🚨Watch: Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh responds to question about Chargers job
Florida State has so many players who will not play in the Orange Bowl
College Football
Tennessee QB Joe Milton III announces NFL Draft decision
Joe Milton III is focusing on his future, which means he’s going to skip the Tennessee Volunteers’ bowl game this Monday against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tennessee, ranked No. 21 at 8-4, is scheduled to take on the No. 17 Hawkeyes (10-3) in the Citrus Bowl. Milton, who just played his super senior season, announced on social media that he will be skipping the contest and will instead enter the 2024 NFL Draft. This season, Milton threw for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also rushed for 299 yards and seven touchdowns. This announcement marks the end of a college career that saw him put up some impressive numbers. Ranked as a four-star quarterback coming out of high school (Orlando, Florida), Milton signed with the Michigan Wolverines and spent three seasons in Ann Arbor, largely playing a backup role. He transferred to Tennessee in 2021 with the hopes of being the starter for head coach Josh Heupel, but he held the QB1 spot for just two games before a leg injury opened the door for Hendon Hooker to take over in Tennessee. Milton was Hooker’s backup in 2022 and finally got his shot as a starter this past season. He’s now one of the more intriguing quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s most certainly behind the likes of Jayden Daniels (LSU), Bo Nix (Oregon), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (North Carolina) in the pecking order.
Potential landing spots for Russell Wilson in 2024
NFL
Cowboys cut former first-round pick following marijuana arrest
The Dallas Cowboys are moving on from Rashaan Evans in the wake of the linebacker’s arrest. Evans was waived by the Cowboys on Wednesday to make room on the 53-man roster for offensive lineman Matt Waletzko, who was activated from injured reserve. Evans was also arrested on Tuesday, which may have played a role in the decision. Police in Frisco, Texas, confirmed to the Dallas Morning News that Evans was arrested on Tuesday and charged with possession of marijuana. Evans, 28, was signed by the Cowboys in October following a rash of injuries on defense. He appeared in nine games and recorded nine total tackles. Evans only played a handful of special teams snaps in last week’s loss to the Miami Dolphins. Evans was drafted in the first round by the Tennessee Titans in 2018. The former Alabama star spent four seasons in Tennessee before signing a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons last year. Evans started all 17 games in 2022 and had a solid statistical season with 159 combined tackles, four passes defended, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Packers star CB suspended for odd reason ahead of critical game vs. Vikings
NFL
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce apologizes for sideline incident with HC Andy Reid
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce admitted he shouldn’t have lost his cool in a disappointing Week 16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. During the 20-14 upset, Kelce slammed his helmet on the sideline late in the second quarter. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid approached the four-time first-team All-Pro and didn’t let him re-enter the game immediately. He finished with five receptions for 44 yards. “He’s looking out for me, and I love him for it,” Kelce said of his HC on a recent episode of his podcast “New Heights.” “I didn’t go back out there and play good. He wanted to see the fire in me, and I reacted in a bad way. He wanted to just get the best out of me. And right now, I’m just not playing my best football.” Frustrations are mounting in Kansas City. The Chiefs (9-6) have lost four of their last six games and can no longer clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. During this stretch, the 34-year-old has struggled, recording 33 receptions for 371 yards and one TD. Also, K.C. has only scored 125 points, which is 18th in the league. “Every single play, somebody is not doing their job, and it’s me … it’s everybody on the team,” Kelce said of the offense’s issues. “Whatever it is, we got to do something else because it’s been pretty consistent that we haven’t been on the same page. We just got to take a little bit more ownership in what we’re doing.” Regardless, the Chiefs must solve the problem soon, or they’ll fail to repeat as champions. As of Wednesday, oddschecker gives them the AFC’s third-best Super Bowl odds (+900) behind the Miami Dolphins (11-4) and Baltimore Ravens (12-3).
Steelers sign Pro Bowler while the rest of the NFL was asleep
NFL
Caleb Williams ‘likes’ post saying one team should not draft him
Did star quarterback Caleb Williams drop a hint this week that he would rather not be the first player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft? Probably not. Even after a disastrous finish to USC’s season, most analysts still believe Williams is going to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. However, one fan suggested via social media this week that the Chicago Bears, who currently have the top pick, should keep Justin Fields and draft Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. first overall. Williams “liked” the tweet, which many interpreted as him saying he agrees. It is possible that Williams would rather not be drafted by the Bears. However, what seems more likely is that the quarterback is keeping receipts. He may have viewed the post as a slight and wants to use it as motivation. The Bears may have the No. 1 pick, but they are not the worst team in the NFL. They are 6-9 heading into Week 17. Chicago traded the top pick last year to the Carolina Panthers so the Panthers could move up to draft Bryce Young. Since Carolina currently has the worst record in the NFL at 2-13, the Bears are once again in line to draft first thanks to receiving Carolina’s 2024 first pick as part of the trade. Williams’ father said earlier this year that his son would rather return to USC for another season than end up in a bad situation. Only Williams knows if he views Chicago that way, but our guess is he was “liking” the post for another reason.
Jets’ Robert Saleh defends team over regrettable Joe Flacco decision
NBA
Conflicting reports emerge regarding details of Mavericks sale
While Mark Cuban has been assured that he’ll retain control of the Mavericks‘ basketball operations department, there’s no language in the sale agreement that will guarantee he’ll keep that role in the future, league sources tell Marc Stein. Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News had heard differently from his source. Cuban is selling his majority stake of the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families. The transaction received unanimous approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors and is expected to be finalized later this week. Patrick Dumont will be the new Mavericks Governor, with Cuban the alternate. Cuban will remain a significant minority shareholder (27%) of the team. Cuban’s position as head of basketball operations may not be formalized in writing, but Stein reiterates that the longtime owner is expected to stay in the role going forward. Stein points out that the parties had been working together for several months to reach an agreement. “We look forward to working in partnership with Mark Cuban as stewards of this great franchise and bringing another NBA championship to the city of Dallas,” Dumont said in a statement. “We are committed to the long-term success of the Mavericks and delivering a world-class hospitality experience to our fans, players, employees, sponsors and partners.” Cuban originally purchased his majority stake of the Mavs in January 2000.
Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates are no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famers
NFL
Barry Sanders proposes unique solution to NFL MVP debate
Christian McCaffrey is having a remarkable season with the San Francisco 49ers, and many people feel he should be the first non-quarterback to be named NFL MVP in more than a decade. Even Barry Sanders is skeptical that McCaffrey can win the award, though the Hall of Fame running back can envision a repeat of what happened with him years ago. Sanders took to social media on Tuesday to share his thoughts on the MVP race. He said he does not believe the NFL will give the award to a non-quarterback. Though, Sanders wonders if McCaffrey might be able to win a share of the MVP like the Detroit Lions legend did in 1997. Sanders and Favre were named co-MVPs in 1997. Sanders rushed for 2,053 yards and 11 touchdowns that season. Favre had 3,867 yards passing, 35 touchdowns and 16 interceptions with the Green Bay Packers. Sanders quickly clarified that he was not trying to say he was more deserving of the award than Favre. The logic from Sanders is a bit flawed. While it is rare for a non-QB to be named MVP, it is not unheard of. Running backs Terrell Davis, Marshall Faulk, Shaun Alexander, LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson have all won MVP awards since Sanders shared his with Favre in 1997. Of course, the aforementioned running backs were all named MVP in an era that was far less pass-heavy. The way the NFL has changed has made it even more difficult for a non-QB to win MVP, which is why it has not happened since 2012. McCaffrey enters Week 17 with 1,395 rushing yards, 537 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns. Despite the remarkable production, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a heavy favorite to win MVP. The final two weeks of the season will likely decide who wins MVP, but we know McCaffrey already has at least one legendary quarterback’s vote.
