MMA fighter KO’d in brutal fashion after copying Max Holloway’s taunt
MMA fighter Glen Norman learned a valuable lesson about being careful what you wish for during his Saturday bout against Byron Walker.
The two amateur welterweights squared off in the American Kombat Alliance 48 event held at Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, La. With under 10 seconds to go in the second round, Norman started pointing to the ground to challenge Walker to duke it out.
The Louisiana native appeared to be replicating UFC star Max Holloway’s iconic taunt, wherein the current BMF title holder would call for his opponents to let their guard down for an all-out brawl to close a round. Fans may recall Holloway scoring an insane last-second knockout after similarly taunting Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
Saturday’s amateur bout featured an equally epic knockout. But unfortunately for Norman, he ended up channeling Gaethje rather than Holloway.
MMA fighter just pointed to the ground like Max Holloway and got slept 😭 pic.twitter.com/JbHwxFiGEs
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 3, 2025
After watching Norman point to the mat twice, Walker landed a vicious right hook to knock his opponent out cold. Walker appeared to hit Norman right in the neck, which left the latter defenseless while gasping for air. A few more blows sealed the victory for Walker.
In all fairness to Norman, even Holloway isn’t immune to being on the wrong end of a knockout.
Jerry Jones sends message to Cowboys fans after Micah Parsons’ trade request
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does not seem to be sweating Micah Parsons’ public request for a trade.
The star linebacker took to social media Friday to announce that he had formally submitted a trade request to team CEO Stephen Jones. You can read Parsons’ full statement here.
Jones addressed the trade request Saturday while speaking to reporters. He dismissed Parsons’ public demand as nothing more than a negotiation tactic. When asked to elaborate further, Jones had a succinct message for any fans concerned about the team potentially losing Parsons.
“I would say to our fans, don’t lose any sleep over this,” Jones said.
Jones’ words could be interpreted in a couple of ways. The Cowboys owner may be maintaining an air of confidence, expecting both sides to smooth things out before the regular season. It could also be taken as a slight toward Parsons, whom Jones may be implying is not a player worth losing sleep over.
When asked about the fan clamor to re-sign Parsons, the 82-year-old executive claimed that there has been less public outcry compared to last offseason when wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was seeking a new contract.
Lamb himself has backed Parsons with a message of his own directed at Jones and the rest of the Cowboys brass.
Parsons has been one of the best defenders in the league over his first four seasons with the Cowboys. He has two first-team All-Pro nods and three top-3 finishes in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
If there’s any sort of player worth losing sleep over, it’s a player like Parsons. But Jones certainly isn’t acting like it.
Fan arrested over sex toy incident at WNBA game
The WNBA is putting a stop once and for all to the mean green.
In a statement on Saturday, the WNBA has announced that the fan who threw a sex toy onto the court during last Tuesday’s game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream had been arrested. The statement added that any fan throwing an object onto the court would be subject to a one-year ban from WNBA games (in addition to any criminal penalties).
“The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,” the WNBA statement read, per ESPN. “Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.”
The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the Valkyries-Dream game at Gateway Center in College Park, Ga. During a key moment in the final minute of the game, a fan chucked a neon-green dildo onto the court and briefly caused a stoppage (video here).
Another similar incident also occurred during the Valkyries’ game against the Chicago Sky on Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. During the third quarter of that game, play was also stopped to deal with a virtually identical neon-green dildo that was tossed onto the court (leading to jokes from WNBA players including Angel Reese). It is unclear though if the fan who threw the dildo during that game was also arrested.
While the memes that resulted from the pair of sex-toy incidents were certainly memorable, it is indeed in the best interest of the WNBA to crack down on the practice for the safety of all those attending and participating in their games. Earlier in the weekend, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham also called for an end to the dildo-throwing in a post to social media.
Rashee Rice claims to be ‘completely changed’ amid looming suspension
Rashee Rice is claiming to be a changed man.
The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver and another speeding driver caused a multi-car collision in Dallas early last year that left several people injured. Rice and his fellow driver were each hit with eight felony charges and eventually pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies as part of an agreement.
On Thursday, Rice was sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days in jail.
With an NFL suspension expected to be announced ahead of the 2025 season, Rice shared with reporters how the incident has given him a renewed perspective. According to Rice, the ordeal has “completely changed” him as a person.
“I learned just how valuable any opportunity and moment is,” Rice said, via ESPN’s Nate Taylor. “This right here, us being able to be on the field and be coached by Coach [Andy] Reid and have such a great quarterback, is honestly a gift, a blessing.
“I’ve completely changed. Honestly, you have to learn from things like that. I’ve taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.”
When asked about the suspension, Rice stated that it was “still in the works” and that he was letting his legal team handle it while he keeps his focus on the field.
Rice was reportedly going 119 miles per hour in his black Lamborghini SUV before losing control of his vehicle last March. He appeared to be racing with the other driver on a Dallas freeway. You can watch Rice’s dashcam footage from the incident here.
Months later, Rice was also involved in an alleged assault of a photographer in a Dallas nightclub.
Only time will tell if Rice has truly learned from the error of his ways. Fortunately for him, the car crash wasn’t life-ruining like it was for former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs.
FOX announcer makes unfortunate mistake during Yankees-Marlins recap
FOX announcer Kevin Burkhardt got “got” over the weekend.
Burkhardt, the lead studio host for FOX’s MLB programming, was providing a recap of the day in baseball while the Atlanta Braves-Cincinnati Reds game (the MLB Speedway Classic) was in a rain delay. During the highlights of the New York Yankees-Miami Marlins game earlier in the day, Burkhardt had an unfortunate slip of the tongue.
While the reel was playing, Burkhardt was calling a home run by Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez off Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler. But he did not quite stick the landing and accidentally called Schlittler by the name of [ahem] “S–tler” instead.
Here is the video.
Oh @kevinburkhardt, it happened to me too pic.twitter.com/PG52Rk9fJh
— Danielle McCartan from WFAN (@CoachMcCartan) August 2, 2025
For Schlittler, a 24-year-old rookie pitcher who was making just the fourth start of his career on Saturday, his name notably features the initial “L” sound in the first syllable rather than the second. But even so, that has to be some kind of entrapment for sports announcers to have a name like that.
The Yankees didn’t really have Schlittler to show for their game on Saturday as they ended up getting blanked by the Marlins in an ugly effort and losing by a 2-0 final score at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. As for Burkhardt, the veteran sportscaster who serves as the lead play-by-play voice for FOX’s NFL coverage as well, this is not the first time that he has gotten hit with the pump fake during a live broadcast.
Caleb Williams was furious after botching training camp drill
Caleb Williams was not a happy camper after underperforming during one segment of the Chicago Bears’ latest training camp session.
The Bears tested their quarterback room’s accuracy on Saturday with a simple drill. Each passer was made to throw multiple footballs in quick succession into a small net about 15 yards away.
One video showed the 23-year-old completely miss the mark on four consecutive throws. His last attempt was not even close, causing Williams to yell in anger as he walked to the back of the line.
Caleb Williams was very animated after not getting his throw in the basket on this rep.pic.twitter.com/8WdUamKigT
— JPA Football (@jasrifootball) August 2, 2025
According to Bears reporter Josh Buckhalter, the video seen above was Williams’ first crack at the drill. The second-year QB crushed it the next chance he got. Once Caleb got in rhythm, he was getting footballs in the net so fast that the Bears staffer handling the drill could barely keep up.
Caleb Williams locked in.
— Dave (@dave_bfr) August 2, 2025
Guy behind the net was fighting for his life though 😂 pic.twitter.com/xWb57T23QE
Williams was a pinpoint passer during his time at USC. But his accuracy — or lack thereof — became a glaring issue in his first NFL season.
The Bears QB’s 62.5% completion rate through his first 17 games did not tell the full story. His passes were considered on-target only at a 72.4% clip, which ranked him 30th out of 36 qualified passers last season. He also led the league with 110 passes considered to be “poor throws.”
Many compared Williams to Patrick Mahomes heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. But
While his draft classmate Jayden Daniels led the Washington Commanders to a dream season, Williams’ rookie campaign was filled with bloopers as the Bears stumbled to a 5-12 record.
Red Sox announcer blasts Astros for concerns about sign-stealing
Boston Red Sox announcer Will Middlebrooks unloaded on the Houston Astros for their apparent concerns about potential sign-stealing during Saturday’s game.
The Astros were concerned the Red Sox were stealing signs during the 7th inning of Saturday’s game at Fenway Park. Astros pitcher Hector Neris even intentionally balked baserunner Trevor Story over to third, seemingly fearing that Story was relaying Houston’s signs to the batter at home plate.
Neris exchanged words with Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson at the end of the frame, prompting both benches to clear. That prompted Middlebrooks, one of the TV analysts for NESN, to say what everyone was thinking.
“Imagine the Astros being mad about stealing signs,” Middlebrooks said.
Benches clear in Boston after Hector Neris intentionally balked Trevor Story to third base because he thought Story was relaying signs. Neris had words for the Red Sox third base coach coming off the field pic.twitter.com/MxWccFu7F9
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 2, 2025
The Astros infamously ran a sign-stealing operation during the 2017 season, a year in which the team went on to win the World Series. Eight years later, they have never been able to live it down.
Ironically, one of the alleged masterminds of the Astros’ operation was then-bench coach Alex Cora, who is now the manager of the Red Sox. Cora’s Red Sox were later investigated for alleged cheating, though it was not anywhere near the scale of what the Astros were accused of.
Middlebrooks just said what everyone was thinking. Even though many current members of the Astros organization were not a part of that 2017 team, nobody is going to feel sorry for them if they think another team might be stealing their signs.
Browns reporter delivers brutal roast of Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick was the victim of a brutal roast by Cleveland Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot during Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies on Friday.
Cabot, the longtime reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com, was the recipient of the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, an honor bestowed by the Pro Football Writers of America to a distinguished football writer. During her speech on Friday, she discussed how Belichick was the first Browns coach she ever covered, and that the two butted heads.
“If you start out with Bill Belichick, no one can rattle you after that,” Cabot said. “If Bill didn’t like something I wrote, he’d call and yell at me. If you asked a dumb question, he’d call you out. Eventually I had to learn to stand up to him. During one of those yelling matches, I told him ‘If you don’t have the footballs to say that to one of the guys, then don’t say it to me.’
“Now I totally understand why Bill gave me such a hard time. I was 28 at the time, and he just couldn’t relate to a woman that old.”
.@MaryKayCabot with the one-liner of the year. I’m crying 😂🤣😂🤣
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 2, 2025
(🎥 via https://t.co/SaJ0lj4fsP) pic.twitter.com/e0NF10V3jy
Belichick, of course, is dating 24-year-old Jordon Hudson. The age gap between herself and 73-year-old Belichick has been the subject of jokes, including from Hudson herself.
Belichick is notorious for being very tough on reporters. It took Cabot over 30 years, but she definitely got him back with that zinger.
Jerry Jones slights Micah Parsons again
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones certainly is not worrying about further alienating Micah Parsons with his public comments.
Jones delivered another shot at Parsons on Saturday when addressing the criticism he has received for his handling of the star edge rusher’s ongoing contract negotiations. The Cowboys owner said he was not angered by Parsons’ trade request and essentially saw it as a negotiating tactic.
Jones was also asked about fans that have been yelling for him to sign Parsons to a new contract. He dismissed that, and said the noise was even louder when negotiations were ongoing with CeeDee Lamb last year.
“It was just so much louder walking off this field with Lamb,” Jones said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Jones seemingly did himself no favors when he essentially questioned Parsons’ ability to stay healthy at the start of training camp. Communications between the two sides deteriorated to the point that Parsons felt the need to request a trade on Friday.
Talks between Parsons and the Cowboys remain at a standstill. Jones does not appear eager to break the deadlock, though he might take note of the fact that Lamb appears to be backing his teammate in this contract dispute.
Parsons has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since his rookie season. The 25-year-old has 52.5 sacks through his first 63 NFL games, including 12 in 13 games in 2024.
Everyone said the same thing after the Yankees’ latest mental error
The New York Yankees made another inexcusable mental error during Saturday’s game against the Miami Marlins, and it had fans calling for manager Aaron Boone to take swift action.
Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was on first base with one out in the second inning of Saturday’s game against the Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fl. Paul Goldschmidt hit a high popup to second base which was easily caught by Miami’s Xavier Edwards. Chisholm seemingly fell asleep, however, and got doubled off first base.
Jazz Chisholm falls asleep at first base and gets caught for a double play pic.twitter.com/w7Zv5QYv7i
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 2, 2025
Chisholm did not even seem to lose track of how many outs there were. He just seemed to take it for granted that nobody would try to double him off as he leisurely moved back toward the bag.
For many Yankee fans, the explanation did not matter. Many argued that Chisholm needed to be benched to send a message.
Chisholm should be benched
— Rich (@RAKcity27) August 2, 2025
i love Jazz Chisholm
— Thomas James (@RealThomasJames) August 2, 2025
that however is a benchable play in my mind
I’m not picking on Jazz, but the manager needs to make a statement and put him on the bench. These kinds of plays happen nightly and nobody is ever held accountable. https://t.co/BON20zeB7t
— NV (@nickv253) August 2, 2025
Jazz is my favorite Yankee but you’ve gotta bench him for that. All the infield depth we acquired at the deadline, there’s no excuse for him to still be in the game. It’s time for some accountability on this team
— Rambo 🏹 (@chesportsguy) August 2, 2025
Need to bench Jazz for that. We added depth for a reason, that kind of sloppiness after last night is not acceptable.
— Luke Kawa (@LJKawa) August 2, 2025
Chisholm was not benched and remained on the field in the third inning.
This is the latest in a set of recent mental errors by the Yankees. On Wednesday, Austin Wells was doubled off second after losing track of how many outs there were and trying to go back to the dugout with two down. They suffered a devastating loss on Friday, aided in part by a massive fielding mistake.
Yankees fans have been very frustrated with what is perceived as a soft approach in Boone’s management. The fact that Chisholm was not benched over this will further reinforce that criticism.
Deebo Samuel reacts to Terry McLaurin’s trade request
Deebo Samuel went through his own trade drama three years ago with the San Francisco 49ers, so he is sympathetic to Terry McLaurin’s issues with the Washington Commanders.
Samuel opened up about McLaurin’s situation on Saturday in an interview with NFL Network. The veteran wide receiver said he would like to play with McLaurin, but understands that his fellow receiver needs to sort out off-field business.
“I’ve been though it, so I know the stressful toll of it. I know where it takes your mind. It’s just so much to deal with,” Samuel said. “I would love to see Terry out here. I would love to go out there and play with him, but the business side of things, they gotta match both sides of the story.”
Deebo Samuel has been down the trade-request path before. He’s understands fellow #Commanders WR Terry McLaurin’s situation but adds: “I would love to go out there and play with him.” From Inside Training Camp Live on @nflnetwork 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/oC5SFWOKOD
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 2, 2025
McLaurin wants a new contract from Washington and has asked for a trade in an effort to get it. Samuel did the same with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, and that ultimately ended with Samuel getting a new three-year, $73.5 million contract. It may work out the same way for McLaurin, but he will be linked to other teams as long as the issue remains unsolved.
McLaurin has had five consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards. He led Washington with 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns last season. He is in the final year of a three-year, $68 million contract he signed in 2022.
Red Sox All-Star to undergo Tommy John surgery
A notable name on the Boston Red Sox is set to miss the remainder of this year and possibly all of next year as well.
Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck is set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Boston manager Alex Cora revealed to reporters on Saturday. Houck had not pitched at all since mid-May and will now require the major reconstructive procedure.
At 29 years old, Houck is a homegrown Red Sox pitcher who made an All-Star appearance with the team last season. Overall in 2024, the righty Houck was 9-10 with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP to go along with 154 strikeouts over 30 total starts.
This season for Boston though, Houck had struggled mightily. He was 0-3 with an absurd 8.04 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP through nine starts. Houck then landed on the injured list in May with a right elbow strain and reportedly suffered a setback during a recent rehab start. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list earlier this week, and now we know that it is because he will need to have Tommy John surgery.
The timing of the news certainly stinks for both Houck and the Red Sox. With the development coming so late this year, Houck may not be back on a big-league mound until 2027, which will also be his final season of club control.
At 60-51 this year (good for the second AL Wild Card Spot), Boston still has a chance to make some noise in the postseason. But it will have to come without Houck, who already went through a lot in recent years to be able to pitch again.
Phillies fans call for Kyle Schwarber re-signing in an amazing way
Philadelphia Phillies fans are going above and beyond to try to convince their front office to make sure Kyle Schwarber remains with the team next season.
Prior to Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., fans were circulating a petition calling for Schwarber’s re-signing. It includes a copy of the Declaration of Independence, along with the text: “We the people of Philadelphia didn’t fight the British just to lose Schwarber!!”
There’s a poster going around with the Declaration of Independence on it.
— Shaun Nestor (@shaun_nestor) August 2, 2025
“We the People of Philadelphia didn’t fight the British just to lose Schwarber!!”
They are actively getting fan signatures for their movement. Word on the street is Matt Strahm might try to steal it. pic.twitter.com/qF7PO68h2H
Multiple fans had signed the poster, and at least one player — reliever Matt Strahm — appeared to be aware of it going around.
Schwarber is in the final year of his contract with Philadelphia and would become one of the most sought-after free agents on the market if he were to get there. Some rival teams already appear to be thinking about launching a pursuit of him.
The reasons for that are obvious. Schwarber has 37 home runs this season and has been one of the game’s most consistent power hitters throughout his career. He simply reinforced that reputation with his heroics in the recent All-Star Game swing-off.
Schwarber joined the Phillies as a free agent before the 2022 season. The fans there have clearly taken to him for them to work on a gesture like this.
Sterling and Shannon Sharpe share emotional moment during Hall of Fame speech
Brothers Sterling and Shannon Sharpe shared an emotional moment on stage Saturday as Sterling was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Sterling paid tribute to his brother and credited Shannon as his inspiration during an emotional speech in Canton, Oh. on Saturday. Eventually, he invited his brother on stage to join him as he finished his speech.
“The only reason I’m standing here — everything I did for an audience of one,” Sterling Sharpe said. “I didn’t care what was written said, thought, talked about, prayed about. Everything I did was for an audience of one. You see, when you grow up in rural south Georgia, it’s hard to find heroes, and I didn’t want this person to look outside our own dinner table to find a role model.”
Sterling was wearing one of the two Super Bowl rings Shannon won during his career. He closed his speech by compensating his brother in a different way.
“The last time I was here, you said that you were the only pro football player in the Hall of Fame that could say you were the second-best player in your own family,” Sterling said. “I agree with that statement, but it would be my extreme pleasure for you to be the only player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with two gold jackets.”
"Everything athletically, I did for an audience of one."
— NFL (@NFL) August 2, 2025
Sterling Sharpe shares an incredible moment on stage with Shannon Sharpe as the first set of brothers enshrined in the @ProFootballHOF ❤️
HOF Enshrinement on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/z3whK6B0YC
Shannon Sharpe has been campaigning for his brother’s Hall of Fame candidacy since he got in himself over a decade ago. Getting to stand on stage as Sterling delivered his speech was no doubt a meaningful moment for him.
Shannon recently lost his job at ESPN after settling a sexual misconduct lawsuit. He had been concerned that those headlines would overshadow his brother’s Hall of Fame induction, but Sterling clearly did not care about them and gave his brother a major spotlight during his induction speech.
Details emerge about Sha’Carri Richardson’s domestic violence arrest
More information has surfaced about Sha’Carri Richardson’s recent arrest for domestic violence.
Richardson was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last Sunday after an incident at a security checkpoint. Initial reporting revealed that she got into a verbal altercation with a male companion and allegedly pushed the man into a nearby column and continued to bump into the man as he tried to walk away. Richardson also allegedly threw a pair of headphones at the man (details here).
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic revealed that Richardson’s male companion was her boyfriend, fellow Olympic sprinter Christian Coleman. Thompson notes that the arresting officer, through airport security footage, witnessed Richardson getting physical with Coleman and deemed it probable cause to arrest Richardson for fourth-degree domestic violence assault (the least serious type of charge).
The two-time Olympic medalist Richardson ended up spending just short of 19 hours at South Correctional Entity in Des Moines, Wash. before being released. However, Thompson reports that the case has since been cleared as Coleman refused to press charges against Richardson and “declined to be a victim.”
Coleman reportedly told officers that Richardson was his girlfriend of two years. However, the two only went public with their relationship earlier this year.
Richardson and Coleman were both in the area to compete in this week’s USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Richardson ran as scheduled in Thursday’s 100m heats, submitting a time of 11.07 seconds. She then withdrew from the 100m semifinals but is currently scheduled to run in the 200m event on Sunday. Meanwhile, Coleman also ran in Thursday’s 100m heats on the men’s side, turning in a time of 10.08 seconds. He ultimately advanced to the 100m final (placing fifth with a time of 9.86 seconds) is also still scheduled to run in the men’s 200m on Sunday.
Video of Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham draws attention online
Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham appeared to be having an interesting conversation during Friday’s game.
On Friday, the Indiana Fever played the Dallas Wings on the road at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Tex. While the Fever superstar Clark (groin) remained sidelined, Indiana still managed to earn the 88-78 win to improve to 3-0 against Dallas on the season.
Video went viral from the game of a moment that the Fever teammates Clark and Cunningham had while sitting next to each other on the bench. Cunningham whispered something to Clark while covering up her mouth with a towel. Clark then responded with a bit of an eye-roll and a few words of her own.
Amateur lip-readers on social media thought that Clark was saying, “Yep. I know. She hates me.” Here is the video where you can see for yourself.
“Yup, I know. She hates me”
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) August 2, 2025
Caitlin Clark after Sophie Cunningham whispered in her ear
pic.twitter.com/lJmU175nsZ
It is unclear whom Clark might have been referring to or if “she hates me” was even what she was saying there. But we do know that there is a whole lot of jealousy for Clark around the league given her skill, status, and popularity.
Recent WNBA All-Star voting results proved just how much Clark is hated by her peers these days. Cunningham herself recently even went off on a profane rant about the disrespect shown to Clark, so it wouldn’t be surprising if that was indeed the topic of conversation between them during Friday’s game.
Luka Doncic set himself up for a huge payday with his new contract
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic’s new contract is timed perfectly to give himself an even bigger payday down the road.
Doncic agreed to a new three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers on Saturday, potentially tying him to the team through the 2028-29 season. However, the final year of that deal is a player option, and it is timed specifically to coincide with Doncic gaining ten years of NBA service.
If Doncic were to opt out before the 2028-29 season, he would then be eligible for a new five-year contract worth 35% of the salary cap. That value could be as much as $417 million.
The player option in 2028-29 is key because Luka will have 10 years of service.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 2, 2025
If he becomes a FA, he would then be eligible to sign up to a five year and projected $417M (yes, that’s not a typo) contract with the Lakers. https://t.co/7EndjC74VB
In other words, Doncic has positioned himself nicely to make as much money as possible going forward. The length of this new deal is likely not a coincidence in light of that.
The deal makes sense for both sides. The Lakers can now lock Doncic in for several seasons and end the lingering speculation about his future. Doncic is still lined up for a massive payday in a few years. It’s a win-win for everybody.
Luka Doncic agrees to new contract with Lakers
Luka Doncic has officially committed long-term to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic has signed a contract extension with the Lakers. The star revealed the news himself on social media, writing that he is “excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud.”
I just signed my extension with the Lakers. Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/PrTfTxxlpU
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) August 2, 2025
Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Doncic signed a three-year, $165 max extension with the Lakers.
The move puts an end to the lingering speculation about Doncic’s future with the team. Doncic was set to become a free agent next summer, and as long as that remained the case, there was some thought that other teams might try to tempt the Lakers into moving him. That is certainly off the table now.
For the Lakers, things could not be working out much better. Doncic appears to be highly motivated entering his first full season with the team. Now they know they have a commitment from him beyond this season, and should get at least three high-quality campaigns out of him.
In 28 games after being acquired by the Lakers, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.
Shedeur Sanders held out of practice over injury concern
Shedeur Sanders’ efforts to win himself a prominent spot on the Cleveland Browns took another hit on Saturday.
Sanders was held out of team drills due to shoulder soreness, the team announced. The severity of Sanders’ soreness was unclear, but it was bad enough that the Browns did not allow him to practice.
This represents another setback for Sanders, who appears to have very little chance of winning the team’s quarterback job. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel is ahead of him on the depth chart, as Sanders has yet to get any practice reps with the first team. Gabriel has not received many, but that is still more than Sanders has gotten.
So far, Sanders has taken the high road when it comes to his lack of reps. Any sort of injury, even if minor, is another setback for him, though.
The Browns traded up to select Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL Draft despite already having selected Gabriel in the third round. At that point, picking Sanders just seemed like good value, but those making the selection did not seem all that enthused about it.
For now, Joe Flacco still appears to be ahead of both Sanders and Gabriel in the quarterback pecking order. Sanders needed all the reps he could get to make up some of that ground.
Joe Ryan fell for FOX’s brutal social media blunder at trade deadline
The Boston Red Sox engaged in discussions with the Minnesota Twins about a trade for starting pitcher Joe Ryan ahead of Thursday’s deadline, and one media outlet accidentally reported that a deal had been completed. The blunder even fooled Ryan.
Reports leading up to the deadline suggested that the Twins were willing to listen to offers for Ryan. Someone who had access to the official X account for FOX Sports MLB thought at one point on Thursday that Ryan had been traded to Boston.
The erroneous post sent fans into a frenzy:
Generational fumble from FOX Sports incorrectly reporting Joe Ryan to the Red Sox. Embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/sBDkk2A38M
— Mac Jones Candle (@MacJonesCandle) July 31, 2025
In an era where players frequently find out about trades via social media before hearing from their respective teams, Ryan briefly thought he needed to pack his bags. The right-hander told Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune that he saw the FOX post and initially believed he had been traded.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Ryan said, noting that he was unable to get to sleep until after midnight on Thursday. “I felt like I threw a whole game [Thursday] with a lot of emotions. I was kind of in a weird state of mind and physically pretty exhausted, too.”
The Twins traded nearly half of their roster ahead of the deadline, so it is somewhat surprising that Ryan was not dealt. The Red Sox were reportedly unwilling to meet Minnesota’s asking price, which is why Ryan was not part of the fire sale.
Ryan is in his fifth MLB season and was just named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He is 10-5 with a 2.83 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 127 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old is under team control through the 2027 season.
