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

Quarterback Mac Jones will finally join the San Francisco 49ers four years after the team nearly drafted him third overall.

The NFL league year kicked off with two former Super Bowl MVPs hitting the open market.

Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes’ four games in the College Football Playoff.

Jonathan Taylor ran for 177 yards, including 33 yards on six consecutive carries in overtime to set up Matt Gay’s go-ahead 38-yard field goal, and the Indianapolis Colts beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-23.

Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes, including one to standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr., and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 20-13 in the rain to sweep the season series for the fourth time in 30 years.

Davante Adams caught nine passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns all in the second half and the New York Jets rallied to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 32-25 to end a four-game skid.

Joe Mixon ran for 101 yards and a touchdown, Nico Collins caught eight passes for 119 yards and the Houston Texans beat Jacksonville 23-20 after knocking quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of the game with a concussion.

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Minnesota’s stingy defense held Jacksonville to 143 yards which are the fewest in coach Doug Pederson’s three seasons and the Vikings overcame Sam Darnold’s three interceptions to beat the Jaguars 12-7.

A person familiar with the decision says Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will miss the second game of his NFL career.

A person with knowledge of the decision says the New England Patriots are planning to give first-round draft pick Drake Maye his first pro start in the hopes of ending a four-game losing streak under veteran journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

The days of NFL rookie quarterbacks waiting their turns before taking over teams is long gone.

Mac Jones threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, taking a step toward formally securing Jacksonville’s backup job, and the Jaguars beat Tampa Bay 20-7 in a preseason game featuring few starters.

Quarterbacks went off the draft board at a record-setting pace.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to acquire New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones for a sixth-round pick in next month’s NFL draft according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

Bo Nix threw for 363 yards and five touchdowns to cap a recording-breaking career, and No. 8 Oregon closed out a season that started with national title expectations by rolling over No. 18 Liberty 45-6 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Running back Jerick McKinnon threw for one touchdown and ran for another to help Kansas City beat the New England Patriots 27-17 in front of Chiefs superfan Taylor Swift.

Mitch Trubisky gets another chance to prove he can be a starting quarterback, stepping in for the injured Kenny Pickett to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

The New England Patriots dressed three quarterbacks for their game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Xavier McKinney set up Randy Bullock’s go-ahead 42-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter with New York’s third interception of New England’s woeful pair of quarterbacks, and the Giants won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating the Patriots 10-7.

Mac Jones kept his job as the New England Patriots starting quarterback on Sunday against the New York Giants.

Jonathan Taylor ran for a first-quarter touchdown and Mac Jones threw a crucial interception in the fourth quarter and the Indianapolis Colts held on for a 10-6 win over New England Patriots in Germany.

Josh McDaniels couldn’t make it past the midpoint of the season before the Las Vegas Raiders decided to make a change.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, Jalen Ramsey intercepted a pass in his Dolphins debut, and Miami beat the New England Patriots 31-17.

Mac Jones threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki with 12 seconds remaining to lift the New England Patriots to a 29-25 win over the Buffalo Bills.

The New England Patriots are making some big changes to try to improve their offense.

The New England Patriots are struggling like they never have since Bill Belichick took over in 2000.

Alvin Kamara rushed for a touchdown to become the Saints’ career TD leader, Derek Carr had two scoring passes and New Orleans routed the New England Patriots 34-0.

DaRon Bland returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown, Leighton Vander Esch scooped up a fumble for a score and the Dallas Cowboys blew out the New England Patriots 38-3.

The New England Patriots have pulled third-year starting quarterback Mac Jones after two turnovers led directly to touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys.

New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner accused Patriots quarterback Mac Jones of taking things a little too far by hitting him in his "private parts” during New England’s 15-10 victory.

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Kyle Dugger intercepted Teddy Bridgewater and returned it 39 yards for a go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, and the New England Patriots kept their playoff hopes alive by rallying to beat the Miami Dolphins 23-21.

Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes and the Cincinnati Bengals forced a late turnover in the red zone to preserve a 22-18 win over the New England Patriots.

For the second time ever Sunday, three NFL games ended with a winning touchdown on the final play on the same day.

New England coach Bill Belichick used the word “mistake” 10 times during his brief comments after the Patriots lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on a last-play stunner.

Defensive end Chandler Jones grabbed a bizarre, unnecessary lateral by New England’s Jakobi Meyers out of the air on the final play and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Las Vegas Raiders a 30-24 victory over the Patriots.

Mac Jones threw for 235 yards, Raekwon McMillan had a crucial fumble return for a touchdown and the New England Patriots earned a 27-13 win on Monday night over the Arizona Cardinals, who lost starting quarterback Kyler Murray in the first quarter to a potentially serious knee injury.

Quarterback Mac Jones was adamant his expletive-laced tirade on the sideline during the Patriots' 24-10 loss to Buffalo was about motivating himself and not an emotional plea about the play-calling or directed at his coaches.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick says Mac Jones will remain the starting quarterback when they visit the New York Jets.

Mac Jones says he wants to start this week against the Jets and believes he deserves to remain in the lineup despite struggling in his return to the field following three-game absence because of an ankle injury.

Justin Fields threw for 179 yards and a touchdown and ran for 82 yards and another score, and the Bears defense forced returning Patriots starter Mac Jones back to the bench to give Chicago a 33-14 victory over New England.

Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer left New England’s game with the Green Bay Packers because of a head injury.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones made a surprise return to the practice field on Friday, but was ruled out for this weekend's game at Green Bay.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick says veteran Brian Hoyer will start if Mac Jones is unable to play in their matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

Mac Jones hopped off the field after his third interception of the game against the Baltimore Ravens, unable to put any weight on his left leg.

The Patriots say quarterback Mac Jones sat out Thursday’s practice with an illness.

Tua Tagovailoa passed for 270 yards and a touchdown, and the Miami Dolphins provided an early look at their ability to contend in the AFC East as they beat Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots 20-7 Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa didn’t seem to celebrate this stat.

Graham Gano hit a 24-yard field goal as time expired, Daniel Jones was solid in limited work and the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 23-21 on Thursday night to open the preseason.

The performance didn’t come close to matching the hype for the 2021 quarterback class.

Whatever the Patriots offense looks like in the aftermath of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ departure, Bill Belichick says Mac Jones will have a role in molding it.

This year's quarterback class isn't as heralded as last year's or even next year's.

Josh Allen set a franchise record by throwing five touchdown passes and the Buffalo Bills showed who's king of the AFC East with a 47-17 throttling of the New England Patriots in a wild-card playoff game.

The Tennessee Titans are the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes and Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two scores apiece to put the New England Patriots in the playoffs with their 50-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes and Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two scores apiece to put the New England Patriots in the playoffs with their 50-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The national championship game quarterbacks are a former five-star recruit already with a Heisman Trophy and a former walk-on ending a long journey with his home state team.

Jonathan Taylor ran for 170 yards and scored on a 67-yarder with 2:01 left to help the Indianapolis Colts seal a 27-17 victory over the New England Patriots on Saturday night.

Damien Harris scored on a 64-yard run in blustery conditions in which Mac Jones attempted just three passes, and the New England Patriots shored up their familiar place atop the AFC with a 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Mac Jones had two touchdown passes, New England’s defense forced four turnovers and the Patriots earned their sixth straight win, rolling past the Tennessee Titans 36-13.

Tom Brady has moved on to win another title at Tampa Bay.

Aaron Rodgers’ return helped lift the Green Bay Packers four places to the top spot of the latest AP Pro32 poll.

Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a career-high 100 yards and two scores, and the New England Patriots rolled to a 45-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made it clear in a 30-minute teleconference Friday that he doesn’t hold any grudges about the team releasing him prior to the 2020 season, calling it “irrelevant” to him now.

Mac Jones threw two touchdown passes, Damien Harris and J.

Jameis Winston threw two touchdown passes, Malcolm Jenkins returned an interception for a score and the New Orleans Saints beat the New England Patriots 28-13.

Matt Ryan has watched Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady switch teams, so he knows there’s a possibility he won’t finish his career with the Atlanta Falcons.

Mac Jones was smart and efficient, Damien Harris and James White had touchdown runs and the New England Patriots took advantage of a nightmarish outing by Zach Wilson in a 25-6 victory over the New York Jets.

Some Southeastern Conference defenses are flexing their muscles after 2020 being a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.

Former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton says he was caught by surprise by his release by New England and believes his weeklong absence near the end of training camp due to a mishap related to COVID-19 testing protocols contributed to coach Bill Belichick’s decision.

The Miami Dolphins will head to Massachusetts this weekend to play against the New England Patriots in the first game of the season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will start the season on the road as the team plays against the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Top-ranked Alabama looks very much like a team capable of making another run at a national title.

They were once at the top of the NFL.

Cam Newton followed Mac Jones along the sideline, holding his right hand up, waiting for the rookie quarterback to slap it after the No. 15 overall pick threw a touchdown in a preseason game Sunday night.

The New England Patriots have released quarterback Cam Newton.

The Patriots say quarterback Cam Newton will miss at least three days of practice this week after traveling to a team-approved, out of town medical appointment over the weekend.

Cam Newton passed for 103 yards and a touchdown, Mac Jones threw for 146 yards and the New England Patriots routed the Philadelphia Eagles 35-0 on Thursday night.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has made lucrative deals before starting his first college game, but he doesn’t think that or the preseason hype surrounding him will be a distraction.

Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll for fourth time in the past six seasons.

Mac Jones had probably his best day so far during Day 9 of Patriots training camp.

Six NFL teams used the draft to reunite college teammates.

History dictates that it’s likely at least a couple of the five first-round quarterbacks won’t fulfill the hopes of the teams that drafted them.

Not much changed on the second night of the NFL draft.

Following the highest-scoring season in league history, the NFL draft proved its clubs are more committed than ever to keep lighting up the scoreboard.

Thirteen prospects will attend next week’s NFL draft in person.

Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith of Alabama is scheduled to appear in person in Cleveland at the NFL draft later this month.

Patrick Surtain II and Mac Jones had the spotlight at Alabama's Pro Day, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)DeVonta Smith was there for quarterback Mac Jones once again, this time it was at Alabama's latest pro day. “He didn't have to do that,” Jones told the SEC Network, which aired the pro day. '”Jones showcased his arm strength a week after participating in the Crimson Tide's first pro day. “Mac was just on me like, ‘Bro, come catch, come catch, come catch,’” Smith told the network.

Saban and Alabama opened spring practice Friday, March 19, 2021l with an immediate goal. For now, they need to find replacements for three of college football's top offensive weapons. Patterson, File)Nick Saban and Alabama opened spring practice Friday with an immediate goal. He also didn't get a spring practice last year because of the pandemic. The Crimson Tide holds its spring game on April 17 and opens the regular season against Miami on Sept. 4 in Atlanta.

The last NFL event not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was the 2020 combine in Indianapolis. A year later, with the 2021 combine canceled, the league has released a list of players who would have merited invitations. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)The last NFL event not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was the 2020 combine in Indianapolis. A year later, with the 2021 combine canceled, the league has released a list of players who would have merited invitations. Cornerbacks got the most invitations with 44, including all-Americans Shaun Wade of Ohio State, and Patrick Surtain of national champion Alabama.

The recruiting class that Alabama finalized Wednesday has the highest rating in the history of the 247Sports Composite team rankings, which go back to 2010. Steve Wilfong, the director of recruiting for 247Sports, notes this celebrated Alabama class arrives as most of the Tide’s decorated 2017 class departs. Ad“You’re replacing one of the best recruiting classes ever for what they accomplished with maybe the best recruiting class on paper coming in,” Wiltfong said. While plenty of SEC teams joined Alabama in signing impressive classes, Ohio State stood out from its Big Ten foes. All three were quarterbacks, with Bryce Young enrolling at Alabama, DJ Uiagalelei selecting Clemson and CJ Stroud selecting Ohio State.

American Team quarterback Kellen Mond of Texas A&M (12) has his throw tipped by National Team offensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa of UCLA (92) during the first half of the NCAA Senior Bowl college football game in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)MOBILE, Ala. – Texas A&M's Kellen Mond was the Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player but two fellow Southeastern Conference Western Division products made the decisive big play. Fitzpatrick had six catches for 90 yards in the showcase game for senior and graduate NFL prospects, earning offensive player of the game honors. Obviously, kind of shaky at the beginning but it definitely shows a lot of poise to be able to bounce back.”North Carolina running back Michael Carter also had a big game. Jamie Newman completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Grimes with 49 seconds left for the American team after Franks and Yeboah made it a two-score game.

The next game he plays is for his NFL draft stock, provided the Alabama quarterback's gimpy left ankle is good to go. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said the plan is for Jones to dress out and see how his ankle feels. “Just being in that room, I already learned so much about NFL football,” he said. Mond started 44 games for the Aggies, Ehlinger logged 43 starts for the Longhorns,Mond led the Aggies into College Football Playoffs contention in his final season. I just wanted to come and kind of learn more about NFL football and learn a new playbook, which I thought I did a good job with.

National champion Alabama has five players leaving early after beating Ohio State in the CFP title game on Jan. 11, with All-America quarterback Jones and linebacker Dylan Moses both early graduates. The 30 players with college eligibility remaining after completing their degree requirements had to notify the NFL of their intentions for the draft. Players less than four years removed from high school who have not completed a degree need to be granted special entry to the draft by the NFL. Southern California has the most players leaving early for NFL draft eligibility with six. Stanford and Ohio State matched Alabama with five each.

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2020, file photo, Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien watches during an NFL football training camp in Houston. Alabama has hired former Texans coach O'Brien as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – National champion Alabama has hired former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. O'Brien also served as offensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions and won national coach of the year honors after going 8-4 in 2012. A 28-year coaching veteran and former Brown defensive player, O'Brien was also offensive coordinator at Duke.

(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)AUSTIN, Texas – Fresh off a national title with Alabama, Steve Sarkisian plans big changes to Texas' football program. Sarkisian said that while discussion about "The Eyes of Texas "and other issues are welcome, “'The Eyes of Texas' is our school song. Texas, without a conference championship since 2009, is itching to see if Sarkisian can produce similar results in Austin. Texas expects quick results from Sarkisian, recent winner of the Broyles Award given to college football’s top assistant coach. Asked about scheduling A&M again, Sarkisian said “I would love to play that game.”Sarkisian is Texas’ fourth head coach since 2009.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)Nick Saban wasn't ready to contemplate his legacy moments after capturing a record seventh national championship “because you're always looking forward.”It was time to start chasing No. "It’s an ongoing process, building a team," Saban said. Only Florida in the SEC championship game came closer than 15 points. “There’s no team that will ever play an SEC schedule like that.”The 2009 Alabama team that went 14-0 is Saban's only other undefeated group. “I came back to get a degree and to win a national championship,” Smith said.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Alabama finished the season No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the 12th time, extending its record by completing the program’s first perfect season since 2009. With 12 AP titles overall — Paul “Bear” Bryant was coach for five and Gene Stallings for one — Alabama has four more than Notre Dame, in second place with eight. The Big 12 finished with a perfect record in five bowl games. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25___This story has been updated to correct the number of national titles for Alabama to 12, not.