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Eagles Rookie Knock out Browns Veteran WR to Set New Preseason Record

Andrew Mukuba gets a pick-six in his first Eagles game

PHILADELPHIA — Preseason moments rarely echo through a stadium the way this one did. But for rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, a single play turned a routine August snap into a declaration.

Early in the second half, Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel looked for his new veteran target, Diontae Johnson, the seasoned wideout once tied to a $36 million deal. Johnson broke on his route, but Mukuba broke faster — stepping in front, brushing past the veteran, and stealing the ball with pure instinct.

Andrew Mukuba gets a pick-six in his first Eagles game

What followed was 75 yards of open field and open roar. Mukuba raced untouched down the sideline, the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field rising with every stride. By the time he crossed the goal line, history was written: the longest Eagles interception return for a touchdown in a preseason game since 2016.

Inside the locker room, teammates circled him with shouts of “game-changer.” Head coach Nick Sirianni kept it simple:

“That’s Andrew — fearless, fast, and always around the ball. Plays like that shift games, and maybe even careers.”

Andrew Mukuba gets a pick-six in his first Eagles game

For the Eagles, it was more than a highlight. It was proof that in Philadelphia, rookies can humble veterans, and every snap is an audition for something bigger. On this night, Mukuba didn’t just make a play — he set the bar.

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Packers Rookie Cut Before Season Retires to Join Military Service
The NFL is often described as the pinnacle of athletic dreams, but for one Green Bay rookie, the path to greatness has taken a turn away from the gridiron and toward a higher calling. After signing as an undrafted free agent in May, the young cornerback fought through training camp and preseason battles, hoping to carve out a roster spot on a Packers team recalibrating its depth and identity in the secondary. That player is Tyron Herring, a Delaware (via Dartmouth) standout known as a true outside corner with length, competitive toughness, and special-teams upside. Listed at 6’1”, 201 pounds with verified long speed, Herring built a reputation as a press-capable defender who thrives along the boundary.  Waived in late August, Herring stunned teammates and fans by announcing his retirement from professional football and his decision to enlist in the U.S. military, trading a Packers jersey for a soldier’s uniform. “I lived my NFL dream in Green Bay, but being cut before the season opened another path,” Herring said in a statement. “This isn’t the end — it’s a higher calling. Now, I choose to serve my country with the same heart I gave the Packers.” Prototypical on paper for Green Bay’s boundary profile and steady on tape throughout August, Herring nevertheless faced heavy competition in a crowded cornerback room. The numbers game won out as the Packers finalized their 53 and practice squad. For the Packers, the move closes the chapter on a developmental project with intriguing tools. For Herring, it begins a profound new journey that echoes his “hidden gem” label — a player who consistently rose above expectations and now seeks to do so in service to something bigger than the game. Fans across Wisconsin and the college football community saluted the decision on social media, calling it “the ultimate sacrifice” and “proof that heart is bigger than the game.” Herring leaves the NFL, but his next mission may prove even greater.