The Times’ 2019 NFL season preview
Previewing the 2019 NFL season as the league celebrates its 100th year and the Rams and Chargers look to contend for the Super Bowl LIV title. Stories will be published throughout the week ahead of Sunday’s full slate of games.
Jerry Tillery, the 6-foot-6, 295-pound defensive tackle the Chargers picked in the first round of the 2019 draft, is not the ‘goofy’ player he was four years ago.
They lost in the Super Bowl and then shed five starters, but the Los Angeles Rams remain contenders to return for another shot at the title.
The Los Angeles Chargers hope to challenge for a Super Bowl, but they’ll start the season without Russell Okung, Derwin James and Melvin Gordon.
A look at the Los Angeles Chargers’ top rookies heading into the 2019 season and what roles they could play.
The Los Angeles Chargers are positioned for success, but the team with a tortured history better take advantage of it now.
The NFL will celebrate a century of its existence this year this season. Let’s look at a moment in each season.
At 33, the Los Angeles Rams’ Clay Matthews looks much like he did when he left USC. But he knows there are questions about his capabilities.
Los Angeles Rams QB Blake Bortles hopes to provide a seasoned backup for Jared Goff and prepare for a starting opportunity with another NFL team in 2020.
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay plays down history and talk of a Super Bowl hangover, but can the Rams rebound from failure?
When the Rams signed six-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle last March, his contract included an incentive clause tying wins to ice cream.
Los Angeles Chargers veteran Thomas Davis is certain his three torn ACLs — each a threat to his career — have allowed him to extend it.
Here’s how Taylor Rapp and other Los Angeles Rams rookies might contribute this season.
Injuries derailed their 2018 seasons, but Joey Bosa and Hunter Henry are looking forward to be among the best at their positions again in 2019 for the Chargers.
With John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold no longer on the team, Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen will be expected to play big roles on the Rams’ offensive line.
Joe Flacco is the latest quarterback tasked with turning around the Broncos following Peyton Manning’s retirement. Can he lead them back to the playoffs?
Nick Foles led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title two years ago. Can he do the same for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Odell Beckham’s trade to the Cleveland Browns has helped transform the team from AFC North also-rans to legitimate title contenders.
Running back Le’Veon Bell, who missed the entire 2018 season because of a contract holdout, looks to revive the New York Jets’ playoff aspirations.
Of the eight new head coaches in the NFL this season, five of them once played quarterback. Will their experience at the position pay off?
The NFL is celebrating its 100th season, and there are many behind-the-scenes stories still to be told.
Former Chargers offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger says he wasn’t surprised by Andrew Luck’s decision to retire from football at age 29.
DeSean Jackson is back on the Philadelphia Eagles after his Tampa Bay sojourn, but are his best days behind him at age 32?
Saints coach Sean Payton hopes to see big things from Jared Cook this season, but will the veteran tight end deliver?
Eddy Pineiro will be handling the Chicago Bears’ kicking duties this season, but he understands there’s little room for error if he wants to keep his job.
The 49ers’ pass rush was one of the big culprits behind their disappointing 2018 campaign. The additions of Nick Bosa and Dee Ford should improve the unit.
The Los Angeles Rams enter the 2019 season with a trio of new assistant coaches that Sean McVay hopes will challenge him and the players to reach new heights.
The Los Angeles Chargers hope Tyrod Taylor won’t have to take meaningful snaps this season, but they still have confidence in the veteran quarterback.