Aug 19, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during warmups for the Jets game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers sees the humor in the New York Jets potentially being run, in part, by a couple of teenagers.
After a tumultuous two-year tenure, the Jets are expected to part ways with Rodgers at season’s end. Based on a report published last week by Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic, the decision could possibly be influenced by Jets owner Woody Johnson’s two teenage sons, Brick and Jack Johnson.
The report revealed that the 77-year-old Johnson has “seemed to follow decision-making advice” from his adolescent sons. Their influence was said to have even played a factor in the Jets passing on one of this season’s breakout wide receivers.
On Monday, Rodgers played into the rumor during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” McAfee gave Rodgers the hypothetical scenario of Brick informing the four-time MVP that the Jets were letting him go. Rodgers joked that he was “open” to the idea, which he believed would make a great story.
“There’s a first time for everything,” said Rodgers facetiously. “I’ve never been released before, so being released would be a first. Being released by a teenager, that would also be a first. I’m open to everything, and you know, I find the comedy in all of it. If that happens, hey, it’s a great story.”
Woody Johnson has been including his teenage sons in team meetings since last year. Since then, members of the Jets’ front office have reportedly noticed Woody citing things Brick or Jack have read online during team-centered discussions.
Given how dysfunctional the Jets organization has been known to be, the teenager-related drama seems to be par for the course.
The Duke Blue Devils mean business when it comes to their football team.
Duke has convinced former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah to come play for them in 2025. According to CBS Sports, Mensah is receiving $8 million over the next two years to play for the Blue Devils.
That is a huge figure, especially for a school that has not been known for its football program. But Duke lost quarterback Maalik Murphy to Oregon State and apparently did not want to have a dropoff next season. That likely explains why they are paying up for Mensah.
Mensah led Tulane to a 9-5 record this season. The redshirt freshman completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions.
Duke went 9-3 this season for its third straight winning season. They went 9-4 under Mike Elko two years ago and were 8-5 last season. Elko left for Texas A&M, which led the school to hire Manny Diaz, who has the Blue Devils with their highest winning percentage since 1962.
With the program succeeding, Duke apparently sees value in paying big money to top transfer players in order to give its football team the best chance of winning. The move comes at a cost though to a smaller athletic school like Tulane.
Josh Jacobs is one of the more physical running backs in the NFL, and he showed that on Monday night.
Jacobs’ Green Bay Packers got the ball first to start their “Monday Night Football” game against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They drove down the field and had a 1st-and-10 at the New Orleans 21. Jacobs took a handoff to the right and got close to scoring down the sideline. He even shoved aside Tyrann Mathieu with a huge stiff-arm move.
Take a look at Jacobs pushing Mathieu out of the way before gaining a few extra yards.
After getting thrown to the ground by Jacobs, Mathieu got some rough treatment on social media.
The Packers scored two plays later. They also had a big 17-play, 96-yard touchdown drive on their following possession. Jacobs finished up that drive with a TD run.
Monday’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs involved some drama that felt straight out of a WWE script.
The 76ers led the Spurs 28-26 with 8:13 to play in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Sixers center Andre Drummond was seen jawing with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during a dead ball period.
Before the ball was inbounded, Drummond gave Wemby a light tap to the midsection. The Frenchman greatly exaggerated the contact by falling to the floor. A referee whistled Drummond for a technical foul and ejected him from the game.
But not long after, Drummond’s contact on Wembanyama was reviewed and correctly deemed a flop. Drummond’s ejection was rescinded, and he was allowed back. The scene looked like it belonged in WrestleMania as the wronged protagonist made his triumphant return to raucous applause from the home crowd.
But the madness did not end there as Joel Embiid later drew the same referee’s ire. With 2:59 left in the half, Embiid was called for an offensive foul for ramming into Wembanyama. The former league MVP got heated over the call and ended up getting ejected just like Drummond.
Unfortunately for Embiid, he did not get a mulligan like Drummond. Embiid left the game with nine points on 2/8 shooting in 14 minutes of action.
Oct 29, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) prior to game six of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Astros fans may have to brace themselves for a future without beloved All-Star Alex Bregman at third base.
Reports from earlier this month indicated a huge gap exists between Bregman’s asking price and what the Astros were willing to offer.
With talks between Bregman and the Astros at a standstill, Houston began pursuing other moves. The team signed first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year deal.
The Astros also landed All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes in the deal that sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. Houston was even linked to a different All-Star third baseman afterwards.
The Paredes acquisition on its own did not seem to shut the door on a Bregman return given that the former Cub could also slot in at first base. But with Walker now in the fold, the Astros’ infield seems to have been filled up.
Astros general manager Dana Brown on Monday said as much after the team officially introduced Walker.
“The way I view it now is that Isaac Paredes is going to plate 3rd base and Christian Walker will play first base,” Brown told reporters, via The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
“I won’t get into specifics but I feel like the negotiations [with Alex Bregman] stalled. I feel like we made a really competitive offer and showed that we wanted him back. But we had to pursue other options. We couldn’t just sit there.”
While Brown did not outright say that the Astros were out on Bregman, his words seemed to suggest that the team is prepared to move on should no deal manifest.
The Astros already parted ways with All-Star slugger Tucker earlier this month. Losing Bregman as well would truly signal the end of an era in Houston.
Bregman has spent the first nine years of his MLB journey with the Astros. The 30-year old has batted .272 with 191 home runs, 663 RBIs, and an OPS of .848 throughout his career.
May 12, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of the Washington Nationals logo on a weighted bat during the seventh inning of the game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
A former pitcher for the Washington Nationals is returning to the NL East.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced Monday that they have agreed to terms on a free agent deal with righty starter Joe Ross. The 31-year-old is signing with them on a one-year contract, the team adds.
Ross is best known for his six-year stint with the Washington Nationals, overcoming Tommy John surgery in 2017 to help the team win it all in 2019 (pitching in Games 3 and 5 of the World Series that year). But Ross then had to get a second Tommy John surgery in 2022 and only returned to an MLB mound last season, posting a 3.77 ERA over 25 hybrid appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers.
The former first-round draft pick Ross will likely toggle between starter and reliever for the Phillies again next season. The reigning NL East winners continue to be very busy on the pitching front this winter, adding another noteworthy arm earlier in the week as well.
Apr 12, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles the ball down the court against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Edwards has been sent to the principal’s office once again.
The NBA announced on Monday that they are fining the Minnesota Timberwolves star Edwards $75,000 for “public criticism of the officiating” and for “using inappropriate and profane language.” The fine stems from Edwards’ actions during his postgame media availability after Minnesota’s loss to Golden State on Saturday.
Edwards expressed frustration with the refereeing during Saturday’s contest, which dropped Minnesota to 14-13 on the year. He had picked up a technical foul in the second quarter of the game for arguing a foul call and proceeded to slam the referees in his postgame media session as “sensitive” and “terrible.” Edwards also referred to the official who T’d him up as a “motherf–ker.”
Here is the full video (but obviously watch out for the bad language).
The two-time All-Star Edwards also had a rough shooting night in the loss to Golden State, which likely compounded his frustration. He was 6/20 for 19 points as the Timberwolves, a conference finalist last season, fell to 10th in the West with the defeat.
It definitely has not been a great season for Edwards either when it comes to NBA discipline. He already got fined $25,000 earlier this month for another instance of profanity in a postgame interview and was fined $35,000 several weeks prior to that for giving the middle finger to an opposing fan. Now Edwards has picked up yet another fine, this one even bigger than his previous two combined.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) throws a pass to Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19) during the second half of a NCAA college football game against UAB in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Georgia Bulldogs have made a major announcement about the status of quarterback Carson Beck for the College Football Playoff.
Georgia said in a statement that Beck underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow. He will not return this season, and is expected to begin throwing again next spring.
This is simply Tommy John surgery, albeit on a football player. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who is also the go-to surgeon for top pitchers who undergo the procedure.
While unfortunate, Beck being out for the College Football Playoff will not come as a huge surprise. The Bulldogs had sounded pessimistic about his outlook after he was injured just before halftime in the SEC Championship (video here). He would return to that game briefly in overtime, but only to hand the ball off on the game-winning run by Trevor Etienne.
Gunner Stockton will get the nod at quarterback for the Bulldogs in their CFP contest against Notre Dame on New Year’s Day. He went 12/16 for 71 yards with an interception in the SEC Championship after replacing Beck.
Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (5) during pregame warm ups against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Diontae Johnson landed with the Houston Texans on Monday after they claimed him off waivers, and there was one other AFC contender that reportedly had interest in the veteran wide receiver as well.
The Los Angeles Chargers also put in a claim for Johnson, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Houston had priority over the Chargers in the waiver order.
The Chargers improved to 9-6 with their win over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. They enter Week 17 as the No. 6 seed in the AFC, so they have a good chance of making the playoffs. Like the Texans, they have a need at wide receiver.
Ladd McConkey has had an excellent rookie season with 69 catches for 960 yards and 5 touchdowns in 14 games. The Chargers lack a true No. 2 wide receiver, though Quentin Johnson has been an excellent red-zone target with 8 touchdown catches. Joshua Palmer is L.A.’s second-leading receiver with just 543 yards.
Johnson had an unsuccessful brief tenure in Baltimore that included a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Still, he is a former Pro Bowl wideout who had a 1,000-yard season in 2021. Teams obviously feel the 28-year-old has plenty of upside.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) walks off the field during training camp on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis.
The Green Bay Packers have made a surprising decision regarding the status of cornerback Jaire Alexander for Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
Alexander will be inactive for the Packers once again on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero added that while Alexander was a full participant in practice during the week, the Packers felt he simply did not look like himself and chose to hold him back for another week.
This is not necessarily cause for concern, but it does come as a surprise given Alexander’s practice status, as there seemed to be real optimism that he would be back for this game. The standout cornerback has been dealing with a torn PCL in his knee, which he re-injured earlier in the season. Obviously, the team does not want to risk anything like that happening again.
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Alexander has only played in 14 games since the start of the 2023 season due to various injuries. The knee problem has limited him to seven appearances in 2024, including just 10 snaps since Week 8.
