Jori Epstein
joriepstein.bsky.social
Jori Epstein
@joriepstein.bsky.social
🏈 Senior NFL reporter, Yahoo Sports
📚 Author: The Upstander
📝 USA Today, Dallas Morning News alum
✉ jori.epstein@yahooinc.com
Pinned
Some days in New Orleans, Zack Baun would go home & cry.

Others, he'd sit in his car in the Saints parking lot & sigh: This is going to be a long year.

But after 4 years under the radar, Baun's found his stride with Eagles. What changed?

I asked him 👇🏽
sports.yahoo.com/where-did-th...
Where did this come from? Zack Baun's Eagles breakout has the NFL looking for the next him
After four years of relative anonymity as a Saints special-teamer, Baun is now playing at an All-Pro level as an Eagles linebacker. This is how it happened.
sports.yahoo.com
The Bears' decision to hire Declan Doyle as OC was unquestionably unusual.

He hadn't worked with Ben Johnson previously. He brought no OC nor HC experience. And he hadn't even hit his 29th birthday yet.

So why Declan? I set out to answer that question 👇
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
Why is Ben Johnson trusting a 29-year-old first-time colleague to coordinate Bears’ offense, develop Caleb Williams? Meet Declan Doyle, and you’ll understand
Doyle has been tasked with guiding franchise quarterback Caleb Williams' development. Early returns suggest he's ready for the challenge. Here's how he earned the right to take it on.
sports.yahoo.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Did Aaron Glenn send harsh message cutting Xavier Gipson after fumble?

“It wasn't necessarily a threat or anything indicating fear or a fearful message,” safety Andre Cisco told me. “He was just delivering a message about..."

My latest from Florham Park:
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
Did Aaron Glenn send harsh message cutting returner who fumbled? Jets players say it’s not that simple
The Jets will not cut a player each time he turns the ball over, but they will hold players accountable for turnovers or other costly mistakes, like penalties.
sports.yahoo.com
September 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The text message hit Aaron Rodgers' phone last Tuesday.

In it: a Jets scouting report from DK Metcalf.

"It wasn’t a short one," Rodgers said. "He put a lot of time into it."

Why Rodgers & Metcalf could surprise Metcalf's former Seahawks this week 👇🏽
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
As DK Metcalf faces longtime team, Seahawks may face a receiver who looks less familiar than they expect
As the Steelers host the Seahawks this Sunday, the team that selected Metcalf in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft will have another chance to assess the player whom it traded after six seasons.
sports.yahoo.com
September 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Aaron Rodgers patted one MetLife staffer goodbye & granted photo request from another.

When the staffer struggled to work his phone, Rodgers tapped the bottom right of screen to flip the camera to selfie mode.

Just as he flipped the narrative with 4 TDs.

Latest:
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
Aaron Rodgers’ message after revenge in Steelers-Jets: 'Nice to remind those people that I still can’
He briefly cupped his ear as he walked off the field in what seemed like an acknowledgement of booing fans, and he briefly let his guard down when asked asked about Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.
sports.yahoo.com
September 8, 2025 at 1:33 AM
In Cowboys locker room, Malik Hooker sat next to Dak: It was us in the first half.

Dak: Hell, that was us in the second.

“We didn’t think we were going undefeated, did we? Let’s be honest,” Dak said. “Would’ve been f***ing nice. But...now let’s build.”
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
‘Spitting is childish’: In Cowboys-Eagles opener, Dak Prescott-Jalen Carter exchange injected early juice into game
It’s hard to argue that the Eagles were not the better team Thursday. Even with Carter’s unusual ejection, they outlasted the Cowboys thanks in large part to a run game Dallas couldn’t stop in the fir...
sports.yahoo.com
September 5, 2025 at 8:21 PM
From depth players to stars, Eagles pivot by design. Why?

“If you’re following some other trend, you’re on the back end of it &..not getting the benefit,” Howie Roseman told me. “Sometimes you have to proactively do things that maybe are outside the box.”
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
'Sometimes you have to proactively do things that maybe are outside the box': Coming off Super Bowl title, Howie Roseman isn't resting
As Eagles keep wheeling and dealing in pursuit of a second straight Super Bowl title, NFL sees Roseman "always trying to gain an edge."
sports.yahoo.com
September 4, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Each practice day, right around 6 a.m., Jayden Daniels’ phone rings.

Kliff Kingsbury delivers a play call to his QB over the phone then releases from the line as OC becomes WR.

My latest on the pre-walkthrough walkthroughs & a recipe ripe for success 👇
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
25 in 2025: Jayden Daniels and the Commanders' support system will change the NFL
Teams will not find an exact replica of the QB who made the Commanders' engine hum. But the infrastructure around Daniels has caught the attention of clubs determining how to mold their young quarterb...
sports.yahoo.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Who will shape the NFL in 2025? Charles Robinson & I spent the summer asking coaches, players, execs & more what to watch. Some forces were obvious; others surprised us. Throughout, we learned.

Pumped to present our @yahoosports.bsky.social 25 Game Changers in 2025:
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
25 in 2025: Game changers to watch in the NFL
Whose work in the NFL has created such an impact that the league ecosystem must respond? Whose cutting-edge ideas will shift the direction of competitive norms and entertainment landscapes?
sports.yahoo.com
August 27, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Jori Epstein
One reason Jaxson Dart likes Giants offense: the freedom.

“Sometimes you’ll see something defensively in the game & you’re like, ‘I want to get to this’ & you have the full freedom to do that,” Jaxson told me. “As a rookie, you don’t get that everywhere.”

My latest:
www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl/a...
From surprise snaps to voicenotes, Jaxson Dart is finding his way in crowded Giants QB room
Learning from Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart’s early Giants impressions are encouraging.
www.yahoo.com
August 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
One reason Jaxson Dart likes Giants offense: the freedom.

“Sometimes you’ll see something defensively in the game & you’re like, ‘I want to get to this’ & you have the full freedom to do that,” Jaxson told me. “As a rookie, you don’t get that everywhere.”

My latest:
www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl/a...
From surprise snaps to voicenotes, Jaxson Dart is finding his way in crowded Giants QB room
Learning from Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, Jaxson Dart’s early Giants impressions are encouraging.
www.yahoo.com
August 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Before round 2 of draft, Patriots eyed 3 guys. De facto GM Eliot Wolf sat down to watch 100 TreVeyon Henderson carries.

“I watched 15 runs & I was like, ‘What am I doing? This is the guy,’” Eliot told me. “An opportunity to get a weapon.”

My latest from Patriots 👇🏽
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
'This is the guy': Patriots took TreVeyon Henderson for talent rather than top need — and early returns support that
The rookie's demonstration of his explosive play ability at the pro level, even in the preseason, checked another box for the Patriots. Their suspicion: He’ll be a problem for opponents.
sports.yahoo.com
August 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Puka Nacua feels like "a kid in a candy store" starting his career with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and now Davante Adams.

Caught up with him on what Davante's taught him, from marrying slant & fade in red zone to embracing negative leverage to help his shoulder..
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
Puka Nacua: Rams addition Davante Adams is ‘adding tools to everybody’s skill set’
Adams brings to the Rams WR room a perspective that Cooper Kupp did not. Kupp’s eight strong seasons all came with L.A. (until the Seahawks signed him this spring) and all came under head coach Sean M...
sports.yahoo.com
August 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Jori Epstein
What trait has followed @joriepstein.bsky.social throughout her career, from SI to Yahoo?

“It’s staying true to who I am, which is a super nerdy, super people-loving person who wants first and foremost to care about you.”

🔗: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
August 7, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Jori Epstein
"Breaking In with Kevin Fishbain" Episode 18

Guest: @joriepstein.bsky.social

Learn how Yahoo's national NFL reporter got her start in sports media, and what her advice is to aspiring journalists

Apple
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Spotify
open.spotify.com/episode/1Uda...

YouTube
Yahoo's Jori Epstein on NFL Reporting, Her Book 'The Upstander' & Career Advice
YouTube video by Breaking In With Kevin Fishbain
youtu.be
August 6, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Dak never sat out training camp. So why support Micah?

“I wear a red jersey-I'm going to be protected unless something freakish happens," Dak said. "Micah plays a completely different position where guys are getting tripped up, tumbled all the time. As far as business, you just can't do that."
August 6, 2025 at 11:54 PM
When Micah Parsons announced his trade request, Dak texted Micah: “F***, man.”

“It wasn’t f*** you, Micah, or f*** them,” Dak told me. “It’s more of a f***— this is frustrating for everybody involved.”

My latest from Cowboys camp👇🏽
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
Jerry Jones didn’t respond to Micah Parsons’ trade request — but here’s what Dak Prescott told the Cowboys star rusher
There’s a real possibility that the Cowboys play out Parsons’ fifth-year option and place a franchise tag on him come spring. Prescott knows that from experiencing the tag firsthand before his initial...
sports.yahoo.com
August 6, 2025 at 3:17 PM
As Cowboys & Micah Parsons remain without extension, a primary holdup is Jerry Jones belief he & Micah had deal, multiple sources confirm @diannarussini.bsky.social reporting.

Jerry-Micah direct meeting complicated this. But Micah's told team & said publicly: Negotiate with my agent. They haven't.
August 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Often I'll ask guys on new teams if system is similar & they'll say yes-it's all football.

Deebo Samuel's response: "Not at all."

Because after 49ers 3.2% no-huddle rate, he's now with Commanders who used it 61.5% of 2024.

Commanders coming at you fast:
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
As Terry McLaurin's hold-in continues, Kliff Kingsbury’s Commanders offense is coming at Deebo Samuel fast
The Commanders and 49ers were on opposite ends of the no-huddle spectrum last season. That makes for a big adjustment for Samuel in Washington.
sports.yahoo.com
July 31, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Jori Epstein
Miss any of @robinsonreports.bsky.social or @joriepstein.bsky.social's stories from their nationwide NFL training camp tour?

Catch up on all of them right here. So far they've hit:

Chargers
Lions
Cowboys
Bengals
Rams
Steelers

With plenty more to come 💪
NFL training camp tour 2025: From Cowboys to Steelers, check out our stories from the road
Yahoo Sports Senior NFL Reporters Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein are hitting camps across the country these next few weeks. Read about your team and the rest of their work right here.
sports.yahoo.com
July 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Jori Epstein
When Aaron Rodgers realized toilet in his & DK Metcalf's suite flushed loudly, QB told WR: "At night, if we got to piss, just don't flush the toilet."

9:30 Wednesday night, DK texted: "You asleep yet?" Aaron wasn't.

"Bet. I'm about to flush the toilet."

Latest👇🏽
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
From route cues to toilet flushing, Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf are getting to know each other quickly at Steelers camp
The Steelers prioritized players who could contribute immediately while not fully sacrificing their future. “I think we’re going to shock a lot of people,” Metcalf said.
sports.yahoo.com
July 25, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I talked to Steelers rookie QB Will Howard today about where he has the most room for growth and he broke it down in depth.

"I have power, but sometimes I have these movements that I do that are a little power-zapping," Will told me.

Full 👇
July 25, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Reposted by Jori Epstein
Strong stuff from @joriepstein.bsky.social at Bengals camp on the Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart holdouts, what's going into them, and how other key figures on the team are feeling about them

sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
July 24, 2025 at 7:28 PM
As Bengals open training camp without Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, Ja’Marr Chase sees “a lot of feelings involved,” he tells me.

Latest from Cincy on why two edges are holding out—and how team is responding 👇🏽
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/...
As Bengals open training camp without Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, Ja’Marr Chase sees ‘a lot of feelings involved’
Multiple players and coaches reflected more concern about Stewart’s absence than Hendrickson’s given the rookie’s inexperience compared to Hendrickson entering Year 9.
sports.yahoo.com
July 24, 2025 at 12:25 AM