Aaron Judge reveals his surprise plan for the playoffs
Aaron Judge is not going quietly into the night.
The injured New York Yankees slugger Judge spoke with reporters on Wednesday. Judge, who is nursing a calf strain, revealed that he intends to play in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series on Oct. 1.
“That’s what the plan is,” Judge said, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “Try to get my body ready so I’m ready to go.
“We’ve got games to win,” added the three-time AL MVP. “I’m getting paid to play games for the New York Yankees, so I’ll get back as soon as I can.”
Judge, now 34 years old, has been limited to just 66 games played for the Yankees this season. He missed over three months due to a rib fracture before returning to the lineup earlier this month. Judge lasted just seven games however before landing on the injured list again due to a calf strain.
The eight-time All-Star Judge is technically eligible to come off the IL on the final day of the regular season. Still, the news that he could be ready to start the Wild Card series comes as a major surprise considering that Yankees manager Aaron Boone was recently pessimistic on the chances of Judge being available at all for that series.
Pundits can debate the risk-reward profile when it comes to seemingly rushing the oft-injured Judge back from as delicate of an injury as a calf strain. But it looks like the competitor in Judge is trying to win out to kick off the 2026 MLB postseason.
Notable Shohei Ohtani update emerges ahead of MLB postseason
The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched the National League West, and right now, the only thing they can think about is getting Shohei Ohtani back for the playoff stretch.
Ohtani was placed on the IL on Sep. 8, and there was hope he would be activated sometime during the series against the San Diego Padres, which began on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Ohtani was activated, with star prospect Josue De Paula being sent down to Triple-A, according to the team’s transaction log.
Per MLB transaction log:
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) September 23, 2026
Shohei Ohtani has been officially activated, and Josue De Paula was optioned
Prior to the activation, Dodgers insider David Vassegh gave a big update on how Ohtani is feeling right now.
“Shohei Ohtani is feeling his best physically in weeks,” he said while speaking to MLB Now.
"Shohei Ohtani is feeling his best physically in weeks."@THEREAL_DV shares insight into Ohtani's potential return to the lineup tonight. pic.twitter.com/1EiwRw5zzS
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) September 23, 2026
Ohtani is expected to be in the starting lineup on Wednesday, so it’s a sigh of relief for the Dodgers as they have already secured their spot as the NL West champions once again.
As for De Paula, Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that he is “in play” to be a part of the postseason roster when the playoffs begin.
Report: Albert Pujols made a big demand of the Angels
Albert Pujols was apparently trying to secure another bag from the Los Angeles Angels.
The legendary former MLB slugger Pujols was in talks last offseason about potentially becoming the new manager of the Angels. But Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported this week that Pujols made a major demand of the team during negotiations.
“What I heard was he wanted not only a $6 million salary,” said Heyman of Pujols. “He wanted control of everything.”
Heyman noted that the 11-time MLB All-Star Pujols also interviewed for the manager job of the San Diego Padres around the same time. You can listen to Heyman’s full report on the situation here.
Pujols, now 46 years old, played for the Angels from 2012-21 and also had a post-retirement personal services contract with the team. At a $6 million annual salary though, Pujols would have immediately become one of the highest-paid managers in Major League Baseball (behind only Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs among active managers).
The Angels ultimately balked and hired Kurt Suzuki instead to manage on a rather bizarre short-term contract. We know that Pujols really wants to manage in MLB (recently being linked to another manager job as well), but he may have to come off his lofty demands if he wants to have a realistic shot at doing so.
John Harbaugh reveals Giants’ QB plans after Jaxson Dart injury
The New York Giants will be without star quarterback Jaxson Dart for the entire regular season, which means it is Jameis Winston time, at least for now.
On Wednesday, John Harbaugh did leave the door open for the Giants to bring in some more options at the QB position.
“All options are open,” Harbaugh said.
Jameis Winston is the Giants starting quarterback. A trade for another QB is possible.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 23, 2026
“All options are open,” per John Harbaugh.
It was revealed early on Wednesday that Dart suffered injuries to his MCL, PCL and meniscus in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.
Who the Giants might target remains to be seen, although some options could be Anthony Richardson, J.J. McCarthy, or even Tua Tagovailoa, all of whom are not starting for their respective teams at the moment.
The Giants could also explore the free agent market, although it is fairly dry except for veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
Winston went just 11-of-27 for 111 yards with no scores and an interception in a disappointing outing in Week 2, and he is expected to be the starter until another option comes to town.
Jake Haener is on the Giants’ practice squad, and outside of that, there aren’t any internal options. So, the QB situation in New York will be one to watch over the next couple of weeks.
Marcus Smart says the Lakers disrespected him
Marcus Smart clearly has no love lost for his former team.
The new Houston Rockets guard Smart spoke this week in an interview to Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle. During the interview, Smart took a swipe at his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Smart left the Lakers this offseason to sign with the Rockets as an unrestricted free agent. In this week’s interview, Smart said that the Lakers made a “disrespectful” offer to him that he ultimately turned down.
“First off, I played so well that the offer that was ultimately given didn’t match the way that I played,” Smart was quoted as saying. “Especially when you see guys who played way worse than I did, the offers they’re getting. And then it wasn’t any security that we wanted that they were willing to do.”
The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Smart, 32, signed with the Lakers as a free agent last summer. He had a respectable 2025-26 campaign in Los Angeles, averaging 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in a low-usage role. Smart also elevated his game in the postseason, starting all 10 playoff contests for the Lakers and averaging 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
In the end, Smart, a Texas native, signed a two-year, $12.4 million offer with the Rockets instead. This is not the first time either that the ex-lottery pick Smart has taken shots at an old team on his way out.
Max Scherzer teases major announcement about his MLB future
Max Scherzer is set to complete his 19th season in the MLB, and there is a chance that Sunday will be his final game in baseball as the Toronto Blue Jays face the Cincinnati Reds in Canada.
Scherzer pitched on Wednesday in Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, going five innings and allowing four runs while striking out seven batters in the 4-2 loss. After the game, Scherzer teased that an announcement about his future could be coming soon.
Max Scherzer on his future:
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) September 23, 2026
"I don't know if I want to publicly say, yet. I'd rather keep the blinders up and address once the season's over.. I'm not limping to the finish line, I'm accelerating through the finish line.. want to keep the focus on just getting to finish line."
Max Scherzer says he’d like to pitch again on Sunday in Toronto.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 23, 2026
On his future:
“I’ll probably say something here in the next couple of days.” #BlueJays
Scherzer pitched the 2025 season with the Blue Jays, and he returned on a one-year deal late in the offseason. The contract featured lots of incentives for the future Hall of Fame pitcher.
Scherzer is now four strikeouts behind Detroit Tigers legend Justin Verlander for 8th on the all-time list, although Verlander is scheduled to start on Saturday.
Scherzer won’t say what his plans are, at least not right now, and there is a possibility he gives it another go in 2027. Right now, nobody knows, except for maybe Max Scherzer.
Will Wade sends defiant message to LSU roster critics
The LSU Tigers may have backed down from going to war over eligibility rules on the football side of things, but it remains full speed ahead for the basketball team as they pursue a controversial strategy.
Wade has brought in numerous players as transfers this summer who played professionally in Europe or signed two-way NBA contracts last season. The LSU coach has basically built his entire lineup on those players, and is gambling that the players in question will be eligible to play.
Wade said Wednesday that his strategy was “unconventional,” but that does not necessarily mean it would be unsuccessful.
“What we’re doing is unconventional. I understand that,” Wade said. “20 years ago, Airbnb was unconventional. Everybody stayed in a hotel. 15 years ago you rode in a taxi everywhere. Now you take Uber. Just because it’s unconventional doesn’t mean it’s not going to work. It may not work. If it doesn’t work, write about what an idiot I am. I understand that.
“I told our guys we’re going to be unconventional. We’re going to be unapologetic about it. This is who we are. This is what we’re doing. This is the path that we charted. We’re going to go down it, and that’s fine. I get it. When you do stuff that’s unconventional, everybody’s waiting for us to fail. That’s fine. If we fail, I own it. But I felt this is the best way to try to deliver a championship team for LSU from the jump that gives us the best chance to jumpstart our program. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. I’ll take it and we’ll restart next year.”
Here's his full quote. Well worth the watch on Will Wade's thought process for building this 2026-27 LSU team: https://t.co/81IUjDCQzS pic.twitter.com/mG5J9kmNTD
— Glen West (@glenwest21) September 23, 2026
Wade pursued his strategy before football counterpart Lane Kiffin tried and ultimately failed to do something similar with undrafted NFL players. He ultimately backed down in part because the SEC threatened LSU with expulsion.
Unlike Kiffin, Wade is dug in quite deeply. If he backs down from his strategy, he essentially will not have a competitive roster for the upcoming season. His methods have drawn widespread criticism, but he is committed, even if it winds up backfiring on him.
NC State QB CJ Bailey explains his game-losing blunder vs. Vanderbilt
CJ Bailey is speaking out for the first time about his howler against Vanderbilt.
The North Carolina State quarterback Bailey spoke with reporters on Wednesday for the first time since his game-losing fumble over the weekend against Vanderbilt. Bailey offered an explanation for his mistake, saying that he was trying simply trying to run out the clock at the time.
“I was trying to get all the clock out,” said Bailey, per Andrea Adelson of ESPN. “That was my thought. The biggest thing was just hold the ball. I was just trying to run around, make a play. Being competitive, that’s who I am. I’m a competitive guy. I was just competing until the final second. It happens. I fumbled the ball. I’m going to pick myself up and keep going.
“That was my first time ever in that situation and it didn’t go the right way I wanted to,” Bailey continued. “I fumbled the ball. It is what it is. We’ve got to move forward.”
NC State was leading Vanderbilt 31-28 and had possession with just six seconds left in the fourth quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Facing a 4th-and-3 from inside their own five-yard line, Bailey attempted to take an intentional safety but fumbled the ball as he was being tackled in the end zone. The fumble was recovered by Vanderbilt for an unthinkable game-winning touchdown to give them the 35-31 victory (see the video here).
That will ultimately go down as an enormous learning moment for the junior Bailey, who could have taken a knee, run out of the back of the end zone, or done a whole host of other things in that situation to secure the victory. With Dave Doeren’s NC State team now sitting at 1-2 on the season, they will look to dust themselves off in Saturday’s Week 4 game against Appalachian State.
MLB insider makes bold prediction on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s NL MVP chances
At this point, it seems that Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to run away with the National League MVP award.
On Wednesday, MLB insider Jon Heyman even had a bold prediction regarding Crow-Armstrong’s MVP case, saying he should be the unanimous winner.
“He’s having an all-time great season,” Heyman said. “He has just been incredible…He is the unanimous NL MVP, there’s no question about that.”
Shohei Ohtani, who was considered the other NL MVP favorite, has been dealing with injuries. He was the only player to ever win a unanimous MVP more than once.
PCA is the unanimous NL MVP, according to @JonHeyman 🏆⭐️ pic.twitter.com/MKQdPylA1f
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 23, 2026
It’s a rare feat to be the unanimous MVP winner, and it has happened only 24 times, according to MLB.com.
Going into Wednesday’s game, Crow-Armstrong has a .282 average with 45 home runs, 107 RBI, 119 runs scored and 39 stolen bases, so he is one stolen base away from a 40-40 season.
As Heyman mentioned, Crow-Armstrong could also be the first player to lead his league in offensive and defensive WAR.
The Cubs are still fighting to secure a Wild Card spot, and they entered Wednesday in a three-way tie with the San Diego padres and Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot of the Wild Card race.
Yet, barring a massive surprise, it seems that Pete Crow-Armstrong has the NL MVP award locked up.
Beloved World Series-winning coach dies at 70
Don Cooper, a beloved coach vital to the success of the Chicago White Sox for two decades, died Wednesday.
The White Sox announced Wednesday that Cooper has died at the age of 70. No cause of death was provided.
The White Sox send our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Don Cooper, who has passed away at 70.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 23, 2026
Don Cooper spent 33 seasons as a coach in the White Sox organization from 1988-2020, including 18 full seasons as the major-league pitching coach. Cooper served as the… pic.twitter.com/vrPw4CyWWz
Cooper spent 32 seasons as part of the White Sox organization. He became pitching coach in 2002, and was regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in the game throughout his tenure. Notably, he filled that role on the 2005 World Series winners, a team that was remembered for its dominant pitching throughout the postseason.
Such was Cooper’s importance to the organization that he was retained by subsequent managers even after Ozzie Guillen’s 2011 departure. The White Sox dismissed him after the 2020 season.
A native of New York, Cooper also appeared in 44 MLB games as a pitcher between 1981 and 1985.
Braves get big pitching boost right before MLB postseason
The Atlanta Braves have the National League East division title all wrapped up, and they are now getting a big piece back just days before the playoffs begin.
On Wednesday, reliever Robert Suarez was activated from the IL.
The #Braves today returned RHP Robert Suarez from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and optioned RHP Owen Murphy.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 23, 2026
Suarez hasn’t pitched with the Braves since June 19, and he was on the 60-day IL due to a right forearm strain and right elbow inflammation.
Prior to suffering the injury, he had a 4-0 record with a 0.56 ERA and four saves in 31 appearances.
Suarez was an All-Star for the San Diego Padres. In the offseason, he signed with the Braves in free agency on a three-year, $45 million deal, although he did not come to town expecting to be the team’s closer since Raisel Iglesias holds that spot.
The plan right now is for Suarez to make two appearances at the big-league level before the postseason, with the first one coming on Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
Robert Suarez is expected to make the first of what will likely be two regular sesaon appearances tonight. Suarez, who has been on the IL, since June was activated today. Owen Murphy was optioned.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 23, 2026
If the season ended today, the Braves would be the No. 3 seed in the NL standings, and they would host the Padres in the Wild Card round. However, the Padres, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies all have identical 87-70 records entering Wednesday.
Bears drop hint about their Week 3 QB
The Chicago Bears’ quarterback situation remains in flux ahead of Week 3, but the likelihood is increasing that the team will have to turn to a third-string option.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said he still does not know who will start at quarterback for the Bears’ Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. However, both Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent are sitting out Wednesday’s practice, with Case Keenum set to practice with the first string.
Ben Johnson says the Bears have confidence in any of their 3 QBs to start on Monday, praises Ryan Poles for how the QB room is constructed.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 23, 2026
Johnson said he's nott sure who the starter is going to be Monday, but that what he knows is that Case Keenum will practice today.
Caleb…
Williams is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury, while Bagent is in the concussion protocol. Neither player has officially been ruled out for Monday’s game yet.
Realistically, Keenum stands as the most likely starter for Monday. His last regular-season appearance was in December 2023, though the 38-year-old is in his second season with the Bears.
Unless Williams starts, the entire situation is not great for Johnson’s stated goals for Chicago’s offense this season.
Seahawks reveal big Sam Darnold injury update ahead of Week 3
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold exited early in the Week 1 opener against the New England Patriots, but it seems he could return sometime very soon.
On Wednesday, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald gave a big update on Darnold’s status.
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald told reporters that QB Sam Darnold will practice today, and will ramp up as the practice week goes along.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2026
As far as whether or not Darnold will be ready for Week 3, Macdonald said they hoped to have a decision by Friday.
Mike Macdonald said QB Sam Darnold (glute) won't take every rep in practice today and that they'll ramp him up as the week goes on. He said they'd like to have a decision by Friday on whether or not he's playing Sunday at Washington.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) September 23, 2026
Darnold left the game after just three minutes in the opener, although the Seahawks still managed to win the game with Drew Lock at QB. The Seahawks also won in Week 2 in a 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The good news was that Darnold did not suffer a fractured hip, which means he avoided an IR stint and a long-term absence.
Seattle faces the Washington Commanders on the road in Week 3, and they are without their star QB, Jayden Daniels, after he suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 2.
Mike Macdonald addresses his controversial comments about Sean Payton
Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is backtracking after publicly revealing a major rift between his team and the Denver Broncos last season.
In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Macdonald said the Seahawks had used video posted on social media by fans from Broncos training camp practices to prepare for the team’s regular season opener against Denver. When Broncos coach Sean Payton found out about this, he threatened to accuse the Seahawks of a Spygate-style scandal, but backed down when the Seahawks threatened a lawsuit.
On Wednesday, Macdonald said he had privately apologized to Payton, and that the story was never meant to go public.
“It’s something that I didn’t intend for public use,” Macdonald said. “It felt like it was the most appropriate thing to reach out to Sean and apologize to him for having that end up being public when it wasn’t meant to. It’s a lesson learned. I got to be better in that moment for understanding I’m responsible for what I say no matter the circumstances. I fell short in that moment.”
#Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald says he called Broncos HC Sean Payton to apologize after his Spygate story went public (when it was meant to remain private):
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 23, 2026
“It’s a lesson learned. … I’m responsible for what I say.” https://t.co/8oT85eFIFE pic.twitter.com/Ud2B10xojP
It is unclear why the anecdote was released publicly to begin with, since Macdonald seemed to be under the impression that his comments were off-the-record while recording the podcast episode.
Payton has a fiery personality, so it is not a huge surprise he reacted the way he did. Ultimately, though, he probably would have wound up looking foolish if he had tried to accuse the Seahawks of cheating by watching publicly-available video from open practices.
The Seahawks are scheduled to travel to Denver to face the Broncos in a nationally-televised Thursday game in Week 6. If Payton is still mad, he will have the opportunity to get some payback.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. responds to the criticism that he is overpaid
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had a very poor 2026 season, and he may have just made things worse by getting in front of a mic.
The Toronto Blue Jays star Guerrero was interviewed this week by Noticias Telemicro, an outlet in his native Dominican Republic. During the interview, Guerrero responded to the criticism that he was overpaid on his massive new contract extension from the Blue Jays.
“The contract I got was based on what I did, not necessarily for what I’m going to do,” said Guerrero, per a rough translation from MLB reporter Hector Gomez. “I understand why the fans believe that it’s the other way around. Sometimes I think that way too, like, ‘Oh they give me this money, and I’m not doing enough.’ But you know I try my best and I’m working hard.
“The fans I know how they are,” Guerrero added. “When you are doing great, they are 100 percent behind you. But when you are not at your best, not everybody is behind you. Almost nobody supports you. Those are my real fans, the ones that are supporting me all the time.”
Guerrero, now 27 years old, is a six-time All-Star for Toronto who has also won two Silver Slugger Awards, led MLB in home runs in 2021, and helped the Blue Jays make it to the World Series in 2025. Before the 2025 season, Guerrero was rewarded by Toronto with an enormous 14-year, $500 million contract extension.
But Guerrero’s subsequent season in 2026 has been disastrous. His power hitting has been nowhere to be found as Guerrero has managed just nine home runs and 56 RBIs on a .263 batting average over 141 total games. The Blue Jays are also on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention this season at just 77-80 overall.
Meanwhile, that is a very concerning mindset for Guerrero that he believes he is getting paid for past performance, despite being in the prime of his career right now and being under contract all the way until 2039. Guerrero has also been showing some frustration for much of this season, and it may be a problem that only he can fix at this point.
Karl-Anthony Towns facing contract dispute with Knicks
New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns may be headed for an awkward season with the team.
Towns is eligible for a max extension, but negotiations between the two sides have “stagnated,” according to Shams Charania on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” It is considered “unlikely” that the two sides will reach an agreement before the start of training camp.
According to Charania, the situation could impact the team’s morale with Towns heading into the final guaranteed season of his contract.
“There’s no doubt this is a cloud going into training camp as the Knicks try to repeat as champions,” Charania said. “Karl-Anthony Towns would be going into the final guaranteed year of his deal. He has a chance to be a free agent amid eight or so teams with cap space next offseason and multiple of those teams potentially needing a big man.”
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that the Knicks have actually asked Towns to take a discount from the max as they try to avoid going into the second apron of the salary cap.
As myself and others reported, Knicks are asking KAT to take a discount from his max. They're close to second apron and Brunson is eligible for big extension next year. It's a matter of how much of a discount KAT would be willing to take. Given Shams report, it's clear he's… https://t.co/Xh2UwNUdmu
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) September 23, 2026
The Knicks have been open about their refusal to go into the second apron, and Towns is one of those who will feel the impact of that decision. The team has reportedly drawn a line in the sand during negotiations with Towns facing a $61 million player option for 2027-28.
The flipside of the situation is that Towns feels taken for granted by the Knicks. It is very easy to see why these issues could linger into the season and have a detrimental impact on the team.
Harry Kane reveals wild idea to play in the NFL and MLS at the same time
Harry Kane is a superstar soccer player for Bayern Munich and the England national team, but he is considering a major career twist.
Kane is thinking about playing in both the MLS and NFL at the same time at some point in his career, according to Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic.
“Maybe if I am in the MLS in the future or somewhere like that it might be a thing where you could connect the two, with the seasons,” Kane said.
Kane also said that trying to be an NFL kicker is something he wants to “try and look at a bit more seriously.”
Kane said that taking penalties in soccer is similar to what it might be like as an NFL kicker. However, the Bayern Munich star says that if he does make an attempt, it is something he will train for.
“If I was to do it, it is something I would take seriously. I would take six months to a year to try and practice before.”
Right now, Kane still has years remaining of quality play on the soccer field, and England suffered a crushing loss to Argentina in the most recent World Cup.
Multi-sport athletes are incredibly rare, and Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders are considered unicorns in that regard as they played MLB and NFL at the same time.
It’s a long way off for Harry Kane, but it would be quite something to see him kick for an NFL team and play for an MLS team simultaneously.
Notable update emerges about Lakers announcer Stu Lantz
Stu Lantz is taking a step back with his broadcasting duties.
Spectrum SportsNet, television network of the Los Angeles Lakers, announced on Wednesday that the legendary color commentator Lantz will only be working home games for the team in the 2026-27 NBA season. Former Los Angeles Lakers champion Danny Green will be filling in for Lantz during road games next to regular play-by-play man Bill Macdonald.
Additionally, Spectrum SportsNet announced that Sasha Vujacic, another ex-Lakers champion, will be joining their studio team for next season. You can read their full press release at the link here.
Lantz is one of the most iconic broadcasters in the NBA today. After playing for the Lakers as a guard from 1974-77, Lantz first became the team’s television color commentator back in 1987.
Over the years, Lantz has become a mainstay in the booth for the Lakers, calling seven NBA championship seasons for the team. He has notably worked alongside Chick Hearn, Paul Sunderland, Joel Meyers, and now Macdonald.
But Lantz, a 2018 Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee and a 2023 Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award recipient, turned 80 years old in July. He also experienced a health issue last year that caused him to miss some broadcasts.
Now Lantz is scaling back his duties for the Lakers next season in order to reduce his travel time. That is an arrangement not unlike some that we have seen with some other NBA broadcasting legends in recent years.
Austin Ekeler draws interest from NFC team
Running back Austin Ekeler may have a route back to the NFL after going unsigned for the entire offseason.
Ekeler will work out for the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC. The veteran running back has been medically cleared after suffering a torn Achilles with the Washington Commanders last year.
Ekeler went unsigned during the offseason, largely because of that injury. He has not had a healthy season since 2024, when he was a second-team All-Pro for his kick return skills. His best days came with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he had three separate seasons with at least 1,500 all-purpose yards.
The Panthers have Chuba Hubbard leading their backfield, but lost Jonathon Brooks for possibly six weeks due to a core muscle injury. Ekeler would operate as a reserve, similar to the role he had in Washington before he got hurt.
For his career, Ekeler has 4,765 rushing yards and 73 total touchdowns.
Dan Quinn sets the record straight on Commanders players’ reaction to Jayden Daniels’ injury
Washington Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow injury in Week 2 in a gruesome scene.
A video then circulated of Commanders players looking like they weren’t bothered by the injury, although head coach Dan Quinn fired back at the narrative in a strong way.
“It’s just the opposite — they were gutted. They love the guy,” Quinn said on Wednesday.
Dan Quinn addressed the narrative about players appearing to leave the field without any regard to Jayden Daniels' injury. "It's just the opposite — they were gutted. They love the guy." pic.twitter.com/ETmIZ20wAc
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 23, 2026
Here is one of the videos that circulated regarding the teammates’ reactions.
Jayden Daniels teammates showed zero concern when he went down with injury 😬 pic.twitter.com/EKYo0577j2
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) September 21, 2026
For the Commanders, it’s another concerning injury. Daniels played in just 7 games in 2025 due to several injuries, and Washington missed the postseason.
The Commanders were hoping to return to the postseason, and adding veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs was also a boost to the offense.
Washington is off to a 0-2 start with a two-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 and a 17-point loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
Veteran Marcus Mariota filled in for Daniels again, and he is expected to be the QB for Washington until Daniels is ready to return.
