Category: Sports

England captain Harry Brook called the rain-affected first T20 against South Africa in Cardiff “a shambles” after his side lost by 14 runs on DLS.

Rain in Wales had reduced the game to nine overs a side and the contest finally began at 8.50pm, well over two hours past the scheduled start time of 6.30pm.

South Africa reached 97-5 from 7.5 overs before the wet weather returned and subsequently revised England’s ask to 69 from five overs.

Brook’s side made 54-5 – the skipper out for a duck and Jos Buttler top-scoring with 25 from 11 balls – as the tourists took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Brook said: “It was a bit of a shambles really, wasn’t it? There was so much going on. You can’t take much from it and it wasn’t worth it.

“It was a long, long day. I don’t think we need to make any excuses up. We probably didn’t execute as well as we should have done with bat and ball. It’s bloody hard when you only bat for five overs.”

‘These are the rules we get given’

When England came to bat, South Africa seamers Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch were allowed to bowl two overs each, rather than five bowlers delivering one over apiece.

Brook added: “I don’t know all the rules to be honest, but that was a bit… I would’ve thought that every bowler would have had to bowl one over.

“But these are the rules that we get given, and we’ve just got to play our best cricket and perform to our best.”

England withdrew Jofra Archer from their side once it became a reduced contest, with fellow seamer Luke Wood playing instead in a soggy Cardiff and taking two wickets and a catch.

On Archer, who is set to play a key role in The Ashes this winter, Brook added: “It would have been stupid to play him with the amount of cricket we’ve got coming up

“If he’d have gone out on the boundary and done what Adam Hose did in The Hundred [seriously injured his ankle] and broken his leg or whatever, that would have been a shambles.”

England vs South Africa – results and fixtures

All games live on Sky Sports, all times UK and Ireland 🕰️

• First T20 (Cardiff): South Africa won by 14 runs (DLS) 🟢
• Second T20: Friday September 12 (6.30pm) – Old Trafford
• Third T20: Sunday September 14 (2.30pm) – Trent Bridge

Watch the second T20 international, at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm on Friday (6.30pm first ball, weather permitting).

NEW YORK — It will be up to the NBA to prove wrongdoing during its investigation of potential salary cap circumvention by the LA Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer and star Kawhi Leonard, league commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday.

“The burden is on the league if we’re going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver said during his annual news conference at the conclusion of the league’s board of governors meetings in midtown Manhattan. “I think as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”

Silver said the league needs to look “at the totality of the evidence” rather than just “mere appearance.”

“Just by the way those words read, I think as a matter of fundamental fairness, I would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety. … I think that the goal of a full investigation is to find out if there really was impropriety. Also, in a public-facing sport, the public at times reaches conclusions that later turn out to be completely false. I’d want anybody else in the situation Mr. Ballmer is in now, or Kawhi Leonard for that matter, to be treated the same way I would want to be treated if people were making allegations against me.”

The league has already begun an investigation into whether Ballmer and the Clippers violated league rules because Leonard accepted a $28 million endorsement for a “no-show job” from Aspiration, a now-bankrupt green banking company in which Ballmer had invested.

The allegations first came out last week when an unnamed employee who purportedly worked for Aspiration told podcaster Pablo Torre that the payment to Leonard “was to circumvent the salary cap.”

Sources told ESPN that while there will be a thorough investigation of the matter by New York-based law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, there is no set deadline to find a conclusion.

There has been a healthy amount of debate about whether any decision by Silver — who reaffirmed Wednesday that he has “very broad powers in these situations” — would be dictated by whether the Clippers would have to prove their innocence, or whether the burden of proof was instead on the NBA to find wrongdoing.

Silver made it clear it will be the latter.

“I’ve been around the league long enough in different permutations of allegations and accusations that I’m a big believer in due process and fairness, and we need to now let the investigation run its course,” Silver said.

Silver also said that’s the opinion of Ballmer’s fellow owners.

“At least what’s being said to me is a reservation of judgment,” Silver said. “I think people recognize that that’s what you have a league office for. That’s what you have a commissioner for — someone who is independent of the teams. On one hand, of course, I work collectively for the 30 governors, but I have an independent obligation to be the steward of the brand and the integrity of this league.

“At least what those governors have said directly to me. To the extent we have had discussions [with the board of governors] — they’ve been limited — we communicated to them that we engaged Wachtell to do this investigation. And maybe I cut off any further conversations and said, ‘Let’s all withhold judgment, let’s do this investigation and then we will come back to you in terms of our findings.’”

Silver also hit upon a few other league topics:

ALL-STAR GAME FORMAT: Silver said the goal is to have the new All-Star Game format in place by the start of the regular season. He did confirm it will be shifting to a three-team format featuring 16 American players and eight international players at February’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles.

Silver said it is a priority to get the players engaged in the league’s marquee event.

“I think in the case of the NBA, this is what I’m trying to convey, particularly to younger players, is that All-Star is a big deal,” Silver said. “There’s been great traditions out there. People have great memories of these All-Star Games. It’s part of the fabric of this league, the excitement that comes from it and the engagement from our players.”

EUROPEAN LEAGUE: Silver said that discussions about the various things that will go into potentially creating an NBA-run league in Europe continue and that many different parts of the league office are involved in those talks.

Silver said he and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum traveled to Europe to meet with different stakeholders this summer. Silver also said discussions with the EuroLeague, the biggest league in Europe today, remain ongoing after his news conference earlier this year with FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis — who has openly feuded with the EuroLeague in the past.

Silver went on to say that the impression that the NBA is putting domestic expansion ahead of creating a European league is “not the case.”

“I see them as completely different entities,” Silver said, adding that there was no new news to report on the topic, though it again came up at the board meeting.

“Part of the difficulty in potentially assessing it is a sense of long-term value of the league, and a little bit maybe it’s a high-class problem, but as with some of the recent jumps in franchise valuations, that sort of creates some confusion in the marketplace about how you might even price an expansion franchise,” he said.

“I’ll only say it’s something that we continue to actively look at.”

BEASLEY INVESTIGATION: Silver declined to say whether there are any limitations on Malik Beasley‘s availability while the NBA conducts its own investigation into gambling allegations against the free agent guard.

“I’ll only say there that the investigation is ongoing,” Silver said. “As I understand it, there’s still a federal investigation that’s ongoing of Malik Beasley as well. We will address whatever is presented to us in his case.”

We’ve turned the page to Week 2 of the NFL season, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are breaking down the latest news and notable buzz.

Week 1 brought a lot of questions. What should the Giants do about Russell Wilson and their quarterback situation — and what will they do? What’s going on with the Dolphins after their awful loss to the Colts in their opener? Does Justin Fields‘ big performance mean the Jets might have a long-term fix under center?

Jeremy and Dan made some calls around the league to get the latest on those situations. Then they also broke down how some of the most-talked-about backfield timeshares shook out in Week 1 for fantasy football purposes and what comes next. It’s all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks heading into Week 2.

Jump to:
Latest on Giants’ QB plan | Panic in Miami?
Is Fields the answer? | RB timeshare updates
More notes for Week 2

Has anything changed with the Giants’ QB plan?

Graziano: Nope! Coach Brian Daboll said Monday that Russell Wilson would start again in Week 2, and their plan, as of now, is to keep going with him. Part of me wonders if the plan might change once left tackle Andrew Thomas is back healthy and the offensive line is more trustworthy. But I do know that Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have a very specific strategy for Jaxson Dart‘s development that includes specific benchmarks he must hit before they’re convinced he’s ready. They’ve crafted this plan based on previous experiences breaking in young quarterbacks, which include prominent success stories such as Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

No one is saying Dart is Allen or Mahomes, but Daboll and Kafka are using their past successes to inform the plan. To this point, they insist that they have belief in Wilson in the short term while they get Dart ready for the long term. That’s their current story, and they’re sticking to it — even after Wilson looked completely lost against the Commanders’ pass rush Sunday.

Fowler: Despite Wilson’s struggles, money usually talks in these situations, and to bench Wilson after Week 1 means the Giants would have paid him more than $10 million for one game. Sensible teams don’t typically do such things. And I believe the Giants are trying to be sensible here. This is a team that needs to stick to a plan, and having Dart sit and learn — at least in the short term — can help him. Wilson is a declining player but should play better this week against the Cowboys. He provides experience for a team that needs it.

Now, I do believe Dart has expedited the process based on his stellar preseason. Things clicked late in the spring, and Dart took off from there. The Giants’ staff has found him to be a fast learner, highly motivated and, as one team source calls him, “tough as s—.” At the very least, Dart has made a compelling case. And I’m not naive; it feels inevitable that Dart will play — probably sooner than later. But I’m not overreacting to Week 1. But what happens if Wilson records another dud in Week 2?

Graziano: The drumbeat gets louder. Look, I get the idea of sticking to the plan. But the Giants made Dart the No. 2 quarterback for Sunday’s game, which means they are comfortable with the idea of him going into the game should something happen to Wilson. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t they be comfortable starting him? This is a matter of time, and if Wilson looks as lost and ineffective Sunday in Dallas as he did in Washington, I don’t know how much longer the Giants can hold off.

One question I have, though, is whether they’d turn to Jameis Winston first if they decide Wilson needs to be benched but aren’t ready to put in Dart. I haven’t heard anything to indicate that, but it could represent a compromise of sorts.

Fowler: When I visited the Giants’ joint practice with the Jets, Winston was running the third-team offense and immediately connected on a deep ball. It wouldn’t be the worst decision to play Winston and ride with his fearless style. But on that same day, the Giants inserted Dart on a drive that Wilson had started, which I filed away. Implementing a package for Dart in the flow of Wilson’s offense still feels like a very real option.

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Are the Dolphins already pressing the panic button? What are you hearing out of Miami?

Fowler: It hasn’t been pressed yet, but there’s one somewhere inside the Dolphins’ facility. When or if they press it is anyone’s guess. Remember … it’s only one week.

But it does feel as if the Dolphins’ season — and the purveyors of it, GM Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel — is approaching a rather early crossroads. The team looked uninspired and inexplicably flat Sunday in Indianapolis. Miami seems as if it’s much better than what it showed, but a few themes emerged when asking people around the league their impressions of the Dolphins. There are concerns about the roster’s overall talent. The Dolphins moved on from several key players perceived as bad fits, which can improve a locker room. But they relinquished proven talent and replaced it with more cost-effective options that do not appear as capable in some cases.

There are also questions about player leadership. Good teams have bona fide leaders, true alphas. With all the change, who fills that role in Miami’s locker room right now? I’m not saying those players don’t exist, but they aren’t obvious from the outside. It’s possible strong voices will emerge. They will be needed immediately, with division opponents looming the next three weeks.

Graziano: I’m not sure there’s a team that needs a Week 2 win more than Miami. After visiting its training camp, I was sort of buying the idea that this season was going to be a bit of a cultural reset and that things might not be as awful as feared. But the Dolphins looked disastrously dreadful on both sides of the ball against the Colts, and suddenly there was a whole bunch of fresh evidence suggesting they could be the league’s worst team this season. If Week 1 was a true representation of how Miami’s season will go, things could get really ugly quickly. And that could mean big changes.

Fowler: Trade rumors around Tyreek Hill will be worth watching. My understanding is that Miami received calls on Hill but did not show interest in trading him. If the losing persists, perhaps those phone lines open. The Dolphins already exercised Hill’s $15.85 million option bonus, leaving a $10 million base salary and $1.8 million in per-game bonuses.

A Chiefs reunion is low-hanging fruit and could be what Kansas City needs. The Chiefs can’t seem to get their receiving trio of Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown on the field at the same time, and a boost of explosiveness would help.

Graziano: It would, for sure, but the Dolphins need to help themselves first and foremost. There are legit questions about what kind of player Hill is at this point, even apart from the issues he has had in the locker room and on the sideline (which he and others have publicly discussed). The Chiefs obviously know Hill from early in his career and could convince themselves he’d play better for them than he’s playing for Miami. But it has been a long time since we’ve seen Hill be an explosive player. If he doesn’t start playing better, it’s going to be tough for the Dolphins to find a trade partner.

Hill is also facing domestic violence allegations from his estranged wife, according to TMZ. In addition to being a serious non-football matter, the allegations could affect the interest of other teams in acquiring him if they result in any kind of NFL investigation and potential discipline.

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Are you buying or selling the idea that Justin Fields is the answer to the Jets’ QB woes?

Graziano: I am renting with an option to buy. Fields looked a lot better than I — or almost anyone — expected in his first game with the Jets. Unless this is the worst Steelers defense in decades, a 72.7% completion percentage and 9.9 yards per pass attempt is worth sitting up and noticing. We know what Fields adds with his legs, and that was on display Sunday. But what really stood out was the previously elusive accuracy and touch on his downfield throws. If he has taken a big leap in that regard, the Jets might be able to scheme around his limitations, lean into his strengths and have success with a very talented former top-12 pick who’s still only 26 years old.

Fowler: I am buying a low-cost duplex that I can rent out if I want to move. Look, Fields has a lot to offer — hard worker, liked by teammates, a willing leader and incredibly dynamic with plenty of arm strength. But we kind of know what he is at this point. He has 45 career starts and has won only 14 of them (not all his fault). He has never thrown more than 17 touchdown passes in a season and completes 61% of his throws.

Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Geno Smith have made QB resurgence trendy, and perhaps Fields is next in line. That would be a great story. But I’m somewhat reluctant to believe he can pass with consistent precision and touch throughout an NFL season. The Jets signed him as a bridge quarterback, and that’s what I think he is. But I’m very open to being wrong. What’s clear is that Fields’ supporting cast on offense is pretty good, particularly along the offensive line. Did Sunday change your perception of the Jets, Dan?

Graziano: Yes. I had been told to expect a slowed-down, ball-control, keep-away type of offense that relied on the run game (including Fields’ running ability) and didn’t ask a ton of Fields as a passer outside of key third-down situations. But it was clear Sunday that the Jets had done enough work with him as a passer that they trust him to throw it more than we expected. Garrett Wilson has true No. 1 wide receiver ability, and I know they like their running backs a lot.

I remain a little concerned about the loss of guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and its long-range impact on the offensive line, and I believe the Jets could use another reliable outside wide receiver to complement Wilson. But I thought the Jets’ offense looked better than the Steelers’ offense did Sunday, regardless of the final score.

Fowler: Fields’ performance was promising, and he looks capable of providing the Jets’ offense more versatility than I anticipated. But offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand also did a nice job keeping the game manageable for Fields, having him throw 22 times (vs. 39 team rushing attempts). Asking Fields to be a volume thrower could be problematic, but scheming easier throws to Wilson and impressive rookie tight end Mason Taylor will help the quarterback thrive.

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Which team’s RB hierarchy got some clarity in Week 1?

Fowler: The Bears-Vikings game was telling. Word out of Minnesota was that Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. would see a 50-50 split. That played out Monday night, with Mason getting 30 snaps to Jones’ 28. Mason is the younger (26) and more explosive runner at this stage, and he had 15 carries for 68 yards compared with Jones’ 23 yards on eight carries, though Jones added three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. I expect the even workload to continue, with Mason serving as the hammer and Jones the do-it-all option.

On the other side, D’Andre Swift logged 54 of Chicago’s 67 snaps. He’s clearly the No. 1 in a de facto contract year (the guaranteed money on his three-year deal is up after 2025).

Graziano: The Jaguars’ situation got a little bit clearer Sunday, when Travis Etienne Jr. got 19 of the team’s 26 running back touches. It got a lot clearer Monday night when they traded Tank Bigsby to the Eagles. That leaves them with Etienne, fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten and seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr.

Tuten is the big-play burner who could push for a more significant role as he learns the league and Jacksonville’s playbook. Allen is the Jaguars’ third-down pass-catching back. But for now, Etienne looks as if he best fits what they want to do on early downs, and I know they think his skill set fits well into their screen-game plans. The question will be whether Tuten can earn more touches as his rookie season goes on, or whether we’ll need to wait until 2026 to see what he can do.

Fowler: The hope is Tuten can become a similar home run hitter for Liam Coen in Jacksonville as Bucky Irving was for him last season in Tampa Bay, easing the load on Etienne. Irving and Tuten are fourth-round picks with a similar stature. That said, Etienne has found his 2022-23 groove again based on the open-field explosion he displayed in Week 1. Last season was a slog, but the traits are there. Coen is skilled at creating a successful run game.

I kept hearing how high Washington was on Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the preseason, and he delivered Sunday with 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. I’m expecting his momentum to continue. Austin Ekeler will remain a factor, and the Commanders trust Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Croskey-Merritt might not be the lead back yet, but he will be eventually. His teammates have been impressed by the patience and vision he showed when running with the first-team offense in camp.

Graziano: I tentatively agree. When Rodriguez was announced as inactive Sunday, it was a clear sign that Croskey-Merritt was in for a significant role. A tiny part of me wonders whether the Commanders might have Rodriguez up for Thursday night’s game with the Packers and give some other backs more work to avoid overloading Croskey-Merritt with two high-usage games in a five-day span. But I have no inside information to suggest that, and being in that locker room after Sunday’s game, I can say they were very happy with what they got from the seventh-round rookie. I expect him to be their main guy for the bulk of this season along with Ekeler, who has his own specific role.

We also came out of Week 1 certain that Javonte Williams is the Cowboys’ top running back — a position that should be more solidified after Miles Sanders‘ costly third-quarter fumble against the Eagles. Kenneth Gainwell should also have a significant role ahead of rookie Kaleb Johnson in Pittsburgh, at least in the short term while Johnson works on pass protection and other areas that need ironing out.

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What else are you hearing this week?

Graziano’s notes:

• The headline item from Tampa Bay’s season-opening victory over Atlanta might have been the two touchdown catches by rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. (Though I’ll not-so-humbly point out that if you read this column last week you shouldn’t have been surprised.) But the under-the-radar performance that had folks in the Buccaneers’ building beaming with pride was the way Graham Barton played left tackle in that game. He played left tackle at Duke but was taken in the first round of the 2024 draft to play center, which he did for the Bucs all of last season. When Tampa Bay got the news that starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs would miss the start of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery, its first instinct was to try Charlie Heck, the veteran swing tackle it signed in free agency, as Wirfs’ early-season replacement. But a couple of weeks into training camp, the Bucs tried out an alignment with Barton at left tackle, trying to figure out whether they could use it as a contingency plan in case of emergency or if something were to happen to Heck.

Thing is, Barton looked pretty good out there. And in the week that followed the Bucs’ roster cuts to 53 players, coach Todd Bowles and the offensive staff decided it was the best way for them to go in Week 1. So they practiced with Barton at left tackle, left guard Ben Bredeson at center and veteran Mike Jordan at left guard. Most impressively, they managed to keep the whole thing a secret until the offense ran out onto the field for the opener Sunday in Atlanta. Barton played well, they won the game, and I would expect them to use this same offensive line combo until Wirfs is ready to return from his injury. Barton might not be able to hold up at left tackle over an entire season, but it’s working so far as a patch, and the Bucs are thrilled to know he’s an option at other O-line spots besides center.

• Veteran pass rusher Von Miller — who is 36 years old and playing in his 15th NFL season — played a little more than 40% of the defensive snaps for the Commanders on Sunday. That’s a bit more than he played last season in Buffalo, and he anticipates being able to contribute at a higher level in Washington this year. “I’ll be three years removed from tearing my ACL in November,” Miller told me last week. “I tore the same ACL when I was 24 years old, and I guess I thought it would recover at the same speed it did then, but that wasn’t the case. Now I feel good, feel strong, ready to help this team win.”

Miller is a two-time Super Bowl champion who ranks 16th with 129.5 career sacks — just three behind Leslie O’Neal and Lawrence Taylor. He’s a surefire Hall of Famer with nothing left to prove in the league. I asked him what still drives him at this point. “I just love football, man,” he said. “I love all aspects about it. I love practice, watching film, being in the locker room with the guys. I guess if I got bored, I might want to do something other than this, but so far I haven’t. I just love it.”

• The Lions got a contract extension done with 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams, but they still haven’t reached agreement with their other 2022 first-rounder, Aidan Hutchinson, on a long-term deal. They’ve had productive talks but no agreement yet, and considering the extent to which the Micah Parsons deal set a new bar for edge rusher contracts, it could get complicated. The Lions have a lot of incentive to get this done before next spring, when their stellar 2023 draft class — including Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch — becomes extension-eligible for the first time. Lions GM Brad Holmes has been talking since the spring about the tough decisions Detroit might have to make as it works to get its young stars signed long-term. The Lions have drafted almost too well for their own good.

• The Jalen Carter discipline solution was an interesting one from a precedent standpoint. In the past, spitting incidents such as this one resulted in fines and not suspensions. The NFL announced Carter’s discipline as a one-game suspension without pay. The fine was equivalent to one-eighteenth of Carter’s base salary — so one game check — and the suspension was deemed to have already been served because Carter was ejected from the Eagles’ season opener before there had been a single play from scrimmage.

In its announcement of the suspension, the NFL specifically mentioned its renewed emphasis on policing unsportsmanlike acts this season. Putting two and two together, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that Carter’s punishment represents a new precedent and that unsportsmanlike acts that used to result in only fines could now carry the potential for suspension.

• The Chiefs are frustrated that injuries and other issues (i.e., the Rashee Rice suspension) have kept them from holding their wide receivers room together the past couple of years. They had a Xavier Worthy-heavy game plan designed for last Friday’s opener against the Chargers in Brazil, and after Worthy got injured on the game’s third play, the offense looked out of sync … because it was. The Chiefs consider former Patriots second-rounder Tyquan Thornton one of the pleasant surprises of their offseason, but the fact is, quarterback Patrick Mahomes hadn’t worked as much with him in practice as he had with Worthy. So just sending Thornton in to run Worthy’s plays didn’t work because Mahomes and Thornton didn’t have their timing down.

If Worthy has to miss time, the Chiefs hope and believe that the practice time with Mahomes will have better prepared him and Thornton to deliver on those downfield shots. Hollywood Brown will continue to be a big part of the game plan, and Kansas City expects more from the run game and Isiah Pacheco, who had a great camp and should be a bigger part of the offense moving forward. Pacheco and the entire offense had a frustrating opener, but Kansas City doesn’t believe that is reflective of where it is right now as a team.

• Fantasy football managers might not love hearing this, but the Steelers’ coaching staff was thrilled with the way Aaron Rodgers spread the ball around in Sunday’s victory over the Jets. The Steelers believe they have a collection of unselfish players on offense, and in their ideal world, they will continue to use all of them.

Example: Running back Kenneth Gainwell might have had a bigger role in the offense than many on the outside anticipated. But offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was extremely impressed with Gainwell in early preseason action and quickly identified him as a player who deserved a larger role. Gainwell also boosted his case with a huge forced fumble on a Jets kick return that helped get the Steelers back in the game in the fourth quarter. New WR1 DK Metcalf also impressed in his Steelers debut, and it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Rodgers work to get Metcalf heavily involved Sunday against Metcalf’s former team, the Seahawks.

• The offensive coordinator change in Houston didn’t get off to a stellar debut. Nick Caley and quarterback C.J. Stroud have some work to do to get fully on the same page, and the Texans will make a point to find ways to get top receiver Nico Collins more involved moving forward. Nobody in Houston is worried about the defense, which could be the best one in the league this season. But replacing Bobby Slowik with Caley was supposed to help boost the passing game, and that got off to a rough start in Sunday’s 14-9 loss to the Rams. Without a run game to stress opposing defenses, Stroud and Caley need to show improvement in the pass game quickly, especially if the Colts are going to be as strong a challenger in the AFC South as they looked Sunday.

• One thing that came out of the Bills’ comeback victory over the Ravens on Sunday night was validation about second-year wideout Keon Coleman, a player they believe has taken a major step forward in his second season. The Bills haven’t seemed to have a true No. 1 wide receiver since trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans in the 2024 offseason, but Coleman is the guy they believe can be that. And after a strong offseason, they were thrilled that he looked the part in the opener.

Fowler’s notes:

• The Packers-Commanders matchup on Thursday night is a Week 2 beauty, featuring two playoff teams that looked impressive in their openers. I’ll be at Lambeau Field for the action. We will have much more on that game Thursday, but here are a few notes to keep in mind:

• Every week, Packers coach Matt LaFleur asks running back Josh Jacobs how he’s feeling. It’s essentially code for “Are you ready for a big workload?” LaFleur has asked Jacobs this entering Thursday night, and Jacobs indeed wants a rather large volume of touches. In fact, Jacobs feels as if having a Thursday night game early in the season is good for a running back from a recovery standpoint. He saw several eight- and nine-man boxes last week against Detroit and might see the same against Washington.

• The Commanders will be all-in on stopping Jacobs, but tight end Tucker Kraft has the defense’s full attention. Washington’s defensive players feel that he’s the full package and will be a big factor in the outcome of the game.

• Deebo Samuel‘s presence paid off Sunday with seven catches for 77 yards. As one Commanders player told me, the passing game’s biggest strength (aside from Jayden Daniels) is that they “are not redundant,” and Samuel embodies that. Samuel is tough to account for because of his tailback/receiver combo skills. Washington is seeing the benefits of that early. After all, Green Bay wasn’t the only team to make a splash trade before the season; Washington acquired Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil in offseason deals.

• Staying on Green Bay, I’m told pass rusher Rashan Gary — who produced 1.5 sacks Sunday against Detroit — was a part of Dallas’ internal trade discussion on the Micah Parsons deal. The Cowboys were looking to add a premier defensive player, and Gary’s name came up in the building before the move. The Cowboys ultimately wanted Kenny Clark, focused on defensive tackle play and run stopping, but Gary as a Cowboy was at least a notion kicked around at The Star. Despite losing Clark, Green Bay now has a vicious three-man pass rush with Parsons, Gary and Lukas Van Ness, who can play inside or outside.

• The Browns looked fully capable of winning games based on Sunday’s performance against Cincinnati. Joe Flacco looked crisp, and young receivers Cedric Tillman and Harold Fannin Jr. have big upside. But the key for Cleveland is a defense that’s showing shades of the vaunted 2023 attack under Jim Schwartz. Holding Joe Burrow to 113 passing yards is an impressive feat. Cornerback Denzel Ward told me last week that his defense can “go out there and lead the team” weekly.

“We can be a special defense. … We have the right guys in the building and are capable of doing it,” Ward said. “We just have to go out there and put it on tape to get back to where we were.” Slot cornerback is still a mild concern, but the defensive front is plenty deep, and rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger has impressed in a hurry.

• The sense from around the league is that Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward performed much better than his stat line (12-of-28, 112 passing yards). Playing a top-five defense in a hostile Denver environment and working with a receiving corps that committed several drops was a lot to overcome for Ward, who hung in the pocket and delivered several high-difficulty throws. As one NFL coordinator who watched the game said: “I think he is super talented and will have a great year. When he had time, he was accurate with unquestionable poise for a young QB. Athletic enough to stay alive to make off-script plays down the field. He is aggressive for a young guy, which will surprise lots of teams.”

• The Panthers could tweak their defensive personnel in light of their Week 1 struggles in Jacksonville. Coach Dave Canales said publicly that he’d like to see young players get more snaps. I anticipate rookie edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen getting a harder look this week. They played 18 and eight snaps, respectively, last week. This would be an upside play to see if the Panthers can generate pass rush after a zero-sack debut against the Jaguars.

Travis Kelce took responsibility for injuring Xavier Worthy during a play in the Kansas City Chiefs‘ season opener in São Paulo, saying Wednesday that there is “no excuse” for what happened and why the injury occurred.

Kelce shared his perspective during the “New Heights” podcast he co-hosts with Jason Kelce, his brother, when discussing the Chiefs’ 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night. Travis Kelce said he took the “most accountability” himself for the defeat as one of the team’s main leaders.

“I ran into one of my guys and offed him out of the game; I literally took one of my players out,” Kelce said of Worthy. “That’s one of the most frustrating parts, and it’s hard to get your juices back going knowing you just hurt a guy.”

Worthy, a second-year player who is the team’s fastest receiver, suffered a right shoulder injury while running a crossing route to gain separation against the Chargers’ man-to-man coverage. He collided with Kelce, who was running a crossing route in the opposite direction. Worthy fell to the turf in pain and didn’t return to the game.

“I’m 13 years in the league. There’s no excuse for me running into my own guys like that.”

Travis Kelce

Before Wednesday’s practice, coach Andy Reid said that Worthy doesn’t need surgery and that the team doesn’t plan to place him on injured reserve. If Worthy, who didn’t participate in Wednesday’s on-field work, is not available for Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs hope he can return in a couple of weeks.

“[He’s] doing better and making progress,” Reid said. “He’s just rehabbing here.”

Without Worthy, the Chiefs fell behind by 10 points early in the second quarter to the Chargers, who forced quarterback Patrick Mahomes to finish Friday’s game with 39 passing attempts. Many of Mahomes’ 14 attempts in the second quarter showed how much the Chiefs’ offense changed without Worthy. Mahomes completed 10 of those passes, but his average depth of target was just 4.1 yards, a clear contrast to his 15 air yards per pass attempt in the first quarter.

“I’m supposed to be running my route at depth for Worthy, so it’s frustrating for me,” Kelce said. “I was trying to kind of set up my guy to be able to get in a position, and it all just happened pretty quick. And I just got to be better, man. I’m 13 years in the league.

“There’s no excuse for me running into my own guys like that. Worthy has his guy beat and we’re out the gate, and that game starts completely different.”

The Chiefs are optimistic Worthy could be uniform in Week 4 on Sept. 28 against the Baltimore Ravens, a source told ESPN.

“I’m not sure where he’s at health wise, but I’m hoping that we get him back as fast as possible because he means so much to this team,” Kelce said. “I can see that guy and how hard he works, and I can see his game getting better, and I know he’s going to take the league by storm when he gets back.”

The Chiefs were already short-handed at receiver with rookie Jalen Royals not making the trip to Brazil because of a knee injury and Rashee Rice serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Kelce gave credit to receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton for stepping up after Worthy’s injury. Hollywood Brown led the Chiefs with 10 receptions for 99 yards.

“They kept us in the game there,” Reid said Wednesday of the trio. “I thought they did well catching the ball and a few yards after the catch. It was good to get [Brown] back in the swing.”

PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers took four sacks in his Steelers debut, but the quarterback said Wednesday that his back was “a little tight” and limited his mobility, contributing to breakdowns in pass protection against the Jets.

Rodgers didn’t miss any practice leading up to Sunday’s season opener, and he wasn’t on the injury report.

“I don’t think I was moving that well, so I think I ran kind of into at least one or two sacks,” Rodgers said. “I got to do a better job of using my legs. I might be old, but I still feel like I can move around pretty good, and I wasn’t moving the way I usually like to move.

“I thought the protection was good for most of the game. There’s a couple fundamental things to clean up, but [offensive line coach] Pat [Meyer]’s taking care of those guys, and I just got to get the ball out.”

Rodgers’ day didn’t get off to an auspicious start when he was sacked on the Steelers’ first play. Nose tackle Quinnen Williams pushed through left tackle Broderick Jones, corralled Rodgers by the waist and brought him to the ground as the pocket collapsed.

“That’s probably the most stressful thing on us is, and to start the game off like that,” offensive tackle Troy Fautanu said Wednesday. “Obviously, if you start a game off like that it can’t get any worse. … I felt like we did a better job going into the game as we settled in.”

On Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin emphasized the importance of protecting Rodgers in the Steelers’ home opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

“I’d like to see us do a better job of protecting Aaron, particularly on play pass,” Tomlin said. “You absorb certain risk executing play pass in an effort to get yards in chunks, but that risk shouldn’t manifest itself in the form of multiple sacks like it did when you’re prepared and in good. As a staff and as a collective, we got to be a little bit better in that space.”

Jones gave up three sacks in his first game as the team’s starting left tackle after spending the bulk of his first two seasons at right, but even so, Rodgers expressed confidence in the 2023 first-round pick.

“I really like Brod,” Rodgers said. “I’ve gotten to know him during training camp, and I like what he is about. I like his attitude. He’s a genuinely positive guy, and I got a lot of confidence in him watching my back.”

Jones was blunt in his assessment of his game.

“I got to be better,” he said. “Just got to continue to focus. I can’t put that on tape. I know that. Everybody knows that. We just can’t have that performance again.”

For Jones and the entire offensive line, there’s an adjustment and an added pressure that comes with protecting Rodgers. In Jones’ previous seasons, he worked with more mobile — and younger — quarterbacks in Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Last season, Wilson was sacked at least four times in five different games, while Fields was sacked four times only once.

Not only is Rodgers a different style of quarterback, but he’s also the oldest at 41 years old.

“He’s really not a mobile threat to anyone,” Jones said with a chuckle. “Even though he [could] still tuck it and run one of these days, you just got to be prepared. But he’s an older quarterback. He’s seasoned in the game. We just got to continue to try and keep him upright, give him enough time to make his reads and put the ball on the money we need him to.”

One target Rodgers will be looking for again this weekend is wide receiver DK Metcalf, who will face the team that selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft and traded him to the Steelers this offseason.

Even with his history, Metcalf isn’t adding any extra significance to this game.

“Ain’t no extra juice,” he said. “It’s just another team on the schedule that just so happens to be playing the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

England fell to a 14-run defeat to South Africa in a farcically short first T20I against South Africa ravaged by rain in Cardiff.

Persistent downpours delayed the start of the game by two hours and 20 minutes, leaving only a nine-overs-a-side contest possible.

Aiden Markram (28 off 14 balls) and Donovan Ferreira (25 not out off 11) powered South Africa to 97-5 in 7.5 overs before another deluge brought their innings to a premature halt.

The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method saw England set a revised target of 69 from five overs, but their chase never ignited after Phil Salt fell to the first ball.

Jacob Bethell managed seven, while captain Harry Brook departed for a three-ball duck as England slumped to 28-3 inside three overs.

The quickfire dismissals of Jos Buttler and Tom Banton from successive deliveries sealed England’s fate as they finished 14 runs short of victory on 54-5 after five overs.

England lose rain-affected first T20

England made a late change to their XI, replacing Jofra Archer with Luke Wood due to conditions.

After winning the toss, Harry Brook opted to chase, and Wood struck second ball – removing Ryan Rickelton for a golden duck and Lhuan-dre Pretorius soon after.

Markram was dropped twice before falling at the third attempt to a fine Brook catch for 28. Dewald Brevis blasted three sixes before Sam Curran marked his first England appearance in nearly a year with his wicket.

Tristan Stubbs added 13 before being bowled by Jamie Overton, and an unbeaten 25 from Ferreira saw England set a tough 69 from 30 balls to win.

Kagiso Rabada was back in the Proteas attack after missing the ODI series and removed Salt with his first ball.

England’s hopes were effectively ended when Buttler, having hit three sixes and one four in his 25, snicked Marco Jansen behind from the final ball of the penultimate over.

Banton departed next ball and, despite some final-over resistance from Curran, England came up short.

Brook: Can’t read too much into defeat

England captain Harry Brook: “We can’t really read into that too much, to be honest. There was a lot going on throughout the game.

“It was very wet in patches. That’s for the big dogs above me to make those decisions… we’ve just got to go out there and try to perform as best we can, and we didn’t execute as well as we could have done.”

Markram: It felt like madness

South Africa captain Aiden Markram: “It was tough with the way things unfolded. It felt like madness, to be honest.

“Waiting for most of the day, the next thing you know you’re out on the park and doing battle.

“I’m happy with the guys for getting a pretty good score on the board, and then the bowlers had good plans and executed them more often that not, which was pleasing.”

England vs South Africa – results and fixtures

All games live on Sky Sports, all times UK and Ireland 🕰️

• First T20: South Africa won by 14 runs 🟢
• Second T20: Friday September 12 (6.30pm) – Emirates Old Trafford
• Third T20: Sunday September 14 (2.30pm) – Trent Bridge

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their Week 2 meeting with the New Orleans Saints with the anticipation that quarterback Brock Purdy will not be available.

Purdy, who is dealing with left shoulder and toe injuries, is a “long shot” to play against the Saints, coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday.

Purdy is not expected to practice on Wednesday, and Shanahan said it’s possible that Purdy’s toe injury, which is the main concern, could keep him out for multiple games.

Mac Jones, who signed with the Niners as a free agent in March, would start in Purdy’s place if he is ruled out.

CHICAGO — Former Cubs All-Star Anthony Rizzo is returning to the organization as an ambassador for the club and will retire as a Cub during an on-field ceremony at Wrigley Field before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Rizzo, 36, played 14 years in MLB including a decade with the Cubs where he made three All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves. His biggest accomplishment was helping lead Chicago to a World Series title in 2016, its first for the organization in 108 years. He played his final 3½ seasons for the New York Yankees after being traded there in the summer of 2021.

“Anthony Rizzo was the face of one of the most successful eras in Chicago Cubs history and we are so excited he will be a part of our organization for many years to come,” Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “His play on the field spoke for itself and was recognized with multiple All-Star appearances, Gold Glove Awards, the Roberto Clemente Award and, ultimately, being a team leader on the 2016 World Series championship team.”

There will only ever be one Anthony Rizzo. pic.twitter.com/d3APSO3QWf

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 10, 2025

Rizzo has a career .828 OPS including 303 home runs. His first homer came as a member of the San Diego Padres after being traded there from the Boston Red Sox who drafted him in 2007. The Cubs acquired him via trade in 2012, shortly before his career took off. By 2014, he was a mainstay at first base for the Cubs who would make the postseason every year from 2015-18 with Rizzo as one of the faces of the franchise. He earned MVP votes in five consecutive seasons while hitting 30 or more home runs in four of those years — not an easy task for a left-handed hitter at Wrigley Field.

Rizzo was a key player for the Cubs during the 2016 postseason, hitting .360 with a .484 on-base percentage against Cleveland in the World Series after hitting .320 in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He teamed with third baseman Kris Bryant to form a dynamic duo in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup, eventually taking home the team’s first title in over a century.

Rizzo has been known for his off-the-field work with cancer patients as much as for his on-the-field accolades. A cancer survivor himself, Rizzo created the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation with its sole purpose to service kids with cancer. In 2017, he was honored as the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, the highest community service honor awarded by the league.

Rizzo joins other Cubs ambassadors including Andre Dawson, Ryan Dempster, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Billy Williams, Kerry Wood and Ben Zobrist.

Team USA captain Keegan Bradley insists he “doesn’t care” about how Team Europe are preparing for the Ryder Cup and has confirmed he is “pretty set” with his pairing plans for Bethpage Black.

Bradley is looking to regain the trophy for the United States and continue home dominance in the event, with Luke Donald’s European team arriving as defending champions after their 16.5-11.5 victory in the 2023 contest.

Team Europe retained 11 of the 12-man roster from their Rome success, with Rasmus Hojgaard replacing twin brother Nicolai as the only change, while Donald returns as back-to-back captain and targeting a first away win since the 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’.

Rory McIlroy told Sky Sports earlier this week he felt Team Europe were still the underdogs heading into an away Ryder Cup in New York, despite having the more experienced line-up, a notion that Bradley has played down.

“To be honest with you, I really don’t care what they [Team Europe] are doing,” Bradley said ahead of the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship, live from Thursday on Sky Sports, where 10 of his team are competing. “I really don’t care what Team Europe does.

“All I know is that, when I look at their team, I see maybe the best European Ryder Cup team ever. They’re really deep from top to bottom. They’ve got major champions and Rory’s having an historical year.

“They [Europe] are a confident group – they should be. They won the last Ryder Cup, their team is solid. Luke Donald is maybe the best captain ever and somebody that I’ve always looked up to. They should be confident but I really don’t care what they say about us – I only care about our team.”

Xander Schauffele is missing the Procore Championship due to the birth of his child and Bryson DeChambeau is ineligible due to him being a LIV Golf League player, although the two-time US Open champion has been in California this week to attend Team USA events.

“He [DeChambeau] has been incredible,” Bradley added. “He’s been more than willing to go above and beyond for this team. I think it’s a testament to what a good team-mate Bryson is.”

All 10 of Bradley’s players in the field at the Silverado Resort have been drawn alongside at least one of their United States team-mates over the first two rounds, with Bradley having a strong idea on who he will pair together when the Ryder Cup begins on September 26.

“We’re 90 per cent I’d say,” Bradley said. “One of our goals was to have the guys prepared, ready to know who they’re playing with. Especially in alternate shot, I think that’s more important.

“I think best ball you can have a little more leeway there, but we’re pretty set here with what we’re going to do.”

Bradley added: “We really have a group of a great team. These guys really care about one another, they treat each other with respect. It’s the closest team I’ve ever seen.

“Our Presidents Cup team last year was easily the best team room I’ve ever been a part of – something that you really dream about as a kid with these team events. This group looks a little different on paper but it’s still the same dynamic.

“This group of players, they’re truly friends and they’re friends off the golf course. In my teams that I played in before this, I don’t know if we exactly had that as much as this group does. They really care about one another.

“The thing that I’ve noticed is they really pull for each other and they want each other to do well. When I was playing, I wasn’t really pulling for anybody, I was wanting to beat and play my best. These guy are genuinely excited for their friend that wins a tournament and that’s really great.”

Who will win the Procore Championship? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday with Featured Groups from 9pm, ahead of full coverage from 11pm.

How can I watch the next Ryder Cup?

Sky Sports will continue to be the home of the Ryder Cup, with all three days of the 2025 event exclusively live.

There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, with round-the-clock coverage then live from 9am from Friday September 26. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

With just two rounds left of the 2025 Super League season, the top six is really starting to shape up…

There are still seven teams in the frame for play-off rugby, with Hull KR, Wigan Warriors, Leigh Leopards, Leeds Rhinos and St Helens secure.

That final spot? That will be taken by Hull FC or Wakefield Trinity.

While most of the names embarking on the road to the Grand Final might be secure, there is still uncertainty about who will finish where in the table.

So, with our mathematical heads on, let’s have a look at how this can all play out…

League Leaders’ Shield: Hull KR’s to lose!

The maths is very simple for Hull KR. Win one of their remaining fixtures against Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves and the League Leaders’ Shield is theirs for the first time in the club’s history.

They will have secured the double after their Challenge Cup success, something Robins fans have dreamt of for so long.

If they do slip up and lose both their remaining regular-round fixtures, then Wigan Warriors would need to win both of their final matches against Castleford Tigers and Leeds Rhinos by some margin to overcome the 113 points difference in KR’s favour.

Simply put: They have one hand on the trophy and are just waiting until they can make it two.

Second spot? Three teams at play

Now the race for second spot is where things get very, very interesting. Remember, this means a guaranteed home semi-final and a week off: It is gold dust.

Wigan are currently holding that spot on 38 points. Leeds Rhinos follow them on 36 with Leigh Leopards on 35.

If Wigan win both of their matches, one of which is against the Rhinos, then second spot and that coveted week off is theirs.

If they win only one match, then things start to get intriguing. That would move them onto 40 points and if the Rhinos were to win both their remaining fixtures, inflicting a loss on Matt Peet’s side, they would move onto 40 points too.

Then it would come down to points difference, with only 65 points separating the two in Wigan’s favour.

Meanwhile, Leigh Leopards need to win their last two matches to move onto 39 points and hope both Leeds Rhinos lose to Catalans and then beat Wigan. They need the Warriors to slip up twice.

Three horses in the race with two rounds to go – what more could you want?

Middle of the pack!

If the Leopards slip up at all, then they will be consigned to the middle of the pack alongside St Helens. These two sides meet in Round 26 on Friday and if the Leopards win that but then lose to Huddersfield, they will be on 37 points.

This will be enough for fourth spot but whether it is enough for third will come down to how Leeds fare.

However, if Leigh lose to St Helens and Huddersfield, with the Saints beating the Leopards and Castleford Tigers, St Helens would usurp the Leopards.

Whoever takes fourth rather than fifth will clinch a home play-off tie which could be absolutely massive.

The battle for sixth: Hull FC vs Wakefield Trinity

Two teams. One spot. Who takes it?

I bet there are nerves among Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity fans as they wait to see if they have made it into the play-offs.

Wakefield Trinity sit on 26 points with two matches remaining, with Hull on 25 points.

For Trinity, the equation is a simple one: Beat Wigan and Salford Red Devils and play-off rugby is theirs.

If they lose one of those clashes, they will need Hull FC to lose to either Warrington Wolves or Catalans Dragons but if the Black and Whites do not slip up, then they will take over Wakefield in the final moments of the season.

So, if both teams win both matches, Wakefield progress.

If both teams lose both matches, Wakefield progress.

If both teams win only one match, Wakefield progress.

Only in the equation where John Cartwright’s Hull side win more do they get to go through. They need to either win twice and Wakefield only win once or win once and Trinity lose both.

Advantage Wakefield?

Watch every Super League game live on Sky Sports. Two matches in each round are exclusively live, with the remaining four fixtures shown on Sky Sports+ via the red button.

Week 1 is in the books, and the best part about Week 1 is that it tempts us to make sweeping overreactions about teams’ outlooks. A half-dozen teams look primed for a triumphant march to Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 for Super Bowl LX. A half-dozen others need a full-scale teardown. Your favorite player is either headed for NFL Honors or the bench, with little middle ground.

None of this is truly applicable. It’s Week 1. How else would you explain that the man who nearly broke the NFL rushing record last season, Saquon Barkley, managed 60 rushing yards vs. a subpar Dallas run defense on Thursday night? The road to the playoffs is rarely linear.

But what’s certain: Championships require individual brilliance from star players.

That’s where we come in, asking executives and scouts to sort out who will be holding the hardware when the 2025 season ends. From MVP to rookie of the year and top coach, few of the major awards offer clear consensus, which leaves room for a few surprises.

Jump to:
MVP | OPOY | DPOY | OROY | DROY
Comebacks | Breakouts | Top coach

Winning a third MVP would put Jackson in an exclusive club of quarterbacks: Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas.

He nearly pulled off the feat last season, but Buffalo’s Josh Allen outdistanced him in the voting, which is fitting because Allen had 424 total yards (30 rushing) and four total touchdowns (two rushing) Sunday vs. Jackson’s Ravens at home. Jackson had three touchdowns (one rushing) of his own, along with 209 passing yards on 19 attempts — 27 fewer than Allen — and 70 rushing yards.

Although Allen made a compelling opening case to go back-to-back — “he’s the ultimate difference-maker,” an NFL personnel evaluator noted postgame — Jackson figures to be in the race because of a few factors: His dual-threat ability typically keeps his touchdown total high, he consistently wins games (.736 career win percentage) and he limits turnovers, averaging one interception roughly every third game since 2024.

And he’s coming off his first 4,000-yard passing season, a good sign for his relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

“His supporting cast is really good, and he’s improving from the pocket,” an AFC executive said. “Playing better in the big games in January will always be the thing with him, but I feel like that’s a matter of time.”

His multiple turnovers in last season’s divisional-round loss to Buffalo still sting, but when it comes to the regular season, Jackson’s an elite producer.

Also receiving votes: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)

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This award belongs mostly to non-quarterbacks. Since Patrick Mahomes won in 2018, a receiver or running back has taken home the past six OPOY awards.

But league personnel find themselves wanting to find a spot for Daniels when it comes to individual accolades. Some are hesitant to put him firmly in the MVP market, which Allen, Jackson and Mahomes have cornered since 2022.

But an important criterion for such voting is how a player elevates his team and instills belief. Not many are doing that like Daniels of late.

“Combining the throwing talent with running ability plus adding another underneath RAC weapon [Deebo Samuel] will keep him in the conversation,” an AFC executive said. “I think you could have made the argument for him last year for MVP given how he turned that thing around and how well he played. I’m banking on another Year 2 jump.”

Daniels’ understated impact was on display Sunday against the Giants at home. In a performance with modest passing numbers (19-of-30, 233 yards, one touchdown), Daniels completed at least two passes to five receivers, including seven for 77 yards to Samuel on a team-high 10 targets.

Also receiving votes: Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens), Mahomes, Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles), Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals), Burrow, Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions)

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Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II is firmly in this conversation again after winning the award in 2024. He pushed Garrett in the voting. Denver’s defense is among the league’s best, and Surtain is the catalyst, a true lockdown corner.

But pass rushers tend to dominate this award, and no pass rusher is more menacing right now than Garrett. Atop the Bengals’ scouting report Sunday was neutralizing Garrett, who still managed 2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits.

Garrett’s relentless motor has him hurtling toward a fifth consecutive season with at least 14 sacks. Last season, Garrett led the NFL in tackles for loss (22) on his way to back-to-back All-Pro nods.

“He’s the ultimate game-plan wrecker,” an NFC personnel evaluator said.

“He’s still in his prime [29], so he should have at least a few years of dominant production,” an NFC personnel evaluator said. “One thing that hurts him is the Browns could be playing from behind a lot. But that hasn’t stopped him before.”

Also receiving votes: Surtain, Micah Parsons (Green Bay Packers), Travon Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars)

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Several rookies have a strong case, resulting in a lack of consensus among the voters. At least seven players among the top 40 picks received at least one vote. Evaluators project a big year for Colts tight end Tyler Warren, who pushed for the top spot.

But Hampton has a few things going for him. HIs offensive coordinator is Greg Roman, whose love for the run game runs deep. Najee Harris sat out all of camp because of an eye issue, and though he’s back, Hampton is well-positioned as a primary back, resulting in 17 touches for 61 yards in his Week 1 debut vs. Kansas City.

“He’s on a team that’s had playoff success and is going to run the football,” an AFC scout said. “He’s a perfect back for that offense. Ashton Jeanty is a good player, but I’m not sure the Raiders will be good enough.”

Also, many evaluators say they believe Emeka Egbuka is destined to drive award-season conversations in the future. He received several votes alongside Warren, and those were before his two-touchdown debut in Atlanta.

Also receiving votes: Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts), Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Travis Hunter (Jacksonville Jaguars), TreVeyon Henderson (New England Patriots), Ashton Jeanty (Las Vegas Raiders), Matthew Golden (Green Bay Packers), RJ Harvey (Denver Broncos)

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Micah Parsons burst onto the NFL scene in 2021 as a feared pass rusher out of Penn State. Carter has a chance to replicate his fellow Nittany Lion’s impact in the NFC East, the division that Parsons, a former Dallas Cowboy, once dominated.

Carter’s pass-rush prowess was on display during the preseason, and with a deep Giants defensive line that features Dexter Lawrence II and Brian Burns, Carter should get his share of one-on-one matchups.

“He can be an All-Pro in the relatively near future,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “It’s all set up for him.”

Carter’s half-sack debut Sunday vs. Washington belies his true impact. He was constantly applying pressure on the pocket with an array of pass moves and Gumby-like bends off the edge.

Although the voting for offensive rookie of the year was close, Carter dominated the DPOY discussion, earning more than 50% of the votes.

Also receiving votes: Kenneth Grant (Miami Dolphins), Jordan Burch (Arizona Cardinals), Jalon Walker (Atlanta Falcons), Malaki Starks (Baltimore Ravens), Will Johnson (Cardinals)

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Several star players more accomplished than McCarthy are returning from significant injury and are in line to make a run at the comeback award. But McCarthy enters his first year starting in an ideal situation to maximize his skill set.

The Vikings are a playoff contender and believe they can build a Super Bowl-caliber roster with a starting quarterback under the low-cost rookie wage scale. McCarthy also benefits from sitting and watching behind the scenes for a year because of his season-ending knee injury suffered in the 2024 preseason.

Also, any young quarterback should hope to have a top-flight wide receiver (Justin Jefferson) and tight end (T.J. Hockenson) the way McCarthy does.

“[Kevin] O’Connell will get the best out of him, and he’s got enough talent around him where he doesn’t have to do it all,” an AFC executive said. “They should support him with a strong running game.”

McCarthy already was the pick before Monday night’s win over Chicago, but his three-touchdown second half (two passing, one rushing) to erase an 11-point deficit punctuated his case.

Also receiving votes: Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), Aidan Hutchinson (Detroit Lions)

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This category is tricky because of the threshold for what classifies as a “breakout.” Two players who received multiple votes here are New York’s Malik Nabers and Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr., who already broke out as rookies in 2024 with 1,200-plus receiving yards each.

So, we asked voters for change-of-pace options, players who are set up for Year 2 or 3 success. Pearsall emerged, coming off a 108-yard season debut in Seattle. The former first-round pick’s rookie campaign was derailed by a gunshot wound to the chest from an attempted robbery in August 2024. He also has dealt with hamstring issues and a shoulder subluxation.

“I am high on Ricky and he should see plenty of targets — he has to prove he can stay healthy, though,” an NFC exec said.

Pearsall figures to be a primary target for Brock Purdy through the first half of 2025. Jauan Jennings sat out most of camp and is dealing with a shoulder injury, and tight end George Kittle just went on injured reserve because of a hamstring issue.

Also receiving votes: Bo Nix (Denver Broncos), Calijah Kancey (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Tyler Guyton (Dallas Cowboys), Riley Moss (Broncos), Calen Bullock (Houston Texans)

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The Chiefs are sitting on nine consecutive AFC West titles. The Chargers showed Friday night why that streak could be in jeopardy.

Harbaugh has changed the equation in Los Angeles, which is 12-6 since he took over. After last week’s win over Kansas City in Sao Paulo, Harbaugh is 6-0 in Week 1 dating to his San Francisco days.

“He has a team that can win the West, which would be an accomplishment,” an NFC executive said. “He has that team playing with an edge “

Evaluators noted that the offense appears to be evolving in Roman’s second year as playcaller. Justin Herbert was a crisp 25-of-34 for 318 yards, three passing touchdowns and 32 rushing yards. Last season, Herbert averaged fewer than 30 passing attempts per game since Los Angeles leaned heavily on the run. The Chargers were unafraid to pass the ball late in the game and with the lead Thursday night. That shows Harbaugh’s ability to adapt.

Harbaugh has won everywhere he has been, so the momentum he has built in Los Angeles should be no surprise.

Also receiving votes: Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks), Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots), Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys)

Pep Guardiola sought a challenge at every stop of his managerial career. Whether it was swapping Barcelona B for Barcelona after just one season, moving to Bayern Munich or taking on the Premier League with Manchester City, he has usually come out on top.

On his first day at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, he admitted that, despite trophies in Spain and Germany, the question on everyone’s lips ahead of his arrival in England was: “How good is Pep?” He has already answered it once with 18 trophies in nine years in Manchester.

But amid a swirl of change at City and at the center of English soccer, he’s facing the prospect of having to answer it all over again. In a career full of challenges, this is perhaps one of the biggest yet.

Had things played out differently, Guardiola might already be enjoying his retirement on a beach in the Maldives or a golf course in Portugal. He chose to stay at City, in part, because the beginning of this past season — only the second to end without a trophy during his spell at the Etihad — was so difficult and he didn’t want to leave the club in a mess. It appears he also realized the club would find it far easier to hand over to a new manager in a summer that didn’t include the added complication of a Club World Cup.

Having decided to stay and sign a contract extension until 2027, he has taken on the task of trying to build another title-winning team. It’s just that the landscape now is very different.

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Of the squad he picked for the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul just two years ago, 15 players — including Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gündogan — have either left or been moved out to the fringes.

It’s not just the personnel who have changed. At the same time as dealing with huge squad turnover, Guardiola is also trying to adapt to what he views as a shift in the balance of the Premier League.

At one point this past season when discussing the success of teams like Newcastle, Bournemouth and Brighton, he said that “modern football is not positional, you have to ride the rhythm.” It was quite the admission from a coach who has built an empire on a strict framework of positions and movements.

After City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in February, he said his “tactics don’t work like they used to.” Earlier this season he insisted he would “never ever change his beliefs” and still likes his team to make “a thousand, million passes.”

It seems, though, he has reached an acceptance that he has to change with the times.

This season, he’s trying to marry his own desire for control with more high pressing and quicker, more direct attacks to mirror what’s happening elsewhere in the league. It’s one of the reasons he picked Pep Lijnders as his assistant after the Dutchman played such a key role in developing Jürgen Klopp’s “heavy metal” style at Liverpool.

It’s a nice idea, trying to merge elements of two of the most successful teams in the modern Premier League era, but it has come with some teething problems.

After starting with an eye-catching 4-0 win at Wolves to open the 2025-26 season, City lost their next two games. In defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, they conceded almost identical goals when fast breaks exploited gaping holes at the back — gaps made more pronounced by the high defensive line favored by Lijnders.

It’s something Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will have no doubt noticed ahead of the Manchester derby at the Etihad on Sunday. City will kick off against United one point and four places below their neighbors in the table. They’re already six points behind champions Liverpool, who can now call on new £125 million striker Alexander Isak after the international break.

No team since Manchester United in 1992-93 has lost two of their first three games and still gone on to win the league. Even at this early stage, there’s a lot of ground to make up if Guardiola wants to regain the trophy he lifted six times in seven years between 2017 and 2024.

But if it’s not going to be this season for City and Guardiola, then when? Guardiola has a contract for the next two years, but staff have given up trying to predict when he might call it quits.

There’s a feeling in some corners of the City Football Academy that this could yet be his last season. There are others who feel that, even though he has admitted he’s approaching the end, the 54-year-old could still be convinced to sign another new contract. That would depend very much on his own energy levels and whether the working relationship with director of football Hugo Viana — who has taken over from Guardiola’s great friend Txiki Begiristain — is running smoothly.

Either way, City bosses decided a long time ago that Guardiola has earned the right to decide how and when he goes. He has accepted that this past season was so bad in terms of City’s specific goals that he might have been axed by any other top club.

At the end of his 26 years at United, Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out as a champion after winning the title in 2013. Guardiola’s achievements deserve the same finale.

To give himself the perfect send-off he’ll need to piece together another great team capable of thriving in a different age of the Premier League. It’s another big challenge to tick off the list.

Southampton
vs Portsmouth. Sky Bet Championship.

12:00pm, Sunday 14th September 2025.

St. Mary’s Stadium.

Utah‘s mission to reboot its offense started with adding a quarterback-coordinator combination from New Mexico, as Devon Dampier and Jason Beck made their way to Salt Lake City.

But the Utes also needed playmakers to surround Dampier. Their search led them to the transfer portal, naturally, but also to their own roster and, ultimately, to the other side of the ball.

Smith Snowden, who started at nickel in 2024 and had 10 passes defended, and linebacker Lander Barton, the team’s tackles leader in fall 2024 who had six passes defended, were the top options.

“Obviously Travis Hunter last year, the success he had, winning the Heisman [Trophy], that struck a chord with a lot of coaches, taking them through their roster: Who do we have that can contribute both ways?” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told ESPN. “The bottom line is: What’s going to help you win games? It’s not the novelty of having a two-way guy. Who’s going to give us the best chance to win?”

Hunter’s surge to the 2024 Heisman at Colorado, while playing full time on both offense and defense, might have nudged coaches to expand their view of what was possible for the right players. Although Hunter did things not thought possible in the modern era of college football — he played 2,625 snaps in two seasons at Colorado, leading the FBS in both 2023 and 2024 — his success is already increasing opportunities for others.

Utah opened the season with a 43-10 win at UCLA, in which Snowden led the team in receiving and added a rushing touchdown while Barton caught a touchdown pass from Dampier. Safety Jackson Bennee also had a 17-yard reception. In Week 2, Snowden had two rushes, three catches and two tackles.

Your eyes do not deceive you… that is, in fact, CORNERBACK Smith Snowden scoring a rushing touchdown for @Utah_Football 👀#Big12FB | 📺 @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/Ih38m3CHze

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 31, 2025

“Travis Hunter really set the standard for it,” Snowden said. “He opened a lot of doors for younger athletes that can’t decide if they want to play offense or defense.”

Maybe they don’t have to anymore.

The Utes’ crew is among a small but growing group of players with the license to play both ways. Minnesota sophomore Koi Perich, a first-team All-Big Ten defensive back in 2024 who also stood out on returns, is carving out a bigger role with the Gophers offense. Vanderbilt defensive back Martel Hight, an All-SEC return specialist this past season, is on a similar path as a wide receiver.

They’re all occupying expanded roles, at least in part, because of the Travis Hunter effect.

“It’s starting to open up,” Hight told ESPN. “I’m pretty sure the coaches, they see guys doing it and it probably opens their eyes.”

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DURING VANDERBILT’S WINTER conditioning session, Hight was running gassers — sprints across the width of the field — when Jerry Kill, a senior offensive advisor and chief consultant to coach Clark Lea, walked over.

“[Kill] grabbed me and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a starting receiver for me,’” Hight said.

Hight came to Vanderbilt as an ESPN 300 recruit and the nation’s No. 33 cornerback out of Rome, Georgia. Like many high school standouts, he played both defense and offense and even faced Travis Hunter when their Georgia high schools played.

“I scored on him, ran him over, he caught a pass on me my junior year, and it was a pretty good catch,” Hight said. “We’ve always kind of had this little back and forth. It was never any trash-talking or anything. We just kept it cordial.”

Hight, however, arrived at Vanderbilt with a clear role on defense. In 2023, he became the first freshman in team history to record a pick-six. He continued to display good ball skills on defense last year, while becoming a bigger factor on punt returns, averaging 14.7 yards with a touchdown, and earning second-team All-SEC honors. After the offseason interaction with Kill, Hight emphasized his desire to play offense to the coaches, and then began running routes with starting quarterback Diego Pavia in spring practice.

“I don’t know that we had quite the idea of how dynamic he could be for us at receiver until we started playing him there and realized that he’s really natural as a pass catcher and a route runner,” Lea said. “As we got out of spring, it was, ‘Hey, let’s see how we can take this a little further.’”

Lea reached out to new Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen, who selected Hunter at No. 2 in April’s NFL draft, about how they intended to use Hunter at the pro level. Kill, who led programs at New Mexico State, Minnesota, Northern Illinois and elsewhere during a 40-year career in college football, contacted Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

“We had a basis of understanding of what he did in college, what Jacksonville’s plan was for him in training camp,” Lea said. “But everybody’s different. We’ve got to look at Martel and think about where we think he can net out here.”

Other coaches made a similar point when asked about the effect Hunter will continue to have on college football. Hunter showed what is possible when given the chance to do it all, but very few can handle anywhere near the play load he took on at Colorado. Hunter famously logged 144 snaps in his Colorado debut at TCU, and eclipsed 120 the following week against Nebraska.

“He’s an anomaly, and you’ve got to understand that that’s not doable for 99.99% of the players,” Whittingham said of Hunter. “So going both ways is a relative statement, because if you go both ways but only play a total of 65 snaps a game, then that’s a normal workload.”

The challenge, then, is figuring out what each player can handle. Snowden played 22 snaps on both defense and offense in the opener at UCLA, as well as three on special teams.

If Utah had been in a closer game, he might have been out there more. Snowden said this past season, he averaged 55-60 snaps per game, almost all on defense.

“I could get to 70 [snaps],” he told ESPN last week. “It will vary game to game. I’m a defense specialist when it comes down to it, so defense is my position, and whatever the team needs on offense, I’m down.”

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THOSE ATTEMPTING TO follow Hunter’s path this season have similar profiles.

“They’re primarily defensive guys, and they play some offense,” Whittingham explained. “It’s not very common to have it go the other way.”

Hunter came into college football as ESPN’s No. 2 recruit, and the top cornerback in the 2022 class. Although he broke the Georgia high school record for receiving touchdowns with 48 and had nearly 4,000 receiving yards, he projected as a top defensive back. Despite only 18 receptions his first college season at Jackson State, Hunter saw his receiving production spike at Colorado, and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver this past season. As a high school senior, Minnesota’s Perich accounted for 27 touchdowns in 10 games — five on defense, four on returns and 16 on offense. He was rated as the top prospect from Minnesota and signed with the Gophers as the nation’s No. 172 recruit and No. 14 safety.

Perich made an immediate impact in 2024, becoming the first freshman in the FBS since at least 1976 to record five interceptions, at least 100 kickoff return yards and at least 100 punt return yards in a season. His 565 all-purpose yards, from returns and interceptions, ranked fourth on the team. As soon as the season finished, Minnesota’s coaching staff began carving out a role for Perich on offense.

Perich spent the spring working with both units, spending 70-75% of his time with the defense, but still attending some meetings with offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. and co-coordinator Matt Simon. Through two games, Perich has two catches, five punt returns and five tackles.

“You can throw somebody out there and just throw him a deep ball and gimmick him, but is that really playing offense?” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck told ESPN. “There’ll be certain [individual practice] periods dedicated to safety, certain periods where you come over and play wideout. He’s going to show me ultimately how much he can handle.”

Although Hunter’s talent set him apart, he also embraced the mental toil of toggling between position groups and learning as much as he could on both sides of the ball.

“There’s a burden in this with the player,” Lea said. “There’s a willingness that you don’t have any downtime in the building. You have to go all the time. He’s got to buy into that. Martel is so bright and confident on both sides, we’ve been able to really not hold back on anything.”

Syracuse coach Fran Brown recognizes the mental challenge as well, saying two-way hopefuls must learn an entire playbook and at least a few chapters of another. While other teams are exploring the option with more experienced players, Syracuse is assessing what it has with true freshman Demetres Samuel Jr., who is only 17 and was just 16 when he enrolled this winter.

An ESPN 300 recruit, Samuel has started Syracuse’s first two games and had eight tackles Aug. 30 against UConn. He hasn’t recorded a catch at wide receiver but is expected to have a role there.

“You can’t get down and frustrated when you don’t do well at first, you’re taking two tests, and we’re asking you to learn two things,” Brown told ESPN. “I tell him, ‘You’ve got to run. I don’t care that you just got out of that side, you’ve got to run. Up and down.’ He’s got a lot better at it lately. It takes time.”

As Minnesota and other programs decide how to divide the time for their two-way players, they must weigh what they’re gaining on offense with what they could lose on defense.

“You don’t want to do anything that starts the law of diminishing returns,” Fleck said.

Snowden and Barton were two of Utah’s most productive defenders in 2024. Barton led the Utes in tackles with 72, while Snowden had a team-high eight pass breakups. They were two of three Utah players with multiple interceptions, and each recorded a forced fumble.

Late in the season, Barton provided one of Utah’s top defensive highlights against Iowa State, catching a deflected pass, wriggling free of quarterback Rocco Becht‘s tackle attempt and then sprinting down the sideline for an 87-yard scoring return.

“My theory has always been, you master one position before you even think about playing both ways,” Whittingham said. “It’s not fair to play a guy two ways unless he has a substantial grasp of one side of the ball first. Those guys are experts at defensive play and their assignments. So really, the learning curve is on the other side.”

Minnesota’s coaches organized Perich’s schedule with efficiency in mind. Defensive coordinator Danny Collins said that Perich might get the ball thrown to him on the first play of a practice period on offense and then spend the rest of the time on defense. Or he’ll alternate between offense and defense, much like Hunter did at Colorado.

The Gophers’ depth in the secondary made the plan a bit easier to sell to Collins.

“At first, it was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s hold on: This is an All-Big Ten safety,’” Collins said. “But at the same time, he’s a tremendous athlete. When the ball is in his hands, special things are going to happen, whether he’s picking it off, whether it’s a punt return. And then you think about, ‘OK, we can put him on offense and get the ball in his hands, now that’s going to help the whole team.’”

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WHEN MAPPING OUT the plan for Perich at Minnesota, Fleck watched a lot of Colorado film. His goal wasn’t necessarily to identify a direct comparison, but rather to assess how the Buffs used a distinct talent like Hunter.

“In the new world, that’s the only one you get to look at,” Fleck said of Hunter. “Like, what athlete did it besides Travis Hunter? I don’t see it being trendy, because it’s too hard to be trendy. It takes a really special athlete in a really unique situation that fits. That’s what we have in Koi.”

In his NFL debut, Hunter became the second NFL player in the past 10 years to play at least 30 offensive snaps and five defensive snaps in the same game. Whether he sparks a true trend of two-way players remains to be seen. What’s clear is he has at least cracked open the door for others to try.

Like Kill at Vanderbilt, Brown also contacted Sanders about Hunter’s workload and how he approached such an added workload.

“It’s really hard,” Brown said. “People will try to go down that road. But Coach Prime is a special guy. It takes somebody special like Travis to truly, truly do it. I think Demetres has that chance.”

Hight doesn’t need much prodding about the chance to play more on offense. When he arrived at Vanderbilt, former defensive backs coach Dan Jackson floated the possibility of him taking some snaps with the offense.

After two seasons, though, he didn’t think it was going to happen, which has made this fall even sweeter.

“Honestly, I can play all day,” he said. “I’m like an energetic ball on the field. I’m having so much fun being there with the guys. I don’t really have a number [of snaps]. I’ll go until my heart stops.”

Hight thinks the more players who show they can be reliable options on both sides of the ball will reduce teams’ reliance on the transfer portal to address specific needs, like at wide receiver. But will there be a limit on how many teams explore the two-way track?

“It’s always going to be rough because you’re playing two years of football in one,” said an assistant coach from a top 10 team. “If you’re on a team that’s actually really good, it’s hard to see a guy doing part time at a position and then be better than a guy who’s doing full time.”

Lea has often thought about Hunter since exploring a two-way role for Hight, and how much the Colorado star truly influenced Vanderbilt’s decision. Ultimately, Lea kept coming back to an enduring truth about personnel.

“We can’t afford to not have our best 11 out on the field,” he said.

Football is living in historic times amid its assault on the global stage. The possibilities are endless, and all formats of America’s Game want in.

The NFL continues to expand its international portfolio of regular-season host cities, while Flag Football is gearing up for its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. Elsewhere, wheelchair American football is launching its own pursuit of a spot on the Paralympic horizon.

It was shortly before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the world that long-time Raiders fan Geraint Griffiths inadvertently found himself watching a game of wheelchair basketball while sitting in an ice rink cafe. Such were the transferable skills, such was the void of a footballing equivalent, off went the light bulb; Griffiths, general manager of UK club Chester Romans, would set out to plot a wheelchair football empire beginning at grassroots level and with soaring ambitions of trotting the globe.

With the pandemic came a window in which to craft and tinker with an official rule book. And by February 2024 the evolution of British wheelchair football was being showcased during Nickelodeon’s Slimetime Super Bowl special.

As Flag Football continues to thrive as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, Griffiths – the BAFA Commissioner for Disability & Wheelchair American Football – has plans to follow suit.

“Once flag hits the Olympics, I can take a completed project and a working project and say ‘here’s a para version of flag’,” he told Sky Sports.

“Every sport they have in the Olympics, they have the para version. For us, for the UK as well, to be able to turn around and say, ‘here’s a working model of a game’, it means the UK are going to be the world leaders in a sport that’s not our sport.

“That will be a huge honour and a legacy I’ll leave behind, and I’ve got a great team of volunteers that work with me.”

The Nickelodeon episode played out on television four times across Super Bowl weekend in 2024, since which BAFA has signed off on the UK’s official rules, and since which Griffiths has pitched the development of Wheelchair American Football in front of all 74 member nations of the International Federation of American Football at the annual congress in Switzerland, and since which Wheelchair American Football has been invited to put together a proposal to perform a showcase at the Birmingham 2027 Invictus Games. He isn’t hanging around, nor is the sport.

“It’s something people want,” said Griffiths. “And I think also it’s something the disability community needs. There’s not enough opportunities for a disabled person to be able to take part in sports.

“Currently, there’s only one in four people who have a disability that actually do take part in sports. You have three out of four people who want to take part but don’t have those opportunities.

“It’s also a sport that no one would have ever said, ‘I’m in a wheelchair or I have a disability, I’m an amputee and I’m going to play American football’, the two have never really gone together.”

Griffiths explains that there are currently two teams in training and four more in the process of forming in addition to the Road to Birmingham Club in view of the Invictus Games proposed showcase, the idea of which is to then hopefully secure Wheelchair Football’s spot as a core sport at the 2029 Games.

“What we want to have is three teams Midlands upwards and three teams Midlands downwards,” he explained. “Ideally this year they’ll have had a couple of weekend tournaments, and then we can play the first UK Wheelchair Football Super Bowl, which would be the best of the north against the best of the south.”

“Internationally, Austria have been in touch, they’re really keen to start promoting and playing. I’ve spoken to Australia, Ghana, Uganda, Italy, Holland, Canada, so there’s a lot of interest worldwide wanting to do this.”

Griffiths cites the story of a former London Monarchs player who found a path back to sport through wheelchair football having lost his legs while fighting at war.

“I never got to say goodbye, now I don’t have to,” Griffiths recalls him saying.

He, too, notes Dave Thompson MBE, chief executive of Warrington Disability Partnership, whose discovery of wheelchair football inspired a return to the sport having been paralysed while playing in the ’80s.

“He came to the first I did at Warrington about four years ago, it was the first time he’d picked a football back up and started having to go chucking it in the net,” says Griffiths.

“His son was stood next to me and was just absolutely overwhelmed. He told me his dad had not picked up a football in nearly 20 years, it was absolutely amazing.”

Sure, the platform and the amplification that beckons with an Invictus Games or Paralympics appearance looms as a spring-boarding milestone. But Griffiths is also seeking to ensure increased accessibility and participation from the bottom up remains the staple goal.

For him, the beauty comes in the ability to reach every demographic and background.

“Another one of my fondest memories is my very first event in Kent, a group of palliative care nurses came up to me and said they really liked the nets we were using to throw balls into during a practice activity.

“They said they had lots of gentlemen at the home coming to the end of their life who might have played sports in the past, and thought something like this would bring back some nice positive memories.

“I told them they could throw anything into the net, whether it’s a soccer ball, a tennis ball or a football, and at the end of the event they bought two nets online to start using them in the home.

“It really touched me. And I think that is one of the things I’ll never forget, is how American football has an effect on anybody. And it will have had such a positive effect on so many people that end up in this nursing home. That was really powerful.”

MOVE United oversee the USA Wheelchair Football League, the existence of which is in part thanks to an NFL-Bob Woodruff Foundation Salute to Service partnership grant. The league consists of 14 national NFL-linked teams, which play on a rectangular field measuring 228 feet long and 66 feet wide.

Griffiths meanwhile elected to shrink the field of play to a basketball-size set-up in his BAFA-approved rules, for both safety and in order to create a more technical game less reliant on big throws and fast wheelchair users. The smaller size field also makes the sport accessible worldwide courtesy of every country’s access to a basketball size court, as well as bringing sustainability to the game.

BAFA have provided a portion of their Sport England grant in aid of the game’s continued evolution, while universities and the Police Force PUKDS are willingly offering free service to their sports centres.

“Financially it’s difficult to grow, the more people who see it the more opportunities will make themselves available,” Griffiths continued.

“I’d like to see something like the Jags become sort of Team UK, they are one of the teams without a wheelchair team in America.

“I think once they have a competitive league going on, to be able to show them and maybe have them back or be the first NFL team to back a UK version of the sport, would be amazing.”

Within Griffiths’ refined model, fumbles have been removed due to the safety issues with fingers reaching for loose balls, while kicks are thrown and teams are made up of seven players per side, including only one able-bodied player on court at one time.

A removal of helmets had been under consideration in light of spinal and neck problems, but feedback would point towards retaining them in order to preserve the feeling that players were competing in real football. Such is the case, the weight of helmets is now explored in order to cater to those that do suffer with spinal or neck issues, among others.

Wheelchairs meanwhile remain the toughest and most pressing expense, with some manufacturers having underlined their interest in providing support further down the line. In the meantime, the sport relies on standard basketball chairs as a cost-effective solution in a bid to maintain the game’s forward progress.

Griffiths has sketched a blue-print and engineered its commencement to leave wheelchair football flirting on the brink of global recognition, a potential Invictus Games showcase beckoning as a major stepping stone towards the next lofty goal in the project.

“Flag’s just going to… well, it has exploded,” says Griffiths. “And just being able to go to the Olympic Committee with a finished product, that has been played internationally as well and not just in a couple of countries, even if I could just get a showcase at the Paralympics or something.

“It would be 2032 in Brisbane. I think that’s what I’m aiming for now, is to be able to do a showcase at the ’32 Paralympics. Then I can sit back and watch it grow nicely.”

Football is changing. The world is listening, and battling over rights for its attention. And with Griffiths at the helm, the sport’s wheelchair discipline is on the path to prominence.

Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Sky Sports, including every London and European game as well as every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

Goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Folarin Balogun led the United States men’s national team to a 2-0 victory over Japan in a friendly at Columbus, Ohio’s Lower.com Field on Tuesday.

Following Saturday’s 2-0 loss to South Korea, the USMNT quickly bounced back with a more proactive attack through an experimental 3-4-3 formation. In a first half that included 63% possession, the home side created danger through high-pressing fullbacks Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman. After a clever dribble from Arfsten in the 30th minute, the 24-year-old launched a cross that found Zendejas, who impressively volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

The U.S. continued its attacking influence in the second half.

In 64th minute, the Americans doubled their lead after a pacey run from Christian Pulisic led to an assist for Balogun’s goal. Despite Japan shaking things up with second-half subs that wrestled back some of the momentum, the 2-0 result was cemented by the final whistle for the home team that had a late second wind in the dying minutes of the match.

Looking ahead in their ongoing World Cup preparation, coach Mauricio Pochettino and his U.S. roster will take part in friendlies next month against Ecuador on Oct. 10 and Australia on Oct. 14.

Manager rating (scale of 1-10)

Mauricio Pochettino, 8 — Credit where credit is due. Pochettino took a tactical gamble after not only ringing in five different changes from his previous XI but also testing out a 3-4-3 formation. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, there were some questionable defensive moments in the new setup and goalkeeper Matt Freese was kept fairly busy by Japan’s opportunities. Nonetheless, the overall performance is a step forward after the loss to South Korea.

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– As the World Cup nears, does Pochettino know USMNT’s starting XI?
– USMNT Player Performance Index: Top 50 Americans ranked by club form
– Carlisle: USMNT loss to South Korea another misstep in World Cup prep

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USMNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)

GK Matt Freese, 9 — USA’s starting spot in net appears to be his to lose after earning a clean sheet thanks to his six saves. He fumbled the ball during one of those interventions, but it didn’t end up hurting the scoreline.

DF Tim Ream, 6 — An inconsistent but decent evening for the captain. While he was a vital distributor that was able to get forward, Ream also found himself losing aerial deals and occasionally chasing attacking players.

DF Chris Richards, 7 — Not bad from the Premier League player who added more confidence to the backline. Provided crucial interventions but also had some imprecise passes going forward.

DF Tristan Blackmon, 6 — An improvement after his shaky debut last week. Although his decision-making may not be at an elite national team level, Blackmon still dished out some important clearances.

MF Max Arfsten, 8 — Looked much more comfortable in an advanced role. Wasn’t the strongest during defensive moments, but that may not matter much when you consider his attacking presence that created the assist for the first goal.

MF Cristian Roldan, 6 — A mixed bag from the central midfielder that was able to win back possession, but also didn’t regularly win his duels in the heart of the XI.

MF Tyler Adams, 7 — It wasn’t a vintage Adams performance, but it was still a big improvement from last week. Some crucial interventions in the midfield and plenty of accurate passing.

MF Alex Freeman, 7 — Granted, Freeman wasn’t superb defensively and could have done a better job with his distribution, but he should hold his head high with the ground he covered on the right flank and his overall involvement in the attack. A promising 90+ minutes.

FW Christian Pulisic, 9 — Roamed around, created his own opportunities with recoveries, dropped deep and then clinched the well-earned assist for Balogun’s goal.

FW Folarin Balogun, 8 — A clear upgrade over Josh Sargent. Balogun linked well with the frontline and created plenty of danger with his attacking presence. Briefly went quiet before scoring the second goal of the match.

FW Alex Zendejas, 9 — Zendejas dove into a tackle that earned a yellow card early on but quickly bounced back with his goal and clever movement in the final third. A statement performance from the highly involved Club America winger.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

FW Diego Luna, 8 — An energetic cameo from the young player that was a focal point in the buildup and almost earned an assist in the final minutes.

MF Jack McGlynn, 8 — Nearly scored twice, with the second shot rocketing off the crossbar.

MF Sergiño Dest, 7 — Provided the pass that led to McGlynn’s shot that hit the crossbar. Another player that could benefit from Pochettino’s change in formation.

MF Luca de la Torre, 7 — Accurate with his distribution and almost secured an assist from McGlynn’s first short-range opportunity.

FW Damion Downs, N/A — Subbed on in the 79th minute.

DF Nathan Harriel, N/A — Subbed on in the 84th minute.