“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
CINCINNATI 9 ATLANTA 4 (10)
CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA POSTPONED
PITTSBURGH 5 ST. LOUIS 0
MINNESOTA 5 PHILADELPHIA 4
MILWAUKEE 3 CHICAGO CUBS 2
COLORADO 20 BOSTON 7
HOUSTON 8 OAKLAND 1
LA ANGELS 2 SEATTLE 1
MIAMI 6 BALTIMORE 3
CLEVELAND 2 DETROIT 1
SAN DIEGO 12 WASHINGTON 3
NY METS 12 NY YANKEES 3
TORONTO 6 TAMPA BAY 3
TEXAS 10 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
ARIZONA 8 KANSAS CITY 6
SAN FRANCISCO 8 LA DODGERS 3
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 14 IOWA 3
SOUTH BEND 5 PEORIA 2
DAYTON 5 FT. WAYNE 4
WNBA SCORES
OLYMPIC BREAK
MLS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
- BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
- GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
- NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
BASKETBALL NEWS
REPORT: KNICKS, COACH TOM THIBODEAU AGREE TO 3-YEAR EXTENSION
The New York Knicks are signing coach Tom Thibodeau to a three-year contract extension, ESPN reported Wednesday.
No financial figures were available for the deal, which will run through the 2027-28 season, per the report.
The Knicks were the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs after finishing last season with a 50-32 record. In four seasons with New York, the 66-year-old Thibodeau has a 175-143 record in the regular season, 14-15 in the playoffs.
The Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals — their second straight appearance in the round. New York has reached the playoffs in three of Thibodeau’s four seasons.
He previously coached the Chicago Bulls (2010-15) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (2016-19) and has a cumulative record of 527-389.
Thibodeau was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2020-21, 10 years after he won the honor for the first time with the Bulls.
KEVIN DURANT PRACTICES WITH TEAM USA, COULD RETURN FOR OLYMPICS
Team USA welcomed Kevin Durant back to practice from a calf injury, raising optimism he will be ready to go for the Olympics pool play opener Sunday against Serbia.
Durant did not play in either exhibition in Abu Dhabi or London, and his next test comes Thursday in a full-contact practice, head coach Steve Kerr said.
“The plan is for him to get in the scrimmage and see how he handles that,” Kerr said. “He looked good today and he did everything and got a lot of shots up and told me he’s feeling pretty good.”
Durant, 35, played for Kerr with the Golden State Warriors when he suffered a torn Achilles while playing through what the team diagnosed as a calf strain.
Durant hasn’t been shy about communication with Kerr and Team USA’s managing director, Grant Hill. Kerr said the Phoenix Suns, Durant’s current NBA employer, and his agents also are in the loop.
“(Hill) is constantly in touch with Kevin’s people and with the Suns,” Kerr said. “This is not going to be like us going out and saying, ‘Hey, let’s just throw him out there.’ This will be a big collaboration.”
Team USA defeated Serbia in Abu Dhabi, 105-79, as part of a 5-0 run through the team’s exhibition schedule.
HAWKS ROOKIE NIKOLA DURISIC UNDERGOES FOOT SURGERY
Atlanta Hawks rookie forward Nikola Durisic is recovering from surgery to repair his fractured left foot, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 2024 second-round pick underwent a procedure Monday to repair his left fifth metatarsal bone with Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C.
Durisic sustained the injury in a Summer League game against San Antonio on July 14 in Las Vegas. The Hawks will update his status in November.
The 20-year-old Belgium international was selected by the Miami Heat with the No. 43 overall pick last month and traded to Atlanta on draft night.
NBA REJECTS TNT’S OFFER, SIGNS 11-YEAR DEAL WITH AMAZON
The NBA signed its 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league.
The media rights deals were approved by the league’s Board of Governors last week and will bring the league about $76 billion over those 11 years.
WBD had five days to match a part of those deals and said it was exercising its right to do so, but its offer was not considered a true match by the NBA. That means the 2024-25 season will be the last for TNT after a nearly four-decade run — though not long after the NBA signing was announced, WBD said it would take “appropriate action” and said it believes the NBA has to accept its offer.
“The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”
Turner Sports strongly disagreed with the NBA’s move, saying it believes the league “grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights.”
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” TNT Sports said in a statement. “In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD’s video-first distribution platforms. … We will take appropriate action.”
TNT said it continues looking forward to the coming season, “including our iconic ‘Inside the NBA.’”
Under the provisions of the new deal, Amazon Prime Video will carry games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons and Thursday night doubleheaders which will begin after the conclusion of Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” schedule. Prime Video will also take over the NBA League Pass package from WBD.
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the league said Wednesday. “Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”
The new package on Amazon also includes at least one game on Black Friday and the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game of the NBA Cup.
“Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience,” said Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video. “We’re thrilled to now add the NBA to our growing sports lineup, including the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon, and more. We are grateful to partner with the NBA, and can’t wait to tip-off in 2025.”
ESPN and ABC will keep the league’s top package, which includes the NBA Finals. ABC has carried the finals since 2003.
ESPN/ABC will combine for nearly 100 games during the regular season. More than 20 games will air on ABC, mainly on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, while ESPN will have up to 60 games, mostly on Wednesday nights with some Friday games. ABC and ESPN will also combine for five games on Christmas Day and have exclusive national coverage of the final day of the regular season.
During the playoffs, ESPN and ABC will have approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two conference finals series in all but one year of the agreement.
The return of NBC, which carried NBA games from 1990 through 2002, gives the NBA two broadcast network partners for the first time.
NBC will have up to 100 regular-season games, including on Sunday night once the NFL season has ended. It will air games on Tuesdays throughout the regular season, while a Monday night doubleheader would be exclusively streamed on Peacock.
NBC will also have the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night. During the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will have up to 28 games the first two rounds, with at least half on NBC.
NBC and Amazon will also carry one of the two conference finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis. NBC will have a conference final in 2026-27 followed by Amazon the next season.
“The return of NBA basketball to the NBC Sports family comes with enormous benefits and excitement for our fans,” Silver said. “And through its multiple platforms — especially NBC and Peacock — and its expansive resources, NBCUniversal promises to build on the deep tradition and history of the NBA on NBC.”
NFL NEWS
CHIEFS WR JUSTIN WATSON INJURES FOOT IN PRACTICE
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson sustained a left foot injury during Wednesday’s practice at training camp.
The severity of the injury was not immediately known for Watson, who was able to walk to the sideline before he was carted back to the locker room.
Watson, 29, had 27 catches for 460 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games (eight starts) last season.
The three-time Super Bowl champion has 65 receptions for 1,033 yards and seven scores in 73 career games (17 starts) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-21) and Chiefs.
EAGLES DE BRANDON GRAHAM RETIRING AFTER 2024 SEASON
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham intends for the 2024 season to be his last in the NFL.
Graham, 36, spoke to reporters on the first day of training camp Wednesday he prepared for his 15th season with the franchise.
“Last first day as a player,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds next year in the organization, at the next level, but I know it will be something.”
“… This is my last year, man, so I’m just trying to soak it all in, trying to enjoy every day, trying to give it everything. No stone unturned.”
A first-round pick (13th overall) in 2010, Graham enters 2024 ranked fourth in Eagles history in sacks (73).
No Philadelphia player has appeared in more regular-season games than Graham (195), whose 11 postseason games include a Super Bowl LII victory against New England.
Graham helped the Eagles secure a 41-33 victory over the Patriots for their first championship with a strip-sack of Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter.
A Pro Bowl selection in 2020, Graham has recorded 467 tackles, 146 quarterback hits, 21 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown).
BROWNS PLACE RB NICK CHUBB (KNEE), 4 OTHERS ON PUP LIST
The Cleveland Browns placed running back Nick Chubb on the active/physically unable to perform list Wednesday as he continues to work his way back from major knee surgery.
He was one of five Browns players to go on the PUP list, with two others put on the non-football injury list.
Chubb, 28, had surgery in September on his torn left MCL and meniscus, followed by surgery to repair his torn left ACL in November. He sustained the injury in Week 2 last season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He had major surgery on the same knee in 2015 while playing at Georgia.
Also landing on the PUP list were three other players with knee injuries — tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr., and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson — and safety D’Anthony Bell (shin).
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring) and running back Nyheim Hines (knee) went on the NFI list.
Chubb made four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (2019-22) and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons, including 1,525 in 2022.
Since being selected by the Browns with the 35th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb has run for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns.
All seven players remain on the active roster and can be activated once they pass a physical.
The Browns open the 2024 season at home against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 8.
GIANTS QB DANIEL JONES FULLY CLEARED TO START CAMP
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is taking “every snap” with the first-team offense in training camp until further notice, head coach Brian Daboll said on the first day of workouts Wednesday.
Jones’ 2023 season ended after six games because of an ACL tear and he wasn’t cleared to participate in team drills during spring workouts.
“Yeah, he’s ready to go,” Daboll said Wednesday. “I think we’ll take it as we go. So he’s getting all the reps today. He’ll get them with the ones every day. If we need to pull him back for whatever reason, maintenance, then we’ll talk about that after every practice. Right now, he’s gonna be in there every snap that the ones are in.”
Jones had a rough 2023 season behind New York’s injury-riddled offensive line. He was sacked 30 times in 190 dropbacks.
General manager Joe Schoen said the plan with Jones is fluid, but he echoed Daboll’s assessment that Jones is “full go” until further notice.
“We’ve got to see how the body (responds),” Schoen said. “We don’t know. In spring, he didn’t do team drills. He’s eight months off of it. We’re gonna work with him, and he’s got to communicate with us on how his body feels, how the knee feels, and that’ll determine how much he does moving forward.”
The Giants held discussions about adding quarterbacks in the offseason, including free agent Russell Wilson and multiple draft prospects, which was revealed on the “Hard Knocks” offseason docuseries.
Jones, 27, is in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract that includes $92 million in total guarantees. He is 22-36-1 as the starter with 62 touchdown passes and 40 interceptions.
REPORTS: VIKINGS CB MEKHI BLACKMON TEARS ACL
The Minnesota Vikings’ first training camp practice of the summer proved costly as cornerback Mekhi Blackmon tore an anterior cruciate ligament, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday.
Blackmon got hurt during a seven-on-seven drill, according to ESPN.
The 25-year-old University of Southern California product was viewed as a top contender to serve as the Vikings’ third cornerback this year following the death of rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson in a July 6 car accident.
Blackmon was selected by Minnesota in the third round of the 2023 draft. He appeared in 15 games for the Vikings last year, including three starts. Blackmon registered 41 tackles, eight passes defended, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. are the Vikings’ starting cornerbacks. Backups Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans will be joined by Duke Shelley, who signed with Minnesota on Tuesday, having played 11 games for the Vikings in 2022 before playing 11 games for the Los Angeles Rams last year.
REPORTS: SEAHAWKS FS JULIAN LOVE LANDS 3-YEAR EXTENSION
Seattle Seahawks free safety Julian Love, fresh off his first Pro Bowl selection, agreed to a three-year contract extension on Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported.
The deal reportedly will be worth up to $36 million.
Love is halfway through a two-year, $12 million contract that brought him to the Seahawks in March 2023 following four seasons with the New York Giants.
He posted career highs in interceptions (four), passes defensed (10) and forced fumbles (two) last year while appearing in all 17 games and starting 12 times.
Love’s tackle total, 123, was one shy of his career high set the season prior. He logged 13 tackles on special teams, tied for the third-best total in the NFL.
“On the field, he has elite poise, and that’s something we’re chasing,” Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said in May. “If something doesn’t go our way, let’s keep our poise, play the next play. The game is slow to him, so to be able to communicate at a high level I think kind of shows you what it should feel like when he’s out there.”
The Notre Dame product was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft by the Giants.
In 81 career NFL games (44 starts), Love has nine interceptions, 28 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 414 tackles.
SEAN PAYTON: BRONCOS’ QB BATTLE ‘AN ONGOING EVALUATION’
The Denver Broncos are still trying to determine who will succeed Russell Wilson under center.
With just over two weeks remaining until the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 11, Denver still hasn’t locked down a starting quarterback.
Denver coach Sean Payton will soon have to choose if he wants rookie Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson directing the offense. Nix was a first-round pick (12th overall) in this year’s draft, while Stidham is entering his fifth NFL season and Wilson is preparing for his fourth.
Even though there is a bit of a time crunch, Payton isn’t feeling pressured to name a starter just yet.
“It’s new to me relative to a first-round pick and all of that, and yet (in New Orleans) we went through a similar thing when (former Saints quarterback) Drew (Brees) retired and it was Jameis (Winston) and Taysom (Hill),” Payton said Wednesday. “We had a lot of competition.
“I don’t think I stress over it, but I focus on it and pay attention closely to it. The most important thing we do here in the next month — and I say this respectfully to everyone — is find the right 53 (players) and not let a good player out of the building, try not to.”
Stidham is the only one of the trio with reps in Denver’s system, having played in three games (two starts) for the Broncos last season. He completed 40 of 66 passes for 496 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Wilson spent the first three seasons of his career with the New York Jets.
Having more experience than both Wilson and Nix hasn’t kept Stidham out from under the microscope, though.
“I think it’s an ongoing evaluation,” Payton said. “Decisions, how quickly the ball’s coming out. Certainly (Stidham) understands what we’re doing. Then — I went over this last night — do you know what to do? Are you trying to do what’s being coached? How well are you doing it?
“It’s a series of things. I think it’s important for them to understand how they’re being evaluated. I think that applies to (Stidham) as well.”
49ERS ALL-PRO LT TRENT WILLIAMS A NO-SHOW DUE TO CONTRACT ISSUES
San Francisco 49ers All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is a training-camp holdout due to contract issues, coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday.
Williams, an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, is owed $74.76 million over the next three seasons but none of the money is guaranteed. He is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $138.06 million deal.
“It’s something I knew could be a possibility, and I was hoping that he would be here,” Shanahan said of Williams. “But I knew it could be a possibility, and I feel pretty confident that it will all work out in the long run and he’ll be here, and we’ll get on the same page with everything. It’s just one day of practice, and I think Trent will be alright missing a few practices.”
Williams was first-team All-Pro in each of the past three seasons. The 36-year-old is entering his fifth season with San Francisco after playing his first nine campaigns with Washington.
Williams is stated to earn $20.05 million this season as well as $750,000 more in game-day roster bonuses.
He will make $22.5 million next season and $32.21 million in 2026.
Williams’ average annual salary of $23.010 million is fourth highest among NFL left tackles. He moved down a spot Tuesday when Christian Darrisaw of the Minnesota Vikings signed a four-year, $113 million extension that will average a tackle-record $28.25 million a season.
Shanahan didn’t want to have a deep discussion about the contract situation.
“A lot of things play into it but I’m not going to get into the personal parts of the contract,” Shanahan said.
NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS TRACKER
Arizona Cardinals
Training Camp Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
First Practice: July 25
Atlanta Falcons
Training Camp Location: Seckinger High School, Buford, Ga.
First Practice: July 27
Baltimore Ravens
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson returned to practice after missing three days with an illness but left after an hour, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Jackson completed one pass and threw an interception to CB Marlon Humphrey before departing.
“It’s just a matter of when the doctors are going to clear him and when he’s going to feel good enough,” head coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday, per Bridget Condon of NFL Network.
Most of Baltimore’s Monday practice took place in the rain, and the club’s defense “dominated,” per Zrebiec. Rashod Bateman made multiple “highlight-reel catches” despite the inclement weather.
“He’s expected to be a top receiver in the league for us,” Harbaugh said of Bateman on Monday. “That’s what we’re planning on.”
Buffalo Bills
Training Camp Location: St. John Fisher University, Rochester, N.Y.
First Practice: July 24
Carolina Panthers
Training Camp Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
First Practice: July 25
Chicago Bears
Training Camp Location: Halas Hall, Lake Forest, Ill.
First Practice: July 27
Cincinnati Bengals
After suffering a season-ending wrist injury last November, Bengals QB Joe Burrow was cleared for contact on Monday, as Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison writes. Head coach Zac Taylor said Cincinnati will veer from its norm and play its starters — including Burrow — during the preseason.
The Bengals placed OT Trent Brown on the non-football injury (NFI) list on Tuesday, opening the door further for first-round rookie Amarius Mims to start at right tackle. Cincinnati signed Brown to a one-year, $4.8 million deal in March.
Read what Morrison wrote about the chances of a Ja’Marr Chase extension and the likelihood of the Bengals signing a veteran free agent.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns sent a bevy of players to injured lists on Wednesday. RB Nick Chubb, OTs Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, and S D’Anthony Bell were shifted to the PUP list, while RB Nyheim Hines and CB Greg Newsome are on the non-football injury list.
Dallas Cowboys
Although the Cowboys are on the brink of training camp, a source tells Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News that the club has still not held “substantial contract talks” with WR CeeDee Lamb. The first-team All-Pro pass catcher is scheduled to play the 2024 campaign on his $17.99 million fifth-year option.
A holdout appears to be in order, as Lamb was not on the Cowboys’ chartered team flight to their California training camp locale, per David Moore of DMN.
Lamb didn’t participate in Dallas’ minicamp or OTAs. The Cowboys can waive any fines he accrues for skipping training camp because Lamb is still on his rookie contract.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs is expected to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, a source told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Diggs tore his ACL during a Sept. 21 practice.
Diggs can removed from the PUP list at any time. If he sticks on the list into the regular season, he’ll be required to miss the first four games of the year.
Denver Broncos
Training Camp Location: Centura Health Training Center, Englewood, Colo.
First Practice: July 26
Detroit Lions
Training Camp Location: Lions Headquarters and Training Facility, Allen Park, Mich.
First Practice: July 27
Green Bay Packers
While Packers rookie RB Marshawn Lloyd (hip) didn’t participate in Tuesday’s practice, head coach Matt LaFleur doesn’t think the USC product will remain sidelined for long, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Still, Lloyd is expected to miss the next several days.
Entering the final year of his contract after finishing second in the NFL in touchdown passes, Jordan Love officially began his “hold-in” on Monday. Love is scheduled to collect just $11 million after his breakout 2023 campaign.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini recently reported that Green Bay and Love believe an extension should be completed in the near future. Love has a chance to top Burrow and Trevor Lawrence as the NFL’s highest-paid QB, but he’d need to get more than $55 million annually from the Packers.
Packers right tackle Zach Tom came off the PUP list on Friday but is still limited by a pectoral injury, according to Wes Hodkieweicz of the Packers’ team site.
Houston Texans
The Texans held RB Joe Mixon (soft-tissue injury) out of a third straight practice on Tuesday, but head coach DeMeco Ryans preached caution on Tuesday, as Aaron Wilson of Click2 Houston writes.
“Joe will be fine,” DeMeco Ryans said. “Joe may miss a little time, but he’ll be fine. Joe is [as tough] as the toughest competitor we have, so I’m not worried about Joe. He’ll be fine. No issues there.”
Houston traded a seventh-round pick to the Bengals in exchange for Mixon this offseason before signing him to a three-year, $27 million extension. He totaled 1,410 yards and 12 touchdowns for Cincinnati in 2023.
Dameon Pierce has received the bulk of carries for the Texans with Mixon sidelined, per Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.
Indianapolis Colts
Second-year Colts QB Anthony Richardson will not have any training camp limitations after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023, GM Chris Ballard told reporters, including The Athletic’s James Boyd, on Wednesday.
Richardson missed one day during Indy’s offseason program while allowing his shoulder to rest. Ballard said last year’s No. 4 overall pick will likely play during the preseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars locked up CB Tyson Campbell on Tuesday, giving the former second-round choice a four-year extension worth $76.5 million, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Campbell will receive $53.4 million in effective guarantees.
Campbell’s new deal makes him the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid corner. Hampered by quad and hamstring injuries in 2023, Campbell missed six games and saw his passer rating allowed jump by 50+ points to 128.5. However, he looked like a lockdown CB1 in his breakout 2022 campaign.
Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs first-round WR Xavier Worthy (illness) missed his third consecutive practice on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
Wideout Justin Watson left Wednesday’s session after suffering a foot injury at Chiefs training camp. Trainers had to assist Watson, who caught 27 passes for 460 yards last season, off the field.
Deneric Prince — not Clyde Edwards-Helaire – was the Chiefs’ RB2 behind starter Isaiah Pacheco at Tuesday’s practice, per Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride.
While it’s far too early to anoint Prince as Pacheco’s direct backup, the Tulsa alum has an intriguing athletic profile. It’s worth remembering that CEH re-signed with Kansas City for just $1.7 million.
Chiefs wideout Kadarius Toney saw work during the club’s running back drills on Monday, according to PJ Green of FOX 4. Toney also played his typical wideout position, so this doesn’t look like a position change for the ex-Giant.
Still, Toney is viewed as a potential cut candidate in Kansas City, especially after the Chiefs spent the offseason adding additional wideouts like veteran Hollywood Brown and first-round rookie Xavier Worthy.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders placed guards Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jacob Johanning and LB Darien Butler on the PUP list on Tuesday. Powers-Johnson, Vegas’ second-round pick in April, is expected to compete for a starting role in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh revealed Wednesday that Chargers RB Gus Edwards underwent an unspecified offseason surgery. As such, the club is giving its offseason addition a “longer runway” as he works towards full practice participation, as ESPN’s Kris Rhim reports.
Los Angeles signed both Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in the spring, reuniting them with former Ravens and current Chargers OC Greg Roman. Rookie sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal and 2022 fourth-round choice Isaiah Spiller are also vying for work in the Bolts’ backfield.
Los Angeles Rams
Rams head coach Sean McVay announced Tuesday that Los Angeles has reached an unspecified contractual agreement with QB Matthew Stafford.
McVay indicated that Stafford, under contract through 2026, did not receive an extension. He’s due to collect $31 million in 2024, so the Rams could theoretically agree to give him more cash for the upcoming season. Stafford doesn’t have any guaranteed money remaining after 2024.
McVay also announced that TE Tyler Higbee (ACL, MCL) will be the only Ram to start training camp on the PUP list.
Miami Dolphins
“Head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged at the top of his training camp kickoff news conference that Tua Tagovailoa is expected to sit out parts of practice for the time being in protest of his contract situation.” — Read Pro Football Network’s Adam Beasley on Tua’s expected training camp hold-in.
Dolphins safety Jevon Holland, who missed six games with knee injuries in 2023, went down during Wednesday’s practice and did not return, per Beasley. However, Holland’s injury didn’t seem major.
The Dolphins re-signed edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah on Tuesday, restocking their defensive front after Shaquil Barrett’s surprise weekend retirement. Miami added EDGEs Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara in the draft.
Miami began camp with six players on the PUP list: WR Odell Beckham Jr., G Isaiah Wynn, EDGEs Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Cameron Goode, and LB David Long Jr.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have maintained that veteran quarterback Sam Darnold is the favorite to start over first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy, and the club continued that tune on Monday.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Darnold will see most of Minnesota’s first-team reps under center during training camp, per Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune.
“I don’t know if it’s the former quarterback in me, but I will not allow any factors outside what’s best for J.J. and what’s best to help the Vikings win in regards to that question,” O’Connell said, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
TE T.J. Hockenson will begin training camp on the PUP list after learning his ACL and MCL in December. O’Connell said Hockenson is “well ahead of schedule” in his recovery, but whether he’ll be ready for Week 1 remains unclear.
Second-year CB Mekhi Blacmon tore his ACL in the first practice of training camp on Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
New England Patriots
“Drake Maye repped behind Jacboy Brissett and was better early than late. He delivered the play of the day — a beautiful 50-yard bomb to Jalen Reagor — but also fumbled a snap, threw a bad incompletion into double coverage, and underthrew a pass to Kayshon Boutte.” — Read Pro Football Network’s Dakota Randall’s complete Patriots practice report from Wednesday’s session.
First-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was definitive about his club’s Brissett/Maye QB battle on Tuesday, as Randall writes.
“Coming out of the spring, I don’t think there’s any doubt: Jacoby is the starting quarterback at this point in time,” Mayo said before acknowledging there will be a competition.
“We can look at these other quarterbacks on the roster,” Mayo added. ” … It’s about competition. So, when we get out on the field this summer with the pads on, we’ll see how it all plays out. But, coming out of the spring, I think it’s clear that Jacoby is the most pro-ready guy we have. Played a lot of football.”
On Tuesday, the Pats placed RB Antonio Gibson on the NFI list and WR Kendrick Bourne, G Cole Stange, C Jake Andrews, and LB Sione Takitaki to the PUP list.
Read Randall on New England’s offseason quarterback pursuit and the Patriots-Brandon Aiyuk rumors.
New Orleans Saints
While RB Alvin Kamara has been pressing for a new contract, the veteran running back reported to Saints training camp on Tuesday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He isn’t staging a hold in and fully participated during Wednesday’s practice.
Kamara is scheduled to collect $11 million in 2024. He’s 29 years old and coming off a career-low scrimmage-yard campaign in which he ranked fourth worst in rushing yards over expectation per attempt.
Speaking of Saints’ RBs, head coach Dennis Allen was blunt on second-year RB Kendre Miller on Wednesday. “That’s a player who needs to figure out how to stay healthy because you can’t make the team in the training room,” Allen said, per Underhill.
New York Giants
Offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor received “a lot of attention on the sidelines” after being helped off the field on Wednesday, per Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic. New York signed Eluemunor and Jon Runyan Jr. this offseason to buoy their front five. Eluemunor is now dealing with a medical concern, while OT Evan Neal went on the PUP list on Tuesday.
The Giants’ first training camp practice is on Wednesday, and starting QB Daniel Jones says he’ll be “ready to go” after tearing his ACL in November, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN writes.
New York considered other quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft but ultimately failed to land another signal-caller. While rumors have suggested backup QB Drew Lock could compete for the Giants’ starting role, Jones remains the overwhelming favorite.
Free agent guard Greg Van Roten will take a visit with the Giants, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported. The 34-year-old was effective in 17 starts for the Raiders in 2023 and met with the Seahawks earlier this offseason.
New York Jets
Jets RB Breece Hall is taking it easy as he recovers from a lower-body injury he suffered during OTAs. Hall was spotted working on the sidelines early Wednesday, while Robby Sabo of Jets X Factor indicated the third-year back sat out multiple rotations.
Pass rusher Haason Reddick, whom the Jets acquired from the Eagles over the offseason, did not report to New York’s training camp Tuesday, as Pro Football Network’s Nick Faria writes. Set to collect $14.5 million in 2023, Reddick worked his way out of Philadelphia by requesting a new deal.
The Jets have offered Reddick an unknown raise, which he declined, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. Gang Green is also willing to convert his non-guaranteed incentives into guaranteed money. Reddick seemed amenable to this path forward but then skipped all of New York’s offseason work, according to Hughes.
Reddick is on a veteran contract, so the Jets cannot forgive his daily $50,000 fines.
Philadelphia Eagles
Second-round rookie CB Cooper DeJean is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss three weeks of practice, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported. The Eagles will place DeJean on the non-football injury list. Read Pro Football Network’s Anthony DiBona on why DeJean could still be ticketed for a starting role despite his upcoming absence.
Parris Campbell was the Eagles’ WR3 during Wednesday’s practice, while Tyler Steen was the starting right guard, per Zach Berman of PHLY. Zack Baun and Devin White lined up at LB, Isaiah Rodgers was a perimeter CB opposite Darius Slay, and Avonte Maddox was in the slot.
On Wednesday, longtime Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham announced that 2024 will be his final NFL campaign. Graham, 36, is entering his 15th season in Philadelphia, making him the longest-tenured player in franchise history.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Training Camp Location: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa.
First Practice: July 25
San Francisco 49ers
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk reported to 49ers training camp on Tuesday after formally requesting a trade last week. San Francisco hasn’t held “extensive contract talks” with Aiyuk since May, per Rapoport.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Aiyuk appears to be staging a hold-in. He was not in uniform and watched Wednesday’s practice from the sidelines.
Aiyuk isn’t the only contractual issue on San Francisco’s plate: All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is holding out from training camp as he awaits a pay raise, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday.
Williams, 36, has three years remaining on his contract. He’s due roughly $21 million in cash in 2024 and will count for $31.65 million on the 49ers’ salary cap.
The 49ers sent first-round rookie WR Ricky Pearsall to the NFI list on Tuesday, per The Athletic’s David Lombardi. Lynch said Pearsall will miss the “first block” of training camp. San Francisco also put EDGE Drake Jackson, LB Dre Greenlaw, and S Talanoa Hufanga on PUP.
Seattle Seahawks
Free agent center Connor Williams met with the Seahawks on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Williams tore his ACL in December, but his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said the veteran pivot is expected to be ready for Week 1. The 26-year-old was phenomenal for the Dolphins over the past two seasons and also has experience at guard.
Seattle’s current center options are free agent signing Nick Harris and 2023 fifth-round pick Olu Oluwatimi.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Edge rusher Randy Gregory did not report with the rest of the Buccaneer’s veterans on Tuesday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Gregory, 31, split the 2023 campaign between the Broncos and 49ers, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 10 QB hits. The Bucs signed him for $3 million, hoping Gregory could provide EDGE depth alongside YaYa Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and rookie Chris Braswell.
Tennessee Titans
While the Titans signed RB Tony Pollard to a three-year, $21.75 million deal this offseason, head coach Brian Callahan said Wednesday that Pollard’s addition doesn’t necessarily mean fellow RB Tyjae Spears is a backup.
“The fun part for me is: How are we going to deploy those guys?” Callahan said, via the team’s official site. “Maybe they both play at the same time, maybe one gets hot and you let him run, maybe we just rotate back and forth. I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet. But they are both going to play quite a bit of football for us, and I don’t view either one of them as a starter or a backup. They are both starting players to me.”
Washington Commanders
Although Jayden Daniels is widely expected to be the Commanders’ Week 1 starting quarterback, head coach Dan Quinn has not formally named the No. 2 overall pick his QB1.
“It’s not a secret, but it is a journey and a process,” Quinn said Tuesday, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “So when he’s ready, we’ll know … and he’ll also know.”
EVERY NFL TEAM’S BEST CONTRACT: RUSSELL WILSON, MIKE EVANS, JAKOBI MEYERS, AND JAYLON JOHNSON AMONG NFL’S BIGGEST BARGAINS
Who boasts the NFL‘s best contract? After examining the league’s worst deals (from the team perspective) on Monday, let’s take a look at the most club-friendly pacts in the NFL.
Some NFL contracts might be considered bargains because a player delivers league-average performance at a reduced rate. Others are steals because they almost can’t paid enough (like a certain quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs).
Let’s examine the best contract for every NFL team entering the 2024 season.
Best Bargain Contract For All 32 NFL Teams
As we review each NFL team’s best contract, keep in mind that we’ll only consider veteran deals.
Yes, the San Francisco 49ers are getting a bargain by paying QB Brock Purdy less than $1 million annually. Micah Parsons is a steal for the Dallas Cowboys at $4.2 million per year.
However, the NFL’s slotted rookie contract system turns almost every drafted player’s deal into a bargain. It wouldn’t be fair to compare artificially-deflated rookie agreements with veteran contracts negotiated on the open market.
Arizona Cardinals | C Hjalte Froholdt
The Cardinals didn’t draft a center to replace Froholdt, who came to the desert last offseason and proceeded to post the best season of his NFL career, starting all 17 games while displaying noticeable improvement by the end of the year.
Froholdt is on track to man the middle of Arizona’s offensive line again in 2024 and will do so while earning just $2.3 million per year. The Cards have $35 million in available cap space and rank first in projected 2025 cap room, so an extension could be warranted for the former journeyman.
Atlanta Falcons | S Jessie Bates
While Bates is the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid safety, his $16.005 million average annual value (AAV) is still a good deal for the Falcons. At signing, his AAV was just 7.1% of the NFL’s salary cap; fellow safety Derwin James was at 9.1%, while Minkah Fitzpatrick reached 8.8%.
Bates was a second-team All-Pro in 2023 after posting three forced fumbles, 11 pass breakups, and six interceptions in his debut campaign with Atlanta.
Baltimore Ravens | WR Rashod Bateman
Injuries and ineffectiveness have defined Bateman’s career thus far, as the former first-round pick has averaged just 389 receiving yards per season over his first three years in the NFL.
So, why is he a bargain? Bateman’s 2025 fifth-year option was non-applicable since he spent time on the non-football injury list in his rookie year. The Ravens used that leverage to sign him to a two-year, $12.8 million extension. Of course, Bateman actually has to deliver on the promise he showed coming out of Minnesota in 2021 — but a $6.4 million AAV is essentially a rounding error in 2024.
Buffalo Bills | QB Josh Allen
Allen is arguably the NFL’s second-best quarterback behind Patrick Mahomes but ranks only 11th in AAV among signal-callers. Allen earning $40 million per year while Jared Goff brings home $53 million is almost comical, but it’s the nature of the quarterback market.
Carolina Panthers | WR Diontae Johnson
The Panthers will pay Johnson just $10 million in 2024 after acquiring him from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for CB Donte Jackson this offseason. Signing bonus money doesn’t transfer in NFL trades, so Carolina is only responsible for Johnson’s $7 million base salary and $3 million roster bonus.
While Johnson’s 51-717-5 line last season marked his worst production since his rookie year, he was still effective on a per-snap basis. He ranked seventh in ESPN’s player-tracking WR metrics, primarily due to his ability to create consistent separation. He should quickly become Bryce Young’s favorite target.
Chicago Bears | CB Jaylon Johnson
The Bears had no choice but to extend Johnson after how dominant he was in coverage last season. The former second-round pick led all qualified corners in yardage (195) and passer rating allowed (33.3) while managing four interceptions and earning a second-team All-Pro nod.
Chicago got a surprisingly good deal, keeping Johnson under $20 million annually while crafting a four-year contract that, upon closer inspection, is really more of a two-year deal.
Cincinnati Bengals | S Vonn Bell
The Bengals made several smart, affordable signings this offseason, papering over holes by adding RB Zack Moss, OT Trent Brown, TE Mike Gesicki, S Geno Stone, and others.
But Bell will be one of the NFL’s best bargains in 2024. Already collecting $6 million in guaranteed salary from the Panthers, Bell returns to Cincinnati after a one-year hiatus making only the league minimum. Communication issues torched the Bengals’ secondary last season, and Bell will be tasked with fixing that problem.
Cleveland Browns | LB Jordan Hicks
The Browns have high-priced players along their defensive line and in their secondary and could soon hand a long-term extension to LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, so Cleveland had to go relatively cheap at its LB2 spot.
Hicks signed for $8 million over two years but only received $4.5 million guaranteed, making this a de facto single-season pact with a 2025 option.
Dallas Cowboys | S Malik Hooker
The Cowboys have dragged their heels on extensions for QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb, so much so that they’ll have to pay market rates for both stalwarts. Still, Dallas does have some affordable contracts on its books.
Hooker was constantly injured after entering the league as a first-round pick with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, but he has since found a home in Dallas. The Cowboys extended him last season, giving him a three-year deal worth $21 million.
Denver Broncos | DT Zach Allen
Sean Payton prioritized Allen during his first offseason helming the Broncos’ personnel choices, signing the former Cardinals DT to a three-year, $45.7 million deal that ranks only 22nd among the highest-paid interior players.
Defensive tackle prices have steadily increased over the past year, making Allen’s pact seem all the more reasonable. The former third-round pick ranked 10th in pressures (60) among interior defenders in 2023.
Detroit Lions | G Kevin Zeitler
The Lions were in the market for a cost-effective Jonah Jackson replacement after losing their starting guard to the Rams, and Detroit could hardly have done better than landing Zeitler for one year and $6 million.
After starting 181 career games in the NFL, Zeitler finally made his first Pro Bowl last year after completing his age-33 campaign. He showed no signs of slowing down, especially in pass protection. Guards can play forever, and Zeitler is still among the league’s best.
Green Bay Packers | CB Keisean Nixon
While Nixon’s $6 million AAV ties him with Mike Hilton as the NFL’s second-highest-paid slot-only corner, he might have more value after the league changed its kickoff rules this offseason.
Nixon was one of only two players to post enough kick returns to qualify for year-end statistical rankings. He didn’t score a kick return TD last season, but Nixon posted two returns of 40+ yards. If he consistently puts Green Bay in good field position, Nixon should be a bargain.
Houston Texans | TE Dalton Schultz
Only three tight ends have caught more touchdowns than Schultz (22) over the past four seasons, and they are the names you might guess: Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and George Kittle. Only four TEs have hauled in more receptions during that span.
Nevertheless, Schultz’s $12 million AAV ranks ninth at the position. He’ll have plenty of competition for C.J. Stroud’s targets after Houston added RB Joe Mixon and WR Stefon Diggs this offseason, but Schultz is an excellent fit for the Texans’ offense.
Indianapolis Colts | WR Michael Pittman Jr.
A second-round pick in 2020, Pittman has been uber-reliable since joining the Colts, topping 900 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. He was the centerpiece of Indianapolis’ offense in 2023, as his 28.5% target share ranked sixth-best in the NFL.
And yet, the Colts will pay Pittman less through two years of his extension than he would’ve received on back-to-back franchise tags. He’ll earn just $333,333 more annually than Calvin Ridley over the next three seasons despite being three years younger than the new Titans wideout.
Jacksonville Jaguars | C Mitch Morse
The Jaguars needed a replacement for center Luke Fortner after two seasons of struggles, and they found one in Morse, whom the Bills released in a cost-cutting move.
While Morse may no longer be the player he was at the beginning of his NFL career, he represents a clear improvement over Fortner. His $5.25 million AAV ranks just 11th among centers.
Kansas City Chiefs | QB Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, but ranks 10th among quarterbacks with a $45 million AAV. Case closed.
Las Vegas Raiders | WR Jakobi Meyers
The Raiders are paying market rate for Davante Adams, but their WR2 has outplayed his contract. Meyers is a better player than fellow wideouts Jerry Jeudy, Gabe Davis, Darnell Mooney, and Allen Lazard, each of whom matches or exceeds Meyers’ $11 million AAV.
The former undrafted free agent managed at least 800 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons and scored six-plus touchdowns in the previous two. Meyers remains underrated and underpaid.
Los Angeles Chargers | C Bradley Bozeman
The Chargers were largely set at four of five offensive line positions entering the offseason but needed a new center with Corey Linsley set to retire. Bozeman quickly landed in Los Angeles after getting his walking papers from the Carolina Panthers, signing a one-year pact worth the veteran’s minimum.
He’s reuniting with new Chargers OC Greg Roman, who held the same title when both men were with the Ravens. Roman already knows Bozeman — and his hulking 6’5″, 325-pound frame — is a good fit for his gap-running scheme.
Los Angeles Rams | S Kam Curl
The Rams have habitually collected players like CB Cobie Durant and S Quentin Lake, who can line up virtually anywhere in the second and third levels, and Curl fits that mold.
While the 25-year-old lacks ball production (with zero interceptions since his three-pick rookie campaign), Curl can play safety in two-deep coverages, erase tight ends, or line up in the box as a Big Nickel or Dime linebacker. He was the only top-25 free agent in Pro Football Network’s Top 100 to sign for less than a $7 million AAV.
Miami Dolphins | CB Kendall Fuller
Fuller was arguably the No. 1 steal of NFL free agency in 2024. He’s 29 years old, but he has played 1,000 snaps for three consecutive seasons, is solid against the run, and forced a tight window on 40.8% of his targets in man coverage in 2023, the fourth-highest rate in the league, per Next Gen Stats.
While he’s played primarily on the perimeter since 2020, Fuller began his career in the slot. He’ll give the Dolphins optionality if incumbent slot CB Kader Kohou struggles or 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith develops into a starting option on the outside. Getting Fuller’s talent and flexibility for $7.5 million annually is a gift for Miami.
Minnesota Vikings | RB Aaron Jones
Injuries will be a never-ending concern for Jones, who turns 30 in December and missed six games in 2023 with hamstring and knee issues. But Jones — who ranked sixth in yards after contact per attempt (3.35)– is a perfect fit for the Vikings’ zone-running scheme.
Ty Chandler flashed after taking over Minnesota’s backfield at the end of last season, but he’ll cede touches to Jones, who should add a dose of explosiveness and efficiency to the Vikings’ rushing attack. Landing him for just $7 million should be a steal for the NFC North franchise.
New England Patriots | EDGE Josh Uche
Yes, Uche is a designated pass rusher who’s never played more than a third of New England’s defensive snaps in a season. But the delta between Uche (who re-upped for just $3 million) and Bryce Huff — another edge defender who sees limited snaps but received a $17 million AAV from the Eagles this offseason — isn’t as wide as the gap between their salaries.
Uche finished first in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity in 2022 while posting 11.5 sacks. He won’t turn 26 years old until September. The limitations are obvious, but the price point doesn’t make sense.
New Orleans Saints | LB Demario Davis
While he’s entering his age-35 campaign, Davis is still among the most productive linebackers in the league. He has received a first- or second-team All-Pro nod in five consecutive seasons and has been named a Pro Bowler the last two. His 6.5 sacks in 2023 ranked second among off-ball linebackers.
Roquan Smith reset the LB market with a $20 million AAV on his 2023 Ravens extension, but Davis is still stuck at $8.6 million.
New York Giants | DT Dexter Lawrence
There’s no other NFL player quite like Lawrence. He’s one of the league’s best pass rushers despite standing 6’4” and 340 pounds. While most defensive tackles his size merely take up space, Lawrence finished seventh among interior defenders with 65 pressures in 2023.
Lawrence is arguably the league’s second-best DT behind Chris Jones, but his $22.4 million AAV is tied for just eighth at the position. While the Giants have handed out myriad regrettable contracts in recent years, Lawrence’s deal isn’t one of them.
New York Jets | LB Quincy Williams
Williams has been one of the league’s most productive linebackers since joining the Jets as a 2021 waiver claim.
In 2023, Williams led the NFL with 80 defensive stops — tackles that resulted in negative EPA for the offense — according to PFF. But he wasn’t a pure run-stopping linebacker. Williams also finished second among LBs in pass breakups (10) and played the third-most LB snaps from the slot.
New York wisely bought early stock in Williams, inking him to a three-year, $18 million contract in March 2023 — before he earned first-team All-Pro honors.
Philadelphia Eagles | EDGE Josh Sweat
Free agent tackle/guard Mekhi Becton’s one-year, $2.75 million contract could turn into a bargain for the Eagles, but we’re going with Sweat, who still seems relatively anonymous despite his annual production.
Sweat has posted at least six sacks in four consecutive years, including a career-high 11 in 2022. Last year, he ranked 14th in pass-rush win rate (20%) among edge rushers. Philadelphia still convinced him to accept a $6 million pay cut this offseason in exchange for $9.5 million in guarantees.
Pittsburgh Steelers | QB Russell Wilson
Wilson is collecting $37 million in guarantees from the Denver Broncos in 2024, so he’ll only cost the Steelers a minimum salary. That’s a genuine bargain in a league where backup quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor and Marcus Mariota earn $6 million annually.
Whether Wilson will move the needle for Pittsburgh remains to be seen. Still, he almost has to represent an improvement over last year’s Kenny Pickett/Mason Rudolph/Mitchell Trubisky trifecta.
If Wilson struggles, it’s no harm, no foul for the Steelers. He’s costing Pittsburgh nothing, and Mike Tomlin can turn over the QB reins to trade acquisition Justin Fields whenever he wants.
San Francisco 49ers | CB Charvarius Ward
One of the more physical corners in the game, Charvarius Ward landed a free-agent payday with the 49ers in 2022 and has continued his feisty play in San Francisco. His 34 pass breakups are the second-most in the NFL over the past two seasons.
The cornerback market has been relatively stagnant in recent years but has still eclipsed the $20 million threshold. Ward makes just $13.5 million annually for the Niners. Still just 28 years old, he should be in line for a raise when he hits the market in 2025.
Seattle Seahawks | OT George Fant
Signing a swing tackle like Fant for two years and $9.1 million isn’t exactly the sexiest of transactions. However, the Seahawks will be thankful they invested in a capable insurance policy like Fant if starting OTs Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas miss more time with injuries. Fant, 32, started 13 games and played over 900 snaps for Houston in 2023.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | WR Mike Evans
While everything pointed to Evans leaving Tampa Bay this offseason, he eventually took a hometown discount. His $20.5 million AAV came in well below projections, even if the 30-year-old can earn up to $11 million via incentives. If Evans reaches the production thresholds to unlock his incentive package, the Buccaneers will happily pay the money.
Tennessee Titans | S Jamal Adams
The Titans paid full freight for most of their offseason spending spree. Contracts for new additions like WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tony Pollard, C Lloyd Cushenberry, and CB L’Jarius Sneed were hardly cheap.
However, Tennessee did get a deal on Adams, who signed for just $1.125 million in July. He’s a liability in coverage but can probably hold his own in the box or as a hybrid linebacker in first-year DC Dennard Wilson’s scheme. The Titans need help at both spots, making Adams a low-risk, high-reward addition.
Washington Commanders | S Jeremy Chinn
We called Chinn one of the NFL’s forgotten free agents earlier this offseason, noting the former second-round pick’s absence from the Panthers’ defensive plans. He might’ve landed in a perfect spot last week when he signed with the Dan Quinn-led Commanders.
Quinn always got the most out of unheralded tweeners like Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, and Markquese Bell during his run as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.
Chinn is cut from the same cloth. He can do a little bit of everything while lining up as a safety, nickel corner, or linebacker, and Washington signed him for just $4.1 million.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
BIG TEN NOTEBOOK: USC, UCLA FACE TALL TASK IN LOADED BIG TEN
With their summer 2022 joint declaration of intent to leave the Pac-12 in 2024, Los Angeles-based rivals UCLA and Southern California began a groundswell that fundamentally changed the college football landscape. The two programs hope to find stable footing as they begin membership in the Big Ten.
The first two newcomers in the Big Ten’s Western expansion, which also includes Oregon and Washington with their Pac-12 exits announced in August 2023, add the nation’s second-largest media market and brand recognition to the conference.
The promise of high-profile matchups fueled the move to expand the Big Ten from coast to coast, a topic that first-year UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster touched on at Wednesday’s edition of Big Ten media days in Indianapolis.
“That’s why we’re excited for the Big Ten, just getting opportunities to play in a lot of stadiums that you usually wouldn’t get an opportunity to,” he said when asked about the Bruins traveling to Penn State’s Beaver Stadium for the first meeting of the two programs since 1968.
Initial intrigue is undeniable as fresh as the pairings will be. But the ability of UCLA and USC to compete with, and not merely play against the upper echelon of the Big Ten, is a hot topic upon their introduction to the league.
The Bruins and Trojans left the Pac-12 with 54 combined conference football championships — but just one in the College Football Playoff era. USC’s 2017 Pac-12 title was its first since 2008 and the program’s last of 37 claimed since 1927. UCLA joins its new conference on a quarter-century league-championship drought, last leading the Pac in 1998.
They will now contend with such programs as Penn State, which has finished ranked in the top 12 six times since 2016 — and never qualified for the Playoff as a result of other Big Ten members’ dominance. The four-team Playoff era opened and closed with Big Ten heavyweights Ohio State and Michigan claiming national championships, an accomplishment that eluded the Pac-12 as a whole every season after USC won its last in 2004.
The Trojans went 11-1 in the 2022 regular season, their first under head coach Lincoln Riley. Losses to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Tulane in the Cotton Bowl Classic, however, set the tone for a disappointing 2023. USC lost its last three games of the regular season to head to the Holiday Bowl unranked, and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams exited without a team title.
USC’s sour end to 2022 and middling final season in the Pac-12 generated plenty of buzz around college football media, which Riley addressed in Indianapolis.
“That’s part of being at USC,” Riley said. “It’s part of being a blue-blood program. … It’s always going to be talked about, and you either want to be in programs like that or you don’t.”
–USC opens its inaugural Big Ten slate with one of the conference’s most marquee matchups, as the Trojans travel to Ann Arbor to face reigning national champion Michigan. The Sept. 21 clash marks the first meeting between the two at the venerable Big House since a 20-19 Wolverines win in 1958.
— UCLA beings Big Ten play on Sept. 14 when it hosts Indiana at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., in an unintentional reminder that the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington also have noteworthy impacts on other sports. The Bruins and Hoosiers claim the most and tied-for-fifth-most national championships in men’s basketball, respectively.
— Neither of the Los Angeles programs face Ohio State in their first year of Big Ten competition, denying UCLA a reunion with former head coach Chip Kelly. Kelly left the Bruins after going 35-34 in six seasons from 2018 through 2023, taking the offensive coordinator’s post with the Buckeyes.
His departure for Ohio State reunites Kelly with Ryan Day, a former University of New Hampshire quarterback whom Kelly coached at the turn of the millennium.
“I trust Chip with my life,” Day said. “And that’s a big part of any time you are handing something over like that, that you have done almost your entire career.”
While Kelly will not see his former UCLA team, he will return to Autzen Stadium and the University of Oregon on Oct. 12 in a matchup of teams with Playoff designs. Kelly left New Hampshire in 2007 to become the Ducks’ offensive coordinator, then took over for Mike Bellotti as head coach in 2009. Kelly went 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon, helping the program ascend to the national stage — and in the process, perhaps paving the way for its eventual addition to the Big Ten.
BIG TEN NOTEBOOK: OHIO STATE’S NEW CHIP
In late July, the heat is on almost everywhere.
But in Columbus, Ohio, the heat has been on Ohio State head coach Ryan Day since 2021.
Losing three straight rivalry games to Michigan will leave a fan base ticked at the coach who’s being paid millions not to lose those games.
With Chip Kelly running the Buckeyes’ offense in 2024, Day might just beat Michigan and give new athletic director Ross Bjork a few million reasons not to look for a new coach. Kelly as offensive coordinator seems about as overqualified for a job as a college professor might be to instruct middle schoolers on, say, history.
However, overkill might be the thing Ohio State needs to take the next step under Day. In a culture and a program that grades solely on whether you win it all, Day is 0-for-5.
That’s where Kelly comes in.
You can debate just how good a coach Kelly was with UCLA and at two stops in the NFL. And if you wanted to fall on the side of “not worth the paycheck,” you’d probably be right.
But it can’t be debated that Kelly was brilliant at Oregon and that he should be able to take the Buckeyes’ offense from 0 to 60 quicker than their fans were melting down on social media during three consecutive losses to the hated rivals from the north.
“He’s one of the best play-callers in the history of college football,” Day said of Kelly on Tuesday at the first of three Big Ten Conference media days in Indianapolis. “It allows me a little more peace of mind … there’s a lot of trust here. I trust him with my life.”
While the conference doesn’t do a preseason media poll, cleveland.com does. Of the 27 folks they polled, 21 believe Ohio State will emerge from the 18-team taffy pull as the champion.
Not that it takes much to create great expectations for a program with a national fan base and fanatical followers. But pairing Kelly’s brilliant offensive mind with some of the most talented players in the sport equals even more outsized hopes.
“He would tell you he’s very excited with what he has,” Day said. “My job as the head coach is to make sure it fits complementary football across the board.”
Also heard from Big Ten coaches:
–Illinois coach Bret Bielema led off the session by saying there isn’t a more exciting time in his life to be the school’s head coach.
That might catch some by surprise, given that the Fighting Illini are ranked 13th in the preseason after regressing from a good 2022.
–Rutgers’ Greg Schiano said it’s “time to get going. It’s time to make a mark.”
The Scarlet Knights are picked ninth and Schiano feels good about his squad, comparing it to his good teams from his first run in the mid-2000s that had a spate of future NFL players.
–Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell is high on Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, saying that he has “done a phenomenal job and that I expect him to grow in his leadership role.” If Van Dyke plays to his capability, the Badgers could outperform their predicted seventh-place finish.
–Northwestern’s David Braun said the challenge this year is to duplicate last year’s success, when the Wildcats went from 1-11 to a surprising 8-5 mark.
“Can we find the same level of leadership within our team?” he asked.
–Purdue’s Ryan Walters said he’s more comfortable in his second season on the job. Walters has 37 new players on the roster, which isn’t expected to do much.
The Boilermakers are picked for 18th and last place in the league.
ACC NOTEBOOK: BILL O’BRIEN EMBRACING CHANGE AS NEW COACH AT BOSTON COLLEGE
Although he hasn’t been a head coach in college football for the past 10 years, Bill O’Brien isn’t shying away from the changes that have impacted the sport during his layoff.
O’Brien, who took over as Boston College’s coach in February, has fully embraced the evolution of the transfer portal, the world of name, image and likeness (NIL) and a new roster limit that allows 105 players to be on scholarships.
“Coaching is also all about being able to adapt,” O’Brien said Wednesday at Atlantic Coast Conference media days in Charlotte, N.C. “In the guys I’ve worked for, Nick Saban would say it all the time, Bill Belichick, you’ve got to adapt. If you don’t adapt, the game is going to pass you by.
“We’re doing a good job of that at BC. We’re adapting to the changing times. We have a lot of great people in the administration helping with that. Obviously, Blake James, our athletic director. We’re very adaptable and I think we’re on the right track.”
A Boston native, O’Brien was Penn State’s coach for two seasons (2012-13) before taking the reins of the Houston Texans from 2014-20. He then served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama in 2021 and 2022, holding the same two roles with the New England Patriots last season.
“I try to impart some of my experiences, my wisdom, I’ve been doing this for 32 years, on these guys,” O’Brien said. “Hopefully, that’s a role I can play on this team that can help this team get better every day because I’ve had a lot of great experiences, I’ve learned a lot.”
The Eagles are coming off a 7-6 campaign under Jeff Hafley, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. Boston College capped its 2023 season by topping SMU 23-14 in the Fenway Bowl, the program’s first bowl victory since 2016.
O’Brien hasn’t been surprised with the level of talent in the Eagles’ locker room, and he believes the team is in good position to record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2017-18.
“These guys, like I said earlier, they show up on time, they buy into what we’re trying to get done relative to offense, defense and special teams,” O’Brien said. “I really like the staff. I’ve enjoyed working with the people at Boston College. … There’s nothing that really surprised me. It’s been a job that I love to come to work to every single day.”
–Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos is a firm believer that he will contend for the Heisman Trophy. Last season was his first at Boston College after one year at UCF, and he threw for 2,248 yards, rushed for 1,113 and totaled 28 touchdowns (15 passing, 13 rushing).
No other player in Eagles history has thrown for 2,000 yards and rushed for 1,000, and only five (including Castellanos) have accomplished the feat in the ACC since 1996.
“Last year kind of was thrown in the fire as a young guy. It was kind of a blur. I was out there just playing ball,” Castellanos said. ” … This year, I’ll be more mature, the game will be more slower. I think I’ll do more things.”
–Castellanos is hoping that O’Brien can help him limit his turnovers, though. The rising junior had 14 interceptions in 2023.
“What we’ve been doing this offseason, it’s been really great,” Castellanos said. “It will be great, but you definitely will see a change of protecting the ball, throwing the ball away, sliding, getting out of bounds, stuff of that nature.”
–Drew Kendall, a native of Norwell, Mass., will be anchoring Boston College’s offensive line while also trying to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Pete Kendall, a former Eagle himself, went on to have a 13-year NFL career after being selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round (21st overall) of the 1996 draft. He played in 189 games throughout his career, making 188 starts.
“I was really excited about BC football growing up. I grew up going to games,” said Drew Kendall, a redshirt junior. “It was really special when I first got that offer, visualizing wearing that 66 at Boston College with ‘Kendall’ on the back. It’s really special. I enjoy it every day. It’s special for me and my dad.”
–Boston College senior defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku believes the Eagles have the potential to reach new heights under O’Brien, who has already changed the culture within the program during his first five months in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
“I would say it added a new spark to this team, a new hunger. Like I said, guys decided to stay instead of leaving,” Ezeiruaku said. “That just goes to show that guys are believing in what we have here, wanting to buy into what coach Bill O’Brien has brought to the team, has brought to the new program, the new mentality, the new culture.”
SPORTSBOOK OFFERING SEC PAIR AS MOST LIKELY TO BE FIRST COACH FIRED
The Florida Gators are more than a month away from their 2024 season opener, but coach Billy Napier is already on the proverbial hot seat.
The Gators’ third-year coach is being offered at +400 by SportsBetting.ag to be the first NCAA football coach fired this season. Napier, who is 11-14 in two seasons in Gainesville, failed to lead the Gators to a bowl game for the first time since 2017.
Napier leads a list of 18 names being offered by the sportsbook. The second shortest odds belong to Sam Pittman (+500), who is 23-25 through his first four seasons at Arkansas. Looking deeper, the Razorbacks are 11-14 over the past two years — identical to Napier.
Next on the list is Miami’s Mario Cristobal at +600. Those odds could shift significantly with Miami and Florida kicking off their seasons against each other in Gainesville on Aug. 31.
Cristobal, who is coming off signing a third consecutive strong recruiting class, is 12-13 entering the fourth year of the 10-year contract he signed to leave Oregon in 2022.
FIRST NCAA FOOTBALL COACH FIRED*
Billy Napier, Florida (4/1)
Sam Pittman, Arkansas (5/1)
Mario Cristobal, Miami (6/1)
Dave Aranda, Baylor (7/1)
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (8/1)
Kalani Sitake, BYU (10/1)
Justin Wilcox, California (12/1)
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh (12/1)
Ryan Day, Ohio State (12/1)
Neal Brown, West Virginia (14/1)
Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati (14/1)
Mike Locksley, Maryland (16/1)
Shane Beamer, South Carolina (16/1)
Tony Elliott, Virginia (16/1)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson (25/1)
Lincoln Riley, USC (25/1)
Brent Venables, Oklahoma (33/1)
Deion Sanders, Colorado (50/1)
*Odds by SportsBetting.ag provided for entertainment purposes only.
Following the first three names on the list is Baylor’s Dave Aranda at +700 and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea at +800.
Aranda is 23-25 in four seasons at the helm of the Bears. Since winning the Big 12 in 2021, Baylor has only nine combined victories, including going 3-9 and closing with five consecutive losses last season.
Lea is 9-27 in three seasons leading the Commodores, including a 2-22 record against SEC opponents.
Perhaps the most intriguing name on the list is Ohio State’s Ryan Day. Despite a 56-8 record with the Buckeyes, he enters this season facing a significant amount of pressure with Ohio State riding a three-game losing streak against bitter rival Michigan.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: 20-RUN BARRAGE LIFTS ROCKIES PAST RED SOX
Brenton Doyle hit his first career grand slam while Ezequiel Tovar, Jacob Stallings and Ryan McMahon also homered as the Colorado Rockies matched their single-game franchise run record in a 20-7 rout over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in Denver.
The Rockies banged out a season-high 21 hits to win the rubber match of the three-game set. Brendan Rodgers had four, while Tovar, Stallings, Kris Bryant and Michael Toglia added three hits apiece. Doyle’s slam — his 17th home run this season and 10th this month — capped a six-run sixth inning that made it 19-3.
Jarren Duran finished a double shy of the cycle for the Red Sox, who have lost five of six since the All-Star break. Nick Pivetta (4-7) allowed 10 hits and eight runs (seven earned) in 2 2/3 innings.
Things got heated in the fourth when Boston’s Reese McGuire flew out to end the top of the inning. As McGuire jogged down the first-base line, Colorado starter Cal Quantrill pumped his fist, evoking a reaction from McGuire. They had to be separated as both benches and bullpens ran onto the field, but the situation calmed down without any ejections.
Mets 12, Yankees 3
Francisco Lindor homered twice and drove in five runs as the visiting Mets completed a season sweep of the all-New York series for the second time in team history.
In front of a season-high 48,760 fans at Yankee Stadium, the Mets swept the four-game season series for the first time since taking all four meetings in 2013. At 53-48, the Mets are a season-high five games over .500 and improved to 31-15 since May 30.
In the fifth inning against Gerrit Cole, Lindor gave the Mets a 5-2 lead by blasting a cutter into the second deck in right field. The two-run shot gave him the seventh 20-homer season of his career. The Mets hit seven homers in two games against Cole this season.
Marlins 6, Orioles 3
Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run double in the seventh broke a tie and led Miami to its second straight victory over visiting Baltimore. Miami’s Josh Bell hit a solo home run to ignite a three-run fourth inning for the Marlins, who won consecutive games for just the third time this month and will go for a three-game series sweep on Thursday afternoon.
Colton Cowser’s three-run double in the sixth tied the game at 3-3. Marlins starter Edward Cabrera, who was pulled with one out and the bases loaded, was charged with all three runs.
Orioles starter Chayce McDermott made his major league debut, going four innings and surrendering three runs on five hits. He walked two and fanned three.
Padres 12, Nationals 3
Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts each had four hits, Jurickson Profar homered for the second straight game and San Diego routed host Washington.
Kyle Higashioka had three hits — including a home run — for the Padres, who have won four straight. San Diego starter Matt Waldron (6-9) gave up three runs on four hits over six innings. The Padres racked up 20 hits and improved to 5-0 versus Washington in 2024.
Juan Yepez homered to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, and Luis Garcia Jr. had two hits for the Nationals, who were held to six hits one night after managing five in a 4-0 loss.
Reds 9, Braves 4
Spencer Steer had three of his team’s seven extra-base hits to lead visiting Cincinnati past Atlanta in what was due to be the first game of a split doubleheader. The second game was rained out.
Steer doubled twice and tripled to go along with his three RBIs. Jake Fraley and Elly De La Cruz each homered for the Reds. De La Cruz also stole two bases, increasing his major league-leading total to 51.
Braves rookie Nacho Alvarez Jr. singled in the first inning for his first major league hit. Atlanta starter Allan Winans (0-2) was shelled for seven runs on six hits — including two homers — over 2 2/3 innings.
Astros 8, Athletics 1
Hunter Brown cooled down one of baseball’s hottest offenses, Jose Altuve paced an 11-hit attack with a double and two singles and Houston salvaged one win in its three-game series against host Oakland.
Chas McCormick homered while Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz joined Altuve with two RBIs apiece, helping the Astros hold the top spot in the American League West by completing a 3-3 Western swing. Brown (9-6) improved to 3-0 in five career starts against the A’s, pitching around eight hits to allow just one run in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
The Athletics stranded 10 baserunners, seven during Brown’s six innings. All eight runs (seven earned) were charged to A’s starter JP Sears (7-8) in his six-plus innings. He served up nine hits in a walk-free performance, striking out three.
Pirates 5, Cardinals 0
Connor Joe and Rowdy Tellez drove in two runs each as Pittsburgh shut out visiting St. Louis to take the three-game series.
Pirates starting pitcher Martin Perez (2-5) walked five batters, but the left-hander held the Cardinals to four hits in six innings. He struck out two. Tellez sent a 447-foot home run out of PNC Park in the fourth inning for Pittsburgh, which pulled within one game of St. Louis in the National League wild-card race.
Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (2-3) allowed five runs on four hits and three walks in three innings. He struck out three.
Twins 5, Phillies 4
Max Kepler hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Minnesota to a victory over Philadelphia in Minneapolis.
Kepler brought home Trevor Larnach, who was hit by a pitch to open the ninth. Larnach then advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring to give Minnesota the win in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Gregory Soto (2-4) took the loss, while Kepler’s heroics made a winner out of Jhoan Duran (6-5), who logged a 1-2-3 ninth. Kepler also tripled as part of a 2-for-5 day that included two RBIs and one run. Carlos Santana also had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who won for just the second time in six games.
Rangers 10, White Sox 2
Corey Seager belted a solo homer to highlight his four-hit performance and Nathaniel Lowe drove in four runs, fueling host Texas over lowly Chicago in Arlington, Texas.
Adolis Garcia added three hits, and Robbie Grossman homered for the Rangers, who have won four in a row and 11 of their past 15 games. Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (7-4) allowed two runs on four hits while striking out a season-high 10 batters in seven innings.
Luis Robert Jr. belted a solo homer and Nicky Lopez had an RBI single for the White Sox, who struck out 13 times en route to losing their 10th game in a row.
Brewers 3, Cubs 2
William Contreras delivered a go-ahead RBI double in the ninth inning as visiting Milwaukee prevailed against Chicago in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Jackson Chourio had two hits and an RBI for the Brewers, who scored five runs in the series. Bryse Wilson allowed one run over four innings of relief, and Jakob Junis (3-0) followed with three scoreless innings for Milwaukee. Joel Payamps struck out two in the ninth for his fifth save and the Brewers’ fifth win in their last six games.
Seiya Suzuki doubled, homered and scored twice for the Cubs, who are 2-4 coming out of the All-Star break.
Angels 2, Mariners 1
Brandon Drury’s two-out single brought home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of host Seattle, knocking the Mariners out of a tie for first in the American League West.
The Angels won their fourth in a row and for the seventh time in nine games, with six of the latter coming against Seattle. Angels reliever Hans Crouse (4-0) got the victory and Carlos Estevez worked the ninth for his 20th save.
Both starters pitched well but neither factored into the decision. Angels starter Griffin Canning allowed just one run on four hits over five innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out six. Seattle right-hander Luis Castillo pitched six scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out seven.
Guardians 2, Tigers 1
Josh Naylor chopped a two-out, tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning and Cleveland overcame the exit of ace Tanner Bibee to cramping to beat visiting Detroit.
Bibee, locked in a pitchers’ duel with Detroit’s Jack Flaherty, went out for the sixth in a 1-1 contest, but after hopping over the third base line, he began limping to the mound and didn’t start the inning. The team announced Bibee, who allowed only Matt Vierling’s first-inning homer and one other hit, was dealing with lower-extremity cramping.
However, Guardians relievers Scott Barlow, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis (4-2) and Emmanuel Clase (31st save) didn’t yield a hit and allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings.
Blue Jays 6, Rays 3
Justin Turner drove in the go-ahead run with a single in a four-run eighth inning as Toronto defeated visiting Tampa Bay to even the teams’ three-game series at one win apiece.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two RBIs and a walk for the Blue Jays, who improved to 2-3 on their nine-game homestand. Daulton Varsho added an RBI single in the eighth after Genesis Cabrera (3-2) pitched around a walk in the top of the inning in a 2-2 game.
Josh Lowe, Randy Arozarena and Ben Rortvedt each had RBIs for the Rays, who are 3-3 on a seven-game road trip. Jason Adam (4-2) surrendered two runs on two hits and two walks in the decisive eighth inning.
Diamondbacks 8, Royals 6
Gabriel Moreno’s go-ahead, two-run double sparked a five-run ninth inning as visiting Arizona rallied past Kansas City in the decisive game of a three-game series.
Moreno drove a slider from James McArthur (4-4) with one out to push Arizona ahead 5-4. After Corbin Carroll’s infield hit, Ketel Marte followed with a three-run homer.
Joe Mantiply (4-2) got the win for the Diamondbacks, who also received homers from Eugenio Suarez, Joc Pederson and Christian Walker. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino each had three singles for the Royals.
MIKE TROUT (KNEE) UNDERGOING EXAMINATION AFTER SETBACK
Mike Trout’s rehab stint at Triple-A Salt Lake has at least tentatively been interrupted as he traveled back to Southern California on Wednesday to have his left knee re-examined.
Trout, the Los Angeles Angels’ star center fielder, felt a twinge in the surgically repaired knee while striking out during a first-inning at-bat on Tuesday night. It was his first rehab game for the Bees and he played just two innings before exiting.
“After the at-bat, he came back in and felt the need to say something,” Salt Lake manager Mike Johnson told reporters before Wednesday’s game. “We took him out as a precaution.”
After the Angels notched a 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon, manager Ron Washington said he had few details to share about Trout, the three-time American League MVP.
“Nothing other than he’s coming back to L.A. to be reevaluated, so we’ll see what goes on with that,” Washington said.
Trout last played for the Angels on April 29, when he injured the knee. He underwent surgery to repair meniscus damage four days later.
The initial plan in Salt Lake was for Trout to play five innings in center field on Tuesday, serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday and play seven innings in the field on Thursday.
Trout, an 11-time All-Star, was batting .220 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 29 games this season. He was unable to figure out how he hurt the knee.
Also Wednesday, the Angels signed veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto to a minor league contract. Cueto, 38, will report to Salt Lake.
Cueto was in the Texas Rangers’ organization earlier this season and went 2-1 with a 5.92 ERA in eight starts for Triple-A Round Rock. He opted out his minor league deal and was subsequently released by Texas on July 2.
Cueto, a two-time All-Star, has pitched for five teams over 16 major league seasons. He has a 144-111 record, eight shutouts and a 3.50 ERA in 368 appearances (363 starts). He recorded 92 of his wins for the Cincinnati Reds from 2008-15.
BREWERS PLACE OF CHRISTIAN YELICH (BACK) ON INJURED LIST
The Milwaukee Brewers placed All-Star outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to low back inflammation.
The team recalled catcher Gary Sanchez from the injured list in a corresponding transaction.
Yelich, 32, was removed from Tuesday’s 1-0 road win against the Chicago Cubs when the nagging back injury flared up. He is expected to visit a specialist this week, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Yelich made his third All-Star team this season (first since 2019) and entered Wednesday leading the National League in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) through 73 games. He has 11 homers, 42 RBIs and 21 steals.
Sanchez, 31, has not played since June 23 due to a strained left calf. He is batting .218 with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 51 games and is a candidate to fill Yelich’s role at DH.
NHL NEWS
STAN BOWMAN RETURNS TO NHL AS OILERS GM
The Edmonton Oilers named Stan Bowman their general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations on Wednesday, nearly three years after he resigned from the Chicago Blackhawks amid scandal.
Bowman, 51, spent 20 seasons (2000-21) in Chicago — the final 12 as GM — and won three Stanley Cup titles (2010, 2013 and 2015).
But Bowman resigned in October 2021 after an investigation into sexual assault allegations made by former player Kyle Beach. Bowman, and other members of the team’s administration, were found to have inadequately responded to the allegations.
As a result, Bowman, former Blackhawks executive Al MacIsaac and ex-head coach Joel Quenneville were suspended by the NHL. They were reinstated July 1, with the league stating that they used their “time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership.”
Bowman is getting his second chance with the Oilers, who fell one game short of winning the Stanley Cup last season, losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games.
He replaces Ken Holland, whose five-year contract expired and was not renewed.
“I am excited and pleased to be welcoming Stan to the Edmonton Oilers,” said Jeff Jackson, Edmonton’s CEO of hockey operations. “I believe his vast experience and proven success in this role, together with the important work he has done in his time away from the game, fits our goal of being best in class when it comes to all facets of our organization. Through our many conversations, we share a common vision of where we are as a team and what is required to achieve another Stanley Cup title.”
With Bowman as general manager, the Blackhawks were 493-310-109 and won three Western Conference titles and the Presidents’ Trophy in 2013.
GOLF NEWS
2024 3M OPEN: PREVIEW, PROP PICKS, BEST BETS
Only two events remain before the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which has led to a strong field assembling at this week’s 3M Open.
The top 70 players in the standings will qualify for the first leg of the playoffs, and many of those jockeying for position — or trying to improve their chances of qualifying for additional legs — are in Minnesota this week.
The event begins Thursday at TPC Twin Cities, and our golf experts preview the tournament while providing their favorite prop picks and best bets to win this week.
3M OPEN
Location: Blaine, Minn., July 25-28
Course: TPC Twin Cities (Par 71, 7,431 Yards)
Purse: $8.1M (Winner: $1.458M)
Defending Champion: Lee Hodges
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3:30-6:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @3MOpen
PROP PICKS
–Taylor Pendrith to beat Keith Mitchell (-105 at DraftKings): Mitchell has dropped to 87th in the world rankings while missing three of his past four cuts, including at last week’s alternate-field Barracuda Championship. Pendrith, who claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory earlier this season, is coming off a T5 at the Barracuda, with his lone missed cut in his past 11 starts coming at the PGA Championship. Mitchell did tie for fifth here last year while Pendrith failed to make the weekend.
–Ben Kohles to beat Patrick Rodgers (+115 at BetRivers): We like the favorable payout on Kohles, who has posted a pair of top-20s while failing to make the cut just once in his past eight starts. Rodgers is coming off a T5 at the Barracuda but has been a bit more inconsistent as of late, failing to make the weekend twice while breaking the top 30 just two times in his past seven starts.
–Henrik Norlander top Nordic finisher (+105 at DraftKings): Ludvig Aberg is taking the week off, so we dove deeper into the three Nordic players in the field. Norlander is ranked 253rd in the world but did tie for 11th at the Barracuda for his third consecutive cut made. Meanwhile, Vincent Norrman (+140) missed the cut at The Open — the third consecutive start in which he has failed to make the weekend, including a WD at the Scottish Open. Tobias Jonsson, the third player in this prop at +400, is an amateur ranked 2,755th in the world. His last start in a professional tournament was a T59 at the 2023 Scandinavian Mixed event.
2024 Prop Picks Record: 35-44-1
BEST BETS
–Tony Finau (+1100 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022 and finished T7 last year. He is second at the book with 7 percent of the total bets backing him to win this week, and Finau has drawn the third-most money at 9 percent.
–Sam Burns (+1800) was in contention at The Open before an 80 on Sunday. He also finished T9 at the U.S. Open.
–Akshay Bhatia (+2200) missed the cut at Royal Troon, but that did follow consecutive top-five finishes on tour. He has been the most popular play at the book, leading the field with 14 percent of the money and 10 percent of the total bets placed on the winner.
–Luke Clanton (+2500) is just behind Bhatia with 11 percent of the money backing him. The rising Florida State junior has made the cut in all four events he has played in this year and is in the field on a sponsor exemption.
–Keegan Bradley (+3000) returns to the 3M Open for the first time since 2021. The recently named 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain sits 42nd in the FedEx Cup standings.
–Michael Thorbjornsen (+6500), who finished first in the PGA Tour University to earn his tour card, finished T2 at the John Deere Classic.
–Hodges (+6000) is attempting to become the first player to successfully defend a 3M Open title. He set the tournament scoring record of 260 in winning wire-to-wire by seven shots in 2023.
OLYMPIC NEWS
SALT LAKE CITY VOTED HOST CITY OF 2034 GAMES
Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympic Games in a vote of the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday.
The Utah city was host of the 2002 Winter Games.
The IOC revealed Salt Lake City earned 83 votes out of a possible 89. The committed revealed the location as its preferred choice in June.
France, and the French Alps, was given conditional approval as host of the 2030 Winter Games on Wednesday, pending financial guarantees outlined by the IOC.
Also named as a preferred location in June, France was not able to deliver the necessary state and regional financial guarantees on the IOC guideline set forth.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
COLTS PLACE CB CHRIS LAMMONS ON ACTIVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM LIST, DT RAEKWON DAVIS ON ACTIVE/NON-FOOTBALL ILLNESS LIST
WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Colts on Wednesday placed cornerback Chris Lammons on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis on the Active/Non-Football Illness list.
General manager Chris Ballard said Lammons, who’s recovering from offseason ankle surgery, is expected to be out for the first one or two weeks of camp. The 28-year-old Lammons, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2019-2022, appeared in four games (one start) for the Colts in 2023.
Davis, a 2020 second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, signed with the Colts as a free agent in March.
A few other injury updates ahead of Thursday’s Colts’ training camp curtain-lifter:
Cornerback JuJu Brents underwent a cleanup procedure on his ankle shortly after the Colts’ offseason program ended in June and could be “a little limited” early in camp, Ballard said. Ballard added he watched Brents work out recently and thought he looked good.
Right tackle Braden Smith, who underwent a procedure on his knee in the offseason, will be slowly worked back into practice, Ballard said.
Wide receiver Ashton Dulin may be a little bit limited to start camp, Ballard said. Dulin sustained a torn ACL during training camp in 2023 and missed the entire season.
Running back Tyler Goodson is dealing with a toe injury, Ballard said.
Defensive end Genard Avery, who sustained a season-ending knee injury during last year’s training camp, is “getting close,” Ballard said. Avery totaled 8 1/2 sacks with the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2018-2022.
There will be no restrictions on quarterback Anthony Richardson when training camp practices begin Thursday.
FOR COLTS, TURNING OFFSEASON STABILITY INTO REGULAR SEASON SUCCESS BEGINS IN TRAINING CAMP
WESTFIELD, Ind. – It’s unfair to say the Colts did nothing in the 2024 offseason.
They added a few players in the NFL Draft who have an opportunity to make an immediate impact, like defensive end Laiatu Latu and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis was signed in free agency to shore up depth – and provide reliable rotation – behind stalwart starters DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Quarterback Joe Flacco, an ultimate veteran, was signed to back up Anthony Richardson and provide valuable insight and advice to the second-year quarterback.
But the Colts return 87 percent of their offensive starts and 95 percent of their defensive starts from the 2023 season. The most notable departures on offense – quarterback Gardner Minshew II and running back Zack Moss – are replaced by Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor, two of the players the Colts are counting most to power their offense in 2024. On defense, the biggest departure may have been defensive end Jacob Martin, who left for the Chicago Bears in free agency after registering a pair of sacks in a rotational role last year.
Otherwise, the bulk of this roster might as well have parked their cars and walked into the locker room at Grand Park Wednesday quoting George Costanza (“I’m back, baby, I’m back”) or John Wick (“Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back”).
“The core guys on both sides of the ball have been together for a while now so we know how each other thinks, plays, we know guys will be in certain spots at certain times throughout a play,” Buckner said. “It definitely gets the ball rolling quicker.”
Now, the goal for guys like Michael Pittman Jr., Kenny Moore II, Julian Blackmon and Tyquan Lewis – among others – is to turn the Colts’ emphasis on continuity in the spring into victories in the fall and winter. And that process begins in the summer with Thursday’s first training camp practice, which kicks off at 10 a.m. at Grand Park in Westfield.
The upshot to all that continuity on both sides of the ball is a quicker acclimation period to camp, which the Colts see as allowing them to maximize the amount of quality work they’re getting during practices, meetings and walkthroughs over the next few weeks.
“It’ll be very important for us to have shared language,” cornerback Kenny Moore II said. “The IQ, the vision, the standard — everybody already knows the standard, so it won’t be us taking a couple steps back to try to re-teach a new guy or a free agent, whoever it is. We already know who it’s going to be. So from there, we gotta stay healthy and follow it from there.”
On offense, the Colts return their Week 1 starting quarterback from the prior season for the first time since 2016 – the rookie year for center Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured member of the Colts.
“I think we saw in the offseason building what we already worked on and what we did so well last year, I think it’s just build on that,” Kelly said. “… And I think just taking a deeper dive into what our offense can be. Obviously with Anthony (Richardson) there, the offense changes a lot as opposed to last year when he wasn’t there. So just build on that and getting closer as a team and building on something special.”
For these returning players, too, the sting of how the 2023 season ended – with a failed fourth-and-short conversion 15 yards shy of the Houston Texans’ end zone – has been an undercurrent, but not a focus, to their offseason motivation.
“It definitely hurt,” Buckner said. “We were a couple plays away from winning the division and going to the playoffs and making a run. It definitely stung. But you can only hold on to that feeling for so long. It’s definitely a scar for sure, but you’ve got to learn from it and remember that feeling and continue to go into this next season with a lot of juice and remembering that moment, how it felt, and how you don’t want to feel it again.”
General manager Chris Ballard said Wednesday he feels like “we got a really good football team” heading into training camp while emphasizing this group has earned everything in front of them over the next six-plus months. A lot of the Colts’ team-wide confidence comes from having so many returning players from 2023.
And, maybe, that continuity – or, alternatively, the lack of earth-shattering news bombs from NFL newsbreakers – is why the Colts are a little under the radar in the national football discussion.
“I felt like this offseason we were definitely overlooked,” Franklin said. “People considered us a run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-pack team like we weren’t 30 yards away from a division title. So I think it’s up to us to prove who we are going to be this year.”
Colts center Ryan Kelly is heading into his final year of his contract with the Indianapolis Colts. He expressed interest in a contract extension over the offseason, but the team would not entertain any contract extension talks.
“We made it known that we wanted to stay and that we wanted to have an extension, and they didn’t see it as part of their priorities,” Kelly said.
Kelly is on the last year of a four-year, $50 million contract. The Colts have made it clear in the past that they are not interested in contract extensions, as seen by the Jonathan Taylor situation during training camp last year.
“The Colts have basically made it pretty clear that they don’t want to do an early extension,” Kelly said. “So, it is what it is.”
“I don’t talk about contracts,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “Every case is different. I think one thing we’ve proven, since we’ve been here is we’re really loyal to players that have been good players. I think that’ll work itself out over time, but I’m not going to talk about contract stuff.”
Kelly is the longest tenured Colts player on the roster, heading into his ninth year with the team. He is a four time Pro Bowler, making the team in three straight years from 2019-21 as well as last season. He was drafted by the Colts in the first round in 2016.
The Colts have their first practice during training camp on Thursday at Grand Park from 10-11 a.m.
INDIANA PACERS
PACERS SIGN NEMBHARD TO 3-YEAR, $59M EXTENSION
The Indiana Pacers signed Andrew Nembhard to a three-year, $59-million contract extension, his agents told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Indiana will reportedly decline his $2.2-million team option for 2025-26, allowing the new deal to start next season, adds Wojnarowski.
The 6-foot-5 guard will earn $18.1 million in 2025-26, $19.6 million in 2026-27, and $21 million in the final season of his contract, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Nembhard is coming off a breakout performance in the postseason. He averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.3 boards to help the Pacers reach their first East final in a decade.
Nembhard is one of four players in league history to shoot at least 45% from deep and 55% from the floor overall in one postseason, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Indiana selected Nembhard with the 31st overall pick two years ago.
The 24-year-old is set to represent Canada at this summer’s Olympics in Paris.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS BASEBALL
PEGUERO AND FRAIZER’S SLAMS POWER INDY PAST IOWA, 14-3
DES MOINES, Iowa – Liover Peguero and Matt Fraizer each launched a grand slam as the Indianapolis Indians tallied 14 hits in a 14-3 matinee victory over the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday afternoon at Principal Park.
Fraizer and Peguero combined for three hits and nine RBI as they powered the Indians (9-12, 42-52) offense to a commanding victory. They are just the second pair of Indians teammates to hit grand slams in the same game in the Victory Field era, following Jared Oliva and Rodolfo Castro on May 10, 2022, at Charlotte.
With Iowa (10-13, 43-55) leading 2-0 after one, Indianapolis responded in the second inning for seven runs on six hits off Dan Straily (L, 1-7). Three of the first four batters in the frame reached base via single, with Fraizer and Ji Hwan Bae tying the game up with RBI knocks. Back-to-back walks scored another before Peguero’s first career grand slam put the game out of reach.
Indy exploded for seven additional runs before Iowa could plate another, courtesy of two Andrés Alvarez RBI singles and Fraizer’s blast in the seventh inning. It was the second grand slam of his career and the first since July 22, 2021, with High-A Greensboro at Greenville.
The I-Cubs final run came in the ninth inning when Fabian Pertuz singled home Trayce Thompson.
Bailey Falter got the start for Indianapolis to begin his rehab assignment and tossed 3.0 innings with two earned runs and three punchouts. Isaac Mattson (W, 3-1) entered in relief and combined with Ryder Ryan to throw 4.0 hitless innings.
Indianapolis and Iowa face off in third game of the six-game set on Thursday evening at 7:38 PM ET. RHP Riley Thompson (4-3, 5.68) will take the mound for the I-Cubs while the Indians have yet to name a starter.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GEARLDS, PURDUE TO HOST WRIGHT, UT ARLINGTON IN NOVEMBER
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will welcome back one of its program legends to Mackey Arena on Nov. 24 when the Boilermakers host UT-Arlington and head coach Shereka Wright.
The matchup will reunite Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds and associate head coach Kelly Komara with their teammate from the early 2000s.
A Purdue Hall of Fame inductee, Wright finished her career as the only three-time All-American in program history. She ranks second in Boilermaker history in scoring with 2,251 points and seventh with 793 rebounds.
Gearlds and Wright went 29-4 and reached the Sweet 16 in their lone season together in 2003-04. Wright and Komara posted a 55-13 mark over two campaigns from 2000-02, finishing as the national runner-up in 2001.
Purdue and UT Arlington will square off for the first time in history.
The Boilermakers are less than two weeks away from their 10-day European Tour featuring games in Spain and Portugal. Purdue will start their first international trip since the summer of 2019.
Purdue has now announced five non-conference matchups including the UT Arlington contest – Notre Dame at home (Nov. 10), Middle Tennessee State (Nov. 28) and South Carolina (Nov. 30) in Fort Myers, and Kentucky at home (Dec. 14).
The remaining non-conference slate will be announced in the coming weeks, along with television assignments and start times.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
EBO MAKES TEAM NIGERIA FOR THE 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
Former Notre Dame center Lauren Ebo is an Olympian.
On Wednesday, Team Nigeria announced their Olympic roster, and it includes the Washington, D.C., native who finished her collegiate career as a graduate student at Notre Dame in 2022-23. She averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds over 28 games while in South Bend.
Women’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics begins on July 29 with pool play. Nigeria is grouped with Australia, France, and Canada and will see those teams in that order. Of note, Ebo will face former Irish post Natalie Achonwa and current Irish wing Cassandre Prosper when Nigeria plays Canada on August 4.
Ebo is the fifth former Notre Dame player that will be in Paris, joining the aforementioned Achonwa and Prosper plus Team USA’s Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
SOCCER UNVEILS 2024 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
The Ball State women’s soccer team and head coach Josh Rife have announced their 2024 regular season schedule.
The slate consists of 11 Mid-American Conference matches after a seven-contest nonconference schedule which begins on Aug. 15 against Purdue Fort Wayne at the Briner Sports Complex in Muncie. Ball State hosts Indiana on Aug. 20 and plays at Butler on Aug. 29 as part of its trio of in-state matchups to begin the year.
Roadtrips to Michigan (Sept. 1) and Austin Peay (Sept. 5) start the month of September before home contests with Queens (Sept. 8) and IU Indianapolis (Sept. 12) conclude the nonconference portion of the schedule.
Ball State hosts Bowling Green on Sept. 19 in the MAC opener before traveling to Northeast Ohio for its first pair of conference road matches at Kent State on Sept. 22 and at Akron on Sept. 26. A home date with Eastern Michigan on the 29th serves as the September finale.
The Cardinals face three opponents at home (Buffalo on Oct. 6, Ohio on Oct. 13 and Northern Illinois on Oct. 24) and four on the road (Central Michigan on Oct. 10, Miami [OH] Oct. 18, Western Michigan Oct. 27 and Toledo Oct. 31) in the final month of the regular season.
Rife’s squads have combined to go 42-30-14 (31-12-10 MAC) in his five seasons leading the Cardinals. Ball State finished third in the 12-team league in 2023 with a 6-2-3 MAC record.
“We are excited for the 25th anniversary of our Ball State women’s soccer program,” said Rife. “We feel our nonconference schedule will challenge us and prepare us for the always competitive MAC season. We look forward to another challenging year in our conference and hope to bring home Ball State women’s soccer’s first MAC conference tournament win.”
2024 Ball State Women’s Soccer Schedule
Aug. 15 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (4 p.m.)
Aug. 20 vs. Indiana (5:30 p.m.)
Aug. 29 at Butler (7 p.m.)
Sept. 1 at Michigan (1 p.m.)
Sept. 5 at Austin Peay (6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT)
Sept. 8 vs. Queens (1 p.m.)
Sept. 12 vs. IU Indianapolis (4 p.m.)
Sept. 19 vs. Bowling Green (4 p.m.)*
Sept. 22 at Kent State (1 p.m.)*
Sept. 26 at Akron (7 p.m.)*
Sept. 29 vs. Eastern Michigan (1 p.m.)*
Oct. 6 vs. Buffalo (1 p.m.)*
Oct. 10 at Central Michigan (7 p.m.)*
Oct. 13 vs. Ohio (1 p.m.)*
Oct. 18 at Miami (OH) (7 p.m.)*
Oct. 24 vs Northern Illinois (4 p.m.)*
Oct. 27 at Western Michigan (1 p.m.)*
Oct. 31 at Toledo (3 p.m.)*
BOLD – Home Match
* – Mid-American Conference Match
VALPO BASEBALL
CAM JOHNSON JOINS VALPO BASEBALL STAFF AS ASSISTANT COACH / RECRUITING COORDINATOR
Valparaiso University head baseball coach Brian Schmack has announced the addition of assistant coach Cam Johnson, who will serve as the program’s recruiting coordinator, hitting coach, outfield coach, and top assistant. In addition, Schmack has promoted Adam Brian to a full-time assistant coaching role after he served as a volunteer assistant coach in 2024.
“I couldn’t be more excited to get started at Valparaiso,” Johnson said. “I am super excited to have the opportunity to join Coach Schmack’s staff. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Johnson arrives at Valpo after having served as the assistant coach, director of operations and camp coordinator at Creighton University in Omaha since August 2022. He helped the Bluejays, members of the Big East Conference, to a 35-17 overall record and 28-4 nonconference mark in 2024. He assisted in the development of Nolan Clifford, who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
“I’ve known Cam for a few years now and I had talked to him previously about a position on our staff, but the timing wasn’t right at that point,” Schmack said. “He has a lot of experience coaching, recruiting and developing players, and that’s something we look forward to continuing. He’s a good fit for us now and we’re excited to bring him in.”
This past spring, Johnson also helped Creighton achieve its highest team batting average since 2019, its highest on-base percentage since 2005, highest team slugging percentage since 2019, most home runs since 2019 and most runs scored since 2005. In addition, the Bluejays posted the most runs per game in program history.
Prior to arriving at Creighton, Johnson was the head baseball coach for the Badlands Big Sticks in Dickson, N.D. from November 2021 to August 2022. He served as an assistant coach at Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, Iowa from August 2018 to August 2022 after getting his start as an assistant varsity baseball coach at Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa from September 2017 to August 2020.
A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Johnson was a team captain during the 2016-2017 season at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, where he was part of over 120 wins through his four-year playing career. He helped the team to regular season and conference tournament championships during the 2013-14 season.
Johnson graduated from Buena Vista in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science and a minor in coaching.
Brian joined Valpo’s staff before the 2024 campaign after closing out his playing career at Bradley University in 2023. A catcher for the Braves, Brian earned the Phil Kaiser Memorial Award as the best teammate in 2022 and was a team captain in 2023.
“I am grateful for the opportunity that Coach Schmack has given me to continue to work with the great people who make up our program,” Brian said. “I believe that the coaching staff and all of our players will put a product on the field that will be filled with guys who play hard, have fun and compete at the highest level.”
During the 2024 season, Brian served as Valpo’s first base coach and catching coach. He will continue to work with the team’s catchers while also assisting with pitching and recruiting.
“It’s exciting to keep Adam on staff,” Schmack said. “He’s passionate about the game, and the players took to him well last year. He offers a unique perspective as a recent graduate and brings a lot of energy to coaching.”
MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
MARIAN MEN’S BASKETBALL RELEASES 2024-25 SCHEDULE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian men’s basketball team and new head coach Pat Knight have finalized and released their upcoming 2024-25 schedule. Knight, who is in his first season as the Marian head coach and eighth overall as a collegiate head coach, will begin his tenure on the Marian sidelines against his alma mater, Indiana University, on November 1.
Marian’s season will begin on November 1, as the Knights make their third trip in as many seasons to Indiana University for an exhibition against the Hoosiers. This will be the first time in Knight’s head coaching history that he will take on the Indiana Hoosiers, which served as home to the Marian coach from 1991-95 as a member of the men’s basketball team, and again during the 1999-2000 season when he was an assistant coach. Marian fell in last season’s exhibition contest at Indiana 94-61, and return 30 percent of the scoring from last year’s game with their 2024-25 roster.
The start time for the November 1 game will be announced at a later time, along with ticketing and streaming information.
Marian will begin their 28-game regular season on November 4 as they travel to Indiana-Southeast for their first official game, and will play their home opener on Sunday, November 10, taking on St. Francis (Ill.). Marian will open their Crossroads League slate at defending league champion Grace College, who ended last season ranked No. 1 in the NAIA entering the national tournament. The Knights will play four total Crossroads League games before Christmas and will finish their non-conference slate with contests against Roosevelt, IU-Columbus, Saint Mary of the Woods, and East-West.
The Crossroads League season will resume on January 4 with Marian hosting Huntington, leading up to the conclusion of the the first half of league games with the yearly home matchup against Indiana Wesleyan on January 18. The second half of the league slate starts on January 25 with the home date against Grace College, and will continue with back to back road games at Spring Arbor and Taylor. The regular season ends on February 22 at Indiana Wesleyan, and the Crossroads League Tournament begins on Tuesday, February 25.
The NAIA First and Second Rounds are slotted for March 14 and 15, and the NAIA Championship Final Site will once again be held at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, with the dates March 20-25 for the final four rounds.
The 2024-25 schedule in it’s entirety features eight contests against schools that qualified for the 2024 NAIA National Tournament, and five teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the final ratings poll of the 2023-24 season. The schedule also features a matchup against now NCAA DII Roosevelt, who is in their first year transitioning to the NCAA after being a long-standing member of the Chicagoland Conference in the NAIA.
Tickets will go on sale for the 2024-25 basketball season in the coming weeks, and an announcement will be made on the MUKnights social media pages when they are available.
Notable Matchups
November 1 | at Indiana University | Exhibition & Season Opener
November 4 | at IU-Southeast | Regular Season Opener
November 10 | vs St. Francis (Ill.) | Home Opener
November 20 | vs Grace | Crossroads League Opener
December 14 | at Roosevelt | NCAA DII Member
December 27 | vs East-West | Final 2024 Contest
January 4 | vs Huntington
January 18 | vs Indiana Wesleyan
February 19 | vs Mount Vernon Nazarene | Senior Night
February 22 | at Indiana Wesleyan | Regular Season Finale
Home Matchups
November 10 | vs St. Francis (Ill.) | 3:00 p.m.
November 23 | vs Spring Arbor | 2:00 p.m.*
December 4 | vs Taylor | 7:30 p.m.
December 19 | vs IU-Columbus | 7:00 p.m.
December 27 | vs East-West | 3:00 p.m.
January 4 | vs Huntington | 3:00 p.m.
January 11 | vs St. Francis | 3:00 p.m.
January 18 | vs Indiana Wesleyan | 3:00 p.m.
January 25 | vs Grace | 3:00 p.m.
February 5 | vs Goshen | 7:30 p.m.
February 12 | vs Bethel | 7:30 p.m.
February 19 | vs Mount Vernon Nazarene | 7:00 p.m.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
28 – 10 – 6 – 9 – 14 – 5
July 25, 1913 – Pittsburgh Pirates future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Max Carey scores 5 runs without a hit, reaching first base on an error and 4 walks, as the Bucs beat Philadelphia Phillies, 12-2
July 25, 1939 – New York Yankees starting pitcher Atley Donald, Number 28 set an American League rookie record for consecutive victories when he and the Yanks defeated the St. Louis Browns 5-1 for his 12th straight victory.
July 25, 1941 – A 41-year-old Lefty Grove wearing Number 10, won his 300th and final MLB career game as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians, 10-6 at Fenway Park
July 25, 1949 – St Louis Cardinals player Number 6, Stan Musial hit for the cycle as the Cardinals overcame the Brooklyn Dodgers 14-1.
July 25, 1961 – Roger Maris, Number 9 of the New York Yankees, hit home runs 37, 38, 39 & 40 in a doubleheader
July 25, 1978 – Cincinnati Reds Number 14, Pete Rose set a National League hitting record as he reached base safely in 38 consecutive games with the use of his bat. We will see in a little over a week from now that streak reaches 4 games to reset the record books.
July 25, 1990 – Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett wearing his Number 5 jersey, hit for the cycle in Toronto. It seemed like everyone knew when Brett entered the batter’s box in the seventh inning needing a home run to complete the hitting circuit for the game, that he would accomplish the mission. Facing Blue Jays pitcher Frank Wills, destiny would not be denied as Brett pounded an 0-2 pitch into the bleachers in right-center field. Royals hitting coach John Mayberry commented, ” When the Great ones want it, you can see it in their eyes.” Ole Number 5 indeed wanted a hit and to many, there was not a question as to whether he would or not.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History of July 25
July 25, 1924 – Frankford Yellow Jackets franchise is established and plays in the NFL from 1924 through the 1931 season. And where is Frankford you may ask? It is in the northeastern section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The origin of the team actually can be traced back to 1899 as the Frankford Athletic Association. Please look for information soon on a full story of the Frankford Yellow Jackets and their contributions, players, and origins in our Early Pro Football Franchises series.
July 25, 2013 – The Atlanta Falcons according to an NFL.com report signed franchise Quarterback Matt Ryan to a 5-year, $103.75 million contract extension in 2013. Matty Ice deserved the bump in pay too as he won the 2016 NFL MVP award while leading the Falcons to their Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Ryan is a 2-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2016 1st-Team All-Pro over the course of the contract. Matt threw for 4,000+ pass yards in each year of the deal and has tossed for 4,000 plus passing yards in 10 straight seasons since 2011, which was the 2nd-longest such streak in NFL history. Only Drew Brees is ahead of him on this…Not too bad of company at all!
July 25, 2019 – NFL Veterans were required to report to camp for the following teams; Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for July 25
July 25, 1900 – Medford, Massachusetts – Eddie Tryon was a halfback out of Colgate University from 1922 to 1925 per the National Football Foundation. Tryon holds that program’s record for most points scored in a single game with a whopping 42 points and the most TDs in a single game an astounding 7 trips to pay dirt! The NFF goes on to say that “Cannonball” Tryon was a master at saving the Maroon from defeat. One such example was Colgate’s famous match-up with Ohio State in 1923. It was Tryon’s touchdown runs of 65 and 25 yards that created a 23-23 stalemate with the Buckeyes. And, in 1925, the Colgate captain stunned Princeton when he scored the only touchdown in a 7-0 upset of the Tigers. Mr. Tryon was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame with the selection class of 1963.
July 25, 1934 – Springfield, Ohio – Ron Burton was a halfback out of Northwestern University from 1957 through 1959 who entered into the College Hall of Fame in 1990 according to the NFF. His Northwestern career was led by legendary head coach Ara Parseghian. Mr. Burton was an All-American in 1959 and he also finished 10th that season in Heisman voting. In the 1960 AFL draft, he became the Boston Patriots’ first-ever draft pick. Burton was also the first Patriot to ever rush for 100 yards in a game. There are some answers to your next NFL trivia contest you enter!
July 25, 1954 – Columbia, Mississippi – Walter Payton Pro Football Hall of Fame running back of the Chicago Bears was born. Please see our story on “Sweetness” here Walter Payton.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 25
1918 — Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators pitched a four-hitter in 15 innings to beat the St. Louis Browns 1-0. The only hit off him in the first 11 innings was a triple by George Sisler.
1930 — The Philadelphia Athletics came up with a triple steal in the first inning and again in the fourth in a 14-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.
1939 — Atley Donald of the New York Yankees set a rookie pitching record in the AL when he registered his 12th consecutive victory since May 9, with a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Browns.
1941 — Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox won his 300th and last game, beating the Cleveland Indians 10-6.
1949 — Stan Musial of St. Louis hit for the cycle, going 4-5 and driving in four runs to lead the Cardinals to a 14-1 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.
1956 — Roberto Clemente hit a game-winning inside-the-park grand slam to give Pittsburgh a 9-8 win over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field.
1961 — En route to his 61-homer season, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit four homers against the Chicago White Sox in a doubleheader to give him 40 for the year. The Yankees took both games, 5-1 and 12-0, and Maris moved 25 games ahead of Babe Ruth’s 1927 pace.
1962 — Stan Musial of St. Louis became the all-time RBI leader in the NL. His two-run home run, in a 5-2 loss to Los Angeles, gave him 1,862 RBIs, passing Mel Ott.
1978 — Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds singled to left off New York’s Craig Swan in the third inning to set an NL record of hitting safely in 38 consecutive games. The Mets won the game 9-2.
1990 — Kansas City’s George Brett hit for the cycle in the Royals’ 6-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
2000 — Mike Lansing of Colorado hit for the cycle. The Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 19-2.
2011 — Ian Kinsler homered and drove in four runs as the Texas Rangers pounded out the most runs and hits in the majors this season with a 20-6 rout of the Minnesota Twins.
2014 — Yasiel Puig tied a franchise record with three triples and added a double and two RBIs as Los Angeles moved within a half-game of NL West-leading San Francisco with an 8-1 win over the Giants.
2015 — Cole Hamels became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs in 50 years while leading Philadelphia to a 5-0 win. There was drama down to the final out when rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera stumbled on the warning track but managed to lean forward and catch Kris Bryant’s flyball to end the game. Hamels struck out 13 in the first no-hitter versus the Cubs since Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game in 1965.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
July 25
1902 — Jim Jeffries knocks out Bob Fitzsimmons in the eighth round to retain the world heavyweight title.
1941 — Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox wins his 300th and last game, beating the Cleveland Indians 10-6.
1956 — Swaps sets an American record in a 1 5/8-mile race at Hollywood Park. Swaps run the course in 2:38 1-5.
1956 — Jack Burke Jr. defeats Ted Kroll 3 and 2 in the final round to win the PGA championship.
1976 — In Montreal, Edwin Moses of the United States sets an Olympic record in the 400 hurdles with a time of 47.63.
1982 — Janet Anderson wins the U.S. Women’s Open golf title, her first tournament victory.
1999 — 86th Tour de France: Lance Armstrong wins 1st of 7 consecutive Tour de France titles but is later disqualified for drug cheating.
2004 — Copa América Final, Estadio Nacional, Lima: Brazil beats Argentina, 4-2 on penalties; 2-2 after extra time.
2007 — Michael Rasmussen, the leader of the Tour de France, is removed from the race by his Rabobank team after winning the 16th stage. Rasmussen is sent home for violating (the team’s) internal rules. The Danish cyclist missed random drug tests on May 8 and June 28, saying he was in Mexico.
2010 — Alberto Contador wins the Tour de France for the third time in four years. Contador holds off a next-to-last day challenge from Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, his runner-up for a second consecutive year.
2010 — Jamie McMurray’s victory in the Brickyard 400 gives owner Chip Ganassi the first team triple crown in American auto racing: winning the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. McMurray won the season-opening Daytona 500 in February, and Ganassi IndyCar series driver Dario Franchitti won the Indy 500 in May.
2011 — The NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps voted unanimously to approve the terms of a deal to end the 4½-month lockout. The final pact is for 10 years, without an opt-out clause.
2011 — Taylor Hoagland hits a two-run home run, Valerie Arioto and Megan Langenfeld have RBI singles and the United States beats rival Japan 6-4 to win its fifth straight World Cup of Softball championship.
2012 — Triple jumper Voula Papachristou is kicked off Greece’s Olympic team by the Hellenic Olympic Committee for her comments on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right political party.
2015 — Maya Moore scores a record 30 points to lead the West to a 117-112 victory over the East in the WNBA All-Star Game. The league’s reigning MVP scores eight straight points in the final 2 minutes to turn a one-point deficit into a 113-106 advantage.
2021 — USA’s men’s basketball lose to France 83-76 ending their 25-game Olympic winning streak.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| OLYMPICS | TIME ET | TV |
| Women’s Handball: Slovenia vs Denmark | 3:00am | USA Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby | 4:30am | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Netherlands vs Angola | 5:00am | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Spain vs Brazil | 8:00am | Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby | 8:00am | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Germany vs South Korea | 10:00am | Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Spain vs Japan | 11:00am | USA Telemundo Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Canada vs New Zealand | 11:00am | Universo Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Hungray vs France | 1:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Germany vs Australia | 1:00pm | Universo Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: Nigeria vs Brazil | 1:00pm | Telemundo Peacock |
| Men’s Rugby Quarterfinals | 2:00pm | Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: USA vs Zambia | 2:30pm | USA Universo Peacock |
| Women’s Handball: Norway vs Sweden | 3:00pm | USA Peacock |
| Women’s Soccer: France vs Columbia | 3:00pm | Telemundo Peacock |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Padres at Nationals | 12:05pm | ESPN+ Padres.TV MASn2 |
| Orioles at Marlins | 12:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Florida MASN |
| Tigers at Guardians | 1:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Great Lakes Bally Sports Detroit |
| White Sox at Rangers | 2:35pm | Bally Sports Southwest NBC Sports Chicago |
| Rays at Blue Jays | 3:07pm | MLBN Sportsnet1 Bally Sports Sun |
| Giants at Dodgers | 4:10pm | MLBN NBC Sports Bay SNLA |
| Braves at Mets | 7:10pm | MLBN Bally Sports Southeast SNY |
| Athletics at Angels | 9:38pm | MLBN NBC Sports Califorina Bally Sports West |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| Senior Open Championship | 7:30am | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: 3M Open | 3:30pm | GOLF |
| LPGA Tour: Canadien Open | 6:30pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Friendly: Benfica vs Brentford | 5:45pm | Fubo |
| Argentina Primera División: Lanús vs Belgrano | 5:45pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Platense vs Vélez Sarsfield | 5:45pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF U20 Championship: Cuba U20 vs Jamaica U20 | 7:00pm | FS1 Fubo |
| Argentina Primera División: Atlético Tucumán vs Instituto | 8:00pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Tigre vs Central Córdoba SdE | 8:00pm | Fanatiz Paramount+ |
| CONCACAF U20 Championship: United States U20 vs Costa Rica U20 | 10:00pm | VIX |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Quarterfinals; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Semifinals | 5:00am | TENNIS |
| Atlanta-ATP Early Rounds; Kitzbuhel-ATP & Umag-ATP Quarterfinals; Iasi-WTA & Prague-WTA Semifinals | 1:00pm | TENNIS |