RENTON, Wash. (AP) After answering six minutes' worth of questions about why the Seattle Seahawks are working on a contract with cornerback Terrion Arnold, coach Mike Macdonald was asked about the teams preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday.Macdonald made it clear he was not ducking inquiries about Arnold, who is facing eight felony charges stemming from allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men in February. The 23-year-old became a free agent in June, when the Detroit Lions released him a few days after the kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy charges were levied. I understand the situation, Macdonald said Friday. So, Im glad that we had the opportunity to talk about it.Macdonald explained why the reigning Super Bowl champions felt compelled to add Arnold, who prosecutors in Florida said arranged for men to be pistol-whipped after he wrongly suspected them of stealing $100,000 in cash and luxury goods from him.Police called Arnold the primary conspirator in the Feb. 4 attack, and a judge set his bail at $1 million.Defense attorney R. Timothy Jansen said in Hillsborough County court earlier this summer that Arnold is absolutely denying these allegations. Denise White, the CEO of EAG Sports Management, an agency that represents Arnold, said theres no credible evidence against him, only accounts from others who may have an incentive to get a lighter sentence.We also understand that its a serious situation with a legal matter, Macdonald said. Theres a process behind it, so we respect that. And, thats how well operate, too, is just letting that process play out. And, let the league decide if and when his return to play is. And well just kind of understand that thats at play.Macdonald said the timetable for the NFL ruling on Arnolds eligibility for the 2026 season is still being worked out. To Macdonalds understanding, Arnold visited at least eight teams, and it is unclear when he will join the Seahawks.We have an agreement with him, and well see, Macdonald said. But I just really dont know how were going to do it.Should Arnold be permitted to play for the Seahawks this season, he could bolster what was arguably the NFLs best defense last season. No team allowed fewer points per game (17.2), and Seattle finished in the top seven in the league in sacks and interceptions.Arnold should add depth to a secondary that lost cornerback Riq Woolen to free agency and has been without second-year safety Nick Emannwori, who had offseason ankle surgery, during training camp.Arnold has played in 25 NFL games, including playoffs, since the Lions took him with the 24th pick of the 2024 draft out of Alabama.We think his skill set fits in our secondary, Macdonald said. He plays with a lot of energy, physicality. ... And then, personality-wise, I think theres an opportunity there if hes the best version of himself that he could be a fit for us.A number of Seahawks players have already spent plenty of time around Arnold.Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe and fullback Robbie Ouzts were college teammates of Arnold for three seasons at Alabama. Cornerback Josh Jobe overlapped with Arnold for one season with the Crimson Tide.Macdonald also said the Seahawks' decision-makers held informal, one-on-one conversations with some team leaders. He also spoke highly of his discussion with Arnold during his visit on Sunday.Macdonald did not get into specifics, but said the Seahawks leaned on people who could vouch for Arnolds character before deciding to offer him a deal.Its overwhelmingly positive. It really is, Macdonald said. And, again, its a serious situation, that theres allegations there that are serious. But, if you separate that from the person that they talk about on a daily basis and their history with him, its been really overwhelmingly positive.___See APs full NFL coverage here

We're officially in the middle of the training camp edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers' countdown to kickoff. With fans needing to wait only 30 more days until the Steel City brand of football returns when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons on September 13, we'll take a look at the most recent and best players to ever wear No. 30.Steelers current No. 30: RB Jaylen WarrenWarren, who signed with the Steelers as undrafted free agent in 2022, is the current No. 30 on the roster.Last 5 Steelers to wear No. 30Jaylen Warren, 2022-2026Karl Joseph, 2021Tegray Scales, 2021James Conner, 2017-2021Jordan Todman, 2015Best No. 30 in Steelers history: CB Chad ScottThe countdown to kickoff has brought us to the best No. 30 wearer in franchise history: cornerback Chad Scott.Scott, selected by Pittsburgh with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft, spent eight seasons in the Steelers and served as a steady presence in the secondary during the late 1990s and early 2000s. During his time with Pittsburgh, Scott recorded 21 interceptions, including four pick-sixes (second-most in franchise history).Scott may have finished out the final two seasons of his nine-year career as a New England Patriot, but he remains the greatest Steeler to ever wear No. 30.For up-to-dateSteelerscoverage, including any training camp news and updates, follow us on X@TheSteelersWireand give ourFacebook pagea like.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Former Steelers first-round CB leads 2026 countdown to kickoff: Day No. 30

Less than a month after he was the starting shortstop for the National League at the MLB All-Star Game, C.J. Abrams is no longer a shortstop. The Washington Nationals made the decision to swap Abrams and second baseman Nasim Nuez for the remainder of the 2026 season. Manager Blake Butera told reporters Friday, Aug. 14 that the team wanted to give Abrams more time at shortstop, but that moving him to second and Nuez to shortstop gives them a better chance to win.Abrams, 25, has been one of the NLs best hitters amid a surprising season in D.C. Through Aug. 13, hes slashing .284/.357/.541 with 29 home runs and a major league-best 91 RBIs.MORE: Two-time All-Star might have thrown final pitch for NationalsAn All-Star for the second time in the last three seasons, Abrams wasnt voted to start on the strength of his glove.According to Statcasts Outs Above Average metric, Abrams is the worst defensive shortstop in baseball (-17 OAA). By Defensive Runs Saved, Abramss -5 is better than only five other shortstops this season.Nuez, 25, has been a below-average hitter by every metric. But hes made up for it with an MLB-leading 40 stolen bases and better glovework at second base (+9 OAA, +13 DRS) than all but a handful of big league regulars at the position.MORE: Yankees make trade, acquire 23-home run hitter from NationalsThe Nationals (60-63) begin a three-game NL East series against the New York Mets (53-69) later Friday.The position switch is as much an endorsement of the Nationals belief in Nuez as it is about Abrams. Shortstop is the most challenging defensive position on the infield. Most hitters bat right-handed, and they tend to pull the ball with more power to the left side.Nuez, a former second-round pick by the Miami Marlins who joined the Nats in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, is slashing .230/.315/.267 with only eight extra-base hits in 400 plate appearances. But if he can hold his own at shortstop, he might earn a chance to be a longer-term fixture at the position as the team emerges from its decade-long rebuild. Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter

CHICAGO (AP) Clay Holmes and three Cubs relievers combined on a three-hitter, and Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer Friday to send Chicago to a 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.Making his second start and first at Wrigley Field since being acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, Holmes (5-5) retired his first 16 batters before Jos Fermin singled in the sixth. Holmes, who missed three months with a broken right fibula before the trade, struck out three, walked one and allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings, exiting to a standing ovation. Ryan Rolison, Ryan Zeferjahn and Jacob Webb followed, with Webb pitching the ninth for his ninth save.For the first five innings, Matthew Liberatore (5-10) was just as good as Holmes. He set down his first 13 batters before Nico Hoerner singled in the fifth.Liberatore ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing the first two batters to reach before retiring Pete Crow-Armstrong on a foul popup and yielding to George Soriano.Suzuki hit Soriano's fourth pitch, a 2-1 changeup, an estimated 390 feet to left for his 21st homer. He also doubled in the eighth, the only player with multiple hits.The Cubs (72-51), who have won 9 of 11, are chasing the major league-best Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and have a comfortable lead atop the NL wild-card standings. The Cardinals (61-61) fell 3 1/2 games behind idle Philadelphia for the final NL wild card.The rivals split their previous 10 meetings this season. Friday's game was the opener of a season-long 11-game, 10-day trip for the Cardinals.Up nextCardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (4-9, 3.64 ERA) faces Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd (8-1, 3.50) on Saturday.___See APs full MLB coverage here

Liam Hood barges over for Castleford Tigers' winning try against Hull FC. [SWpix.com]Betfred Super LeagueHull FC (6) 14Tries: Batchelor, Barron, Martin Goals: SezerCastleford (12) 18Tries: Atoni, Ravalawa, Hood Goals: Weaver 3Castleford Tigers put their coaching problems aside as they beat Hull FC at the MKM Stadium to record only their third Super League away win of the season.Boss Ryan Carr remains absent for personal reasons and former Huddersfield Giants number one Luke Robinson is cutting short a holiday to take training on Monday as their new assistant boss.Cas, though, overcame all their difficulties as they scored tries through Renouf Atoni, Mikaele Ravalawa and Liam Hood and claimed the victory late on after trailing 14-12.Hull were on a high after announcing Aussie legend Daly Cherry-Evans' arrival next season but fell short, despite scoring through Joe Batchelor, Harvey Barron and Lewis Martin.Castleford showed great professionalism in the face of all their off-field issues to score from their first attack after nine minutes when Atoni crashed over from close range through two Hull tackles, with Tom Weaver adding the two points.The try spurred Castleford on and they deservedly added a second on 26 minutes, passing the ball along the line for winger Ravalawa to power over in the right-hand corner.Hull were denied a score to haul themselves back into the game when Barron intercepted a pass and ran 90 yards to touch down, only for referee James Vella to rule it out for a late tackle by Batchelor.Castleford added to the indignity when Weaver kicked a penalty to stretch the lead to 12-0 before the home side finally hit back four minutes before the interval.This time Batchelor was the hero as he grounded Jake Arthur's grubber kick, with Aidan Sezer adding the extras.Hull continued their comeback in the 47th minute, thanks to another Arthur kick, and this time Davy Litten knocked it back for Barron to collect and crash over to cut Castleford's lead to just two points.The Tigers were creaking under pressure and the Black and Whites took the lead for the first time in the match when Martin went over in the left corner after 59 minutes for his fifth try in his last four games against Castleford.To their immense credit, back came Castleford and hooker Hood managed to burrow his way over the line in the 68th minute to restore their lead, with Weaver kicking the two points to extend the lead.They move up to ninth in the table, four points clear of Hull in 12th.Hull FC: Moy; Barron, Litten, Romano, Martin; Arthur, Sezer; Ese'ese, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, O'Neill, Bell.Interchanges: Cust, Lisone, Salabio, Sao; Kemp.Castleford: Laulu-Togaga'e; Ravalawa, Mellor, Mapapalangi, Senior; Asi, Weaver; Atoni, Hood, Lawler, Lane, Hirst, Stimson.Interchanges: Ashworth, Robb, Dupree, Brown; Hall.Referee: James Vella.

Managing a residential estate or commercial property in the local market is one of the greatest investments of a lifetime, providing professional comfort, safety, and welcoming environments for your clients, residents, employees, and visitors while defining the architectural excellence of your property. However, scorching seasonal heat, severe weather storms, and harsh environmental...

Fernando Mendoza took his first NFL steps Thursday, and there were glimpses of the potential he brings to a franchise trying to restore its glory.

DraftKings offers $150 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager for NFL and MLB betting on Friday

Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg has been one of the most surprising players at training camp. It seems that every day someone (reporters, coaches, fans in attendance) has shared how impressed they are with him. He flashed early on this offseason, and then once the scrimmages and drills started, he opened more eyes. He eventually earned time with the starters, and he held his own there too. When the Bears held their most important practice to date earlier this week, it was van den Berg who lined up with the first-string defense for goal-line and short-yardage situations. He met the media yesterday and, after saying how thankful he is for getting reps with the ones, how he still needs to work on his technique and fundamentals, how much the veterans have helped him, and how much he likes to play with violence, he was asked his thoughts on playing in Saturdays preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. I cant wait, van den Berg said with a smile. I cant wait to prove myself.Some Bears fans are pretty excited to watch his preseason debut, as 56% of us cant wait to see him play.The Bears have already announced theyll be sitting several starters, so we should get a hefty dose of van den Berg and all the other rookies too. Rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman is the only rookie who has been running with the ones all camp, and Id imagine he plays a bit. Our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook have Thieneman at +3300 to win the 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, which are tied with Keldric Faulk for 11th-best odds.Sam Roush is the third tight end, so well see his debut, and he may even start if Cole Kmet sits.Malik Huhammad II has been getting first-team reps at nickelback, so we should see him plenty. Rookie center Logan Jones seems like a good bet to start, as 31-year-old Garrett Bradbury feels like one of the vets who will get the afternoon off. The Bears vs Browns game will kick off on Saturday at Noon (CT), and FanDuel currently has the Bears at +3.5 points, so if you think Tyson Bagent and company can pull off the Dub, thats a nice spread.

Real Madrid summer signing set to start vs EspanyolA member of the summer recruitment drive at La Liga giants Real Madrid is in line for a starting berth in the clubs opening fixture of the new campaign.Thats according to Diario AS, who highlight Denzel Dumfries as the player in question.Defender Dumfries was of course snapped up by the Bernabu brass earlier this summer, in a cut-price deal from Italian champions Inter Milan. The Dutchman has since gone on to play a leading role for Real Madrid in pre-season, featuring from the off against all of Fiorentina, Ferencvros and Deportivo La Corua.And if the latest word stemming from the Spanish media is anything to go by, then this level of prominence is no coincidenceDumfries is already understood to have earned the full trust of new head coach Jos Mourinho. So much so that, as per a report from AS, despite competition from Trent Alexander-Arnold:Hes shaping up to be the undisputed starter at right-back for the league opener on August 22nd against Espanyol.Conor Laird GSFN