Panthers re-sign versatile offensive lineman Brady Christensen following Achilles tendon injury The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers on Friday re-signed versatile offensive lineman Brady Christensen.
The 29-year-old Christensen has spent all five seasons with the Panthers, starting 34 games and competing in 59. He started four games in 2025 at guard before a torn Achilles tendon ended his season.
The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Christensen, a third-round draft pick out of BYU in 2021, is viewed as a valuable depth piece by the Panthers because of a rare ability to play every position on the offensive line.
Panthers rookies are scheduled to report to training camp on Tuesday with veterans arriving on Wednesday.
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Trey McBride is voted the NFL’s top tight end by an AP panel By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Trey McBride was the bright spot last season for a dismal team in Arizona .
He was the most productive tight end in the NFL , a near-unanimous All-Pro selection and made his second straight Pro Bowl.
McBride’s success has also landed him the top spot at tight end in a preseason survey by The Associated Press. He received five first-place votes from a panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
George Kittle finished second with three first-place votes. Brock Bowers came in third, followed by Sam LaPorta and Kyle Pitts .
1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
McBride had a breakout year in 2024 and followed that up with a record-setting season in 2025.
He caught 126 passes last season, breaking Zach Ertz’s record for most in a season by a tight end, had 1,239 receiving yards, and his 11 receiving touchdowns tied for first. McBride also led tight ends with 566 yards after the catch.
He got one second-place vote and two thirds to go with the five firsts in voting for this season's Top 5.
2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Kittle had 57 receptions for 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in only 11 games last season, averaging 11.0 yards per reception.
He had just two drops and 259 yards after the catch.
The seven-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time All-Pro is one of the best blocking tight ends in NFL history.
Kittle, who tore his Achilles in San Francisco’s playoff victory over the Eagles, got two second-place votes to go with the three firsts and appeared on seven ballots.
3. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
After a sensational All-Pro rookie season, Bowers was plagued by injuries last year. He caught 64 passes for 680 yards and seven TDs in 12 games and made his second Pro Bowl.
Bowers gained 296 yards after the catch, and had three drops. A dynamic receiver, Bowers is still a work in progress as a blocker.
He received three second-place votes and was on each ballot.
4. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
LaPorta was limited to nine games because of injuries last season and had 40 catches for 489 yards and three TDs.
He wasn’t charged with any drops and totaled 273 yards after the catch. LaPorta is one of the best all-around tight ends in the league and an asset in Detroit’s run game because of his outstanding blocking skills.
5. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts earned second-team All-Pro honors after a career-high 88 catches for 928 yards and five TDs last season.
Pitts, who was the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history in 2021 when the Falcons selected him No. 4 overall, lived up to expectations as a rookie when he made the Pro Bowl. But he was disappointing until a breakthrough season last year.
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Myles Garrett of the Rams is voted as the top edge rusher in the NFL by an AP panel By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Myles Garrett has been the NFL's dominant defensive player for years, leading to his record-setting campaign with 23 sacks last season before being traded in June from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams.
Garrett's performance helped him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at edge rusher, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Garrett got all eight first-place votes and won the voting with 80 points. Green Bay's Micah Parsons was the only other player named on all eight ballots and was second with 27 points. Houston's Will Anderson Jr. was third, Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt was fourth and Detroit's Aidan Hutchinson was fifth.
Brian Burns of the New York Giants, Baltimore's Trey Hendrickson, Las Vegas' Maxx Crosby, San Francisco's Nick Bosa and Jacksonville's Josh Hines-Allen also received votes.
1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
Garrett won his second AP Defensive Player of the Year award last season and earned All-Pro honors for the fifth time after breaking the single-season sack record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. His 125 1/2 career sacks are the second-most to Reggie White among players in their first nine seasons in the NFL and Garrett is the only player with five straight seasons with at least 14 sacks.
Now after playing in only three playoff games in his career with the Browns, Garrett could have a chance to deliver in the postseason following the trade to the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams.
2. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
Parsons was dealt from Dallas to Green Bay before last season and delivered 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games while earning his third career All-Pro honor. Parsons' season ended early following a torn ACL in Week 15 that is expected to sideline him for at least the start of this season.
But Parsons has performed at a high level every year in the NFL and is the only player ever to start his career with five straight seasons with at least 12 sacks.
3. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Anderson is the anchor of one of the NFL's top defenses and earned his first All-Pro honor last season when he had 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He turned that performance into a three-year, $150 million contract extension in the offseason.
In three seasons with the Texans, the 24-year-old Anderson has piled up 30 sacks and 136 tackles, including 46 for loss. He also has 64 quarterback hits in his career and has forced four fumbles and recovered three.
4. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt's production has dipped a bit in recent years but he still remains one of the game's top pass rushers. He had seven sacks in 14 games last season when he earned his eighth straight Pro Bowl bid.
He has led the NFL in sacks three times and has 115 for his career.
5. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft bounced back from an injury-shortened 2024 campaign to record a career high last season with 14 1/2 sacks to make his second Pro Bowl and be named a second-team All-Pro.
Hutchinson has 43 sacks, 100 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss and five INTs in 56 career games.
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Penei Sewell of the Lions is voted as the top tackle in the NFL by an AP panel By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Penei Sewell has long been known as perhaps the top run-blocking tackle in the NFL . Once his work in pass protection took a step up, he moved himself into a different category.
The improvement in pass protection by Sewell last season, when he was named an All-Pro for the third straight season, helped him earn the honors as the top tackle in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at tackle, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Sewell got three first-place votes and won the voting with 55 points. Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs got three first-place votes and finished second with 44 points. Denver's Garett Bolles got the other two first-place votes and came in third with 28 points. San Francisco's Trent Williams was fourth and Philadelphia's Jordan Mailata was fifth.
Philadelphia's Lane Johnson, Washington's Laremy Tunsil, the Chargers' Rashawn Slater, the Giants' Andrew Thomas and Chicago's Darnell Wright also received votes.
1. Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
Sewell allowed pressure on just 3.3% of pass plays last season, according to Pro FootballFocus, to rank second among right tackles and fifth among all tackles. He was also the game's top run blocker at tackle as a key part of the running game for the Lions. Sewell's strong overall play helped him win the award as the top protector in the league last season from PFF.
After spending most of his first five seasons playing on the right side, Sewell will return to his college spot at left tackle this season as Detroit wants him protecting Jared Goff's blindside.
2. Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wirfs made the switch from right side to left side in 2023 and became the first player to be an All-Pro at both spots since the AP began separating the positions in 2016.
Wirfs has excelled at both run and pass blocking over his career and has made the Pro Bowl in five straight seasons. He missed the start of last season recovering from a knee injury but quickly got back to his usual form.
3. Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Bolles entered the NFL as a first-round pick in 2017 and took a little time to develop into a top tackle. But Bolles has been the anchor of one of the top offensive lines the past few years in Denver and earned All-Pro honors for the first time in 2025.
Bolles allowed no sacks and only 19 pressures during the 2025 regular season, according to PFF.
4. Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Williams still performed at a high level last season at age 37 as he bounced back from an injury-plagued 2024 to help San Francisco get back to the playoffs. Williams is coming off his 12th Pro Bowl season — the most for any offensive tackle — and is two shy of tying Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews’ record for an offensive lineman.
Williams made three straight All-Pro teams from 2021-23 before the injuries limited him to 10 games in 2024. He was healthy for most of last season, playing 16 games for the first time since 2013 when he once again was a dominant run blocker.
His pass blocking dropped off a bit with his 40 pressures allowed the most since his rookie season with Washington in 2010, according to PFF, but he remains a top player at his position.
5. Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
Mailata is one of the best development stories in the modern NFL. The former Australian rugby star had never played American football before the Eagles drafted him in the seventh round in 2018. Under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s guidance, he’s become one of the best in the game.
Mailata earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024 and has been a steadying force on one of the more consistent lines in the NFL.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba voted the NFL’s top wide receiver by AP panel By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Jaxon Smith-Njigba won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award and the Super Bowl last season before the Seattle Seahawks gave him the biggest contract for a wide receiver in NFL history.
No surprise he was voted the NFL’s top wideout by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.
Smith-Njigba received four first-place votes, three thirds and a fourth from a panel of eight AP pro football writers, who ranked the top five receivers entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Ja’Marr Chase got two firsts and Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua each received one.
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
The 24-year-old set a team record for yards receiving (1,793) and receptions (119) last season. He received a four-year, $168.6 million extension that averages $42.15 million annually and includes over $120 million in guaranteed money.
Smith-Njigba, a unanimous All-Pro selection, had nine 100-yard receiving games during the regular season and was a key to Seattle winning its second Super Bowl in franchise history.
2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase, a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2024, tied Justin Jefferson for first place in voting last year in this survey.
He had 125 receptions, 1,412 yards receiving and eight touchdowns last season after earning the receiving triple crown in 2024.
Chase got two first-place votes, three seconds, two thirds and was left off one ballot.
3. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua was a unanimous All-Pro selection after leading the NFL with 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 TDs.
Nacua has averaged 104 catches, 1,397 yards receiving and six TDs over his three seasons in the NFL, giving Matthew Stafford a top target and the Rams an elite passing attack.
He got one first-place vote, three seconds and appeared on seven ballots.
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
In a down season, Jefferson had 84 catches for 1,048 yards and two TDs while catching passes from three different Vikings quarterbacks.
The two-time All-Pro has averaged 97 catches, 1,413 yards and seven TDs over his six seasons in the NFL.
Jefferson still received one first-place vote, two seconds and appeared on seven ballots.
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
St. Brown was a second-team All-Pro after earning first-team honors the previous two seasons.
He had 117 receptions, 1,401 yards receiving and 11 TDs last season for the Lions. St. Brown has four straight seasons of more than 100 receptions and more than 1,100 yards receiving.
He appeared on seven of the eight ballots.
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Patrick Surtain II is voted the NFL's top cornerback by AP panel for the second straight year By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Patrick Surtain II has built an impressive resume in just five seasons.
The Denver Broncos defensive back has made four Pro Bowls, been first-team All-Pro twice, second-team once and was only the seventh cornerback to win AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, earning the award after the 2024 season.
Surtain now has been voted the top NFL cornerback for the second straight year by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.
Surtain received seven first-place votes from a panel of eight AP pro football writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Derek Stingley Jr. got the other first-place vote and finished second. Quinyon Mitchell and Devon Witherspoon tied for third, and Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner tied for fifth.
1. Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
Surtain has become an elite player at a premier position. He allowed 31 receptions and a 66.5 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2025.
Surtain had one interception, mainly because teams don’t throw his direction. He missed three games with a pec strain but returned in the playoffs to help the Broncos reach the AFC championship game.
2. Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
Stingley earned All-Pro for the second straight season, and has developed into one of the league’s best cover cornerbacks for Houston’s stingy defense.
He had four interceptions, allowed 34 receptions in coverage and broke up nine passes in coverage last season. Opposing quarterbacks had just a 67.4 passer rating against him.
Stingley was selected one spot ahead of Sauce Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft.
He got five second-place votes and appeared on seven ballots.
3. (tie) Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
Mitchell earned All-Pro honors in just his second season in the NFL.
He gave up 36 catches in coverage, broke up seven passes and QBs had just a 58.4 passer rating against him. Mitchell doesn’t have an interception in the regular season but he’s snagged four picks in five playoff games for the Eagles.
Mitchell appeared on six ballots.
3. (tie) Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
Witherspoon made his third Pro Bowl in three seasons, earned second-team All-Pro honors and helped Seattle win the Super Bowl.
He surrendered 46 receptions in coverage and QBs had a 99.8 passer rating against him. Witherspoon appeared on four ballots.
5. (tie) Trent McDuffie , Los Angeles Rams
McDuffie has been one of the league’s best slot cornerbacks in his first four seasons in Kansas City, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls and play in another one.
McDuffie was a first-team All-Pro slot cornerback in 2023 and a second-team choice in 2024. The Rams acquired him for a package of draft picks, including No. 29 overall in this April's draft.
He allowed 37 passes in coverage, broke up four and had one pick. He allowed a 94.7 passer rating when targeted.
McDuffie appeared on three ballots.
5. (tie) Sauce Gardner, Indianapolis Colts
The two-time All-Pro was traded from the Jets to the Colts in a blockbuster deal for two first-round picks midway through last season but played in only four games for his new team because of a calf injury.
Gardner received three votes.
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Miami hopes Duke QB transfer Darian Mensah can keep 'Canes playing college football's highest level By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Miami Hurricanes are back on the national scene in college football in large part due to the acquisition of two high-profile transfer quarterbacks the past two years.
They're counting on a third, Darian Mensah from Duke, to keep them in the conversation.
The junior redshirt quarterback said Wednesday he made the move to Miami largely because of the success Cam Ward and Carson Beck experienced after joining the Hurricanes through the transfer portal. Ward became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and Beck took Miami to the College Football Playoff championship game last season and was selected in Round 3.
Mensah said after watching Ward and Beck perform he believes Miami gives him a chance to win a national title, while simultaneously best utilizing his skill set to improve his NFL draft stock.
“Seeing what the last two quarterbacks did at Miami was a huge factor," Mensah said at the ACC Kickoff. “Seeing the freedom that (offensive coordinator Shannon) Dawson lets the quarterback play with within his offense was also something that was attractive to me.”
Mensah's arrival in Miami followed a tension-filled offseason legal fight between Duke and its elite QB, who had signed a two-year contract in 2025 that included name, image and likeness money. The end result was a settlement that allowed Mensah to move on after the school had attempted to block his departure.
Mensah brings a proven track record to Miami.
He threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns for Tulane in 2024, then led the Atlantic Coast Conference last season with 3,973 yards passing and 34 touchdowns. The Blue Devils won a five-way tiebreaker to reach the ACC championship and beat No. 20 Virginia in Charlotte for their first outright title since 1962.
With Beck out of college eligibility, Miami coach Mario Cristobal felt his team desperately needed an experienced QB to go with a talented returning core.
“We were in the market for a quarterback,” Cristobal said. “We felt the team was really set in so many areas. When Darian hit the portal, we felt this is a guy we would love to pursue. ... His levels of leadership, care factor, time invested in his craft, football IQ, just natural human IQ, just an elite person."
Mensah said the transition to Miami has been “seamless” and that his new teammates have been welcoming even while talk swirls around his reported $10 million NIL deal.
“I feel like I’m at home here in Miami and you couldn’t ask for more,” he said.
Mensah said he remains friends with his former Duke teammates but that “business is business.”
However, there likely will be plenty of emotions on both sides when the Hurricanes host Duke on Nov. 14.
Mensah said he briefly considered joining the NFL draft but decided he needed to show more to scouts.
“I feel like I lost my team some games last year with just having the ball loose,” Mensah said. “And so I think that was a big thing for me and then just taking what the defense gives me and just being better with that, and not pressing.”
The Hurricanes are coming off a memorable season.
After catching a few breaks to get into the CFP, including Duke's Mensah-led win over Virginia, they beat No. 7 Texas A&M , No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Mississippi before losing to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and No. 1 Indiana in the CFP final.
Linebacker Mohamed Toure, Miami’s leading tackler last season, said the “The U” is getting closer to the high level where it once was. He said he gets chills when former Hurricanes players return to campus and talk with the team.
He said the loss to the Hoosiers will only continue to drive the Hurricanes.
“We ended with a bitter taste in our mouth, so it’s like we’re hungry to get to this 2026 season," Toure said. “But we understand that we only could take it one day at a time. So taking that energy, that hunger that we have and just applying it to every single day. It's a stepping stone.”
Miami hopes Mensah can help it take that final step and win its first national title since 2001.
“I always felt like I could play at this level, and a lot of people didn’t when I was in high school, so, carry that chip around me everywhere I go," Mensah said. “There’s a lot more left in my college career that I’m, I can showcase and I’m excited for the season."
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SMU launches a Heisman push for Kevin Jennings and is putting QB's name on a new recovery center By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer The Associated Press DALLAS
DALLAS (AP) — SMU has launched a Heisman Trophy campaign for senior quarterback Kevin Jennings, and also is putting his name on a new recovery center in the school's football complex.
The third-year hometown starting quarterback, who led the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff two seasons ago, is believed to be the first player to have an area on any campus named for him while still active in his college career.
“When you started looking at a legacy that’s going to be left, every player that comes through SMU is going to see Kevin’s name up there and be reminded of the impact he had, but also what his accomplishments allow us to do to leave something that’s going to help make their experience here better,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said Wednesday.
The announcement of the Kevin Jennings Recovery Center came two days after SMU officially launched its “K7NG OF DALLAS” campaign That title is a nod to the city where the school is located and where Jennings was born and grew up, plus the two-time captain's jersey number.
SMU's only Heisman Trophy winner was halfback Doak Walker in 1948. Walker is the namesake of the annual award for the nation's top college running back.
Jennings is 19-7 as SMU’s starter with 7,709 yards and 55 touchdowns passing, well within reach of the school’s career records of 9,081 yards and 72 TDs. He completed 300 of 454 passes (66.1%) for 3,641 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, the Mustangs' second in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“That was a no-brainer,” Lashlee said of the organized Heisman push. “He’s more than deserving of it. We've got to win games, we've got to play well. I think we've got a good team around him, but he’s earned it."
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the Heisman Trophy winner last season , the fourth QB in five years to win the award. The only non-quarterback in that span was Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter in 2024.
SMU's recovery center will include two dedicated spaces with state-of-the-art equipment for physical and mental recovery such as light infrared saunas, dry plunge and sleep pods. They will be in areas that will be renovated inside SMU's endzone facility that opened two years ago, and could be ready early in the upcoming season.
“It means a lot. I’m just super-excited for it,” Jennings said. “It’s honestly just a blessing being in this situation I’m in right now.”
SMU said the center inspired by Jennings' vision was made possible by financial support from alumni Ann and Malcolm Holland.
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Running back Alvin Kamara has a new deal with the Saints for 2026, agent says By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara agreed on Wednesday to restructure his contract for the coming season.
“His goal is to remain with the Saints,” Kamara's agent, Bradley Cicala, told The Associated Press after confirming the agreement.
Kamara's future with New Orleans became cloudy in March, when New Orleans signed free-agent running back Travis Etienne to a four-year $52 million contract. Kamara, who'll be 31 this season, was entering the final season of a two-year, $24.5 million extension he’d signed before the 2024 season.
Cicala and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis did not disclose specific financial terms of the new agreement. But Loomis had foreshadowed some sort of pay cut when he stated in May that there was a “resource management element” to Kamara fitting in on this season's roster.
While the new deal is expected to reduce the burden of Kamara's contract under the 2026 salary cap, it does not preclude the Saints from trading him.
Struggling through a knee injury last season , Kamara posted career lows in games played (11), yards and touchdowns rushing (471 and one), and yards and touchdowns receiving (186 and zero).
That was a far cry from the start of Kamara’s career in 2017, when he was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in what was the first of four straight playoff campaigns for the Saints under coach Sean Payton and Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.
But the Saints haven’t made the playoffs since Brees retired after the 2020 season and are on their second coach since then. Kellen Moore was hired after winning a Super Bowl as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator during the 2024 season.
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Fred Warner of the 49ers is voted as the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by an AP panel By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Fred Warner managed to play only six games last season for the San Francisco 49ers before a broken right ankle ended his season prematurely in Week 6 .
Warner's play up until that point and his all-around dominance over the past several years still was enough to help him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP pro football writers ranked the top five players at off-ball linebacker, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Warner got six first-place votes and won the voting with 60 points. Detroit's Jack Campbell got the other two first-place votes and finished second with 39 points. Philadelphia's Zack Baun was third, Carolina's Devin Lloyd was fourth, and Miami's Jordyn Brooks and Baltimore's Roquan Smith tied for fifth.
Green Bay's Zaire Franklin, Seattle's Ernest Jones IV, Tennessee's Cedric Gray, Kansas City's Nick Bolton, Cleveland's Carson Schwesinger and Bobby Wagner also received votes.
1. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
Warner had been a first-team All-Pro from 2022-24, as well as 2020, as the leader of San Francisco's defense. Warner is the prototypical linebacker for the modern game as he excels in both pass coverage and stopping the run.
Warner is the only player currently on an NFL roster with at least 10 career sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles. In his last three healthy seasons, Warner had 393 tackles, seven interceptions, 28 passes defensed and nine forced fumbles.
2. Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions
The Lions surprised some watchers when they used the 18th overall pick to draft Campbell in 2023 out of Iowa. Campbell quickly showed why that was a shrewd decision.
He's been a key component of Detroit's defense since his rookie year and took his game to a new level in 2025 when he was named first-team All-Pro after becoming the first player since at least 2000 to have at least 160 tackles and five sacks in a season. The Lions rewarded Campbell with an $81 million, four-year extension earlier this offseason.
3. Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
Baun followed up his breakthrough 2024 season, when he helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl, with another strong campaign as he firmly established himself as one of the game's top linebackers.
Baun had struggled to get on the field on defense as an edge rusher his first four seasons in New Orleans, but has been a star at linebacker on Vic Fangio's defense in Philadelphia. He was an All-Pro in 2024 and made his second straight Pro Bowl last season after recording 123 tackles, seven passes defensed, seven tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks.
4. Devin Lloyd, Carolina Panthers
The 2022 first-round pick by Jacksonville had a breakthrough season last year with the Jaguars that earned him a three-year, $45 million contract from Carolina in the offseason.
Lloyd's five interceptions were tied for the most by any linebacker in the last 12 seasons and he had a 99-yard return for a TD after picking off a pass from Patrick Mahomes.
5. (tie), Jordyn Brooks, Miami Dolphins
Brooks was a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Dolphins as he earned All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. The former first-round pick by Seattle has stepped up his game after being signed in free agency by Miami before the 2024 season.
He led the NFL with 183 tackles last season, including 99 solo tackles.
5. Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Smith has been a steadying force for Baltimore's defense since being acquired in a midseason trade from Chicago in 2022. He has been a Pro Bowler in all three full seasons with the Ravens and made first-team All-Pro in 2023 and '24.
His six straight seasons with at least 130 tackles are tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL since at least 2000, trailing only Bobby Wagner's current 10-year run.
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