21 interceptions in 2023 led the NFL and helped pave the way for the Commanders to draft his replacement, Jayden Daniels, with the second overall pick in last year’s draft.

Quarterback busts look a little different than busts at other positions. That’s because quarterback is typically one of the deepest positions in fantasy football, so even being a steady producer isn’t necessarily enough to become a league-winning or starter-worthy signal-caller.

With that in mind, projecting out quarterback busts isn’t necessarily about which players will have bad seasons. It’s more about identifying those who have lower ceilings than their similarly drafted counterparts.

Whether it’s due to volume concerns or regression around the quarterback, there are a variety of reasons to approach certain passers with caution. Below is a look at a few quarterbacks should be treated more as streamers than fantasy starters in 2025.

QB busts to avoid in fantasy football 2025

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff has finished the last three seasons as a top-10 fantasy quarterback. Will he be able to continue that positive momentum in 2025? Perhaps, but Goff is entering the season without Ben Johnson as his offensive coordinator for the first time since 2021.

Johnson, who now coaches the Chicago Bears, was a major catalyst for Goff’s improvement. He helped lead Goff to a career high in passing touchdowns (37) and passer rating (111.8) last season, when the 30-year-old finished as the QB6. However, in six seasons without Johnson, Goff has finished better than QB13 in fantasy just once. That came in 2018, his best season with Sean McVay.

Occasionally, quarterbacks can overcome the loss of talented offensive coordinators, with Baker Mayfield notably finding success in 2024 after losing Dave Canales. That could create some hope that Goff can continue to be a fantasy asset even without Johnson.

But given Goff’s track record and the retirement of the Lions’ stalwart center Frank Ragnow, it’s probably better to treat Goff as more of a borderline QB1 than a sure-fire fantasy starter.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

There’s no doubt Herbert is a talented quarterback, and he was one of the league’s most efficient passers in 2024. He had a league-best interception rate of 0.6% and posted a career-best 101.7 passer rating in his first year working with Jim Harbaugh.

Despite this, Herbert finished the season ranked 16th among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game (FPPG). That was largely due to his middling total of 25 touchdowns, stemming from a lack of passing opportunities in the red zone.

Herbert attempted just 57 passes inside his opponents’ 20-yard lines last season, tied with Tua Tagovailoa for 17th-most in the NFL. That might not sound bad, but it’s worth noting Herbert was one of just 14 quarterbacks to make 17 starts last season. Among those quarterbacks, his 57 red-zone passing attempts ranked second-fewest ahead of only Geno Smith (54).

The Chargers don’t appear likely to change their run-heavy red zone approach in 2025 after signing Najee Harris in free agency and spending a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton. That will once again limit Herbert’s ceiling and make him more of a situational streamer than a legitimate fantasy starter.

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Love tantalized fantasy managers in the second half of the 2023 NFL season, when he racked up 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns and just one interception over the final eight games. Many believed him to be a potential breakout candidate in 2024; instead, he ranked 18th in FPPG among quarterbacks.

Part of Love’s issue was his lack of opportunities to throw the ball. He averaged just 28.3 attempts per game, which ranked 26th among 36 quarterbacks who qualified for the NFL’s passer rating leaderboard last season. By comparison, Love averaged 34.9 attempts per game during his torrid close to the 2023 NFL season.

Could the Packers decide to give Love more opportunities to throw the ball in 2025? It’s possible, especially since the team spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver, Matthew Golden, for the first time since 2002.

But if Love remains unable to exceed 30 passing attempts per game, it’s hard to imagine him cracking fantasy football’s top 15 quarterbacks, let alone the top 10.