- The Pro Football Hall of Fame seems long overdue for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
- Second-year Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams has helped his team pull out numerous last-minute wins in 2025.
- Mike Tomlin rebounded from shouts to be fired to lead the Steelers to yet another winning season.
‘Tis the season to be sentimental. Having resisted the temptation of devising an NFL naughty-or-nice list, it’s all about spreading cheer here. At least this time.
Thus, some special holiday greetings to …
Coach Prime: Major props to Deion Sanders for being so transparent about winning his battle against bladder cancer, which undoubtedly inspired others to assess personal health symptoms and get checked out. Then there was Shedeur. Insinuations that the father-coach was somehow a negative in the draft assessment of his son were over the top. And now that we’ve seen the quarterback in action, it’s even more of a shame that he paid for it with a draft-day tumble.
Warrick Dunn: Nearly three decades since launching his “Homes for the Holidays” project, the former running back dynamo is still assisting single mothers in buying — and furnishing — their first homes. Dunn, whose mission is rooted in paying homage to his late mother, recently delivered his 250th home to a single mother in Atlanta.
Robert Kraft: Once again, the Patriots owner is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the contributor’s category. The honor is long overdue for a man who not only has so much Super Bowl hardware but has been such a major powerbroker in the league when it comes to striking media contracts and labor pacts. If Al Davis, Eddie DeBartolo, Jerry Jones and Pat Bowlen are among owners with busts in Canton, Kraft surely ranks, too.
Mike Tomlin: Keep watching. That response from the Steelers coach a few weeks ago, when fans in the stands shouted for him to be fired during a despicable home loss against Buffalo — which also prompted Steelers legends Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison to question his effectiveness — will probably wind up as a slogan on a T-shirt. Since that setback, the Steelers have won three in a row and Tomlin made it 19-for-19 in years he has coached the team without suffering a losing season. And what a gift Tomlin has in Aaron Rodgers, who might be just the heady QB the Steelers need to end the playoff W drought.
Lem Barney: What’s Going On? You might not realize that Detroit’s Hall of Fame cornerback’s voice can be heard on the intro chatter for Marvin Gaye’s signature Motown hit. Have never forgotten the zeal he had, too, decades later in recalling his connection to the musical legend. And Barney’s voice became a classic in another sense as he has been traditionally tapped to deliver prayers before Hall of Fame ceremonies.
Patrick Mahomes: As if the Chiefs missing the playoffs for the first time since he became the starting quarterback wasn’t enough, the three-time Super Bowl MVP is off to an offseason to be dominated by rehab as he aims to rebound from a torn ACL. Tough break. It might be the end of an era, but at least KC can try starting a new one with a supreme building block: an ultra-determined quintessential leader.
Micah Parsons: It’s too bad that after being dealt by the Cowboys after so much offseason drama, the premier defensive end had his mission to lead the Packers to a Super Bowl derailed by a torn ACL. Stuff happens. But at least Parsons got his bag — a 4-year, $186 million deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history — before going down with the major knee injury.
Brock Purdy: Last year, the 49ers QB gifted new trucks to his offensive linemen for Christmas. Smart. Kind of a know-where-bread-is-buttered move. This year, the 49ers QB embodied a quintessential Oprah moment as he teamed with Toyota to present nine trucks as gifts to families in need. What a cool gesture.
Drew Pearson: It has been 50 years since the Cowboys’ Hall of Fame receiver hauled in the “Hail Mary” from Roger Staubach and there are people in Minnesota and former Vikings players who still contend it wasn’t a legal catch. Pushed off? Maybe in today’s NFL, there would have been some hi-def camera angle providing conclusive evidence. Or not. Regardless, it still counts and Pearson goes down as one of the classiest men I have ever covered — albeit thankfully while not trying to defend a “Hail Mary” heave.
Bills Mafia: With Mahomes and the Chiefs out of the way, is this the year that Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills get over the hump and into the Super Bowl? I know my peeps in Buffalo are praying on it. In any event, with new digs coming next year, it’s been quite a dramatic, table-slamming final season at Highmark Stadium.
Dak Prescott and Solomon Thomas: Long before the Dallas Cowboys suffered the heartbreaking loss of Marshawn Kneeland to death by suicide, Prescott and Thomas committed much energy and resources toward mental health awareness and suicide prevention, having lost siblings to suicide. No doubt, when tragedy struck the Cowboys, the internal leadership from the veteran players was beneficial.
Caleb Williams: The presence complementing the growth of the second-year Bears quarterback has been fun to watch as they keep pulling out last-minute wins. That he’s flourished under new coach Ben Johnson proves that, well, Williams certainly wasn’t the problem while some seemed ready to call him a bust after being drafted No. 1 overall. And now he’s 2-2 against the dreaded Packers. Williams showed something, too, in passing out food to needy families the day after that dramatic win over Green Bay — and while wearing a Cheesehead at that.
Cameron Dicker: Love the spirit of “Dicker the Kicker,” who earned his first Pro Bowl honor this week as the steady leg for the L.A. Chargers. Yet not only is the high-energy Dicker money with his leg — he has the highest field goal success rate in NFL history (94.7%, minimum 100 attempts) and is 36-of-38 this season — he has made a mark for community service, too. And hey, the dude’s campaign video in 2023 didn’t land him in the Pro Bowl that year, but it is indeed a classic that went viral.
Darrell Green: The Commanders Hall of Fame cornerback, through his family foundation, continues to be a blessing for dozens of needy children in the Washington, D.C. area with his annual Christmas dinner and gift giveaway. He’s done this for roughly 30 years. If you know Green and his purpose as a community servant, that’s hardly a surprise. Kudos, brother.
Merry-Happy-Joy to all.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X @JarrettBell.
