Ex-Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill remains a free agent after suffering a serious knee injury that prematurely ended his 2025 regular season campaign with the Miami Dolphins. According to ESPNs Jeremy Fowler, Hill is still not healthy after suffering multiple left knee injuries in Week 4 of last season, but the star wideout is "very fond" of the Chiefs as a potential suitor.Hill was a key member of Kansas City's Super Bowl LIV roster and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting pass-catchers in the NFL. Take a look at the latest update on Hill's status in this video, which was shared to Twitter by Fowler's official account: Breaking down the options for free agent Tyreek Hill, who updated his injury status this week, and the long road ahead On @SportsCenter with @CrisAlexESPNpic.twitter.com/Esw0HLrkc5 Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 24, 2026Kansas City is in need of another veteran receiver to pair with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, and a decision to reunite Hill with Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy may be just what the Chiefs need to rejuvenate their offense in 2026.This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Injury update may complicate Chiefs' potential pursuit of Tyreek Hill

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 10: A general view of balls stacked in the Washington Nationals dugout near two bats before the game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on July 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe start of the game will be delayed because of inclement weather. So Ernie will be called inclement today?Yesterdays game was very entertaining, and the good guys won. Hopefully, tonight will be more of the same. And it is Canada-US Friendship Day. We steal your team, and put tariffs on your products, but lets have a friendship day. Blue Jays vs Nationals on Canada-US Friendship Day at Nationals Park, where three Expos greats are honoured on the Ring of Honor. Special ticket today includes a hat. pic.twitter.com/gN0itIACvi Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) July 28, 2026Lips is at the top of the order tonight. And Kirk gets the day off. Todays LineupsBLUE JAYSNATIONALSYohendrick Pinango LFJames Wood DHNathan Lukes RFLuis Garcia 1BVladimir Guerrero 1BDylan Crews RFGeorge Springer DHCJ Abrams SSBrandon Valenzuela CKeibert Ruiz CDaulton Varsho CFDaylen Lile LFErnie Clement 3BNasim Nunez 2BAndres Gimenez SSJorbit Vivas 3BLuis Urias 2BJacob Young CFShane Bieber RHPCade Cavalli RHP

Buffalo Bills star James Cook is among the best running backs in the NFL, but does he set the standard at the position?CBS Sports ranked Cook No. 8 overall in their top-10 running back rankings ahead of the 2026 NFL season after he fueled the Bills offense in the ground game last season.It's rare for a player to combine a high explosive rush rate with a low negative play rate, but that's exactly what Cook did in 2025, posting the fourth-highest explosive rush rate and the lowest rate of rushes for 0 or negative yards in the NFL (min. 200 carries), CBS Sports NFL experts said. He has really improved throughout his career.Cook was sensational as a ball-carrier last season. He led the league in rushing with 1,621 yards and scored 12 rushing touchdowns as well. However, stars such as Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey exceed Cook as receivers, as both went for at least 800 receiving yards in 2025, which gives them an edge over Cook, who went for 291 REC yards, among the best at the position.Bills Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 NFL season. This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills star James Cook lands in CBS Sports RB rankings for 2026

At this stage in his career, easy fights simply don't exist for Dan Hooker. For his next order of business, he'll attempt to play spoiler against UFC newcomer Salahdine Parnasse on Sept. 5 at UFC Paris.Parnasse's high-profile signing was revealed this past Saturday during UFC Abu Dhabi. A former two-weight KSW champion, Frances Parnasse enters the UFC lightweight division after long being considered one of the best fighters outside of the promotion. Hooker, however, admittedly had no clue who Parnasse was upon receiving the fight offer. He spoke on the matchup Tuesday on "The Ariel Helwani Show.""He's got nice hype. He's got a lot of fans. There's a lot of fanfare I can see," Hooker told Uncrowned. "They're trying to pull stars out of France. That's obviously a huge market for them. [Parnasse and his team are] planning to skip the queue [into the UFC lightweight rankings]. That's what it is at the end of the day, to get a fighter into the rankings."To beat a ranked fighter is not necessarily the hard part, but there's like 150-160 lightweights in the UFC. To get from that [back spot] into the top 15, that's the dangerous part. This kid gets to come along and skip the queue. ... He's got a nice record. He fought on the [MVP MMA] Netflix card. [UFC] had to offer him something he couldn't refuse."Overall, in Hookers eyes, the matchup looks like a win-win for the UFC. If he gets back on track against a hot new talent in a Paris main event, that keeps Hooker in the contender mix. If he loses, well, then a fresh new face starts their run at taking over the place.But Hooker doesn't plan to let the French faithful have their fun."It's my job to go to France, go to Paris, in the sold-out main event, and just absolutely ruin it. Ruin his hopes. Ruin his dreams. Ruin everybody's night," Hooker said. "They can go home sad, and it will warm my heart and make me sleep like an absolute baby. I am training every day, I am grinding to ruin hopes and destroy dreams."The trash talk has already begun ahead of the UFC Paris main event, said Hooker. It's just not coming his way from Parnasse himself.Hooker, 36, claimed he's received death threats aplenty from French fans since the fight was announced last Saturday. He assumes they're nasty-worded threats, anyway, as he's been seeing his Instagram inbox bombarded with French banter."I don't give a f*** about the death threats. I couldn't care less," Hooker said. "I don't know if they run it through Google Translate, but stop messaging me. I'm pretty much a caveman living in the modern times, and for some f***ing reason, all the messages are [filtering] through. There's a leak."Everyone's just talking s*** in French. I'm getting like a million messages from people. I don't speak French, and I'm not putting them through Google Translate. Stop messaging me in French. If you're going to talk s***, at least have the human decency to put your own message through Google Translate and send me the s*** talk in English. I would appreciate that very much."I'm a big freedom-of-speech guy," Hooker continued. "Shoot your s***, because I'm coming, I'm coming in hot, and I'm coming to f***ing ruin your night. ... It's the funniest thing when you beat [the hometown fighters] ass, and while you're doing your post-fight interview, you look around, and everyone has their head down, and all you can hear is the shuffling of the feet as people start to leave the stadium."Despite suffering back-to-back stoppage losses, Hooker remains a hot commodity in the UFC lightweight division. While Parnasse may not have been a fight he wouldve taken as he sought title contention before the losses, the payday was too good to pass up.Dan Hooker has never been shy about fighting in enemy territory.Jeff Bottari via Getty ImagesHooker said the Parnasse fight will be the biggest fight purse of his career "by a country mile.""My manager, Ash, told me how much money it was, and I said, 'Viva la Paris,'" Hooker said. "Bro, I love it. I've never been to France. That's one of the big reasons why I first started fighting, to travel to new places. I'm excited to get out there."I'm sure not everybody [in Paris] hates me, and I'm sure we're going to have a really good time out there. I've heard terrible things, if that is true, and I want to go see for myself."Ultimately, considering the circumstances, Hooker (24-14) has to put it all on the line against Parnasse, and he's well aware of that. Three straight losses would effectively erase any hopes of a title shot as the veteran nears age 40. So the trip to Paris is clearly a crossroads clash, and the Kiwi knows hes entering must-win territory."It has to be," Hooker said. "I have to defend my spot. I have to get back in the mix. That's where I am. Man, I've been grinding in the gym for a while now, for a solid four or five months, but the end of this camp is just kind of polishing and adding on some things. But no, I've been pissed off for a minute since the 'BSD' [Benoit Saint Denis] loss [in February] and I've been in the gym."

DETROIT (AP) Tarik Skubal is still the ace of the Detroit Tigers' pitching staff as far as manager A.J. Hinch is concerned.Hinch confirmed Tuesday that Skubal is still scheduled to start on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles. With the Tigers at 50-57 and the Aug. 3 trade deadline quickly approaching, it seemed possible that the Tigers would rest Skubal to avoid a possible injury heading into the trade deadline.Were trying to win the series to put us in a better position to be a playoff team, Hinch said. The information I have is, win the series. We obviously need to win tonight to get to that position. But I fully expect him to start.The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner is 4-3 with a 2.70 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings since returning from experimental elbow surgery in just six weeks. Skubal has made it clear he wants to finish the season with the Tigers and lead them to a third straight postseason berth. But, the decision is out of his hands. He's a free agent at the end of the season, and with Scott Boras as his agent, the odds are high that he's going to make it to the open market. That's a tough spot for a franchise that doesn't normally compete with the Dodgers, Yankees and other big-city teams for top free agents. That means Scott Harris, Detroit's president of baseball operations, has to focus on the balance between winning this season and making sure Skubal doesn't leave for nothing.Skubal is obviously tired of talking about the trade possibilities, and is staying focused on facing the Orioles.I'm pitching tomorrow and I've got something cool that I want to accomplish at home, he said Tuesday, referring to the one strikeout he needs to reach 1,000 for his career. That hasn't changed.Skubal is still around, but the Tigers did say goodbye to the player who was his exclusive catcher early in his career.Catcher Jake Rogers was designated for assignment to make room for Javier Bez, who has been out since April 28 with an ankle injury.Ironically, the Tigers acquired Rogers the last time they dealt away their ace he was part of the return when Justin Verlander was traded to the Houston Astros at the 2017 trade deadline.Rogers was considered one of the game's best defensive catchers from the day he made his debut in 2019, but his bat kept him from having a better career in Detroit. He spent 2020 on Detroit's taxi squad, then missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery.He's hitting .161 in 34 games this year, bringing his career average to .197, and lost his job as Skubal's personal catcher to All-Star Dillon Dingler.None of that made it easier for his teammates when they found out Monday night.We were all holding back tears, first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. Jake was a big piece of this team for a long time. He helped create our identity. Talk about a guy who showed up each and every day as the same guy."It hurts.Hinch agreed.It's tough, he said. I love Jake. He's been here as long as I have.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The 2026 NBA free agency cycle kicked off on June 30. Since that date, the Sacramento Kings have re-signed no free agents. They waivedDeMar DeRozan (and may potentially stretch his contract) andIsaiah Stevens, and signed two players, Jonathan Mogbo and Adam Flagler, to two-way contracts. Other than those small moves, the Kings have been sidelined with their rivals getting better and stronger every day.Whats stopping the Kings from landing free agents?Kings Financial TroublesDespite rebuilding, the Kings have the NBAs 10th-largest payroll. Thanks to them waiving DeRozans guaranteed money, they saved up to $15.7 million. Five players are owed over $20 million this season, with Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine each owed over $40 million.Because of their financial standing, the Kings have spent this summer offloading salary. Some moves theyve made include the aforementioned waiving of DeRozan and Stevens, letting players like Russell Westbrook walk in free agency, and trading former first-round pick Devin Carter to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to 30-year-old Alpha Kaba.After going through with these moves and signing all three rookies drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Kings find themselves with just one open roster spot to work with. They currently sit below the luxury tax, but offering a player a contract as small as a minimum would put them over. This would force the organization to pay progressive cash fines.The team does have the option of converting a player on a two-way contract to a standard one. However, this would push them over the line if done now. They also have the option of converting a player like Mogbo later on in the season, so as not to pay him a full seasons salary.Scott Perry Is Trying to Bring in Free AgentsThat being said, the Kings can still acquire another piece via a sign-and-trade. Last offseason, they were in talks to trade for Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. This offseason, they had a chance to trade for Detroit Pistons All-NBA center Jalen Duren, who met with general manager Scott Perry.Since Perry took charge, more players have been interested in joining the Kings, but trades have never worked out. Perry does a solid job getting his foot in the door and appealing to stars, but he cant get them to sign on the dotted line.The Warriors shied away from any offers the Kings brought up, signing Kuminga to a two-year $46.8 million contract before trading him to the Hawks. The Kings have dangled Sabonis in negotiations for Duren, but the Pistons have no interest. Theyve yet to offer Duren a contract he likes, though.Is Kuminga Watch Back On?@KeithSmithNBA joined @whiteygleason and @The_StilesFiles to give his thoughts on whether there is still a pathway for the Kings to make a move for Jonathan Kuminga or Jalen Duren in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/GCyxndKeS5 Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) July 8, 2026The question on fans minds is: Do these players want to join Sacramento for the culture or simply because the team is overeager to pay them? Perhaps neither of the two are bad things. For years, not even an overpaid contract was enough to pique players interest in joining the Kings.Sacramentos Appeal GapSacramento has the 23rd-largest population among NBA cities. It doesnt have the nightlife of Miami, the big-city feel of New York City or the ocean-view high-rises of San Francisco. For young, up-and-coming stars, Sacramento is not the most desirable location.Some players enjoy the quiet nature of Sacramento and its surrounding cities. Sabonis lives in Napa with his family, where he owns and operates a vineyard. More veterans decide to make the switch to the City of Trees than players nearing or in the middle of their prime.Another reason free agents havent tended to pick Sacramento is the culture. The Kings have made the postseason once over the last twenty seasons. A string of poor decisions on draft night and questionable trades by the front office have forced the franchise into a perpetual state of losing.The one thing the Kings have going for them is their incredible fanbase. Despite poor outcomes every season, fans still show up and generate some of the loudest crowd pops in the entire NBA.RUSSELL WESTBROOK STEAL.KEEGAN MURRAY TRIPLE.KINGS UP THREE VS. WOLVES.WATCH OT: https://t.co/VuQNgArV73pic.twitter.com/PROenRkKld NBA (@NBA) November 25, 2025In the past, the Kings have pursued numerous All-Stars, but they chose to sign elsewhere, like Andre Iguodala in 2013.One outlier was DeRozan, who chose to be a part of a sign-and-trade to the Kings in 2024.Overall, most free agents overlook the Kings, as many seek the limelight that larger markets provide.A Culture Change is ComingAs LaVine and DeAndre Hunters contracts expire after this season, along with Sabonis the following year, Sacramentos culture is changing. A wave of young talent is embracing what the city has to offer. The Kings drafted difference-makers this year in Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp.Some teams draft purely for untapped potential, but Perry tends to take chances on older prospects whove proven to be great players and people. For instance, after Karaban finished his workout with the Kings, he stayed and encouraged others throughout their workout processes. Perrys picks are character selections.Emmanuel Sharpe may not be the flashiest name out of this rookie crop, but hes exactly the type of culture setter the Kings need in their upcoming rebuildHe plays hard, defends with 110% effort & fills a valuable role on offense as a connective shooter pic.twitter.com/NJ6a1yKGJY Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) July 17, 2026Can Sacramento Become a Top Destination?In the midst of a chaotic, mismatched lineup, a young core has emerged. Duren and Kuminga were the first examples of players seeking out Sacramento after the Perry administrations initial moves. While trades for the two havent worked out, Perry is utilizing his connections and respect around the league to his advantage.Sacramento itself is a changing city. It currently possesses a major league baseball team in the Athletics. While the Athletics will be moving to Las Vegas later this decade, Sacramento is working hard to be the host of one of the two expansion teams created in the next cycle. They also recently announced a multi-million dollar sports and shopping complex for their soccer club, Sacramento Republic FC.For years, the draft felt like the Kings only path to improvement. That may be changing. A stronger culture and future cap flexibility could eventually make Sacramento a more attractive free-agent destination.The post Will the Sacramento Kings Ever Become a Free Agent Destination? appeared first on The Lead.

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDTTV: Twins.TVRadio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.comKnow thine enemy: Royals ReviewAfter winning a series against the As, the Twins welcome the Royals to town. Like the As, they are near the bottom of the league in terms of wins and losses. Saying that, the expectation is the same, this is a series the Twins should win or sweep, lest they drift more towards sellers than buyers. Todays starters are Seth Lugo and Taj Bradley. Bradley has been great lately, posting a 2.90 ERA in July. Lugo is having a mediocre season, with a 4.36 ERA. In his last start against the Twins on June 4th, he gave up 3 homers and 5 runs but the Royals lineup bailed him out for a win. Kody Clemens should be happy to see Lugo, because in his 6 at bats against him, hes taken him deep 3 times. Todays LineupsROYALSTWINSCarter Jensen CTrevor Larnach LFLane Thomas CFByron Buxton CFJac Caglianone RFRyan Jeffers CSalvador Perez DHKody Clemens 2BVinnie Pasquantino 1BJosh Bell DHNick Loftin 3BVictor Caratini 1BMichael Massey 2BLuke Keaschall RFIsaac Collins LFBrooks Lee 3BJosh Rojas SSRyan Kreidler SSSeth Lugo RHPTaj Bradley RHP

Eintracht Frankfurt CEO on Nathaniel Browns 50m move to Bayern Munich: Good that hes still in the Bundesliga.Eintracht Frankfurt Board Member for Sport Markus Krsche had a chance to comment on Nathaniel Browns sensational 50m transfer to Bayern Munich while speaking from the SGE training camp. Krsche believes Browns 50 transfer to Bayern Munich reflects positively on both the player and the clubs development work. The fact that the 23-year-old is remaining in the Bundesliga even joining a competitor also remains good news.Markus Krsche on Nathaniel Browns transferIts a recognition for Nene [Brown], but also for us as Eintracht Frankfurt, Krsche said during the clubs training camp in Grassau. Players develop with us to such an extent that they can move to Bayern Munich for that amount.I believe it is the most expensive transfer within the Bundesliga in history, Krsche continued. It is also a nice story for German football that he is staying in the Bundesliga. When you look at recent years, Woltemade, Wirtz, Ekitik and Marmoush all went abroad.GGFN|Peter Weis

The Cleveland Browns might have traded All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett this offseason, but five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward isnt going anywhere. The Browns and Ward have agreed on a two-year, $62.2 million extension, perNFL Network. The extension will make Ward the highest paid cornerback in the NFL for the second time in his career. The deal includes $52.3 million guaranteed, which now ranks just outside the top 10 in cornerback guaranteed money. Ward and Tyson Campbell each have more than $50 million guaranteed on their contracts, perOver The Cap. Their combined $105.7 million in guarantees marks the highest total for a cornerback tandem on the same team in NFL history. The Browns are coming off a 5-12 season, but Ward has been one of the most tenured players on the team. He was the fourth overall pick out in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State and has since become one of the leagues best cornerbacks, earning five Pro Bowl selections. Ward, 29, has made quite the impact since entering the league. He recorded two interceptions in his first NFL game, becoming the fourth-youngest player in league history with a multi-interception game. Not only is Ward a hometown talent whos entering his ninth NFL season with the Browns, but hes one of the very few cornerbacks that remain with the team that drafted him. Since entering the league, he's done nothing short but live up to his draft capital. Ward leads the league in NFL pass deflections since entering the league and has become one of the most reliable defenders. For a team that just lost an All-Pro and Hall of Fame player in Garrett, locking up a player like Ward was at the top of the checklist for general manager Andrew Berry. While Ward is coming off a quieter season in production, his full body of work made this extension an easy decision for Berry and the front office. Across 15 games last season, Ward recorded 39 tackles, nine pass deflections, and an interception. The Browns revamped secondary moving forward will include Ward and Campbell alongside safeties Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, and Toledo rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Recently hired defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg should have plenty of talent to work with. All eyes will be on Cleveland this season following the hire of former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as head coach. Rebuilding won't happen overnight, but locking down a talent like Ward sets the baseline for the culture Monken wants to build.

Tuesday was Day 1 of Big Ten football media days, and with it, we received some news and notieriety from the conference. The League no longer releases a preseason Big Ten squad, but instead identifies 12 players who receive preseason recognition, and that's what we got on Tuesday.Of the 12 players, two wear the Scarlet and Gray of Ohio State, and those two would be two that will be up for a lot of awards when the season is over. Quarterback Julian Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith were the two who were recognized by the Big Ten. You know their stories well.Sayin grabbed the starting quarterback position as a redshirt freshman last season and had one whale of a season. He led the entire country in completion percentage, completing 301-of-391 (77.0%) passes for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. He is expected to take another step forward this year and will be key to Ohio State's success.Some B1G stars pic.twitter.com/QIgdTjr9F8 Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 28, 2026Smith, arguably already the best wide receiver to ever play for Ohio State, is primed to break a few career receiving records for the Buckeyes this year. Last year he hauled in 87 catches for 1,243 yards (14.3 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. That was even with missing a little bit of time because of injury, and it wouldn't be surprising if he had an even bigger year. Contact/Follow us@BuckeyesWireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. FollowPhil Harrison on X.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Two Ohio State football players receive Big Ten preseason honors