While a 38-year-old Kirk Cousins is hardly glamorous, he's considerably better than Carson Wentz, Kyler Murray or any other realistic option the Vikings had.
asserted
Vikings → have → Wentz
With an elite defense already in place, Cousins immediately improves Minnesota's chances of holding on to the lead in the historically competitive NFC North.
asserted
Cousins → improve → North
The Chargers appear determined to become the first team to start 0-8 and make the playoffs.
asserted
Chargers → appear → playoffs
The Chargers held on to veterans with expiring contracts, including Khalil Mack and Donte Jackson, both of whom could have fetched solid draft capital in return.
uncertain
both → hold → return
The team did, however, trade its homegrown, emerging linebacker Daiyan Henley – to the division rival Denver Broncos.
asserted
team → trade → Broncos
The Bears were quiet on deadline day because they made their move two weeks ago.
asserted
they → make → move
No team improved more through a trade this season than Chicago did by acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.
asserted
Chicago → improve → Simmons
Simmons has made an immediate impact in Chicago, improving the play of the defenders around him, notably Devin Bush and Austin Booker.
asserted
Simmons → make → him
Most sportsbooks have moved the Bears from 10th to third in Super Bowl odds in recent weeks.
asserted
sportsbooks → move → weeks
Trading for Simmons is part of the reason.
asserted
Trading → trade → reason
The Jaguars improved by trading for safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
asserted
Jaguars → improve → III
But they vastly overpaid for both, to the point of recklessness.
asserted
they → overpay → recklessness
Jacksonville sent the Eagles a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick for Davis.
asserted
Jacksonville → send → Davis
He is a good player, but primarily a run-stuffing nose tackle.
asserted
He → stuff → ?
The Jaguars paid as if he were a difference-making pass rusher.
asserted
he → pay → ?
They also sent Atlanta a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick for Bates.
asserted
They → send → Bates
The problem: Bates is a free agent after the season, and the Jaguars are projected to be over the salary cap.
asserted
Jaguars → project → cap
What's more, the Bills acquired fellow safety Amani Hooker at a much better price.
asserted
Bills → acquire → price
Buffalo sent Tennessee a second-round pick and received a fifth-round pick along with Hooker.
asserted
Buffalo → send → Hooker
He's also two years younger than Bates and has two and a half years remaining on his contract.
asserted
He → have → contract
By comparison, the Jags were fleeced.
asserted
Jags → fleece → comparison
As OutKick said in July, ESPN made a mistake by including NFL insider Tom Pelissero in its layoffs.
asserted
ESPN → say → layoffs
Three people break about 99% of all NFL news: Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Pelissero.
asserted
people → break → news
ESPN could have had all three.
uncertain
ESPN → have → three
Now with The Ringer and Netflix, Pelissero has become a fan favorite on social media during his revenger tour, competing head-to-head against ESPN's much larger operation.
asserted
Pelissero → become → operation
On Tuesday, football fans had fun with Pelissero's impressive day:
Moses, huh?
Loser:
asserted
fans → have → Loser
Russini returned to media just in time for the trade deadline.
asserted
Russini → return → deadline
She posted her first tweet since April, confirming that the 49ers were not trading Mac Jones.
asserted
49ers → post → Jones
But her inactivity isn't what lands her on the losers list.
asserted
what → land → list
It's how she portrayed herself in her first interview since resigning from The Athletic following the scandal involving Mike Vrabel.
asserted
she → portray → Vrabel
In an interview with People, Russini claimed she is the victim of "heartbreaking" lies and took no accountability for her role in the scandal.
asserted
she → claim → scandal
The Aporia
