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Tag: Athlete injuries

  • Prescott’s Cowboys overcome Mahomes’ fourth-down magic in 31-28 Thanksgiving win over Chiefs

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    ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys still face long odds in trying to rally for a spot in the playoffs.

    They won’t be short on confidence with a win over last season’s Super Bowl runner-up just four days after beating the defending champs.

    Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Malik Davis sprinted 43 yards for a score and the Cowboys overcame two fourth down TD throws from Patrick Mahomes in a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.

    CeeDee Lamb scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished with 112 yards on seven catches after drops plagued the star receiver in a 24-21 victory over reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

    The Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight and dropped the defending AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) back to .500 in a matchup of playoff-chasing teams.

    Dallas is 3-0 since 24-year-old defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide during the club’s open week. The Cowboys came back from the emotion-filled break with a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

    “On top of where we put ourselves right before these games and just the place that we’re in, having to get these wins against two elite teams,” Prescott said. “I mean, two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. Last year’s last year, but you’re talking about two organizations that obviously know how to win and we just beat them both in two great games.

    “On top of everything that we’ve been through.”

    Mahomes had four touchdown passes in his first professional game at the home of the Cowboys, where he played three times for Texas Tech not far from his East Texas roots.

    “They’re the same desperation that we are and they play better over four quarters than we did,” said Mahomes, who threw for 261 yards and was sacked three times, twice by Jadeveon Clowney. “So even though we have good plays here and there, we have be more consistent at the end of the day.”

    Travis Kelce caught Mahomes’ first fourth-down TD toss on a 2-yarder, and Rashee Rice’s second scoring catch came on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter.

    Kansas City was down 10 when Mahomes was almost tripped in the backfield by Quinnen Williams but kept his feet and found Xavier Worthy wide-open down the field for 42 yards, setting up a 10-yard scoring toss to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining.

    Prescott and company didn’t give Mahomes another chance.

    After two pass interference penalties gave Dallas first downs, Prescott hit George Pickens for 13 yards and a clinching first down at the two-minute warning. Prescott knelt three times after that.

    The Chiefs had five pass interference penalties, one that was declined, and another defensive holding that gave Dallas a first down. Kansas City finished with 10 penalties for 119 yards.

    “Bottom line is we’re having too many penalties, and we have to make sure to take care of that,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “No excuses with it. We’re going to clean it up.”

    Rice had eight catches for 92 yards, his first score coming on a 27-yard catch-and-run on the sideline two plays after Prescott was intercepted by Jaylen Watson on the first Dallas possession.

    Davis had just three carries, but his long run gave Dallas its first lead at 17-14 late in the second quarter. Lead running back Javonte Williams scored on a 3-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and Pickens’ catch on a 2-point conversion put Dallas back in front 28-21.

    The Cowboys were 10th in the NFC entering the game, same as the Chiefs in the AFC coming off nine consecutive AFC West titles. The schedule doesn’t get much easier, although two of the next four opponents — all playoff teams from a year ago — aren’t in the postseason picture at the moment.

    “We’ve got to continue with the same mentality,” Lamb said. “Obviously it’s been a short week. Now we get a little time to rest, a regular week so to speak. We get our bodies back, relax, build, grow, get better and on to next week.”

    Injuries

    Chiefs: The Chiefs lost two offensive linemen to injuries after beginning the game without RG Trey Smith, who was inactive because of an ankle injury. RT Jawaan Taylor injured an elbow, and rookie LT Josh Simmons went out with a wrist injury. … S Bryan Cook injured an ankle in the first half.

    Cowboys: CB Caelen Carson, who had started the previous two games, was inactive after being listed as questionable. He was added to the injury report during the week. … CB DaRon Bland injured a foot in the second half.

    Up next

    Chiefs: Play host to Houston in prime time on Dec. 7.

    Cowboys: Visit Detroit next Thursday night.

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  • Jets goalie Hellebuyck to undergo arthroscopic procedure on his knee and miss 4 to 6 weeks

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    WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his knee and be out four to six weeks, the team said Friday.

    Jets coach Scott Arneil said Friday that Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goalie, had been trying to play through a knee injury, and the timing is right to get it taken care of.

    “Obviously, he’s, what is it, 10 years, he’s been pretty healthy,” Arniel said. “And this has kind of been nagging on him here since training camp. It’s something we’ve kind of known about, he was trying to play through it, would be good days, bad days, just something that, timing’s right, get it done now.

    “A lot of schedule ahead of us, so that was really just the thinking. Sat down, talked to him, obviously the medical staff, everybody, agent. This was the time to do it.”

    The surgery comes less than three months before the start of the Olympic men’s hockey tournament in Milan, Italy.

    Hellebuyck is 8-6-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .913 save percentage this season for the Jets (12-7-0), who entered a game Friday against Carolina in third place in the Central Division.

    The 32-year-old Hellebuyck won his first Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and his second straight — and third career —Vezina Trophy in 2024-25, helping the Jets to the best regular-season record in the NHL. He also won the award as top goalie in 2019-20.

    Hellebuyck, from Commerce, Michigan, was not included in the first group of six players announced for the United States’ Olympic preliminary roster, but was widely expected to be added to the team.

    Eric Comrie is expected to take the Jets starting role in Hellebuyck’s absence. He is 4-1 with a 2.60 GAA and .908 save percentage this season.

    In a corresponding move, the Jets called up goaltender Thomas Milic from the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose.

    “Obviously we’ve been really fortunate to have Helly be healthy and available,” Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said. “His durability is something to marvel at. Obviously now without him, you can’t replace a guy like that.

    “But we’re super confident in Coms and Milly and our defensive game. But definitely, we’ve been fortunate to not have him out of the lineup for a whole lot of years.”

    Hellebuyck, who last played on Nov. 15 in a victory over Calgary, was 47-12-3 last season. He has a career record of 330-191-44 with a 2.56 GAA and .918 save percentage and 45 shutouts.

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  • Injured Giants running back Cam Skattebo defends his WWE ‘Monday Night Raw’ appearance

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    NEW YORK (AP) — While Cam Skattebo has not played football for the New York Giants since undergoing season-ending surgery in late October, the rookie running back still has plenty of people around sports talking about him.

    Skattebo attended WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” at Madison Square Garden, along with teammates Abdul Carter and Roy Robertson-Harris. After some back-and-forth banter during a skit, Skattebo shoved wrestler JD McDonagh from behind a barrier and got pushed back, with the clip going viral.

    “Cam’s crazy,” Giants starting left tackle Andrew Thomas said Tuesday with a chuckle.

    A handful of local radio hosts blasted Skattebo for risking his health by taking part in the show. Skattebo took to social media to defend himself.

    “Honestly if you don’t like that I’m having a good time while dealing with a tough time, then just go ahead and unfollow and casually move on,” Skattebo posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I’m not able to play football and have the fun I’ve been having my whole life so I am doing things outside the box trying to find stuff to keep me happy. Enjoy the rest of y’all’s week and just don’t talk about me if you ain’t got nothing nice to say.”

    Skattebo, who wore a jersey of Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe at the event, is recovering from a broken right fibula and dislocated right ankle after getting hurt in gruesome fashion Oct. 26 in a loss at Philadelphia. In a video interview with Complex Sports over the weekend, Skattebo showed how well the injury was healing, and he was wearing a protective boot at the Garden.

    The 23-year-old also was on the sideline Sunday at the Meadowlands on a scooter and sporting the boot.

    ESPN New York’s Chris Carlin said he “could not have been angrier at the just remarkable stupidity shown by Skattebo. He was one of the lone bright spots of this team, and he thinks it’s a good idea to get involved like that.”

    Co-host Bart Scott, who played 11 NFL seasons as a linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, was less vocally critical but still described Skattebo’s participation as “carelessness.”

    “Whether you’re play wrestling or wrestling, it’s still a physical act,” Scott said.

    WFAN’s Chris McMonigle said “the optics are so bad.” On the same station, Brandon Tierney called it dumb.

    “I’m not here to be the buzz kill or holier than thou or the headmaster or the dean of discipline, but, dude, use common sense,” Tierney said. “What happens if there’s a little beer or a little water or a little seltzer on the Garden floor and he slips and he loses control?”

    Skattebo responded to that clip on social media by saying his foot was off the ground, adding, “Trust me wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize anything.”

    Skattebo, along with quarterback Jaxson Dart, had brought an infusion of energy into the organization before going down. The fourth-round pick out of Arizona State had run for five touchdowns and had two more receiving in his first eight professional games.

    Asked Tuesday on a video call with reporters about Skattebo at the Garden, second-year back Tyrone Tracy flashed a smile.

    “I wasn’t there last night, but you best believe I was fighting,” Tracy said. “I was fighting at home, though, telling him to duck and sit down. Cam’s a wild man. Everybody knows that. He’s going to go out there and do what he do.”

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  • Injured Giants running back Cam Skattebo defends his WWE ‘Monday Night Raw’ appearance

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    NEW YORK — While Cam Skattebo has not played football for the New York Giants since undergoing season-ending surgery in late October, the rookie running back still has plenty of people around sports talking about him.

    Skattebo attended WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” at Madison Square Garden, along with teammates Abdul Carter and Roy Robertson-Harris. After some back-and-forth banter during a skit, Skattebo shoved wrestler JD McDonagh from behind a barrier and got pushed back, with the clip going viral.

    “Cam’s crazy,” Giants starting left tackle Andrew Thomas said Tuesday with a chuckle.

    A handful of local radio hosts blasted Skattebo for risking his health by taking part in the show. Skattebo took to social media to defend himself.

    “Honestly if you don’t like that I’m having a good time while dealing with a tough time, then just go ahead and unfollow and casually move on,” Skattebo posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I’m not able to play football and have the fun I’ve been having my whole life so I am doing things outside the box trying to find stuff to keep me happy. Enjoy the rest of y’all’s week and just don’t talk about me if you ain’t got nothing nice to say.”

    Skattebo, who wore a jersey of Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe at the event, is recovering from a broken right fibula and dislocated right ankle after getting hurt in gruesome fashion Oct. 26 in a loss at Philadelphia. In a video interview with Complex Sports over the weekend, Skattebo showed how well the injury was healing, and he was wearing a protective boot at the Garden.

    The 23-year-old also was on the sideline Sunday at the Meadowlands on a scooter and sporting the boot.

    ESPN New York’s Chris Carlin said he “could not have been angrier at the just remarkable stupidity shown by Skattebo. He was one of the lone bright spots of this team, and he thinks it’s a good idea to get involved like that.”

    Co-host Bart Scott, who played 11 NFL seasons as a linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, was less vocally critical but still described Skattebo’s participation as “carelessness.”

    “Whether you’re play wrestling or wrestling, it’s still a physical act,” Scott said.

    WFAN’s Chris McMonigle said “the optics are so bad.” On the same station, Brandon Tierney called it dumb.

    “I’m not here to be the buzz kill or holier than thou or the headmaster or the dean of discipline, but, dude, use common sense,” Tierney said. “What happens if there’s a little beer or a little water or a little seltzer on the Garden floor and he slips and he loses control?”

    Skattebo responded to that clip on social media by saying his foot was off the ground, adding, “Trust me wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize anything.”

    Skattebo, along with quarterback Jaxson Dart, had brought an infusion of energy into the organization before going down. The fourth-round pick out of Arizona State had run for five touchdowns and had two more receiving in his first eight professional games.

    Asked Tuesday on a video call with reporters about Skattebo at the Garden, second-year back Tyrone Tracy flashed a smile.

    “I wasn’t there last night, but you best believe I was fighting,” Tracy said. “I was fighting at home, though, telling him to duck and sit down. Cam’s a wild man. Everybody knows that. He’s going to go out there and do what he do.”

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  • Surveillance video shows Titans cornerback driving car minutes before alleged shooting

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    Surveillance video shows Tennessee Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed driving a Lamborghini Urus at a suburban Dallas dealership and nearby gas station minutes before two men allege that shots were fired at them from that vehicle last December.

    Sneed, 28, was indicted Tuesday by a Dallas County grand jury on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report felony aggravated assault to law enforcement. The indictment does not include details of the alleged incident on Dec. 6.

    In the video, Sneed can be seen getting out of the Lamborghini, then using crutches to walk past the men and up stairs into the dealership at 3:22 p.m. on that date. Sneed walks out about a minute later in the video, which was shared Thursday with The Associated Press by attorney Levi McCathern, who represents the two men in a civil lawsuit against Sneed over the shooting.

    The Titans cornerback, who was on injured reserve, also can be seen in separate surveillance video at a gas station at the same time as the two men. In the video, Sneed walks in from a gas pump, goes to a register and then walks back to the same car when Christian Nshimiyimana and Avi Ahmed were inside.

    Minutes later, Nshimiyimana and Ahmed say in their lawsuit that they were shot at while sitting in a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon at the dealership. The surveillance video shows a vehicle driving past with four loud pops heard and an arm out the passenger side window at 3:42 p.m. That vehicle then speeds off.

    A probable cause affidavit from the Carrollton Police Department dated Dec. 11 said Ahmed asked employees about two men he had seen earlier and that Sneed was identified as one of those men. The dealership also provided Sneed’s phone number.

    Detectives also confirmed Sneed’s identity from surveillance video from several locations.

    “It was apparent that Sneed was the only person they had seen getting out of and into the driver seat of the Lamborghini. He also was the last person seen getting into the driver seat at the RaceTrac (gas station) approximately eight minutes before the shooting,” according to the affidavit.

    The police affidavit also noted: “Combined with the rapid acceleration away from the scene proved that Sneed knew what he was doing when assisted the shooter in fleeing the scene.”

    Nshimiyimana and Ahmed allege that Sneed and another man, Tekonzae Williams, were inside the Lamborghini when the shots were fired. Williams was indicted Tuesday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Court records did not list an attorney for Williams.

    McCathern, of McCathern Law, said Thursday his clients were pleased that Sneed and his associate were indicted.

    “Hopefully, this will be the beginning of getting justice for my clients,” McCathern said. “As the video clearly shows, they are very lucky to be alive after Mr. Sneed’s actions.”

    Sneed’s attorney, Michael J. Todd, did not return a message left by the AP on Thursday. Sneed’s agent had no comment Wednesday.

    No people were hit by bullets, though the lawsuit says bullets did hit the Mercedes-Benz as well as a building at the car lot. The lawsuit against Sneed and Williams seeks at least $1 million in damages.

    The Titans said in a statement they were aware of the “legal matter” with Sneed and are in contact with NFL security per league protocol. The statement says the team had no further comment.

    Sneed was placed on injured reserve last month with a quadriceps injury, and he was in the Titans’ locker room Thursday. Players on injured reserve do not talk to reporters.

    This is the second straight season the Titans have put him on injured reserve. He played only five games in 2024 after Tennessee traded with Kansas City for him, giving Sneed a contract that made him the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid cornerback at the time.

    Sneed was drafted from Louisiana Tech in the fourth round in 2020 by Kansas City. He won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Chiefs in 2022 and 2023.

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    Associated Press writer Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.

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  • Packers QB Jordan Love returns against the Giants after exiting with a shoulder injury

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    EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jordan Love returned to the Green Bay Packers’ game at the New York Giants on Sunday after the starting quarterback exited with a left shoulder injury.

    Love ran out of the tunnel, got his helmet back and received cheers from fans as he went back on to the field early in the second quarter. Concern shifted to running back Josh Jacobs, who went inside for further evaluation of a knee injury and was listed as questionable to return.

    Jacobs had seven carries for 40 yards before walking off the field and looking to be laboring in pain on the sideline.

    Love was hurt when he took a big hit to that shoulder at the end of a run in the first quarter. After pump-faking and taking off, Love was tackled by linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles following a gain of 4 yards and looked visibly shaken up.

    Love was looked at by trainers before going to the blue medical tent. The Packers trailed 7-0 at the time of his injury.

    Backup Malik Willis replaced Love and finished the drive with a touchdown pass to Christian Watson early in the second quarter. That cut Green Bay’s deficit to 7-6 after Lucas Havrisik — filling in for injured kicker Brandon McManus — missed the extra point.

    The Packers entered having lost two in a row to fall to 5-4-1, with the primary source of the struggles coming on offense.

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  • Clippers’ Bradley Beal out for the season with hip fracture, will have surgery

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    INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal is done for the season.

    He has a hip fracture and will undergo surgery, the team announced Wednesday. He is expected to make a full recovery in six to nine months.

    The three-time All-Star played in just six games this season, averaging 8.2 points and 1.7 assists. He signed an $11 million, two-year deal with the Clippers in July after the final two years of his contract were bought out by the Phoenix Suns.

    The 32-year-old was listed as out for Wednesday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets because of left hip soreness. Beal had already missed games because of a left knee injury and lower back soreness.

    Beal’s two seasons in Phoenix were riddled by injury. The 14-year veteran hasn’t played at least 60 games in a season since 2020-21 when he was with the Washington Wizards.

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  • Ex-NBA player Damon Jones pleads not guilty to selling injury secrets

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    NEW YORK — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he profited from rigged poker games and provided sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

    Jones, a onetime teammate of James, said little during back-to-back arraignments in federal court in Brooklyn, letting his court-appointed lawyer enter not guilty pleas in a pair of cases stemming from last month’s federal takedown of sprawling gambling operations.

    Jones, 49, acknowledged he read both indictments and that he understood the charges and his bail conditions, which include his mother and stepfather putting up their Texas home as collateral for a $200,000 bond that will allow him to remain free pending trial.

    Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told a judge that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations.” He is due back in court for a preliminary conference with other defendants on Nov. 24.

    Jones was among more than 30 people arrested in the gambling sweep. The others included reputed mobsters and prominent basketball figures, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

    Sports bettor Marves Fairley also pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging he cashed in on information about injuries to NBA players, including some that prosecutors say Jones provided to him.

    Jones, an NBA journeyman, earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and he served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.

    According to prosecutors, Jones sold or attempted to sell non-public information to bettors that James was injured and wouldn’t be playing in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”

    James wasn’t listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text message, but the NBA’s all-time scoring leader was later ruled out of the game because of a lower body jury, according to prosecutors, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.

    On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors said, Fairley paid Jones approximately $2,500 for a tip that Davis, the Lakers’ forward and center at the time, would see limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of an injury.

    Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder to win, prosecutors said, but the tip was wrong. Davis played his usual minutes, scored 27 points and collected 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers win, prompting Fairley to demand a refund of his $2,500 fee, prosecutors said.

    Jones, a native of Galveston, Texas, who played college basketball at the University of Houston, is charged in both cases with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. As part of his bail agreement, his travel is restricted to parts of Texas and New York City. He was allowed to keep his passport to use as identification for flying until he obtains a REAL ID, which his lawyer said should happen soon.

    A hot hand from outside the three-point arc, Jones once proclaimed himself in an interview with insidehoops.com as “the best shooter in the world.” He played in every regular season game for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.

    After his playing days, he worked as a “shooting consultant” for the Cavaliers and was an assistant coach when the team, led by James, won the NBA championship in 2016.

    In the poker scheme, according to prosecutors, Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting players into poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.

    According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. His instructor likened those people to James and NBA All-Star Steph Curry, prosecutors said. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.

    In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”

    The poker scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to prosecutors.

    Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.

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  • Jayden Daniels leaves game after Washington QB’s nonthrowing arm bends gruesomely

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — Jayden Daniels was being dragged down by a defender when he stuck his left arm out and put his hand on the ground.

    That’s when a dismal night for the Washington Commanders turned downright horrifying.

    Daniels’ nonthrowing arm bent gruesomely, and the star quarterback had to leave Washington’s 38-14 loss to Seattle on Sunday night with 7:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. It’s the third — and perhaps the most significant — injury of the season for Daniels, who was in his first game back from a hamstring issue.

    “It’s really tough to see him go down. You just want him to stay positive,” Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “You don’t know what the result is. You just speak a lot of positivity into existence. He’s a very positive person so we’re just praying for the best.”

    AP AUDIO: Jayden Daniels leaves game after Washington QB’s nonthrowing arm bends gruesomely

    The NFL’s reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year exited with a significant injury late during a lopsided defeat. Correspondent Gethin Coolbaugh reports.

    Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Daniels injured his elbow. That was about the extent of the postgame update. Quinn didn’t have much of an explanation for why Daniels was still in the game. Washington was trailing 38-7 at the time.

    “Obviously like the hindsight, you don’t want to think that way, where an injury could take place,” Quinn said. “Obviously we’re more conservative in that spot to run and hand off and not have reads to go, but just the end result — obviously, I’m bummed.”

    In addition to the hamstring injury, Daniels also missed two games earlier this season with knee issues.

    Although an injury to Daniels’ non-throwing arm isn’t necessarily career altering, Commanders fans could hardly be blamed for immediately fearing the worst. It was on this same field about 13 years ago — against the same opponent — that Robert Griffin III went down with a severe knee injury at the end of his sensational rookie season for Washington. He never reached those heights again.

    The Commanders fell behind early Sunday and trailed 31-7 at halftime, and Daniels had to do plenty of scrambling. He ended up running for 51 yards on 10 carries, and the injury underscored the risk in doing that.

    “I think that’s his nature. He wants to be aggressive and make plays,” Quinn said. “He’s got confidence in the other players. I do know that. So it’s not like, ‘I have to do more, I have to do things that are outside of playing in that way.’ We also have to have everybody. Injuries happen and you hate it.”

    As a rookie last season, Daniels led Washington to the NFC championship game — its best season since 1991. Now the Commanders are 3-6 after four straight losses. If the season can be salvaged, it may have to be with Marcus Mariota at quarterback.

    During those moments when Daniels was slow to get up, however, it was the long-term future that seemed like the bigger issue.

    “I didn’t see what happened exactly. I just heard a pause and I kind of put my head down and prayed for him,” Commanders guard Sam Cosmi said. “You just don’t want to see that happen.”

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  • With Gausman and Yamamoto, the splitter is back in the spotlight for World Series Game 6

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    TORONTO — Mr. Splitty has returned.

    Showcased by World Series Game 6 starters Kevin Gausman and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, split-finger fastballs have been used for 6.8% of postseason pitches this year, more than double last year’s 2.4% and up from 1.5% when pitch tracking started in 2008.

    “There’s so many good pitches in today’s game — there’s so many good sweepers and sliders and cutters,” Gausman said. “I think the split is almost kind of a just a little bit different of an animal. You can recognize the spin and you can still have a pretty ugly swing on it if the metrics are right.”

    Toronto used splitters a big league-high 9.3% of the time during the regular season, according to MLB Statcast. That was the highest percentage of any team since pitch tracking started in 2008, topping 7.8% by Minnesota in 2023 and Baltimore this year.

    Gausman has thrown his splitter 41.4% of the time in the postseason, followed on the Blue Jays by fellow starter Trey Yesavage (27.7%), closer Jeff Hoffman (25.9%) and relievers Seranthony Domínguez (16.7%) and Yariel Rodríguez (8.6%).

    Roki Sasaki, shifted from rotation to relief, tops the Dodgers at 45.9%, followed by Yamamoto at 24.7% and Shohei Ohtani at 7.4%.

    “Roger Craig is smiling somewhere,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, referring to the late pitching coach and manager, among the splitter’s most prominent proponents. “With all these cameras and technology and stuff, you’re really able to outfit guys with what they should be doing based on how their body moves.”

    Bruce Sutter, Jack Morris and John Smoltz utilized the splitter during careers that earned induction into the Hall of Fame.

    Splitters are throw with index and middle fingers spread wide, intended to have substantial downward break.

    Sutter credited his reaching the Hall to learning the splitter from Fred Martin, a big leaguer from 1946-50 who became a Chicago Cubs minor league instructor.

    “He told me to spread my fingers apart and throw it just like a fastball,” Sutter said during his Hall induction speech in 2006. “There were players throwing forkballs at the time and a few guys were using it for a changeup, but nobody was throwing what he called the split finger. It was a pitch that didn’t change how the game was played but developed a new way to get hitters out.”

    Craig taught the splitter to Morris as pitching coach of the Detroit Tigers and to Mike Scott when he was with the Houston Astros. Roger Clemens learned how to throw it from Scott at a charity golf event in 1986 and started calling the pitch “Mr. Splitty.”

    Usage dropped after the pitch gained a reputation for causing elbow injuries. Just 1.4% of regular-season pitches were splitters when tracking started. The percentage climbed to 2.2% in 2023, 3.1% in 2024 and 3.3% this year.

    “Going back a few years, I think certain people thought they couldn’t throw it, they couldn’t actually get their fingers wide enough,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Pitch design has changed, and I think guys have figured out different ways to grip it, like, Gaus’s is different than Trey’s, Trey’s is different than Seranthony’s, Yariel’s is different than — they all hold it a little bit differently. So I think pitchers have just gotten to the point where they understand that pitch works against certain swing types that are pretty prevalent in the league and they figured out ways to kind of manipulate to get the same action.”

    Gausman’s 37.6% splitter usage during the season was third behind Detroit’s Rafael Montero (46.9%) and Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran (39.7%) among those who threw at least 1,000 pitches.

    Among starting pitchers who threw at least 100 splitters, Yamamoto held batters to a .136 average, third behind Seattle’s Logan Gilbert (.119) and Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach (.132).

    Batters had a .181 average against Gausman’s splitter, down from .230 vs. his fastball and .342 against his slider.

    “One of the few pitches I thoroughly believe a hitter can know it’s coming and still get out,” Gausman said. “I’ve always felt like the changeup is the best pitch in the game because it looks like a fastball, and anything that looks like a fastball and isn’t is really good.”

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  • Debate on dangerous ski training courses flares at the start of Olympic season

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    When Mikaela Shiffrin started skiing again weeks after her terrifying crash last year, the American star was even more alert to the potential dangers of training courses.

    Shiffrin’s injuries — puncture wound to her abdomen and severe damage to her abdominal muscles — came in a World Cup giant slalom race but the two-time Olympic champion knew that training could be just as risky.

    If not more.

    “When I came back from injury I was aware of the fencing on the side and a hole in the course and where the trees were,” Shiffrin told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

    “We are often training in conditions where the variables are just too many to control and you have to decide sometimes: Is this unreasonably dangerous or is this within a reasonable level of danger that we need to train, we need to practice, and this is the only way we can do it?”

    French skier Alexis Pinturault had similar experiences.

    “We are training in many places where it’s not really safe, yes, that’s 100% sure,” the 2021 men’s overall World Cup champion said.

    Ongoing safety discussions in Alpine skiing came into fresh focus in September, less than five months before the Milan-Cortina Olympics, when World Cup racer Matteo Franzoso died following a crash in preseason training in Chile.

    The 25-year-old Italian crashed through two layers of safety fencing on a course at La Parva and slammed into a wooden fence positioned six to seven meters outside the course. He died two days later from cranial trauma and a consequent swelling of his brain.

    Franzoso was the third young Italian skier to die in less than a year, and a talented French skier died following a training crash in April.

    Shiffrin, a five-time overall champion and winner of a record 101 World Cup races, dealt with lingering post-traumatic stress disorder when she got back on skis again after her injuries.

    Nearly three months after her crash, she returned to racing in late February.

    “Athletes and coaches and everybody are so used to saying that the sport carries an inherent risk that you start to become blind to some of the risks that are actually life-threatening,” Shiffrin said.

    “This was a challenge for me, that I felt so scared of the risk for the rest of the season. If you think too much about it you become paralyzed. But it’s really important that we can assess what those risks are and try to find ways to mitigate that as much as possible. It’s not OK to say risk is part of the sport and you take it or leave it.”

    The issue with training courses is that, for financial reasons, they usually lack the same safety standards that apply to race courses.

    Smaller crews of course workers are on the hill to maintain the condition of the snow surface; fewer safety netting is placed along the course to break the fall when racers crash; and less medical staff and equipment, like helicopters for immediate transport to a hospital, are available.

    Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, called ski racing “an extreme sport. At a high level, it’s like F1 or MotoGP in downhill, super-G, but also giant slalom, because the speed is 80-90 kph (50-56 mph), the risk is there every time.”

    In races, courses are safer thanks an abundance of nets, according to the Italian, but she pointed out that just having more nets won’t solve the issues on training courses.

    When there is overnight snowfall safety netting should be removed, the slope cleaned from the fresh snow, and the netting put back before skiers can charge down in the early morning hours.

    While this is an obvious procedure for local organizers and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation on a race day, the question is who takes care of it during a preseason training camp?

    For Goggia, it would be wrong to point the finger at just the team coaches, who cannot be held responsible “because a coach just teaches you how to ski.”

    She recalled the day of Franzoso’s crash in September, when there were three teams training on that slope: Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

    “I cannot think that they didn’t see the danger, maybe,” Goggia said. “But if you want to ensure the training slope as a World Cup slope, there has to be a totally different organization. The answer is easy: We can do more. But who does it in the end? Who wants to invest millions of euros?”

    After the Franzoso tragedy, the Italian Winter Sports Federation called on FIS to establish dedicated training courses, both in the southern hemisphere in countries like Chile, Argentina and New Zealand, as well as in the U.S. and Europe, with safety netting just like courses used for World Cup races.

    On the fringe of the World Cup season-opening races in Austria last weekend, FIS President Johan Eliasch said the governing body was working to “prevent as much as possible horrible accidents to happen.”

    Together with national federations and local organizers, FIS was looking into improving safety, from scheduling a race calendar that allows skiers to take more rest to having more medical staff on the ground, and from placing more netting to better preparing the snow surface of courses.

    “We need to make sure that when you have training runs in speed that the safety standards are exactly the same as on the big race day,” Eliasch said.

    However, that might be too ambitious, Austria women’s team coach Roland Assinger said.

    “A risk will always remain but we coaches try to minimize it,” said Assinger, a former World Cup downhiller.

    “Copper Mountain (in Colorado) is the safest training course in the world, with A netting from top to bottom and countless B nets. In South America, they also have a lot of B nets, but not at the same level, as it’s financially not doable to invest those millions.”

    The Austrian federation started this summer, even before Franzoso’s death, to ship additional safety netting to their overseas training camps.

    “Was it enough? It was a first step,” Christian Scherer, secretary general of Ski Austria, said. “But we need a coordinated approach from the national federations.”

    Scherer added the responsibility for safer training courses cannot be left to the local ski resorts.

    That’s the question. Asked by the AP, Eliasch said FIS distributed “nearly 100 million” over the past four years to its member federations “so they have the resources.”

    Eliasch added the leading nations such as Austria and Switzerland “have so much money” that they could invest more in the safety of training courses.

    “For a smaller (federation), this can be a challenge. Here we do step in and help,” Eliasch said.

    Austrian speed specialist Vincent Kriechmayr, a former world champion in downhill and super-G, hoped “that the big federations cooperate and coordinate a little bit better in regions where all nations train.”

    Assinger called it “certainly a good idea” for FIS to support some venues which accommodate teams for offseason training camps.

    “But if it happens? I will see next summer,” the Austrian coach said. “So far, it has only been talking.”

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    Eric Willemsen on X: https://x.com/eWilmedia

    ___

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  • Lakers’ Luka Doncic likely out at least one week with sprained finger, bruised leg

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    LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic is expected to be sidelined for at least one week because of a sprained finger on his left hand and a bruised lower left leg, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Sunday.

    Doncic had been off to a spectacular start to the season with back-to-back 40-point games for the Lakers, who play at Sacramento on Sunday night. He will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the team said.

    Doncic scored 43 points in the Lakers’ loss to Golden State on opening night, and he racked up 49 points in a victory over Minnesota last Friday night. Doncic scorched the Timberwolves despite spraining a finger on his non-shooting hand in the opening minutes.

    The Lakers also are without LeBron James, who will be sidelined until at least mid-November because of sciatica.

    Doncic’s probable one-week absence comes at an inopportune time for Los Angeles, which has six games in the next nine days. The Lakers will have to lean heavily on Austin Reaves, who has scored 51 points in their first two games.

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  • Australia wins toss and opts to bowl vs. South Africa in Women’s Cricket World Cup

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    INDORE, India — Tahlia McGrath won the toss and Australia opted to bowl against South Africa in a Women’s Cricket World Cup match Saturday that will determine the semifinals lineup.

    The winner will finish as table-toppers and face co-hosts India in the second semifinal in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. The losing side will play four-time champion England in the first semifinal in Guwahati.

    South Africa has never beaten Australia in the tournament’s history.

    Defending champion Australia is still without skipper Alyssa Healy, who has a calf injury.

    The seven-time champions currently sit atop the table with 11 points, and South Africa trails by a point.

    Australia is on an unbeaten 13-match streak in the tournament, stretching back to the previous edition in 2022.

    This is the final game of the tournament at the Holkar Stadium. The pitch should be batting-friendly again, with evening dew potentially aiding the chasing side further.

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    South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus, Annerie Dercksen, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba

    Australia: Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath (captain), Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

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  • Former NFL player who died in police custody battled injuries and mental health challenges

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    Doug Martin arrived on the campus of Boise State University nearly two decades ago to play football on its famed blue turf and, despite being a squat, little-known recruit from Northern California, turned himself into a hard-nosed running back and a first-round NFL draft pick.

    Nicknamed the “Muscle Hamster” for both his size and running style, he was twice named to the Pro Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a seven-year NFL career that saw him rewarded with a big contract in 2016. But his bruising ways on the field also caused him to miss extensive playing time with a variety of injuries and contributed to his retirement.

    His life ended tragically over the weekend in Oakland, the Bay Area city where he was born and finished his career with the Raiders seven years ago.

    Martin, 36, died after what police described as a “brief struggle” with officers who arrested him early Saturday while investigating a break-in at a home. He became unresponsive and was pronounced dead at a hospital, Oakland police said. A cause of death has not been released.

    “He just had this dynamic smile,” former Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter recalled. “The guy was always smiling. He was a great teammate, always upbeat in the building. Everyone enjoyed being around him.”

    Many questions are unanswered, including how many officers were involved, how long they struggled with Martin and how they restrained him. The officers who detained him have been placed on paid leave while the investigation continues, a standard police practice.

    Martin’s former agent issued a statement Monday at the request of his family saying that Martin privately battled mental health challenges that “profoundly impacted his personal and professional life.”

    On the day he died, Martin felt overwhelmed and disoriented, fled his home and entered a neighbor’s home two doors down, where police confronted him, said the former agent, Brian Murphy.

    Martin’s parents had sought medical help for him and contacted local authorities for support, Murphy said. “Ultimately, mental illness proved to be the one opponent from which Doug could not run,” he said.

    Black people accounted for a disproportionate number of people who died after being restrained, beaten or shocked with Tasers by police officers in the U.S., according to a three-year investigation by The Associated Press. Black people of non-Hispanic descent made up about a third of the more than 1,000 deaths that AP documented over a decade, despite representing just 12% of the population.

    People suffering a mental health crisis also were among those particularly susceptible to force, especially if they were hallucinating and unable to understand commands, the investigation found.

    Martin, who was Black, arrived at Boise State from Stockton, California, and saw little playing time his first two seasons. He was even moved to defensive back for a while before returning to running back only because injuries had left the position thin.

    But he led the school in rushing and was named all-conference his final two seasons, leaving as one of the greatest running backs in school history.

    Tampa Bay traded up in the 2012 draft to select Martin in the first round, a move that paid off almost immediately. He broke out in the second half of his rookie year and was selected for the Pro Bowl.

    He burst onto the NFL scene that season with a 251-yard, four-TD rushing performance against Oakland — tied for the 12th-most rushing yards in a single game in NFL history and still a franchise record for the Bucs.

    Martin described his running style as aggressive and relentless. During his career with Tampa Bay, he twice ran for more than 1,400 yards, but he failed to come close to that in the other four years mainly because he was hurt.

    “His ability to make yards after contact was something,” Koetter said, noting that Martin “was built low to the ground.”

    “We played a game at Philadelphia in 2015 where he just went off. And you go watch the tape, it’s not like they were all perfectly blocked. It was Doug breaking tackles.”

    Martin ran 27 times for 235 yards that November day in a 45-17 victory. Koetter compared his style to current Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco.

    “Doug just had an angry running style,” Koetter said. “He had close to 300 carries in ’15, and he was just never healthy after that.”

    Martin was suspended for four games during an injury-filled 2016 season that caused him to miss the beginning of the 2017 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances and entered a treatment facility rather than appeal the ban.

    He issued a statement at the time, saying that on the field he was determined to push through pain and injuries to become an elite running back.

    “Off the field, I have tried that same approach in my personal life,” Martin said. “My shortcomings in this area have taught me both that I cannot win these personal battles alone and that there is no shame in asking for help.”

    Bucs general manager Jason Licht said after the suspension was announced that Martin was “working through issues that are much larger than the game of football.”

    Martin spent one more year with Tampa Bay before signing a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders ahead of the 2018 season. He started nine games and rushed for 723 yards in his final season.

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  • Naomi Osaka is out of the Japan Open quarterfinals with a left leg injury

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    OSAKA, Japan — OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Naomi Osaka pulled out of her quarterfinal match at the Japan Open on Friday because of a left leg injury.

    Her withdrawal ahead of the match resulted in Jaqueline Cristian advancing to the semifinals on a walkover, the WTA Tour said.

    Tournament organizers said top-seeded Osaka hadn’t recovered from the injury sustained late in her second-round match. It will be Cristian’s third semifinal appearance of the year and her first on a surface other than clay.

    Before the injury, Osaka had wins over Wakana Sonobe and 2024 champion Suzan Lamens.

    After splitting the first two sets with Lamens, Osaka took a 5-0 lead in the third. But during a rally with Lamens serving at 0-5 and 30-15, Osaka pulled up with an apparent issue with her left leg. She won the point after Lamens sent a backhand wide but requested a medical timeout after the next point.

    Osaka, a four-time major winner, returned to the court with her left thigh wrapped and limitations in her movement but was able to close out on her third match point.

    Osaka lost in the second round of the China Open in late September and also lost in the second round at the Wuhan Open last week.

    In another quarterfinal Friday at the Japan Open, 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez beat Rebecca Šramková 7-6 (2), 6-3.

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  • 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner out for season following severe right ankle injury

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    TAMPA, Fla. — TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers lost another key player when All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner left Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay with a season-ending ankle injury.

    Warner dislocated and broke his right ankle when a couple players fell into him at the end of a first-quarter play. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Warner is going to have surgery.

    It’s another blow for a 49ers team that was already playing without fellow defensive star Nick Bosa and several offensive starters, including Brock Purdy and George Kittle.

    “Fred’s been the leader of this team for a long time,” said quarterback Mac Jones, who made his fourth start of the year in place of Purdy.

    “Really all you can do is pray for him. I know we have his back,” Jones added. “I was disappointed that I didn’t play better for him today.”

    Shanahan said the 28-year-old Warner spoke to the team in the locker room after the 30-19 loss dropped the 49ers to 4-2, tied for first place in the NFC West.

    “Any time you lose one of your best players, also a huge leader, obviously it’s a huge blow,” Shanahan said. “I feel bad for Fred right now. He was in good spirits. He has a good foundation.”

    The entire 49ers sideline came onto the field to see Warner before he left with an air cast on his ankle.

    “Not only is he one of the best linebackers to ever play the game, he’s the heart and soul of this team, not just the heart and soul of the defense,” left tackle Trent Williams said.

    “It’s one thing to see somebody go down and go to the blue tent. Nobody really knows what’s going on,” Williams added. “When you see a guy that’s injured like that, it’s really like a gut punch. It truly is hard to continue the intensity of playing game like that never happened.”

    The 49ers entered the game without Purdy, Bosa, Kittle and receivers Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk, among others.

    Injured receiver Jauan Jennings returned to the lineup after missing an Oct. 2 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He had one reception for 7 yards despite playing with an injured ankle and what he described as five broken ribs.

    “Bad ankle, some issues with his ribs. … I was pumped that he was able to go today,” Shanahan said. “But no, he is struggling to go every week right now.”

    Warner has been a first-team All-Pro three straight seasons and four of the last five, making the Pro Bowl in each of those four seasons. Warner’s 947 career tackles are the second-most for the team to Patrick Willis’ 950 as far as records go back to 2000.

    Warner has missed only one game in his eight-year career, sitting out in 2021 with a hamstring injury. He played most of last season with a broken bone in his ankle and still earned All-Pro honors.

    Warner signed a three-year extension worth $63 million in the offseason, keeping him under contract with the team through the 2029 season.

    “It was sickening,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. “One of the best players in the league and a great guy. That breaks your heart. Hope he has a speedy recovery.”

    Williams wasn’t surprised that Warner was in good spirits and spoke to the team in the locker room after the game.

    “Fred will never let you see him down,” Williams said. “Even in the midst of what he’s going through, he wanted to address the team. He’s just that type of guy. I just continue to pray for him to have a healthy and speedy recovery.”

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    AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

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  • Kylian Mbappé’s status for World Cup qualifiers is unclear as coach awaits medical update

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    Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, centre, celebrates with Vinicius Junior, left, and Brahim Diaz after scoring his side’s third goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

    The Associated Press

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  • Jets running back Braelon Allen likely out 8 to 12 weeks with knee injury

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    FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Braelon Allen will likely be out between eight and 12 weeks with a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve this week, coach Aaron Glenn said Friday.

    Allen was hurt while returning a kickoff last Monday night in the Jets’ 27-21 loss to the Dolphins in Miami. The team hasn’t specified the exact nature of the injury, but it’s believed to be to the MCL in his left knee.

    Glenn said Allen, in his second season with the Jets, was still contemplating his next step in his recovery.

    “There’s two different ways he can go about it,” Glenn said. “He could actually rehab this. It’ll be the same time frame or he could have surgery and get it cleaned up. But the rehab time will be exactly the same. So, that will be a decision him and his agent will have to make. I’m not making that decision for him.”

    With an 8-to-12 week timetable, that would keep Allen sidelined until at least December.

    “So, we know it’s going to be a significant amount of time,” Glenn said. “But again, that’ll be his decision on how he wants to go about that and I know he’ll make the right decision for himself.”

    The 21-year-old Allen, a fourth-rounder last year out of Wisconsin, rushed for 334 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie and caught 19 passes for 148 yards and a score. This season, he has 76 yards and a TD on 18 carries, along with two catches for 17 yards.

    Breece Hall remains the Jets’ No. 1 running back, but Isaiah Davis will move up into Allen’s backup spot for the game Sunday against Dallas. The Jets also signed veteran Khalil Herbert off Seattle’s practice squad on Thursday to add depth and experience.

    “I remember him and D-Mo — David Montgomery, who the Lions have right now — and going against both of those guys,” Glenn recalled of the running backs’ time in Chicago when he was Detroit’s defensive coordinator. “It’s funny because I just told him this today that we thought he was just as good as David was.”

    The 27-year-old Herbert has rushed for 1,905 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 53 passes for 312 yards and two scores in his career that also has included stops with Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

    “I’m happy we got this player,” Glenn said. “He still has a lot of meat on the bone left. And with the injuries we’ve had, to get a player like this was critical for us.”

    New York also signed former Falcons and Eagles running back and kick returner Avery Williams to the practice squad. The Jets are hoping to get running back Kene Nwangwu, their primary kick returner, back from an injured hamstring but Williams gives them some depth.

    Glenn ruled out nickel cornerback Michael Carter II, who remained in the concussion protocol after getting injured in Miami. Recently acquired Jarvis Brownlee Jr. could make his debut for New York and fill in for Carter.

    A decision on edge rusher Jermaine Johnson’s return from a calf injury could “come down to the wire,” Glenn said. Johnson, who has missed the last two games, posted an optimistic update on X: “I feel great.”

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  • Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill carted off field and taken to hospital with dislocated left knee

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tyreek Hill’s season for the Miami Dolphins potentially came to a sudden end on Monday night, when the standout wide receiver’s left knee became badly twisted shortly after he made a catch near the sideline.

    Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Hill was diagnosed with a dislocated knee. Hill was to remain hospitalized overnight, McDaniel said.

    An air cast was placed over his leg before Hill — cheering and clapping, acknowledging the cheers of fans — was taken off the field on a cart. He was then taken to a nearby hospital, the Dolphins said, “for imaging, evaluation and observation” of the knee injury.

    “He was probably in the best spirits of any player that I’ve ever seen (have) such a terrible experience,” McDaniel said. “He immediately had wide eyes and was talking, ‘I’m good, just make sure the guys get this win.’ He was focused on the team.”

    The Dolphins expected to learn more details on Tuesday, McDaniel said. Hill was undergoing an MRI exam and a CT scan late Monday night, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Miami television station WSVN.

    “Are there any torn ligaments? Is there torn cartilage? Are there any broken bones? You check on the blood flow. Any, God forbid, nerve damage?” Rosenhaus said in the television interview. “All this is getting checked out.”

    Members of the Dolphins’ medical and athletic training staff were with Hill at the hospital, Rosenhaus said.

    Hill’s leg was bent at an ugly angle when medical personnel — who were at his side in a matter of a few seconds — got to him.

    Hill was hurt when he made a catch and got tackled near the New York Jets’ sideline with 13:21 left in the third quarter. He was running toward the sideline and planted his left foot, and his knee appeared to twist severely as he was getting pulled down.

    Players from both teams took a knee at various spots on the field while Hill was tended to, and the cart was immediately summoned. Players gathered briefly around the cart before it was driven across the field and into the tunnel leading to the Dolphins’ locker room.

    The laughing and joking from Hill started even before he was carted off, McDaniel said, and he said Hill’s reaction helped calm the Dolphins — who went on to beat the Jets 27-21 for their first win in four games this season.

    “That’s just his personality. That’s just who he is,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “Our thoughts and our prayers are with him.”

    There was immediate reaction from around the league, including a simple thought from Kansas City quarterback and Hill’s former teammate, Patrick Mahomes.

    “Prayers up man…..” Mahomes posted on X shortly after the injury.

    Hill, a five-time All-Pro selection and a Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs in the 2019 season, had matched a season high for catches with six when he got hurt.

    Hill has 11,363 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2017, the most in the league over that span. He also has 819 catches, fourth most in the league since 2017 behind only Davante Adams (886), Travis Kelce (880) and Stefon Diggs (824).

    Hill’s 83 touchdown catches are third most in the NFL since 2017. Adams has 102 scoring catches and Mike Evans has 91.

    “It’s part of the game. It’s a sad reality we live,” defensive lineman Zach Sieler said. “You have to play every last play like it’s your last.”

    The 31-year-old Hill in his 10th NFL season and fourth with the Dolphins. He led the league with 1,799 receiving yards in 2023 — but has seen some rocky moments in his Miami tenure, including pulling himself from last season’s finale and later indicating he wanted to play elsewhere.

    That led to Hill having to rebuild some relationships with teammates, and the result of that work was even on display in the moments immediately after he got hurt, McDaniel said.

    “We’ve talked a lot about all the stuff that Tyreek has done this offseason and a big portion is to lead by example and connecting with his teammates,” McDaniel said. “He kind of utilized that connectivity to make sure that his team was finishing on the right end. He was inspiring in that situation, and I think his teammates benefited from that.”

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  • USC star JuJu Watkins says she’ll be out for the season as she recovers from ACL injury

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    Southern California star JuJu Watkins announced on social media that she will be sidelined for the season after suffering an ACL injury in the NCAA Tournament last season.

    “These last few months have been filled with a lot of healing, rest, and reflection,” Watkins said on Instagram. “Recovering from this injury hasn’t been easy, and I want to say thank you — your love, support and kind words have truly lifted me up during one of the most challenging times in my life. Because you’ve been with me every step of the way, I wanted you to hear it from me directly that following the advice of my doctors and trainers, I will sit out this season and fully focus on continuing to recover so I can come back to the game I love.”

    The USC junior was the AP Player of the Year last season after leading the Trojans to their best season in 40 years. Watkins became just the fourth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP started giving out the award in 1995, and Watkins is the first Trojans player to win it.

    “JuJu’s health and well-being are our top priority, and we fully support her decision to focus on recovery this season,” USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “While we will certainly miss her impact on the court, she continues to play a vital role in our program as a leader and teammate. The strength and maturity she has shown through this process is a reflection of who she is, and we know the Trojan Family will continue to rally behind her. We look forward to the day she returns to competition stronger than ever.”

    The star guard isn’t eligible for the WNBA draft next year. Under current league rules, a U.S. player must be at least 22 years old in the year of the draft or have graduated from a four-year school within three months of the draft to be eligible.

    Watkins is already in the top 10 on USC’s career scoring list, ranking ninth. She was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before her season was cut short in the NCAA Tournament with the ACL injury suffered in the second round against Mississippi State.

    USC enters the season as the defending Big Ten regular season champions and has advanced to back-to-back NCAA Elite Eight appearances.

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