The NFL’s new year officially kicked off Wednesday, two days after teams began spending big money in free agency.

News and notables from Wednesday's early football national signing day.

A busy Thursday night of high school football, capped with a little bit of history.

It’s still a year away, but the Class of 2025 is officially on the recruiting clock. And that class is positioned to be one of the most loaded we’ve seen in years.

Solomon Thomas was lost, stuck in a dark place mentally while desperately trying to overcome the anxiety, depression and sadness that gnawed at him.

Raines offensive lineman Solomon Thomas didn’t start playing football until the eighth grade. Now as a junior he is a five-star recruit and one of the most in-demand prospects in the nation.

Aaron Rodgers and his peers around the NFL are calling for teams to tear up their turf playing surfaces and replace them with grass.

General manager John Lynch still views his San Francisco 49ers as a Super Bowl contender despite a string of injuries, lackluster performances and a 3-3 start to the season.

New York Jets defensive lineman Carl Lawson is lost for the season after rupturing an Achilles tendon during a joint practice Thursday with the Green Bay Packers.

From players getting COVID-19 vaccinations to relaxed coronavirus protocols to lineup issues, particularly at quarterback, the NFL faces a multitude of questions as training camps open.

NFL teams are getting their first real look at their new players during rookie minicamps this weekend.

FILE - San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is shown during an NFL football game against Arizona Cardinals, in Santa Clara, Calif., in this Sept. 13, 2020, file photo. The search for a new coach continues for the New York Jets after they completed an in-person interview with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, without apparently reaching a deal. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)NEW YORK – The New York Jets were searching for a leader, someone who could bring a frustrated, playoff-starved franchise back to respectability. The Jets reached an agreement in principle with the popular and energetic San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Thursday night to hire him as their head coach. The 20th coach in franchise history, Saleh beat out Smith, Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Indianapolis defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, New Orleans defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn, former Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers will be without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and All-Pro tight end George Kittle for an extended period of time after they got hurt against Seattle. A person familiar with the injuries said Monday on condition of anonymity that Garoppolo’s ankle injury and Kittle’s foot injury will sideline them indefinitely. San Francisco already has been forced to play without defensive ends Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Solomon Thomas; top cornerback Richard Sherman, No. He hurt his shoulder in New England in 2016 and had a season-ending injury for San Francisco in 2018. San Francisco also traded linebacker Kwon Alexander to New Orleans on Monday in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round draft choice.

The NFL Players Association president cited the league’s official injury reports from 2012-2018 to state his case that natural grass fields provide a much lower risk for injuries, compared to artificial surfaces, during practices and games. “Anecdotally, I know how my body responds playing on turf versus grass,” said Tretter, who graduated from Cornell University. Seventeen NFL teams play their home games on grass, while 15 franchises do so on artificial turf. In his new role, Tretter says lobbying for grass fields will be a key talking point in any labor negotiations with the league. “If we know grass is significantly more safe than synthetic turf, it’s about continuing to push forward and making it a priority,” Tretter said.

Players gather around an injured person during the first half of an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers at a nearly empty MetLife Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)The San Francisco 49ers contacted the NFL on Monday about the conditions of the playing surface at MetLife Stadium after several players went down with injuries in a victory over the New York Jets. The new artificial surface was used in a game for the second time on Sunday. The Niners will play again at MetLife Stadium on Sunday when they visit the New York Giants. Giants coach Joe Judge says his team held several walkthroughs and two scrimmages on the field before the opener, with no one complaining about the surface. “But as far as MetLife field, I think it is fine.

Start with running back, where Giants star Saquon Barkley is believed to have torn the ACL in his right knee early in their loss at Chicago. The 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo tried to play through a right ankle injury before Nick Mullens took over for the second half. Tevin Coleman also left San Francisco's win over the Jets with a late knee injury. Along with Lock and Sutton, the Broncos lost defensive end Dre'Mont Jones to a knee injury in their defeat at Pittsburgh. Washington guard Brandon Scherff, who left early in Arizona with a knee injury, was among the offensive linemen hurt around the NFL on Sunday.

Still, short-handed San Francisco had enough to beat the inept New York Jets. Defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas were both carted off the field two plays apart with left knee injuries in the first quarter. Two plays later, Thomas was carted off — also with a left knee injury — after an 8-yard reception by Chris Hogan. San Francisco ended the 14-play possession with an 18-yard catch by Jordan Reed for the first of his two TD grabs. ... San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a first-round draft pick, had two catches for 21 yards in his NFL debut.

(AP Photo/John Froschauer)The Latest on Week 2 in the NFL (all times EDT):___8:55 p.m.Seattle safety Quandre Diggs was ejected late in the first quarter Sunday night for a helmet-to-helmet hit on New England’s N’Keal Harry. Multiple flags were thrown and after a few minutes of deliberation, referee Craig Wrolstad announced Diggs had been ejected. Watkins made an 11-yard catch to convert a third down when Desmond King started to bring him down and Denzel Perryman landed a helmet-to-helmet hit. San Francisco lost both defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas to left knee injuries earlier in the game. Brady struggled in an 11-point loss to New Orleans in his first NFL game not in a New England Patriots uniform.

The Browns remain interested in Clowney, the talented defensive end _ and former No. The Browns remain interested in Clowney, the talented defensive end and the No. During a Zoom meeting with reporters on Thursday, Woods praised Clowney but deferred any questions about the Browns' pursuit of the speedy edge rusher to general manager Andrew Berry. Obviously, he has been a really good player in this league, a great pass rusher when he was in Houston, in Seattle," Woods said. But until Clowney, who reportedly turned down an offer from the Browns already, decides what he wants to do, it's still in play.