Yardbarker

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

EXPERTISE:

NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, Premier League, MLS, US Soccer, UFC

Kyrie Irving would 'retire' if Nets tried to trade him?

There's little reason the Nets should want to break this "big three" up ahead of the fall months.

Matt Ryan not thinking about Super Bowl loss to Tom Brady ahead of Falcons-Buccaneers game

Ryan said he and his current teammates need to focus on the task at hand without looking back at what could have been.

Six-time Pro Bowl Raiders DT Gerald McCoy suffers another season-ending injury

McCoy earned six Pro Bowl nods across nine seasons during his best days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last decade and then tallied five sacks as a member of the Carolina Panthers in 2019.

Giants TE Evan Engram out, RB Saquon Barkley questionable Thursday night at Washington

Barring an unexpected update, it's believed Barkley will take the field Thursday night, but it remains unclear how many touches he'll get on such a short turnaround. 

Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. out Sunday vs. Texans

Beckham traveled with the Browns for their Week 1 showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs and even completed pregame workouts at Arrowhead Stadium ahead of kickoff but did not play.

Paris Saint-Germain expect Kylian Mbappe to sign extension

It's long been said Mbappe dreams of playing in Madrid, won't extend his stay with PSG past the current campaign and could sign a pre-contract agreement with the Spanish giants in January.

Packers' Aaron Rodgers: Blowout loss to Saints 'a good learning lesson'

Green Bay suffered a humiliating 38-3 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have already turned the page.

Mets' Jacob deGrom 'on track' to return late this season?

It's unknown if the Mets would have deGrom face MLB batters before spring training of next year if they can't qualify for the postseason by the time he's cleared to return. 

Raiders' Denzelle Good done for season due to torn ACL

Head coach Jon Gruden said earlier in the day that backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue could also be dealing with long-term injury setbacks. 

Michael Conforto admits time with Mets might be coming to an end

Like so many Mets players, Conforto has failed to produce expected offensive numbers throughout what became a disappointing campaign.

Aaron Gordon agrees to four-year, $92M extension with Nuggets

In 50 regular-season games in 2020-21, Gordon averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy a candidate for USC opening

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is expected to emerge as a candidate for the USC job.

Could WR Josh Gordon soon be reinstated again?

Gordon's inability to remain eligible for an entire season since then made him one of the NFL's biggest "what could have been" stories of the past decade.

Penn State's James Franklin plays down USC speculation

Franklin's program began the season with back-to-back wins and is now preparing to face the No. 22 Auburn Tigers this Saturday night, so the coach understandably didn't want to discuss any job openings on Tuesday. 

Report: Deshaun Watson not a 'distraction' for Texans despite trade request, legal issues

The 26-year-old attends meetings and even serves as "an extra set of eyes" while aiding Taylor in film sessions.

49ers RB Raheem Mostert to have season-ending knee surgery

Mostert carried the ball just twice for 20 yards in Detroit before he prematurely left the game.

Report: No COVID-19 vaccine mandate for NBA players

ESPN reports the NBA and NBPA are still negotiating health and safety protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated players for the 2021-22 season. 

Players union speaks out against plans for World Cup every two years

The UEFA president has threatened that European football governing bodies could consider boycotting future editions of World Cup tournaments if FIFA moves forward with controversial plans to hold it every two years.

Saints reportedly now have at least eight positive COVID-19 cases

The Saints have thus far had six assistant coaches, a team nutritionist and a player currently on injured reserve test positive for the coronavirus.

Report: Seattle to host 2023 MLB All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park

Neither MLB nor the Mariners confirmed the news as of Tuesday, but Seattle teased an announcement set to occur at 1:00 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting's injury could be season-ending

The injury news continues to get worse for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the defending Super Bowl champions prepare to host the 0-1 Atlanta Falcons this coming Sunday. 

Buccaneers' Sean Murphy-Bunting, Zach Triner on IR

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started their Super Bowl title defense with a thrilling 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night but also experienced a couple of losses.

Cowboys activate Zack Martin, put Michael Gallup on IR, add Randy Gregory to COVID-19 list

Additionally, the Cowboys will be without starting right tackle La'el Collins for the next five games after he was suspended for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. It's possible Martin could start at the position for at least Sunday's contest.

Ryan Kesler: 'I don't think I'll ever get to an NHL level again'

Ryan Kesler hasn't skated in an NHL game since March 2019 when he was with the Anaheim Ducks, underwent resurfacing surgery on his right hip in May of that year, and had resurfacing surgery on his left hip this past February. 

Giants RB Saquon Barkley 'good,' expected to play vs. Washington

Fans of the New York Giants were hoping star running back Saquon Barkley would look like the player of old in his return from the torn ACL he suffered last September.