Category: Sports

Max Verstappen was quickest in a wet qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, but Charles Leclerc will start on pole position due to the Red Bull driver’s grid penalty.

Verstappen has a 10-grid place penalty – imposed for going over the engine limit for a season – so the world champion will start 11th with Leclerc and Sergio Perez on the front row.

Leclerc is on pole for just the second time this year and he pipped Perez by 0.011s. Lewis Hamilton also narrowly missed out by less than one tenth and will start third.

Lando Norris is hoping to take advantage of Verstappen’s grid penalty but could only qualify fifth, which becomes fourth, and he will have Oscar Piastri and George Russell behind him.

Norris is 76 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship but will need to overtake three cars to win for a second time in his career.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz qualified eighth from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, with surprisingly no red flags in the wet qualifying.

*Verstappen has 10-grid place penalty so will start 11th

“I definitely did not expect that this weekend. Obviously with the tricky conditions we could do something above our expectations,” said Leclerc, who took his 25th career F1 pole.

“Without this rain, probably P5 was the position we were fighting for with the Mercedes especially. But with the rain it helped us a little bit, but I’m not going to complain.

“I’m really happy, I’m really happy with the lap in Q3, and it’s good to be back on the front part of the grid. Now we’ve got to finalise that tomorrow.

“It’s not the easiest first place to keep on the first lap here, but honestly I will see. Every start is different and then once I will be in the car tomorrow through Eau Rouge I will see what the best thing is that I can do. Obviously I’ll try to keep that first place.”

Verstappen sensational in the rain

McLaren looked like they would have the car to beat in the dry but there was no stopping Verstappen in the wet weather.

The Dutchman was second in Q1, topped Q2 and was over half a second quicker than everyone else on his first run in Q3.

Perez initially took second but Leclerc found an incredible lap from nowhere at the very end to snatch pole from the under pressure Mexican, who needs a big result this weekend with his Red Bull future again the subject of speculation.

Perez only just sneaked through Q2, with Alex Albon just 0.004s away from knocking him out, but he delivered when it mattered and will fancy his chances of beating Leclerc, whose race pace is expected to be less competitive than Red Bull in the dry conditions.

The big question is whether Verstappen can repeat his drives through the field from the 2022 and 2023 Belgium races, where he also took grid penalties, and came back to win with a statement performance.

“It was a nice qualifying. Luckily the weather was okay. It was just raining a little bit and at least we could do a decent qualifying,” said Verstappen.

“Very happy. The car was working quite well in the wet. I could just do my laps and try to do clean lap times in the wet, which is always quite tricky.

“But tomorrow, of course I know that it’s quite a different day. It’s going to be warmer, normally no rain, so it’s all about tyre degradation. We just need to make sure we’re good on that.

“I know that I have to start 10 places back so this was the best I could do today, and I go from there. I don’t know how quick we’re going to be. I hope that we can be in the mix to try to move forward.”

Hamilton rescues Mercedes as Norris misses opportunity

Mercedes took the upgrade they brought to this weekend off the car after Friday and were not expected to be in the fight for pole in the dry.

But the wet weather provided an opportunity for Hamilton and Russell, one which the seven-time world champion took.

He was only 0.081s off Leclerc’s time in Q3 after Mercedes chose to keep their drivers on the track in the final part of qualifying, rather than pitting for another set of intermediates.

Russell was 0.349s behind Hamilton, but the McLaren drivers sit between the Mercedes pair and should have the pace to move forward.

Norris and Piastri were less than three tenths off Leclerc but over eight tenths down on the flying Verstappen.

The McLaren pair had the best practice pace in the dry, though – along with Verstappen – and will still be hopeful of securing a double podium and reducing their 51-point deficit to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.

“I’m actually pretty happy. We were good yesterday. I think the whole weekend the Red Bulls have been a step above us,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.

“Even though we were a little bit quicker yesterday, I just don’t think Red Bull showed their cards at all, and we did. What we did yesterday was pretty much all we’ve got.

“I think coming into today we were optimistic still. I was just struggling a little bit myself. Oscar was almost quickest in the first two qualys. In Q3, I think we both just struggled a little bit more. But just from my side, I just haven’t been able to click very well today. I was always just one step behind and just always a little bit on the back foot.

*Verstappen has 10-grid place penalty so will start 11th

**Tsunoda will start at the back due to complete change of power unit

Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule

Sunday July 28
7:25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up*
2pm: The BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

The Formula 1 action continues this weekend with the final race before F1’s summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix at 2pm on Sunday. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

The NCAA, its five power conferences and lawyers representing a class of Division I athletes filed the detailed terms of an antitrust lawsuit Friday that has the potential to reshape the business of college sports.

The parties agreed in late May to settle a trio of lawsuits (House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA) about the various ways schools compensate their athletes. Friday’s filing is the first of several important steps toward formalizing the agreement. The new details outline how past athletes will share the $2.78 billion in damages that the NCAA has agreed to pay, sets up a new system for revenue sharing and outlines new roster limits for a long list of college sports, among other items.

“This is another important step in the ongoing effort to provide increased benefits to student-athletes while creating a stable and sustainable model for the future of college sports,” the NCAA and its power conferences said in a statement Friday evening. “While there is still much work to be done in the settlement approval process, this is a significant step toward establishing clarity for the future of all of Division I athletics while maintaining a lasting education-based model for college sports, ensuring the opportunity for student-athletes to earn a degree and the tools necessary to be successful in life after sports.”

Schools will be permitted for the first time to pay their athletes directly via name, image and likeness (NIL) deals under the terms of the settlement. Each school could provide up to 22% of the average revenue that power conference schools generate from media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships — a sum that is expected to be between $20 million and $22 million per school when the settlement goes into effect at the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

Athletes would still be able to make money from NIL deals with third parties, but the NCAA said the settlement will allow them to install a more “robust and effective enforcement and oversight program” to make sure those third-party deals are “legitimate NIL activity.” Many athletes — especially in football and basketball — currently receive money from booster collectives, which have evolved to serve as outsourced payrolls to attract top players rather than payments for an athlete’s actual value as an endorser. The NCAA hopes its new system will reduce those types of arrangements.

The NCAA plans to create a database of NIL deals to try to objectively assess whether arrangements between an athlete and a third party qualify as a legitimate endorsement deal. Several coaches and athletic directors have told ESPN in the past weeks that they anticipate some form of NIL payments from collectives will continue.

The settlement allows for the court to appoint a “special master” to rule on any disputes about new rules related to player compensation. This marks a notable change from the NCAA’s history of using its own enforcement arm to determine if any athletes or schools are violating its compensation rules. The settlement would also establish an arbitration process for players and schools to object to any punishment under the new rules.

The two sides have not yet determined who will serve as the new enforcement entity or who will oversee the arbitration process of any future disputes.

The $20-22 million figure that serves, in effect, as a salary cap will increase over time as the leagues’ revenue grows. Experts cited in the court documents said they expect the cap number to grow to nearly $33 million per school by the end of the settlement’s 10-year term. The NCAA and plaintiffs’ attorneys said those payments when combined with the tuition and other benefits that athletes already receive will create a system where many schools are sharing close to half of the revenue they generate with athletes. That figure is comparable with revenue share agreements in professional sports.

Steve Berman, co-lead counsel for the athletes, said reaching a near 50/50 revenue split was their intent during negotiations.

“That was what was in our heads, yes,” Berman said.

The 50/50 split calculation considers all athletes at the school as one group rather than on a sport-by-sport basis. For example, it is highly unlikely that football players — who generate the majority of revenue for most schools — will receive 50% of the money that the football team generates. Some of those benefits have to be shared equitably due to Title IX regulations. The settlement does not provide detailed instructions on how to apply Title IX to these new benefits, leaving some potentially tricky decisions up to each individual school.

The law firms run by Berman and his co-lead counsel, Jeffrey Kessler, will be responsible for auditing financial statements from NCAA schools during the course of the 10-year settlement to make sure schools are properly reporting their revenues.

For past damages, the plaintiffs’ attorneys submitted a proposed formula for deciding how to divide money among the eligible athletes. Any Division I athlete who played a sport from 2016 to present day is eligible for past damages. The 2016 cut-off is due to the statute of limitations on the initial House v. NCAA lawsuit, which was filed in 2020. The formula takes into account a number of factors, including where the athlete went to school and how many snaps or minutes they played.

Berman said that football and men’s basketball players from power conference schools will be eligible to receive an average of $135,000. Women’s basketball players from power conferences could receive an average of $35,000. The likely payout for athletes from other sports will depend on how many enter claims.

For some, part of the payouts will also be based on the athletes’ potential earning power had they been able to sign NIL deals while they were in school. Berman said the highest individual estimated payout for one athlete will be $1.8 million.

As part of the settlement, the NCAA agreed to remove any limits on the number of scholarships a school can provide to athletes. Previously, NCAA rules dictated a certain number of scholarships per sport. If the settlement is approved, there will instead be a limit on how many total players each team can have on its roster and each individual school will decide how many of those players it wants to put on scholarship.

Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to review the proposed settlement terms for the next several weeks and decide whether to accept them on a preliminary basis by early September or sooner. The settlement proposes that notice would be sent to athletes about the details of the settlement on October 1 and that the window for athletes to object to its terms would be 105 days later on Jan. 14, 2025.

Berman said the plaintiffs plan on publishing a website that will allow all athletes to figure out how much money they might receive from the pool of damages.

After the athletes have a chance to review the terms, Judge Wilken will make a final ruling on whether to accept the settlement. That decision is not expected until late 2024 or early 2025.

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Will Tua or Jordan Love win a playoff game this year?

Joe Fortenbaugh rules out Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love winning a playoff game this season with the Dolphins and Packers respectively.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Anyone who thinks the Green Bay Packers acted too soon when they gave Jordan Love the massive contract extension that was agreed to Friday, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, needs a history lesson.

Go back in the archives or Google this: How many games did Aaron Rodgers start before the Packers signed him to a contract extension?

Merely seven.

The Packers tore up Rodgers’ 2005 rookie deal and on Oct. 31, 2008, they agreed on a five-year extension worth $65 million. It included $40.5 million in the first three years of the deal. That might seem to pale in comparison to Love — who will make more than that in the first year as part of a four-year, $220 million contract that ties him with the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati Bengals‘ Joe Burrow as the highest-paid QBs in NFL history — but Rodgers’ deal ranked in the top five on the quarterback pay scale.

To that point, Rodgers had led the Packers to a 4-3 start while throwing 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He had a passer rating of 98.8, even while playing the previous three games with a shoulder injury.

Ted Thompson, the late general manager who decided that was enough to go on, explained it by saying: “We try to be proactive in our discussions with our current players, and we felt like this was an appropriate time to try to come to an agreement with Aaron. We feel like this is good for the organization and the players, and we will continue this approach as we move forward.”

Current GM Brian Gutekunst, who was an area scout for the Packers at the time, no doubt filed that away for future consideration. After all, he replicated what Thompson did in picking Rodgers (even though Brett Favre was still playing at a high level) when he chose Love in the first round of the 2020 draft (even though Rodgers was still playing at a high level).

Like Love, Rodgers spent three years as a backup and was still on his rookie contract when he became the starter. That was before first-round pick contracts had a fifth-year option, so Rodgers was on a straight five-year deal, meaning he was under contract through 2009.

Last May, Gutekunst had the option to pick up the fifth year on Love’s rookie deal. That would have guaranteed Love $20.272 million for the 2024 season. Instead, the two sides agreed to a one-year extension. That deal gave Love more upfront money, as he received an $8.788 million signing bonus right away. It also made it easier for the Packers to move on after 2023 if they believed Love wasn’t their guy.

That was still in question when the calendar turned to November. The Packers were 2-5, and when Gutekunst held his annual in-season session with reporters, he was asked whether he would need more than one season to evaluate whether Love was the long-term answer. He said he hoped not but made it clear how important the rest of the season would be to that evaluation.

All Love did was throw 18 touchdowns against one interception over the final eight games and lead the Packers to a playoff berth. From there, he put together a stellar performance in the wild-card game at the Dallas Cowboys before the Packers’ season ended with a divisional round loss at the San Francisco 49ers.

In that regard, he was a step ahead of Rodgers, who didn’t appear in a playoff game until his second season as the starter. The year after that, he led the Packers to the Super Bowl.

“The nice thing about having a guy in your building for the last four years is you absolutely know who he is,” Gutekunst said. “There’s no guarantees about anything going forward. But we know how he’s going to respond and how he’s going to react and how he’s going to work, instead of signing a player that has not been in your building and guaranteeing all that to him.

“Certainly having four years with him, I think gives us a lot of comfort, and what he’s all about and how his teammates look at him and the organization looks at him.”

So much has changed for the Packers since this time last year, when they could only hope that Love would pan out. Now they’re set up to build around him for years to come.

“A year ago, obviously, going into OTAs and going into the offseason, there was a lot of questioning on what he can do,” Packers receiver Romeo Doubs said. “Just as far as his poise and control throughout the course of [last] year, I thought he’s done a fantastic job just being able to keep himself at a pretty neutral level as far as not being so high and low. Future’s high for Jordan. I’m glad I get to be a part of this journey with him. I’m only looking forward to progress and growth.”

Lando Norris was fastest from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

McLaren have continued their form as the benchmark team in F1 at Spa-Francorchamps as Norris ended up 0.215s ahead of Piastri, with Max Verstappen 0.217s off the pace.

Verstappen will take a 10-grid place penalty for the race, after going over the limit for the amount of engines you can use in a season.

With the championship leader starting no higher than 11th, McLaren have another big opportunity to eat into Verstappen’s 76-point advantage over Norris in the drivers’ standings and Red Bull’s 51-point lead in the constructors’ championship.

Charles Leclerc was fourth but half a second down on Norris, with Carlos Sainz in fifth and eight tenths away from the best pace.

Mercedes have brought upgrades to Belgium, including a reprofiled diffuser and floor edge, but George Russell was one second off the McLarens in sixth and Lewis Hamilton down in 10th.

Hamilton aborted his first two flying laps on the soft tyres and was 1.2 seconds behind Norris, but used the best of his tyre life.

Wet weather expected on Saturday

There was no rain on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps when the F1 cars were on track, but wet weather is expected for qualifying on Saturday.

Rain would throw a cat among the pigeons as all of the one-lap data gathered today will go out of the window. However, McLaren have also been strong in the wet this year and Verstappen is also consistently up there in mixed conditions.

But it may offer Mercedes a glimmer of hope as they appear to be out of the fight for victory this weekend in the dry.

All eyes will be on whether Norris can make the most of McLaren’s pace to earn his second win of the season and go into the four-week summer break with the perfect result.

“It looks like McLaren unlocked more speed but it could all be different if it’s chucking it down with rain,” said Sky Sports F1‘s Karun Chandhok.

“It makes the downforce decision tricky, though. Last year, McLaren ran a bigger wing at Spa and it helped them in all the wet sessions, including the Sprint where Oscar finished second.

“But Lando got outdragged by everyone on the straights because they were too slow on the straights, so you have to be smart with your wing level choice.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule

Saturday July 27
8:45am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: Belgian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 28
7:25am: F3 Feature Race
8.55am: F2 Feature Race
10.40am: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up*
2pm: The BELGIAN GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

The Formula 1 action continues this weekend with the final race before F1’s summer break, the Belgian Grand Prix. You can watch every session from Spa-Francorchamps live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

It’s considered the most important position in sports, which is why many of the biggest storylines for the NFL’s 32 teams heading into camp revolve around quarterbacks.

From 40-year-old New York Jets veteran Aaron Rodgers trying to return from Achilles surgery to 22-year-old Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams trying to live up to being the No. 1 pick.

And don’t forget Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes going for the NFL’s first three-peat.

But quarterbacks aren’t the only question marks. There’s Mike McCarthy’s future with the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Chargers‘ dearth of wide receivers in Jim Harbaugh’s first year and the Los Angeles Rams trying to replace Aaron Donald.

NFL Nation reporters take a look at the biggest storylines for all 32 teams, and we also link to our 53-man projections as overall team outlooks.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

How will the changes the Bills made to the roster play out on the field? This isn’t the same team that won the past four AFC East titles, although a constant exists in quarterback Josh Allen.

This is a team in transition after moving on from a variety of key veterans, such as wide receiver Stefon Diggs, center Mitch Morse and safety Jordan Poyer, among others. Buffalo has a largely rebuilt wide receiver room, and there will be new starters on both sides of the ball, including likely relying on rookie talent in a way coach Sean McDermott has not often done in the past.

With a challenging schedule, working to defend the division title will have a different look, and how the remaining leaders perform, and what impact the changeover creates, will be crucial to the season. — Alaina Getzenberg

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The Dolphins revamped their defense over the offseason and must find a way to jell over the next month and a half. Miami parted ways with six defensive contributors from a season ago, as well as defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. In his place is former Baltimore Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, who drew rave reviews from Dolphins players throughout OTAs and minicamp for his coaching style and ability to relate to his players.

At the heart of this defense are pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, who are both recovering from season-ending injuries suffered during the second half of 2023. It remains to be seen whether they’ll participate in training camp or be healthy for the start of the 2024 season. If the answer to either of those scenarios is no, then first-round pick Chop Robinson will get a valuable opportunity to show what he can do with additional practice reps. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

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Quarterback Drake Maye‘s development will be the key storyline. Maye, the No. 3 overall pick, provides the Patriots with hope that a turnaround from last season’s 4-13 effort might not be far off.

At the same time, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt have consistently preached patience while making it clear that veteran Jacoby Brissett enters training camp as the starter.

The last time the Patriots were in a similar situation was 2021, with veteran Cam Newton locked into the No. 1 spot and first-round pick Mac Jones behind him. By mid-August, when Newton was sidelined due to COVID-19 considerations and Jones caught fire in a joint practice with the Giants, it was clear that Jones would quickly become the No. 1. Time will tell if something similar unfolds with Maye. — Mike Reiss

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Aaron Rodgers‘ return from Achilles surgery will capture the spotlight early. After full participation in OTAs, the 40-year-old quarterback has the “all clear” for training camp. Get ready for Rodgers Hype Season 2.0.

The question is, can he be the Rodgers from 2021, when he won the fourth of his four MVPs? We probably won’t know the answer until the regular season, when the game speed increases and his reflexes and instincts — the hallmarks to his game — are put to the test. It may take a few games for him to get his sea legs, so to speak. Once he does, Rodgers will have enough weapons around him (see: WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall) to lift the offense out of its annual doldrums.

Everything in the Jets’ universe hinges on Rodgers, putting immense pressure on him to revive the franchise. — Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

How much different will the Ravens defense look under new coordinator Zach Orr? In a span of eight years, Orr has gone from being a starting inside linebacker for Baltimore to becoming its new defensive playcaller, replacing Mike Macdonald (new Seahawks head coach). Under Macdonald, the Ravens led the NFL in sacks (60) and takeaways (31) last season while blitzing 21.8% of the time, which was the eighth lowest in the NFL.

Coaches and players have noted that the defense has been more aggressive under Orr during offseason practices. The Ravens likely won’t be going after quarterbacks like they did under former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, but they probably will be sending extra pass rushers more than Macdonald did.

The Ravens have a high standard of excellence on defense. Baltimore has finished in the top three in fewest points allowed for five of the past six seasons. — Jamison Hensley

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Everything depends on Joe Burrow‘s health. Burrow, entering his fifth season, has never had a normal training camp. In 2023, Burrow suffered a strained right calf that plagued him for weeks and was something he wishes he handled differently. This year, he’s recovering from surgery to repair his right (throwing) wrist.

The team managed his workload during the back half of the offseason program by resting him on certain days. If Burrow can go through training camp with zero setbacks, it’s a great sign he will be 100% healthy for Week 1, something he hasn’t been since his rookie year in 2020.

When Burrow has been at his best, so have the Bengals. Between Weeks 6 and 10 of last season, the Bengals were in the top quarter in points per drive (fifth), touchdowns per drive (fifth) and red zone efficiency (tied for fourth) and had wins over San Francisco and Buffalo. — Ben Baby

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The Browns made notable moves in the offseason to continue building around quarterback Deshaun Watson — hiring Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator and trading for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. But the installation of the new scheme was a bit stunted during the offseason workout program because of Watson’s limited participation as he continued to rehab from shoulder surgery he had November.

Cleveland was also without multiple top playmakers. Wide receiver Amari Cooper skipped minicamp because of a contract dispute, and Jeudy dealt with a minor injury. Running back Nick Chubb also remained sidelined by the significant knee surgery he sustained last September.

There’s internal optimism in the new offense, which is bridging Dorsey’s pass concepts with head coach Kevin Stefanski’s run game roots. But the Browns need a healthy Watson and their full complement of skill position players to realize the offense’s potential. — Daniel Oyefusi

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How will the offense look with wholesale changes at quarterback and offensive coordinator? Though the coaching staff hasn’t officially named Russell Wilson the starter over Justin Fields, all signs from the Steelers’ offseason program point to the 13-year veteran starting Week 1.

But that doesn’t mean that all the offensive questions are answered. How will the 35-year-old perform in Arthur Smith’s system? Do the Steelers still need a No. 2 receiver behind George Pickens? How will Smith balance the workload between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren?

The Steelers have the pieces to build an offense that complements one of the league’s best defenses, but training camp will begin to dictate how — and if — those pieces fit together to create the kind of offensive success that’s eluded the Steelers for much of the past five seasons. — Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

Will the Texans’ defense be better in Year 2 under DeMeco Ryans?

Barring any major injuries, an offensive unit with quarterback C.J. Stroud, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, receivers Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs, along with running back Joe Mixon, should be effective. The Texans’ defense added end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, but there are questions at defensive tackle and cornerback. Their cornerback group will have competition to see who will start across from Derek Stingley Jr. It will be between Jeff Okudah, C.J. Henderson, and 2024 second-round pick Kamari Lassiter.

Also, the Texans replaced both of their 2023 starting defensive tackles. The cohesion of the defense could make-or-break the Texans’ 2024 season. — DJ Bien-Aime

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How far can QB Anthony Richardson take the Colts? Indianapolis improved by five wins in 2023 and fell just one win shy of a postseason berth. Now, with Richardson back in the lineup after missing 13 games with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, how much can he build on the tantalizing preview he showed during his short time under center last season? And how much can he propel the Colts in the competitive AFC?

The Colts seem to believe Richardson can truly elevate the team, considering the decision to re-sign nearly all of their in-house free agents while electing to bypass significant moves in free agency and the trade market. If Richardson can become less streaky and stay healthy this season, and if coach Shane Steichen continues to prove his playcalling prowess, Richardson might just prove the Colts right. — Stephen Holder

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The Jaguars paid Trevor Lawrence like a franchise QB. Will he play like one? Cutting down his turnovers (60, more than any other player over the past three seasons) is the top priority, followed by staying healthy. (He had four injuries last year and another in 2022.)

The Jaguars did lose WR Calvin Ridley and cut WR Zay Jones but added veteran Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr., so it could take time for him to adjust to the revamped receiver group.

Lawrence has played at a high level in stretches — five consecutive games last season with a passer rating of 91.1 or better (four higher than 100), but he has yet to do that over a full season. There’s even more pressure on Lawrence to play at an elite level now after the emergence of the Texans and C.J. Stroud in the AFC South. — Michael DiRocco

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The Titans made strides to build a team around second-year quarterback Will Levis. Yes, the team lost Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry, but it signed free agent Tony Pollard to form a one-two punch with Tyjae Spears. Tennessee also bolstered the wide receiver group by adding the top free agent wide receiver in Calvin Ridley and a steady veteran presence in Tyler Boyd.

Levis will be protected by an offensive line that gets a boost from No. 7 overall pick JC Latham and free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry. The onus is on Levis to show that he is capable of taking his game to the next level and showing the Titans that he can be their franchise QB. It all starts with training camp. — Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Until coach Sean Payton picks his starting quarterback, the three-man competition for the job will provide plenty of camouflage for almost anything else happening with the Broncos. Rookie QB Bo Nix (No. 12 pick), Zach Wilson (acquired from the Jets) and Jarrett Stidham split the work evenly throughout the offseason program and minicamp, but many people around the team think Payton will ultimately go with Nix — the first quarterback Payton has ever selected before the third round as a head coach.

The Broncos’ search for an answer at QB in the post-Peyton Manning era has mirrored their current eight-year playoff drought; whomever wins the job will be the 14th player to start a game behind center for Denver since the start of the 2016 season. — Jeff Legwold

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Will the wide receivers improve significantly? The Chiefs added Marquise Brown in free agency and drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round to help a position group that was a major disappointment last season. But Brown is three seasons removed from his best NFL season (91 catches, 1,008 yards for the Ravens in 2021) and Worthy is a rookie.

Should expectations be limited?

Rashee Rice was the team’s best wide receiver as a rookie last season by a wide margin, but he could face a suspension stemming from his involvement in a high-speed car crash during the offseason. The Chiefs are looking for bounceback seasons from Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, especially if Rice is suspended. Both were among their most disappointing players last season. — Adam Teicher

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Can a more fearsome defense carry a lackluster offense? The Raiders’ defense figures to be a strength, given it is entering its third season in the same scheme under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and is returning 10 starters from a unit that held opponents to a league-low 16.0 points per game. Las Vegas also scored a league-high four defensive TDs after coach Antonio Pierce took over in Week 9, and it added a premier pass-rushing defensive tackle in Christian Wilkins.

The Raiders’ offense, which has star power of its own in three-time first-team All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, is going to have to carry its own weight, especially at quarterback. Which means either second-year returner Aidan O’Connell or vagabond veteran Gardner Minshew will have to look significantly better than they did in OTAs and minicamp. And fast. Even as they install a new scheme under new OC Luke Getsy. — Paul Gutierrez

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Are the Chargers good enough at receiver to contend? This offseason, the Chargers went from having perhaps one of the league’s best wide receiver pairings to arguably the worst. With receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams gone, as well as running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett, the Chargers will look to younger, unproven players to contribute offensively.

The goal for the Chargers’ offense this season will be to develop a dominant running game, but they have also emphasized the importance of being balanced on offense with a reliable passing offense. Herbert is one of the league’s best quarterbacks, and the Chargers will rely heavily on him to elevate their receivers, which includes former first-round pick Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer, and rookie Ladd McConkey. How the Chargers’ receivers fare this season will likely be the difference between this team being average or a contender. — Kris Rhim

NFC EAST

Does “all-in” mean win-or-else? Jerry Jones did not follow the traditional meaning of all-in with the Cowboys’ offseason approach to adding to the roster, but he is all-in on coach Mike McCarthy, the entire coaching staff and QB Dak Prescott. They are all entering the final year of their respective contracts, even the new coaches, like defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

The Cowboys have won 36 games the past three years but have not gotten past the divisional round of the playoffs with McCarthy and Prescott. If they don’t get it done this year, will either be back in 2025? Jones has done this sort of thing before with his coach. In 2014, Jason Garrett was entering the final year of his deal without making the playoffs from 2011 to 2013. The Cowboys went 12-4 and lost in the divisional round … to McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers. It earned Garrett a five-year deal. — Todd Archer

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The focus all season, including in training camp, will be on Daniel Jones and the unsettled quarterback position. General manager Joe Schoen was on “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” this summer saying the “plan all along was to give [Jones] a couple years: Is he our guy for the next 10 years or do we need to pivot and find somebody else?”

Jones is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee. He will need to have a huge year for the Giants to continue on with him as their starter after flirting with other options in this year’s draft. It’s a massive season for Jones, Schoen and coach Brian Daboll. It will go a long way in determining their futures. — Jordan Raanan

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How quickly will QB Jalen Hurts take to the new scheme? After a season in which head coach Nick Sirianni, offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and Hurts struggled to sync up, Johnson was fired and Sirianni ceded more control of the offense to Kellen Moore, Johnson’s replacement.

“I think the goal coming in was to learn Kellen’s offense and to master it, and I think that’s been a process, and by the end of it, I want it to be mine and have it in my own way,” Hurts said this spring.

Hurts has had little schematic continuity during his college and pro career. The only time he had the same playcaller in back-to-back seasons was Shane Steichen in 2021 and ’22, resulting in a near-MVP campaign and a Super Bowl appearance. The positive is that change is nothing new for Hurts. If he can get this system down in short order, there’s enough talent to field a championship-caliber offense. — Tim McManus

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Quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ development will be the biggest storyline all season. The No. 2 pick has become the latest in a decades-long line of quarterbacks hoping to revitalize the franchise.

Daniels impressed teammates and coaches with his approach in the spring, from his study habits to his on-field decision-making and accuracy. But in camp he’ll have to play at a faster pace once the pads come on, and when they face the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in joint practices. Facing new defenses will provide good measuring sticks.

Washington wants to reduce the pressure on Daniels via the run game and defense. But if he shows growth, the franchise will know it’s in good hands for the future. — John Keim

NFC NORTH

It’s hard to argue that Caleb Williams isn’t in a great situation for a quarterback drafted with the No. 1 overall pick. The former USC Heisman Trophy winner is surrounded by two 1,000-yard wide receivers (DJ Moore and Keenan Allen) and No. 9 draft pick Rome Odunze. And Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift is coming off his best season.

Under Chicago’s new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, Seattle offenses ranked seventh in designed pass percentage the past two seasons, compared to the Bears ranking 30th.

The Bears’ defense is eyeing top-tier status after emerging as one of the better units during the second half of the 2023 season, fueled by the addition of pass rusher Montez Sweat and the emergence of a young secondary that helped Chicago finished tied for a league-best 22 interceptions.

Everything surrounding the 22-year-old Williams suggests major improvements in Chicago, where the Bears have only made the playoffs twice since 2011. Getting there won’t be easy in a competitive NFC North, but it finally feels like the team has the talent to move past the rebuilding stage and into the category of contenders. — Courtney Cronin

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Is WR Jameson Williams poised for a big leap? The 2024 season could be a make-or-break one for the 12th overall pick of the 2022 draft.

During OTAs in May, Lions coach Dan Campbell lauded Williams as the team’s most improved player. “He is a man on a mission,” Campbell said. “And I’m just gonna leave it at that.” As a rookie, Williams missed 11 games while recovering from an ACL injury, and he was suspended for the first four games of last season for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. But he is expected to enter this year’s training camp fully healthy with his sights set on unlocking his potential. — Eric Woodyard

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What can Jordan Love and the offense do in Year 2? By most measures, Love was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over the final eight games of the 2023 regular season with 18 touchdowns, one interception and a completion rate north of 70%. Most importantly, he led the Packers to the second weekend of the playoffs. This after an inconsistent start to his first season as the starting quarterback.

Love has just about every skill position player back other than running back Aaron Jones, who has been replaced by Josh Jacobs. Still, there have been questions about the Packers’ lack of a true WR1 — or whether they actually need one. “I personally don’t think it matters,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think if you just look at it throughout the course of a season ago — and every season’s going to be a little bit different — but all those guys had their moments where they were the leading receiver in a game. I feel really good about the collective unit.”

Love won’t be practicing until he gets a contract extension, and the Packers are optimistic a deal will get done. — Rob Demovsky

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What is J.J. McCarthy‘s short-term future? It’s inevitable that McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, will one day ascend to the starting job. But Sam Darnold is the clear No. 1 quarterback entering training camp, making the question less about whether McCarthy will overtake him by Week 1 and more about when — or if — he will get on the field as a rookie.

There is a general sense that top-10 picks should play right away, but you have to go back only to 2017 to find a relevant example. That year, the Kansas City Chiefs kept Patrick Mahomes (also selected at No. 10) behind veteran Alex Smith until a meaningless game in the final week of the regular season.

The Vikings have been careful to keep their plan for McCarthy as open-ended as possible. They’re not ruling him out of a training camp competition, but they also would be far from disappointed if he spends most of his rookie season on the sideline. — Kevin Seifert

NFC SOUTH

All eyes will be on the health of Kirk Cousins. There is a cautious optimism the Falcons could be on the verge of their first winning season since 2017. The team won seven games last year with young playmakers on offense and a good offensive line, yet subpar quarterback play. Cousins could be the missing piece on that side of the ball.

But the optimism would be dashed if the veteran is not 100% after tearing his right Achilles last October. Cousins and the Falcons don’t believe there will be issues, but Cousins turns 36 this summer, and those kinds of injuries can be hard to predict.

And then there’s the elephant in the quarterback room. If Cousins does miss time in training camp, how quickly will new coach Raheem Morris look to give No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. reps with the starters? — Marc Raimondi

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Will Bryce Young bounce back from a forgettable rookie season? The offseason has been all about putting Young in position to justify the 2023 trade with the Bears for the No. 1 overall pick to draft the former Alabama star. Even the hiring of head coach Dave Canales, who has helped turn around Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith and Russell Wilson, was about fixing Young.

If Young doesn’t improve, then all the pieces added around him will feel like a failure. Canales insists his goal isn’t to “fix” Young but to build a team that allows Young to simply “do his part.” But if Young can’t do his part, which will require a big leap from a rookie season in which he ranked near the bottom of almost every key NFL statistic for quarterbacks, then Carolina could be looking for Young’s replacement in 2025. — David Newton

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What’s in store for the draft class of 2017? The three remaining players on the roster from the Saints’ stellar 2017 draft class all come to camp with questions about their future. Ryan Ramczyk will miss the season with a serious knee injury, leading to questions about the future of his career. Alvin Kamara left minicamp early with contract issues lingering. Marshon Lattimore appears to be moving forward after being the subject of trade rumors all spring.

Kamara’s arrival will be the biggest thing to watch after the abrupt ending to minicamp. Kamara missed five practices in the summer of 2020 prior to getting a new contract. — Katherine Terrell

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Can quarterback Baker Mayfield not only replicate last year’s success but take another step forward now that he’s found a long-term home with the Bucs?

The team has done everything it feasibly can — outside of locking up All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs long term — to set him up for a successful year. They hired his former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen to help build upon what former offensive coordinator Dave Canales started. They re-signed Pro Bowler Mike Evans, and grabbed center Graham Barton in the first round of the draft, along with wide receiver Jalen McMillan, running back Bucky Irving and guard Elijah Klein. They also signed free agent interior offensive linemen Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson.

Now it’s on Mayfield to deliver. — Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

What kind of jump can the Cardinals take in Year 2 under Jonathan Gannon? Half of last season didn’t really count for Arizona. The first nine games were spent waiting for Kyler Murray, who returned in Week 10 from an ACL injury. By that point, the Cardinals had won just one game with Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune at quarterback.

Murray then led Arizona to three wins in eight games. But what stood out about last year’s team was how hard it played all season and how competitive it was throughout the year when the roster clearly wasn’t up to par. It lost five games by seven points or fewer.

With a rebuilt roster, another stout draft from general manager Monti Ossenfort, the return of Murray for an entire offseason and a strategic approach to free agency, the Cardinals have the ingredients to make a sizable jump in Gannon’s second season, getting enough of a boost to compete for a wild-card spot. — Josh Weinfuss

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How will the Rams replace Aaron Donald? Sean McVay has been clear since Donald retired in March that there won’t be just one player who can replace the future Hall of Famer, and that the Rams needed to figure out how they can put together a group that can replace his production.

Los Angeles is counting on second-year defensive lineman Kobie Turner, who led NFL rookies in sacks last season, to take another step forward this season. The Rams also used their first two picks of the draft on their defensive front: defensive end Jared Verse in the first round and college teammate Braden Fiske in the second.

During OTAs, new defensive coordinator Chris Shula said it’s “going to be a committee approach in emphasizing those guys’ strengths and having those guys rush as a unit and rush together.” The Rams had 41 sacks last season, which was tied for the ninth fewest in the NFL. — Sarah Barshop

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Is this finally the year the 49ers break through and win the Super Bowl? If this sounds like the same top storyline of the past four years, it’s because it is. The Niners have been to two Super Bowls and four NFC Championships in the past five years without winning the big one.

With quarterback Brock Purdy eligible for a lucrative contract extension for the first time after the 2024 season, this is probably the final chance for this nucleus of stars to win the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy together. One way or another, some significant changes are on the horizon. The extent of those changes will be determined by whether these 49ers can get the job done. — Nick Wagoner

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The Mike Macdonald era begins. Stuck in a rut of mediocrity, the Seahawks fired Pete Carroll and hired the 37-year-old Macdonald in January, replacing the most successful head coach in franchise history with the youngest head coach in the NFL and one of the league’s brightest defensive minds.

Their post-Carroll power structure changed as well, with longtime GM John Schneider now holding final say over personnel decisions as well as oversight of Macdonald’s staff, which includes three coordinators — who haven’t held those positions in the NFL — in addition to a first-time head coach. What does recent history say about Seattle’s chances of competing this season after its 9-8 finish a year ago? From 2014 to 2023, NFL teams hired 37 head coaches who hadn’t previously held that title in college or the pros. Of those 37, 13 posted winning records and made the playoffs in Year 1. Twelve of them did so after finishing below .500 the year before. — Brady Henderson

On a humid, 83-degree day in the nation’s capital, Dylan Cease was sweating through his San Diego Padres uniform, the brown pin-striped jersey now more of a dark gray. The ninth inning had just begun and Cease had yet to allow a hit. He had thrown 103 pitches — a low enough total, even in today’s game, to get a shot at completing the no-hitter.

Ildemaro Vargas battled for eight pitches, fouling off five pitches, before finally grounding out to second base. Jacob Young swung at a first-pitch slider and grounded out routinely to shortstop. CJ Abrams took a slider low and in and then swung at another one, lifting a soft liner to right field.

With that final out, Cease had his first career no-hitter — just the second in franchise history after Joe Musgrove broke through in 2021 — and completed one of the great three-game stretches in major league history.

On July 13, he allowed one hit with 11 strikeouts in six scoreless innings to beat the Atlanta Braves. Then, in his next start July 20, he allowed one hit with 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings to beat the Cleveland Guardians.

Now, he has gone the distance, striking out nine batters en route to the first no-no of his career.

Cease, who pitched 8⅔ no-hit innings with the White Sox in a 2022 game before seeing the bid broken up by current teammate Luis Arraez, said he first started thinking about the no-hitter after the sixth inning, “but the pitch count was high, so it was like, ‘Uhh … .’”

He issued a leadoff walk in the seventh but managed to get through the inning in 16 pitches. He told manager Mike Shildt that he still felt great but figured he had to get through the eighth inning in 105 pitches. With an easy nine-pitch inning, he had room to go out for the ninth.

Remarkably, this was Cease’s sixth start this season of at least six innings allowing one or fewer hits. That’s a major league record — 10 pitchers, including Cease in 2022, are tied for second with four such games in a season. This might not be quite as impressive as it seems; since pitchers rarely throw complete games anymore (or even eight innings), seven of those other 10 pitchers did it since 2021. Still, it points to how difficult it is to square up Cease, especially his slider, which he threw 60 times Thursday. He leads the majors in strikeouts; batters are hitting just .191 against him (although his ERA is a bit high for a Cy Young contender at 3.50).

Now, about that three-start stretch. To say Cease’s is an all-time great is a little more difficult since you’re comparing him to pitchers who, back in the day, would have thrown three straight complete games. Still, he’s the first pitcher to have three consecutive starts of at least six innings allowing one or fewer hits. Let’s list some of the other candidates, leaving out the dead-ball era:

• Johnny Vander Meer, 1938 Cincinnati Reds (June 5-15): The only pitcher with back-to-back no-hitters, Vander Meer allowed three hits and one run in his start before the first no-hitter. But he also had 14 walks and 17 strikeouts over the three games. Three-start average game score: 84.7

• Sandy Koufax, 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers (July 3-12): He tossed three consecutive three-hit shutouts, racking up 26 strikeouts. Average game score: 89.0

• Koufax, 1965 Dodgers (Sept. 25-Oct. 2): With the Dodgers battling for the pennant (they’d win by two games over the San Francisco Giants), Koufax tossed two shutouts, allowed one run and fanned 38 batters in his final three starts. Average game score: 88.3

• Bob Gibson, 1968 St. Louis Cardinals (June 15-26): The best three-game stretch of Gibson’s 1.12 ERA season: three straight shutouts with 26 strikeouts and 13 hits allowed (part of a stretch of five straight shutouts). Average game score: 86.7

• Nolan Ryan, 1972 Los Angeles Angels (Aug. 22-31): Three straight shutouts — one of them 12 innings, which boosts his average game. Overall line: 30 IP, 13 H, 13 BB, 31 SO. Average game score: 89.3

• Dwight Gooden, 1984 New York Mets (Sept. 7-17): The 19-year-old rookie tossed an 11-strikeout one-hitter and then back-to-back 16-strikeout games, one of those another shutout. Average game score: 87.7

• Randy Johnson, 1997 Seattle Mariners (May 28-June 8): Three straight scoreless starts, including two 15-strikeout games and just seven hits allowed. Average game score: 89.7

• Roger Clemens, 1998 Toronto Blue Jays (Aug. 20-30): Three-hit shutout, three-hit shutout and two-hit shutout with strikeout totals of six, 18 and seven, respectively. Average game score: 90.3

• Pedro Martinez, 1999 Boston Red Sox (Aug. 30-Sept. 10): This was part of a ridiculous eight-start stretch where Martinez fanned at least 11 batters in every start (107 strikeouts in 62 innings with a 1.16 ERA). He allowed one run in six innings with 11 K’s, no runs in eight innings with 15 K’s and then one run in his famous 17-strikeout game against the New York Yankees. Average game score: 86.0

• Max Scherzer, 2015 Washington Nationals (June 14-26): A 16-strikeout one-hitter, followed by a 10-strikeout no-hitter (he lost a perfect game when he hit the 27th batter), followed by eight innings of two-run ball. Average game score: 89.3

• Clayton Kershaw, 2015 Dodgers (July 18-Aug. 1): Peak Kershaw was something. In this stretch, he allowed no runs in 25 innings with just 8 hits, 32 strikeouts and 1 walk. And in the game before this stretch, he tossed an eight-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts. Average game score: 88.7

• Dylan Cease, 2023 Padres (July 13-25): Two hits allowed over 22 innings with 30 strikeouts and no runs. Average game score: 85.0

Subjectively, I’d probably go with Scherzer’s trio, which features probably the most dominant back-to-back efforts ever — although you have to give Koufax extra credit for doing it in the final days of a heated playoff race in 1965. For me, Cease just didn’t play quite enough innings to get the nod for the best three-start stretch ever.

Well, not yet — but let’s see what he does next time out.

1. Michael Fasusi will wind up committing to Texas or Oklahoma.

*****

2.

Texas A&M is the team to watch with elite safety Trey McNutt.

*****

3.

With a star-studded group of visitors expected this weekend, Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend will yield several commitments.

Sophia Dunkley’s 69 not out from 47 balls took Welsh Fire to victory over Manchester Originals in The Hundred as the visitors recovered from a wobble to triumph by seven wickets at Emirates Old Trafford.

Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont (31 off 29) put on 65 from 55 balls for Fire’s first wicket as they chased 114 for victory but the away side stuttered once Beaumont was out as three wickets fell for eight runs, including Hayley Matthew lbw to Sophie Ecclestone for one.

The requirement was 31 from the final 16 balls but Dunkley then hit the next delivery, bowled by Kim Garth for six, before crunching a four and six off Kathryn Bryce and two fours off Ecclestone to help Fire home with four balls to spare.

Jess Jonassen (9no off 7) cracked the winning boundary off Fi Morris, backing up her 3-17 from 20 balls earlier in the game as Originals were limited to 113-7.

Laura Wolvaardt (37 off 27 balls) led Originals to 58-0 from 47 balls but the home side then lost three wickets for four runs, which triggered a larger collapse of 6-28 as Fire fought back.

Australian left-arm spinner Jonassen trapped Wolvaardt lbw to earn Fire their first wicket, with Beth Mooney (19 of 24) and Emma Lamb (1) then dismissed by Georgia Davis in the space of three balls.

Originals’ middle order failed to impress – Kathryn Bryce (6) was caught by her sister Sarah Bryce off the bowling of Jonassen – and it was left to Ecclestone (27no off 15) to take the hosts into three figures, with the England star hitting successive sixes off Matthews.

What’s next?

The Hundred continues on Friday as Northern Superchargers take on Trent Rockets at Headingley

The women’s match (2.30pm on air, 3pm first ball) is live on Sky Sports Mix and via free live stream on skysports.com, the Sky Sports app and on the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel.

The men’s match, which will be the first in charge for Superchargers head coach Andrew Flintoff, is live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 6.30pm with the first ball at 6.35pm.

Sky Sports will show all 68 games in The Hundred live this summer, while you can also watch selected matches via free streams on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel.

France beat the United States 3-0 thanks to a second-half barrage as the teams began group play in the men’s Olympic tournament in Marseille on Wednesday.

After a scoreless first half, the floodgates opened when Alexandre Lacazette, one of France’s senior players in the squad, lashed a shot past U.S. keeper Patrick Schulte to make it 1-0.

Michael Olise, who just made a high-profile move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, doubled the lead soon after and Loïc Badé smashed home a header before full-time to give Thierry Henry’s host side the opening win and top spot in Group A.

Before finding its stride, France had to battle hard against a U.S. team that saw a shot from Djordje Mihailovic hit the cross bar when the game was still goalless. Lacazette’s goal came almost immediately after.

The United States, making a first Olympic appearance in men’s soccer since 2008, is in third behind New Zealand, which beat Guinea 2-1 in the other Group A match of the day.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley said he wasn’t aware at the time that his conversation with New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen — an exchange that appeared recently on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” — was being recorded.

In that conversation, Schoen let Barkley know that instead of making an offer to the star running back or placing the franchise tag on him, they were going to allow the two-time Pro Bowler to test the free agent market.

Barkley said he saw the taped conversation when watching a trailer for an upcoming episode. He stopped short of saying he was “shocked” when asked whether he was surprised that the Giants allowed the exchange to air.

“At the end of the day, I also think they have control of the edits and they could have painted me to look really bad,” Barkley said Wednesday, “and they kind of gave the truth.”

The truth, as shown through Schoen’s phone conversation with agent Ed Berry, is that the Giants were not willing to offer the same as other teams in the mix for Barkley’s services.

“We’re out,” Schoen said.

The division-rival Philadelphia Eagles were in, inking Barkley to a three-year contract worth $37.75 million that includes $26 million guaranteed.

The drama between the Giants and Barkley wasn’t as intense as portrayed, Barkley said, but he gave credit to “Hard Knocks” for offering unique insight into negotiations that are typically done behind the scenes.

“‘Hard Knocks’ was unique, but that’s in the past,” Barkley said. “I lived it; I got to watch it; and now I’m ready to focus on what matters most — and that’s being here with my teammates and getting better each day.”

Barkley was greeted with a loud ovation as he made his way out of the practice facility and onto the field Wednesday, which marked the first day of training camp for the Eagles. Cheers rang out every time he touched the ball during the hour-plus session.

“I definitely heard it. There is a little excitement with me being here,” he said. “Since coming to Philly, it’s been nothing but love and a lot of support from everyone within the building, the fans.”

Barkley, entering his seventh NFL season, amassed more than 5,200 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns with the Giants. But being in a different environment has him feeling like a “rookie” and, in Wednesday’s case, “a little kid” as he soaked in the new atmosphere, complete with shouts of “Saquon!” as he ran down the sideline.

“The first thing I said to A.J. [Brown] is, ‘I can’t believe they pay us to do this — to come out here and play football,’” he said.

England captain Heather Knight’s unbeaten 65 from 31 balls led London Spirit to a thrilling six-wicket victory over defending women’s champions Southern Brave in The Hundred.

Knight came to the crease with Spirit on 78 from 57 balls and needing a further 74 from 43 deliveries to overhaul Brave’s total of 151-6 at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton.

However, the England skipper hit nine fours and one six, with her final boundary, off last year’s leading wicket-taker Georgia Adams, seeing Spirit home with three balls to spare.

Knight’s England team-mate Danni Wyatt (59 off 35) earlier top-scored for Brave, having also scored a fifty in her side’s win over Northern Superchargers in last year’s final.

Sixteen-year-old Brave spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman then made ex-Australia captain Meg Lanning (12) her first wicket in The Hundred on debut, catching the opener off her own bowling.

But Lanning’s compatriot Georgia Redmayne contributed 45 from 31 balls at the top of the order, before Knight’s match-winning innings followed two run-outs that had rocked the Spirit chase.

What’s next?

The Hundred continues on Thursday as Manchester Originals take on Welsh Fire at Emirates Old Trafford.

Both matches are live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event, as well as in a free live stream on skysports.com, the Sky Sports app and on the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel.

Originals Women vs Fire Women is live from 2.30pm (3pm first ball), with Originals Men vs Fire Men on air from 6pm (6.30pm first ball).

Sky Sports will show all 68 games in The Hundred live this summer, while you can also watch selected matches via free streams on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel.