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

QB Trevor Lawrence hints he could stay at Clemson one more season

A vast majority of mock drafts recently updated list Lawrence as the top pick of next year's class. The Jets, meanwhile, are the NFL's only winless team  and lead the race to "win" the right to draft the 6-foot-6 signal-caller.

Nick Foles to remain starter, Matt Nagy to keep calling plays

Foles is currently 27th among 31 eligible players in QBR (46.2).

Giants players to be dealt with 'internally' following maskless social gathering

Quarterback Daniel Jones was among the active Giants players caught on video dining without masks.

NFL confirms eight positive coronavirus results among players in latest testing round

Additionally, the league reported 11 positive COVID-19 test results among other personnel. 

Ravens sign three-time Pro Bowl WR Dez Bryant to practice squad

Bryant hasn't played an official NFL snap since the last day of 2017 when he was with the Dallas Cowboys.

Penn State RB Noah Cain will miss rest of season due to injury

Cain was seen using crutches and wearing a supportive boot on his left leg and foot while on the sidelines this past Saturday after he carried the ball three times versus Indiana.

Cowboys put Pro Bowl DE Everson Griffen on trade block?

Dallas is potentially a win over Philadelphia (2-4-1) away from sitting atop the division standings, but that apparently isn't stopping the Cowboys from shopping Griffen to a contender that desires a defensive rental. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov says he choked Justin Gaethje out to avoid injuring him

Khabib Nurmagomedov retired as the unbeaten UFC lightweight champion at 29-0-0 minutes after a dominant win over Justin Gaethje in the main event of Saturday's UFC 254 show.

Adam Gase backs Sam Darnold again

For the second time this season, New York Jets head coach Adam Gase has backed struggling third-year quarterback Sam Darnold.  How long either man will be linked with the franchise has yet to be determined.  "I just keep thinking, 'He's 23, none of this can be easy,'" Gase told reporters on Monday, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.

San Jose State-New Mexico football game relocated to San Jose due to COVID-19

Spectators will not be welcomed to CEFCU Stadium because of the health crisis. Tailgating on university grounds is prohibited. 

NY Giants unlikely to trade TE Evan Engram?

ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported on Monday that the New York Giants are unlikely to deal tight end Evan Engram before the trade deadline on Nov. 3.  The Giants

Cardinals RB Kenyan Drake likely out 'a few weeks' with ankle injury

Arizona is on a bye for Week 8 before playing the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 8. 

Broncos DT Mike Purcell out for season, will undergo foot surgery

Purcell wasn't Denver's only casualty over the weekend. Running back Phillip Lindsay is in the league's concussion protocol.

Panthers All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey pushing to play vs. Falcons

While Mike Davis performed admirably in replacing one of the league's most talented playmakers, he was held to 12 yards on seven carries in the loss to New Orleans on Sunday afternoon.

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones backs coach Mike McCarthy despite poor start

Jones isn't yet ready to throw McCarthy under the figurative bus.

Report: Cowboys unlikely to sign QB before showdown with Eagles

Ben DiNucci, who took over for Andy Dalton after he was knocked out of the loss vs. Washington, will be given the keys to the offense on Sunday night if the former Cincinnati Bengals starter can't go.

LSU QB Myles Brennan questionable vs. Auburn with lower-body injury

Brennan is returning to practice on Monday after dealing with a lower-body injury that sidelined him for Saturday's win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Duke CB Mark Gilbert opts out, will enter 2021 NFL Draft

Once an All-ACC cornerback, Gilbert tallied six interceptions back in 2017 but missed most of the 2018 season and all of 2019 after he suffered a dislocated left hip during a game at Northwestern on Sept. 8, 2018. 

ESPN cancels plans for college basketball bubble in Orlando

The bubble was scheduled to host teams from Nov. 25, when college basketball seasons can start amid the coronavirus pandemic, through early December.

Paul Chryst won't confirm if QB Graham Mertz tested positive for COVID-19

No Wisconsin players tested positive before Friday's blowout win over the Illinois Fighting Illini, during which Mertz set a Wisconsin record for single-game completion percentage (95.2) and matched a school mark for touchdown passes in a contest (five).

AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma, Jens Petter Hauge test positive for coronavirus

Three staff members also tested positive and were placed in isolation.

Report: Saints unlikely to trade All-Pro WR Michael Thomas

It's been a tumultuous season for Thomas, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that sidelined him for the next three contests, followed by an altercation with a teammate and another injury.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards to headline final UFC show of 2020

Chimaev, who might already be the fighter of the year, will face Leon Edwards (18-3-0) in the last match on the last UFC card before 2021 on Dec. 19. 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola defends Sergio Aguero for putting hands on female referee

Aguero could have been sent off and handed a ban had the contact been deemed violent in any nature. 

Report: Antonio Brown, Buccaneers reach agreement on one-year deal

The Bucs have agreed to a one-year deal with Antonio Brown, but he must still pass through the league's COVID-19 protocols before the signing can become official.