The NFL Referees Assn. says the suspensions handed out by the league to two game officials this week went too far and that it will attempt to get them reduced.
On Monday, the NFL issued a two-game suspension for line judge Jeff Seeman and a one-game suspension for referee Adrian Hill for separate instances of “unprofessional conduct toward a player” during games they were working the previous day.
The NFLRA said in a news release Tuesday that it “believes the suspensions imposed by the NFL on two officials following incidents this past weekend were excessive and inconsistent with past precedent.”
“Given these concerns, the NFLRA will challenge the severity of those suspensions and meet with the NFL Officiating Department to discuss the League’s disciplinary standards,” the NFLRA said. “The association also plans to meet with NFL Players Association leadership to address on-field conduct and the growing levels of confrontation between players and officials.”
Late in the Arizona Cardinals’ 36-24 loss to the New York Giants, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride argued a non-call with Seeman. A video of part of the interaction between McBride and Seeman, posted on X by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, appears to show the line judge shouting profane language at McBride.
“This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable,” NFL Players Assn. executive director JC Tretter wrote with a repost of the footage. “Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard.”
Early in the Minnesota Vikings’ 15-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins, Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson appeared to be shoved into Hill, who was knocked to the ground. When Wilson attempted to help Hill to his feet, the official jumped up and appeared to yell at the player and point for him to move away.
“I ended up apologizing to him and explained the situation,” Wilson told reporters after the game. “He was cool about it. He understood what was happening. He just said he was trying to get me — he didn’t want us fighting apparently, me and the Dolphins guy. So he was just trying to break us up.”
NFLRA executive director Scott Green acknowledged that both officials “fell short” in conducting themselves professionally on the field, but he also suggested that players often do the same.
“Officials are routinely subjected to highly charged interactions and, at times, verbal abuse from players and coaches,” Green said in the association’s news release. “While that never excuses misconduct by an official, it shouldn’t be dismissed as simply part of the game. The League expects the highest level of professionalism from its officials, and it should demand the same from everyone on the field.
“We will defend the principle that discipline must be fair, consistent and proportionate,” Green continued. “Holding officials accountable while ignoring or minimizing the conduct directed at them is neither fair nor an effective way to address this issue. We look forward to working with the League and NFLPA toward that shared goal.”
The NFL has issued suspensions for two officials involved in confrontations with players during Sunday’s games, including one who was caught on camera apparently cursing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride.
“The NFL confirmed today that line judge Jeff Seeman has been suspended for two games and referee Adrian Hill has been suspended for one game, each for an instance of unprofessional conduct toward a player in Sunday’s Arizona-New York Giants (Seeman) and Miami-Minnesota games (Hill),” the league said Monday in a statement. “The suspensions were issued by NFL Vice President of Officiating Ramon George.”
Late in the Cardinals’ 36-24 loss to the New York Giants, McBride argued a non-call with Seeman. A video of part of the interaction between McBride and Seeman, posted on X by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, appears to show the line judge shouting, “F— you!” at McBride two times.
NFL Players Assn. executive director JC Tretter posted a clip of the interaction that zoomed in on Seeman as he shouted toward McBride.
“This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable,” Tretter wrote. “Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard.”
CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala reposted Tretter’s post and commented that she was “standing right there” during the interaction between McBride and Seeman.
McBride “was heated for sure, but I never heard a curse from him,” Kinkhabwala wrote. “The harshest he got was, ‘You’re ruining the game.’”
The other incident took place early in the Minnesota Vikings’ 15-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins. On a play that was whistled dead because of a neutral zone infraction, Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson appeared to be shoved into Hill, who was knocked to the ground. When Wilson attempted to help Hill to his feet, the official jumped up and appeared to yell at the player and point for him to move away.
“That was funny, honestly,” Wilson told reporters. “I ended up apologizing to him and explained the situation. He was cool about it. He understood what was happening. He just said he was trying to get me — he didn’t want us fighting apparently, me and the Dolphins guy. So he was just trying to break us up.”
The NFLPA said it had no further comment on either incident other than Tretter’s X post. The NFL Referees Assn. did not immediately respond on Monday to multiple requests for comment.
Kansas City have dominated their rivalry with the Raiders in recent years, but Las Vegas are vastly improved after winning only three games last season and pushed the Chiefs all the way.
The Raiders led 13-10 heading into the final quarter in Vegas, which featured three lead changes before Kansas City held on for a 30-27 win.
The turning point came as new running back Kenneth Walker maintained his stunning start by scoring two touchdowns in 19 seconds, with the Chiefs regaining possession immediately by forcing a fumble on the kick-off return.
The Raiders gave themselves hope with a Brock Bowers score and stayed alive until the final play, when Kirk Cousins was tackled as he threw and his wayward pass was intercepted.
Walker finished with 177 yards from 22 carries, while team-mate Tyquan Thornton also had two touchdowns and 111 receiving yards.
After missing last season’s play-offs, the Chiefs look capable of getting back into Super Bowl contention. They next face the Los Angeles Chargers, who are 0-4 after losing 30-23 to defending champions the Seattle Seahawks.
Tickets to see Indianapolis beat Washington 30-13 on Sunday went on sale in July at £79-£245.
But the NFL then dropped prices twice, in late August and again last week. That meant some fans who paid £185 were sat next to fans who paid £79 a few days ago.
Some tickets were also discounted or free via the Blue Light Card and Tickets For Good platforms.
Matt Cullen travelled from Cambridge to most of the London games and said there were two main reasons for the slow sales; a price hike and a season-ticket package being scrapped.
“I find the prices now mind-boggling,” he added. “It’s so far above the rate of inflation that it just feels like a money-grab. It’s priced out a lot of long-term fans.”
In 2019, tickets ranged from £55 to £125. According to Ticket-Compare, UK inflation has since risen by about 32.4% and the cheapest NFL London tickets have risen by 43.9%. The most expensive have seen a 96.5% hike.
Season-ticket packages had been available, guaranteeing seats for each London game with a discount, but they were scrapped after the 2024 season.
“It felt like a kick to the head for a lot of loyal fans who’d supported the games for a long time and spent a lot of money,” said Cullen, a former season-ticket holder. “But I do understand the NFL wants to bring new fans in.”
San Francisco 49ers owner and CEO Jed York has been suspended for six games and fined $500,000 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday.
York was arrested Aug. 23 as part of an Ohio prostitution sting after he responded to an online ad that was actually set up by Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force officers.
The 45-year-old executive pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools (in this case, the phone he used to set up the encounter). He was sentenced to one day in jail and fined $1,150. The $160 seized in the sting was given to the task force as part of his plea.
Since York has not attended any games or league meetings so far this season, he was credited with having served three games of his suspension. He is eligible to return Oct. 20, the day after the 49ers’ Week 6 game against the Washington Commanders and the day the league’s fall meetings begin in New York.
“To my family, to the players, coaches, and employees of the San Francisco 49ers, to our fans and partners, I am deeply sorry,” York said in a statement released by the team. “This was an inexcusable mistake and I take full responsibility. What I did does not reflect my values or the man I strive to be for my family.”
York filed for divorce from his wife, Danielle Belluomini York, in May. They have two sons together. York has been the 49ers’ CEO since 2008 and became the principal owner in 2024. His family has owned the 49ers since 1977.
“While I fell short of the model I want to set for my sons, I now hope to show them the importance of owning up to one’s failures, and that even our worst moments teach us to be better,” York said. “Leading the 49ers is a privilege, and one I don’t take lightly. Your trust will have to be earned back over time, and I look forward to that work ahead.”
The NFL confirmed Monday that it has asked the Department of Homeland Security to remove a video featuring hard-hitting highlights of Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins from a social media post in reference to a report about a caravan of immigrants approaching the U.S. border.
On Sunday afternoon, the verified X account of the DHS reposted another account’s report of the purported caravan, along with the comment, “Our time has come,” and a 39-second clip of the former Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos star delivering one bruising hit after another.
“The league requested DHS take down the video,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told The Times in an email.
Dawkins told ESPN in a text that he had “very respectfully not given permission” for the DHS to use his video.
About two hours after the initial post went up, the DHS responded in the comment section with a still photo of Dawkins and the caption, “The Border Is Closed.” As of early Monday afternoon, both posts remained intact.
The Times reached out to the DHS by email and asked if it had initially sought the NFL’s permission to use the content, if it planned on taking down the content as the league requested and why it chose to use Dawkins’ imagery with the posts.
The department sent a statement in response that appears to refer to the nine-time Pro Bowl selection’s nickname “Weapon X.”
“DHS is playing lockdown defense at the border. We will use every Weapon at our disposal, from A to X, to keep Americans safe,” the department wrote.
“The United States Border Patrol is actively tracking a migrant caravan which departed San Pedro Sula, Honduras on September 20, 2026. USBP is closely engaged with its international partners to monitor their movement and any additional developments. USBP reminds migrants that under the leadership of President Trump and Homeland Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, the border has remained closed and secured for the last 16 months.
“Migrants considering making the dangerous journey to our country should also be aware that the days of ‘catch and release’ are over, and [former President] Biden’s disastrous open border policy has been SEALED SHUT. Anyone attempting to illegally enter the United States will be apprehended, prosecuted, and removed from the country.”
The Houston Texans’ linebacker wore eye black with the names of slain sisters Lana, 12, and Bana, eight.
Published On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026
American football player Azeez Al-Shaair has once again honoured Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, despite previous fines and the threat of being removed from games, this time wearing the names of sisters Lana and Bana Ahmad on his eye black during his latest National Football League (NFL) game.
The Houston Texans linebacker took the field against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday wearing the names of Lana, 12, and her sister Bana, eight, who were killed along with their family in an Israeli air attack earlier this month.
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Hours before the game, Al-Shaair posted about the sisters on his Instagram account and followed it with a photo of the black tape bearing their names that he would later wear during the game. The image also showed part of Al-Shaair’s black shoes with flags of Palestine and Sudan stitched on them.
Al-Shaair, a Black American Muslim player, has repeatedly spoken about the plight of Palestinians. On September 13, he wore the name of Hind Rajab, the five-year-old girl who was killed in Gaza after Israeli soldiers opened fire on her family’s stranded car on January 29, 2024.
The NFL fined him $11,491 for breaching the league’s code of conduct on players’ clothing and equipment during a match against the Buffalo Bills.
However, basketball player Kyrie Irving stepped in and offered to pay the fine for Al-Shaair, who later confirmed that he had been in touch with the nine-time NBA All-Star.
Al-Shaair brushed off talk of the fine while speaking to reporters last week. “It’s bigger to me; what’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? No, I think it’s priceless,” he said.
In his subsequent game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Al-Shaair then wore an eye black — a sticker or paint frequently used by NFL players to reduce glare — with the name of Wafa Akila, an eight-year-old who was killed along with her father in an Israeli attack in western Gaza as they were making their way home.
He was also fined in January, during the NFL’s last season, for displaying the message “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape. While it did not specifically refer to a particular conflict, it was widely understood to be about Gaza and Sudan.
Following his NFL outing in which he wore the name of Rajab, Al-Shaair was informed he would have to remove the eye black or he would not be permitted to continue playing in the game, according to reports in US media.
US Democratic politician Isaiah Martin condemned the NFL’s reported reaction to Al-Shaair wearing eye black with the names of slain Palestinian children.
“This harms no one by letting him do this,” Martin said in a post on X. “I think it’s absurd they were fining him, but those were the ‘rules’ and he agreed to pay the fine. Removal from the game is INSANE. This shouldn’t stand!”
The Israeli genocide in Gaza has severely limited education for the Strip’s 660,000 children, with 90 percent of schools left damaged or destroyed.
Sam Farmer makes his picks and predictions for each game in Week 3 of the NFL season, with the Chargers falling to the Bills and the Rams winning again.
Love is the name. Fraud allegedly was his game. And the list of his victims — several of whom said they became romantically involved with him — continues to grow.
Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and his accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, remain in federal custody after their arrest Aug. 24 in Boise, Idaho, on wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. The FBI charged the two men with scamming at least 26 women in four states out of at least $1.3 million.
Since then many more women have come forward to say they were victims of Love’s schemes, which often involved him impersonating a San Francisco 49ers player. The FBI said it has identified 35 additional women who say they were defrauded, ratcheting up the number of alleged victims to more than 60.
The latest development is especially troubling. A woman told ESPN on Tuesday that she submitted a complaint about Love on the 49ers website eight months ago on Dec. 20, 2025, yet the team apparently did little with the information.
Gwen Herndon submitted a complaint/concern form, writing “there is a federal investigation surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player.” She named Love, saying he stole money from women.
“I wanted you to be aware of the situation and are hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement on your team,” she wrote in the message, which was reviewed by ESPN.
Herndon said the only response she received from the 49ers came from a Levi’s Stadium guest services account a week after her report, encouraging her to contact law enforcement agencies with the information.
“We take reports of individuals misrepresenting themselves as members of the San Francisco 49ers very seriously,” the 49ers response said. “For safety and legal reasons, the team cannot comment on ongoing investigations or specific individuals…. Our internal team will also monitor any instances of impersonation and take action as appropriate to protect fans and the team’s reputation.”
A 49ers spokesperson declined to confirm that Herndon’s email was viewed by team officials, citing the ongoing FBI investigation.
Federal investigators, meanwhile, are working to verify that the 35 women who have come forward in recent days are in fact victims of Love and Chan, Portland FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson said in a news conference.
“We were surprised how many people were victimized in such a short period of time and then to have that many more come forward,” Olson said. “It’s a large volume for just a couple of subjects. Our concern is that this fraud could be replicated by other individuals that are out there victimizing other people in similar schemes.”
The FBI alleges that from February 2022 until they were arrested, Love and Chan fraudulently solicited money from women in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
Love portrayed himself on Instagram as a 49ers wide receiver who went undrafted but worked his way onto the roster. He met many of the women through dating apps and developed romantic relationships with several, according to the FBI. Chan falsely posed as Love’s financial adviser.
In an Instagram Story titled “NFL Journey,” Love held a 49ers helmet while driving and said, “I’m on my way to get my mom. I know I get a lot of fans who want to know how football works or how I got involved in the league…. If you know me and see me in person I’ll explain.”
Experts on interpersonal relationships say that a person can instantly assume someone is trustworthy who exudes warmth and confidence as a first impression — especially if they find the person attractive.
“When we meet someone for the first time, our brains are quietly trying to answer two big questions: Can I trust this person, and do they seem capable and confident?,” said Tammi Pickle, an executive at the personalized matchmaking agency Elite Connections. “Someone who comes across as confident might suddenly seem smarter, kinder, more successful and even more trustworthy simply because of the way they carry themselves.
“When we are attracted to someone, our brains have a tendency to fill in the blanks with positive assumptions. The catch? Those assumptions aren’t always accurate.”
Love quickly gained the trust of dozens of women, allegedly convincing them to give him large sums of money. The FBI said Love instructed several women who did not have cash to invest to take out personal loans, assuring them they would quickly be repaid.
“The scheme relied on Love’s creation of fictitious personas and display of a lavish lifestyle which Love presented to victims both in person and on social media websites,” federal authorities said in a press release.
“Chan and Love also hosted three-way FaceTime calls in which they showed victims falsified investment gains and encouraged victims to part with their money. Victims sent Love and Chan money due to their belief that their money would be invested in legitimate investment vehicles on the victims’ behalf.”
One women who didn’t fall for Love’s scheme told KPTV in Oregon that she went on a 2024 date with him in 2024 after meeting on a dating app. He told her his name was John Prince and claimed he was a Swiss real estate developer.
Anderson said his behavior during their first date raised suspicion.
“He said, ‘I’m very intentional and efficient when it comes to dating, and if I pursue you, you will be the only one I pursue. I need someone who has been around money, who understands that, you know, these things aren’t luxuries to me. This is just my normal life.’
“Within five minutes, I decided I wasn’t gonna see him again.”
Love also manipulated AI. Search engines and AI rely on web scraping and frequency of mentions, and the sheer volume of his fake posts caused AI to mistakenly identify him as an NFL wide receiver. He showed screenshots of erroneous AI search summaries to alleged victims, convincing them he was worthy of their trust.
On an Instagram story, he posted a one screenshot of a webpage AI Overview that says “Daejon Love is a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and information about his position, contract and teammate texting habits is available online. He is also associated with the team in various social media content and articles.”
Love then turns the camera on himself and says, “That’s Google. That’s not me, that’s Google.”
He goes on to explain why he isn’t currently playing, lifting a crooked finger to the camera and saying he is injured. He concludes the story by again saying he wants “full transparency” because “people ask, what do I do? How can I afford a $500,000 car? How can I afford a $300,000 [Lamborghini] Urus? “
He says that he is driving to pick up his mother, then concludes by inviting those watching to reach out to him in person.
In the month before his arrest, Love traveled to New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Idaho to meet with women, according to investigators. He allegedly used several fictitious names, including Jon Love, Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love.
The romp abruptly ended at the Boise airport when Love and Chan were removed from a white sports car by federal agents, according to a video obtained by TMZ. Love appears to be wearing red Niners gear as he is handcuffed.
“Victims were encouraged to take out personal loans and make life-altering financial decisions based on the belief they were building a future with someone they cared about,” said Olson, the FBI special agent. “Once the money was taken, the victims were cut off, left without answers, without funds, and often without closure. Many lost not only their savings, but their sense of security and confidence.”
Aaron Donald made his triumphant return to NFL relevance on Monday night, and notably so did the Rams.
The team that looked lost in its Down Under debut returned to form against the New York Giants, even with star receiver Puka Nacua watching in street clothes because of hip pain.
Matthew Stafford was surgical with his passing, throwing four touchdown passes in a 28-6 victory. Receiver Davante Adams made several acrobatic catches befitting of the retina-burning yellow “Classic Sol” jerseys that turned the Rams into human highlighter pens.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie, acquired by the Rams in an offseason trade with Kansas City, made the most of his home debut with an interception in the second quarter that snuffed a Giants scoring threat. He broke up a game-high four passes.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald runs onto the field during player introductions before a 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium on Monday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
SoFi Stadium, meanwhile, was a house of horrors for the Giants, who lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart five minutes into the game when he was sandwiched by Rams defenders Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart and his left leg bent in an unnatural way.
That was a devastating blow to the Giants (1-1), who watched Dart wincingly limp off the field and into the blue medical tent. Later, it was off to the locker room for the second-year quarterback, and TV cameras showed him getting picked up by a cart in the bowels of the stadium, presumably for a more thorough medical examination before he was ruled out with a knee injury.
Surely, Dart could hear the roar of the Rams-heavy crowd as Adams made catch after catch — including a 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter and an 11-yarder in the third — and Kyren Williams pitched in with some pivotal plays of his own.
The Rams (1-1) extended their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter when, on third and six, Stafford connected with Williams on a 10-yard touchdown pass. That was set up by a 64-yard reception by Adams.
Stafford threw touchdown passes to Adams and Terrance Ferguson in the second half to take over sole possession of sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list with 427 passing touchdowns.
These were the Rams that most everyone anticipated seeing, the team with designs on ending this season with another Super Bowl at SoFi, where they raised the Lombardi Trophy in 2022.
Losing Dart was a gut punch to the Giants, who also got a scare early in the second quarter when standout receiver Malik Nabers doubled over in pain after a pass breakup. It was a shoulder injury that briefly sidelined him, although he was able to return later in the quarter.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes under pressure in the first half against the Giants.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Dart delirium was growing among Giants fans after the quarterback threw for three touchdowns and had a lofty passer rating of 134.2 in a 28-20 season-opening win over Dallas. So to lose him is a spirit-withering development.
Oddsmakers had the Rams as 7½-point favorites.
By the second half, a somber Dart was watching from the sideline in street clothes. It was a brutal weekend for a few of the NFL’s rising-star quarterbacks. Washington lost Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams was carted off the field in tears, although that hamstring injury apparently wound up less serious than originally feared.
Donald, who spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, retired after the 2023 season as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. After months of speculation, he decided to unretire and rejoin the Rams, who had traded for star Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett.
Garrett underwent knee surgery after the season-opening loss to San Francisco and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss four games. Donald helped pick up the slack Monday, and got a rollicking ovation in pregame as the last Rams defender announced.
Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald wraps up Giants running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss near the goal line late in the second quarter Monday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Donald, who frequently commanded double-team blocking, made a memorable play near the end of the second quarter with the Giants — who had feasted on a Williams fumble — threatening to score.
On third down from the three, Donald pushed his way into the Giants’ backfield and wrangled running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss. The beleaguered visitors opted to kick the first of their two field goals.
The Rams are squarely in the national spotlight with four prime-time games in five weeks. First, the opener in Australia, followed by the Monday night game. Next week, a Sunday night game at Denver, followed by a day game at Philadelphia, and finally another Monday night home game against Buffalo.
Houston Texans’ linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has spoken to sports journalists about his $11,941 fine by the NFL for wearing the name of Palestinian child Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, on his eye black during a game.
Allen barged into the endzone and found Joshua Palmer for a 43-yard touchdown, before Dawson Knox scored early in the second quarter.
The Lions replied with Jared Goff finding Jahmyr Gibbs, who became the NFL’s highest-paid running back in the off-season, for an 11-yard touchdown catch.
But Dalton Kincaid stretched Buffalo’s lead and the Bills remained comfortable throughout the second half.
Detroit, who beat the New Orleans Saints in overtime last week, cut the deficit with two touchdowns by Amon-Ra St Brown and another from Sam LaPorta.
Basketball superstar Kyrie Irving has offered to pay a fine for American football player Azeez Al-Shaair, who was penalised for wearing the name of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Al-Shaair was handed a fine of $11,941 by the National Football League (NFL) on Wednesday as he was found to be in breach of the NFL’s rules on players’ equipment and clothing during his team Houston Texans’ game against the Buffalo Bills last weekend.
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Shortly after the fine was announced by an NFL reporter on X, the pro-Palestine basketball player responded to the tweet by saying he would “take care” of it.
Al-Shaair, 29, is a linebacker for the Houston-based NFL team and a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights.
During his team’s last NFL game, Al-Shaair wrote Rajab’s name on his eye black, a sticker or paint frequently used by NFL players to reduce glare.
Five-year-old Rajab was killed in Gaza after Israeli soldiers opened fire on her family’s stranded car. A phone call by the Palestinian Red Crescent documented her final moments and was the subject of an Oscar-nominated docudrama.
Al-Shaair, a Black American Muslim player, has frequently spoken about the plight of Palestinians and has paid the price for it.
He was also fined in January, during the NFL’s last season, when he displayed the message “Stop The Genocide” on his nose tape. While it did not specifically refer to a particular conflict, it was widely understood to be about Gaza and Sudan.
NFL criticised for ‘inhumane’ fine on Al-Shaair
The NFL’s fine on Al-Shaair comes at a time when Robert Kraft, the owner of the Boston-based team New England Patriots, confirmed that he pressured pop star Ed Sheeran to drop rapper Macklemore from his tour of the United States.
The billionaire is the owner of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, one of the venues where Macklemore was due to appear on stage as the opening act for Sheeran’s US tour in late September.
Letting Macklemore perform in Gillette Stadium would, Kraft said, cross a line, as he described the rapper’s recent performances as including a “broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery”.
Kraft is known for launching a so-called “anti-Semitic campaign” during Israel’s genocide in Gaza in 2023, when players, coaches and executives from his Patriots team wore blue pins.
On October 15, 2023, the NFL observed a moment of silence for Israel during a game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans in London, United Kingdom, while the league has sanctioned its player for raising awareness for Palestinians.
The NFL was criticised on social media for slapping a fine on Al-Shaair, with one user calling the move “inhumane”.
“He is advocating for the murder of this innocent child Hind Rajab in Palestine and they fine him?! Nah, that is so inhumane. You should be ashamed of yourself,” the user wrote.
Prominent American Muslim scholar Omar Suleiman questioned whether Al-Shaair would have faced a similar punishment if his tape carried the name of Holocaust victim Anne Frank instead.
“Why is honoring murdered Palestinian children ‘an unauthorized message’?” he asked in a post on X.
Meanwhile, the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations backed Al-Shaair over his continued advocacy for Palestinians.
“We commend Al-Shaair for using his platform to highlight the memory of Hind Rajab, one of the many children murdered by the Israeli government during its genocide in Gaza,” the rights group said in a statement on its website.
“The NFL has no problem with coaches wearing pins developed for genocide supporter Robert Kraft’s “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign, and it should have no problem with an NFL player mentioning the name of a girl killed in that genocide,” the statement went on to add.
“Al-Shaair’s message was rooted in basic human decency and concern for innocent lives. That should not be controversial, much less subject to a fine.”
Irving’s pro-Palestine stance
Meanwhile, nine-time National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Irving has previously made his pro-Palestine stance on Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza clear.
In February, Irving wore a shirt reading “PRESS” at the NBA All-Star Game to honour journalists who had been killed in Gaza while covering the war.
According to reports, the tag on his shirt read: “Dedicated to our beloved journalists in Gaza showing the world the truth.”
In April, Irving changed his display picture on Instagram to an image of a Palestinian child blocked from attending school by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.
During a pre-game interview in 2024, he was seen wearing a chain with the Palestine flag in the shape of Israel’s landmass.
In 2023, the basketball player wore a keffiyeh, a cotton headdress with a distinctive checkered pattern worn in many parts of the Arab world that represents Palestinian identity, during a post-match news conference.
Tyler Shough threw an incomplete pass in the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt, allowing the Lions to escape with a 31-30 win in overtime over the New Orleans Saints in Detroit on Sunday.
Saints coach Kellen Moore chose to go for the win instead of tying the game with 1:34 left in overtime after his team came back from a three-touchdown deficit in the third quarter and allowed a touchdown on the opening possession of the extra period.
Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown, the second score a five-yard throw early in overtime, and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for two touchdowns.
New Orleans rallied from a 21-0 deficit and pulled into a 24-all tie on Shough’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson with 1:07 left in the game.
Detroit went three-and-out on offense, giving the Saints the ball with a chance to win it and Ryan Wright missed a 62-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.
Gibbs had a career-high 29 carries for 156 yards. He also had five catches for 30 yards.
Goff was 26 of 39 for 206 yards without a turnover.
at Bengals 33, Buccaneers 27: Cincinnati’s new-look defense forced four turnovers — including its first fumble recovery for a touchdown since 2022 — and Joe Burrow passed for 254 yards and a touchdown during a victory over Tampa Bay. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield surrendered three fumbles during the loss.
Jets 23, at Titans 10: Breece Hall ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, Geno Smith threw for 215 yards and New York defeated Tennessee. The Jets never trailed and held the ball for just over 38 minutes. Cam Ward was 19 of 32 passing for 140 yards and a late touchdown toss.
Ravens 41, at Colts 23: Derrick Henry ran for three touchdowns to move into third on the NFL’s career list, Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards and a TD and rushed for a score and Baltimore beat Indianapolis. Jesse Minter won his debut as the Ravens’ coach.
at Steelers 20, Falcons 13: T.J. Watt returned an interception of Cooper Rush 35 yards for a touchdown to help Pittsburgh secure a win over visiting Atlanta. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 221 yards and a touchdown. Rush, who was filling in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa, threw for a touchdown and a pair of interceptions that Pittsburgh turned into scores.
Bears 59, at Panthers 37: Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two more scores as Chicago defeated Carolina in the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.
at Jaguars 34, Browns 10: Trevor Lawrence threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns, helping Jacksonville spoil the debut of new Cleveland coach Todd Monken. Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson threw an interception on the opening drive.
Bills 36, at Texans 31: Josh Allen threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining to lift Buffalo past host Houston during a back-and-forth season opener. Allen had 334 yards passing with two touchdowns and ran for two more scores. The Texans had a chance to win in the closing seconds, but Greg Rousseau earned his second strip sack of the day, taking down C.J. Stroud at the Buffalo 28.
at Eagles 24, Commanders 22: Jalen Hurts passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns, helping Philadelphia edge Washington. Jayden Daniels passed for 164 yards and two touchdowns, but the Philadelphia defense stuffed a late Commanders two-point conversion attempt to seal the win.
at Vikings 39, Packers 22: Kyler Murray suffered a hit to the head on a run play in the first quarter and was placed in concussion protocol. Carson Wentz replaced Murray and passed for three touchdowns and Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. added two more rushing scores to help the Vikings beat the Packers.
at Raiders 27, Dolphins 13: Kirk Cousins passed for 160 yards and three touchdowns, helping Las Vegas beat Miami. Both teams were scoreless in the fourth quarter, with the Raiders doing just enough to overcome two Cousins interceptions.
MELBOURNE — The Rams arrived here as the star-studded favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.
They left star-crossed, stunned and searching for answers on their long flight back to Los Angeles.
The Rams sleep-walked through much of the season opener against the rival San Francisco 49ers, who sent them to a 27-7 defeat before a sold-out crowd of 100,021 on Friday at Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the first NFL game in Australia.
Coach Sean McVay’s strategy of arriving the day before the game backfired and resulted in a dull performance by a team that features some of the biggest stars in the NFL.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL most valuable player, completed only 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards with an interception. With the game out of reach, McVay pulled Stafford late in the fourth quarter and had backup Stetson Bennett lead the Rams’ final possession.
All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, the NFL leader in catches last season, caught five passes for 74 yards and never broke loose. Davante Adams, who led the NFL in touchdown catches last season, caught only three passes as Raheem Morris, the Rams’ former defensive coordinator, outschemed McVay and his staff.
The additions of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, record-setting edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Jaylen Watson were supposed to supercharge the Rams’ defense.
Rams defensive end Myles Garrett sits on the bench late in the fourth quarter during a 27-7 loss to the 49ers on Friday.
(Doug Benc / Associated Press)
But 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy passed for three touchdowns, and the Rams recorded no sacks.
It made the decision by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan to have his team spend a week in Melbourne to acclimate the correct one.
Shanahan, McVay’s friend/mentor/nemesis, had bristled at the fact that the 49ers were chosen as the Rams’ opponent because it took away the ability of 49ers fans to descend onto SoFi Stadium.
Shanahan also wasn’t happy that the Rams’ next game is Sept. 21 on “Monday Night Football,” while the 49ers are playing on Sept. 20. Add in the fact that the 49ers also must play in Mexico in November, and there was plenty of motivation beyond the game itself.
The Rams trailed, 10-7, at halftime after managing a five-yard touchdown run by Kyren Williams and not much else.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams attempts to catch a pass in the fourth quarter against the 49ers.
(Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)
The 49ers wasted no time extending their advantage, taking the opening possession of the second half and moving down the field on Christian McCaffrey runs and a Purdy pass to Demarcus Robinson, whose 39-yard touchdown in the second quarter had given them the lead. Purdy capped the drive by lofting a two-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans for a 17-7 edge.
And the Rams’ offense finally woke up.
Stafford connected with tight end Davis Allen, Nacua and Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson as the Rams moved to the 49ers’ two-yard line. However, after a one-yard catch by Nacua, the 49ers stuffed Stafford’s sneak attempt.
The 49ers capitalized, marching 99 yards in 11 plays, with Purdy capping the drive on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel for a 24-7 lead.
The Rams could not mount a comeback.
Tight end Tyler Higbee fumbled after catching a pass with 11:08 left, and the 49ers added a field goal to extend the lead to 20 points.
Defending champions the Seattle Seahawks came from behind to beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in the opening game of the NFL season.
For the first time in 10 years the season began with a rematch of the Super Bowl, in which the Patriots were dominated by a Seahawks defence known as ‘the Dark Side’.
Again they stepped up after Seattle lost quarterback Sam Darnold to a hip injury in the game’s opening drive, claiming three interceptions in the final quarter at Lumen Field.
The Patriots went into a 10-0 lead, with rookie tight end Eli Raridon scoring the first touchdown of the season in the second quarter.
Back-up quarterback Drew Lock got the Seattle offence going late in the third quarter, with Jason Myers cutting the gap with a field goal.
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett claimed his first career interception at the start of the fourth quarter, after a Drake Maye pass was deflected by rookie Rodney Thomas.
On the next possession Lock found wide reciever Jaxon Smith-Njigba in space and last season’s offensive player of the year charged through the Patriots defence for a 45-yard touchdown.
Julian Love then picked off Patriots quarterback Maye, giving Myers the chance to edge the Seahawks in front with a 26-yard field goal.
New England were well within field-goal range with 21 seconds remaining, but chose to go for the win rather than settle for overtime, and the move backfired as Maye’s hopeful pass towards Mack Hollins was intercepted by Josh Jobe in the end zone.
The only game in which Maye threw multiple interceptions last season was the Super Bowl, and he was picked off on the Patriots’ final three possessions in the season opener.
Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said initial tests showed Darnold had not fractured a hip.
Week one continues with the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. The Los Angeles Rams meet the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on Thursday (01:35 BST, Friday).
Sam Farmer makes his picks and score predictions for Week 1 of the 2026 season, with the Rams winning in Australia and the Chargers beating the Cardinals.
Former Chargers coach Brandon Staley and former Atlanta coach Raheem Morris — now defensive coordinators with New Orleans and San Francisco, respectively — also parlayed stints with McVay into head coaching opportunities.
“The development of the coaches who have worked for him — that’s not an accident,” O’Connell said. “That is something he’s purposeful about, and that he genuinely does care about.”
As always, McVay is quick to acknowledge the early NFL opportunities he was afforded and the lessons learned from his grandfather, John McVay, and the Gruden and Shanahan families.
“What I would hope is that the most helpful thing for them is that they get exposed to everything,” McVay said of helping assistants become head coaches. “Because I try to be as inclusive as possible, so when they get that role, they’ve kind of been in a lot of those scenarios already because they’re helping me navigate those things.”
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur, right, hugs Rams coach Sean McVay following a game at Lambeau Field in November 2023.
(Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
“That was a huge learning experience for me, just being so close to Sean and seeing all the stuff he had to deal with.”
— Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers coach, on the influence Sean McVay had on igniting his head coaching career
Matt LaFleur said he knew McVay would become an NFL head coach within 10 minutes of McVay interviewing for a quality control job with Washington in 2010.
Seven years later, after the Rams made the then-30-year-old McVay the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, McVay hired LaFleur as offensive coordinator. To that point, LaFleur said, becoming an NFL head coach himself was not at the forefront of his mind.
“It wasn’t until I was with Sean and you got kind of a front-row seat,” LaFleur said. “That was a huge learning experience for me, just being so close to Sean and seeing all the stuff he had to deal with. That’s where it kind of intrigued me and piqued my interest.”
After the 2017 season, and the Rams’ first playoff appearance since 2004, LaFleur interviewed to become the Tennessee Titans’ head coach. The Titans ultimately hired him as offensive coordinator and playcaller.
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In 2019, the Packers hired LaFleur as head coach, and he has since guided teams to five playoff appearances and two NFC championship games.
Taylor also was a member of the Rams’ 2017 staff as an assistant receivers coach. The next season, he coached quarterbacks.
McVay empowers all coaches, said Taylor, who had previous experience as a coordinator. Taylor’s initial role with the Rams was a step back, but McVay and other staff members did not make it feel like one.
A month after the Packers hired LaFleur, the Bengals hired Taylor. Two years later, Taylor guided his team to a matchup against the Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
“Sean just shows you this is the model you can follow that works well,” Taylor said. “You take it to your own place, you tweak it. And certainly, over eight years, tweaked it drastically. … But I think there’s just belief when you work there, that this is something you can model off of and win championships with.”
The Chargers hired Staley after the 2020 season. The Chargers requested to interview O’Connell to become offensive coordinator and playcaller, but McVay blocked it, citing it as a lateral move.
“He had different plans,” O’Connell said, “and he’s entitled to do that. But he followed that up with: ‘We’re going to go get Matthew Stafford, we’re going to win a Super Bowl, and you’re going to become a head coach.’
“When all three of those things became true a little over a year later — I love him to death, and I would love to not give him that kind of credit. But I absolutely need to.”
The Vikings hired O’Connell after McVay led the Rams to their Super Bowl victory.
Rams coach Sean McVay, left, and Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell greet one another after a game at SoFi Stadium in October 2024.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
“There were countless times where he brought me into his office for circumstances that went beyond the role of a coordinator — to really pull back the curtain and let me understand,” O’Connell said, adding, “He wanted to help my development, and that’s something I’ve now taken very seriously with some of the coaches who have coached for me.”
Coen joined the Rams’ staff in 2018 as an assistant wide receivers coach. He left in 2021 to become Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, but returned to the Rams in 2022 as offensive coordinator.
The Rams suffered the worst Super Bowl hangover in NFL history, and Coen returned to Kentucky before becoming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. The Jaguars hired him in January 2025.
Coen said the lessons he learned from McVay in 2022, when injuries decimated the Rams’ roster, were among the most valuable.
“He challenges every aspect of who you are as a coach,” Coen said.
Coen and McVay talked for close to three hours in the days after the Rams sent the Jaguars to a loss that dropped their record to 4-3. Coen then led his team to nine victories in their last 10 games en route to the playoffs.
“He mentioned something like, ‘Look, you can get frustrated with jersey number X or Y, but we still need to love the name on the back,’” Coen said. “And that was helpful for me because sometimes you can get caught up in the assignment and the execution that you forget, ‘Man, like I really care about that player. His last name, that means something to me as a coach,’ and to lean into that and to make sure that when you come in the building every day and your players come in the building every day, they genuinely want to be there.”
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen stands on the sideline during a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 28.
(Parker S. Freedman / Getty Images)
The Falcons hired Morris in 2024, and the Cardinals last February made Mike LaFleur, Matt’s younger brother, a head coach for the first time.
During three seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur said McVay established strong foundations but also used his tireless energy to encourage assistants to tear down tried-and-true concepts and build them back, sparking innovation.
“It’s long, it’s tiring, but it’s necessary,” LaFleur said, adding that lessons learned from McVay have served him and others well.
”You look at Kevin [O’Connell], you look at my brother, I do think you just kind of naturally take that with you.
“And in my opinion, it just gives you a leg up.”
McVay laments, usually lightheartedly, the loss of staff members that have ascended to become head coaches.
But said he was grateful for the opportunity to help them achieve their goals.
And there is an added benefit.
“What I think has been really cool is that if you are fortunate to see guys go on and do well, it attracts really high-level coaches as well,” McVay said. “When you show that you’re willing to invest in people, there’s really good coaches that become available on a year-to-year basis.”
First-year offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, a Rams assistant since 2024, appears on track to be the next head coach from McVay’s staff. During the offseason, several teams interviewed Scheelhaase for head coaching vacancies.
If this season plays out as anticipated — the Rams are favorites to win the Super Bowl — McVay’s tree likely will have another branch.
Staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this story.
Will star defensive lineman Aaron Donald be with them?
“Feeling good, feeling really good,” Donald said Monday. “Come up with a game plan and see.”
But could he say for certain he will make the trip?
“I’m feeling really good. Feeling great,” he said. “Come up with a game plan and see what’s going on but I’m telling ya, I feel great.”
Donald, 35, returned from a two-year retirement to join a Rams team that is favored to win Super Bowl LXI. But the three-time NFL defensive player of the year has gone through only one 11-on-11 practice.
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He did that on Sunday, but did not practice Monday. Donald said he did a cardio workout as part of a scheduled day off.
“I’m 35,” he said, chuckling. “You don’t play football in two years, you got to be smart. Even if I feel good, you still gotta be smart.”
Coach Sean McVay has said that Donald’s situation would be evaluated daily.
Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, asked if a decision had been made regarding whether Donald would play against the 49ers, said “everything’s” day by day.
“We’re ready for him if he does, ready for him if he doesn’t,” Shula said, “and we’ll have a plan for however many plays he feels like he can go and we’ll go from there.”
Donald said his ramp-up has gone better than he anticipated.
“Thought I’d be a lot more rusty,” he said, adding that things were “clicking.”
Donald said that during his first full practice, he settled in after a few plays. He is not where he wants to be, “but pretty pretty damn good, if you ask me, to not play football in two years to be moving how I’m moving.”
Donald came back, in part, to team with edge rusher Myles Garrett, a two-time NFL defensive player of the year. They have been in meetings and walkthroughs together, and now have practiced.
“It was good to be on the grass with him and do some stuff, and get a feel,” Donald said. “Because the chemistry of playing with each other, kind of learning how each other rush, how each other play, not just Myles just the whole front. … It’s exciting.”
Donald said he was ready for whatever role he fills, and that he was not going to worry about playing 60 or 70 snaps.
“There’s no pressure on me. I can just go out there play free, play ball, let the game come to me,” Donald said. “Play with the guys around me. Help them, they help me.”
Donald, an eight-time All-Pro, has 111 career sacks.
Star receiver Davante Adams is happy that he returned to join the Rams.
“Nobody knows exactly what he’s going to do statistically, if he’s going to be exactly what he was,” Adams said. “But … I know the type of person that he is and I know the way he’s going to work and I know the way he looks right now.
“It looks like it’s going to be a familiar picture for us all out there.”
Puka Nacua ready for opener
Star receiver Puka Nacua said he was happy to be participating in full-team drills after being sidelined for a few weeks because of a psoas injury sustained during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys a few days after the end of training camp.
The NFL has been investigating an incident that led to Nacua being the defendant in a civil lawsuit. If the league determines that Nacua violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, he could be suspended.
But the league has not taken action, and McVay said he expected Nacua to play against the 49ers.
Did the possibility of a suspension before the season weigh heavily on Nacua?
“Definitely feeling emotion of some of the things that, just trying to handle that in the ways that I can and what’s in my control,” he said. “But also having a realistic understanding of the consequences of some of the things that I put myself in this offseason.
“But I feel like I’ve been able to feel grounded and feel present when I step out there on the football field. That’s been one of the positive things, of every time I step on that football field, never taking that moment for granted.”
