Sports
Why Geno Smith is settling in for the long haul in Las Vegas
HENDERSON, Nev. — Geno Smith feels at home in Las Vegas. Hailing from Broward County in Florida, the heat and fast-paced lifestyle fit the Raiders’ starting quarterback.
Smith says Seattle, where he spent the previous six seasons as a backup turned starter and a two-time Pro Bowl selection, reminded him of his college football days at West Virginia: slow-paced, with limited sun. Even though he cherished his time with the Seahawks, the 34-year-old acknowledged that his personality never quite meshed with the Pacific Northwest.
“Vegas is perfect for me,” Smith told ESPN. “… Me being a Miami kid, and how I was raised and act, I really didn’t fit the culture [in Seattle].”
Las Vegas — Smith’s fourth team in 11 seasons — has offered more than preferable weather to satisfy his hunger.
For the first time in his career, Smith walked into a new organization as Plan A at quarterback.
When Las Vegas traded for Smith from Seattle in exchange for a third-round pick on March 7, it did so with the intention of Smith leading the franchise and providing stability at the most important position on the field. Smith didn’t have to worry about a training camp battle.
“I finally got my team,” said Smith, whose Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). “I always felt like I was trying to replace Russell [Wilson in Seattle], and you can never replace all the great things that he did. So I never felt like Seattle was my team.
“Also, I didn’t feel like I fit the aesthetic of the Seattle organization. The Raiders just fit me.”
Smith is a part of the Raiders’ plan to turn around a franchise that has become accustomed to losing, setbacks that have included inconsistent play at quarterback. With Smith under center, there’s optimism within the organization that the team can be competitive this season.
More importantly, Smith’s strong relationship with Pete Carroll and his fiery competitive spirit can help set the tone for the type of culture the veteran NFL coach wants to establish.
“He’s a facilitator in that regard,” Carroll said. “He’s such an all-in guy that there’s no questioning his commitment and conviction, and so that just helps the message embedded even more. [That’s] why he’s so valuable to us.”
SMITH MIGHT HAVE never been in Las Vegas — or Seattle — if not for Carroll.
After making 29 starts in his first two seasons after his selection by the New York Jets in 2013, Smith spent the subsequent five years as a backup for the Jets, Giants and Chargers, making only two starts in seven games played from 2015 to 2018.
Smith was 28 when he went in search of a job in 2019, and says he harbored doubts about his career. He wanted to be a starter again, but his previous history in that role also warranted doubt from others. Smith had gone 11-19 as the Jets starter in 2013-14, throwing for 5,571 yards, 25 touchdowns and 34 interceptions — the third-most picks in the league despite being ranked 19th in pass attempts (810) in that span.
Smith said he believed no one viewed him as a QB1 and wondered what else life might have to offer.
“I’m making money, but I’m not achieving my goals,” Smith recalls of that time. “There was this glass ceiling that was put above me. No matter what [I did], I could only get this far. And so I wanted to do other things outside of football.
“It wasn’t my confidence breaking. I think it was the confidence I had in the evaluators, if anything. I didn’t think they saw my talent or what I could bring to the table.”
While training with former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown and Thad Lewis, the current quarterback coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Smith surprised the group by talking about various business ideas he wanted to explore.
“I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna retire from the game and work on something else,'” he recalled.
Brown told Smith he was too young to consider that path and Lewis expressed a similar sentiment, telling Smith, “You’re crazy to retire.”
Smith decided to give football another shot. He eventually signed a one-year deal to become a backup in Seattle, where he realized Carroll believed in him just as much as he believed in himself.
“That led to all of this,” Smith said.
Carroll and Smith established a bond early. The Super Bowl-winning coach admired Smith’s arm talent and how he always prepared as if his name would be called on the next play.
Smith recalled Carroll walking up to him after his first training camp with the Seahawks and saying, “I know what you are. … We got you.”
“I didn’t know what he meant, but at least he recognized that I can play,” Smith said.
As the season went along, Smith liked how Carroll always kept him engaged in team decisions and seemed to value his opinion. Carroll would approach Smith on the sideline during games, asking for his thoughts on certain situations.
More than anything, Smith respected how Carroll cared about his players, calling him a “real dude.” He said Carroll has always had his players’ best interests at heart, even off the field. Smith mentioned how Carroll occasionally recommended houses to buy while he was in Seattle.
“It’s not a facade,” Smith said. “He would say, ‘Hey, this is a good investment in the offseason.’ … Coaches don’t do that type of stuff. He’s one of the guys, and that’s why I love him so much.”
AFTER THE SEAHAWKS sent Wilson to Denver in a blockbuster move ahead of the 2022 season, Smith beat out Drew Lock for starting duties and didn’t disappoint. He threw for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, was named AP Comeback Player of the Year and helped the Seahawks reach the postseason with a 9-8 record.
Smith played in 37 games under Carroll and threw for 8,641 yards, 55 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while making two Pro Bowl appearances.
“When he finally got his chance, I might have been his biggest cheerleader because he had waited and deserved it,” Carroll said.
The following season, the Seahawks posted another 9-8 record but missed the playoffs. The organization shook things up, as Carroll was out as the head coach after a 14-year tenure and a pair of Super Bowl appearances.
Smith says he never thought Carroll would leave the Seahawks. And the decision to replace Carroll with Mike Macdonald made Smith question his future with the club.
“Shoot, if they let him go, they let Russell go, the writing is on the wall, you know,” Smith said. “Eventually, they’re going to try to find someone younger, which every team does. I wasn’t mad at that, but it was more so how they were going about it, like, the honesty of it all. I felt like they were trying not to tell me what direction they were going.”
Smith says he wanted to remain in Seattle for the long term even though his biggest supporter was no longer in the building. At the same time, he wanted clarity on his future.
Before the start of the 2024 season, Smith said he had a one-on-one conversation with Seahawks general manager John Schneider about the direction of the organization. Smith expressed a desire for a new deal. He had two years left on the three-year, $75 million contract he signed in March 2023.
“I think that’s a fair question to ask anybody,” Smith said. “They didn’t have a definitive answer. … It was kind of up in the air. And so for me, going into the [2024] season, I was like, ‘OK, well, this may be my last season here.’ I literally had a playlist called ‘The Last Dance.’ I wanted to go out there and give it my all for my teammates.”
Smith helped the Seahawks to a 10-7 record in Year 1 under Macdonald, but they again missed the postseason. Smith completed 70.4% of his passes while throwing for 4,320 yards with 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions — third most in the NFL. Four of his interceptions came in the red zone (most in the NFL).
His QBR of 53.8 was 21st in the league and his lowest as Seattle’s full-time starter. He was sacked 50 times (third most).
Smith said there wasn’t much negotiation with Seattle this past offseason. Schneider told reporters in March that the team made an offer to Smith, but it became apparent that a deal wouldn’t materialize.
“It wasn’t a very long negotiation, so as a staff, we had to be prepared to pivot,” Schneider said.
Said Smith: “I felt like I [had] done all I could do. I showed them who I am, and if they wanted to go a different direction, so be it.”
The Seahawks agreed to send Smith to Las Vegas. Three days later, they landed 28-year-old Sam Darnold on a three-year, $100.5 million free agent deal after a career season with the Minnesota Vikings. Seattle used the No. 92 pick, which they received from the Raiders, to draft former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Smith said he didn’t think the Raiders would be a possible destination until Carroll arrived.
“When Carroll signed here, I knew he would be coming for me, and it was a matter of time before that happened,” Smith said. “The other options [I had], I kind of took them off the table. I looked at their offers, and they were decent offers, but I wanted to be with Coach Carroll.
Smith and Carroll are the 18th head coach-quarterback duo to serve as head coach and starting quarterback in at least one game together across multiple franchises, and the third such Raiders duo (Dennis Allen and Derek Carr for Las Vegas and the New Orleans Saints; Mike Shanahan and Steve Beuerlein for the Raiders and Denver Broncos).
Carroll said he viewed Smith as an “immediate fix” at quarterback. Before Smith’s arrival, the Raiders had seven quarterbacks start in a game since 2022, including three last season (Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder).
Of his coach, Smith said, “I know what he’s going to bring to the table, and I know that he’s going to mean what he says. That loyalty and honesty mean a lot to me.”
SMITH DIDN’T STUMBLE with his words. After the 34-year-old went 24-of-34 (70.6%) for 362 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his Raiders debut — a 20-13 road win over the New England Patriots in Week 1 — he was asked how he remained confident even after making a mistake.
“I’m me,” he told reporters at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. “I know who I am. I know what I can do.”
In Week 1, Smith threw a touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive before the offense went cold. He threw an interception while attempting to throw to tight end Brock Bowers in double coverage. The Raiders’ next two possessions resulted in a punt, as they went into halftime with a 10-7 deficit.
Smith remained unfazed. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 222 yards and helped his team score 10 unanswered points in the second half to secure a win. He is the third Raiders quarterback in the past 20 years to record at least 350 yards and a completion percentage of 70% in a game, joining Carr (2021) and Carson Palmer (2011).
“Man, I like playing with dogs,” Raiders linebacker Devin White said. “That’s the word to describe him. When anything is on the line, he’s gonna go get it. … He makes this team go.”
Smith’s confidence is his greatest strength. It’s noticeable in his play style. He’s not afraid to take risks, whether it’s throwing downfield or trying to fit the ball through tight windows. Smith’s philosophy is simple: You either make shots or miss them. He wants to give it his all and live with the results.
His confidence also gives him a sense of calm, which allows him to be effective in close games. Since 2022, Smith has recorded 10 fourth-quarter comebacks, including five last season.
“I tell all my coordinators, ‘Man, put the ball in my hands,” Smith said. “I don’t care what play you call, just put the ball in my hands and we’ll make it work.”
Smith has a fiery competitive spirit, and he’s unapologetic about it. He acknowledged being the biggest crybaby after a loss when he played youth football. “My mom still doesn’t get it, but I’m just wired that way,” he said.
Smith gets fired up for the things he’s passionate about. He loves football, and he wants those around him to strive for greatness just as much as he tries to. Smith understands his mentality can turn people off. When he and Carroll were in Seattle, Smith said Carroll knew the moments when he was getting too hot-headed and had to calm him down.
For the most part, Carroll loves it when his players have that fire in them.
“He’s no different than E-Rob [inside linebacker Elandon Roberts] or [defensive end] Maxx [Crosby], those guys. They got the same kind of juice. … We know that sometimes it’s appropriate and sometimes it isn’t, so we just have to work it with the quarterback position. … I want him to be as true to [himself] as he can be.”
In Seattle, he said he felt his personality wasn’t accepted by everybody.
“Not my teammates, but I for sure felt like it rubbed people in the front office the wrong way because of the way I carry myself,” Smith said. “But that’s who I am. I mean, imagine Kobe Bryant. He spoke his mind about how he felt. Those are my idols. … Michael Jordan and guys like that, who were unapologetic about how bad they wanted to win.
“If it rubs somebody the wrong way, good. Those aren’t the people I want to go to war with. I want people who really go die about it because that’s how I am.”
SMITH WILL TURN 35 next month and says he believes he has a good seven years of football left in him.
“My goal is to play 15 to 20 seasons,” Smith said. “I’m on [Year] 12, and I’ll make a decision after [Year] 15 if I want to keep going.”
During the league meetings in March, Carroll said the team acquired Smith with the intention of him playing “a number of years” for the organization. Carroll said he believed the years Smith spent as a backup prevented him from having wear and tear on his body.
At the same time, Smith understands the business of the sport. Smith’s two-year, $75 million contract ties him to the organization through 2028, when he’s 38. He has a cap hit of $40 million in 2025, $26.5 million in 2026 and $39.5 million in 2027. Smith doesn’t have any guaranteed money on the final year of his deal.
“I would love to finish my career here,” Smith said.
Smith has lofty goals for his time in Las Vegas. Like most players, he wants to win the division and a championship. His aspirations for winning might seem like a tall task given the nature of the AFC West. The three other teams in the division won at least 10 games and made postseason appearances in 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in five appearances over the past six seasons.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, has won at least 10 games and appeared in the postseason only one time in the past eight years. The Raiders haven’t finished first in the division since 2002, when they were based in Oakland.
The Raiders entered this season with a 24.5% chance of making the postseason. But Smith said he doesn’t care about the odds being stacked against them. And he’s not shying away from the tough competition ahead of him.
“They gotta beat us. That’s how I see it,” Smith said. “We’ve got to beat the Chiefs, but they gotta beat us. I’m not afraid to say that because I have confidence in my team and myself.”
Smith says he and the rest of the team have embraced the “us versus the world” mentality. Carroll built his first roster in Las Vegas with players who had something to prove or had been counted out.
Smith perfectly embodies the identity of Carroll’s group. And he’s fine with it.
“I’ve kind of been nobody’s favorite player, but I thrive in that role,” Smith said. “I love being the hunter … the guy who is going out to hunt. If they overlook us, that’s fine. We might just surprise some people, but it won’t be a surprise to us.”
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford edged New England Patriots counterpart Drake Maye to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award Thursday night, then made news in his acceptance speech by announcing he’ll return next season.
Stafford received 24-of-50 first-place votes and finished with 366 points. Maye got 23 first-place votes and finished with 361 points. It was the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003.
In his 17th NFL season, the 37-year-old Stafford became the oldest player in NFL history at the time of his first MVP. He also became the third-oldest player to win MVP, behind Tom Brady (2017) and Aaron Rodgers (2021).
Stafford brought his four daughters — all dressed in identical black-and-white dresses — to the stage to accept the award at the NFL Honors show.
He thanked his team and saved his wife and daughters for last: “You’re unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me, and I can’t wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking ass.”
It was Stafford’s way of announcing he will be back next season after contemplating retirement.
Over the last two months of the regular season, Stafford and Maye flip-flopped in the odds to win MVP multiple times, with Stafford emerging as the favorite after Week 18. He also was named an AP First Team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the 2024 MVP, received two first-place votes, while Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert got the other. Allen finished third in voting, followed by San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Stafford, who won Super Bowl LVI with Los Angeles in the 2021 season, became the fourth Rams player to be named MVP (Roman Gabriel in 1969, Kurt Warner in 1999 and 2001, and Marshall Faulk in 2000). He led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards, as well as a career-high 46 passing touchdowns to just eight interceptions.
Stafford became the first player to win MVP for a team outside the top two seeds since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, only eight players have won MVP for non-division winners, including just two quarterbacks (McNair in ’03, Peyton Manning in 2008). The Rams secured the fifth seed in the NFC after finishing second in the NFC West with a 12-5 record.
Los Angeles fell short of the Super Bowl after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. After that defeat, the focus turned to Stafford’s future in the NFL, but the veteran QB assured fans Thursday night that he’ll be back for an 18th season.
“I’ll see you guys next year,” he said. “Hopefully I’m not at this event and we’re getting ready for another game at SoFi.”
The Rams’ home stadium will host the Super Bowl in 2027.
Maye led the Patriots to a 14-3 record, the AFC East title and the second seed in the AFC in his second season. They’ll play the Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Maye’s breakout sophomore season saw him lead the NFL in passer rating (113.5), completion percentage (72.0%) and yards per attempt (8.9), and throw for 4,394 yards, along with 31 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
The 23-year-old became the youngest player since the merger to lead the NFL in completion percentage, surpassing the previous mark set by 24-year-old Joe Montana in 1980.
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began.
Voters selected a top 5 for the eight AP NFL awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Jeff Legwold
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Rich Cimini
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Rich Cimini
ESPN Staff Writer
- Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.
Multiple Authors
One of the most proficient passers in NFL history and one of the league’s most prolific pass catchers highlight the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
The class, announced Thursday night as part of the NFL Honors show in San Francisco, is led by quarterback Drew Brees, one of two quarterbacks in league history to throw for more than 80,000 yards, and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who finished his career second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in career receptions and receiving yards.
Joining them will be linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri. Running back Roger Craig, one of the three Seniors finalists, will also be in the 2026 Hall class.
Brees and Fitzgerald are in their first year of eligibility, and Kuechly and Vinatieri are in their second year. Not in the class is former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was the finalist from the coaches’ sub-committee, and New England owner Robert Kraft, the finalist from the contributors’ sub-committee.
This year’s class was chosen by the Hall’s board of selectors in a virtual meeting. The new Hall of Famers will be enshrined on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.
Here is a closer look at the Class of 2026.
Drew Brees, quarterback
San Diego Chargers, 2001-2005; New Orleans Saints, 2006-2020
Brees was relatively small in stature (6-foot, 209 pounds), but he compensated with uncanny accuracy and instincts in the pocket, not to mention a computer-like ability to read defenses. It wasn’t an easy road for Brees, a second-round pick by the Chargers in 2001. He was replaced by Philip Rivers and suffered a major throwing-shoulder injury in 2005, prompting many to wonder if he’d ever be the same. As it turned out, he got better. He signed with the Saints in 2006 and led them to their only Super Bowl championship three years later.
Why he was selected: Brees is second all-time in passing yards (80,358), touchdown passes (571) and completions (7,142), and he’s third in completion percentage (67.7%). He made 13 Pro Bowls and was twice named NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for more than 5,000 yards in a season an NFL-record five times. With Sean Payton designing the offense and calling the plays, Brees once went 54 consecutive regular-season games with a touchdown pass. Quite frankly, he owns too many passing marks to list.
Signature moment: A no-brainer — Super Bowl XLIV in Miami after the 2009 season. With precision passing (32-for-39, 288 yards, two touchdowns), Brees was named MVP for his performance in the Saints’ 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. It capped a dual-redemption story for Brees and the city of New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. — Cimini
Quotable: “One of his greatest strengths was in the pocket. He was a real good foot athlete. He could subtly move and deliver. Decision-making, make the proper throws in the biggest moments and as tough and courageous player as I’ve ever been around — all of it.” — former Saints and current Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton
Roger Craig, running back
San Francisco 49ers, 1983-1990; Los Angeles Raiders, 1991; Minnesota Vikings, 1993
Craig was a four-time Pro Bowl selection who played on three Super Bowl-winning teams in San Francisco. Hall of Fame 49ers coach Bill Walsh considered him a transformational player at the position and one of the key pieces of the 49ers’ offense. Craig was the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and have at least 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. He did it in 1985, hauling in a league-leading 92 passes for 1,016 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 1,050 yards and another nine scores.
Only two others have accomplished that feat — Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (1999) and Christian McCaffrey (2019).
Why he was elected: The way Walsh used Craig forced defenses to adjust how they played and how they aligned against all eligible players in the formation. He was a template for how running backs could be used as rushing and receiving threats in the following decades.
Craig was named to the 1980s All-Decade team and made the postseason in every season of his career. Until his enshrinement, he was the only running back who was on either the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s All-Decade teams who was not in the Hall of Fame.
Signature moment: Craig’s high-knee stride was his trademark, but his 16-yard catch-and-run touchdown in Super Bowl XIX was an enduring image — knees churning with the ball held high as he crossed the goal line for the 49ers’ final score in their 38-16 win over the Miami Dolphins. Craig had 135 yards from scrimmage with three touchdowns in the game (one rushing, two receiving) and was the first player to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. — Legwold
Quotable: “I was never really caught up in the glamour, as far as trying to be the featured man on the team.” — Craig
Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver
Arizona Cardinals, 2004-2020
For 17 seasons, Fitzgerald defined excellence. Drafted No. 3 overall by the Cardinals in 2004, he was consistent, durable, explosive and historically prolific. The wide receiver’s job, in its simplest form, is to catch the ball. Very few did it better than Fitzgerald, who was incredibly surehanded. He had only 35 drops.
His 1,431 receptions and 17,492 receiving yards are not only better than everyone not named Jerry Rice, but Fitzgerald is more than 100 receptions and 1,500 yards clear of the next-best player.
Why he was selected: Fitzgerald was one of the most decorated receivers of his generation. He was named one of the NFL’s 100 all-time greatest players, highlighting a resume that also includes 11 Pro Bowls and a selection to the 2010s All-Decade team. The most remarkable thing about Fitzgerald was his longevity. He led the league in catches at age 22 (103), and he did it again at 33 (107). The 11-year gap is the widest in history.
And unlike Rice, Fitzgerald wasn’t blessed with a Hall of Fame quarterback throughout his career. He had Kurt Warner for five seasons, but there were also several years of musical quarterbacks in his offense. Fitzgerald rose above it all, bringing credibility to a franchise that had been to the playoffs once (1998) in the 21 seasons before his arrival.
Signature moment: Some might say his 75-yard catch-and-run in overtime to spark the Cardinals’ 2015 divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers, but it’s impossible to ignore his 2008 postseason run. In four games, including Super Bowl XLIII, Fitzgerald was utterly dominant — 30 receptions, 546 yards and seven touchdowns. It’s one of the greatest postseasons in history, regardless of position. — Cimini
Quotable: “Greatness! I have coached a bunch of great wide receivers in my time, but never have I seen one with hands as good as Larry. You rarely ever heard the ball hit his hands. What he did throughout both seasons I was with him was phenomenal, but what he did in the 2008 playoff run up to the Super Bowl — and then in the Super Bowl game itself — was extraordinary. He put the whole team on his back and carried us until about two minutes, 30 seconds away from a Super Bowl title.” — former Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley to ESPN
Luke Kuechly, linebacker
Carolina Panthers, 2012-2019
It was all about quality over an eight-year career. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time All-Pro and an All-Decade selection for the 2010s.
He was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, his second year in the league. Kuechly suffered at least three reported concussions in his career, and after the 2019 season he said retiring was “the right thing to do.”
Why he was elected: Kuechly and Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor are the only linebackers to have won Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as the Defensive Player of the Year. A three-down, sideline-to-sideline force, he had at least 100 tackles in all eight of his seasons and led the league in tackles twice — 2012 and 2014. Beyond the tackles, Kuechly deflected a staggering 67 passes and had 18 interceptions.
Signature moment: He was so good he even doubled up signature moments. In the Panthers’ run to Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season, Kuechly returned interceptions for touchdowns in both the divisional round win over Seattle and the NFC Championship Game win over Arizona. — Legwold
Quotable: “There is only one way to play this game since I was a little kid, play fast, play physical and play strong.” — Kuechly, on his retirement
Adam Vinatieri, kicker
New England Patriots, 1996-2005; Indianapolis Colts, 2006-2019
Vinatieri set every meaningful kicking record in his 24-year career. He holds all-time records in field goal attempts (715), made field goals (599), games played (365), consecutive field goals made (44) and scoring (2,673 points).
He made 29 game-winning field goals in his career, including a record 10 in overtime. Oh, and he also holds NFL postseason records for most points (238), most field goal attempts (69) and most made field goals (56).
Vinatieri was named to the NFL’s 100th anniversary team and became the third pure place-kicker to be enshrined in the Hall with Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen.
Why he was elected: Beyond the piles of records, his postseason reliability is the stuff of legend. In his 10 seasons with the Patriots, the team went to four Super Bowls and won three of them, as Vinatieri delivered game-winning kicks in two of the title-game wins.
In his 14 seasons with the Colts, the team went to two Super Bowls and won one. Vinatieri scored 11 of the Colts’ points in Indianapolis’ rain-soaked 29-17 Super Bowl XLI win over the Bears.
Signature moment: His 45-yard field goal in a raging blizzard sent the 2001 divisional game against the Raiders — the “Tuck Rule” game — into overtime. He then kicked the game-winner in OT. The Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl and Vinatieri also kicked the game-winner as New England, a 14.5-point underdog, beat the Rams 20-17 to begin its dynastic run. — Legwold
Quotable: “Adam Vinatieri is the greatest kicker of all time who made the greatest kick of all time.” — Belichick when Vinatieri retired from the NFL
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Ryan O’Hanlon
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Bill Connelly
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Bill Connelly
ESPN Staff Writer
- Bill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.
Multiple Authors
Last October might as well be five years ago at this point.
When we last did these rankings, two weeks before Halloween, Crystal Palace‘s Oliver Glasner had just been named manager of the month for September. Ruben Amorim was in the middle of guiding Manchester United through a stretch that would earn him October’s manager of the month honors. And he would be followed up by Enzo Maresca, whose Chelsea won three and drew one in November.
Now, it’s early February. Maresca and Amorim have been fired by their clubs, and Glasner has publicly stated that he will be leaving his club. Oh, and the current reigning manager of the month? Unai Emery, who is managing the team we ranked 13th the last time we did this.
A lot has happened over the last 3½ months, so we’re back to make sense of it all in the only way we know how: by ranking every Premier League team, from 1 down to 20.
The updated Premier League team rankings
Our rerankings — the combination of the individual rankings from Bill and Ryan — are listed along with the last rankings from October, and each team’s present points total and goal differential in the Premier League table.
Arsenal: Still the best, and possibly getting better
Here’s the scary thing about Arsenal: They’re the best team in the world, and they could easily be even better.
If we strip out penalties and set pieces, then this is how everyone in the Premier League stacks up by their expected-goal differential:
In fact, that’s not too different from what markets and projection systems expected before the season: Arsenal and Liverpool battling it out at the top, with Manchester City just slightly behind.
But what if we look at only free kicks, corners, and throw-ins? Well …
Put it all together, and Arsenal have easily been the best team in the Premier League through the first 24 matches:
If you’re wondering why most Premier League teams have become obsessed with the moments when the ball goes out of play or the ref blows his whistle, then this is your answer: It’s enough to take you from being one of the best teams in the Premier League to being the clear No. 1.
Or: It’s enough to build a six-point lead over second place, despite the fact that the three strikers on your roster have combined to score six non-penalty goals in the league this season. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have combined for two starts in the league this season, and Jesus has scored two non-penalty goals.
The plan before the season was never to have Jesus contribute heavily, but the same can’t be said about Havertz, who is yet to score in the league. He’s recently back from a long-term injury, and the team always seems to play better when he’s out there — whether or not he’s scoring goals. He’s a winning player who does a little bit of everything.
Of course, Havertz was supposed to become more of a secondary figure this season after the club spent a lot of money to bring in Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting Lisbon over the summer. Gyökeres has scored four non-penalty goals and registered zero assists across 18 starts. Despite playing a lot of minutes, he ranks 34th in the league for non-penalty expected goals and assists.
If we look at the numbers on a per-90 basis, Gyökeres’ underlying attacking performance is roughly the same as that of Mikel Merino, last season’s emergency striker who was never supposed to play that position again after the club signed Gyökeres. And yet, Gyökeres has played six games so far against Tottenham, the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, and Liverpool, and he has attempted one shot in those games.
While Arsenal’s slower pace of play and the general tactical state of the Premier League right now have both made it harder for their strikers to produce, six non-penalty goals from their center forwards is pretty much the worst-case scenario for a club with Arsenal’s ambitions. And yet their defense is so good, their other attackers so talented, their midfield so reliable, and their set piece efficiency so otherworldly that it hasn’t really mattered.
That’s why it’s easier to see Arsenal getting better rather than getting worse.
If Havertz and Jesus start playing more often and producing like they have in the past, they’ll both be big upgrades on Gyökeres. And while I don’t think it’s as likely for a player already more than halfway through his peak years, Gyökeres could also improve from here on out. (A number of other big signings from this past summer, notably Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Tottenham’s Xavi Simons, have kicked into another gear recently.) Or, if none of that happens, then Arsenal could just sign another striker over the summer and the team would immediately be a lot better.
The only reason there’s even still a semblance of a title race is because Arsenal aren’t getting any consistent production from the player in the center of their front three. If they ever do, then it might be a long time until somebody else catches them at the top. — Ryan O’Hanlon
Over the last couple of years, as we’ve done these reranking pieces, we’ve almost never had any reason to say something nice about Manchester United.
• “Everton and Manchester United: a tale of two underachievers.”
• “Manchester United: the model of mediocrity.”
• “Man United haven’t figured anything out yet.”
• And my personal favorite: “Manchester United: Still stinking up a storm.”
It’s never personal — it’s just how things go when the club that once ran the Premier League is falling to eighth in the table one year, then to 15th the next.
United rose from 11th to eighth in our October rerank, however — and despite mercifully sacking Ruben Amorim in early January — they’ve made another charge in the months since. They beat Manchester City and Arsenal back-to-back under interim coach Michael Carrick, sure, but even going further back than that, they’ve lost just twice in league play since September, and their expected goals differential for the season ranks third.
This is a verifiably good team, one that has a 49.1% chance of a top-five finish (and likely Champions League berth) per the Opta supercomputer and a 59.3% chance per xStandings.
Carrick’s sample is far too small to judge with statistical rigor, and they’ve won these last three matches with pure directness — they’ve scored eight goals while averaging just 19 touches per match in the opponent’s box (opponents are averaging 29.7). There’s been a dose of good fortune in this streak, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu combining for six goals from shots worth 2.2 xG.
But the results haven’t just been lucky. Casemiro has looked very comfortable at the base of Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 system, and we knew from his time at Brentford that Mbeumo is dynamite in transition.
Be it through Amorim’s three-at-the-back approach or Carrick’s adjustments, United have been the best quick-strike team in the Premier League this season. They’re fifth in ball recoveries, but they’re first in shots (15) and in goals scored from ball recoveries (five); they’re fourth in high turnovers created, but they’re first in goals scored from them (16).
They have attempted by far the most first-time shots in the league (207) — meaning, they find openings and immediately try to exploit them. And while this still isn’t a particularly disruptive or physical defense, they’ve erased their old tendency of allowing opponents loads of shot attempts: Per possession, they’re currently second in shots and fourth in shots allowed.
1:33
Ogden: Carrick’s success is creating a problem for Man United’s hierarchy
Mark Ogden believes Manchester United will have to make a decision about Michael Carrick’s future soon.
Plenty of people in our line of work have attempted to immediately parlay this happy three-match run into “Are United title threats?!” headlines, and … no. They’re not. They’re 12 points behind Arsenal with 14 games to play, and their title odds are well under 1%.
But honestly, fans should treat that as a good thing. The day-to-day life of a Manchester United fan appears to be existentially exhausting, a nonstop ride of overreaction and resetting of expectations.
Sure, they’ve got a Champions League berth to play for — and lord knows the “Should Carrick become the full-time manager?!” headlines aren’t going to stop if they keep playing like this* — but at this moment they’re playing fun, fast, entertaining and semi-sustainable ball. For a little while, at least, that should be enough.
(*My own opinion: Sure, give him the full-time job. It’s fine. He’s a smart guy, former holding midfielders can make excellent coaches, he was decent in two-and-a-half seasons at Middlesbrough, people who are frequently wrong think it’s a bad idea, and hey, the manager doesn’t matter as much as he used to, anyway, right?) — Bill Connelly
At the time of the last rerank, Aston Villa and Brentford were 13th and 16th, respectively, in the Premier League table and 13th and 14th on our list. Villa couldn’t generate decent scoring chances to save their lives (they were 16th in goals and 19th in xG created at that point), and Brentford couldn’t keep opponents from scoring (16th in goals allowed, 14th in xG allowed).
Things have changed pretty dramatically since then:
Villa have matched Arsenal with 37 points over the last 17 matchdays, while Brentford have been exceeded only by Villa, Arsenal and the Manchester clubs. Have they actually been among the five best teams in this span? Probably not. Villa’s plus-10 goal differential in these 17 matches has come from an xG differential of plus-0.6, and they’ve managed to win six games (with three draws) in matches with a negative xG differential. That’s awfully tough to sustain.
Brentford, meanwhile, have generated a beautifully high-variance style: In this 17-match sample, they’ve won seven matches by at least two goals and lost five matches by at least two goals. A high-variance approach is smart for a team with fewer resources, but it doesn’t make you particularly reliable. Brentford have beaten Liverpool, Villa and Newcastle in this span while losing to Nottingham Forest and taking one point from two matches against Spurs (who, as you see above, haven’t taken that many other points in this span).
Villa have done a lovely job of stockpiling points of late, even if there was some good fortune involved. The Premier League is exceedingly likely to earn a fifth Champions League spot this season via the coefficient table across Europe — and Villa, at 46 points, are as close to first-place Arsenal (53) as to sixth-place Liverpool (39).
But Villa have a couple of concerns at the moment. First, vengeance from the god of xG could be coming for them:
Even with an unlikely Sunday result — they lost 1-0 to Brentford despite an xG differential of +2.0 — they have the largest disparity in the league between their xGD and their place in the table. They rode a torrid finishing streak from Morgan Rogers to a nice series of results (from Nov. 23 to Dec. 21, he scored six goals while attempting shots worth just 2.1 xG). In this span, they won six straight matches, all by one goal. Sunday’s result might have been the start of a run of statistical comeuppance.
Even more worrisome than the stats are the midfield injuries. There are so damn many of them. Boubacar Kamara is out for the season (knee); Youri Tielemans (ankle) and John McGinn (knee) are out for a few more weeks; Ross Barkley (knee) is out; and Amadou Onana‘s minutes are being managed because of muscle fatigue.
Villa added three players during the January transfer window, but only one — Juventus loanee Douglas Luiz, who was with Villa through 2023-24 — is, by trade, a midfielder. Villa’s next three league matches are against the teams ranked ninth through 11th above. Depending on what they get from a makeshift midfield, all three games are both winnable and losable.
Villa did make some short-term moves in January to theoretically shore up their top-five odds, but Brentford, on the other hand, are not a short-term team.
Brentford’s only January move was for 18-year-old forward Kaye Furo, who had played only 89 league minutes for Club Brugge this season — that is the opposite of a win-now transaction. They’re going to ride with the hand they’ve been dealt, and of late it’s been a pretty good one. They’ve scored 14 goals in their last eight league matches, and that’s with Kevin Schade going through a minor finishing funk — since a Dec. 27 hat trick against Bournemouth, he has failed to score despite generating shots worth 1.8 xG.
In these last eight matches, Brentford have attempted 26 shots worth at least 0.2 xG (most in the league) while allowing only 12 (sixth fewest). This isn’t a team designed to generate huge shot volume, but if you’re attempting all the good shots, you’re going to give yourself a chance. And strangely enough, despite having hired prolific set piece coach Keith Andrews as their manager — and despite playing in a league dominated by set pieces at the moment — they’ve done almost all their damage in open play.
Opta’s supercomputer now gives the Bees a 42% chance of finishing in the top seven, which would likely earn them a first-ever spot in a European competition. But the next three matches will make a huge impact on those odds, one way or the other: They visit Newcastle on Saturday, then host Arsenal and Brighton. — Connelly
Let me take you back to the middle of October, when we last did these rankings. It was a time when there were three Premier League teams with a non-penalty xG differential of plus-4 or better: Arsenal, Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Sure, Palace had lost Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, but it seemed as if it didn’t matter. This team was one of the best sides in the Premier League in the second half of last season, and the first seven games of this season did nothing to suggest that wasn’t still true. Palace beat Aston Villa, 3-0, then created nearly 3.0 xG worth of chances in a thrilling 2-1 win against Liverpool. With the potential for five Premier League teams to qualify for the Champions League, Palace looked like the most likely outsider to crash the party.
Come early December, they were crashing the party. A 2-1 win over Fulham moved them into fourth place, and they weren’t lucky to be there, either. Fifteen games into the season, only Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool had produced better xG differentials.
So, uh, guess how many games they’ve won since then? That would be zero.
Over their last nine matches, they’ve drawn three and lost six. As you can see from some of the charts in the Arsenal section, Palace’s overall performance level still looks pretty good. But here’s how the league stacks up by non-penalty xG differential and goal differential from the most recent 10-game stretch:
As you can see, you don’t go from being in the top four with peripherals that back it up to going winless in nine without two things happening: (1) your performance level dropping off and (2) the ball not bouncing your way. Palace have been about a league-average team for the last 10 games, but they’ve turned that into the worst goal differential in the league over the same stretch.
Normally, I’d say: hold tight, positive regression is coming! But it seems as if this bad run has all but destroyed the club. Head coach Glasner had a public meltdown and announced he’ll be leaving after the season. After not allowing captain Marc Guéhi to leave over the summer, they decided it was fine for him to leave with just a couple of months left on his contract and a much lower transfer fee on offer. They also nearly let striker Jean-Philippe Mateta leave too — only for him to fail his medical exam with AC Milan.
On top of all that, there’s a good reason the team got worse: Palace didn’t have enough players to handle midweek European matches that came with Conference League qualification. Through those first seven games, every member of their back five played every minute of every game. Since then: Guéhi has left for Manchester City and Chris Richards and Daniel Muñoz have both missed significant stretches of time. And everyone else has looked exhausted.
Now, they have added a couple of players in the January window: Brennan Johnson from Spurs and Jørgen Strand Larsen from Wolves, plus a loan for Aston Villa’s Evann Guessand. Johnson is a fine signing — a productive player from, technically, a Champions League side — while Strand Larsen is big and strong, has scored one goal this season, and plays the same position as Mateta. Guéhi, notably, has not been replaced.
The performances haven’t been that bad, but the vibes are bad, the results have been terrible, and now they’ve lost their best player.
Healthy clubs are the ones that manage to overcome these runs of bad luck without panicking and sticking to the plan. If Palace wanted to be a healthy club, then they should’ve considered selling a 43% stake in the team to someone other than the guy who owns the New York Jets. — O’Hanlon
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