May 24, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter in game four of the 2022 Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Draymond Green is ready to rock once again.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Sunday that the Golden State Warriors star Green is expected to make his return to the court for the team Monday against the Grizzlies in Memphis. It will mark a return on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for Green, who has missed the last 16 games.
The former Defensive Player of the Year Green was suspended indefinitely by the league for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the head during a game on Dec. 12 (video here). He ended up serving an official suspension of 12 games before being reinstated (but missed four more due to a ramp-up period for his return to play).
Green has since spoken out about his suspension and made a noteworthy claim about it. While it remains to be seen how Green will behave upon his return to the court, the 18-21 Warriors certainly need him from a basketball standpoint (though they did manage to go 8-8 in the games Green missed).
Nov 10, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media before an NFL International Series practice at the Deutcher Fussball-Bund facility. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Belichick has reportedly drawn interest from more than one team with a head coaching vacancy, but is it possible the head coach could be eyeing a job that is not yet available?
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Sunday that Belichick is “clearly” waiting to see if any current playoff team decides to move on from their head coach before the 71-year-old considers taking another job.
“Here’s an interesting thing to consider: What if Bill Belichick’s future team is still playing in the playoffs?” Rapoport said. “Every year, there’s a team that makes the playoffs and has a performance that is so dramatic and horrific that the owner considers making a coaching move. That clearly is what Belichick and many of his assistants are still watching.”
Rapoport then hinted that the Dallas Cowboys could be a team to watch. You can hear more below at around the 1:34 mark:
Belichick and Jerry Jones have long been admirers of one another. If the Cowboys decide to move on from Mike McCarthy, Belichick might have interest in the job. It seems highly unlikely that Dallas will make a change, however.
Jones is hoping for a deep playoff run after the Cowboys went 12-5 during the regular season. Dallas got to the Divisional Round last year and looks even better this season, so expectations are high. That does not necessarily mean McCarthy will be fired if Dallas has another disappointing finish.
The Cowboys gave Jason Garrett 10 seasons. It felt like he was on the hot seat for at least half of them. Jones and company would have to be certain that Belichick could do better than McCarthy with the same team to justify firing McCarthy after three consecutive 12-5 seasons.
Dallas is not the only playoff team that Belichick has been linked to.
The Washington Huskies appear to have settled on their replacement for Kalen DeBoer.
Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch has emerged as the top target in the Huskies’ coaching search, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. Fisch is the only candidate Washington officials have made contact with, and there appears to be mutual interest.
The interest in Fisch comes after Kansas coach Lance Leipold, another top target, took himself out of the running by announcing he will be staying with the Jayhawks.
Fisch ticks a lot of boxes for the Huskies. He has engineered a remarkable turnaround at Arizona, leading the team to a 10-3 record last season. He also has experience in the Big Ten, having served as Jim Harbaugh’s passing game coordinator at Michigan in 2015 and 2016. That could prove valuable as Washington moves to the conference in 2024.
Washington will have some rebuilding to do, with much of the talent from this year’s team transferring or going pro. Fisch’s work at Arizona should give the Huskies confidence that he will be able to oversee the effort successfully.
Apr 15, 2020; Anaheim, California, USA; General overall view of the Los Angeles Angels logo at Angel Stadium of Anaheim amid the global coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY NETWORK
After losing Shohei Ohtani to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, and the Los Angeles Angels may be trying for a moral victory of sorts.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this weekend that the Angels are considering an interesting option on the free agent market — Dodgers fan favorite Enrique “Kiké” Hernandez.
The do-it-all 32-year-old Hernandez played for the Dodgers from 2015-20 and was part of their World Series-winning 2020 team. Dodgers fans loved Hernandez for his good vibes and clutch playoff hitting. Though Hernandez left to sign with the Boston Red Sox in 2021, he returned to the Dodgers for the second half of last season in a July trade.
The Angels have not spent much this offseason other than on low-cost relievers and still have several holes to fill in their lineup. Hernandez, a righty hitter who plays just about every position in the field (and can do so very well), is another budget option that they are now considering.
Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons was wearing a perfect jersey when he arrived at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.
Parsons showed up to the Cowboys’ Wild Card Round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers wearing a Bobby Boucher jersey.
As many of you know, Boucher is the character that was played by Adam Sandler in the wildly popular movie “The Waterboy.” In the film, which was released in 1998, Boucher was a sheltered, seemingly harmless water boy for a fictional college football team before he became a star linebacker. Like Parsons, Boucher terrorized opposing quarterbacks.
The Cowboys also shared some photos of Parsons rocking the SCLSU Mud Dogs No. 9 jersey:
If Parsons is planning to channel his inner Bobby Boucher against the Packers, Jordan Love had better keep his head on a swivel.
Nov 25, 2016; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington Huskies helmet sits during a game against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at Martin Stadium. The Huskies won 45-17. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Huskies will need to turn to their backup plan after their initial top target turned them down in their coaching search.
After reports suggested that Washington was targeting Kansas coach Lance Leipold to replace Kalen DeBoer, Leipold made it clear that he would be staying with the Jayhawks for the 2024 season.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic confirmed that Leipold is expected to turn down interest from the Huskies and remain in his current job.
It is not clear where Washington goes from here, though they have plenty of options. Arizona coach Jedd Fisch has been frequently mentioned as a potential candidate, and may be a name to watch.
The Huskies are hunting for a replacement for Kalen DeBoer, who left for Alabama after leading Washington to the national championship game.
Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Alec Anderson made good use of his time on Sunday after his team’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed.
The Bills were supposed to host the Steelers for a Wild Card Round playoff game at Highmark Stadium on Sunday night, but the game was postponed to Monday due to a massive snowstorm. Several videos and photos that circulated on social media showed just how treacherous travel conditions were in the Buffalo area.
One of those videos came from Bills offensive lineman Ryan Van Demark, who shared a clip on his Instagram story that showed teammate Alec Anderson helping a stranded motorist.
There was a travel ban in Buffalo that began on Saturday and continued through Sunday. A video that the Bills released on Saturday night showed a surreal scene at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills and Steelers are scheduled to play on Monday at 4:30 p.m. EST.
Aug 26, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebackers coach Antonio Pierce watches from the sidelines against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 23-6. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Antonio Pierce is viewed as the favorite to be named head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, but he appears to have other options.
The Atlanta Falcons have requested permission to interview Pierce for their vacant head coach job, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
It is unclear if Pierce will take the interview, but he did meet with another AFC team on Saturday.
Pierce went 5-4 as interim head coach of the Raiders after Josh McDaniels was fired. Some of the team’s biggest stars have said they want the 45-year-old to stick around as full-time head coach. One star player has even reportedly threatened to demand a trade if Pierce does not return.
Raiders owner Al Davis faced a similar situation two years ago when Rich Bisaccia enjoyed success as interim head coach following Jon Gruden’s ousting. A lot of people felt Bisaccia should have been hired as permanent head coach after he led Las Vegas to the playoffs, but Davis went with McDaniels instead. That decision obviously did not work out.
At the very least, Davis appears to be looking around at other options. If he does not hire Pierce, there are going to be a lot of unhappy players in Las Vegas.
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
JJ McCarthy had an outstanding season to help lead Michigan to a national championship, but the quarterback is not going for a repeat next year.
McCarthy announced on Sunday that he is declaring for the NFL Draft. He issued a statement on social media thanking Jim Harbaugh and Michigan’s coaching staff, his teammates, family and fans.
“After three incredible years at the University of Michigan, I have decided to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. I have talked to many in and out of football, including my family, Coach Harbaugh, and many whose opinions I greatly admire and respect,” McCarthy wrote. “This decision was not easy and how could it be — I love my teammates, I love my coaches and I love it here in Ann Arbor.”
McCarthy started for Michigan the past two seasons. The Wolverines reached the College Football Playoff both years. They lost to TCU in the semifinals last year but beat Alabama and Washington to capture a national title this year.
McCarthy completed an absurd 72.3% of his passes this season for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. He rushed for an additional 202 yards and 3 scores.
While he is not viewed as the best quarterback in the upcoming draft, McCarthy has a good chance to be a first-round pick. He excelled in a pro-style offense and displayed great leadership during a tough year at Michigan. Those will be factors for NFL teams when they evaluate him leading up to April.
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
The New England Patriots struggled this season in large part because of Bill Belichick’s recent shortcomings in the draft. Mac Jones is one of the players who developed poorly under the coach, but Belichick was reportedly not entirely sold on drafting the former Alabama star three years ago.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic published a story on Saturday outlining the ways in which Belichick’s mishandling of the Patriots’ offense resulted in the team becoming one of the worst in the NFL. If drafting Jones was a mistake, however, it is not one that can be pinned solely on Belichick.
According to Howe, Patriots scouts became frustrated a few years back when they felt Belichick “largely ignored” their input. When former director of player personnel Nick Caserio left to become the general manager of the Houston Texans in 2021, Belichick assured Patriots owner Robert Kraft he would change his draft process and allow New England’s scouting staff to have a bigger say.
Belichick stuck to his word during the 2021 NFL Draft. Howe says Belichick liked Jones as a player, but the coach also would have been content to wait for Davis Mills. New England’s player personnel staff felt strongly about Jones, so Belichick did not want to push back after he promised to take a more collaborative approach.
“But Jones was the Patriots’ highest-rated player, and they desperately needed a quarterback after going 7-9 with Cam Newton in their first season without Tom Brady,” Howe wrote. “Belichick appeared content to wait for Mills, who fell to Caserio’s Texans in the third round, but relinquished to the staff’s strong push for Jones, according to league sources. After previously vowing to be more collaborative, Belichick recognized he couldn’t go back on his word with his first selection under the new approach.”
Belichick obviously believed Jones could become a successful NFL quarterback, otherwise he would have vetoed the pick. Mills isn’t exactly a stud, either, and currently serves as a backup in Houston behind rookie CJ Stroud.
Even if Belichick was not as high on Jones as some others in the Patriots organization, the 71-year-old did not handle the situation well. You could easily make the argument that Belichick ruined any chance Jones had of succeeding by bringing in Matt Patricia to run the offense last season.
