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Justin Jefferson is entering his seventh season in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings’ star wide receiver says the fire within him burns as bright as it ever has. He will aim for a fast start to the season when he and the Vikings host the divisional rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. “I just try to be the best version of myself,” Jefferson said recently. “Obviously, I want to win. I want to get to the Super Bowl, do things that we’ve all dreamt of as little kids.

Sunday is a massive day for the Doyles. Declan Doyle dons the headset as Ravens offensive coordinator and calls plays for Baltimore in the opener at Indianapolis. The Colts are hoping little brother Dillon, a defensive quality control coach, is able to crack the code amid an air of unpredictability steepened by the combination of novelty and Baltimore’s cheat-code quarterback.

Two teams looking to rebound from disastrous 2025 seasons are hoping to use the other as a springboard to a better 2026. When the Tennessee Titans take on the visiting New York Jets on Sunday, they’ll do so with a new coach who tried and failed to find success with New York. After a successful second run as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh is now on his second NFL head coaching job.

Josh Jobe intercepted Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining as the Seahawks beat New England 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch Wednesday night in Seattle. Seattle picked off Maye on New England’s final three possessions to overcome a 10-0 deficit and the early exit of starting quarterback Sam Darnold.

Two teams with overhauled defenses open their seasons against each other when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday. The Bengals completed their first perfect preseason since 2006 with wins over the Lions, Bears and Eagles, while the Buccaneers were 2-1 in the preseason, with wins over the New York Jets and Kansas City before losing at Jacksonville.

Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown walked off the field with a right ankle injury on New England’s opening possession of the second half Wednesday night at Seattle. The Patriots announced Brown was questionable to return to the game. Brown was targeted by a third-down pass from Drake Maye, but Seahawks nickel cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett deflected the pass to force a punt. Pritchett’s knee landed on the outside of Brown’s ankle, which twisted inward as he went to the ground.

Former MVP Josh Allen has never left the field a winner in four visits to Houston. The Bills quarterback gets yet another chance to change that nagging fact when Buffalo opens the season on Sunday at the Texans. Allen lost regular-season starts in Houston in each of the past two seasons and in his 2018 rookie season. The Bills built a 16-0 lead during Allen’s postseason debut in the AFC wild-card round of the 2019 playoffs, but the Texans rallied for a 22-19 overtime triumph.

Presented with the opportunity to draft Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, the Chicago Bears opted for delayed gratification. General manager Ryan Poles found a trade partner in the Carolina Panthers, swapped the No. 1 selection and won a gamble to get Chicago back atop the 2024 draft to select Caleb Williams with the first pick.

With A.J. Brown and the “tush push” no longer hogging headlines, the Philadelphia Eagles hope for a distraction-free start to the season on Sunday against the visiting Washington Commanders. Of course, this is Philly, where the next controversy is always right around the corner, but for now the focus is squarely on football entering this early encounter between NFC East rivals.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold limped off the field after a sack on third down ended the opening drive of the game against visiting New England Thursday night. Defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones pulled Darnold down on a coverage sack. The Seattle QB, who led the team to a Super Bowl championship last year, was able to get to the sideline without assistance but hobbled toward the bench. The team announced that it’s a hip injury and that Darnold is questionable to return.