Saints signing former top-3 pick to back up QB Tyler Shough
The New Orleans Saints are adding a veteran quarterback to provide depth behind starter Tyler Shough.
The Saints are reportedly signing former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. Per Saints reporter Nick Underhill, the agreement is for a one-year deal.
Saints are signing QB Zach Wilson, according to a source. Adds a veteran presence and some competition to the QB room behind Tyler Shough. Wilson, 26, was the No. 2 pick in 2021. He gives New Orleans a third quarterback with starting experience. pic.twitter.com/NMW4KX3SJ7
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 25, 2026
Wilson is expected to give Shough some competition as the most senior member of a QB room that also includes Spencer Rattler. While Wilson has more NFL starters under his belt (33) than Shough and Rattler have combined (23), what he did in those starts was what made the Jets part ways with him years after making him the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
The BYU alum threw more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23) and had a below-average completion rate in each of his three seasons with New York. He played sparingly last season in a backup role with the Miami Dolphins.
But as Wilson’s predecessor Sam Darnold proved over the last few years, a second or third change of scenery may be exactly what a QB needs to get the Jets stink off of him. If it doesn’t work out with Wilson, the Saints do still have the rights to a high-profile veteran QB looking to make a comeback.
Grizzlies make definitive announcement on Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies are pulling the plug on Ja Morant, at least for this season.
The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Morant is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season while working his way back from a UCL sprain in his left elbow. Morant received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow after experiencing “lingering discomfort.”
The offloading process following the injection will extend through the remaining weeks of the 2025-26 campaign. Morant joins Grizzlies big men Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke on the list of players Memphis hopes to make a full recovery by the start of next season.
The @memgrizz today announced the following medical updates for Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Zach Edey: pic.twitter.com/gV8rLPlwbs
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) March 25, 2026
The Grizzlies pressed the reset button on their roster with the team’s trade of franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr. before the February trade deadline. The move signaled the team’s commitment to a rebuild, which raises questions about Morant’s standing with the team.
Morant himself was the subject of trade rumors ahead of the deadline, but no trade materialized. Once considered one of the league’s rising young guards alongside Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Morant has since seen his trade value hit rock bottom due to a combination of deteriorating play, injury concerns, and off-court incidents.
The 2-time All-Star averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists across 20 games this season.
John Calipari makes classy gesture after injury to Moses Moody
John Calipari has extended a helping hand to Moses Moody after the Golden State Warriors star’s season came to a brutal end on Monday night.
Moody suffered a gruesome knee injury late in the Warriors’ overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks. The fifth-year wing’s left knee caved on him as he went for an uncontested dunk during a fastbreak opportunity (video here). The Arkansas alum was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon, which is expected to sideline him for several months.
With Moody looking at a lengthy rehab process, Calipari made sure to reach out to remind Moody that the Bud Walton Arena’s facilities are always open for him.
“Heard about Moses Moody injury last night,” Calipari wrote on X. “You are always welcome to come back and rehab with us and use the facility. Prayers for a speedy and full recovery!”
Moody obviously has access to the Golden State Warriors’ training facility and medical staff, which would likely be even better than what the Razorbacks could offer him in terms of a recovery environment. But given the mental toll such a lengthy injury timeline could have on a young player, Moses may want to return to his college roots for a change of scenery every once in a while.
Calipari never got the chance to coach Moody, who was a standout one-and-done for the Razorbacks during the 2020-21 season. Moody averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds across 32 games at Arkansas before the Warriors made him a lottery pick in 2021.
Coach Cal has always been a player-first coach, and his level of care apparently extends to Arkansas alumni who came before his time.
NBA players union demanding for 1 rule to be abolished immediately
The NBA Players Association wants the league to abolish a recently implemented rule that could dampen Cade Cunningham’s banner year.
Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung last week, which he suffered during his Detroit Pistons’ 130-117 win over the Washington Wizards. The lung issue could potentially keep Cunningham sidelined for the rest of the regular season.
Cunningham has played in 61 games this season, posting numbers that made him a dark horse MVP candidate for most of the year. But if he’s unable to suit up anymore until the playoffs, he would fall short of the 65-game quota needed to be eligible for end-of-season awards.
The NBA players’ union is not happy about that possibility and made that known in a strongly worded statement, via NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin.
“Cade Cunningham’s potential ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries,” the statement read.
“Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”
The NBA agreed to implement the 65-game rule in 2024 to combat rampant load management. The rule was put in place after teams seemingly sat healthy star players for way too many games in the year.
Cunningham’s injury, however, is the furthest thing from a simple case of load management. Despite leading the Pistons to one of their best seasons in franchise history, Cunningham could miss the All-NBA team altogether because of a rule meant to fix a problem he isn’t a part of.
Cade isn’t alone in that either, with stars like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama all missing significant chunks of the season due to legitimate injuries. The NBPA believes the league needs to make a change to avoid robbing its stars of the recognition they deserve.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is being linked to 1 new contender
Giannis Antetokounmpo may have a new suitor from The Lone Star State.
The disgruntled Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Antetokounmpo could potentially be pursued this offseason by the Houston Rockets. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated made that claim during the latest episode of the “Open Floor” podcast.
“I believe the Rockets are going to try to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason,” said Mannix, per Rockets Wire. “So that looms. But I don’t believe the results of this year will result in them blowing it up.”
The Rockets have largely failed to meet expectations this season and currently sit at 43-28, which is No. 6 in the Western Conference. But they effectively have a win-now mandate after trading for former MVP forward Kevin Durant, 37, over the summer and subsequently extending him through 2027 (with Durant also holding a player option for the 2027-28 season).
As for Antetokounmpo, 31, he will once again be the NBA’s hottest trade candidate come the offseason. He is also currently at odds with the Bucks again over a reported disagreement with his playing status that just sprung up over the last few days.
Houston could make a very strong player-centric offer to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo, potentially including the likes of multi-time All-Star Alperen Sengun, 23, All-Defensive First Teamer Amen Thompson, 23, former No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr, 22, and/or rising second-year guard Reed Sheppard, 21. That said, the Rockets will likely have to contend with at least one giant from the West in order to secure Antetokounmpo’s services here.
Tua Tagovailoa makes a brutal admission about his performance
Tua Tagovailoa is calling a spade a spade when it comes to his own play.
The new Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tagovailoa spoke with reporters on Tuesday for the first time since signing with the team. During his remarks, Tagovailoa got brutally honest and admitted that he failed to live up to expectations last season, particularly in the context of his big contract.
“If you’re looking at last year, my play wasn’t up to the standard of the way I’ve been playing football in the past three years since the new contract,” Tagovailoa said. “So just got to play better football. That’s what that really means. There’s no other way to sugarcoat that or go around that.”
The former NFL passing yards leader Tagovailoa, 28, signed a monstrous four-year, $212.4 contract extension with the Miami Dolphins in 2024. But he was an abject disaster for the Dolphins in 2025, going 6-8 as the starter with 20 touchdowns to 15 interceptions (plus another two fumbles lost). Tagovailoa was eventually benched before the end of the season, and the Dolphins ended up eating a record $99.2 million in dead money to release Tagovailoa earlier this month.
Days later, the ex-Pro Bowler Tagovailoa signed in free agency with the Falcons, earning a one-year deal. He is expected to compete for Atlanta’s starting QB position in 2026, especially with Michael Penix Jr. still recovering from a partial ACL tear.
Tagovailoa turned off many fans down the stretch of last season with some of his excuses for his poor play. But now that Tagovailoa is getting a change of scenery with the Falcons, it appears that his excuse-making is finally over.
Raiders make intriguing hire to help Fernando Mendoza
The Las Vegas Raiders are already making moves in preparation for the arrival of Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders have all but confirmed their intent to make Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick in next month’s draft. With Mendoza already seeming to be the team’s focus, Las Vegas has reportedly hired Mike Sullivan to become the team’s quarterbacks coach. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo broke the news on X.
The #Raiders are hiring a QB coach after all. Mike Sullivan has been tabbed to work with presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, sources tell The Insiders.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 25, 2026
It’ll be Sullivan’s fifth stint as a QB coach — two with the #Giants, one each with the #Steelers and #Broncos. pic.twitter.com/cS4kdWS3Kv
Those who are familiar with Sullivan know exactly the kind of impact he could have on a young, malleable play-caller like Mendoza. Sullivan famously served as Eli Manning’s quarterbacks coach during the former’s first tenure with the New York Giants from 2004 to 2011.
Sullivan was widely credited for helping mold Manning into a QB capable of winning two Super Bowls across their eight seasons together. Sullivan had a similarly positive impact during his stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-2014) and Denver Broncos (2018).
Sullivan also coached Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger during the latter’s final NFL season. Big Ben threw for a respectable 3,740 yards with 22 touchdowns in his age-39 campaign.
The Raiders are banking on Sullivan forming the same bond with Mendoza as he did with Manning, complete with the hardware to match.
Major news emerges about Hubert Davis
The North Carolina Tar Heels have finally done the inevitable with Hubert Davis.
UNC has decided not to bring back Davis as the head coach of their men’s basketball team, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported on Tuesday. The news ends Davis’ time in charge of the Tar Heels after five total seasons.
Davis, a notable North Carolina alum, was hired as head coach of the men’s basketball program in 2021, succeeding legendary UNC coach Roy Williams. While Davis took the Tar Heels all the way to the NCAA Tournament title game during his first season in charge, the rest of his time as head coach was far less memorable.
Other than an ACC regular season title and Sweet 16 berth in 2023-24, Davis earned no other accolades of note during his remaining four seasons at North Carolina. He failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament altogether in 2022-23 and then submitted back-to-back Round of 64 exits to close out his time in Chapel Hill.
This season was particularly embarrassing for Davis as well. After going 24-7 through regular season play, North Carolina lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament to Clemson. They then got upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by No. 11 seed VCU after blowing a 19-point lead (leading to Davis receiving some cruel memes online).
It looked like the writing had been on the wall with Davis’ future for the last several days. Now the Tar Heels will have to decide on Davis’ replacement, and one big-name head coach is already being favored to land the job.
Kevin McGonigle’s jersey number for Tigers has been revealed
Kevin McGonigle is pulling a George Costanza as he make his way to the big leagues.
The Detroit Tigers announced the exciting news on Tuesday that their infield phenom McGonigle has made the team’s roster for Opening Day. McGonigle had a phenomenal spring for Detroit and will now be rewarded with a roster spot on the Major League team to begin 2026.
In the wake of the news, jersey number database “MLB Jersey Numbers” revealed what digits (or perhaps more accurately, digit) McGonigle will be wearing for the Tigers. He is set to don the No. 7.
INF Kevin McGonigle (@kevinMcGonigle7) will wear number 7. Last worn by OF Manuel Margot in 2025. #Tigers pic.twitter.com/IxprOi3JRW
— MLB Jersey Numbers (@NumbersMLB) March 24, 2026
No. 7 has been worn by a total of 39 players for the Tigers over the years. The most recent one to do so was veteran outfielder Manuel Margot during the 2025 season. But the most notable No. 7s for Detroit include Hall of Famers Ivan Rodriguez and Eddie Mathews as well as many-time All-Stars Rocky Colavito and Harvey Kuenn.
McGonigle is a 21-year-old shortstop who bats lefty. He was the No. 37 overall pick by the Tigers in 2023 and won the Midwest League Top MLB Prospect Award in 2025.
Now viewed as the consensus No. 2 prospect in Major League Baseball (behind Pittsburgh’s Konnor Griffin), McGonigle raked during spring training with an impressive OPS of .923. The Tigers will have a lot of interesting storylines this season and just earned an ALDS berth last season. But McGonigle has pulled off the very impressive feat of making the Opening Day roster for a veteran, win-now team in Detroit.
Victor Wembanyama gives 3 reasons why he should be NBA MVP
Victor Wembanyama is making his case this week to the MVP voters.
The San Antonio Spurs star Wembanyama spoke on Monday night to reporters after a dominant 136-111 win over the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla. During his remarks, Wembanyama laid out three reasons why he believes that he should be selected as this year’s NBA Most Valuable Player.
“My first one would be that defense is 50 percent of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race,” said Wembanyama, per ESPN. “I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league.
“Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season, and we dominated them three times with their real team,” Wembanyama added. “The third argument would be that offense impact is not just points.”
The 22-year-old Wembanyama, who has guided to the Spurs to a smoking 54-18 record this season, is indeed the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. With his imposing 7-foot-4 frame, Wembanyama is leading the NBA with 3.0 blocks per game but also alters far more shots than that and regularly even deters opponents from taking shots against him altogether.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama is right that San Antonio has had three dominant wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder this season (four if counting a narrow victory in NBA Cup play back in December). The Thunder are the only team ahead of the Spurs in the NBA standings and also have current MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge.
Finally, Wembanyama’s 24.3 points per game this year are stellar but do not quite match up to the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander (31.5 ppg), Luka Doncic (33.4 ppg), and Nikola Jokic (28.0 ppg). But Wembanyama clearly believes that his ability at his immense size to score at all three levels gives plenty of extra oxygen to his teammates offensively in a way that points alone do not sum up.
At this point, it is probably a two-horse race for MVP between Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander. If the Spurs can chase down the Thunder in the standings (they currently sit three games back), the award might just be Wembanyama’s to lose, especially since he has a slightly more fun personality for the voters as well.
Eagles sign former Jets leading receiver in free agency
The Philadelphia Eagles have added another notable weapon for Jalen Hurts.
Philadelphia has agreed to sign wide receiver Elijah Moore in free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Tuesday. Moore is reportedly getting a one-year deal from the Eagles.
The 25-year-old Moore was originally a New York Jets second-round draft pick back in 2021 (No. 34 overall). He had a decent run in New York and led the team with five receiving touchdowns during his rookie season.
But Moore ended up getting dealt to the Cleveland Browns before the 2023 campaign. Over two seasons with the Browns, Moore turned in a total of 120 receptions for 1,178 receiving yards and three touchdowns while also appearing in 34 of 34 possible games.
The Eagles are getting Moore at a low point of his value though as he had a very forgettable 2025 season with the Buffalo Bills. Moore, who signed a one-year contract with Buffalo, ended up making just nine appearances for the Bills over the course of the year and only caught nine passes for 112 yards and zero touchdowns.
Now Moore is headed to his fourth career team in what will be six NFL seasons. The Eagles have already added some offensive standouts in free agency this offseason and will be hoping that they can get a bounceback effort from the former Ole Miss star Moore in 2026.
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s new contract details have been revealed
The Chicago Cubs made sure not to waste time with star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
On Monday, reports surfaced that the Cubs and Crow-Armstrong had agreed to a new deal just before the start of the 2026 MLB season.
While official details weren’t disclosed at the time, the terms came on Tuesday. It is a six-year, $115 million contract extension for Crow-Armstrong that begins in 2027, via ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal also allows Crow-Armstrong to hit free agency again before he turns 31 years old.
Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a six-year, $115 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The deal starts in 2027 and does not include a club option, allowing Crow-Armstrong to hit free agency before his age-31 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 24, 2026
It’s been a busy offseason for the Cubs. Kyle Tucker left Chicago after just one season and signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cubs did win the Alex Bregman sweepstakes this time, signing the former Boston Red Sox star to a five-year, $175 million deal.
The Cubs also acquired pitcher Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins, so they are trying to do what it takes to make a postseason run once again.
Crow-Armstrong is entering his fourth season in the MLB, although he played just 13 games in 2023. In 2025, the outfielder had 31 home runs with 95 RBIs and 35 stolen bases in 157 regular-season games.
In a vacuum, this is a steal for the Cubs, as Crow-Armstrong will earn just over $19 million AAV with the new contract.
Phillies’ $107 million contract for star pitcher includes lots of deferred money
The Philadelphia Phillies made a big move by giving ace pitcher Cristopher Sanchez a six-year deal worth $107 million right before Opening Day.
The new contract for Sanchez includes $104 million guaranteed, but it also includes deferred money that Sanchez will be getting all the way until 2044, according to Ronald Blum of The Associated Press.
“Philadelphia will defer $10 million each from his 2031 and 2032 salaries, which each will be payable in five $2 million installments. The 2031 money is due every July 1 from 2035-39 and the 2032 money every July 1 from 2040-44,” Blum wrote.
Here’s what Sanchez’s salary looks like for the next few years, according to the AP.
- 2027: $6 million
- 2028: $9 million
- 2029: $14 million
- 2030: $15 million
- 2031 and 2031: $27 million
A year ago, the Phillies gave Sanchez a four-year deal worth $47 million, so the franchise decided to double down on their investment and give the 29-year-old pitcher a new deal after his impressive 2025 campaign.
Sanchez went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 starts in 2025 and a career-high 212 strikeouts, so it’s a well-deserved payday for the pitcher.
Deferred contracts have become more common as of late, and Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani raised eyebrows with a deferral-heavy deal after he came to LA on a whopping 10-year, $700 contract prior to the 2024 season.
Joe Flacco is playing at least one more season
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco just isn’t ready for retirement.
On Tuesday, Flacco re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on a one-year deal, which means the 41-year-old is sticking around a little longer.
Sources: The #Bengals are signing QB Joe Flacco, per multiple sources.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 24, 2026
The 41-year-old comes off a Pro Bowl season in both Cleveland and Cincinnati — where he was traded. He will now backup Joe Burrow. pic.twitter.com/Zb2Qzo4DbC
The deal is for $6 million with another $3 million in incentives, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Flacco began the 2025 season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, but Kevin Stefanski benched Flacco and turned things over to rookie Dillon Gabriel after just four games.
The Browns then traded Flacco to the Bengals, and the 41-year-old took over as the starting quarterback with Joe Burrow suffering an injury.
Flacco started six games for the Bengals, registering a 1-5 record. But, Flacco did throw for 470 yards in the 47-42 loss to the Chicago Bears on November 2.
Flacco was then named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster with plenty of big names dropping out, and it marked the first-ever Pro Bowl trip for Flacco.
Flacco was reportedly hoping for a starting job, but many have been filled in free agency with Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and other names finding new homes this offseason.
Now, Flacco returns to Cincinnati as Burrow’s backup in what could be his final season in the NFL.
Why Odell Beckham Jr. is generating NFL interest
Odell Beckham Jr. might not be done with the NFL just yet.
Despite not playing in 2025 and appearing in nine games in 2024, Beckham is reportedly drawing NFL interest. And the reason is how he played in Tom Brady’s recent Fanatics flag football game, according to insider Jordan Schultz.
“Free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. has received renewed interest in recent days after his showing at Tom Brady’s Fanatics flag football game. Beckham was one of the most impressive players on the field and fully intends to play in 2026, per sources,” Schultz wrote.
Beckham played on the Wildcats FFC team, and he brought back memories by making a dazzling one-handed catch for a touchdown from Jayden Daniels.
Vintage OBJ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WGyjo8ENJe
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) March 21, 2026
Beckham played in 14 games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, then he signed with the Miami Dolphins for the 2024 season.
However, Beckham was suspended for six games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and he was waived by the Dolphins toward the end of the season.
Beckham is a three-time Pro Bowler, but he turns 34 years old in November, and it remains to be seen how effective he can be after not playing for the entire 2025 campaign.
Still, Beckham impressed many at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, so maybe a team takes a flier on the former New York Giants star.
Moses Moody’s injury diagnosis has been revealed
The Golden State Warriors got the update they feared on Moses Moody after his freak injury Monday night.
Moody suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The injury will end his season, and likely cost him a significant portion of next year as well.
Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody has been diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, sources tell ESPN. Moody's career-best season is over and a lengthy rehab will be required. pic.twitter.com/A8IqhgbXIL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 24, 2026
The update will not come as a surprise to anyone who saw the injury. Moody was going in for an uncontested dunk when his leg crumpled beneath him and he fell to the court (video here). His knee was visibly dislocated after he fell.
Moody’s injury is all the more cruel as he was having the best season of his career. The fifth-year guard was averaging 12.1 points per game on the season while shooting just over 40 percent from three-point range, and had seemingly established himself as a key component of the team’s future.
The Warriors have had a very rough go with injuries this season. Jimmy Butler also suffered a season-ending knee injury in January, while Steph Curry has not played since Jan. 30 due to a knee problem of his own.
Former AL Rookie of the Year demoted to minors
Less than two years after winning American League Rookie of the Year honors, New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil will be starting the 2026 season in the minor leagues.
Gil will be optioned to Triple-A after failing to earn a spot in the Yankees’ starting rotation. The Yankees will only use a four-man rotation to open the season, leaving the former Rookie of the Year without a role.
Manager Aaron Boone admitted that Gil was “a little upset” about the decision, but the Yankees want to keep him on a starter schedule, and the best way to do that is to send him to the minors instead of having him sit in the MLB bullpen.
Gil won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, when he went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings. He was unable to build on his rookie campaign, as he was shut down during spring training with a lat strain and did not make his season debut until August. He posted a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts after returning, but his strikeout numbers were way down and he walked 33 batters in 57 innings.
Gil’s issues continued in spring training, as he posted a 4.66 ERA in six appearances. That likely cost him a spot in the rotation, but the team will need a fifth starter at some point, and it will likely be him if he pitches well in the minors to start the new season.
NFL proposes rule change to prevent a ‘Fail Mary’ repeat with replacement refs
With the NFL facing the possibility of a referee lockout in 2026, the league is trying to insulate himself from serious consequences if it does come to pass.
The NFL’s competition committee on Tuesday proposed a rule that would allow the league office to correct “clear and obvious mistakes” from officials immediately. The rule proposal explicitly states it would only be in effect for one year, and only if “replacement game officials are utilized as the on-field officials.”
Here's the lengthy (temporary) rule proposal in the event the NFL has to use replacement refs this season. The league office would correct "clear and obvious" mistakes by the replacement refs in real-time pic.twitter.com/Hf3P80Mdcp
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 24, 2026
The league’s goal here is very clear: they want to avoid a repeat of what happened last time they had to employ replacement officials. That was in 2012, and led to a number of high-profile mistakes, most infamously the botched call on a Hail Mary that gave the Seattle Seahawks a controversial win over the Green Bay Packers. This rule would allow the league office to intervene and make sure the correct call is made in that sort of situation.
This is also the clearest signal yet that the threat of a referee work stoppage is very real. The current collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of May, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter has previously reported that talks are not going well. The referees’ union has allegedly been resistant to significant changes in proposals made so far.
The NFL wants to ensure that games are not decided by replacement referees making bad calls, if things do come to that. That is good, but it wouldn’t change the fact that fans would likely have to watch a lot of bad calls be overturned by the league office.
Ravens’ concern about Maxx Crosby has been revealed
New information has emerged regarding why the Baltimore Ravens decided to withdraw from the Maxx Crosby trade.
Doctors assured the Ravens that Crosby would likely be able to play in 2026, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. However, Baltimore was worried about a degenerative issue in Crosby’s knee that they feared would impact his durability over the next several years.
That explanation still has not satisfied others around the league. Rivals point to the fact that the Ravens had access to imaging on Crosby’s knee before agreeing to the deal, furthering the theory that the organization simply got cold feet as the trade was about to be completed.
Crosby, 28, has dealt with knee issues in 2023 and 2025, though he played through them most of the time. He also had ankle problems in 2024, but up until this season, he has generally been reliably available throughout his career.
For now, Crosby remains with the Raiders, who are not inclined to lower the asking price on him. Expect him to be extremely motivated next time he faces Baltimore, whenever that may be.
Crosby remains one of the most feared defensive players in the NFL. Despite battling through injuries, he still collected 10 sacks through 15 games in 2025, marking the fourth time in his career that he has reached double-digit sacks.
Billy Donovan may leave Bulls after this season
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan may be coaching his final season with the team, at least based on a new claim.
There is “growing momentum” around the Bulls that Donovan may walk away from the job after the season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. While Donovan is not done coaching, there is some thought that he might be ready to move on after failing to build a winner in his six seasons in Chicago.
Donovan may also take some time away from the job after both his father and mother-in-law died this past season.
While Donovan’s Bulls tenure has not gone smoothly, his own reputation has not suffered much. Chicago has gone 224-247 under Donovan’s leadership, but his rosters have largely been devoid of high-end talent. He is still thought of highly enough that he was at least considered by the New York Knicks for their coaching vacancy last summer, but was unwilling to leave the Bulls at that time.
Donovan has a 467-404 record as an NBA head coach and is still only 60. The Basketball Hall-of-Famer can also point to his 467-186 record at the college level, primarily with Florida, though there are no indications he is looking to return to that level.
The Bulls enter play Tuesday at 29-42 and are all but certain to miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.
