6 players who should be stars at Super Bowl LII Opening Night
Super Bowl Opening Night - which replaced media day last season - offers the first interactions players and coaches have with the media upon arrival in Minnesota ahead of Super Bowl LII.
While the New England Patriots will be present for a second consecutive year to stoically provide the most banal responses, many members of the Philadelphia Eagles will have their first opportunity in the big-game spotlight.
Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Nick Foles are sure to be focal points as they'll field questions relating to their vastly different routes to the big game, but here's a look at six players most likely to provide some entertaining comments:
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles
Jeffery made himself into a story not just with his excellent play, but with a bold prediction while still a member of the Chicago Bears immediately after the conclusion of the 2016 season, saying "we are going to win the Super Bowl next year."
Jeffery addressed that prediction amid the Eagles hot start to this season, saying it still applied because he never specified a team.
Making the playoffs for the first time in his six-year NFL career following Jeffery's free-agent relocation, bettors may want to monitor his interview sessions for any fresh predictions.
Lane Johnson, OT, Eagles
Johnson became the Eagles' vocal leader following the injury to quarterback Carson Wentz, as he's fully embraced the team's underdog role throughout the postseason.
After serving a 10-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy in 2016, Johnson returned better than ever in 2017, starting 15 regular-season games to earn both Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career.
Now one of the NFL's most well-known offensive linemen, he'll be quickly recognized by a swarm of reporters with or without his dog mask.
LeGarrette Blount, RB, Eagles
After carrying the Patriots through Brady's four-game Deflategate suspension last season and helping them win Super Bowl LI, Blount was allowed to leave as a free agent, eventually settling on a one-year, $1.25-million contract with the Eagles. Hardly a just reward after leading the league in rushing touchdowns.
Blount claims he's in "straight enemy mode" as he prepares to take on his old team in the big game, and while he'll be trying to avoid giving the Patriots any bulletin board material, he may have a difficult time hiding the hard feelings.
He's just one piece of the Eagles' wildly effective backfield, but Blount's scored a touchdown in each playoff game.
Chris Long, DE, Eagles
Like Blount, Long will be attempting to stick it to the team that spurned him after winning a Super Bowl last year.
Like Johnson, Long enters Super Bowl LII as someone to root for and listen to.
Long donated his entire 2017 salary to educational organizations and has been one of the more prominent players involved in widespread social activism.
Now with the advantage of the Super Bowl's grand stage, he'll have a large audience in front of him to make a meaningful statement.
Stephon Gilmore, CB, Patriots; Ronald Darby, CB, Eagles
Gilmore and Darby missed out on the Buffalo Bills' long overdue - but brief - playoff appearance after their offseason departures.
The two can take solace in facing each other Sunday. While the Patriots and Eagles will have their media availabilities at separate times Monday, Gilmore and Darby are sure to face plenty of questions about their relationship and shared tenure in the Bills' secondary.
There's also the phenomenal play Gilmore made to wrap up the Patriots' berth in Super Bowl LII, swatting away a Blake Bortles pass to force a turnover on the Jacksonville Jaguars' last drive of the game.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)