Fernando Mendoza gets the memes after throwing pick-six on first possession
Fernando Mendoza’s first preseason start in the NFL was not exactly too kind to him.
The Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Mendoza drew the start on Thursday against the Houston Texans. But on his team’s first offensive possession at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, Mendoza got picked off in the middle of the field by Texas linebacker Wade Woodaz after throwing a pass behind his intended receiver.
Making matters worse was that Woodaz took the interception all the way to the house for an 80-yard pick-six (as Mendoza tried in vain to run him down before ending up on the ground). Here is the video.
FERNANDO MENDOZA THROWS A PICK SIX
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 21, 2026
Welcome to the NFL.
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/3kHqZrcGhk
In response to Mendoza’s ultimate rookie moment, social media users hit him with the memes. Check out some of the funniest ones.
Fernando Mendoza vs. the Texans defense pic.twitter.com/CkObzyoxmz
— Onyx Odds (@OnyxOdds) August 21, 2026
Bro just threw a Turkey club with extra mayo pic.twitter.com/BKSHRpWyhV
— Carlton Banks’ Burner Account (@cbanksburner) August 21, 2026
a couple more of those and Tom Brady is gonna stop liking his Instagram posts https://t.co/AfzCb9FyjJ
— Sassington, M.C. (@MissSassbox) August 21, 2026
Mendoza just threw an italian grinder with extra Peppers and oil wow https://t.co/5PSxpht8pT
— 𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜 (@BronGotGame) August 21, 2026
The No. 1 overall draft pick Mendoza, 22, made his preseason debut last week against the Arizona Cardinals, coming on in relief of fellow Raiders QB Kirk Cousins to go 10/16 for 97 yards and a touchdown. But Mendoza fared much worse against the Texans this week, finishing his day going 8/15 for 86 yards with zero touchdowns and that one embarrassing pick-six.
Mendoza, who was also the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, did recently admit that there were some changes that he was still getting used to in the NFL. He definitely got another big reminder of that on Thursday, albeit at least in a mere exhibition game.
Michael Kay dropped a deranged line during Yankees-Orioles game
Michael Kay was acting up a bit in the booth during Thursday’s game.
The Baltimore Orioles hosted the New York Yankees on Thursday at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Md. During the third inning, the Yankees managed to plate three runs off five hits against Orioles starter Kyle Bradish.
As the inning came to an end with a Jazz Chisholm strikeout, the longtime Yankees play-by-play announcer Kay dropped the craziest line on the air. Kay referred to the Yankees’ three-run inning as an “orgy.”
“The Yankees, three runs in an inning?” Kay said. “It’s an offensive orgy.”
Michael Kay on the Yankees 3-run 3rd inning:
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 21, 2026
"It's an offensive orgy."pic.twitter.com/vr4TcwxYyO
Kay, 65, was clearly joking about how poorly the Yankees have been offensively of late. Still nursing injuries to Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger, and others, New York entered play on Thursday with just 14 runs scored over their last six games combined.
But Kay definitely could have found a better way to phrase the point there. Perhaps it is just something about playing divisional opponents that gets Kay riled up (as he once previously was during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays as well).
Details emerge on Josh Hart’s expected new contract with the Knicks
Josh Hart’s post-championship payday may end up being a fairly modest one.
The New York Knicks veteran swingman Hart is expected to receive a contract for three years and in the range of $60-$62 million, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports this week. Edwards adds that a contract in that ballpark is believed to be the “sweet spot” for Hart and the Knicks.
Hart, 31, has been with New York since 2023. He averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game last season as the Knicks went on to clinch their first NBA championship since 1973.
The former first-round pick Hart is currently under contract for $20.9 million next season and also has a $22.4 million team option for 2027-28. But Hart is already eligible for a new extension from the Knicks, and his max figure would be for four years and $132 million.
Hart does pose an interesting case as he is a beloved “dirty work” player who connects all different sorts of lineups with his ability to contribute to a game with scoring, cutting, rebounding, passing, and defense. On the other hand, Hart’s overall offense can be very inconsistent, and he also produced some ugly playoff follies during New York’s championship run.
In the three years and $60 million range, Hart would be making a little over half of his potential max figure. The spend-conscious Knicks have some other delicate contract situations to manage right now too, which may explain why the role player Hart is only expected to get a modest new extension from them.
Paul Skenes is reportedly unhappy with the Pirates over 1 decision
The drama of the 2026 season is continuing for Paul Skenes.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Skenes was unhappy with the team’s decision to give him some extra rest in between his previous two starts, Pittsburgh sportswriter Andrew Fillipponi reports this week. Fillipponi adds though that there are currently no plans for the Pirates to shut down Skenes, who is still expected to make his next start as scheduled on Tuesday against the San Diego Padres.
Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, was curiously scratched from a scheduled start last Sunday against the Boston Red Sox. Instead, Skenes got pushed back to a start the following Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers (and still did not end up doing too swimmingly).
The 24-year-old Skenes has been showing a steady decline in his velocity throughout the year. Skenes looked so unlike himself that, at one point, Pirates manager Don Kelly pulled him from a start after just 65 pitches thrown (with Skenes also later hinting at some unhappiness about that decision).
Overall on the year, Skenes is 9-11 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP through 26 starts. For comparison, Skenes’ Cy Young-winning year last season saw him go 10-10 with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP (both NL-leading marks) through 32 total starts.
At this point, the 63-66 Pirates are 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with 33 games left, so there is still something for them to play for. But the end of the season might be a welcome sight for Pittsburgh fans given the extent of just how much Skenes’ performance has dipped.
Report: Lakers are targeting Nikola Jokic
The Los Angeles Lakers may be trying to pull another rabbit out of their hats.
The Lakers are going to be targeting Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic once their ownership situation gets resolved, longtime team beat writer Anthony Irwin reported this week. Irwin notes that, once the ownership drama is in the rearview mirror for the Lakers, “a lot” of the organization’s eyes will be “dead-set” on Denver.
This news comes with the Nuggets going through a bit of turmoil right now. After winning the NBA title in 2023, Denver has not made it past the second round since then and just exited in Round 1 last season after losing in six games to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Denver also just parted ways with key young forward Peyton Watson in a multi-team sign-and-trade deal earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the three-time league MVP Jokic, 31, is entering his final guaranteed year under contract next season at $59 million. Jokic can test free agency in 2027 by declining a $62.8 million player option for the next year, putting Denver in a position where they might have to consider the unfathomable scenario of trading away the big man.
The Lakers, for their part, are probably feeling confident in their chances because of Jokic’s relationship with his fellow European superstar Luka Doncic. The two players are very close friends, and Jokic himself once even said that he was open to the possibility of teaming up with Doncic.
Of course, this still feels like a total pipe dream for the Lakers given that they have no more future first-round draft picks left to trade after sending their unprotected 2031 and 2033 picks to the Utah Jazz as part of their July sign-and-trade for center Walker Kessler. The Lakers currently only have future pick swaps left to offer (at least until their 2034 first-rounder becomes eligible for trade in summer 2027), but clearly their dream is to somehow pull off a blockbuster move for the triple-double machine Jokic.
Joe Burrow says he is trying to ‘manifest’ a Super Bowl
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is not shying away from high expectations this season. In fact, he has a reason for putting them out into the world.
Burrow has been blunt about the Bengals’ championship aspirations in 2026 and has demonstrated an increasing sense of urgency in his pursuit of a title. On Thursday, he said he was trying to “manifest” a Super Bowl and instill a sense of urgency into his teammates that now is the time to do it.
“I’m trying to put it out into the world. I’m trying to manifest it,” Burrow said. “I’m trying to show our guys the urgency that I have and that I want us to have as an organization to go and make it happen. You can keep pushing it down the road or you can talk about it now and say this is the year. I’m tired of saying ‘Next year, next year, next year.’ This is it.”
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow says he's trying to manifest a Super Bowl this season:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 20, 2026
"I'm tired of saying next year, next year, next year. This is it. Life is too short to keep pushing things down the road." pic.twitter.com/lxMEB3N3Ze
Burrow has also set some extremely ambitious personal goals, though the championship is first and foremost in his mind. One of his teammates also described the quarterback as “pissed” to start the season.
For Burrow, the most important factor will be his health. He was limited to just eight games last season due to a foot injury, and the Bengals’ season went down the drain while he was sidelined. If he can stay healthy, the Bengals have a shot to achieve Burrow’s targets. If not, he will have no choice but to wait until next year once again.
Bills player had brutal trash talk for Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders was clearly not impressing at least one member of the Buffalo Bills’ defense.
The Bills and Cleveland Browns held a joint practice on Thursday ahead of their preseason meeting on Saturday. Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson was not a participant, but he found a way to involve himself by trash-talking.
His best roast was directed at Sanders, whom he referred to as a “check-down king.”
Bills S C.J. Gardner-Johnson not practicing but talking all kinds of smack.
— Tom Withers (@twithersCLE) August 20, 2026
Earlier he was yelling "Check-down King" in the direction of Sanders on the sideline.
Sanders split first-team reps with Deshaun Watson, though by most accounts he did not deserve the trash talk.
Good third-down session for Shedeur Sanders.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) August 20, 2026
First play, he draws the Bills offsides and then Isaiah Bond draws DPI on the free play. Next, he finds Malachi Corley for a big gain over the middle. pic.twitter.com/Y4yLMFbRWm
This is what Gardner-Johnson does. If anything, this is pretty tame coming from him. He has said things about other quarterbacks that are much more disrespectful than that.
Sanders and Watson are competing for the No. 1 job in camp. Watson is thought to have the edge, and the fact that Sanders has turned in some ugly plays during preseason so far is probably not great for him.
Everyone said the same thing about Brent Venables’ new Oklahoma contract
The Oklahoma Sooners rewarded coach Brent Venables with a new contract on Thursday, but the move had many observers wondering what the point was.
Venables and the Sooners agreed to a new six-year contract that adds two years onto his current deal, per Pete Thamel of ESPN. The new deal will pay Venables an average of $10.5 million per year.
The contract was met with skepticism on social media. Many questioned why Oklahoma felt the need to give Venables a new deal right now in light of his lack of proven success with the Sooners.
I am an OU believer this season.
— Jesse Simonton (@JesseReSimonton) August 20, 2026
I don't understand handing out another extension before seeing if Venables can replicate its 2025 success.
OU was not in danger of losing its head coach. Now it's just on the hook for more $$$ if Venables is not the right guy in 2026 or 2027. https://t.co/M2yukikHu3
Brent Venables getting a raise + extension before going 8-4 this season is absolute genius work.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) August 20, 2026
For what possible reason? Was he going to leave in October? https://t.co/9famRxld47
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) August 20, 2026
Love BV but this feels a bit premature.. https://t.co/oMHSUTyqvP
— Boomer Beamer (@ImDerBatman) August 20, 2026
Venables was already locked up through 2029 on his previous deal, which he only signed two years ago. He did lead the Sooners to the College Football Playoff last season for the first time, and Oklahoma clearly wanted to reward him for that.
The biggest concern about Venables is his lack of consistent success at Oklahoma. He has a pair of 10-win seasons and a pair of six-win seasons to his name, and while he broke into the top 10 with Oklahoma last season, he has yet to prove he can keep them there for several seasons at a time. He will certainly be paid like the sort of coach who could, though.
Oklahoma was ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP poll that came out earlier this week.
Ravens WR takes a shot at John Harbaugh
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman took a pretty clear shot at former coach John Harbaugh and his staff on Thursday.
Bateman was asked about the difference between the old regime under Harbaugh and the new coaching staff under Jesse Minter. The wide receiver suggested that the current staff was more detail-oriented, and the previous staff was not.
“Everybody harps on the details,” Bateman said. “That’s not what we’ve had here.”
Rashod Bateman and Ronnie Stanley were both asked about the differences between the current coaching staff and previous one.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) August 20, 2026
"Everybody harps on the details," Bateman said. "That's not what we've had here."
Stanley agreed: "(Minter) just values the finer details."
There is no way to read that as anything other than a shot at Harbaugh and his former staff. That said, Bateman has been critical of the Ravens in the past, so he might have some lingering bad feelings that go back a while.
On the other hand, there were reports that Harbaugh was losing the locker room, and this would seem to add some weight to that claim. It is not exactly a good look when a player is willing to publicly say this sort of thing about a coaching staff, even an old one.
Harbaugh landed on his feet with the New York Giants, who are enthusiastically embracing him. He may be precisely the sort of coach they need right now, and his departure from Baltimore is increasingly looking like the best thing for all parties involved.
An NFL player has entered the NCAA transfer portal
In a truly bizarre twist, a player who is currently on an NFL roster has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright has become the first player to enter the transfer portal while signed to an NFL roster. Wright, who played for Ole Miss last season, is allowed to enter the portal thanks to a court ruling on Wednesday granting a number of former college players the right to another year of eligibility.
NEWS: A judge in Louisiana has granted a group that includes 16 football player –including several in NFL training camps this summer — a restraining order to allows them to return to college sports this season, per me and @DanMurphyESPN. pic.twitter.com/fUMzBolvbp
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 19, 2026
Wright is the first player to take advantage of this, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, even though he is currently in camp with the Browns.
Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright has entered the college transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 20, 2026
The former Ole Miss star is currently on the Browns’ roster. pic.twitter.com/0uvkWI7zk4
The NCAA recently changed its eligibility rules to grant players five years of eligibility, but exempted the class of 2022 from that change. They were quickly sued over that stance, and judges are finding in favor of the players. Players in NFL camps are eligible to play in college in 2026 if they are no longer on an NFL roster by September 1.
Wright is an undrafted free agent who spent time in Philadelphia Eagles camp before landing with the Browns. The tight end was a key part of the Ole Miss offense last season, tallying 39 receptions, 635 yards and five touchdowns.
Wright probably will not be the last player on an NFL roster to enter the portal and try to take advantage of that added year of eligibility. The big headache will be finding programs that have space for them. No wonder coaches in all sports are not particularly happy with this development.
Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown interact after their joint practice
Any lingering tension between Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown certainly seemed to be put off to the side after Thursday’s joint practice between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots.
Hurts and Brown were clearly cordial when they finally crossed paths and caught up following Thursday’s workout. The two could be seen smiling and even shared a hug.
Jalen and A.J. pic.twitter.com/ESghq8MTt1
— PHLY Eagles (@PHLY_Eagles) August 20, 2026
Much has been made of the relationship between Brown and Hurts before Brown was traded by the Eagles to the Patriots, and how it seemed to sour toward the end of last season. Brown only reinforced that perception with his response to whether he had even spoken to Hurts since the trade.
Hurts has largely downplayed any tension between the two, although there is little dispute that the two are not as close as they once were.
The Eagles and Patriots are practicing ahead of their preseason meeting on Saturday. It remains to be seen if either Hurts or Brown even plays in that game.
Pat McAfee is getting another new role at ESPN
Pat McAfee’s role at ESPN appears set to get even larger.
ESPN is set to air a McAfee-led alt-cast for “Monday Night Football” pending NFL approval, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. The new role was part of McAfee’s negotiations on a new contract with ESPN.
McAfee’s proposed alt-cast would not impact the “Manningcast” that ESPN also airs. In fact, they would largely be complementary, with the Mannings set to do 12 MNF games and McAfee somewhere around eight. McAfee would likely do games on ESPN2 on nights in which the Mannings are not doing their alt-cast.
McAfee is no stranger to alt-casts. He has done them from the sidelines of College Football Playoff games, though it is unlikely his NFL ones will look exactly the same as those.
ESPN appears happy to serve up as much McAfee as possible to viewers. He is already a regular on “College GameDay” and is also taking up a role on “Monday Night Countdown.” All of that is in addition to his weekday show that is carried by the network. ESPN is set to pay him a lot of money, and they appear determined to get their money’s worth.
Dan Hurley trashes new lawsuits against the NCAA
UConn head coach Dan Hurley is once again taking aim at the fiasco surrounding the NCAA and its new rules regarding student-athletes getting a fifth year of eligibility.
The NCAA changed its rules to allow athletes to receive a fifth year of eligibility across the board while essentially eliminating redshirts. Members of the class of 2022 were originally excluded from the new rules, but a series of lawsuits have challenged that.
Hurley is not terribly interested in the details. He took to his X account on Thursday to call attention to the mess, and how it is impacting college football season as players look to use the transfer portal upon being granted an additional year of eligibility.
“And now it’s hitting college football…Unreal mess…Their season starts in a couple of weeks,” Hurley wrote.
And now it’s hitting college football…Unreal mess…Their season starts in a couple of weeks. 🤯
— Dan Hurley (@dhurley15) August 20, 2026
Hurley has been a longtime critic of the transfer portal in particular, so this is his nightmare. There is obviously not much he can do about this, and college football is not necessarily his concern, but he can certainly see how the issues will translate to basketball.
Hurley is also far from the only coach who has serious concerns about the future of college sports. That may be why he has never closed the door completely on the NBA.
Jim Harbaugh breaks out a wild phrase to describe Justin Herbert
Jim Harbaugh further excited Los Angeles Chargers fans about Justin Herbert with one wild quote to describe the quarterback.
During a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the 62-year-old Harbaugh hyped up Herbert heading into the 2026 NFL season.
“He’s in a great place in all ways. I mean, you mentioned it; there’s a tremendous balance that he has. He’s locked, cocked, ready to rock, and he’s in a great place,” the Chargers head coach said.
The Chargers’ social media team turned the last part of that quote into a graphic and posted it on their platforms.
he said what he said pic.twitter.com/o9KvNbdt8g
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 20, 2026
As expected, it elicited downright outrageous takes from fans who saw it.
Justin Herbert hearing this pic.twitter.com/MDjO6uE7Bw
— Onyx Odds (@OnyxOdds) August 20, 2026
— Colin McTamany (@Colin_McT) August 20, 2026
— Laughing Corn (@Laughing_Corn) August 20, 2026
— Fouts & Furious (@AdobeWanKenobi_) August 20, 2026
— 🇺🇸 (@IceBurg_Simpson) August 20, 2026
Harbaugh has a way with words, and it’s one of the reasons why he’s been one of the most interesting characters in football. At the same time, that description of Herbert is hardly an original one, and Harbaugh might have even said that in reference to a particular Ted Nugent song.
Whatever the case, expectations remain high for Herbert, who earned his second Pro Bowl nod in 2025.
Last season, he passed for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns with 13 interceptions on a 66.4% completion rate, but he was also sacked 54 times.
It would be a whole lot better for the Chargers’ outlook if that quote from Harbaugh could also be applied to the Chargers’ offensive line.
Pedro Martinez gets roasted for his opinion of the Blue Jays
Pedro Martinez channeled his inner Magic Johnson recently by going full Captain Obvious with his take on a struggling American League team, and fans are having the time of their lives reacting to it.
For all the baseball wisdom of the Hall of Famer, Martinez came up with a take on the Blue Jays that perhaps even the most casual fan could make.
“I believe the Blue Jays didn’t come out as they wanted to after the World Series,” the three-time Cy Young Award winner wrote in a post on X.
I believe the Blue Jays didn’t come out as they wanted to after the World Series.
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) August 19, 2026
That post drew all sorts of memes and hilarious reactions from fans online.
Magic Johnson level analysis right here
— Coach Pero (@coachpero33) August 19, 2026
Pedro, this is a priceless level of analysis. Thank you. 🙏🏻
— AA (@AlexArnold1010) August 19, 2026
— Dustin (@DustinSaracini) August 19, 2026
Thank you Pedro, what would we do without you
— BlueAndWhiteHQ (@BlueAndWhiteHQ) August 19, 2026
Haha. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/mfHGxVgxpm
— Karam Bassi (@BassiKaram) August 19, 2026
Martinez’s surface-level observation, however, checks out.
After representing the American League in the World Series and coming just a win away from winning the Fall Classic against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, the Blue Jays have taken quite a plunge in the 2026 MLB season.
Through Wednesday, the Blue Jays are just fourth in the AL East standings with a 62-66 record (15 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays).
That said, Toronto is only a game outside of the wild card picture in the AL with 34 games left on its schedule, including the series finale against the Rays Thursday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Paul Skenes saved by teammate’s historic night against the Tigers
Paul Skenes can thank an unlikely hero for the Pittsburgh Pirates for saving him from picking up a pitching loss on Wednesday.
Skenes was far from his Cy Young form in the series finale against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa., as he lasted just 4 1/3 innings after giving up three earned runs on four hits.
He struck out five but struggled with his location, walking four through 81 pitches. He was replaced on the mound after allowing an RBI single to Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres in the fifth inning that gave Detroit a 2-1 lead.
Fortunately for the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, he was able to avoid a loss, thanks in large part to Rafael Flores Jr., who came off the bench and proceeded to make history for Pittsburgh.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Flores became just the first player in Pirates history since at least 1900 to hit at least two home runs in a game while coming off the bench.
Rafael Flores Jr. is the first Pirates player since at least 1900 with multiple home runs in a game he did not start https://t.co/s1l7KGPTzN
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 19, 2026
Flores clubbed two solo homers, the first one coming in the seventh inning to cut down Detroit’s lead, 3-2, and the second in the ninth inning to tie the score at 3-3. Brandon Lowe later walked it off with a solo blast of his own to give the Pirates a 4-3 victory.
Still, there remain concerns about Skenes’ form. In 16 starts since May 17, the 24-year-old Skenes has gone 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA. Overall this season, he has a 9-11 record and a 3.95 ERA through 26 starts.
James Harden’s future with the Cavaliers gets an update after a major twist
The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a massive trade that shook up their roster on Wednesday, acquiring forward Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets via a sign-and-trade transaction that also involved three other teams.
With Watson secured, the Cavs are said to be finally turning their focus to James Harden’s future with the team.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Cavaliers are expected to ink Harden to a new contract soon.
Reported on Sunday night that, according to one source briefed on the process, James Harden’s long-awaited new deal with the Cavaliers would be signed “soon-ish.”
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 20, 2026
Cleveland can finally proceed with finalizing Harden’s pact after its Schröder/Strus/Watson five-teamer is official. https://t.co/RFtfN1TuTD
Harden declined his $42.3 million player option in June for the 2026-27 NBA season, but the expectation has always been that he would be running it back with Cleveland.
The only question is how much he would be getting in his new deal, and that picture got a little clearer following the Watson trade.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the sign-and-trade for Watson hard caps Cleveland at the first apron, while NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan says that “Harden is currently looking at a max starting salary just shy of $30 million.”
Harden will be 37 when the new season opens, but he can still bring a lot to the table for a Cleveland team trying to keep up in the Eastern Conference amid the rise of the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers, who arguably have the biggest summer among all teams.
Traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cavs before February’s deadline, Harden averaged 20.5 points, 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 26 games for Cleveland last season.
Fans bring out jokes after the NFL posted Aaron Rodgers’ Year 22 photo
At 42, Aaron Rodgers has become an easy target for fans looking to make fun of players still battling Father Time in the NFL.
That has been the case when the NFL posted a couple of photos on social media, showing Rodgers in Pittsburgh Steelers gear on Wednesday.
“One last ride for @AaronRodgers12,” the caption on the post read, indicating that the 2026 NFL season will be the four-time Most Valuable Player’s final campaign as a player.
One last ride for @AaronRodgers12 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BAGG4p9M2G
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2026
Rodgers has come a long way in his NFL journey, and the photos show it. Although he was smiling, the Steelers quarterback looked grizzled and weathered after more than two decades of playing the most important position in arguably the most physically demanding team sport of them all.
Meanwhile, several fans took the opportunity to joke about Rodgers’ appearance as he entered his 22nd year in the league.
He looks like my father who is in his 70s what is going on here 🤣
— Jimmy Foxhound (@JimmyFoxhound) August 19, 2026
This looks like the poster from “come join our local senior flag football team” 😭
— ╰☆☆ ʲẸ𝓷ᑎ𝕚 ☆☆╮ (@JenniFlurry) August 19, 2026
Mister Rodgers last run on TV 🫡🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/NIc68aWwit
— Just A Guy From Michigan (@JustAGuyFromMI) August 19, 2026
I thought this was Michael Scott.
— SAVAGE (@shoresidesavage) August 19, 2026
All I’m seeing pic.twitter.com/YcB1kGJ74q
— ARCRaiderNation🏴☠️ (@ArcRaiderNation) August 19, 2026
Rodgers couldn’t care less about what fans say about his age, as he has football games to win for the Steelers, who signed him to a 1-year, $22.5 million contract to run it back for the 2026 season.
The 10-time Pro Bowler is coming off a relatively solid campaign in 2025, posting better numbers and efficiency than many other quarterbacks much younger than him. In his first season with the Steelers, he threw for 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with only seven interceptions in 16 games.
Max Scherzer was enraged after teammate Jesus Sanchez missed an easy fly ball
Jesus Sanchez brought the Max Scherzer out of Max Scherzer on Wednesday night.
The Toronto Blue Jays righty Scherzer drew the start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. In the fourth inning at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Rays had a 2-1 lead and were threatening for more with the bases loaded and one out.
Scherzer seemingly secured a big second out by inducing an easy pop fly by Richie Palacios to shallow left field. But the Blue Jays left fielder Sanchez completely misplayed the ball, overrunning it and letting the ball bounce away from him.
That allowed two runners to score for Tampa Bay. Scherzer, meanwhile, was absolutely enraged and let out a loud ‘F–k!” after Sanchez flubbed the play. Here is the video.
Jesús Sánchez missed a fly ball and handed the Rays two runs. Max Scherzer was LIVID.pic.twitter.com/WUyzQL5o03
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 19, 2026
Sanchez’s misplay opened the door for the Rays to score three more times in the half-inning to take a 7-1 lead. While the Blue Jays mounted a valiant late comeback, the fourth-inning disaster proved too much for them to overcome, and they lost to the Rays by a final score of 7-6.
If Sanchez had tracked down that ball, there would have two outs and likely no run scored since the ball was not hit deep enough for a tag-up situation. Instead though, Sanchez helped the Rays score five crucial runs in the inning to win an eventual one-run game.
Now 42 years old, the three-time Cy Young winner Scherzer has had plenty of bizarre outbursts on the mound over the years. But Scherzer’s latest one on Wednesday was completely justified after Sanchez hung him out to dry.
Vita Vea played the perfect game of hardball with the Buccaneers
Vita Vea officially won the staring contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The veteran defensive tackle Vea has agreed to a new one-year, $30 million contract extension with the Buccaneers, according to multiple reports Wednesday. More specifically, Vea (who was originally under contract for $18 million in 2026) is getting $6 million in new money this season combined with an additional $24 million for 2027 (all of which is fully guaranteed).
That marks quite the dramatic turn of events for the two-time Pro Bowler Vea, 31. Just a few weeks ago, Vea took the drastic step of requesting a trade from the Buccaneers, whom he has been with for his entire NFL career ever since 2018.
Vea was also holding in from Tampa Bay’s training camp, making it seem like he was legitimately serious about wanting out. Even Vea’s agent Collin Roberts said he did not see the situation ending in anything but a trade.
#Bucs DT Vita Vea's agent told @NFLSTROUD he doesn't see the current situation ending any way other than a trade.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 5, 2026
“I just don’t see it ending in anything but a trade at this point.”https://t.co/bkmC6YnbVm pic.twitter.com/9ftsBUj3Bo
But in the end, Vea knew that the Buccaneers could not afford to lose him. As a 347-pound run-stopper and magnet for double teams, Vea has in many ways been the heartbeat of the Tampa Bay defense over the years.
Vea, also a former Super Bowl champion with the Bucs who has been used by the team in other wild roles, ended up using his leverage to perfection and getting an extra $30 million just to stay put over the next two seasons. It also marks a major sigh of relief for Tampa Bay fans (though there is still one massive roster question mark that the team needs to resolve).



























