During the Philadelphia Eagles’ 28-3 win over the New York Giants in Week 7, star Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley turned down a chance to set his single-game career-high in rushing yards so that “the young boys” on the roster could “eat.”
Eagles rookie ball-carrier Will Shipley tallied eight carries (15 yards) in the blowout victory and was among those in the locker room who appreciated Barkley’s gesture.
“I’m so grateful for [Saquon] and who he is as a person and who he is as a leader,” Shipley told Cayden Steele of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on Wednesday. “He’s selfless. He knows that he’s going to have another opportunity to shatter that record. My first carries in the NFL don’t come without him. I’ll forever be grateful for that scenario.”
Barkley played for the Giants from 2018 through last season before he left the club as a free agent and signed with the Eagles. Philadelphia players quickly praised the leadership qualities Barkley brought to the organization following the retirements of center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. The 27-year-old has continued to impress through the fall.
Eagles center Nick Gates previously played alongside Barkley with the Giants and said what happened at MetLife Stadium in Week 7 “was probably my favorite thing I’ve seen [Barkley] do and heard him say.”
“I get the chills thinking about it,” Gates said. “But for him to decide, ‘No, I don’t want to do it,’ especially against his old team who kind of screwed him and didn’t really want him. He could have definitely done it. But that’s just him showing his leadership.”
Gates was referring to how Giants general manager Joe Schoen retained Barkley’s rights for 2023 via the non-exclusive franchise tag and then didn’t consider matching what the Eagles offered the two-time Pro Bowl selection during free agency. Schoen wasn’t with the Giants when they made Barkley the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
“I would say he has gotten a lot better at being a vocal leader as well,” Shipley added about Barkley. “…If things aren’t going our way or we’re not playing to our standard at practice, he’ll come up and say something, whether it’s just to me, to the running back room, to the whole offense and the whole team. At the end of day, he’s a great leader.”
Barkley and the 4-2 Eagles next play at the 3-4 Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Bengals as two-point favorites for that matchup.
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Jayden Daniels injury update: Adam Schefter reveals latest on Washington QB’s status vs…
It was a scary moment for Washington Commanders fans when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels left the game against the Carolina Panthers with an injury. Now, his status is up in the air. In an injury update that Adam Schefter shared during an appearance on SportsCenter on Thursday morning, he revealed the latest on Daniels ahead of Washington’s game against Chicago. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a positive update. “The week is not off to a good start,” Adam Schefter said.
“Jayden Daniels did not practice yesterday and the head coach, Dan Quinn, has already said that Jayden Daniels is week-to-week, which is really code for unlikely to play this upcoming week.” After getting knocked out of the game against Carolina with an apparent rib injury, Daniels needed X-rays and was seen in street clothes later in the game. Later, his mother posted to social media that initial tests showed Daniels would be fine. Still, he didn’t return to that game, and it was Marcus Mariota who played fairly well in relief of the young quarterback. “
Now we’ll see if he can make it back to practice today. If he can, he’ll have a chance to play Sunday against Caleb Williams and the Bears. But if Jayden Daniels doesn’t make it back today in practice, that would be a sure sign that Marcus Mariota is in line to start Sunday’s game as (Daniels) continues to recover from that rib injury right now.” Through seven games this season, Daniels has completed 75.6 percent of his passes for 1,410 yards and six touchdowns to only two interceptions. He’s also a dual threat, rushing for 372 yards and four touchdowns.
The matchup against the Chicago Bears was one of the most anticipated this season for the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels. That’s not too surprising given that it comes against Caleb Williams, who was the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, taken just one slot before the Commanders chose Daniels.
At 4-2 and coming off three straight wins, the Bears seem to be getting better each week with their new quarterback. Meanwhile, Washington is sitting at first in the NFC East at 5-2 largely because of the play of Daniels. While Washington didn’t need Jayden Daniels to beat Carolina, the Commanders are going to need him for the Commanders to reach their long-term goals. With each of their NFC East rivals coming up in Washington’s next four games, getting Daniels healthy is going to be key.
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Oilers Fans Wait For 8 Hours To Meet McDavid, But He Will Only Autograph One Thing
Oilers fans had a fantastic opportunity today to meet some of their hockey icons at the West Edmonton Mall, and fans were pumped to meet McDavid in particular. Plenty of fans arrived as early as 10:00 this morning for the event that begins at 6:00, waiting over 8 hours to meet Connor McDavid. Only the first 300 fans are guaranteed to meet McDavid and Draisaitl.
McDavid and almost every other Oiler will be available today at the West Edmonton Mall, but mostly in different booths. This picture is just Connor McDavid’s solo booth. However, hopefully most fans knew in advance that unlike every other Oiler, Connor McDavid can’t autograph just anything. McDavid has a contract with Upper Deck that he can only autograph a picture provided at the event.
It may be unfortunate for fans who’d like McDavid to sign a stick, a hockey card, or anything else. Please Note: Connor McDavid will only be signing custom Upper Deck photos provided at the table. – West Edmonton Mall Website Later on in the day still four hours before the event began, the entire space was packed with Oilers fans waiting for their autograph. Hilariously of course, some other Oilers booths were practically empty.
The new Oilers booth involving Jeff Skinner and Travis Dermott was vacant a few hours before open. Hopefully fans at the front of the line for McDavid can whip around there afterwards, and not let the new guys be left out to dry. It’s a fantastic event for Oilers fans to meet their star players – it’s these kind of events that bring the team so close to the community. If you’re in attendance today, hopefully it’s an amazing experience!
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MLB
Yankees GM still salty about Astros scandal and its impact
Even though the New York Yankees are celebrating their return to the World Series for the first time since 2009, it’s clear that general manager Brian Cashman believes the 15-year window between Fall Classic appearances contains an MLB history lesson that should not be forgotten. Appearing on MLB Network’s “High Heat” program, Cashman bristled when host Chris Russo asked him that 15-year gap, taking the opportunity to allude to the cheating scandal surrounding the Houston Astros in 2017 when Houston defeated New York in that season’s American League Championship Series.
“I hate the 15-year thing because it completely forgets and discounts that some other organization cheated us where we were all the way in the end,” Cashman said. “If you knew what was going on, I don’t think they would be advancing … I think we would’ve been advancing.” The longtime Yankees general manager then drove the point home again.
“I hate that 15-year thing because I don’t think it accurately reflects history,” he said. You can see the clip with Cashman below and watch the entire “High Heat” segment with Cashman here. MLB investigated the Astros and concluded they stole signs during games, giving Houston an edge during the 2017 and 2018 regular seasons, as well as the 2017 postseason. Manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were both given one-year suspensions for their roles in the scandal and were eventually let go by Houston.
Some Houston players, including Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve, have apologized for their roles in the scandal. None, however, faced suspensions or disciplinary actions as MLB granted players immunity during the investigation, a move that commissioner Rob Manfred has recently expressed regrets about.
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Vancouver sports analyst Farhan Lalji was on-site for the Canucks’ post-practice media session, where he spoke with Elias Pettersson and head coach Rick Tocchet.
Pettersson faced questions about his struggles, which have carried over from the latter part of last season and the playoffs. Farhan pressed Pettersson, saying, “It seems the last three games you’ve been really active. Do you feel the goals are just around the corner?” Pettersson, nonchalant as always, he responded, “Yeah, it’s easy to click on the stats and say I stink, but I feel like I’ve been better in the last few games.
All I can do is keep on making plays.” Tocchet, when asked about his star player’s recent form, noted, “I think he’s chipping away at his game. I think everyone knows he’s gotta move his feet. I don’t care if he makes a mistake, as long as he’s trying to make plays. Hes got to be more aggressive, I think a lot of the times when he is standing around he gets in trouble, but that’s the mental side of it we are trying to work on.”
The Canucks’ fairly solid start to the season has somewhat lessened the pressure, but the spotlight remains squarely on Pettersson, especially as he begins the first year of his $11.6 million per season contract. In a hockey-crazed city like Vancouver, high expectations come with being one of the league’s top-paid players. If Pettersson can’t elevate his game to an elite level soon, the questions and scrutiny will only grow louder. The good news? Pettersson’s recent play suggests he’s finding his rhythm. For Canucks fans, the hope is that the goals will come sooner rather than later.
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