Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. left Sunday’s game because of a concussion after his head hit the thigh of Green Bay Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.

Harrison tried to get up after the second-quarter incompletion but appeared to stumble. He then headed into the injury tent on the sideline and eventually walked into the tunnel. Early in the second half, Arizona ruled him out of the game.

Harrison has 17 catches for 279 yards and four touchdowns for the Cardinals, who selected him out of Ohio State with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft.

In other injury news, New Orleans Saints starting receiver Chris Olave was ruled out to be evaluated for a concussion following a helmet-to-helmet hit as he lost a fumble that was returned for a Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown on Sunday.

Olave was in the process of being stripped from behind by Bucs defensive back Tykee Smith moments after catching a pass from Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler when the receiver absorbed a heavy hit to the head from cornerback Zyon McCollum.

Olave sat on the field, apparently dazed, while Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. scooped up the loose ball and ran it back 58 yards for a score that gave Tampa Bay a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

No flag was thrown on the play, which was reviewed by rule because it involved a turnover. Referee Clete Blakeman looked at video that clearly showed the helmet-to-helmet hit, but his review was confined to whether Olave had completed the catch before he was stripped.

Blakemen then delivered his decision that the fumble — and resulting Bucs score — would stand to a Superdome crowd that also had seen replays and booed in apparent anger over the missed personal foul call that put the Saints’ No. 1 receiver into the concussion protocol and out of the game.

Olave, a 2022 first-round draft choice also out of Ohio State, entered the game with 22 catches for 275 yards and a touchdown through the season’s first five weeks.

Olave had been in the NFL’s concussion protocol twice before in the past three NFL seasons.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The FIM has announced a MotoGP engine freeze for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

As reported by Motorsport.com last month, the MotoGP world championship will stop engine development for the next two seasons, before the new regulations come into force in the top class of motorcycle racing from 2027.

This will allow manufacturers to focus on preparing bikes for the new regulations, without having to invest in engine development after the beginning of the 2025 season.

Under the current rules, manufacturers could submit completely new engines before the first Grand Prix of each season. These were sealed and could no longer be modified for the rest of the year.

With the engine freeze now agreed unanimously by all the manufacturers, the sample engine that each team submits on Thursday at the 2025 Thai Grand Prix, the first round on next year’s calendar, will be identical to the ones they use all season. They will be limited to eight engines for each year’s racing.

Exempt from the freeze will be the two manufacturers who currently enjoy concessions, namely Honda and Yamaha. Their concessions status is only likely to change if there is a dramatic improvement in their results over the final few rounds of this season.

Both factory and private teams will be subject to the freeze ahead of 2027, when the current 1000cc engine formula will be cut to 850cc. This will be accompanied by a considerable restriction of aerodynamic elements and other devices, such as the ride height adjusters. The latter will essentially disappear, apart from those used specifically for race starts.

Race start

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The move makes sense given the desire of the championship’s governing bodies to limit investment by the factories with only two seasons left before the current technical framework changes.

This is not the first time that MotoGP’s highest decision-making body has played the engine freeze card to contain spending and stabilise budgets. The most recent case of this measure being taken was during the pandemic, specifically the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

In August 2020, Yamaha asked for permission to open the M1 engines of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales, claiming there was a problem with the valves. That request led to considerable distrust from the other representatives of the Manufacturers’ Association (MSMA).

In the FIM statement announcing the engine freeze, it confirmed changes for safety or reliability would be permitted if no performance gain can be proven.

“Engine specification in the MotoGP class will be frozen for 2026, requiring all manufacturers to use their 2025 specification the following season. This is in order to control costs and maximise parity ahead of the introduction of the new regulations in 2027,” the FIM statement read.

“Certain allowances may be made concerning corrections for safety or reliability, or proven nonavailability of components, providing no performance increase will be gained.”

Following confirmation of his Scarlets departure, Davies stated he was seeking one further opportunity in club rugby.

Davies played his junior club rugby for St Clears and Whitland before coming through the Scarlets academy.

The centre captained Wales on four occasions and played six Tests on two tours with the British and Irish Lions, in 2013 in Australia and New Zealand in 2017 – earning the player of the series award against the All Blacks.

Davies – nicknamed Foxy – won two Grand Slams and a further two Six Nations Championship titles in addition to playing in two World Cups with Wales.

The centre – who also had two years with French side Clermont Auvergne – helped Scarlets win the Pro12 title in the 2016-17 season.

“There are too many people to thank; the dedicated and loyal fans, quality team mates, supportive coaches, staff, friends, and most of all, my family, all who have believed in me,” Davies added on Instagram.

“I am so grateful for the support, especially when faced with the challenges and setbacks of injuries. It’s been an incredible ride, with two Lions tours, two Grand Slams, and the Pro 12 title to name a few.

“I have been lucky enough to play the game professionally for 18 years, dedicating everything I have to being the best rugby player I could be.

“I now look forward to what the next 18 will bring, as a father, a husband, and in my next professional chapter. Diolch, Foxy.”

Chris Barnett is heading to Abu Dhabi.

Barnett steps in on two weeks’ notice to face Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 308, which takes place Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena. The news was announced during Saturday’s UFC Vegas 98 broadcast.

The fan-favorite Barnett replaces Justin Tafa, who has been removed from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Barnett was slated to fight on Saturday’s event at the UFC APEX but was unable to compete due to reasons associated with Hurricane Milton.

Barnett returns to the octagon for the first time in over two years, a second-round TKO win over Jake Collier at UFC 279 in September 2022. “Beastboy” is 2-2 in his UFC run, including a memorable stoppage of Gian Villante at UFC 268 in November 2021 at Madison Square Garden.

Nzechukwu looks to snap a two-fight losing streak as he competes at heavyweight for the first time in his UFC career.

UFC 308 is headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway for the featherweight title.

BRISTOL ROVERS legend Ian Alexander has been given just “two to six years to live” after being diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The Scot, 61, played nearly 400 games during his professional career, representing Rovers between 1986 and 1994.

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Despite keeping himself fit in retirement, Alexander has suffered a sharp decline in his health this year.

The former defender suffered at least four significant concussions during his player career, which is said to have contributed to his CTE.

Following an email from the Bristol Rovers Former Players Association earlier this year, Alexander put himself forward for medical examinations.

And he has since opened up on his condition to The Guardian.

He said: “The doctors gave me two to six years, but they say I’m quite fit. I’m not going to give in. I’m going to fight it till the end.

“I’ve got a good team around me with my wife and kids. And once the word gets out to Rovers fans I’ll have them behind me too.”

Chronic headaches and tremors have led to Alexander struggling for sleep, with wife Janet believing that her husband could be diagnosed with dementia.

Such a diagnosis would enable Alexander to receive further medication, with his pain-relief currently limited to paracetamol.

In addition to his headaches, the Scot has also been forced to follow a soft-foods diet, due to the risk of swallowing his tongue.

He has also been unable to attend some matches at his beloved Bristol Rovers because of the potential of an anxiety attack.

Following former Aston Villa European Cup winner Colin Gibson’s lead, Alexander has revealed that he is one of around 20 former players taking legal action against the FA.

Each player sustained significant brain injuries during their playing careers, which they believe have contributed to further health issues in later life.

Alexander insists that he is not interested in financial gain from the matter, and that raising awareness is more important for him.

Beyond his playing career, he worked as a painter and decorator.

When he began having issues with his memory, however, he had to quit.

And despite relaying his symptoms to doctors, he was told that he was merely feeling the effects of “old age” – despite being just in his 50s.

On how head injuries were dealt with during his career, Alexander shockingly revealed: “I nearly died on the pitch once. Right from the kick-off the ball was played up to me, and a centre-half came out of nowhere and smashed me.

“There was a clash of heads and the next thing I remember is being in hospital. I’d swallowed my tongue and half my denture plate. They told me I was about 20 or 30 seconds away from death.

“That happened on a Saturday and I was training again by Wednesday. I was supposed to play the next Saturday, but Gerry (Francis) said he’d give me another week off so it was a fortnight before I came back.

“I didn’t think about the risks. It was my job, wasn’t it? You took the knocks, got on with it, and went again. Now it’s all coming to light.”

LAS VEGAS – Grant Dawson wants to get back in the UFC official rankings, and he hopes to do so by beating someone on that list.

Dawson (13-2-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) was briefly ranked prior to his quick KO loss to Bobby Green in October 2023, but since has picked up two consecutive wins. Saturday, Dawson became the first to stop Rafa Garcia (16-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and put him away in a violent TKO on the main card of UFC Fight Night 244.

The American Top Team product hopes to get a ranked opponent next or a bout against Drakkar Klose.

“In the top 15, I’m actually not sure because the guys that make sense are booked and the guys that don’t make sense are apparently fighting for a world title in other weight classes for some reason,” Dawson said at the UFC Fight Night 244 post-fight press conference. “You’ve got (Rafael Dos Anjos) in there – and nobody is a bigger fan of RDA than me, I’ve been watching that dude since I was a child. I’m a big fan of his. He should not be in the rankings at 155. He’s fighting at 170, he’s fought at 170, and he’s openly said he’s not fighting at 155 anymore. Get him out of there and put me in.

“If I don’t get a top-15 fight next, the guy that makes most sense to me would be Drakkar Klose. I have two losses in my professional career, and he’s beaten both of them. That would be a fight that would really prove to people how much better I’ve gotten.”

As far as the performance on Saturday, Dawson was happy with what he was able to display. He thought he would have a much tougher time dealing with Garcia, but that wasn’t the case.

“That was the game plan, but through the entire fight camp everyone that had trained with him or seen him, I had people messaging me, ‘This guy has really good takedown defense. This guy is strong. This guy is so hard to take down. He is so difficult to get down,’” Dawson said. “Even the UFC was saying that this guy has really good takedown defense and Grant might get pushed here. I come in with the mindset that I might not be able to take this guy down. I think what separates me from the rest of the division is that I don’t get discouraged. I’m a problem solver.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.