Muhammad Ali's championship belt from the Rumble in the Jungle - his 1974 heavyweight title bout with George Foreman - was sold at auction on Sunday for $6.18million.

The belt, won by the legendary boxer after he stopped his rival with an eighth round knockout in Zaire, was purchased by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.

The 63-year-old has already purchased a large assortment of pop culture memorabilia, the Isray Collection, which he intends to tour across the nation.

"Proud to be the steward!" Isray tweeted, while revealing the belt would be on display next month in Chicago and then in Indianapolis in September.

Ali's belt falls short of becoming the most expensive piece of sporting memorabilia to be sold at auction.

Diego Maradona's iconic Hand of God shirt - worn during Argentina's quarter-final victory over England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup - fetched just over £7.1m ($8.9m) in May.

The XFL announced on Sunday that it will return in 2023 with the league revealing the home cities, and head coaches for each team.

Owners Dwayne Johnson and longtime business partner Dany Garcia announced that the eight teams competing next year will be Arlington, Houston, San Antonio, Orlando, Las Vegas, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

Originally founded in 2001 by WWE’s Vince McMahon and relaunched in 2020, the XFL went bankrupt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its future was uncertain. Johnson and Garcia then purchased the league in August 2020.

Longtime Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will coach Dallas, former NFL head coach Wade Phillips will coach Houston and former Steelers receiver Hines Ward is the San Antonio coach.

Las Vegas will be coached by 17-year NFL veteran Rod Woodson, Seattle’s coach is former Rams and Saints coach Jim Haslett, former NFL cornerback Terrell Buckley will be Orlando’s coach, former NFL tight end Anthony Becht is St. Louis’ coach and Washington will be coached by Reggie Barlow, who played seven seasons in the NFL as a receiver.

The XFL is expected to kick off on February 18, 2023.

Houston Texans' rookie wide receiver John Metchie III announced on Sunday that he was recently diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and is currently receiving medical care.

In a statement on the Texans’ Twitter account, Metchie said acute promyelocytic leukemia is "the most curable form of leukaemia" and that he's "in good spirits."

"Recently I was diagnosed with APL (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia), the most curable form of Luekemia," he said in a statement.

"I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time.

"As a result of this diagnosis, I will likely not be playing football this season. My main focus will be on my health and recovery."

The Texans selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft (44th overall pick) out of Alabama after he had 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdown receptions as a junior last season before tearing his left ACL during the SEC championship game.

Metchie, who had 55 receptions for 916 yards and six TDs for the Crimson Tide in 2020, added he "cannot wait to come back stronger than ever."

Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Rodger Saffold hurt his ribs in a recent car accident and has been placed on the non-football injury list, coach Sean McDermott announced.

The 34-year-old Saffold joined Buffalo on a one-year contract in March after he was released by the Tennessee Titans following a 2021 season in which he earned his first Pro Bowl selection. The move saved Tennessee over $10million in salary cap space.

Saffold's setback was revealed as the Bills opened their training camp on Sunday.

McDermott said: "Rodger Saffold will start on the NFI list. Rodger injured some ribs in a car accident recently, so he'll start on NFI."

Saffold was the first pick in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He spent his first nine seasons with the Rams before signing a four-year, $44million deal with the Titans in 2019.

Saffold’s 160 games since 2010 are tied for the fourth-most among active offensive linemen in the NFL over that span.

McDermott said he expected Saffold to "be back in due time".

Forecasting which players will break out in a given NFL season is a difficult exercise.

New stars can come from anywhere. Highly drafted rookies can swiftly justify their selection, while others who have endured a less linear path to the highest level often emerge from the wilderness to become well-known names.

But, for those players who have already had the benefit of experience in the league, Stats Perform can look at the data to judge who is in a spot to potentially make the jump to stardom.

Such ascents are regularly a product of situation. Here we look at three offensive players and three defenders who find themselves in spots conducive to a possible breakout year in 2022.

Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts making the leap in his third season in the league is largely contingent on how his skill set is utilised by the Eagles.

Playing behind an excellent offensive line that ranked fifth in pass-block win rate last season and with a host of playmakers now including A.J. Brown, Hurts looks set up for success in 2022.

But for that success to be realised, the Eagles must tailor their offense to what he does well. In 2021, where Hurts clearly excelled was in the play-action game. Hurts produced a well-thrown ball on 80.4 per cent of play-action pass attempts, averaging 16.78 air yards on those throws.

Though they averaged 9.2 yards per play when they ran play-action, the Eagles did so on only 13.07% of their passing plays. By contrast, they ran straight dropback pass plays on 39.21% of snaps but averaged just 7.35 yards per play. Philadelphia went to the quick game on 21.57% of snaps with an average of 5.31 yards per play.

Having acquired Brown, who thrived playing in a heavy play-action offense with the Tennessee Titans, the Eagles must lean more into the play-action looks to give Hurts the best chance of improving on a quietly efficient 2022.

It would not be a seismic shift in their offensive approach, but with the talent level on their roster, it is one that could propel the Eagles to a deep playoff run and allow Hurts to end questions about his legitimacy as the long-term starter.

Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco 49ers

Drafted from the star-studded receiver class of 2020, Aiyuk has not produced at the same level of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Tee Higgins.

That is partly a product of the many mouths there are to feed in the San Francisco offense and partly a result of him falling out of favour with head coach Kyle Shanahan early last season.

However, Aiyuk worked his way back to being a focal point of the Niners offense down the stretch in 2021, producing a string of key plays during their surge into the postseason.

Aiyuk produced a big play on 40.8% of his 98 targets last season – fourth among wide receivers with at least 50 targets in 2021. Delivering a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 65.3% of his targets, his 16 receptions of 20 yards or more were tied for 12th in the NFL.

His numbers in that regard appear likely to improve as the 49ers transition from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance at quarterback. Only one quarterback with a minimum of 50 attempts last season – Drew Lock (10.20) – averaged more air yards per attempt than Lance (10.10). Garoppolo’s 7.38 per attempt was below the league average of 7.99.

Aiyuk is an excellent route runner who brings yards-after-the-catch upside and has already shown signs of building a rapport with Lance, catching four passes for 94 yards in the 2021 third overall pick’s second start against the Houston Texans. 

If that rapport is furthered with a quarterback who should greatly improve the downfield threat posed by the San Francisco passing attack, 2022 could be the season in which Aiyuk establishes himself as another gem from a receiver class that has already emphatically lived up to its billing.

David Njoku - Cleveland Browns

The Browns have been waiting for an Njoku breakout since drafting him in the first round in 2017, and they are seemingly banking on it coming in the near future.

Cleveland signed Njoku to a four-year, $56.75 million extension this offseason having initially placed the franchise tag on the former Miami Hurricanes tight end. Those moves were made despite Njoku having a career-high in receiving yards of 639, which was in 2018.

Njoku has struggled with injuries – never starting more than 14 games in a season – but there’s evidence to suggest this will be the year he puts it all together. Last season, Njoku had a mediocre burn rate of 57.7%, but Rob Gronkowski (12.87) and Dallas Goedert (12.39) were the only tight ends with at least 25 targets to average more burn yards per target.

He was tied for 10th in burn yards per route (2.3) and 14th in big play rate (29.9%) and, assuming he stays healthy, will likely be the number two target behind Amari Cooper for the Browns in 2022.

The Browns' offense has recently been built around the running ability of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but Deshaun Watson (if and when he is allowed to play) offers the passing game a significantly higher ceiling.

With the Browns’ wide receiver options beyond Cooper lacking in experience, Njoku stands to benefit greatly from that additional upside through an increased target share and the efficiency numbers from 2021 paint the picture of a player who will take advantage of his extra opportunities.

Christian Barmore - New England Patriots

New England suffered a self-inflicted talent drain in the secondary, but the impact of the loss of J.C. Jackson and Co. may be minimised if the Patriots can get more from the defensive front.

The Patriots were seventh in pass-rush win rate last year, so it is fair to question how much more of a jump they can make in that regard. But Barmore is the one who may fuel such a leap.

New England's second-round pick from 2021 had just 1.5 sacks last season. However, he ranked eighth among defensive tackles with at least 100 one-on-one pass rush matchups with a stunt-adjusted win rate of 38.34%.

He achieved a top-10 finish in that metric despite being double-team blocked 127 times. Only seven defenders were double teamed more often. 

Converting those pass-rush wins into sacks will be the aim in 2022 and, if he continues to dominate his matchups in his second year and the Patriots get the consistency from edge rushers Matthew Judon and Josh Uche to reduce the number of double teams, Barmore's production should see a significant improvement.

Pete Werner - New Orleans Saints

Off-ball linebackers might not move the needle like they once did, but Werner is set to step into a starting role alongside Demario Davis on a Saints defense that is still expected to be among the best in the NFL.

Werner allowed a burn on 13 of his 27 targets in coverage, and his ratio of 48.1% was above the league average for linebackers with at least 25 targets (50.8).

His burn yards per target allowed average of 8.08 yards was 18th for the players at his position to meet that threshold. Werner allowed a big play on 17.4% of his targets, also putting him comfortably on the right side of the ledger for that metric (the average was 19.8%).

On top of that, his run disruption rate of 12.1% was eighth for all linebackers with a minimum of 50 run defense snaps.

In a hugely encouraging rookie year, Werner proved he is ready to step up to the starting role.

Playing on a defense stacked with talent on the front and in the secondary, he is in a situation to make a massive impact for a unit that may have to carry the load if the Saints are to return to the playoffs in 2022.

Rashad Fenton - Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs suffered an underrated loss in free agency as cornerback Charvarius Ward departed for San Francisco. Ward allowed a burn on just 39.8% of targets in 2021 – the fourth-best rate among corners with at least 50 targets.

His departure will likely see Fenton and L'Jarius Sneed start at corner this season, though the Chiefs did add Trent McDuffie to their secondary in the draft.

The numbers indicate Fenton will rise to the challenge. He was second in burn yards per target (7.71) and third in burn yards per snap (1.22) allowed last year (min. 50 targets).

He gave up a big play on just 15.2% of targets – the third-best ratio in the league for the position. Fenton's consistency in producing tight coverage should fuel optimism he can ensure Ward's exit is not one that will cause the secondary to struggle.

Fenton has only two interceptions and 18 pass breakups to his name in three seasons. Another year of stingy coverage combined with more on-ball production for a Chiefs team likely to go deep into January again would raise the profile of an under-the-radar but very talented corner.

David Bakhtairi's hopes of being ready for the start of the 2022 season appear in jeopardy after he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list by the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers open their training camp on Wednesday as they prepare to make another push for a Super Bowl title after suffering more playoff disappointment last season.

But Bakhtiari will not be on the practice field as he continues a prolonged recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage suffered in December 2020.

Players added to the PUP list may be activated at any time before Week 1 but cannot practice before then. 

Five-time All-Pro Bakhtiari played in just one game in 2021, featuring for 27 snaps against the Detroit Lions in Week 18.

However, he was absent as the Packers suffered a 13-10 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs.

In 2020, Bakhtiari allowed a pressure rate of just 2.8 per cent, tied for the best in the NFL among left tackles with Andrew Whitworth, per Stats Perform data.

Should he be able unable to line up for the Packers' Week 1 clash with the Minnesota Vikings, Yosh Nijman – who started eight games in 2021 – would likely step into the breach

The final celebration of the Los Angeles Rams' 2021 championship season concluded with Thursday's Super Bowl LVI ring ceremony.

And with that, Sean McVay and the Rams are focused on the season ahead.

The Rams open training camp on Sunday, just over five months after they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the Super Bowl.

"It was kind of good timing, because now it represents, 'Let's turn the page,'" McVay said on Friday. ''Let's not minimise what a great year last year was, but that's not going to have anything to do with this year.''

No team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots did so in February 2005, and McVay realises there is a reason it has been nearly two decades since it has been accomplished.

''So many things have to go right,'' McVay added. ''We could be a better team this year, and I think we've got a chance to do that, and it might not mean we win a Super Bowl, because there are a lot of things that take place throughout the course of a game - the bounce of a ball here - certain things that are out of your control.''

The Rams had quite a few close calls en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with three-point victories over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Bengals in the playoffs.

While there are some parts of the game that coaches and players cannot control, McVay acknowledged that with proper preparation and the right mind-set, the team will be in the best position to win and avoid a dreaded Super Bowl hangover.

''A hangover, to me, what that entails is guys think they're better than they are,'' said McVay, whose Rams missed the playoffs in 2018 after reaching the Super Bowl the previous season.

''They stop working the right way, complacency sets in and the previous success you think is going to have anything to do with your future success. We've got the right kind of guys in our locker room, the right kind of coaches that are intrinsically motivated.''

As the defending champions, the Rams have the honour of kicking off the 2022 season when they host the Buffalo Bills on September 8.

Kyler Murray had no desire to continue his NFL career anywhere other than with the Arizona Cardinals, the quarterback said after signing a five-year, $230.5million contract extension.

Murray and the Cardinals finally reached agreement on a deal that contains $160m guaranteed on Thursday, rewarding him for three seasons of largely stellar play and Arizona's first playoff appearance since 2015 last season.

Negotiations between the two franchises had not always appeared to be harmonious, particularly in late February when Murray and his agent Erik Burkhardt released a statement seemingly urging the Cardinals to prioritise signing the former to a long-term deal rather than simply talking about it.

But, with the saga behind them, Murray is now fully focused on his ultimate goal in the NFL.

"My job is to fulfill my promise and bring a championship here. There's no question about it," Murray said.

"There's no other place that I wanted to be this whole time. And I mean that."

Murray prompted a heated reaction on social media when he deleted all photos relating to the Cardinals from his Instagram account following his appearance in the Pro Bowl.

"All the social media stuff and all that, that's going to happen regardless," Murray added. "Play good, they love you. Play bad, they hate you.

"It is what it is. That's just this day and age. You've got to have tough skin. So, I've grown up in it. So, it's nothing new."

Before being selected as the first overall pick by Arizona in 2019, Murray was picked ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and signed a contract with the A's.

Asked if this extension ends any prospect of Murray eventually switching to baseball, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim interjected and could not resist a dig at the A's, who have parted with a host of their stars in recent times and have the second-lowest payroll in MLB at $48.5m.

"Did you guys see the payroll of the Oakland A's versus this contract?" Keim replied. "Enough said."

Patrick Mahomes is not fazed by no longer being the NFL's highest-paid quarterback because his contract still means he is "set for life".

When he put pen to paper on a 10-year, $450million extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, Mahomes became the best-paid player in the league with an average annual salary of $45m.

However, deals signed by Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson this offseason have bumped the Chiefs signal caller down to fourth on the list.

It is not something that matters to Mahomes, who expects he will slip further away from the top spot in the coming years.

"When I signed my deal, I knew I was going to be pretty set for life regardless of how the market happens,'' Mahomes said.

"You just keep playing. Money is one thing, but when you get those Super Bowl rings at the end of your career, I think that's going to be the thing that you look back upon. I think I've made enough money from the football field and off of it as well that it won't matter at the end of the day.

"Especially at the quarterback position, the next guy is the top-paid guy. Any of these top-tier quarterbacks, they make such a difference on NFL football teams that [older contracts are] going to get passed up.

"They'll keep setting the bar even higher. You always want to get paid and take care of your family, but I want to have a great team around me as well. Whatever way that is, I'm going to make sure I have a great team around me for the rest of my career."

The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Orlando Brown last March but were unable to sign him to a long-term deal before last week's deadline, and it is unclear whether the left tackle will report for training camp next week.

"He's a great team player. He has a high IQ," Mahomes said. "You want him to be here just because of the guy he is, and he's a leader on this football team.

"But at the same time when it comes to money and contracts and stuff like that, I never force anyone to do anything because I know they're trying to provide for their family long term. But as a team-mate and as a friend, you want him to be here and be a part of this.

"It didn't work out for him this offseason the way that he wanted it to, but whenever he gets here I'm sure he will be ready to go and he'll go out there and show what calibre of player he is again."

After leading the NFL in touches during a strong rookie season, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is ready for another heavy workload – even a historic one - if it leads to another trip to the playoffs.

"I can get 500," Harris said in an interview on The Rich Eisen Show. "If I get 500 carries, as long as we're winning, it doesn't really matter."

Harris accumulated 381 touches during the 2021 regular season, the most by a rookie since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson's 398 in 2001. The Pro Bowler said he's prepared to increase that total if again called upon to be the focal point of an offense that will be breaking in a new starting quarterback following the offseason retirement of franchise icon Ben Roethlisberger.

"The more carries you get, the better you are," Harris said. "You get more of a feel for the game, you get an understanding of how the defense is playing. Obviously, you wear them down."

Harris' quick transition to the NFL game indeed played a big part in the Steelers reaching the postseason for the sixth time in eight years. Pittsburgh went 6-0-1 when the former Alabama star had 20 or more rushing attempts in a game and was 3-7 when he was under that mark.

The 2021 first-round pick accounted for 29.8 per cent of the Steelers' yards from scrimmage. Only Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (35.4 per cent) and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (29.9 per cent) had a higher share of their team's scrimmage yards last season.

Harris takes great pride in being able to contribute on all three downs in an era where skill players are becoming more specialised, and disputed any notion his heavy usage made him less effective.

"I didn't have an issue with it, it was the media that had an issue with it," he told Eisen. "I told them every game, I was like, 'Man, if this is the way to winning, I can carry the load'. I train to carry loads. It's not something I hadn't done before. I did it in college, high school."

A further increase in responsibility would put Harris in some very select company, as only five players in NFL history have recorded 450 or more touches in a season. Tampa Bay's James Wilder holds the league record of 492, set for the Buccaneers in 1984, while the last to eclipse that threshold was Larry Johnson for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006.

"This is our identity right here," Harris said of the Steelers' run-based approach. "So, let's keep this going on."

The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to terms with quarterback Kyler Murray on a multi-year extension that will reportedly make him among the NFL's highest-paid players.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed but ESPN reports the deal to be a five-year, $230.5million pact with $160m guaranteed, that will run through the 2028 season.

Murray, the No.1 overall pick of the 2019 draft and the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season, has two years remaining on his original contract.

The deal is slightly higher than the five-year, $230m extension the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson in March, though Watson's contract is fully guaranteed.

Murray's $46.1m annual average salary over the duration of the extension is the second highest in the NFL, behind only two-time reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers' $50.3m.

Arizona also avoid a potential distraction involving their quarterback's future entering training camp.

ESPN reported in February that Murray was frustrated over a lack of progress in extension talks and the criticism he received following the team's playoff loss to the eventual champions Los Angeles Rams.

Murray did not attend voluntary offseason workouts but did take part in the Cardinals' mandatory minicamp last month.

The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner has started all but two of Arizona's games since entering the NFL and has helped the Cardinals increase their win total in each of his three seasons, capped by an 11-6 finish in 2021 and the franchise's first playoff appearance in six years.

Murray began last season as an early MVP candidate after leading the Cardinals to a 7-0 start, though his and the team's play dropped off in the second half with a nagging ankle injury a factor in his struggles.

The 24-year-old produced a 116.8 passer rating with a 73.5 per cent completion percentage and 17 touchdown passes during the seven-game winning streak.

Murray's rating dipped to 86.5 as Arizona went 2-5 in his next seven starts, and he threw just seven touchdown passes over that span with a significantly lower completion rate of 65.5 per cent.

Murray's rough stretch continued into the postseason as he completed just 19 of 34 passes for 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the Cardinals' 34-11 opening-round loss to the Rams.

The former University of Oklahoma star still earned a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod after finishing second in the NFL in completion percentage (69.2 per cent) and posting a career-high 100.6 passer rating

The Atlanta Falcons signed Eddie Goldman in early July to provide depth on the defensive line, but he is stepping away from the game before ever stepping foot on the field with his new team.

Goldman informed the Falcons on Tuesday that he is retiring from the NFL.

The announcement came less than two weeks after the 28-year-old signed a $1.12million, one-year deal with Atlanta on July 6.

A second-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2015, Goldman spent his entire seven-year career with Chicago, which included opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

He returned in 2021, playing in 14 games while totalling 22 tackles.

Over his career, Goldman appeared in 81 games with 73 starts, compiling 175 tackles with 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Goldman had one year remaining on a four-year contract worth $42million before the Bears decided to release him on March 14.

Chelsea have continued their boardroom reshuffle by appointing the Carolina Panthers' former president Tom Glick as the Blues' president of business.

Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed a £4.25billion takeover of Chelsea at the end of May, making numerous changes to start their tenure.

Blues president Bruce Buck departed, along with technical and performance advisor Petr Cech and director and chief decision-maker Marina Granovskaia.

While head coach Thomas Tuchel and Boehly are working together on transfer activity, Chelsea have acted by bringing in Glick, who has sizeable knowledge of English football.

The 30-year-old has worked as a former executive at Manchester City's parent company City Football Group, while playing a role in the Football League Board and the FA Council.

Prior to his role with City Football Group, Glick was Derby County's chief executive officer between 2008 and 2012, when the Rams were an established Premier League side.

Glick, who oversaw the creation of Major League Soccer team Charlotte FC, also has experience in the NFL, having held the presidential role with the Panthers.

"Tom's successful track record as a leader and innovator at several respected and winning sport organisations made him the obvious choice for this position," Boehly told the club's website after the appointment was announced.

"His skills and experience will be vital as we improve Chelsea FC's key infrastructure, expand the club's products and reputation, and find exciting new ways for our loyal supporters to engage with their favourite players."

Glick also outlined his reasons for taking the role, saying: "Chelsea FC is an iconic sports institution, known and admired all over the world. I have been very impressed with the vision and mission of Todd Boehly and Clearlake.

"They have the Chelsea community at the heart of everything they do. We have a huge opportunity here to enhance performance across the board, on behalf of everyone we serve."

Despite having a record start to his career, Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson doesn't think he is the best wide receiver in the NFL – at least not yet. 

Jefferson gave that accolade to Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders during an interview with Complex this week, but the two-time Pro Bowler was quick to say he expects to come out on top following the 2022 season. 

"I'll say after this year I'll be the best receiver in the NFL," Jefferson said. "I definitely have to give it to Davante Adams of now, him being so crazy and dynamic on the field. 

"His route running is crazy, so I definitely have to give it to him right now, but I'm pretty sure after this year, it's going to be me." 

Jefferson has the numbers to back up that prediction, as his 3,016 receiving yards are the most for a player in their first two seasons in the NFL. His 196 catches are tied with Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints for the most in a wide receiver’s first two campaigns. 

After being selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson had 88 receptions and set an NFL rookie record with 1,400 yards to go along with seven touchdowns. Last season, he totalled 108 catches for 1,616 yards and 10 TDs. 

Jefferson's 1,616 receiving yards in 2021 were the second-most in the NFL behind Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp (1,947) and slightly ahead of Adams, who had 1,553 yards in his final season with the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the Raiders in March. 

"It's definitely tough to outdo 1,600 yards," Jefferson said. "It's not normal for people to get that many yards consistently, back-to-back like that. 

“Really just working on my weaknesses that I felt that I had throughout the season, always working on my game. I'm always working on route running, always can work on catching the ball, so just trying to better my craft at all of those different categories." 

If Jefferson can better his craft, he believes he will be the best wide receiver in the league. 

"I think I have to do it three years in a row for everybody to believe so," he said. "Some people don't think that after two years, you deserve to be at the top of the league. 

“And then me, I feel like I'm going to surpass 1,600 yards, too. So I think that I'll become the best receiver after this year." 

For years, there has been talk of the NFL entering an era of 'positionless' football and, looking back on the 2021 season, there is a case to be made that it's finally here.

With the league dominated by dual-threat quarterbacks and defenses increasingly reliant on secondary defenders who can move around the field, the phrase 'the more you can do' has never more definitively applied to the NFL – at least not since the bygone era of the two-way player.

Indeed, players who can excel in several positions and fulfil a multitude of different roles are more valuable than ever, with three of the teams that made last season's final four dependent on players who are among the league's most versatile.

Using advanced data, Stats Perform can break down the league's multi-faceted stars and look at some of the more versatile players who have flown somewhat under the radar.

The NFC West Unicorns

Aaron Donald - Los Angeles Rams

We would be remiss to mention the most versatile players in the league and not start it with Donald.

Donald is the NFL's pre-eminent defensive player and the most remarkable aspect of his dominance is that he maintains it irrespective of where he lines up on the defensive line.

His pressure rate of 28.1 per cent last year led all interior defensive linemen and it only dipped to 27.7 per cent when he moved out to the edge, though he did so for just 94 pass-rush snaps in 2021 compared to 448 from his defensive tackle position.

And 108 of his 127 pressures on the inside involved him beating a pass protector. That was the case for 23 of his 26 edge pressures, which illustrates his ability to confound offensive linemen regardless of whether he's working within tight confines or from wide-open space.

Jalen Ramsey - Los Angeles Rams

Donald is the engine of the Los Angeles defense, but a unit that has leaned on its top-end talent would not have remained among the league's elite if not for the presence of arguably the NFL's top secondary defender.

Ramsey still played the vast majority of his snaps as an outside corner in 2021, playing 784 in that position. However, as the 'star' player on the Los Angeles defense, Ramsey spends most of his time locked on an opponent's top receiver, which frequently means playing in the slot.

Indeed, Ramsey played 366 snaps in the slot and was outstanding when lined up there. Targeted 31 times from the slot, Ramsey allowed a burn, which is when a receiver wins a matchup on a play in which they're targeted, 38.7 per cent of the time. The league average for slot corners with at least 50 coverage snaps was 50.7 per cent.

Ramsey posted the ninth-lowest burn yards per target average (5.84) and was the seventh-best slot by big play rate. He gave up a big play on just 6.5 per cent of targets.

His numbers as an outside corner were less impressive. Ramsey gave up a burn 48 per cent of the time and surrendered 10.32 burn yards per target. However, his big-play rate allowed of 19.4 per cent was still better than the average of 26.1 per cent (min. 50 snaps) and amounted to him giving up 15 big plays on 75 targets across 398 coverage snaps.

In other words, Ramsey allowed a big play on under four per cent of his coverage snaps as an outside corner. The 'lockdown defender' tag applies to Ramsey wherever he is on the field.

Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have dug in their heels and refused to indulge Samuel's trade request, with their determination to hold on to the wide receiver unsurprising given his outsized value to San Francisco's offense.

Samuel is to the 49ers' offense what Donald is to the Rams' defense. Last season, he was the reason it worked and the reason the Niners came agonisingly close to completing three wins over the Rams and claiming the NFC championship.

In a career year for Samuel, he racked up 1,405 receiving yards, leading the league with 18.2 yards per reception while his 10.1 yards after catch average was also the best among wideouts.

Yet it was the way in which the Niners utilised his ability in the open field to turn him into a de-facto running back in the second half of last season that weaponized the San Francisco offense.

When lined up in the backfield as a running back, Samuel averaged 6.58 yards per rush last season. He recorded 4.11 yards before contact per attempt, 2.67 yards after contact and averaged 4.77 yards per attempt on carries in which there was a run disruption by a defender. 

No running back could match his yards per carry average or top his performance on rushes disrupted by a defender. Rashaad Penny of the Seattle Seahawks and Dontrell Hilliard of the Tennessee Titans were the only players with over 50 carries at running back to average over 4.0 yards before contact per rush. Kareem Hunt (2.84) of the Cleveland Browns was the only player to average more yards after contact per attempt than Samuel.

With the option to hand the ball off to Samuel or flare him out and get him the ball on screens, lining Deebo up in the backfield allowed the Niners to limit Donald's impact for long periods and lessen Ramsey's effectiveness when he played the 'star' role by forcing him to follow Samuel into the box.

The duplicity Samuel brings in his hybrid receiver-running back role is critical to head coach Kyle Shanahan winning the play-calling chess match. Despite his trade demands, it's why the Niners will ensure he remains on their board.

Cooper Kupp - Los Angeles Rams

While Kupp may not do the damage Samuel does out of the backfield, it is impossible to leave the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year off this list.

Kupp was the only receiver in the NFL last season to finish in the top five in burn yards per route as an outside receiver (fourth, 3.9) and from the slot (third, 4.0).

On top of that, he was fifth in big-play rate among outside receivers with at least 50 targets, registering an explosive on 39.7 per cent of targets. Only two wideouts, Christian Kirk (36.7) of the Arizona Cardinals and Cedrick Wilson (36.5) of the Dallas Cowboys produced a higher rate of big plays from the slot than Kupp's 36.4 per cent.

Lined up for 24 snaps as a running back, Kupp was also utilised as a safety net for Matthew Stafford out of the backfield on occasion. His proficiency in contributing to pass protection by blocking defenders before getting out into his route perfectly encapsulated just how well-rounded of a player he has become.

Queens on the Chessboard

Cordarrelle Patterson - Atlanta Falcons

Patterson was overdrafted by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2013, but he carved out a hybrid role last season in the Atlanta offense in which he, like Samuel, spent time in the backfield and lined up as a receiver.

Designated as a running back, Patterson averaged 4.07 yards per carry, racking up 2.0 yards after contact per attempt and 3.06 yards per attempt on rushes in which there was a disruption by a defender.

Among running backs who registered 100 carries and were targeted 50 times, Patterson's 22.6 per cent big-play rate on passing targets was the highest in the NFL. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints was second at 21.3.

With the Falcons transitioning to a new era at quarterback as Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder compete for the job, Patterson's ability to create yards after contact as a runner and explosive plays on routes out of the backfield will again be extremely valuable in 2022.

Between Patterson, Kyle Pitts and first-round pick Drake London, the Falcons have a trio of malleable playmakers who can ensure the offense is still explosive as they move away from the Matt Ryan era.

Travis Kelce - Kansas City Chiefs

In terms of value to his team, Kelce rivals Samuel with the multiple roles he plays for the Chiefs and the importance of him excelling from several spots will likely increase in 2022 following the Chiefs' trade of Tyreek Hill.

One of the league's most effective 'power slots' who uses his size and route running to his advantage when lined up as a de-facto slot receiver, Kelce played 333 snaps in that position in 2021.

He played 184 as an outside receiver and 136 from his traditional in-line tight end spot in an encapsulation of the evolution of a position that has grown ever more multi-faceted.

Kelce's burn rate from all three spots was over 70 per cent. He won his matchup with a defender on 79.1 per cent of targets as an in-line tight end. That ratio dipped to 76.3 per cent as an outside receiver and 74.4 per cent from the slot.

The majority of his big plays, however, came when he lined up outside. Kelce produced a big play on 34.8 per cent of his targets as an outside receiver and 32.3 per cent from the slot. He was not as explosive as an in-line tight end, a spot from where he delivered a big play 25.8 per cent of the time.

Though the numbers at each alignment may differ, they all paint the same picture: a playmaker who gets open regardless of where he is on the field. Combined with his underrated blocking, Kelce's remarkable versatility makes him one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the NFL.

Elgton Jenkins - Green Bay Packers

Jenkins has played every position in the trenches apart from right guard during his three seasons in the NFL, and in that time he has established himself as one of the best young offensive linemen in the NFL and an integral part of the Packers' attack.

Last season, Jenkins played the entirety of his snaps at left tackle before injury curtailed his campaign after eight games. He allowed only 11 pressures on 163 pass protection snaps, with his pressure rate of 6.7 per cent superior to the average of 9.2 per cent among left tackles.

Prior to that in 2020, Jenkins played most of his snaps at left guard, but also filled in at center and made cameos at both tackle spots. His pressure rate of 4.7 per cent was fifth among left guards that year. At center, he gave up a pressure on just 2.1 per cent of snaps – the third-best rate among players at the position.

Essentially, Jenkins is a rare breed of offensive lineman who can hold up in pass protection at every position on the offensive front. He appears set to slot in at right tackle for 2022, but Jenkins will likely be the first person the Packers call upon if they have an injury at another spot up front.

Ambidextrous Defenders

Micah Parsons - Dallas Cowboys

Parsons claimed NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 thanks to an exceptional first-year campaign that saw him make an unexpectedly outsized impact as a pass rusher.

On 220 pass-rush snaps, Parsons generated 69 pressures for a pressure rate of 31.4 per cent that was tops among linebackers with at least 50 pass rushes.

Parsons spent 153 of those snaps on the edge but also proved extremely effective in coverage. Allowing a burn on 41.9 per cent of targets last season, Parsons gave up only 6.86 yards per target – the fourth-fewest among linebackers targeted at least 25 times.

Also second for his position with a run disruption rate of 16.4 per cent, Parsons swiftly proved his ability to influence every facet of the game and his multiplicity will make him somebody opposing play-callers will constantly have to think about when game planning for the Cowboys.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - Cleveland Browns

Though Parsons was the standout defensive rookie in the league last season, he was not the best first-year linebacker in coverage. That distinction went to Owusu-Koramoah, who slid to the second round of the 2021 draft and went on to lead all linebackers with 5.83 burn yards per target allowed and give up a big-play rate of 4.5 per cent that was also the best for the position.

Owusu-Koramoah played most of his snaps (414) at inside linebacker but also spent time at outside linebacker, on the edge and in the slot on top of a handful of snaps at outside corner.

He did not pass rush often, logging just 27 snaps in that regard, but gained nine pressures for a pressure rate of 33.0 per cent. Against the run, he registered a disruption rate of 15.3 per cent.

Owusu-Koramoah is a player the Browns can trust to hold up in man and zone coverage and has the flexibility to operate in almost every position in the back seven. He can play the run extremely well and has produced encouraging flashes as a pass rusher to suggest he can grow in that area.

Any success the Browns enjoy on defense in 2022 will likely in part be a product of Owusu-Koramoah's malleability.

Chuck Clark - Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens added Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams to their safety room this offseason but have, to this point, kept hold of Clark.

On the surface, that may be something of a surprise. However, a deeper dive into the numbers illustrates the value he has to Baltimore's defense.

Though Clark operated at free safety for 526 snaps in 2021, he also played 108 at strong safety, 97 in the slot, 81 on the edge and over 100 at linebacker.

He defended double-digit targets from free safety, strong safety and in the slot. Only at free safety did he allow more 10 burn yards per target.

His average of 8.01 burn yards allowed per target when lined up as a deep safety was 12th in the NFL. In the slot, he gave up 9.25 per target – better than the average of 9.53 for slots with at least 50 snaps.

With Williams set to slide in at free safety, Hamilton and Clark will have the freedom to roam around the field in three-safety looks and their proficiency in playing the slot should offer the Ravens more answers in defending tight ends and the bigger wideouts that are spending an increasing amount of time on the inside.

Under the Radar Rovers

Kamren Curl - Washington Commanders

Sticking at the safety position and with teams that play their football in Maryland, Curl has quietly emerged as a stud who can fulfil a variety of roles in the defensive backfield.

Last season, Curl played 342 snaps as a free safety, 211 in the slot, 90 as a strong safety, 56 as an inside linebacker, 53 as an outside linebacker and 45 as an outside corner. To say the Commanders have confidence in him all over the field is putting it mildly.

Lined up as a deep safety, Curl allowed 6.02 burn yards per target – the best ratio in the NFL. He allowed a big play on 14.8 per cent of targets, which was the fourth-best rate among deep safeties.

In the slot, he surrendered only 6.15 burn yards per target and a big play on two of his 21 targets. Though Curl was not asked to do as much in coverage when he played closer to the line of scrimmage, he influenced the game with his play against the run. His run disruption rate of 10.0 per cent from the inside linebacker spot was equal to that of Derwin James of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Defensive centrepieces are rarely found in the seventh round, but the Commanders have clearly unearthed one who has the multiplicity to rival defenders of a much higher profile.

Elijah Moore - New York Jets

If former 49ers defensive coordinator and now Jets head coach Robert Saleh is hoping to develop his version of Deebo Samuel, then Moore may be his best candidate.

Moore thrived playing as both an outside receiver and in the slot in his rookie season after being picked in the second round last year. He was tied for 16th in burn yards per route (3.0) among receivers with at least 50 targets. Moore also finished 16th in that group in big-play rate, delivering a burn or a burn for a touchdown on 35.7 per cent of targets.

Though the explosive plays (25.7 per cent) dropped off when he was in the slot, Moore excelled at maximizing his separation as an inside receiver, finishing tied for 10th (min. 25 slot targets) with 3.1 burn yards per route.

Moore carried the ball only five times as a rookie, but he averaged over 10 yards per attempt, with one of those attempts going for a touchdown. Though it is an extremely small sample size, that's the kind of efficiency to suggest he should be given increased opportunities on designed touches out of the backfield in his second season.

Asking Moore to replicate Samuel would be ambitious. However, if he can succeed in a more varied role while continuing to produce from several receiver spots, it would be a substantial boost to Zach Wilson's hopes of a second-year leap.

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