“In Jared Goff, McVay had a student. In Matthew Stafford, McVay has a peer.” – King on the Sean McVay-Matthew Stafford relationship in Los Angeles

 “He needs to play opening day…Some guys run 4.3. Some guys play 4.3. He’s the kind of guy who plays fast.” – Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy to King on Rookie 12th Overall Draft Pick LB Micah Parsons

“Your new team wants to see your talent level, which he has, but they also want to see how he carries himself. I think that’s what they’ve been impressed with.” – 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan to King on Rookie QB Trey Lance

STAMFORD, Conn. – August 2, 2021 – Peter King began his annual training camp tour this week, visiting the Rams, Cowboys, 49ers and Raiders in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King provides insights from each camp and speaks with new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, and Raiders general manager Mike Mayock.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

LOS ANGELES RAMS

King on new Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford: “How amazing is it that a quarterback who was drafted first overall by Detroit in 2009, and never won a division title in 12 seasons, and never won a playoff game in 12 seasons, is now unabashedly viewed by some of the most respected people in football – (Aaron) Donald and coach Sean McVay, for two – as the missing piece in a Rams’ championship.”

Aaron Donald to King on hugging Stafford during practice: “I mean, I’m just so happy he’s on our team. I hugged him, just because. I said to him, ‘Man, I just wanna give you a hug.’ … He’ll be throwing the ball at practice, and I’m rushing, trying to win the play, and the throws he makes, the balls he throws, throwing to spots, how perfect a spiral it is. It’s crazy. As a competitor, I’m just happy. Happy he’s here.”

King on Stafford to the Rams: “McVay fell in like with Stafford during a chance meeting with him while vacationing in Mexico in late January. (Both men say the encounter was unplanned.)…In Jared Goff, McVay had a student. In Matthew Stafford, McVay has a peer.”

King: “To McVay, a quarterback needs a lot of traits, but two important ones are disciplined reads going through his options on a play, and boldness on downfield throws – the ability and mental acuity to be willing to take risks when it’s smart. Clearly, those are traits McVay sees in Stafford.”

McVay to King on Stafford: “When you really study him, you see the intricacies of quarterback position. He’s playing it at the highest level in the most difficult spots…His ability to navigate the pocket, his movement, his feel for the rush, his ability to keep his eyes down the field. And then to exhaust your progression against that rush, that’s something in the NFL that a quarterback just has to do.”

Stafford on McVay’s offense: “I mean, it’s very complex. At the same time, it all makes sense…As far as fitting me, I think it probably fits most quarterbacks to tell you the truth. It’s a really good offense. I’m excited to try to bring it to life.”

Stafford to King on if he felt he let the Lions down: “Definitely. I sit there and go, ‘Man, I wish I could’ve gotten it done.’ I mean, it would’ve been amazing to have a Super Bowl parade down Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Didn’t happen. Tough pill to swallow as a competitor and somebody who touches the ball on every single offensive play.”

DALLAS COWBOYS

King on what the Cowboys need this season: “The defense gets some juice it never had all last year…Dak Prescott is able to return to form. The Cowboys need a top five offense, in a big way, because they’re not going to be dominant on D. So I bring you the two most important players in the franchise this season: first-round linebacker Micah Parsons and Prescott.”

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy to King on Parsons: “He needs to play opening day. You have to trust what your eyes are telling you. And when I watch him, I see a fluid and explosive player. This game’s not too big for him. Some guys run 4.3. Some guys play 4.3. He’s the kind of guy who plays fast. He looks like he’s done this at this level before.”

King on Parsons: “He could be a classic middle linebacker at 248 pounds, with the added benefit of quickness to chase down plays. Dallas wanted the kind of playmaking Fred Warner/Bobby Wagner-type ‘backer, and they’re going to give Parsons the chance to be him.”

King on Prescott: “The last time we saw Prescott, he was on the field trying to put his ankle back together against the Giants last Oct. 11. I don’t recall the outpouring of emotion for a player injury like I saw that day.”

Prescott to King on when his ankle injury occurred: “My mom had always told us when we got hurt, just to get off the field so she knew that we were like okay. I initially thought I had rolled it and I had looked and grabbed my ankle and it was facing the other way. I’m like, ‘No way.’ I just was trying to like, I thought maybe if I slammed it into place a couple times it’d just snap back or maybe it was just dislocated and it wasn’t broken, stuck like it was. When I did that a couple of times and it didn’t move, that’s when I just started waving to get help.”

McCarthy on Prescott’s reaction: “I walked up on him when he was down on the field,” McCarthy told me, “and I don’t think I’ve seen anything exactly like it. He was trying to put his ankle back together, right there on the field. It was almost – this  isn’t quite the right word – but it was almost barbaric”

Prescott on how his ankle feels: “I can say, at this point honestly, it might not feel quite like my left leg. But as far as pain or as far as anything that I think something’s wrong – I mean, absolutely not. It may take me a little bit longer to warm it up than it obviously would this left leg. Once I’m going and rolling, there’s not anything that I think about with my ankle.”

King on the NFC East: “Fascinating team, as Dallas usually is. I thought Washington, with its strong defense, would be the king of a weakened East again. But I’m leaning Dallas now.”

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

King: “I’ve learned that these summer practices are not just about who wins the starting right guard job. They’re time for rookies to prove themselves – to show the veterans on both sides of the ball whether they can be trusted. It’s a long process…But every snap, every seam route is Trey Lance’s chance with this team to show if/when he can wrestle the starting job from Jimmy Garoppolo.”

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to King on Lance: “We’re on the practice field now and you’re a first-round pick so everyone’s looking at you. Your new team wants to see your talent level, which he has, but they also want to see how he carries himself. I think that’s what they’ve been impressed with…He goes out there and he’s not scared to fail. He goes out there and lets it rip, and there’s some good, some bad. Players can feel it.”

49ers linebacker Fred Warner to King on Lance: “You see the raw talent, and you see the ball fly out of his hand. Impressive…We’re seeing a young guy work and be humble and make throws like that. That’s what he needs to do.”

King: “The team gave every player an iPad to study plays and the playbook and that day’s gametape. Of the 90 players in camp, guess whose iPad has registered the most minutes used on the Niners’ internal server – where every login is recorded? Trey Lance’s iPad.”

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to King on the team drafting Lance: “No one ever wants to get that call. The first thing I asked John (Lynch) was, ‘Am I still gonna get a chance to compete for the job?’ He said, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ That’s really all I can ask for, being a player…You don’t want to have weird feelings about him, or take it out on him. I welcomed him with open arms. If he asks me anything, I’m willing to help.”

Shanahan to King on when Lance may play this season: “In this business, if you’re trying to plan out the next six months and say, ‘Where’s it going?’ that’s a mistake. You can’t do it. What I told Jimmy right when we made the trade is, ‘I don’t know any rookie who can come and beat you out if you’re playing at his best self…I truly don’t know what’s going to happen here.”

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

King on Raiders GM Mike Mayock: “This is the third year for the man who went from combine prophet to NFL GM – and he needs a big year after 15-17 in his first two seasons, and an underwhelming performance from his drafts…In our conversation, he says it’s time for the top picks who have disappointed so far, such as disappointing first-rounders Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram and Damon Arnette, to play like their pedigrees.”

Mayock to King: “It’s time to win. We started 6-4 [in 2019] and couldn’t finish, and then 6-3 [in 2020] and couldn’t finish. That’s got to change…But we’ve been able to have an off-season this year, and we’ve had great attendance in the building.”

Mayock to King on his relationship with owner Mark Davis: “We’re two passionate people, and we can’t agree 100 percent of the time. But it’s nothing contentious. It’s two guys who study tape and have opinions. We’ve got a really good relationship.”

King on Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden: “I’m told Gruden’s not under any win-now mandate from the owner. Mike Mayock, I don’t know.”

Gruden to King on his time with the Raiders and being 19-29 in three seasons: “I’m not pissed. I’m excited about the progress we’ve made. We weren’t very good…I think we are improving. But I don’t like to lose. I don’t like hearing 19-29. I do like the feeling of progress. We were 6-2 in the West. 6-2 on the road, that’s pretty good. We gotta continue to get better obviously at home.”

King on Allegiant Stadium: “So the way the stadium was built, I’m told, will lend itself to high decibel levels when there’s a big crowd. The Raiders need that. They won their opener in the stadium last year, then went 1-6 at home, with zero fans all season.”

King on the Raiders: “Prediction? Mark me down for 8-9. Tough schedule, plus the need for the young players is so big. Lots of question marks here.”

NEWS & NOTES

King on Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley: “Not much has changed on the vax front with Cole Beasley, except he can’t stop talking about something that is fruitless…I’m starting to think, really, that the Bills’ season is going to be impacted by this campaign he can’t stop waging that will convince no one he is right.”

King on Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas’ ankle surgery: “When you get to a point where an injury suffered in September 2020 continues to linger, clearly there should have been a line of demarcation that said if the injury isn’t right by, say, April 1, surgery would be done. That obviously didn’t happen…For a team that runs such a tight, organized ship, it’s surprising that the Saints didn’t ride herd on this injury better.”

King on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: “I liked the fact that instead of dancing around tough topics and handling his issues in a passive-aggressive way, Rodgers spent his press conference elucidating exactly what troubled him and why he thinks he should have some (even small) say in the way his team operates on the field. I do understand the reticence to bring active players into the decision-making process. But this is 2021. And players realize if there’s something they want, and they feel strongly about it, they can make enough of a stink about it or simply demand an exit.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—NBC SPORTS—

 “Crazy to think a 10-win season with an early playoff out would be disappointing, but that’s where these teams are. They’re not better than the best team in the AFC, Kansas City, but they’re close.” – King on the Bills and Browns

 “This year, the gloves are off. There’s a vaccine, and if you’re not going to take it, your football life will either be much harder than the 80-plus percent of vaxxed players, or it will be extinct.” – King on the NFL’s plan for unvaccinated players

“The smartest thing here would be a compromise – Green Bay getting one more year out of Rodgers then guaranteeing him a trade next March.” – King on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 26, 2021 – Peter King previews the optimism in Buffalo and Cleveland heading into the 2021 season and discusses NFL vaccinations in this week’s edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. King also outlines scenarios for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and discusses Deshaun Watson’s situation in Houston.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

BUFFALO & CLEVELAND

King: “I do not remember a time when Lake Erie football was this anticipated, coming off the combined Buffalo-Cleveland record of 27-10 last year, coming off playoff victories for both…Crazy to think a 10-win season with an early playoff out would be disappointing, but that’s where these teams are. They’re not better than the best team in the AFC, Kansas City, but they’re close.”

Cleveland guard Joel Bitonio to King on the state of the Browns: “Fairly incredible. It wasn’t that long ago that I went three years without winning a football game…The NFL is built for parity, and now it feels like we’ve got the coaches and front office who have a plan behind every move they make.”

Current Bills and former Browns safety Jordan Poyer to King: “Both places live and breathe football. Buffalo’s a little crazier. I mean, you got people tailgating all weekend, jumping on tables on Saturday with the game 24 hours away. You really don’t understand till you get here. These people are NUTS.”

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry to King: “It’s always cool when you have rabid fans and franchises with rich traditions turning it around. It’s good for the league…The reality of it is we’re both still chasing Kansas City.”

King on keys for the Bills this season: “Can the Bills’ good chemistry survive the adamantly anti-vax stance of a couple of players, including the outspoken Cole Beasley? And will the constant probing, inside and outside the team, poke holes into the Bills’ solidarity.”

King on the Browns: “In Cleveland, can Baker Mayfield take the next step and improve his 62.8-percent accuracy – the way Josh Allen became a more accurate passer to key the Bills Offense last year?”

King: “We’ll know the AFC power structure before the first pitch of the World Series – at least involving KC, Cleveland and Buffalo. Cleveland is at Kansas City in Week 1, Buffalo at KC in Week 5…Whatever happens, Cleveland (if Mayfield is as consistent as he was the last half of 2020) and Buffalo look built to last, with explosive offenses and solid defenses.”

VACCINATIONS

King: “There are three teams, at least, in the NFL as of this morning that are in the upper 90s in percent of players vaccinated, with zero unvaccinated coaches and key team staff members. In this day and age, that seems incredible, to have maybe one to four holdouts on a 90-man roster, given where we are with vaccines in this country. But the reason is not hard to figure out.”

King on the NFL’s COVID plan: “Last year, the NFL and the players union empathized with the hardships and never mentioned the F word. Forfeit. This year, the gloves are off. There’s a vaccine, and if you’re not going to take it, your football life will either be much harder than the 80-plus percent of vaxxed players, or it will be extinct.”

Agent Drew Rosenhaus to King on vaccines: “I have players adamant they won’t get the vaccine. They just don’t want to be told what to do. I think there will be players who decide they don’t want to play because of this issue.”

Agent David Canter to King: “If you’re on the street, and unless you were really good last year but got injured, you will not get signed by an NFL team. GMs are already losing their minds over the vaccine, and they’re not going to take [marginal] players who won’t get the shot.”

King: “Several people in the league think the key is to be patient…The worst thing to do to convince strong-willed players to get vaccinated is to browbeat or threaten them. So the NFL is still determined to play the long game.”

King: “The NFL, one official told me, is hopeful that with all teams reporting no later than Tuesday, the reality will set in and the unvaccinated will realize they’ll be second-class citizens. As angry as some players will be about it, the league hopes the disadvantages of being unvaxxed will sway enough players so that most or all teams will have herd immunity.”

King: “On Friday, the NFL’s medical director, Dr. Allen Sills, said 80 percent of all players were either fully vaccinated or were one shot in, nine teams had at least 90 percent of the players vaccinated, and only five teams were at less than 70 percent.”

Sills on the vaccine: “I think that this is truly one of the most remarkable scientific achievements of our lifetime. I mean, I’m old enough to remember us landing a man on the moon and that was an incredible culmination of so much work and effort on so many people. To me, this is equally impressive in an altogether different way because you had so many people around the world who worked on the development of these vaccines.”

RODGERS AND WATSON

King on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers: “The smartest thing here would be a compromise – Green Bay getting one more year out of Rodgers then guaranteeing him a trade next March, Rodgers buying his freedom by working in Green Bay for six more months. Rodgers doesn’t want to do that, but if the alternative is the Pack freezing him out of football in 2021, maybe he considers it.”

A friend of Aaron Rodgers to King on his contract situation: “(Rodgers) knows he’ll make up whatever he loses this year on the back end, in future years.”

King on a possible trade scenario for the Packers: “Denver gets Rodgers. Green Bay gets: First-round picks in 2022 and 2023, quarterback Drew Lock (two years and a potential option year left on his rookie deal), wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (three years and a potential option year left on his rookie deal).”

King on Deshaun Watson: “Multiple reports Sunday said Watson will report to Texans camp, evading the $50,000-a-day fine. The Texans would have the distraction-avoiding option of not having Watson on the practice field or in the public view.”

King on the Texans: “It makes no sense for (Texans) GM Nick Caserio to trade Watson when his value is diminished today; he needs to wait till whatever happens legally with Watson, and when the likely NFL sanction of Watson is meted out. When Watson’s fate is known, that’s when a team should trade for him.”

King on the Eagles and Watson: “Philadelphia’s the most logical target – and I’d argue that acquiring their next quarterback would be smarter next March than it is now. Maybe Jalen Hurts has a stunningly great year and the Eagles think they’ve got their quarterback of the future. Maybe the Eagles will be in position with three first-round picks to sit and take their next quarterback in the draft or trade up for him. Or maybe they’re in the best position of any team in the league to deal for Watson.”

King on young AFC Quarterbacks: “The AFC is deeper in young quarterbacks than it’s ever been—and that included the Marino-Elway era in the mid-nineties. Think of it: (Patrick) Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Watson (an AFC-er for now), (Joe) Burrow and Justin Herbert are 25 or younger. Amazing.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—NBC SPORTS—

 “Hello from Tokyo…There is nothing that unites American sports fans, or for that matter all of America, like the Olympics.” – Tirico

 “Imagine if the Super Bowl were played once every four years. This is their Super Bowl – and most only get one chance to win it.” – Tirico on Olympians

“I do think there is a scenario where both of them are playing. If Jameis (Winston) is the starter I think Taysom (Hill) is seeing a lot of action at quarterback, maybe even more so than he did with me.” – Drew Brees on the Saints

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 19, 2021 – NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico guest authors this week’s edition of Peter King’s Football Morning in America from Tokyo, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com. Tirico, the primetime host of the Olympics on NBC, discusses the Tokyo Olympics and speaks with his new NBC Sports teammate Drew Brees.

The Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics is this Friday, July 23 on NBC and competition begins tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 20, across the networks of NBCUniversal.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

TOKYO OLYMPICS

Tirico: “Hello from Tokyo, where the NFL used to play some preseason games and the world is readying for the most unique and challenging Olympics since the Modern Games began 125 years ago. The Games are on schedule to start competition Tuesday night, with the Opening Ceremony on Friday morning (U.S. time).”

Tirico on life in Tokyo: “Our NBC team and other broadcasters from around the world are working essentially within an Olympic bubble. We are permitted to go between our accommodations and work locations for the first two weeks in the country. We are testing often, wearing masks, and following protocols while preparing to broadcast over 7,000 hours of Olympics action back to America. It makes for a first-of-its-kind run-up to these delayed games.”

Tirico on the impact of the Olympics: “There is nothing that unites American sports fans, or for that matter all of America, like the Olympics. At some point over the 17 days that begin with the Opening Ceremony, some athlete who you have perhaps never heard of and might not ever see compete again, will lift you from your couch – have you bursting with patriotism, give you chills and might make you shed a tear.”

Tirico on Olympic athletes: “Almost all Olympians will never make the median annual NFL salary ($860,000 last year). Yet, the athletes you are about to see (American and International) are the best in the world at what they do. They have the most significant judgment of their accomplishments come down to minutes or even seconds, usually four, but this time, five years in the making.”

Tirico: “Imagine if the Super Bowl were played once every four years. This is their Super Bowl – and most only get one chance to win it…So, when you sit and watch them over the 17-night run of the games, appreciate their sacrifice instead of searching for the item that might divide. Be thankful they have given of themselves to play for a team that helps unite.”

DREW BREES

Tirico: “Drew Brees for the first time in 29 years is not getting ready for (training) camp. His season will be with us at NBC – in the studio as an analyst for Football Night in America and in the booth for Notre Dame’s home games.”

Brees to Tirico on missing football: “I have been preparing for the next chapter, I’m excited about it. There is a feeling of gratitude and appreciation for all that the game gave me. I still have a chance (at NBC) to be connected with the game and stay involved, but I am excited to be able to pursue some other passions that I haven’t been able to up to this point.”

Brees on the Saints’ quarterbacks situation: “Both guys have such a love for the game…and you can see it in the way they play…Whatever happens, in terms of whoever is the starter, I do think there is a scenario where both of them are playing. If Jameis (Winston) is the starter I think Taysom (Hill) is seeing a lot of action at quarterback, maybe even more so than he did with me.”

Brees on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert: “I don’t think I’ve seen an athlete quite like him. We played them last year, and I was impressed. Then I saw him at mini-camp in OTAs and was amazed at how big and strong he is…He is good, smart and has those leadership qualities. You talk about building an offense around a guy, he can be a 15-year franchise guy.”

Brees on Notre Dame Football: “I am excited to see (new defensive coordinator) Marcus Freeman’s impact and I like the brand of football the offense is playing with (offensive coordinator) Tommy Rees. What they are doing conceptually reminds me of what we see in the NFL.”

NEWS & NOTES

Tirico on the Cowboys: “We expect no shortage of news and conversation out of Dallas camp between now and seven weeks from Thursday, when the Cowboys visit Tampa Bay for the Kickoff Game on NBC. It’s the perfect place to start the king-sized season, in the newly minted city of champions on the night Brady and the Bucs put up the second Super Bowl banner in Tampa history.”

Tirico: “Some of my favorite people in our business have their own Sunday/Monday routines – my friends who are also in host chairs for network NFL pregame shows…So, I asked each pregame host for which team or teams they are most interested in watching this year and why.”

Rich Eisen to Tirico on the Packers: “Without a doubt, the most interesting team is the Packers, who have been the most interesting team in the NFL since Draft Day. We will be on seat’s edge until Aaron Rodgers shows up. Or doesn’t. Either way every snap means so very much.”

Samantha Ponder to Tirico on the Rams: “I can’t wait to see what Sean McVay does with Matthew Stafford. A home Super Bowl with a new but veteran QB feels like a realistic expectation after last year. Matthew’s ability and experience with Sean’s creativity and energy is going to be so much fun to watch.”

James Brown to Tirico on the Bills: “I am excited to see what unfolds for the Buffalo Bills, who have an excellent coaching staff headlined by Sean McDermott and coordinators Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier. They have a top-five QB in Josh Allen, whose year-by-year growth is impressive. Tough, talented and a well-liked leader. And a dangerous, clutch wide receiver who is also HAPPY in Stefon Diggs. Ingredients for continued success.”

Read the full FMIA column here and catch the weekly Peter King Podcast here.

The following are additional highlights of NBC Sports’ NFL coverage:

• • PFT Live with NBC Sports’ Mike Florio and Chris Simms streams live on Peacock from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on weekdays, followed by The Dan Patrick Show at 9 a.m. ET, The Rich Eisen Show at Noon ET, Brother From Another at 3 p.m. ET, PFT PM at 5 p.m. ET. At 6 p.m. ET, Chris Simms Unbuttoned streams Tuesday-Friday.
  • ProFootballTalk.com continues to provide the latest news and updates.
  • The Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and NBC Sports EDGE’s A Good Football Show continue the NFL discussion.

 

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May 2019 that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—NBC SPORTS—