Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur knows how he wants to handle playing time in the Hall of Fame Game this week on Thursday. He just isn't telling anyone yet.Why the secrecy?Well, it isn't to hold onto some so-called competitive advantage, it is about practice. On Sunday, without being asked about it, he told reporters that he was going to wait to talk about playing time and who would and would not play. "I want these guysto only focuson now," he said. "In the preseason, those games matter in the moment, but what really matters in the preseason is thepractice that we're preparing for, and that's where I want these guys at, so the guys that do play, it's their first time out there where coaches aren't right behind them."A player who knows he isn't playing in the game might focus a little less in practice. LaFleur doesn't want that happening. He wants practice reps to mean something. On Monday, he told reporters that the information will come out Tuesday, again focusing on the practice aspect. "The focus is this practice," he said. "This is from just a rep standpoint, just kind of how we believe we're doing business in terms of coming off an off day. Two days ago, a little bit lower, and then today, building this thing up in that third block. Their focus solely had to be on this day and not what's ahead in Canton."Don't expect the starters to play. After all, this is an extra preseason. The Cardinals get four instead of three. So guys who are a little banged up won't play. Starters won't likely play. At quarterback, it will probably be a lot of rookie Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis. We will be waiting for news on Tuesday about who will and will not go.Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify,YouTubeorApple Podcasts.This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals still mum on playing time for Hall of Fame Game

Having traded away a slew of players ahead of the trade deadline earlier this evening, the Mets are set to call up six players, per Will Sammon: Dedniel Nez, Jefry Yan, Nate Lavender, Chayce McDermott, Xzavion Curry, and Cristian Pache. The team has 21 players on its active roster at the time of this writing, and with Curry having just been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.Nez had Tommy John surgery last July, and hes been pitching in the minors on a rehab assignment. In 13.0 innings, most of which have been with Syracuse, he has a 4.15 ERA and a 3.81 FIP. In 44.2 major league innings before his elbow injury, he had a 2.82 ERA and a 2.62 FIP.Yan is a 29-year-old who took a long break from baseball in the late 2010s, but hell be making his major league debut whenever he appears in a game. Hes been in the Mets organization since the start of the 2026 season, and hes had an outstanding 43.5% strikeout rate and a somewhat staggering 15.8% walk rate with a 3.24 ERA and a 2.64 FIP in 41.2 innings between his time in Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. Hes known for his eccentric strikeout celebrations.Lavender, a left-handed reliever, has been in the Mets system since the team drafted him in 2021. He was limited to just 7.0 innings in 2024 and missed the entirety of the 2025 season because of an injury. Hes thrown 43.0 innings in the minors this year with a 3.77 ERA and a 2.78 FIP. He, too, will be making his major league debut when he first appears.McDermott is a 27-year-old right-handed reliever who came to the Mets when they traded minor league catcher Ben Rortvedt back to the Dodgers today. Hes thrown a total of 15.0 major league innings with the Orioles and Dodgers and has a 12.00 ERA and an 8.74 FIP. He has a 4.55 ERA and a 4.51 FIP in 31.2 innings in Triple-A this year.Curry has thrown 11.0 innings with the Mets with a 3.27 ERA and a 4.92 FIP since joining the organization this year. He has a 4.56 ERA and a 5.63 FIP in 51.1 innings in Syracuse this year.And last but not least, Pache is a right-handed hitter who is 27 years old who was considered a top-100 prospect in baseball from 2019 through 2022 as he played in the Braves minor league system. Hes made 610 plate appearances in the big leagues and hit just .181/.243/.275 with a 46 wRC+. He hasnt hit much better in Syracuse this year, either, with a .232/.289/.356 line and a 62 wRC+.

The Netflix lineup for next month's 49ers-Rams game has been finalized.Netflix announced on Monday that Nick Foles and Clay Matthews will join the studio show for the Week 1 game in Australia, along with host Elle Duncan and analyst Michael Irvin.While the announcement focuses only on the first game, it's possible if not likely that Foles and Matthews will be back for the other four 2026 Netflix games. Duncan has said that Netflix will have a consistent studio presence for all of its games this season.Working the 49ers-Rams game will be Noah Eagle and Luke Kuechly, with former NFL Network host MJ Acosta serving as the reporter. Again, it's likely we'll see and hear the same trio for the Thanksgiving Eve game, one of the two Christmas games, and the Netflix Week 18 Saturday game.After streaming Christmas games in 2024 and 2025, Netflix expanded its footprint to five annual games on a deal that runs through 2029. Although Netflix has said it doesn't want a full-season package, many things can and will change over the next four years.

Stay updated on the latest NFL training camp news, including Coby Bryants injury timeline, A.J. Brown playing through a dislocated thumb, running back hold-ins, and more.

Jaylen Brown admits he felt disrespected by people he thought were on his side originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.After playing his entire career to this point with the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown seems ecstatic to be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. It was one of the biggest trades of the offseason, as it saw Brown being traded for Paul George and a haul of draft picks.From an outside perspective, it looked like a salary dump. Considering he was almost traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo just before that ended up going the Miami Heat's way, it signalled the end of Brown's time in Boston. There was no coming back from that for the Celtics, so they shipped him off to Philly, a city that is a fierce rival of Boston.Jaylen Brown felt disrespected by some of the people he trusted in BostonDespite the success he had in his 10 years with the Celtics, it seems Brown could not convince the organization that he was there for the long haul. With the contract he had alongside Jayson Tatum, team president Brad Stevens and his front office believed it was the right time to part ways.Of course, that decision was not easy for Stevens because he has a long-standing relationship with Brown. However, it seems that was not received well by Brown because he is now with the 76ers, and he is motivated by people who apparently disrespected him.MORE:Jayson Tatum feels weird about not playing with Jaylen Brown anymoreOn his latest stream, Brown broke out his new 76ers jersey, which is not a good sight for Celtics fans. However, it seems that Brown is focused on being the best version of himself for Philly, a team that also just got LeBron James. With a motivated Brown, this 76ers team is even more dangerous than expected."Im more inspired to win than anything.Ive been a little bit disrespected in this process from people that I thought valued me for everything I brought to the team and the city. I found out quickly that may or may not be the case.I want to win more than anything. I'm looking forward to the journey," Brown said about how he felt since the trade on his Twitch stream.It can't be easy to part ways with a team and a city he spent 10 years playing for. Brown is moving on to Philly, but he will be motivated by how his time in Boston ended. It is unfortunate that happened, but he is chanelling all that energy to stand out for the 76ers.More NBA news:Why some Celtics fans are convinced they are trading for Stephen CurryThe Derrick Question that has taken center stage for the Celtics' place in the early NBA rankingsKarl-Anthony Towns finds it weird that Mitchell Robinson has joined the CelticsHow a Jayson Tatum speech has convinced people that he took a shot at Jaylen BrownCeltics coach Joe Mazzulla addresses the Jaylen Brown trade for the first time

As is their annual custom, the Milwaukee Brewers added a relief pitcher at the trade deadline, snagging left-hander JoJo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals along with starter Dustin May in a trade for minor-leaguers Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale.Here's what to know about Romero.How old is JoJo Romero?He's 29 years old and will turn 30 on Sept. 9.How big is JoJo Romero?He stands 5-foot-11, 215 pounds.Where is JoJo Romero from?The California native played at the University of Nevada and Yavapai College in Arizona, and he was drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016. In 2022, he was traded at the deadline to the Cardinals for infielder Edmundo Sosa, and he'd been with St. Louis since.What are JoJo Romero's statistics?Romero has a 3.35 ERA in 43 innings a year after pitching to a 2.07 ERA in 2025. He has a 3.51 ERA overall in his career, which stretches across seven seasons.Romero has actually struggled against the Brewers in his career, with a 4.58 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 20 games.What is JoJo Romero's contract situation?Like May, Romero is a free agent at season's end, in his final year of salary arbitration. Romero is slated to make less than $2 million the rest of the year.JoJo Romero is on the injured listRomero isn't expected to be available until roughly mid-August after he underwent an emergency appendectomy in mid-July. What types of pitches does JoJo Romero throw?Romero is a sinker/sweeper pitcher who gets a ton of groundballs.JoJo Romero's name is actually Joseph, and he played in the World Baseball ClassicRomero has Mexican heritage and played for Team Mexico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when the team reached the semifinals. His grandfather, who's from Mexico, inadvertently gave JoJo his nickname because his grandpa had trouble pronouncing "Joseph."This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is JoJo Romero and how can he help the Milwaukee Brewers?

The San Francisco 49ers have an injury crisis at defensive end and rookie Jaden Dugger may be one of their keys to fixing it. Injuries on the D-line stabilized a bit Monday with rookie Romello Height back in the mix, but limited reps for Nick Bosa along with absences of Mykel Williams, Cam Sample and Keion White still left the club short at the position. ESPN's Nick Wagoner pointed out in a post-practice recap that Dugger, a fifth-round rookie linebacker, was getting some individual reps with the edge group.Spotted during individual drills: LB Jaden Dugger doing some work with the defensive line group. The Niners liked Dugger's versatility coming out and seem to want to explore all the ways that can be used, though it doesn't hurt that they're short on bodies at that spot right now because of injuries.Dugger throughout his positional change at Louisiana did some work pass rushing off the edge so it's not a completely foreign concept. He also has the measurables to play DE in the NFL. He measured in at 6-4, 240 pounds with 35-inch arms and a wingspan wider than seven feet. He started his college career as a safety before moving to linebacker where he's expected to play in San Francisco. However, without a starting linebacker spot vacant, there's an opening for Dugger to carve out a short-term role on the edge if he gets more opportunities to step in while the team struggles with injuries. Across two seasons with the University of Louisiana, Dugger had 5.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 27 games as a linebacker. More 49ers: 49ers star has brutally honest take about team's Super Bowl windowThis article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Versatility of 1 49ers rookie may help save terrible injury situation

PEORIA The 2026 Discraft Ledgestone Open produced a first-time tour champion over the weekend in the pro division as more than 2,200 amateur and pro players powered through courses around the area.Luke Taylor won his first Disc Golf Pro Tour event Sunday in a tight three-way finish on Eureka's temporary course."It's just about like how everyone sums up their first win," Taylor said in interviews after the tournament. "You don't really know what to think. I can't believe that last putt even went in. I felt like it had to. But I didn't know how it was going to go in or how it was going to play out."It was everything I could ask for in a final round. It was pretty obvious for a while that my putting stroke was not there. I was crumbling from the pressure, some might say. I made a little adjustment to my stance the last six holes, and it made the difference."I just did the best I could, and it ended up going my way."The 18-year-old from Shepherd, Michigan, has 44 career tour wins and headed into the weekend with $113,000 in career earnings.The Ledgestone had a total prize payout estimated at $150,000 distributed among the participants.Taylor held off world ranked No. 1 and defending champion Gannon Buhr, whose final round was marred by two throws that slid out-of-bounds.Fantastic FinnishEveliina Salonen conquered the pro women's field with a four-round 237.The Pirkkala, Finland native and No. 6 ranked player on the tour hit fairways on 86% of her shots.She held off Ella Hansen, who was runnerup at 245, for her 13th career win on the Tour, ninth-most in tour history.Finnish players have now won seven straight events on the pro tour.Five-time Ledgestone champion Catrina Allen finished third.Check the tour site for more details from the Ledgestone tournament.Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2026 Discraft Ledgestone Open crowns its pro champions

MILWAUKEE (AP) The Milwaukee Brewers had their sights set on acquiring a top-tier pitcher before the trade deadline namely Tarik Skubal but had to shift gears when the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Instead, the Brewers, who entered Monday tied with the Dodgers for the best record in the major leagues, settled for veteran starter Dustin May, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals shortly before the deadline.Milwaukee also got left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in the deal. In exchange, the Brewers sent minor league outfielders Alexander Fras and Josiah Ragsdale to the Cardinals.The NL Central leaders bolstered their bullpen further by obtaining reliever Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies for left-hander Mark Manfredi, who has split time between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, and infielder Juan Martnez, who has played with the Rookie ACL Brewers and Class A Wilson this season.The fans have every right to have any opinion they want about what we should or shouldnt do, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said before Monday nights game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But nobody wants to win more than the guys in that (clubhouse).Murphy called prospects in the Brewers' highly touted minor league system the lifeblood of an organization like ours.Were all working in a framework that has to make sense, so its hard to make trades, he said.General manager Matt Arnold said the Brewers were in on a lot of things as the deadline approached.Theres certainly some things where you come up short, and youve just got to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and try to do what you can to get the next thing, Arnold said. And ultimately, we were able to accomplish a lot over the last 48 hours that really helped the team.Arnold declined to discuss the Brewers' failed effort to swing a deal for Skubal, who landed with the team that swept the Brewers in last seasons National League Championship Series.Im not going to talk about specific guys, Arnold said. Obviously, we were in a lot of different things, and like I said, if youre able to access what you can, you get it, and if not, you move on.The speculation on social media, the news media and elsewhere as the trade deadline approached has had a negative impact on his team, Murphy said.Everybodys aware of everything. Everybody hears names and all that kind of stuff, he said. But weve got to go play baseball, and this has affected us. Thats the reality. And I dont think its healthy. We cant try to pretend its not there. Cant lie to the players.The Brewers' acquisitions will help make us a bit stronger, Murphy said, noting that the teams pitching staff has been riddled with injuries. Arnold expressed confidence that May, Romero and Senzatela, who were expected to arrive in Milwaukee late Monday or early Tuesday, will serve key roles as the Brewers look to reach the World Series for the first time since 1982.Theyre tough and theyre experienced. Theyre going to fit in really well, Arnold said.May, 28, went 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts for the Cardinals this season. He had 106 strikeouts in 109 innings. On May 27, May carried a no-hitter into the eighth at Milwaukee but ended up taking the loss as the Brewers rallied for a 2-1 win.Over his eight-year major league career, he is 24-27 with a 3.99 ERA in 92 games (78 starts) with the Dodgers, Red Sox and Cardinals. May missed the 2024 season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and an esophageal tear. He has a mutual option for the 2027 season.Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison, a first-half standout who landed on the injured list July 11 with tightness in his pitching arm but is expected to return soon, overlapped with May in Boston and called him a great guy with great stuff.Its just wicked sweepers, wicked sinker, changeups that fall off the table, Harrison said. His stuff is nasty.Romero, 29, was 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 44 relief appearances for the Cardinals this season. He is currently on the 15-day injured list recovering from an appendectomy. Romero has 43 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched and has stranded 20 of 28 inherited runners. He can become a free agent after the season.Senzatela, 31, had spent his entire 10-year career with the Rockies, appearing in 212 games (145 starts). He has pitched exclusively in relief this season, going 9-2 with a 3.61 ERA and three saves in 34 appearances.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Aaron Rodgers has said when he's done playing football you won't hear or see him again.He'll go into the darkness. "Im gonna be out of the light," he reinforced again during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" at the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.But he's not out of football yet. And with a platform, Rodgers apparently is going to get everything off his chest before he heads off into the sunset. That was clear when he was handed a microphone and an unfiltered platform on McAfee's show on Aug. 3 as his comments harkened back to his rants several years ago about COVID-19.It started when McAfee asked him about his mindset heading into his 22nd year playing in the NFL and second with the Steelers. That's when things went sideways. "Im going to plead the Fifth," Rodgers replied, clearly having that answer prepared as the former Green Bay Packers quarterback said in reference to Dr. Anthony Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment right during a Senate committee hearing last week on Capitol Hill. Republicans were questioning him about the origins of COVID-19.Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was a leading voice during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Fauci, 85, who appeared under a subpoena by Republicans, invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times against incriminating himself during a contentious hearing. Former President Joe Biden had given Fauci a pardon before leaving office. However, the pardon doesn't apply to what happens after it was issued.Rodgers called Fauci an "absolute coward" for taking that approach."Are you kidding me?" Rodgers said. "You got a pardon and you pleaded over 100 times. What are you scared of? I thought you were science?""I feel great about it..I told you I would be on the right side of history"@AaronRodgers12#PMSLivehttps://t.co/dEWpmSNxSPpic.twitter.com/ldRjSrWNAB Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 3, 2026Aaron Rodgers blasts Anthony Fauci This isn't the first time that Rodgers has called out Fauci on a national platform. Two years ago he took a shot at Fauci when he claimed he was defying science in his what proved to be an unsuccessful effort to return in the same season from an Achilles injury."If science is Dr. Fauci, you're damn right Im defying it," Rodgers said in fall 2023. Five years ago, Rodgers became one of the leading voices for those against COVID vaccines and spoke out against the country's and NFL's response to the pandemic, often appearing on McAfee's show to air his grievances. Rodgers said during training camp while with the Packers in 2021 that he was immunized when asked about his vaccination status. After he tested positive for COVID, his status came to light and a firestorm surrounding him ensued. He hasn't shied away from the topic in the years since to go after those who he feels wronged him during this time.A few years ago, Rodgers said he wanted to team with then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to debate Fauci and NFL tight end Travis Kelce over vaccines.Kelce took part in commercials promoting Pfizer COVID vaccines. Kennedy is a former presidential candidate who broached Rodgers to be his running mate. Kennedy, now in President Donald Trump's cabinet as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has often stirred up controversy for statements and conspiracy theories around vaccines and the pandemic.In his interview with McAfee on Aug. 3, Rodgers later accused Fauci of being "an absolute criminal." Fauci is not accused of any crime. The 42-year-old Rogers later says he's on "the right side of history" for his takes on COVID. "I feel great about it..I told you I would be on the right side of history"@AaronRodgers12#PMSLivehttps://t.co/dEWpmSNxSPpic.twitter.com/ldRjSrWNAB Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 3, 2026Aaron Rodgers on ESPN, Dianna RussiniFauci wasn't the only target of Rodgers on McAfee's show. The four-time NFL MVP went after the network that he was appearing on. McAfee's show airs on ESPN, though the network doesn't have control over it. "Then there was another scandal this offseason involving a voter for MVP, Coach of the Year," Rodgers said referencing former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. "How much did your network spend on that?"Russini, a former ESPN football reporter, was working at The Athletic at the time of a scandal with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.Russini has since resigned from her position at the publication after several photos of the two together surfaced. Later in the interview, while talking about being "free" this season, Rodgers said "I told you I was going to bring it.""There was a lot of conjecture, Im the darkness guy, Im the COVID endanger guy," Rodgers told McAfee. "I really, I used to not even care. I care even less. Im going out. Im not going to be out there doing a podcast. Im gonna be out of the light so I might as well get a couple in. I dont get to do this show as much as I would like. Especially any time I get to go after the gutless organization you have to be connected with."I just dont care anymore. I cared a little bit. Now I dont care at all."This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers calls Anthony Fauci 'a coward' on 'The Pat McAfee Show'