Football News

The NFL’s annual draft rumor mill has produced another eye-catching scenario, this time courtesy of The Ringer’s Danny Kelly, who projects the Chicago Bears will exit the first round entirely after swinging a blockbuster deal for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby. In Kelly’s mock, Chicago ships the 25th overall selection and a 2025 second-round pick to the Raiders for the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, a move that would instantly re-shape both the Bears’ defense and their weekend draft itinerary. Chicago enters the offseason with a respectable defense that nevertheless lacked a consistent, game-wrecking presence off the edge. Opposing quarterbacks too often enjoyed clean pockets in pivotal late-game moments, forcing the Bears to lean on extra blitzers and exposing the secondary. General manager Ryan Poles has already acknowledged that the club explored acquiring Crosby earlier this offseason, only to watch a tentative agreement between Las Vegas and Baltimore fall apart. Kelly’s projection assumes those talks can be revived at the right price. Paying a first- and second-round premium is steep, but Crosby’s résumé offers rare certainty. He has topped the league in quarterback pressures, tackles for loss and total sacks in multiple seasons, and his high-motor style translates against both pass and run. By importing a proven superstar rather than gambling on a rookie, the Bears would bypass developmental timelines and inject elite production into a unit that finished middle-of-the-pack in most pressure metrics a year ago. The trade would also recalibrate Chicago’s draft board. Without a first-rounder, Poles and his staff would turn their attention to Day 2 and Day 3 targets, prioritizing cost-controlled depth along the interior offensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary. More importantly, the deal would broadcast an unmistakable message inside Halas Hall: the rebuild is over, and the front office believes the roster is ready to contend immediately. Mock drafts remain speculative by nature, yet Kelly’s framework underscores a viable path for a team on the cusp of playoff relevance. If the Bears covet a bona fide pass-rushing centerpiece more than the promise of a late-first-round rookie, Crosby represents as close to a sure thing as the trade market can provide. With the draft clock ticking, Ryan Poles must decide whether the potential of a young prospect outweighs the immediate impact of acquiring one of football’s most relentless defenders. Keywords:

Madison, WI — Five months before the first snap of the 2026 college football season, FanDuel has posted an early over/under of 6.5 regular-season wins for Wisconsin, signaling national confidence that the Badgers will rebound from last year’s program-worst 4-8 campaign. The line, released in March as teams prepare for spring practice, slots Wisconsin squarely into the middle tier of the re-aligned Big Ten. FanDuel’s projections create a clear hierarchy: national-title contenders Indiana and Oregon sit at the top, followed by a cluster of playoff hopefuls headlined by Ohio State and Michigan, with the Badgers nestled among the programs expected to finish above .500. Context matters, and the books are weighing it. Wisconsin’s 2025 schedule featured four College Football Playoff participants, widely regarded as the most demanding slate in the country. The 2026 itinerary is far more navigable. While the season opener at Lambeau Field against Notre Dame presents a marquee challenge, it is viewed as the lone heavyweight bout on the calendar. Within league play, six of Wisconsin’s nine Big Ten opponents currently reside in the bottom half of FanDuel’s conference win-total rankings. Offseason activity has reinforced the optimism. Athletic department officials have funneled increased resources into the transfer portal, accelerating roster retooling efforts that head coach Luke Fickell hopes will correct the on-field deficiencies that plagued the Badgers a year ago. Reaching six or seven victories would extend the program’s postseason drought to only two years, a modest recovery by Wisconsin’s historical standards but an essential first step in Fickell’s rebuilding plan. The early line suggests bettors—and by extension, the broader marketplace—believe the arrow is pointing up. Game odds will adjust throughout the offseason, yet the initial signal is unmistakable: after a 2025 disaster, Wisconsin is expected to re-enter the bowl conversation when the leaves turn in 2026.

The 2026 football calendar is overflowing with must-see action, from continental championships to the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup. Whether your passion is club silverware, international drama or the growth of the women’s game, these 20 fixtures are non-negotiable entries in any supporter’s diary. March fires the starting gun with the World Cup Intercontinental Play-Offs in Mexico. Six hopeful nations will be split into two knockout brackets, the semi-final victors meeting top seeds DR Congo and Iraq for the final two tickets to North America’s summer spectacle. April delivers the climax of Asian club football as the AFC Champions League final descends on Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. The continent’s champion will pocket $12 million and, crucially, a place in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. May is a feast of finals. The CAF Champions League concludes its two-legged decider on 15 and 24 May, with Al-Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns and Esperance de Tunis all eyeing Africa’s biggest club prize. On 20 May, Istanbul’s Besiktas Park hosts the UEFA Europa League final, where the winner earns automatic entry to next season’s Champions League. Three days later Norway’s Ullevaal Stadion stages the UEFA Women’s Champions League final; Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Lyon are among the clubs hoping to secure a berth in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup. Scottish Cup final day, also 23 May, guarantees a break from the Old Firm dominance—Rangers and Celtic must meet in the quarters, ensuring a smaller club will contest the Hampden Park showpiece. The same afternoon, the English Championship play-off final—labelled the richest game in football—could feature Millwall, Ipswich Town, Hull City or even promotion-chasing Wrexham. Europe’s third-tier competition concludes on 27 May at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena when the Europa Conference League final offers an unlikely route to continental respect. CONCACAF’s champion will be crowned on 30 May in a single-leg final, the victor advancing to both the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup. Hours later, Budapest’s Puskas Arena stages the UEFA Champions League final; Paris Saint-Germain aim to defend their crown, though Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal lurk. The following day, Wembley Stadium expects another record crowd for the Women’s FA Cup final, underscoring the surging popularity of the women’s game. June and July belong to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Opening ceremonies take place at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca before 48 nations contest 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico, culminating in the final at New Jersey Stadium. Club football roars back on 12 August when Salzburg’s Red Bull Arena hosts the UEFA Super Cup, pitting the Champions League holders against the Europa League winners. The English Premier League’s 2026/27 season begins on 22 August—the latest start in its history—giving players a 33-day post-World Cup breather. On the same date, Fiji stages the OFC Men’s Champions League final, wrapping up a two-week tournament in Lautoka and Ba that decides Oceania’s top club. Europe’s elite return to the spotlight on 8 September when the revamped 36-team Champions League group stage kicks off an eight-round slate before the knockout phase. Mark these 20 dates and you won’t miss a moment of the drama, glory and history set to define 2026.

East Rutherford, N.J. — The New York Giants have added experienced depth to their secondary, agreeing to a one-year contract with former Baltimore Ravens defensive back Ar’Darius Washington, the team confirmed. The deal is worth a reported $3 million. Washington, 26, arrives in New Jersey after spending five seasons with the Ravens. An undrafted free agent out of TCU, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound defensive back appeared in 29 games for Baltimore, compiling 85 total tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. His most productive campaign came in 2024, when Washington started all 17 regular-season contests and finished with 64 tackles, eight pass breakups and a pair of interceptions. A torn Achilles suffered the following offseason sidelined him for much of the 2025 schedule, but he returned late in the year to log seven tackles, one sack and one forced fumble across four appearances. At TCU, Washington burst onto the scene as the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American in 2019. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors the next season before declaring for the NFL Draft following his junior year. In three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Washington recorded 62 tackles, 12 pass breakups and five interceptions. The Giants hope Washington’s versatility and special-teams value can bolster a defensive backfield looking to improve on last season’s performance.

The clock is ticking toward Saturday’s 13:30 GMT deadline as Fantasy Premier League managers finalise squads for double Gameweek 30, which runs from Saturday, March 14 through Monday, March 16. With suspensions lifted, fresh knocks emerging and a handful of tantalising fixtures on the slate, the window for late surgery is open—but only just. Chelsea provide the clearest good news. After sitting out a ban, Pedro Neto is re-eligible for selection when the Blues welcome Newcastle, while long-term casualties Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia have been declared fit. Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, however, remains a doubt ahead of the Gunners’ trip to Everton after picking up a knock, and Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma looks set to miss the visit of Sunderland because of an ankle problem. Fulham’s Harry Wilson is another doubt after an identical issue ruled him out against West Ham; the Welshman could now sit out the Nottingham Forest meeting as well. West Ham’s in-form flyer Crysencio Summerville has been sidelined by a calf strain, and Jadon Sancho is unavailable entirely—on-loan regulations prevent him from facing parent club Manchester United. That United-City derby headlines the weekend, and while West Ham have shown signs of life under Nuno Espirito Santo, the champions still shape as favourites. Erling Haaland (£14.6m) is the premium captaincy anchor, with City colleague Antoine Semenyo (£8.3m) offering mid-range value, while Hammers skipper Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) carries home upside. Liverpool’s clash with Tottenham also catches the eye. Despite Spurs’ erratic campaign, Arne Slot’s side cannot afford complacency. Reds assets Hugo Ekitike (£9.2m), Mohamed Salah (£14.0m), Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.9m) and the ever-reliable Virgil van Dijk (£6.2m) are firmly on the FPL radar. Elsewhere, Joao Pedro (£7.7m) continues to shine for Chelsea, Gabriel (£8.2m) anchors an Arsenal back line with favourable fixtures, Bruno Fernandes (£10.1m) offers talismanic output for Manchester United, Alex Iwobi (£6.4m) drives Fulham’s creativity, Marcos Senesi (£5.0m) is a budget Bournemouth enabler and Brentford’s Igor Thiago (£7.2m) provides differential strike potential. With press conferences still to come, wise managers will monitor every update—one late bulletin could swing the gameweek. Plan, pivot and captain with conviction; Matchweek 30 offers both risk and reward in equal measure. SEO keywords:

MIAMI — The fifth day of the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 free-agency blitz brought another wave of roster shuffling, headlined by the arrival of a versatile offensive lineman who could step directly into the starting lineup. Jamaree Salyer, 25, agreed to terms with Miami on Friday morning, according to two league sources, and the club announced the move shortly after 10 a.m. A sixth-round pick by the Chargers in 2022, Salyer has started 40 games over the past four seasons, splitting time between left tackle (19 starts) and right guard (21 starts). His 3,182 career offensive snaps include 1,295 at left tackle and 1,561 at right guard, making him an immediate candidate to solidify the interior of a line that has undergone heavy turnover this week. “Versatility is the first word that comes to mind,” one Dolphins staffer said of Salyer, who filled in as a 14-game starter at left tackle as a rookie after Rashawn Slater’s injury. “He’s played both edges and both guards in the SEC and the NFL. That flexibility matters when you’re still building the final five.” Salyer’s 2025 tape—250 snaps at left tackle, 157 at right guard and 42 at right tackle—earned him the second-best pass-blocking grade among Chargers linemen from Pro Football Focus, trailing only rookie Joe Alt. While he graded 61st of 89 qualifying tackles last season, his body of work inside has been steadier; PFF ranked him 57th among guards in 2024 after logging 260 snaps at the position. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Atlanta native joins Jonah Savaiinaea and Andrew Meyer as the only guards on the roster with extensive starting experience. Miami is expected to continue addressing the position through the draft, but Salyer provides an early-floor, high-ceiling option who could also serve as the swing third tackle behind Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson. He becomes the 22nd player to sign with the Dolphins since the new league year opened, continuing a roster overhaul that has seen 21 external free agents and one re-signing cycle through the building in five days. Elsewhere Friday, Miami reinforced its edge-rush room by agreeing to terms with former Ravens defensive lineman David Ojabo. The 6-4, 252-pound Nigerian native recorded 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks across 32 games in Baltimore, playing 575 defensive snaps. Ojabo joins Chop Robinson, Cameron Goode, Joshua Uche and Robert Beal as candidates to rotate off the corner. Special teams also received a facelift. After losing punter Jake Bailey to Atlanta, the Dolphins signed Seth Vernon, who averaged 45.4 yards on 23 punts for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers last season. Long snapper Tucker Addington returns for a second stint, replacing Joe Cardona, who departed for Los Angeles. Addington appeared in three games for Miami in 2024 while Blake Ferguson recovered from illness. In the secondary, safety Elijah Campbell departed for the Giants on a one-year deal, clearing room for newcomers Zayne Anderson and veteran Lonnie Johnson Jr. At cornerback, exclusive-rights free agent Ethan Bonner re-upped on a one-year contract, pushing Miami’s cornerback total to 11 players—seven holdovers and four newcomers headlined by ex-Titans starter Darrell Baker and former Cardinals starter Marco Wilson. The wide-receiver room added size in the form of Jalen Tolbert, a 6-1 Cowboys castoff who posted career highs of 49 receptions, 610 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. Tolbert’s relationship with new Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis—both were teammates at the Senior Bowl—helped seal the one-year pact. He becomes the tallest receiver on a depth chart otherwise populated by sub-six-foot speedsters Jaylen Waddle, Tutu Atwell and Malik Washington. Friday’s transactions occurred against the backdrop of Tua Tagovailoa’s official departure. The former Dolphins starter signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with Atlanta, leaving Miami on the hook for $52.7 million of his $54 million 2026 salary and a $55.4 million dead-money charge in 2026. Tagovailoa will compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the Falcons’ starting job. With the draft six weeks away, the Dolphins have now turned over nearly half their roster. General manager Chris Grier indicated the makeover is “far from finished,” but the addition of Salyer gives Miami an immediate, battle-tested option along a line that surrendered 58 sacks in 2025. Miami returns to the practice field Monday for the first voluntary workouts of the offseason.

Perth, Australia – China head coach Ante Milicic has stressed composure and belief as his side prepare for a politically charged Women’s Asian Cup quarter-final against Taiwan on Saturday, warning that the reigning champions cannot afford to underestimate an opponent that has steadily grown into the tournament. China, chasing a record-extending 10th continental crown, arrived in the last eight after topping their group, yet Milicic is wary of a Taiwanese squad that pushed Japan hard before winning back-to-back games to advance. “They gave Japan a very difficult game and then went on to win their next two matches, so we know this will be a tough proposition,” the coach said at the pre-match briefing. “If we execute our game plan and perform to the level we know we can, that should be enough for us to get the result. If we follow a clear process, remain calm and confident and take it one game at a time, we can be successful and hopefully go further in the tournament.” The fixture carries added tension off the pitch. Both teams have drawn vocal support throughout the competition, but Taiwan’s previous outing in Sydney ended in controversy when former national coach Chen Kuei-jen was removed from the stadium for orchestrating a “Taiwan Jiayu” chant during the victory over India. Taipei’s foreign ministry has since lodged a protest with the Asian Football Confederation, alleging “unequal treatment”. In international sport, Taiwan compete as “Chinese Taipei” under a long-standing agreement that allows the island to participate without asserting sovereign status. Taiwan’s current coach, Thailand’s Prasobchoke Chokemor, preferred to keep the focus on football. “We can say we did well against Japan, holding them to a 0-0 draw in the first half,” he noted. “It will be a different game tactically, but we are confident we can compete against top-level players if we stay focused on ourselves and fight as a team.” Beyond a place in the semi-finals, the stakes are heightened by 2027 World Cup qualification: the tournament’s top six finishers will secure spots at next year’s global finals in Brazil. With both nations eyeing that prize, Saturday’s encounter in Perth is poised to be as tense as it is decisive.

Statistics have become the sport’s second language, yet for every revelatory number there is a mirage. Using only the evidence on the page, here is a clear-eyed audit of which metrics deserve the spotlight and which deserve the bin. Numbers that matter 1. Points tallied The league table is the only verdict that survives appeal. Win the title and the arithmetic is your trophy; finish bottom and no spreadsheet will save you. 2. Goal difference Across nine months it is the most honest photograph of a side: score more than you concede and the standings reward you. 3. Discipline record Brian Clough demanded respect for officials and full quotas of players. Teams finishing matches a man light drop more points than those who stay at eleven. 4. Final-third entries Ball progression into the attacking third correlates directly with sustained pressure and, ultimately, goals. 5. Line-breaking passes Possession without incision is decoration. Forward passes that pierce defensive lines separate rehearsal from threat. 6. Press-to-regain ratio A high press is cosmetics unless it produces recoveries within five seconds. That conversion rate tells coaches whether the press is weapon or windmill. 7. Set-piece conversion Corners and free-kicks can be choreographed on the training ground, allowing well-drilled teams to out-perform budgets. 8. Defensive actions in the 18-yard zone Blocks, clearances, tackles and aerial duels won inside the penalty area quantify emergency defence. Top sides limit the need for them; lower-table clubs live by them. 9. Points won from losing positions Comebacks are not romance—they are measurable evidence of mentality, tactical tweaks and bench strength. 10. Wins At professional level the final whistle distils every plan, pass or press into a single currency: victories. Numbers that don’t 1. Expected goals (xG) Probability estimates excite analysts yet alter nothing on the scoreboard. A high-xG defeat still counts as defeat. 2. Raw possession Circulating the ball without forward intent merely postpones danger. Deep defences are happy to let you have it. 3. Pass completion volume Thousands of safe passes look industrious but are meaningless without end product. 4. Distance covered Teams chasing shadows run further; control, not kilometres, decides matches. 5. Shots from outside the box Long-range efforts inflate shot counts yet rank among the lowest-percentage attempts. They often mask a failure to break blocks down. 6. Surnames as Roman numerals Nemanja Vidic remains the only Premier League champion whose surname (V-I-D-C) doubles as a Roman-numeral equation. Amusing, irrelevant. 7. Calendar-day scoring Kelechi Iheanacho once scored on all seven days of the week within a single season. A trivia answer, not a scouting report. 8. Vowel-heavy names Noni Madueke became the first player containing all five vowels to score for England since Paul Gascoigne in 1997. Great for pub quizzes, useless for performance analysis. 9. Clean sheets as a goalkeeper metric A keeper stationed behind a dominant back line may register shutouts by default; another may star yet concede through defensive errors. The stat reflects collective structure more than individual brilliance. 10. Individual touches for elite strikers Erling Haaland’s goal rate renders his touch count incidental. When the ball keeps hitting the net, involvement becomes a footnote. In short, football’s meaningful numbers are those that survive the harsh audit of scoreboard and standings; the rest are statistical swimwear—eye-catching but hiding the essentials.

Newark & Sherwood United manager Tom Ward believes summer target Kai Moore can be the antidote to his side’s scoring woes after the striker swapped local-level football for a return to Step 5 and joined the Highwaymen from United Counties League Division One outfit Pinxton. Ward has tracked the Derbyshire-born forward since his prolific spell with Sherwood Colliery two seasons ago and twice attempted to secure his signature, with Moore initially opting to stay close to home and play with friends. Travel concerns and a desire to “enjoy his football” delayed the move until Ward renewed his interest this month. “He’s one I always thought was a good young player,” Ward explained. “He’s obviously grown up a bit—mid-20s now—physically strong, does the right things and I think he’s a goal threat. He’s a good all-round player who will fit a variety of roles and hopefully he’s one who can finally put the ball in the net more regularly for us.” Moore’s debut arrived in daunting fashion as promotion-hunting Grantham Town left the YMCA Sports Village with a 3-0 win on Saturday. A contentious first-half penalty and two quick-fire strikes after the interval flattened the hosts, but Ward refused to lay blame at his new striker’s feet. “We chucked him straight in at the deep end but ultimately he was playing against a very good side who are defensively very strong, so we didn’t see the absolute best of him,” the manager admitted. “I don’t think we saw the best of anyone.” The defeat ended a plucky run that had seen Newark boast the league’s third-meanest defence prior to kick-off, underlining a season-long conundrum: resolute at the back, blunt up top. Ward’s men responded quickly, brushing aside Blackstones 2-0 on Tuesday night through a Luke White first-half double, and now travel to in-form AFC Mansfield on Saturday hoping Moore can help turn defensive stability into a regular supply of goals. “They’re in really good form,” Ward said of Mansfield. “I think they’ll finish short of the play-offs but no doubt they’ll be looking to push on. We’re in every game we play; we’ve just got to get more goals at one end and keep our strong defensive record.” With Moore eager to re-establish himself at Step 5 and Newark craving cutting edge, all parties are optimistic there is indeed more to come from the forward Kai.

Eugene, Ore. — When Oregon Ducks freshman Jett Washington takes the field this season, the number on his jersey will carry more than team pride—it will carry family legacy. Washington, nephew of late NBA icon Kobe Bryant, announced via his Instagram story that he will wear No. 24, the same number his uncle immortalized during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. The decision links the Oregon football program to one of sports’ most enduring figures, as Washington begins his collegiate career honoring the relative whose global impact stretched far beyond basketball. By choosing 24, Washington ensures that every carry, catch, or tackle he makes will serve as a quiet tribute to the five-time NBA champion whose work ethic and competitive spirit became a generational standard. Oregon fans can expect to see the freshman donning the recognizable digits when the Ducks open their 2024 campaign, turning each game day into a subtle memorial observed from the Autzen Stadium stands to television screens nationwide.

Philadelphia moved quickly to patch the hole left on the edge, agreeing to a one-year, $7.3 million contract with former Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal guarantees Ebiketie $4.3 million and positions him as the early front-runner to absorb the snaps vacated by Jaelan Phillips, who stunned the organization by accepting a four-year, $130 million offer from the Panthers in free agency. Ebiketie, 27, returns to familiar territory after beginning his college career at Temple, where he posted 4 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss during the Owls’ 2020 campaign. He parlayed a breakout season at Penn State into a second-round selection by Atlanta in 2022. Across four professional seasons Ebiketie has accumulated 16.5 sacks in 67 games, including back-to-back six-sack efforts in 2023 and 2024. His production dipped to just 2 sacks in 2025, yet he still finished 10th league-wide in quarterback pressure rate (16.4%) among players with at least 150 pass-rush snaps, per Next Gen Stats. The Eagles envision Ebiketie sliding into the third or fourth spot on the edge rotation behind starters who remain unnamed in team communications. While the Temple product offers immediate depth, the front office has not ruled out swinging a blockbuster trade for Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard or investing a premium draft pick to fortify the position. Philadelphia’s pass rush now hinges on a collective approach rather than a singular star, with Ebiketie’s familiarity with the city’s football culture and his proven ability to generate pressures providing a short-term bridge. Whether that proves sufficient in the ultra-competitive NFC East will determine how aggressively the club pursues another marquee name before training camp opens.

A record nine Premier League clubs have reached the European knockout rounds this spring, and the calendar has now twisted itself into a knot Fantasy Premier League managers must untie at speed. Round-of-16 second legs arrive midweek, wedged between Gameweeks 30 and 31, forcing rotation risks, minute management and captaincy headaches in equal measure. The schedule split is stark. Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle—each trailing after their first legs—played on the Tuesday of last week and will contest their decisive returns this coming Wednesday. Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, all with deficits to overturn after Wednesday openers, must turn around ties only four days after domestic duty. Three competitive fixtures in seven days makes heavy rotation almost inevitable, particularly for Pep Guardiola’s side, who also blank in Gameweek 31 because of their Carabao Cup final date with Arsenal. Erling Haaland, the league’s most explosive asset, sits at the centre of the dilemma. The Norway striker, valued at £14.6 million, missed the trip to Leeds in Gameweek 28 with a minor injury and sat out the FA Cup win over Newcastle. He logged 81 minutes against Real Madrid on Wednesday, but with City 3-0 down and West Ham waiting on Saturday, Guardiola could limit his involvement again. Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo, both £8.3 million and in promising form, offer ready alternatives. Selling Haaland ahead of the blank has gathered momentum among managers plotting a dead-end strategy: burning free transfers on short-term punts before activating the Wildcard in Gameweek 32. Igor Thiago (£7.2 million), Joao Pedro (£7.7 million) and Hugo Ekitike (£9.1 million) headline the replacement list. Yet Haaland’s 22 goals and seven assists from 27 starts remain unmatched; in the reverse fixture against West Ham he delivered a 16-point masterclass of two goals and an assist. The decision is less straightforward than it appears. The European fatigue factor stretches beyond the Champions League. Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace face consecutive Thursday nights in the Europa and Conference Leagues, squeezing three matches into eight days. Villa hold a narrow 1-0 advantage at Lille, Forest trail Midtjylland 1-0, and Palace drew 0-0 with AEK Larnaca. Villa and Palace may chase continental glory—victory for Villa would secure Champions League qualification—but Forest, hovering above the drop zone on goal difference, can ill-afford to take their eyes off league survival. All three sides arrive at the weekend short on Premier League form: Villa have won once in six, Forest are 17th, and Palace have slipped into the bottom half. Captaincy, therefore, swings toward well-rested stars facing weary opponents. Bruno Fernandes (£10.1 million) tops the queue. Manchester United enjoyed a 10-day break before hosting Villa, and Fernandes has four straight double-digit hauls at Old Trafford under interim coach Michael Carrick, fuelled by set-piece dominance and penalty duties. He leads the league in key passes and big chances created this campaign. Brentford’s Igor Thiago also warrants attention. The Bees’ talisman, second only to Haaland in the Golden Boot race with 18 goals from 29 appearances, faces bottom-club Wolverhampton Wanderers in Monday’s late fixture after a full week’s rest. For FPL managers, the path is clear: scan the European minutes, weigh the blanks, and decide whether loyalty to Haaland outweighs the lure of a short-term switch. The continental stage has added a dramatic extra act to the season’s fantasy script; navigating it correctly could define the run-in.

Manchester United have scattered a 15-man loan armada across Europe this season, and with the campaign entering its final straits the picture of who might return to bolster Old Trafford – and who is likely to move on – is becoming clearer. Andre Onana, the most expensive of the temporary exiles, has divided opinion in Turkey. Trabzonspor’s No 1 has kept only one clean sheet in his last 14 Super Lig outings, yet the club hierarchy remain effusive about the 29-year-old Cameroon keeper who has already clocked up 21 appearances since September. Vice-president Zeyyat Kafkas confirmed United slapped a €45-50 million price tag on any permanent deal, a figure the Black Sea club consider prohibitive. Onana, currently third in the table, is focused on dragging Trabzonspor into Europe, but unless the fee drops he is expected back at Carrington. In the Championship, United have two contrasting goalkeeping stories. Radek Vitek has been a revelation at Bristol City, usurping veteran Max O’Leary and earning the nickname “The Wall” after a viral save against Ipswich in January. Nine clean sheets in 31 games have put the 21-year-old Czech in contention to challenge for the senior gloves next term, even if the Robins’ play-off push has stalled. At the other end of the table, 18-year-old defensive prospect Harry Amass impressed during a first half-season at Sheffield Wednesday before switching to Norwich in January. A serious hamstring injury in training has limited him to a single Canaries outing, and he now faces a race to be fit before United’s new manager weighs up his future. Midfield fortunes have been mixed. Toby Collyer’s hopes of regular football were derailed by calf and hamstring problems at West Brom and then Hull, though he is now back in training with the Tigers. Dan Gore has at least found rhythm at League One Rotherham, starting 24 games and rehabilitating a previously injury-hit reputation, but with his contract expiring in May a permanent exit looks probable. Teenager Habeeb Ogunneye has shown flashes for Fleetwood – six goals, five assists and a spectacular FA Cup strike against Luton – yet the 21-year-old is out of contract in June and attracting admirers. Fellow forward Victor Musa has managed only 53 minutes for struggling Shrewsbury, while 19-year-old Ethan Wheatley is still searching for his first goal at promotion-chasing Bradford after three starts. In Europe, Hannibal Mejbri has started only seven of 18 Premier League games for Aston Villa, contributing one goal and one assist, and looks set to depart when his deal expires. In Switzerland, Sekou Kone has made five cameo appearances for Lausanne-Sport after a serious head injury curtailed his early season; the 20-year-old Malian is still awaiting a first Europa Conference League squad place. The headline loans lie at the sharp end of the pitch. Rasmus Hojlund has nine Serie A goals for Napoli, matching his 2022-23 Atalanta tally, and 13 in all competitions. The Partenopei are five points clear in the final Champions League berth; trigger the £38 million obligation and the Denmark striker will depart United permanently. Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, has 10 goals and 10 assists in 38 games for Barcelona, who hold a £26 million option. Barça want him, he wants to stay, and United are unwilling to renegotiate the figure. Finally, 19-year-old French winger Elyh Dilo has one goal and one assist in 23 combined appearances for Lausanne, while 18-year-old Irish midfielder Jack Devaney has tailed off after a bright start at St Johnstone, dropping to the bench as the Perth club fight relegation. As the season nears its climax, United’s loan cohort offers both promise and pragmatism: some will return as genuine first-team contenders, others have already played their last game for the club.

Sutton Coldfield teenager Ben Broggio is fast emerging as the next bright attacking talent off Aston Villa’s esteemed academy conveyor belt, and his early performances on loan at Falkirk suggest the 2024-25 campaign could be the making of him. Broggio, who joined Villa aged nine, has already ticked off a series of milestones: FA Youth Cup winner, Under-18 Premier League National champion, joint-top scorer in Villa’s UEFA Youth League adventure with four goals, and, in September, a senior debutant in the League Cup against Wycombe Wanderers. Three Premier League match-day squad inclusions followed, but the club’s coaching staff believed senior minutes were the next imperative. Enter Falkirk and a family thread that illustrates the modern art of loan placement. Villa captain John McGinn endorsed the switch, revealing that his brother Stephen, first-team coach at the Bairns, would guarantee an environment tailored to the midfielder’s development. Villa’s loan managers agreed; the Scottish Premiership side play a progressive, possession-first game on an artificial surface and trust young talents with real responsibility. Broggio packed his bags in January and has not looked back. Two goals in his opening three league fixtures announced him to Scottish football, but it was last week’s Scottish FA Cup tie with Dundee United that offered a broader glimpse of his repertoire. Deployed on the right of a fluid front line by manager John McGlynn, the right-footed teenager was granted licence to roam, often drifting into central pockets or dropping alongside the defensive midfielder to orchestrate play. Within 25 minutes he had ignited the move that led to Falkirk’s opener, tormenting the full-back before squaring for Brad Spencer to shoot; Barney Stewart buried the rebound. His fingerprints were on the second goal too, sprinting beyond the far post to support Calvin Miller’s overlap and arriving in the six-yard box as Finn Yeats smashed home. Out of possession, Broggio tucked narrow, forcing United wide and smothering central passing lanes. One slick turn deep inside his own half set a rapid counter in motion, underlining the confidence with which he accepts possession under pressure. There were lessons as well: moments before half-time he was dispossessed while attempting to dribble out, and the subsequent United goal served as a reminder that style must be married to game intelligence. Broggio trudged off at the interval shaking his head, evidence of a player learning on the job. The second half demanded more defensive diligence; he tracked runners, screened passes and still found energy to dart into forward pockets before being withdrawn with 15 minutes remaining. Falkirk held on, booking a place in the next round and preserving the feel-good narrative surrounding their English loanee. Back at Bodymoor Heath, academy staff will have noted the accelerated education: positional flexibility, tactical discipline, and the ruthless reality that results supersede performances. For Broggio, the comfort zone of Villa’s training complex has been replaced by cold Scottish mornings, new team-mates and the scrutiny of senior points. On early evidence, he is thriving. If the first weeks are any barometer, this carefully curated loan could prove the catalyst that propels the 18-year-old from promising prospect to Premier League-ready performer, exactly as Villa envisaged when they first sought advice from their skipper and mapped out the road north.

Dallas, TX — The Dallas Cowboys quietly closed the books on Thursday with another roster addition, agreeing to terms with veteran cornerback Cobie Durant in a move first reported by ESPN. Durant, a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 NFL Draft out of South Carolina State, has spent his entire four-year career in Los Angeles. He is coming off what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler described as a “very solid season,” positioning him as an immediate candidate to reinforce a cornerback room that had gone unaddressed through the opening wave of free agency. While the Cowboys had already bolstered the safety position with the earlier signings of Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke, the acquisition of Durant supplies targeted depth on the outside. The timing of the deal—struck just before midnight Central—continued Dallas’s pattern of low-profile but calculated roster construction ahead of next month’s NFL Draft. Durant’s experience in the Rams’ scheme should accelerate his integration into coordinator practices, and the club hopes his presence will provide flexibility when the draft board begins to unfold at the end of April. Dallas has now added three new faces to the secondary in the span of a week, signaling a clear priority to tighten coverage units that struggled with consistency a season ago. With the Durant signing official, the front office can approach the remainder of the offseason with one less hole to fill.

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have moved swiftly to reinforce a battered secondary, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with veteran cornerback Cobie Durant, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Todd Archer confirmed Tuesday. The 28-year-old arrives from Los Angeles, where a Rams roster overhaul at the position made the former starter expendable. Durant, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of South Carolina State, started 32 games for the Rams across the 2024 and 2025 seasons after breaking into the lineup late in 2023. Initially deployed as a slot defender—logging 349 inside snaps that year—he transitioned to the boundary full-time, recording 744 perimeter snaps versus only 34 in the slot last season. Pro Football Focus graded Durant 43rd among all corners in 2025, an improvement from 56th the previous year, while his coverage metrics remained steady: he allowed completion rates of 54.0 and 55.9 percent as the nearest defender and yielded passer ratings of 71.2 and 79.2 over the past two campaigns. Ball production has been a hallmark of Durant’s résumé. He intercepted three passes in 2025 and broke up 15 throws over the 2024-25 span, adding a pick-six in each of his first and fourth professional seasons. At 5-foot-11, he offers inside-outside versatility that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is expected to leverage immediately. Dallas has endured a revolving door at cornerback. The club released Trevon Diggs following an injury-plagued stretch, watched 2024 Pro Bowler DaRon Bland suffer a season-ending foot injury, and relied on rookie third-rounder Shavon Revel as injuries mounted. The result was one of the league’s least effective defenses, prompting front-office urgency this spring. Durant’s short-term deal carries mutual risk: the cornerback seeks a platform year to secure a lucrative multi-year contract before age 30, while the Cowboys obtain a proven starter without long-term commitment. The market apparently never materialized for Durant after Los Angeles imported Kansas City’s starting duo of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason, ending his tenure with the Rams. In Dallas, Durant is penciled in as a 2026 starter opposite Revel, giving Parker an experienced boundary option who can slide inside when needed. With organized team activities on the horizon, the Cowboys hope the veteran’s durability and steady coverage will stabilize a secondary that has derailed playoff hopes each of the past two seasons.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw, bringing the former standout back to the Bay Area on a one-year contract worth $7.5 million, the team confirmed Monday. Greenlaw, who previously spent the first portion of his career with San Francisco, rejoins the organization after a brief tenure in Denver that ended with his release earlier this offseason. The 49ers moved quickly to secure his services, hoping his familiarity with the defensive scheme and proven track record will bolster a linebacker corps looking to regain championship form. Terms of the pact were disclosed as a straight one-year pact at the $7.5 million figure, giving Greenlaw an opportunity to re-establish himself while providing the Niners an experienced playmaker heading into the upcoming campaign. The transaction reunites Greenlaw with teammates and coaches who helped mold him into a productive starter during his initial stint with the franchise. San Francisco has not yet announced corresponding roster moves or detailed how Greenlaw will factor into the depth chart, but his return signals the club’s confidence that he can recapture the production that made him a fan favorite and defensive catalyst in years past.

Knoxville, Tenn. – Tennessee’s football program has built a reputation for speed under head coach Josh Heupel, and the Vols may have an unexpected candidate to add even more of it to the roster: Hendrix Hart. On Thursday the Sierra Canyon School senior signed a National Letter of Intent with the Volunteers’ track and field team, formalizing a commitment that began with a father-son visit to campus last fall. Hart, the 18-year-old son of comedian and actor Kevin Hart, posted lifetime bests of 10.68 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.35 in the 200 this season, numbers that placed him among California’s elite sprinters. He also clocked 34.38 in the 300-meter dash, second-fastest in the state and 86th nationally according to On3, after winning the Great Southwest Indoor Classic and earning silver at the 2025 CIF Southern Section Finals. Kevin Hart announced the signing on Instagram, telling his son, “The sky is limit!!!!! … We all love you champ …..” The elder Hart and Hendrix met Heupel in Knoxville before the Vols’ victory over East Tennessee State, sparking speculation that the conversation may have extended beyond the oval and onto the gridiron. Tennessee returns a deep wide-receiver room, but none of the current pass-catchers owns top-100 track credentials. At 5-9 and 165 pounds, Hart’s elite burst and breakaway speed could translate to slot or jet-motion duties if he chose to pursue a two-sport path. While Heupel has given no indication he will actively recruit Hart for football, the staff’s history of valuing track speed—combined with the program’s open willingness to explore every available athlete—makes the possibility worth monitoring. For now, Hart is slated to begin his collegiate career as a sprinter. Yet in a sport where one “yes” can change a season, the Vols have little to lose by asking the question. The worst anybody can say is no, and it would still make for a compelling storyline on Rocky Top. Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer for The Sporting News with more than two decades of experience covering the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup and WBC Boxing. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter, and a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio.

Chicago’s secondary makeover is on hold. Three days into the 2026 league year, the Bears have watched 2025 starting safety Kevin Byard walk to New England, where head coach Mike Vrable—his former Titans play-caller—helped seal the deal. The other half of last season’s starting tandem, Jaquan Brisker, remains unsigned, and the market is beginning to take notice. CBS Sports now lists Brisker as the tenth-best free agent still available, highlighting the 26-year-old’s durability after a 2025 campaign in which he suited up for all 19 games, including the Bears’ postseason run. The second-round pick from the 2022 draft posted 92 regular-season tackles, one interception, and eight pass break-ups for the NFC North champions, the first time in his career he has played a full 17-game schedule. While the production jump is encouraging, Brisker’s coverage metrics may be giving suitors pause: he surrendered a 75.0 percent completion rate and a 127.6 passer rating when targeted last season. Even so, evaluators believe his best football lies ahead, and a payday well above his rookie-scale earnings is expected once the market resets. For Chicago, the wait continues. The organization entered free agency prioritizing stability at safety; with Byard gone and Brisker still fielding calls, the position remains unresolved as the second wave of signings begins.

Philadelphia moved quickly to reinforce its edge on Tuesday, agreeing to terms with hometown product Arnold Ebiketie on a one-year deal that can reach $7.3 million, $4.3 million of which is guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The signing comes less than a month after the club watched Jaelan Phillips depart in free agency, leaving a void on the outside that the front office has been scouring the market to fill. Ebiketie, 27, brings a familiar résumé to the NovaCare Complex. The Cameroon-born defender began his college career at Temple before transferring to Penn State, parlaying a breakout senior season into the 38th overall selection of the 2022 draft by Atlanta. Across 67 career games—he has missed only one contest—Ebiketie has logged 16.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 41 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles. His seasonal high in sacks is six, a plateau he reached in both 2023 and 2024, though his production dipped to just two sacks last fall. While the numbers do not place Ebiketie in the elite tier the Eagles explored earlier this offseason—Trey Hendricksen spurned Philadelphia for Baltimore, and trade talks for Jonathan Greenard never materialized—the organization is betting that untapped upside remains. At 6-foot-2 with nearly 34-inch arms, Ebiketie offers the length defensive coordinator Vic Fangio covors, and his pre-draft profile highlighted active hands and a pressure rate that scouts believed would translate. Questions persist about his ability to hold the edge against the run, but the Eagles plan to deploy him as part of a rotational group that presently features 2025 standout Jalyx Hunt, 2024 first-rounder Nolan Smith and special-teams maven Jose Ramirez. Veteran Brandon Graham, who reiterated last month he does not intend to retire, could also rejoin the room, and the 2026 draft is viewed internally as another avenue to add youth. The structure of Ebiketie’s contract—short-term, mid-level guarantees—mirrors the prove-it deals Philadelphia has used successfully in recent seasons. If he can recapture the form that produced six sacks two years ago, the Eagles believe they have secured a complementary rusher without sacrificing long-term flexibility. If not, the front office has preserved both cap space and draft capital to address the position again next spring. For now, the Birds exit the first wave of free agency with a familiar face added to the edge and plenty of questions still to answer about a pass rush that finished middle of the pack a year ago. Whether Ebiketie becomes a bargain or merely depth will determine how aggressively Howie Roseman attacks the draft board in late April.

Rehobeth High School senior Gabriel Mendez made his college decision official Thursday night, inking a national-letter-of-intent to play football at Maryville College in Tennessee. Surrounded by family members, coaches and trainers in a celebratory signing ceremony, Mendez shared a light moment with his father before putting pen to paper, closing a recruitment process defined by persistence. Over the past two varsity seasons, the defensive standout often returned home from grueling practices with little energy left to spare. Yet instead of resting, Mendez devoted his evenings to compiling highlight clips and crafting introductory emails, determined to attract attention from college coaches. His efforts ultimately earned an invitation from the Scots, who compete in NCAA Division III. Mendez did not take up football until his sophomore year, but he quickly developed into a reliable contributor for the Rebels, using speed and instincts to make plays on the edge. Maryville’s coaching staff projects him as an outside linebacker who can also contribute on special teams. With the signing, Mendez becomes the latest Rehobeth athlete to advance to the collegiate level, providing a tangible example for underclassmen that late starts and limited exposure can be overcome through consistent work and proactive outreach.

After months on the shelf nursing an injury, Seth Rollins re-entered the WWE spotlight at Elimination Chamber, but the comeback was largely symbolic: the former world champion has not yet received medical clearance for in-ring competition. Speaking during a recent appearance on Good Morning America, Rollins confirmed that while he is out of action no longer, he remains barred from “real physicality” until doctors and WWE officials sign off on his return. The disclosure tempers expectations for an imminent comeback match and underscores the cautious approach being taken with one of the company’s headline stars. SEO keywords:

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks moved to secure a key locker-room presence and versatile contributor on Thursday, agreeing to terms with fullback and special teams captain Brady Russell on a two-year contract. The deal, announced by the club, keeps the 25-year-old in Seahawks blue through at least the 2025 season. Russell arrived in Seattle as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and quickly carved out a role on both offense and special teams, earning the trust of teammates and coaches alike. His promotion to special teams captain last season underscored his value beyond the stat sheet, as he consistently delivered critical blocks on return and coverage units while serving as a lead blocker in short-yardage situations. The two-year pact rewards Russell’s developmental arc and special-teams excellence, ensuring continuity in a phase of the game the Seahawks have long prioritized. Terms were not disclosed, but the agreement signals Seattle’s confidence in Russell’s ability to maintain his dual-role impact. Seattle now retains one of its core special-teams leaders as the franchise continues retooling its roster heading into the upcoming campaign.

MARSHALL — One year after watching Dawson-Boyd celebrate a section crown on their home floor, Hills-Beaver Creek turned the tables Tuesday night at Southwest Minnesota State University’s R/A Facility, punching the first state-tournament ticket in program history with a 77-70 victory over Central Minnesota Christian. “We knew if we could get back to this game, we were going to change that outcome,” Patriots head coach Chad Rauk said. “These guys just did an excellent job tonight.” The Patriots, now 26-3, leaned on the same physical edge that carried them to a nine-player state football title in the fall. They owned the glass, scored inside and out, and never trailed after the opening minutes. An EJ Wegener triple with 3:12 left in the first half stretched the margin to 35-20, and HBC took a 39-29 lead into the locker room. Central Minnesota Christian, 28-2 and seeking its first state berth since 2021, mounted repeated charges behind junior forward Asher Wieberdink’s game-high 30 points—21 after intermission. Caleb Asake’s alley-oop finish with 6:02 remaining trimmed the deficit to 60-56, but the Bluejays could get no closer. “Credit to them,” CMCS coach Ted Taatjes said. “Every time (Wieberdink) got a bucket, they came back down on the other end and got a back-door look or a curl-cut into the post. We just really struggled to guard inside tonight.” Jamin Metzger paced four Patriots in double figures with 21 points. Riggins Rheault, a defensive end on the football team, added 19, while Karson Metzger scored 15—nine in the second half—to keep CMCS at arm’s length. “We never gave up,” Rheault said. “This whole week, we practiced hard, we rested our legs and we gave it all we got today.” The win sends Hills-Beaver Creek into the Class A quarterfinals at Minneapolis’ Target Center on Thursday, March 26. Semifinals shift to Williams Arena on Friday, with the championship set for 11 a.m. Saturday, also at Williams Arena. CMCS, which loses seniors Logan Roelofs and Micah Asake, expects to return the bulk of its rotation after weathering late-season injuries to Micah Asake and Carter Taatjes. “It was a really difficult second half of the year,” Ted Taatjes said. “The kids stuck together … I feel terrible for Logan and Micah going out this way, but that’s basketball.” Hills-Beaver Creek, meanwhile, will take its football-style toughness to the biggest stage in Minnesota Class A basketball. “We’re the first ever to do it,” Rheault said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Racing Post Sport’s Football Bet of the Day returns with James Milton flagging up an even-money wager from Friday’s League Two card. After dissecting the coupon, Milton has settled on the low-scoring angle when Colchester United host Crawley Town at the JobServe Community Stadium. The fixture carries high stakes at both ends of the table. Danny Cowley’s Colchester enter the round four points outside the play-off places, while Crawley sit just one point above the relegation line, ensuring nerves will be frayed from the first whistle. Crawley arrive on the back of dramatics last weekend, salvaging a 2-2 draw against Swindon thanks to Kellan Gordon’s 98th-minute equaliser, yet bookmakers make the Red Devils odds-on to leave Essex empty-handed. Milton believes the tension will translate into a cagey encounter and recommends backing under 2.5 goals at even money with bet365. The numbers support the selection. Eight of Crawley’s last ten league matches have produced fewer than three goals, and Scott Lindsey’s side have mustered only one strike in their previous five away fixtures — the 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Barrow in January. During that sequence Crawley also ground out 0-0 draws at both Walsall and MK Dons, illustrating their willingness to shut up shop on the road. Colchester’s recent record points to a similar pattern. Since the turn of the year four of their five defeats have been by a solitary 1-0 margin, highlighting a struggle to turn possession into goals. Against a Crawley outfit fighting for EFL survival, Cowley’s men are unlikely to find the free-scoring rhythm required to blow the visitors away. With points at a premium and both managers prioritising defensive solidity, Friday’s contest looks ripe for a tight, attritional battle — and under 2.5 goals offers the standout bet at even money. Football Bet of the Day: Under 2.5 goals in Colchester v Crawley – even money with bet365

São Januário erupted on Thursday night as Vasco da Gama overturned Palmeiras to register their first win over the Verdão since 2015 and ignite their 2024 Brasileirão campaign. New head coach Renato Gaúcho marked his first match in charge with a dramatic second-half comeback that snapped a decade-long winless streak against the São Paulo giants. The opening 45 minutes offered more grit than guile, with midfield duels and fragmented possession defining a half in which neither goalkeeper was seriously extended. Against the run of subdued play, Palmeiras struck on 32 minutes when Flaco López collected a precise pass inside the area, stepped away from Lucas Piton’s challenge, and curled a classy finish beyond the keeper to give the visitors a deserved lead. Renato’s halftime message sparked immediate transformation. Vasco emerged with renewed intensity, pinning Palmeiras deep and funneling attacks through a vibrant Andrés Goméz. The equaliser arrived ten minutes after the restart: David’s astute pivot released Thiago Mendes, who raced clear and slotted past Carlos Miguel to level at 1-1. Momentum stayed firmly with the home side. Introduced at the interval, livewire substitute Cuiabano completed the turnaround on 68 minutes, smashing home the go-ahead goal after sustained Vasco pressure. Palmeiras, unbeaten in the tournament and fresh from weekend state-title celebrations, never recovered their earlier composure as Vasco saw out a historic 2-1 victory. The result lifts Vasco off the foot of the Brasileirão table while inflicting Palmeiras’ first league defeat of the season. For Renato Gaúcho, the comeback offered an emphatic answer to critics and a promise of better days ahead in Rio’s Colina Histórica.

FRISCO, Texas — Rashan Gary stepped to the podium at The Star on Tuesday carrying the weight of expectation but none of the illusion that he must become the next Micah Parsons. For the second straight spring, Jerry Jones swung a mid-round deal with Green Bay to restock his pass rush, this time acquiring the 2019 No. 12 overall pick for a 2027 fourth-round selection. The transaction arrives one year after the blockbuster that shipped Parsons to Wisconsin and brought defensive tackle Kenny Clark to Texas. Gary, 26, joins Clark once again and reunites with Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who held a quality-control role during Gary’s first two seasons in Green Bay. The raw résumé is respectable—46.5 sacks across seven seasons—but the narrative is complicated. Gary erupted for 7.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and seven tackles for loss in Green Bay’s opening seven games last fall, only to go sack-free over the final 10 contests, including the playoff loss to Chicago. Critics contend he never matched draft-night hype; Gary counters that impact is measured in more than box-score ink. “I don’t look at it as trading places,” Gary said, referencing Parsons. “I’m coming here to be me and be the impact that the Cowboys need.” The two edge rushers exchanged texts after the trade surfaced but have not spoken further, according to Gary. Dallas is betting that a change of scenery—and the presence of Clark drawing interior attention—can rekindle the disruption that once made Gary a top-15 selection. Parker’s familiarity with Gary’s habits offers another potential accelerant. “Football is football,” Gary said. “When you’re playing meaningful games, it really don’t come down to stats. It’s about how you affect offenses… I know just staying locked in and playing how I need to play, the plays are going to come my way.” Training camp will reveal whether Gary’s confidence translates to the on-field production the Cowboys desperately crave. For now, the franchise has a motivated pass rusher who is comfortable in his own skin—and clear that he isn’t trying to fill anyone else’s.

Charlotte, N.C. — Nine days after Luke Bogavac buried six threes and sank the late free throws that lifted No. 19 North Carolina past Clemson 67-63 in Chapel Hill, the rivals collide again Thursday night in the ACC quarterfinals with a ticket to the league’s final four on the line. The stakes are higher, the numbers are tighter, and the chess match will look familiar. The first meeting closed with the Tar Heels covering the 3.5-point spread by the slimmest of margins and the 141.5-point total never threatened in a 65-possession grinder. Sportsbooks opened the rematch at 140.5, a nod to Clemson’s snail-paced preference and UNC’s new half-court identity minus injured star Caleb Wilson, who was averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds when the teams met last week. Clemson enters on short rest after a 71-62 elimination of Wake Forest on Wednesday night, a game that featured 12 Demon Deacon turnovers, five Tiger blocks, and long stretches of set-play basketball. The victory came at a cost: second-leading scorer Carter Welling exited with a right-knee injury, leaving Brad Brownell’s club thinner on the wing. Even so, the Tigers’ defensive metrics keep climbing. KenPom now slots Clemson at No. 19 nationally in defensive efficiency, second in the ACC only to Duke in points allowed per game. Bart Torvik’s database lists the Tigers at No. 347 out of 365 Division I teams in adjusted tempo, a pace that frustrated Wake Forest and, more importantly, has flustered North Carolina when the Tar Heels are forced to walk the ball up. Hubert Davis’s group prefers to run and space the floor, but without Wilson’s interior gravity they have relied on perimeter creation. Reserve guard Bogavac answered the call in the regular-season finale, pouring in a career-best 20 points and hitting the decisive foul shots. On the opposite bench, RJ Godfrey responded with a season-high 22, doubling his season average yet unable to offset Bogavac’s late-game heroics. North Carolina had four days to prepare after falling 76-61 to top-ranked Duke in its regular-season finale, while Clemson will take the floor barely 20 hours after the final horn against Wake Forest. The Tar Heels do not force many turnovers—UNC ranks near the bottom of the ACC in defensive turnover rate—so expect Clemson to comfortably advance the ball and drain the shot clock once again. The betting market has barely budged off 140.5, signaling respect for Clemson’s ability to dictate tempo and for UNC’s recent half-court recalibration. With Welling’s status uncertain and both teams incentivized to value every possession in a win-or-go-home setting, another low-possession, late-clock battle appears likely. Prediction: Clemson keeps this one inside the number and the total stays Under 140.5 as the Tigers force the Tar Heels into another uncomfortable, grind-it-out night. Best bet: Under 140.5

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills struck quickly on the third day of free agency, locking up Pro Bowl edge rusher Bradley Chubb for three years and $43.5 million, but general manager Brandon Beane still has a lengthy shopping list before training camp opens. With several marquee names already off the board, the front office is pivoting to a second wave of veterans who can fill specific roles without crushing a tight salary cap. Here are five realistic targets who could help the Bills patch the remaining holes on the 2026 roster. 1. Jaquan Brisker, S Buffalo needs a running mate for second-year standout Cole Bishop, and Brisker’s downhill style meshes with new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s multiple-front scheme. The 25-year-old started every game last season, recording career highs in tackles-for-loss and quarterback pressures. While his coverage numbers (101.3 passer rating allowed) are pedestrian, Leonhard has a history of masking single-high liabilities with creative blitz packages—something Brisker excelled at in Chicago. Expect a prove-it deal in the $5–6 million range. 2. Shaq Thompson, LB Reunions rarely make this much sense. Thompson, 32, signed a veteran-minimum contract last August and promptly outplayed starter Terrel Bernard in key series, logging 56 tackles, a sack, and a momentum-swinging interception of Trevor Lawrence. PFF graded his coverage at 72.2, the highest mark among all Buffalo linebackers. A second one-year pact keeps continuity in the second level without jeopardizing the compensatory-pick formula. 3. D.J. Reader, NT The Bills surrendered 4.9 yards per carry between the tackles a year ago—dead last in the AFC. Reader, once the league’s premier two-gap nose, saw his snap count dip in Detroit but still generated 20 total pressures and held opposing rushers to 1.8 yards after contact, per PFF. At 345 pounds, he immediately upgrades the 1-technique spot and frees up three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ed Oliver to rush from wider alignments. A two-year, $12 million offer could get it done before the market dries up. 4. Christian Kirk, WR Depth behind Stefon Diggs and Khalil Shakir is perilously thin. Kirk, who posted 57 catches for 787 yards as recently as 2023, missed four games last season with a high-ankle sprain but flashed chemistry with Josh Allen during offseason workouts in California. Slot experience, plus the ability to motion into bunch sets, gives offensive coordinator Joe Brady the flexibility he lacked in January’s playoff loss. A modest $3 million base with incentives keeps the cap sheet clean. 5. Haason Reddick, Edge Chubb and Greg Rousseff headline the pass-rush room, but Buffalo rotated eight different edge players last season. Reddick, who tallied 34 pressures in 13 games after returning from a knee scope, would slide into the “rush” linebacker role on third down. His 2.5 sacks were down, yet the burst that produced 39.5 sacks from 2020-24 still shows up on tape. A incentive-laden $2.5 million contract limits risk while preserving upside if the 30-year-old regains pre-injury form. Bottom line: Beane has already checked the biggest box by landing Chubb. Now the Bills must mine the bargain bin for starters and situational pieces who can elevate the roster from playoff qualifier to legitimate Super Bowl contender. The five names above fit the scheme, the budget, and the timeline.

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee is preparing to cut short his Old Trafford stay after just two seasons, with Italian clubs already circling, according to Samuel Luckhurst. The 24-year-old Dutchman, who has made only four appearances under interim boss Michael Carrick, is said to be “eyeing a summer exit” in search of regular first-team football. Zirkzee arrived from Bologna in July 2024 for £36.5 million but has struggled to impose himself in England, registering two goals and one assist in 18 Premier League outings this term. The lack of European fixtures and early cup exits have further limited his opportunities, while the pre-season arrival of centre-forward Benjamin Sesko pushed him further down the pecking order. A graduate of Bayern Munich’s academy, Zirkzee previously spent two productive years at Bologna and had a brief loan spell at Parma, making Serie A a familiar and appealing destination. Luckhurst reports that “plenty of interest” has already been expressed by Italian clubs, offering the striker a clear route to reignite a career that has stalled in Manchester. With INEOS set to oversee a major attacking overhaul, Zirkzee is expected to be among a group of forwards heading for the exit, alongside loanees Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and the soon-to-be-out-of-contract Jadon Sancho. United have yet to set an asking price for the Netherlands international, but a cut-price deal could suit all parties as the club reshape their squad ahead of next season.

Paris – While Chelsea’s squad went through their final preparations for Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, Kai Havertz delivered another pointed reminder of how he views his former employers. For the third time since leaving Stamford Bridge, the 26-year-old found the net against the Blues, and for the third time his reaction was anything but muted. The etiquette of goal celebrations against a former club is well established: a sheepish shrug, a gesture urging team-mates to dial down the joy, perhaps even a conciliatory wave to the away end. Havertz ignored the script. Each strike has been accompanied by the kind of exuberance usually reserved for a last-minute winner in a cup final, and each has stung the Chelsea support that once questioned whether he merited either his record fee or his weekly wage. Critics argue the German is simply ultra-competitive, immune to sentiment. Yet that narrative fractured at the BayArena last month. There, in front of the club where he spent a decade progressing from academy hopeful to senior star, Havertz converted an 89th-minute penalty that could yet prove decisive in the Bundesliga race. The stadium erupted; Havertz barely managed a smile. Leverkusen officials had presented him with a framed photograph of his breakthrough years before kick-off, underlining the enduring bond between player and boyhood club. The contrast with his animated displays against Chelsea could hardly be starker. Sources close to the forward suggest the constant churn of managers, teammates and boardroom strategy at the Bridge eroded any emotional attachment. The terrace chant that labelled him “sixty million down the drain” merely confirmed what social-media timelines had long implied: appreciation, at least from sections of the fanbase, was in short supply. Havertz, it appears, has taken those perceptions to heart. Wednesday’s flash-point in Paris, therefore, felt less like an isolated incident and more like the continuation of a storyline authored by mutual disillusionment. Chelsea arrived in France seeking a result that would steady their European campaign; they left with fresh evidence that one of their 2021 Champions League heroes no longer regards them with fondness. The message from Havertz was unmistakable, delivered without a single post-match quote: actions, indeed, speak louder than words.

Los Angeles opened the 2026 league year with one of the healthier salary-cap situations in the NFL, and the first wave of free agency has already revealed how the club intends to deploy that flexibility. Rather than chase headline-grabbing contracts on the perimeter, General Manager Joe Hortiz funneled early resources into the ground game while simultaneously locking up core defenders and special-teamers. Hortiz, operating with a measured, value-centric mindset, avoided inflated price tags as he restocked the roster. The emphasis on a conservative spending philosophy allowed the Chargers to address multiple needs without sacrificing future flexibility, a balance that has eluded the franchise during past windows. Although the organization has yet to outline specific names or contract figures, the early commitment to fortify the rushing attack signals a strategic pivot. By reinforcing the backfield and the blocking unit that supports it, Los Angeles appears intent on complementing its passing weapons with a more balanced, clock-controlling offense. On the other side of the ball, the front office retained several key contributors, ensuring continuity within the defensive rotation and coverage teams. Those re-signings, coupled with the backfield reinforcements, give the Chargers a stable foundation as the market’s top-tier talent continues to shift. With marquee deals still to come across the league, Hortiz’s patient approach leaves the club well-positioned to pounce should an unexpected bargain emerge. For now, the message out of Costa Mesa is clear: the Chargers believe a rejuvenated running game is the fastest route back to postseason relevance.

CINCINNATI — Three days into the negotiating window, the Bengals have taken only partial strides toward repairing a defense that finished 2024 with glaring vacancies. While contracts have been agreed to with safety Bryan Cook and edge defender Boye Mafe, the front office still faces urgent questions at defensive tackle, linebacker and the edge opposite Mafe. With the market thinning, Cincinnati’s decision-makers must be both selective and aggressive on the fourth day of free agency. Here are the names most directly tied to the club’s remaining needs: Arnold Ebiketie, Edge Even after securing Mafe, the Bengals are short on proven pass rushers following the expected departures of Joseph Ossai and Trey Hendrickson. Ebiketie, entering his fourth season, offers a cost-effective option who can raise the floor of the defensive end room without commanding top-tier money. David Njoku, Tight End A luxury addition rather than a necessity, Njoku would give Joe Burrow a 6-4, 246-pound red-zone weapon who has averaged a touchdown every 7.5 catches over the past two seasons. His inline blocking would also help offset the loss of ancillary tight ends in heavy formations. D.J. Reader, Defensive Tackle A familiar face after four seasons in Cincinnati, Reader would slide immediately into the nose spot alongside T.J. Slaton, forming a stout run-stopping duo. Coaching staff believe B.J. Hill could see more one-on-one pass-rush opportunities if Reader commands consistent double-teams. Jadeveon Clowney, Edge Clowney quietly posted an 79.2 PFF grade in 2025, registering 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss for Dallas. His combination of power versus the run and refined rush moves would complement the younger pieces already on the roster. Joey Bosa, Edge Health remains the asterisk, but when available Bosa is still elite: 88.9 pass-rush grade, 16 quarterback hits and five sacks in 11 games last season. A friendship with Burrow dating to their Ohio State days only adds to the mutual interest. Other veterans with Bengals buzz include linebackers Lavonte David and Dre Greenlaw, versatile edge Haason Reddick, and interior help in Calais Campbell. Cincinnati owns roughly mid-level cap space and two early draft picks, but the quickest route to competency may come through one more targeted strike in free agency before the weekend ends.

Baltimore wasted no time solidifying its quarterback hierarchy, announcing the release of Cooper Rush one year after signing the veteran to a two-year deal. The move, first reported by NFL insider Tom Pelissero, comes on the heels of Tyler Huntley’s freshly-inked two-year contract, a reward for outperforming Rush during the 2025 campaign. Rush arrived last offseason billed as Lamar Jackson’s primary insurance policy, but the fit never materialized. He completed 65.4 percent of his passes for just 303 yards and four interceptions across four appearances, losing both of his spot starts. His second outing was so ineffective that Huntley replaced him mid-game and never relinquished the No. 2 job, guiding Baltimore to victories in both of his starts. The decision to part ways with Rush is widely viewed inside the building as addition by subtraction. Front-office personnel questioned the initial signing, citing a schematic mismatch with the Ravens’ run-centric attack, and those concerns played out in real time for fans. With Huntley now entrenched behind Jackson, Baltimore turns its attention to restocking the depth chart. The Ravens must identify a third quarterback, either through veteran free agency or the 2026 draft. Historically, the franchise has preferred late-round developmental passers, a strategy that paid off when it selected Jackson in the first round of the 2018 draft. Baltimore is expected to explore Day 3 options this spring, targeting a signal-caller who can spend multiple seasons learning behind the established tandem of Jackson and Huntley. Rush leaves Baltimore after a forgettable tenure that rarely generated buzz among supporters. Free to seek a fresh start elsewhere, he exits as Huntley’s decisive promotion becomes official, ensuring the Ravens’ quarterback room is aligned for the upcoming season.

A leading pundit still expects Burnley to avoid last place despite Wolves’ recent upturn in form. The observation sets up a direct comparison between the two clubs as the battle to stay off the foot of the table intensifies. With both sides under scrutiny, the pundit’s stance underlines a belief that Burnley possess the necessary resilience to finish above the bottom spot, even as Wolves gather momentum.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens have pivoted at the edge-rusher position, abandoning a potential trade for Las Vegas Raiders standout Maxx Crosby and instead reaching agreement with Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson, the team confirmed Tuesday. The swift change of direction—summed up succinctly by a club source as “Maxx Crosby out, Trey Hendrickson in”—gives Baltimore the pass-rushing boost it sought after weeks of exploring options on the trade market. Terms of Hendrickson’s deal were not disclosed, but the move signals the Ravens’ confidence in the 29-year-old’s ability to anchor their defensive front. Hendrickson, who spent the past three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, has established himself as one of the league’s most consistent quarterback disruptors. His arrival addresses a critical need for a Ravens defense that has prioritized pressure packages this offseason. Team officials declined to elaborate on why negotiations for Crosby stalled, citing only a “shift in focus” once Hendrickson became available. The decision ends weeks of speculation linking Baltimore to the Raiders’ two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher and sets the stage for Hendrickson to make his Ravens debut in the upcoming campaign. Baltimore now turns its attention to integrating Hendrickson into a defensive unit that expects to compete for the AFC North crown.

MADISON, Wis. — While the Wisconsin Badgers continue to piece together their 2027 recruiting board, the staff has already turned attention to the next cycle, extending scholarship offers to a pair of rising sophomores in the class of 2028. On Tuesday the program offered Pennsylvania offensive lineman Nick Anderson and Indiana safety Drake Coellner. Anderson, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound tackle from Kiski Area High School in Vandergrift, is rated the top offensive lineman in the state. Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos has taken the lead in recruiting Anderson, who currently holds four Division I offers. Wisconsin faces stiffer competition for Coellner. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound safety is the No. 1 prospect at his position in Indiana and has already collected 13 offers, including ones from Oregon, Ole Miss, Michigan and a scheduled visit to Ohio State. Coellner’s verified top-end speed of more than 20 mph has made him a priority target for programs across the country. The Badgers are also hosting in-state 2028 tight end Jake Mau on an unofficial visit to campus April 11. Landing the Wisconsin native would give the program an early in-state victory in a cycle that is just beginning to take shape. Wisconsin secured a commitment from in-state safety Dustin Roach in the 2027 class, but staffers have made clear that adding another high-level safety remains a long-term priority.

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — Rory McIlroy stepped onto the TPC Sawgrass range Wednesday afternoon sporting a cautious back-stretch between swings, but his optimism about the PGA Tour’s future required no such guard. One day after CEO Brian Rolapp publicly outlined a sweeping six-point modernization plan, McIlroy confirmed he had already received an hour-long preview and pronounced the proposals “pretty positive.” The four-time major winner, who withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational with back spasms, arrived at the Stadium Course shortly after Rolapp concluded his state-of-the-Tour address. In that address, Rolapp floated expanding the top tier from eight signature events to as many as 20, mandating 120-player fields with cuts, staging an annual West-Coast marquee finish in East-Coast prime time, planting tournaments in major U.S. media markets, introducing promotion/relegation between two competitive tracks, and re-imagining the post-season with potential match-play elements. McIlroy, long considered the Tour’s most influential voice, revealed he and Rolapp spoke by phone Monday night. “He just sort of took me through everything that he was going to say to you guys today,” McIlroy said. “I think he’s got into this job and realized how difficult it is to turn this big ship around … but, yeah, I think what he said today was — it’s obviously a really good direction of where the TOUR should be going.” The remarks carry extra weight with The Players Championship days away and the Tour desperate for star power. McIlroy hopes medical clearance allows him to tee it up Thursday; officials hope his endorsement helps sell a dramatic structural overhaul to a still-fractured membership. Whether the Northern Irishman’s support translates into rapid buy-in from rank-and-file players remains uncertain, but McIlroy’s early blessing gives Rolapp valuable momentum as negotiations accelerate. For now, the face of the PGA Tour has signaled he likes the map — the only question is how deftly the circuit can navigate the course ahead.

Jamie Erdahl, one of the lead hosts of NFL Network’s flagship morning show Good Morning Football, has publicly addressed her recent absence from the program, telling fans she has been coping with what she described as an “extremely personal and tragic health situation” affecting an immediate family member. The 37-year-old broadcaster posted the update on social media Wednesday after viewers began asking why she had not appeared on the show for several weeks. “Since curiosity is mounting I’ll share what I feel comfortable with,” Erdahl wrote, explaining that the private medical emergency required her full attention at home. Erdahl expressed gratitude to NFL Network executives for granting her the flexibility to step away during the crisis. “I want to thank my leaders at the NFL for allowing me this time at home,” she said, adding that she expects to be back on set Monday, March 16. The timing of Erdahl’s hiatus coincides with a period of transition at NFL Network. Starting April 1, the network’s on-air staff will be absorbed into ESPN and parent company The Walt Disney Company as part of a broader media-rights realignment. Under the reported structure, ESPN will honor existing contracts before negotiating new deals once they expire. Erdahl joined Good Morning Football in 2022, succeeding Kay Adams after the show relocated from New York to Los Angeles. She co-hosts alongside Kyle Brandt and Manti Te’o, with reporter Sherree Burruss frequently contributing and occasionally filling in as host. Prior to her move to NFL Network, Erdahl spent eight years at CBS Sports, first joining the network in 2014 as a host and sideline reporter. The veteran host has faced additional personal hardship in recent months. In February she announced the death of her dog, Toby, who had been battling bone cancer.

Kinshasa—Seventeen thousand kilometres of African roads, a half-century of waiting, and now ninety minutes that could change everything. The Democratic Republic of Congo stands one match from a first World Cup appearance since 1974, yet the equation is stark: score, or stay home. Inside the camp the mood is focused, but the numbers are unforgiving—five games since the last Africa Cup of Nations, five goals, only one against a side ranked in the continent’s top ten. The attacking stall is no longer a subplot; it is the story. Against Senegal in Morocco the forward line mustered a single shot on target. Algeria, the eventual quarter-finalists, pressed high and watched DR Congo’s front three fade into peripheral shadows. Even versus Benin, a mid-table squad on paper, the Leopards needed a set-piece to break the deadlock. The 3-0 consolation against Botswana offered little comfort: all three finishes came after the Southern Africans had dropped into a low block rarely seen among elite qualifiers. Form has mirrored function. Théo Bongonda has logged 74 minutes of club football since February; Meshack Elia’s burst has been blunted by a nagging thigh complaint; Fiston Mayele ended a four-month scoreless run only last weekend with Pyramids. Simon Banza is trending upward, yet staff inside the delegation concede he remains “a fortnight short of full throttle.” Cédric Bakambu’s two goals in four Betis outings make him the only striker arriving with wind in his sails, a lopsided reliance that keeps the analytics staff awake. Still, the ledger is not all red. Across the same span DR Congo have conceded once in open play, a testament to a back line marshalled with military spacing and a midfield that regains shape within eight seconds of every turnover. The tactical skeleton is intact; it is the attacking cartilage that needs grafting. Enter Yoane Wissa and Gaël Diangana. Neither arrives as a saviour, yet both inject variables an opponent cannot scout from archived footage. Wissa’s vertical thrust between the lines and Diangana’s willingness to drive inside from wide zones offer the dualism the side has lacked. Their re-integration, staff insist, is less about 90-minute exposure and more about situational deployment: the final twenty when legs tire and spaces yawn. The training ground has become a laboratory of micro-adjustments. One drill rehearsed obsessively this week ends with a clipped diagonal to the back post where the late-arriving full-back meets a cushioned header from the nine. Another pattern demands the ten receive on the half-turn, draw the centre-back, and slip an inside pass for the eight breaking the lines. Repetition breeds muscle memory; the hope is that one such sequence lands the decisive blow. Psychological staff have trimmed external noise to a whisper. Players’ phones are surrendered after dinner; a single television in the team hotel is tuned only to nature documentaries. The message, hammered home in every unit meeting: convert the first half-chance and the weight of fifty years tilts toward the opposite net. History, however, offers caution. In 1997 a goalless draw in Conakry sent Congo out on away goals. In 2013 a late lapse against Libya proved equally fatal. Those ghosts linger, yet the current generation insists the narrative can pivot on a single swing of a boot. Kick-off approaches, and with it the realisation that tactical balance sheets mean little if the ball does not ripple the net. The instructions are clipped and clear: press in the first passage, own the second ball, and when the opening appears, finish like a nation’s dream depends on it—because, for the first time in five decades, it does.

Reece James has publicly rallied behind Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen after the Dane’s costly error contributed to a 5-2 first-leg Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. With the tie delicately poised at 2-2 midway through the second half, Jorgensen misjudged a routine pass out from the back, allowing PSG to pounce for a 3-2 lead that triggered a late collapse. The concession leaves Chelsea needing to score at least three unanswered goals in next Tuesday’s Stamford Bridge return to keep their European hopes alive. Manager Liam Rosenior opted to retain Jorgensen ahead of Robert Sanchez, a decision that backfired in spectacular fashion but one the Chelsea captain insists the squad accepts. “This is football, this is the way we want to play,” James told TNT Sports, as quoted by The Standard. “If you play out from the back, mistakes are going to happen. Everyone in the team understands that. That is how the manager wants us to play. We are fully behind Filip.” Rosenior defended his selection after the final whistle and accepted responsibility for the damaging loss, yet the scale of the defeat intensifies scrutiny over both the goalkeeper position and Chelsea’s ability to manage high-stakes matches. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher argued the club “won’t make any progress until they address the goalkeeper issue,” a verdict that will resonate with supporters already anxious about defensive frailties. Attention now turns to Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Newcastle, a fixture Chelsea must navigate before plotting what would be a remarkable European turnaround against PSG in four days’ time.

Flag football quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette III is about to trade his usual weekend opponents for household names. In the upcoming exhibition, Doucette will operate under center while Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett converge on the pocket, and Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey locks down one of his primary targets. The assignment marks a rare collision between the flag circuit’s most recognizable signal-caller and a trio of perennial Pro Bowl defenders, forcing Doucette to condense his progression clock and test his mobility against elite closing speed. With Miller’s strip-sack pedigree, Garrett’s 4.4-second 40-yard dash, and Ramsey’s shadow coverage, every snap figures to be a crash course in high-stakes decision-making for the quarterback who has built a reputation carving up recreational secondaries.

Kirkcaldy-born striker Kieron Bowie is fast becoming the next Scot to make an impression in Serie A, and at 23 he is already adding goals to his growing reputation. After cutting his teeth on loan at Northampton Town and then firing 14 Scottish Premiership goals for Hibernian, Bowie accepted Hellas Verona’s January invitation to join an expanding Scottish enclave in Italy that already includes Scott McTominay, Che Adams, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson and Josh Doig. Verona’s director of football Sean Sogliano moved quickly to secure the 6ft 2in centre-forward, and Bowie wasted little time justifying the outlay, curling in a left-footed winner against Bologna in March to open his top-flight account and get one over on compatriot Ferguson. Bowie is listed primarily as a centre-forward but offers more than line-leading presence. He enjoys drifting into pockets between the lines, where his creative passing in the final third allows runners to break beyond him. Out of possession he sets the tone, leading the press with a work-rate coaches crave and regularly forcing turnovers high up the pitch. Comfortable shooting from distance, the left-footer is unafraid to try his luck from outside the box, a trait that sits well in a league that prizes technique and patience. His sturdy frame makes him hard to knock off the ball, drawing frequent fouls that can be weaponised at set pieces. Yet for all the raw tools, Bowie’s next step is refinement: converting promise into consistent end-product. Aerially he remains a work in progress, and while he wins plenty of free-kicks he also concedes them, hinting that a dash of Serie A savvy—what locals call furbizia—could turn honest graft into outright nuisance. With a World Cup cycle on the horizon, Scotland boss Steve Clarke will monitor whether Bowie can tighten his finishing and stay put long enough to turn flashes into a reliable goal return. If he does, the boy who began at Stark’s Park may yet become the focal point of both Verona’s attack and his country’s forward line.

Farmington High School senior Corben Phillips has signed a national letter of intent to continue both his academic and athletic careers at Missouri Baptist University in Creve Coeur, officially joining the Spartans’ track and field program for the 2024-25 season. Phillips arrives on the MBU campus after a decorated prep campaign that included a runner-up finish in the javelin throw at last spring’s MAAA Conference meet. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound multi-sport athlete also played a pivotal role on the Farmington football team, starting at tight end during the squad’s district-championship run in November. Surrounded by family members and coaches at a recent signing-day ceremony, Phillips was flanked by his grandmother Vicki Phillips, mother Cassie Reever, father Charlie Reever and younger sister Sarah Reever. Standing behind the table were his grandfather Dennis Rogers, grandmother Michelle Rogers, Farmington track and field coaches Mandy Whitener, Jordan Stone and Brandon McIntyre, and Missouri Baptist head track and field coach Proleine Williams, who traveled to Farmington to personally welcome Phillips to the program. Missouri Baptist, an NAIA member that competes in the American Midwest Conference, has steadily built its throws corps under Williams’ direction, and Phillips’ conference-tested arm is expected to add immediate depth to the Spartans’ javelin unit next spring.

Harry Redknapp’s journey from sticking a pen in a couple of horses as a schoolboy to standing on the precipice of jump racing’s greatest prize will reach its crescendo on Friday when Jukebox Man lines up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. For the 79-year-old former Portsmouth FA Cup-winning manager, the race represents the culmination of a 70-year love affair that began in the shadow of London’s East End betting rings run by his grandmother, Maggie Brown. “Just to have a runner in the Gold Cup is a dream come true,” Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live, reflecting on a path that started when his nan—an illegal bookmaker’s runner—was hauled into a police van while he collected his school dinner money. “She’d tell me to stick a pen in a couple, and those would be her bets for the day.” That childhood ritual has evolved into ownership of one of the season’s standout chasers. Jukebox Man’s dramatic photo-finish victory in December’s King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, dethroning 2024 hero Banbridge and joint-favourite Gaelic Warrior, propelled the 10-year-old into the elite bracket. Redknapp instantly likened the triumph to “coming into the Champions League today.” Now he hopes to complete the set in jump racing’s equivalent of Europe’s premier club final. The Cheltenham Gold Cup, described by the Jockey Club as the most prestigious steeplechase in the world, pits Jukebox Man against a stellar field including Gaelic Warrior, French raider Jango Baie, Haiti Couleur, and last year’s champion Inothewayurthinkin. “We have a chance, but it is a tough race,” Redknapp conceded. Victory would crown an improbable second career for a man who has never been tempted to ride over fences himself. “Not for all the money in the world,” he laughed, citing the bravery of jump jockeys who return from injury within weeks. “For every Shakem Up’arry and Jukebox Man and Taurus Bay, there’s lots of others that never really did anything.” Away from the Gloucestershire gallops, speculation swirls that Redknapp could re-enter football’s furnace if Tottenham Hotspur dispense with interim boss Igor Tudor after four straight defeats, including Tuesday’s 5-2 Champions League loss to Atlético Madrid. Spurs sit one point above the Premier League relegation zone, yet Redknapp—who guided the club into Europe’s top competition for the first time between 2008 and 2012—dismissed the chatter. “I don’t expect to get a call. My focus this week is on Cheltenham. No-one’s got a magic wand.” For now, every ounce of that focus is fixed on the Cotswolds turf where Jukebox Man will attempt to turn a boyhood punt into lifelong glory. Should the dream become reality, Redknapp’s nan might have finally collected on the longest-odds wager of them all.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa — The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners has opened a formal investigation into former Beckman Catholic High School head football coach Cole S. Mather after determining in January that probable cause exists to believe he violated the state’s Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. According to the board’s public licensure portal, the alleged breach centers on “an otherwise inappropriate relationship with a student.” No criminal charges have been filed, online court records show, and Mather, reached Wednesday by the Telegraph Herald, declined to comment. Mather joined Beckman in 2023 as head football coach and also served as a physical education teacher and strength-and-conditioning instructor. A university announcement at the time of his hiring noted he holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education teaching from the University of Northern Iowa and a master’s in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University. Beckman Principal Marcel Kielkucki said Wednesday he could not confirm Mather’s current employment status, citing personnel confidentiality. “All I can share at this point is that it’s a personnel matter and that I’m not able to discuss it,” Kielkucki told the Telegraph Herald. While the state investigation proceeds, Beckman has moved to fill the vacancy atop its football program. The school announced this week that longtime assistant Ryan Meissner will take over as head coach this fall. Meissner has spent the past 21 seasons on the Blazers’ sideline, including 16 as defensive coordinator, and has also coached track and field, softball, basketball and baseball at the school. “We look forward to Coach Meissner’s leadership of our program and his ability to build on the recent success of the Blazer football program,” Activities Director Ryan Devereux said in a statement. “Coach Meissner has been a dedicated member of our program and staff for a number of years and will work to achieve our mission of spiritual, academic and personal excellence both in the classroom and on the field with our student-athletes.” Meissner called the promotion “an honor” and emphasized a philosophy rooted in faith, leadership and family. “I hope to guide these young men while they continue growing in their faith, give them a sense of leadership, teach them about coming together as a family and overcoming challenging obstacles, all while having some fun playing the game of football,” he wrote. Officials with the Iowa Department of Education referred additional questions to the board’s online licensure page and offered no further comment.

The National Football League is weighing the addition of a primetime contest on the night before Thanksgiving, a move that would create a new holiday-week broadcast window and extend the league’s traditional tripleheader into a four-game showcase. According to an initial report by ESPN, the prospective Thanksgiving Eve game could be inserted as soon as the current season’s schedule, pending final logistical approval. For decades the NFL has reserved Thanksgiving Day for a trio of games, but the prospective Wednesday-night matchup would mark the first time the league has staged regular-season play on the eve of the holiday. Executives see the slot as an untapped opportunity to capture viewers gathering for the long weekend, and discussions center on how quickly the extra game can be integrated without disrupting competitive balance or travel schedules.

Las Vegas—One day after a proposed deal that would have sent star edge rusher Maxx Crosby to Baltimore collapsed, the defensive standout publicly reaffirmed his allegiance to the Las Vegas Raiders. Crosby’s declaration ends 24 hours of speculation that began when negotiations between the Raiders and Ravens reached an advanced stage. The trade, which was ultimately called off, would have shifted one of the league’s most productive pass rushers to the AFC North. Instead, Crosby has chosen to state his intention to remain in silver and black, offering the franchise and its fans clarity at a pivotal point in the offseason. The abrupt end of talks leaves the Raiders with their premier defensive weapon still on the roster and the Ravens searching elsewhere for reinforcements on the edge. Crosby’s commitment provides stability for a Las Vegas defense that has relied heavily on his ability to disrupt opposing backfields. With organized team activities on the horizon, the Raiders now move forward knowing their defensive cornerstone remains in place, while Baltimore must regroup and explore alternate avenues to bolster its pass rush.

Bakersfield High School is in the market for a new head football coach following the confirmation this week that Rashaan Shehee has vacated the position he has held since 2021. The announcement leaves the Drillers program without the leader who guided them through the past three seasons and sets the stage for a fresh direction heading into the next campaign. School officials have not yet released a timeline for the hiring process or indicated whether an interim coach will be appointed to oversee off-season workouts.

PITTSBURGH — When Mike McCarthy guided the Green Bay Packers to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, he did so with Aaron Rodgers at the height of his powers and a balanced receiving corps in which four different pass-catchers recorded at least 500 yards through the air. None of those wideouts were destined for Canton, yet the collective production proved more than enough to secure a championship. That historical snapshot raises an immediate question for the current Steelers regime: could the acquisition of Michael Pittman Jr. provide Pittsburgh with a similar brand of diversified firepower? While the provided excerpt offers no direct statistics or quotes on Pittman’s projected role, the Super-Bowl-winning template cited—four 500-yard receivers, no singular superstar—suggests the franchise may be prioritizing depth and reliability across the depth chart rather than banking on one headline-grabbing talent. Pittman, known for his size and contested-catch ability, theoretically gives offensive coordinator Arthur Smith a possession-oriented complement to the existing wide-receiver room. If the Steelers can coax 500-plus yards out of Pittman and a handful of teammates, they would inch closer to the balanced distribution that proved so problematic for them in that February 2011 loss to McCarthy’s Packers. Whether Pittsburgh’s current quarterback situation can replicate Rodgers’ elite efficiency is a separate debate, but the front office has at least signaled that surrounding the position with a varied cast of capable targets is a viable path forward. How quickly Pittman assimilates into the offense, and how his presence re-shapes target share, will determine whether the Steelers can finally replicate the multi-receiver formula that once buried them on the NFL’s biggest stage.