The Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback situation with Deshaun Watson is the textbook example of living out the sunk-cost fallacy. 

The Browns put a lot of effort and money into landing the three-time Pro Bowler, and they certainly have 230 million reasons to keep him as QB1. However, there comes a time when you can’t ignore what your eyes tell you: Watson is not the answer in Cleveland.

But with a 0-1 start in the 2026 season, a poor showing at the Jacksonville Jaguars, and ex-quarterback Baker Mayfield on deck in Week 2, it begs the question: What are the Browns getting at here? With their quarterback situation so clearly in disarray, what is their plan moving forward? 

Let’s take a look.

How did we get here?

Cleveland paved the way for Watson in 2022 by trading away the 2018 first-overall pick, quarterback Baker Mayfield, to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick. They then sent the Houston Texans a trade package highlighted by three first-round picks for the then-three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Watson. Despite his lengthy off-field legal issues, Cleveland also made Watson the recipient of the most guaranteed money on a single contract in NFL history: a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million extension. 

Fast forward to Week 2 of the 2026 season, and the Browns are rolling with Watson as their starting quarterback despite his performance as one of the league’s two worst quarterbacks (by multiple efficiency metrics) during his Cleveland career. In Week 1 road defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson absorbed five sacks, threw an easy interception and had the Browns trailing 31-0 at one point. Watson’s teammates have clearly had it with him. When asked if he likes the continuity at the Browns quarterback position, safety Ronnie Hickman simply told reporters, “That’s above my pay grade.”

First-year head coach Todd Monken firmly backs the decision to keep Watson starting despite all the on-field and off-field evidence that he shouldn’t.

“Really, to be honest, [the players in the locker room] don’t have a choice,” Monken said on Monday. “This isn’t a debate. … Our job is to put the best player on the field that we think gives us the best chance to win.” 

* Only Zach Wilson ranks worse 
** Only Cam Ward ranks worse
*** Only Justin Fields ranks worse

Now, they’re set to face Mayfield, who has led the Buccaneers to two NFC South division titles in three full seasons in Tampa Bay and just re-signed with the franchise on a three-year, $165 million contract with $120 million guaranteed. In his Browns career, he produced the most wins (29), passing yards (14,125) and passing touchdowns (92) by a Cleveland quarterback since Bernie Kosar (1985-1993). Mayfield is also one of three Cleveland quarterbacks with a playoff win since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, along with Kosar and Vinny Testaverde. Since departing Cleveland in 2022, he’s thrown for the seventh-most passing yards (14,616) and the fifth-most passing touchdowns (105) in the entire NFL. The Browns have started 10 different quarterbacks in that time, tied for the most in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets. 

The most damning part of the whole situation is everyone with eyes can see Watson isn’t the answer, but since the franchise has to pay Watson whether or not he’s on the team, they’re letting him start instead of cutting him. What’s tough about keeping him under center is that he’s stunting the growth of Cleveland’s young playmakers.

First-round rookie wideout KC Concpetion had an average separation score of 0.182, the eighth-best among wide receivers on Sunday of Week 1, per Fantasy Points Data. Second-round rookie Denzel Boston’s separation score was 0.111, the 15th-best in the league among wide receivers. Second-year tight end Harold Fannin’s separation score was 0.095, the seventh-best in the league among tight ends. Yet, this trio combined for just 123 yards on eight catches with only 12 total targets between them.

So what’s their plan? 

It seems obvious the Browns intend to use Watson as their tank commander, with quarterbacks like Texas’ Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore likely to be available in the 2027 NFL Draft, in which Cleveland has two first-round picks. Monken told reporters “there were some really good things on film” when talking about Watson’s performance in the team’s 24-point Week 1 defeat. According to Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, the plan is to keep Watson as the starter for at least the first half of the season. Not only does Watson seem determined to wreck the Browns’ on the field with subpar performance, but he intends to kill the vibes off the field by taking zero accountability for his lack of production.

“I think the media has this expectation that I’m supposed to throw 400 yards and five touchdowns every week,” Watson told reporters on Wednesday. 

Across his 20 starts in his four seasons with Cleveland, Watson has never thrown for 300 yards in a game.

Shedeur Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round pick who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, injected much more life into the team across seven starts last season. Perhaps he can get some run in the second half of 2026 as he did in 2025. Until then, it will be a slog to the finish line of the 2026 season, with Browns fans praying for Manning or Moore in April next year. 

The flag-hoisting ceremony at the Asian Games, involving India and five other contingents, was delayed for more than an hour before eventually taking place on Friday with “trouble” related to “miscommunication” between the Olympic Council of Asia and the local organising committee (ANAGOC) cited as the reason for the disruption.

The ceremony, which was scheduled to commence at 1:30pm Japan time at Garden Pier, close to the container-style lodging for the athletes, initially began with a 20-minute delay. The ceremonial band took the stage, while performers dressed like Ninja warriors also waited to showcase their skills.

India’s chef-de-mission Sahdev Yadav and four deputy chef-de-missions — A Sharath Kamal, Lijo David Thottan, Alaknanda Ashok and Anjali Bhagwat — were present at the venue.

But before the six contingents — Yemen, North Korea, Palestine, India, Chinese-Taipei and Timor-Leste — could step onto the stage, they were asked to stay put. After waiting for more than 15 minutes, the contingents were eventually asked to return to the resting area.

“We are sorry for the delay. There is some trouble with a team. We will try to restore (the ceremony) in another 15 minutes,” a senior ANAGOC official briefed the media through an interpreter, saying that it was the official statement.

The “trouble”, however, remained unexplained for some time, while the disruption stretched beyond an hour. With international media repeatedly questioning whether a political issue was behind the delay, the organisers later offered a different explanation, saying it was a case of miscommunication.

“The communication between the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Executive Board and Organising Committee was not well, that’s why this happened,” stated another ANAGOC official after the ceremony.

The official stuck to that explanation despite persistent questioning over whether any political issue had caused the disruption.

“It’s not like that somebody (team) delayed the ceremony. The trouble mentioned in the earlier statement was that there was a miscommunication between the OCA and the ANAGOC,” the official said, while asserting that the delay nothing to do with Taiwan (Chinese-Taipei).

“It’s just lack of communication between OCA and ANAGOC.” The explanation came after another ANAGOC official had said the “delay had been due to the chief guest’s arrival getting delayed.” As the contingents waited, they were told to remain in the resting area until the organisers were ready to proceed.

When the much-delayed ceremony finally resumed and the flags were hoisted, only deputy chef-de-missions Anjali Bhagwat, a former rifle ace, and Lijo David Thottan, a former 4x400m relay athlete, went on stage as representatives of the Indian contingent.

India’s Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha also came in briefly, as the IOA office for the Games is located nearby. They too eventually left.

“I have not seen such a scene before,” Sahdev Yadav told PTI.

Flag-hoisting ceremonies are the official welcome events for travelling contingents at multi-sport events and are generally held a day before the official Games opening.

Friday’s disruption adds to the organisational challenges surrounding the mega-event, where athletes have also complained about delayed and cramped lodging facilities.

The organisers have made accommodation arrangements at container-style huts, a docked cruise ship and hotels instead of building a traditional Games village to cut costs.

The traditional venue for Flemington’s Derby and Oaks preview races has undergone a change this year.

This year, the two classic previews have been amalgamated into a single event, scheduled to be run at Caulfield on Saturday, maintaining the established 1800-meter journey.

The training partnership of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, based in Cranbourne, will have a dual presence in the HKJC World Pool Classics Preview (1800m) on Saturday, with Arashi Flash and Icy You prepared to compete.

Both horses are coming off recent wins and are on a trajectory towards the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington next month.

Arashi Flash improved with the increased distance, winning over 1547m at Geelong on August 28. Icy You, after debuting with a second place on the synthetic track at Pakenham, scored over 1600m at Echuca on August 30.

“This race is a nice lead-up,” Young said.

“Arashi Flash, he won really nicely at Geelong, and he’s ticked over nicely through it.

“If you are heading towards a Derby trip, and he is a horse that is out of a Zabeel mare, it is a nice progression.

“Icy You, he ran second on the synthetic at his first start and then won well at Echuca.

“He may not have beaten great competition, but he did it easy and Froggy (Craig Newitt) was looking back over his shoulder.

“He’s worked up super and he has to get around Caulfield, but he’s bred to get out to that sort of trip.

“It’s nice to have those sorts of horses at this time of year heading down that Derby path.”

Young stated that the stable would use the results from Saturday’s race to gauge whether it would be advantageous to pursue other Derby lead-up races in the coming weeks with the pair.

“There is the Super Impose Stakes coming up, there is the Caulfield Classic, there’s the Geelong Classic,” Young said.

“They are all nice races, and this is progression to those, but they have to put their hands up to show they are up to city grade.

“You can’t win it, if you’re not in it.”

Want to get involved with the HKJC World Pool Classics Preview? Explore top online bookmakers for your bets.

The consequences of a demanding initial run appear to have affected Idle Flyer, who was beaten as the favourite last start. The mare is now set to aim for a return to form in her spring campaign at Randwick.

While she is not anticipated to challenge the prohibitive favourite, Autumn Glow, in The 7 Stakes (1600m), jockey Zac Lloyd is looking for an improved effort. Idle Flyer failed to show her customary enthusiasm when finishing fourth in the Tramway Stakes (1400m).

This performance followed a solid return behind the leading mare in the Winx Stakes (1400m), a race where the strong tempo undoubtedly tested several participants.

“I honestly think she just had a bad day,” Lloyd stated regarding Idle Flyer’s performance in the Tramway Stakes.

“She had a hard first-up run off a really solid tempo in a Group One and a two-week back-up.

“I was a bit worried going to the gates because she didn’t feel like her normal self. She was a bit flat cantering to the gates. But in saying that, they didn’t go hard the other day so although she got beaten, she had a much easier day out.

“Hopefully she can bounce back to a bit better form.”

Autumn Glow was quoted at $1.15 on Friday, with Idle Flyer the rank outsider among the five runners at $23.

Lloyd acknowledged that finding a flaw in the favourite’s record is difficult. He is not approaching the race with expectations of a surprise result, but rather hopes Idle Flyer can produce her best work in the closing stages to set herself up for a more suitable target later in the spring.

“She’s very hard to ride against because she does everything so right. She jumps well, she puts herself in a winnable position,” Lloyd said of Autumn Glow.

“I think Idle Flyer, we’ll be riding a bit cold on the weekend and then see if she can step up to the better races.

“If I can get on the back of Autumn Glow and then get as close as I can up the straight, that will be my goal.”

The 7 Stakes (1600m) is seen as an important stepping stone for Idle Flyer, with trainer Matthew Smith indicating the Cox Plate (2000m) as a potential target.

The mare has yet to race beyond a mile, and Lloyd’s feedback on Saturday will be crucial in Smith’s determination of whether to extend her campaign to middle-distance races this season.

The talented young jockey will also partner Headwall for Smith in The Shorts (1100m), expressing confidence that the seven-year-old gelding can build upon his impressive second place in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) on his return after 12 months off.

“It was good for him to show people that he’s had a year off, but he’s come back even better,” Lloyd commented. “He’s only lightly raced. He’s a horse who gets back and he’s going to need a bit of luck, a bit of pace on. But he’s ready to go again.”

For those interested in the racing betting markets, exploring Australian betting sites will provide the latest odds.

Man Utd have lost three of their first six games of the season and Michael Carrick is under pressure as head coach.

Michael Carrick laughed off speculation over his Manchester United future as “ridiculous” and said he would get more than a couple of games to prove to the club’s ownership that he is the man to turn it around, but he is happy to continue taking the blame for a dismal start to the campaign.

United have lost three of their six games in all competitions this season and a dramatic collapse against Brighton in the Carabao Cup in midweek has piled the pressure on the 45-year-old.

Carrick’s side led 2-0 against the Seagulls but surrendered the advantage and lost from that position at Old Trafford for the first time in 50 years. United were booed off the pitch and Carrick and the players faced derogatory chants from the Stretford End.

It feels like they need a result at Fulham this weekend, but Carrick shot down the idea that he needed results quickly to convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers that he remained the right man for the job.

“I think that’ll be a lot longer than one or two games of results,” he said. “I understand, first of all, taking away all that, that’s irrelevant for me.

“I know the club, I know the role, I know what’s expected here in terms of playing to a certain standard, playing at a certain level, achieving certain things on the pitch, so I get all that.

“In terms of future and ownership and how long I’ve got in the job, I’m thinking one part of it, like how long have I got, it’s ridiculous to think that way in a position that I’m in, that’s just not on the radar.

“I understand what we need to achieve and where we need to be as a football club for the owners, what they expect, for the supporters as much as anything, I get all that.

“It’s two or three games that we haven’t had certain results, and two or three games too many because I really hate losing, but that doesn’t mean that the world caves in. In some minds it does, it can’t for us, because we’ve got to perform.”

Carrick has taken the responsibility for United’s rocky start to the season on his own shoulders rather than deflecting criticism and told critics he should continue to be the lightning rod for any brickbats thrown United’s way.

“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “It’s my responsibility. I’m fine with that. It’s not a blame game. It’s not a blame game. We all search for things to look at and point at and find a blame.

“Sometimes it gets almost like too much of a thing to want to find someone to blame or something to blame. Blame me, no problem. I’ll take the responsibility, whatever it is.

“But it’s not about blaming people, it’s about finding solutions and being better, and that’s as a whole football club, as a group of players, as staff, as owners, supporters, it’s a whole collective thing, and you can put it in different directions, you can worry about different things, it’s about what you focus on.

“‘I’m totally happy taking responsibility, absolutely no problem with that, it doesn’t bother me. I just know where we want to get to and we want to get there fast.”

Carrick is a veteran of 464 games as a player for United and has remained a fan of the club, and as difficult as things feel right now, he maintains the belief that it is a “great football club” and that he is in the right place to turn it around.

“One hundred per cent it does, yeah,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, genuinely. It’s the best place for me to be, so in part of the times when it’s maybe not going to plan, that’s sometimes the best times to work your way through, find out a few things and come out an awful lot stronger.”

The Northwestern Wildcats are staying the course for years to come.

Northwestern announced on Thursday morning that it has extended head coach David Braun to a deal that keeps him in place through the 2031 college football season.

“David Braun is the right leader today for Northwestern Football and for the years to come,” Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Mark Jackson said in a statement on Thursday morning about the extension. “He recruits young men of high character who embrace our elite academic environment and who compete in the most competitive conference in the country. David develops our student-athletes at a time when retaining talent has never been harder, and they choose to remain Wildcats when other options appear. He does it with a rare combination of relentless competitiveness and integrity.

“He is everything that we need in a head coach. With our continued investments in our Football program and with the opening of New Ryan Field in just a few weeks, the future of Northwestern Football is bright with David at the helm. We look forward to having David, Kristin and their family in Evanston for the seasons ahead.”

Braun originally joined Northwestern as its defensive coordinator for the 2023 season but was promoted to interim head coach in July of that year in the wake of head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s dismissal against the backdrop of a hazing investigation into the program.

After a 1-11 season in 2022, Northwestern went 8-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play in Braun’s first season at the helm, capped off by defeating the Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl. Braun won 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year honors and was named the Wildcats’ full-time head coach during the season. The eight wins, which included Northwestern snapping a 14-game road losing streak, were the most for the Wildcats since finishing 10-3 overall and 7-2 in conference play in 2017.

Since taking over in 2023, Northwestern is a combined 20-19 overall, 11-16 in Big Ten play and has made two bowl games under Braun (2023 and 2025).

“I am so honored to have the opportunity to lead a storied football program at an institution that demands and expects excellence, instills character, and provides a transformative experience for its student-athletes on and off the field,” Braun said in a statement about the extension. “I am grateful to President Chiang and to Mark Jackson for the continued investment into our program, for their support of my family and our tremendous staff and for sharing in our belief of what Northwestern Football can become.

“Northwestern is a special place. Kristin and I are proud to call it home for many years to come.”

Prior to landing in Evanston in 2023, Braun was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach of the North Dakota State Bison from 2019-22, a stint preceded by two years as a defensive assistant with the Northern Iowa Panthers (2017-18), among other coaching positions. 

As for the present, Northwestern opened the 2026 season with a 34-18 win at home over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Sept. 5. Next up for the Wildcats is a Saturday night home matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes (2-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET, which can be viewed on FOX.

Shiv Kapur (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images

NEW DELHI: More than two decades after winning India’s only individual Asian Games golf gold, Shiv Kapur believes the country’s current crop of golfers has the talent to bring another medal home from Nagoya.The golf competition at the 2026 Asian Games begins on Sept 30, with India fielding a six-member contingent comprising Yuvraj Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat and Saptak Talwar in the men’s event, and Pranavi Urs, Diksha Dagar and Aditi Ashok in the women’s competition.Kapur, who scripted history with his individual gold at the 2002 Busan Games, said that medal remains the defining achievement of his career and hopes the long wait finally comes to an end. “It’s been more than 20 years since my gold medal, and I’m hoping this team breaks that jinx. Even today, that medal remains the biggest achievement of my career because it belonged to India as much as it belonged to me,” Kapur, now 44, said on the sidelines of an IGPL event in Delhi.India has steadily emerged as one of Asia’s strongest golfing nations, with multiple players competing in Asia and Ladies European Tour. Kapur feels the experience within the squad, combined with the confidence gained from recent international performances, gives India a genuine chance of challenging for medals in both team and individual events.

Having represented India across multiple editions of the Asian Games, Kapur said the tournament carries a unique emotional weight that is unlike any professional event. “When you’re playing for India, it’s completely different. Every shot means more because you’re representing the country, not just yourself. That’s what made Busan so special for me,” he said.The former Asian Games star also believes Indian golf is entering an encouraging phase, with a stronger domestic structure producing players capable of competing consistently at the highest level.As Nagoya approaches, Kapur hopes the next chapter of India’s Asian Games story will belong to a new generation, as he concluded, “Records are meant to be broken. I’d be happier than anyone if one of these boys or girls comes back with the gold. That’s how Indian golf moves forward.”

Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo did not play a single minute for England during this summer’s World Cup

England head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted it “hurt him” not to play Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo at this summer’s World Cup. Mainoo was called up to the Three Lions’ squad but did not play a single minute of the tournament. The 21-year-old was meant to feature against France in the third-place play-off but was injured in the build-up to the game.

Tuchel’s decision to overlook Mainoo led to criticism from some pundits. Former United midfielder Nicky Butt advised Mainoo to refuse to play for England in that game against France, describing it as a “stupid, nonsense game”.

Tuchel has called the midfielder up for the upcoming international break for fixtures against Spain, Czechia and Croatia in the Nations League. When asked about the summer and Mainoo’s limited role in the England squad, Tuchel explained why the United man was overlooked.

“I expect him to be on the pitch and it’s my duty to get him on the pitch. That was totally on me,” the England boss said. “He didn’t put a foot wrong during the World Cup. He was class in behaviour on the training pitch.

“There was big competition; we played Reece [James] in central midfield also. Elliot Anderson is amazing for us, Declan Rice is a very unique player. We trusted them more than we trusted Kobbie. It was difficult for him. It was on me.

“He got injured before the France game so we couldn’t even give him minutes there, which hurt me. Maybe he was more hurt than me but it was my responsibility and it’s my responsibility to reward him for that.”

Since returning from the World Cup, Mainoo has cemented his spot in United’s midfield. He was excellent on his first start against Ipswich and has started to strike a good partnership with Youri Tielemans in the middle.

Mainoo is expected to start again for the Reds at Fulham on Sunday, before linking up with his England colleagues. The Three Lions’ first match of the extended international break will be against Spain on September 26.

Manchester United are desperate for three points on Sunday when they travel to Fulham in the Premier League

Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa believes Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick is always under pressure due to the scale of the job at Old Trafford. Carrick has been under scrutiny this week after back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Brighton.

Those defeats come after the Reds lost to Hull City on the opening day of the season and conceded a last-minute goal to draw at Everton. United’s only win in the top flight came against Ipswich Town, who, for 40 minutes, were arguably the better side at Old Trafford.

Carrick’s men now travel to Craven Cottage to face a Fulham side that have not won a Premier League game so far this season. However, Arbeloa’s side were good in a goalless draw at Liverpool last weekend and did beat West Ham in the Carabao Cup in midweek. When asked about the pressure Carrick finds himself under, Arbeloa admitted that such demands are to be expected when managing United.

“Every Premier League manager is under pressure,” Arbeloa said in his pre-match press conference. “It’s not because [of] what comes from outside, it’s because you have to be really demanding of yourself. All the managers want to win every weekend.

“For sure, when you are a coach of a big team you are always under pressure, but same for me because I need to win games. Both teams will want to win the game on Sunday, so it’s going to be a good battle.”

Despite United’s indifferent form in recent weeks, Arbeloa insisted that his team needed to be at their ‘best level, the same level we saw at Anfield’. “We are facing one of the best teams in the world and we know that and we need to be ready,” Arbeloa added.

This will be United’s final match before the three-week international break. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are among the United players who will be joining up with their countries over the next few weeks.

After this weekend, the Reds will return to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on October 10.

AEW is currently preparing to host All Out 2026. The upcoming pay-per-view will take place at the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. It will feature several title matches. The Don Callis Family’s Kazuchika Okada will defend the International Title against a popular former WWE star.

Tommaso Ciampa will challenge Kazuchika Okada for the AEW International Championship at All Out. The Psycho Killer is hell-bent on dethroning the Rainmaker. He recently sent a message to Okada on Instagram. Furthermore, he seemingly took shots at reigning World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and Kenny Omega in this message.

Ciampa wrote that the Don Callis Family member is an expert at collecting titles, which some believe is a jab at Kenny Omega’s belt collector gimmick. Additionally, he called the Japanese star the epitome of a ‘main event player,’ which was probably a shot at WWE icon Roman Reigns.

“Ciampa vs Okada: I would say it’s nothing but respect, but truth is… it’s so much more. I’ve said since coming to AEW that I want to collect titles and become a main event player. I can’t think of a single guy in this business who defines “collecting titles and being a main event player” more than Kazuchika Okada,” wrote Ciampa.

AEW All Out 2026 entire match card

Many titles like the World Championship, the International Championship, the World Trios Championship, and more will be defended at All Out 2026.

Here is the upcoming pay-per-view’s entire lineup:

• Will Ospreay (c) vs. Jon Moxley – World Championship match
• Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa – International Championship match
• Swerve Strickland and The New Level (Austin Creed and Kofi) (c) or The Demand (Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona) vs. “Hangman” Adam Page and Brodido (Brody King and Bandido) – World Trios Championship match
• Thekla vs. Willow Nightingale – Women’s World Championship #1 contender match
• Darby Allin and Steven Borden vs. The Don Callis Family (Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher) – World Tag Team Championship #1 contenders match
• The Brawling Birds (Alex Windsor and Jamie Hayter) (c) vs. Divine Dominion (Lena Kross and Megan Bayne) – Women’s World Tag Team Championship Chicago Street Fight
• Cage and Cope (Christian Cage and Adam Copeland) (c) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) – World Tag Team Championship three-way ladder match

All Out has the potential to be an historic show. Hopefully, it will deliver.