The Arizona Cardinals officially ruled out tight end Trey McBride with a concussion for their Week 4 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
McBride did not practice all week after being placed in concussion protocol following a collision with Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch in the fourth quarter of Arizona’s 20-13 Week 3 loss to the Lions.
With McBride’s absence, Arizona (1-2) will have to rely a lot on backup tight ends Elijah Higgins and rookie Tip Reiman.
“That’s a strong room, a really good room,” coach Jonathan Gannon said of the tight ends after ruling McBride out Friday morning. “Their roles are going to change a little bit, all three of them, without Trey. But I’m very comfortable and confident.”
Defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga is also out being a non-participant in practice all week with a knee injury suffered against Detroit. Arizona placed starting defensive tackle Justin Jones on injured reserved earlier this week after he tore his triceps in the loss.
Two Cardinals offensive linemen are questionable in Isaiah Adams (thumb) and Kelvin Bachum (hamstring). Adams was added to the report after being limited in practice today, while Beachum missed the game against the Lions with his hamstring injury. Last week, the Cardinals elevated practice squad offensive tackles Jackson Barton and Charlie Heck to fill in for Beachum at the starting right tackle spot.
Budda Baker (quad), Dennis Gardeck (finger), Marvin Harrison Jr. (quad) and Dante Stills (shoulder) are all off the injury report and ready to go.
Austin Ekeler (concussion) and Clelin Ferrell (knee) were already ruled out earlier this week for Washington (2-1). Jamison Crowder (calf) is now also listed as out. No Commanders players are doubtful or questionable for Sunday.
Sunday’s game begins at 1:05 p.m. MST and the official inactives report will be released 90 minutes before kickoff.
Mike McCarthy: Cowboys stars’ injuries ‘worse than we anticipated’
NFL
Two-time Super Bowl champion unimpressed by Steelers QB Justin Fields
Numerous NFL reporters and analysts have suggested throughout this week that Justin Fields should and will remain the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback even after veteran Russell Wilson is cleared to return from his lingering calf injury due to the fact that Fields has guided Pittsburgh to a 3-0 record. During Friday’s edition of FS1’s “The Facility” program, former NFL running back and two-time Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy poured cold water over the Fields hype train. “We keep talking about Justin Fields as if he’s, like, carrying his team, a game-changer,” McCoy said about Fields, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “We talk about him more than we talk about (Buffalo Bills star) Josh Allen carrying a team and then we really break down the team and really watch the tape and look at the stats. Any quarterback in America can do that.” McCoy was referencing how, according to ESPN stats, the Steelers are entering Week 4 ranked 29th in the NFL with an average of 158.3 passing yards per game and 24th with an average of 17.0 points scored per contest. Pro Football Reference shows that Fields is ranked 22nd in the league among qualified players with a 47.5 adjusted QBR and 21st with an average of 6.9 yards gained per pass attempt.
Per the StatMuse website, Fields is eighth among quarterbacks with 90 rushing yards this season. “Any quarterback can win in this system,” McCoy said about what Fields has accomplished playing under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. “…So no, I do not believe in Justin Fields, but I do think in this system, you can succeed.” Whether McCoy’s points are on the money may not matter for some time considering ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler passed along on Wednesday that Wilson was still “simply not moving at a high clip” due to his calf injury. Thus, Fields will receive another chance to impress when the Steelers play at the 1-2 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as two-point road favorites against the Colts. It’s unknown if Wilson will be good to go for the team’s Week 5 game versus the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) on Oct. 6.
Dylan Larkin to face potential discipline after huge hit to the head of Blackhawks prospect…
Tennis
Carlos Alcaraz hopes Davis Cup quarterfinals won’t be end of the line for Rafael Nadal
When Spain hosts the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in November, 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal will be one of the members of the five-man Spanish team. He will likely pair up with world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in doubles, rekindling the partnership dubbed “Nadalcaraz” at the Paris Olympics.
The competition between Spain and the Netherlands will take place in the port city of Malaga on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol. Alcaraz commented on Nadal’s inclusion on the Spanish Davis Cup squad and the possibility that the tournament might be the last professional tennis event for the 38-year-old legend. “It’s incredible to have Rafa on the team and to surround myself with him as much as possible, learning both on and off the court,” Alcaraz said, via ESPN. “I don’t want to think that it might be a possible ‘last dance’ for him in Malaga. I want to enjoy the time I can have with him on and off the court.” Alcaraz has reason to believe that this may indeed be Nadal’s swan song.
Back in May of 2023, Nadal told reporters at a news conference in Manacor, Spain that a nagging hip injury would likely lead to him winding down his professional playing career in 2024. Nadal has spent 209 weeks as the top-ranked tennis player in the world. Currently ranked No. 154, he has only played 19 tournament matches this year, posting a 12-7 record. The last singles title he won was the French Open in 2022. The 21-year-old Alcaraz grew up idolizing Nadal. The two Spaniards have played only three times head-to-head, with Nadal winning twice. Alcaraz admitted to reporters that he was somewhat star-struck when they first played one another. Alcaraz, who has already won four grand slam singles titles, added that Nadal’s inclusion on the Davis Cup team benefits Spain tremendously.
Juan Soto’s assessment of the Baltimore Orioles is way off
NBA
Zion Williamson’s message for the NBA should put everyone on notice
Zion Williamson has struggled for availability throughout his young career. The former Duke standout missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a fracture in his right foot and also has two seasons with less than 30 games played.
However, he showcased some improved durability during the 2023-24 season, playing in 70 regular-season games. Unfortunately for Williamson, his season ended at the worst possible time. After dropping 40 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in a play-in tournament contest, he felt a tweak in his hamstring. That tweak ended his night and kept him out of the opening playoff round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The New Orleans Pelicans were swept 4-0 without their talisman on the court. Now, with another full offseason behind him, Williamson will enter the upcoming NBA season with a renewed focus. He wants to help lead the Pelicans toward success and prove that he’s one of the premier talents in the NBA.
“How can I say this the right way?” Williamson said during an interview with The Athletic’s William Guillory. “I’m out for straight vengeance. Not against any particular person. Just for myself.” Williamson has all the tools to be an elite player in the NBA. He’s mind-bogglingly strong and breathtakingly explosive. Last season, he showcased a budding ability as a playmaker, making him a potential point forward of the future. He ended the season with averages of 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 59.2% from the field. New Orleans will enter the new season with questions surrounding its center rotation. It lost veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas during the summer and has failed to replace him. Nevertheless, it still has considerable top-end talent with Williamson, CJ
and Brandon Ingram forming a dangerous trio. During his interview with Guillory, Williamson admitted that he’s trying to build strong foundations with his co-stars while also learning from their games and how they approach the season. “(I want to) learn from (Brandon Ingram). Learn from CJ (McCollum). Learn from guys who have been in the league longer than me. Paying attention to their professionalism,” Williamson said. “Not even being a good teammate, just being a good brother.
So when you get on the court, your teammates believe in you. They trust your work, and they trust that you’ve got them.” New Orleans has been patient in building around Williamson. However, now that he’s proven he can sustain a full NBA season and produce at an All-Star level, it will likely want him to start helping the team contend at the highest level. Regardless of what happens with Ingram this season, New Orleans will be a problem in the Western Conference. If Williamson takes another developmental jump, it could emerge as a genuine contender for a deep playoff run.
Giants teammates address worries about rookie WR Malik Nabers
MLB
White Sox break record for most modern-era losses in an MLB season
For Chicago White Sox fans, September 27, 2024, will be a date that will live in infamy. On Friday, the White Sox fell to their AL Central rival Tigers 4-1, officially setting the MLB record for the most losses in a single season in the modern era.
The loss moves Chicago’s record to an abysmal 39-121, ensuring it’ll lose at least one more game than the 1962 New York Mets, who previously held the record with 120 losses. After tying the Mets’ aforementioned record with a loss to the Padres on Sept. 22, the White Sox staved off history against the Angels, sweeping Los Angeles with three consecutive victories. The Tigers — who clinched their first playoff berth since 2014 with the victory — were the team to deal the record-setting loss to the White Sox. After Detroit jumped out to a 2-0 lead, a Zach DeLoach home run in the top of the sixth gave the White Sox their only score of the night. Two runs by the Tigers in the home half of the seventh inning were enough to seal the victory.
History seemed to be inevitable for the White Sox, but with the number officially etched in baseball history, it seems surreal. Few teams have ever gotten close to the Mets’ record that stood for over six decades, and the White Sox’s putrid 2024 season is now the new benchmark for what a truly bad baseball season is. Chicago still has two more opportunities to add to its own infamous mark, with two more games against the Tigers on Saturday and Sunday to close out their season.