OXNARD, Calif — New Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant knows what a winning culture looks like.

Durant, who spent the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, nearly helped his old team play in their third Super Bowl over the course of a decade this past year. Now, the fifth-year pro is being tasked with helping turn around a Cowboys’ defense that was statistically the worst in football last season — and he’s already making an impact in trying to turn things around.

During an intense, fully padded practice on Sunday, Durant and other Cowboys defensive players celebrated every pass deflection and forced turnover by rushing the field before aggressively trash-talking in the faces of Dallas stars Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. 

“Every day we come out here, we want to compete at a high level and do your one-eleventh,” Durant told me. “And it’s on display every day we come out here. High energy, everybody doing their part and bringing what we do in the classroom and make it come to life on the field.”

While Durant has brought an energy to the Cowboys’ defense so far in training camp, he’s not the key person who joined Dallas this offseason to revitalize that unit. Defensive whiz and new coordinator Christian Parker has been the heart of the reenergized unit. Parker was hired by the Cowboys to run their defense after serving as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive backs coach over the last couple of seasons, working under Vic Fangio in Philadelphia and Denver. 

Christian Parker joined the Cowboys to beocme their defensive coordinator this offseason after a stint with the Eagles. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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And what has helped Parker form such a quick connection with his unit (which features eight new starters) is his age. The 34-year-old has brought a culture shift, wearing a pair of Jordan 11s, navy blue sweats and a cut-off hoodie with white sleeves while calling plays on a radio along the sideline during practice. 

“That’s dead,” Parker screamed, high-fiving coaches and players nearby as his defense stuffed a red-zone run. 

Durant said not only is Parker detailed, but his youthful energy is infectious. 

“He’s a real players’ coach who’s willing to listen and see what our thoughts are,” Durant, who is only five years younger than Parker, told me. “And also helping us as defensive vets and as a unit. It’s good to have a coach pour into you and allow you to just be you when you’re on the grass.”

“He’s very direct. He knows what he wants out of his guys, and he does a really good job of teaching and communicating,” edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku added about Parker, who is also the youngest defensive coordinator in Cowboys history. “But he’s a cool guy at the same time. He’s very chill, very relatable. He’s got some swag to him.” 

Cornerback Cobie Durant had three interceptions with the Rams in 2025 before signing with the Cowboys in March. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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And as the Cowboys’ defense has been fired up and ready to fight back at the offense, Lamb has taken notice. 

“It’s fire, man,” Lamb said. “I embrace it. I love it. It’s good to see your defense come out with that type of energy, that type of fire, that type of aggression early on. And for our offense, they leave us no choice to either bow down or fight back and to get back on top.

“And I know one thing about us: We won’t bow down to anybody.” 

However, Parker had some bumps in his early days at training camp. Parker said he’s not a fan of the flood of access available to fans and media at training camp practices, which includes live streams and videos from 11-on-11 team drills posted on social media by folks in attendance.

Parker noted that he picked up things as a coach for other teams watching those same videos. But owner Jerry Jones isn’t changing his training camp policy — the more eyeballs on his team, the better, and Parker is learning to adjust to the constant attention on “America’s Team.”

But as for on-field matters, one of the key chess pieces for Parker’s defense is first-round pick Caleb Downs, who provides the versatility Pro Bowl defensive back Cooper DeJean offered for the Eagles. The Ohio State product is working at safety and slot cornerback, showing up in pass coverage over the two days I watched practice, including breaking up two passes intended for Lamb.

A physical presence who provides leadership and playmaking ability, Downs is expected to thrive in Parker’s scheme.

“He’s a guy who’s not afraid to fail and is not going to make the same mistake [twice],” Durant told me. “And that’s what you want in this league. When you come in, and you see all these big names, with some guys that could mess with your confidence. With him, it doesn’t faze him.”

And while Parker might not like the amount of access outsiders have at Cowboys camp, the team’s practices have been all about football this year, which is a big change from last year. Gone are the constant headlines generated by the contentious Micah Parsons contract negotiations and eventual trade to the Green Bay Packers.

That’s allowed Brian Schottenheimer to take an old-school approach to practice as he enters his second season as head coach. On Saturday, Schottenheimer lit into coaches and players for what he deemed a lackadaisical approach to the start of practice.

“I just felt like the energy was a little bit off,” Schottenheimer said. “I felt like we broke stretch in bag (drills) and went to circuit drills, and the coaches weren’t as organized as I thought they should be. And so, I’m always going to point out what I feel. And I think they got the message and ended up putting together a hell of a practice.”

Schottenheimer also has players run gassers at the end of practice for extra conditioning. 

“It’s probably painful because you just did a whole practice,” receiver George Pickens said about the end-of-practice conditioning. “But definitely conditioning is another component of the game that can definitely give you an edge over guys.” 

Obviously, the Cowboys hope that those conditioning drills will be part of what gets them over the hump as they seek their first Super Bowl title in over three decades. Prescott has made it clear in the opening weeks of training camp that he and the team have the Lombardi Trophy in their sights, going as far as to say he’s “manifesting” it to happen. 

Parker, Schottenheimer and Prescott will get a good test of where those dreams stand during a joint practice against the Rams at Los Angeles’ Woodland Hills headquarters on Tuesday. Last year, the Cowboys were overwhelmed by the Rams’ bevy of playmakers, with Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams going up and down the field for scores in a foreshadowing of what was to come in 2025.

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have Super Bowl dreams for 2026, and they think they have a defense that could help them accomplish that. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Durant is hoping for a different result against his former team this year. 

“I’m overly excited,” Durant told me. “I went up against that offense for four years. It’s a high-powered offense. You got Matthew Stafford, the running backs in the backfield and the wide receiver core — it’s a sight to see when you’re in practice going up against it.

“But now I’m here with the Dallas Cowboys, running a new defense with new guys on this defense. And now you’ll actually get to see what the guy next to you is really about, going against another offense.”

And Schottenheimer is highly anticipating Tuesday’s practice, too. 

“I want to see these guys play,” Schottenheimer said. “I want to see the same passion and play style that they do against our guys. I want to see them do it against them. But it’s a building block, another ramp-up.”

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Barring rainouts, the World Series will end in October for just the second time since 2020.

The Series will start on Oct. 23 and Game 7 would be on Oct. 31, Major League Baseball announced Monday. The World Series ended in November in 2001, ’09, ’10, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’21, ’22, ’23 and ’25, going as late as Nov. 5 in 2022.

AL Division Series will have an extra scheduled off day between Games 1 and 2, a format that allows a team to have the same pitchers start Games 1 and 4, and Games 2 and 5 on normal four days’ rest. Last year, NL Division Series had the extra off day.

All four best-of-three Wild Card Series are scheduled for consecutive days from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at the site of the higher seed.

Twelve teams make the playoffs under the format that began in 2022. The top two teams in each league get first-round byes, while the No. 3 seed faces No. 6, and No. 4 plays No. 5. The higher seed will be home in each best-of-three series.

In the best-of-five Division Series, the top seed plays the 4-vs.-5 winner and the No. 2 seed plays the 3-vs.-6 winner. The Division Series will have the familiar format of the higher seed home for Games 1 and 2, and, if necessary, Game 5.

AL and NL Division Series will start Oct. 3. The National League Championship Series starts Oct. 11 and the American League Championship Series the following day. Both of those are best-of-seven matchups.

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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The Carolina Panthers signed Kyle Trask as a third quarterback on Sunday with Hall of Fame game hero Haynes King expected to miss time with a hamstring injury.

Trask gives the Panthers a third QB behind starter Bryce Young and backup Kenny Pickett.

Trask has familiarity with Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, having spent the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has limited game experience, with only 11 career pass attempts during his career.

King, an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech, ran in from the 5 on the final play to give the Panthers a dramatic 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, to kick off the NFL preseason.

The Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year last season, King was 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 39 yards and the winning score.

Panthers coach Dave Canales said King strained his hamstring on the final play and will not play Saturday against the Buffalo Bills.

Panthers Starters To Play 10-20 Plays vs. Bills

Carolina quarterback Bryce Young and the rest of the team’s starters will play about 10-20 plays against the Bills, depending on the flow of the game, according to Canales.

The starters did not play against the Cardinals.

“I’m excited to just go out there with the guys,” Young said after practice Sunday. “Any time you get to play live football it’s a privilege. especially after last week and just to be around it. You get that itch again.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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After more than a decade in the NFL, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is stepping away from football once again, informing the Detroit Lions on Sunday of his decision to retire, head coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Sunday.

“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. Certainly, the player, everything that he’s about. The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares … always played the game up here and had a huge heart,” Campbell told reporters. “He’s gonna be missed.”

This is the second time Bridgewater has retired from professional football. Following his retirement after the 2023 season, he took over as head coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he helped lead the program to a Class 3A state title.

But after the conclusion of Miami Northwestern’s 2024 season, Bridgewater unretired and re-joined the Lions for the conclusion of their 2024 campaign. He played the entirety of the 2025 NFL season, spending the year as Baker Mayfield’s backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bridgewater, now 33, opted to join Detroit again back in March. But this return was short-lived, as he was officially placed on the reserve/retired list on Sunday morning, likely ending his playing career for good. 

He posted a heartfelt goodbye message on Instagram on Monday afternoon.

“I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it’s at for sure right now. This is where it needs to be and where he felt,” Campbell said when asked if he thought Bridgewater could unretire again. “And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guy he is and he’s not.”

Bridgewater’s retirement leaves undrafted Illinois rookie Luke Altmyer as the only remaining quarterback on the roster behind starter Jared Goff.

After being drafted at No. 32 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL Draft, he carved out a long NFL career. Bridgewater spent time in the league with the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins before his stints with the Lions and Buccaneers over the last few seasons. 

Over his 11-year career, Bridgewater posted a 33-32 starter record, completing 66.3% of his passes for 15,182 yards, 75 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. His best season came in 2015, when he earned Pro Bowl honors and led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and an NFC North title.

The turning point of Bridgewater’s career came in 2016, when he suffered a career-threatening injury during training camp. He sustained a gruesome, non-contact left knee dislocation, tearing several ligaments, most famously including his ACL. 

The gruesome injury threatened not only Bridgewater’s career, but his leg as well, with doctors fearing for a potential amputation at the time. He missed the entire 2016 season and suited up for just a few snaps in a game in 2017 before becoming a free agent that offseason.

Whether Bridgewater returns to the high school sidelines remains to be seen. But his sudden retirement forces the Lions to explore the market for an experienced backup quarterback with the start of the NFL season less than a month away.

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With the five-person class of this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame of Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri and Luke Kuechly in the rearview, we can turn our attention to next year’s class. 

Of course, that will likely mean another discussion about the résumés of two controversial snubs who were not inducted as part of Saturday’s ceremony: former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The news of their snubs (specifically Belichick’s) outweighed the news of those who were included as part of the Class of 2026, making them central figures among the candidates for the Class of 2027.

Along with those two, first-time eligible candidates who make sense as possible first-ballot selections include tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Adrian Peterson, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and cornerback Richard Sherman. 

Offensive tackle Willie Anderson, guard Marshal Yanda and edge rusher Terrell Suggs were among the final seven modern-era candidates this past year, which means they automatically advance to the final 15 for the upcoming process. It’s the second year in a row Anderson has been an automatic finalist. 

To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, players must be retired for at least five years, while the wait for coaches is one year. There are at least four inductees in each class, but no more than eight will be enshrined from the 20 finalists selected (15 modern-era finalists and a maximum of five candidates from seniors, coach and contributors categories).

The 15 modern-era finalists are cut from 10 to seven. Voters are then asked to vote for five of those candidates, with candidates needing to receive at least 80% of the vote to be inducted. If only two or fewer candidates receive 80% of the vote, then the top three vote-getters move on. 

The new voting structure has led to a splintering of the vote from the selection committee, making it harder for players to get into the Hall, which ultimately led to Belichick not getting in the past voting cycle. 

As a member of the 50-person Hall of Fame selection committee, I’ve had the honor of voting on these candidates annually. It’s always a grueling process featuring long, challenging debates that lead to deserving candidates ultimately donning gold jackets. 

Here’s a first look at some of the candidates for the upcoming class, and what I think of their chances to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027.

GOOD SHOT

Belichick won an unprecedented six Super Bowls as a head coach and two more as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. He coached the greatest player in league history in Tom Brady. The Patriots won 17 AFC East titles, made 13 appearances in the AFC Championship Game and went to nine Super Bowls. I voted for Belichick and Kraft last year and will vote for them again if they are on the ballot. 

Brady’s security blanket is another no-brainer. Gronkowski is a four-time Super Bowl champion who earned five invitations to the Pro Bowl and was on the All-Decade team for the 2010s. He’s also a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. 

Rob Gronkowski and Bill Belichick won three Super Bowls during their time with the Patriots.  (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

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A freak of nature, Peterson was an unstoppable force as a runner for 15 seasons in the league. His 14,918 rushing yards are fifth in NFL history. He rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season, won league MVP and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. A seven-time Pro Bowler, Peterson is a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. The only major thing he did not accomplish was a Super Bowl win, giving him strong odds to be enshrined in Canton. 

Roethlisberger was the most accomplished of the storied 2004 quarterback draft class that included Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls, and at 23 years old, was the youngest quarterback to win the big game. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year, led the league in passing twice and earned six trips to the Pro Bowl. 

A six-time finalist, momentum continues to build for one of the best right tackles in league history. Anderson has finished in the top seven twice, a signal that voters are bullish on his candidacy. 

PUNCHER’S CHANCE

A seven-time finalist, Holt fell out of the top 10 during the last voting cycle after making it to the top seven the year before, which is not a good sign for his candidacy. Holt is part of a logjam at receiver and deserves serious consideration. One of the cornerstones of the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf,” Holt finished with 920 career receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons.

Torry Holt was a key part of the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” offense. (Photo by John Biever /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

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Another one of the seven finalists from the last voting cycle, Suggs is a two-time finalist. He’s eighth all-time in sacks with 139, and all seven players above Suggs on the list are in the Hall of Fame. 

Like Suggs, Yanda was one of seven finalists in this past voting cycle. Considered one of the best guards to play the game, Yanda was an eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion for the Baltimore Ravens. Yanda’s also a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. 

A charismatic trash talker and one of the leaders of the Seattle Seahawks’ fabled Legion of Boom, Sherman played in back-to-back Super Bowls, winning it all after the 2013 season. A five-time Pro Bowler, Sherman is a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team. He finished with 37 interceptions in 11 NFL seasons, including stints with the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Richard Sherman is widely viewed as one of the top cornerbacks to have played in the NFL since the turn of the century. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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One of the most complete tight ends in NFL history, only Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez had more catches among players at the position than Witten, whose 1,228 receptions rank fourth all-time. Witten’s 13,046 receiving yards are 20th in league history and second among tight ends, only trailing Gonzalez there as well. Witten is an 11-time Pro Bowler and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2012. 

UPHILL CLIMB

A two-time finalist, Manning has yet to crack the top 10 in his two voting cycles of eligibility. His postseason accolades are impressive, including two Super Bowl wins over Brady and the Patriots in which he was named MVP of both games. But also on his ledger is a 117-117 record as a starter, including a 9-26 mark in his final three seasons. Manning’s career 84.1 passer rating is 60th in NFL history.

Eli Manning won two Super Bowls, but his .500 record might keep him out of the Hall of Fame. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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A finalist for the first time last voting cycle who cracked the final 10, Williams is a member of the 2000s All-Decade Team, a five-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler. Williams is a member of the Vikings Ring of Honor.  

One of the leaders of the Dallas defense during his time with the team, Woodson is a three-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowler. A four-time finalist, Woodson is a member of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and the player in Cowboys history to have been in the starting lineup for five different head coaches. 

Wayne is one of only nine players in league history with at least 1,000 receptions, 14,000 yards and 80 touchdowns. A seven-time finalist, Wayne has been unable to separate himself from the logjam of talented receivers that remain a part of the voting process during his candidacy. 

Can Reggie Wayne join Peyton Manning and a handful of other former Colts teammates and staffers in Canton? (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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Gore entered the league with significant knee issues but played an impressive 16 seasons for five teams, finishing as the third-leading in league history with 16,000 rushing yards. A member of the 2010 All-Decade Team, Gore was a five-time Pro Bowler who rushed for over 1,000 yards nine times and led San Francisco to the Super Bowl after the 2012 season. 

Another talented lineman who was a finalist for the second time in his third year of eligibility. A six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Evans served as an anchor up front for one of the most dominant offenses of his era, led by Drew Brees. 

Known for his “Superman” celebration after scoring a touchdown, Newton took home league MVP honors after leading the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 campaign and Super Bowl appearance after the 2015 season. A three-time Pro Bowler, Newton also won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. 

Cam Newton is entering his first year of Hall of Fame eligiblity. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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A dynamic emotional leader for the Chargers alongside Hall of Famer Junior Seau, Harrison is a two-time finalist whose resume deserves a closer look. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Harrison played 15 seasons with the Bolts and Patriots and is in both teams’ Hall of Fame. He totaled 34 interceptions and 30 sacks, making him one of two players to record over 30 picks and 30 sacks in their career. The other is Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. 

A Super Bowl champion and member of the 2010s All-Decade team, Brown was a seven-time Pro Bowler and dynamic playmaker during his time in the league. However, Brown is caught in the glut of WRs worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Also, he finished his career by quitting on his teammates, stripping off his gear mid-game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And his short tenure with the Raiders was also marred by controversy. 

The emotional catalyst of Seattle’s drive to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, Lynch was dominant from 2011-14, totaling 5,357 rushing yards and scoring 56 touchdowns over that time. A member of the 2010 All-Decade Team, the five-time Pro Bowler’s 10,419 rushing yards rank just 29th all time, but in the postseason, he’s eighth all time with 970 rushing yards.

Others to consider: Alex Mack, Earl Thomas, LeSean McCoy, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith Sr., Jimmy Smith, Eric Weddle, John Abraham, Robert Mathis, Hines Ward, Gerald McCoy, Andrew Whitworth.

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When Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski recorded his fifth strikeout in Sunday’s outing against the Minnesota Twins, he etched his name in baseball’s record books.

Misiorowski’s strikeout of Alan Roden in the third inning was his 200th of the 2026 season. Misiorowski logged his 200th strikeout in just 129 ⅓ innings pitched this season, making it the second-fewest innings thrown for a pitcher to log that many strikeouts in a season. Only Atlanta Braves star Spencer Strider has reached the 20-strikeout mark in a season in fewer innings pitched, logging 200 strikeouts in 123 ⅓ innings in 2022.

Misiorowski’s career is off to a historically fast start at such a young age. Beyond throwing the fastest pitch in MLB history at 105.5 miles per hour, the 24-year-old’s already breaking franchise records at a relentless pace. He set a Brewers record with eight or more strikeouts in eight consecutive starts and broke the record for most strikeouts in a single month with 57 in May of this season. 

In Misiorowski’s final start in July, he opened up his outing against the Colorado Rockies with seven straight strikeouts. He also became the first pitcher to record 11 strikeouts and zero hits through four innings in a start since 1969 in that outing. 

Sunday’s start wasn’t as prolific, but it was still another quality start for Misiorowski. The 24-year-old went six innings, striking out nine batters while allowing three earned runs on four hits.

Still, Sunday’s outing should only help Misiorowski’s status as the NL Cy Young favorite. Before Sunday’s start, he had a 11-5 record with a 1.63 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and continues to lead the league in strikeouts as he now has 204 punch outs this season. 

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The conclusion of Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf New York turned into a showcase for the league’s biggest winners.

Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann extended his record to nine tournament wins with a clutch back-nine performance to shoot a 2-under 69 and win by three shots. 

“A great feeling to have, especially coming down the stretch on how tough this golf course is,” said the 27-year-old Chilean, the league’s youngest captain.

Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC emerged as the team champions in a tight battle against Torque and Legion XIII to become the winningest team in league history with 11 regular-season tournament titles. “It’s just the truth – when golf courses get tougher, it seems like we shine more for some reason,” DeChambeau said.

And Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm clinched his third consecutive season-long Individual Championship, a reflection of his dominance despite a rare off-form performance at the challenging Trump National Bedminster course. Rahm won twice this season and added four second-place finishes.

“It’s been a great year,” said Rahm after shooting a closing 5-over 76 that left him tied for 41st, his lowest finish in any of the 36 LIV Golf starts that he’s completed. “A little sour taste in my mouth because of how badly I played this week. But it’s been something to be proud of.”

Niemann was certainly the most impressive individual player at Bedminster, shooting 16 under to become the fifth wire-to-wire winner this season and winning for the second time in his last four starts.

Entering the day with a two-stroke lead, he was tied with Harold Varner III through 11 holes. But after Varner suffered his first bogey at the day at the 12th, Niemann followed with a 58-foot birdie putt at the 13th to re-establish his two-stroke advantage. Two holes later at the par-5 15th, Niemann’s second shot landed 26 feet from the pin, and he drilled the eagle putt to essentially seal the tournament.

“I was going to be pretty happy with two putts there, and it was quite a surprise to make that one,” said Niemann about his long putt on the 13th. “It’s one of those that I just go to be grateful about it and just go pick it up and run. It was a big moment.”

The Crushers won with a cumulative score of 6 over, the highest ever by a winning team in LIV Golf history. On Thursday, they opened with a score of 11 over and were tied for 11th but steadily worked their way up the leaderboard the rest of the week, relying on their veteran depth rather than the heroics of two-time U.S. Open winner DeChambeau, who ultimately tied for 38th.

Paul Casey was the team’s top performer, shooting 6 under for the week to tie for 6th and producing a clutch 3-under 68 on Sunday. Anirban Lahiri tied for 17th at 1 over and Charles Howell IIII tied for 28th at 4 over.

The Crushers entered the final round eight strokes back of Torque but shot a cumulative 1 under to Torque’s 9 over. Lahiri birdied his last hole to provide separation from Legion XIII, who tied for second with Torque.

“I think when you get to a Sunday afternoon and we get in with a sniff, I think all our tails go up,” said Lahiri, who joined the team four years ago in Boston to complete its current lineup. “Like, we really want to win pretty badly.”

As for Rahm, his threepeat as LIV Golf Individual Champion is a standard no other player in league history can match. He has 944.54 points this season, which is 218.34 points more than his nearest competitor, DeChambeau. With one regular-season tournament left at LIV Golf Indianapolis in two weeks, Rahm cannot be caught, since individual wins are worth 200 points.

In his first two seasons, Rahm had to win his season-long titles in the final regular-season tournament. Not this year.

“Most season-long races, you have to wait until the last event because the last even counts so much,” he said. “But it feels different this year. … This year to play as good as I did early on and have such a big lead that I can even enjoy not playing good this week and next week, it feels really good.”

TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS

Individual Top 10

1 (-16) – Joaquin Niemann, Torque (64-65-70-69)

2 (-13) – Harold Varner, OKGC (69-67-65-70)

T3 (-9) – Lee Westwood, Majesticks (69-65-69-72); Scott Vincent, HyFlyers (69-68-72-66)

5 (-7) – Byeong Hun An, Korean (72-68-68-69)

T6 (-6) – Thomas Pieters, 4Aces (68-70-70-70); Tom McKibbin, Legion XIII (70-66-70-72); Paul Casey, Crushers (70-67-73-68)

T9 (-4) – Younghan Song, Korean (72-70-68-70); Branden Grace, Southern Guards (73-69-72-66)

Team Top 3

1 (+6) –Crushers GC (DeChambeau 76-74-70-71, Casey 70-67-73-68, Howell III 75-69-71-73, Lahiri 74-67-73-71; Rd. 4 score: -1)

T2 (+8) – Legion XIII (Rahm 72-71-73-76, Hatton 73-76-69-72, McKibbin 70-66-70-72, Surratt 76-69-68-71; Rd. 4 score: +7)

T2 (+8) – Torque GC (Niemann 64-65-70-69, Ancer 71-72-70-76, Ortiz 71-71-76-73, Munoz 74-71-76-75; Rd. 4 score: +9)

ROUND 4 NOTES

NIEMANN’S NINE WINS: Joaquin Niemann won twice in 2024, five times last season and now twice again this season. He now has as many wins as Bryson DeChambeau (five) and Jon Rahm (four) combined.

“It’s an honor to play with Bryson,” Niemann said. “Obviously he’s a major champion, two times. I was able to play with him on Thursday. Obviously didn’t play his best, but it’s always nice to be around him and try to learn from everyone. …

“I played with Jon almost every weekend for the last two years. How competitive he is, he definitely doesn’t like losing, and I’m the same way as well.

“It’s fun. For me it’s good motivation to win. I love winning. I love to come here and work my ass and try to have the best chance possible to win.”

PODIUM SPOTS STILL UP FOR GRABS: Even though Jon Rahm has clinched the season-long Individual Championship, the other two spots on the podium will be determined at LIV Golf Indianapolis in two weeks.

Bryson DeChambeau currently is in second place in the standings with 726.20 points, with Joaquin Niemann in third at 553.66 points. Lucas Herbert is fourth at 541.41 points and Tyrrell Hatton is fifth at 453.23 points.

Those four players will battle it out for the second and third place finishers behind Rahm.

DECHAMBEAU ON HIS WEEK: Bryson DeChambeau shot 76-74 in his first two rounds at Bedminster, taking him out of the running in his bid to remain close to Jon Rahm in the Individual Championship race. The Crushers captain shot 70-71 on the weekend but was still able to celebrate a team trophy.

“I might have been 6-, 7-, 8-over par going into the third round, but I’m like, I need to get this thing back to even par, not just for myself but for my team,” DeChambeau said.

“It’s a bit disappointing and honestly embarrassing to be that far over considering the skill set and the playability that I know I have. But you’ve got to fight for every shot. It’s a little different out here. From a team aspect, yeah, this is what sets LIV Golf apart for sure.”

LIV GOLF BESTS: HyFlyers GC’s Scott Vincent tied for third at 9 under, shooting a 5-under 66 that tied for the low round of the day. It’s the best career LIV Golf finish for Vincent, who is replacing Phil Mickelson in the HyFlyers lineup.

Majesticks GC Co-Captain Lee Westwood shared third place with Vincent, also equaling his best-ever LIV Golf finish. Westwood shot a final-round 72.

Korean Golf Club Captain Byeong Hun An was solo fifth at 7 under, shooting three rounds in the 60s after his opening 72. It’s the best finish for An in his first year on LIV Golf, and also the Korean team’s best individual result this season.

An’s teammate Younghan Song tied for ninth at 4 under, his best individual finish in his first full season.

HIGH TEAM SCORE: Crushers GC’s winning score of 6 over is the highest winning team score in LIV Golf history. The previous high was the 4 over shot by Ripper GC in winning in Miami in 2025.

STATS LEADERS

Round 4

Driving Distance: Matthew Wolff, 315.6-yard avg.

Longest Drive: Dean Burmester, 325.9 yards (15th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 15 and 18.

Driving Accuracy: Sergio Garcia, 100% (14 of 14)

Greens in Regulation: Richard T. Lee, 88.89% (16 of 18)

Scrambling: Scott Vincent (5 of 5), Laurie Canter (5 of 5), Brendan Steele (4 of 4), Paul Casey (3 of 3), Richard T. Lee (2 of 2), 100%

Fewest Putts: Peter Uihlein, 23

Bogey-free rounds: Scott Vincent (66), Richard T. Lee (67), Paul Casey (68)

CUMULATIVE

Driving Distance: Dean Burmester, 311.9-yard avg.

Driving Accuracy: Paul Casey, Yosuke Asaji, 82.14% (46 of 56)

Greens in Regulation: Joaquin Niemann, 77.78% (56 of 72)

Scrambling: Harold Varner III, 79.17% (19 of 24)

Fewest Putts: Harold Varner III, 105

Lowest Rounds: Rd. 1 – Joaquin Niemann (64). Rd. 2 – Richard Bland (64); Rd. 3 – Harold Varner III (65); Rd. 4 – Scott Vincent (66), Laurie Canter (66), Branden Grace (66)

This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.

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There wasn’t any game action in the NFL this weekend, but plenty of noteworthy news broke throughout the league.

In the NFC East, one star offensive tackle made a big announcement about his future, while the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels received injury news that they didn’t want to hear. Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills went public with their new alternate uniforms and their new home stadium during Saturday’s practice. 

That’s just a taste of what happened over the weekend. As we’re now less than one month away from the start of the regular season, here are things you should know that went down in the NFL this weekend. 

Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson indicated the 2026 NFL season will likely be his final year in the league over the weekend.

“As you get older, things change in your life. Your children get older. Your parents get older. Just to put this thing into perspective, it’s looking like this is probably potentially going to be my last year,” Philadelphia Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson said about his NFL future at a press conference on Saturday. “Just because I am getting to that point of those priorities away from football are starting to merge. Not that I don’t enjoy this [football]. I love everything about this game and preparing for it, but that’s kind of where I’m at in my career.

Johnson is entering his 14th season, all spent with Philadelphia since being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma.

Throughout his career, Johnson has earned two All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl honors while starting at right tackle during the team’s Super Bowl championship runs in 2017 and 2024. His 2025 season was cut short after 10 games due to a foot injury, but he did not allow a sack or a quarterback hit in those appearances.

Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil reportedly suffered a torn triceps during pass-rush drills in practice on Saturday. 

The 32-year-old tackle is expected to undergo surgery and miss a significant portion of the 2026 regular season, marking his second major health setback since joining Washington.

Tunsil arrived in Washington prior to the 2025 season via a trade that sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Houston Texans, where he had previously earned five Pro Bowl selections. 

Before the start of last season, Tunsil signed a two-year extension with Washington. He is set to earn $34.35 million in 2026, which includes a $32.5 million signing bonus alongside a $1.495 million base salary, pushing his career earnings past $142.2 million. 

Washington is looking to bounce back from a dismal outing in 2025. The Commanders open the season against the Eagles, which is “America’s Game of the Week” on FOX for Week 1.

The Buffalo Bills hosted fans at the new Highmark Stadium on Saturday for their annual Blue & Red practice, marking the first time players took the field at the newest NFL stadium. 

Quarterback Josh Allen made his entrance wearing Buffalo’s new Nickel City alternate uniform, featuring an all-gray jersey and pants combination paired with a royal blue helmet. The helmet features the first blue shell in franchise history and a red streak from the team’s logo.

For Saturday’s practice, quarterbacks, punters, and kickers wore the full Nickel City alternate, while the rest of the offense wore blue practice jerseys and the defense wore white.

Although the Nickel City alternate design faced some public criticism, Allen defended the new uniforms during a July 29 interaction with reporters.

“I enjoy them. I think it’s very symbolic of what we want to do and what we want to be,” Allen said. “I understand people want the old jerseys and the old helmets and all that.

“But at some point, too, we are moving forward. We have to move forward and do something new — and that’s what we’re doing.”

And for Highmark Stadium, reporters at Saturday’s practice shared some visuals of how the inside of the stadium looks. 

Detroit Lions backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has decided to step away from professional football, informing the team of his retirement Sunday. 

Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the news, marking the second time the 33-year-old quarterback has retired from the NFL. 

“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable. Certainly, the player, everything that he’s about. The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares … always played the game up here and had a huge heart,” head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. “He’s gonna be missed.”

Bridgewater previously retired following the 2023 season before taking over as head coach at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, where he guided the team to a state championship. 

He subsequently unretired late in the 2024 season to rejoin Detroit, then spent the 2025 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Baker Mayfield’s backup. Bridgewater re-signed with the Lions in March.

In response to Bridgewater being placed on the reserve/retired list, the Lions agreed to terms with veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs on a one-year contract to serve as the primary backup behind starter Jared Goff, NFL Network reported. Dobbs backed up Drake Maye with the New England Patriots last season, but saw very little action. He’s 3-12 all-time in 15 career starts.

 

• Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III avoided a major injury after tests confirmed a groin strain suffered during practice, ESPN reported. Burden is expected to miss time during the preseason, but the Bears did not disclose the nature of Burden’s injury Saturday.
• New Orleans Saints backup offensive guard Dillon Radunz will miss the entire 2026 season after suffering a torn ACL during practice on Saturday, according to ESPN.
• Former Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs tried out this weekend for the Detroit Lions, ESPN reported. The 2021 First-Team All-Pro selection is seeking a new landing spot after spending five seasons in Dallas and a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers in 2025.

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Ty Gibbs celebrated his victory at Iowa Speedway in a unique way. 

He helped start the digging up of the track’s surface as it prepares to undergo a repave.

Gibbs and some others might wish they wouldn’t repave the track. And that’s because Gibbs showed that, if a driver could get a handle on the seventh-eighth-mile oval, it’s possible to pass. 

For Gibbs, a bad pit stop sent him to near the rear of the field early in the race. But he was still able to work his way to the front and hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell.

Here are my takeaways after Gibbs earned his second career victory:

1. Two Times The Charm

Ty Gibbs raced into Victory Lane at Iowa for his second win of the season.

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The first career victory for Gibbs at Bristol earlier this year will be hard to top.

But the second victory is important and Gibbs finally backed up that win from early in the year with the Iowa triumph. It took Gibbs 131 races to earn his first Cup victory. 

This one came just 15 races later.

“It just took us a little bit to figure out what I needed and what I needed in the team, and now we got it,” Gibbs said in his post-race news conference.

2. The Bell Tolls Second

Christopher Bell’s second-place streak continues.

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Christopher Bell finished second. Tell me where you’ve heard that before.

Bell now has seven second-place finishes this year, including four of the last five races. And all that without a win. And this one was frustrating, even though he moved from 10th to sixth in the standings.

“This is what you call a bad second-place finish for sure,” Bell said in his USA Sports interview after the race. “I don’t know what else to say.

“Ty did a really good job. He did a great job managing the race. I could tell that he was slipping and sliding around. … He just didn’t make a mistake.”

3. Reddick, Hendrick Woes Continue

When will Reddick right the ship?

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Tyler Reddick crashed on the fourth lap of the race and suffered his fourth finish of 30th or worse in the last six races. He took out Erik Jones, who is on the bubble to make The Chase, along the way.

“For us to take ourselves out is one thing, but to take out a fellow Toyota teammate when they are racing for The Chase pretty much ended their day as well. It is the type of stuff you don’t do to yourself, and you don’t do to a teammate,” Reddick said outside the medical center.

Reddick isn’t the only driver with recent woes. 

Chase Elliott wrecked in practice and had to overcome a bad pit stop to finish 15th for his ninth consecutive finish outside the top 10. His teammate Kyle Larson was 33rd after a wreck that also damaged Alex Bowman (34th).

Larson has finished 30th or worse in four of the last five races.

4. Josh Berry Surging 

Josh Berry is finally finding his footing.

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Josh Berry, who already knows he is out of a ride at Wood Brothers Racing after this year (Jesse Love will replace him), finished fourth at Iowa. That was following his seventh-place finish at Indianapolis.

Those were the type of finishes Berry — who is 30th in the standings — had been hoping for all along. 

“We’ve just got to keep pushing,” Berry said in his USA Sports interview after the race. “I think we’ve got a lot of good tracks coming up.”

4 ½. What’s Next: Richmond

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond, a relatively flat 0.75-mile oval, for a Saturday night race. It is the only visit to Richmond for the series this year.

Austin Dillon has won the previous two races at Richmond. He captured the victory in 2024 but with controversy after having contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final turns. 

He won in 2025 with no drama.

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One week after the MLB Trade Deadline, one key contender will show off its new-look lineup on national TV.

The National League is still chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Milwaukee Brewers will begin the week with the best record in baseball, but Los Angeles won the deadline by adding two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who are in action on FS1 against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, did their part to try to keep up. Philly has rearranged its lineup and defensive alignment to accommodate second baseman Luis Arraez, who has slotted in as the Phillies’ cleanup hitter so far.

Will it make a difference, though? Our MLB writers break down some of the biggest questions in the NL, as well as those surrounding the teams facing off in St. Louis on Monday night.

1. What’s your biggest takeaway one week after the Trade Deadline?

Deesha Thosar: Even all these days later, with Tarik Skubal’s first start as a Dodger done and dusted, it remains incredible that the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner was traded to the reigning back-to-back champions. FanGraphs increased Los Angeles’ chance of winning the World Series by 6% after the deal was completed. 

It was an unprecedented move that changed the landscape leading up to the stretch run – as well as the ongoing labor battle between the league and the players’ union.

Amid all the fury and objection to the Dodgers firing up the Death Star, they’ve gone 3-7 in their last 10 games. Los Angeles finally won on Sunday, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Edwin Diaz looks lost. The pitching is actually a problem. The offense has been sliding over the last month. 

And yet, we still expect them to win the NL pennant, right? It’s just that now, the Skubal trade looks more like a necessity than it did a week ago. 

Rowan Kavner: Good for Boston for pushing the chips in, despite the risk involved. It’s certainly possible (and perhaps even likely, given the prospects that switched hands) that we look back at the trade that saw catcher Adley Rutschman go from Baltimore to Boston a few years from now and wonder how in the world Baltimore managed to get that kind of return. But if Rutschman ends up being the difference in the Red Sox winning a World Series championship this year, isn’t that worth it?

There’s something to be said about a front office demonstrating to its players how much it believes in a team at the deadline. The trade for Rutschman — who just started his rehab assignment by reaching base three times on Saturday — is evidence of that and should help the Red Sox continue building on their momentum.

Adley Rutschman was a surprise addition on deadline day for the Red Sox. (Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) –>

2. What team is best-equipped to beat the Dodgers?

Thosar: In the NL, I’ll go with the Phillies. If we’re talking about the World Series matchup, I’ll go with the Yankees. My reasoning for both of these picks comes down to pitching. 

Philly has Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo as a formidable top three in its starting rotation. New York already has Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried going strong, and Carlos Rodon is working his way back to the rotation. These are October-ready staffs that other contenders, including the Dodgers, who don’t know when Shohei Ohtani will pitch again, should be envious of, and they’re all arms that can beat anybody.

Kavner: The Phillies (despite how they’re playing lately) and Cubs (who just swept the Dodgers in Chicago) stand out most to me as the biggest threat to the Dodgers’ three-peat, if either can get the Dodgers in a short series when the depth of L.A.’s rotation won’t be as big of a factor and more randomness can come into play.

If I had to choose one, I guess I’d lean toward Philadelphia based on what we saw last October. That NLDS was a lot closer than the Dodgers’ 3-1 series victory might have indicated. Having starting pitchers Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo available in a short series gives them a chance against anybody, and the addition of Luis Arraez adds an important element to an offense that has struggled to reach base consistently. 

Zack Wheeler headlines a formidable Phillies rotation. (Jeff Dean/Getty Images) –>

The problem, of course, is that the Phillies would likely have to get through a wild-card round, meaning they wouldn’t be able to set their rotation up in an ideal fashion, and the drop-off is steep after their top three arms. But if the Phillies could steal a game in which Sánchez, Wheeler or Luzardo aren’t pitching, they’d at least give themselves a chance at an upset. But they have to get into the playoffs first.

I think the Cubs — with an MVP contender in center fielder PeteCrow-Armstrong plus lineup depth behind him, excellent defense and now pitching reinforcements at the deadline — will have a better shot at knocking off the Dodgers than the Brewers. 

As we saw in last year’s NLCS, Milwaukee lacked the star power to contend on the biggest stage against L.A. And even with Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski reaching an entirely different level this year, I don’t see that changing for a team that ranks last in MLB in home runs despite its continued regular season dominance.

3. The Phillies went out of their way to accommodate Luis Arraez at the trade deadline. Did they do enough to establish themselves as a legitimate threat to Los Angeles?

Thosar: The Phillies are definitely a threat to the Dodgers on paper now, but they have to actually show it. 

I like the impact Arraez already has had on the Phillies clubhouse. He’s bringing a new competitive energy that seemed to be missing from a run-it-back Phillies roster that looked stale at times. 

But the defensive re-alignments are concerning in a short playoff series, where we’ve seen the Dodgers use it to their advantage. Los Angeles exploited the Yankees’ issues with poor fundamentals in the 2024 Fall Classic, and there’s reason to believe the Dodgers will again wait for a team with brutal defensive metrics, like the Phillies, to step on their own feet.

Kavner: If they get into October, they will be among the Dodgers’ biggest threats. Obviously, they have to play better baseball down the stretch for that to happen. They entered Sunday in one of the final wild-card spots, just a game ahead of the Padres, with an offense that ranks 28th in OBP and 23rd in OPS, plus a bullpen that ranks 24th in ERA. Their deadline additions should help in both facets.

Arraez is already providing the offensive boost that made him such an attractive piece that the Phillies were willing to rearrange their entire defense to accommodate his addition. And yet, their play lately has been … rather inauspicious. The depth of their lineup is still suspect even after the Arraez trade; they didn’t add a depth starter; and deadline bullpen additions Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian, who is already hurt, have gotten off to shaky starts.

Still, I think the acquisitions will be beneficial moves. Kyle Schwarber’s August power outage hasn’t helped matters, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.

4. Are the Cardinals close to competing in the NL Central as early as 2027?

Thosar: Realistically, it looks more like 2027 will be a bridge year for the Cardinals, with their true contention window lining up for 2028. We could see St. Louis become highly competitive by late 2027, particularly if they give their younger prospects some runway down the stretch. 

The rest of the NL Central is just too far ahead of the Cardinals this year and next to suggest they can truly capture the division title. That gap can always be closed by health, which plays a huge factor in any division race, and impending offseason moves. But I don’t see the Cardinals getting truly aggressive until 2028.

Kavner: Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has done a terrific job rebuilding the farm system, but the Brewers aren’t going anywhere. And while the Cubs have a ton of impending free agents, their nucleus of Crow-Armstrong, shortstop Dansby Swanson, third baseman Alex Bregman, second baseman Nico Hoerner and first baseman Michael Busch remains strong. 

So, I’m not counting on the Cardinals to contend for the NL Central next year unless they make some significant pitching additions in free agency. But they could absolutely be a wild-card team next season, and they’re making the right strides toward contending in the near future. We’ll have to see how some of the arms on the farm continue to develop.

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