Sports
Inside the strategy of organizing an NFL locker room
MICHAEL PENIX JR. knew early on. It was last spring during voluntary organized team activities. The rookie quarterback had just gotten his locker assignment at the Atlanta Falcons facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
Directly to Penix’s right was veteran safety Jessie Bates III, an All-Pro who takes notes on two different iPads during film study.
Penix was the Falcons’ backup quarterback in 2024 and typically, in practice, would go up against the first-team defense, led by Bates. In one 11-on-11 period last spring, Penix saw Bates break on one of his passes even before the wide receiver.
After practice, while both were changing at their lockers, Penix leaned in and asked Bates what he saw on the play.
“He’s like, ‘I just saw the receiver looking that way, or a certain technique or the way that we were running the routes,’ and just small stuff like that,” Penix said. “Because when he’s back there lurking, he’s able to do whatever he wants. It is scary for a quarterback.”
It was a valuable learning experience for Penix, a welcome-to-the-league moment before he ever took a regular-season snap. Penix continued to pick Bates’ brain throughout the season, and Bates was more than willing to take the promising QB under his wing.
Later, Penix realized that his budding mentor-protégé relationship with Bates was, in part, orchestrated by the coaching staff.
“I feel like [there] might’ve been some thought into putting me next to him as far as whoever makes the locker room assignments,” Penix said. “So, definitely take advantage of that. Always asking him why he felt like he should have drove on a certain ball.”
There are very few things done by NFL coaching staffs without some form of intention. Locker room geography is something organizations consider, especially when it comes to where to place promising young players.
Penix wasn’t the only rookie quarterback adjacent to a brainy veteran safety last year — J.J. McCarthy was next to Harrison Smith in the Minnesota Vikings locker room. Philadelphia Eagles six-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay requested his locker be next to then-rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell last season. In New England, No. 4 pick Will Campbell, an offensive tackle, is currently being mentored by Patriots locker neighbor Morgan Moses, an 11-year veteran at the same position. The Dallas Cowboys have strategically placed team leaders in the corners of the locker room going back to the Jason Garrett era.
“It happens a lot,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of intentional locker assignments. “Some of it’s public, some of it’s not.”
Morris, who has coached in the league on both sides of the ball since 2002, said part of finding the right fit is playing amateur psychologist, which he’s not fully comfortable doing. However, Morris did pair up rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and veteran cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. in the Falcons locker room this season. Morris was on the Atlanta staff in 2020 when Terrell was a rookie. Pearce has a quiet demeanor off the field like Terrell did then, Morris said, so the coach has paired them up in the locker room, as well.
“I hate to do that, because I’m not qualified,” Morris said of playing psychologist. “But I’m definitely good enough to pair people up.”
PUKA NACUA‘S LOCKER was placed next to that of Los Angeles Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein during Nacua’s record-breaking rookie season in 2023. Havenstein was one of the oldest, most-tenured players on the team and Nacua showed deference to the 6-foot-8 veteran.
“I was next to ‘Big Rob,’ and it wasn’t my duty to bring ‘Big Rob’ towels, but I always did,” Nacua said.
Rams All-Rookie defensive end Braden Fiske ended up near Havenstein the next year in the Rams’ new facility. He found himself rubbing elbows with Super Bowl winners Havenstein, quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and tight end Tyler Higbee.
“Cooper was a big one last year that I would talk to,” Fiske said. “How did he make that jump in Year 2 of his career? What was something that elevated his game? And a lot of that was the diet. That’s a lot of what I implemented into my offseason. I was super fortunate to have those guys in my area of the locker room.”
That area, in fact, has become prime real estate. It even has a nickname. Rams players have dubbed it “The suburbs.”
“We have got a good group of vets over there,” Fiske said. “They’ve done their time. They’re living life lavish.”
Rams coach Sean McVay said he typically lets Brendan Burger, the team’s senior director of equipment, assign lockers, because “he’s got such a good feel.” McVay is not a believer in keeping the offensive players in one place and the defenders elsewhere.
“So much of the days are broken up where it’s offense-defense separate, and to just be able to create that natural interaction and appreciation for each other — not exclusive to just one side of the ball — that’s kind of what goes into it,” McVay said.
As a rookie, Nacua was also near cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, a veteran he used to go up against daily on the practice field.
“It’s always fun post-practice to come and be like, ‘Alright, what were you thinking right here when I lined up against you and I doubled up at the line of scrimmage and then you jab this way?'” Nacua said. “So having a [defensive back] next to you is something that you don’t really imagine in the locker room, but it’s also really fun because you have some great conversations.”
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have two players from the same position group sitting directly next to each other in any instance unless it’s the practice squad or when the roster is at 90 players.
“I put a lot of thought into it,” Shanahan said. “I like to mix everything up, because you’re always with your position groups, you’re always in rooms with ’em.
“Position groups are always going to be tight. You don’t get too many opportunities to cross over. You’re always competing on the field, sometimes fighting. So I think it’s important to mix everybody up.”
The Falcons were so happy with the Bates-Penix arrangement that they have rookie cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. next to three-time Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom this season.
“For Penix, it was more like, ‘This is what a pro looks like,'” Morris said. “I know you got [Kirk Cousins in the quarterback] room, but here’s another pro from the different side of the ball that you probably didn’t even know moved this way. And it’s just always things that you can do for people and that they can see to help them be the best version of themselves.”
McCarthy was sandwiched between Smith and wide receiver Justin Jefferson as a rookie last year in Minnesota. And professionalism is what stood out the most.
“Their day-to-day routine is something that is extremely beneficial,” McCarthy said. “Just being able to observe as a young guy is one of the biggest things for any young player coming into this league.
“So, I feel like building relationships with those guys is going to be something that I carry with me for the rest of my career.”
#49ers Trent Williams turned his locker into the VIP section 😂#ProBowlVote Trent Williams pic.twitter.com/2fdMXJqYrq
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) December 11, 2023
When Moses was a young player with Washington, his locker was near future Hall of Fame tackle Trent Williams‘. It wasn’t directly next to Williams’ — “he had three lockers!” Moses said — but it was close enough to pick up some tips and advice from the three-time first-team All-Pro. Now, Moses is paying it forward with Campbell and the Patriots.
“Not saying I’m at [Williams’] caliber, but the years I’ve been able to play, just being able to sit beside Will in the locker room and be able to talk over looks — we’ll pass the iPad back and forth, bounce questions,” Moses said. “That’s what you like because that brings camaraderie and brotherhood.”
THE COWBOYS HAVE been strategic about locker locations going back to Garrett’s tenure as coach in the 2010s. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb resides at a locker once held by tight end Jason Witten and guard Zack Martin. Offensive tackle Terence Steele is in a corner spot once held by defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Cornerback C.J. Goodwin and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa are in corner lockers once occupied by offensive tackle Tyron Smith and linebacker Sean Lee, respectively. Running back Miles Sanders, a free agent signee, is now in the spot near the equipment room that backup quarterback Cooper Rush once held.
New Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer has added some of his own wrinkles, though, including putting pass rusher Micah Parsons near the middle of the room next to quarterback Dak Prescott‘s locker.
“Two of our best players, put them together,” Schottenheimer said. “There’s also other things we’re doing in there where guys are competing every day in different things that we’ve kind of put in there, but just they can challenge each other in a good way. … There’s a method to the madness.”
In some cases, players who have some leverage because of their standing on the team can make specific locker requests. Famously, Patriots legend Tom Brady requested the new star player he’d be throwing to — wide receiver Randy Moss — be next to him.
Slay petitioned that Mitchell be his neighbor last season, which ended in Mitchell being one of the best rookies in the league as the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told Mitchell on draft night: “I want you to live next door to Slay. I want you to sleep next to Slay. That’s your guy.”
“We talk a lot about life, and he just gives me life lessons, and it translates onto the field,” Mitchell said in 2024. “During the games, I’m asking him what he’s seeing and what he thinks is coming up during the next series. I lean on him a lot.”
The Cincinnati Bengals recently shook things up in their locker room, switching the defensive line and offensive line areas. The offensive linemen are now closer to Joe Burrow and the other quarterbacks.
“Everybody walks past me when they come in, when they’re out,” Burrow said. “So, I’m saying hi to everybody. It’s been nice to have [offensive linemen Orlando Brown Jr.] and Ted [Karras] right there. Those are my guys.”
Do locker assignments matter a great deal? Can they make the difference between winning and losing? Some players are skeptical. In a few cases, the dynamic can become toxic. New York Jets wide receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet had lockers next to one another in 1997 and they did not get along at all. They wouldn’t even acknowledge each other when both were doing media at the same time. Johnson, in his book, referred to Chrebet as the “team mascot” and later said comparing the two was like comparing “a flashlight to a star.”
“I think when you look that deep into it, you could always find good, bad or however you want to,” Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “At the end of the day, I still got to line up and play my defense as called.”
But that won’t stop coaching staffs from at least giving some thought to where players are situated in their locker rooms. The Falcons believe it has paid dividends when it comes to Penix. Bates became a big part of helping position Penix for the role he’s in now: Atlanta’s starting quarterback.
“I can break it down in so much detail,” Penix said of his and Bates’ conversations last year, “but I’ll be talking forever.”
Additional reporting by Todd Archer, Ben Baby, Sarah Barshop, Rich Cimini, Courtney Cronin, Mike DiRocco, John Keim, Tim McManus, Mike Reiss, Kevin Seifert, Nate Taylor, Katherine Terrell and Nick Wagoner.
Lionel Messi admitted to “playing with fear” as he returned from injury to score twice in Inter Miami’s 3-1 Leagues Cup semifinal win over Florida rivals Orlando City.
Messi converted a 77th-minute penalty at Chase Stadium and then added another goal in the 88th minute — after combining with Jordi Alba — as Miami came back from a goal down to clinch a place in the final.
“I wanted to be here,” Messi said after the game. “When I came back against [LA] Galaxy [on August 17] I felt some discomfort, I didn’t feel comfortable, but I wanted to play the game.
“It was really important to be here because it’s a difficult opponent, they’d beaten us in the two games we played against them this year. In the first half I was playing with a bit of fear, but after that I felt a bit [more] free.”
Orlando had beaten Miami 4-1 when the teams last met on Aug. 11, with Messi absent.
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The Argentina star has been struggling with a muscular injury in his right leg this month, and made a brief return against the Galaxy, before coming back into the team on Wednesday.
Miami will now play Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday, after they defeated LA Galaxy 2-0 in the other semifinal.
It will be Miami’s second appearance in the final in two years, after they won the tournament in 2023, while in 2024 they were eliminated in the round of 16.
Week 1 is finally here and there’s plenty to know about ahead of this weekend. Top 25 matchups will be played, and many freshmen will have the chance to show if they can shine under the bright lights for the first time.
All eyes will be on No. 1 Texas-No. 3 Ohio State as the Longhorns travel to the Horseshoe Saturday. What can we expect to see from Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in Week 1? No. 9 LSU travels to No. 4 Clemson in a tough road matchup to start off the season. While Brian Kelly and LSU have yet to win a Week 1 matchup the past three seasons, will this be the game that changes that? As we look forward to a jam-packed weekend, we take a look back at some of the best quotes of the offseason.
Our reporters break down what to know entering Week 1.
Jump to:
Expectations for Arch and Jeremiah
LSU-Clemson | Freshmen to watch
Offseason quotes
Texas-Ohio State preview
What do we need to see from Arch Manning Week 1?
We can expect Manning to take some deep shots, especially to receiver Ryan Wingo, who Manning has raved about all offseason. The Longhorns weren’t great at stretching the field last season with Quinn Ewers, but whenever Manning got in, he looked to make big plays. Texas’ offensive staffers said this spring they keep reminding Manning that he just needs to keep the offense moving forward and to take the easy throws when he can, especially while breaking in four new starters on the offensive line. Similarly, Manning, who has open-field speed, has been reminded by everyone — including his grandfather, Archie, who liked to run around a little bit — to get down or get out of bounds, and not to drop his shoulder and try to run anyone over. Manning doesn’t have to be “superhuman” or “do anything that is extraordinary,” Steve Sarkisian said on Monday. But a solid performance on the road at No. 3 Ohio State to open the season would set the Longhorns on a national championship trajectory. — Dave Wilson
What can we expect from Jeremiah Smith in his sophomore debut?
Smith noted during Big Ten media days last month that with a year of experience behind him, he expects to play even faster this season. That’s a scary proposition for the rest of college football, considering Smith put together one of the greatest true freshman seasons in college football history, capped with his game-clinching reception that lifted Ohio State to a national championship. The Longhorns were one of the only teams to keep Smith in check last year, holding him to just one catch for three yards. Of course, the attention on Smith allowed Carnell Tate and Emeka Egbuka to thrive, combining for 12 receptions in the 28-14 Buckeyes win. Still, Smith said he has been waiting for this opportunity to face Texas again. How new quarterback Julian Sayin performs could dictate the quality of Smith’s opportunities. Either way, Smith is primed to put on a show on the big Week 1 stage. — Jake Trotter
What each team needs to capitalize on to win
LSU: Four starters from last year’s starting offensive line were selected in the 2025 NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean LSU was elite up front. The Tigers ranked last in the SEC in rushing offense and mustered just 1.5 yards before contact on dropbacks, ahead of only Vanderbilt. This year’s unit will need to improve dramatically on that clip if LSU wants to contend for a playoff berth and that starts with the opener against Clemson. Clemson’s defensive front, manned by Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, is stout, and new coordinator Tom Allen will have his sights set on making LSU one-dimensional. The key to getting the ground game going will be a youth movement in the backfield led by Caden Durham and five-star freshman Harlem Berry. — David Hale
Clemson: As Hale mentioned, Clemson needs to dominate up front — as much as that sounds like a cliché. LSU coach Brian Kelly said he planned to rotate as many as eight offensive linemen in the opener, which is a nod to team depth, but may not be conducive in the type of environment they will be playing in. Clemson is eager to show that it has vastly improved in its front seven under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who brings a far more aggressive approach with his scheme. That aggressiveness was missing a year ago, as Clemson struggled to stop the run and consistently get after the quarterback with its best pass rushers. Clemson ranked No. 85 against the run a season ago while Penn State, where Allen coached, ranked No. 9. The same can be said on offense, where a veteran offensive line must help Clemson get the ground game going. Cade Klubnik was more effective as a passer last season because the Tigers had balance in their ground game. Converted receiver Adam Randall gets the nod at running back, and true freshman Gideon Davidson is expected to play. — Andrea Adelson
Five freshmen to watch in Week 1
Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan, No. 1 in 2025 ESPN 300
Underwood shook the recruiting world with his late-cycle flip from LSU to the in-state Wolverines last November. Ten months later, ESPN’s top 2025 recruit is set to be the program’s Week 1 starter when No. 14 Michigan hosts New Mexico on Saturday.
Underwood’s elite arm talent, pocket awareness and mobility has impressed the Wolverines’ coaching staff since he arrived on campus in January, as has his accelerated knowledge of the game. The young quarterback will get his first chance to flash that talent alongside fellow Michigan newcomers in running back Justice Haynes (Alabama transfer) and wide receiver Donaven McCulley (Indiana) in Week 1 before Underwood and the Wolverines stare down a much stiffer challenge against an experienced, Brent Venables-led Oklahoma defense on Sept. 6.
Elijah Griffin, DT, Georgia, No. 3 in 2025 ESPN 300
For the first time since 2021, the Bulldogs landed the state of Georgia’s top-ranked prospect in the 2025 cycle, and Griffin already appears poised to be a Day 1 contributor for the No. 5 Bulldogs.
Like many of the elite defensive line talents before him at Georgia, Griffin possesses top-end traits — speed, physicality and SEC-ready size at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds — that have had onlookers drawing comparisons to former Bulldog Jalen Carter throughout the spring and summer. Griffin’s maturity and ability to pick up the defense has also stood out as he vies for snaps along a revamped Georgia defensive line that returns multiple starters from a year ago. Whether or not he starts against Marshall on Saturday, Griffin is expected to play early and often in a significant role within coordinator Glenn Schumann’s defense this fall.
Dakorien Moore, WR, Oregon, No. 4 in 2025 ESPN 300
Moore has been one of the nation’s most productive high school playmakers in recent seasons, and his elite speed and playmaking talent are expected to earn him early opportunities this fall as he steps into an unsettled Ducks wide receiver group.
Missing top 2024 pass catchers Tez Johnson (NFL), Traeshon Holden (NFL) and Evan Stewart (injury), No. 7 Oregon is screaming for fresh downfield producers in 2025. The Ducks have plenty of experienced options between Florida State transfer Malik Benson and returners Justius Lowe, Gary Bryant Jr. and Kyler Kasper, but none offer the brand of electricity Moore presents. One of ESPN’s highest-rated wide receiver prospects since 2006, Moore should be an asset for first-year starting quarterback Dante Moore as soon as Oregon takes the field against Montana State on Saturday.
Demetres Samuel Jr., DB/WR, Syracuse, No. 223 in 2025 ESPN 300
Samuel reclassified into the 2025 class to enter college a year early. At just 17 years old, the 6-1, 195-pound freshman is set to feature prominently for the Orange this fall starting with Syracuse’s Week 1 matchup with No. 24 Tennessee on Saturday in Atlanta.
A speedy tackler from Palm Bay, Florida, Samuel has legit two-way potential, and the Orange intends to make the most of it in 2025. Syracuse coach Fran Brown announced earlier this month that Samuel will start at cornerback against Tennessee while also taking snaps at wide receiver, where the Orange are replacing their top two pass catchers from a year ago. With Travis Hunter in the NFL, Samuel stands as one of the most intriguing two-way talents across college football.
Jayvan Boggs, WR, Florida State, No. 284 in 2025 ESPN 300
Boggs joins the Seminoles after hauling in 99 receptions for 2,133 yards and 24 touchdowns in a wildly productive senior season at Florida’s Cocoa High School last fall. Listed as a starter in Florida State’s Week 1 depth chart, he has an opportunity to pick up where he left off in 2025.
Boggs combines a thick build with sudden route running and knack for yards after the catch. Alongside transfers Gavin Blackwell (North Carolina), Duce Robinson (USC) and Squirrel White (Tennessee), he’s positioned to emerge as a reliable downfield option from the jump within a new group of Seminoles pass catchers around Boston College transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos, starting with Florida State’s Week 1 meeting with No. 8 Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). — Eli Lederman
Notable offseason quotes
“I depend on Depends. … I’m making a joke out of it, but it is real. It is real. It is real. If you see a port-a-potty on the sideline, it is real, I’m just telling you. You’re going to see one at practice, on the sideline [in games].” — Colorado coach Deion Sanders, joking about his cancer recovery.
“But since we’re in Vegas, it seems like the right time to say it, our theme for this team is double down.” — Oregon coach Dan Lanning, on expectations coming off last year’s undefeated regular season.
“We figured we would just adopt SEC scheduling philosophy, you know? Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused on those nine conference games. Not only do we want to play nine conference games, OK, and have the [revised] playoff format [with automatic qualifiers], we want to have play-in games to decide who plays in those playoffs.” — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti on criticism of the Hoosiers’ light nonconference schedule.
“The recent NCAA ruling to not punish players that weren’t involved is correct. However, this ruling also proves that the NCAA as an enforcement arm no longer exists.” — Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, on the sanctions against rival Michigan.
“They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.” — Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos to On3 in June about the opener vs. Alabama.
“I’m 21 so I can do shots at a bar.” — Texas quarterback Arch Manning, joking after being asked about how he has to carry himself in public.
“They can have their opinion. We’re going to handle all that on Aug. 30.” — Clemson DE T.J. Parker on the battle over the stadium nickname “Death Valley” between Clemson and LSU.
“I still have the [Catholics versus Convicts] shirt. I do. It’s well documented that’s as intense if not the most intense rivalry that at that time it felt like the national championship went through South Bend or Coral Gables. Intensity was high, physicality, the edge that game was played with was next level.” — Miami coach Mario Cristobal on the Notre Dame rivalry. Cristobal played in the game and will now coach in it as Miami opens vs the Irish.
“Be delusional … It means no cap on the jar, no limitations, dreaming big. With the College Football Playoff where it is, as Indiana showed last year, anybody can get there. If we’re delusional enough to know we can do that, we can get there … Take the cap off the jar. Limitless.” — Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck, speaking at Big Ten media days.
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