Latest news with #MattHasselbeck
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Matt Hasselbeck Just Sparked a Debate About Caleb Williams' Leadership
Matt Hasselbeck Just Sparked a Debate About Caleb Williams' Leadership originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's growing optimism around Chicago's offense heading into the season—but not everyone's convinced things will click for the team's new face at quarterback. While expectations remain sky-high, a recent segment on The Herd reignited concerns that go beyond Xs and Os. From holding onto the ball too long to sideline demeanor, a respected NFL voice didn't hold back in identifying what might actually be dragging this offense down. Advertisement Matt Hasselbeck, a former Pro Bowl quarterback who spent 17 seasons in the NFL and is now an ESPN analyst, believes the Bears' biggest issue isn't their offensive line—it's Caleb Williams. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) practices before the game against the New England Dinovo/Imagn Images During his appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Hasselbeck made it clear: most of the sacks Chicago allowed weren't protection breakdowns, but rather a product of Williams' indecision and lack of awareness. 'Early on, his eyes were in the wrong place,' Hasselbeck explained. 'It didn't look like he had a clear grasp of protection schemes.' The criticism didn't stop there. Hasselbeck went deeper, citing Williams' reliance on raw athleticism and improvisation as something that worked at USC—but won't fly in the NFL. And when asked about leadership? He didn't mince words. Advertisement 'Body language matters,' he said bluntly. 'That really bothered me—how he handled things last year.' At the same time, Hasselbeck made it clear that these challenges aren't unique to Caleb Williams. He noted that many young quarterbacks struggle with similar issues early on and emphasized that identifying and fixing these problems was a crucial part of his own development as a player. While the Bears have retooled the offense to help their rookie succeed, the message is clear: the leap from college stardom to pro leadership will take more than talent. It'll require discipline, maturity—and a lot less freelancing. With new head coach Ben Johnson now tasked with developing Williams at the next level, the pressure to refine those details has never been higher. Related: Bears Linked to Pro Bowl Veteran in Latest Free Agency Buzz Related: Caleb Williams' Ceiling Draws Comparison to NFC North Rival Ahead of Year 2 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shedeur Sanders Catches Attention of Three-Time Pro Bowl QB
Shedeur Sanders Catches Attention of Three-Time Pro Bowl QB originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Shedeur Sanders dazzled in college, especially over his final season at the University of Colorado, where he completed 74 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Across four seasons—two at Jackson State and two at Colorado—he threw for 14,347 yards with 134 touchdown passes and a 70.1 percent career completion rate, showcasing pinpoint accuracy and poise in the pocket. Advertisement Despite those impressive numbers and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors, Sanders slid to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft before the Cleveland Browns traded up to select him at No. 144 overall. Cleveland sent picks Nos. 166 and 192 to Seattle to secure the Colorado product, banking on his quick release and football IQ to accelerate his pro transition. Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12).Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images That belief was shared by three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who watched Sanders through mandatory minicamp practices. 'So far in camp, I've been very impressed,' Hasselbeck said, praising Sanders's footwork and command of the huddle. Hasselbeck, who threw for 36,638 yards and 212 touchdowns over a 17-year NFL career and earned Pro Bowl nods in 2003, 2005 and 2007, went on to predict Sanders could potentially start games for Cleveland later in the regular season. Advertisement 'I wouldn't count him out to make the team and start at some point during the season,' he added, underscoring the rookie's chance to leap into Cleveland's quarterback hierarchy. The Browns arrive in training camp with a crowded room that also includes veteran Joe Flacco, 40, third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel, 24, and four-year NFL veteran Kenny Pickett, 27. As full pads come on, all eyes will be on whether Sanders' college precision translates into the NFL. Related: Browns Make Massive Decision on Shedeur Sanders This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers aim to diagnose CTE in living athletes
(NewsNation) — A new study seeks to diagnose CTE, a deadly brain illness that often affects athletes, in living patients. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, has often been linked to repeated head injuries and contact sports. Currently, CTE can only be diagnosed after a patient's death. The Concussion Legacy Foundation wants to collaborate with top academic research centers to change that. Led by the Boston University CTE Center, researchers are looking to recruit 350 men aged 50 and older — including 225 former college and professional football players, 75 control participants and 50 people with Alzheimer's disease — for DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project-II. Map: 11th state confirms measles outbreak Researchers will examine new potential disease biomarkers to help doctors 'accurately diagnose' CTE in living patients. The findings are also meant to help doctors learn how to differentiate CTE from similar diseases like Alzheimer's. Participants will join one of five Alzheimer's disease research centers, where they will undergo neurological, cognitive and neuropsychiatric exams, along with multimodal brain imaging, tau PET scans, and blood tests. 'It will fill two missing links in the literature preventing us from developing definitive diagnostic criteria for CTE during life,' said Michael Alosco, associate professor of neurology at Boston University. 'First, we need longitudinal studies that include brain donation. Second, we need to better compare people at risk for CTE to other disease groups.' The study will only include male players; however, researchers said the findings will 'benefit all groups at risk for CTE, including male and female contact sports athletes and military veterans.' Do Medicare and Medicaid cover weight loss drugs? It depends Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been named an ambassador for the study. On 'Morning in America' on Friday, he expressed confidence in the study's wide-reaching impact across all sports. 'I think that the difference here is that we haven't had a test subject of people, mainly football players. In this case, a contact sport that we know there is head trauma, head collision. But I think this will affect every other sport,' he said. 'I think that football will lead the way, but I think we're going to learn a lot, and it's going to help everybody.' Former football players and men with no history of contact sports interested in participating in the study are encouraged to sign up for the Concussion Legacy Foundation Research Registry at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL analyst lays out timeline for Aaron Rodgers to sign with the Steelers
NFL analyst lays out timeline for Aaron Rodgers to sign with the Steelers Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the early stages of offseason work, which consists mostly of weights and rehab. The action heats up on May 27th with the third phase of OTAs, when we see the beginnings of real football, the installation of schemes, and the first opportunity for new players to start working on that all-important chemistry. This is also when former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who was on The Herd, thinks free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs to make a decision about playing for the Steelers. 'I just mentioned the three phases for a veteran quarterback. Phase One feels like a waste of your time. Like, it's just lifting… There's no football there. Anyway, Phase Two, again, you're throwing to guys on air, not that important. Phase Three, I think, is really important. So for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I believe that's May 27th. May 27th is the start of Phase Three. I would circle that May 27th date as a date that, like, it would be really detrimental to be starting the missing time at that point,' Hasselbeck said. If Rodgers doesn't make a decision soon, the Steelers could be forced to make a trade for Kirk Cousins or sign Carson Wentz to help boost the quarterback roster.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck explains why Shedeur Sanders fell in NFL draft
Retired Super Bowl champion quarterback Matt Hasselbeck joins "CUOMO" to discuss Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft before being picked No. 144 overall by the Cleveland Browns. #Browns #NFL #Shedeur
