Feb 12, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Ja Morant officially returned to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, though he will not play yet. However, it sounds like his ramp-up period will be a brief one.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Monday that the team is hopeful Morant will be able to play Wednesday against the Houston Rockets.
Morant has not played since March 3. After losing to the Nuggets that night, Morant posted video of himself holding a gun at a nightclub early the next morning. That prompted an eight-game suspension, which the guard is eligible to return from on Monday. Ultimately, Morant will have spent just shy of three weeks away from the team if he does play Wednesday.
Morant will have 11 regular season games to go starting Wednesday. Five of them are on the road, which will be closely-watched, both by the public and apparently by the Grizzlies themselves in light of Morant’s recent conduct.
Utah has been consistently linked to a move to the Big 12, but the university’s president once again cast doubt on that possibility Monday.
In an appearance on ESPN 700, Utah president Taylor Randall said the school remains in “solidarity” with the Pac-12. While he had praise for the Big 12, he was clear in suggesting that he saw Utah’s future as part of the Pac-12.
This is not quite as strong a denial as the one given by the school’s athletic director, but it is a denial all the same.
The ultimate outcome may depend on the Pac-12’s ongoing negotiations regarding a new media deal. Mediocre terms could give schools like Utah no choice but to see what the Pac-12 has to offer, which gives universities some incentive to keep their options open and see where things ultimately land.
Mar 24, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA: Former Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal speaks during a NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Shaquille O’Neal is recovering from a procedure that will keep him off the air for a little bit of time.
The retired basketball great O’Neal tweeted a picture of himself from a hospital bed on Sunday night.
“i’m always watching @TurnerSportsEJ and @Candace_Parker miss y’all,” O’Neal wrote (in reference to his TNT co-hosts Ernie Johnson and Candace Parker, who are helping anchor March Madness coverage for the network).
TMZ Sports reported on Monday that O’Neal underwent surgery over the weekend to have an issue with his hip corrected. But the report adds that everything went according to plan and that O’Neal is already on the mend.
The 51-year-old O’Neal will be sidelined from his gig at TNT as a result of the procedure. TMZ Sports also says that there is no definite timetable for O’Neal’s return to the air but that he had said on a recent episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq” that he was hoping to return from the pre-planned surgery around Apr. 16. The NBA playoffs (which TNT covers through the conference finals) begin on Apr. 15.
O’Neal, who retired in 2011 after playing 19 NBA seasons, recently detailed some of the steps that he is taking to get healthier. He is one of the most beloved figures in the sports world, and hopefully he has a smooth and speedy recovery.
Sep 18, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
A former New England Patriots player suggested that there were some divisions in the locker room over the team’s quarterback play in 2022.
Former Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty revealed in an appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” that some players seemed to favor Bailey Zappe ahead of Mac Jones at times during the season depending on how things were going.
“I think player-wise there was enough trust that we’re going to put the best guy out there. But the struggles on offense, I think there were some guys in the locker room that like, ‘Alright, let’s go with Zappe.’ ‘No, Mac looked good today.’ It was just a back-and-forth, which to me, spoke more about what we had on offense than the quarterback,” McCourty said. “We just were never solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing.
“If something worked one day, like running the ball … everybody said ‘Let’s run!’ We had a game where we’re throwing the ball, ‘Let’s pass!’ ‘Let’s just not turn the ball over because we’re scoring on defense!’ To me, it was just that cycle of, there was never true hope.”
Essentially, McCourty thinks the offense was so inconsistent that players never had full confidence in what the unit was doing. Whenever something worked, however briefly, it seemed like the way forward. The fans certainly behaved that way, even when things ultimately did not work out.
Other reports have suggested that Jones has significant backing in the New England locker room, and that coach Bill Belichick actually frustrated some players with his handling of the situation. What everyone can agree on is that the New England offense was not good enough, and changes must be made.
H/T BroBible
Nelson Agholor did not perform up to expectations during his two-year stint with the New England Patriots, but he might prove more valuable elsewhere.
Agholor took a visit with the Baltimore Ravens, according to the NFL’s wire news published on Monday.
Agholor was the No. 20 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and spent five seasons with the team. He displayed an ability to get open but struggled with his hands. In 2020, Agholor had a career-high 896 receiving yards and tied a career-high with 8 touchdown catches. That season was his lone year with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Agholor signed on to join the Patriots as a free agent two years ago and had 68 catches for 835 yards and 5 touchdowns with them.
The Ravens tend to focus their passing game around Mark Andrews, who led the team with 73 catches for 847 yards 5 touchdowns last season. None of the teams other receivers topped 500 yards for the season.
Baltimore still has their quarterback situation to resolve with Lamar Jackson, who received a non-exclusive franchise tag from the team. That issue isn’t stopping them from trying to improve their receiving options.
Jan 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans walks off the field after defeating the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Texans are working hard to make sure their next quarterback will at least have some weapons around him from year one.
The Texans on Monday agreed to terms with free agent running back Devin Singletary and tight end Dalton Schultz, according to reports. Singletary is getting a one-year deal worth roughly $3.75 million, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while Schultz’s agreement is worth $9 million for one year, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Both Schultz and Singletary figure to see ample time on the field for a Texans team that was badly in need of talent on offense. Houston traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks on Sunday, so Schultz in particular stands to get a lot of targets. He was the Cowboys’ second-leading receiver in 2022 with 577 receiving yards and five touchdown catches.
Singletary was the lead back for the Buffalo Bills in 2022, tallying 819 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He may end up sharing the backfield role with Dameon Pierce, who impressed as a rookie for Houston last year.
Feb 3, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaks with media during the winning coach and Super Bowl MVP Press Conference at Hilton Miami. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
It sounds like Patrick Mahomes will be an honorary Wildcat for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes got a shoutout Sunday from the Kansas State basketball team. On a crucial late-game inbounds situation during their game against Kentucky, Kansas State drew up a creative play to get the ball in, calling it the “Mahomes.” You can see video of the play here.
Mahomes acknowledged the shoutout in a post to his Twitter page, replying with three flexing emojis.
The two-time NFL MVP Mahomes is known for his imaginative ways at the QB position, whether it be unique playcalls or stunning trick throws. As a two-time Super Bowl champion now as well, Mahomes is clearly doing something right.
Kansas State will be hoping for a bit of that magic themselves as they move on to face Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. Perhaps the Wildcats should turn to some of Mahomes’ famous good luck charms too.
Nov 16, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) looks on in the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Thielen has a bold prediction about the Carolina Panthers.
Thielen on Sunday agreed to sign a three-year deal with the Panthers. Carolina has the No. 1 pick in the draft and they signed Andy Dalton at quarterback. They went 7-10 last season and still seem to be far away from being a contender, but that’s not how Thielen feels.
Thielen joined “The Pat McAfee Show” and talked about choosing to sign with Carolina. The veteran receiver said that at first his focus in free agency was to sign with a Super Bowl contender. He didn’t initially regard Carolina in that way, but they changed his mind.
“I wanted to go somewhere that I felt like I had an opportunity to win a Super Bowl. And when I went there … I felt like Carolina was the place to do that. I feel like there is a real chance to win a Super Bowl, and that gets me so excited,” Thielen said.
That’s pretty bold of Thielen to say that he thinks the Panthers have a real chance of winning a Super Bowl when they seem so far away. But you need new players, new coaches and a new attitude in order to make something like that happen, and the Panthers seem to have it.
Thielen said the presence of Dalton helped attract him, as well as the signings of Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Thielen said of joining Carolina.
An undrafted player out of Minnesota State, Thielen became a big weapon with the Vikings. He made consecutive Pro Bowls in 2017-2018 and has caught 30 touchdowns over the last three seasons.
Carolina is betting that Thielen will be a big target for their new quarterback.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant has yet to make his Phoenix Suns home debut due to an ankle injury, but he may not be sidelined for much longer.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that Durant has ramped up his workouts on the court in recent days. The Suns plan to re-evaluate the two-time NBA Finals MVP at some point within the next week or so, but they have not ruled out Durant returning by the end of March.
“There’s optimism within the Suns. They’re gonna be cautious, but they’re hopeful that he’s going to be back in the lineup before the end of March or potentially early April,” Charania said. “The goal was always 2-3 weeks or in that range. They’re gonna be cautious. They know the best time for him is playoff time, so making sure he’s 100 percent and not rushing him back will be a priority as well.”
Durant injured his ankle on March 8. He was set to make his Suns home debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder before he hurt himself during pregame warmups in an unusual scene.
The Suns have lost four of their last five and now have just a 2.5-game cushion between their No. 4 spot and the play-in tournament. They obviously want to avoid falling that far, but Durant has a history of significant injuries. He rushed back with the Golden State Warriors a few years ago and ruptured his Achilles, which is another reason Phoenix will almost certainly play it safe.
Sep 9, 2018; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
One group looking to purchase the Washington Commanders has reportedly added some star power to their offer.
NBA legend Magic Johnson has joined one of the groups involved in the bidding on the Commanders, according to Scott Soshnick and Even Novy-Williams of Sportico. Johnson is part of the group led by 76ers and Devils co-owner Josh Harris, and is providing “money and expertise” as part of the process.
It is not clear how much Johnson is contributing financially, but his involvement is not a huge surprise. When Harris bid on the Denver Broncos in 2022, Johnson was part of that effort as well.
Johnson is already co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, so this is hardly his first foray into ownership. He remains a popular and well-known figure, and he can hardly hurt this group’s effort.
Harris’ group is one of several still in the frame to buy the Commanders. There are still rumors that one major figure could still be involved, too.
