Editor’s note: The Saints announced Tuesday that they will start rookie quarterback Tyler Shough against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9 Sunday. This story was originally published on Aug. 4, 2025.

METAIRIE, La. — Tyler Shough has received multiple text messages of encouragement since the New Orleans Saints selected him with the 40th pick in April’s NFL draft.

Former Saints quarterback Drew Brees offered support after Shough was drafted. Another message was from 76-year-old Archie Manning, who regularly reaches out to quarterbacks who attended the Manning Passing Academy.

Manning is one of the few people who truly understands the high expectations placed on the rookie’s shoulders in New Orleans. Shough is the Saints’ earliest quarterback selection since Manning was picked No. 2 out of Ole Miss in 1971.

When New Orleans opens the season Sept. 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, Shough could become the seventh rookie quarterback to start a game for the Saints, following teammate Spencer Rattler, who made his debut last season when Derek Carr was injured.

And if Shough wins the competition with Rattler and Jake Haener, he will buck convention in other ways. Shough, who turns 26 on Sept. 28, is the oldest rookie in the draft class, and he arrives in New Orleans after seven college seasons spent at three universities (Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville). He played through three major injuries (two of which ended his seasons in 2021 and 2023) and the COVID-19 pandemic.

If Shough feels the weight of NFL expectations, he doesn’t show it.

He said it would be easy to compare himself to peers such as Brock Purdy, a former high school competitor in Chandler, Arizona, who is going into his fourth season with the San Francisco 49ers. The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Trevor Lawrence and the New York Jets‘ Justin Fields, 2021 first-round picks, were also college freshmen at the same time as Shough, and are examples he cited as comparable quarterbacks who had early success.

“Who knows who I would be or where I would be if everything had worked out [differently],” Shough said. “It worked out the way it was supposed to because now I’m in [this] opportunity with a great team and kind of a fresh start with a new staff.”

Shough, who celebrated his one-year anniversary with wife Jordan in April, said he is settled at this point in his life.

Now he just wants a chance.

“That’s why I feel so, so much more ready to come into this situation and because of those previous experiences, just understanding what it looks like from a failure perspective, from having success, trying to earn the respect of your teammates and just being in a new city,” he told ESPN during an exclusive interview this summer.

“It makes sense why some guys don’t last that long. … Some things are out of your control, but you’ve got to be prepared for change.”

AFTER TWO SEASONS of backing up Justin Herbert at Oregon and one pandemic-shortened year in 2020, he entered the transfer portal in February 2021, enrolling at Texas Tech, where he dealt with significant injuries for the first time in his career.

He broke his collarbone four games into the 2021 season (missing the rest of the year), and then rebroke it in the 2022 opener. He came back for the final five games of the 2022 regular season and was named MVP of the Texas Bowl after a 42-25 win against Ole Miss.

Shough said seeing then-fiancée Jordan, who played soccer at Oregon where they met, and his family after that win was one of his best college memories.

“It was a lot of emotions because everything that [happened] … like, ‘Man, you stuck it out and you saw some good come out of it,'” Shough said.

The highs of that moment made the following year more difficult to bear. Four games into the 2023 season, Shough was carted off the field with an air cast on after a hip-drop tackle by a West Virginia defender resulted in a broken fibula.

“It was just a lot of true ups and downs to where at that point you kind of understand, ‘Man, my time here is probably done at Texas Tech,'” Shough said.

Jordan said the injuries were “emotionally draining” on Shough, but he kept perspective during the healing process. Jordan said he’d show up to the middle school where she taught and coached multiple sports, often bringing her lunch and encouraging her students.

“He would show up to their games and come to their practices … with me and just do anything and everything that he could be at, which was super special for them because he was kind of this person in this community at that point,” Jordan said. “… It was cool for the 12-year-old boys to see this man that they looked up to treat women really respectfully … come and help out and talk about how he can be goofy, and he can make fun of himself, and it’s OK.”

Despite the uncertainty around his football future, Shough would tell Jordan things were going to be all right. “Jordan, this is going to work out,” he would say.

“It was just not even a question of, ‘If I’m ever going to play football again.’ He was just like, ‘This is what I love, this is what I’m going to do. I know it’s going to work out.’ … He just has this kind of unwavering sense of self about him that is pretty remarkable,” Jordan said.

Keeping his dream alive meant considering another school and another move, and Shough wondered if he needed a backup plan. Texas Tech’s then-offensive coordinator, Zach Kittley, offered to have him join the coaching staff if he was ready to give up playing.

But others told him he should enter the NFL draft immediately.

“You’ll get signed or picked up. You’re smart, you got a good arm, but you’re too old. You’re not going to increase your draft stock,” Shough recalled being told by some critics.

Landry Klann, Shough’s coach at QB Country, a quarterback training and development company, was among those who saw the benefits of another collegiate season.

“He was one of the guys that just believed in me,” Shough said. “He was like, ‘Screw that: If you don’t play well or you get hurt, then you’re going to be in the same situation you are now, which is fine. You’ll get an opportunity, but if you play good then you’re going to increase your chances.'”

Shough entered the transfer portal for the second time and signed with Louisville for his final college season. He started all 12 games for the Cardinals and set career highs for passing touchdowns (23) and passing yards (3,195) before going on to play in the Senior Bowl, participate in the NFL scouting combine and hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft.

That seventh season of college became a year of appreciation for Shough.

“I had that perspective of just gratitude to be in this position, and it kind of lit a fire underneath me,” Shough said. “I want to give everything I can to the city of New Orleans and my teammates because I know what I have to offer, and I want to go out there and work my butt off.”

TYLER WAS BORN into a family of sports fanatics. His parents, Dana and Glenn, both played three sports growing up; his older sisters were high school athletes; and his younger brother, Brady, played football as well.

Dana told ESPN that Tyler was “born with a ball in his hands.” Tyler and Brady spent their summers playing multiple sports.

“You’re working for six hours of baseball, then an hour with football, and then you want to come home and you want to do more sports,” Brady told ESPN. “And so, it’s just to show that he’s willing to do anything and everything. … Looking back on it now, it kind of just shows that he’s really the same way now.”

Tyler credits his parents for his approach on life. Dana was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2006 and was given a terminal diagnosis of nine months, but as of January, it’ll be 20 years since her cancer diagnosis.

Tyler said the way his parents handled that challenging time taught him how to manage his own struggles later on.

“Just a lot of stuff where you feel like it’s out of your control, but trusting in God and his plan for you, and I think that was really, it showed me a lot at the young age where life’s going to happen, and you got to respond to it because it’s going to, how you respond is going to dictate more than about your own behavior and the people around you. … It kind of paralleled what I would go through later in my life,” Tyler said.

Shough to Jacobson for the TD 🙌 pic.twitter.com/DSUNshiYvP

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 3, 2025

Dana emphasized that 2006 was “probably the hardest year of our lives,” but recalled a talk that she had with Tyler’s father at the time — they used their village to show their children how to handle adversity.

“I had friends and family that stepped up and helped out, and I was so appreciative. So Tyler got to see that too, that it’s not just you going through it,” Dana said.

“What he went through [with the injuries], his dog helped him; his wife, Jordan, helped him; his extended family; and his teammates; and the trainers. It takes a village sometimes to get through stuff, but … I feel like I’m a better person. I feel like Tyler is a better person. As a mom, would I want him to go through all that? No. But I think it was meant to be.”

By the time Tyler entered high school in 2014, those around him considered him an “old soul” beyond his years.

In his senior year at Hamilton High School, head football coach Steve Belles was removed from his position in the spring due to a hazing scandal.

Dick Baniszewski stepped in as interim coach for a season, leaning on Tyler and team leaders to get them through the fall. With the media spotlight on the team in the wake of the scandal, Baniszewski emphasized that they could not afford to make any off-the-field mistakes.

When he conveyed that sentiment, Tyler responded: “I’m with you coach, I’ll make everyone understand.”

“Everybody expected Hamilton to not do good that year, and we had a great season, and it was really a lot because we had a kid like Tyler who I could confide in, and he was beyond his years to be able to convey [my message] to the kids,” Baniszewski said.

The team finished 8-4 and lost in the 6A quarterfinals. Tyler signed with Oregon in December following the 2017 season, enrolling that January after graduating high school in 3½ years.

Through all the adversity for Tyler and his family, Dana recalls a life lesson that still applies for her children today.

“When stuff gets tough, that’s when you got to dig deep and get some grit. A fighter’s mentality as we call it,” Dana said.

JORDAN URGES ANYONE who will listen not to mistake Tyler’s gratitude or sense of self for complacency — he wants the Saints’ No. 1 quarterback job.

“Sometimes people hear it too and they’re just like, ‘Oh, do you just not want it bad enough?’ And it’s like, ‘No.’ It’s like we’re still going to fight to the death to make this work,” Jordan said. “We want this more than anything.”

So far, Tyler has done all the right things.

With Jordan’s encouragement, he flew to New Orleans almost as soon as the draft ended in April, intending to get to know his teammates right away. He took advice on local restaurants to eat his first meal (at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant) in the city and joked to reporters that he had already popped a tire in a New Orleans pothole.

“I feel like I’ve got fully ingrained already,” he quipped in May.

Tyler said he sees Brees as someone he’d like to emulate, a quarterback who had success but has also imprinted an indelible mark on the New Orleans community.

Tyler started working out at Tulane with several teammates prior to rookie minicamp, with injured tight end Foster Moreau working as a long-snapper. He quickly connected with tight end Juwan Johnson, a former teammate at Oregon, who he said has been like a big brother to him.

“I’ve lived it now with him for a few years, and I understand how important the relationships outside of the football facility are,” Jordan said.

Tyler said Johnson, an undrafted rookie in 2020 who switched positions in the NFL, was also the kind of person he wanted to mold himself after.

“Once I first got here … he set up a lot of events and invited me to come to dinner with the tight ends or going to a movie or hanging with [him and] his wife,” Tyler said. “A lot of that stuff seems small, but it’s really big when it comes to being around people.”

Tyler also reached out to veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who approached him and a group of teammates, which included Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave, to work out in Oregon for three days during the offseason. Tyler designed the throwing scripts for the sessions, and in their downtime, everyone went to the lake.

“Obviously, it’s mandatory to be together inside the building, but when you can show that brotherhood, that camaraderie outside the building, I think that shows that you care about one another,” Cooks said.

TYLER KNOWS THERE are no guarantees of success in the NFL. Even with his second-round draft status, he’ll have to put together consistently good days of practices to win the starting role. As the third week of camp begins, none of the quarterbacks has separated from the pack, although Shough appeared to have his best day in an intrasquad scrimmage Sunday.

“Everyone wants to be out there on Sundays as a starting quarterback in the NFL,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “That’s every quarterback’s goal and dream, and that should be it. Ultimately, one’s going to play.”

They all have something to prove: Rattler wants his first NFL win after going 0-6 as a starter filling in for an injured Carr in a season in which coach Dennis Allen got fired. Haener wants to wipe away a disastrous start where he got pulled for Rattler in a 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders. Wanting it won’t simply be enough.

The Saints’ three preseason games will go a long way to determining who is ready to be an NFL starter. And Shough said he loves the work process and the nitty-gritty of putting a game plan together.

Jordan joked that the couple has watched every YouTube video “in existence” of defensive coverages or throwing mechanics from quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

“If you fall in love with each day of going into work and having fun with that, then usually the results are good,” Tyler said. “The majority of my career. I was rehabbing and working out and game planning off the field, and I kind of fell in love with that.”

And when they want to get away from football, they’ve immersed themselves in the community, taking their golden retriever, Murphy, who became a celebrity after making the draft-night coverage, on long walks. Jordan said their neighbors have been “amazing,” bringing them food and hurricane preparation packets.

If things work out in New Orleans long term, Tyler said he’d love to find ways to give back, noting that veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan set a “very easy blueprint to follow.”

Ideally, he’d love to help animals, too, Tyler said.

“Especially because seeing how much Murphy has benefited us,” Tyler said. “We’ve talked about it. It’s like if we get to a second contract or something like that, we want to open up a pet hotel or dog shelter. I don’t care if it doesn’t make any money or a single cent. That’s really cool.” He added with a smile: “Shough’s Shelter or something like that.”

At some point the Saints will choose from Shough, Rattler and Haener. If Shough isn’t the winner this season, he won’t give up anytime soon. It’ll be just one more hurdle to overcome in what has already been a long journey.

“I just want to be known as a guy that worked hard and was a good dude in the locker room,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of different hats on my head as far as a starter, a backup, an injured guy, underdog or whatever. … I think the greatest thing that I’ve kind of hung my own hat on is just being a great teammate and a great person and knowing that I’m not perfect, but any way I can, just have fun and be of service to people.

“I want to have success on the field, but if you ask my teammates what they think of me, their response is what I care about, and that just comes with time and being who you are every day.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Was Jets owner Woody Johnson overreacting last week when he ripped quarterback Justin Fields in front of a group of reporters at the owners meetings? Probably not, given the way Fields played the previous two weeks.

Did Jets coach Aaron Glenn overreact and bench Fields for Tyrod Taylor? Well, we might never know if Glenn actually benched Fields, because Taylor was injured and couldn’t play, so Fields had to start for the Jets on Sunday at Cincinnati. And again, not sure it would have been an overreaction even if the coach had.

But the NFL is a week-to-week league, and things can look radically different one week than they did the one before. Such is the case in Florham Park, New Jersey, after a Fields-led comeback produced the Jets’ first win of the season and Glenn’s first as a head coach. And for one week at least, Fields gets to hold his head high, knowing there’s a very recent affirmative answer to whether he should continue to start for the Jets.

For all these reasons, Fields also gets to lead the Week 8 Overreactions column, where we sort through the weekly overreactions to try to figure out which ones might hold up and which ones are mirages.

Jump to:
Fields entrenched as Jets’ starting quarterback?
Garrett to win Defensive Player of the Year?
Did Falcons miss Cousins’ trade window?
49ers need to trade for a pass rusher?
Ravens still in the AFC playoff hunt?
Five fantasy-related overreactions

Justin Fields will be the Jets’ starting QB the rest of the season

Fields ended Sunday’s contest 21-of-32 passing for 244 yards and a touchdown pass. There was only one touchdown pass, because the Jets let running back Breece Hall throw the one that put them in the lead with just under two minutes remaining. Fields also rushed for 31 yards on 11 carries. Most importantly, he showed a level of poise and confidence in the pocket that he hadn’t shown since Week 1’s heartbreaking loss to the Steelers. If Johnson’s “if we could just complete a pass” was ringing in Fields’ ears Sunday, you wouldn’t have known it was bothering him.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

Cincinnati’s defense is one of the most permissive in the league and a perfect spot for Fields to get right after a rough recent stretch. But the Jets have a bye next week before playing the Browns, who have one of the least permissive defenses in the league led by a player, Myles Garrett, who sacked Drake Maye five times on Sunday. After that, the Jets get the Patriots, who excel at shutting down the run and forcing teams to pass — not the situation the Jets want Fields to be in.

Those games are also after the trade deadline, which means that Hall, who had 147 scrimmage yards, two rushing scores and that touchdown pass Sunday, could be on another team by then. If Fields can keep it together through the first two post-bye games, I’ll say he has a chance to hold the job. But if he looks as bad in those as he did against the Broncos in London two weeks ago or against the Panthers last week, then Glenn might still have some tough choices to make about his starting quarterback.

Myles Garrett will be Defensive Player of the Year … again

The Patriots scored 32 points in Sunday’s victory over the Browns, but it wasn’t because they contained Garrett. The All-Pro edge rusher had five sacks in the game, working over Patriots rookie tackle Will Campbell when lined up against him. Garrett also moved around the formation a bunch, so the Patriots didn’t know where to send the protection. It’s to Maye’s credit that he kept getting up and had the type of second half he did. But Maye is going to be sore on Monday morning, and he has Garrett to thank for it.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Garrett won this award in 2023, when he had 14 sacks. The five he had Sunday give him 10 for the season with nine games left to play. It might be tough for players on losing teams to win postseason awards, and with the way the Browns play offense, it’s fair to assume they’re going to finish with a losing record. But if Garrett can keep delivering performances like he had on Sunday, he’s going to be tough to ignore. This is Garrett’s eighth consecutive season with at least 10 sacks, and he’s on pace to shatter his previous career high of 16.

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Myles Garrett goes in the Browns’ record book with fifth sack

Myles Garrett becomes the first Browns player to have five sacks in a single game.

The Falcons missed their window to trade Kirk Cousins

Cousins was pressed into starter’s duty on Sunday against the Dolphins due to an injury to Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Top wideout Drake London also was injured, which made things difficult. But Cousins was not impressive in this game. He was 21-for-31 for 173 yards, and the Falcons scored only 10 points against a Miami team that had allowed an average of 29.3 points per game over its first seven games. Cousins was expected to be the Falcons’ starter after signing a four-year, $180 million free agent contract during the 2024 offseason. But he was benched toward the end of last season for Penix, whom Atlanta drafted with the eighth pick a month after they signed Cousins.

Whether Cousins would be cut or traded was one of the big stories of the offseason, as he politely told the Falcons he’d prefer to go to a team where he had a chance to be the starter. The Falcons refused to cut him and asked more in trade talks than other teams were willing to pay, recognizing the value of a veteran backup to a young quarterback who entered the league with a significant injury history. Now, with the trade deadline a week from Tuesday and Cousins having turned in an uninspiring performance in his first start of the season, it might be tough to get anything for him even if they want to.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

I say this for a couple of reasons. One is that, again, the Falcons don’t want to trade Cousins. He likely will get cut after the season, but they want to keep him around for weeks just like this and hope he will perform better the next time they need him. But the second reason is that teams always are looking for quarterback help, and the Falcons could probably find a team willing to give them a decent draft pick or two if they decide to deal Cousins, especially since they’ve already paid such a high percentage of his contract. I don’t think he gets traded, but I also don’t think it’ll be because the Falcons couldn’t find a trade partner.

The 49ers need to trade for a pass rusher more than any other team

Playing without star edge rusher Nick Bosa, who’s out for the season, as well as star middle linebacker Fred Warner, who’s also out for the year, the Niners had been hanging in pretty well. They took a 5-2 record into Sunday’s game in Houston. But they fell apart on defense against the Texans, as quarterback C.J. Stroud (playing without his top receiver in Nico Collins) did basically whatever he wanted against the Niners.

Stroud was 30-for-39 for 318 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was hit only six times and wasn’t sacked. He had been sacked at least twice in each of Houston’s first six games this season for a total of 15 sacks. San Francisco couldn’t bring him down nor get off the field on third down, as Houston converted nine of its 16 third-down chances.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

The Niners probably need more help than one trade deadline can provide. But if they’re to have any chance of surviving in the ultracompetitive NFC West, they’re going to need to be able to pressure quarterbacks — especially quarterbacks as easy to pressure as Stroud.

San Francisco’s injury situation has left it with multiple problems on both sides of the ball. You could argue the 49ers need to trade for a wide receiver, a linebacker, an offensive lineman — and almost any position you can think of. But if there are edge rushers available, that’s an upgrade that would most likely have a significant positive impact on the Niners’ chances the rest of the season. They won’t find the likes of Bosa, simply because there aren’t many like him. But they need somebody — and soon.

The Ravens are still in the playoff mix

Baltimore came out of its bye week with a 1-5 record, in desperate need of a win and without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson for the third game in a row. By the end of the week, they were in trouble with the league over their handling of Jackson’s status on the injury report and had the red-hot Bears coming into town.

A preseason Super Bowl favorite whose season was circling the drain before Halloween, the Ravens needed a win in Week 8 as bad as any team in the league. And they got one. Backup Tyler Huntley led Baltimore to a 30-16 victory over the Bears and improved the Ravens’ record to 2-5 heading into a Week 9 Thursday night matchup against the Dolphins.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

This was written before the Steelers’ Sunday night game against the Packers kicked off, and the Packers had a big second half to drop the Steelers to 4-3 on the season. So the Ravens aren’t remotely out of it, especially since they still have two games left against Pittsburgh. Having lost to the Bills, Lions, Chiefs, Texans and Rams, the Ravens face a remaining schedule that looks as if it should be much easier than the one they’ve played so far. The Steelers, Patriots and Packers are the only teams left on the Ravens’ schedule that currently have winning records.

The Ravens get another mini-bye after Thursday night, when Jackson is supposed to be coming back to help them beat the 2-6 Dolphins in Miami. The 2025 AFC North might be a division that only requires nine victories to win it, and if the Ravens can play anything like the team we thought they were before the season started, there’s no reason they can’t get there.

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Derrick Henry seals Ravens’ win with 2nd rushing TD

Derrick Henry gets stuffed initially, but bounces outside to score a touchdown.

Quick-hitter fantasy overreactions

• Breece Hall is an RB1 the rest of the season. OVERREACTION. Yes, he played like one Sunday. Yes, the Jets’ remaining schedule looks promising for fantasy running backs. But we don’t know if Hall is still going to be on the Jets in 10 days. What if he gets traded into a committee situation like the one the Seahawks have?

• Jaylen Waddle is a WR1 with Tyreek Hill injured. NOT AN OVERREACTION. Dude was the sixth pick in the 2021 draft; he’s supposed to be a WR1. With tight end Darren Waller also out with an injury, Waddle and RB De’Von Achane are the only truly reliable options Tua Tagovailoa has in the passing game.

• Jaylin Noel will be the top waiver pickup of Week 9. NOT AN OVERREACTION. Get him if you don’t already have him. Houston wants its rookie wide receivers — Noel and Jayden Higgins — more involved in the offense the rest of the way.

• Jordan Addison, not Justin Jefferson, is the Vikings receiver you want the rest of the way. OVERREACTION. Come on. It’s Justin Jefferson we’re talking about. Addison is an every-week starter assuming the Vikings’ passing game remains viable with J.J. McCarthy as the starting QB, but Jefferson is going to be the guy to whom any Vikings QB looks for when things get dicey.

• James Cook III, not Josh Allen, is the most valuable Bills fantasy player. NOT AN OVERREACTION. Love Allen, but an RB who can get you 200-plus yards in a game is fantasy gold. No reason to expect Cook to slow down the rest of the way, barring injury. And Allen will be happy to keep handing it to him.

In the 55 years of “Monday Night Football,” few seasons were as memorable as 1985. That was the year the Chicago Bears roared through the NFL with perhaps the best defense in league history.

A young, gregarious rookie known as “The Fridge” was introduced to a national audience on MNF. And though the Bears won the Super Bowl that season, their perfection was blemished on a Monday night in Miami.

Not all moments were pleasant memories. That season also featured a horrific injury when Lawrence Taylor tackled Joe Theismann and broke his leg. The severity of the injury was evident by the emotion on Taylor’s face when he immediately motioned to the Washington sideline for medical aid for the quarterback. The career of the Super Bowl-winning quarterback ended that night.

Much has changed in the ensuing 40 years, and the Washington Commanders are building their own tradition, and the next step is Monday’s road game against the Kansas City Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).

In the meantime, here is a list of 32 memories, one for each team, as selected by NFL Nation reporters.

Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

The Bills have suffered many memorable losses on Monday nights, but their win to start the 1974 season against the Raiders was among the memorable games in the history of Highmark Stadium, which will close after this season. The game featured three lead changes in the final two minutes, and the Bills won 21-20 after the Raiders’ George Blanda missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.

The Monday night season opener was the first game after O.J. Simpson ran for 2003 yards in 1973, becoming the first running back to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards. Simpson gained 78 yards in the win, but he was injured late in the first half and missed the wild finish. Bills wide receiver Ahmad Rashad caught two TD passes from Joe Ferguson (pictured). — Alaina Getzenberg

Players from the 1972 Dolphins team — the only team to complete an undefeated season in NFL history — are known to feverishly value the preservation of their accomplishment. A few of them were in attendance when the 12-0 Bears traveled to Miami in 1985. That Bears team eventually won Super Bowl XX by 36 points — but that night in Miami, the Dolphins won 38-24 over arguably the greatest defense in NFL history.

Dan Marino completed 14 passes for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns, two to Nat Moore (pictured) and one to Mark Clayton. Afterward, the ’72 Dolphins popped their traditional bottle of champagne to celebrate their record standing for at least one more season. Undaunted, the Bears recorded “The Super Bowl Shuffle” the following morning. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

The Patriots capped the 1986 season with a 34-27 win over the Dolphins in Miami’s final home game at the Orange Bowl. QB Steve Grogan found WR Stanley Morgan (pictured) for a 30-yard TD pass with 44 seconds remaining to give the team its first division title in eight seasons.

The Patriots would have missed the playoffs with a loss, and they knocked the Jets into the wild-card spot.

”The way they performed and handled situations shows how much character these guys have,” Patriots coach Raymond Berry said that day. — Mike Reiss

A no-brainer: “The Monday Night Miracle” in 2000. The Jets beat the Dolphins 40-37 in overtime after trailing at the start of the fourth quarter 30-7. It’s tied for the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history.

The game didn’t end until 1:20 a.m. ET. A good portion of the home crowd left at halftime, though many fans returned for the frantic fourth quarter. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a halftime interview in the TV booth, low-key predicted the comeback, saying, “As usual, the Jets will come from behind, you will see.” He also said, “The Dolphins have to be terminated.”

Jets QB Vinny Testaverde threw four of his five TD passes in the fourth quarter, including the game’s signature play — a 3-yard pass to 310-pound Jumbo Elliott (pictured) on a tackle-eligible playcall. Elliott made the juggling catch while falling down, the only reception of his 14-year career. — Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

On Dec. 14, 2020, Lamar Jackson (pictured) provided a what-just-happened comeback for the ages in a 47-42 road win against the Cleveland Browns. Returning for the final two minutes after suffering leg cramps, Jackson threw a 44-yard touchdown pass and then calmly moved Baltimore into position for Justin Tucker‘s winning 55-yard field goal with two seconds left.

Jackson, who was playing in his second game since testing positive for COVID-19, began experiencing cramps in his right arm with five minutes left in the third quarter. Then, Jackson felt cramps in his legs and hurried to the locker room with a trainer. But Jackson reemerged from the locker room to rally the Ravens after backup Trace McSorley was forced out of the game because of a leg injury.

“It’s going to be a game that goes down in history,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. — Jamison Hensley

Consider it the hit that sparked Cincinnati’s championship window. In 2020, in the early stages of TikTok’s popularity, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was known for recording dances on the opposing team’s midfield logo and posting them on the social media platform. In a sparsely filled stadium during the pandemic, Bengals safety Vonn Bell (pictured) rocked Smith-Schuster on a reception over the middle, a few yards from the Bengals logo, and forced a fumble that Cincinnati recovered.

The Bengals pulled off a massive upset behind third-string quarterback Ryan Finley, a win that showed the resolve of a club that reached the Super Bowl the next season. — Ben Baby

Cleveland was home to the NFL’s first “Monday Night Football” game, as the Browns hosted Joe Namath and the Jets in the opening week of the 1970 season. Then-owner Art Modell, alongside commissioner Pete Rozelle, helped expand the NFL’s television presence with MNF and volunteered the Browns to host the first game.

Wide receiver Gary Collins recorded the first MNF touchdown, catching an 8-yard pass from quarterback Bill Nelson, and linebacker Billy Andrews (pictured) converted a 25-yard pick-six to secure a 31-21 win. The rest is history. — Daniel Oyefusi

With a 22-game home winning streak in MNF games that dates back to 1992, the Steelers have had plenty of memorable games, including overtime thrillers and rivalry victories. One, though, stands out for its unique conditions: the Mud Bowl on Nov. 27, 2007.

The Steelers beat the then-winless Miami Dolphins 3-0 on a miserably muddy night thanks to Jeff Reed’s game-winning 24-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. More than an inch and a half of rain fell from Sunday into Monday, and to make matters worse, the field had been resodded after Heinz Field hosted high school football championships a weekend earlier.

“​The footing was bad, all of a sudden, you’d hit a water puddle and sink down,” Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (pictured) said at the time. Before Reed’s winner, he missed a 44-yard attempt late in the third quarter, and the two teams combined for 11 punts, two fumbles and an interception in the lowest-scoring MNF game in history. — Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

The Texans’ most memorable outing on MNF was against the Chargers in 2013. Early in the third quarter, the Chargers took a 28-7 lead. But the Texans marched back thanks to quarterback Matt Schaub, who tossed two touchdown passes to cut the lead to one possession.

Then, Texans linebacker Brian Cushing (pictured) intercepted quarterback Philip Rivers’ pass and returned it for a touchdown to tie the score at 28.

The Chargers never recovered, and Texans kicker Randy Bullock sealed the largest comeback in franchise history with a 41-yard field goal. Schaub finished with 346 yards passing and three touchdowns while Hall of Fame wideout Andre Johnson had 12 catches for 146 receiving yards. — DJ Bien-Aime

Only Tom Brady has more career fourth-quarter comebacks — 46 — than Peyton Manning’s 43, and few of those rallies were more memorable than the stunner Manning (pictured) and the Colts put together against Tampa Bay on Oct. 6, 2003.

A pick-six by Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber extended the deficit to 35-14 with 5:09 remaining, but a remarkable rally resulted in the Colts tying the score with 35 seconds left. Indy scored 21 points in less than four minutes, then kicker Mike Vanderjagt won it in overtime with a 29-yard field goal. — Stephen Holder

The franchise’s first “Monday Night Football” appearance (Sept. 22, 1997) remains the most memorable, thanks mainly to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Steelers kicker Norm Johnson attempted a 40-yard winning field goal with six seconds to play in Jacksonville, but the snap was poor, defensive end Clyde Simmons blocked the kick, and safety Chris Hudson chased it down and scooped it up. That happened in front of Cowher, who took a step onto the field and acted like he was going to punch Hudson as he raced by for a 58-yard touchdown.

Cowher later apologized to Hudson, telling him that it was his instincts as a former special teams player that made him do that. — Michael DiRocco

Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck (pictured) is still known as “Mr. Monday Night’ 18 years after his stellar performance against the New Orleans Saints in 2007.

Bulluck gave himself the name before the game, then backed it up by intercepting three passes from Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, helping the Titans to a 31-14 win. Brees turned the ball over five times, the most in his career.

In 15 career “Monday Night Football” appearances, Bulluck had six interceptions and 12 passes defensed. But the one against the Saints solidified his status as “Mr. Monday Night.” — Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

The Broncos have played impressive Monday games, but Oct. 15, 2012, is still their premier MNF moment. The Chargers had a 24-0 halftime lead, and some in the locker room said Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was loud and emotional in what was his first season with the team.

Manning completed 13 of 14 second-half passing attempts for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Broncos also scored two defensive touchdowns in the second half — a 65-yard fumble return by cornerback Tony Carter (pictured, 32) and a 46-yard interception return by Chris Harris Jr. — as the defense forced five turnovers in the final two quarters en route to a 35-24 victory.

It was the first of the Broncos’ 11 straight wins to close the regular season, which they finished 13-3. — Jeff Legwold

A 1994 showdown early in the season between Joe Montana (pictured) and John Elway delivered on the hype — and gave fans more than they could’ve expected. Elway, as he had done many times in his career with the Broncos, led his teammates on what appeared to be a winning comeback drive, scrambling into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown, producing a loud roar inside Mile High Stadium.

With less than three minutes left, Montana one-upped Elway, engineering his own memorable, winning drive, guiding the Chiefs on a 75-yard journey that ended on a 5-yard touchdown strike to receiver Willie Davis.

The game produced the long-awaited first victory in Mile High for Montana and Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer. — Nate Taylor

In 1987, Bo Jackson (pictured) had a performance to remember. As a rookie for the Raiders, Jackson was unstoppable against the Seattle Seahawks, totaling 18 carries for 221 yards and 3 total touchdowns in a 37-14 victory.

Jackson was the only rookie in Raiders history to record three touchdowns in a game until 2025, when Ashton Jeanty accomplished that feat against the Chicago Bears. — Ryan McFadden

On Dec. 19, 2024, in a Monday night game against the Broncos, kicker Cameron Dicker (pictured, 11) made the longest fair-catch free kick in NFL history. Dicker made the 57-yarder on the seldom-used play, which allows a team that has just made a fair catch to attempt a field goal without the opponent trying to block it.

The kick sparked a comeback victory for the Chargers as they swept Denver for the first time since 2010.

“It was awesome,” Dicker said. “It was funny to be in that scenario and just be like, ‘Huh, there’s no lineup there. This looks a little weird,’ but it was really cool.” — Kris Rhim

NFC EAST

There are so many to choose from. Tony Dorsett’s 99-yard touchdown run vs. Minnesota. Nike’s Phil Knight joining Jerry Jones on the sideline in 1995 with their historic marketing partnership. Bill Parcells’ first win in 2003 at the Giants on a last-second comeback. But the 25-24 win at Buffalo in 2007 might stand out among them all.

Tony Romo (pictured) had six turnovers (five picks, one fumble) and yet the Cowboys won thanks to an onside kick recovery and a 53-yard field goal by rookie Nick Folk. — Todd Archer

The Giants and 49ers met in a massive “Monday Night Football” matchup late in the 1990 season in San Francisco. The physical, low-scoring game, won 7-3 by the 49ers, was more memorable for what happened after, and in the coming weeks, than the game. 49ers star safety Ronnie Lott and Giants quarterback Phil Simms (pictured) went face-to-face after the contest because of bad blood between the teams.

The Giants would get their redemption. They won the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco to ruin the 49ers’ attempt at a three-peat. — Jordan Raanan

Michael Vick (pictured) put on a show in the Eagles’ 59-28 rout of Washington on Nov. 15, 2010. He hit DeSean Jackson for an 88-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for what became a historic performance.

Vick finished the game with 333 passing yards and 4 touchdowns and added 80 yards and 2 scores rushing, becoming the first player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, 4 touchdown passes and 2 rushing touchdowns in a game. — Tim McManus

Quarterback Joe Theismann’s career ended Nov. 18, 1985, against the New York Giants because of an injury that remains one of the most gruesome in league history.

Early in the second quarter, Washington ran a flea-flicker that went awry, and as Theismann tried to escape pressure, linebacker Lawrence Taylor jumped on him from behind. As the quarterback fell to his right, and as a pileup ensued, Theismann’s leg snapped.

Taylor immediately waved to the Washington sideline for medical assistance, and after the game, he said it “made me sick.” Former Washington center Jeff Bostic recalled seeing Giants players vomiting on the field before Theismann was carted off. Theismann suffered a compound fracture of his fibula and tibia — the same injury suffered by Washington quarterback Alex Smith on the same day 33 years later. Jay Schroeder replaced Theismann and led Washington to a 23-21 upset over the 7-3 Giants. — John Keim

NFC NORTH

A feud early in the 1985 season between Bears coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan paved the way for the world to be introduced to William “Refrigerator” Perry (pictured).

Chicago spent a first-round pick on the 314-pound defensive tackle from Clemson but inconsistently used him on defense during the first two months of the season. Against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 21, Ditka put “The Fridge” on offense, and he bulldozed into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. He was also the lead blocker on two of Walter Payton’s TDs in a 23-7 win over Chicago’s NFC North rival.

A star was born, and he shined brightly all season as the Bears rolled to their only Super Bowl championship. The Fridge also scored in the Super Bowl. — Courtney Cronin

QB Jared Goff (pictured) set an NFL record by completing all 18 of his passes to help the Lions defeat the visiting Seahawks 42-29 on Sept. 30, 2024, for the first time since 2012.

After the game, Lions coach Dan Campbell was remorseful that he didn’t reward Goff with the game ball because he wasn’t aware of the record, but Campbell found one to commemorate Goff’s achievement the following day.

“I just gave the game ball to somebody else, so I feel awful,” Campbell said. “I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect.”

Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner held the previous NFL record for passes without an incompletion, going 10-for-10 for Arizona against Houston in 2005. — Eric Woodyard

“He did what?” That’s how Al Michaels described Antonio Freeman’s miracle catch to beat the Vikings 26-20 in overtime Nov. 6, 2000, on a rainy night in Green Bay.

Nearly 25 years later, it’s still hard to believe Freeman (pictured) caught the ball. Michaels initially told the national TV audience that it was incomplete. It looked that way when the pass from Brett Favre went off the hands of Vikings cornerback Chris Dishman and then bounced off the back of Freeman’s left shoulder as he was going to the ground.

However, while rolling over, Freeman reached out with his right hand and pulled it in at the Vikings’ 15-yard line. Realizing he was never touched, he got up and ran to the end zone for the winning, 43-yard touchdown. For a team with many MNF moments — including the Fail Mary game in Seattle and Favre’s performance in Oakland the day after his father died — the Freeman play still stands out. — Rob Demovsky

One of the best receivers in NFL history had his coming-out party on “Monday Night Football.” In the fifth game of the 1998 season, a rookie named Randy Moss (pictured) caught 5 passes for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Vikings rolled up 545 yards of offense and defeated NFC North rival Green Bay 37-24 at Lambeau Field.

Moss had played well in the first four games of his career, catching 17 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he had not had a 100-yard game or appeared in prime time.

In this game, however, Moss jumped over Packers cornerback Tyrone Williams for touchdowns of 52 and 44 yards — a move that would later be dubbed getting “Mossed” — and also caught passes of 41, 46 and 7 yards. Moss also had a 75-yard touchdown reception nullified by a penalty. — Kevin Seifert

NFC SOUTH

There are few things Falcons fans enjoy more than their team beating the Saints, and Atlanta’s 45-32 win in New Orleans on Sept. 26, 2016, was a precursor to a bigger stage. In the Monday night game, Deion Jones (pictured) had a 90-yard pick-six, Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes, Tevin Coleman had three touchdowns on the ground and Devonta Freeman ran for 154 yards.

Five months later, the Falcons were in the Super Bowl. — Marc Raimondi

It was Nov. 18, 2013. Tom Brady and the Patriots were driving for the winning touchdown when Brady lofted a pass toward tight end Rob Gronkowski in the end zone. The pass was intercepted, but Luke Kuechly (pictured) was called for pass interference, but the officials overturned the call to preserve a 24-20 Panthers victory.

“I was 22 years old and I’m playing ‘Monday Night Football’ at home under the lights against Tom Brady,” Kuechly said. “I was kind of stuck on [Gronkowski] like Velcro. If that ball was thrown any deeper in the end zone, then you could throw the flag. They picked up the flag, so I was vindicated.” — David Newton

Steve Gleason‘s blocked punt against the Falcons still resonates 20 years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005. “Rebirth” is considered one of the most important moments in franchise history and is immortalized in a statue outside the Superdome.

The play occurred just minutes into the Saints’ first game back at the Superdome on Sept. 26, 2006. It not only set the tone for the game (The Saints beat their rival 23-3), but it also breathed life back into the building and gave a boost to everyone watching from afar. It also signaled that after a season away from home, the Saints were back to stay. — Katherine Terrell

The Bucs suffered a heartbreaking 11-6 loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game the season before, leading to the “Revenge Game” on Dec. 18, 2000, at home. On the Bucs’ winning drive, quarterback Shaun King threw a lateral to running back Warrick Dunn, who pitched the ball to King as Dunn was being tackled. That sprung King for 15 yards.

After a 22-yard reception by wide receiver Reidel Anthony, Dunn punched the ball in for a 1-yard touchdown — his third score of the night — to make it 38-35 with kicker Martin Gramatica’s point after. Then, Pro Football Hall of Fame safety John Lynch (pictured) sealed the victory by intercepting a pass from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner with 34 seconds remaining. — Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Every Cardinals fan knows where they were Oct. 16, 2006. After the Cardinals went up 20-0, the Chicago Bears went on a 24-3 run to beat Arizona in Glendale. But it wasn’t the on-field performance that stood out — although it was an epic meltdown by the Cardinals — but rather what happened after the game when former Cardinals coach, the late Dennis Green, went on a legendary tirade.

“Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass,” Green said emphatically. “But they are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook.” — Josh Weinfuss

The Rams and Chiefs played a memorable game on “Monday Night Football” in 2018, one that became the third-highest scoring game in NFL history.

The game was initially supposed to be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, but poor field conditions forced the league to move it to Los Angeles six days before the contest. The Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51. Then-Rams quarterback Jared Goff (pictured) threw for 413 yards and had five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing), while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns. — Sarah Barshop

Jerry Rice (pictured) went off against Minnesota on Dec. 18, 1995. Rice caught 14 passes for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Vikings, the second-most receptions and most receiving yards he posted in a game in his illustrious career. The 283 yards are still the most in Monday Night Football history.

In 2020, Rice told ESPN there was always something special about playing on MNF that brought out his best, even though he still laments his fumble in that game.

“That Monday night game, you send a message to the entire world,” Rice said. “Because Monday night, only two teams are playing. This is your opportunity to send that message, saying if you face the San Francisco 49ers, you better be ready. Because we’re going to give you guys everything. We are going to play our best football. And it’s going to be hard to stop us.” — Nick Wagoner

With the best all-time winning percentage in MNF history — .705 via a 31-13 record — the Seahawks have had plenty of memorable victories. None was more gratifying for the organization than Seattle’s 17-16 win over Russell Wilson (pictured) and the Broncos in the 2022 opener, six months after the quarterback’s trade to Denver amid an acrimonious divorce from the Seahawks.

The Lumen Field crowd booed Wilson relentlessly. A day later, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the win was “really rewarding” for Wilson’s former teammates — several of whom were in attendance — who had resented how much credit the quarterback got for their success. “It was significant for a lot of reasons beyond [being] the first game of the year,” Carroll said. “But the fact that it was Monday night, oh man, it couldn’t be better.” — Brady Henderson

This week on “Sunday Night Football,” Aaron Rodgers meets the only NFL team he has never faced — and never beaten.

In his first game against the Green Bay Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback brings 18 seasons of Lambeau Field history with him, including 475 touchdown passes, the most in Packers history and the third most by any signal-caller with one franchise.

A win would make Rodgers the fifth quarterback to defeat all 32 current NFL teams, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Drew Brees.

But don’t consider it a revenge game — because Rodgers doesn’t.

“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” he said Wednesday.

Jordan Love, who served as Rodgers’ backup for three seasons in Green Bay, was also fond of the time he spent behind the future Hall of Famer.

“I was real quiet in the quarterback room,” Love said, per Packers.com. “I was trying to just sit back and watch him. I tried to stay in my lane, but A-Rod was great at trying to find ways to incorporate me into the room and give me little pointers.”

It isn’t just the signal-callers who are expected to shape the matchup. Expect the pass rush to loom large in the first head-to-head meeting between T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons. Since Parsons entered the league in 2021, he ranks fourth in sacks and Watt is second.

Another angle to watch: the uniforms. Yellow and gold are premier shades for both of these tradition-rich franchises, but the Packers are going in another direction. Pittsburgh is debuting 1933-inspired throwbacks, while Green Bay counters with its all-white “Winter Warning” combo, a look that’s 3-0 so far.

Can Love and the Packers leave Pittsburgh with a win, or will Rodgers and the Steelers make a statement against his former team?

Follow along all night for live updates, highlights and the biggest moments from “Sunday Night Football.”

ESPN Research contributed to this story.