In the open air of the Raiffeisen Arena, with bedlam all around, there was nowhere to hide for Celtic or Martin O’Neill.

The Scottish champions had endured one of their darkest nights in their European history.

After going out to Kairat Almaty on penalties last year at this stage of the Champions League play-offs, that is saying something.

Four goals up on aggregate against LASK, O’Neill’s Celtic somehow conspired to implode in a second half with little sign of a response on the way to a 5-4 aggregate loss.

There was no hiding place, and the Celtic manager was frank when put in the spotlight at full-time.

“I’m responsible for this one,” he said.

“Without a doubt. Naturally it took me a long time to get over the Uefa Cup final in 2003 but this was majorly disappointing.

“In the context of things, one was a final which it would have been terrific to win, this was a qualifying game which we should have been able to get through.

“We know that we are a million miles from the finished article. That’s absolutely true. I think we thought that anyway.”

First Published: Aug 25 2026 | 9:36 AM IST

Wyndham Clark says he didn’t take “a bad lie and make it good.”

And if you think that he did during Sunday’s final round of the BMW Championship?

“People can think what they want,” Clark said. 

His comments came Tuesday ahead of this week’s Tour Championship, where he was asked about a scene to the right of the 14th hole at Bellerive Country Club, host of the BMW. There, while Clark prepared to hit his second shot on the par-4, a CBS camera positioned to his right caught the following:

– Clark grabbed an iron from his bag, placed it behind his ball, then took a practice swing just to the left of the ball. Twice more, he placed his iron behind the ball and took practice swings, before going back to his bag for a different iron. At the time, Clark was tied for the lead with Rory McIlroy. 

– CBS cut away to Gary Woodland on the 15th hole. 

– When it returned, Clark was placing an iron behind his ball. He then took another practice swing to the left of it before his caddie, David Pelekoudas, moved between Clark and the camera, though another practice swing could be seen. Clark then went back to his bag for a different iron. Three times, he placed that iron behind his ball and took practice swings. At about this point, CBS analysts said the following:

Trevor Immelman: “He’s taking a long look at this. This is like the third club that he’s placed down behind the ball there.”

Frank Nobilo: “So the lie might be better.”

From there, Clark placed his 9-iron behind the ball and hit, finished the hole with a par and went on to win by three. But Nobilo’s comment, along with several similar remarks on social media, is interesting. Did Clark improve his lie? On Tuesday, Clark was asked the following question:

Wyndham, your drive on 14 Sunday went into the right rough, and there was a lot of scrutiny on social media but also even the TV announcers. Curious about you changing clubs and tapping down the rough multiple times. Just curious what you were thinking there, and there was a similar situation possibly at the U.S. Open, and if you’ve been hearing about this at all.

“I didn’t really hear much about it,” Clark said. “I know the shot that you’re talking about. I think any player, when they’re trying to judge a lie, takes out different clubs to see what it feels like.

“I never fully put the club down behind it. I don’t think anything of it.”

As part of his answer, he also noted a pair of previous incidents in which his actions around the ball have been questioned — during the third round of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Clark placed his iron behind his ball, causing the grass and ball to move, though no rules penalty was assessed; then, at this year’s U.S. Open, a video of Clark stepping on the grass around his ball circulated online. On Tuesday, Clark also brought up the actions of Bryson DeChambeau at this year’s Open Championship, where DeChambeau was penalized for improving the area around his intended swing. 

“When the cameras are on you, they’re going to find anything,” Clark said. “And I think you saw that in Bryson’s case. It happened to me at the U.S. Open, it happened to me at Bay Hill. It’s happened to a lot of guys where they can see stuff that maybe looks like something that maybe it’s not.”

Rule 8.1b (4) states that players are allowed to, “ground the club lightly right in front of or right behind the ball,” with “ground the club lightly” meaning, “allowing the weight of the club to be supported by the grass, soil, sand or other material on or above the ground surface.”

“That lie was never bad,” Clark said Tuesday. “It was more just judging what it was. By no means did I take a bad lie and make it really good.

“People can think what they want. I know I didn’t do anything that was costing the integrity of the field. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”

“>

With all nine GAA Rounders All-Ireland final line-ups now confirmed, the provincial breakdown makes for fascinating reading — and it is Connacht that leads the way.

Across the Junior, Intermediate and Senior grades in Women’s, Men’s and Mixed, there are 18 places available in the nine All-Ireland finals.

Connacht has claimed seven of those 18 places, despite having just 22 teams from eight clubs competing across the championships.

That means almost one in every three Connacht team entries has reached an All-Ireland final.

Connacht leads the provincial standings with seven finalists, followed by Leinster with five, while Ulster and Munster have three each.

Connacht Dominates the Mixed Championships

The standout area for Connacht has been Mixed Rounders, where the province has produced an extraordinary four of the six All-Ireland finalists.

Breaffy will take on Glynn Barntown in the Senior Mixed final.

Galway City Rapparees face Emo in the Intermediate decider, while the Junior final will be an all-Connacht affair between Galway City Rapparees and Kilmore.

It means Connacht is already guaranteed at least one Mixed All-Ireland title and has a representative in every Mixed final.

The province could yet complete a remarkable clean sweep of the three Mixed grades.

Half of the Women’s Finalists Are from Connacht

Connacht has also enjoyed an outstanding championship in the Women’s grades, providing three of the six finalists.

Breaffy face Limekiln in the Senior final, while Galway City Rapparees take on fellow Connacht side Elphin at Intermediate level.

St Kieran’s and St Senan’s complete the Women’s programme with an all-Limerick Junior final.

Between Mixed and Women’s Rounders, Connacht therefore provides seven of the 12 finalists.

Remarkably, the province doesn’t have a representative in any of the three Men’s finals.

Three Connacht Men’s Teams Fall at Semi-Final Stage

That statistic doesn’t tell the full story of Connacht’s Men’s championship performances.

Three Connacht Men’s teams reached the All-Ireland semi-final stage, only for all three to be eliminated before the finals.

So while Connacht has no Men’s finalist, the province still had significant representation at the business end of the Men’s championships.

Combine those three Men’s semi-finalists with Connacht’s seven finalists in Mixed and Women’s and 10 of the province’s 22 team entries reached at least an All-Ireland semi-final.

That’s 45.5% of all Connacht entries reaching the last four or better.

For a province containing just eight participating clubs, it is a remarkable return.

Ulster’s Challenge Is Almost Exclusively Men’s

If Connacht’s success is concentrated in Mixed and Women’s Rounders, Ulster presents almost the complete opposite picture.

Ulster has three finalists — and all three are Men’s teams.

Erne Eagles and Carrickmacross will contest an all-Ulster Senior Men’s final, while St Clare’s have reached the Intermediate Men’s decider against St Senan’s.

Outside of the Senior Men’s final and St Clare’s at Intermediate level, there is no Ulster representation across the other seven All-Ireland finals.

No Ulster side has reached a Women’s final and there are no Ulster representatives in any of the Mixed finals.

It creates one of the most interesting contrasts of the championship:

Connacht — seven finalists, but none in Men’s.

Ulster — three finalists, all in Men’s.

Limerick Provides All Three Munster Finalists

Munster’s three finalists also produce a striking statistic.

Every one of them comes from Limerick.

St Senan’s will contest the Intermediate Men’s final against St Clare’s, while St Kieran’s and St Senan’s meet in the Junior Women’s final.

It means Limerick is responsible for 100% of Munster’s representation across the nine All-Ireland finals.

The all-Limerick Junior Women’s decider also guarantees the county at least one All-Ireland title.

Leinster the Only Province Represented Across All Three

Leinster sits second in the overall standings with five of the 18 finalist places.

What makes Leinster’s performance notable is the spread of those teams.

• Two Mixed finalists
• Two Men’s finalists
• One Women’s finalist

That makes Leinster the only province with representation in the All-Ireland finals across all three disciplines — Women’s, Men’s and Mixed.

While Connacht leads on overall numbers, Leinster has produced the most evenly distributed challenge.

Galway City Rapparees Lead the Club Count

At individual club level, Galway City Rapparees have three teams contesting All-Ireland finals, the highest representation of any club.

Rapparees entered five adult championship teams this season and have reached the Intermediate Women’s, Intermediate Mixed and Junior Mixed finals.

That’s a 60% final conversion rate — three finalists from five entries.

They account for three of Connacht’s seven final places on their own.

Breaffy and St Senan’s have also enjoyed outstanding championships, with two teams each reaching All-Ireland finals.

GAA Rounders 2026 Provincial Finalist Breakdown

Breakdown by Discipline

• Mixed: Connacht 4, Leinster 2
• Men’s: Ulster 3, Leinster 2, Munster 1
• Women’s: Connacht 3, Munster 2, Leinster 1

The figures tell several very different provincial stories.

Four of the six Mixed finalists are from Connacht. Half of the Women’s finalists are from Connacht. Half of the Men’s finalists are from Ulster. Every Munster finalist comes from Limerick. Leinster is the only province represented across all three disciplines.

But perhaps the standout statistic remains Connacht’s overall return.

Just 22 teams from eight clubs entered from the province — seven have reached All-Ireland finals and 10 made it as far as the semi-final stage.

For such a relatively small playing base, that is an exceptional return from Connacht in the 2026 GAA Rounders Championships.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Carl Tamayo (No. 33) and Kevin Quiambao (second from left) are two young mainstayswho represent the future of the national team. —FIBA PHOTO

June Mar Fajardo is closing in on the end of his stint with the national team. Justin Brownlee is nowhere near good enough shape to reinforce Gilas Pilipinas.

When the Philippines opens up its bid in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Friday, it will look very much like a team in transition.

Fortunately, the members of the pool recognize that and are willing to step up.

With Chris Newsome being ready to don the mantle of leadership and young standouts ready to fill in for their absent teammate, Gilas Pilipinas is eager to prove its worth via two crucial home games against dangerous foes Jordan and Iran.

“This team is different. There’s a lot of talent in this team,” said young forward Carl Tamayo. “We have to stick to our roles to help the team win the next two games. It’s going to be crucial for us, especially for KQ (Kevin Quiambao), now that Justin is not here.”

Cone had said that it was highly doubtful that Brownlee could still suit up for the current window as he is dealing with knee and ankle injuries.

The national team could also see the final outings of Fajardo, who confirmed plans of possibly retiring after the fourth window of the qualifiers.

“I’m old,” Fajardo said.

The 36-year-old center, a nine-time PBA MVP, was supposed to have called it a career after the third window, even giving an impassioned speech to teammates. But he was prevailed upon to deliver an encore for flag and country.

If Fajardo decides that Friday’s game against Jordan and Sunday’s matchup with Iran are his last, playing in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is no longer an option.

For him, it’s time to give the next generation a chance to create new memories and new accomplishments for Philippine basketball.

“There are a lot of available players for the Asian Games, so I would rather give my spot to one of them so they can experience what it’s like to play for the national team,” he said.

For 13 years, Fajardo has been one of the fixtures of Gilas amid multiple coaching changes, milestones, painful defeats and even controversy—from a memorable run to the finals of the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship to three World Cup stints in 2014, 2019 and 2023 to even the infamous brawl with Australia in 2018.

His presence was both celebrated and polarizing.

Some recalled his best games against Senegal in the 2014 World Cup, Chinese-Taipei in the World Cup Qualifiers in 2018 and teaming up with Kai Sotto in stunning Latvia in the 2014 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Others felt that Fajardo could not translate his PBA dominance with San Miguel Beer into the international arena.

Whether it is in leadership or in scoring, however, the national program looks deep enough to plug holes.

Kai Sotto, who is set to see action for the first time in a Gilas uniform since 2024, AJ Edu and Justine Baltazar represent a new breed of big men who can take Fajardo’s court time. Newsome, meanwhile, has said he is ready to fill in whatever leadership vacuum Fajardo’s retirement may create (See related story on this page).

“There are a lot of younger guys who have the potential to be included on the national team for a long time,” he said.

Tamayo believes as much, saying the team must come together to replace the scoring punch that Gilas will miss in Brownlee’s absence.

“I think it really is a challenge for us because we all know how big of a part JB plays in our national team and coach Tim’s (Cone) system,” said Tamayo.

“That’s the challenge in front of us so everyone needs to help out. We need to work together to fill that space for this window and we’ve been practicing hard. Hopefully, we get the two wins so we have a bigger chance to play in the World Cup.”

Gilas will sorely miss the longtime Ginebra reinforcement who averaged 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in five games in the qualifiers.

“I don’t think we can do what Justin is doing. No one in our team can be like Justin but we’ll do whatever we can to help our country,” Tamayo added. INQ

Cameroon’s Carlos Baleba has joined Manchester United from Brighton and Hove Albion, the Premier League giants announced on Tuesday. The 22-year-old is the third midfielder signed by the Red Devils during the summer transfer window. “Manchester United is pleased to confirm that Carlos Baleba has joined the club, subject to registration,” the 20-time Premier League champions said in a statement. His reported £70 million ($95 million) fee takes United’s spending on midfield reinforcements to more than £150m in this window. He joins Belgium’s Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos of Brazil in a new-look United midfield after veteran Casemiro left at the end of last season.

“Baleba has already established himself as one of the most talented midfielders in the Premier League,” said United.

“During the 2024/25 season, his combined number of tackles and interceptions was the sixth-highest among midfielders in the league, while he also ranked fourth-highest for progressive ball carries per 90 minutes.”

United had been interested in signing Baleba a year ago following two impressive seasons for Brighton, but baulked at the south coast club’s asking price.

His last season was far less impressive, but that did not put off the Old Trafford club.

“It is an incredible feeling to join the club of my dreams,” said Baleba.

“Playing at Old Trafford is always special but the opportunity to do so as a Manchester United player will be a real honour.

“I cannot wait to work with Michael Carrick; his experience and knowledge of the game make him the perfect coach to help me to reach the highest level.”

Baleba had joined Brighton from French team Lille in 2023 and made 112 appearances for the Seagulls, including 35 last season.

He was hot property a year ago before his star waned a touch during the following campaign.

But it is his athleticism and combativity which have convinced United to sign him.

He ranked “in the top eight per cent of players for combined tackles and interceptions as well as the top one per cent for second balls won” last season, United said.

“Carlos is an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further,” said United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, who also pointed to Baleba’s determination to join the club.

“He brings a unique combination of qualities that will really complement our squad.”

Baleba is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered during pre-season.

He has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year, according to reports.

The fee is £65 million plus a potential £5m in add-ons.

He will compete with Tielemans, Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount for a midfield starting berth at Old Trafford.

Featured Video Of The Day

“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri

Two weeks of preseason games are in the books, and we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

This past week’s slate of preseason games, plus joint practices, brought us more glimpses of what we could expect to see in the regular season. But it brought some drama, too. Deshaun Watson was named the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback on Monday after making pointed remarks to the team’s fans following his lackluster performance on Saturday. There’s also an unusual storyline developing with players who might wind up playing college football in the next couple of weeks. 

So, with only one more preseason week to go, here are our takeaways from the latest slate of preseason games. 

1. Deshaun Watson Didn’t Deserve The Starting Job In Cleveland. He Got It Anyway.

Deshaun Watson was booed after completing just 5 of 12 passes in the Browns’ preseason game against the Bills on Saturday. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Ralph Vacchiano: Deshaun Watson showed everyone on Saturday why he shouldn’t be the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, with a terrible on-field performance and an even worse one off the field.

Then, Todd Monken gave him the job anyway. 

Maybe that’s a sign that the new Browns coach had nothing but bad options in his quarterback competition, but his choice still couldn’t have been any worse. He went with a 30-year-old who’ll surely be an ex-Brown next season over a somewhat promising young quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. And he did it two days after Watson was terrible in a preseason game against the Bills (5 of 12 for 36 yards and an interception) and then showed an incredible lack of self-awareness (and an abundance of immaturity) when he whined about being booed.

“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do with the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little more personal than that. So, I think that’s a disrespectful thing.”

OK, that’s a little rich and a lot outrageous, coming from the man who got the biggest fully-guaranteed contract in NFL history from the Browns in 2022 (five years, $230 million) even though he hadn’t played in two years and was accused of sexual misconduct by 27 women. He then rewarded that startling generosity by only being healthy enough to play in 19 games over the last four seasons — and not particularly well, either.

Even without that bad moment, though, Monken still made the wrong choice. The coach had been leaning this way, multiple team sources told me, in part because the Browns’ early schedule is overloaded with road games (their first two and six of their first nine), and Monken thought Watson’s veteran presence would help his young team. But Watson’s play didn’t warrant that faith. He was just 16 of 27 for 162 yards and an interception in two preseason games. His passer rating of 61.0 was even a notch below Sanders’ 65.2.

So while it’s true that there was no good option here, it’s also true that really is no upside to Watson, who is understandably reviled by what seems to be a majority of the Browns’ fan base. Starting Sanders at least would’ve given them hope that he can get better, something to look forward to other than the QB-rich 2027 draft.

Instead, Monken latched on to the anchor that has been scraping the Browns along rock bottom for the last five years. Sanders will surely get a shot later this season. But as usual in Cleveland, any hope for the future is delayed.

2. Yes, The Pipeline To The Pros Goes Both Ways

Jack Pyburn, who is on the Buccaneers, is one of a handful of NFL players who are in college football’s transfer portal. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Greg Auman: The most backwards trend of the NFL preseason? Marginal players testing the waters of playing in NFL preseason games and  … going back to college.

It seems impossible, but these days, if you can get a judge to rule the right way, traditional lines of amateurism and eligibility can disappear. The NCAA’s shift to a five-year eligibility model wasn’t intended to be backdated for athletes who had exhausted their window – and signed a pro contract, gotten paid and even played for NFL teams.

But that’s really happening, leaving general managers to wonder if they’ll lose players off their roster to the allure of NIL money from colleges. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright, an undrafted rookie with the Browns, put his name in the transfer portal. Cleveland has since waived him, setting him up to play for LSU this fall.

“Man, ain’t this s— crazy?” Browns coach Todd Monken said. “I mean, I don’t even know what to say … I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out a week ago. Now I know. I didn’t call him back, guess I should have.”

Speaking of LSU, consider Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Pyburn, who had two sacks in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener. He’s also one of the players granted a temporary restraining order that could allow him to return to college football. He played at LSU last year, and that sets up the man-bites-dog possibility of an NFL player leaving early for college.

The fall semester at LSU started on Monday, and NFL rosters will be cut from 90 players to 53 by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. It’s unlikely the Bucs will keep Pyburn for their 53, but he has (had?) a good shot at their practice squad. That pays $247,500 for a full season, and Pyburn could make three or four times that much on the Van Wilder go-back-to-college route.

Pyburn said after Saturday’s preseason game that his agents had told the Bucs that college was a potential “backup plan,” but when pressed as to what he might decide if choosing between an NFL practice squad and going back to college, he was noncommittal.

“Ultimately, that’s a decision I’m going to have to make with my family, talk to my agents and see what’s the best business decision and what’s the best option for me and my future career,” he said.

Yes, it’s NFL “respect my decision” season.

Players would have to repay their NFL employers to regain college eligibility. Pyburn got a $15,000 bonus and $100,000 in guaranteed salary, but it’s possible that college NIL payments could also be covered by “offset” language standard in such contracts, normally intended so if NFL Team B pays a player to be on their practice squad, that subtracts from the money NFL Team A was on the hook for by their guarantee.

The league will have to sort out the ramifications. Can a player already passed over once in the draft get another shot, like baseball players do? This was already happening with basketball and G League players showing up on college rosters, but for NFL teams, it’s made roster-building even more complicated by the idea that players can make more money playing football at a lower level.

3. Stetson Bennett Commands Offense, Cements Role As Rams’ Backup QB

Stetson Bennett threw for 181 yards and led the Rams to a score in four of the five drives he played on Saturday. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Eric D. Williams: With Jimmy Garoppolo no longer on the roster, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay’s search for someone to fill that void, should reigning MVP Matthew Stafford suffer an injury during the regular season, appears to be over. In the battle between Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett, the Alabama product cracked the door open with a sparkling performance in a Week 1 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Bennett may have closed the door by playing well in a 34-0 victory over the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. The Georgia product finished with two rushing touchdowns in the first half, leading the Rams to scoring drives on four of his five possessions. Bennett finished 19 of 31 for 181 yards, with no touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 77.5 passer rating. 

Ty Simpson also played solidly, finishing 8 of 12 for 73 yards in the second half. Simpson led the offense on one scoring drive. However, Bennett impressed McVay by the way he led the offense, with quarterbacks coach and associated offensive coordinator Dave Ragone calling the plays – although he didn’t like Bennett reaching for the pylon with the ball on his first rushing touchdown.

“I loved the fact that he used his legs,” McVay said. “We’ll learn from reaching the ball into the end zone, even though I challenged that and we were successful. We don’t want to leave ourselves susceptible to losing the ball out of the end zone where it goes for a touchback.

“But he did a great job. I thought he got an opportunity to really showcase a lot of his skills.”

4. Daniel Jones Primed To Pick Up From Where He Left Off Last Season

Daniel Jones is practicing in full just less than a year after his Achilles tear. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Ben Arthur: Watching the Indianapolis Colts quarterback at Wednesday’s joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons, it was impossible for me to tell that he tore his Achilles just eight months ago.

Everything you want your passer to do — drop back, scramble, throw on the move, evade pressure — Jones looked normal in doing so. Oh, and he was carving up the Falcons’ secondary as well. With Indianapolis’ rushing attack struggling, Jones was near perfect in the pass game, targeting various receivers. 

We still need to see Jones move and perform in games. But all the early signs suggest that he can pick up from last season, when he was playing the best ball of his career before a broken leg slowed him down and the Achilles injury ended his season. 

“I think with any major rehab process, you’re always kind of progressing and getting back and getting used to doing everything, building up the reps on it, building up just your conditioning level,” Jones said Wednesday. “I feel really good and there’s nothing I don’t feel good doing.”

The Colts’ pass-catching situation around Jones is a bit shaky at the moment, given star tight end Tyler Warren (groin) and wide receiver Alec Pierce (offseason ankle surgery) are currently sidelined. But when they return, they’ll add to a group that features one of the league’s best slot receivers in Josh Downs and recent signee Keenan Allen, who’s been a dominant force on third down. 

That’s a cast of receivers Jones can find success with. 

“I think it could be really special, to be honest,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said of the pass-catching group. “Alec (Pierce) obviously is a hell of a football player, which you guys know. [Josh] Downs, Tyler [Warren], and then adding Keenan [Allen] to the fold. I think we can do a lot with those guys and move bodies around and find matchups.” 

5. Let’s Have A Conversation About Chiefs Breakout Rookie WR Cyrus Allen

Cyrus Allen has been one of the hiefs’ most productive receivers in training cmap. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Henry McKenna: If you’ve been following training camp for Kansas City, you’ve heard of Allen. If you’re the type who combs X for potential breakout stars in fantasy football, you’ve heard of Allen. If you’re obsessed with NFL rookies and the draft, you’ve heard of Allen. 

His training camp highlights have been crazy. And Andy Reid didn’t slow the hype’s momentum.

“He’s done a nice job,” Reid said of Allen. “The quarterback trusts him.”

This was the first week of training camp. Allen was a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech.

It felt like a big proclamation, particularly given that Rashee Rice has a history of missing time due to injuries and suspensions and Xavier Worthy has failed to live up to his first-round hype. 

Since then, Allen has played well — steadily doing what he could to move up the depth chart. That included scoring touchdowns with the first-team when paired with Patrick Mahomes. That also included beating first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane in 1-on-1s and team drills (7×7 and 11×11), per reporters on the scene.

But here’s the truth for anyone expecting the second coming of Tyreek Hill. The folks at Arrowhead Pride broke it down with depth. But it’s likely — perhaps even overly optimistic — to project 60 for Allen. And only six receivers converted 60 targets into 500+ receiving yards in 2025.

But before he wows in the box score, he’ll need to land in the WR3 spot. Given that he was playing behind Tyquan Thornton and Jaylen Royals in the second preseason game, Allen appears to be WR5. For what it’s worth, Hill had 83 targets, 61 catches, 593 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie season. That would be a great year for Allen.

So keep an eye on him. He’s a real playmaker. But let’s stay reasonable for a rookie in a Chiefs’ offense that has a lot of mouths to feed.

6. De’Zhaun Stribling Shows Kyle Shanahan Knows How To Evaluate WRs

De’Zhaun Stribling had four receptions for 46 yards in the 49ers’ preseason win over the Chargers. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Williams: NFL draft analysts were up in arms over the San Francisco 49ers taking Ole Miss product De’Zhaun Stribling in the second round, believing the organization had reached for a player that some consensus draft boards had going later in the draft.

However, through two weeks of preseason play, Stribling has acquitted himself nicely. Stribling is tied for the league lead with 11 catches for 109 yards, with a long of 32 yards. He finished with four catches for 46 yards in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers this week. 

I had a chance to watch Stribling in a joint practice at the Chargers’ facility. At 6-2 and 210 pounds, Stribling is an easy mover with suction-cup hands that can make contested catches in congested areas.

Along with that, Stribling has the potential for explosive playmaking ability to do something after the catch, a key attribute in Shanahan’s offense. With Ricky Pearsall out for the year and Brandon Ayiuk no longer on the roster, Stribling should find a significant role in San Francisco’s offense this season.

“I love how he handles himself,” Shanahan said about Stribling. “He takes coaching well and never seems to take anything personally. He’s been a real fun guy to coach so far.”

7. Bills’ Thin WR Corps May Be More Of A Problem Than Ever

Khalil Shakir missed practice time and the Bills’ preseason game against the Browns this past week. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Vacchiano: One great NFL mystery of this generation will surely be why the Buffalo Bills, with arguably the best quarterback in the league in Josh Allen, keep failing to surround him with top-end receivers. And once again, heading towards a season they hope will end in a Super Bowl, that failure is being exposed.

Though they are getting a solid performance this summer from D.J. Moore, the veteran “No. 1” wideout they acquired from the Chicago Bears, the rest of the corps is falling apart. Keon Coleman, their second-best receiver last season (38 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns), is nursing a concerning sprained toe. Khalil Shakir, last season’s top wideout (72 receptions for 719 yards and four touchdowns), missed the joint practices and preseason game against the Browns last week with an undisclosed injury. And rookie Skyler Bell, their fourth-round pick, has missed two weeks with a groin injury.

That leaves Allen right now with Moore, who cost the Bills a second-round pick in March, Joshua Palmer (22 receptions for 303 yards and zero touchdowns) last season, and … not much else.

That, of course, is not how the Bills see it. One team source told me their belief is that Allen can win with almost anyone around him, and that he can take what looks like a below-average group and make them much better. They are also convinced that Moore, at age 29, can reverse his steep, two-year decline simply by playing with an elite quarterback.

It’s a gamble, of course, because otherwise all the pieces are in place in Buffalo: A powerful running game led by James Cook, a top offensive line, a top-10 defense that gets a boost from the addition of edge rusher Bradley Chubb. And of course, the brilliance of Allen will always give them a shot.

Still, it’s hard not to imagine what this team would look like with just one elite receiver by Allen’s side. It would make their path to Buffalo’s first Super Bowl in 33 years look a lot easier than it currently is.

The Seattle Seahawks have waived running back Anthony Hankerson, who could try to play in college again.

Hankerson signed with the Seahawks last week and rushed for 10 yards on five carries in their 19-16 preseason loss at Tennessee on Sunday night. He also caught two passes for nine yards.

He is among 16 players who graduated high school in 2022 and became eligible to play a fifth collegiate season thanks to a Louisiana court order last week. Once he clears waivers, he could enter the transfer portal.

Running back T.J. Harden, who played for the Seahawks in their preseason game against Dallas, was also among those granted a temporary restraining order by the Louisiana judge. Harden, who played last year at SMU and went undrafted, was waived by the Seahawks and entered the portal last week.

Hankerson was an undrafted rookie out of Oregon State who signed with Miami in April, then was waived earlier this month.

He ran for 1,086 yards and nine touchdowns last season, his second in Corvallis. He also had 22 catches for 123 yards.

Reporting by the Associated Press.