Rob Maaddi

✝️AP Senior NFL Writer/Insider/Tampa Sports Writer. CEO/Host: @FaithOnTheField. AP Philly & 97.5 Fanatic alum. Author. Keynote Speaker. MLB HOF voter. Mark 8:36

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Priceless reactions right here 👇 Will Anderson Jr. jumping out of his seat. … Jeffery Simmons and Jack Campbell emotional. … Bijan flashing that Bijan smile 😊 Micah finding some joy in the midst of a tough rehab. … Matthew Stafford, Cooper DeJean, Chimere Dike, Zach Allen

[The Associated Press @AP]

That moment when @RobMaaddi tells NFL players they made The Associated Press first-team roster. Check out their reactions and see the full rosters on https://t.co/aBozWcgZcl!

[Howard Eskin @howardeskin]

🎙️🏈📣❗️📣🏈🎙️
With so much going on during the #NFL “off season,” it’s like football season lasts all year long.

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈It’s time to have a preview on #TheHowardEskinShow Wednesday at 7:30pm with my guest #AP #NFL Senior Writer @RobMaaddi #RobMaaddi.

❓🦅Where do #Eagles fit in strenghts of #NFC.

❓🏀And are fan's sold on new #Sixers Front Office?

⏰LIVE Wednesday at 7:30pm on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

[Faith On The Field @FaithOnTheField]

#Praise

[Ashleigh Wayland @WaylandAshleigh]

Thank you @SollyThomas90 for sharing your story and helping so many. Thank you @RobMaaddi for shedding light on such an important topic. Check out The Defensive Line to support and learn more.
#MensMentalHealthAwarenessMonth #YouthSuicidePrevention

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

The world needs more encouragers. Choose kindness. Speak life. Celebrate others. Lift people up instead of tearing them down.

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Scott Rolen called St. Louis “Baseball Heaven” after the Phillies traded him to the Cardinals. Now A.J. Brown calls Foxborough “Heaven.” 🤔

[Underdog NFL @UnderdogNFL]

AJ Brown on being traded to the Patriots:

"I know this ain't heaven, but it's close to it."

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

#Gratitude changes the way we see the world. When we focus on what we have instead of what we lack, even ordinary moments become meaningful. Every breath, every blessing, and every new day is a reminder of God’s grace. It’s refreshing to take a moment to appreciate the small blessings - a kind word, a new opportunity, or simply the gift of another day. A grateful heart doesn't just find happiness; it creates it.

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

A.J. Brown has more career MVP votes than Russell Wilson. Brown got a 5th place vote in 2022. Geno Smith, Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa also got fifths that season along with others. Still, Wilson has a strong case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His best chance at an MVP vote was 2019 when he was second-team All-Pro but Lamar Jackson received all 50 votes. Important to note: AP voters selected only one player for MVP before 2022 when a weighted voting system was implemented. Voters now choose a top 5.
Russ cooked:
46,966 yards passing yards
353 TDs passing
99.3 passer rating (5th-best)
1 Super Bowl victory
1 yard from back-to-back Lombardi’s
10-time Pro Bowl pick
1 second team All-Pro

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Jaylen Waddle trade justified Eagles’ asking price for A.J. Brown. Dolphins got a 1st and a 3rd and swapped 4s. That 1st was 30th. Depending on how the Patriots fare in 2027, Philly could land a higher spot in the 2028 first round.

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Howie Roseman wanting a first-round pick and more for A.J. Brown is justified. The Dolphins got a first and a third for Jaylen Waddle. They swapped picks with Denver in the fourth, dropping from 11th to 30th. https://t.co/JbhluUiwGs

[Teresa Walker 👑 @TeresaMWalker]

Great conversation here between my friend Rob and new #Titans DT Solomon Thomas on a very important issue

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Mental health and wellness needs to be prioritized every day—not just during May.
If you’re struggling, please know this: you are not alone. Help is available, and things can get better. Many of us have overcome various struggles.
I was grateful for the opportunity to have a powerful and deeply personal conversation with @Titans DL Solomon Thomas, who has endured the heartbreaking losses of his sister, Ella, and @dallascowboys teammate Marshawn Kneeland to suicide.
Solomon courageously shared his own mental health journey, including how @49ers GM John Lynch supported him during a time when he was experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Listen to the full conversation on the latest episode of @faithonthefield. - https://t.co/TpPP9jaxvk

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

First time I cried over sports when Michael Jack retired 👇

[Baseball In Pics @baseballinpix]

Mike Schmidt's tearful retirement announcement, May 29, 1989. It shocked the baseball world precisely because it came out of nowhere in the middle of the season.

The decision boiled down to a mix of steep physical decline, immense frustration with his own play, and an unyielding commitment to the legendary standards he had set for himself.

At 39 years old, Schmidt was battling the lingering effects of a rotator cuff injury from 1988 and aging knees. He felt his core baseball instincts and physical tools slipping away, rendering him unable to play the style of game that defined his career.

During his tearful press conference in San Diego, he put it plainly: Over the years of my career, I've set a high standard for myself as a player. My skills – to do the little things on the field, to make the adjustments needed to hit, to make the routine play on defense and run the bases aggressively – have deteriorated.

The final tipping point came the day before his announcement, on May 28, against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. Schmidt was in a 2-for-37 slump, dragging his season average down to .203. In the bottom of the eighth inning, he booted a routine ground ball at third base for his eighth error of the young season. Right after the error, Will Clark launched a grand slam off Phillies pitcher Ken Howell, turning a tight game into an 8-5 loss for Philadelphia.

The Phillies were in last place, and Schmidt felt his presence on the field was actively hurting the team rather than helping. On the plane ride to San Diego that night, he informed manager Nick Leyva that he was done.
Schmidt admitted he watched younger National League stars like Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell and realized he felt like a shadow of the player he used to be. While he acknowledged he could have easily asked the Phillies management to transition him into a part-time player or a bench bat just to collect a paycheck and pad his career statistics, his pride wouldn't let him.

What are your thoughts and memories of Mike Schmidt?

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

@newstart_2024 I did 72 hours once, multiple 36-hour fasts and more 24. Always come out feeling better.

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

@PFWAwriters Well-deserved, B-Mac @NFLprguy

[Pro Football Writers @PFWAwriters]

NFL VP of communications Brian McCarthy selected as PFWA 2026 Horrigan Award winner

https://t.co/8TAEIGkXZa

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

@JamieErdahl So sorry for your incredible loss, Jamie. May he rest peacefully 🙏🏻

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Congratulations to one of the best!

[Pro Football Writers @PFWAwriters]

Barry Wilner selected as PFWA 2026 Bill Nunn Jr. Award winner

https://t.co/8uqZ1Sw625

[Dennis Waszak Jr. @DWAZ73]

This is absolutely awesome to see. Barry was a force in AP’s NFL coverage for decades and a mentor, friend and outstanding teammate for so many colleagues. Well-deserved. 👏 @wilner88

[Faith On The Field @FaithOnTheField]

Seattle FB @brady_russell walked on at Colorado, signed with the Eagles as an undated free agent and ended up special teams captain for the Super Bowl champions Seahawks. How did he overcome doubts and adversity? “God’s grace.” 🎧 full interview with @RobMaaddi here: https://t.co/6HzjKLN4Qd

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

The Super Bowl champions Seahawks last year began the season with about 10-15 players attending chapel. They finished with over 40. In Bible study last week, they began reading the Beatitudes. It’s one of my favorite chapters. Matthew 5:3-10

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

@JesusSavesPHL Can’t argue that and postseason dominance is a huge edge

[Rob Maaddi @RobMaaddi]

Curt Schilling deserves strong consideration for this list. 11-2, 2.23 ERA in 19 playoff starts and 3 WS rings. Don’t know who to take off, though.

[OldTimeHardball @OleTimeHardball]

The 20 Greatest Starting Pitchers (All-Time)