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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said Thursday he is optimistic about running back Trevor Etienne's availability for Saturday's Southeastern Conference title game against Texas in Atlanta.
Etienne has missed the past three games for the No. 5 Bulldogs (10-2) with a rib injury. He was listed as questionable for the game against the No. 2 Longhorns (11-1) on Wednesday night's injury report.
Etienne ranks second on the team with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in eight games this season. He also has 23 receptions for 140 yards.
Etienne starred in Georgia's 30-15 win at then-No. 1 Texas on Oct. 19, rushing 19 times for 87 yards and three scores and adding three catches for 23 yards.
Smart also sounded optimistic about defensive tackle Christen Miller, who missed last weekend's eight-overtime win against Georgia Tech with a shoulder injury.
"They've been taking part in some parts of practice and taking reps, and (we're) hopeful that those guys are able to do something," Smart said. "They're listed as questionable right now."
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- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
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Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
The quarterback battle for Notre Dame is set to come to an end shortly, and it might be a surprise considering how the national media predicted the race to finish. Per Eric Hansen of On3, head coach Marcus Freeman is set to name the starting quarterback by Sunday when he meets the media. The Irish are still letting the quarterback battle play out until then, but it appears sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey is the favorite to start at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Minchey has shown improvement in numerous areas throughout camp, and he has the edge on freshman quarterback CJ Carr in what is believed to be the final week of the competition. "As of Wednesday, the line between 1 and 2 remained blurred," Hansen wrote. "The tiebreaker may eventually go to Minchey, per the source, because of his ability to be a true running threat and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s preference to have that element to put pressure on opposing defenses. "But he also has a preference for QBs who can transcend adversity, and the training camp phase was choreographed to test precisely that. While both contenders responded persistently in a manner that defies their inexperience, Minchey has been exceptional in that regard." Throughout the summer, ESPN writers such as Bill Connelly and Mark Schlabach have written as though it were a forgone conclusion that Carr would win the battle in training camp. However, Minchey appears to be a natural fit for how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock likes to scheme against a defense. He helped dual-threat Jayden Daniels earn a Heisman Trophy in 2023 and took Notre Dame to a national championship appearance with Riley Leonard. The battle isn't over, but the edge appears to be running Minchey's way.
Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
Few know how to spend money like an NFL front office. This offseason, teams handed out over $4 billion in extensions alone, not to mention the several other billions spent in free agency. But which were the shrewdest investments? Below, we examine the best value signings at five positions on offense: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith Contract: Two years, $75 million ($65.5M guaranteed) Shortly after acquiring Smith in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the Raiders extended the 2022 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year to a contract that raises the Raiders' floor while maintaining flexibility. Smith has a manageable $26.5M cap hit in 2026, when Over The Cap projects Las Vegas to have the third-most cap space ($78.7M) based on an estimated 5.8 percent cap increase. Since 2022, Smith has the third-highest completion percentage (68.5 percent) among 32 quarterbacks with at least 20 starts during that span. He's also tied with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the second-most fourth-quarter comebacks (10) and trails only Mahomes in game-winning drives. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook Contract: Four years, $48M ($30M guaranteed) Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams pierced Cook's bubble when he signed a three-year, $33M extension on Aug. 5. The Bills running back sought $15M per year, making his $12M in annual average value (AAV) a huge win for Buffalo. Over Cook's first three seasons, he's averaged 4.9 yards per carry. In 2024, he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. With just 533 career tackles, Cook doesn't have the wear-and-tear of other backs who've made splashes early in their careers, raising hopes that he can withstand the workload that comes with being Buffalo's featured back. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins Contract: Four years, $115M ($40.9M guaranteed) The Bengals retained Higgins at a remarkable price, keeping him in Cincinnati at less than $30M per year, the going rate for the league's top wideouts. Per Spotrac, while Higgins is No. 10 in AAV among wide receivers, he ranks just outside the top 20 in guaranteed money. Last season, Higgins averaged 75.9 receiving yards per game, his most since 2021, and scored a career-high 10 touchdowns despite missing five games due to injury. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride Contract: Four years, $76M ($43M guaranteed) The 2024 first-team All-Pro ranks No. 1 among tight ends in guaranteed salary. However, if he continues producing numbers more akin to WR1s — last season, he had 111 receptions, 1,146 receiving yards and two touchdowns — his contract will be one of the league's better bargains. Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley Contract: Three years, $60M ($44M guaranteed) Stanley's journey back from a devastating 2020 lower leg injury culminated in the 2019 first-team All-Pro being named a Pro Bowler for the second time in his first nine seasons last year. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was rewarded with a contract that will keep him in Baltimore through his age-33 season. In terms of average annual value, his extension ranks below other left tackles who signed contracts this offseason, and not just younger players such as Rashawn Slater (Los Angeles Chargers), who was recently lost for the season, and Bernhard Raimann (Indianapolis Colts). Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews, 33, is averaging $22.5M on his current deal, while Las Vegas Raiders tackle Kolton Miller, 29, is set to earn $22M per year through 2028.
The Telegraph detail significant issue as Chelsea look to complete deal for Alejandro Garnacho
Steelers’ Cam Heyward blasted by former GM amid contract drama
Veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward is in the middle of a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s unclear when it will end. With the regular season quickly approaching, a former NFL general manager went out of his way to blast Heyward over the situation. During an appearance on “93.7 The Fan Wednesday Morning,” former Buffalo Bills general manager and Steelers executive Doug Whaley blasted Heyward for getting into a contract dispute after just signing an extension last offseason. Overall, Whaley believes that Heyward is overstepping his bounds by asking for another revised contract. “Think about this. The 15 years of goodwill Cam Heyward has gained in the public and on the team, it’s smashed over this lack of foresight,” proclaimed Whaley. So to me, it’s an abject failure for Cam. So, I can understand why he has such vitriol from the fans because you should have [done] this before.. In the end, it’s not on the Steelers. This is on Cam Heyward and his camp.” Heyward, who is 36 years old, most recently signed a two-year, $29 million contract with the Steelers. The deal has Cam Heyward with the organization through the 2026-27 campaign. He received $16 million in guaranteed money on the deal with a $14.7 million signing bonus. Last season, the seven-time Pro Bowler put up ridiculous numbers, as he is still regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He ended the 2024-25 season with 71 combined tackles (35 solo), 20 quarterback hits, 8.0 sacks, and 12 tackles for a loss. Cam Heyward recently opened up and shared that he feels his performance from last season deserves more pay. The Steelers star also admitted that after originally signing his current contract that he told the front office that he would be back asking for more pay after having an All-Pro season. Heyward did, in fact, have an All-Pro season last year, making it the fourth time in his career that he achieved that feat. Only time will tell if the Steelers give in or not. At the very least, Cam Heyward is a hold-in, as he’s at least arriving at the facility during training camp. However, that is more so to avoid being fined.
Phillies superstar may be building Hall of Fame case
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is in the midst of another impressive season. Schwarber entered Wednesday having posted a .249/.373/.578 batting line in his 528 plate appearances this season, hitting 42 homers while driving in a National League-leading 97 runs. The Phillies slugger was named to his third All-Star Game this season and, according to NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, he should be the NL MVP. Schwarber has been one of baseball's premier power hitters since establishing himself in the majors in 2017. He's in his eighth season of hitting 30 or more homers and has reached the 40-homer plateau three times in his four seasons in Philadelphia. The 32-year-old Schwarber may find himself in elite company when his career comes to an end. He has already hit 326 homers in his career, potentially giving him a chance to reach the 500-home run plateau. If Schwarber does hit 500-plus homers, the narrative around his career may change. There have only been 28 players in MLB history to reach that plateau, 19 of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Two players — Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera — are not yet eligible and are expected to be enshrined on the first ballot. The seven players who have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame have been linked to PED use, torpedoing their candidacy. At the same time, his entire candidacy may be based on his home run total. Schwarber has a lifetime .232/.346/.499 batting line over 5,188 plate appearances; although batting average no longer carries much weight for the voters, he would have the lowest batting average of any non-pitcher in the Hall. His 20.7 fWAR has been dragged down by his defense and is unlikely to make him a favorite among the younger voters who put more emphasis on such metrics. Schwarber is marching toward the 500-home run plateau. If he does reach that mark, he could be a polarizing Hall of Fame candidate.
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