President Donald Trump has issued an executive order barring College Football Playoff and other postseason games from airing during the annual Army-Navy matchup in December. Trump directed the commerce secretary and the FCC chairman to coordinate with the playoff committee, the NCAA and media rights partners to ensure an exclusive broadcasting window for the storied rivalry traditionally played the second Saturday each December. Trump’s order makes reference to potential expansion of the CFP that likely would require an earlier start for the playoff. In the first two years of the 12-team format, the first-round games were the weekend after Army-Navy.
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The Indianapolis Colts signed two more free agents, reuniting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and adding Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to the team’s receiving group. Terms of the deals were not immediately available. The Colts have been busy in the secondary free agent market this week, signing eight free agents since Monday while also re-signing free agent tight end Mo Alie-Cox. Davis-Gaither has played in 88 games over six seasons, the first five in Cincinnati. He's coming off his most productive season with Arizona last year. Westbrook-Ikhine grew up in Indy and played at Indiana University before signing with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
Curt Cignetti, who coached Indiana to its first national title in football, will drive the honorary pace car at the Indianapolis 500. Race organizers made the announcement Tuesday night during the World Baseball Classic championship game. Cignetti will drive a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 24. The Hoosiers made an incredible leap during Cignetti’s first two seasons, going from the losingest Football Bowl Subdivision program in history to the first major college football team to finish 16-0 since the 1890s.
The Indianapolis Colts signed Cam Taylor-Britt, Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Owens and former Notre Dame basketball player Carson Towt. The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Towt appeared in 154 college basketball games with Northern Arizona and Notre Dame. He averaged 5.9 points and nine rebounds a game this past season for the Fighting Irish. The additions of Taylor-Britt, Owens and Tillery should help with depth at two positions Indy was attempting to improve this offseason. Indy is hoping Owens can help fill the void left by the recent departure of starting safety Nick Cross.
The Denver Broncos have acquired standout wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster deal that sends three draft picks to the Miami Dolphins, including a first-rounder, according to two people with knowledge of the trade. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been announced. The Dolphins will receive the 30th-overall pick in next month’s NFL draft along with picks in the third and fourth rounds. Denver will get Miami’s fourth-rounder along with Waddle. Waddle gives Bo Nix another main playmaker along with Courtland Sutton, boosting a passing offense that finished 11th in the NFL last season.
The Buffalo Bills continued adding to their secondary by signing safety Geno Stone to a one-year contract. Stone has six NFL seasons of experience, and was a starter in his past two years with Cincinnati. The 26-year-old was selected by Baltimore in the seventh round of the 2020 draft out of Iowa, and spent his first four seasons with the Ravens. He joins C.J. Gardner-Johnson as the second safety signed by Buffalo in free agency and is expected to compete for a starting job opposite Cole Bishop.
A turf war over a football team is developing between two Midwestern states with a long rivalry. Indiana has made a serious bid to lure the storied Chicago Bears across the border. The Bears want to leave Soldier Field, their home for 50 years. They previously proposed a $5 billion campus featuring a domed stadium in suburban Arlington Heights. But Indiana has a new law that would allow for financing and building a stadium in Hammond to lease to the Bears. Illinois lawmakers have responded with legislation that would give property and sales tax breaks to any so-called megaproject — such as a Bears stadium — of at least $100 million.
The Cincinnati Bengals have reshaped their roster by extending Orlando Brown Jr. and adding two recent Super Bowl winners in free agency. The team announced a two-year extension for Brown through the 2028 season. The Bengals also have signed safety Bryan Cook to a three-year deal. Cook returns to his Cincinnati hometown and fills a hole at free safety. The team added defensive end Boye Mafe on a three-year contract. Mafe steps into the void left by Trey Hendrickson.
Daniel Jones spent his entire offseason rehabbing, letting his agents deal with the business side of football. Almost exactly four months after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon in a loss at Jacksonville, Jones returned to the Indianapolis Colts team complex with a new two-year contract worth up to $100 million and a timetable for his return to play. Jones says he remains hopeful he'll be ready to start the 2026 season opener. Jones says “I’m in a good spot, I’m on schedule. I think from everything the doctors are telling me — trainers, rehab, physical therapists — I think I’m in a good spot.”
NFL free agency spending has reshaped the early pecking order, with a few teams gaining real momentum and others taking hits. On Monday, big moves included the Panthers adding Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to build an elite defense. The 49ers added Mike Evans and extra line help. The Patriots kept spending to upgrade key spots. The Jets brought Geno Smith back and loaded up on defense. The Rams strengthened their secondary. The Buccaneers slipped after losing Evans and defensive starters. The Eagles and Jaguars also dropped back after losing major pieces.