It will be a no-go for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald revealed in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that Darnold won’t dress for the team’s Week 2 road matchup against the Arizona Cardinals due to the glute injury he sustained in the team’s Week 1 win over the New England Patriots.

Darnold suffered the injury on the Seahawks’ opening possession of the season and was replaced at quarterback by Drew Lock, who will get the starting nod against the Cardinals. Macdonald said Seattle doesn’t “anticipate” placing Darnold on injured reserve.

Darnold reportedly suffered a muscle strain but not a fracture, giving the Seahawks optimism that the starting quarterback’s absence will be short-lived. 

Taking over in the first quarter for Darnold against the Patriots, Lock threw for 187 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while posting a 113.3 passer rating and completing 72.7% of his passes (16 of 22) in a 13-10 win for the Seahawks. Behind Lock, who has 28 NFL starts under his belt, is second-year quarterback and former third-round pick Jalen Milroe.

Last season (2025), Darnold totaled 4,048 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 99.1 passer rating, while completing 67.7% of his passes in what was his first year with the Seahawks. He also earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

And, of course, the 2025 campaign, which saw Seattle have the best record in the NFC at 14-3, concluded with Darnold, Macdonald and the Seahawks winning Super Bowl LX, the second championship triumph in franchise history.

As for Seattle’s Week 2 game against Arizona, which can be viewed on Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX, the Seahawks swept the 2025 season series with their NFC West rival and have won nine consecutive games against the Cardinals.

Florida has sailed through the first two weeks of the Jon Sumrall era, but Sports Illustrated isn’t quite sold on the program’s transformation just yet. Despite UF posting a combined 118 points in its first two matchups, College sports writer Bryan Fischer isn’t putting them in the College Football Playoff conversation just yet.

SI projects Florida to face SMU in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30.

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Five SEC teams made the outlet’s predicted 12-team playoff field, including Texas, LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. While the Gators are overlooked right now, there will be plenty of opportunities to change that perception. Fischer also has Alabama facing Penn State in the Citrus Bowl, Oklahoma taking on Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl and Tennessee playing Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

The Gators host No. 9 Ole Miss on Sept. 26 before facing projected playoff teams Texas and Georgia later this season. But to flip to the notion of mediocrity covering the Orange and Blue, Sumrall and his squad must upend Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium, a place Florida hasn’t won at since 1999. Securing a win in the opening game of the SEC schedule should produce a fair amount of optimism around the team moving forward.

Coming off a 4-8 season, a bowl appearance wouldn’t be anything to scoff at for Gator Nation, but the talent on this roster suggests it’s capable of something special if Sumrall really has changed the identity in Gainesville. Nevertheless, a bowl berth means at least six wins, which would be a sign of progress that fans can latch onto.

Florida did what it was supposed to do in its tune-up games. Saturday night’s matchup against Alex Golesh and the Tigers marks the first indication of whether Florida’s ceiling is merely bowl eligibility or something greater.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: SI projects Florida Gators bowl destination after 2-0 start

Indian gymnast Pranati Nayak has learnt to live with injuries and the long road back to competition after those setbacks, but the frustrating cycle has done little to dampen her spirits as she chases a maiden Asian Games medal in her fourth appearance at the mega-event. The 31-year-old, who is the only Indian gymnast selected for the quadrennial event, left for Aichi, Nagoya, Japan on Wednesday night for the Games beginning September 19. It has come about after a carefully managed recovery from plantar fasciitis (inflammation of foot) that bothered her this season. She missed out on the women’s vault final at the Commonwealth Games because of this.

“I am 100 per cent fit now. Injury is a part of a gymnast’s life. A gymnast has a lot of injuries. We have to take care of them,” Nayak, who trains at the Odisha AM/NS India Gymnastics High Performance Centre, told PTI.

“I had made a mistake while running (in Glasgow) but injury was not the reason behind it. After coming back from Commonwealth Games, I have focused on perfection, landing and flexibility. I made a running mistake.

“I can’t do anything about it now. It was a very difficult phase for me. Now I am ready and focused,” she said.

The immediate response after Glasgow, however, was to step away from the apparatus rather than increase the workload.

“She had a slight injury in her leg. That’s why after the Commonwealth Games, we gave her a full three-week rest. She went home to visit her family. After that, I didn’t make her do total vaulting. We focussed on preparatory basic training stages,” coach Ashok Mishra said.

“When she got used to the rotation and twisting, when her leg recovered, then we focussed on vaulting.” Nayak had recovered from a grade 2 ankle ligament tear suffered in 2025 to win a silver medal at the FIG World Challenge Cup in Tashkent in May this year.

The return was also about regaining confidence in the movements that precede a vault, something she admits can be difficult after an injury.

“It is very difficult. The recovery takes a long time. After that injury, I had to face a lot of problems. But I never gave up. I will try to give my 100 per cent in the upcoming competition,” said the Midnapore gymnast, the first Indian to claim three Asian Championship medals.

She has also worked on the mental side of her comeback, including with consultations with psychologists, to help her concentrate on the routine rather than the pressure surrounding it.

“I have worked with a lot of psychologists. They say that you should focus on what you are doing. If you think well, it will be good. You should train your mind. Even if I can’t train much, I can keep repeating the drill in my mind,” Nayak said.

The approach will be particularly important in Nagoya, where Nayak expects a strong field featuring leading gymnasts from across Asia.

“The Asian Games will be very tough. All the top gymnasts and a lot of Olympic medallists will participate. I saw them in the qualification for the Asian Games,” she said.

Nayak has the high-difficulty Tsukahara 720 in her repertoire, but Mishra is not looking to unleash it immediately. The first objective is to get her through qualification with a clean vault and into the final.

“Our target will be to qualify for the first final. She did Tsukahara 720 before, but if she does a perfect 360 with execution, a fixed landing, and a spring straight 360, then she’ll be in the final,” Mishra said.

“When she qualifies for the final, we have two days to think whether we’ll go all out. She has two vaults, a 720 and forward 540. We’ll see how she suits the equipment, and how she does it.” The final decision will be taken after assessing how Nayak responds to the equipment and training in Japan.

“Once we get there, we’ll train for three days and then we’ll set up mentally,” Mishra said.

Nayak won three Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships medals in Ulaanbaatar (2019), Doha (2022), and Jecheon, South Korea (2025). She also holds two World Cup bronzes from Cairo (2024) and Antalya (2025). But an Asian Games medal remains a missing piece in her collection.

“My competition is with myself, so I will try to give my best. I will see how I am landing and how is my jumping and then will decide which vault I will go for,” Nayak said when asked whether she would stick to a 360-degree vault or attempt a higher difficulty.

The 2020 Olympics remains an emotional milestone for Nayak, so much so that she has etched the Olympic rings as a tattoo on her right arm.

At 31, she knows the window for a gymnast at the highest level does not stay open forever, but her sights remain firmly set on one more Olympic appearance in Los Angeles.

“I will not give up till the time I am fit.” 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver, Yashvir Singh Bronze As India Seal Double Podium In CWG Javelin

Eddie Hearn has predicted that Conor Benn will soon retire from boxing, after his former ally’s emphatic loss to Ryan Garcia.

Last week, Garcia stopped Benn in the second round, retaining the WBC welterweight title in their Las Vegas main event.

Garcia, 28, dropped Benn with a hard right hook, and although the Briton beat the referee’s count, he was overwhelmed by the American, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Benn, 29, later said he was unsure what his next move will be, and that his priority is spending time with his family. He had previously suggested, however, that he will move back up to middleweight next.

In any case, Hearn has now discussed the fight, which was Benn’s second after leaving Hearn’s Matchroom promotion in a shocking move in February.

“My last few predictions were that I thought Ryan Garcia would win inside three rounds,” Hearn told iFL TV.

“I just felt [Benn] looked lost. I don’t know, didn’t really look like himself… and in the ring he looked all over the place, he looked like a rabbit in headlights.

“Listen, Conor Benn will be done in the next year or so. He may have one more fight. Who knows? He may not even fight again. He’s made his money.”

Doubling down on the sentiment, Hearn said: “Yeah, I do [think he’ll retire soon]. I think he wants his money, and he’s made a load of money. What else is there?

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“He’s not gonna beat anyone of any significance at 160lb [middleweight], so what are you in the game for? He’s in the game to make money, and he’s done that.

“I don’t think he’s gonna wanna hang around in the sport of boxing; he’s got other interests, he’s got family.”

Benn and Hearn’s split was a stunning one, with Matchroom having stood by the “Destroyer” during a drug-test saga that lasted from 2022 until 2024, only for the fighter to join Hearn’s rival Dana White at Zuffa Boxing.

Benn had failed two drug tests in summer 2022 and was provisionally suspended from fighting in the UK, until he was cleared to do so again in late 2024. He maintained his innocence throughout the episode.

Benn was reportedly offered $15m to sign with Zuffa on a one-fight deal, and his promotional debut came against Regis Prograis in April. On the undercard of Tyson Fury’s win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Benn outpointed the former world champion, who was boxing at a career-highest weight and retired after the bout. Benn then extended his Zuffa deal and faced Garcia.

His likeliest next move is a trilogy bout with Chris Eubank Jr, with whom he traded middleweight wins in 2025. Eubank Jr outpointed Benn in April, before his bitter rival returned the favour in November – scoring two knockdowns along the way.

Eubank Jr, 36, was quick to mock Benn after his loss to Garcia, while middleweight champion Denzel Bentley this week offered Benn a shot at his WBO belt.

A staple of college football could be on its last leg.

December and January always include bowl games, matchups with teams that typically would not play each other during the season, often with unique trophies or postgame celebrations based on the bowl game sponsor. The Duke’s Mayo bath, The Potato Bowl trophy, the Pop-Tart mascot, and all these fun and unique moments could soon become a thing of the past.

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Brett McMurphy of On3 wrote yesterday that the 24-team College Football Playoff, which is all but certain to come to fruition, will likely spell the end of the traditional bowl system.

McMurphy notes the change to 24 teams could come as early as 2028, but could be 2030. And what will that mean for traditional bowl games? There could be stand-alone bowl games before the season instead, according to some bowl executive directors.

However, the logistics of that could be tricky when it comes to television contracts, as well as starting fall camp earlier.

We’ve seen a recent decline of bowl games with the expansion of the playoff, as teams that narrowly missed the playoffs opted not to play in them. However, it seems like the 24-team expansion could be what ultimately ends the bowl system.

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McMurphy’s piece on the state of the bowl system is well worth the read. You can read it in full here.

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A fresh scheme launched by the Saudi Pro League will give stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo the opportunity to turn their social media popularity into revenue.

Under the initiative, players and content creators will be able to share links to individual Pro League matches or game bundles on their channels and claim a share of the income generated.

That could prove highly lucrative for Ronaldo should he opt to participate, given his audience of over one billion followers across social platforms. The Portuguese forward joined Al Nassr in 2022, but has hinted the current season may be his last before retirement.

Anyone clicking a link shared by Ronaldo or any other partner in the ‘Share and Earn’ initiative will be taken to a league-owned streaming service.

Selected publishers will also be allowed to host official Pro League live and on-demand broadcasts directly on their own platforms, subject to league authorisation. This works in a similar way to the Bundesliga’s UK partnerships involving YouTuber Mark Goldbridge and Burnley striker Jamie Vardy.

In that scenario, the stream for the fixture or fixtures would be embedded directly within an approved partner’s platform.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are among 16 territories where shared content can be viewed, alongside Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Canada, New Zealand, Serbia, South Korea, Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Cyprus and Greece.

“The way people discover, consume and engage with sport is changing rapidly,” Omar Mugharbel, the league’s chief executive, said.

“Fans are increasingly connected to competitions, clubs and players through digital platforms and the creators and communities they trust.

“For generations, sports distribution has largely been a relationship between rights holders and broadcasters. Developments in technology and the growth of the creator economy give us an opportunity to add another dimension to that relationship – one in which a broader network of partners can help connect our football with fans and participate in that growth.

“By democratising both access and distribution, we can bring live RSL football closer to international fans while giving approved content creators, our clubs and players, and other distribution partners a genuine stake in helping us reach new audiences.

“For the SPL, this is an opportunity to innovate, learn and build new relationships with the people and platforms shaping how sport is discovered and consumed around the world.

“As we continue to grow internationally, we want to explore new models that bring fans and the league closer together while creating shared value as our international audience expands.”

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and director Mark Walter have sold their stakes in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital, giving the investment firm full control of the Premier League club.

Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, previously owned 61.5% of Chelsea. Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss each held 12.8%.

Chelsea said Wyss will remain an “important stakeholder and partner” in the ownership group.

Boehly, who became chairman in 2022 after the consortium completed its £2.3 billion takeover of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich, will now leave the position.

It is understood that Clearlake has paid close to £1 billion for the stakes held by Boehly and Walter, although people close to the deal put Chelsea’s overall value at around £5 billion.

The change follows reports of a rift within the ownership group, with both sides having explored the possibility of buying each other out.

In his farewell message, Boehly thanked those who helped the club during his time as chairman.

“It has been an honour to serve as Chairman of Chelsea Football Club,” Boehly said.

“I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the Club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans.

“I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the Club.

“I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”

Boehly and Walter have also sold their stakes in Chelsea’s partner club, French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.

Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea’s highest Premier League finish has been fourth, achieved in the 2024-25 season. The club also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup during that campaign.

Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as their manager in the summer.

The club has also gone through major changes to its squad since the takeover, with the ownership initially focusing on signing younger players on long-term contracts.

Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, saying he will “always be a part of the Chelsea story and family”.

They said their focus would remain on investing in Chelsea’s infrastructure, sporting performance and player development while working towards long-term success.

Chelsea also has plans to either redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, an issue that has reportedly caused tension within the ownership group.

Despite Clearlake taking full control, the club said there would be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club”.

Boehly, who is also a co-owner of baseball franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, had been chairman since the 2022 takeover.